#and i cropped it out but my sister had been mean as balls about me getting myself “stuck”

[gornackeaterofworlds]

gasp!!!! i’m so jealous!!! that’s so cool that you got to see it though!!!! thank you for the pictures gornack!!

i’m sorry that you went through an ordeal. ☹️ is there anything i can do to help?

ACK HI!!!

The pictures in question:

Ur so sweet!!!! No the ordeal was irl, I already detailed it in the discord so I'll use screenshots(back means back to the hotel btw, and I'd been on a journey to get pics of bay filming locations!):

I think this is also one, but I'm going off street names. This is the first one I'd seen:

[writing-until-i-drop]

Wildflowers For A Hangman Ch. 6

Summary:

Daisy, a career novelist, moves in with her college best friend Phoenix who has been permanently assigned to Top Gun with Dagger Squad. She finds herself instantly connected with a cocky pilot who's soft only for her and Jake can't help but want to know everything about her. When the past comes knocking at both of their doors, will they stand together or fall apart?

Or: The Dagger Squad can't cook and Jake falls in love with a woman who makes a mean lasagna while they work their personal trauma.

Jake "Hangman" Seresin x writer!femOC | 18+ (eventually) minors dni. Fluff, smut (eventual), idiots in love, past trauma.

A/N: Natasha and Daisy help Amelia bake for her soccer team's bake sale. A man decides to tell the truth.

AO3 Link

Previous Chapter

Amelia’s playlist was full of Harry Styles, Halsey, and Girl In Red, blasting at top volume which had turned baking into more of a dance party. Natasha was spinning me around the kitchen while Amelia snapped a dozen pictures of us, laughing when Natasha dipped me.

“I need to get the brownies!” I laughed, slipping away from Natasha when she tried to dip me again. The counter was filled with cookies, blondies, and lemon bars that Natasha was in charge of packing neatly into cellophane bags with soccer balls printed on them. The toothpick came out clean so I swapped in a fresh tray of brownies, setting the timer. “When is your coach coming over to collect things?” 

“Kate’s stopping for coffee, do you guys want anything?” Natasha and I readily agreed, rattling off our usual orders. “Really, Phoenix, black?” 

“It’s hard to fu-fudge up,” She corrected herself mid sentence, earning a double eye roll.

“Smooth,” Amelia hopped up on one of the only clean spots on the counter. “I’m fifteen, not five, you can curse in front of me.” I gave Natasha an absolutely not look. “You should come to our first game, it’s sometime next month.” 

“We’d be happy to, Ames.” I passed her a cookie for “inspection”  and then another to Natasha. “What are your school colors? We’ll dress up,”

“Red and white, just don’t be embarrassing like Mav is.” 

“I’m betting he yells the loudest, doesn’t he?” Natasha asked, reaching for a second cookie. I smacked her hand away,

“He literally got thrown out for arguing with a ref, not once, but twice! Can you believe it?” From the stories I had heard about Maverick, it did not surprise me in the least that he had issues with authority, even at a high school soccer match. By the time the front door opened, almost all of the baked goods were bagged and ready to go.

“I’m here, you little monster and I brought more than coffee!” A woman’s raspy voice called out, the door slamming shut followed by three sets of footsteps. Coach Kate was not what I was expecting, a short woman with long, dark hair in cut off shorts and a crop top, her tanned skin covered in tattoos. She looked my age or even a little younger, carrying a cardboard drink carrier. “Hey, y’all must be Phoenix and D. I’m Kate,” The two girls behind her looked exactly like her but even the quick math was not mathing with how old the girls were but I didn’t dwell on it as she handed me my iced macchiato. 

“I’m Daisy, thanks for the coffee, Kate.” 

“Yeah, thanks! Do you want a cookie?” Natasha offered her up our rejects pile, cookies that she and Amelia had accidentally broken throughout the morning. Kate snatched one of the snickerdoodles, 

“Thanks. Girls, why don’t you go practice drills while the adults talk.” 

“Alcohol’s in the pantry!” Amelia shouted, hurrying out of the back door with her friends. Natasha and Kate were on the same wavelength, heading straight for the pantry.

“There’s tequila!” 

“Daisy, you’re a girl after my own heart if you love tequila,” Kate announced with a laugh, “Sometimes José is the only thing that helps after a day with the girls.” 

“Are they your nieces?” I asked, pulling the final pan of brownies out of the oven, testing them with a toothpick.

“My sisters but I have full custody,” Kate explained, pouring three shots, “The oldest is Bryley and the youngest is Mariah, they’re sixteen and fifteen.” 

“They seem like good kids,” Natasha noted, glancing out of the window. Amelia, Bryley, and Mariah were taking turns juggling a soccer ball. “But damn, two teenagers at what, thirty? That’s got to be a lot.” Kate shrugged, lining up three more shots.

“I mean, yeah, it’s fucking awful but they’re also amazing. They’re less like my sisters at this point and more like my kids.” I looked out at the yard, watching the girls laugh and play. Did I want kids? I never had before, not even when Harvey talked about how much he loved his girls, something my therapist had hinted at was connected with the trauma of losing my parents. Which, duh. But the idea was starting to sound more appealing the more I tossed it back and forth in my head. My phone buzzed as Kate pushed another shot towards me.

Jake: How’s it going?

Daisy: Ames’ coach dropped by and now I’ve done like 4 shots in ten minutes

Jake: Tequila?

Daisy: Tequila. 

Jake: Phoenix drinking too?

“Tell Jake to leave you alone, it’s girl time!” Natasha protested, easily grabbing my phone from my hands. 

“You don’t know it was him,” I grumbled, thanking my lucky stars that I had managed to hit the lock button. Kate looked between the two of us, one perfectly shaped brow arched.

“Who’s Jake?” 

“Her boyfriend,”

“He’s not my boyfriend.”

“He wants to be your boyfriend and you want to be his girlfriend, you’re just ignoring the situation because it stresses you out.” I flipped her off, not knowing what to say to that. Kate, bless her, passed me another shot. 

“And this is exactly why I don’t date, well, that and the two gremlins I’m raising.” And that was exactly why I didn’t date often either, minus the raising two gremlins part. Being single was simple, all I ever had to do was worry about myself, my friends, and my family. But Jake had just slipped himself so easily into my life that it didn’t feel like the inconvenience of my prior relationships, where I had to bend and compromise to reach an agreement on everything. He was simply there, holding my hand, kissing my hair, sending Natasha home with bags of M&Ms for me at least once a week, and constantly checking in with me over the phone. 

“Give me my phone, Tasha,” I held out my hand, “Or I’m telling the daggers about spring break in Miami.” Natasha practically threw the phone at me, Kate’s boisterous laughter filling the kitchen.

“You guys are a riot but I should probably head out, the team mom wants me to drop off all the bake sale stuff soon.” The three of us got the car packed and thankfully, Bryley had her license and dutifully took the keys from Kate. My head was buzzing from the tequila as we cleaned the kitchen, listening and dancing to Amelia’s music. We were halfway through cleanup when I remembered Jake’s texts.

Jake: ?

Jake: Sweetheart, are you drunk at 11am?

Jake: Do you need me and Javy to come and get y’all?

Daisy: Sorry! Got distracted, yeah we’re drunk but don’t worry. Tasha ordered pizza and we’re going to hang out for a few more hours

X

The metal of the cuffs cut into my wrists as my lawyer droned on and on about how we were out of appeals and that the state had set a date for my execution. I had a month left to live. Somebody had better warn the devil I was coming. 

“Mr. Lance, do you understand what I’m saying?” I hadn’t been listening but I nodded, adjusting in the cold metal chair. “Unless you have something else to offer, the Governor will not be extending a stay of execution.” 

“I’ve got something to offer,” Those FBI bastards would be mad as hell and so would the rest of the soft, sad world when they heard the news. “How does a full confession sound?” My lawyer, a public defender in a cheap suit sighed, rubbing at his wrinkled brow.

“Mr. Lance, you’ve already been found guilty of ten counts of murder.” Ten, that was a rookie number and I was anything but a rookie. I laughed,

“And what would happen if I confessed to more?” 

“Well, they’d have to investigate your claims and if they found them credible, then they would put you on trial.” And with all the information I had to give, I’d be on trial for the next decade.

“Call the FBI and tell them I’ll confess to twenty-one more murders,” The man went white as a sheet and I half expected him to puke on the table, “But I’ve got conditions.” 

Next Chapter

Taglist: @dizzybee03 @littlezee80 @cinderellasmissingshoes @carolina-on-my-mind03

[selfproclaimedunicorn]

No Fragile Thing

Wrote a thing from Aldreda's backstory because I guess part of my hiatus involves her grabbing me by the throat & saying "We are about me now. Figure it out." So there's no Aldricent, but hey! Peak into part of why she is the way she is! Aldreda Tag | AO3 Series

The great hall of Lonely Light was vast, it had to be since anyone who came would be staying for months to make the trip worth it. Its stone walls were painted with scenes of the sea; krakens rising up from the waves and bare-breasted seal women with their mouths open in silent songs. Long wooden columns, carved with swirling knots and longships and the dour face of the Drowned God, were spaced evenly throughout the round chamber, holding up the ceiling of intricately laid wooden beams. A large open fireplace took up most of the center of the room, with long tables surrounding it all the way to the dais where The Farwynd sat at the high seat, presiding over his court with all the authority of the High King of the Iron Islands. With how isolated the main branch of House Farwynd was, he might as well have been.

Aldreda swallowed as she peered out from the archway, half hiding herself at the landing of the stairs that led down from the bridge between the smaller, residential tower of the castle where her rooms lay and the main tower that held the court and, at the very top, the flaming beacon that served the longships that ventured so far out into the Sunset Sea. She so rarely asked The Farwynd for anything, and it was only the bone deep need of it now that saw her doing as much. When she stepped out from the archway and onto the worn, wooden floor of the great hall, it felt like her footfalls landed harder than was possible. The walk to the high seat had never felt so long. Without Orwen there to make her be “just his younger sister” so many men’s eyes on her felt wrong. Everything felt wrong without her favorite brother. Siren’s tits, it felt wrong without any of the older ones! The absence of eight men and one who nearly had been made the great hall feel haunted.

The Farwynd was all graying hair and great, braided beard that hung down to the center of his chest. He was silent as he looked down at her from the dais, a raised eyebrow the only indication he expected anything. In the plain, cushionless, seat beside their sire, Trystifer shifted uncomfortably. His feet did not quite touch the floor and the place where Euron, and then Barrian, and then Corwen had filled so comfortably swallowed the boy of ten.

“I want to raid.”

The men in the hall were who started it, laughing like Aldreda had told some great jest just to entertain them. Trystifer joined them, eager to be seen as a man grown now that he was The Farwynd’s heir. Aldreda’s cheeks grew hot, and she balled her hands into fists at her sides. She wanted to bite and claw at whichever of the men at arms had started the laughter. Drawing blood would make them take her seriously. For his part in all of it, her sire did nothing but look at her with an appraising eye.

When he finally spoke there was an air of passive judgment to her sire’s deep, almost scratchy brogue. “Is that why you parade yourself around in such a state?”

She wanted to reach up and run her fingers through the ends of her newly cropped hair. Her head felt so light now, and her back was unexpectedly cold. When Lady Melusine came into her room last night, she had burst into hysterics when she caught her daughter cutting her hair to her shoulders. After Aldreda had explained herself, she had calmed and helped her to make sure the cut was at least even; that did not mean she liked it, though. Still, it would appear Lady Melusine hadn’t said a word of it to The Farwynd. Or, if she did, he had simply forgotten.

“I wanted it this way.” She squared her shoulders even as she struggled to meet his eyes, even as the lifeless bodies of all her dead brothers balked at her from her memories and imaginings. It was like they rose up from the sea to stare at her, judging for her half-lie with the seal eyes they had all inherited from the man who sat before her.

“Will a husband, I wonder.” It was a statement more than a question, and it bit into Aldreda’s chest with the intent to take a hunk of meat.

“I don’t care what a man thinks of me,” at least not one who intended to bed her, “I want to raid.”

“A girl of three and ten will not replace twenty good men.” The Farwynd leaned forward in his chair, right arm sliding forward till his hand hung past the carved seal’s head it had been resting on previously. So she was a woman when he wanted to send her away, and a girl when she wanted to raid, then? Either way, she was not as wanted as a son.

“Did Orwen fill your head with enough glory stories that you thought you could?”

Her favorite brother's jovial laughter mixed with The Farwynd’s dismissive judgment, with the claps of thunder from the storm that took him, with the barks of the harbor seal she decided was him when she went down to their rookery after word of the longship's sinking came. It made Orwen sound otherworldly and cruel, like his ghost was agreeing with the voice of their sire in her mind when he told Aldreda that she could not replace the three sons he just lost.

Her fists curled even tighter, short nails digging into her palms. Would they pierce her skin if they were longer? Would that be better? Would her own blood prove her worth, or would it be another reason to call her useless and dismiss her like some fragile little girl and not the only living child by The Farwynd and his rock wife? Born and bred of iron and salt and stone to carve through the waves and to reave, to fill the gaps left by eight dead men and two who would have been.

“I can fight, and I can sail. Orwen made sure of it!”

The Farwynd snorted dismissively, and leaned back in the high seat. Aldreda curled her lip, and her thin brows furrowed over black eyes that were stormy as the churning Sunset Sea had been those three nights. She jerked her head back, pointing at her younger salt brother with her chin. “I’m better than him.”

Trystifer slid himself out of the heir’s seat with such force it looked like he jumped onto his feet, and his hands were fists just like hers. He stamped his foot as he glowered down at her from his spot on the dais overlooking the hall. “No you aren’t!”

The Farwynd slammed his fist on the arm of the high seat, making Trystifer and all the men in the hall straighten with attention. “Conduct yourself with some dignity, boy! You are my heir, fucking act like it.” 

“Yes, Lord Alfric.” Trystifer was stiff and his cheeks were pink. Even though he faced forward, his eyes were on his feet. The boy's deference only earned him a dismissive snort and an eye roll, however.

“Lord Alfric. You spend too much time with Mayra.”

Of course he spent time with his mother. He was a boy, and he had only been made to work on a longship three years ago.

“Who's ship are you serving on, boy?”

“Sylas Goodbrother.”

“That is who you should be spending time with. It'll put some hair on your chest and have you addressing me in the old way. The proper way.”

“And what about me?” She spoke louder now, to draw his criticism away from Trystifer. That was her little brother, regardless of how Lady Melusine talked about the salt wives.

“You’re still on that?”

“You lost good men, and I can replace them. They need to be, and I’ll fight anyone in this hall to prove I am good enough!” She could be better than them, if she wanted to be. Not just the men at arms who drowned with Corren and Orwen and Randar, but her older brothers too. All of them.

“Even if you bested some ship boy or barely blooded whelp, no one would take you.”

“I would.”

Aldreda followed her sire’s gaze to where her cousin stood. Westley had taken a step away from the long table where the men under his command paused in their sitting back down after The Farwynd’s commanding of attention. At eight and ten, he had not won much glory, but as the oldest son of The Farwynd’s rock brother he received enough favor to captain his own longship. He was also their cousin closest to Orwen, and a man he had told Aldreda to be more wary of than she wanted to be. It was a stupid warning. Her brother would not be friends with someone who prompted caution.

“Forgive me, Lord Reaver, if I spoke out of turn,” Westley took another step forward and dipped shallowly at the waist, “but it would be wrong of me to not look out for Orwen’s sister.”

“You want her?”

Westley’s eyes strayed from The Farwynd, to her. It was only for a moment, but it was long enough for Aldreda to see his charming, roguish smile was for her. “I do. I have seen how Orwen taught her, she's not beyond use. With a little work, I think Aldreda could make a fine raider.”

“Work you are willing to put in, of course.”

“Of course.”

The Farwynd looked over them both, his gaze hard and unreadable. Aldreda dug her nails further into the meat of her palms; it stung something fierce, but it was better than fidgeting or breaking eye contact with her sire. Either of those would sway him further from seeing her as worthy of the acknowledgment he gave his ten dead sons, perfect and saintly in the Drowned God’s halls where they were only memories and imaginings who could not disappoint him.

After what felt like an eternity, he relaxed back into the high seat and waved them both off. “Do what you wish. You have three years with her, and if she does not prove as fine a raider as you claim she could be I am sending her off to The Boatly. His rock wife died a year ago, he could do with a replacement, and he will not care if the new one could give him sons since he already has them.”

Aldreda inhaled sharply, and her eyes widened with indignation. Aldreda was not her mother. And even so, Lady Melusine said that it was not her fault that her husband sought the comfort of his salt wives after Ronas died, it was not her fault their second child was a daughter that saw him retreating from her without return. Westley took her by the bicep before she could even think about what it was she wanted to do. She would not do it, whatever it was; to injure The Farwynd was to injure Lonely Light itself.

“You will not be disappointed, Uncle Alfric.”

He said nothing, and just waved them off again. Aldreda heard Westley sigh through his nose, and she glanced at him from the corner of her eye. The longer black hair at the top of his head fell into his eyes; they looked tired, and they were lighter than hers, grayer and warmer than the near pitch black of all of The Farwynd’s children. Did Westley want softer words and an acknowledgement of effort as well? Was that what was keeping him at Lonely Light instead of returning to Sealskin Point now that he was a man grown with some two years of adulthood under his belt? He looked back up, his attention solely on her now. “Come on, Aldreda. We’ve a lot to do in three years.” Westley squeezed her arm, and it was almost like Orwen. He let go of her, and then gave another shallow bow to The Farwynd before turning on his heel and strutting across the great hall towards doors to the main yard. Aldreda followed his lead, bowing before turning and running off after her cousin.

[cordonianroyalairlines]

Ball Drop

Series: Cordonian Royal Airlines

Fandom: The Royal Romance

Pairings for series: Various

Pairing for this chapter: Riley x Drake

Word Count: 1,768

Rating: G

Warnings for this chapter: None

“Come on, one more dance!” Riley laughed as she tugged Max toward the dance floor.

“No, really, I’m going to head up to my room now.”

“Really?” She stopped and turned to study him. “With whom?”

“No one!”

“What do you mean, no one?”

“I mean, I’m going to my room alone. To sleep!”

“But it’s not even midnight yet! And I’ve seen at least four hot guys hit on you tonight…” she trailed off as she regarded him thoughtfully. Her eyes widened as a thought occurred to her. “Oh. My. God!”

“What?”

“You’re going to your room alone because of Liam!”

Max scoffed loudly. “Why would you think that?”

“Because there’s no other reason you would turn those guys down! Especially the one with the crop top.” She stole a glance across the room as if to verify her previous opinion. “I don’t say this often because you know you’re a ten…but that guy is out of your league. On a scale of one to ten, he’s an eleven.”

“First of all…” Max followed her eyes before turning back to answer, “He’s a nine. Okay, nine and a half. Can’t I just be sleepy?”

“Since when do you lie to your best friend?”

“Okay, fine.” Max’s shoulders slumped as he let out a long, low exhale. “I have an early flight out in the morning. I want to get back home because Liam invited me to a poetry reading or something.”

“And you’re only telling me this now?”

“It just happened this afternoon, and you were busy pulling all this together.” He gestured back toward the VIP lounge area where her sister’s bachelorette party was in full swing.

“Hm.” She pretended to consider the matter deeply before breaking into a huge grin. “Fine. I’ll let it slide this time. But I want full details of this date.”

“I don’t even know if it is a date! What if he just meant get together and hang out as friends?”

“He’s never invited me or any of the other flight attendants to hang out. It’s a date.”

“I hope so! I’m sorry for leaving you alone.”

“I’m not alone. I have my sister and twenty-six of her closest friends. Not to mention the stripper.”

“Yeah. How did we end up with him again?”

Riley shrugged. “He followed us over from the strip club. I’m pretty sure he likes Amelia’s friend Jessica.”

Max laughed. “It’s been a baffling weekend.”

“Yeah.” Riley agreed. Monaco had been fun, but she was ready to go home. “I can’t believe you’re going to bed early, not to mention alone, on New Year’s Eve. You’ve got it bad!”

“I knooooow!” Max wailed. “What the fuck am I going to do about it?”

“Liam, hopefully,” she snickered.

He couldn’t control the grin that engendered as he gave her a playful shove. “Shut up!”

“Never!”

Max’s gaze locked on something over her shoulder. “Well, I was feeling guilty for leaving you to ring in the new year alone, but something tells me you’re going to be just fine.”

Confusion spilled through her. “What?” She angled her body so she could see what he was looking at. Her eyes widened. Her heart started thumping wildly in her chest. Her palms were suddenly clammy. “What is he doing here?”

“I dunno. Let’s find out.” Max raised his arm and waved it in the air as he called out, “Drake! Drake! Over here!”

“Max, no!” She made a swipe for his arm, but it was too late. He sidestepped her and jogged across the room, returning a few minutes later with Drake in tow.

Drake looked a little bemused as Max deposited him in front of Riley, then said his goodbyes and excused himself to his room. Drake waved bye to Max then turned back to Riley. “What are you two doing here?”

“Oh…ah…” she gestured toward the group of rowdy women dressed in sparkly pink t-shirts, “Sister’s bachelorette party. You?”

He nodded as his eyes tracked down her body, taking in her sparkly pink shirt emblazoned with the words Maid of Honor before answering, “Guy’s weekend.”

She tilted her head to one side, then the other, making a show of looking behind him. “Where are the rest of the guys?”

“Ah….” His head swiveled, looking around the club. “That’s a good question. But it’s not guys plural. It’s just me and Leo.”

“I didn’t know you and Leo were close.”

“We’re not…Bertrand was originally supposed to come with him, but he got sick. Then Liam said it wasn’t his scene…”

“So, you were the third choice, then?”

“Fourth, actually. He tried to get Olivia to go, but she told him what he could do with his invitation. In explicit detail.”

Riley tipped her head back and laughed. “That sounds like her!”

“Heh. Yeah.” A soft smile played across his lips as he appreciated the way her face lit up when she laughed. “How was your Christmas?”

“It was good. Yours?”

“Oh, you know, the usual,” he hedged.

“I thought I might see you on Christmas after we landed.”

Surprise flashed across his face. Had she wanted to see him? “I figured you were in a hurry to get to your parents. I guess you made it okay?”

“Oh yes! My mom managed to save me a piece of pumpkin pie. Which is quite a feat in a big family.”

“I can imagine.” He laughed. The way Riley talked about her family made him wonder what it would have been like if his family had stayed close like they had been before his father left.

“Riley? What the hell are you doing here?” Leo stumbled up with his arm slung around a buxom blond that was poured into her gold lame dress. He pointed between her and Drake. “Are you two a thing now?”

“Jesus Rys. You’re fucking drunk.” Drake grumbled.

Leo grinned at him. “That’s the whole point, isn’t it? What happened to that redhead you were with earlier?”

Drake froze as a flush crept up his neck. His eyes slid sidewise to take in Riley’s expression as he snapped, “She wasn’t my type.”

Riley was studiously tracing the lines on the carpet with her eyes as she struggled not to react to the thought of Drake with some gorgeous redhead.

“Sure looked like your type when you were sucking face on the dance floor,” Leo smirked.

“Ah…I should go. Nice seeing you both.” Riley spun and headed blindly across the room.

Drake smacked Leo in the chest. “You’re a real dick, Rys, you know that?”

Leo jolted back in dismay as his drink sloshed over the rim of the glass. Confusion colored his voice. “What did I do?”

But Drake was already gone. “Riley, wait!” He rushed after her, grabbing her arm and spinning her around. “It’s not like that! She’s friends with the girl Leo is with and they kind of pawned her off on me. She kissed me but I-“

“Drake, you don’t owe me an explanation.”

“You’re upset.” He tried to keep the note of surprised happiness out of his voice. He failed.

It was her turn to blush. Embarrassment swirled through her as the music stopped and people started counting down toward the new year. She felt ridiculous. They weren’t a couple. Why did she care what he did? “No, really. It’s fine. I just…after Christmas I kind of thought….I mean….never mind. I should—” She tried to turn and walk away again.

He moved without thought, lunging after her. His fingers wrapped around her arm. He stumbled to get in front of her as he pulled her to stop.

Fury snapped in her eyes. “What?”

“I—”

The room around them finished the countdown. “…three….two….one….happy new year!”

Cheers filled the room as streamers, balloons, and confetti poured down from the ceiling.

It was New Year’s at the stroke of midnight. He was standing in a nightclub in Monaco with the woman who bedeviled him and haunted his dreams. If that wasn’t a sign, he didn’t know what was.

He jerked her body into his and crashed his lips against hers. Her body stiffened in surprise and for half a second he was sure she would pull away, maybe even slap him for his audacity.

Then she leaned into it, melting against him. She arched upwards as she returned the kiss.

Ardently.

Her fingers tangled in his hair and pressed into the back of his neck as her tongue curled around his, slowly at first, then with more urgency as her body responded to his, matching his heat with her own.

The crowd disappeared as they lost themselves in each other, desperately clinging to a moment that might never happen again.

A shrill voice intruded. “Riley! Riley!”

She pulled away from him in bemusement, lips swollen, face flushed, confetti clinging to her hair, blinking as if awakening from a dream. “That’s my sister….”

“Yeah, sorry. You should go.” He forced himself to release her and reluctantly took a step back.

“I don’t want to…”

“Riley—” He took a step toward her, reaching a hand out toward her face.

A blond, drunk version of Riley stumbled between them, giggling, “There you are! I need you to — Oh! Who is this?”

Riley gave Drake an apologetic shake of her head as she tried to introduce him. “Drake, this is my sister, Amelia. Mellie, this is Drake, he—”

“Ooh, you’re very cute!” the blond purred up at him. “Is he another stripper? Tell me he’s a stripper!”

Mortification poured through her. “He is not a stripper, he’s a coworker and you’re drunk. Stop it!”

“Damn.” Amelia continued to eye him up and down. “You could be a stripper if you wanted to.”

Drake grinned at her. “Thanks.”

Riley took her sister firmly by the arm and pulled her away from him. “You’re engaged! Leave him alone!”

Something in Riley’s tone filtered through Amelia’s alcohol-induced fog. Her gaze shifted from Drake to take in her sibling’s expression. “Sorry, didn’t realize this is the one you liked.”

Drake’s eyes snapped to Riley’s face. “Wait. What?”

“Don’t listen to her. She’s drunk! I should get her back to her party, then up to our room.”

“Okay.” He watched as Riley drug Amelia back toward the VIP area. “Hey, Riley?”

She turned her head. “Yeah?”

“Happy New Year.”

That smile that took his breath away broke out across her face. “Happy New Year, Drake. See you at work.”

“Yep.” He turned on his heel with a smile of his own as he murmured to himself, “I’m counting on it.”

[arabian-batboy]

I know you mentioned wanting to talk about damian earlier so what is your ideal direction for damians character? Assume you can retcon out details of Canon events

I think I talked about this a lot on my blog here and there, but Its not like I have ONE very detailed direction for his character and honestly I'm starting to try my hardest to not think about what we could have, because I know it will probably never happen and I would just make myself sad.

As for what I want, it depends if you mean from this point-on or if I could just go back in time to a certain point since Lazarus Planet is still going and I have a feeling it will fuck up do a lot of changes to Damian, so we will have to wait to see what happens. Either ways, I personally just want everything that happened since 2016 to be undone, I don't care how, just erase it all and lets pretend like the last issue of R:SoB was just released and lets start from there.

You know what's funny, even though Damian's fanbase is extremely diverse, almost all of us have been asking for only one of two things for so many years now, which are either A) bring back Maya & Suren and have Damian form a team with them B) have Damian be forever trapped as Jon's partner in a Super Sons comic that doesn't end (which I’m obviously not here for.)

That's it, there are really no huge amount of Damian's fans who are asking for anything else, yet DC keeps doing stories that no asked for that are always forgotten about after they end. Not only have they completely discarded point A, but they actually even have the balls to semi-discard point B, which I’m actually glad about don’t get me wrong, but I’m just surprised considering how feral and loud SS’s fans are, so if THEY can’t have what they want, I’m afraid no Damian’s fan can wish for anything, even though again, we're easy to please and what we want done with his character is clear as the day (we’re are not asking for much either)

Now if I was like the CEO of DC, I will just be an asshole who ignores continuity and have Damian deaged to like maybe 11/12 years old, put him back in his classic costume and have him return to Gotham as its official Robin, who actually has a personal/civilian life and regular interaction with all Batman's related characters (the fact that the last time time he had proper one-on-one interaction with any of the Batgirls was in the 00's decade is ridiculous, especially when one of them is his literal sister)

I would have Talia taking a small amount of members from the LOS who were always more loyal to her goals and means than her father's to form her own small spy organization that focuses on saving the Earth in ways other than killing a lot of people, similar to how Talia destroyed Lex Luthor Crop during her spy era, so maybe we will see her going undercover in corporations that commit a lot of pollution and making them go bankrupt or something similar?

Maya, Suren and Goliath would be living with her, however they wouldn't really be involved in her spy work (except maybe Maya, whose stealth powers can come in handy) instead they, along with Damian who will occasionally leave Gotham to team-up with them, will play a more action-based role.

So it will be 3 books, a Talia's book about her doing spy work, a Damian's book about him being Gotham's Robin and a team-up book with him and his friends going on adventures, which I have plenty of ideas for.

From expanding on Maya's backstory and doing something with the plot-line about her mother that Gleason didn't get to write, to a story about the Darga tribe who have been teased for a while now without anything coming from it and their connection/rivalry to the Al Ghul family (maybe even have a story about Suren betraying his friends for his family before double crossing them and declaring his friends to be his real new family) and the Year of Blood's storyline is a treasure trove that can be used as basis for newer stories. For instance, a lot of the artifacts that Damian stole seem to have some kind of power/magical properties to them, so I wouldn't mind seeing a story about a villain getting their hands on them to use them for evil and our team retrieving those items from them.

And I love the character of Ruh, if they don't plan on reviving Ra's, I wouldn't mind her leading the rest of the League that Talia didn't take (lets be real, DC will never fully disband the League) and maybe Talia + the kids will act as a throne in her throat by always beating her to any newly discovered Lazarus Pit and destroying it before her League reach them (I feel like I would be able to come up with more stories after LP ends)

I have so many ideas in my brain its ridiculous, but like I said at the beginning, I know none of them would ever happen, since all of them require Talia and Damian to not be demonized and to be written as main-characters, which 90% of DC's writers are not interested in doing, so it would be better to just forget about them.

[danganronpasurvivoraskblog]

Stroke of Luck.

Where did they go!?

I-I don’t know, ok!? I was tracking the Chairwoman’s signal, and tried to perform a geo scan of the lab as her directive!

But as soon as I started, her and Shuichi’s signal disappeared.

You think Zetsubou caught them?

If they were captured, at least we know they’re alive. I doubt Shirogane will kill him.

We’re not having much luck tracking the signals ourselves. With the limited information, we’ve hit a roadblock.

Even you ERR0RM3SS4GE guys can’t figure out what’s happened!? So much for relying on you assholes!

We pass around information, Kuwata. We aren’t omnipotent gods or the shadow cabinet or something like that!

Shuichi...

Don’t worry Kaede. Trust me when I saw Kyoko’s gotten out of worse scraps than this. If Shuichi’s with her, they’ll be fine.

Mind you, Shuichi can take care of himself when it counts.

Yeah, you’re right. Guess you’re pretty used to your partner doing this, huh?

It’s part of the job. Expect Shuichi to end up in this situation a lot in the future. Kyoko told me she’s been kidnapped multiple times even before she was his age.

That said, it doesn’t mean we can just leave them as they are. We need information and we need to find out where they’ve gone.

But what are we going to do? It’s not like info is just gonna turn up on our doorstep.

???: BOSS!?

!!??

*Everyone looks up to the floor above, as they hear a familiar cry above them.

Boss!

KURIPA!?

What the-!? Where the hell have YOU been!?

Hold on! We’re coming down! YEET!

HYAH!

Woah!?

*Kuripa walks away from the ledge. Though everyone expects him to take the stairs down, he instead jumps over the railing and slams down in front of the meeting table. Kibin also jumps over and lands more gently next to him.

Hey! You coming down!?

???: Give me a sec! Hup!

What the heck!?

Ugh! Hey, that’s pretty fun! Sure beats takin’ the darn stairs!

Kuripa, what’s going on? You’ve been missing for almost a whole day now! 

Well I...kinda got bored and started to do my own investigation into the lab.

Wait...how did you know about it?

Does it matter? “I’m psychic” isn’t that what you always say?

*He leans in towards Makoto.

Please tell me you read my note.

Yeah, but you’ve still got a lot of explaining to do. But I can’t wait to see what kind of excuse you crop up, so I’ll hear what you have to say.

Thanks.

*Kuripa pulls away and addresses everyone at the table.

I’ve got lots to tell you, but I’ll start with what you WANT to hear. I found out during my own investigation...Saihara and Bosswife got caught by the thugs at the lab, and have been captured.

No...!

Dammit! I had a feeling, but hearing it confirmed is...

Why in the balls did you all let those two on their own without any backup anyway!?

Kuripa, you know what Kyoko’s like. She’s pretty stone-faced, but she’s hard to convince once she’s made her mind up about something. AND she’s been a lone wolf for as long as I can remember.

...Good point...I know what you mean.

Hey uh...I have a question. Who’s your new companion?

Oh her? This is Eden. Kuripa met her on his  way here.

*Eden steps forward and courtesies.

Hi. Name’s Eden Owari. My sister, Akane, works for Branch 8.

Akane’s sister? What are you doing here?

Kyoko Naegi told me I should get away from the river for safety. Then I encountered these two folks and they brought me here.

Eden was the last person to see Kyoko and Shuichi before they disappeared. Figured it was wise I bring her in as a witness.

Good job Kurafto. So...what’s the call?

Hm...

Kaede?

Uh...yes?

Would you kindly take Ms Owari back to the river? See if you can find where they were taken. But be careful. The last thing we want is for you to be captured too.

You want me to scout? But...what about the siege?

Don’t worry. Focus on finding the lab, and wait for us there. We’ll bring your squadron with us when we arrive, and you can take over command from that point onwards.

Both of you come with me. I’ll grab you some equipment and gear in case of an emergency.

Alright, guess I’m doing this. Can I at least go let my friends know?

Of course. I’ll wait for you. Ms Eden Owari, if you’d be so kind.

Yeah, I’m comin’. Thanks for the hospitality.

*Eden, Kaede and Munakata exaunt.

Siege?

Munakata has been preparing the soldiers for an attack on the lab once we found it. We were rather hoping Kurafto here would lead the third squadron while Kaede and Munakata take the other two.

So you were waiting for me to get back? Surely you could have found someone to replace me? Like...I dunno. Komaru or Toko?

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t consider it. But given the more recent developments, I thought it would be best to wait for you after all.

What “recent developments?”

*In place of a reply, Taichi calls over to two guards, who carry in a large box covered by a blanket. Taichi lifts the blanket to reveal a severed Monokuma head underneath it. He then starts plugging the head into his laptop, and then connecting his laptop to the big screen?

I’ve already made Munakata aware of this, and he has adapted accordingly. But my fellow researchers in third branch did a robo-lobotomy on the Monokuma’s Yoruko and Setsuka ambushed and...found an important piece of memory.

*After a few seconds, an image starts to fuzz into the screen. Everyone starts to watch.

Thank you, thank you all for gathering here!

Who is that?

!!?

Doc!?

That’s Dr Ando, Sayaka. The very man we’ve been looking for.

What kinda luck is that!? We were just talking about finding the guy and then after 7 years, he just randomly appears now!?

Well, chock it up to Mr Naegi’s return, hey guys?

I don’t think I can take credit for this Hifumi, besides, it looks like some bad luck came with it...

Yes...he doesn’t seem to be a prisoner or a victim in what we’re looking at here...In fact, he seems to be the man in charge.

But that doesn’t make sense! Dr Ando is one of the most selfless men in the world, and he goes out of his way to ensure everyone’s comfort and safety! I can’t readily believe that he would ally himself with Zetsubou like this!

Well you’d be right. Ando would never side with Shirogane and her cronies...not willingly at least.

Are you saying he’s being blackmailed?

No...something worse.

Let me guess...He’s getting the parasite treatment?

Parasites!?

Yep...Same little worm bastards that fucked Gokuhara and Munakata’s brains. And there’s more to it than the doc just being controlled.

There’s another thing we found out during our own investigation. Zetsubou are making him DEVELOP those little shits at that institute. The river got poisoned as a result of the creation of those things.

So the lab is where they’ve been making their brainwashing parasites!? But what’s he planning now?

Fujisaki. Mind playing a bit more?

*Taichi resumes the video.

Good news my soulless, automaton, ursine friends~

We now have enough samples of Zetsubou parasites to start filling the bombs!

H-He said...bombs...!?

Yep, I heard that too.

We will only need to send a handful of bombs to each city around Japan. Work quickly I want them to bè̵̢̤͙͍̖͖̭̍̊̊͜ ̷̫̫̜̞̜͎̰̥̂͑͒̒̿̀̕͜d̷̜̐̆̎̄̕̚͝͠͝e̴̘̙͔͎͙̣͍̻̽͗̓̆̀̽̇ͅl̷̟͇̮̞̀͐͜͝ḯ̵̛̛̞̲̣͕̈́͊͗̅͑v̶̛̛̗̦̒̒͋͂̆͘è̸̪̚r̸̫͈̖̯̘̠̜͇͎͑͋̑͗̒́̾̊e̴͔͙͚͙̘̺̒̄͝ḑ̷̡͇̹͇̐͌͒̔̀̀̕͝ͅ ̶̟̘̳̦͍̳͝b̷̠̼͇͔͑̂͆́ỳ̶̝̯̖̜̥̯̲̞̝̿͆̍͠≠̳͐͊̃̃̍̐̔͘̕

*The footage fizzles out and ends there.

The Monokuma’s memory is scrambled, so unfortunately that’s all we have.

What bombs was Dr Ando referring to in that footage?

The bombs that he’ll be using to dispense the parasites. Pretty sure you got that part at least.

I see...I think I get what’s going on here...And it’s not good. Well...I don’t see how you ever thought it could be.

If Ando succeeds in getting those bombs delivered and detonated, we’ll be facing a nation-wide brainwashing pandemic. Rescuing Zetsubou’s captives will be the least of our worries...!

What the hell are we gonna do though? Kyoko and Shuichi went missing before Taichi could get any information on the lab. 

The only good news is that I have the rough coordinates. But without a geo scan, I can’t get a map of the lab or figure out how big it is.

...

*Kuripa casually strides around to Taichi and hands him a hard drive.

This might help you.

*Taichi reluctantly takes the hard drive and plugs it into his laptop in place of the Monokuma head. He checks it’s information and his eyes widen.

What the!? There’s doubt about it! This matches with the coordinates I was sent!

*Suddenly, a full-scale map of the entire lab appears on the monitor. Everyone gathered around the table gasps in surprise.

K-Kurafto...!? How in the hell did you pull this off!?

Does it really matter?

Yes, it does matter! You can’t expect to just get away with not telling us how you came across this!?

Instead of being up my arse about how I came across it, how about a little thanks for getting you what you need?

Ahaha...Don’t mind him Mekaru. Kuripa just loves to take people by surprise...

Boy I’ll say. A real magic maker that one. His girlfriend too.

Thanks~

Alright, but can we focus less on Kuripa and more on the lab? Because I don’t know if anyone else is seeing it like I am, but the damn thing looks ENORMOUS!

What say you, commander?

Hm...It looks to me like there are three main entrances...Here, here, and here.

*Taichi highlights certain areas on the map as he explains his analysis.

This one in the center appears to be the hatch that the detectives found before they were kidnapped. The other two appear to be large heavy duty doors that are hidden by the foliage of the forest.

And this area here appears to the main research lab. If Ando really is in charge, it’s more than likely where he’s keeping them.

And the bombs?

Hm...There appears to be an above-average amount of radiation in THIS area. It’s likely where they’re being assembled. 

So are we even sure a siege on this place is a good idea anymore? If Naegi or Saihara made any indication to Ando that we’re coming for him, it could throw a wrench in our plans.

Not to mention if we dive into the lab guns blazing, we could get both of them brainwashed or killed. 

It’s a risk we have to take! I suggest we wait to hear from Kaede Akamatsu for now, but under NO circumstances, and I mean NO CIRCUMSTANCES, are Ando and those parasites allowed to leave the lab!

And if they, or we, detonate one during the attack?

I imagine it could put Hokkaido at risk...But it’s better to have a handful of brainwashed citizens than an entire country of them...or an entire world for that matter.

[xxgoblin-dumplingxx]

Mind the Gap: Three

Shang-Chi laid you carefully on the bed and leaned over to kiss you on the forehead, smiling a little when you fuss at him sleepily. “It’s okay,” he murmured, brushing a lock of hair out of your face tenderly, “I’m only going down stairs.”

When you sit up. Bolt upright suddenly, he reels back. It takes a moment for him to realize that you’re not what’s staring at him. Your eyes are the same unearthly silver they had been. “Let her sleep,” he ordered sharply.

“We,” a voice that is your but… Not yours replies haughtily, “Do not sleep. We are eternal.”

“Not without a body you’re not,” he fired back, frustrated. You just got to sleep. You were just so close to feeling better. Your face doesn’t change, not really. There’s an absence of expression. One that he’d taken as seriousness in that empty field, but now realizes that the Archive probably doesn’t… care enough to make you appear “normal” when speaking. Still, even if the Archive wasn’t sneering at him where he could see it, he could feel it.

“Have care, boy. Our vessel will not belong to you.”

And before he could reply, You fell backwards onto the bed, your head hitting the pillow with a soft thump.

“You’re right about that,” he says quietly, not sure if it can hear him or not. “She doesn’t belong to me. She doesn’t belong to anyone… You might have saved her life once, but now you’re just squatting.” He shakes his head and pulls a blanket over you, carefully tucking you in before turning and heading back downstairs.

__________

Downstairs, he finds party preparations in full swing. There’s food being cooked and more food being ordered from town to be picked up. There’s a small army of people moving tables and arranging lights and torches and building bonfires. It was cozy looking. And impossible for him to tell how many people were coming.

“How is she recovering?”

Shang-Chi turned and faced his father, smiling ruefully, “Not as fast as I’d like. But at least she’s asleep.”

He nodded and gave his son a sympathetic look. “They’re all worried,” he cautioned.

“We should start a club. Y/N can make us jackets.” When his father gave him a look, Shang-Chi smiled a little. “It spoke to me,” he said after a second.

“The Archive? What did It say?”

“It told me that she didn’t belong to me,” he said, restraining an eye roll with effort.

Wenwu frowned, “It challenged you?”

Shang-Chi shook his head, “It wasn’t a challenge. It was a warning. She never even woke up.”

They stood for a long moment and considered the implications of that. But neither one of them had a chance to say more when Katy burst through the screen door with Xialing on her heels. “You have got to see this! There’s fucking werewolves!”

“Werewolves? Kai is a werewolf-”

“No. What? No- I-” Katy is bouncing on the balls of her feet and bolts back out the door.

“A pack,” Xialing said rolling her eyes, more fond than irritated. “Specifically her father’s pack.”

And it’s curiosity more than anything that lures Shang-Chi outside. You never talk about your parents- Not that he can really blame you. He hadn’t talked about his family with you at all. And now? He has the gift of staying in your childhood bedroom. And seeing the things that made you into the woman he loves. Still. Werewolves? He assumes your mother is a witch but- If this going to be a fight? Is it going to upset you?

He walks down the steps to see Kai and who he assumes is your father. You have the same lazy half smile and the same warm eyes that you share with your brother. And for just a second, he wants to turn around and bolt. He’s seen you dismember demons. He’s faced creatures from other dimensions. But somehow? Meeting his Girlfriend’s dad is more terrifying than both those things.

He’s a big man. Tall. Imposing. A solid wall of muscle. A shock of curly dark hair… It was almost like the universe had distilled his every idea of a werewolf into one person. Except for the jaws. And slobber.

“Good Luck,” Xialing snorted quietly.

“Gee thanks,” he said taking a deep breath and stepping forward. He’d been seen, there wasn’t any escape now.

The huge man stepped forward, “I’m Renaud,” he said. His voice a deep rumble, like Thunder. “You, must be Shang-chi.” He took the hand that was offered and shook it, not as roughly as Shang-Chi had expected. And he hadn’t missed that his name had been pronounced correctly. “Thank you, for calling my son… Just because Y/n can handle things on her own doesn’t mean she should.”

“So you found her?”

“Of course,” he said, smiling, “I always know how to find my kids.”

Shang-Chi smiled in spite of himself. He wasn’t sure how long it had been since you’d seen your father. But somethings seemed to be universal. “My father-” he started, But Renaud made an impetuous gesture.

“We’ve met,” he chuckled, taking the hand that Wenwu offered.

“Several times, in fact,” Wenwu said. “And I hope-”

The Werewolf released his hand and rocked back on his heels, “The sins of the father and all that,” he said with another impetuous gesture. “I learned long ago that telling a witch what to do is always a bad idea.”

Shang- Chi looked from one to the other and glanced at Katy and Xialing for help. He had the distinct impression that he was rapidly helping to establish some new international thing. When both the girls shrugged at him at a loss he glanced at Kai who gave him a small nod.

“Dad,” Kai said, “I’d hate to interrupt whatever work meeting is about to happen but… Hospitality Law. You know Grandma and Lea like to et all the stupid formal things out of the way up top.”

Renaud looked at them apologetically and turned to his son, “And then I’d like to see your sister.”

“So far as I know she’s asleep,” Kai said leading him away, the other three wolves that had been standing there watching followed after.

“It’s the middle of the day,” he protested.

“Not for her. She’s still at least a day behind the rest of us.”

Shang-Chi watched them go and let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. “At least no one at me,” he said, looking back towards the house.

“Werewolves haven’t done that in public for 300 years,” Wenwu snorted.

___________

People arrive steadily. Bringing kids. And food. And drinks. Shang-Chi watches in fascination as all the tables Kai had hefted into place filled with things. And the Coolers he had helped Lea to fill with Ice started keeping drinks cold.

So many faces and names. It’s a whirl and a blur. Still. It doesn’t take long for the kids to warm up and claim him, and Katy as their new playmates. Like all children they’re susceptible to a good story and an infectious laugh. Except for one. There was a little boy. He stayed near an oak tree. A Book over his lap. And he seemed to be watching the goings on, all the flips and little bursts of magical energy with irritation. He didn’t want to play. At least not with them. And while no one bothered him, it was clear that the other kids didn’t want to play with him either.

At least- At least for a while.

When you appeared, a little bleary eyed with your hair in a messy bun and some fresh clothes. His whole face lights up. Shang-Chi hears the shout and watches, grinning as his book goes flying and he launches himself at you, clinging onto your torso like a spider monkey and burying his face in your neck.

And suddenly, the silent boy with the great big book is talking. And talking. And he can’t seem to stop smiling.

“She’s his person,” Lea said smiling a little, handing Shang-Chi a glass of cold lemonade. He looked at her in askance and she smiled a little, “They both understand what it’s like to be the weirdest person in a room full of weirdos,” she explained. “Emmet had no magical ability. And Y/N hears voices and can tear out a Vampire’s heart with her bare hands.”

“Fair enough,” he says nodding, watching you greet the kids with hugs and kisses and declarations that they’re all too tall. “It’s good to know I’m just a novelty.”

Lea grins, “No one can ever take her place with them… It was Kai with the last crop. But Y/N was always his buddy. She’s had him wrapped around her finger since the first time someone put her in his lap.”

“So you’re telling me I should expect a big brother lecture?”

“Maybe. But. It’s more likely that he figures she could take you in a fight and there’s not much point.” The redhead’s eyes sparkle with mischief though. And Shang-Chi chuckles.

“You think so?”

“If she can’t, the Archive can.”

That was a sobering thought. And Shang- Chi took a deep breath. “What- what happened?”

The woman looked at him and for the first time, he considered that she was probably older than her face. Despite the lack of lines her eyes seem… Ancient. “I don’t know if I should tell you. I’ve spent… A long time keeping those details a secret.”

“I just-”

“I know,” she says softly. “You should know. If only… If only so you know she wasn’t always this way. She used to want… She wanted to be in the Olympics. She wanted to be a rockstar… She didn’t want to be this.”

Shang-Chi was quiet. Waiting. He didn’t really know what to say.

“Her mother- When she was born her mother was furious,” Lea said after a long moment. “600 years and so many babies I’ve brought into the world… And the was the only time I’ve ever seen That. She refused to even hold her.”

“Why-”

“Because she was powerful,” Lea said. “I knew- We all knew- the second she took her first breath that she wasn’t just a Witch. And for Clara? That was a betrayal. Clara had spent DECADES trying to amass more power. And here her daughter just had it? Absolutely not. It was unthinkable.”

Shang-Chi winced. “So then-”

“She sold her,” Lea said bitterly. “Put her on the black market and handed her off to the highest bidder.”

“No-”

“What she sold her to though? It was a… a cult. A fringe group. They took children like her and tried to- to change them. And if torture wouldn’t change it, burning. Well. The holy fire would at least make sure they went to heaven.”

He felt himself waver and he leaned against the tree that was at his back. “What the fuck-”

“Indeed,” Lea said nodding. “To make a long story short, It took Kai, Renaud, and her Great Aunt Jet to bring her home. And it cost Jet her life… It was a price she would gladly pay but not everyone feels that Y/N was worth the effort. Including Y/N.”

He looked back towards you, watching as you tossed one of the kids up to Kai who tickled them and tossed them to one of the waiting werewolves who promptly pitched them off the dock and into the lake. But on the edges, he could see the barely masked disapproval. And he knew you. He knew that you knew it was there.

“Lenora has been trying to keep things at bay but… I’d be lying if I said I blamed Y/N for keeping her distance. She loved Jet. We all did. And it’s- it’s hard for her, knowing that if it weren’t for her- She might still be here. She might be able to control the Archive. Instead of being controlled.”

And all he can do is watch you. And hurt. He hurts for who you are now. And for the little girl that you had been. “Thank you,” he said sincerely.

“Shang- Chi,” Lea cautioned, “She says she doesn’t remember but-”

“You don’t know?”

“No. We don’t. And if she’s trying to protect herself-”

“I won’t ask her,” he said, “I don’t think I’d want to remember that either.”

[anais-mitchell]

a comprehensive list of every never before seen hadestown lyric revealed in “working on a song”

Note: This list will not include any lyrics from the OBCR, Broadway previews documented in audios, the London run, the Edmonton run, or the NYTW run. Only lyrics that Anaïs has never revealed before. Also, I strongly recommend everyone actually read the book and support Anaïs! It has amazing insights into the show we love. 

(Also, any ellipses mean the song just goes into the lyrics we already know)

Wedding Song

In early Vermont productions, Wedding Song did not exist; there was another duet called Everything Written.

Fates: Seven Sisters / Little Dipper / Great Bear, Hunter / Drinking Gourd / Libra, Leo / Pisces, Pluto / Venus, Virgo / Capricorn

Eurydice: Don’t it make, don’t it make you feel so small? / Orpheus, when you look up at it all? / When I look into the skies / I lose my head for scale and size / And still you’re larger in my eyes / Than any star / You pull on me like gravity / I want to be where you are

They say that everything is written / Everything written in those stars / The very lives we’re living / The very love in our hearts

Orpheus: Who could write, who could write this kind if love? / From such a height, all these light-years up above? / And all these light-years down below / I don’t need any star to show me / What my heart already knows / Eurydice / You pull on me like gravity / I want to be where you are

Eurydice: Come here

Orpheus: I’m here

Eurydice: It’s so cold

Orpheus: So clear

Eurydice: It’s so dark

Orpheus: So fair

Eurydice: Come near

Orpheus: I’m here

Eurydice: You’re there

A workshop version of Wedding Song included this exchange:

Eurydice: You have a way with words don’t you? It’s too bad none of them are true

Orpheus: It’s not a lie- It’s poetry

Eurydice: How many mouths does a poem feed?

Epic I

From 2007 Vermont:

Orpheus: King of diamonds, king of spades! / First there was Hades, king of the dirt / Miners of mines, diggers of graves / They bowed down to Hades who gave them work /  And they bowed down to Hades who made them sweat / Who paid them their wages and set them about / Digging and dredging and dragging the depths / Of the Earth to turn its insides out / Singing la la la la la la la...

Then came Persephone, Hades’s wife / Our Lady of Shadows and Meadows entwined / Made to spend half of the days of her life / Right alongside of him down in the mine / But the other half she could walk in the sun / And the sun in turn burned half as bright / Which is where the seasons come from / And with them the cycle / Of the seed and the sickle / And the lives of the people / And the birds in their flight / Singing la la la la la la la...

So it was and it might have stayed / And the sun came up and the sun went down / A circle of fourths, a perfect cadence / The serpent’s tail in the serpent’s mouth / But the strong will take what they want to take / And the weak can only tell the tale / And the king began to lay his heavy hand upon the scale / What did he want? He wanted Our Lady / To have and to hold, not half, but wholly / To love him and never to leave him again / And as for the seasons, to hell with them! / And the earth warmed over in the dead of winter / The stillborn spring lay cold beneath /  Summer gave a stormy sermon / Autumn walked in the wake with a wreath / And the people moved like weather patterns / Looking for shelter, looking for warmth / Helter-skelter the four winds scattered / The scavengers over the ravaged earth / Singing la la la la la la la...

From a workshop, presumably pre-London:

Hermes: Orpheus was a poor boy / But he had a gift to give / There was one song he’d been working on / He could never seem to finish / A song about this broken world / That he rewrote again and again / As though if he could find the words / He could fix the world with them

Livin’ It Up On Top

From pre-NYTW workshops:

Persephone: A hundred sunny summer days / Till my lover comes to find me / A hundred blooming olive trees / And a hundred grapevines climbing / Singing songs when the sun goes down / Light the fire in the darkness / Brother, pass that bottle around / And we’ll raise a glass to the harvest, it’s / Just enough fruit for the pressing / Just enough wine to fill our cups / But what we have is a blessing / It isn’t much but it’s enough

Eurydice: A hundred starry summer nights / Since my lover came and found me / Picking fruit and hopping freights / With his music all around me / Stay up late making love / All the stars are naked / Talking sweet and sleeping rough / Our bed is where we make it, there’s / Just enough fruit for the pressing...

Way Down Hadestown

From when Anaïs was 21, long before the show was even a concept:

Follow that dollar for a long way down / Far away from the poorhouse door / You either get to hell or a border town / Ain’t no difference anymore...

Suckin’ on the gristle and chewin’ on the bone / Thinkin’ ‘bout missiles and the old Dow Jones / All alone on your chromium throne /And lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely...

From 2006:

Persephone: Though I’m happy at his side / He’s not an easy man to love / I used to keep him satisfied / But lately he can’t get enough / Never enough of the mine and the mill / Never enough of his working girls / Never enough of the wall he’s building / All around the underworld / Way down Hadestown...

Orpheus: Mr. Hades is slick as an eel / Fountain pen, crocodile shoes / Quick as a snake, and he’s hot on your heels / He’ll make you an offer that you can’t refuse! / Way down Hadestown...

Hermes: Speak of the devil and the devil comes / Here comes Mister Hades now / To gather up his chosen ones / And bring ‘em down to Hadestown / Way down Hadestown...

From 2007:

Hermes: Make room, make room for Hermes, sir! / Make a little room for Hermes, ma’am / They call me a messenger / But that ain’t half of who I am 

I’m a man of influence / I’m connected up and down / And  I got all the documents / You need to get to Hadestown / Way down Hadestown...

Tired of walking in your worn-out shoes? / Tired of running on nothing at all? / Tired of standing your bets to lose? / Tired of losing? Give me a call, we’ll go... / Way down Hadestown...

Orpheus: Mister Hades got an iron fist / Step outta line and he’ll have your head / In the blink of an eye, with a flick of the wrist

Hermes: Hang around here and starve instead!

Orpheus: It’s a cattle pen!

Hermes: It’s a feeding trough!

Orpheus: He’ll fatten you up just to cut you down! / I’d rather starve

Hermes: I’d rather stuff my pockets down in Hadestown! / Way down Hadestown...

Hey, Little Songbird

Anaïs says she tried out this line in 2017 to include a more explicit “job offer” in the wake of the MeToo movement:

Hades: Hey, little songbird, gimme a song / I’m a busy man, and I can’t stay long / I’ve got clients to call, I’ve got orders to fill / I’ve got millions of souls on my payroll, but hell / I could fit you as well if you wanted

When the Chips are Down

From Vermont, 2006:

Fates: Cross my palm! Grease my chin / Can’t you see the kind of shape you’re in? / What you gonna do... ?

Wait For Me

From Vermont, 2007:

(These exchanges intercut the chorus)

Hades: Hermes! / Hermes: Hades! / Hades: Back in town! / Please, sit down / Please, relax / You’ve been around the world and back / Haven’t you, Hermes? / Hermes: I have / Hades: How’s the weather? / Hermes: Worse than ever / How’s your wife? / Hades: My wife is fine / Hermes: You’ve been spending a lot of time together / Haven’t you, Hades?

Hades: What have you brought? / Hermes: The latest crop / Hades: The freshest cut? / Hermes: A cut above / Hades: How many of them, a lot? / Hermes: A lot / Hades: A few too many perhaps / What’s this? / Why have you brought me Orpheus? / I know I never ordered that / It seems you’ve gone behind my back / Haven’t you, Hermes?

Hades: What was that? / Hermes: What was what? / Hades: I heard a voice / Hermes: I heard it not / Hades: Someone singing / Hermes: I heard nothing / Hades: Some kind of song / Hermes: You could be wrong / It could have been the wind / Hades: The wind? / Hermes: It could have been the rain / Hades: The rain? / Hermes: It could have been the train... (the train / the train / the train / the train...)

From “an early cutting room floor version”:

Fates: One (one, one) / You forget the sun

Eurydice: I forget the sun

Fates: You forget where you come from / You forget the sun

Eurydice: I forget the sun

Fates: Two (two, two)

Why We Build the Wall

Pre-NYTW:

Hermes: A lot can happen behind closed doors / With the big boss and his fountain pen / A lot of dirty deals go down / When there ain’t nobody watching...

Our Lady of the Underground

The 2006 version of the song was called “A Crack in the Wall” and these were the lyrics:

Persephone: Come and see the stars! / They’re fixin to fall / Slidin’ and a-slipping’ / In their gravity shoes / Old Man Mars / Taking Venus to the ball / Big dipper dippin’ / To the blue-sky blues

Have you forgot? / Which was is up? / I think you’ll find / I have just the thing for you / Put a quarter in the slot / You can fill your loving cup / With a little bit of moonshine / From the pay-per-view

How selfless! / The silent moon / Holding a mirror / For an ungrateful sun / Hey, Orpheus! / Are you leaving so soon? / Every night around here / Is a fateful one 

Maybe you got blindsided / Lost your papers! / Lost your mind! / Maybe you once lost an angel / Just to watch her fall / Look a little closer and / The water turns to wine / Look a little closer: there’s a crack in the wall!

So I raise my cup / To the stars in the sky / If you want a show / Go on, get in line / Step right up brothers / Don’t be shy / What the boss don’t know / The boss won’t mind

Way Down Hadestown (Reprise)

A 2013 version of this song was called “No One Now,” delivered to Orpheus, and these are the lyrics:

Fates: Used to be a blushing bride / That was on the other side / Better to forget her face / Now she’s like the rest of us / One more number in a crowd / Maybe she was someone once / She ain’t no one now

Used to be a loving wife / That was in another life / Carve it on a marble stone / Now she’s like the rest of us / One more body in the ground / Maybe she was someone once / She ain’t no one now

Brother don’t you think we all / Used to have a name to call? / A tale to tell as well as her? / Now she’s like the rest of us...

Maybe when she first arrived / So alive, so naive / All the bright lights in her eyes / All her insides fluttering (alt. Heart aflutter on her sleeve) / Maybe she was someone then / Back when Hades drew her in / Like a moth into his flame / Borne aloft on burning wings / Well she ain’t the first and she ain’t the last / Hades’ fire is hot and fast / Just ask all the other girls / Sweeping up the ashes in the underworld / See even when the flame is new / She doesn’t hold a candle to / The woman Hades truly loves / So maybe she was someone once / But now she’s like the rest of us / All used up, all burned out / Maybe she was someone once / She ain’t no one now

From the Dartmouth workshop:

Hermes (to Orpheus): If you wanna get around down here in the tank / Down here in the clink / Down here in the hole / You got to think the way they think / Which is to say, your mind is blank / Which is to say, don’t think at all / Come / I’ll show you how it’s done 

Welcome to the skeleton crew! / Welcome to the chain gang, kid / Lemme introduce you to / The members of the working dead / Old Jack Hammer! / Mister Miner / Wandering forever in the catacombs / Working on a hole to China / Diggin’ up them dino bones / Way down...

Sweatshop Sally! Missus Miller! / Workin’ in the cellar where the sun don’t shine / Sad eyed little Cinderella / Sweeping up the ashes of the summertime / Used to be one a the boss’s pets / Now she’s just another stiff / One night in the boss’s bed / And a lifetime on the graveyard shift / Way down...

Flowers

Did not exist in Vermont, but there was a brief reprise of “Everything Written”: 

Eurydice: If it’s me- if it’s me you’re looking for / Orpheus, I can’t be with you anymore

Fates: She signed in blood / She signed for good

Eurydice: I signed before I understood / And I’d unsign it if I could / But it’s too late / They say that everything is written / Everything is written in those stars / Even these lives we’re living / Even this love

Fates: Seven sisters...

Papers

Pre-NYTW:

Hades: Let me see your papers, son / Let me see your documents / Or could it be that you have none? / You’re on the wrong side of the fence...

If It’s True

Pre-concept album:

Orpheus: If it’s true what they say / If there’s nothing to be done / If there’s no part left to play / If there’s no song to be sung / If it’s true what they say / If there’s no stone left to turn / If there’s no prayer left to pray / If there’s no bridge left to burn / If it’s true what they say / I’ll be on my way / If it’s true what they say / Then I have lived a lie / They can take the sky away / Take the stars out of my eyes / And my face will be a mask / And my heart will be a stone / And I’ll throw away the past / And I’ll go away alone...

How Long?

Pre-concept album:

Persephone (to Hermes): Brother Hermes, god of speed / Put your feathers on his feet / Hasten his delivery / Keep him hale and whole / Brother, I’m a jaded woman / But there’s something in his singing / And it feels like spring a-comin’ / To the winter of my soul 

Brother Hermes, god of speed / Put your feathers on his feet / Hasten his delivery / Keep him safe and sound / He reminds me of the lover / That I was when I was younger / Back before my heart went under / Undercover / Underground

Chant (Reprise)

Dartmouth Workshop, 2014:

Hades: And in this symphony of mine / Are power chords and power lines / Which I arrange and orchestrate / And every day I dedicate / The magnum opus of my life / To my unkind, ungrateful wife / Persephone, and she shall see / Her name in lights on my marquee / And every night, another show / My symphony will never close! / And she shall have a front row seat / Which she shall never, ever leave! / Young man, you can strum your lyre...

Epic III

Vermont:

Orpheus: The strong will take what they want to take / And the weak can only tell the tale / And the heart of the king loves everything / Like the hammer loves the nail

The heart of the king is iron and steel / The heart of the king is the color of rust / The heart of the king is soldered and sealed / The heart of the king is a tinderbox / That he has to keep under lock and key / That it not catch fire inside his chest / Cos a lover’s desire is a mutiny / A lover’s desire is a wilderness 

But even that hardest of hearts unhardened...

(I just have to say I fucking love this imagery of a fire oh my god)

Lover’s Desire

Anaïs once set the original Lover’s Desire melody to lyrics around the area of Wedding Song:

Orpheus: Lover, can you hear me? / I’m asking for your hand / Your hand for better or for worse / Forever / Whether you’re sick or well / For rich or poorer, to have and to hold for as / Long as we both shall live

Eurydice: Lover, can you hear me? / I’m asking for a hand / A hand that’s steady and strong / To lean on / To catch me if I fall / That’s the hand that I’ll have and I’ll hold for as / Long as we both shall live

Word to the Wise

Early workshops:

Fates: Hey / Hey / Hey / It’s judgement day! / Are you gonna let ‘em just walk away? / What you gonna do... ?

Wait For Me (Reprise)

Vermont:

Hades: Hermes!

Hermes: Hades!

Hades: Time to go / Time to bring this to a close / Time to lay this thing to rest 

Hermes: Orpheus?

Hades: Orpheus / It’s all agreed / We’ve struck a deal / He’s free

Hermes: He’s free?

Hades: He’s free to walk

Hermes: And she?

Hades: To follow at his heel / And she, to follow at his back

Eurydice: Wait for me, I’m coming...

Hades: And she shall follow at his back / And she shall follow in his wake

Hermes: And what’s the catch?

Hades: The catch is this: / He shall not turn to see her face / And if he turns, the game is up / The deal is off, his race is run / And that’s the end of Orpheus / You’ll see it done?

Eurydice: Wait for me, I’m coming...

Written at an unspecified time but never used:

Hermes: A poor boy and a hungry young girl / Walking single file / While the music played / Brother, they looked for all the world / Like they was walking down the aisle / On their wedding day

We Raise Our Cups

The show once ended with an alternate song called “Cloud Machine” in Vermont, the lyrics of which Anaïs says she is embarrassed by:

Orpheus: What have I done? Mother, what have I done? / Squandered the gift that you gave me / Gambled with Hades and Hades won / And there’s no song now that can save me 

Mother, I failed! Oh Mother, I tried / And I fell like a fool would fall / And I left my love / On the other side / On the other side of the wall

(Alt. There’s a crack in the wall / It’s a little bit wider / It’s a little bit wider, that’s all)

Persephone: Come, my son, don’t take it so hard / Everything is forgiven / You have done naught / But to play out the part / That the Fates in their wisdom have written

Orpheus: Raise up the curtain! The crowd goes wild! / The Fates are drunken clowns / All of us dreamers are walking the wire / While they juggle our dream around 

Apollo, come down in your cloud machine / Apollo, come swallowing fire / With your thunder and lightning and kerosene / For the Fates and their funeral pyre

Persephone: Come, my son, we try and we fail / Every tail has an end

But the pale dawn breaks / And the snake eats it’s tail / And the tale begins again...

[leossmoonn]

Belle of The Ball [Kol Mikaelson]

masterlist 

pairing - kol mikaelson x fem,gilbert!reader

type - fluff

note / request - “since your TO requests are open can i request a kol fic where the reader is a gilbert and is kinda shy and kol invites her to the mikaelson ball” enjoy!

summary -  the middle child of the mikaelson family takes interest in you and invites you to the mikaelson ball

warnings / includes - your jeremy’s twin, mild language, kissing, suggestive flirting, underage drinking (drink safely), mention of sex

————

*gif isn’t mine*

“I think Connor likes you,” your friend, Karina, nudged you. 

You looked over to the cute, brunette boy that was staring at you from across the hallway. “Yeah, right,” you muttered.

“I’m serious! Oh, look! He’s coming to ask you out!” Karina squealed. 

You looked away from your locker, straightening up as Connor was approaching you. He flashed you a charming smile. 

“I’m gonna go. Meet me by your car!” Karina smiled. 

“No! Rina!” You whisper-shouted. 

Your attention was turned to Connor as he stood in front of you. 

“Hey, Y/n,” he greeted. “Hey… Connor,” you smiled shyly. 

“I wanted to ask you a question,” he said, leaning against the lockers. 

“Y-Yeah, go ahead,” you nodded. He smiled at your nervousness, moving closer to you.

His scent filled your nostrils and you felt yourself going dizzy. You leaned against the lockers, hoping it would help you not trip and fall. 

“So, I was wondering if you wanted to go on a date with me at Mystic Grill. We can get dinner then go back to my place and watch a movie,” Connor suggested. 

Your eyes widened. You were pleasantly surprised. You had liked Connor since school had started, which was a few months ago. You had been trying to get him to notice you, which was going horribly until now. You were way too shy to go up to say anything to him. You guessed that Karina had something to do with him asking you out. 

“Um, Earth to Y/n?” Connor asked, waving his hand in front of your face.

“Huh?” You blinked rapidly. You looked at him, getting even more embraced and shy when you realise you got lost in your own thoughts. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I’m just um… not really used to people asking me out, you know? I’ve never really been on a date before. My Aunt Jenna used to say that was okay since I’m only in junior year and stuff, but my brother has already had sex with Vicki Donovan and my sister is already on her second boyfriend. It’s kinda sad how un-loveable I am and-” 

You were cut off by Connor chuckling. You cussed yourself out in your head for being so awkward.

“I’m sorry, again. I ramble a lot, too,” you apologised. 

“It’s not worries. It’s really cute. You’re really cute. Anyways, what do you say? Come with me to Netflix and chill?” Connor asked. 

You smiled, opening your mouth to respond, but you were rudely interrupted. 

“She has plans Friday. Sorry, mate,” an all-too familiar Australian accent sounded behind you. 

You clenched your jaw and balled your fists. You turned your head, glaring. 

“Kol, go away,” you said through gritted teeth. 

“No can do, darling. Jeremy asked me to watch over you,” Kol smiled. 

“Uh, who’s this guy?” Connor asked. You turned back to him. “Oh, just a uh… family friend. Don’t mind him, he’s super annoying.”

“Actually, do mind me. I’m here to pick Y/n up. Elena wants you home, now,” Kol said. 

“Oh. Well, if you need to be home, go ahead,” Connor said. 

You sighed, “Yeah, um, I do. But it’s a yes to the date.”

Connor smiled widely. “Awesome! I’ll pick you up at 8.”

“Great! Can’t wait,” you smiled sweetly. 

Connor walked away, leaving you grinning from ear-to-ear. 

“You can do so much better, Y/n,” Kol said. 

You rolled your eyes, turning 180 to him. “Go away, Kol. I know for a fact that Jeremy and Elena didn’t tell you to watch over me.”

“Hm, true. That was just an excuse,” Kol smiled. 

“An excuse for what?” You asked. “Well, I needed and excuse to talk to you,” Kol shrugged. 

You sighed, going back to your locker and grabbing your textbooks. “About what?” You asked. 

“Well, I know my family hasn’t made it easy for any of you, so we are throwing a ball! My mother’s idea, really. We are allowed to bring dates and I’d like to bring you,” Kol explained. 

You started to feel all flustered. “Uh… Wh-Why?”

“Because I like you, Y/n. I think you’re cute, funny, and all the good parts of a woman. I’d like you to ditch that Connor-nobody and be my plus one!”

You slammed your locker shut, walking away from Kol. 

“Y/n, darling! You never answered me!” Kol exclaimed, trying to catch up with you. 

“Yeah, I did that on purpose,” you muttered, knowing he could hear you because of his vamp hearing. 

“You are so rude. I take it your parents didn’t teach you any manners? Not like they can teach you them now,” Kol joked. 

You scoffed, not believing what you were hearing. “Like you can talk. And plus, why would I want to go to the ball with a jerk like you?”

You waked out of the school, spotting Karina over at your car. 

“Y/n, wait!” Kol called out, reaching out to grab your wrist.

“What!” You exclaimed, turning to him. 

“Look, I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean that, but I really do want you to accompany me to the ball,” Kol said, staring you right in the eyes. 

You stared at him for a few moments, your eyes flickering down to his lips. Once you noticed him smirk, you looked away, pulling your wrist away from his grip. 

“I appreciate the invitation, but I’m going out with Connor,” you mumbled. 

Kol sighed, “Fine. But if you reconsider, it’ll be at our house.”

“Thanks,” you said, looking up at him through your lashes. “I need to go, okay? My friend is waiting for me.”

“Alright. I hope you reconsider, Y/n. I’d be a shame if I didn’t have a date,” Kol said. 

“As if you can’t get anyone you want,” you rolled your eyes. 

“But I only want you,” Kol admitted. 

Butterflies fluttered in your stomach. As much as you wanted to stay and ask him if he really did want you, you knew you’d end up a blubbering mess. And you definitely didn’t want to be like that in front of a devastatingly handsome Original vampire. 

“I gotta go,” you murmured, turning away and stomping off to Karina. 

“Hey, who’s that?” Karina asked once you approached. 

“Oh um… An annoying friend of Jeremy,’s” you lied, running your fingers through your hair. 

“Hm, well he’s hot,” Karina bit her lip, looking at Kol who was still where you left him. 

You rolled your eyes and started to twiddle with your fingers. “No, he’s not.”

Karina narrowed her eyes at you, gasping in realisation. 

“What?” You asked, full of confusion. “You like him!” Karina grinned. 

You scoffed, “Hell no.” 

“Hell, yes! You’re doing that thing you do when you talk about a guy you like,” Karina giggled, pointing to your hands. 

You looked down and sighed, putting your arms to your sides. “I do that when I’m nervous.”

“Oh, yeah? Are you nervous about Mr. Hottie?” Karina wiggled her eyebrows.

“No. I’m nervous because Connor asked me out this Friday,” you explained. 

“Oh, my God! Babe, that’s awesome!” Karina squealed, jumping up and down, clapping while doing so.  

“Thanks, I know,” you smiled sheepishly. “Well, what day is it? Wednesday, right? We need to shop!” Karina exclaimed. 

“No, no! I'll just wear jeans and a cute top. There’s no need to shop,” you said. 

“Have you seen your closet? You only have one cute flora top and a pair of black baggy jeans. The rest of your closet are sweats and sweatshirts. You don’t even have any date-appropriate dresses!” Karina said. 

“Not true!” You protested weakly. 

“Mhm,” Karina said, pursing her lips. You rolled your eyes, knowing she was right. 

“Fine, but we are only going to buy one outfit. ONE,” you said, holding up your first finger. 

“I’ll take it! Wanna go now?” Karina asked. 

“Sure,” you nodded. “Yay! We can get lunch at the Grill, too,” Karina suggested, opening the passenger door of your car. 

“Alright,” you nodded, going over to the driver’s seat. 

You drove to the outlet mall, parking in front of the shop. Karina and you walked inside, Karina immediately pulling you to the jeans section. 

“God, I hate jeans,” you muttered. “Why?” Karina asked. 

“Because they’re tight and I have to jump to get them on,” you explained. 

“Well, that’s just because you have a nice ass,” Karina smiled.

You smiled, “Yeah, right.” “I’m serious! Your figure is to die for! I’m jealous, honestly,” Karina said in a sincere tone.

You chuckled, “Thanks, Rina.”

“Of course. Now, let’s see what jeans they have. Do you want black, dark wash, or light wash?” Karina asked. 

“Dark wash,” you answered. “High-waisted or low-waisted?” Karina asked. 

“(Your choice),” you said. 

Karina pulled out two pairs of jeans, handing them to you. “Now, for the shirts! Do you want a ruffled top, knot front, or button-up?” 

“Um, ruffled, I guess,” you said. “Alright… Well, I know you like plaid… So, what about this one?” Karina pulled out a black and white top that was cropped. It was long sleeved, the sleeves ruffled slightly. The bottom of the shirt was stretchy and the top had buttons. 

“Wow, this is really cute. Simple, too. I like it,” you smiled. 

“I knew you would! Now, go try it on,” Karina said, going over to the changing rooms.

You put on your cloths, buttoning up the top and turning around to the mirror. You raised your brows, surprised by how good you looked. 

“You done?” Karina called out from outside. 

“Yeah,” you said, going out of the dressing room.

“You look so pretty. Y/n. The jeans highlight your figure perfectly!” Karina exclaimed. 

“Yeah,” you smiled, “And the top isn’t as cropped as I thought it would be.”

“I am amazing at dressing you! Maybe I should become a professional dresser?” Karina said.

You chuckled, “You should. Well, I think I’ll get this. I’m not interested in shopping anymore and I’m hungry.”

“Alright, well, I have some things I want to try on. So, give me 15 minutes tops and get us a table at the Grill,” Karina said, holding up the clothes she found. 

“Sounds good,” you said. You went back behind the door and changed out of your clothes. You paid for your outfit, walking out and going to the Grill. 

You got yourself seated quickly. 

“Y/n, hey!” Matt exclaimed. “Oh, hey, blue eyes,” you grinned. 

“How have you been?” Matt asked. “Good! How about you?” You asked. 

“I’ve been good, thanks. How is Elena?” Matt asked.

You chuckled, “Elena is good. I’ll tell her you asked about her.”

“Alright, sounds good. So, I heard Connor Askren asked you out,” Matt said. 

“Oh, yeah,” you smiled happily. “Good for you. I have to warn you, though, be careful,” Matt said. 

“Be careful about what?” You asked. “Well, Connor has a reputation of asking girls out then bailing on them,” he explained. 

“Oh,” you frowned. “Well, he seemed really excited to ask me out.”

“I'm sure he was. I’m just saying. You’re like a little sister to me. I don’t want you getting hurt,” Matt explained. 

You smiled gratefully. “Thanks, big bro.”

“No problem. Anyways, are you here alone or is Karina with you?” He asked. 

“She’s with me. She’s at the clothing store. I just came from there, hence the bag,” you said, holding up your shopping bag. 

“Ah right. Let me guess, she wanted to try some stuff on and she let you go?” Matt asked. 

“Yep,” you laughed. “That’s what Caroline does. So, do you want to get started with a drink or anything?” Matt asked. 

“Yeah, sure. Can I get a Diet Coke, chicken tenders, and cheese fries?” You asked. 

“Coming right up. Do you know what Karina would want?” Matt asked. 

“She’ll probably want lemonade, a chicken wrap, and onion rings,” you said. 

“Alright. Be right back,” Matt smiled. 

You gave him a goodbye wave. You sighed once he left, looking at your shopping bag. You would be lying if you said you were’t worried about Connor. You hoped that he was different than what Matt told you. 

————

Friday came sooner than expected. You were currently at home and getting ready for your date. Karina had helped you with your makeup, putting eyeliner on you and letting you borrow her lipstick. You were strapping on your heels when Karina told you she was leaving. 

“Text me if you two kiss,” Karina winked. 

“Highly doubt we will, but noted,” you smiled. 

“Alright, I’m gonna go. You look amazing, Y/n. Have fun!” Karina hugged you before leaving.  “Thanks,” you giggled as you shut the door. 

You looked at your phone, seeing it was 7:57. You smiled nervously, grabbing your purse and waiting at the door. The 3 minutes passed by slowly. It was soon 8 and he wasn’t there yet. You shrugged it off, knowing that he would probably be there in a minute or two. But as you waited, 2 minutes passed, 5, 10, and 20. Each time you checked your phone, your hope in Connor disappeared and your fear of what Matt said becoming true increased. Once it reached 8:30, you realised that Connor wasn’t coming and he had in fact stood you up. 

You stomped off to your room, tears falling down your cheeks. 

“God! How stupid are you, Y/n? Thinking a guy like Connor would want to go out with you? A football player? A guy with one of the highest GPA’s? Fat chance,” you sobbed to yourself. 

You took off your heels and wiped your eyes with the back of your hand, smudging all the makeup that Karina had done. You took off your clothes, slipping into sweats and a tank top. You washed your face of all the makeup, going into your kitchen. You went to go and get some chocolate, but someone interrupted you.

“Don’t look so glum, Y/n. Connor is an ass.” You turned around sharply, surprised to see Rebekah there. 

“I… Rebekah, what are you doing here?” You asked rudely. 

“I’m here to give you your dress and get you ready for the ball!” Rebekah smiled. 

“I’m not going,” you mumbled, going back to getting your food. 

Rebekah sped to you, grabbing your wrist. “Yes, you are. I don’t like you very much. I don’t like any of your family, but Kol seems to have taken an interest in you. I have no idea why, but I just got my family back and want to make everyone happy.”

“Well, I don’t like Kol. So you can tell him to shove off,” you said. 

“Hm… No,” Rebekah grinned. “C’mon, you’re going to the ball whether you like it or not. Your sister and brother will also be there.”

“Another reason not to go,” you stated. 

“Oh, please! If you don’t go I am sure Kol will kill Elena and Jeremy,” Rebekah said. 

“No! I… I don’t want to. Kol doesn’t even like me. He just likes to piss off all my friends,” you said.

“Y/n, look at me,” Rebekah said. You looked at her dully.

“Kol likes you. Hell, I think he’s in love with you. All he talks about it you and quite frankly, it’s sickening, but a little heartwarming to see him care so much for someone. So, please, come to the ball. If you want to leave after a little bit, I’ll make sure you go without any issue. But just try it out,” Rebekah begged. 

Your heart fluttered once you heard Kol might be in love with you. If you were completely honest, you had a little crush on Kol. How couldn’t you? He was charming, handsome, and even nice to you. You never pursued the crush because one, you were too shy for that. And two, you knew your family would kill you. But you knew Rebekah would just kidnap you and take you there, even if you said no again, so you deciding to say yes. 

“Fine, I’ll go. But don’t expect me to have fun,” you mumbled. 

Rebekah took her hand off your wrist, smiling widely. “Great! Let’s go and get you ready, we’re late.”

You nodded and went back to your room. Rebekah sat you down and did your makeup. Giving you a fox eye look with a red lip. She then got out your dress, to which you gasped at.  Your dress was a long red ballgown. The top of the dress had jewels all over, the skirt then puffing out like Cinderella’s. The sleeves of the dress were made to go across your shoulders, letting the top of your breasts and your collar bone show. 

“Wow I… Wow,” you gasped. 

“Amazing, right? You’ll be the belle of the ball! You’ll even outshine Elena, who’s dress is disappointingly gorgeous,” Rebekah smiled. 

“Thank you,” you smiled. 

“Of course! Now go put it on, I’ll help you with the back,” Rebekah said handing it to you. 

You took it gently, going to your bathroom to get changed. You came out, letting Rebekah tighten the dress for you. You then slipped on your black heels that you were wearing earlier, and took a look at you reflection. 

“Wow, I actually look like a princess,” you smiled.

“That you do,” Rebekah smiled. “Now let’s go. Our ride is waiting.”

You nodded, lifting up the bottom of your dress so you could walk. You and Rebekah walked out to the limo, going over to the Mikaelson house. 

“Hey, Rebekah?” You asked. “Yes?” She answered. 

“Why are you being so nice to me? Besides making Kol happy,” you asked. 

Rebekah sighed. “Well, I think you’re good for my brother. You make him more bearable to be around. Kinder, warmer. A lot less murderous. I know you like him, too. I can see the way you look at him when you think no one is paying attention. He’s head over heels for you and I think you could be the same for him after tonight.”

“Good to know,” you smiled. 

“Mhm. But don’t tell anyone I ever complimented you or helped you out tonight. I don’t need your friends thinking I have a good side,” Rebekah said. 

You chuckled. “Alright, deal.”

You two arrived at Rebekah’s house, stepping out of the limo. Rebekah and you waked to the doors, opening them. As you stepped into the ballroom, all eyes went on you. Your entrance elicited gasps from everyone. You smiled shyly, your smile faltering once Elena, Damon, and Jeremy approached you. Rebekah left you to deal with your family.

“What the hell are you doing here!” Elena exclaimed. 

“Having fun, El,” you answered. 

“No, you need to go home now,” Damon said. 

You shook your head. “No. Connor stood me up and Kol invited me to this thing, so I decided to take the opportunity.”

Elena’s angry face fell as she heard what Connor did. “Connor stood you up? That jerk!”

“It's okay. I’d rather be here and in this dress than with him and drunk,” you admitted. 

“Need me to beat him up for you?” Jeremy asked. “I’m good baby bro, but thanks. Uh…. have you guys seen Kol?” You asked. 

“Nope,” Elena said. “And I wouldn’t advise looking for him. He might kill you,” Damon frowned. 

“No, I won’t! Like she said, I invited her here,” Kol said from behind them. 

Damon turned, a grimace on his face. “Why?”

“Because I am in love with her,” Kol smiled, his eyes meeting you’s.

Your blood ran cold and you looked down, holding the skirt of your dress tightly. 

“I’d like to dance with her, if that’s alright,” Kol said.

“No way,” Jeremy said. “You put a hand on her-”

“Jer, it’s okay,” you said. “I’ll shout if I’m in trouble. Please, just go.”

Elena sighed, “Fine. I have to go and see Esther anyways. Do not hurt her.” Elena warned Kol. 

“I never would dream of it,” Kol smiled. 

The three left, leaving you and Kol at the entrance. Kol approached you, you putting your head down again. 

“You look ravishing, Y/n. If we were alone, I’d rip that dress off of you,” Kol said, looking over your figure. 

“Thanks,” you chuckled shyly. 

Kol put his hand on your chin gently, lifting your face up to meet his. “Don’t be so shy, Y/n. And don’t self-doubt yourself, either. I know that asshole Connor stood you up, but you are still the most beautiful, kind girl ever. He doesn’t deserve you anyways.”

“And you do?” You challenged. 

Kol chuckled. “No, but I’m hoping you think differently.” He then offered you his hand. “Dance with me?”

“Sure,” you nodded, taking his hand hesitantly. 

Butterflies threatened to rip out of you as you touched his hand. Goosebumps rushed up your arm as you grasped his hand. Kol walked you two to the ballroom floor. You put your free hand on his shoulder, him putting his free hand on your waist. You two swayed for a few moments until you broke the silence. 

“So, um… How did you know Connor stood me up?” You asked. 

“I had Rebekah spying on you,” Kol admitted. 

“Wow, not creepy at all,” you muttered. “I wanted to be ready for if he stood you up, so Rebekah could then go and get you ready,” Kol explained. 

“Makes sense,” you said. 

Kol smiled at you, not being able to keep his eyes off of you. You kept adverting your gaze. Too nervous to actually look at him or more than 5 seconds. 

“You’re very cute when you’re tense,” Kol complimented.  “Thanks. Not a lot of people think that,” you chuckled. “Well, those people are out of their minds then,” Kol said.

“Why do you like me?” You asked suddenly, looking at him. You had been wandering this all night, waiting until you were here with him to ask. 

Kol smiled. “Well, you’re different. You’re not aggressive like your brother, or so moral like Elena. You’re quiet and calm. You think through things rather than be impulsive, which seems to be how everyone is around here. Your eyes are so beautiful, I get lost in them. When I see you smile, it makes my dead heart come alive. And when you do that hair-twirl thing, it’s so adorable. You’re also extraordinarily stunning, which is a big plus.”

Your heart skipped beats as he told you his reasons for liking you. As you looked at him and watched him pour his heart out, your liking for him grew. You subconsciously moved closer to him, too. Your body doing its own thing. 

“Wow,” you breathed out. “You really um… Thought about this.”

“Well, you are all I think about. Besides who’s head I want to rip off,” Kol smirked. 

“Gross,” you grimaced. “I’m kidding! But I’m serious about you. I’ve never liked someone as much as you, Y/n. I hope that I can prove that I’m a good choice for you,” Kol said. 

“Well, you’re proving it now,” you admitted. 

Kol grinned, “Fantastic.”

You two swayed in silence again. As the music got slower and slower, and the lights got lower and lower, you two moved dancing positions naturally. You were quite scared to move closer to him. You were already so close, practically hugging. But your bodies were like magnets, pulling each other close. So tried to go with everything and relax. 

Both of your arms went around his neck and both of his hands wrapped around your waist and went to the small of your back. You two scooted in until your head was on his shoulder. You closed your eyes and breathed in his scent nonchalantly, enjoying his cologne. Kol nuzzled his cheek onto the side of your head, him also breathing in the scent of your shampoo. 

You two danced for a while before Kol got an idea.

“Do you want to get out of here and go to the balcony?” Kol asked. 

“You’re not gonna kill me, are you?” You joked. 

“No promise,” Kol winked cheekily. You giggled, “Alright. Let’s go.” Kol nodded and kept his grip on your hand, walking you to the balcony. On the way, you took two glasses of champagne. You handed him one as you stepped out on the terrace. You put your elbows on the railing, sipping the champagne. 

“So, why’d you bring me out here?” You asked. 

“To gaze at the stars,” Kol answered simply, walking next to you. 

“Hm,” you hummed, looking up at the night sky. “Did you ever stargaze back before you all were vampires?”

“Yes, all the time. It was one of my favourite things to do,” Kol said. 

“That sounds nice,” you said. “It was,” Kol said. 

“Do you ever miss being a witch?” You asked. Kol sighed, taking a sip of champagne. “Sometimes. But I love being immortal.” You smiled, “Makes sense. If I were a vampire, I’d be the same.”

Kol turned to you, “I can turn you.”

You shook your head, “No. I like being human. Being a vampire seems to complicated. Plus, I want kids.”

“Hm. Sounds nice having your little perfect, human life. I miss that,” Kol said. 

“You were never human, though,” you smiled, turning to him. “Yes, but I was once mortal,” Kol said. 

“True,” you nodded, taking a sip of your champagne. “Hey, um… I want to thank you for inviting me. I know I said I didn’t want to go, but I’m really glad I did. I’m having a really good time.”

“Of course. I knew you would. I know you’re not the girly-girl type, but every girl deserves to experience to dress up for a ball,” Kol said. 

“I agree,” you nodded. “And I’m also glad that you are warming up to me a little bit. You’re not so much of a blubbering mess anymore,” Kol smirked. 

You chuckled, “Yeah, I take a little to warm up to new people.”

“Well, I’m glad I’m that person you’ve warmed up to,” Kol said, stepping closer to you. He put his hand on your’s, looking at you flirtatiously.

You grinned at the moves he was making, deciding to make a move of your own. 

You leaned into him, your eyes boring into his the whole time. You were standing toe-to-toe to him, your mouth parted as his eyes glowed dark brown. He smirked at you, his hand leaving your’s and settling on your waist. You wanted to move closer, but your skirt was so puffed out it restricted you from doing so. Kol noticed your slight frustration with your dress, setting his glass down, and putting his other hand on your waist, pulling you impossibly closer.

“Kol, my dress is too big,” you chuckled. 

“Not too big for me to do this,” Kol grinned, leaning his head down. 

Before you knew it, he was kissing you. Your eyes widened as his lips met your’s. A few moments passed before he pulled away, confused and scared. 

“I’m sorry, I must have read the room wrong. I-” Kol started to apologise, but you put your hand on the back of his head and pulled him in again. 

This time Kol was surprised. He didn’t waste any time in kissing you back, though. Your lips moved together in perfect synchronisation. It was like his lips were made for your’s as they fit in-between your’s like puzzle pieces. Both your fingers entangled themselves in his hair, pulling slightly as he pulled you impossibly closer. Your stomach did a million of flips as his tongue swiped your bottom lip. You opened your mouth slowly, Kol’s tongue slipping in gently. As your tongue’s fought, Kol’s hands went to your skirt, finding your legs under them. He put his hands under your thighs, lifting you up with ease. 

You pulled away, breathing heavily. Kol’s eyes opened, going down to your lips and smiling as your lipstick was smudged. Your chest heaved up and down as you stared into his eyes. 

“I just wanted to um… To tell you that i-if you were planning on having um, sex. I’m not ready. This um… This was my first kiss, too. Sorry if you were expecting to get lucky tonight,” you confessed, blushing profusely. 

Kol smiled at you, setting you down. “It’s alright, love. I wasn’t expecting anything from you tonight. I hope your first kiss was good.”

“It was really good,” you giggled. 

“Good. Now, do you want to continue to make out? Or we could go back out and dance,” Kol suggested. 

“Um… can we dance again?” You asked, going back to your shy nature. 

“Of course we can, darling,” Kol smiled, holding his hand out for you to take. 

He led you to the ballroom. You two danced for a couple hours until you started to get tired. Kol drove you back home and you went into your house, Kol kissing you goodbye. You closed the door, smiling widely and squealing to yourself. 

Your phone rang and you answered it immediately, seeing it was Karina. 

“Hey! How did your date go?” She asked. 

“Um…” you sighed, the feeling of Kol’s lips on your’s still there. You smiled again, fidgeting with your fingers.

“It was good. Really, really good.”

————

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[imaginesupply]

Homecoming - Chapter One

Chapter Two can be found here

(Gif’s not my own.)

Summary: The day has arrived, Captain Syverson is going home. For good, this time. He is going home to a civilian life he can hardly remember and a wife he barely knows, with memories of the war still fresh on his mind. Love might not be able to heal everything on its own, but it’s a good start.

Genres: Romance, drama.

Story warnings: Smut (always fully consensual), mentions of PTSD and nightmares and mental health, angst, hurt and comfort, fluff, mentions of war (minor), mentions of cheating (minor), mentions of pregnancy (very minor), police appearance (very minor), violence (very minor).

Notes:

It’s my first time writing for one of Henry’s characters and I’m unsure I did Sy’s character any justice.

This is a Capt. Syverson x OFC (Ada) story, written in 3rd person POV but OFC’s physical description is very limited so it could also be read as Capt. Syverson x Reader, I think.

English is not my first language, so there might be some mistakes. Proofread, but not beta’ed. We die like men and all that.

Timeline is a little wacky: The movie takes place in 2003 and the U.S. forces were withdrawn from Iraq in 2011, but I never set a precise date because I don’t think it’s essential for this story. However, some elements might not be realistic because if we set this story in 2003: Phone cameras  quality was not as good as it’s now, but for the purpose of the chapters, I will need you to imagine you could film great videos with your flip phone haha. Plus, it says Sy is coming back after being deployed for more than three years which makes no sense unless we set this in 2006 or later. I am asking you disregard any time inconsistencies 

Also: I am not American. I only lived in the US for six months and it was in the Midwest, not Texas so please bear with me if I write something stupid.

Finally: This is pretty much a Christmas fic and I intend to post the last chapter (there will be seven in total) on or before Christmas. However, religion is never mentioned in this story and the Christmas-sy elements of this story are limited to family gathering, gift giving and tree decorating.

Chapter One starts after the cut. Let me know if you wish to be tagged in the new chapters.

Chapter One

Chapter warnings: Badly written smut (consensual), marriage awkwardness, alcohol consumption. Maybe OOC Sy, I don’t know. We never saw him being casual.

Sy checked his phone again as he waited for his bag by the baggage carousel. The airport was even busier than usual, it was taking ages and he was impatient to get out of there... and maybe even never set foot in an airport again for the rest of his life.

He read her text again, short and sweet. He sometimes called her that, short and sweet, just to tease her. Ada was considerably shorter than him and full of sugar, when she wanted to be, that was.

'I'm waiting by the gate for you, with a warm cinnabon :) So excited to see you again <3.'

Just then a notification popped up from Harper. It was a photo of the soldier at the airport, finally reunited with his wife and his two rugrats. It made Sy all the more excited to see Ada again, and then as if on cue, his camo bag appeared in the carousel and he groaned with relief.

He stood restless amidst the line, it seemed people in front of him were dragging their feet, but when they noticed his green beret uniform, most parted and let him through. Sy tipped his head gratefully.  

His wife was there, just outside the gate. Sy spotted her instantly in the crowd of people. She was wearing a red dress under her open coat and her hair looked fresh out of the hairdresser. He caught himself grinning at the sight of her. Then, once she spotted him making his way over to her, she started waving her hand excitedly as if there was any way his eyes hadn't already landed on her. He wished he still had his phone in hand to capture this moment for all of eternity, but his memory would have to do, he decided before casting his arms open for his wife. Fuck, did he love her!

°°°

Ada had been biting her nails nervously for the past two hours. She had arrived at the airport way too early. The parking fee would hurt but she couldn't find it in herself to care at this point.

Three weeks ago, she had received a call informing her that her husband and part of his unit had been ambushed. There had been an explosion in some building they were scouting only God knows where.

Only a full week after that did she receive a call from Sy himself. He was coming home. For good, this time. They were sending him home early, a full eight months earlier than what he had originally negotiated with his superiors. She hadn't been prepared for the news. She had spent the days following the call asking herself whether she had heard him right, making sure her mind wasn't playing tricks on her.

Now he was here, stopping right in front of her, his thick arms inviting her right in for a hug. Ada wouldn't have been able to resist the invitation even if she had wanted to. Within a second, she was enveloped in his embrace, her cheek pressed against his chest. She was overjoyed to feel his heartbeat again. Sy kisses the crown of her head before putting her down, his hands never leaving her lower back, his fingers big enough to reach the swell of her bum from there.

They pulled away a few inches to take each other in. His beard has grown a little long, but it was not enough to hide his apparent dimples as he smiled. He looked a little older too, she hadn't seen in seven months, except through a shitty quality facetime call once or twice. Her careful gaze spotted the new scar by his temple, it was the only visible physical evidence of the explosion he had been caught in. She dreaded what she might under his uniform.

Sy caught her eyes and she found herself blushing under his stare. It was always like that the first few hours when he was back, until she got used to his overwhelming presence again and to the fact that this handsome bear of a man was indeed her husband.

"You're looking good, darlin'," Sy grinned, making her spin for him. "I missed you."

Ada couldn’t resist his smile. "I missed you too, Sy." She confessed, handing him the still warm cinnamon roll in its paper bag.

He accepted the pastry with a smile and started eating it immediately but not before throwing his arm around her shoulders as they began making their way to the parking lot. Sy was eager to get her out of the crowd and have her just to him himself.

"So, what's the plan, darlin'?" Sy inquired with mischief to his voice, balling up the paper bag with his free hand and throwing it inside the trash can. "Did you book that hotel with the jacuzzi in the bedroom again?"

It had become a tradition of some sort between them. They would always spend his first night back at that hotel: they'd order some room service and eat in the jacuzzi. Though, usually, they would first end up on together on the bed.

Ada stopped suddenly in her tracks, making him still behind her. She smiled sheepishly. "Don't be mad," she started, his smile falling at once, "but your family is waiting for us in the parking lot. Your mom insisted that we celebrate your homecoming at the restaurant. Something about you missing Thanksgiving just by a couple days."

Sy groaned, thinking about the evening that now expected him. He'd been flying for God knows how many hours, all he wanted was a warm bath and Ada whichever way she'd let him have her, not a damn dinner party.

"I'm sorry, Sy."

He shook his head and leaned down to kiss her forehead again. "Don't worry, darlin'. I know it ain’t your fault."

As soon as they reached the open-air parking lot, Sy's nephew and niece start running up to him, having escaped their parents' grasp. His family was waiting for him with cheers and a 'welcome home, soldier' banner. Sy hated that kind of attention and she found it cringy as well, but she had been unable to stop his mother. Ada watched him hug the kids and lift them up into the air, making them laugh as she walked up to the machine to pay the fee.

Her hand trembled as she inserted the ticket into the slot, missing the opening a few times. She was happy - no, scratch that - she was ecstatic to have her husband back. It's just that, could you really say 'back' when there was never truly a 'before', a 'there'?

They had met when he was already deployed, but on a short leave back in Austin. They spent three weeks together, got married and he returned to Iraq. Since then, the longest stretch of time they had been together had been twenty days. Neither of them had ever gotten settled into married life and now he was 'back'. For good. Which was wonderful and foreign and overwhelming all at once.

Ada paid the fee and returned to join them, finding Sy hugging his mother. She smiled at the sight. She walked over to greet her sister-in-law and her husband, confirming that they'd meet up at the restaurant. With that, she went to the car, deciding to give Sy some more time with his family, and herself an occasion to take a few breaths and calm her buzzing heart.

"You didn't tell me my mom had gotten herself a boyfriend." Sy grumbled immediately as he sat down next to her in the car, putting on his seatbelt.

Ada turned on the engine and backed out of the spot. "I knew you wouldn't like it," she defended before casting a side glance at him. "Besides, I figured it wasn't my place to tell you."

Sy hummed noncommittally, removing his cap to rake his hand through his cropped hair.

"Though, as much as I don't exactly like your mother," Ada added quietly, "she's been on her own ever since your dad passed a couple years ago. With your father gone and you away, she must have felt lonely.”

°°°

Sy spent the rest of the drive mulling over her words in his head. The fuck was that supposed to mean? As soon as a woman feels lonely, she takes up a boyfriend?! Was Ada lonely too while he was away and… He wanted to ask if she was implying anything but then one look at her and he decided against it. Breathing out deeply, he forces himself to relax. He was just stressed out and on edge.

It was inevitable that things would have changed while he had been away. That was something he thought about frequently late at night when he got to be alone. Still, he hoped things hadn’t changed all too much. Ada still looked just as she had on their road trip to Vegas, focused on the road but leaning back on her seat, just one hand on the wheel with a grin on her lips. His wife loved driving.

"You got your nails done." Sy commented, already hoping the whole dinner thing would be over quickly so that he could go home with her.

Ada turned to him with a chuckle for a second, wriggling her graceful fingers and red painted nails, her wedding band reflecting the light. "I wanted to look pretty for you."

Sy huffed. "You always look pretty to me, Ada," he said and then watched her scoff.

"Or maybe, I just wanted to make sure I'd be able to scratch you up nicely," she wife winked.

Yeah, this dinner thing couldn't be over fast enough.

°°°

Ada saw him eat so much over dinner, she couldn’t help but wonder if he was going to be sick later. And, of course, the double serving of smoked ribs had to be accompanied with generous amounts of beer and whisky. She didn0t blame him, though. Out of curiosity, she once researched what they ate while on deployment and it looked anything but tasty. If she had been in his shoes, she'd have been eating her own weight in pizza and brownies right now.  

It also didn’t help that his brother-in-law and his mom's new boyfriend, Phil from the hardware store, kept asking him about Baqubah and even touching on the subject of the explosion. It was obvious how uncomfortable the subject made him, his grip tightening around his knife and his jaw tensing up so tightly, she could imagine his teeth grinding.

So, Sy kept asking for refills, raising his glass, and giving them vague answers, but it seemed they didn't get the hint. At least, the subject changed when his sister interrupted the conversation to announce she was expecting again. A little girl.

Ada used the moments of cheer that followed to excuse herself from the table and go to the restroom. She was still somewhat nervous and her face was damp. She would have given anything for a glass of scotch at that moment but she was driving tonight.

Helen, Sy's mom appeared right behind her just as she was washing her hands. She hoped the woman would just disappear inside a stall but she wasn’t that lucky.

"Jack is back." Helen stated, arms crossed. A shiver ran through Ada's spine, damn she hated that woman. "For good."

Ada dried her hands with a paper towel, looking back at her mother-in-law through the mirror. "He is."

"Now's the time to prove yourself to this family and show us that Sy was right in marrying you.”

Before Ada could ask what the hell that was supposed to mean, Helen finally disappeared inside a stall. Rolling her eyes, Ada went to leave the restrooms when Helen decides to add some more venom. "Maybe a good start would be calling him by his first name, as a wife would."

°°°

"When do you start at Camp Mabry?" Ada asked, looking away from the steering wheel to glance at him for a second. Sy looked exhausted, not that she could she blame him after three different flights and a seemingly endless dinner. They had finally called it a night once the kids had started getting fussy.

"January 15th." He replied. "But they want me to stop by before then to have a look around the base and sign the contract."

"You're going to boss the hell out of the new recruits," Ada laughed, getting him to lighten up and even chuckle.

"You'd be surprised to know I'm actually a fair and considerate captain," Sy defended himself.

Next to him, Ada huffed as she tried stiffing the bubble of laughter, trying not miss the right exit off the main road.

"I just value discipline and compliance a lot," he added, his tone growing teasing.

This time, she was unable to stop her laugh. "Believe me, I know you do."

The drive was a short one to their house in the suburbs and she was soon parking her in their driveaway.

Ada fumbled with the key as she tried opening the front door, nervousness setting back in as she felt Sy standing behind her, holding his duffel bag. He followed in quickly after her, once she had finally managed to open the door.

"Welcome home, captain!" Ada cheered in her silliest tone as he discarded his bag on the floor.

Then, before she could even react, Sy was on her. His arms lifted her up, his body caging hers against the wall before capturing her lips in the most ferocious kiss she could imagine.

Out of instinct, her legs locked around his waist and her hands dug into his shoulders, unwilling to let go of him now that he was finally there. Sy grinned against her lips, amused by her fervour, not that he felt any different.

He broke off the kiss as he pulled them away from the wall, freeing a hand to shrug her coat off her shoulders. "You ain't gonna need that, darlin'," he promised, throwing the coat in the direction of the kitchen, not caring where it landed.

Then his mouth latched on to her throat, forcing a delicious moan out of his wife as he carefully manoeuvred them upstairs, still steady on his feet despite the alcohol. Sy was almost surprised when he pushed open the door to their bedroom with his foot and it didn't squeak, but that thought was fleeting as Ada started rolling her hips against his. Suddenly, nothing else mattered. Not the war, not the explosion or his guilt, only the woman in his arms.

Unceremoniously, he let her fall on the bed, the urgency now flowing through his blood keeping him from doing things the gentleman way. Ada didn't mind, giggling as she unzipped her dress and slid the red thing over her head, along with her bra. Apparently, she had decided to forego panties. Sy stood there, almost mesmerised as he watched her, suddenly not certain if he dared tainting her with his touch but Ada quickly made that decision for him as she got up on her knees.

"A little less staring and a little more undressing, captain," she purred with a smirk, her fingers determined as they made quick work of the buttons on his shirt.

"That's it, darlin'. You're in for it now," Sy roared, pulling her in for another furious kiss before pushing her back against the mattress, making her land on her back as he got undressed in record time. Fuck, was he hard.

"Open up for your captain." Sy ordered and Ada complied instantly, her legs falling open for him as she peered up at him, holding herself up on her elbows and worrying her lower lip between her teeth. "That's a good girl," he praised.

Without losing another second, Sy settled in between her legs, wrapping his strong arms around her thighs and parting them to their limits. He wanted to worship her body the way she deserved, show her exactly just how appreciative he was of her, how much he craved her, but it had been months and Sy was a starving man who had just been presented with the perfect meal.

"Fuck Sy!" Ada screamed out, her back arching off the bed the instant he licked her just where she craved him most. He chuckled against her, marvelling at how wet she already was for him.

She tried closing her legs around his head, rejoicing at the feeling of his beard rubbing against her sensitive skin and never wanting him to leave again, but his arms were too strong for her clenching thighs. She was left defenceless against his assault, with no choice but to obscenely moan her pleasure and let herself cum against his tongue as his thumb expertly massaged her clit.

The coil inside her snapped and her body tensed up before letting go just as suddenly, her now damp back falling back on the mattress. "Fuck, Sy." Ada breathed out, her chest heaving as she tried to reopen her eyes only to find her husband playfully gazing up at her, smirking with her arousal glistening on his beard. The sight alone almost made her cum again. "I'll never let you leave again!"

He smiled in response, placing a kiss on her lower stomach before crawling up her body. "I've no intention to, baby," he promised.

Ada caught a glimpse of his hard, flushed erection as his body slid over hers, realizing in her post-orgasmic haze that she was in for an even bigger treat now. She could taste herself in his mouth as they kissed, his hand slithering behind her back to seize her shoulder and hold her closer. Teasingly, he started rolling his hips, his hard clock rubbing against her slick cunt, coating himself with arousal before finally, he found his way inside her, burying his head next to hers in the pillow.

Ada whimpered as he did so, her eyes tearing up as his clock slid inside her. She had evidently grown unaccustomed to his girth and length in his absence. Sy paused immediately, his muscles tense as he looked at her with concern. “You okay?” She nodded in silence, wanting him to start moving but Sy looked unconvinced, using all his strength to keep still despite his desire to fuck her right into the mattress. Without a warning, Ada tightly wrapped her legs around his hips, making him go deeper. Sy let out a reverberating groan. “God, darlin’. I missed you.”

He started thrusting into her with such vigour, such determination it felt as if he was trying to bury himself so deep inside her, no one would ever be able to pry him away from her again. It did hurt, her cervix was getting battered with each of his hard movements but she found herself enjoying the pain because it was him; it was Sy and he was right there with her, back in her arms, and she could feel his heart beat beneath her fingertips as her hand gripped at his chest.

"Fuck, I'm... I’m," Ada gasped incoherently, her nails now scratching the skin of his back. Sy was sure there would be marks there in the morning which made him enjoy the sensation even more.

"I got you," he rasped. If possible, he pulled her even tighter to him, his pubic bone now rubbing against hers in that delicious way only he was able to do. Her slick walls were now contracting around him, her second orgasm impending. "Fuck," he groaned, his breath coming out in a stutter. "Are you...Can I...?"

Sy didn't have to word it, she knew what he meant. "Cum in me, Sy. Please," she almost begged.

Her words did it. His hips stuttered as he pushed in deep just when his orgasm washed over him, exploding inside her. His face contorted with pleasure and that sight alone had her fast tracking her fall over the figurative edge. He had his face buried on the crook of her neck, muffling his groans and moans against her skin as the dam gave way within her.

°°°

Sy grunted against his pillow, slowly waking up the following morning. He was convinced he was just rousing after a very nice dream and he was ready to toss his alarm clock across the room, furious at the object for interrupting his dream, that for once, had been a good one. With a startle, Sy realized that no blasting alarm had woken him up but the sunlight on his face. Opening his eyes, he felt almost as if on foreign ground. He was home.

As quietly as he could manage, Sy turned around in bed, seeking his wife only to find her side empty. Just at that moment, he heard cursing coming up from the kitchen and scoffed. He’d bet his life Ada was cracking eggs, something she hated.

Feeling rested and in a much more relaxed mood than the previous day, Sy got out of bed and started searching for a pair of boxer briefs so he could go join her downstairs when he caught a sniff of himself. Fuck, did he stink. How Ada hadn’t thrown him out of bed, he didn’t know.

Out of habit, Sy hurried to the en-suite bathroom, wanting to shower as fast as possible before realizing that this time around, it was different. He wasn’t going back, he didn’t have to rush, their time together wasn’t counted. With that in mind, Sy forced himself to take his time, enjoying the act of brushing his teeth in a bathroom that smelled nice and showering with warm water. Ada had purchased his usual brands of shower gel and toothpaste, he noticed, even putting a red bow around his brand-new toothbrush by the sink. Even though he initially wanted to take his time to enjoy it, Sy still ended up rushing as he dried himself with a blue fluffy towel he didn’t recognize from his previous stay. He didn’t bother putting on anything more than his boxer briefs before heading downstairs. If he was lucky, he wouldn’t keep them on for long either.

Sy walked into one of the best sights he had even seen, when he entered the kitchen. Ada was standing in front of the stove, rhythmically tapping the black spatula against her naked thigh as she focused on the eggs and bacon she was preparing. The thin negligee - or whatever she called it, he always forgot - barely covered her ass and that outfit alone was one of the reasons he never minded that she always cracked up the heat so high, he felt like he was back under the hot desert sun.

Silent and stealthy like a predator despite his stature, Sy sneaked up on her from behind and wrapped his arms around her waist, feeling her startle before relaxing once she noticed it was him. She smelled heavenly, Sy thought, resting his chin on the top of her head. "Watcha got cooking, darlin'?"

"Obviously breakfast," she sassed, making him softly pinch her ass in response. Ada squealed and jumped up. "Good morning to you too, Sy," she said but not before slapping the handle of the spatula against his thigh. He decided to let it slide... for now.

"Morning darlin'," he answered, kissing the crown of her head before darting his fingers into the pan and picking up a piece of bacon. It was sizzling hot, but the taste was worth it. He had missed being home! Speaking of being home... "What do you say we take the food and coffee upstairs and have ourselves breakfast in bed?" His tone failed to hide his true intentions.

Ada scoffed, the back of her head rubbing on his hairy chest and she shook her head. "Nice try but I actually intend to feed you. Your mother will have my head if I let you go hungry."

It was Sy's turn to laugh, his hands now roaming her body as she leaned forward to turn off the stove, pressing her ass against his crotch and eliciting a husky groan from him. "I'm hungry enough to eat both breakfast and you, don't worry."

Ada turned around, a huge grin on her angelic face. "Alright, you win. What do you say, we have breakfast, we do the kinky and then go grocery shopping?"

Sy tried hiding his smile but it was a lost cause. He loved it when she talked like that. He loved her, point. "Yes, ma'am."

[timextoxhajima]

Love Me A Little Less: Chapter 6 - Misogynist

LOVE ME A LITTLE LESS CHAPTER MASTERLIST

Member: (3rd person pov) arranged marriage au with Lee Juyeon

Genre: angsty wangsty

Taglist: @hyunjaethereal @sunwoowuvbot​

“Don’t offend me.”

“No, I think the best course of action for HERA & ARTEMIS is that we not only branch out to collaborate with other companies, but also to make um… say, connections with non-profit organisations. Orphanages, charities, you name it. The publicity HERA & ARTEMIS will get after being recognised as a community-caring brand, a brand that cares no less than it’s maximum ability to about children, the elderly and the disabled.” 

“Charitable. I like it,” The Resources CEO of The Board nods with a wine of champagne in his glass. even at her own wedding, all the bride can think of is work. All she cares about is how to make sure HERA & ARTEMIS is heard in the crowd of attendees to her wedding. “Anyway, a gorgeous wedding, I must say. What made you have it at home? I’d expect that your father and brother would have wanted it somewhere more… ravish, y’know, more extravagant.” 

It takes some effort to hide her disgust at the thought that her father had a say over where she wanted to have her wedding. 

“Of course not,” The service smile almost feels surgically implanted into her face, even Jang Won herself is put off. “Juyeon and I have already planned this right off the bat, have it at Hera’s Manor.” 

“Why not at the Lee House? I thought the Lee’s would’ve preferred it there, you know, husband and all.” 

Jang Won could’ve slapped the glass of champagne out of his grasp if she wanted to, then probably break the bowl off the stem and send it into his eye. 

Misogynist. 

“We—” 

“The Lee House doesn’t have the facility and resources to hold a wedding now,” Juyeon comes round with a cup of whiskey, cheeks slightly pink from the alcohol as he rounds his arm around Jang Won, pulling her into his torso and even bothering to press a kiss into her temple. “It isn’t as presentable as you’d expect it to be. Hera’s Manor is well-kept and it looks like it’s prepped for a party every other day.” 

Juyeon smiles politely, eyes drifting from the Resources CEO to Jang Won, and for a split second, Jang Won might just feel somewhat impressed he stood up for her. “You know what they say, if you need something done, a lady will do it fast and efficient.”

The Resources CEO provides the newly wedded couple an awkward smile, not really able to spit out a proper response to Juyeon’s rebuttal. 

“Anyway, love, your brother’s asking for you in your office. Some administrative issues that cropped up,” Juyeon pulls away and turns his body, feet already pointing away from the Resources CEO. “If you’ll excuse us, Mr Teuk.” 

Juyeon lowers his head as a sign of respect, though he probably doesn’t mean it. He gently tugs on Jang Won and leads her out of the courtyard. 

“Please tell me there aren’t any actual administrative manners Younghoon wants to talk to me about,” Jang Won seethes as she walks up the yard stairs and into the main hall. 

“‘Course not,” Juyeon subtly shakes his head. “He’s having the time of his life actually, getting acquainted with the other members of The Board. Have you always been the one helping him with Artemis?” 

“In his defence, I don’t let him handle anything. It’s a subsidiary of HERA & ARTEMIS so I might as well take things into my own hands and worry about it on my own.” 

“Well, maybe you should let him figure his hand out at things. He doesn’t legally own Artemis for nothing.” 

Jang Won turns to shoot a look of distaste at Juyeon. 

“What?” He frowns, forehead creasing. “I’m literally telling you to split your workload.”

“I don’t need to split my workload. I’m doing fine on my own and frankly, I’d rather he sit back and let me do most of it so that at least I know what the Hell’s going on with my companies without worrying about any secrets.” 

Juyeon rubs the back of his neck and shoves his hands into his pockets. “In other words, you don’t trust your brother.” 

“Please,” She walks off first, heading for her office where she usually seeks refuge amongst her bottles of whiskey and bourbon and documents. “Just because I love him for being my brother doesn’t mean I should trust him with my finances.” 

“You’re literally born into a family of fortune. Even if he does mess up, you’d be able to recover from it. The consequences would mean absolutely nothing to you.” 

Jang Won pushes the heavy doors of her office open, admiring the late-morning sun that’s spilling all over her chair and her desk. 

“See, that’s where you’re wrong, pretty boy. I choose not to rely on whatever I have at birth because I always felt like whatever my dad had was just handed to him,” She reaches for the ice bucket and picks up a ball of ice, dropping it into the whiskey glass, then coats most of its surface with bourbon. “But God forsake my hard work, huh? I guess if hard work really did pay off then I wouldn’t be standing here, in a wedding-lunch dress, talking to my husband.” 

Juyeon raises both brows and throws himself into one of the sofa seats, the clinking of the whiskey decanter echoing ever so slightly throughout the office. “Ever heard of a holiday? You should go on one.”

She scoffs with exaggeration, the gentle swishing of the alcohol meeting the ice and the glass gleaming like liquid honey under the sunlight. “Yes, because I’m just like you, the one who would run away from the responsibilities he was born into whenever he doesn’t want them.”

“I’m sorry,” Juyeon grimaces, standing up and allowing the silvers of his suit glimmer as he walks into where the sunlight kisses the floor. “Which toe did I step on? I just pulled you out of a situation you would’ve otherwise not wanted to be in.” 

“Unfortunately for you, I didn’t need pulling out. I could’ve handled myself right there and then. It’s been like that for as long as I can remember - I don’t need myself a nanny to save me,” Cocking one of her brows, she gives a wry laugh before downing the shot of whiskey.

Juyeon is in disbelief in her ability to perceive gratitude - or rather, a lack thereof. 

“Maybe your father came back to save HERA & ARTEMIS from your terrible people’s skills, ever thought of that?”

“Wrong again, pretty boy!” She peels the glass off her lips and stares at the lipstick mark. “I’m perfect with the people I wanna be perfect with to get what I want, and when they are of no use to me, I’m well aware I treat them less than average.”

“There it is,” He sneers, stopping right before her as she finishes the last bit of her whiskey. “So, you’re a hypocrite.”

A smirk draws across her lips. Jang Won almost slams the glass back down in the tray of other glasses and the whiskey decanter. “And I’m proud of it. There’s nothing you can do about it, Lee Juyeon. You agreed to play this game my way and now that we’re wearing matching rings. I’m afraid you’ll have to deal with it.”

Jang Won squares up and jabs a finger into his shoulder. But Juyeon catches her wrist and holds it in place, causing her to grunt and attempt to writhe her way out, but to no avail. 

“Kim Jang Won, you listen to me and you listen well. Just because I agreed to play this game by your rules, doesn’t mean I’m your puppet. We both know who will be the more powerful one in May, so my advice?” By now, Juyeon’s nose is almost in her eye. He’s not even bothering to look at her. 

“Don’t offend me.”

Jang Won finally snatches her wrist out of his hold when she feels his grip loosen. Huffing, she stomps past him, shoulder bumping into his arm for good measure as she leaves the office.

Younghoon just about catches his sister rolling her eyes so hard, she was this close to hurling a string of vulgarities at the wooden of her office door. “Hey, what were you doing in your office? People are looking for you!”

Without a word, her eyes are locked with his in frustration. 

“What?” He frowns. 

She thinks for a moment. 

She can ruin him and destroy him by asking him to take Artemis for himself before the deal is due in June. Ask him why he was so useless and had his little sister do everything for him, never once really fighting to take ownership of a company legally his. 

“Nothing,” The brush-off is sharp and distinct as she waves him off, turning to walk into the main hall. “Go get yourself more sponsors before June, will you? I’m not sure the same people would want to keep in touch with HERA & ARTEMIS after the separation and collaboration is made official.”

Juyeon returns home later that evening, still wearing the fourth outfit of the day. It was a blue suit with a black collar and details and all he wants to do is soak himself in his bath. Maybe he could go to sleep safe and sound, and he’d wake up single and free to do whatever he actually wants to do. 

He walks down the entrance corridor, sick of all the staged portraits of him and his family hung on the walls. The main hall comes into sight, past the stairs on his right, where the television was still broadcasting bits and pieces of his wedding earlier. In the million-dollar couch sat his father, eyes and ears attentive to the screen. 

“Was it so entertaining that you have to watch it again? I know you were there this afternoon.”

His father turns his head subtly. Juyeon pulls off his blazer and removes his watch, laying the heavy clothing over his forearm as he scans the broadcast.

“The Lee-Kim wedding saw nothing short of nothing but a perfect list of investors, sponsors, fellow colleagues and leaders of several enterprises...”

He turns to look at his father, obviously still somewhat hurt that he hadn’t been officially invited by his son - Mr Ro had sent out mandatory invites to family members.

“It was a gorgeous wedding.”

“Yeah, well...” Juyeon shrugs lifelessly, already turning around to head for the stairs. “I had no say in it. It was her wedding and I don’t care, so.”

“The Board is expecting you to go on a Honeymoon, you have that in place, right?”

Juyeon gives a dry chuckle, already on the first step of the stairs. “Yeah, we’re going to Guatemala.”

“Guatemala?” His father shifts his attention from the television and looks at Juyeon, halfway up the stairs. “You’re just finding a chance to go diving in Belize, aren’t you?”

His son doesn’t falter, only continuing taking each step towards the second level, in hopes that he wouldn’t have to listen to his father criticise the only thing Jang Won let him do. At least it was some kind of freedom. 

“Juyeon-”

“Mom better not be in my room.”

The second floor corridor greets him with even more portraits of his family, most of the pictures of him when he was younger. He halts right outside his door when he notices light seeping out from beneath. 

Sighing with exasperation, he lays his hand on the door handle, readying himself to listen to his mother ramble. But his attention drifts from the cream-painted mahogany to the low cabinet next to him, the blue shade of the stingray shining under the hallway lights.

There was a ceramic statue of a standing coral frame with the stingray within the arc, and on it engraved ‘Hawaii 2018′. He smiles, remembering only fond memories of seeing a huge stingray while diving. Sunwoo had been dragged out by him - one of those times when he fought with his parents and couldn’t stand being in the same house as them. He covered travel cost and hospitality fees, ensuring Sunwoo’s parents (whose family was also on the smaller arm of The Board’s administration) that he’d take care of them. 

Juyeon got an earful from his parents when he came back. Young Jin Seol had been the one to tell his parents his whereabouts, solely because he had arranged for her to make sure it seemed like he was still doing his job at the office. So, of course, when his parents walked into office and she was doing his work for him, they had threatened to fire her. 

But Juyeon knew he was indebted, and told his parents, “No Jin Seol, then you can forget about me taking over Apple-Korea.”

Sucking a deep breath, Juyeon shakes himself out of his mental trance, and pushes the door open. 

The back of his mother seems so fragile on first sight, and he’s well aware she’s getting on in her years. For a split second, he feels emotional, possibly feeling some tinge of remorse at how horrible of a son he’s been.

Then he remembers that she’s had an abundance of spa treatments, country-club lunches with her fellow rich moms after a game of gold or tennis, and a bunch of other things she definitely didn’t need. He wish he could tell himself otherwise, that she had been born into this life and thus living anything else dissimilar to this would be tiring on her.

But he can’t.

“I’m surprised you bothered to come home,” She says without looking at him. Juyeon rests his blazer on the back of the single sofa seat that’s angled to face the one she’s sitting in. “I was wondering if I should send some pajamas over to Hera’s Manor.”

Juyeon sits in the crystal encrusted sofa seat, crossing his legs and eyeing his mother fiddle with the wedding band on her finger. It reminds him of his own. 

“You realise you’re the one who bound me to the Kim family, don’t you? You’re the one who said okay to marrying Kim Jang Won, not me.”

“It was for your own good.”

“For mine or for our family?” Juyeon leans back in his seat and interlocks his fingers, placing them in his lap. “What else do you really need from the Lee family that you simply cannot take your eyes off? Their money? HERA & ARTEMIS? What?”

Only now does Juyeon notice the cup of tea on the small coffee table infront of them. 

“A child,” She says, like it was the most casual thought one could have, before taking a sip of tea. Her son shuts his eyes then opens them with his eyebrows as far up his forehead as he can. 

Providing a dry, tortured chuckle, Juyeon blinks multiple times, wishing that it was a condition with his hearing and not just something his mother had just spat out.

“A what?” Juyeon pulls apart his hands and leans forward, fists now clenched and pressed into the cushion he was sitting in.

“You heard me,” She places the tea cup down and refuses to look at him. “A child would mean inheritance. The Lee family will inherit the wealth of the Kims and it could possibly start a new system. It could rewrite The Board. We could become The Board.”

“What the-” He finally stands, barely choking out some kind of laughter filled with confusion and utter disbelief. “You want a child just to bond our families together and take over The fucking Board? My God, why are you so obsessed with The Board?”

“Because The Board is everything! No board, no us, no wealth and comfort like the kind we raised you in-”

“Does it look like I wanted it?!” Juyeon runs his hands through his hair, pulling his hair back and stretching his hairline. 

“You ingrate-”

“So I am an ingrate. But I had no choice, I have no life of my own because guess who’s making my decisions for me? You! If I don’t even have the ability to make my own choices then how do I even qualify as an ingrate?!”

She’s silent, and very much staring at the words spewing out of her son’s mouth now. She huffs through her flared nostrils, picking up the saucer and the tea cup and standing. “I don’t know what kind of ideas Kim Jang Won has planted in your head but you are still part of the Lee family and-”

“For Gods’ sake, Jang Won has nothing to do with any of this! In fact, she can’t care less about what I’m doing, so long as it doesn’t change the course of this entire situation. If anything, she’s playing it safe; she’s playing it against her father, and not us,” The veins on Juyeon’s hands are about to rip through his skin when he cannot close his fist any more. “Her father literally climbed out the grave... and you took this chance to capitalise on that in order to make our family richer the moment you heard of The Board’s announcement regarding HERA & ARTEMIS’s ownership complications...”

Juyeon shakes his head subtly, realising that he was panting from the sheer force of anger and disgust rushing through him. 

“And she’s younger than me. Lost her mother, lost her father, who only comes back to take what she built? You know, for a woman under The Board, I’d think you’d understand what she’s gone through. I thought... I thought you would’ve known how hard it is to be the successful one in the family but cannot pass down the family name... but everytime I think the world of you, and I think you’d act a little more like the woman I thought you are... you prove me wrong.”

Juyeon glares down at her, hands holding the teacup in the saucer with some kind of disapproving, disappointed look of fury in her eyes. Then he sighs heavily, hands rushing to pick up his blazer and storms out the room before she can.

“Leave Kim Jang Won alone, or else I’ll refuse Apple-Korea. By then, you can forget about all your stupid green bills and diamond rings.”

And with that, he slams the door shut. 

Juyeon appears along the second floor hallway, visible from the first floor’s living hall, where his father was still watching the news of his wedding earlier on in the day. Of course, the door slamming would’ve caught his attention, so when his son rushes down the stairs while putting his blazer back on, the elder man removes himself off the couch.

“Juyeon! Where are you going?!”

“Don’t call me, and don’t even think of calling Hera’s Manor,” He opens the heavy front door with such determination, then slams it harder than he intends to. By the foot of the stairs leading down to the pick up point by the entrance, his two bodyguards are taken aback and flustered when Juyeon appears again.

“Uh, can I get Mr Bong around-”

The instruction through the guard’s earpiece is cut short and interrupted abruptly as Juyeon unplugs the earpiece from the transmitter. 

“Mr Lee-” 

Juyeon doesn’t hesitate to do the same with the other guard. By now, his father has gotten the front door open and yelling at him with disapproving scolds. 

Rushing around the hood of the Porsche, Juyeon steps into the drivers’ seat - an unlikely sight, since he’s been chauffeured around most of the time.

“What in the world are you two doing? Stop him from leaving!” 

The vehicle revs to life, and Juyeon fumbles under the passenger seat’s compartment box and every crook and cranny in the front of the car.

“Juyeon!”

He winds up the window on the driver’s side and locks the entire vehicle just as his father reaches the window. He tugs on the handle angrily, almost able to shake the entire car with his aggression. 

“Juyeon, don’t you dare!”

Then, he finds it. A tracking device attached to all the cars his family owns.

Ripping it off the surface it was stuck into, he rolls down the window on the passenger’s side and hurls it out, straight into the arms of one of the bodyguards.

“Juyeon!”

He starts up the car and pulls it into drive, forcing his father to back off as he moves off.

[when-they-write-stuff]

-

Fucking Stiles Stilinski.

That’s what Derek would like to say.

Fucking Stiles Stilinski and his stupid face, his stupid smile, and the stupid way that Derek would always see him in the hallways and that bright look in his eyes always made him stumble. Fucking Stiles Stilinski and the way that Derek couldn’t get him out of his head for some reason.

For some stupid, unbelievable reason.

Cora thought it was hilarious. Derek thought it was the most annoying thing ever.

Stiles was the most annoying thing ever.

“Hale!”

Derek nearly stumbled over his own feet at Coach’s shout, turning around to see a basketball sailing right toward his face. Eyes rounding, he barely had the chance to duck as laughter filled the air and he glared across the gym— where all the cheerleaders stood in their little group, Stiles right splat in the middle.

Fucking Stiles Stilinski.

“I said, Hale!”

Growling, Derek turned back around as Coach stalked toward him. Derek’s older sister used to tell him that Coach’s bite was worse than his bark, but Derek had come to realize that was utter bull. If there was one thing BHHS’s basketball coach was good at, it was yelling.

“Where the hell is your head, Hale?” Coach shouted, jabbing him on the forehead. Derek swallowed another growl and let the man poke away, knowing better than to ever avidly seek out Coach’s wrath. “You’re living in a daydream today!”

“Sorry, Coach,” Derek mumbled, dropping his gaze. The sound of laughter was still in the air, though, and his eyes snapped back up unconsciously, over Coach’s shoulder as he took in Stiles’s bright and grinning face.

He was always grinning and that bothered Derek like nothing else. The way his eyes would dance, his laughter would make Derek’s heart skip a beat, and— and—

“Hale!”

Derek blinked at the shout right in his ear, feeling like he’d just been dunked into cold water. Coach was scowling now and Derek felt his face turn redder, wishing he could be anywhere else but practice at the moment. “Uh, right. Sorry, Coach.”

“Yeah, kid, you’ve said that already. Are you feeling alright today?”

“I’m fine,” Derek said, forcing himself not to look back over at where Stiles was. “Really.”

“Good,” Coach said. “Because if you miss the game this week, I’m taking you off the starting lineup for the rest of the season.”

Derek looked back at the man in alarm, but Coach just raised his hands, turning away.

“Don’t force my hand, Hale.”

Derek watched him walk away and then despite himself, despite everything, glanced over his shoulder. Most of the cheerleaders had lost interest at this point— except for Stiles. Stiles, who was still staring at him, that crooked smile still hanging on his lips. And the moment his eyes met Derek’s, something in his expression changed. He grinned wider, raised a hand, and Derek quickly turned back around.

He wasn’t doing this. He wasn’t… ugh. 

Fucking Stiles Stilinski.

-

“I don’t know why, man,” Stiles said, slamming his locker shut. “But the guy hates me. You should’ve seen him at practice yesterday.”

“I don’t think he hates you,” Scott said, shrugging on his backpack. Stiles shot him a disbelieving look and the boy shrugged, starting down the hall with Stiles at his side. “I just don’t think he knows you. I mean, you guys never even talk, right?”

Stiles glowered. “I was his chemistry partner last semester and I’ve been on the cheerleading team since I was a freshman. He should know me well enough to at least smile back when I wave hi.”

“He just ignored you?”

Stiles rolled his eyes. “I dunno, dude. He gets all weird, clams up, and then pretends like I don’t exist.”

Scott gave him a curious look, but Stiles wasn’t paying his friend any attention anymore. Speaking of the devil, he eyed Derek as they passed him and a few of his buddies gathered around their lockers. And for a moment— one brief, making Stiles’s stomach clench moment— grey-green eyes met his own. 

But then Hale’s face tightened, his eyes snapped away, and he slammed his locker so hard, all of his buddies jumped.

Stiles rolled his eyes, walking faster past. “See what I mean?”

Scott was still giving him a strange look. But Stiles only half-noticed it, forcing himself not to glance over his shoulder as the sounds of the jocks' voices faded. Glaring down at the floor, he wondered what the hell was so wrong with him. Or maybe what the hell was so wrong with Derek Hale.

So Stiles might have been crushing on him for three years now. So what? It wasn’t like it actually mattered judging by the fact that Hale had never even really acknowledged his existence anyway.

“Whatever,” Stiles said. “Screw Derek Hale.”

“Sure, man,” Scott said, shaking his head. And honestly, Stiles thought he was holding something back. But did he care? Absolutely not. Stiles had no cares in the world.

Especially not about Derek Hale.

-

“I’m just saying,” Erica said, readjusting her uniform and dabbing at her glossed lips. “If you like him so much, you should consider talking to him once in a while.”

Derek pulled a face, making Boyd snort at the girl’s side, one arm wrapped around her waist. The rest of the cafeteria was far too loud around them and he was trying to concentrate on the chemistry homework that he had definitely not done. Back when Stiles had been his partner, Derek had actually been driven to get it done, if only to impress the boy. Not like it’d ever worked, he didn’t think.

He didn’t really know how the hell to impress Stiles Stilinski.

“I don’t like him,” Derek growled, ignoring Isaac’s disbelieving scoff. “I just think he has no right being so loud and what the hell is up with the outfit?”

Erica shot him an obvious look, gesturing down at her own, and Derek rolled his eyes. 

“That’s different.”

“Is it?” Isaac asked mildly, attention fixed on the orange he was trying and failing to peel. “Or is it because whenever you catch the sight of Stilinski in a crop top on the court, you trip over your own feet and lose the ball?”

Derek shot him an annoyed look. Isaac wasn’t even paying attention.

“He’s right,” Erica said, smirking wickedly. “But if you’d like, Der, I can put in a good word. Stiles is my Batman and he sure could use his own Clark Kent.”

“Shut up.”

“Okay, whatever,” the girl shrugged. “Just tell me if you change your mind.”

Derek glowered even more, gaze still drifting across the cafeteria. Totally not toward the table where Stiles sat surrounded by his friends, Scott’s arm slung over his shoulders in a way that definitely didn’t make Derek frown. 

“Whipped,” Erica snorted across from him. Derek turned the weight of his glare toward her, trying to wipe at least some of that knowing smirk from her lips.

It didn’t work.

-

If Stiles was sure of one thing, it was that Mr. Harris hated him.

It wasn’t like chemistry was his least favorite class or anything— or at least, it didn’t use to be. But he was pretty sure Mr. Harris hated him with all his heart and soul, and that had kind of soured the class for Stiles as the year went on.

Which was why when the man stuck them with some lame-ass book assignment and proceeded to get on his phone, acting like none of his students existed, Stiles shot Scott a grin and held out his hand, making a grabby gesture.

“How much money would you give me to flip this table, right here, right now, in the middle of class?”

Scott gave him a wide-eyed look, which only made Stiles grin wider. 

“Cause I swear, I’ll do it.”

“Don’t,” Scott said, eyes darting nervously to where Harris sat. “He’ll have you in detention for the rest of the year.”

“It’s almost over anyway,” Stiles said, still grinning. “And he can’t give me detention if I accidentally ‘fall’ now can he? Twenty bucks and I’ll make him forget all about this stupid time filler assignment, easy peasy.”

“Stiles—”

“I’ll take you up on that.”

Stiles turned around, blinking in surprise at Erica Reyes. She smirked, nodding toward Harris.

“But you have to do it so hard, he falls out of his chair.”

Stiles looked at her for a long moment, debating. At the desk beside her, Boyd shifted a little nervously, but didn’t say anything to talk his girlfriend down. Chewing on his lower lip, Stiles thought for one more moment, then grinned brightly, holding out his hand.

“Deal.”

“Money after,” Erica said, eyes glinting. “But he has to be out of his chair, Stilinski.”

Scott was still giving him a pleading look, but Stiles pretended like he didn’t see it as he turned back around. Harris was still fixated on his phone, feet propped up on his desk. Stiles studied the man, tilted his head, and then shoved himself up so fast, his chair went tipping and he caught the underside of the table, taking it with him as everything went spilling to the floor.

There was a shout, a yelp. Stiles watched in absolute glee as Harris jerked so hard, he kicked his coffee cup off his desk and his chair tumbled backward, taking the man and the cord of his laptop, wrapped around his foot, with him.

For a moment, the classroom was silent. Stiles glanced back at Erica, who looked like she was just barely containing a fit of laughter.

Then, “Stilinski!”

Stiles winced, shooting Erica one last look. Her face was bright red now. “Twenty bucks, Reyes.”

“Derek will cover me,” Erica said, jerking her head to the table across the room. Stiles looked over, startled, to see Hale looking at him with wide green eyes, face a little pale.

Stiles offered a weak smile, raising a hand in a small wave. And then the boy was looking sharply away.

Stiles didn’t even have a chance to feel insulted before Harris had grabbed the back of his collar and dragged him from the room. 

-

Stiles did, after all, get Friday afternoon detention for the next month, despite his protests that the whole ‘table flipping accident’ was really an accident. He supposed it was worth it though; twenty bucks was a two or three milkshakes at his favorite diner if he didn’t get fries.

“I can’t believe you, dude,” Scott said, elbowing him in the side. “That was so stupid.”

“That was so genius,” Stiles said, elbowing him back. “Harris completely forgot about the assignment and I’m up twenty bucks.”

The boy just grilled his eyes. “From Derek?”

The grin slipped off of Stiles’s lips. In all of the excitement, he'd completely forgotten about Erica absolutely screwing him over. Catching his expression, Scott barked a laugh, patting him on the back and starting away.

“Best of luck with that, man.”

“Hey, wait! Scotty? Scott!”

The thing about Derek Hale is that Stiles wasn’t really intimidated by him, per-say. Sure, the guy was a year older, constantly gave him the cold shoulder, and was always surrounded by his ‘too cool for school’ jock buddies. But Stiles was also pretty sure Derek was a bit of a nerd. Even if it was just secretly so.

He’d probably been the best chemistry partner Stiles had ever had. Even if he’d pretended like Stiles didn’t exist the entire time.

He sought him out before the game, heart thudding against his chest in a way that Stiles didn’t really understand. It was hard enough separating Derek Hale from his buddies, but his sister also stuck to his side— and she was intimidating. 

Cora was Stiles’s grade and, like him, a few classes ahead. She also scared the crap out of Stiles whenever those eyes lit up with anything close to mischief.

“Good afternoon, Stilinski,” she said as Stiles approached, arms folded across her chest. “Nice top.”

Stiles glanced down at himself and then rolled his eyes, glancing at Derek. For some reason, the boy looked a little constipated and his face was bright red. “Erica owes me twenty bucks.”

Cora raised an eyebrow, glancing over at her brother. Derek just stared.

Stiles sighed. “She said you’d cover her.”

“She— what?”

“Twenty bucks, dude,” Stiles said, sticking out his hand. “Pay up.”

Cora made a scoffing noise and clapped Derek on the shoulder before giving Stiles an amused look. “And that’s my cue to leave. Go easy on him, Stiles. Derek gets a little tongue-tied when he can see skin.”

Stiles blinked, unsure what to do with any part of that sentence. But Derek’s face was red all the way to his ears now and before Stiles could say a word, he was turning away too, starting toward the locker room.

Stiles blinked again, rooted to the spot for a moment. Then, shaking his head, he started after the boy.

“Hey, dude, wait!”

Derek did not, in fact, wait. 

Stiles followed him into the locker room, stumbling over his own feet as he tried to catch up. Derek went straight for his locker and started to tug off his shirt, making Stiles yelp and avert his eyes.

Which was stupid, right? Yeah, that was stupid. It’s not like he’d never seen another dude change in the literal locker room before.

“I don’t have your money,” Derek said, sounding like he was grinding his teeth together. Stiles licked his lips nervously, turning to face the boy again.

He was still shirtless.

“Uh, right,” Stiles said, shaking his head. Silently, he willed Derek to pull on his jersey or maybe just stop stripping altogether. His mind was blank for the entire time that Derek finally pulled his basketball jersey over his head, raising an eyebrow afterward as if he didn’t know why Stiles was still within spitting distance of him.

“Well?”

Stiles opened his mouth, closed it, and then frowned. “Okay, dude, what the hell is your problem?”

Derek paused with the jersey half pulled down his torso. Stiles tried not to blush.

“You’ve literally only spoken to me like twice,” Stiles said. “And still hate me for some reason. Have I ever done something to offend you? Are you offended by all that is—” he gestured to himself up and down— “This?”

Hale looked taken aback. Stiles’s throat tightened.

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

“I don’t…” Derek shook his head and pulled his jersey all the way down. “You’re fine.”

“I’m fine?”

“Uh, yeah, I guess.”

Stiles stared at him. He couldn’t see much of the boy’s face in the darkness, but he was pretty sure he was still lying about something. Derek grabbed his bag, starting to brush past, but Stiles caught his arm before he could go anywhere.

Derek made a noise of surprise, spinning back around. And Stiles quickly let go, retreating a step back, and promptly got his feet caught in his own bag, a noise of surprise leaving his mouth before he started to topple over.

He definitely wasn’t going to be fine after this, some part of his brain supplied helpfully.

Only, Stiles didn’t brain himself. Suddenly, there was a hand around his forearm and seconds before Stiles hit the lockers, Derek hauled him back up, grunting slightly.

Except, just because Stiles excelled at making bad things even worse, he found himself lurching forward with the momentum, slamming right into his so-called “you’re fine, I guess” savior.

This time, it was Derek’s turn to go toppling. And the only help Stiles provided was him falling right after the boy.

In all the ways he could die, Stiles never thought it would be death by angry-jock-who-just-got-tackled. Underneath him, Derek’s eyes were wide, face pale, and Stiles stared back, pretty sure his heart had stopped beating in his chest.

For a moment, he was almost terrified to breathe. Then, slowly, he realized he wasn’t dead yet.

“Um,” Stiles said, face turning hot. “Sorry.”

He half-expected Derek to shove him off or maybe give him a good punch in the face first. But instead, the boy just stayed there, frozen, eyes wide and pupils dilated. Stiles felt his throat close, carefully starting to push himself up.

“Stiles,” Derek said croakily. Stile abruptly froze.

“Oh my god, dude, I’m so sorry. Did I break something? Please tell me I didn’t break anything.”

Derek was still staring at him. And Stiles didn’t mean to drop his gaze to the other boy’s lips, he really didn’t. It wasn’t like he’d never imagined what it would be like if Derek one day kissed him. Possibly after he realized Stiles actually existed, possibly after he realized how damn hot Stiles was.

Because he was, thank you very much.

“Stiles,” Derek said again. And Stiles realized he’d been staring for much too long.

Shit.

In a second, Stiles was pushing himself up. He half dragged Derek with him, swaying a little as his heart thudded against his chest. The silence in the locker room was almost too loud as Derek stared at him for a long moment, chest rising and falling a little too fast.

“So,” Stiles said, running a hand through his hair awkwardly. “About that twenty dollars—”

He was cut off by the action of Derek kissing him.

Derek Hale. Derek Hale was kissing him and Stiles was pretty sure he hadn’t just hit his head too hard when they both fell or something. For a moment, he was too surprised to do anything but make a startled noise at the back of his throat, and then Derek was crowding him against the lockers, one hand carding through his hair as Stiles came snapping back to himself like a rubber band stretched too far.

Derek Hale was kissing him. And dammit if Stiles didn’t kiss him back the moment Stiles exe. was working again.

If he found out later that he had just hit his head too hard or maybe Derek had actually killed him, Stiles supposed he’d be fine. He’d be fine because yeah, he’d probably thought about this a thousand times, but he’d never actually seen it happening.

He also kinda hadn’t ever done anything like this before, so he really hoped Derek wasn’t about to call him the worst kisser ever or something.

Stiles let Derek take the lead as the boy tightened his grip in Stiles’s hair. And yeah, he was so glad he’d decided to let it grow out Sophomore year. Because this? This was every one of his fantasies.

Suddenly, there was the sound of a buzzer from outside. 

Stiles jerked so hard, he slammed his head against the lockers, groaning in pain as the kiss broke. He felt a little dazed, a lot shocked, and the moment he opened his eyes, Derek was looking at him with that ‘caught in headlights’ expression again.

Buzzer, some part of Stiles’s brain offered. 

The game.

“Oh, shit,” Stiles said, snapping back to reality. If he was the reason that the star player of the basketball team was late to the game, Lydia was totally going to kick him off the cheer squad. Derek was starting to look a little more grounded too, thankfully, and even in the dim light, Stiles could tell his face was bright red.

“Um…”

“Yeah.”

“That was—”

“Mm-hm.”

Derek snapped his mouth shut, eyes flitting from Stiles’s face, to his lips, and then back up. And that was Stiles’s move, wasn’t it? “Was that bad?”

Stiles blinked. Once more, Stiles exe. logged off for a second and then he shook his head, staring. “No? No, definitely not. No.”

“I, uh, don’t hate you,” Derek said. A small, almost shocked laugh built up in Stiles’s throat.

“I could tell.”

Derek looked down at himself, his uniform, and then toward the door. When he looked back, his expression was almost hesitant, and Stiles was almost surprised he’d never seen a look like that before. “I have a game.”

“Yeah,” Stiles said, finally cracking a small smile. Because his heart had stopped thudding against his chest now and he just felt a little warm. A little tingly. Which, if this was all real, was actually quite pleasant. “Yeah, dude, I’m usually there too.”

Derek’s ears turned red. “Oh, yeah.”

Stiles looked at the boy, hesitated for a moment, and then leaned forward, pecking him on the cheek. Derek immediately went statue-still again and Stiles snorted despite himself, patting the boy on the shoulder as he slipped by. “That’s for good luck, Hale. I’ll see you out there?”

Derek was still wide-eyes and speechless when he turned around. Still grinning, Stiles offered him a wink and salute, before all but stumbling toward the door.

He could feel Derek staring after him. But the boy didn’t say another word.

Stiles had never seen himself the one to break Derek Hale.

-

Derek stayed after the brown-haired, amber-eyed boy in silence, his thoughts moving slowly. For a moment, he felt dazed. Then winded. Like he’d already played the game, won, and had maybe been declared MVP or something.

But then Stiles was gone, Derek was left in the silence, and he finally snapped out of his trance.

A trance, yeah. That’s what he could call it.

Because he had just kissed Stiles. He had just kissed Stiles Stilinski.

Derek blinked, then reached up, touching his lips. And fuck, Stiles had tasted like cinnamon and spices. And somehow, it had all been better than Derek might have ever always wondered.

He had just kissed Stiles.

“Oh,” Derek said, as the sound of the scoreboard buzzer went off outside the locker room again. Game— starting— right.

Oh. 

Fucking Stiles Stilinski.

-

Oh gosh, so I've never actually written a Sterek High School fic, so I apologize if it's a bit rough around the edges. I couldn’t figure out to work the jumper part in, but I hope crop-tops were a okay substitute @wolfile​! Thank you so much for the prompt <3

(if you enjoy my writing, consider sending a coffee? You can also request a prompt if you’d like!). https://ko-fi.com/rh27writer

[yeonjunsgoodgirl]

Eclipse

Chapter one: at first sight

Tamaki Amajiki x reader

Attention: this isn't a one-shot, but a story with chapters. I'll post one chapter every week!

You can also find this story on wattpad.

«GET OUT OF MY WAY, YOU BASTARD HALF AND HALF! PISS OFF!»

Y/N turned, her right eyebrow arched while was looking at her friend. «What do you want, Bakugou?»

   «I wasn't speaking with you, but with Shoto!» he screamed again, looking almost possessed.

She grabbed her twin by the sleeve of his uniform, pulling him aside to let the blonde boy pass by and enter the class first.

   «Remind me how did you become his friend?» Shoto asked with his usually serious expression.

   «Don't ask. I don't know either.» she just answered, entering the class.

She took her seat, which was not so far from Shoto's at the bottom of the class. She was just like her twin, at least physically: hair half white and half red, an eye light blue and the other one brown, but without the big scar on her left eye. However she had a little one on her right cheekbone. It happened when she tried to help her brother the day their mother threw the boiling hot water to him. Some of that splashed, hitting her and leaving that little scar.

She was a little bit shorter than Shoto, maybe around 5'6". But their personality was different; Y/N used to show her emotions, her feelings unlike her brother. She didn't care about their father, or better, she couldn't stand him due to his behavior, nevertheless she wasn't moved by grudge and anger like Shoto. She just used not to consider Endeavor.

   «You should be more talkative and make some friends in this class...» she whispered, looking at her brother. Shoto hadn't integrate himself with the rest of the class yet. He preferred always stay aside and usually alone. The same was for Y/N at the beginning of the school, not wanting to leave her twin alone, but day by day, she'd become friend with Jirou and Mina, then with Kirishima, who introduced her to Bakugou and Kaminari, but Shoto kept going to be alone. Such a stubborn brother sometimes.

   «I don't care.» he just answered, making her snort.

Y/N didn't care about what Endeavor did to her, but she kind hated him into her heart's depths to what he did to Shoto. She hated him because her twin lost his happiness, never being able to get back what he had lost in his childhood. He was like an adult into a teenager boy.

   «Get your hero costumes. We'll meet at Ground Beta.» said professor Aizawa, catching their attention. «Today, training.»

Y/N stood up, catching the small suitcase containing her hero costume. It was different from Shoto's. Her costume wasn't planned considering just the ice quirk. She had red shorts, comfortable and fireproof, black long boots –till half thigh-, a red crop top and a black short-sleeved jacket.

   «Hey Y/N!» Mina called her with energy as always. «Wanna team up if we'll do a team training?!»

Mina has always been kind with her.

«Yeah of course! We're probably going to-» she was cut off, crashing against someone in the hallway towards the exit. Y/N rubbed her forehead for some seconds before looking up to see who's the person she crashed against. In front of her there was a boy, taller than her. His face was a bit covered by the dark purple hair, but she could notice the red on his cheeks and the way his eyes were trying to avoid hers. He was fuckin' cute, but she could bet she had never seen him before; perhaps the boy was a senior.

   «I'm so sorry, I had to pay attention-»

   «F-forget about i-it...» he quickly said, walking away at a fast pace.

She followed him with her eyes, being a little bit confused, then looking at the boy's friend, still in front of Mina and her. «D-did I say something wrong?» she asked worried.

The boy with blond hair and a tuft upwards smiled politely shaking his head. «No, you didn't. Forgive Tamaki please, he's just too shy to talk with anyone, don't even mention pretty girls...»

   «Oh...» she whisper, looking down and shifting foot to foot.

   «Don't worry. Anyway, I'm Mirio Togata, nice to meet you.» the boy said, bowing slightly.

She quickly did the same, introducing herself. «I'm Todoroki Y/N. she's my friend Mina.»

   «See you around girls, have a nice lesson!» he greeted them, following his friend, disappeared along the hallway by now.

   «Pretty~» she said nudging her a little, a naughty smile on her face.

   «Which one?» asked Y/N, walking quickly once she realized they were late because of that little 'accident'.

   «The one you crashed with!» she exclaimed enthusiastic.

   «Yeah...pretty.»

*

    «Tamaki? Hey, Earth to Tamaki!»

Mirio made a little paper ball, throwing it to his friend who was sitting in front of him. The professor wasn't arrived yet, and he absolutely wanted to ask something to Amajiki.

The poor boy jump in fright when the sheet paper hit his head, waking him up from his thoughts. Mirio noticed he was really, really absent during the last lessons' hours. As if he wasn't able to focus.

   «What's wrong, Mirio?» he asked quietly.

   «You're lost! I mean, you always seem lost, but now you really are!» he said, pointing at him, that smile never left his lips. «What's wrong? You're overthinking!»

   «I-I am not...» he whispered, avoiding his gaze.

Mirio knew him very well and he knew there was something on his mind for sure. He was too lost, it wasn't like always, when he seemed not interest in something, this time it seemed more like he was lost because he was interest in something...or someone. Mirio opened his eyes wide, thinking about it: someone.

   «Wait! You thinking about Y/N?!» he exclaimed standing up swiftly. Mirio moved from his desk, encircling Tamaki's and stopping in front of him with a huge smile on his lips.

   «Who?»

   «Y/N! the girl who got against you before!» Mirio clarified, remembering they'd introduced themselves when his friend was gone.

Tamaki seemed lighting up a bit. «Is her name Y/N?»

   «Yeah, she's Todoroki's sister. Endeavor's daughter.»

Hearing those words, Tamaki's face became darker. She was Endeavor's daughter...her father was the hero number two in the whole Japan. What kind of possibilities he had?

    «Tamaki? Ta-ma-ki!» the blonde guy waved his hands in front of his eyes, trying to waking him up from his paranoias.

   «I'm not thinking about Y/N anyway.» he tried to close the discussion quickly, but Mirio wasn't the person who gave up.

   «C'mon, just tell me! She's pretty and seems really, really kind.» he smiled. «You've never tried to have a girlfriend, giving up still before even try! C'mon man, just try to become her friend...maybe then you could have the chance to ask her a date!»

   «You're going crazy. How am I supposed to do all of this? I'm not comfortable making friends, you know I'm too introvert.»

   «And what if she'll do the first move?»

   «Then I'll think about it.»

Mirio brusted into a laugh. «You just admitted you were thinking about her.» he said, making his friend become redder and redder for the shame and embarrassment.

Tamaki thought she was just beautiful. She was younger than him, but seemed so mature and 'older' than her classmates. He'd never thought about a girlfriend, actually he'd never taken interesting in them, convincing himself he wouldn't be able to do the first move, thinking about himself as too pathetic and less than what a girl would expect.

Little did he knew how wrong was he. 

NEXT CHAPTER NEXT WEEK!

COMMENT OR LEAVE A HEART TO LET ME KNOW YOU LIKED IT!

[voxmyriad]

Ok a prompt if I may:

The 501st are on leave, Ahsoka finds Rex as he’s leaving the barracks, asks him what he wants to do after the war, they wander around the city chatting and end up in a spot that Rex likes to go to between deployments because it’s peaceful

I just love their brother/sister BroTP vibes and I think they’d have good conversations

- @anstarwar

This ended up not being on Coruscant, but I still want to hit up this food market. Set sometime before things get really awful everywhere. || Send in prompts

Sometimes, they got lucky. Sometimes, a mission wound up not being a mission at all. They'd been sent to give support to a group of city-based freedom fighters, but by the time they'd arrived, guerrilla forces had pushed the Separatists to the fringes of the city, easy targets for the 501st air support. They hadn't even needed to land troops.

They hadn't been responsible for the victory either, but the leaders of the people had invited them into the city anyway, a gesture of solidarity toward their intention of joining the Republic. The Resolute wouldn't be running with a skeleton crew, by any means, but every trooper not currently on duty was being released for some overdue shore leave.

So was Ahsoka, and as soon as Anakin let her go, she ran toward the barracks, full of ideas, and skidded to a halt as Rex emerged. "Hi," she said, grinning, a little out of breath. "I got a tip about a good dumpling place."

"When did you have time to get a tip about a good dumpling place?" Rex asked as he fell into step next to her, helmet propped on his hip. They were off-duty, but he wasn't going anywhere without his armor.

"Okay, I don't have a tip about a good dumpling place," she admitted. "I was hoping you'd want to come look for one with me."

Rex laughed, tension unspooling from his shoulders as they hopped aboard a LAAT/i with a group of shinies for quick transport to the surface. "Yeah, let's look around. Maybe we'll find something even better."

"Better than dumplings?" Ahsoka asked skeptically.

"I don't trust dumplings," a trooper said. There was barely a scratch to his armor yet. Could probably count the meals he'd eaten planetside on one hand. "Could be anything in there."

"They could hide anything under a bowl of noodles, too," the trooper beside him pointed out. Another shiny, but he looked like he'd at least seen a battle or two. The easy camaraderie between them could mean they were squadmates, but Ahsoka didn't know them yet.

"At least with noodles you can dig around and make sure you're not gonna eat something with too many eyes."

"How many eyes have you ever found in a dumpling?"

Ahsoka and Rex fell silent, grinning at each other as the rest of the troopers joined in and the great debate about the perfect food rose around them.

"Something even better" turned out to be an entire small marketplace filled with stalls serving an array of foods for a few credits. Rex and Ahsoka split up, the better to collect as much variety as they possibly could, and perched at a table toward the edge of the market. From here they had a view overlooking a busy park. The native vegetation here was a delicate purple, but otherwise, it looked like dozens of others, filled with citizens strolling the paths, children running across the trimmed grasses. The war had hardly touched them, to look at them now.

"Do you ever think about the end of the war?" Ahsoka asked, contemplating one more tiny dumpling.

Rex finished the one he'd just taken. "Sometimes. I don't really know what to think about the end of the war."

"How do you mean?" Reluctantly, she set the dumpling down again. It was tiny, but it might have been one morsel too many. Maybe in a few minutes she'd have room for it.

Dipping a small cube of unidentified but delicious protein into a fiery sauce, Rex shrugged a shoulder. "Well, we're not citizens. We were created for this war, but they didn't exactly write in pension plans for all of us." He took the bite and washed it down with a bottle of juice the vendor had squeezed in front of him. He didn't know what it was, but he knew it was fresh.

Ahsoka frowned, thoughtful, as she set her flimsy tray aside and watched three children playing some complicated ball-tossing game. It was impossible to determine the rules, if there were any rules, but all three of them were laughing, darting back and forth. "Well, what would you like to do? If you could do anything."

"Anything, huh?" Rex watched the game-playing, tracking movements of the ball and the players, and started to piece together the strategies. "I thought once I might try my hand at farming. I, ah. Met someone who came to it late. Seemed pretty contented with the life."

"Farming?" Ahsoka wrinkled her nose.

Rex elbowed her, laughing. "What's that face for?"

"Nothing," she said quickly. "It's—it's not important."

He waited. He knew that tone. Whatever it was, it was at least a little important, or she would have just come out and told him.

". . . well." Ahsoka picked up a skewer that had once held meatballs and bent it lightly between her fingers, testing the tensile strength before it would splinter. "Every youngling in the Temple wants to be a Padawan. But we all know not everyone will be chosen. Of course, there are a lot of other duties, and they're all important!" she added hurriedly. "But . . . being passed over by a Master and sent to the AgriCorps always felt like it would be more of a punishment than a calling. To me, anyway. That's what I think of when I think about farming. It almost happened to Master Kenobi."

"Really?" The children had tired of the game now and were sitting in a triangle on the grass, tossing the ball from one to the next while they talked. Rex wondered what they were talking about, but they were too far away to overhear. "Never heard that story."

"I only know it because Anakin mentioned it once." She paused, uncertain. "I don't think it's my story to tell."

"What would you do, then?" Rex asked after a few moments of thoughtful silence. "If you weren't a Jedi?"

"Me?" The skewer splintered. Ahsoka set it down again and brushed tiny spicules off her legs. "I really don't know. I can't imagine not being a Jedi. . . . but I suppose after the war, I'll still be one. And you'll be . . ."

"A farmer. Yeah, I've decided. I like the sound of it. Besides, who knows? You might come visit me and find out you'd've loved it in the AgriCorps," Rex teased, tweaking the chain that served as her Padawan braid. "Be begging me to stay on and help with the crops, or the livestock, or the orchard, whatever I've got."

"I doubt it," Ahsoka countered, but she was laughing again, thoughts of someday not being a Jedi neatly banished at the image of Rex working his farm. It took shape in her mind, rows of crops, a hill of crooked fruit trees, fenced-in animals peacefully grazing. "I'd like that for you," she said at last, softer now, more serious.

Rex glanced down at their empty trays and plucked up that one last little dumpling. "It's a nice thought," he said, and his tone was . . . pleasantly neutral. It was a nice thought, a nice thought that wouldn't be happening. "C'mon, see if you can catch it. No cheating."

"See if you can throw it straight," she teased right back as she scrambled off the table and backed up to the railing.

He threw it straight and she caught it, right on target, no cheating. The three children looked up toward the balcony at the dual hollers of triumph, but Ahsoka and Rex had already gone.

[mldrgrl]

Broken Things 9/24

by: mldrgrl Rating: varies by chapter, rated R overall See Chapter 1 for summary and notes

He likes her more and more with every minute that passes.  In some ways she reminds him of his sister.  Samantha was such a determined and spirited little girl and he can see the same qualities in Katherine, though it’s clear she tries to suppress them.  He suspects that’s a product of both her upbringing and her previous marriage.

He’s excited to get her settled on the ranch and to have her there.  As a man raised by a strong woman of considerable influence, he’s missed both the female perspective and the companionship.  There is a different energy that women bring with them that has been inspiring poets and heroes throughout history.  Perhaps that energy is what Monica Doggett was referring to when she was talking about auras.

The ranch is alive with activity when he arrives.  Jesse and Jimmy are training in the corral.  Richard is mending fence posts and Trevor is moving the sheep from grazing back to the pen, with Queenie keeping the small herd in line.  Melvin is nowhere in sight, which could mean he’s getting supper together or tinkering in the barn.

Mulder stops the wagon just outside the barn.  He helps Katherine down and she waits to help with the unloading of her things.  He gives her the valise and insists on doing the rest even though it will take a few trips.

“Go on ahead,” he tells her.  “I’m going to see to the horses and I’ll be along in a minute.”

Trevor comes along as Mulder is unhitching the wagon and he takes the horses away to be watered and fed.  Before he unloads the packages he stops by the corral and checks in with Jesse and Jimmy on the training.

With his arms loaded with packages, he steps into Katherine’s room, but stays just inside the doorway to wait to be invited in.  She has removed her hat and has the valise opened and is standing before the open wardrobe.

“Looks like Melvin has been busy,” Mulder says, noting the vase of fresh wildflowers on the side table and the quilt folded at the foot of the bed.  The room smells of lemons and a feather duster has been abandoned on the side of the wash stand.

“He shouldn’t have gone to any trouble on my account,” she says.

“I’ll be sure to scold him later and send him to bed without supper.  Where would you like these?”

“I’ll take them.”

He hands off the packages to her and she places them almost gently on the bed and then touches one almost reverently.  He wonders when the last time she had something new and for herself was.  He hopes she got everything she needed and at least a few things that she just wanted.

“I need to take care of a few things with the horses so I’ll let you settle in.”

“I’d like to get started on my responsibilities as soon as possible.”

“You wouldn’t like a day or two to yourself before you start taking things on?”

“No, thank you, I like to keep occupied.”

“I’ll track Melvin down and send him to you.”

“I’ll put my things away then and wait here.”

Mulder takes a few steps to the bed and then twirls a bit of the twine knotting one of her packages around one finger.  “This is your home now,” he says.  “You are the lady of the house.”

“Are you trying to gently remind me that I should not act as a guest here?”

“Or reminding myself not to treat you like one.”

“Then I will find Mr. Frohike as soon as I have unpacked my things and have him show me what needs to be done.”

“As my lady wishes.”  Mulder smiles and then bows slightly.  “I will see you at supper.”

↭

She doesn’t have to find Mr. Frohike, he finds her, whistling as he enters the room and then stops when he sees her.  He’s carrying two oil lamps, one in each hand.  She has just finished putting her packages away in the wardrobe and is folding the paper and balling the twine to repurpose at some point.

“Mr. Frohike,” she says.  “Please, come in.”

“Pardon me for not knockin’, Madam,” he says.  “I didn’t know you was here.  And we’re not big on formalities, you can just call me Melvin.”

“Only if you call me Katherine.  Could I help you with those?”

“These are for you, actually.  I was just makin’ sure they were filled and the wicks were cut.  Got one for the table and one for the desk.  I can rustle up a few more, I think, if’n you want.”  He sets the lamps down where he said they belonged and then grabs the feather duster that was left behind and shoves it handle-first into the back pocket of his pants.

“No, I can make do just fine with these.  I’m glad you’re here, I was just going to come look for you.”

“Me?”

“Yes, I’m ready for you to show me what my duties are.”

“Duties, huh?  What kind of duties you after?”

“Cooking, cleaning, mending.  Or anything else you think I should take care of.”

“Oh, so Mulder brought you here to overthrow me, did he?”

“You can think of it as lightening your load.”

“Alright then, I’ll give you the rundown on who does what ‘round here.”

Katherine learns that Trevor is the youngest and newest hand on the ranch.  He’s sixteen, orphaned from a tender age, and came through town at the beginning of summer, looking for work.  Melvin happened to be at the sawmill that day for some lumber when he came asking.  He took one look at the boy and knew he was still too puny for hard labor, so he brought him to the ranch and Mulder put him to work seeing to the livestock.

The livestock, she soon learns, was also unintentional.  They started with keeping chickens for the eggs, but then Mulder started taking in injured or abandoned animals.  It was fairly common for folks to pick up stakes after some time and turn their stock out when they left.  And there were also folks who Mulder may have nursed a sick horse back to health for and they may have shown him their gratitude for his time with a pig or a goat.

“That old gal right there,” Melvin says, pointing out a grey goat mixed in amongst the sheep.  “She’s called Lucy, which is short for Lucifer.  Folks dropped her off with us and said she was the devil himself and they were either going to put her down or see if Mulder could tame her, since he’s so good at breakin’ horses.”

“She looks alright to me.”

“Oh, she is now.  Sweet as pie.  Mulder knew there was somethin’ bothering her from the start.  Said she was buttin’ and stompin’ because she was mighty afraid and just pretendin’ not to be.  Turns out, them chickens at her old place were harassin’ her and causin’ the terrible disposition.”

“How did Mulder know that?”

“He says he asked her and she told him.”  Melvin laughs.  “Likely he just observed that she got ornery when the ladies of the coop got to cluckin’ and put two and two together.  He moved the goat pen to the far end over here, away from all them chickens and now she’s got no worries as long as they keep to their end of the ranch.  The folks said we could keep her and so we’ve had her with us since.”

“He really cares for these animals, doesn’t he?”

“That he does.”

She learns that Jesse and Jimmy are brothers, the youngest of a family of eight.  Their parents have a sheep farm about fifty miles out on the way to Fort Worth.  Their two oldest brothers and their wives run the place now and Jesse and Jimmy figured it was time to set off and do for themselves.  A lot of mouths to feed out there and there wasn’t much of a place for them any longer.  Jimmy is the same age as she is, twenty-two, and Jesse is only a year older.  They’ve been working for Mulder for more than two years and spend most of their time helping with the exercising and training of all the horses.  At Mulder’s insistence, they ride out and spend at least one week’s end with their family every few months.

Mulder met Richard in Fort Worth when he was there doing some trading.  He was skin and bones and crazy whiskers when he boldly went up to Mulder’s wagon, opened the jockey box, and started tinkering with the wheels.  When Mulder asked him just what in the hell he thought he was doing, Richard shrugged and said that the pivot was loose and the pin needed fixing.  

Richard could fix just about anything, but he’d been kicked out of the army for arguing with the sergeants one too many times.  They don’t know nothing about nothing, is what he will say about that.

“He’s a bit of a lone wolf,” Melvin says.  “Set in his ways and nobody can tell him nothin’ when he’s tryin’ to solve a problem.  Got hisself a temper, but only takes it out on hisself too.  Got a wanderin’ spirit, and I think he would pick up and go sometimes if’n the streets hadn’t been so mean to him, poor beanpole.”

“What about you?” Katherine asks.

“I’ve been here from the beginning.”

“But, what’s your story?”

“Bah.  I ain’t got a story.”

“You don’t have to tell me.  I know that some things have to be kept inside.”

“It’s time we started on supper, let’s get on in the kitchen.”

Katherine follows Melvin into the house, noticing as he walks up the stairs that he has a hint of a limp.  He shows her where pots and pans are, where the dishes are, where the spices are kept, how to open the cellar door for the canned vegetables and salted meats.  She learns what the boys like for breakfast, what a typical noon dinner is like, and when supper is served.  

Melvin is slicing beef steaks and she is slicing potatoes when he starts to talk.  “I had a wife once,” he says.  “Eliza.  Her family settled near ours in what’s now called Lee’s Summit in Missouri.  She showed up at the schoolhouse one day with her sister Becky and I was smitten.”

“How old were you then?”

“Nine.  She was eight, but she was one of them kids that takes to book learnin’ like a duck to water, so teacher put her next to me to share my reader and work on sums together.  I knew I was going to marry her the day I met her.”

“And you did.”

“Yes, we did.  I was seventeen, she was sixteen.  I got a little plot of land to start a farm and she wanted to be a teacher.  We did good that year.  The crops were profitable and she was teachin’ at a nearby settlement called Blue Springs.”

“Excuse me a minute, I’m going to put these potatoes on to boil.”

“Almost done with these steaks here and I’ll help with the carrots.”

They move about the kitchen in silence for a few minutes as they tend to supper.  She checks the fire on the stove while he greases a pan and then she starts to chopping up carrots and he joins her.

“We weren’t too far off from Independence,” he says, continuing his story from where he left off.  “People were comin’ through all the time gettin’ themselves ready to head out to the Oregon territory.”

“I’ve heard tales about the journey.  They say it was long and harsh.”

“Yes, it was.”  Melvin stops chopping for a moment and looks off into the distance.

“You went to the Oregon territory?”

“Eliza had an adventurous spirit.  As a girl, her family come to Missouri from Wisconsin, and I think she remembered the trek with a child’s excitement.  All them folks comin’ through, eager for new land, new starts and the like, it caught her like a fever.”

“She wanted to go, but you didn’t?”

“I wanted what she wanted.  We waited until the followin’ spring, sold the farm, and then headed out to join a caravan up in Independence.  Our parents begged us not to go, said it was too dangerous and we ought to stay right where we were with our nice farm and all our family and our friends.  But, Eliza could not be swayed and so neither could I.”

“You were eighteen then?”

“Just turned nineteen.  We left the day before Eliza’s eighteenth birthday, the twenty-sixth of April, 1850.”

“I bet that feels like a lifetime ago for you now.”

“Several lifetimes.  You know, I just had a thought, if we peel up them apples Mulder brung in, we could spice them for dessert.  The boys will like that.”

“I’ll get them.”

Melvin gathers the carrots into a bowl to boil when the potatoes are finished and he checks the fire in the stove this time while Katherine gathers the apples.  It takes her some time to find the peeling knives, and she makes a few mental notes on how she’d like to organize the kitchen when she takes it over to maximize efficiency.  She’ll have to ask Melvin about it later so as not to cause any offense.

“What happened next?” Katherine asks, as they sit down to peel the apples.

“The first part of the journey weren’t so bad,” he answers.  Nothin’ real excitin’ to look at, but the journey itself was excitin’ enough, I think.  We got to Fort Kearney where people did some swappin’ and then we followed a river up to Fort Laramie.  I got a little worried because even in the summer it was so cold up there, but Eliza said it was nothin’ what compared to a Wisconsin winter.  And the rain was just...so many folks got themselves stuck in mud and we had to leave them behind and hope they’d catch up down the way.  We come close a few times, but I think I had the strongest oxen on the earth and they managed to pull us out.  I wish they hadn’t, though.”

“You wanted to be stuck?”

Melvin is quiet for a few moments.  “We carved our initials on this great big hump of a rock they call the Register of the Desert.  Soon after we made a slow climb up into the mountains and on to Fort Hall.  By that time there was only half of the caravan left.  Some folks just gived up a long way back and turned for home, some folks just died where they was because it was too hot or they were too sickly or it was just too dadgum tough.”

“Did you ever think about turning back?”

“All the time.  I think I knew it was a mistake before we even set out, but Eliza was as certain as I was skeptical.”

“What happened, Melvin?”

“They’re called the Blue Mountains.  Steep, hard to navigate, rough terrain.  I told Eliza to get on in the back of the wagon because I was afraid she’d fall off the seat, it was so uneven.  The oxen were slippin’ and I could tell they were tired, but we couldn’t stop.  I’ve never been so grateful for anything in all my life when we reached the top and I figured the way down would be easier.  It was just too narrow.  Too dadgum narrow.”

Katherine stops her peeling and puts a hand over Melvin’s.  He lays down his peeling knife and lifts one arm to wipe his eyes on the sleeve of his shirt.  She finds that her own eyes are wet and she doesn’t need him to say anything else to know the rest.

“I’m sorry,” she says.  “You don’t need to tell me anymore.”

“It’s alright.  It’s been thirty-six years, but it stays fresh in my mind.  The back wheel went off the path and I know them oxens tried real hard to pull it out, but the fact is, it was just too heavy for them and it happened too fast.  We overturned and providence saw to it that I landed with no more than a busted ankle, but Eliza was inside the wagon.  I always wonder if things could’ve turned out different if’n I hadn’t told her to go on and get in back.”

“I ask myself a variation of that question all the time.  I try not to think like that, but I know it’s harder said than done.”

“It pains me the most that I was spared, and not her.  I made it to Oregon with a family that carted me and my busted ankle in the back of their wagon, but she was the one that wanted to go.  I spent a lot of years after that feelin’ sorry for myself, roamin’ around this country and refusin’ to settle.”

“You didn’t go back to Missouri?”

“Not ever.  I couldn’t face Eliza’s parents after what happened.  Or her sister.”

“And you didn’t remarry?”

“There’s no one compares to Eliza.”

“How did you end up here?”

“Same way you did, I guess.  Or Richard, or them goats or the whole lot of us.  We was in the right place at the right time and we run into a collector of broken things.”  Melvin wipes his eyes once more and then lightly slaps the table.  “So, that’s my story.  Maybe one day you’ll tell me yours.”

“Perhaps I will,” she says.  Unlikely, she thinks.

[toothpastecanyon]

Deceive, Distrust, Destroy - Chapter 1

Alcor has grown up with his sister time and time again. It's a chance to relax, to forget for a little while... a chance that can easily be weaponised.

Thank you so much to @feferipeixes for beta reading this!!

See most updated version on Archive of Our Own.  

______________________________________________________________

“I need you to save my daughter.”

If there was anything consistent about Alcor, it was how consistently he made the stupidest choices in the multiverse.

That was what Oz’darthic Of Shadows thought, anyway. So many times had she watched Alcor wrap himself in the body of a human child and forgo his power… it made no sense! Where was the benefit? What was his plan? He didn’t even try to mess with the lives of those around him - it was a shameful display, really.

    Shameful, that the most powerful demon in the world was so very weak. If only the tables were turned, if only she could wield the power of the Dreambender… well, those mortals down on Earth would finally get a taste of what demons were truly capable of.

    If only.

But, barring that, she had been hatching up another plan, making deals, playing muse to a few arrogant humans. All the pieces were lining up, and just now, she’s waiting to see if this last one will fall into place - or if it will blow up so catastrophically she won’t take form again until the end of the universe.

    It’s night, in front of a sleepy family house. All the lights are off, but the moon illuminates a man standing before the driveway… and the knife in his hand. His fists ball up as he passes through a flaw in the wards, unlocks the door, steps inside.

For a moment, nothing. Not a sound. Another moment, then-

A scream. Crying, yelling, footsteps rushing down the hallway. The lights flash on and something bangs against the walls, and then it’s all drowned out by him.

Even Oz’darthic flinches a little at Alcor’s terrible roar. To attack a Mizar so brazenly - she doesn’t envy the weaker demon she forced inside. She feels its soul be shredded into tortured mist, and waits with bated breath to see if she’ll be next.

Maybe he’ll think this is too suspicious. Maybe. She can feel how he pauses at how weak, how mindless this demon is - it should have sensed his mark on Mizar and left her be. Why didn’t it? And how did it possess someone? Why-

But then, to Oz’darthic’s eternal relief, a cry. It cuts through the Dreambender’s thoughts, and now he’s rushed over to tend to the helpless mortal… all according to plan.

She curls her lip at that. What a predictable thing Alcor was. No demon should be this easy to trick.

Shaking her head, she steps back into the Mindscape. That was the most important step. There’s still things left to do, portals left to finish, sacrifices yet to receive… but it’ll all fall in place in the coming few years. She’s not worried about any of that. Once Alcor shakes hands with those puny mortals, there’ll be nothing standing between them and a delicious little apocalypse of her own.

“No, can’t you see, she won’t make it to a hospital! It has to be me. I promise this isn’t a trick, she’s special to me… take my hand. Let me save her. Please.”

A flash of blue flames brings a smile to Oz’darthic’s face. It is done.

______________________________________________________________

“Maeve! What’s the ETA on that light?”

“I dunno, I just opened it up!”

“Is it just a burnt out bulb? I hope so. That’s a quick fix.”

“I said, I just opened it up.”

“Sorry.”

    Maeve rolled her eyes as she opened the casing. The wires were all lit up with a flashlight’s beam… but then it shifted away. She glanced back, and saw her brother looking up at the sky.

    “Sun’s going down fast,” he said, and flinched when she smacked his shin. “Huh?”

    “We’ll be here all bloody night if you don’t hold the flashlight steady.”

    “Oh, sorry! This good?”

    “Yeah, keep it there.” She picked up her multimeter with her good hand and leaned in. Dipper watched her for a second, tried to keep the flashlight angled over her shoulder… but his eyes kept being drawn to the sky.

The end of the world had the most beautiful sunsets. The red skies cast deep shadows through the ruined houses, through the cracks in the decaying streets, through the rows of budding crops in the field before him. A little darkness fell on his foot, and he moved it away.

You could never be too careful.

    “Stupid… fecking…”

    “Maeve?”

    “Yeah, hand me the bulb, Dipper.” She stuck her hand out. “You were right. They called us out here to change a bulb.”

    “Why do you sound annoyed?” He raised an eyebrow. “It’s a quick fix, isn’t it?”

    “Yeah, it’s so quick they could’ve done it themselves!” The lights flickered on, bathing the crops in stark white light, and she threw her hands up in the air. “There, done! Four years of engineering and I’m stuck doing this.”

“Aw, it’s not that bad.”

“Aren’t you the optimist,” she grumbled. She closed the casing, and the broken bulb slipped out of her hand. “Oh, you little… ughhh.”

She reached down, behind the light, into the shadows. A part of her brain sounded alarms at that; she hesitated, and then-

    Something grabbed her hand.

Maeve swore and jumped back and the creature came with her; it was a hulking voidlike mass of spines, far larger than the patch of darkness it came from, snarling and digging its claws deeper into her wrist.

A jolt of fear ran down her spine, but it only served to steel her. Without hesitating she drew a warded knife from her belt and slashed the thing where it was gripping her - it let go with a terrible screech.

“Maeve!”

“Dipper!” She motioned at him. “Flashlight!”

He shone it right at the creature, and it shrank back with a hiss. They watched it slink back into the shadows, becoming formless as it left the light, disappearing into nothing.

Nothing, and everything. Maeve stared out into the night, into the endless darkness that surrounded their little field… and couldn’t help but shiver.

“Maeve!” A hand on her shoulder. “Are you alright?”

She felt a stinging in her hand, and looked down. “Huh? Yeah, I’m alright.” She flexed her wrist. “Nothing seems broken. We’ll patch me up back at camp.”

“Yeah, we really should be going.” He kept his hand on her as she fished her flashlight out of her bag. “Need me to carry anything?”

“I told you I was alright, didn’t I?” She shrugged him off. “We’re done here. Let’s go.”

The two of them started making their way back, sweeping their beams across the broken road they travelled down. Grass had grown through the cracks in the tarmac, and on each side sat cars rotting in front of dilapidated old houses. Darkness loomed in those mossy windows; Maeve resisted the urge to shine her light at them, get a proper look. It was too dangerous to be distracted.

Too dangerous to do much of anything, these days.

The street opened up before them into a parking lot. Before them was one, single lit building; lights streamed out of the windows of an old Sainsbury’s supermarket, and a couple flickering floodlights lit up a patch of farmland right in front. Dipper started walking a little faster when he caught sight of the lights; Maeve rolled her eyes and followed.

“We’re nearly home!”

“Yeah, we’re nearly at camp.” She rolled her eyes. “I told them that field’s too far away. If we ran out of soil we should’ve just broken up the tarmac more, but does anyone listen to me, noooo…”

“What was that?”

“Nevermind, just grumbling.”

“Heh,” Dipper rubbed his head. “You do that a lot, don’t you.”

They crossed the parking lot, turning off their flashlights as they reached the crops. Maeve ran her palm over the leaves as they passed; it felt cool on her skin, calming.

The doors slid open as they approached, and the light and the sound of chatter put a lump in her throat. Dipper stepped through without hesitation; she took a breath, and followed.

Ding.

“There you are!”

Before Maeve’s eyes could even adjust, arms came around her. Her vision went dark as she was pressed into someone’s shoulder.

“I’m so glad you’re okay!” Squeeze. “It was getting so dark - what took you so long? You said you’d be back before sunset!”

“Hi, Mum!” Dipper drew back, a smile stretched across his face. “Sorry, we didn’t mean to stay out late. We were heading home, but-”

“Oh my god!”

She seized Maeve’s hand - Maeve stiffened at that, stepped back and ripped her hand away.

“Wait, you’re bleeding!” Her mother made another grab for it. “Just let me help, baby, I-“

“It’s fine.”

“But-“

“I said, it’s fine.”

Her mother’s face crumpled at that, and there was a pause. Dipper glanced between them, and then cleared his throat.

“Well, the crops are looking good!” He rubbed his head. “Got a pretty good look at them while we were fixing the, uh, light.” Another pause. “Ugh, you know, my head kind of hurts-“

Their mother was on him in a flash. “Oh no, are you alright?”

“I’m alright, just, you know, magic-“

“Let’s get you resting.” Their mother led him away. “I’ll get you some water, does that sound good? Alright, we’ll do that…”

Maeve watched them go, and rolled her eyes. She cast one look around the camp, at the others milling about and eating dinner, and then made her way to the near corner of the store. Some makeshift rooms had been created by moving an aisle next to the wall and divvying it up with cardboard and blankets; the closest one was hers, and she slipped inside.

It was cramped and bright - still lit by the store’s lights from above - but it was private, and she breathed a sigh of relief at that. Her hand was really stinging, so she sat down on her mattress and started digging through a mountain of spare circuit parts and screwdrivers they’d taken from a hardware store to find - aha! First aid kit.

Maeve took out antiseptic and a roll of bandages, and stopped to inspect her hand in the better lighting. There was blood, but not too much; the creature seemed to have missed anything important. All there seemed to be was a couple of claw marks, and a long scratch over the scarred stumps of her fingers, ending just before it hit her thumb.

She gave a wry smile at that as she opened the antiseptic with her teeth. At least it got her bad hand. A little spray, a couple bandages, and it’ll be fine.

Once that was done, she sat back on her bed, gave a stretch, and then relaxed with a deep sigh. She stared up at the lights, and could hear people chattering outside her room; their voices had an echo to them in the store that made it hard to hear what they were saying… but Maeve kind of liked that.

She liked not being able to pick out what people were saying, because then she’d have to think about them. She liked hearing her mother’s voice without knowing what she was saying, because whatever it was would surely annoy her, definitely ruin this nice little moment of being left alone for once.

She didn’t get many chances in the apocalypse, so she cherished every one she got.