#and how much joy opal would give them

[pi-seas]

Nothing will get me worse than Fearne asking over and over about Fy'ra and Opal

Her sisters :<<<<<

[runningfrom2am]

in this life or the next

summary: It's the seventy-fifth annual Hunger Games, and you were just unlucky enough to get picked; but lucky enough for this Quarter Quell to feature pre-selected teams. You get paired up with District One's pride and joy, the one and only Rafe Cameron.

pairing: rafe x fem!reader

wc: 15k (oh my LORD)

tags/warnings: its the hunger games so like... yeah... violence and gore and stuff. definitely swearing, spoilers for the og Hunger Games movie I guess (but also not bc i changed it up a bit- you'll see), reader has a special talent that i won't spoil here, Rafe is lowkey a dick at the beginning, Ward being a shitty dad (what's new). also this isn't thoroughly edited bc.. its 15k words and i'm lazy.

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a/n: hello lovelies!! oh my gosh i have been slowly chipping away at this for actual literal months, and i am so proud of how it turned out!! i’m really glad i could finally post it by my birthday!! (i’m 23 wtf??)

thank you so much if you're going to put in the time to read this, but it honestly means a lot to me that you've made it this far. reblogs and likes would be so appreciated and let me know your thoughts in the replies! i really, really hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as i enjoyed writing it. let me know if you want a part two of what happens post games, bc i think i left it at a minor baby sized cliffhanger. anyway, i’m off to eat cake now! enjoy!

Staring blankly out at the crowd in front of you, you attempt to process the echoing of your heartbeat in your ears.

"I'd like us to give a round of applause for our brave, brave tributes this year, and wish them the best of luck in this year's quarter quell!" Your attention is drawn to the woman next to you, the District Five escort, Opal, dressed head to toe in bright yellow. A universally happy color- what a joke.

The crowd is mostly silent and you can't bear the thought of even glancing in the direction of your parents. You turn silently as you're ushered back into the building from the stage, tripping slightly over your feet as the shock sets in. People are talking, possibly to you, but you can hardly hear a thing. You almost made it. You were almost eighteen- one more year and you would have been free.

You were granted the briefest of goodbyes to your family, but you were tempted to even turn that down. An action you regret not taking as your parents walk into the room, your mother with tears already coating her cheeks and your father trying to keep a strong resolve for you and your siblings.

"We'll see you soon, Bug. Remember we love you," He whispers into your hair as you sob into his shoulder. You know he doesn't necessarily mean in this lifetime.

Your tunnel vision settles back in as you're walked out of the room, glancing one last time over your shoulder only to see your dad's shoulders shaking from his silent cries as he turns his back to you.

You are quickly pushed onto the train taking you out of District Five, ignoring the other three tributes and your mentors as they talk. You just stare out the window with tired, red eyes and say a silent goodbye to the home you're already sure you'll never see again.

"Y/N..?" The girl next to you says, tapping you on the shoulder and making you jump.

"Hm?" You hum your acknowledgment, looking at the girl beside you. She's only a year older than you, and you went to school together for years; Maisie, you remember.

"I just wanted to make sure you hear them," Maisie whispers, gesturing to Opal as she starts to explain what the premise of the games is this year.

"So," she claps her hands together, clad in tacky yellow gloves. "I'm sure you have noticed that this year there are four of you, and you'll each be paired up with another tribute to compete. Not necessarily from your own District, but, anything is possible, I suppose. The exciting news is that there's a possibility for two winners this year! You and your teammate will be given a score throughout the games, and if your score as the final two is above ten, you will both be crowned victors!" The woman says excitedly- like it's a good thing.

"And if we don't have over ten?" The boy sitting across from you asks flatly.

"Well... the games shall continue," Opal explains vaguely, but you know what that means. You've seen it before.

"Okay, well, how do we get a good score?" The boy asks.

"I-" The escort starts, hesitance clear in her tone as she's quickly interrupted.

"You kill people," Your female mentor answers. She's leaning her elbows on the end of the table, standing with a knife in her hand, spinning it around like it's some kind of toy.

Your eyes drop from her form, staring down at the table in front of you, suddenly remembering your glass of water and quickly grabbing it when you realize your mouth has gone completely dry just from the idea of what's to come.

You arrive at the Capitol in the middle of the night and despite this fact, the crowds are still there. You didn't expect this, even though you've seen it on the beat-up television in your living room every year. It feels less real, somehow, when you're the one getting pushed through the crowd, not knowing what to do besides give awkward smiles to people yelling your name.

Your room is beautiful. You've never seen anything like this, but you can fully customize it at will with a remote, and this level of technology fascinates you. You spend hours flicking through different images that can appear on the walls, surrounding you in another world. Exhaustion and the sound of an artificial thunderstorm put you to sleep with the remote still resting in your palm.

"Up, up, up, my dear! We've got a big day ahead!" Opal's cheery voice startles you awake from your less-than-cozy spot on the floor. "There's breakfast on the table then we've got to get you down to prep, so hurry up, please." She says, and just like that she's gone, no doubt off to wake the other District Five tributes in a similar fashion.

"You're going to be meeting your teammates for the first time today so you can train together- gosh isn't that just so exciting!" Opal claps as you all stand in the elevator. There's a silence that follows as you and Maisie just nod, not excited about the whole idea. You're about to meet someone who will either be spending the last days of your life with you, or be killing you themselves, and you're not fond of either.

"This way you'll get to train together first, which I do believe to be a very generous act on behalf of the game makers." She adds, making you roll your eyes. How considerate. The most you can hope for is someone who is capable, and preferably someone who isn't in the twelve to fifteen age range, having seen that there were several drawn from different districts.

You shift on your feet as you try to adjust to the uncomfortably tight catsuit they squeezed you into, covered in what must be sapphire and diamond rhinestones, pinching your skin with every slight movement. Gold accents line the seams of the suit, extending out into something that resembles wings and lightning bolts protruding from your back. District Five; power. You get it, but we're the diamonds necessary? You hardly take note of the varying outfits you're surrounded with from the other kids in your district, before Opal is guiding the four of you up the line of extravagant carriages you're meant to parade out on for the people of the Capitol to fawn over.

You take note of where all of the other tributes from Five are lead, guessing based on the order of carriages that Maisie got paired up with another girl from Eleven, and the boys somehow ended up paired together. There must be some sort of personal aspect to this decision, considering you have watched those two boys fight back home. You're last, and Opal looks at you excitedly as you follow her up, and up, and up- to the very front of the line.

"Surprise!" She grins, clapping excitedly as you approach the very first carriage. "Y/N, getting paired with a career is huge. Your odds are good already, your partner has trained his whole life- he even volunteered."

"Sucks for him." You mutter under your breath as you get closer, eyeing up the boy in front of you, wearing an almost matching outfit. All the rhinestones make sense now, blending power with luxury could only mean as much.

"Y/N Y/L/N, meet Rafe Cameron. He'll be your teammate in the games." She smiles as she introduces you.

"Hi." You say quietly, taking his hand as he holds it out to you to help you up onto the carriage.

"Hey." He mutters, avoiding your gaze. It's off to a rough start for him for sure, seeing he's being paired up with someone from an outlying district must be daunting, when for you it should be exciting. Rafe did volunteer, yes, but he doesn't want to risk any kind of attachment- despite what the people of the Capitol want for their entertainment. He wants to come out alive, he doesn't care so much about who he's with.

"Okay, Y/N, remember to smile, please." Opal reminds you and you nod, looking down at her as you hold onto the handle in front of you.

You promise her with a nod, willing to do almost anything at this point to win the favour of possible sponsors. Again, your odds look better next to a career on that front, as well.

Quickly everyone is cleared away from the horses and the carriages and you start moving, catching you off guard and you stumble a little, readjusting your grip on the railing. "Careful." Rafe says beside you, quick to reach out to steady you if you needed it. You think you see the smallest of smiles on his face, but that must have just been your own mind trying to find comfort in anything around you.

"I got it." You whisper, blushing slightly. You've been with your teammate for all of a minute, and you're already proving yourself to be clumsy.

The lights hit your eyes the same time all the cheering does, being the first carriage, it's already so loud you can hardly hear yourself think. You snap out of it quickly, plastering on a smile once you see your own face on a giant screen ahead of you, you don't even look like yourself anymore. Your eyes land on the screen adjacent to the one showing you, seeing Rafe as well. He's smiling too, clearly having headed Opal's advice, or his many years of training is getting to him and he's excited. You really don't know. Then his head turns, and you turn your head as well, making dead eye contact with him for only a moment before he's looking past you into the crowds, taking in the moment.

When you finally get out of the extremely public eye and back into the building you exited from, you feel like you can finally breathe again. Not fully, in the tight, rigid suit they had you dressed up in, but more than you realized you were with all that yelling in your ears and lights in your face.

"District Five, right?" Rafe asks you as you're both stepping down and you nod. "Jeez, you don't talk much, do you?" He follows up with, taking a water bottle from someone who's walking by with them.

"I talk." You reply quietly. "Just... not much to talk about at the moment."

"The shock? Yeah, that'll do it." He nods, taking a sip from the water bottle and holding it out to you. You shake your head and push it away, making him shrug. "Shitty bust when you're not a volunteer."

You just stare at him, taken off guard by the comment. "That being said..." He leans in closer to make sure no one else hears. "I've been waiting my whole life for this, so don't ruin it for me, yeah?"

You pull back away from him and just nod again, not wanting to get on his bad side already. He won't be the one to kill you, probably, but it would still be nice if you spent your final days without your teammate hating your guts. "Thanks, darling." He smirks, patting your shoulder and brushing past you to go to the elevators.

The next day, bright and early yet again, you have your first day of training. You're sure Rafe won't even need it, but you certainly will. Your mentor told you he will likely be using it to size up the other tributes, especially considering there is a staggering amount of them this year, and you will need to focus on survival skills. Only survival skills, if you had to pick one thing- and your mentor drove that into your head until it was all that was echoing in your mind when you entered the training center.

After the trainers speech which ironically tried to do the same thing, you beeline straight for the fire making station. You're shocked to see almost no one else listened, definitely none of the boys, mostly lining up to show off their physical strengths, likely to try and intimidate each other. You'd be lying if you said it wasn't working.

You look up as you hear echoing laughter coming from the other side of the room, eyes scanning over the wall lined with silhouette targets, and racks with an array of weapons before landing on your teammate, laughing away with the other career tributes over a joke you didn't hear. He's got a spear in one hand, leaning his weight on it as his head drops back with laughter. You shake your head to get back on task, rolling the rough wood in your palms in hopes of making a spark. Good to see at least one of you is having fun, especially in your final days.

After a few minutes you get it, sitting back into your calves where you were kneeling on the ground, taking a breath of relief as you're satisfied with your success. You glance around to see how others are doing, giving a small smile and wave to Maisie when you see her, reading a book about different edible plants and trying desperately to memorize every image. You watch as Rafe takes the same spear he was leaning on before, hurling towards one of the targets. A direct hit, right in the chest, slightly right of the centre. You jump a little at the sound it makes on impact, looking finally at the boy who threw it.

He's pacing, huffing and looking a little frustrated with himself. A little to the left would have been perfect, but it was a kill shot nonetheless. There would be no coming back from that, and you count yourself lucky that it likely won't be you in place of the target in the games.

You quickly put out your fire and try again, making sure you've got the hang of it. You'll sit here all day if you must. After three more successful attempts, you're satisfied for the day, deciding you'll return to that station tomorrow and try again. You get up and brush the dirt off your knees, trekking over to where they have supplies to make game traps. You've never done this before, but there's no better time to learn, especially since your teammate has shown no interest in survival skills so far today.

"What are you doing?" Suddenly Rafe is standing behind you, as you're once again kneeling on the ground attempting to get the trigger on your bladeless trap to work.

You jump a little, startled by someone talking to you. "Uh, trying to make a snare, I think." You answer, turning to look up at him.

"Looks good." He nods, crouching down next to you. "Uh, isn't there supposed to be a blade or a spearhead or something on that piece?" He says, pointing to it.

"Well, yeah, I just didn't want to stab myself by accident." You laugh slightly, trying the trigger again- and this time it works, snapping forward into his arm.

"Ouch, yeah, fair enough." Rafe chuckles, rubbing the spot on his arm where the wood made contact.

You just nod and begin to reset it to test it again. "What if you can't get any of this shit in the arena?" He asks.

"What, a stick?" You ask, hitting the trigger one more time, sending the stick into his arm again, which he had decided not to move.

"Ow! Yes, a stick. We don't know what it will look like." He rubs his arm, examining the trap you built closer now.

"Then we're screwed I guess." You joke, leaning back on your calves again, watching him dissect it piece by piece to figure out how it works.

"So, is this like, your thing?" Rafe asks, and you tilt your head at him as you think it over.

"My thing?" You ask, unsure entirely what he meant. "I've never made one before, if that's what you're asking."

"Really?" He seems shocked by this.

"Uh, yeah, really. Unfortunately for you, you got paired up with someone who has zero survival or combat skills."

Rafe looks at you, a smug grin crossing his features. "Ha ha, very funny." He clearly thinks you're joking, but you're definitely not.

"I'm serious." You say, confused as to why he doesn't believe you.

His smile falters, replaced with wrinkles of confusion on his forehead. "But- I just watched you look at the instruction book for no more than like, three seconds before sitting down to make this."

"And..?"

"If you've never done it before it's supposed to be harder than that."

"Well, I've seen other people do it on TV and stuff every year for like, ever." You shrug. "I've just got a good memory, I guess."

Rafe nods, looking at the deconstructed trap in front of him for a moment, thinking about the implications of this. How far does this go? Could he use it? He'd never dreamt of having to work in a team in his games, but maybe it would benefit him after all. "Come with me." He stands up, and you follow as he paces over to two big screens, covered with a large array of different symbols.

"Try this, I just want to see something." Rafe says, standing next to you with his arms crossed as you quickly look over the screen, reaching down toward the one in front of you. You notice quickly that the screens mirror each other, all the images placed in the same spots as they are above. You look up at your teammate briefly who nods at you and then you tap one, watching it disappear from both screens before you tap the matching symbol. It's a matching game.

Your eyes are locked on the top screen as you tap away at the bottom one, quickly making all the images disappear one by one. It takes you no more than a minute to get rid of them all, and then a timer appears on the screen replaying your every move in real-time. Forty-two seconds. Were you really going that fast?

"Neat." Rafe says to himself, nodding as he watches it replay on the screen. That was impressive, sure, but his mind is straining to find a practical implication for this in the arena. "Go back to survival stuff. Learn as much as you can." He settles on, turning and walking off back to where he was before, returning to combat training.

The four days of training fly by insanely fast, and that's likely due to your dread of what's to come. you've got through everything in survival no less than three times, and you're pretty sure last night you dreamt of plants and making a fire. Not surprisingly, Rafe has left you pretty much alone the whole time, but you did watch from a distance as he cycled through every weapon the training center had to offer, proving he's almost mastered every last one. Of course, with over ten years of training, anything less wouldn't make sense. What scares you is the other careers showing a similar skill level to that of your teammate, but he seems to be on good terms with them. Again, maybe this would be a good thing in the beginning of the games.

You sit down for your last day of making fires and fishing hooks, working solely on memory since day one, you're feeling pretty confident that the elements or exposure won't be what takes you out- but you don't know if that's a good thing or not. You just hope your death will be quick.

"Y/N, c'mere." Rafe is suddenly calling to you, motioning for you to join him in the combat area. Not seeing much of a choice, and not looking forward to another day of doing the same thing over and over, you listen.

You make your way over, avoiding the gaze of other tributes who are looking at you like you're about to make a fool of yourself. It's possible you are. "I want you to learn how to use this." He says as you walk up, holding out the handle of a knife to you.

You take it, turning the sharp blade over in your hand. "I thought you were the weapons master." You joke, looking up at him briefly.

"Well, I need you to make fires and shit so you have to stay alive somehow, and if we get separated or something I need to know you can at least defend yourself. These are good from a distance and up close, but remember that any weapon you have they can take and use against you. So keep distance whenever you can." He answers, pointing over to the target about fifteen feet away. "So, throw it."

You look over to where he was pointing, adjusting your grip on the handle as you nod, taking in the information he's dumping on you. He is probably right, especially since you don't think he plans on protecting you himself. Why would he? If you die, he can still win without you.

You lift your arm over your shoulder, closing one eye to narrow down your aim before throwing it hard towards the target, which the knife bounces off of and clatters to the ground. You and Rafe both turn at the same time to look at the group that's laughing at you, the clang of the metal on the cement echoing loudly in the vast space.

"Don't worry about them. They're not there." Rafe is quick to grab another one, handing it to you the same way. "Try again, this time, hold it like this..." He says, grabbing your hand and placing your fingers in the correct spots on the handle. "Keep your wrist tense and straight, don't flick it or anything. Yeah, like that." He nods, taking a step back.

You look over how you're holding it, committing the feeling and finger placement to memory before raising your arm again. You throw it again, and this time it sticks, but your aim is off and it ends up in the target's leg. You look over at Rafe, unsure if you're hoping for approval or just satisfaction. "That's perfect." He nods. "Not a death blow, but that'll buy you time to get away. which is all you need."

"Okay." You agree quietly.

"Would it help if you watched me?" He offered, already grabbing a new knife while you nod. "So, you want to follow through with the throw, your shoulders should end about here if you're doing it right. You get more power that way, and better aim." He explains, standing with one foot forward, parallel to the target.

You step back to watch his strategy, noting the way he held the blade and his form when he aimed to throw it. He lets it fly from his fingers as his shoulders fall forward, smirking to himself as it hits the bullseye circle, right in the chest.

"You got it?" He asks, standing up straight again. You nod in response and he's handing you yet another knife to try again.

You go back and forth for hours, not caring that you're keeping anyone else from practicing. You're not the best at it, but it's become muscle memory now, and every time it sticks, most of the time hitting the silhouette somewhere. You tried the moving targets briefly, the gold, pixelated figures running at you quickly. You were immediately overwhelmed, and Rafe ended up having to step in to help. He said after that the minimal skill you had would be good enough to get away, and that is all you would need. You just have to focus on that.

You didn't talk a lot, besides taking a few short breaks to gather the knives and his arrows as Rafe explained the pros and cons of every weapon they had present, showing you briefly how to use some of them. Mostly how to defend yourself against them. It's hard for him to sum up years of training in one day, but he's dead set on the idea that you won't need most of it- just having to focus on keeping the two of you sheltered and fed, he can handle the rest; hopefully.

You sit outside the training center next to Rafe, waiting for your name to be called. It was the youngest female tribute from his district first, so if you had to guess, you would be third and fourth to go, which doesn't buy you a lot of time to decide what to do to best show your skills.

"What are you gonna do?" You ask, whispering in the deathly quiet room.

"Huh?" Rafe hums, leaning closer to hear you better.

You clear your throat, before speaking this time, unsure if you were clear enough. "What are you gonna do? Like which skill?" You clarify.

"Oh, uh..." He mutters, adjusting how he's sitting as he thinks about what to say. "I'm just going to cycle through some different weapons, different distance targets, I think. My mentors want me to show like, a variety of what I can do."

You nod at this, making a mental note of that. Maybe you should do the matching game and then try the knives. Opal told you that you would be scored both individually, and as a team. You hope you won't bring down his score too much, since you know he's aiming high. You planned on going for a mid-level score, not to be seen as a threat but also not as an easy kill. A perfect six would be your ideal score. "What about you?" Rafe interrupts your thought process.

"I'm not sure." You answer honestly.

"You should do your survival stuff. That will improve our team score, if we show them we have strengths at both." Rafe suggests. That's not actually a bad idea. Your individual score will likely be lower, but that's a risk you're willing to take.

"Yeah, I'll do that."

You ended up scoring a six, the judges obviously not seeing you as any kind of threat. This is what you expected, though, and you were correct about your group score as well. Rafe and you together scored a ten. On his own, he scored a ten, so you hadn't affected it in the way you feared. This left you reeling over the idea of other tributes seeing you both as a threat as you stand in yet another extravagant dress, waiting in line to be called out for your interview. The games were tomorrow, and the last thing you wanted was to get in front of a crowd and subtly plead with them to let you live, to send you gifts, and to give you their sympathy.

So far it's been in the same order they called everyone for assessments yesterday, which means you would be next. Rafe stands behind you, arms crossed in a suit that looks more expensive than any you've seen back home in all of your life, but he looks comfortable in it. Your dress is once again covered in rhinestones, and your waist is cinched in so tight you can hardly breathe as it is, so you're not looking forward to going on stage.

"Our next tribute, welcome to the stage from District Five, Miss Y/N Y/L/N!" You hear the familiar voice of Caesar Flickerman calling you out and some guards usher you forward onto the stage, very briefly glancing over your shoulder at Rafe.

You're quick to smile as you turn back around, giving a small wave to the host and then out to the audience as they cheer for you. For a brief moment, you feel as if they don't plan on watching you die as early as tomorrow, you feel as if they're rooting for you. "Hi!" You say as you get closer and Caesar stands up to greet you, shaking your hand and giving you a quick hug before gesturing for you to sit down across from him.

You look around the large theatre, spotting every camera you can. Your family is out there watching, somewhere, and you know they'll see right through this show you have to put on. You wish they wouldn't. You can picture so vividly your living room back home, with your parents and siblings scattered across the couch and the floor watching you with bated breath, they can see you- and on some level, you can see them too.

"Miss Y/L/N. Thank you for being here." Caesar sighs, reaching out and patting your hand where it sits on the armrest next to you.

"Well, I didn't have any other plans for the night, so..." You shrug, making him laugh. Laughter echoes from the audience and you smile, hoping that your plan to win people over is working.

"What? A beautiful girl like you?" He asks after he's done laughing. "You weren't planning on spending some of your free time with your teammate?" As if you got even a minute of free time since you've been here.

"Well, I guess we'll never know." You chuckle, looking back at the boy where he stands in the wing, giving you a small smile.

"Now listen, Y/N, Rafe is..." He has to stop after mentioning his name as cheers erupt again, laughing as he waits for the audience to quiet down. "Your teammate is, as you may have guessed, a popular face in the Capitol right now. Are you feeling lucky about your pairing?"

Rafe crossed his arms as he watches intently, feeling smug about his odds, especially now knowing the Capitol's opinion of him. He knows his dad is back home watching, full of pride that his son has become a fan favourite.

"I am." You answer honestly. "He's very talented."

"And handsome, don't you think?"

"I mean, who am I to argue with the people?" You joke, waving your hand dismissively as you hear the cheers pick up again. "Besides, his looks won't save us. We will save ourselves." You add seriously.

Caesar nods in acknowledgment, showing that to an extent, he agrees with you. "Well, I hope that you are right, dear." He smiles, getting up to signal you've run out of time. You stand as well, taking his hand as he holds it up above your heads. "It was so lovely to meet you, and may the odds stay ever in your favor. Y/N Y/L/N, everyone!"

You smile and thank him quietly, waving to everyone with both hands as you walk across the stage to exit on the other side. You take a few deep breaths as you step into yet another waiting room, watching the screen as Rafe is called out right behind you.

Rafe sits down on the chair across from Caesar after his introduction, which allows a few moments for the audience to quiet down. He smiles proudly as he rests one of his feet on his other knee, bouncing his leg with anxiety. He hopes it's interpreted as excitement. "Rafe." Caesar smiles at him, sitting back down as well. "I'll be honest, I have been so excited to finally meet you."

"It's good to meet you too." Rafe grins, chuckling slightly at the few whistles he gets scattered from the crowd.

"You got a fabulous score, how are you feeling about that?"

"Really good, yeah. Obviously I've been waiting my whole life for this opportunity, so it feels amazing to see it all paying off." Rafe answers, focussing on keeping the confidence in his tone.

"We can tell, can't we?" Caesar laughs, riling up the audience again, making Rafe laugh to himself as he softly shakes his head. "Yeah, yeah. So, with all this planning you've been doing, how do you feel about getting paired up? You probably expected to be going in solo."

"I did, for sure, but I don't think this is a bad thing." Rafe admits.

"Oh, getting along well with your teammate?" Caesar asks, a hint of suggestion in his tone.

"Yeah, we get on really well." Rafe exaggerates your relationship a bit, knowing it will earn you more sponsors, and maybe keep other tributes away from you in the games. "At least I think we do, I'm not fully sure about her thoughts on me, though."

"You scored incredibly well together, despite Y/N having a fairly average score on her own. What are your thoughts and feelings on that?"

Rafe chuckles as he leans forward a bit, pointing out to the audience as he speaks. "Don't underestimate her based on the score. I won't give you any spoilers, but trust me, don't overlook her. She's got as good a shot as any of us. Maybe better."

Caesar makes a surprised expression as he nods. "Well okay! Does she have some sort of secret weapon we should be worried about?" He chuckles, gripping the armrests and looking around as the audience laughs.

Rafe just shrugs in response, smirking slightly, which you can tell the audience just eats up. You're trying to decide if this is good or bad for you, though, as you watch, gnawing at your nails in anticipation as you stare at the screen.

"Okay, alright, don't spoil anything then." Caesar laughs. "It'll make for a better show, and I can get behind that."

After a moment of waiting for the cheers to die down, Caesar speaks up again. "Rafe, if I can ask, I know your father has a lot of influence in your district- how is he feeling about your selection for the games?"

You furrow your brow a little bit as you look at the screen, finally learning something interesting about your teammate. If he's from a prominent family in District One of all places, that would certainly explain his attitude. Rafe, on the other hand, doesn't want to talk about his father at all- but of course they would bring him up.

"Yeah, of course." Rafe replies, shifting in his seat. "He's thrilled, it's a huge honour to be here, and to be the first out of his children to be chosen is really special to me. I just hope I can make him and my sisters proud, he's always encouraged us to volunteer."

"I'm sure that you will." Caesar smiles at him. "I hope I will have the honour of hosting one of your sisters on this stage one day, as well."

Your stomach churns just watching this. How can any father who loves his children want this fate for them? This was your father's worst nightmare. You watch as Rafe nods with a smile, and you can see behind his eyes that he doesn't want that, not at all.

The audience cheers as they both stand up, shaking hands before Rafe leaves the stage, a cocky smirk on his face as he waves and winks at the audience. Before Rafe makes it down to the waiting room, you're grabbed an escorted out, heading for the elevator back to your room.

You can't eat, but you know you should. This will likely be your last meal for a while. You decide on just taking a large bowl of fruit and toast to your room, trying to get it down slowly with all the nerves, while you have a bath. Your parents never let you eat in the bath. It's hard to get out knowing this is likely the last bath you'll ever have.

The morning goes by in a blur, you feel Opal's arms around you as she hugs you goodbye and wishes you luck. You know you'll need all of it. You stare down at the ground in front of you as you're pushed onto a plane, of sorts, along with all the other tributes. Once you're sat down, you look around at everyone else. You remember all of their names as you scan over their faces, but you wish you didn't. You get stuck on one of the girls from District Eleven, Hope, who was only thirteen.

She's shaking, and you can see that from where you're sat down the row from her. She reminds you of Rue, the tribute from last year. Her death was a tragedy, it broke the hearts of everyone outside of the Capitol and the career districts. Hope's curly hair sat in a bun on top of her head, and tears fell down her cheeks as she sniffled. She got paired up with a girl from Twelve- the lengths the Capitol will go to to make a mockery of last years games will never cease to amaze you.

"Hey, you look a little pale." Rafe whispers, leaning close to you. You didn't even notice him sit down on the other side of you.

You shake your head slightly, looking down at your knees. "I'm fine."

"Don't think about it." Rafe instructs you, holding his arm out for the tracker to be injected as a guard approaches with the device.

You wince as you hear it get shot into his arm and he chuckles, shaking his arm off to ease the sting. You raise your shaking arm as they hold their hand out expectantly to you. You don't know what it is they're putting in you, but you've never been fond of needles. This is a million times worse. "It's not that bad," Rafe tells you, and you squeeze your eyes shut as you feel pressure on your forearm, followed by a sharp, stabbing pain. You bite your tongue to keep from making a sound, dropping your arm onto your lap as they quickly walk away.

"What did they do?" You ask him, trying to keep a steady tone.

"It's a tracker, so they know where we are in the arena." He explains quietly. You were the only two talking, and you notice it's earning you glares from several other tributes. Rafe notices this as well, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms, taking this time to size everyone up.

The plane takes off, and before you know it, you're landing at the arena on the outskirts of Capitol property. You wonder if you're close to the ocean, not that you'll get to see it anyways.

You're paraded off of the plane, still trying not to let it show how afraid you are of what's to come. You make the briefest of eye contact with Maisie as she's pulled towards a different hallway, and neither of you have it in you to smile anymore.

"We've gotta get supplies, that's our first move." Rafe says to you as you're led out of earshot of other tributes, into your own hall.

"My mentor said to run." You reply quietly.

Rafe scoffs, shaking his head. "Your what, one mentor said that? Cool. I have fifteen that are still alive and well enough to show up every year. I think we should get supplies." He tells you firmly, but you know that will get you instantly killed, maybe not him, but you stand no shot. "Just stick with me if you want to live."

You just nod a little bit, glancing at him again briefly before you're directed into a separate room across the hall from him. His pedestal will be next to yours, which is a bit of a relief. Your stylist quickly instructs you to strip, and then she helps you into the uniform you assume you'll all be wearing. It's exactly the same as last year, you notice this quickly, but with a '75' logo embroidered on the chest where the District Twelve tribute had her pin placed. Katniss, you remember her name was. She had volunteered for her sister, and at the time you contemplated heavily on whether or not you would do the same. She was so, so close to winning- to getting to see her sister again, but she and the boy from her district, the final two tributes, ended up committing together rather than giving the Capitol their Victor. It was an admirable stance, but you couldn't imagine what that was like for her family, and his.

You step off the concrete floor once you're dressed, instructed to get into the pod that will lift you up into the arena; a glass elevator. Your stylist says nothing to you as they walk out of the room, the glass door sliding shut in front of you. Your knees get weak as you realize you are totally, completely alone, and likely no more than twenty minutes from dying. You think of your family, your siblings, your dad- and the last words he said to you. You'll see him soon.

Your thoughts are halted when the elevator starts to move, lifting you up as the ceiling falls away and you can see sunlight coming through. You squint and shield your eyes as you try to look up to get a better grasp on your surroundings before you can even see anything. Once trees come into view you're frantically looking around, trying to process as much information as you can, and quickly. It's exactly the same as last year, but from what you can tell, flipped in reverse, and made larger to accommodate twice as many tributes. Or everything on camera last year was flipped. There's a silver cornucopia in the middle with the timer that's immediately counting down and supplies inside and scattered around the field in front of you. Rafe is to your right, and a boy from Seven on your left. He scored a six, the same as you, so he's not the biggest threat to you immediately.

You adjust your stance, getting ready to run once the timer hits zero. In what direction, you don't know yet. Rafe wants you to run to the supplies, but statistically, the most deaths will happen in the next five minutes and you don't want any part of that. The supply bags and weapons spread out on the grass are all the same too, by the looks of it. The closest bag to you got picked up by the girl from Seven last year, and it didn't have much of anything helpful. If you're remembering right, it had a rope and some matches, and that was it. It definitely would be useful, but you know you can do better. There should be a bag four pedestals to your right, with a water bottle, an emergency blanket, a fire starter, a first aid kit, and a knife. Right now, that's the one you have to get to. That's your best bet.

Ten, nine, eight... The timer ticks down to the final seconds as you look over at Rafe, who's already looking at you. You point to the bag as your eyes land on it on the other side of him across the field, and he looks at you confused. He's closer, he has a better shot, but you know he won't take it.

Rafe is confused, following your finger and spotting the bag. Why would you want that one specifically? There are others closer, he doesn't feel like now is a time to be picky.

Four, three, two...

Your ears ring with shock as the clock reaches zero, and you're watching most of the other tributes booking it for the center. No one has seen your bag yet as you jump down, beelining across the field and narrowly brushing past Rafe in your move for the small backpack. He stops to let you pass, almost crashing into you head-on. He doesn't have time to worry about you, so he continues on his path to the middle, but he's lost time. Precious time that he doesn't have to lose right at the beginning of the games.

He gets into the bloodbath that the cornucopia has already turned into, looking back over his shoulder quickly as he grabs at any weapon he can get his hands on. He quickly has to sacrifice the blade he just grabbed when he hears footsteps quickly approaching from behind him, turning quickly and plunging it into the boy's chest. He doesn't think to look at who it was.

Cannon's echo around you, and you're counting how many internally as you get to the bag, reaching down to grab it as you run past, trying not to slow down. You look back over your shoulder, hoping to spot your teammate somewhere, but you can't see him. You're scanning the area, blocking out the blood you see flying and scattered along the silver metal of the cornucopia. You can hardly hear any screams over the sound of your heartbeat pounding in your ears. You can't help but watch as the girl from Three jumps on who is supposed to be her partner, a girl from Twelve, snapping her neck in a second. Within moments, she just drops to the ground next to her- another cannon following. That makes a strong incentive for working in teams. At least Rafe won't betray you early on.

You freeze up for a moment, stopping to scan your surroundings. You still can't find Rafe, taking in the number of bodies scattered around the cornucopia and a few tributes running into the tree line. At least some people were smart. Something flies past your head, making you jump back a step as you look up ahead of you. Within an instant, you're being tackled back by the body of the boy from your district.

"Y/N, fancy seeing you here." He chuckles darkly while you try and fight him off.

"Don't!" You squeak out, him pressing his forearm down against your throat on the ground.

"I've wanted to do this since the second they called your name." He growls, shoving you down again.

"We can help each other, Jack..." You say weakly, clawing at his arm.

"You don't need me. You've got your career boyfriend- and whatever your secret weapon is." He scoffs. "You don't have a secret weapon, Y/N. He's bluffing and he won't convince us."

You gather all your strength and knee him in the crotch, scrambling to get away as he fumbles for just a moment. "God- you are a bitch!" He shouts, grabbing for your ankle just has you pick up the knife he had thrown at you. You grip it the way Rafe had shown you, quickly shoving it into Jack's leg. You just needed to get away.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" You exclaim, backing away quickly. Jack doesn't say another word, cutting his losses and getting up to make an escape for the woods. You hope he ends up okay.

You make your break for it as well, running back towards the woods as you once again scan your surroundings for your partner.

Suddenly you're on the ground, having run straight into the side of one of the pedestals and falling over it. You yelp with the sudden impact of the ground, scrambling to get up and continue when suddenly someone is grabbing your jacket, slamming you into the pedestal again. You scream, trying to shove them off, but they're much stronger than you. "Jael! Wait, wait- Jael!" You make out your own voice yelling the boy's name, which makes him falter. He's the oldest tribute from Eight- he seems shocked you even know his name.

In the moment when he loosened his grip, he jerks forward and then falls over you, a cannon booming making you gasp as you panic to get away. Rafe is quickly running towards you, slinging the bow he just used over his shoulder and yanking the arrow out of the boy's back. "Y/N, let's go!" He shouts, motioning for you to follow him as you continue toward the tree line, both of you keeping an eye on what's happening behind you as you disappear into the woods.

"Let's stay close, but not too close," Rafe suggests as soon as you feel safe enough to slow down, your chest heaving with the exertion of energy and boost of adrenaline. He glances at you briefly, then does a double take. "You okay? Are you hurt?"

You shake your head, coughing to ease the stinging in your throat. "I'm fine. You?"

"Good," Rafe answers, slowing his pace to match yours.

"We, uh, I think we should go the other way." You say, looking around to try and mentally place where abouts you are.

Rafe stops and furrows his brow at you, seemingly frustrated by your resistance. "Why does it matter?"

"The arena, it's the same as last year. Exactly the same. Just, scaled up a bit." You explain. "We should head south, that's where the river is. We'll need water soon."

Rafe laughs slightly, his demeanor changing as he places his hands on his hips and looks at you. "No shit," He says, truly surprised and impressed that you could tell. A lot of the games tend to look like this, and he would never notice a repeat arena down to the rivers if it punched him in the face. Your 'secret weapon' is already paying off. "And you could tell that right away?"

"Yeah, I mean, I guess so. The bags were all the same, everything was laid out the same. I bet there's a river down south." You nod, having a sudden realization. "We should get to that cave- the one the tributes from Twelve holed up in last year. That'll be a good, stable shelter. We can pretty much wait it out." You say, starting to walk in what you believe is the right direction.

"No," Rafe replies, making you stop in your tracks. "Unless you want me to have to kill you in the end."

"Oh, right." You forgot about that part, keeping score. "We're still going to need somewhere to sleep, though."

"Yeah, we'll find it anyways." Rafe nods, carrying on in the direction you started heading. You follow a few steps behind, keeping a bit of distance in the somewhat awkward silence that fell over you two after his comment about having to kill you.

You walk in the thick of the woods for about an hour before you feel like you're reaching the river. You can feel it under your feet, the soil is slightly softer, and the trees a little more green.

Cannons interrupt your thoughts a few times in the hike, totaling up to twenty-three by the time you reach the riverbank. "You were right." Rafe chuckles, mentally disparaging any skepticism he faced during the long, quiet walk.

"Thank god." You giggle, dropping your bag and crouching down to dig through it, hoping for a water bottle. You were right, everything you expected was accounted for.

"Why that bag?" Rafe says, already sitting down on the rocky water's edge to rest for a moment.

"Huh?" You question, unsure you heard over the shuffling of the bag while you zip it up.

"You pointed to it, during the countdown. Why did you want that one?"

"Oh, uh, like I said they all looked the same as last year, and I hoped I remembered what was inside." You say, laying down to reach into the water and fill up the bottle.

"Were you right?"

You nod with a small smile, sitting back up and holding the bottle out to him as you cross your legs.

"That's actually insane." Rafe shakes his head in disbelief as he takes it, downing just about everything in it before handing it back.

You take it and refill it again for yourself. "I'll choose to take that as a compliment."

Rafe wouldn't admit it, but at this moment as he's watching you drink, he's grateful that he got paired up with you. But now, that it's been shown on national television that you know the arena in and out, he wonders what obstacles the gamemakers will desperately throw your way.

"We should keep moving. I feel like a sitting duck out here in the open, I don't like it." Rafe mutters, checking his attitude as he stands up. You're quick to fill up the bottle again, following behind him yet again as the arrows in his quiver rattle together against his back walking over the rocky and unstable terrain, knife gripped tightly in his hand.

You wonder to yourself how he's feeling about leaving behind his predestined alliance of the career pack, but with the factor of most of them being paired up with other districts, it was already too unpredictable. You wouldn't have stuck around either.

The sun started to set as you followed the river upstream. You didn't want to settle without some kind of shelter, and you were committed to finding that cave before you could relax. You could tell that Rafe had the same idea, his steps ahead of you gradually picking up speed with the bow still gripped firmly in his palm.

"It's a beautiful sunset." You speak your mind before thinking, desperately wanting to fill the silence.

Rafe just hums in response, looking up only briefly before training his gaze once again on the ragged rocks at his feet and continuing on. "What's it like in District One?" You ask.

"Fine." He replies coldly. You aren't sure what you expected, but this response was pretty on par. You knew you had almost no chance of survival, so it would at least be nice to get to know the person you spend your final days with, even if he would be the one to kill you in the end.

"I've never been, but I've heard it's... nice." You've only ever heard about it from the perspective of other bitter individuals from Five, jealous of the cushy lifestyle everyone knew they must have lived.

"Yeah." Rafe agrees, clearly not wanting to discuss it.

"What are your sister's names?" You ask, deciding to push a little bit. It's not like he can kill you just yet.

Rafe sighs, but answers anyways. "Wheezie and Sarah."

You're shocked that he answered at all, but you could tell in his interview that he has a soft spot for them. "Cute." You nod, smiling to yourself. "Is Wheezie a nickname?"

"Yep, it's short for Louise."

"That's adorable." You grin, shaking your head.

"Hey, look. There." Rafe says, changing the subject and pointing down the rocks, where there's a small opening under a ledge.

"That's it!" You exclaim, deciding to drop the topic of his sisters in favour for finding your shelter for the night. You rush past him, watching your step as you climb down into the small cave.

Rafe quickly draws his bow, slowing down and peaking into the cave and bracing himself for your screams. How could you be so careless in a game like this? He doesn't understand your lightheartedness, your somewhat positive attitude, and your ability to make small talk despite the circumstances. "Hey, careful!"

"It's perfect!" You call back out as you look around, and Rafe steps down carefully, looking around more carefully than you had. He relaxes once he's satisfied that there's nothing down there waiting to kill you.

"Nice, okay." Rafe nods to himself, and you both get to work making a small fire near the entrance, hidden from view.

You take off your jacket and roll it up, using it as a makeshift pillow as you lay next to the fire, staring at the orange flicker of the flames you made.

Rafe is sitting across from you, knees tucked up to his chest as he does just the same. His mind is absolutely reeling- he needs to find something to eat, and soon. That will be the first thing you'll do in the morning, he'll have to employ your help to find something edible. "How are you with making traps?" He asks.

"I can do it." You reply, sitting up and leaning on your elbow so you can see him. "I'll set some up in the morning."

Rafe nods a little bit. He already knew you could, of course, but he's wondering about the logistics of how they work. "So like... hypothetically, would they work the same if you made them bigger?"

"Like... human-sized?" You ask, catching on to what he's suggesting. It's not ethical- but nothing about this game is. For you, this would definitely be preferable to fighting other kids to death over and over again.

Rafe nods, adjusting how he was sitting and crossing his legs.

"Yeah. I can't see why not." You answer. "It would be harder since I've never done it, but I think it could work."

"Then I say we try it."

The next day, you wake up as the sun rises and the light beats down on you from the entrance of the cave. You didn't sleep comfortably, that's for sure, waking up twice throughout the night to the sound of the cannon. That's twenty-seven. You wonder how many teams have already reached their ten-kill quota, you imagine someone in the career pack already has. Both times when you were startled awake, Rafe was standing at the cave entrance, bow drawn as he squinted into the darkness, hoping that whoever was out hunting other tributes wasn't nearby.

You sit up slowly, stretching out your tired limbs as you look over to see Rafe, fast asleep with a blade in his hand. You should let him sleep, and get to work on finding something to eat, and making some traps.

You grab one of the knives Rafe somehow collected from the bag laying next to him as quietly as possible, sneaking outside and taking in your surroundings. The sound of the river flowing and the smell of morning dew was amazing- you wish you could truly enjoy it in different circumstances.

You quickly get to work tracking down something to eat, landing on a few different plants you know to be edible. You're trekking through the woods near your cave when you come across an apple tree- making you pause as you look it over. It looks out of place- and maybe no one got close enough to it in the games last time that you wouldn't have seen it, but that seems unlikely. It must be new; it makes for the perfect place to try and set up a trap for the next hungry tribute who would be unfortunate enough to wander too close to your hideout.

You're digging a hole in the ground with your hands, avoiding the roots of the tree and sticking in some sticks you sharpened when you hear a twig snap behind you. You freeze, hoping that by some miracle, it's just an animal. You slowly turn your head to try and look, picking up the knife from the ground next to you and holding it tight.

"Just me." Rafe's voice relaxes you, and you stand up, brushing off your knees.

"You scared me." You admit as he takes to looking down into the hole you just dug.

"That looks... awful." He chuckles, patting your shoulder. "It won't kill, but it'll slow someone down enough that I can finish the job."

You nod slightly, staring into the dirt as well. You hated the idea that you were crafting something intentionally to bring harm to another person, but realistically you have no choice. "We'll set up more, along the riverbed and closer to the career pack. We can't monitor them all at once, though- can you make more fatal ones next time?" Rafe asks, pointing back towards the river to accentuate his point.

"That depends, how many arrows can you spare?"

The next few days saw the death toll rise to thirty-six. You kept track every night, scratching their numbers and names into the walls of the cave despite being able to remember anyway. You viewed it as a small memorial, Rafe saw it as a timer ticking down to when he'd have to kill you.

Your first trap had worked on one person, their screams of pain from a cut-up leg summoning your teammate back to the apple tree. He insisted you stay behind as he finished what you started. You had to reset several other traps as well, closer to the cornucopia.

Rafe would never admit it, but he was really starting to like you. He didn't want to hurt you- he was worried the traps wouldn't do enough. The passive approach you so preferred wasn't what he expected, and he knew his dad would be disappointed in him. But Ward would never understand.

He sighed as he poked at the fire with a stick, leaning his head back against the rocky wall of the cave, another cold night ahead of you.

You had your head laid on his lap, his thigh replacing the thin material of your coat that you had been using the last few days.

"How old are your sisters?" You ask out of nowhere, prompting him to look down at you. He had thought you fell asleep a while ago.

"Why does it matter?" Rafe replies, and you just shrug a little bit.

"Gives us something to talk about."

"Fifteen and Eleven." He relents.

"Hey, me too." You smile a little to yourself.

"You have sisters?" Rafe asks. He never asked much about you- he didn't really want to know, in the case he had to kill you.

"Yep. And a brother." You nod, sitting up a little bit. "He's older though, he aged out last year."

Rafe finds himself clenching his jaw. He can't hear that- to see you as a little sister. He doesn't want to imagine what it would be like to see his sisters face the same fate. "Lucky guy." He says quietly.

"Why? I thought it was a privilege, and all that." You chuckle.

"Well, yeah, but not for most. For the outlying districts like you."

"At least you get it." You agree. "How does it feel? Now that you're here, I mean."

"Scary." Rafe admits, throwing caution to the wind now with what his father will think. "Not what everyone tells you it'll be like."

"Is that because of me?" You ask after a few moments, and he nods slightly.

"Not in a bad way, though. It's just different. I expected to be on my own, to die alone, or kill my allies if I had to. Now... I don't know that I have to. Or if I even could." He can practically hear his father shouting at their large screen at home, or storming out claiming he was an embarrassment. He was told his whole life to never show weakness, to 'be a man', but now, at the end, that doesn't matter to him.

"I won't take it personally." You giggle softly, voice shaking as you try to make light of it. "My family won't either, I don't think. Maybe my dad, at first, but eventually he'll understand. They'll forgive you." You try and ease his mind, knowing that in the case that Rafe does win without you, he'll have to face your family in the next month or so during the victory tour.

"I wouldn't ever expect him to." Rafe tells you, tossing his stick into the flames now. He feels sick hearing you talk about it like it's inevitable- but if he has anything to do with it, you'll be coming home with him.

"They're good people." You assure him.

"Don't say that." Rafe chuckles, shaking his head. "I would never forgive myself."

"Okay, fine. They're awful. Just... the worst." You smile, looking up at him and resting your chin in your hand.

"That's better. Thank you." Rafe laughs, poking your forehead and gazing out onto the river as the flames illuminate the water.

In the morning, you're awoken to something brushing your leg. You groan and roll over, head landing once more on Rafe's extended arm underneath you. At least he was finally getting some sleep, pretty much unable to close his eyes since you set foot in the arena. You feel the brush again, followed by something moving on your arm, several things, suddenly, and your eyes fly open and look down when you remember where you are. You let out a scream, scrambling to sit up and pushing yourself back against the wall.

Rafe wakes up quickly, scrambling for the bow next to him when he realizes it won't be any help. You're surrounded by and quickly almost covered in a sickening combination of snakes and spiders.

You're still screaming, trying to shove the creatures off of you. "Come on- come on!" Rafe is yelling at you, grabbing your arm and pulling you towards the exit. You don't get the chance to grab your back and you regret that as you're jumping into the river in attempt to get the spiders off of your skin and out of your clothes.

You're breathing heavily as you come up for air, and Rafe is quickly there, brushing his hands over your hair to make sure every last spider is gone. He looks back at the entrance of the cave, chest heaving like yours as the bugs and snakes spill out of it. It sends a shiver down his spine- he was never a fan of snakes.

"I guess that's the gamemakers telling us enough was enough." He sighs, gently pulling you towards the shore again a safe distance away. "Are you bit?" He asks once you're a safe distance away.

"I don't think so..." You reply, hiking up the ankles of your pants to look at your calves and over your bare arms as you sit on the shore. "You?"

Rafe shakes his head, doing the same. "It was probably just a warning. We have to move." He quickly lowers his pant leg over the puncture wounds in his leg, hoping you didn't see. If it gets worse, he'll tell you. The bite itself didn't hurt much, so if it's going to be fatal, he's glad he won't have to hurt you.

Rafe helps you up, leading you up towards the tree line. "They probably want to push us in toward the other tributes, I think we should go with it before they throw something worse at us." You, the two of you now left with nothing but what you had on you, along with Rafe's bow and a few spare arrows.

He nods. "It's our best move anyways. How many tributes are left?"

"Twelve including us." You answer quickly. "There's Avril, a boy from six, Maisie, she's from my district, most of the careers I think are still in it but not their teammates," You begin to rattle off the list,

"I don't want to know names." Rafe cuts you off, and you understand why. He's been doing all the dirty work, and part of you knows it's because he's hoping to have time to learn names and feel guilty about it later. Right now, he can't afford to see them as human.

"Right." You agree. "It doesn't really matter, anyways."

"Do you know scores?" He asks, walking alongside you now.

You nod, beginning to list off all the remaining tributes and their scores, from lowest to highest. The lowest being you- and the highest being ten, shared by Rafe and a boy from district two.

After hearing two more cannons that day, and checking all the traps you had set, you're circling back to the river to be near fresh water before you set up camp again. You don't have your water bottle anymore, or anything to set up any kind of shelter with, you do your best. You set up a fire, Rafe insisting that if it draws other tributes to you so be it- he's ready for this to end just as much as you, but you don't want to rush into your death or an ambush. It's safe to say you won't be sleeping tonight.

You didn't sleep, but at least, curled up under a tree, the night sky was beautiful. The stars seemed realistic, and you wondered if somehow they were real. Between the two more cannons that struck overnight, you still wondered if you were somewhere near the ocean, or somewhere closer to home. While you're sitting next to each other in a peaceful silence, both admiring the vastness of the night sky, you hear a ringing sound coming from above.

Rafe quickly stands, reaching for the small silver pack with a parachute before it hits the ground. He's quick to open it as you stand up, looking into the container. You grab the small card, tilting it into the light of your fire to read it.

For our Y/N,

Keep fighting. Please come home to us.

Love You Always, Dad

Tears form in your eyes almost instantly, your hand coming up to cover your mouth. "It's just a water bottle and some kind of granola bars... or something." Rafe says, turning the water bottle over in his hand.

He looks up at you, frowning when he sees how upset you look. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." You quickly shake your head, wiping your eyes. "Uhm, it's from my dad."

The fact that your family could spare enough money to send you something in the games at all was amazing to you. You heard horror stories of the astronomical prices of trying to send something from outside of the capitol, without the status and funds of a sponsor.

"Oh." Rafe replies, handing you the tin and bottle now, taking the card from you gently. He reads it over slowly, and over and over again. His family had seemingly endless amounts of money, and they had sent him nothing. He knew his father viewed it as cheating, and that you shouldn't need any kind of help to win. If he loved him, though, that wouldn't matter. He should be willing to do anything he could to keep his son alive. The way your parents did.

"My mom made these." You sniffle, grabbing a small bar from the container in her hand. "They're my favourite, she only makes them on birthdays or special occasions." You explain.

"That's... that's really nice." Rafe says, putting the card back in the tin. He doesn't know how to handle this, or what to say.

You smile sadly as you sit back down against the tree, placing the tin on your lap as Rafe joins you. "Here." You hold the bar out to him.

"They're for you." Rafe shakes his head, pushing it away.

"They're for us." You insist, holding it out to him again. "They wouldn't have sent two if I wasn't meant to share."

"Thank you." Rafe smiles genuinely, for the first time in weeks as he takes it. He's starving, having eaten only small amounts of meat and plants over the last week or so, so he's quick to take a bite. It's sweet, more so than he expected. He never thought he could enjoy sugar this much.

"No wonder they're reserved for celebrations, hey?" You giggle, having intently watched his reaction.

Rafe nods. "Yeah, it's really good. Super sweet." He says, mouth still full. You grin, satisfied as you take a bite of your own.

The night flew by so quickly, you're feeling as though it must have gotten shorter. The sunrise went by fast too. You're guessing the gamemakers and the viewers were getting antsy. To be honest, you were as well.

Renewed with your energy the sugary baking your parents had sent, you set about gathering food and water, while Rafe goes on to check a few of your traps to see if they needed to be reset. He could do it on his own, but he liked watching you do it, working the ropes between your fingers and tying intricate knots, pulling back on the stick used to trigger the arrow. By the afternoon, having taken a mental note of the amount of cannons that had fired. It was a few, at least. You must be getting down to the end. He prayed it wasn't you, but the cries of some kind of mutts in the distance right before the cannons lead him to believe that you were fine- but he should be getting back soon anyways.

You were wandering down to the water, reluctant to leave your camp, but you knew water was a priority. You were just filling up the new bottle when you heard a scream. It sounded like a boy. You quickly look back over your shoulder, noticing it was nearby. Toward the apple tree. You stand slowly, looking around as you attach the water bottle back to your side with a carabiner, reaching instead for the knife Rafe had left with you. God, you hoped it wasn't him. The absence of a cannon gives you hope, though.

You quietly head in that direction, watching your step so your presence isn't detected. When you get closer to the tree, you hear crying. Painful crying, as you're faced with the reality of the trap you set.

You watch from behind a tree as the boy from eight tries to pull his leg up from the ground, screaming out again as the sharp sticks dig into his flesh. You should go get Rafe- you feel guilty, but you can't kill him yourself. You turn quickly, and before you can get a step away you're face to face with one of the other careers- a sword held up against your neck.

"Don't move." Blake says, a smile that can only be described as evil spreading over his lips.

You try and scream out for help, hoping Rafe was still in earshot but a hand is quickly covering your mouth. "Not yet." He whispers, shaking his head. "We've got a plan, it'll be fun. You wouldn't want to ruin that, right?"

As Rafe gets back to your small camp, he expects to see you there waiting. He scans the trees above him, wondering if you had climbed up for some reason. He calls your name when he doesn't see you, brow furrowed. You definitely should be back by now. As he's heading down to the water to look for you, he hears a cannon, which at this point wouldn't bother him- if it wasn't for the scream that followed after. It was you. No doubt in his mind that it was you. With his bow drawn, he's moving quickly towards where he heard your voice, throwing caution to the wind.

You scream again, crying as the tip of the sword is dug into your shoulder, laying down next to the apple tree. You can't help it- but you don't want their trap to work. You don't want Rafe to come, so you bite your tongue until you taste blood, hoping to keep quiet. "It'll only get worse for you if you don't scream, Y/N/N." Blake scolds you, digging in the blade more. "He has to hear you." He adds through gritted teeth.

You hear a twig snap just outside the small clearing, and Blake is quickly turning to look with the sword still pinning you to the ground. "Rafe it's a trap!" You shout, hoping that it's him.

Rafe steps out then, into full view with his bow drawn as he aims at the boy in front of him. When they first met, he knew they would have been good friends if they met anywhere else. "You won't shoot me." Blake chuckles, and Rafe quickly readjusts his grip.

"I will." Rafe says sternly, pulling the string tighter as Blake moves the sword to hover over your chest. Over your heart.

"If you shoot, the last of my energy will go into killing her. I don't think you want that." He shakes his head, smiling smugly.

"I don't care." Rafe says, making your heart clench. You know that you're friends, at the very least. He does care. He's bluffing- you have to believe that.

"If you didn't care you would have shot me already." Blake calls it, and Rafe tenses up, looking down at you only briefly.

"Then what do you want?" Rafe spits.

"Oh, nothing. I just wanted you to watch." Blake shrugs. "Just makes it a little more fun, you know? But don't worry, you'll be next." You know he just wants to prove himself, somehow, not having scored as high as Rafe did. You wonder if his family was somehow similar- that he needed some kind of approval that he thought he might find through sadism.

Rafe looks down at you again, and you just nod, tears streaming down your temples to your ears. He quickly readjusts before letting the arrow fly, planting straight in the shoulder that held the sword as you quickly roll over, slicing across your chest and shoulder in the process. It was well worth it.

Rafe fires another arrow into his chest, not taking any risks and the cannon quickly follows as he rushes to your side.

"Are you okay?" He's asking, hands hovering above you as he's kneeled next to you, unsure what to do.

You nod, still biting into your tongue as blood continues to slide down your skin, dampening your now torn up clothes.

"It's not that bad." Rafe says, looking over the cuts as best he can, but you wince when he pulls the fabric away. "You're gonna be fine, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah..." You mumble, letting your head fall back against the brush below you. Rafe is quick to take his coat off, using it to push down on the deepest part of the wound on your shoulder, trying with his other hand to apply pressure to the rest of it. You try and focus on your breathing, rather than the pain, but it's hard when a significant amount of weight is being applied to your shoulder and chest.

"I'm sorry, I have to." Rafe tells you, jaw tense as he lifts his coat to check whether or not the bleeding has slowed. You didn't even realize you were crying.

After a few minutes, he's lessened the pressure a bit, still holding the fabric firmly over your skin. "You could have ran." You mumble, voice hardly above a whisper.

"I wasn't gonna leave you." Rafe shakes his head, gently peeling away his now blood soaked windbreaker.

"You at least shouldn't have saved me. Not much point in that, is there?" You smile softly, trying to sit up and Rafe is quick to help.

"There is. You have to win." He mutters.

"I'm not winning, Rafe." You smile sadly at him. "Infection will kill me if you won't, and if no one else does first."

"No, they'll fix you up. This cut will be gone in a week, the technology they have is-"

"Rafe." You grab his attention again and he looks up to meet your eyes. They seemed to suck in all the light of the sunset above the two of you, reflecting back at him in a way that makes his breath hitch. The thought is cut short, however, when you say something that breaks his heart. "Don't give me hope like that."

"Why? You're gonna go home. I mean it." He promises. "I'll make sure of it."

"I don't think we have enough." You remind him sadly, a small smile still evident on your lips as you reach up to cup his cheek in your palm. "I never expected to go home. I'm okay with that."

Your friend shakes his head softly. "That doesn't matter. You have your family to get home to, I read that note from your dad. They need you, I can see that. For me, these games are all I was raised for. I have nothing left for me after this." He admits, avoiding eye contact with you.  "I could never forgive myself if I didn't get you home."

Tears are forming in your eyes again as you look up at him. The world is watching, and in this moment of vulnerability you feel that more than ever- despite the quiet sounds around you being only the rushing water in the nearby river and the birds chirping around you. "You're a good person, Rafe." You smile at him, watching as he gently raises his hand to yours, grabbing it in his own. "I hope you know that."

In this moment, you settle on the idea that you would die for him. You never understood last years tributes, honestly, how they were willing to die for each other instead of getting home to their own loved ones, but now you do. Completely.

Without a second thought, you find yourself leaning closer, Rafe doing the same as he kneels next to you in the dark. Your eyes meet once more, lips only an inch from touching when you hear a howl in the distance, and you snap your head to the direction it came from. "The Mutts... Already?" You say, scrambling to get up and ignoring the pain in your shoulder.

"I- I heard them earlier, they sound far away." Rafe says, trying to calm you.

"You heard them? You didn't tell me?" You ask, frantically grabbing his bow from the ground and handing it to him as he goes to pull the discarded arrows out of Blake's body.

"I didn't think it mattered!" He defends, trying to hide the panic in his voice.

"There were four left last year when they sent them out. I think... yeah I think that's right. There's four of us. We have to run." You say in a panic, pulling on his hand. "Our best bet is making it back to the cornucopia."

"It'll be too open- can't we climb a tree or something?" Rafe says, following after you as you're running through the bush now in the direction of the open field.

"I don't know if that will work, but I know we'll be safe there." You explain like it's obvious. "We have to risk it- and if you can get to the others first, if they have the same idea, we'll be at ten."

You're out of breath already, adrenaline pushing you through as you hear scattered barking getting steadily closer after one more cannon. Part of you wants to stop, turn, and force Rafe to take the win if you couldn't have it, but with any hope left, you have to try and get back to where this started. The traps was an unfortunate choice in how you got your kills, because you couldn't keep track of how many since by the time you got around to checking them, the body's would have been airlifted off if it wasn't a misfire. If you had to guess, though, you were sitting at eight.

Rafe is running similar calculations in his head as he lets you lead him by memory straight to the field, mind short-circuiting as he sees the silver moonlight reflect off the cornucopia.

You sprint across the open field, blood pouring from your undressed wound again with the intense exertion of energy. Rafe doesn't pass you, though, despite you expecting that he would. You have tunnel vision as you make it to the metal structure, practically slamming into it before you can even stop. Rafe is quick to lift you and shove you up, both of you looking over your shoulders as you struggle to hold onto the edge, kicking the sides to hold yourself up.

You finally get up, reaching down to help pull Rafe up. He grabs onto your arm for leverage, mostly pulling himself up and you wince as you feel the tension from his weight in your cuts.

You flop down onto your back on the cold surface as he climbs over you, immediately standing up with bow drawn as he intently scans the surrounding area. He's only got the two arrows left, which makes him nervous if that's all he has to defend the both of you with.

You try to settle your breathing, which only lasts for a moment until the sky lights up with the recap. You miss your cave, where you could contribute to your memorial, especially seeing the face of Maisie flash above you on the sky while the anthem plays.

You close your eyes, just listening to the music now until you hear barking just outside of where Rafe can see, and you're quickly sitting up. He draws the bow tighter, aiming in the direction the howls came from just as someone pushes out into the clearing. Rafe is aimed straight at them, bow string pressed to his cheek. He's getting dizzy, and quickly. His aim can't fail him now, he doesn't have that option.

You watch them, in the dark you think it's the other boy from district one, and in your exhaustion you can't remember his name. You wouldn't dare say it, anyways. He's screaming for help, a call you know you can't answer, and you watch as they stumble on their feet, shoes and hands digging into the ground as they try to get up, just ten or so yards from you by now.

Rafe wants to shoot just then, it would be as simple as letting his finger loose and the arrow would fly towards its target. It would be a merciful end for the boy he's trained with for years now, only a couple years younger than him. The muscle in his jaw is aching from the tension he's put on it when he forces himself to let go. He has to do it, for himself, if he wants to go home.

He misses. The yelp of one of the mutts tells you it landed in a paw or back, and you look up at Rafe who's already drawn his second. "Rafe!" You cry out, pushing yourself up onto your feet and standing behind him now.

He hates to admit that your empathy has rubbed off on him. Watching you every night carving seemingly endless names and numbers into the rocks that lined the space you stepped in. He recalls waking up one morning and seeing your name and his carved in as well, closer to where he laid by the fire, his underlined and yours with a heart at the end. Like a signature on the top of a math test. He had wondered if you always wrote your name like that, and in this moment as he releases the bow again, he knows he has to find out for himself.

It happened so fast, the mutts knocking down the boy and the arrow flying from Rafe's shaky hands into where he should have been right as the cannon sounds. You don't know that it was Rafe's arrow that did him in.

"No..." You mumble, clamouring forward and onto your knees again to look over as the boys body is torn apart by the mutts. "You had to have done it. You had to." You say, trying to get a better view.

In a second, Rafe's arms are around you and he's pulling you back from the edge, sitting now behind you with his arms wrapped tightly over your body. "It's okay.. it's over." He mumbles, kissing the side of your head as the sunlight comes over the trees. He's fighting off the urge to vomit, everything spinning around him now.

You sit with him, gripping onto his arms and crying. Nothing is happening, so you must not have made it to ten. You feel sick- your heart is in your throat and suddenly you're really hot, moving away from him to look over the edge again, this time incase you have to throw up. You freeze, looking over to where the boy's body once was. The second arrow was in the ground. He missed again.

Rafe sees it at the same time as you. He sighs, hanging his legs over the edge. "Shit... Y/N, I'm sorry." He mumbles, gently reaching over to rub your back.

"No, no. It's okay." You insist, sitting up next to him. "I knew this would happen."

"I'll get you home." Rafe says, sliding down the side of the cornucopia before you can stop him. He stumbles the landing, swaying in his walk as he heads towards the arrow lodged into the dirt.

"Wait! Wait, wait, Rafe!" You're sliding down after him, running to his side and grabbing his arm before he can get to the arrow in the ground.

He turns to you quickly, hand on your cheek and he's pressing his lips to your forehead. "Sit with me?" He asks, knees already giving out as he falls to the ground.

You're instantly on the ground beside him, practically holding his head up with your free hand as you search him visually for some kind of injury.  "What happened? Are you hurt?"

"Uh, I guess so." Rafe mutters. "Snake bite. I think."

"You didn't tell me? I could have fixed this, I could have helped..." You ramble on, his eyes dropping shut now. "Hey, eyes open."

"It's okay. Just sit with me..." He says again, smiling weakly. "Wait with me... please?"

You nod, sniffling as you fight back the tears that want to fall. "Yeah, of course. I'll stay."

Before he closes his eyes, the music starts again and your eyes are drawn up to the sky after you notice Rafe is looking first.

Then, begins a similar slideshow of faces you recognize. Ten in total. Rafe's eyes flicker with slight recollection, remembering any kills he made himself and you gasp when you see Jack. Whatever damage you had done when he tackled you on the first day must have killed him. "Rafe.." You mumble, lowering your eyes to meet his. "I think we won."

Your point is accentuated by the voice of the head gamemaker over some unseen speakers. "Introducing the Victors of the Seventy-Fifth Annual Hunger Games!"

"We did it." Rafe laughs weakly, squeezing your hand.

You fully ignore the aircraft hovering down in front of you on the grass, turning your head to look down at him. You don't say anything, neither of you do, and you finally feel your lips against his. The kiss is bad, it doesn't really work when both of you are stuck smiling ear to ear, but you don't care one bit. The only thing that matters is that you got this chance at all.

Rafe pulls away from you slowly, using all the strength he has left to lift himself onto his feet as you steady him. "He needs help!" You shout to them, and you're quickly being lead onto the plane.

"They've got really good technology," You mock what he said to you just the day before. "It'll be like it never happened in a week, okay?" You chuckle, feeling waves of happiness, worry, and relief all at once as you quickly wipe away a tear with your free hand, other arm wrapped tightly around Rafe's waist to hold him up.

He laughs, and you lean into him more, your forehead against his shoulder as the aircraft door slides shut behind you.

taglist: @bookishbabyyy @madelynie, @whore-4-drewstarkey, @slut4drudy, @winterrrnight, @totalswag, @sadfury @fullfledgedemo @rafemotherfuckingcameron, @urfaveluvr, @chenslucy, @hxnnah-397, @s-we-e-t-t-ea, @tahliac11, @saccharinesammie, @ietss, @maybankslover @redhead1180, @suzyheartsrafe, @wpdailyminimeta, @aegons-bitch, @rafegirly, @lovelyxtommy @dee127

[willtheweaver]

Favorite character poll

Thanks for the tag @theink-stainedfolk

Rules: List all your main OCs and give a brief description of them. Then create a poll with their names and allow your followers to vote on who their favorite character is.

Here are the major characters of A Feather in the Forest:

Fen-

Fen has lived amongst the foxes of Fernatan all his life. The only thing is that he is a crow. All his life, he’s been told to keep his identity a secret, as the bad blood between the foxes and the birds means that he is at risk of being killed if anyone outside his family knew. Emotionally reserved, he does not reveal his feelings to many. Those he has befriended he trusts dearly (especially Playa) and will support them, no matter what.

For five years. He’s played the game, concealing his identity. But now approaching independence, and without anyone to guide him, he is wondering how much longer he can keep himself concealed.

Playa-

She is Fen’s closest friend. Granddaughter of the village chief, Playa finds her heritage bothersome, as the adults tend to show favoritism towards her. She believes in working towards her goals, even if they don’t align with the expectations of others. Though stubborn at times (a trait she inherited from Opal), she is always there for her friends, particularly Fen.

Sorrel-

A hunter for Fernstan, she was the one who found Fen in the ruins of an abandoned camp. Strong willed, and with a firm sense of right and wrong, she petitioned Opal to allow Fen to live. Having gained approval, Sorrel then raised as her own. Sadly, their time together proved too brief, and in between the prologue and the main story, she passed after contracting a mysterious illness.

Caine-

Formerly First Hunter for Fernstan village, he has to step down after losing his leg in an accident. Adopting Fen renewed some of the fire he once had. But the joy lasted only two years before Sorrel succumbed to sickness. His existence , if it could be called that, since then has been one deep black pit.

Opal-

The chief of Fernstan, Opal had seen and experienced much over her fifty year lifespan.Intelligent , wise, but also fiercely stubborn, her word is final. Knowing there is more to individuals than meets the eye, she is always open to those who do not fit in, and unlike many foxes, she actually has good relations with some of the birds( a fact that few know).

Leif-

A senior hunter with a no-nonsense attitude, Leif is in charge of leading youngsters out on their first hunt. He plays no favorites, and deeply cares about those under his charge, even if he doesn’t show it.

Lord Halley-

The ruler of Loftperch Lookout, he is considered to be the most belligerent of the Roost Lords. Any threat to him, perceived or real, is dealt with swiftly and ruthlessly. Both the foxes of the five villages and the other Roost Lords view him as a neighbor they would rather live without.

Tagging @kaylinalexanderbooks @mk-writes-stuff @frostedlemonwriter @roselinbooks @illarian-rambling

@somethingclevermahogony @fourwingedwriter @the-golden-comet @sleepy-night-child @bloodmoonloveletter

@words-after-midnight @theeccentricraven and open tag

[bitchfitch]

I would like to know more about Whiskey, if you would like to tell about them

Their full name is Whiskey Rivers and nobody really knows what they are.

Once upon a time a farmer of a certain vintage was walking home from his brother's saloon. It had rained all night but the sky was beginning to clear now even as the last few drops were still falling. And he looked up at the moonless sky above and the vastness of the universe stretching overhead, and he was overwhelmed with great sadness.

If all goes well and luck permits it, the farmer is going to be an uncle in a few months time. His sister in law is already pregnant and they had celebrated the announcement for hours that night. He wasn't married, and never really wanted to be, but he wanted that joy more than anything else. He just wanted to be a father but he felt his time to become one was already ran out.

Looking up at that sky, by chance alone, he caught sight of a falling star and on a whim made a wish on that winding rural road.

A moment later he was on the ground. His hand over his mouth as he spat out his blood and teeth. Looking up at the stars wistfully making wishes was nice and all, but so was looking where you were fucking going. He'd tripped and smashed his face on a small rock in the path. Old fool was shaken, and hurting but he'd be fine.

unbeknownst to him he'd just made a wish at a crossroads, that rural road and the path of the falling star high above, and sealed it with his own blood. Now, the star knew he hadn't meant to, but still, it took pity on that creature of mud.

The next morning the farmer found his fields lusher than he had ever seen them before, it was obvious even just looking at them from his bedroom window! Rushing out his door he nearly tripped over the real gift he'd been given.

A child, stark white hair and skin barely a shade darker, perfect opals where their eyes should have been and a gentle glittering shine across their every feature. They were little, maybe three or four. With the sweetest big round eyes and baby laugh. They jumped up and when they hugged him, they called him daddy. And the farmer sobbed as he returned their embrace.

His fields continued to flourish. His sister in law miscarried. the child he was too scared to give name too less someone come to take them home again sang while they made dinner together. The other farmers in the area found their fields full of dead insects. The child would help however they could, they were little but a fast learner. Other children started going missing. The child always seemed so alone.

The farmer loved his child.

Everyone knew that this gift had come at such great cost, but they could never do anything about that gift from the stars. They would try. Their hands always stilled when those opal eyes turned on them and the child smiled. Those of strong will, who the child couldn't make kneel with a waggled finger and a giggle... Well they went where the missing children did, and weren't found again.

They got the name Whiskey from the farmer's sister in law. You always want more of them until you realize you've had far too much.

Whiskey grew up. Children stopped going missing, fields slowly ceased to be blighted. They learned how to control themselves. They knew they were a monster, but they wanted to be good for their daddy more than they wanted what their nature made them want.

They didn't sleep, they felt most at peace staring up at the stars. They knew they didn't belong here. They were meant to be part of a constellation. They were 12 now.

It was an accident. The rope hadn't been secured right. the beam it had been tied too came loose under load and whipped out faster than Whiskey or the farmhand who tied it could do anything about.

It didn't hurt. They woke in a shallow grave, their mouths filled with dirt. There was two of them now. They didn't know their head had been knocked clean off. That the farm hand, barely a few years older than them had hid their body as he was too scared of what he'd done to ever admit his part in it.

They just knew that when they clawed their way back to the surface, and looked at their other face. and hugged their other body there under the stars. That they felt so very Right. There was two of them now, and they could hardly remember a time that they were ever one.

They grew up. They were 20 now. Their uncle and aunt had passed and they cared for the saloon now. They loved it.

The patrons loved them too. They were sweet and kind. Had a way of stopping fights before they could start. and they were such a good listener.

they would always listen to any plight their peers would bring.

they were always listening.

Whiskey knew things they shouldn't. They didn't mind it. They loved to gossip and would whisper unknown secrets into any ear if they were paid enough.

They were meant to be part of a constellation. They learned what that meant when they realized they could do more than just listen in on everyones most private thoughts. They could connect to them! They could make others minds and bodies part of them!

They remembered all those children they had tried to befriend before they knew what they were doing. Adults didn't handle it any better. It was a quick death at least, Whiskey thought. A mind wasn't meant to suddenly get three bodies worth of sensory imput.

They could barely handle having two some days. the noose would be too much to handle. The light or the feeling of their dresses on their skin would be absolutely overwhelming. They hated being more than a few feet apart from themselves, but often one body needed to go curl up in their closet. buried under every blanket and soft thing to make the world Quiet enough for them to be able to think.

They were meant to be a constellation.

One day a man with a poisonous touch stumbled in. At first they didn't pay him more mind than anyone else. At first they didn't even notice he was there. He was so quiet. They could feel his mind, the edges of it were strong and smooth. But they couldn't hear a single thought of his. He was so quiet.

He ended up finding work at their father's farm. He had a poisonous touch and kept to himself because of it, but he was strong. He was nice to sit next to when the world was too much. Whiskey found that they could shelter their own mind within the coils of his. Not breaching it like they surely could if they tried, but hiding behind it and using it's physicality as a shield between them and the constant chatter of the universe.

Whiskey had never wanted another person in their life. They'd wanted to expand their constellation, but that was different. More hands and more eyes would be nice, but they had learned to properly enjoy conversation now that Tago was there. His mind not being an open book didn't make him all that mysterious given how he wore his heart pinned on his sleeve. But it did make every little action he took feel more genuine. They couldn't pick him apart for secondary motives, so they had to just accept his gestures at face value.

Whiskey was meant to be a constellation, they were learning from him that that didn't mean they had to make others part of their galaxy to find meaning with their place in the universe relative to those they held dear.

[adelha-mathilde]

Adelha X Diavolo (Obey Me!) NSFW fic

summary: Diavolo proposes to Adelha. They have a wonderful honeymoon.

characters: Adelha (main OC of this rp blog), Diavolo

content: NSFW for meant for mature readers only, romance, intimacy

Diavolo was looking up at the moon when Adelha walked into the back garden. His posture stiff as the Fae woman came up behind him to wrap her arms around him and hug him from behind. Her words gentle and holding that sweet Irish lilt that warmed her words. "I heard the news. Lucifer let it slip that the House of Lords insists you find a spouse. Someone that is a noble and a fitting match for the king of this realm. Barbatos told me to just listen when he let me into the castle. But I think we both know what you really want to say."

Diavolo gave a sigh that had his mighty frame all but deflate. His eyes closing as he shook his head to speak. "I've known this day would come for my entire life. My father bade me to choose one who is my equal in love and in spirit. Not for titles or for power. But for myself and whom I rule over. So with that in mind, the choice has been easy to make. I made it the moment you stole my heart."

Adelha goes very still for Diavolo to turn and place a hand to her chin. Lifting her face so their eyes might meet. A warm chuckle escaping at the stunned expression on Adelha's features. "You have lived in the Devildom for several years worth of time. Always willing to serve whoever has need. My subjects consider you to be a fine woman of kindness and compassion. Even if you are of the Fae. A very special mixture of Dragon and Vampire to be from who knows what actual realm you hail from that connects to mine. But I am certain. There is no other that I would wed, Margaret Joanna Adelha Mathilde. Last of the Mathilde clan and the current blessed member of the Currier clan. If the House of Lords wants to argue over pedigree, they would find I wouldn't listen. You are priceless and worth every star in existence. So tell me. Would you marry me?"

Adelha gives a hard huff of air for tears to prick at her eyes. A nod all she might manage before she reaches into her dress pocket. Taking out a ring shaped like a dragon to be made of special black metal. "As per tradition. This ring was made by melting onyx and magic into metal. Shaped in the Currier clan symbol to announce you as my groom. As of now, you are my husband. Diavolo."

Diavolo blushes to let Adelha slip the ring onto his finger. His smile bright as he then hugs Adelha tight. The Fae woman giving a squeak at the bear hug to then have both of them laugh. Diavolo spins them around a few times before setting Adelha back onto her feet. "We will have to have the formal ceremony and crown you as my queen. But that may wait until later. I say we are on honeymoon and I should savor my new bride. Hmm?" Adelha blushes to then lead Diavolo back into the castle and right to the bedroom. Diavolo locking the door to then sweep Adelha up and begin to kiss her with unbridled joy. His hands soon undoing the ties at the back of her long green dress as Adelha kissed him back with just as much hunger.

Diavolo slipped the sleeves of the dress off of Adelha's arms to also take the evening gloves with them. Stilling when he finally looks to see what Adelha looks like under the dress. Since the burn her knew was on her left hand and arm actually covered her entire left side. Her head turning away as she bit her bottom lip and waited. Yet Diavolo simply gave a heated hum of sheer delight to remove her boots with care. His hands gentle with slipping the rest of the dress off to then cover her with the fur blanket Diavolo kept on top of his bed. A kiss stolen for him to shiver a little. "Absolutely breathtaking... Here I am with the most gorgeous dragon of opal hues. How am I so blessed?"

Adelha watched as Diavolo all but melted out of his clothes to join her on the bed and gaze into her eyes. His words molten and powerful as he coaxed his lover into his embrace. "Striking blue. Like the oceans in winter. That is what I took notice of first. Those piercing blue eyes that hold only kindness. It sent sunfire through my blood when you hugged me that first time. I'd have sworn you stopped my heart if it hadn't been bashing against my ribs after you let go. Such a wonder you are to me, Margaret. I love you. I want you. Please."

The two wound themselves together to make each other blush. Heated touches followed by even more heated kisses. The fur blanket the only covering as Diavolo paid sacred worship to she who would be his queen. While Adelha left him breathless with the nips and actual bites to his skin. One even had blood well from his shoulder for her to lick over it and make Diavolo moan with hunger. This dance one of making love to lose track of all sense of time. Leaving nothing but the sweet bliss of the now. Diavolo would have them move to several different places. The bed. The rug in front of the fireplace. Only for them to finish in the bathtub to be two melted lovers. Diavolo hummed his joy to then wince as a knock on the bathroom door sounded out. His words molten in answer. "Barbatos. Cancel all my plans for today and tomorrow. I have a wedding to arrange with my bride. Who will need for us to make a portal that links from my bedroom and directly to her apothecary shop. See it done."

********

The wedding plans had taken almost a year to fully arrange. Since the House of Lords had thrown as much into preventing it with all they could come up with. There had even been an assassination attempt. Which had ended with the would be assassin dead by Adelha's hands and the House of Lords facing the full wrath of the Currier clan and their allied Fae clans. Which had ended rather swiftly when the Seven Brothers had pitched in to voice their fury. The actual wedding had been majestic and ended with crowning Diavolo and Adelha as the rulers of the Devildom. With Diavolo taking the Mathilde name to cement that Adelha be viewed as his equal. The partying had lasted for weeks for things to finally be settling down. Diavolo currently sitting with Adelha for them to be gazing at their twin girls. Barbatos currently setting up a fancy dinner as Diavolo watched both infants wiggle and coo in their bassinet. His joy apparent as he reached his one finger out for the red headed girl to grab tight. "Rike. Such a sweet beauty you are. Just as is your sister, Elke. The two most perfect treasures I have to call my own. Margaret. How might I thank you for giving me so much joy and love. It leaves me spellbound."

Adelha hums to note how the black headed Elke is starting to fuss. So Adelha lifts her up to get situated for breastfeeding the apparently hungry infant. Her own words full of love and joy. "Your love and devotion is enough to give me in tribute, my groom. But I do remind you about not thanking a Fae. It still stands as a taboo thing to do. However. You are very distracted right now. So I will let such slide for the moment." Barbatos pauses to turn when all of them hear the doors to the castle entrance open. the butler giving a sigh as several voices may be heard from the entranceway. "It would seem the brothers are here rather early for our appointed dinner. I should have know they wouldn't be able to sit still when they are so eager to meet Rike and Elke. Shall I distract them for you, Lord Diavolo?"

Diavolo openly laughs to just scoop Rike up and hold her close. His steps taking him to the entranceway to say, "I believe that Rike will make the best distraction so my beloved wife might finish with Elke's feeding. So you would be best at ensuring they do not decide to try sneaking off." Barbatos bowed to Diavolo for the proud father to welcome his friends with joyful laughter. The brothers giving cheers and whoops for Adelha to look to Barbatos. The two of them smiling as the brothers meet the next ruler of the Devildom.

[ronaldanthony4]

I recently created another digital artwork; this time, it’s a fan art. Fan art has always been a way for me to show my appreciation for the stories and characters that have left a mark on me, and this one is no exception. The piece pays homage to one of my favourite animated shows from Disney, Sofia The First. There's something so enchanting about the little princess of Enchancia, and it made me feel compelled to capture her in my own style. Every detail of this fan art is designed with admiration for the show’s beautiful animation and storytelling.

The star of this piece is, of course, Sofia herself. As the protagonist of Sofia The First, she's a character who has always resonated with me due to her kind heart and relatable journey from commoner to princess. In my artwork, I've depicted her in her signature princess outfit, a lilac gown that perfectly represents her royal yet approachable personality. I spent hours perfecting the details of her dress. The lilac bodice, trimmed with two elegant lines of pearls down the front and along the neckline, gives her a graceful, regal air. Her skirt hemmed with lilac petals and pearl studs, flares out majestically, but what truly makes it stand out are the lace drops shaped like four-leaf clovers—each one is painstakingly drawn to reflect Sofia's charm.

The dress is a spectacle of craftsmanship in both the animation and my recreation. The petals of her skirt feature a nimbus-like design, creating an otherworldly feel. The soft pastel colours further amplify this effect. Beneath the flowing petals, a pale yellowish petticoat peeks out, hemmed in a lilac band to match the rest of the gown. I wanted the colours to feel light and airy, much like Sofia's character. Her attire in my artwork wouldn’t be complete without her royal tiara—a swirly creation inset with pink sapphires, white pearls, and a turquoise diamond. This headpiece symbolizes her royal status while also capturing her playful nature. I paid special attention to the reflection of light on the gemstones to make them appear as real as possible, giving them a shimmer that makes the entire ensemble pop.

Of course, no depiction of Sofia would be complete without her iconic Amulet of Avalor. This piece of jewellery is one of the most important items in the show, as it carries magical powers and is central to many of the stories. For my artwork, I wanted the Amulet to take centre stage as much as the princess herself. It’s a large fire opal drop cabochon, a brilliant gem that catches the eye immediately. The pendant is mounted on a swirly silver backing, topped with three sapphires that I carefully shaded to look rich and deep. It hangs from a silver necklace, wrapped in delicate amethyst beads, creating a beautiful contrast to the warmth of the fire opal. In a way, the Amulet of Avalor represents the heart of Sofia, always full of magic, adventure, and compassion.

Drawing Sofia’s face was a particular joy. Her expressive blue eyes are one of her most memorable features in the show, and I tried to recreate that same sparkle in my artwork. The way her eyes reflect light is key to portraying her innocent and curious nature. Her eyes seem to tell the story of a girl who is always learning, always discovering new things about herself and the world around her. Her smile is soft but bright, embodying the warmth and kindness that has made her so beloved by fans of all ages. I drew her brown hair in gentle curls that framed her face, adding a touch of softness and making her appear both elegant and approachable.'

Sofia’s character arc is one of my favourite aspects of the show, and I wanted to reflect some of her personality in this artwork. In the story, Sofia starts as a regular girl living a humble life with her mother, Miranda. Everything changes when her mother marries King Roland II, making Sofia a princess overnight. Adjusting to this new life isn’t easy for her, and that’s part of what makes her so relatable. She has to learn how to behave as a princess, navigate royal life, and understand her new family dynamics, particularly with her new stepsiblings, Amber and James.

Amber, in particular, is a character who often clashes with Sofia. As a princess by birth, Amber is sometimes jealous of Sofia, especially because of how quickly Sofia wins the affection of those around her. Despite Amber’s occasional jealousy, Sofia always tries to get along with her, showing the same patience and kindness that make her such a wonderful role model. Sofia’s compassionate heart helps her build strong friendships, not just with her stepsiblings but with other characters like Clover, her pet rabbit, and Lucinda, a young witch.

I also find Sofia’s friendships with magical creatures particularly fascinating. For instance, Sofia forms a bond with a mermaid named Oona, showing that Sofia’s kindness transcends even species. Drawing inspiration from these friendships, I tried to give Sofia’s facial expression a sense of warmth and openness, reflecting her ability to connect with others, no matter who they are or where they come from. This trait of hers—of always being willing to make new friends and help others—is one of the reasons why I love her character so much.

But Sofia isn’t without her struggles. She faces challenges just like any other young person, particularly when it comes to fitting into the royal world. She’s often clumsy and unsure of herself at first, which only makes her more endearing. I wanted to capture this side of her as well—the part of Sofia that doesn’t always get things right the first time but keeps trying until she does. Her journey as a student at the Royal Preparatory Academy is filled with ups and downs, and the guidance she receives from Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather helps her grow. These three headmistresses, who are also good friends of Princess Aurora, play a crucial role in shaping Sofia into the princess she is destined to become.

Sofia’s learning process is something that I think many people can relate to, including myself. There are times when we all feel like we’re out of place like we don’t belong. Sofia’s story reminds us that it’s okay to feel that way sometimes and that what matters most is how we approach those challenges. Her courage and resilience are traits I admire, and I hope that some of them shine through in my artwork. As Sofia navigates her way through the challenges of becoming a princess, she learns valuable lessons about friendship, kindness, and perseverance. The influence of the headmistresses and Princess Aurora serves as a reminder that we all have the power to shape our destinies.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of Sofia’s character is her free-spirited nature. Despite her new royal status, she doesn’t let it change who she is at heart. I especially love the scenes in the show where Sofia does something as playful as sliding down the staircase rails—something that completely baffles her stepsister, Amber. It’s moments like these that remind us that Sofia, for all her royal duties, is still a child who loves to have fun. Capturing this youthful energy was essential in my artwork. Her pose is graceful yet playful as if she’s just finished twirling in her dress and is about to burst into a giggle.

Sofia’s adorableness is another key aspect of her character. In the episode “The Secret Library: The Tale of the Noble Knight,” new acquaintances shower her with affection because they can’t resist her charm. I wanted to capture that same adorableness in my artwork, making her look sweet and lovable, the kind of character who instantly makes you want to be her friend. Sofia’s ability to connect with both humans and magical creatures alike is a testament to her universal appeal, and I think that’s why she has remained such a beloved character throughout the years.

In conclusion, creating this fan art of Sofia was not just an artistic challenge but also a way for me to reconnect with a character I’ve admired for a long time. Every detail, from the pearls on her dress to the fire opal in her Amulet, was crafted with love and appreciation for the show. Sofia The First may be a children’s show, but its messages of kindness, perseverance, and friendship resonate with people of all ages, including myself. Through this artwork, I wanted to capture not just Sofia’s appearance but also her essence—her heart, her charm, and her unwavering kindness. This piece is my tribute to a character who, though fictional, has had a very real impact on me and countless others.

[servin-up-surveys]

survey #080

When was the last time you took a taxi/Uber? Where were you going? I actually never have. It's not really a common thing around here. Have you ever been diagnosed (by a professional) with OCD? Yes. Do you know anyone who’s always getting into drama on Facebook? Not these days, no. The most that I ever see is pretty rare outraging over multiple people's babydaddies doing dumb shit lmao. Who is your favorite person to spend time with? Girt. Have you ever woken up somewhere and not known how you got there? Only very briefly after waking up from receiving my concussion and also for just a few moments after waking up from anesthesia for my surgery.

What was the last thing to surprise you? Not gonna lie, some of the shit Sara had to say about me that I read the other day really shocked me. She never gave a shit about me; I was an annoyance. Do you live somewhere where recreational marijuana is legal? No, it's illegal in NC. Have you ever quit a job with no notice? No, but each time I quit extremely abruptly, which I don't think is considered proper at all regardless of how short I worked at each place, and that I had to quit for my mental health. I didn't give a warning or anything, I just straight-up quit that day each time. Don't advise that at all, I just... had to go. Are there any foods you dislike solely because of the texture? A FUCKING LOT, like I couldn't even think of them all in one go. Have you ever been on any sort of government assistance? Yes. Did you have your own bedroom when you were growing up? Not until I was a teenager, probably a few years into being one. Prior to my older sister moving out, I shared my room with my younger sis Nicole. If you were to get engaged, what’s your dream engagement ring? I'd be happy with anything, but my DREAM engagement and/or wedding ring is either something rose gold or a dragon's breath opal. What is the last thing you googled? Actually a dragon's breath opal ring, just because I wanted to see one again since I mentioned it, haha. If everyone were required to make a YouTube channel, what would your content be like? I uh... guess I'd be a let's player? However if I was in the tarantula-keeping hobby, I think I'd favor being a tarantula keeper channel, there are people who literally support themselves with just teaching about and caring for their spoods and it seems pretty cool, honestly. Why do you dislike/hate the person you most dislike/hate? I have a metric shit-ton of reasons I don't feel like getting into right now. Do you have any stickers on your car? My mom's car still has one marking her as a college student (you needed it for parking rights), and I feel there are other ones I just can't remember, but nothing just for decor purposes, I know. Do you have any stickers on your laptop? Nah, but I'd actually kinda like some. I don't expect this laptop to go anywhere anytime soon, especially now that I'm not jostling it around in bed and am at a proper desk. Do you think that you are a good singer? Nope. Are you sure of your sexuality? Honestly? Nope. I mean I'm PRETTY sure, but I've said it before and I'll say it again that I don't think I ever WILL be totally sure unless I ever have a truly sexual experience with someone with the traditionally feminine attributes. Just honestly though I really don't care, I know at the minimum that I can find absolutely anyone physically attractive and I just say that. Do you love your parents? I absolutely do. My mom is my actual fucking rock, like I DON'T know and don't wanna know where I'd be without her, and my dad is goofy and very free-spirited and just fun to be around, plus he's grown so much as a person from when I was a child. Do you like to read? I do. I have GOT to make more time for it, though; I don't read books as much as I'd like. It's funny, I get joy and peace and of course satisfaction from reading a good book, there usually just is other things I'd rather be doing. Do you think that you are a good writer? I genuinely think so. Do you eat candy daily? Oh, absolutely not. I have candy really rarely. Do you like to go swimming? I do. Who was driving the last three cars you were in? My mom, Girt, and Nicole. Does anyone call you babe or baby? Girt, sometimes. Have you ever voluntarily read the Bible? Some of it, but not most. I did nooooot get far at all. How many good friends do you have? Honestly? If you excuse Girt bc he's my boyfriend/more than a "good friend," I feel like my only other remotely close friends are Mazzy and Tez. I mean I have other friends, but not any that I talk to regularly or have truly deep bonds with. What’s your favorite ocean animal? Jellyfish as far as aesthetics go, but as individual animals themselves with personalities, bigass whales, like blue whales, as well as sea turtles. Whales in specific are fucking stunning and I REALLY want to swim with one, like I feel like I'd cry seeing a live, wild whale, just fucking marveling at how small me and all my problems really are. When’s the last time you went exploring? Uhhhh, I want to say not since I visited Sara and we walked down this lovely path she has right by her house that reaches back into a lightly-populated neighborhood and then to a pond and stream. Saying I "explored" it may be a bit too far though, like I didn't dig through brush and shit to thoroughly detail every square inch, mostly because on that last visit my knees were starting to get very bad and I nearly collapsed before making it back to her place. But still, it was a new, mostly natural area that I hadn't seen before. Do you have a thing for body hair? Like, am I interested in that for a partner? In that case, I'm indifferent, I think. Don't really care whether you have it or not. Is there anyone into you that you have no interest in? Not that I know of; I don't know who would be. Do your parents have a bad relationship with anyone? Each other, lmao. Mom, like me (but probably stronger than me), also has a love/hate relationship with Tobey, our family friend/landlord. Don't feel like getting into the details because I get upset. Mom is also not very fond of my sister's husband Nick, primarily because he's controlling and distrustful and she sees very clearly that he does not treat Aubree (Ash's daughter that was born before they got together, but Nick legally adopted her; she still doesn't know yet) the same as he does his two biological children, Ryder and Emerson. We all feel like once she does know he's not her real dad, this is going to become a legitimate problem of her feeling unloved. I basically fucking pray to god this doesn't happen. Were you raised by someone other than your parents? No. Do you sing a lot? I barely sing like, at all. Do you prefer the color pink or blue? PINK! 😭 What’s the last chore you did? Well, given the (although very minimum) effort it takes to feeding a snake that only eats frozen/thawed rodents, I suppose getting Venus' rat ready. You have to be very thoroughly and not feed a snake anything that hasn't thawed/warmed up properly. Have you ever had pet mice? I actually feel like I've only ever had rats? MAYBE I've had mice, but I'm not too sure, I always favored rats. <3 Do you have a step-family? Well, in technicality, yes, since my dad remarried. However, I don't consider my stepmom a "mom" to me in my world, nor is her son my "brother" in my world, like I barely know him at all. What is your godmother’s name? I'm pretty sure I don't have a godmother. Have you ever been to a jungle? No. I'd really like to, but I'm also just not sure, primarily because the humidity would ENTIRELY SLAUGHTER me. Just NC humidity makes me fuckin choke, never mind a tropial environment's! I would love to see tropical animals though, the reptiles especially, but I don't think I'll ever be able to handle the heat and drenched air. What is your favorite jungle animal? Oh, YEESH, that's hard; jungles are so dense in unique animals! Ummm, probably some bright kind of (probably venomous, usually prettier) snake or orangutans, they're incredibly fascinating and SO human in their personalities. Hailing back to the old Animal Planet, Orangutan Island was my shit back in the day. I also recall being deeply invested in a rhesus macaque docuseries at some point, but idk if their habitats are considered "jungles?" I wish I could remember what the series was called, it was lovely. Do you like fire? Controlled fire that doesn't endanger living creatures, yes, I think it's very pretty and powerful. I obviously dislike the heat, though. Have you ever had to beg for food or money? No, GOD I hope I am never, fucking EVER, in this situation... because I just COULDN'T ask. I'd literally die on the streets. If you met a genie, what would you wish for? Guessing the usual three wishes, and the typical rule where it can't be like, world peace and other truly world-altering shit? First, financial stability for life, as well as a good home for Mom and me. Thennnn... I'd have to really think more before choosing the last one, but at this moment, I'd choose a quality car for Mom. Would you consider yourself poor? Mom and I are factually very poor. I mean we're in a better position right NOW because of my grandma's inheritence going through, but it's not going to last forever and as a matter of fact for some REALLY fucking stupid reason Mom needs to burn it fast because otherwise it will majorly negatively affect some shit I don't quite know how to explain because legal stuff really confuses me, just know it's FUCKING DUMB and sincerely infuriating. Have you ever lied about your identity? Nope. Do you have a brother? A half-brother, but still a brother nonetheless. He is SUCH a cool and just generally good guy that I really wished lived here so we could see and interact more... He even has a son that just turned a year old that I've never met and really want to, he's a total cutie. His wife also seems super nice and just awesome and I'd love to meet her too. Have you ever ran away from home? Yes, as a HORRIBLY overdramatic pre-teen. It didn't last long. I had my phone on me and Mom texted me threatening to call the cops so I was home pretty quick, haha. She was fuckin mad as fire, rightfully so. Have you ever blamed yourself for someone’s death? Pets, yes. I LOVED my pets that I've had, of course, but I was allowed to get my own unique pets at too young of an age and could definitely be irresponsible... I hate thinking about it. Don't get fuckin pets unless you are fully willing to give them your absolute all, people. Does your family own any land? Ha, no. Have you ever served in the military? Absolutely not and quite frankly I'd die before fighting for this shit country. Is your father injured? Not that I know of; he's had spine issues since he fell rollerskating at my sister's bday party when she was very young, but I don't think he has any like, actively severe issues with it or anything else rn. He semi-recently had surgery for I want to say a slipped disc, but I'm pretty sure that issue is fixed. Do you own any “lucky” items? What? No, I don't believe that any items increase anyone's "luck." Have you ever dated someone from a different country? Well Juan was an illegal immigrant that was eventually deported, so I guess, if you want to consider our less-than-one-day relationship "dating." What’s your favorite thing about nature? Nature has a tendency to really help me appreciate the little things and find peace and comfort in just existing within it. It's also like, beyond beautiful. Are you part Native American? Not that I know of, no. When was the last time someone discriminated against you because of your race? That's never happened to me. Have you ever been to New Orleans? Nope. Who is the oldest sibling in your family? Uh, I wanna say my mom's oldest daughter Katie. Possibly Tiffany, Dad's eldest that I know absolutely nothing about, but I don't think so. Who is the worst boss you’ve ever had? I dunno, probably Colleen's mom, but idk how she was as a boss, really. I was there like, three days. What are the names of the all the dogs you’ve ever owned? Trigger, Angel, Teddy, Dale, Cali, Delilah, Bentley, Lola (that was VERY short-lived), and Cookie. Quite certain that's it. Have you ever lived alone? No, I never could. Have you been told by a doctor that you are a rare medical case? Uhhhh I don't THINK so? Who was the last person who came to visit you? Girt, his sister + her husband, his nephew, and his mom, as well as a family friend/basically Girt's "aunt" and her dad actually all came here today to celebrate Girt's mom's birthday. It was fun, I'm just VERY drained afterwards. Are you listening to a good song right now? No, I'm watching a let's play. What grocery store do you shop at the most? Wal-Mart. What is your most severe allergy (at least to your knowledge)? Just pollen, I think. Have you ever had dreadlocks? No, that's not a hairstyle I will ever want, I'm sure. Have you ever gone to the emergency room having a severe allergic reaction? No. What is the worst thing someone has ever done to you? To be ENTIRELY honest, Sara basically accusing me of exaggerating and how I'm absolutely not traumatized hit me FUCKING DEEP, like at least Jason left my life because he sought happiness that I just couldn't offer him, but this woman straight-up thinks all the shit that nearly made me kill myself OVER and fucking OVER again is a lie. That HURTS. Maybe it hurts more now than it will later, but that honestly does feel like the worst, most fucking inconsiderate thing. Have you ever gone nude/streaked in public? Absolutely not. Do you snore? Steal the covers? Roll around in your sleep? Girt and Mom have both said I sometimes snore, but not frequently. I hog the FUCK outta the covers, Girt is very open about that, haha. When trying to fall asleep, I do toss and turn a lot, but idk about when I fall asleep. What if someone asked you to be in a relationship with them? I'm in a relationship that I am very happy in so would obviously say no. What will your next piercing be? Probably an industrial ear cartilage one, but not sure. Who made you cry last? I actually cried a bit earlier, thankfully after Girt's family had gone home though so only he and Ma saw. We started watching Black Mirror and the second episode we watched (not the ACTUAL second episode, we jumped into S5 since Girt hadn't seen these and the episodes don't continue the same story, so I wasn't missing anything) dealt with a man leading up to suicide (I think it hit me even harder because it was romantic heartbreak-related) and it was just fucking heartbreaking and I eventually broke, despite trying so hard to hide it. The show is REALLY good, though. Is your best friend in a relationship? With me! <3 Did anything cute happen today? Yeah actually, someone in Girt's family (I think the aunt) pointed out how strange but also sweet it was to hear Girt call me by the petnames he does, and everyone else agreed, lol. Blew her fucking mind when she learned how long we've been together too, Girt is just really private and even his MOM didn't know we'd been dating for like, I wanna say nine-ish months 'til she finally met me. ANYWAY I just thought it was cute, them seeing a side to him they really never knew he had. Is tomorrow going to be a good day? Um idk, I don't think I have anything going on of note tomorrow. Are you wearing jeans, shorts, sweatpants or pajama pants? I ACTUALLY have sweatpants on right now; I wanted to be more properly dressed with Girt's family coming over. Still wore my tank top though, haha. Are you gonna get high later? No, probs never will. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? Absolutely plan on it. Honestly, who was the last person to tell you that they love you? Girt, before he left to go home. Is there a secret you’ve never told your parents? Yes, but nothing that's even remotely important or serious. Is there anything in your past that you’d like to try again? Uhhhhh maybe?

[aria-raven]

OC-tober, Day 13: Pet

This a story about Alex and his ferrets. I’ve never wanted to have a ferret myself, but I do think they’re fun to watch. @theworldofprompts

Graduating from high school and moving out not too long afterwards was a frightening experience for Alex. While he was proud of his accomplishment, he knew what this meant for him. His parents, as he suspected they would, left him to fend for himself when he graduated. Although part of him was glad to leave, another part didn’t want to. Not just yet, anyway. There was still so much he didn’t know about living on his own.

At least he had Tristan. In addition to teaching him some important skills, he also provided a great deal of emotional support. He suggested that Alex should try doing some things that he couldn’t have done while he was still living at home. It didn’t take long for Alex to come up with two ideas. One was getting tattoos, the other was getting ferrets. And that’s exactly what he did. He decorated the backs of his hands with intricate designs. It was a strange feeling, strange in a good way. When he flexed his fingers, the patterns seemed to dance.

Having ferrets was something of a challenge at first. They were fun, sure, but they were a handful. Charlie and Opal (that’s what he settled on after running through several names) seemed to get into everything. Alex often had to keep an eye on them and make sure they weren’t poking around something dangerous. Or chewing something up. Sometimes he had to pull them out of certain places, such as the garbage can.

But he couldn’t get too annoyed with them. They were so endearing. It was fun to watch them explore and run around. On the rare occasions they were calm, watching them cuddle was adorable. And when they climbed into his lap for the first time, he could hardly contain his joy. He knew he wanted ferrets for a reason. They were good company. Besides, even if they did get into trouble sometimes, it wasn’t their fault. He couldn’t blame them for being naturally curious and energetic.

After doing some research, things started to get easier. He bought them some toys and learned how to ferret-proof his house. Getting two proved to be a good idea. Once they were used to each other, they could keep one another entertained. Alex still often watched them play, but these days he mostly did it because it was fun. He took many videos and pictures of them. And he made sure to give his friends plenty of updates. 

Charlie and Opal couldn’t make his worries go away, but they made him happy. And that was enough for him. He knew he’d made the right choice.

[mylightsatnight]

Running from the Future

Maybe there is something in the flannel men that walk around this city.  Maybe they have different footsteps, that tread on the cement with a lighter push against the earth.  They have lighter beards than I, they consume more ice cream than I used to.  This is not another letter of sorrow, I’ve written enough elegies to last a lifetime, it just seems that this time around...

They installed new LED lights on this curb corner.  The leaves are turning yellower each afternoon, and the folk singers on the corner are still singing with passion.  The men wear more pink shirts, and the girl’s faces are getting chubbier.  They’re opening up new businesses, but never opened by anyone in my age demographic, add another 30 years, then you’ll get a chance.  What economic blasphemy.  I should be more learned by this point.  Maybe I need another university degree.  A lady left my house last night, mad.  I couldn’t deduce the reason, she couldn’t complete the season (with me), so as the red approaches, I guess the best any of us can do is pull out our warm mittens from storage and turn our daily scowls into smiles, with the warm summer memories to keep us warm.

The hours have been extended for all local businesses, nothing better to do in this Canadian tundra, so keeping the businesses open later makes a new meeting ground for the lonely.  The leaves are buried and discarded under layers and layers of snow, but most have been collected and disposed of into some northern river.  The architecture doesn’t make any more sense this season, but the colour choices do.  The bicycles are gone, except for a brave few.  The busses run empathetically, and the cheeks rise, and eyes squint when the students see their number round the corner.  The dogs are always happy, doesn’t matter when are where they are, white on the ground or grey.  They’re full of joy.

The snow begins to melt, the soccer fields become repopulated again, and my sorrow thaws and plays catchup to my 4-month workaholic schedule.  I was never trying to make it big, I never tried to make myself anything more than I was, I just tried to make the spring seem more violent than others give it credit for.  They would all spew: “The melting is so gentle, it settles in so slowly, the warm weather is so nice and inviting.”  No.  The predators re-emerge from the caves.  The mice’s protective blanket has dispersed.  The hawks laser-lock their targets, and though it’s a new year, I’ll have another beer and pick all the places I want to fuck it all up.  But I’m still just as much a disaster as October predicted I would be.  Novels fill my shelves and my book-bag, but thoughts of endless change rotate in my mind.  I’ll get a text from an old friend, and I’ll leave it in the freezer, maybe next year...

It’s not that the lyrical meaning ever made any more sense now...It’s not that the movies were more comforting the 61st time than the 59th.  It’s not the dock on the bay that made good songwriters, and it’s not tight-bound pages that made looseleaf stories.  //  But summer came in swinging like a boxer when someone dissed his mama.  The heat was bold like a 17 year old with everything to lose before it even begins.  The sky had a red that made the sun envious of the deep Fire opal crystal caves, and the Jasper that explodes with brilliance and war-time end-hope.  

The seasons always reminded me that all things that begin, ought to end.

It’s not within your hands to pick the beginning and conclusions, it’s just in your hands for the substance that happens in-between.    

Someone once told me that broken attracts broken, and confidence is attractive in everyone.  For too long I believed that I had to be fully fixed before I could carry on into something new...but the seasons passed by, bringing me with them no matter how bad a wreck I was...It comforted me.  But now I know a better truth.  

There’s some other broken kettles and fine china that are looking for pieces just like me.  Maybe that’s a relentless bit of foolhardy hope, and there’s the smallest of all chances that I’m an idealist gone wrong, but I’m gonna believe.

Because today, the leaves are falling, the colours are brilliant, I can breathe,

and that’s gotta be enough.  October, my friend, a blessing you always were.

~M

[saphirered]

The Wizard and the Warrior

Boy it’s been busy. Double shifts whenever I’ve been free and uni starting again have really been a hassle but I managed to get in some writing so I hope you enjoy this final instalment of the Eldritch Knight series! Was going to split this one in two parts but didn’t work out so sorry for that. Hope you like it! 😘

You didn’t know what to expect when you were pulled through the world away from the homey Xhorhaus but you definitely didn’t expect the sound of waves in the distance and seagulls, the subtile smell of salt water and sand and an ocean breeze to hit you when you reappeared. Upon your vision taking in the new surroundings you find yourself standing under one of the opal archways looking out over a covered market selling all sorts of goods from street foods and drinks to knickknacks and jewellery, merchants calling for the attention of the people strolling about, negotiating prices or shouting their latest discount to pull in new customers. You’re in Nicodranas. 

Essek knew he made the right decision when he sees the joy and excitement on your face. His feet tap the ground and he walks instead of floating, not wanting to draw any more attention that necessary and instead just enjoy these moments with you without the possibility of people finding out who you really are. Today you’d just be normal people without the weight of the world balanced on your shoulders. Today you got to be ordinary tourists exploring a city you otherwise never could. Nobody knows you’d be here. 

You stroll about the market arm in arm moving from shop to shop and stand to stand inspecting wares, admiring them and listening to the stories the merchants tried to sell you. Both of you knew better and were able to easily distinguish truth from lies but that didn’t mean you didn’t like playing along every so often. 

When you reached near the end of the market square the canopies started leaving gaps and eventually disappeared. Essek did his best to hide his winces whenever the sunlight was particularly bright. The sun was setting but it would still be another hour or so until it was fully set and he might have underestimated the brightness of the light. He didn’t let it bother him and pulled through. The slight discomfort is one-hundred percent worth looking upon your face as you bartered with another merchant. 

Essek was partially blinded from where he stood while you browsed the wares of a man selling all sorts of curiosities but he couldn’t really move elsewhere without leaving your side or stepping into the path of walking people so he stuck and stayed relying on his hearing instead. You were bartering with the man as he put prices to the things you showed interest in and you tried to get a better price because you were fully aware you could get something similar if not the same for much cheaper. Essek couldn’t do anything but admire your skill and careful navigation of this encounter showing you had not left your wits with your armour back in Rosohna.

Once you got a good deal you bought your findings; a wide sheer shawl more like a thin blanket to wrap around your shoulders as you knew upon nightfall the breeze could bring a chill, a decorated silver bracelet with an inset purple gem that showed silver specks like stars whenever it caught the light just right and something else… Once done you pulled Essek aside into the full cover of one of the canopies and Essek was thankful for the break.

You’d expected Essek to have broken or admitted to his discomfort before when you noticed him wince every time the canopy lifted upon the wind and allowed the sun to bleed through right where he stood. You knew drow senses are attuned to darker spaces and in turn therefor experience a sensitivity to daylight. 

“Will you stop being stubborn and just admit when something bothers you?” You say sternly as Essek rubs his eyes to get rid of the dark spots clouding his vision. When he sees the look you give him he bites his lip in shame. Apparently he hadn’t done such a good job of hiding it after all. 

“I may not be able to do anything about the sunlight but I can do this.” You take out a parasol of a dark grey almost black colour with ornate lace designs added to it. It does enough to shield those under from the light and should prevent Essek from experiencing downsides of his drow heritage. Before he can protest you link your arm with his again holding the parasol above the two of you and shield yourselves from the light. 

“Don’t worry. You can thank me by providing your company over a meal with me until the sun sets and we can go outside again without you burning off your retinas. I know just the place.” You smile as you begin leading Essek away to a different part of the city. You may not be the most familiar with Nicodranas but you know how to get to most places you’ve been before. You know your way from this market square to the Lavish Chateau so you begin leading Essek in that direction. 

“There’s a great fish and chips shop on the way near Tidepeak I don’t think that kind of street food is really your style.” You say as the Tidepeak comes into view. 

—————

Meanwhile the Nein and Verin stumble out into the teleportation circle room at the Tidepeak. They cracked the code and figured it out based on the list of places Verin had found among Essek’s notes. They knew exactly where Essek was going so it wouldn’t be much effort to find you two right? What harm has a little spying ever done to anyone? Maybe don’t answer that question. They had come for their own reasons be that to watch an epic romance unravel, dig up some dirt to tease or blackmail either of you with, or simply to keep the others in check. 

“Shit. Should we have send a message?” Jester panics looking around for the goblin that usually helps them on their way and informs Yussa of their arrival. 

“Not again.” Beau exclaims in exasperation. Yes again. And again they explain to Wensforth this is a matter of the utmost importance and expediency and they couldn’t have sent a message beforehand or lost too much time. Wensforth luckily for them didn’t have it within him to question their strange reasonings as he escorted them out of the tower and left the to their business.

—————

Within the Lavish Chateau you found out Essek had made a reservation and the guards and servers seemed to be extremely welcoming and attentive to the both of you for some reason you raised an eyebrow when a top shelf bottle of wine was brought out and left at your table once your glasses were poured and you awaited your food. 

“Do I want to ask how you did all this?” You swirl your finger around gesturing to your surroundings. “Because last I was here, not even the daughter of the Ruby of the Sea and her friends get this kind of attendance.” 

“Then perhaps it’s best you don’t ask.” Essek smiles proudly. 

“How many of the Nicodranian nobility have cleared their debt with the Dynasty or reminded of their indiscretions then?” You ask giving him a look over your glass as you take a sip of delicious wine. Top shelf really is worth it. 

“I thought you weren’t going to ask.” You hook your ankle around his from under the table and pull your leg back, Essek briefly loses balance but not enough to throw him off and fall from his seat. He gives you a disapproving and teasing look as you laugh. Food is served and just like everything, it’s perfect. Essek really put in the work to make this all happen and if the sunlight hadn’t thrown you off his schedule you can’t even fantom what else he had planed for your date. Though, he didn’t seem to mind the change of plans a single bit. 

Pleasant conversation about everything and nothing all the same, asking questions so trivial you didn’t think Essek would ever even have been capable of being so relaxed and free of responsibility. When it falls silent for a second and Essek catches you staring at him in thought he studies you closer.

“What?” Essek asks as you hum. 

“Just thinking?” 

“A copper for your thoughts then?” Essek puts his glass down. He doesn’t want to pry or ask out of turn but he is curious as of what got that dreamy expression on your face when you retreated within your own mind for that moment. 

“All of them?” You grin.

“If you are willing to reveal them.” Essek returns to your surprise, fully aware of the meaning behind your words and yet he still plays along. These kind of moments are rare with Essek unless you are completely alone so you’ll revel in the fact that he lets go like he does right now and hope you’d be able to see this side more often.

“Are you sure? I wouldn’t want you to get all flustered upon my voicing certain thoughts.” You tease, mischievous look in his eyes as he leans in on his elbows on the table and tilts his head amused. 

“Then perhaps keep it limited to your most recent ones? For now at least.” You snort and almost choke on the sip of wine you took bur recover quickly. You definitely didn’t see that one coming.

“Oh so he does play the game in public without shame. You are full of surprises today, aren’t you?” You drop the teasing and turn to your observation. “I was just thinking I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so carefree. I’d love to see this side of you more often if you’ll let me.” The teasing drops from Essek’s face and his expression turns into one of genuine affection. 

“I’d love nothing more.” Your glasses are refilled as the crowd begins gathering for the performance of the Ruby of the Sea.

—————

The Mighty Nein and Verin follow Jester leading them from place to place on the list but no matter how much they search they can’t find you. Last they heard you were seen buying some stuff from a merchant and then nothing so they had resorted to going down the list until they’d found you but still nothing. Over an hour had passed and the sun long since set, lanterns lit to lead the ways.

They search high and low following the list Verin had found but don’t find you and Essek anywhere. Nicordanas is a big city and turns out finding a buff pretty person and a hot boi drow are a lot harder to find than they initially thought. So, having given up the search they instead turn to a place to drink and wallow in self pity for not spying on the date. Jester knows just the place… No better place than the Lavish Chateau. Maybe her mom will even perform tonight! 

When they reach the Lavish Chateau the crowd’s already gathering but with sheer determination and the threatening of some they make it through and find a table, their drinks served as Jester goes off to say hi to her mom before the performance. Then of course Verin and Beau ask about a couple, describing you and Essek having come through here. Instead they’re pointed to a private table out of the direct sight of the entrance but in full view of what is to be the Ruby’s performance space, and if Beau knows anything, a really really expensive bottle of wine shared between the two of you as you sit around laughing and engaging in happy conversation.

As they watch, Essek and you suddenly being the most interesting thing in the entire room they notice a blush creeping up your face as you twirl one of the flowers in your hair returning an equally daring comment of your own, your fingers dancing over the back of Essek’s hand outstretched towards you until he closes his hand and grasps them. You gasp and giggle as he intwines your fingers with his and you making a comment that sends a deep purple crawling up the wizard’s cheeks. The Nein watch, some swooning at the cuteness, the others in surprise and a hint of disgust akin to that of watching your sibling be sugary sweet romantic with their partner you do not want to witness, and the rest like encouraging friends glad their friends have found happiness within each other. 

The performance is about to begin and you spot a blue tiefling running down the stairs as quick as she can darting to one of the tables. You already had the feeling you were being watched for the past fifteen minutes but thought nothing of it as since no action was taken yet and the crowd grew, if it were assassins or the likes again, they’d have come for you before as to not make a scene. Getting confirmation your friends had tracked you to Nicodranas and found you here. You’re not surprised but rather impressed and the addition of what clearly looks like a drow soldier of some repute with features similar to Essek lead you to believe this must be his infamous brother he’d been complaining about plenty of times. You move your chair as if to get a better view of the performance to come and sit right next to Essek. You weren’t the only one who noticed them.

“Do you think they know we know they’re here.” Essek leans into your shoulder as he speaks.

“No. Not this time but if you weren’t so caught up in admiring me you’d have noticed them first.” You lean in closer, whispering into his ear as you speak. 

“You are quite distracting.” Essek defends with a laugh. 

“I’ve seen Beau and your brother gag and complain twice now. Is this the point where we return the favour and give them a show to remember?” You suggest with a glint of mischief within your eyes. 

“How could I refuse?” Essek’s word are enough for you to further provoke the Nein and take it up a notch, or several. 

“Tell me if something makes you uncomfortable and I’ll stop.” You halt your teasing and allow your tone to turn more serious. Essek does the same when you do. 

“Only if you promise to do the same.” Essek doesn’t know if it’s the wine or your shared desire to make them suffer for interrupting your date like they did. Probably the latter. Most definitely the latter. Let them squirm. 

The Ruby comes down the stairs singing and everyone hangs onto her every word, her entire being like she’s a siren from the depths ready to lure in hopeless sailors. As her performance continues you move yourself closer to Essek until your sides are pressed together. Essek’s arm wraps around you pulling you close into his side and to your surprise, onto his lap. You lean your head against his shoulder and whisper sweet nothings, as you play with the fingers of his free hand lovingly. You pay attention to the performance, little attention needed for this display of affection as it comes surprisingly natural and unrestrained to the both of you. 

You lift your head and lean towards Essek, but an inch away from his lips, making eye contact as you whisper something to him but the Nein can’t hear over the singing and you’re too far away to lip read for anyone. It’s so frustrating but holy hells, they never knew Essek had a romantic bone in his body, let alone the guts to drop his composed and emotionally constipated side completely around you. They definitely didn’t see this coming and even Beau could relate to Jester’s possible ideas of turning this into some kind of smutty romance novel because that’s what it looked like. 

When you leaned back, always teasing and never close enough to actually kiss, you watched the performance more. Both you and Essek admired the show the Ruby was putting on. Her song as beautiful as she is but you might have connected with her a little more than anyone else in the room because when she passed your table and saw you and Essek she gave you a knowing smile. A knowing smile that showed she knew exactly when a performance was being put on, the courtesan’s ability to read people shining through once more when she winked at you before she turned around and found her way to the table of the Nein, distracting them from you and pulling the attention to herself. 

Essek was surprised and didn’t really know what to make of what just happened but next he knows he’s being pulled away from his seat by you and dragged to a side exit, abandoning the table mid performance. Out in the street you take off running and then it hits him; a moment of privacy. You played everyone, even him in the end when you appeared to have your attention fully on the Ruby of the Sea but instead you had a nonverbal agreement with the woman. Regardless of his thoughts you kept running towards the eastern edge of the city, through the gates and to the beach. Freedom. 

The moon and stars and city lights within the walls as your light source you pulled Essek along to the shoreline, laughing your asses off. You’ll have to remember to give Marion a big thanks next time you see her. Once safely away from the city sure you’re far enough away from the city you slow your pace and walk side by side along the beach.

“As clever as ever.” Essek compliments as you bump your shoulder into his with a grin. You offer Essek a hand as you climb over some rocks blocking your path. Essek takes it but instead of climbing he just hoovers over without any difficulty. 

“While, I’d gladly take credit I think you deserve at least half. Did you see the looks on their faces?” Your laughter rings like chimes in reminisce of your friends. It’s music to Essek’s ears. 

“I could never forget.” You stop and lower yourself onto the sand, gently pulling Essek’s arm inviting him to join. He does and sits down next to you as stare at him.

“Today was a good day. We should do this more often.” You sigh in content. There’s just something about the drow and the starry night sky behind him that makes him look so ethereal, you could look at him for ages and never get bored. 

“Being run out of a city by our friends for a moment of privacy?” Essek deadpans and you playfully shove him.

“While it was certainly eventful I think I could do without uninvited company next time.” In comfortable silence you both watch the view. Moon reflecting on the ocean, sound of gentle push and pull of the water against the shore and the thousands of stars scattered throughout the sky giving the both of you a sense of warmth and comfort. 

“You certainly found your courage tonight. I never thought you capable of such intimate displays of affection.” You comment and Essek turns his gaze to you. Despite the low light you notice the slight darkening of his cheeks a he takes in a breath. 

“I partially blame the determination to push my brother’s buttons.” You snort.

“And the other part?” Essek decides to humour you with and answer even though you hadn’t expected one. 

“You, as my partner in crime as some might say, made it easy to put on such a display. Though, I will admit to not being so open and frivolous in my affection with an audience, I did enjoy them nonetheless.” 

“Well then, I’m glad my frivolous affection brings you joy.” You say and Essek is about to correct himself for his words but stops when he notices you holding back your smile. You know exactly what he meant and when Essek notices it’s his turn to gently shove you. You gasp even though you’re physically unmoved. 

“Aren’y you all courage tonight? Careful now or I’ll toss you into the ocean.” You jest. 

“It seems both of us have not been lacking any courage this night.” Essek comments and he’s right. With the antics of the day, and your grand escape, you might never have had it been any other situation. You really did enjoy it and wouldn’t change a single thing. Well, maybe add something but there’s no time like the present so maybe you’ll just ask. 

“Then, in a bout of courage, I will ask you this. May I kiss you?” Essek does a double take in case he heard your words wrong but the expression written all over you confirms he has in fact heard you loud and clear. Still he doesn’t miss a beat in his answer. He’s already made up his min. 

“You certainly may.” With that you close your eyes and lean in placing your lips onto Essek’s in a gentle kiss. No pretend, no faked lust or intimacy but honest, clear and unrestrained emotion. When you pull away you’re both smiling like fools. 

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that.” You whisper as Essek leans in carefully to kiss you this time, lips moving together in a slightly deeper kiss. His hand finds your cheek holding your face lightly caressing a thumb over your cheekbone. 

“I could say the same.” Essek speaks when you pull apart for a moment, foreheads leaning against each other. Many more kisses follow, varying from gentle and sweet to passionate and deep, whatever suits your needs. You have no intention of getting off this beach near Nicodranas any time soon nor do you have anywhere to be so here you’ll stay enjoying each other’s company until the sun rises. 

From behind the rocks not too far away, eight people watch the wizard and the warrior finally do what some of them had hoped they would in the months they’ve gotten closer. Others are turning away while maybe peaking through at times, solely to see their friends happy with each other despite the chaos of the world but not without going right back to quieting their gagging noises of ‘not wanting to see the people who they consider their family making out’. 

“Oh my god! This is going to be so good, you guys. They’re so cute!” Jester whispers already taking notes and working out the story in her head. It’s going to be an epic love tale of two star-crossed lovers for sure. Maybe she can question you on the more spicier details later, get this book to sell at the Chastity's Nook some day? 

“Ugh. Let’s go. I can’t watch this any longer. Drinks?” Verin doesn’t resist and follows Beau, Yasha and Fjord back to Nicodranas. Caduceus has a bit more difficult of a time to drag the cleric and rogue away as the latter enabling her actions instead of giving you some much deserved privacy. He succeeds eventually leaving you and Essek behind to enjoy the rest of your night with a smile. Nothing better than people finding their own happiness. 

[lysmune]

Promises of

      A thousand things that she believes the Demon Prince to be, and a thousand times he proves her wrong.

(Diavolo/F!Reader)

     Promises of a painful, slow death is what she believes he’ll give her, but a radiant smile dispels her fears. With liquid ambrosia for eyes and vermillion-struck hair, she’s never seen someone so intimidating, so contrary.

     “I hope your year in the Devildom is a great one!” the stranger chirps, loud and booming, and friendly.

     “Thank you,” is all she manages.

     Promises of a scornful, prideful visage  is what she believes is his flair, but he bears no ill-will towards the hubris of humanity. A thousand lights splayed below the balcony, a gaze set onto the distant future, graced by the soft glow of hope, he tells her that he wishes for peace, more than anything.

     “Don’t all you demons despise us?” she piques and he laughs deeply, sonorous in the never ending darkness.

     “Maybe, but I,” and he turns to look at her with a gentleness that she’s never thought to find in a hell-spawned man, “I find human souls, flawed as they are, beautiful.”

     Promises of friendship is what she believes would be the farthest thing possible, but when he calls her in invitation to see the black roses blooming in his greenhouse, she finds that maybe, it isn’t the most far-fetched situation.

     “Look!” he exclaims excitedly, pointing towards a small bird, tufted in crimson, its winding onyx tail fluttering as it perches itself on the flower’s stem. “It’s a black-tailed canary. It’s a bird native to the Devildom.”

     “How pretty,” she comments, watching the bird fixate its beady eyes on her before it takes off into flight.

     Lord Diavolo chuckles beside her. “Seeing such lovely things up close really does lift my spirits,” he murmurs in awe, in wonder, underscored by a melancholia she can’t quite fathom.

     In response, she presses her hand on his shoulder, humming in agreement; he simply smiles.

     Promises of gold is what she believes would catch his fancy, but his curiosity lies in the fleeting moments caught in polaroids. From swirling pink blossoms to the grin of an aquarium’s beluga, to the cascading reds of a maple autumn and a white winter’s falling snow; he finds joy in all these.

     “This is my favourite,” he notes fondly and she leans over to look at the object of his attraction. It is the simple snapshot of a summer daybreak, the first light of dawn. “The sun never rises here in the Devildom, so I’ve always been curious about it. Your world’s truly blessed.”

     How the Underworld’s Prince is so much of an optimist, she’d probably never know, but it warms her to see him so full of life.

     When he passes the picture back to her, she shakes her head and, with more than a little uncertainty, presses her fingers against his hand.

     “Keep it,” she insists. “Consider it a gift for the hospitality you’ve shown me.”

     Promises of an uneventful night is a relatively easy feat, she believes, but the seven brothers prove her wrong when she’s crowned the guest of honour. They shower her with neatly wrapped gifts, words of gratitude and a group hug so earnest it moves her to tears.

     They take turns dancing with her tonight, seven brothers gliding through seven different musical pieces. Mammon steps up into a bold, thrilling hustle; Leviathan sways with unusual confidence in a jazzy foxtrot; Satan twirls her into a fittingly passionate tango; Asmodeus sweeps her around in an excelsior schottische; Beelzebub rounds a blustering, grinning quickstep; Belphegor drifts into a draping, dreamy carousel and Lucifer, unsurprisingly, leads her gracefully into a viennese waltz.

     What does surprise her, however, is when the Prince comes up to her, requesting her for a dance. “If you’re not too tired, of course.”

     She smiles and places her hand atop his, letting his fingers curl around hers. “No, it would be my honour,” is all it takes for him to capture her breath in a slow, seamless waltz that lasts a beat longer than it should.

     Promises of a shrinking distance isn’t what she foresaw, but he is insistent in having her company, which she, admittedly, isn’t too bothered about. He greets her jovially when he meets her in front of AkuDonald’s, dressed down in a maroon Oxford shirt and beige khakis, a pair of shades completing his look; she wonders if that’s his way of avoiding attention.

     As they both stand in line, he strikes up polite conversation, questioning her how she’s been, how her classes are going, how she’s finding RAD and the seven brothers, and she is, quite frankly, genuinely surprised by how much she’s come to enjoy the entire affair. He’s about to answer when they hit the front of the line, a tired looking demon snippily asking for their order.

     Like always, she goes for the fried shadow goose AkuBurger, the six-pack AkuGizzards and a blushberry slushie. He takes a little more time deciding, but eventually settles for the Hellfire DoubleAkuBurger and a Blackburn coffee before he insistently pays for their meal. Tipping her head down in thanks, she takes the tray and leads him towards a relatively private corner in the joint where he tucks into his lunch undisturbed.

     “Do you come here often?” he prompts and she shrugs, swallowing her food down.

     “Enough,” she responds. “The food here is generally safe for me to not die from.”

     He chuckles. “Not a fan of Devildom cuisine?”

     “Just not nearly as bold to eat something with ‘Double Poison’ tacked onto it,” she explains. Catching him eyeing her gizzards, she picks one up in between her fingers and offers it to him. “They’re good.”

     Leaning forward, without so much of a warning, he takes it from her hand with his teeth and she stiffens, embarrassed, unsure if he’s being serious or just messing with her, or if he’s just dense.

     “You’re right,” he answers, happily smiling as he licks his lips, “they are.”

     She tries not to think about it too hard, simply nodding in agreement before they pass the rest of the time with small-talk, light banter and the never-ending cringe of dad jokes so terrible she has to laugh at each one. Once they’ve finished and exited the premises, he thanks her for her time today, smiling as he always does.

     “I had a lot of fun,” she gladly admits, to which he hums, pleased.

     “I did, too,” he reciprocates and then, a little less playfully, a little more seriously, “If it’s alright with you, let me walk you home.”

     “You don’t -“

     “I want to,” he assures, insists. “I enjoy your company and I’d like us to spend more time together.”

     She warms at his boldness, more evident today than any other, at the way he tentatively reaches for her hand in consent, in invitation, and she accepts it with a nod. With a smile that crinkles his eyes and a careful hold, he leads her back to the House of Lamentation.

     Promises of constant contact is something she’s sure he isn’t one to keep, especially given his consistently packed schedule, but when she’s back in the Human World, her D.D.D rings most often with his name.

     He fills her days with updates on work, on Lucifer’s increasingly baggy eyes, lamenting at how much less bright the Devildom is without her.

     “You’re being dramatic,” she chuckles as she picks up a carton of eggs. “It’s not that bad.”

     “No, it is,” he implores with a huff. “The brothers miss you, including Lucifer, even if he denies it. Teasing him is no fun anymore,” he protests and she clicks her tongue at him. There’s a pause before a sigh, then, “I’m not being honest here.”

     “No?”

     “No,” he repeats; “I miss spending my time with you, I miss being able to see you, I miss talking to you in person. I miss you; I miss you a lot.”

     She runs her fingers through her hair and oh, fuck, he really shouldn’t spring these things onto her. She’s sure he can hear her heart over the phone when it’s this loud.

     Tightening her grip on the trolley’s handle, she responds with an, “I miss you, too.”

     Promises of staying away are best upheld because they’re the smarter option, the safer option, but when she’s back in the Devildom, she‘s compelled to see him again. Barbatos directs her to his study, knocking on the door before he leaves her by the room just as Lord Diavolo lets her in.

     The wind is knocked right out of her chest when he scoops her into a tight hug and she eases into his arms, burying her face into his chest. He smells faintly of warm spice and agarwood, of a familiarity she’s sorely longed for.

     “I’m glad you’re back,” he whispers, the hint of a tremble in his voice.

     “I am, too.”

     Promises of subtlety is a given, she believes, but he hasn’t much thought for it when he clasps a golden bracelet onto her wrist. It is a simple chain, studded with tiny opals, and much too lavish for someone who’s come here as an exchange student.

     “This is a little excessive, don’t you think?” she asks, raising a brow as she fiddles with the accessory, to which he frowns.

     “Do you not like it?” he inquires and she shakes her head.

     “No, I do,” she assures, and she really does. It’s a beautiful piece of jewellery, it’s just that, “I’m not quite sure if I’m so deserving of such things.”

     At that, he takes her hand, pulling her a little closer. “You are,” he affirms softly, gently lacing his fingers with hers. “Let me be a little selfish.”

     She chuckles. “You’re being selfish by giving me a gift?”

     “No,” he replies as he levels her with a crackling, sparking gaze and her heart skips a beat. “I’m being selfish because I want you to myself.”

     Promises of indulgence are what she believes to be a demon’s domain, but he simply holds her in his arms most nights, content with the simple pleasure of having her there with him, of talking to her, of hearing her say his name without the formalities.

     “You’re not anything like I thought a demon would be,” she muses as he hugs her tighter from behind, letting her head rest on the line of his shoulder.

     He chuckles, pressing his lips to hers sweetly, briefly. “No?”

     “I expected them to be a little more ...” she trails off in search for a word, then, “churlish.”

     “I can be,” he mumbles while he lazily nibbles at her ear, patterns kisses into her jaw and the exposed column of her neck. “I’m just being polite.”

     She hums. “Maybe.”

     “You don’t think so?”

     “No,” she responds with a peck to his cheek, hand coming up to the side of his head, pulling him closer against her. “I think you’re just a touch holy.”

     His skims her skin with tongue and teeth, breaths warm, chuckling as he does. “You’re bold to say that to the Prince of Hell.”

     Promises of a Lord unshaken is what she believes the demons see, but behind all the closed doors, he bares his vulnerability to her against the starless, perpetual nights.

     “Do you want to talk, Diavolo?” she asks. He’s silent for a moment before he offers his hand to her. She takes it and he pulls her to his side, letting his arm drape down to hold her at her waist.

     Overlooking the city sprawled under him, he sighs. “Sometimes I wonder if I’m doing the right thing,” he confesses under his breath, the uncertainty wavering his voice. “I want peace between all the realms, but do they? Do my people?”

     "You don’t think they want that?”

     “We’re demons. War is within our very nature,” he states simply, pressing her a little closer to him. “A few of us are fallen angels, others human, but most demons were born here, and all of us are vengeful, resentful creatures,” he murmurs; she says nothing. “The fallen angels want nothing to do with the Celestial Realm, the human-turned-demons carry over their hate and the rest of us have just always had a taste for destruction.

     “For most of us, we’ve always felt like the two worlds looked at us with nothing but contempt. When Heaven smites an angel unruly, they’re punished into being a devil; when humans talk about eternal torture, we’re the very picture of it. Demons are a proud folk, we give back the respect we’ve been shown, but when everyone has only ever hated us, what is there to be but bitter? And the cycle keeps going, it has for the last thousands of centuries.”

     “I’m sorry,” is all she can offer and he chuckles.

     “Please, it’s alright,” he assures with a smile, though it’s wearied with the burdens of a leader. “I’m just ... wondering.”

     She isn’t sure what to say to him, if she can even comfort him. She’s no angel, or demon, and even as a human, she’s never been a particular occult; she’s just an exchange student who lacks understanding of the tension’s nuance.

     “Look, hey,” she starts, “I know I’m not the best person to say it, but your people respect you. They might squabble with Heaven or us humans, but they’ve put their trust in you; otherwise, in all honesty, I think they’d have just eaten me and Solomon alive.”

     He cracks a small, tiny smile at that.

     “You needed mutual agreement between all the realms for this exchange program, and you did it. If that tells me anything, it’s that they’re probably tired of all the fighting, too,” she surmises. He laughs, just barely, before he bends down to kiss her forehead, letting it linger.

     When he pulls away, he says, “Thank you, that helped.”

     “Did it?”

     He hums. “A little,” he responds, loosening his grip on her. “I need to be alone for a while, is that okay?”

     “Take all the time,” she answers. Placing a quick kiss onto his cheek, she turns on her heel and walks away. Comforting demon royalty isn’t something she’s good at, and maybe she never will be, but space? Space is something she can give him.

     Promises of ‘unto death do us part’ is tradition, the idea of a romance that spans the fire of life until it’s snuffed out by a swing of the scythe, but she believes that mortality is fickle to him. A being of a thousand years that will live on for a thousand more, and she fills in the mere potential century; a year for him is a decade for her.

     Yet here he is, knotting the string of his life to her in promise. “Make a pact with me,” he declares, bringing her hand up to his lips, kissing her knuckles as though she were royalty.

     Her breath hitches. “Diavolo.”

     “Let me be yours,” the demon pleads, yearns, longs and she’s a little taken aback by the openness of it all.

     “You don’t have to,” she says but he surges, drawing her in.

     “I want to,” he asserts, unyielding, though she’s still unconvinced.

     An act of binding. That’s what it means to be tied down to a contract, and she knows full well what the consequences are, for the both of them, should any of them trespass their terms. With the seven brothers, she did as the situation demanded, but with Diavolo, there’s absolutely nothing that warrants it.

     He seems to sense her unease, because he squeezes her hand, brings her closer. “It’ll be fine,” he assures; “Let me show you what you mean to me.”

     “I know where I stand with you,” she tells him as she raises a hand to cup his cheek.

     “Do you?” he asks in rhetoric, pressing his lips against her pulse, eyes locking onto hers. “You needn’t ask and I’d gladly give a century of my life for you, freely offer you my soul, and even if you love me less, leave me for a human, I’d regret none of it.”

     She swallows his words when he presses his lips to hers, wholly engulfed by the sincerity of it all. Gentle as always, tender as always, and none of the demon she’d thought he’d be, his hand coming up to caress her face. He leaves her lightheaded, breathless, forehead touching hers, the warmth between them near unbearable.

     “I trust you, utterly and entirely; let me show you that I do,” he murmurs and she clasps her hands behind his neck, her lips hovering above his.

     “Nothing I say will change your mind, will it?”

     He chuckles. “I’m afraid not.”

     Promises of sacrifice and loyalty, they aren’t taken lightly by the laws of a contract, but he pledges himself anyway, so readily and so staunchly she almost falters.

     In reverence, he traces the mark - his mark - that runs from her shoulder and coils around her arm, marvelling at the sight of it. “Was it painful?” he asks as he glances to her, worry underscoring his words.

     She shrugs and offers him a smile in hopes it’ll reassure him. “Nothing I couldn’t handle.”

     Leaning in to thumb a kiss to her clavicle, he chuckles low. “Sometimes I forget you’ve made pacts with the seven strongest demons here,” he says and the pride in his voice makes her chest swell.

     “Eight,” she corrects while she cards her fingers through his hair, trailing the curl of his horns, eliciting a quiet, pleased hum from him.

     “Eight,” he repeats in satisfaction before he lifts his head up to meet her and she, emboldened, enraptured, captures his lips in fervour.

     Agarwood and warm spice, she drinks the taste of him, smoky lapsang and carbon ashen. He spills her name into her mouth, once more into the spellbound night when she punctures a soft bite into the juncture of his neck, a hymnic praise that makes her feel nothing less of otherworldly. He almost - almost - whines when she pulls away, chuckling as she does.

     Under her, he’s nothing short of breathtaking, with topazes for eyes and vermillion hair, and dark skin marked by black, steeped in gold. Triangular patterns of red hiss around his throat, the newly formed pact pulsing with magic and she trails her fingers across them, enamoured.

     “You’re beautiful,” she finds herself professing and he lets out a quiet laugh, Adam’s apple bobbing under her touch, the sound reverberating.

     “I’m all yours,” he surrenders and she’s touched, honoured by the sincerity of his proclamation. “I will be until you say I no longer am.”

     “And I, yours,” she promises before she laces her fingers with his and kisses him once more.

[alicemitch09writes]

lame

08.

where do we go from here

“Dorms, huh?”

“Yes,” nodded the green-haired boy, staring at his drink – affogato that you prepared. “it’s to ensure the safety of the students tenfold, considering the recent events.”

Nodding, eyes watched the scars on Izuku’s gentle hands – from when he was trying to figure out his quirk, trailing up to the burn he keeps hidden on his left arm – one caused by someone.

“I can imagine Auntie Inko wasn’t overboard with the idea?”

Izuku shifted in his seat, fingers stirring the straw of his drink. “She wanted me to transfer, because of how much I’ve been through…”

“I can’t blame her,” you nod again – there was USJ, and then there was this. “then again, it was something you couldn’t control and not really the school’s fault.”

“It’s what I told her, but she was adamant on keeping me safe. She’s a mom, after all.” That made you smile, Auntie Inko was really protective of Izuku ever since Uncle Hisashi worked abroad.

“A-Also, A-All Might convinced her,”

(E/c) eyes widened. “W-Wow…”

The All Might was at Izuku’s? Informing Auntie Inko of the dorm system and convincing her to have his apprentice stay at UA?

Izuku must be that special for the Symbol of Peace, his biggest idol, to keep him in UA.

“That’s amazing, Izuku.” Scoffing, you broke into an easy grin. “Isn’t that great, you get to stay in UA, got convinced to stay by the All Might, and you still have a chance to live his legacy.”

“(N-Nickname)!” With your praises, red flushes his cheeks and his arms flounder in the air, much to your amusement, before they ended up wrapped around his head protectively.

Everything changing again, huh?

With the dorms, students of UA will be granted and ensured of their safety as they’ll be living within the school’s premise. Really, they were doing so much just to give their students, future heroes, the very best that they deserve.

Still, it would be kind of lonely to have Izuku away.

Carmine eyes suddenly crossed your mind. The soft look on his face. The smell of burnt sugar. His warm rough hands.

“Neh, Izuku,” arms stretched out, head dropping down, your voice was quiet. “how is he?”

Drink long gone, he swallowed the sweet concoction down his throat, relishing in its sweetness and bitterness. He studied you for a bit, noting the glint in your eyes, how it was much different from before whenever Kacchan brought up.

Tapping his fingers, he carefully shared. “For starters, he’s safe. But somehow, he’s the same as ever.” Fingers twitched slightly at that, curling in slowly. “That much I can tell.” Brows furrowing slightly, especially when you recalled the relief in those carmine eyes, with something else.

The League of Villains.

They kidnapped Bakugou because he was top of their class, an easy target to play with considering his rather volatile streak that might bode well with villains.

“League of Villains,” you try, testing the weight of the villain group in your mouth. Izuku fell silent.

You didn’t like it. It felt dangerous, bitter, terrifying-

“I-It’s about your parents…”

Releasing a shuddering breath, you slumped into the table, forcing the numbing thoughts away. That is until a hand wrapped over yours, giving a gentle squeeze. You squeezed back, as thanks.

“(Nickname),” at the call of your name, you look up, meeting gentle green – brighter than emeralds, opals, more soothing that viridian or moss. “when you get the chance, talk to Kacchan. Okay?”

Carmine eyes crossed your mind again, the shocked expression turning gentle. Burnt sugar filling your senses. The fluttering beating of his heart.

“Little did you know, I’ve already had one.”

He hummed. “Yes, but you know what I’m talking about.” He says kindly, almost teasingly. You rolled your eyes at that.

“By the way,” recovering, you sat up, hands still in his. “you’re currently working on your ultimate move, right?” he nods “Well, need some help with that?”

Puzzled, it took about a few seconds until the questions sank. “Y-You don’t mean…!?”

Giggling, toothily grinning at your best friend, your eyes flashed yellow. “I might not look like much, but at least I can give a few pointers and wisdom. Also, I hope you’re okay with extra hours- “

“Of course! I’ll be in your care, (Nickname)!” he replies almost immediately, face filled with so much excitement to finally see you use your quirk at its full potential.

Mentally thinking of the days you’re not working, but hey, this was all for a good cause. “Looking forward to it, Izuku~”

Taking a break from work, you felt your phone vibrate, seeing a text from Izuku. 

To: (Nickname)

From: Izuku

[image.txt]

I PASSED MY PROVISIONAL LICENSE!!!!!!!!!!!

You couldn’t help the smile breaking on your lips, threatening to split your face in half from sheer joy and pride for your best friend. He did it!

All those days mastering his Shoot Style while dealing with your rather whimsical and unpredictable fighting really paid off!

  From: (Nickname)

To: Izuku

Congrats, you!

I’m so fcking proud of you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Let’s celebrate, okay? Just drop by the café!

You were tempted to ask if Bakugou had passed as well, debating even to give him a text. Fingers tapped lighting through your contacts, scrolling to find his name, staring. Just staring.

Shaking hands fisting against his shirt, nose buried between his shoulder blades, taking in his scent- You locked your phone, exhaling through your nose as you closed your eyes.

“You’re being unfair to him, (Nickname).”

Just then an unknown number called you.

It had been All Might.

All Might.

The Symbol of Peace.

He had called you, urging you to come to the UA campus at the dead of night for something he wouldn’t enclose over the phone. The hero had managed to work things out for your entry into the premise, albeit, discreetly, since it’s past working hours after all.

“So, you’re Young Midoriya’s good friend, yes?” the said hero was tall, so freaking tall! Even in his skeletal form, he loomed over you like a skyscraper, and his voice was commanding, firm, yet kind.

Remembering he had asked you a question, you fumbled for a reply. “A-Ah, yes sir!” Still, to be in his presence was something. Now you understood why Izuku fanboys hard – there were so many emotions to contain!

“I’ve heard a great deal about you, Young Midoriya speaks very highly of you.” That made you duck your head, a fond smile on your lips. “It’s clear that it is a bond forged greatly through careful means.”

“That, it is.” It was a rather poetic way of putting it, but yeah.

“With that being said, I’m sure you’re also acquainted with Young Bakugou, right?”

You nearly tripped on your own footing, halting at that, glancing up in question. “Y-Yes…” Carmine eyes, the smell of burnt sugar, warm calloused hands, suddenly filled your senses.

“In the short time that I’ve known them, I’ve also come to an understanding that the boys have a rather complicated relationship,” you gulp, for some reason. “they’re both on equal footing, yet it’s not very evident to both of them. They balance each other out perfectly.” He’s not wrong, you thought, hands curling and uncurling into fists.

“W-What are you trying to say?”

Turning to you, you realized that you reached some sort of building – it was huge, almost spanning the size of USJ! maybe it was a training ground? – the hero’s gaze wasn’t one of All Might’s, his gaze was soft, weary, understanding, guilt, and, dare you say, hopeful?

“Those boys have the makings to be a great hero, are each other’s greatest rivals yet they can be each other’s greatest ally if only pushed right.”

That was an idea you would never have thought of, but one you refused to acknowledge.

Before you could ask, suddenly, your senses went on full blast – (e/c) eyes turning yellow.

Heavy blasts from afar. Devastation followed. Heavy breathing. The smell of fire- no, angered explosions. Fully mapping out the vicinity, you found two presence were at the heart of it all. These heartbeats. Izuku? Bakugou?

“As expected, your senses indeed sharpen at night.”

Confused, angered, you turned to him, yellow eyes glinting in the moonlight. “WHY DID YOU BRING ME HERE!?” Their breathing, it was erratic, labored, abnormal, what was happening!?

He could only stare, expression betraying nothing. “I think I need to give the young boys some time to talk before I do it myself.”

“And what am I, some spectator?”

“I’m sure there’re things you would want to say to them as well, Young Yuroichi.”

Was what he said, but walking into the battlefield, having watched two of your childhood friends going out on each other, talking with their fists, kicks, and quirks, leaving bruised and battered, you could only feel one thing – numb.

With the fight over, your two childhood friends sat back on the asphalt ground, weary and exhausted out – physically and emotionally.

“Who else knows?” asked the ash blond, head hanging low with both arms propped against his knees.

“Recovery Girl, the principal, and…”

Apparently, that was your cue to make your presence known.

At the sound of approaching footsteps, the two boys raised their heads, eyes widening at the sight of you, in their campus, dead at night, eyes still in its dangerous yellow.

“A-ARE YOU TWO FUCKING KIDDING ME!?

They flinched at the volume of your voice, as though you bellowed it with all the air in your lungs, coming out from the shadows after All Might’s speech, knowing that it wasn’t your place to be there, but after hearing Bakugou’s voice – that was pathetic of him, even the hero hadn’t expected that.

“Y-Young Yoruichi-“

“Don’t,” the hero flinched at your voice, pinning him with your stare “get me started you skeletal excuse of a hero!” you say to him angrily, bitingly, forgetting that this man was the Symbol of Peace, the greatest hero of this generation, the hero who could easily do away with you, and the greatest hero to your two asshole of childhood friends.

“(N-Nickname)…”

Giving him a warning look, deadlier under the moonlight with your yellow eyes shining, Izuku knew better than to gulp and avoid your gaze. You then turned the same look to Bakugou, whose shoulders sagged underneath your gaze, a sense of defeat washing over him. He’s already bad in your book, he might’ve worsened it in this situation.

He was walking on thin ice, treading on it really should he wish to fix it.

“A-Ah, K-Kacchan just wanted to talk s’all, (Nickname)! B-but it ended up…um, uh…” words were failing him, especially when you are at the receiving end. Unamused. Unfazed. Unrelenting. Angered. Not even All Might could help out, too scared to deal with an angry teenager. “…uh…i-it ended with our fists….?”

Izuku had been quick to his defense, much to the surprise and annoyance of the blond. But you weren’t having it.

“Stop making excuses for him, Izuku. You’re better than that.” The green-haired boy flinched, hands dropping in defeat. “He should well know to defend himself instead of beating himself down for it, which is a far cry from that proud pompous asshole we’re both familiar with.” The ash blond’s fingers twitched at your words.

Taking a deep breath, you exhaled slowly out your nose. “You two haven’t had a proper talk since and you thought of doing it now with your fucking fists and kicks? What’re you, animals!?”

Having watched their fight and taking into account the months they’ve been in UA, seeing their performance during the Sports Festival, and hearing accounts of progress from Izuku, Aizawa-san, and the Bakugous, the two clearly have changed.

After all this time, you still felt so far from the two.

After all this time, it pained you still to see a drift between your best friends.

After all this time, just seeing finally talk to each other – in the shittiest way of their own version, it was all you ever wanted.

After all this time, the only thing you wanted was for them to finally see eye-to-eye.

After all this time, you just wanted the two to be friends again.

Weakly you fell to your knees, arms reaching for both and bringing them to a hug. The two boys were stunned, to say the least.

“I’m so glad.” Tears began to spill, your hold tightening. “I was worried about you two so much, you know. You two are selfish, stubborn, and terribly reckless in your own ways, but you two are the strongest persons I know.”

Izuku can be so out of reach sometimes, especially when he’s trying to embody himself as the current One for All user.

Bakugou had always been so far from your reach, but it pains you to know that he had been feeling shitty because he didn’t know just how to deal with his emotions.

It made you feel like the worst friend.

“You have to be more honest with how you’re feeling,”

You say you wanted to support Izuku? Part of the deal was respecting his wishes when it came to a certain ash blond he’s admired next to All Might, the person who was the embodiment of victory for him, someone he’d like to catch up with.

But you let confusing emotions – like a stupid crush and hate, cloud over your judgments.

“I’m sorry if I won’t be able to understand if I’ll have to beat it outta you guys, i-if…” hiccupping, your hold slackened momentarily, before tightening. “I’m sorry if I’m such a horrible friend. I’ll try to do more, be better for you guys. So please, don’t ever forget that…okay?”

“(Nickname)…”

A tentative hand reached out, hesitant as it patted your back. Seeing as you didn’t flinch away, the hand awkwardly rubbed comforting circles as you cried harder.

Seeing this, the green-haired teen smiled, relishing in your hug, the pain from Kacchan’s attacks, and the wisdom from his mentor.

“Okay.”

All Might could only watch three youngsters settling amongst themselves, as all friends should.

“Okay, (Name).”

masterlist • nine

[aaetherius]

@cxffexngel:

[ cxffeexngel ] modern AU!! || because this has been in my mind for days sFÑKDSFDf have soft time!

Unlike the pouring rains of an announced storm and a message sent in a whim. Sandalphon’s invitation fell on a calm day, with pillowy clouds dusting the canvas of the stretching blue skies on a quiet afterwork hours of sundown. A confession made in days passed and an evergrowing bond with stolen gazes and lips touching whenever extra eyes did not pry over them. Sandalphon adored kissing lucifer, adored those warm welcomes whenever Lucifer was the one already first thing in the morning for their shared shifts, or taking that mantle himself and welcome the taller with cups ready in their favorite spot under the gaze of the sun filtered through the windows adorned in flowers that never had ceased coming as offerings and all the more secret words his voice couldn’t hope to whisper to the other. The you g man resided now during one of those free days closing the flowershop, dusting off tables and leaves, changing pots and moving those that needed extra hours of sun before the evening would claim the rest of the day thorough. The slightest tinge of anxiety clinging behind his mind, after mulling for hours to pour just exactly which words to type over the phone and let Lucifer know he could come over if he wanted to, having deleted the message over and over until settling with the simplest ’ I have nothing to do, feel free to come over if you want ’ only to be replied within seconds with the most adorable message, if not perhaps a bit formal considering Lucifer’s tendencies if not to how he adorned his texts with cutesy stickers the young man failed to not blush for or ever not find them less than endearing when they were between sheep, drawn cats happy with sparkles and very colorful animated ones. Ah, he really finds ways to fall in love with this man everyday, isn’t he? With the flowershop properly locked, and turning over the ’ Open’ sign to seal it for the day, the young barista and shoopkeeper is done for the day, the welcoming aroma of freshly brewed coffee permeating every inch of his home as it rests in idle silence, if not by the gentle song of water heating over the stove not too far from the main room - and the open bags of beans and cups ready to be filled. For now, Sandalphon only attempts drowning every voice about how anything could go wrong, his coffee going acid, the temperature not being right - thinking too much like Gran often liked to poke fun at the cranky barista those days the young man inadvertently broke into his house somehow despise having checked each of his locks twice or even trice just to ensure that the pest the other adored to make himself out to be couldn’t get in. Always futile because it seemed like no lock was match against Gran’s lockpicking and his indestructible will to simply invite himself into Sandalphon’s home. Sometimes even with the girl in blue who made it even easier for the barista to simply cave in and let them stay and steal his food. - those memories are enough to ignore the impending doom that could brew should he mull over the little details about this and that. A soundless sigh slips past somewhat dry lips, tired eyes blinking calmly when attention flicks towards one of the windows as gentle breeze blows curtains into a serene dance matching leaves of branches and leaves outside, palm over his cheek scratching aimlessly any tension left that arises as spontaneously as it leaves. Only finding light within the autumn scarlet within his eyes when spotting the familiar shine of opal locks shimmering behind the blurriness barely transparent curtains of white could offer casting a shadow over that form that Sandalphon could arguably recognize even amidst a crowed street. His body moving before he could think towards the main door, and fingers curling tightly over the handle to twist it and push the frame open for the other, a sheepish smile drawn all over dusted rose pale features, sporting Lucifer’s borrowed hood and black legging the young man often wore whenever there was no work to be done, and the always needed pair of heeled boots rarely Sandalphon took off. “A-Ah! Welcome, Lucifer! ” Sandalphon almost wanted to visibly wince at how drearily hoarse his voice comes despise his initial joy - but he doesn’t, instead clearing his throat with a small cough over his palm. “ Please come on! I’m readying our cups, feel free to choose any seat if you’re tired. ” Continues, while stepping to the side giving the taller enough space so he could finally step in, and their time together start and go along however it takes - ah, how feeble his heart is that the thought alone of Lucifer in his home makes it leap into his throat, and rob any coherent thought or even the plans he mulled over the whole morning about everything.

    Sandalphon’s text had kick started his heart after he had returned to his apartment to try out a handful of new coffee recipes he had written down in his journal when he hadn’t been attending to customers this afternoon - something that had become a less frequent habit of his following his confession as the slow hours were typically spent with his attention fixed on the barista instead of a notebook these days. He’d texted the other back before thinking much about his response - he could never deny Sandalphon’s company, and he had tossed off his work clothes to change into something a tad bit more casual in a matter of minutes as well…only to pause as he was slipping out of the door with a mildly displeased Ellie seated comfortably, he thinks, on the plush cushion nestled inside of the feline backpack strapped safely around his shoulders. After all, he couldn’t leave her alone for the night - that would be downright criminal when she’s spent a night on her since he had rescued her. His unwilling companion (who would have been perfectly content to romp around the apartment unattended) aside, he had realized that he hadn’t prepared anything to give to the other. Perhaps it was a somewhat trivial notion, but despite all of the flowers and beautiful poems Sandalphon had gifted him with, he hadn’t done much in return for the other. His own knowledge of flowers had come from the barista himself, and he had little talent when it came to writing out meaningful poems. Even Michael, who had known him nearly his entire life, struggled to follow his notes. Neat as his handwriting naturally was, he had a terrible habit of jotting down notes in a manner only he could truly understand. Ah, and bringing flowers to a flowers hop didn’t seem like a suitable gift either. Sweets wouldn’t do wither, Sandalphon favored bitter and savory foods, much like how he preferred his coffee. So, quickly, the smile upon his features had faded as he lingered in the doorway of his apartment, smiling softly at the various neighbors that walked past him. A low hum rumbles in throat for moment as he strokes his chin absentmindedly before turning tail back into the apartment, gingerly removing a handful of things from the cluttered bookshelf and carefully tucking them away behind Ellie so they weren’t terribly apparent before he slipped outside to a day distinctly unlike the one he had mindlessly invited Sandalphon over on when it had been storming dreadfully.

    The walk to the flower shop is a short one, yet, despite that, he checks his phone constantly on the way. He had memorized the address when the other had sent it to him, but the rush of joy that had held his heart tightly enough that it made his chest throb was enough to make that information leap to the very back of his mind. He had never been to the barista’s home before, and he hadn’t been aware of the fact that he owned a flower shop until very recently - to say he was delighted would be an understatement when he feels something akin to excitement for the first time in years; perhaps for the first time since he had dabbled in coffee that fateful say more than a decade ago. And his hand comes up to press firmly against the center of his chest as if doing so would somehow quell the swan song of his heart as every step brought him closer to the one he loves most. For so long, truthfully, he had felt numb - the emotions he harbored had been tucked deep within him, unable to break free from the constant guilt and sense of melancholy that hung over him. He had forgotten what feeling excited was like - what looking forward to something could be like, and he had thought, for quite some time now, that he was incapable of feeling something so unbridled. But Sandalphon brings him more joy than he could have ever dreamed of experiencing, despite the pain that comes alongside it, so he can only tighten his hold around the fabric clumped between his fingers as he exhales in the humid air, and allows his gaze to wander upwards towards the clear sky. Its color paling now that the better part of the day had come and gone, but it still casts a gentle, blue shadow onto his pale features as he stops in front of the flower ship, and Sandalphon’s home. Pearly strands of hair absorb the colors cast upon them, and reflect them back with a gentle shimmer that almost makes it appear as if wayward strands of his hair are glowing in an array of dazzling colors. Sometimes, he’s reminded, the world can be a beautiful place. But, truly, he’s always found the sky to be something remarkable - something free; something wondrous, and grand. As a child, he used to dream of reaching his hand up high enough to touch the clouds despite knowing all he would come away with were damp fingers. Even now, a small part of him is still drown to the vast blue, and the gentle, creamy clouds that float through it without a care.

    The click of the door draws him away from his thoughts, and he quickly loosens his hold on the white shirt he’s wearing before trying, and failing, to smooth out the wrinkles he’s formed in the fabric before trying, and failing once more, to cover them with the light blue sleeve of his hoodie as an impossibly warm smile spills onto his rosy lips. Their hue nearly the same shade as the color that dusts over Sandalphon’s features, though the utterly fond look stretched across Lucifer’s visage doesn’t quite match the other’s sheepish one. And it brightens all the more once he realizes the barista is wearing the hoodie he had borrowed from him. And that, too, makes his chest ache, but in a different way than the anticipation that had crept through his bloodstream a moment ago. Love is a strange thing, he thinks, it’s not a singular emotion but rather a collection of so many complex feelings he can’t place individual names to that he hardly knows what he’s supposed to feel at any given point in time. “Good evening, Sandalphon,” he offers, his voice gentle and soft and full of affection. And the sound of the other’s name appears to be all it takes for Ellie to meow loudly from her bubbly, lavender prison upon Lucifer’s back as she tries to crane her neck around to curiously peek beyond her owner’s shoulder at the younger man - her keen eyes narrowing into a glare once she spots that familiar nest of auburn hair. Lucifer, for his part, seems entirely unaware of Ellie’s struggles when he’s utterly captivated by the sight of Sandalphon dressed in his hoodie alongside his typical leggings and heels. “Thank you, and thank you for allowing me to visit you. I’m looking forward to tasting the coffee you’ve made, and – ah, I have something for you, as well, when we have a moment.” It’s hard for him to focus when he’s still awestruck by the sight of the homely flower shop that doubles as the barista’s residence. Something about it seems magical to him, perhaps if only because it’s where Sandalphon lives. And he can’t imagine a place he would rather be than beside the other, yet, even so, stepping into the smaller’s home is a strange mixture of comfortable and wonderful. His eyes wander everything and anything for a moment before he shakes his head gently to snap his attention back to Sandalphon. “I’m grateful you invited me over, and I’m so very happy to see you, Sandalphon.” Slowly, he reaches out his hand to push a few strands of auburn hair behind the other’s ear - his fingers gently gliding over the other’s skin as he leans forward to place a kiss in greeting upon the top of the smaller’s head before withdrawing again at the sound of another meow echoing against the rounded window of the backpack Ellie is still seated in, and he can’t stop the hoarse chuckle that falls from his lips. “Forgive me, I may have brought an uninvited guest along. She has never been left alone, so I’m afraid I didn’t have the heart to leave her behind today. I’m certain; however, that she’ll be on her best behavior. She’s rather fond of you after all.” Fond is not the word most people would use to describe Ellie’s feelings towards rival, and it most certainly wasn’t how the feline felt to the man she had dubbed an intruder in her quiet, and peaceful life, but, well, Lucifer, for whatever reason, was convinced they got along wonderfully.

[bregee13]

Jeff and Opal

Me: Oh boy! I better go to sleep soon so I can get up early and actually get sleep! :)

My Brain: Comes up with ideas for a Fanfiction where Opal/Claire from Jack Stauber’s OPAL escapes her house to go on a quest to find Opal’s Burgers. 

And on the way there she goes in a grocery store (Which has Opal’s Burger Patties on sale). And there she meets “Jeff” from Jack Stauber’s SHOP: A Pop Opera, who was last minute grocery shopping for the holidays. (the store was out of turkey/ham, and Jeff decided to settle for burgers. And that's where he found her. Standing there. Staring at a box of Opal's Burger Patties. ...Blocking the way Jeff needed to go.) 

After startling her, (and apologizing) Jeff manages to make friends with her. Jeff initially tries to find her family in the store, when he realizes that she was all by herself. He asks for her name, but since she doesn't really talk, she taps on the logo of the box she's holding. ( "...Opal's Burgers? Opal? Your name is Opal?" *insert Opal being happy here*) 

Jeff asks her what she's doing there all by herself and she taps at the box again. Sadly, Jeff doesn't understand and misinterprets it as her saying she wanted burgers. 

He then offers to help find her family. Opal reacts very negatively to this. (A bit of a meltdown?) She does NOT want to go back home. It takes a second, but Jeff gets the message and assures her that he won't bring her back to her family. Once Opal calms down, Jeff offers to pay for the burgers she was holding. 

He pays for the burgers as well as his own groceries and walks out the store with her. Jeff soon realizes that Opal didn't have anywhere to go, so he invites her to stay with him for a little while. 

At Jeff's home, he prepares some burgers for the both of them. Opal, overwhelmed with joy but also confused on what she's supposed to do with the burger, does what she does in the beginning of the OPAL short. (imagine Jeff encouraging her to eat by saying "Go on, you can do it!" and then she starts dancing.) Jeff is very confused and kinda concerned ('Does... Does she not know that she's supposed to eat it??'), but cheers her on anyway to make her happy. Eventually he gets her to eat her burger (much to his relief) and later sets up a spot on his couch for her to sleep. 

Opal stays with Jeff for several weeks. All the while, Jeff is having trouble deciding what he should do with her. He didn't exactly plan to have a kid, and bringing her back to her (what he correctly assumes is abusive) family is out of the question. 

He tries to make Opal happy at every opportunity he has, and makes sure she's never out of his sight. 

Each time they go back to the grocery store, Opal ALWAYS points out and/or picks up a box of Opal's Burgers. Jeff usually gets it for her if she asks, but sometimes refuses and tries to get her to try something different instead. 

This often frustrates Opal for multiple reasons. Opal's Burgers as a brand has been a major source of comfort for her for a long time, and to be rejected them doesn't feel very good. Not only that, but she has been trying to tell Jeff that she wants to go to The Opal's Burgers restaurant so she can live with the family that she assumes will be there. And while Jeff gets that Opal is obsessed with this brand for some reason, he doesn't yet understand what that reason is. 

As much as she likes Jeff, Opal one night decided to take things into her own hands once again and ran away to find the Restaurant. 

Jeff wakes up the next morning to see Opal is no longer there, and freaks out. For a moment struggles to decide whether he should search for her on his own, with help of authorities, or just move on and pray for her. 

Eventually Opal finds the restaurant and goes inside to look for the family on the billboard. The employees, seeing she's all alone and a mess, let her in and give her a free burger. She just blankly stares at the burger. 

After a while, an employee goes up to her to ask if she needs anything. Opal responds by pointing at the family printed on a flyer. It takes a moment, but the employee eventually figures out that she is looking for the people on the flyer. 

The employees then break it to Opal that the family in the advertisements weren't real. It wasn't a real family that ran the restaurant. They were made up just to advertise the food and the restaurant chain. 

Upon hearing that, Opal broke down into tears. The family that saw her really wasn't real. Nobody could ever see or know her. 

The employees then proceeded to comfort Opal, and report that they had found a little girl. 

Jeff, who was frantically looking for her at this point, heard that a little blonde girl was found at Opal's Burgers and rushed over there as fast as he could. And when he got there and saw Opal, he rushed up to hug her and began crying happy tears. 

Seeing Jeff so happy to see her okay made Opal realize that maybe there ARE people out there willing to look out for you. 

The employees explain to Jeff that Opal wanted to meet the family in the advertisements. Jeff, realizing that she probably viewed that family as her own, apologizes to her for not understanding what she was trying to tell him. 

The employees then ask if Opal is his daughter. Jeff, unsure what to say, decides to ask Opal if she was okay with being his kid. Opal happily nods and hugs him. The two then live happily together. 

...However, Jeff is having a little bit of difficulty. The cost of supporting another person was completely unexpected, and he was having some trouble getting by on his own. So he does everything he can to find a job to support them both. 

Not only that, Opal came from a completely different home. And he still has to figure out how to actually legally adopt her. Because he fears that if he doesn't, Opal would be taken away from him. And the thought of her going back to her old family or somewhere worse really scares him. 

He might have to meet Opal's old family and learn her real name in order to adopt her. (Imagine Jeff going through Opal's old house in a similar matter that Opal did in the short. And he wanted to go alone so Opal didn't have to experience it, but Opal probably came along (or snuck along) anyway so Jeff didn't have to go alone.) 

Either way, these two end up being a very happy family.

[frogtanii]

It’s wind anon! (Imagine me as the screeching seagull meme) just pushing through the week. Getting the test out of my mind—it just sucks because there’s always this one test that I completely mess up on—and as someone who has to deal with all honors classes and my grades tend to be good, every time I fail to meet up to expectations my stress skyrockets. (Imagine a world where grades don’t matter and school is learning based rather than mark based...) Family pressures too—okay, wind anon is done ranting.

The update! The drama—I was there the moment it updated and I saw the comments rush in and I was laughing real hard.

But my reaction to the update!

Osamu POV :0!!! The insecurity... “all it did was remind him that he was alone”— I empathize because gosh, that is so real.

The attachment to Meiko though... his emotional state is on a very unstable tightrope. “Osamu had Meiko and he used to have Daichi and Iwaizumi...” that entire section has all my red flags raised. He’s going to completely break when everything comes out.

The loud clang startled me though. I was like “!!!” But it was our YN! Our kind, wonderful YN!! Trying to get snacks wwwwww.

Osamu thinking YN is cute :0 I be having a lot of thoughts about that but him squishing it down is fair. He considers himself to be in a committed relationship (though Meiko does not reciprocate and I am ready to fight regarding that) but I can respect his devotion (even if it is very misguided).

But. “After all, you were the reason Atsumu hated him now and never spoke to him anymore.” My gosh. What do I even say about this? Because the blame is entirely thrown off. I mean, you mentioned before Atsumu had a specific reason for believing in you over Meiko so I’m still waiting for that but Osamu is thinking something wrong but it’s a human action. It’s so easy to blame people to make yourself feel better. And your brain can do it without you realizing the depths of what has been thought.

Osamu being angry (!!!) and being a complete utter douche. YN literally just wanted a bag of chips and you’re here, crowding them in the pantry and being hostile. I don’t have much to say about it because he realized his mistake but by then he already stressed YN really badly and I am...(long sigh).

Atsumu to the rescue. We appreciate Atsumu very very much in this house. It really sucks that Osamu and Atsumu are confronting like this—I mean, Atsumu has been fighting a bit and Osamu had not really been listening to Atsumu on his own end prior to this confrontation so I’m...exhausted and a bit sad in the “It can’t be helped” kind of way.

“Osamu allowed him to, too in shock and ashamed to protest, much less fight back.” It couldn’t be helped considering how everything developed but...it still hurts my chest a bit, y’know? And then Osamu tries to apologize and I’m ready (so so ready) for them to communicate because they desperately need to—

But then Meiko comes in (I am...ready to throw stuff at her. Lots of stuff. Packing peanuts. All squeaky and annoying and bad for the environment just like she is—or something like that, I dunno, I’m half dead because I’m dealing with cramps rn) and all my wishes for them to finally have that much needed conversation where Osamu can finally break down and cry—all my wishes are turned to ash like.

(Angry Wind anon noises)

Meiko rubbing her makeup all over Osamu’s shirt like he is a rag. What in the... And her 4 inch heels please, I cannot, why, I can’t deal with this, I can’t, don’t make me get close to her because I’m like Yachi (stressed out of my mind). Please don’t do this to me. But yeah, Meiko with her poor makeup that doesn’t stay on her face. What the heck....

And Meiko’s scent... gross. Like, brown sugar, cute, nice, baked goods do smell really nice, (ever add a bunch of vanilla extract to a recipe? It like, perfumes around everywhere, it’s insane and wonderful) but chances are (because it’s Meiko), it’s overbearingly sweet. Chinese food (I do not trust her taste in Chinese food to be frank), I happen to come from a Chinese family, I have Chinese food for dinner like everyday, it would take a lot to be able to get that sort of scent on you. And I do mean a lot. And hairspray??? Chemical? I do not,,, I,,, Osamu, why would you breathe that in? It’s gonna be real bad for your lungs? And we already know Meiko smokes as well—your lung health, please value it—

And then the Suna entrance. Wonderfully done fr0ggy!

Final thoughts, I am very much projecting onto Yachi rn. Yachi has been in the house for less than a week and she already has to deal with this. The company should give her a raise. My gosh.

Anyway, might as well do a thoughts/headcanon thing because it’s been a while and my mind is still on gem/jewel stuff (so hope you don’t mind!)

Okay, so Kenma I think would go with a warm colored gemstone, and citrine would work well with him! “Protection against evil thoughts” because we know Meiko has ramped up is insecurity and lowered his self-esteem.

I mentioned this before last time but Sakusa is definitely onyx. That black is iconic, and “sharpening wit” would make sense with his grace for word play and snark.

Akaashi is an interesting one...I think sapphire. I mean, sapphire can have many colors besides the classic dark blue, so that’s one thing, but it’s known for “loyalty and a pledge of trust” which Akaashi gave. I think it’s suitable for him.

Suga...initially I was thinking pearl would match him in terms of appearance, but actually looking at my reference, turquoise would work really really well with him. “Protect from evil, maintain virtue, bring good luck”. Would work well.

For Atsumu and Osamu I wanted something that could represent their duality. My first thought was gold and silver. I mean, it’d fit in terms of appearance but I’m not sure that would be the best comparison. Gold doesn’t rust so it fits Atsumu who never fell for Meiko’s tricks. Silver has been said to vanquish dark/evil beings (vampires, werewolves, the classic silver bullets and stakes). It would be interesting to see if the comparison will apply to today’s update :D!

I like how my brain shut off and couldn’t remember anyone else for a second—anyway, Oikawa... every time I think of him, I want some hue of blue wwww. I guess Aquamarine “soothing influence” would work. Since he joined YN’s side, he has been able to see the big picture and be a voice of reason. He’s thoughtful and I think aquamarine which encourages long relationships is suitable because that is what he wanted. So yes, aquamarine.

Bokuto...is a tough one. I’m trying to still keep with their color schemes a bit. I think carnelian would work. “Health, luck, bold energy, warmth, joy”—it would represent him fine. It’s a bit more orange than I would prefer but it suits him so I think it’s okay.

Iwaizumi... emerald? I mean, he does suit green tones, and “rebirth, regeneration, new hope” would work just fine for him.

Right now my brain is complete mush and I can’t think of anything for Kuroo and Daichi. Like, Kuroo would be red, sure, but the more famous ruby/garnet I think don’t represent him fully because he is still rather contained. Hmm, would need to think about them more.

But I’d like your thoughts on this too :D!!

I wanna do something suitable for all colors for YN, so opal! YN has many different parts and colors and is overall a very vivid person—if you tilt opal, you see more and more faces and things underneath being brought into your eyes. YN may be seen from many different perspectives, but YN is always beautiful and amazing. So opal is what I think YN would be.

Anyway, I’ll end here :D! Need to eat lunch. Much love towards you fr0ggy! Make sure you eat and rest up too~ drink some water or any other fluid to hydrate! And keep warm too. Much love to all the fans and supporters and ask senders too! It’s really awesome seeing and hearing from all of you and seeing new faces with the old. Love the excitement and points you all bring up—makes my brain happy.

MAJDKD I NEED TO POST THE NEW CHAPTER BUT I HAD TO RESPOND TO THIS FIRST BESTIE ILY N I LOVE TUIS — I AM OBSESSED W THE CRYSTAL (??) STUFF??? IVE NEVER UNDERSTOOD IT BUT I THINK YOIVE EXPLAINED EACH GEM N WHY SO BEAUTIFULLY I AM IN LOVE W U KITH KITH UR SO LOVELY HAVE AN AMAZING DAY (sending u good vibes n anti-stress love >333)

[justanotherexlover]

Anonymous said:

Can you please make another chapter of "The Metal Clan" the first one is so good and I was so happy to see a Lin x reader!

Anonymous said:

when are you gonna update the metal clan?

The Metal Clan (2/3) (Lin Beifong x Reader)

Warnings: Angst, language

Word count: 2,900+

Notes: Apologies for the title formatting, I’m without a computer and Tumblr mobile sucks. I’ll fix it when I get a chance!

You watched as Lin and Suyin went back and forth once Korra confronted Lin, and you felt like your head was spinning. You’d seen Lin upset before, but she seemed utterly impossible to reason with at this moment.

“You’re the one who tore our family apart,” Lin said, pointing a finger at her sister.

“Yeah, and you’ve done a bang-up job of keeping it that way!” Su shot back, looking every bit as fierce.

“Shut up!” You exclaimed, looking at both of them. Your wife looked shocked, and Suyin seemed slightly smug as you continued, your words aimed at your wife, “Let it go. For now, at least. We came here with a goal in mind.”

“Thank you,” Suyin asid politely, raising her eyebrows at her sister, then turning to Korra, “My daughter is thrilled to meet you.”

“Your niece--our niece--is the new Airbender,” You told Lin, sending her a look of warning to be nice.

“Terrific,” Lin said, not bothering to hide the sarcasm in her voice.

You glared at her, and Bolin leaned over to whisper to you, “Trouble in paradise?”

“Shut up Bolin,” You muttered.

---

You basically had to drag Lin out of the airship. Even though she’d been found out, she didn’t see the point in going around Zafou. You insisted, however, and she gave in eventually(although still grumbled about it).

“Those are my two youngest, Wei and Wing. They’re playing a game called power disc. They invented it all on their own,” Su said, her voice thick with pride for her twin sons.

A metal disk was being hit back and forth between the brothers, and hitting metal posts in the middle. You weren’t sure if you entirely understood the rules, but it looked like they were having fun.

They twins were both very talented benders, and you glanced at your wife to see if she noticed. Lin seemed so cold and apathetic, and it was beginning to bother you more and more with each passing moment. You knew bits and pieces of what had happened between her and her sister--how Su had left home at 16 after a fight, leaving their family essentially in pieces.

But what could she have done that would justify this behavior?

“I’m so proud of them,” Suyin said, her hands clasped together. She had a small smile on her face.

“You should be,” You spoke up, smiling at her. She placed one hand over her heart, looking bashful.

The team walked on, and you could hear Korra and Asami marveling over the metalwork of the mansion. It was a sight to behold, for sure.

You fell a little behind the group to stand next to Lin, and you looked at her, “You could at least pretend to care.”

She glanced at you, her face stiff, “Why would I do that?”

You let out a scoff. Lin had always been an opinionated woman, and you loved her for that, but you had never seen her so uncaring before. You wanted to ask her for an explanation, but knew that now wasn’t the time.

Your attention was soon taken by the sound of metal creaking and you searched for the source of the noise, your eyes landing on a man who was frowning at a statute he was attempting to bend.

“Huan, I want you to meet the Avatar and her friends,” Suyin said brightly, gesturing to the group, “And your Aunt Lin and her partner, your Aunt (y/n).”

It felt weird to be referred to as someone’s aunt, since before today you didn’t even know that Suyin had children. But a feeling of fondness spread through you, feeling fully embraced by Su.

“Nice to meet you,” Korra said.

“Hey,” Huan said, not looking away from his statue. He, like Lin, didn’t seem to care much about what was going on. You wondered if Lin had the introspection to see that Huan was similar to her, but again, she wasn’t even paying attention.

“Wow, that’s a really nice…” Bolin started, squinting at the statute. He rubbed his hand on the back of his neck, and his answer sounded more like a question, “Banana?”

You snorted, and Huan turned around and angrily exclaimed, “It’s not a banana! I was inspired by Harmonic Convergence. It represents the dawning of a new age, obviously.”

Bolin seemed embarrassed, but was squinting at the statue in an attempt to see what Huan was talking about. You figured you should probably help him out.

“Each side is supposed to be the opposite ends of Harmonic Convergence, right? And the middle piece rises above both, which is the new age dawning,” You guessed, and he turned toward you, an eyebrow raised.

“Yeah,” Huan said, his voice never straying from its monotone state as he pursed his lips, “Finally someone with an artistic eye.”

You smiled at him, and noticed Suyin give you an appreciative smile as you moved closer to her as the group began walking again. Bolin was rambling on about understanding the artwork, and attempting to make a frame with his hands from which to view it. So much for your attempts at helping him out.

“Nice job,” Suyin said, smiling at you, “Huan is such a great artist, but to be honest I don’t understand his art until he explains it most of the time.”

You waved her off, flushing slightly, “It seemed obvious, I suppose.”

“Nonsense. You have the eye of an artist,” She praised you, and you noticed Lin’s shoulders set in the back of the group. She was obviously listening in on the conversation.

You began walking up the stairs with Lin, each step making a slight creaking noise, “I didn’t get to say it before, Zafou is absolutely beautiful. I’ve always wanted to visit, but… It’s more than I could’ve imagined.”

Now it was Su’s turn to blush, and she spread her arms in front of herself, “It’s my pride and joy, after my husband and children, of course… I wish you two would’ve visited sooner.

“Me too,” You said quietly, “It hasn’t been for lack of trying on my part.”

Su hummed, nodding in understanding, “I know how stubborn my sister can be. But at least you’re here now.”

Suyin was nothing like what Lin had described her as--your wife had said she was selfish and irresponsible, but the woman next to you seemed smart and kind. She’d changed a lot over the last 30 years it seemed, but Lin didn’t want to see that.

You arrived at the top of the stairs and followed Suyin as she walked up to a sweet looking girl and began speaking, “This is my daughter Opal.”

Upon hearing her name, the girl looked over and closed her book, her eyes instantly landing on Korra as she said, “Wow, Avatar Korra. I can’t believe you’re really here. You’re amazing.”

Opal had a soft voice and a delicate demeanor, and you were sure that she would do well as an Airbender.

“It’s great to meet you, Opal,” Korra said kindly.

“Opal? That’s a beautiful name,” Bolin said, holding out his hand. She smiled bashfully and pushed her hair behind her ear. You raised your eyebrow, watching the exchange carefully.

“Thanks,” She said.

“I’m Bolin,” He introduced himself, and she shook his hand.

“Opal,” She responded instantly. A blush took over her face, and you smiled as she rushed to recover, “But, uh, you already knew that.”

Lin walked over to you, and you hoped that Lin saw how sweet her niece was and would feel more sociable. But instead she said, “Great, we found the Airbender. Let’s take her back to the airship and get out of here.”

You rolled your eyes, giving her a scathing look. She ignored it easily.

“And the woman apparently trying to abduct you is your Aunt Lin, and her spouse (y/n),” Suyin explained to her daughter, slightly amused.

Opal looked between you and Lin, and a large smile come onto her face, “Really? I didn’t know Aunt Lin was married. I’ve always wanted to meet you!”

Lin’s face didn’t change, but you reached forward and took Opal’s hand, “It’s great to meet you, Opal. You seem like a nice girl.”

She blushed again, and said, “Thank you.” After shaking your hand, Opal turned her attention to Lin and said, “My mom’s told me so many stories about you.”

“I’m sure she has,” Lin said coldly, crossing her arms. Opal’s face fell, and you looked at her apologetically. Regardless of Lin’s feelings towards her sister, she had no right to speak to Opal that way.

Suyin, thankfully, moved past the tension with ease, “So I’ve set all of you up in the guest houses while Korra trains Opal.”

“Oh…” Korra started, sounding slightly unsure, “I’m sorry, but I was hoping that Opal could train with the rest of the airbenders at the Northern Air Temple.”

“That sounds amazing,” Opal said dreamily, clasping her hands together. She was such a sweet girl, and you found it funny considering that most Beifong women were known for being harsh.

“Nonsense,” Suyin said, and her daughter’s face fell as she continued, “This is where Opal’s home and family are. You can train her here.”

“I guess I could help her get started,” Korra said, shrugging.

You wanted to point out that Opal obviously wanted to train at the temple, but Lin was already speaking.

“Absolutely not. We’re leaving,” She said, leaving no room for argument.

“I have to agree with Lin,” You said, and Suyin seemed surprised as you added, “There are assassins after Korra, and even then… I think it would be nice for Opal to be around other airbenders.”

You wanted to stay in Zaofu, but even you could recognize that it would be safer to leave and keep moving.

“If you’re concerned about safety, don’t be. This is the safest city in the world,” Suyin said confidently. She then went on to invite you and everyone else to dinner, but your eyes were on Lin the whole time.

-

“Five kids, what a nightmare,” Lin said when Suyin introduced her oldest, and you kicked her shin under the table. She sent you a scathing look, but you ignored it and just rolled your eyes.

“No, no, my children are a blessing,” Suyin said graciously, bowing her head. You smiled at her.

“Yeah, mom used to say that too but she never meant it,” Lin shot back. You looked down at your plate, suddenly feeling very awkward and out of place.

You reached a hand forward to brush Lin’s hand, but she pulled away, crossing her arms. You tried to hide the hurt expression on your face, but Suyin noticed and sent you a sympathetic look.

Lin made a few more comments to her sister, but you largely ignored them, feeling overwhelmed with trying to reign in Lin’s attitude.

Most of the conversation was lost on you(you even ignored Varrick’s arrival, deciding that you had too much on your plate to deal with him), as you contemplated what could’ve happened between Lin and Suyin.

Suyin left home at 16, which would’ve made Lin not much older at just 22. But she was definitely an officer by then, so maybe it was some encounter there?

Or maybe Lin was upset that her sister didn’t want to become an officer? Or did Toph favor Suyin? You didn’t know much about Lin’s mother and had never met her, but nothing you knew from Lin was positive.

Your mind was reeling with possibilities and it was starting to make you feel on edge. It was made worse when the sound of a chair being thrown back caught you off guard, and you jumped.

“All right, enough!” Lin yelled, throwing up her arms, “I’m trying to keep the Avatar safe and you’re harboring a criminal?”

Your eyes widened at your wife’s outburst, and you thought about intervening but decided not yet.

“Ease up, Lin,” Suyin said, “Sure, Varrick’s made a few mistakes in his past, but that doesn’t mean he should pay for it the rest of his life. My chef was a pirate but now he’s a culinary master. People change.”

“You haven’t!” Lin yelled, pointing at her sister. She looked like she wanted to say more but you interrupted her.

“That’s enough,” You said, your voice level. Your hands were in fists at your sides, and you felt utterly humiliated. Lin turned to look at you, and you held her gaze steadily.

She growled and stomped off, slamming the door shut behind her.

“I’m sorry,” You said, feeling your lip begin to tremble. You needed to get out of here, now, and take some time to think. You stood up and followed your wife’s path, ignoring the calls to come back.

-

After a little while wandering through Huan’s statue garden, you decided to return to your room. You’d managed to mostly calm yourself, but you were beginning to wonder if maybe there was a lot more to the story than you thought.

You knocked hesitantly, then opened the door to the guest room you two were sharing.

Lin was sitting in a chair reading a newspaper, wearing just her pants and typical white tank top.

You walked forward and put a hand on her arm and gently said, “Look, we won’t be here for more than a few days… Even then, I want to be here. I wish you did too.”

Lin looked at you, her eyes narrowed. If you were anyone else then you would’ve likely been intimidated, but after being with her for so long you could read her like a book.

“Doesn’t what I want matter?” She asked, her tone venomous. You reeled back, holding a hand in front of yourself defensively.

“Of course it does!” You exclaimed defensively, and she rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, sure, that’s why you keep sucking up to my sister,” She muttered, turning away from you.

“I…” You trailed off, your mind beginning to cloud with anger, “I am not! I’m trying to get my wife’s family to like me, so what? It’s normal!”

“But they aren’t my family!” She responded, looking fierce, “You are! I made that decision a long time ago.”

You opened your mouth to speak, but closed it again. What she said was touching, and it made you hesitate to argue with her any longer.

“Lin…” You trailed off, looking at her. It seemed like she hadn’t meant to reveal that so readily, but she was holding her head high. You raised a hand to her face, caressing her scarred cheek softly, “I just want you to talk to me. Explain why you feel like this.”

She looked at you with narrowed eyes, but still leaned into your touch, obviously finding comfort in it. Lin seemed to be thinking of the right words when someone knocked on the door.

“Who is it?” Lin asked loudly, and you pulled away, looking at the door as it opened.

“Hey, it’s me” Korra said, peeking her head in. She glanced at your wife, then you, and you shook your head, trying to tell her that it wasn’t a good time. Your warning went ignored as she continued, “I brought someone who wants to talk to you.”

Korra opened the door wider to reveal Opal, who you offered a soft smile too. She seemed nervous.

“You wanna talk, then talk,” Lin said, sitting back and crossing her arms. You stood next to her, one hand on her shoulder.

Opal stepped forward and took a breath, then began speaking as if she’d practiced, “I’m sorry being here is hard for you.”

She walked forward, and you stepped back, watching the situation carefully as Opal kept going, “When you showed up, I was so excited to get to know you. I’d heard so many grea things about you from mom and Grandma Toph. So… I guess I was kind of sad that you didn’t want to get to know me… Believe me, I know my family can be a little crazy and overwhelming sometimes, but I would love it so much if you and (y/n) would be a part of it.”

Opal casted you a glanced towards the end, her hands clasped together. She sounded so sincere and sweet. You wanted to hug her, but decided to wait to see what Lin said.

“Get out,” Lin said quietly.

“I’m sorry, did I say something wrong?” Opal asked, her voice quaking.

“Get out!” Lin yelled. Opal’s eye filled with tears and you reached forward to try to comfort her, but she turned and ran out of the room crying. Korra followed her.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” You asked, stepping forward to glare at your wife, “Opal is your niece, and a sweet girl who didn’t do anything wrong!”

“Maybe you should reconsider whose side you’re on!” Lin yelled back, and you threw your hands up in exasperation.

“There are no sides, Lin!” You yelled, finally fully losing your cool. You pointed a finger at your wife, “You’ve been nothing but rude since we got here, and I would stand by your side if I knew why! But you’re so closed off that I can’t seem to understand you.”

Lin turned away, brushing you off. You scoffed, feeling your rage pushing you forward.

“You know what? Fine. You wanna be alone, then be alone. I’m leaving,” You said, turning on your heel and walking out the door. You didn’t know where you were gonna go, but you were sure that Su could find space for you somewhere.