#anyway wind and wish is v good and everyone should listen to it

[sternbilder]

thinking emoji,

[caitimetravels]

she's insignificant

chapter 10: where you've gone

the umbrella academy x (fem) reader

disclaimer: i do not own the plot/storyline of the netflix tv series and i do not own the umbrella academy characters.

warnings: none

masterlist

with a sigh, y/n stood. five was still writing away behind her on the walls non-stop. she didn't dare interrupt him, simply leaving. she would be back anyways. all she needed was a nice walk. 

as she wandered down the street with no destination in mind she spaced out, eyes trained on her feet. suddenly someone knocked her shoulder and brought her back to reality. she raised her head, hoping they weren't someone looking to start a fight or argue with her.

"y/n?" instead she was met with allison. her technically older sister seemed frustrated.

"allison? are you okay?" y/n's eyebrows furrowed, looking up at the curly haired woman. 

"yeah.. i think so" she frowned, "i'm worried about vanya. she won't listen to me but her boyfriend, whoever he is.. i think he's dangerous. i couldn't find anything about him-"

"you went searching for his records?" y/n pulled back in disbelief, "allison! you know vanya doesn't like-"

"i know, she already got angry with me" allison sighed, shaking her head.

"why would you do that?" y/n tilted her head up at her, eyes narrowing incredulously. "where are you even going?"

"well, i found his address. i was going to see if anything's weird.." she earned a disapproving look, "i can't just sit around and do nothing y/n! please, help me, for vanya?"

y/n's expression only darkened, "why are you trying to ruin one of the only good things in her life?! she deserves to be happy for once and im not going to help you take that away from her!" she begun to shout, freezing as she realised her powers were getting out of control in the middle of the street. "just.. leave them alone!" 

she took off, hoping to get away, she needed to get away.

————————————————–

as the sweet melody came to soft halt y/n smiled up at her sister. vanya donned a similar grin, placing her violin down and joining y/n on the floor, cross legged and leaning back against her bed.

"one day, you're going to be amazing, v" y/n mumbled quietly, looking like she was in a slight daze, "more amazing than you are now.. you're going to be a famous violinist, i can see it now. 'vanya hargreeves, the world's best violinist'" 

vanya softly nudged her shoulder, shaking her head. "no way, the world? c'mon" 

"i'm serious!" y/n was adamant, sitting up straighter to see her better, "you're gonna be so cool! and everyone here is going to see you and say 'damn, wish i had seen how awesome our sister was back then' and you're going to have lots of fans!"

vanya snorted, shyly brushing her long hair to the side, "yeah, right"

".. you won't forget me when you're famous, right?" y/n leaned back against the bed to avoid direct eye contact, her voice was much softer now. "don't forget me.. okay?" she nervously side eyed her sister, trying to gauge her reaction.

"i could never" vanya shook her head, leaning into the h/c haired girl. both of them shared small content grins.

————————————————–

as she walked upstairs to five's room she heard a commotion, hopefully he hadn't gotten into a fight with one of their siblings again, right?

wrong.

"put her down" five snarled, holding a gun up to luther who held dolores' body out the window. y/n grinned at the sight, highly amused. who would have thought luther would ever threaten someone? well, y'know excluding their missions.. but five nonetheless? she leaned casually against the doorway, arms crossing and waiting for them to sort out whatever issue she walked in on.

"put the gun down, you're not killing anyone today. i know she's important to you so don't make me do this" luther paused, waiting to see what five would do. "it's either her or the gun.. you decide"

eventually five did decide that dolores was more important and dropped the gun before spacial jumping to catch dolores before she could fall. not that much damage would have occurred to the mannequin anyways, maybe a few scratches.

"i can keep doing this all day" luther spoke triumphantly, now holding the gun at his side. y/n snorted, catching their attention.

"you're such children" both glared at her in response, "c'mon, surely you have a better plan than whatever ended up in this-" she gestured vaguely between them, "squabble"

"we did not squabble" five hissed, placing dolores down and straightening his jacket. "but yes, i do have a one other plan" 

————————————————–

the three of them, five, luther and y/n, drove down an empty road before slowing to a stop. five unbuckled his seatbelt and sighed, looking around.

"you know, i never enjoyed it" he started and luther turned to him in confusion.

"what?"

"the killing. i mean i was- i was good at my work and i took pride in it but it never gave me pleasure" he took a deep breath, "i think it was all those years alone. solitude can do funny things to the mind"

"yeah well, you were gone for such a long time.. i only spent four years on the moon but that was more than enough. it's the being alone that breaks you" luther placed a hand on the briefcase, "you think they'll buy it?"

"well, what i do know is that they're desperate. it's like a cop losing his gun" he alluded, "if the commission finds out they'll be in deep shit, well not to mention that they'll be stuck here until they get it back"

"i should hold onto it" luther suggested, patting it with one hand.

"hm?" five's eyebrows furrowed,

"incase they make a move on you" he added to explain his point.

"okay, luther.. but be careful. i've lived a long life but.. you're still a young man, you've got your whole life ahead of you. don't waste it" y/n snorted and five turned to her, unamused.

"what?" they stared at each other for a moment before five shook his head, looking away with a small smile.

suddenly a car began to drive towards them and they all made to get out of the car. "here we go" five sighed again, he was doing that a lot, y/n realised.

the car continued to drive past them, stopping a few metres away.

"if this all goes sideways.. do me a favour and tell dolores i'm sorry" five turned to luther who nodded slowly.

as five walked away from them y/n leaned back against the car.

"i have a bad feeling about this" she nervously picked at her nails and luther frowned, looking over at her.

"why? what's wrong?"

"that.. i don't know yet" she looked down the road, "i just.. feel like something's off" she shook her head as five walked back, leaning next to her.

luther stepped forwards a bit, "what happens now?"

"now we wait" 

barely a moment later they heard the music of an ice cream truck. y/n squinted against the sun and wind, trying to work out who it was. she took a moment to focus, sensing klaus, diego and ben. uh oh.

as the car got closer luther turned to five, "is that her?"

"luther, you idiot" y/n shook her head, "it's klaus and diego" right on time klaus waved to them as they passed.

the two assassins begun shooting, thinking it was a set up and y/n raised her arms to cover her head as luther stepped in front of her and five to block any shots.

suddenly time stopped.. well, only for five.

he frowned down at y/n next to him, the girl cowering in on herself. he felt bad for bringing her into something like this but she was very persistent.

he slowly stepped under luther's arm, looking at everyone frozen in slight confusion.

"neat trick, isn't it?" a feminine voice called out behind him and he turned to face the woman he had asked to see. the handler. she stared at him, pulling the veil over her face up and onto her hat instead before pulling her sunglasses off.

"hello, five" she smiled, "you look good.. all things considered" she softly gestured to all of him.

"it's good to see you again" he nodded back,

"feels like we met just yesterday, 'course you were a little bit older then" she teased, "congratulations on the age regression, by the way. very clever, threw us all off the scent"

"ah, well, i wish i could take credit" five shrugged, looking away. "i just miscalculated the time dilation of projections and.. well, you know, here i am" his gaze met hers once again, throwing his hands up before putting them back in his pockets, casually.

"you realise your efforts are futile" the handler shifted so that her briefcase was behind her, "so, why don't you tell me what you really want?"

"i want you to put a stop to it" five moved his own hands behind his back. 

"you realise what you're asking for is next to impossible even for me" she shook her head, "what's meant to be is meant to be. that's our raison d'etre" 

"yeah?" five smiled sarcastically, pulling a gun from his shorts "well how about survival as a raison?" 

"i'll just be replaced, i am but a small cog in a machine" the handler waved it off, ignoring the gun pointing straight at her heart. "this fantasy you've been nurturing about summoning up your family to stop the apocalypse is just that.. a fantasy. i must say though, we'll quite impressed with your initiative, your stick-to-it-tiveness, really quite- quite something. which is why we want to offer you, a new position back at the commission, in management" the handler held a hand up, smiling like her offer was an obvious choice.

"sorry what's that now?" five scoffed as she stepped closer, hand tightening on the gun.

"come back to work for us again, you know it's where you belong" 

"well, it didn't work out too well the last time" he glared up at her, not liking the persistence.

"oh but you wouldn't be in the correction department any longer, i'm talking about the home office, you'd have the best health and pension and an end to this ceaseless travel" she laughed freely, "you're a distinguished professional in.. school boy shorts. we have the technology to reverse the process. i mean you- you can't be happy like this" she slowly pushed his gun down, stepping ever closer.

"i'm not looking for happy" he spat through gritted teeth.

the handler only tilted her head, eyeing him carefully before raising a hand to stroke his cheek, "we're all looking for happy. we can make that happen, we can make you.. yourself again"

five huffed a laugh, gesturing to his siblings. "what about my family?"

"what about them?" the handler raised an eyebrow, acting like she didn't already know he intended to save them.

"i want them to survive" 

the handler took in a deep breath, taking in the sight of luther protecting y/n who was still crouching against the car as well as diego and klaus who were in the middle of crashing the ice cream truck.

"all of them?" 

"yes, all of them" he narrowed his eyes at her,

the handler gave him a small smirk, moving towards the recoiled girl. five watched carefully, waiting to see what she would do.

"it's such a shame.. she would have done well with us. if only we could take her too" she reached a hand out, about to touch her but five moved first, spacial jumping in front of her and grabbing her hand. he held her away from y/n.

"don't touch her" he snarled, unmoving from his protective stance. 

"my my, five, i didn't expect such protectiveness from you" the handler merely smirked, stepping away. as they walked back she once again proposed her deal.

"well" the handler begun, reaching a hand into her pocket and pulling out her sunglasses before putting them back on her face. "i'll see what i can do from them.. do we have a deal?" she reached a hand out to him, awaiting his acceptance. he merely stared at her hand before sighing,

"one thing" five stepped back, putting his gun in his shorts again. he walked over to hazel's gun on the floor, taking out the ammunition and chucking it on one side of the road before chucking the rest of the gun to the other. he turned and walked back, noticing the bullet headed towards luther and y/n. he frowned, using his pointer finger and thumb to move it over so that it would hit the car instead of them.

as soon as he shook her outstretched hand they disappeared and time was restored.

y/n shivered, ignoring the bullet hitting the car next to her and the way her siblings scrambled around to get away quick. she allowed herself to be shoved into the car with klaus and diego, spaced out.

"you alright?" diego turned to her while klaus stuck the middle finger up at hazel and cha cha. 

"i felt someone else.. it was only for a moment but i felt someone.." she spoke solemnly, staring at her shaking hands. "and then five just.. disappeared"

tag list: (if your name is crossed i couldnt tag you) @rxses-and-reverie @lostgreekgod @on-yourmark-99 @bicyhot1 @navs-bhat @midnightmystic @shawkneecaps @baby-bi-bi-bi-yeah @velveticxyyy

[ink-herrscher]

the moon wanes before the morning comes

— fu hua x reader

genre : hurt/comfort

warnings : character death, previous era

wordcount : 1,157

summary : there are few things you hate the most: herscherrs, the dark, moonless night, and the sense of hopelessness you feel when you can't do anything to mend a broken heart at all.

word comes along with a hurricane of distress and incredulity and the long-suffering sigh of a weariness long gone cold. lips pinched tight, skins pale; it shouldn't be a surprise anymore, you think, but it never fails to send a shiver of fear down everyone's spine at the mere mention of the word.

herscherr.

even the wind flinches.

"a new herscherr has been born?"

"yeah." a low whisper. "it's captain himeko from squad v this time. only one person's left alive from her team."

it was a normal day. an almost-good-day. a peaceful day. it shouldn't be a surprise anymore, you think, but now, static runs in your ears and your hands are shaking — no, the world is shaking — no —

you collide with the wall. harsh.

a concerned face greets you. “hey, are you —?"

squad v. himeko's squad. hua's squad. you push against the wall, and the cold sticks to your clammy hands. someone bumps into you, but you shrug them away blindly. the world is still shaking underneath your feet, and the air you breathe has turned scaldingly cold in your lungs.

it's almost funny how sudden your day can turn so rottenly bad, but you can't bring yourself to laugh. you would pray, if you knew any god that would listen. please let her be safe, you beg anyway, and the ground tilts in answer.

she has to be alive.

you find yourself in front of the medbay. the door opens with a bang.

"hua!"

but the room is dark and quiet; the windows are drawn shut and what little light is crushed by the suffocating shadows whispering in the room. you're late, the darkness laughs, the murmurs continue. you step into the bay.

"hua?" you ask again, quiet this time, though your racing heartbeat betrays the calmness of your tone. you can hear it — the whole base can hear it: your nervousness, the anxiety, the shivering fear. you're late, too late, the shadows snicker, and with gritted teeth, you take another step into the room.

the door closes with a click, and all light snuffs out.

it takes a while, but the moonlight finds its way into the room eventually, and a hint of life springs when you spy a curved figure on the last bed of the aisle. you sigh, but the relief won't come. not yet.

she's turned her back on you and like this, she looks like a child cowering from the world. can't see her as a soldier fighting against an undefeatable enemy when she's like this, so frail, so tired, so scared. you wonder how this is fair. but that is a trail of thought that never leads anywhere.

you approach her, but she does not show any indication of noticing you.

"hua," you say, and finally, she moves, if only to slide her blanket up to hide her face even more. "are you . . . ?"

are you what? okay? clearly not. but you fail to form words, and the question hangs awkwardly in the air. or maybe it's just you. hua curls into herself even more, and says nothing.

do you speak again? and say what? should you leave? should you stay? what are you supposed to do when your friend is hurting right in front of you and there's nothing you can really do to take her pain away? you wish you can do something, anything — but what?

still, she says nothing.

"i heard about what happened."

outside, crickets chirp and clouds drift in to cover the moonlight. what little of her that you could see fades to nothing.

still, she says nothing.

you hesitate. maybe you should really leave. she doesn't seem too keen on entertaining you right now — and you berate yourself for even thinking of it. of course not. she just lost her captain to the honkai and somewhere, himeko is rampaging against the world, stripped of everything she was and fought for. of course hua would not be in the mood to entertain you.

the shadows flicker. too late, it says. if only you can see her. you don't want to lose her, too.

"do you . . . should i let you be alone for now, hua?"

and when the silence stretches for so long, you think this is your cue to leave and wait until maybe sunrise to see her again, but the thought leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. she will be fine, morning come, because she is a soldier first and human second. because this is what it means to be a moth who chases the flames. because this is what everyone expects of her.

but the silence stretches on for so long, and even though you don't want to leave her, you think you really should. a sigh. the cool air pricks your skin with uneasiness.

"don't."

you pause. the clouds fog your vision; you wish you can see her.

it takes a minute, then, in a small voice: "don't leave. please."

your heart soars as much as it breaks, and it feels warm that she's finally reaching out to you as much as it feels chilling how defeated she sounds. so frail, so tired, so scared — you think back to your words as you stumble your way back to her side.

"i'm here," you say, and maybe you should hate yourself for the feeling of relief that spreads like fire through your chest, but you can't help but be glad you haven't lost her at all. your shattered heart beats painfully in the screaming quiet of the room. "i'm here."

as if seconds last for minutes and minutes last for eternities, it takes a while, but she manages to turn around and face you, and when the clouds finally part, you see red eyes scrubbed raw, pinched brows, the heartbreak and confusion and loneliness painted on her face like a broken artwork. you reach out to her, but hesitate.

"please."

she takes your hand as soon as your fingertips touch her cheek, and she holds on to you like a lifeline. her hands are cold; you place your other hand above both of yours, and hope the warmth of your skin replaces the chill that has settled in hers.

she falls silent again, but you don't mind. not anymore. the shadows have gone quiet, too. even in the dark, your hand grasps hers, and her hold is unbelievably weak and fragile, but her heartbeat against your palm washes over you like a warm blanket. hua's safe. she's here. she's alive. outside, the moon shines bright.

she will be fine, morning come, and so will you, because you are soldiers first and humans second. because that is what it means to be the moths who chase the flames. because that is what everyone expects of you.

but tonight, she is broken in your arms and you will be the glue to hold her together, even if it's only until the morning comes.

[kashimos-hajime]

homestretch of the hard times | g.t.

summary: the eve days of your potential death kinda spurns things to move forward: for takemura, it means confessions. for you, it means making exceptions. and drinks. ‘cause takemura’s the pickiest fucking eater you’ve ever met.

WARNINGS: small spoilers for act 1 of cyberpunk 2077 and references to non-spoiler texts between takemura and v, just fluff, small angst, swearing, idk what else is going on so if there are actual spoilers thats completely coincedental ndlnskfsldnf pairing: goro takemura x fem!street-kid!v word count: 2.6k

a/n: so cdpr did us dirty for not allowing us to romance him (to my knowledge) but he has my mind, heart and everything else so :) listened to the bones by maren morris w/ hozier

part of the tales of a two-bit thief series

It starts with something straight out of a romance movie: A car crash, saving each other’s lives (well, him more than you) and “Wait, V, I need you.”

You don’t know how you got here, to be precise. There were a chain of events, some absolutely stand up fucking moments on your part, and just… fuckery. So much fuckery and life went to shit.

All you know is the ticking time bomb’s only ticking louder and at this point, the only thing that can silence it at all is the man beside you. Not even the meds Misty gave you can help you now. 

You’re sitting in his car because you called him and he had answered and now… now they’re on one of the off ramps looking over Night City like they own the fucking place.

Maybe you did, once. Ha, maybe back when everything seemed more job to job and not life to life. For a moment, maybe you were in the big leagues.

Takemura doesn’t say anything, even though you can tell he wants to. His hair still pulled into that man bun, collared shirt with not a single wrinkle in sight. Weird how he never looks out of place, not really. Not even with the car crash. Shit, he always looked good.

You think you’re actually gonna miss that. That one semblance of someone being put together that gave you the hope that maybe you could stick it too.

You think you’re gonna miss a lot of things about him—from his stupid complaints about the food here, to his stupid random philosophy texts in the day, to the fact that he eats the ramen you buy anyway without complaint, even though it’ll never compare to what he has in Japan.

The thought that counts.

They don’t even have the radio on, just the dim lights of the car, a window rolled down. You don’t smoke but you feel like you should be tapping a cig either way. You haven’t had the time to just fucking breathe—not with Silverhand breathing down your neck, corpo rats swarming you on all sides. 

Everyone wants a piece of you, it feels like. 

You look at Takemura.

Almost everyone.

“Thank you,” you tell him quietly, with difficulty. It’s hard to get through your words without thinking Silverhand’s behind your back, mocking you. You’re so fucking tired. “It hasn’t been easy.”

He doesn’t respond. He’s too busy looking at one of the cars nearly collide with a pedestrian. You could’ve laughed. You used to make fun of the shitty drivers in Night City, knowing full well you’re one of them.

You get chased by a couple of cops, rules start to bend.

You used to wonder why you never left.

Then, you actually left, and you realized that hell, you can take the person out of Night City—can’t take the Night City out of a person.

Atlanta fucking sucked, but maybe you should’ve stayed there.

But then, a tiny voice whispers as you look out the window to the fresh night wind. You never would’ve met him.

It’s funny, you think. To come back and get a brain tumour in the shape of a rocker who can’t fucking touch anyone who loves him, who he loved, only for you to fall in love with a corpo you can’t fucking touch at all because… because there is no time left. It just isn’t fair.

“I used to be a corpo kid,” you confess, looking at him with a wry smile again. That catches his attention. He looks at you with those eyes that scrutinize you, interrogate you, peel you apart to your bare essentials and you have to look away before you can’t control your face anymore. God fucking damn it. “Not when it mattered, obviously, but… I remember what it was like. Grew up hating every single on of them.”

“Your parents were Arasaka?”

“Mhm. Security division.” It’s like your eyes are magnetic to his because when you blink, you find yourself regarding him again. Your fingers play at your lips. “Counterintelligence. I was supposed to go into that, too. Big dreams.” 

“I see.”

“Yeah, then my parents were tried for treason and murdered, so I got thrown out. That’s it.” Your hand falls away. You pick at the chipped nail polish on your thumb. “Never told anyone that. ‘Cept…” Jackie. Well, he’s fucking dead, now. “‘Cept you, now, I guess. Guess some corpos aren’t so bad.”

The corner of his mouth pinches up like he’s flattered and you can’t help the pleased warmth spreading through your chest. 

“Should I be honoured I am one of the few exceptions you have made?”

“Well, I don’t make exceptions often, so…” You grin slyly. He looks away just as you catch a flash of his smile growing. It’s a nice smile. You wish you saw it more often before the end of the road. Maybe it’s one of the regrets you have, too. “Yeah, maybe you should feel special.”

“Hm.”

“C’mon, Takemura. Humour the walking dead, yeah?” You stretch against the leather of his car seat with a pleased sound. “I’m spending what time I have left with who I want to. Can’t ask for much better than that.” A quiet hangs in the air as you melt against the black leather and you look at Takemura who’s staring at the wheel with an intensity you don’t often see. It makes your gut squirm. 

“And I? I am one of those people?”

You lean on one hip and look at him, bending a knee and resting an ankle on your thigh. He looks at you with an uncertainty—an uncertainty you’re sure echoes in your eyes.

It was business, then it wasn’t. Maybe it never was.

“Yeah. You’re one of the few on the short list.”

“Exceptions again.”

You laugh. “Yeah. You’re an exception to most things, I think. Weird, that.”

“How so?”

“Ah, I don’t know. I’ve had family—still do, ones that matter, you know. Just… no one ever like you, Takemura. Drives me crazy.”

“The feeling is mutual. Your mocking brings you onto thin ice, V.” His fingers tap against the steering wheel. The engine’s off so it seems more fidgety than anything. Weird. You never noticed he fidgeted before. Maybe he’s nervous?

About what?

“I must ask you something.”

“Shoot.”

“If you have a future, what do you see for yourself?”

Your eyebrows shoot up. You frown and pick at your flecking nail polish even more, looking at your hand and focusing more on that so you don’t have to answer your question. His eyes burn into you and you swallow, trying not to act like you haven’t thought, in regret, at night, about a hundred million fucking times the possibilities they could’ve had together.

You’re not about to say all that.

Instead: “Settling down with the family. Mama Welles, people at the Coyote.” You blatantly don’t look at him when you add, “Others. This has been enough action for a lifetime.” You rest your hands on your lap and chance a glimpse at him. He’s looking away from you, out the window on his side, and you shift in your seat. “How about you? You must’ve… had dreams. Before all this shit went down. You make it out of here and then what?”

When he looks at you, your heart nearly cracks at the sadness in his eyes. He smiles, but there is no strength, and his eyes are darker than the night surrounding them.

“I would go to the countryside, just as I’ve always wanted. Leave this, all of this, behind. Rural Japan is beautiful, so a small town would suffice where everyone knows everyone. We do favours for one another. It is community. Nothing like here.” His lips pull into a tiny frown. “When I was a younger man, I wanted a daughter,” is all he says. “I believe I could have been a great father, so perhaps… perhaps one day.”

“A daughter? Not a son?” you ask curiously, and he almost chuckles. You can’t help the faint smile on your face. 

“If my daughter grew up anything like her mother,” he explains with a slight glance towards you, “I would have more hope than a son who was like me.”

You frown.  “You’re not a bad man, Takemura. Any son like you—with your code of honour, your shitty selfie skills—no one’s gotta a chance.”

He merely scoffs in response. Again, with the you mocking him. It’s a wonder he lets you.

“But really, that sounds… nice. A daughter, a wife.” You drum your fingers against your knee and his eyes dart to yours, click like they were always destined to meet, and your lips part. Words stall on your tongue and you want to speak but in the dim lights, you are lost in the darkness of his eyes. Something comes, something goes, and you barely croak out, “Whoever marries you will have to deal with so much of your shit that the kids have to turn out alright. The complaining, for one. Picky eater for another.”

This time, he does chuckle and you swallow a breath at the sound. “Dealing with it comes with practice, V.”

“Is that so?”

“Shouldn’t you know?”

“I—“ For once, no funny retort, no witty quip shoots out of your mouth, and you realize that there is an implication—an intricate dance where they’re struggling not to step on each other’s toes and nearly failing at every turn, yet somehow, it works because they’re dancing, and it’s quiet, and it’s… it’s peaceful.

Shit, you’re getting a load of this. When’d you become a poet?

“I guess I should know,” you finally say. “Never understood why I got so giddy whenever I saw your texts, you know, seein’ your name flash on my phone.” You laugh bitterly. “Guess I know why, now.” He’s silent and you don’t look at him. You look at the dashboard where you’ve kicked your feet up a dozen times, the glove compartment that still has your sunglasses inside.

Shit.

“Thank you for everything. Shit’s a little… more bearable, I guess. When you’re around, that is.” The words come out stilted, awkward, but your heart is so heavy in your throat you feel like you’re going to choke. You look into your lap, your whole body incinerating under what you’re sure is the most judgemental glare of your life and you just hope to fucking God this man says something, does something.

Holy shit. You’re going to die of embarrassment. Didn’t even think that was possible.

Then, a loud sigh. A sigh you’ve heard often enough beside you right before a gunfight or when he has to eat the food you ordered for him or even the nights when they’re exhausted, bruised, and just plain tired right before going to sleep where they lay on the floor.

It’s exasperated, a how on earth did we get here, a very annoyed again, you’re so fucking stupid, and you’re still running through your list on what this particular sigh can mean before a hand gently takes hold of yours. Your eyes dart to his, blinking and he stares at you like you’ve just stabbed him. Your heart is fucking racing in your chest, pounding like thunder. His fingers fold over and you realize, as you interlace fingers, that his skin is burning at your touch. 

Or maybe, it’s the other way around.

They sit there in silence, not looking at one another, looking out windows, parts of the car, everything but each other, and when he squeezes your hand, you close your eyes and swallow your heart.

It’s over.

“V,” he murmurs, voice so deathly quiet and raspy in your ears that your gut clenches. You turn to watch him. “Tell me that you will not stop fighting.” You swallow your breath as his eyes flicker from your own to your parted lips. He inhales quietly and you swear you can feel his heartbeat pulsing in his fingers in your grip. “That this is not all for nothing.”

“It isn’t.“

“Then I was right.” His eyes flutter back to your gaze and he tilts his head. Wisps of fine hair escaping his manbun brush over his nose and you reach up on your own accord, swiping it behind your ear. You lean over the console, your elbow digging into the leather and, tentatively, you trail your fingers down his jaw, hold his face in your hand. “I am… what is that phrase you use so often?”

“SNAFU?”

“No.”

“Assblasted.”

“No.”

“Royally fucked?”

“We need to expand your vocabulary.” You smile nefariously as his other hand reaches for your chin. He pinches it lightly, thumb stretching up to brush over your lips and your face freezes at his touch. “But yes. Royally fucked. I wasn’t wrong when I said I needed you.”

“I think that meant a whole something else back then,” you whisper rawly and he smiles sombrely. His thumb leaves your mouth to brush your cheek, his eyes fixing on you as if he’s trying to memorize aspects of your face: the arch of your nose, the bow of your smile, the way your brow wrinkles. “Meant more business-like.”

“I did. And now, I believe the terms have changed.” He arches an eyebrow. “Are we at a mutual understanding, V?”

“Yes.” And I hate that we are. Your hand along his jaw lifts to wrap around his wrist. “Consider that feeling mutual, yeah? It goes both ways.”

“I will.” Another small smile graces his lips. It makes him look younger every time and you rub your thumb over the back of his hand. 

“Do you wanna grab something to eat before you drive me back home for some shuteye?”

“The choices here are atrocious, V.”

“Then, drinks,” you propose, letting go of his wrist. He lets go of your chin, and turning to face the front, you kick up your feet on his dash. He stares at you for a moment then sighs because there really isn’t anything he can do about it. Nor, do you think, he wants to. You squeeze his hand and send him a silly smile. “How about drinks? I wasn’t hungry anyway.”

“Are you paying?”

You eye him incredulously. “Who do you take me for? You?”

He snorts and the engine roars to life with a flick of his wrist. He grabs the wheel dominantly and you swallow at the way his fingers wrap around the handle. “The Afterlife, then?”

“Or, we could make it rustic.” You pull his hand into your lap playfully and run a thumb over his knuckles. His eyes flit over and you send him a smirk. “I know Mama Welles doesn’t like you, but the Coyote’s serving cheap. Happen to like me there.” He begins to pull out of their little overhang and he nudges their joined hands into your abdomen, silently telling you to buckle in. Rolling your eyes, you mumble out a ‘boomer’ underneath your breath before letting go of him and following orders.

He settles a hand on your thigh and squeezes. You hang an arm out the window. 

The wind’s running through the car, he has the radio on low, and they’re easing through onto the highway.

Your chest is lighter than a feather, mind’s quieter than a ghost.

You’ve seen scarier deaths, dealt a lot more. You know that silence is a bigger killer than most bullets.

But here you are now…

“I’m changing this,” Takemura says. “This music is terrible.”

…Shit, maybe life isn’t so bad, ending the way it is.

[rogue-durin-16]

STICK TOGETHER

Summary: When Fred finds out Y/n is planning on leaving the Wizarding World, he canalizes his feelings in the worst way possible, which leads to a terrible outcome that seems unfixable.

Pairing: Fred Weasley x Slytherin!Reader

Genre: angst

Tags:

Fred Weasley: @whiskeyn-rain @lumos-solemn

Permanent taglist: @elia-the-bibliophile @randomparanoid @karlthecat15722 @thebutchersdaughtersblog @amourtentiaa @just-here-to-escape-from-reality

Warnings: swearing

A/N: @meph1stophelian is here putting pressure on me to post this already so I'm apologizing for the poorly written ending lmaoo enjoy <3

Rogue-durin-16 masterlist

"Fred, calm down." George begged me; he walked by my side, trying to talk some sense into me, but it was not the moment. "You gotta understand her— throwing a fit isn't going to help anyone—" I didn't even look in my twin's direction while he spoke. "Bloody hell, Fred—"

"Y/n!" I quickened my pace, leaving George behind after spotting her in one of the corridors, having a chat with a couple of Ravenclaws. "Can I have a word?"

"Sure— Oi!" I hadn't waited for her to reply before grabbing her hand and snatching her away to pull her into the nearest broom closet. "What was that about?"

"Tell me I heard Katie wrong and you're not actually leaving."

"I can't tell you that." She plainly responded, her voice steady.

A single, gobsmacked snide left my throat. "You're joking, right?" My heart ached as if it was being constricted when she shook her head no. "So you're fleeing?"

"What?"

"Things are getting ugly so you're running away."

Her eyes dug into mines as she stayed in a very uncomfortable silence before replying with. "So what if I am?" When I averted my eyes from hers, she called my name. Her eyes were somewhat softer now, with a gleam of plea in them. "For the last two years we had nothing but tragedy. Diggory died, You-Know-Who is back and recruiting, the ministry is full on going against a teenager, this pink colored nasty toad is physically abusing us, and on top of that, I have to put up with my housemates' bullshit for having muggle blood— I'm tired!" Her voice had raised a bit, enough for me to know she was struggling to keep it at bay, but still managed to. "If I can have a life out of this then—"

"You're a coward."

"Fred." there was a warning on her tone, but I couldn't listen.

"You're leaving... people behind," she attempted to reason; I didn't let her. "Dunno why I'm surprised, really. At the end of the day you're a Slytherin for a reason."

Her eyes started to well up, and I couldn't tell if it was with anguish or fury. I knew I was getting under her skin, but that was exactly what I intended to do; if I was going to leave that room scarred, so would she.

"Self-preservation, you call it." I scoffed, feeling my own rage building up faster each passing second. "Pure cowardy."

"Is that what you think?" Her tone wasn't steady anymore; she was holding back the poison of her words, for my sake.

"Yeah." I wasn't capable of doing the same thing for hers. "And I don't want your cheap excuses and emotional manipulation to convince me otherwise." My face was probably red due to the anger, my jaw and fists hurt from clenching them; I was off the rails, and the person who would usually stop me was standing in front of me. "Better leave now so you don't have the chance to sell us out when shit goes down."

Silence fell upon us, our gazes locked, equally watery and with the same amount of fury and sadness within them.

And finally she snapped. "Maybe I'm a coward, but you're a self-absorbed prat who's not able to see beyond your own ego!" The way she said it hurt me more than the sentence itself. "This is not gonna be a DADA class, Fred! I don't want to fucking die because I was too slow casting Protego."

"Good luck, Y/l/n." I curtly wished her before stalking out of the broom closet I have initially dragged her into.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

We avoided each other for a week. The following Monday, when I entered the Great Hall, I found George and Katie quite depressed.

"What's gotten into you?"

They shared a look before my brother turned to me, deciding to break the news himself.

"Y/n left last night." He gave me an apologetic look. "Thought she'd wait until the graduation—"

"But she's had enough." Katie finished, toying with her breakfast. "Honestly, I wish I had a life in the muggle world too."

My lungs were refusing to take the air inside; I felt as if I would choke if I stayed there, so I stormed out, jogging to reach the countryard.

I needed to breathe.

Even after the wind hit my face, that vital task felt like the most difficult thing in the world to accomplish.

I hate her I hate her I hate her I hate her.

A sob escaped my chest, realising the harsh words I had spat at her were probably the last ones she would ever hear from me.

I love her.

A Year And A Half Later

READER'S P. O. V.

I managed to apparate somewhere in the cornfield —the only place around the Burrow I remembered clearly.

I should have landed with a broom, but apparently, Mad-Eye didn't inform Lupin that I would serve as an extra escort for Harry if they were ambushed, so my broom was now smashed somewhere down the muggle road we had flown over.

Mentally cursing the damn moment in which I spoke to Shacklebolt in hopes of being useful in this war, I looked for the entrance of the Weasley home, which took me quite a while.

Funnily enough, it was Lupin who stepped out, wielding his wand and casting yet another hex at me that I somehow managed to block.

With a swift wave of my hand, he was propelled back into the house. "YOU!" A long-haired redhead I recognized as the eldest Weasley helped my old Professor up as I stalked to them with my wand up. "YOU HEXED MY BLOODY BROOM! I'M LUCKY TO BE ALIVE!"

"Y/n, calm down—" Shacklebolt was now besides me with his hands up. "He didn't know you were coming— he was trying to protect George from further harm."

My brain was slow to process his words, but as soon as it did, I started to down my arm. "What happened?"

"Snape hit him with the sectumsempra." My eyes widened at Lupin's heavy words.

"Did everyone else make it?" The three of them remained silent, the ginger shaking his head no.

My breath caught up in my throat, but before I could ask if Fred was alright, another tall ginger flashed the corner of my eye, and my head snapped to the living room's door.

FRED'S P. O. V.

Everyone was scattered around the house. Ginny took Hermione and Fleur to her room; Ron and Harry made its way up too; Tonks went out —she needed a moment alone to mourn Mad-Eye—, and, while my parents and I stayed with George, Lupin, Shacklebolt and Bill went to guard the entrance.

I was still kneeling by George's side, holding his hand while our mother healed his wound the best she could, when we heard a yell followed by a strong blow in the kitchen.

I looked at my mum and dad, my eyes flickering to my twin while I reached for my wand.

As I got up, more yells were heard, this time clearer; the voice was familiar— I knew that voice all too well.

There she stood, at the entrance of my home.

Her eyes met mines as soon as she caught a glimpse of me, and my head started to spin. I knew I had no right to do what I was about to do, but after that night's events, in which the war became very much real, I couldn't help but rush to her and engulf her in a tight hug.

Surprisingly enough, I couldn't take more than two steps forward, since she did what I intended to do first.

"You're alright." She mumbled against my shoulder. My eyes shut, trying to block the tears that threatened to fall. "How's he?" She inquired whilst pulling away with a concerned frown.

Not trusting my voice, I nodded in the living room's direction. A quiet sough escaped my lips as she passed by, her hands lingering on my arms for a brief instant before she entered the room and took careful steps towards the settee.

I barely caught a couple of words from George and Y/n's exchange, my mind still buzzing due to the shock.

"What do you say, Freddie?" I frowned at my twin, regretting not listening to the conversation. "She can take my bed, right? I'm not gonna get far anyway."

"Right." I agreed, struggling for my voice to come out steady. It was Y/n we were talking about; I had known her since our fourth year, I had been friends and more with her, seeing her shouldn't be that nerve-wracking.

A couple of minutes later, we were all heading to our respective rooms, and as I closed my room's door behind me and Y/n, it dawned on me that I had underestimated the anxiety that could cause me being left alone with her.

Get it together, Fred.

"If you want, you can grab a shirt from the drawer." I finally managed to speak, motioning at the chest besides the window. She nodded and turned to it to look for one she could sleep in.

Now that I had the opportunity, I carefully observed her, and soon realized how much she had changed in the time we were apart. Not only when it came to her physical appearance; she stood a bit straighter, talked a little calmer; the joy with which she used to sparkle was dim now, eclipsed by a severe, worried attitude— a sign of us no longer being the kids who messed around at Hogwarts.

"I missed you" I knew right away that wasn't the best start for the conversation.

"It sure didn't seem like it." The bitterness in her tone stung my heart harsher than I expected.

"You're still mad?" The way I was conducting the conversation was making me want to bang my head against the wall.

She sighed, turning around now that she had the shirt on to meet my gaze. "A year and a half, Fred. You didn't contact me for a year and a half. I thought we were friends."

"You left me behind!" I talked back, partly because I panicked, but also because I, to my surprise, was still mad too. "What did you even expect?"

"A letter?" She questioned, throwing herself down on the bed. "I mean— I didn't really expect anything, but a letter would have been a good way to let me know you didn't fucking hate me." My eyes, now fixed on my lap, went wide when Y/n's voice broke at her last three words.

"I'm sorry." I mumbled, quite ashamed of having to apologise while also being scared of saying anything that could harm her further. "I'm sorry about not writing and- uh... I'm sorry about what I said to you. I know it's not an excuse but I was really mad and..." I cleared my throat and felt the blush creeping up my neck even before I finished the sentence. "... and hurt 'cause you- I thought that maybe I wasn't important enough to you and- yeah, I'm sorry about what I said." I tried meeting her eyes but they were fixed on the wall before her.

"It's fine." She shrugged, "I guess you were right anyway."

"I wasn't right-"

"You were." She hugged her knees to her chest and hid her face there. "Wanna know why I'm back?" She didn't need my response. "They're hunting down my family." My heart stopped beating for a second due to the shockingly deadpanning tone. "A friend gave me a tip-off— they were tracking them down. I got to them just in time." I refrained myself from asking about them —the less I knew, the better. "So yeah, you're right, I was a coward and left people behind."

My body shot up and my legs carried me to George's bed; without me being fully aware of what I was doing or which consequences it could have, I sat down and pulled Y/n into my arms.

Though she was shocked at first, her body soon relaxed into the familiarity of my arms, and she let out a relieved sigh. "You're not alone on this." I whispered, pecking her crown. "I'm here, okay?"

"So you don't hate me?" She murmured against my chest.

Maybe it was the fragility of her voice, or the warmth of her embrace I missed so much; maybe it was this past year and a half of regret, or the night's events, but I couldn't hold back my words.

"I love you."

And even though she went stiff, even if I had just blurted them out almost in accident, I didn't regret saying them, because I, in fact, loved her.

She pulled away to look into my eyes. "You mean it?"

"Yeah." I replied, calmer than I had been in a while. "And I'm really sorry about everything, if I could turn back time—" words and air were cut off by her lips crashing against mines.

We had kissed before, but it was on a bet's behalf or to prank someone; this was different, this was her pouring her 'I love you' into actions, and I embrace it gladly.

"No more running away." I commanded when she pulled back. "From now on, we stick together." She nodded, her forehead resting against mine and her palms on my chest.

[mooswords]

Home

Pairing: kuroo tetsuro x reader

Word count: 3k

Tags: red string of fate au, historical au

Ramblings: part of the lost collab, all based on the prompt ‘only when you are lost does the red string of fate appear’ organised by the lovely @yacoka​​ who is a wonderful writer and an even better friend 😚 also a big thank you to remy for beta-ing <3

---

You stare in exasperation as the red string fades into sight, the familiar warmth wrapping back into existence around your finger. It was only visible when one of you was feeling lost, and you certainly knew where you were. Tetsuro was only meant to be coming home from town - how did he get lost? 

You pluck at the string.

Seriously?

An answering pull against your pinky. 

Shut up.

Rolling your eyes, you turn back to the horse in front of you.

“That man, eh?” You scrub the brush along a thick-boned leg, scrunching your face away from the cloud of dust that puffs out. “Probably one of the smartest people this side of the island, knows the stars like the back of his hand, but can’t even find his way across his own fields.” You huff, watching as the string disappears again. “The cows know their way home better than he does, honestly…” 

Bess rattles her head, mane flying, and you sigh. “Ahh, you’re right, I guess we love him anyway.”

“You guess?”

You start, twisting at his sudden presence. 

“Stop! Doing that!” You huck the brush at him and he ducks, grinning. 

“Hear that Bess?” he sings, sidling up to the horse and scratching her forehead as she noses at his pockets. “She loves me.”

“And I married him too,” you lament. “What was I thinking?”

“Something I ask myself every day,” he says softly, eyes alight. You mellow, as you always do for him, and wonder if you will ever get sick of that look. 

“How’s town?” You ask instead, snagging a new brush.

“Good. Got offered a job.”

“Oh, who with?”

“Nekomata.”

You hum. “Down at the docks?”

“Not... exactly." You flick a look up when he doesn't elaborate, only to find him determinedly pulling Bess' forelock into a crude braid. 

"And?" you prompt.

"He wants me as the navigator." He swallows, fingers still twisting in the coarse hair. "For an expedition.”

“Really?” You scrub at a particularly stubborn splatter of dried mud. "I thought he had given up on all that. What’s he planning?”

He doesn’t reply for another long moment. 

"Depends on how quick the ice melts." 

You tear your eyes away from your work; he looks wary. "But with what he mentioned to me, we’d be away… a year? Maybe longer?"

“Oh,” you breathe. Really, for a sailing expedition, that’s short. But it’s still a year. You're thinking of money, and supplies, and who will take over teaching his students while he’s gone, and he’ll definitely need a new coat, and oh that's such a long time-

“I don’t have to decide immediately.” You pull your gaze back into focus. He still looks nervous, but you know him - he might not always be the most expressive person, but he wears his passions with pride. And there are few things your Tetsuro loves more than the stars. 

“You should go."

“Really?”

“Yeah.” You bite your tongue and start sweeping the brush along Bess’ broad back again. It’s not till he gently pulls your hands to a stop you notice how they shake. 

“I don’t have to go,” he offers softly.

You sigh, not quite able to focus any higher than the hollow of his neck. “No. You should.”

His fingers are light under your chin, and you reluctantly let him draw your gaze up. 

“Are you sure?” 

And you are. Despite your reticence, you are; because at heart, he’s always longed to explore the world. You remember sitting with him in the summer, feet dangling in the creek and listening to his rambling dreams of travelling to the far corners of the world. He loves teaching - weaving stories from geography homework, gently coaching the younger kids through their sums - but you’ve caught him many a time just staring out at the sea, eyes unfocused and longing.

"I’m sure," you tell him with a genuine smile. "It just means I'm going to have to do all your chores while you're away."

He tsks, but there's already excitement building under the mock-glare. Giving Bess a final pat, he meanders back to the house. You listen to his cheery whistling and tell the pang in your heart he'll be fine. 

He always comes home.

--

“Have fun. Don’t kick Yaku overboard, OK?”

“What’s this, huh?” The string hums as he twirls a finger through it, his voice low and amused. He twists it into a bow around a lock of your hair, an achingly familiar action that has the string glowing brighter against your skin. “You can’t be lost without me if I haven’t left yet, sweetheart."

He frowns, and you etch the image into your memory - it will be months till you see that pout again. 

“Oh, hush you.” 

Eyes bright and fond, he grins down and pulls you into his chest. For once, you stop thinking about tomorrow and just enjoy this final moment with him; the gulls’ cries tearing across the sky, the winter sun across your back and stiff breeze sweeping through your skirts. He is constant and unshakable, heartbeat steady in your ear, his chin pressed against your hair.

You draw back and poke him in the cheek.

“You come home, you hear me?”

The string continues to flutter between you, dancing in the seaward breeze as he presses a sweet kiss to your lips.

“Always.”

--

The second plate stares back at you. 

Right. Of course. 

You press your lips together and return the other plate to the shelf for the third time this week. Your lonely plate looks pitifully small on the uneven table, and the red string that sinks down to drape across it only adds to the ache in your heart.

You grip the string tight and try not to cry.

--

The drumming rain is muffled as you duck under the barn’s eaves. Shaking the water from your eyes, you peel off your now sodden coat. In the flickering lantern light, you can see how the heifer is huffing, swollen belly already heaving.

Crooning to her, you run a tired hand over the heifer’s rough hide and crouch down.

You shove wet hair off your face and sigh. The late nights and bad weather were only exacerbating an already stressful time of year, and of course this had to be the year your entire herd was calving. You wearily draw a pail of water and tsk as you grab the last towel off the side of the stall - it seems tomorrow will have to be a washing day too.

There’s a wet nose. There’s also a tail.

“That’s… not right.” you mutter, stumped. 

It hits you a moment later - twins. She’s having twins.

“Ohh… uhh…” You know you can’t panic, but your thoughts just continue to speed up, desperately flicking through your memories because you know how to deal with a breech birth, but twins? Where do you even begin? There are two calves in there, and that's twice the number of things that could go wrong. Think. It’s only a few minutes over the hill to the Kagayama’s, maybe they-

The gentle tug at your hand startles you. The string is there, looped around one of the cow’s ears and floating out into the pouring night. Another tug comes, a little firmer this time. 

You suck in a breath.

You send him a grateful tug back and get to work.

It’s messy and stressful, and the deep ache in your arms will definitely be worse tomorrow, but there's a pile of knobby legs and liquid eyes in your lap that more than makes up for the pain. You snag the old towel off the straw and gently wipe the nose of the first calf before helping it struggle to its feet. The cow blinks around and lowes softly. You grin and quickly swipe at the other calf, blowing gently on its nose till it snorts.

Your eyes are heavy, and you are already compiling a list of the thousands of things to do tomorrow. But with pride singing through your tired bones, you are content to sit, half-wishing he was here with you to listen to the rain beat down on the tin roof and proudly watch the calves take their first, wobbling steps. 

--

“Endeavor."

“E-N-D...” Natsu scrunches her nose and you nod encouragingly, “E…”

The string appears. It’s sudden; not the usual fade-in of realization, but a tidal wave of colour that has it crashing into existence all at once.

“-A-V-O-R. Endeavor.”

You clear your throat, pushing past the lump. “Correct. Let’s have an early lunch everyone.”

The clatter of chairs is immediate, and you wait for all the kids to race out the door before sinking shakily back against the desk. You rub the string between your fingers - it’s hot and trembling, swaying drunkenly as if buffeted about by the wind.

You pull at it, questioning.

You pull at it again.

Again.

There is no reply but it stays, curling in the corners of your vision for the rest of the day.

--

The next morning it is still there. You bite your lip and bundle his old coat around you to go collect more firewood. 

--

Day four. You stare into reflected, apprehensive eyes for too long before shakily wrapping the everpresent string into a bow around your hair. For some reason, it doesn’t feel the same as when he does it.

--

Yachi reads you off your total and you freeze, hand clutched around the small bag of flour. She looks at you oddly as your hair falls free around your shoulders.

There is a soft tug against your finger, faded by distance and ringing with reassurance, as the string finally, finally disappears from sight after the longest eight days of your life.

“Is everything OK?” she asks, mystified.

You dash the tears and drop the coins into her hand with a smile.

“Everything is perfect.”

--

The string fades in for the third time today and you snort. You’d like to imagine you can feel his annoyance even halfway across the world.

You give it a sharp tug for good measure.

Lost again, huh? 

He pulls grumpily back, and you bite back a giggle.

“How’s that pain-in-the-ass husband of yours doing?” Ukai Jr. asks from behind the bar.

The string bleeds away.

You think of a ship navigating the perilous ice, of unknowable depths and old sailor's tales, of the maps you watched him plot that stretch into expanses of blank parchment.

You think of jokes thrown across candle stubs and empty plates, of a crew that have become more of a family than either of you have ever had.

You think of the furrow he gets between his brows when he’s puzzling something over, his poorly hidden glee at the sight of the open sea.

The string fades in again, and there’s a pull from his end before you can do anything.

Don’t.

You grin. “He’s doing just fine.”

--

You wake to birdsongs. The sun is just peeking over the hills, the red string curled quietly on his pillow. You send three tugs, watch the string ripple out the window and imagine it stretching out, out, out across the seas to him.

Today was usually a day just for the two of you; no chores, no work. Just sunshine and bad jokes and the simple enjoyment of being together. One time he had pulled you along to the neighbouring town's county fair. Last year, you had taken him to the waterfall for lunch.

It was meant to be his choice this year.

You twine the string around your fingers as you wait. It glows softly in the morning light, a physical manifestation of how deeply lost you feel on this special day. He's not gone; he's still here in the scuffed shoes tucked under the bed, in his notes piled high on the desk, but they're not quite the same as hearing his hisses from the kitchen, or being able to sink into warm arms at the end of a rough day.

His returning tugs are delayed, aching and soft - one, two, three.

Sighing, you force yourself out of bed - the cows aren’t going to feed themselves.

Happy anniversary, love.

--

Most days the string isn't visible at all. And that's fine. Really, it is. It means he's not lost, and no news is good news, right?

Anyway, you’ve become quite content in your own company. He’s been gone long enough that you’ve found your solo rhythm and it's by no means easy, but you manage to keep busy enough.

And yet, the string is a double-edged sword - a reassuring and tangible connection between the two of you, but one that fills you with longing heartache all the same. There are days when you so keenly feel his absence; days of no special importance, but days where his company would just make the monotony more interesting. The mundane days, where you find yourself wanting a hug and instead having to settle for imagining the blur of red in your periphery.

You can lose minutes simply staring at your hand, trying to will the string back into colour. Wishful thinking isn’t something you can afford to indulge too often, but some days, if you focus hard enough, you think you can feel the invisible string pressing around your finger. 

Some days, wishful thinking is all that keeps you going.

--

“Hello, sorry.” You ignore the cheeky pull of the red string. He knows how you hate admitting you need help. “I’m a bit lost. Do you know where the blacksmith is?”

The man points up the road, explaining you need to go up past the post office and take a - twitch goes the string - and then follow the path that - another pull - and you should be there. Oh, but don’t - tug - because that will take you out of town.

You bite your tongue and thank the man, fond exasperation simmering in your chest. You might desperately miss him and his stupid antics, but you had almost forgotten how relentless his needling could be. 

As you lead Bess away, you pull sharply on the string. Much to your dismay, it doesn’t deter him in the slightest - an incessant barrage of tugs pull against your pinky, singing with his amusement from half a world away. Huffing out a sigh, you carefully flip the string around your hand. It’s smooth in your grip as you wind it around your palm and close your fingers over it-

And yank the string sideways.

Silence.

A single, pouting yank back.

Pushing down the smile tugging at your lips, you stop infront of the woman sweeping the front step of the post office.

“Hello, sorry. I’m a bit lost. Do you know where the blacksmith is?”

--

A laugh is pulled from you, glee ringing through the air. Hinata’s hand is sweaty in yours, and you grip it tighter as you swing round and round to the music echoing across the field. The wedding party is still holding strong, even this late into the night, and the chatter and music is rvight at home in tonight’s warm summer breeze. 

The song ends to cheers and you yell with them, high, unfiltered joy singing through your body. You drop into a chair, watching Hinata pull a giggling Natsu off the sidelines and head back out as the band striking up another well-loved tune.

The ever-present twinge of sea salt mixes with the sweet scent of the apple blossoms floating over from the orchard and you are content. The food was fresh and plentiful, Kiyoko looked gorgeous. And, you think smugly, Suga had cried before Tanaka did, so now Kinoshita owed you a beer. 

The music slows, and your finger aches at the sight of everyone else partnering up. You had promised yourself you weren’t going to let memories overshadow your fun tonight. There’s too much love around for you to fully feel his absence anyway, but you still catch yourself missing him above the crowd, searching for the wink he’d send across the room before returning to his own conversations.

Someone clears their throat. The string curls and sways between bodies as Takeda smiles down at you, eyes crinkled in understanding. 

“May I have this dance?”

--

You push hurriedly through the crowd, ducking between market stalls and wagons. There’s no string to follow, but you don’t need it to find him today. Asahi scrambles for the bolts of cloth you knock into and Suga yells something that gets stolen by the wind as you continue to run heedlessly towards the docks. 

Lev is on the dock already, only just visible through the small crowd gathering. Yaku yells directions from the ship, and you can see Shibayama sitting up on the boom, Kai pulling the jib down, so where is-

There.

He’s talking with Nekomata, gesturing up at the mast. You know it’s probably important, that there are things to be done on the ship before the crew can leave, but he’s been gone 402 days and you’re calling his name before you can stop yourself.

He twists around, and for the first time in over a year you watch his face split wide. The crowd parts for you as you’re darting forward and he vaults over the side of the ship. 

There are yells and whistles behind him but you couldn’t care less as you are swept into a tight spin, stumbling with him as you laugh. His salt-crusted shirt is coarse under your fingers, and when he kisses you he tastes like the sea; like salt-spray and dry rations and freedom. 

As soon as your hands find his cheeks you pull back sharply. There's a scar, a puckered pink line that cuts across his cheek and up into his hairline. He watches you carefully as you trace it with a feather-light touch.

“I thought I told you to have fun,” you admonish gently. 

“Who said I didn’t?”

You tsk. “What am I going to do with you?”

He grins, wilder than you remember, twisted a little by the scar, but full of familiar trouble. “Kiss me again, hopefully.” 

(How you’ve missed that grin.)

“Can’t imagine why I’d do a silly thing like that,” you say, even as you press your own grin to his.

Maybe he’s still a little wobbly on his feet, and he’s definitely thinner than when he left, but when he twines your hands together - no string in sight - your heart settles. 

He’s home, and you can’t really ask for anything more.

[galaxwrites]

That time Kaito (accidentally) seduced a dragon

Yugioh writing, this time.

crossposted on my AO3

A mix of Zexal and Arc-V

Ship: ...what's the ship name for Kaito x Shun? that's the one

Dungeons and Dragons AU!

Please, enjoy~

-------

The very way Yuto Sakaki was sitting on the throne radiated power, but... His face looked sorrowful. Kaito had seen plenty of sorrowful kings, but never one this...gloomy. Almost as if in mourning.

He did find it weird how there was no advisor or queen that sat besides him. The last time the pirate was in front of the king, he had the Kurosaki siblings at his side. But now...He was alone.

Yuma's voice snapped the pirate out of his thoughts, as the paladin spoke to the dark-robed king. "Your majesty, I am Yuma Tsukumo, Paladin of Ellipas. And me and my gang have a proposition for you."

The king raised an eyebrow. "What kind of proposition, and what is in it for my people?"

"Well, you may already know about your brothers and their kingdoms. And...The threat that Yuri's kingdom poses." Yuma stated. "We believe it'd be best to reunite the kingdoms into one. We've got King Yuya of the Kingdom of Flames on board. We want to continue with you."

Yuto rose from his throne, and walked up to the party of four. Kaito noted that his cape was...well, pretty long. "Reuniting the kingdoms would be vital to our survival, but if I am to get on board with this plan...I need something in return." He stopped right in front of Kaito. The pirate gulped. "My advisor and my queen, Kurosaki Shun and Ruri.. They've gone missing and I am assuming it has to do with the two dragons that have shown up at the edge of my territory. I wish for you to find them, and get rid of my little dragon problem."

Ryouga nodded. "Piece of cake."

The king only narrowed his eyes, at Kaito in particular. "You've been in my kingdom before, and caused quite a stir.. I don't trust you, Tenjou."

"I assure you, your highness, I won't cause that sort of trouble again." Kaito replied, having to physically stop himself from shaking by gripping his arm.

---------------

Yuto had lead the group to a dark forest he called "Raptor's Hollow". It was thick and twisty and Kaito wondered how any creature could live here.

A distant roar, that steadily grew closer as the group pressed forward, was heard. One of the dragons, maybe.

It took about an hour of walking before the group had reached it-a large, dragon-made clearing. Stumps of wood and full trees were scattered around it. Two dragons sat in the middle, one roaring in pain and the other whimpering while trying to help the other.

The roaring one was much bigger than the other. Its scales a dark green, with a lighter teal underbelly and wings. Its gold eyes shimmered with a sort of familiarity.

The other was a deep purple, with hot pink eyes and pastel purple wings. A small ribbon was tied around its tail.

The bigger one lifted its snout, sniffed the air, and roared, heading straight towards the gang. Yuto and Kaito simply jumped out of the way, with Ryouga and Astral simply running.

But like always, Yuma was an idiot and froze up, getting rammed into a tree. He cried out in pain. "OW-"

"YUMA!!" Astral yelled, obviously concerned. The paladin flashed a thumbs up.

"I'm okay! I think I broke a few ribs but I'm okay!"

Kaito sighed. That's gonna be a Cure Wounds later. For now, he had a plan. A risky one, but when were his plans ever risk free?

He took his lute, and strummed a small tune, letting the spell he had prepared be cast on the dragon. The dragon tilted its head and looked at the bard, listening to the tune. Kaito continued to just...play. Not just for his spell, to to calm himself down as well. Playing music always seemed to help.

As his tune ended, the bard put his lute back, and held a hand out to the dragon. "Hello, there." He said. "Are you hurt?"

The dragon nodded, holding up its tail. A rather large bear trap was secured on it, and dark blood still steeped out of it. Kaito winced. The thing looked painful to even look at. But he nodded and walked over to the dragon's tail. He wasn't a formal healer, but he knew a thing or two about traps and how to get unstuck from them.

He barely even touched the trap when the dragon roared. He held out his hand again. "Easy, there." He said, softly. The dragon layed his head down next to Kaito, softly whimpering. Kaito placed his hand on his head. "Try and stay still."

The smaller dragon tilted its head in confusion as Kaito got to work. With all the strength he could muster, he opened up the bear trap. The dragon roared again and raised its tail, only for Kaito to push it back down. "Let me patch you up, first." He reached into his pack and took out two large rolls of gauze, and started wrapping it around the dragon's tail.

Meanwhile, Yuto turned to Ryouga. "Are your party members always like this?"

Ryouga nodded. "Sadly, yes."

"...I am deeply sorry for you."

The siren shrugged. "Eh, I'm used to it. Though Yuma's idiocy can be a bit much."

"I figured." Yuto said.

As that went on, Kaito finished wrapping the dragon's tail. "There. You should be good for now."

The dragon bowed his head in thanks, and made a sort of friendly growl.

"...I can't understand you, you know." Kaito stated, but he got an idea. "Hang on." With a snap of his fingers, he casted a spell; Speak With Animals. "Try now."

Thank you, kind stranger. The dragon said, in its growly voice. Who are you?

"My name is Kaito Tenjo, I'm the captain of the Starry-Eyed serpent." Kaito replied. "Part time bard. And your name?"

Kurosaki Shun. I was cursed to stay in this form until someone breaks the spell placed on me and my Sister.

Kaito raised an eyebrow. "And how do I do that?"

Shun shrugged. I've no idea myself..

The bard thought for a moment. What breaks curses?

....A kiss? That might work!

"...I have an idea, but I have to ask if it's alright for me to kiss you."

In the background, Ryouga mumbled "Of course he's suggesting that." Yuto facepalmed, and Yuma just weakly cheered Kaito on.

Shun tilted his head. ...Why?

"In some of the old fairy tales I've read, the curse is broken with a kiss." Kaito explained. "It might be the case here."

...Just do it then. I can't take this form any longer,

Kaito nodded, and pressed a kiss to Shun's snout. In a flash of dark magic, the dragon-just the one, the other who Kaito guessed was Ruri was just hugging Yuto at this point-seemed to shift into a young man who was just Kaito's type. Dark hair of green and turquoise, yellow eyes, and dressed almost like a classy vampire.

Needless to say, it was pretty much love at first sight.

"Thank you, Kaito." Shun said, with a smile. His voice was smooth and deep.

Kaito took a bow. "You're welcome, Sir Shun."

---------------

After the incident, Yuto joined the alliance, and Shun joined the group. Turns out having a shapeshifting sorcerer as a teammate is a good idea. As night fell, the Starry-Eyed Serpent set sail once more, towards the Kingdom Of Winds. Kaito stood out on the main deck, the wind blowing in his coat. Most of the crew-minus Droite and Gauche- had gone to sleep. But, Kaito never slept. Not like he needed it, anyways.

As the moon and stars rose, Kaito held a hand up to one of the constellations. Gemini.

"Hang on, Gem." He whispered. "I'll find you.."

"What's all this about?" Shun asked, walking up behind Kaito.

The bard turned around, and smiled. "Shun. You need anything?"

The shapeshifter shrugged. "No, just...Couldn't sleep. Why you up?"

"I don't exactly need to sleep." Kaito stated, pointing at his pointy ears. "Just meditation every once in a while. Comes with being a half elf."

"Ah." Shun said. "...May I ask who Gem is?"

"...Gemini is one of my siblings." The bard stated. "Hart isn't my only one. We have ten others, and Gemini's one of them." Kaito explained. "...They'd be 15, today."

"...Did they die?" Shun asked.

Kaito shook his head. "No. Just...Father mistreated them and Virgo. So all of us ran away from him and...we somehow got separated. I'm still searching for them."

"What were they like?"

"Well, Gem's really bright and fun. They loved it when I sang. And Virgo was just really shy, but she got along well with basically everyone." Kaito said. "I miss them..."

"I know the feeling, dude." Shun said. "One time I lost Ruri, and I almost went insane trying to find her."

Kaito chuckled. "I can see it, I suppose."

"Yeah..." Shun gave a small laugh of his own. "One more question?"

"Yeah?"

"...Your siblings seemed to be named after the zodiacs, but you and Haruto aren't?"

"Oh, that. We chose these names to distance ourselves from our father." Kaito explained. "My real name is Sagittarius."

Shun smiled. "..Kaito fits you a bit better."

"I know, it does. Now I've got two questions of my own." Kaito stated. "One, mind calling me Kite? We're friends, now. You don't need to be so formal."

Shun nodded. "Sure, Kite. ..What's the second?"

Kaito-Kite-smiled. "....Is there anyone out there whom you like?"

The shapeshifter blushed. "..T-there's someone. Not s-sure if he reciprocates."

The pirate raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"...W-well, it's you.." Shun confessed.

Though Kite kept his cool, he was screaming on the inside. This hottie liked him? WHAT THE HELL?

He took a deep breath, and calmed himself. "What if I said I liked you back?"

Shun's face gained a dusting of red. "...Wait, seriously?"

Kite nodded. "Why wouldn't I? You seem like a nice fellow, and it helps that you look positively handsome."

"I.. I m-mean... Oh fuck it." Shun grabbed Kite by the coat, and pulled him in for a kiss.

Kite blushed heavily, but...well, he kissed back. His arms wrapped around Shun's waist and pulled him close.

It wasn't anything big, it was just a kiss, but Kite, in that moment, felt utterly elated.

When the two had to pull away for air, he smiled. "Look at that. I seduced the dragon."

Shun huffed. "Yeah, yeah. Guess you did.."

[marshmallowprotection]

Kait Reacts To The AE 2/?

Hi! These reactions are written out every time a Chatroom opens and it’s done over the course of the day. So, you’re watching me react in real time as it is for me. So, Spoilers AHOY. Expect Another post like this at roughly 11PM, there is just too many chats to put it all in one post. So, hey, if you click this, you’re opening yourself to spoilers, you make the choice. 

I covered the events of the initial Visual Novel with V here. 

[0:00AM Visual Novel]

If you managed to hold your breath long enough, you could ask why V did what he did to you. He says he doesn’t want to involve us... or the others, only Saeran and that makes me hesitant. Given what I’ve already said... well, we all know as I’ve started to feel about what V’s doing. He’s willing to burn down in flames with Rika and let everyone hate him because he feels that he deserves it. We do get to wake up from the effects of the drugs laced in the smoke bomb that V brought to C&R. 

He’s surprised that we woke up. Saeran didn’t pass out because he’s so used to the drugs that are in the elixir. Rika was involved deeply in the process of the use of the drugs now, and I’m not surprised by that. V points it out himself that he borrowed his knowledge on the matter. Either way, Saeran is really worried for us and what catches me off-guard is how he says that Ray is weeping from within as he worries over our form, as we strain to wake up but the drugs are really keeping us down. Whatever is in that stuff is ridiculously powerful. 

The RFA is still knocked out. We’re the only one that woke up. He said that he was able to protect us and that’s a callback to what happened with V the first time that we had a problem on the first night of Ray’s Route. I sobbed about that because he thought that he wasn’t strong enough and he was able to stay awake in spite of the drugs. 

He’s been sleeping... the purple under his eyes is fading. He has to leave us for a moment to see the unit after ensuring that we’re okay. Sobs. 

[9:45AM Chat] 

Okay, I said this in the last one that I covered that I had the sinking theory that Rika was working with Saejoong and that it may be possible that they are tied together. I don’t know how to feel on this given V’s reaction here. I had a sinking feeling in my fucking gut. I kept telling myself last night that V was involved in a big scheme with Rika. I still don’t know what to think, and neither does Saeran as this is happening. 

He won’t tell us anything. He says Saeran needs to come alone. He says that he needs to do it now because in two days time, Saeyoung is going to be killed or worse. We don’t know. We ask him for proof to know that he’s not lying to us as hey, we can’t someone that just turned against us. I mean, I can see him being a martyr but you can’t in the game reality. It’s right to be wary. The messenger was hacked. 

V said he used those drugs to ensure that we didn’t wake up. Us getting up is a damn miracle. 

I don’t know who did it. I worried that it was Saeyoung being forced to do it by Rika or Saejoong. Then V drops this fucking bombshell on us: 

Saeyoung’s not dead but his life is on the line. We have to do something and our boy Saeran needs to think. He knows that this is a trap of some kind, and so do we, but he knows that V is... complicated. He wants to something but he needs to think it through. So, I’m not sure and I’m left with more thoughts then answers here. 

[11:23AM Chat + Visual Novel] 

Rika makes a grand appearance. I don’t know what to think. My prior thoughts about Saeyoung being used wasn’t entirely wrong but I will get to that in one lil’ moment because we need to talk about what just happened with Rika. V didn’t tell us he was with Rika, but we can infer that they’re together. 

They apparently made a deal with the Prime Minister for Saeyoung here for some reason. I don’t know what the deal is, they don’t talk about that at length. She comments that it’s impressive that we’re with Saeran even now, and then she huffs that everyone left her but V. V saw her and let her revel in her devil and that’s why we pointedly had Jumin state in the earlier visual novel that V’s eyes weren’t okay. 

So, Rika fucked up V’s eyes once again. I can’t recall them being messed on his route or in Another Story yet, but it’s been so long since I did V’s Route so forgive me on that one. Either way, he subjected himself to her anger and all of the punishment. I don’t have enough information to think about what could be going on with them from the chatroom. They were meant to knock out both of the twins and bring them together. But, that didn’t happen.

I have a lot of questions about the deal. 

That’s not the main theme of the chat here that we need to point out. The chat is called “Has she changed?” Nope. We’re not doing this with you, Rika. You can’t change overnight and I refuse to trust you or forgive you. I don’t want to deal with this nonsense again. I know that I need to play the middleman to get the good ending in this After Ending. That’s how you have to deal with V’s After End, so I’m following that theory even though I’m gritting my teeth. 

I don’t trust Rika. I don’t trust her and I never will. After seeing what V is doing and what I’m about to talk about, I have to say that she’s not changed. I don’t really care how she’s trying to talk about this. Even if she was trying to make things right again with the brothers, this isn’t the way to do it, and trying to knock out everyone and kidnap Saeran too isn’t how this works. This is clearly a trap, and no matter how you spin it. It doesn’t look good. 

Maybe I’ll kick myself in the ass later, but I have a lot of feelings about Rika and people do not change like this. Not this fast. Not someone who refused to change and did what Rika did. Anyways, let’s talk about the Visual Novel cause that revealed a lot of my personal theories that I haven’t shared coming to light. 

There’s another cut-away with Saeran as he comes back to check on us and we’re talking about what just happened. We both know that this has to be a trap but like I said, he’s thinking about what to do here. He wants to give a chance to see for sure, he can’t let something slip through his hands, even though we have to say that this is really... not okay. The messenger isn’t secure because of who hacked it. 

He’s working on making something that we can use to talk privately in the messenger about it. He can’t fight the hacker for good, he’s got the intelligence team doing a lot of work for him. He thinks that this is fated to be... dangerous and I don’t blame him.

And then we immediately jump into another scene with Saeyoung. He isn’t dead and thank God. But, he’s suffering and he might wish he were dead. But, I know him better than that. I’m not sure where this is taking place at first but we know that they’re in a secure location for sure. We’re given Saejoong here so we know that he’s involved. This man is called Boss, so I knew right away that he was the boss of the Intelligence Agency, if not one of the higher ups. They talk about this place being secure.... 

And that it can be blown up.... 

MOTHER FUCKER IT’S RIKA’S APARTMENT. 

The boss says that the woman they made a deal with wasn’t right in the head. I go, oh, Rika. This is talking about the deal. I expected to learn something about the deal here but you know we’re not getting it. Saeyoung tries to ask but he is not going to get it and neither are we. Either way, he knows that he’s fucked in this place but he’s staying calm. He’s warned to listen. Saeyoung just struggles to believe that he’s been double-crossed by the people he trusted. 

He says, “They were the last people I should have ever trusted.” And then he talks about how he made this place for Rika, how he knows as the creator that it’s going to be a mess. It’s impossible to beat. He beat it in his timeline but that took days. The Boss says, “Agent 707 Extreme is a masterpiece you and I have created, sir.” 

And then my stomach sank because this was one of my earliest theories and fears. That the agency and Saejoong were working together. It continues to go on and explains that Saejoong made deals with the agency often before he was even the Prime Minister and he continues to do so. He pays good money to get what he wants. He even goes on to say that this was planned. That Saeyoung was planned. 

That Saejoong made the environment and the cause for Saeyoung to become an agent in the first place. This goes back to how V even knew how to get him into the agency. Did someone approach V? What happened there? I need more answers on that. I always did. I’ve always thought about that and hated that I’d never gotten an answer. 

Both the Boss and Saejoong note that Saeyoung’s pretending to be calm and he’s thinking this through. Saeyoung tries to throw them off but we all know that everyone in that room knows fully well what’s really going on. It pains me to see him suffering like this. Vanderwood is nowhere to be seen, so, I don’t even know what to think about them. 

Hey, so I hate Saejoong Choi so fucking much.

They tell Saeyoung that he has to listen to them. He has two options. He can be killed and then Saeran can be killed. Or, he can hack the messenger and give them what they want to take over the public and make the RFA look back. I see the plan here and I don’t like it. Saeyoung knows he’s in a tight spot, he grits his teeth and begins telling them about what he’s been taught... and he winds up knocking himself out cold so he doesn’t have to do it. 

They need him, so it’s going to buy him some time. 

They know that. 

However, the Boss and Saejoong sigh because they expected it. Now they’re just waiting for Saeran. Saejoong says that Rika promised something so I don’t know how to fel about that. The Boss said he’s talked to V before... that doesn’t help his case. Saejoong’s deal with Rika was just with Rika... ah. They imply they have an informant, too...? Vanderwood? V? Who? We’re also mentioned as a problem since we didn’t pass out. 

The agency is phishing with wrongdoings about the RFA that aren’t true. We are so fucked right now. 

And this troubles me: 

[4:05PM Chat] 

Hi. How are you? I’ve been waiting for hours for this chat and now I’m having a goddamn crisis. 

Anyways, V comes into the chatroom and decides to tell us exactly what I was thinking about when he showed up in the first place. I wasn’t wrong. I knew that he was letting himself go down with Rika and he admits that he stays with her as it is a part of the grief over his mother. He won’t let her go because his mother left and his father did such awful things to that woman. He’s been hurt and very marked by that event in his life.

I knew that this was why he did it... but I think this is the first time that he’s saying it outright. Saeran and I both tell him that’s not okay but he won’t really listen to reason anymore. I’m sorry you’re trapped like this V, but this isn’t what you were supposed to learn from Saeran and the player. You were meant to know that you have a life. Don’t drown yourself for Rika.

He won’t leave her and that’s not how we deal with Toxic Relationships, Jihyun Kim. That being said, we get to talk about who stopped the investigation into Rika and even though we know he won’t say it outright, V made the deal with the Prime Minister to protect Rika from facing punishment. He thinks that she’s going to get better because of him going back to her, but that’s not how this works and he’s being rash. We can’t reason with him. 

It hurts to see, honestly. 

So, we know why V made a deal but we don’t know what Rika made a deal for if it was the same one or not. I have the feel that it isn’t. I know there’s a lot more going on here than we know. But, this confirms my fears. V, she cannot get away with what she did. She cannot. I know you love her but this isn’t okay. This love is twisted and harming you and will not help her in the way that you want and God, let me help him leave her or something in this DLC.

So, that’s what happens here. We learn about V and I’m angry at him and for him as someone who has lived through domestic abuse. But, hey, the good news is, I can flirt with Saeran as much as want: 

[5:57PM Chat]

This chatroom is a bombshell and so is the phone call that comes after it. It’s a one on one with RIka. I’m not enticed by that. I never am. I can’t stand her but I think it’s interesting to know what’s going on inside of her head. She says that she has changed and that she wants to be better, she wants to be like us, but that is something she has a long road to walk to. However, Rika is a true master manipulator and she knows how to talk really pretty and tell you what you want to hear and lead you off her path.

That’s why I never trust her or listen. I know what it’s like to live with someone like that I won’t listen to it. She tries to plant a lovely picture of someone who has seen the error of her ways to us. She says that she’s changing... being on the run has changed her. I don’t think Go-Gurt binges are going to change you, Rika, though, now I really want some Go-Gurt.

They’re in hiding, even though they made a deal with the Prime Minister. So, we know the deal they made is on pretty thin ice. She goes on to say that she is her devil... that she can control it. That she can change. To me, I don’t believe a word she’s saying. She’s trying to make us believe that she can change so Saeran will go and see them alone. 

I don’t like that. 

She even tries to end the chat by being nice and making sure that we remember to eat. Then, she calls you from V’s phone. She tries to play nice again, and she wants us to listen. She’s trying to get us to get Saeran to go. Alone. Again. It is a topic that comes up but we deflect it. She tries to change it about us, by asking us if we want to talk.. together about ourselves, instead of Saeran. Saeran was always the focus of our talks.

We talk about herbs. I pointedly asked if what the herbs were,  she said that they weren’t legal and implied that she’s got more things cooking. So, that’s not a good thing and you guys... I don’t know if you listened to the Ringtones, but they jested about “Green Life!” together, V and Rika, and I don’t like how that ties into this. 

She admits that she never feared anything she started. She’s admitting that she is aware of her crimes and knows what she was doing so anyone that wants to say that she isn’t should really check themselves at the door. Mental Illness is not an an excuse for any misdeeds, and if you lash out, then you have to take responsibility to learn and grow. 

Not making a fucking cult.  

We talk about relationships, too. Rika inquires how we view relationships. You are given a lot of options, but I went with my heart. I have a lot to say but I need you to read this out: 

That’s not the end. She compliments you and says: 

And, that my friends, is why I don’t trust Rika and I never will. I have a sinking feeling that she wants to use Saeran and Saeyoung as leverage to ensure her freedom. As in, at this point, I think she’s going to let them both be killed so she can be free. That’s my worst case scenario but that’s all I can think right now. 

[bizlawgal]

I got a prompt I would like to share 😊. Emma flirts with norman everyday. From the smallest ways to the most cheesy pick up lines. Then, why he doesn't understand? Most of the time he just blushes looks to other side and then changes the subject. She feels really stupid and embarrassed and now she has to explain it to norman. EXPLAIN SOMETHING TO NORMAN omg.

I’m bad at pick-up lines, so I hope I somehow had given justice to this prompt HAHA.

I.

It’s been a week since she last visited. 

But instead of the friendly blonde she’s come to know, her eyes immediately fall on someone’s silver hair from the counter.

He looks up from his desk, and she can already see in his eyes the wonder in the form of azure and carnation.

"Good morning, miss," he casually greets with that ever-endearing soft smile he serves his guests. "What can I do for you today?"

She comfortably presses her elbows on top of the counter, instantaneously taken by him. 

Just calling him handsome is an understatement.

"Oh, nothing. Just glad to see a friendly face in the morning."

He looks surprised with the comment, but hedges forward with what he's trained and paid to do. "This library certainly has a lot of friendly faces."

"Oh, I wasn't talking about the others," she implies without a second thought, "I was talking about you. You must be new here."

"Y-yes," he stutters, something he's not proud of, especially when he's talking to a rather lovely guest that he's seen for the first time.

"Whenever I check out a book, it's always that pretty blonde who always assists me. Have you seen Anna?"

There's a joyous vibrato to how she says it like she's telling a story to a friend, heightening the glistening of her eyes.

He blushes at the sight of her, so he offers an explanation to her question to keep his expression neutral. "I'm sorry. Anna resigned a week ago, so I’ll be solely in charge of everyone’s accounts. Is there anything I can help you with now?"

"Oh, I see.” She nods her head in understanding. “Anyway, I'm Emma, and the only thing you can help me with now is telling me your name."

She's interesting, he thinks. "I'm Norman. Do you have any questions I can help you with?"

Satisfaction crosses her face and he instantly ponders as to why her smile feels like the sun radiating on him.

"Okay, Norman. I have one question," she says with her playful eyes that implies to be too endearing at the same time. "Do you believe in love at first sight or should I come again?"

II.

"You're early today, Emma," Norman says as soon as he catches wind of her from the corner of his eye.

She merely whistles a tune, faint sounds of footsteps making their way towards him. "I'm always right on time, you know."

"It has only been seven minutes since we opened up the library." He raises an eyebrow, skepticism covering his face. "Don't tell me you're here to lounge around? Did you always do this when Anna was around?"

"And if I did? I'm bored, Norman," she remarks in the tone of a whine. "Is there anything I could do while I wait for you to finish?"

He draws an exhaustive sigh at the dilemma in front of him. She's been visiting for straight days over the last two weeks, and all she's ever checked out was a single book. Norman can't decipher what has gotten this young lady visiting the library so often.

But he won’t deny the exhilarating feeling of knowing that his company is something that she’s keen on having.

She may just be a lost soul looking for ways to entertain herself in the vastness of this city's library.

"If you have no plans to check out a book, at least take a seat in one of the available couches. I'll attend to you shortly."

Emma seems satisfied with the idea. She merrily makes her way to the nearest couch and comfortably settles herself with its backrest.

Not even a minute longer, Norman feels the piercing stare emanating from his back. His keen senses are to thank for, and clearly, it was sharp as a dagger since he instantly comes in contact with her eyes.

"You're staring," he simply reckons.

"No, I'm not." She doesn’t even deny it.

It's taking everything in him not to blush and be conscious of her gaze that is enough to question a man of his current stature.

"Yes, you are."

"Hmm, really?” She rubs out both of her eyes and blinks excessively at the ceiling. “I think there's just something wrong with my eyes."

Norman places the book he has on hand in its proper place and goes ahead to check on her condition. He moves closer to get a good view of her face when he asks, "What's wrong with your eyes?"

And when he's close enough that she moves her lips to his ear and whispers, "I just can’t take them off of you."

III.

It's been a month since Emma started invading his professional space of employment. He has no qualms about it, yet her presence has been, in more ways, confusing than comforting.

Aside from her lack of tact and overwhelming recklessness, he has nothing to complain about.

Except for her outrageous pick-up lines.

Some are cheesy. Others are funny, and most of the time, it ridiculously just takes his breath away.

"How much does a penalty cost when I fail to return a book after its deadline?" she asks him from the counter on a Saturday.

He shakes his head in amusement. "Are we talking about that engineering book that you've failed to return even after my countless reminders?"

"Maaaaaybeeee," she chimes back.

"It'll be a dollar if we're counting for nearly a month of its overdue fine."

"I see you’re good with Math," she ponders for a moment, the side of her lips twitching for a smile.

"I’m fairly good with numbers," he informs back while encoding the newly-released textbook on his laptop.

"I’m no mathematician, but I’m pretty good with numbers, too! " she points a finger at him, "Tell you what, give me yours and watch what I can do with it."

Norman nearly chokes on his own saliva.

IV.

He likes her.

He likes her enough to the point that his head immediately sways to the door the moment it opens; to the point that her laughter brings him an immeasurable amount of joy by just hearing it; and, to the point that he wishes time would stop so that he'd get to hear more of her little pick-up lines.

So when she steps foot inside the library for today, all his attention is remotely diverted to her.

"Good morning, Norman," she greets enthusiastically from the door, a bright mop of orange hair blossoming from her back and a grin to match the glee in her eyes.

Norman instantly sprints to meet her halfway, but loses his balance and falls flat on the wooden floors.

Emma quickens her pace to assist his sorry state. "Norman! Norman! Are you okay?"

"I-It's nothing," he groans the words out, "The floor must've been slippery."

Emma gives out a peal of low laughter before placing his right arm over her shoulders and supporting him to stand up. "You know, you should be careful where you fall."

Norman senses that it's going to be another one of her pick-up lines so he listens attentively, despite the searing pain on his chin. "And where do you suppose I should fall?"

"You may fall from the sky, you may fall from a tree, but the best way to fall… is in love with me," she ardently chants as they walk side by side to a vacant seat.

He bites the insides of his cheeks because this is the best one he's heard from her yet.

V.

It's closing time and Emma has taken it upon herself to help him return every borrowed book to its proper placement on the shelf. She’s been awfully quiet, Norman internally infers, with the way she shoves the books back with less delicacy than the previous ones. Her eyebrows are knitted into a frown and her lips are sullen into a pout. 

If she doesn’t appear to be vindictive about something, he thinks it’s an adorable expression out of her.

"Norman." Her voice is stern and less cheerful than the usual, and it makes him pause for a moment. "You look smart enough to me."

"So I've been told."

"But, why are you dumb?"

This statement makes him stop altogether. "I am... what?"

"I think you're dumb," she emphasizes without averting her gaze.

He doesn't even take offense since this is the first time she used such a tone against him. "How am I dumb?"

"Because!" she crosses her hands to her chest in an offensive stance, "I've been flirting with you for over a month, and you always seem to brush me off. My brother said that saying pick-up lines are a good way to go! Is it not working or are you just dumb not to notice?"

Emma is too free and direct — unbound to any chain from halting herself from freely speaking her mind. Her intentions are too pure for his sake and it's taken him more than a month to come up with a response.

"I'm not dumb, Emma," his voice is low and raspy against the stammering of his heart.

She appears taken aback. "So, do you know I'm flirting with you?"

So blunt, yet so efficient. "Yes, I know."

"Do you... not like me?" The will to look at him is gone, only replaced by uneasiness and dejection. “I can stop if you don’t —”

His grin won't falter back, so he allows it to creep into his lips. She's been making too many obvious attempts for him not to notice for over a month and it's high time he returns the favor.

"I like you. It’s just that... I’ve never liked a girl before. I’m sorry if it looked like I wasn’t interested. But — " he takes a step closer to reach for her braid, “I really like you, Emma. You and your silly pick-up lines.”

Her eyes blow wide open with hope. Her hands are balled into a fist with evident shaking from elation. "You do?! You really do?!"

“Do you want proof of it?” he asks coolly as he possibly can.

She nods like a little child that is about to be handed a candy.

He closes a bit of the gap between them, with one hand snaking for support at her back, and the other raising her chin to meet his lips.

If she’s good with swooning him with words, then he may as well do the same. "Can I borrow a kiss? I promise I'll give it back."

[rksora]

  ⭑         ━━━━━━   AND﹡ROMA VLIVE  .  〖 소라 〗  ┊ 20.08.24                 DURATION  /    25:15

she’s handed the phone just as she makes herself comfortable in the backseat of the van. having mentioned it in passing to their manager before she and sunmi had their schedule at sbs power fm, she was happy to find her request accepted. and upon their return to the van, juhee relayed what she had in mind for her second v-live video. she knew some of the company’s pr team had mentioned it to her that she should have made it more of a habit of having v-lives, but suddenly being tossed into comeback practice had kind of derailed that plan.

so, she decides for a new video to play some of her favorite summer hits for fans -- albeit boring, juhee couldn’t really find any other way to spend with fans outside of reviewing her latest dramas she’d been binging on the side of their promotions and juhee wasn’t sure she was ready to cause fandom wars over dramas.

she can be seen fixing the phone in front of her in the car, her voice vying in and out as she laughs at something being said off-camera by their manager before she’s handed the snack that the studio had gifted them upon their departure from the studio. now that they’ve comeback juhee was getting more and more used to their radio appearances.

“hello everyone ~ did you just hear me and sun -- i mean darae unni on the radio? we were on sbs power fm! if you didn’t hear, maybe you can re-listen on their website!” her hand waves huge as she sets down her snacks in her lap and claps her hands to get rid of the crumbs that had stuck to her palms. “long time no see ~”

“i hope everyone has been well!”

“a-ah, i forgot to introduce myself. eh? everyone knows who i am?” she says, her eyes widening as she reads the comments. “eh, no way ~” she laughs, her nose crinkling before shaking her head. “i’ll introduce myself anyways for the new ones just joining us!” juhee remarks as she watches the viewer count rise.

“hello guys ~” her hand does and﹡roma’s signature greeting hand motion, fingers spread apart as she waves her hands, “twinkling and sparkling! hello ~ i’m and﹡roma’s new sky, as far as the eye can see, sora -- nice to meet everyone !”

“okay, now we’ve got that out of the way -- i’m here today to ..” she imitates a drum noise while fiddling her fingers along her lap. “dugu-dugu-dugu ~” 

“show off a few of my favorite songs from this summer. now that autumn is coming, i think it’s nice to look back at some of the songs that kept me company this summer!” 

“first! of course, i can’t not promote our newest song, high heels. if you haven’t listened to it yet -- here you go! did you see our music video? wasn’t it so cute? it was my first time practicing with heels -- i tried dancing with them before but i’m still kind of not used to it.”

she reads the comments before proceeding, “ah? any wishes for this comeback?” she hums as she thinks, “mm -- would wishing for a first win be too ambitious? i think everyone wants a first win but we’ve been working really hard for this comeback so i hope we can get a special reward such as a first win for all our efforts!”

her hand shows off her phone, the last of and﹡roma’s album drowned in the background so that juhee could play the songs from her phone. “now you’ve probably heard this song before -- luxe sunbaenim’s ‘ up & down ’ .” 

she grins proudly, “i’m not sure if many of you know this, but a few weeks ago and﹡roma did a cover of sunbae’s song and i had ashe sunbae’s lines and i was so nervous. it’s a concept we’ve never done before but i think we did it justice, though i’m nowhere near as good as ashe sunbae. i haven’t met her yet but i really hope to! she seems really cool!”

she had played a short snippet of up & down -- knowing for sure that everyone and their mothers had already heard of the song enough ( it was playing nonstop in almost every store possible since it’s release, it seemed ) -- before changing the song to a song by their brother group ( laughable considering juhee had yet to meet any of their members ), per_se.

“and next is per_se sunbaenim’s new song, ‘ o sole mio ’ , since it released it’s been stuck in my head for ages. even while we were preparing for ‘ high heels ’ i was playing it -- maybe i’ll do a cover of the choreography. it is really nice. i really like the move they do with their arms.” she reenacts the move while the song plays with a laugh. her eyes focus on the comments, letting the song play in the background. “i’m glad you guys enjoy the song too. it was a nice sound for the summer, right?”

“there’s also this american artist i’ve been listening to a lot these days, his name is giveon -- one of the new songs off his new album is my favorite. it’s called ‘ this ain’t love ’. please listen to him, his voice is really nice!”

“also samuel seo sunbae’s song ‘ soon ’ is so nice, when i go to yoga on my off days i always have this playing in the background.” she quickly changes the song after giveon’s finishes to sameul’s -- cutting out the song that had almost started in between. “it has this nice almost dance-like vibe but it’s also still nice for easy listening.”

as soon finishes, juhee pauses the next song so she can introduce it properly. “this one isn’t a new song but i just found it and i love it. i’ve never been in love before but this song kind of ... makes me wish i have.” her voice softens slightly as her gaze drops to her phone, it’s for a moment before she re-focuses her stare to the screen in front of her. she laughs at the comments that suddenly come flying. it has her sheepish at the sudden words of love coming from the fans. it’s all so new -- being told she’s loved, especially from people she hardly knew. “it’s called ‘ love ’ and from the lyrics i can understand it’s about a friend falling in love with their friend and wanting to stop pretending that their relationship is ‘ just friends ’ -- does anyone relate to it? ah, a lot of you? aw ~ i wish i could give you all hugs.”

“last but not least -- i also found this producer, called dept, and i really like his songs. they’re more rnb than pop but i think their sound makes for nice winding down music. i think it’s the best way to end the v-live, too. so let’s listen to this song well before we say goodbye ~”

her fingers press play, “it’s called ‘ summer again ’.”

juhee let’s the last song play in the background as she reads the comments, one of them catches her eye and she has a laugh -- “ah, you caught me. they’re not really upbeat or ‘summery’ -- my music taste is kind of moody, i think? at least that’s what my friends tell me.”

it’s the smallest part of juhee that she was willing to share with her fans -- even if most of the rest that she shares is unlike the real her. the smiles she shows, and the upbeat attitude she dons for shows is much unlike her actual persona but she keeps them on -- hoping that just an ounce of this smile could become real for her.

for juhee, she wished she was just the slightest bit more upbeat.

unfortunately, her music tastes failed to portray this wish.

“ah, we’re almost home so i guess this is the end for us guys ~” she waves, shooting finger hearts to the camera as she reaches out to stop the recording. “until next time!”

[parabellum-rpg-archive]

Congratulations, Sam! You’ve been accepted to play Holden Estrada. Please make your page and send it in within 24 hours.

Admin note: Sam! I’m so excited for you to play Holden. He’s been one of my very favorites from the beginning, and I feel like you’ve got such a good grasp on him. I love the little details, like Holden listening to podcasts and loving to dance. I can’t wait to see him on the dash! - Admin V

IC INFORMATION —

CHARACTER DESIRED

Holden Estrada

DESCRIBE THE CHARACTER IN YOUR OWN WORDS

Holden’s not exactly depressed but he is tired. He’s basically resigned, at this point, to a life he never wanted for himself and watched all his dreams get torn up and scattered in the wind long ago. He was terrified at the beginning, then angry, then desperate for an escape. Now, it’s become something he’s more or less accepted. It’s not that he likes working for the Costellos but he’s had to get good at his job to stay alive and alive is still better than dead. While he wouldn’t call himself an optimist, in reality he’s probably tipped a little more onto the pessimistic side, he still tries to find good things in his life. Not in his job, exactly, though he’s somehow made friends there, but in the rest of his life. As if to balance the poison he spreads onto the streets, he tries to do good in other small ways. Holden’s not a boy scout but he helps people if he can, tries to offer most people a smile or a kind word when he’s not working, tries to be the soft spoken, kind guy he used to be before the world (and the Costellos) had a few rounds of kicking him in the teeth. Maybe it seems a little strained or the smiles don’t quite reach his eyes but he tries to enjoy what he can, soak in the small pleasures like a good movie or a delicious meal, having a few beers with friends. Holden’s life has boiled down to simple pleasures because there’s so much of it that he doesn’t enjoy but has to accept.

In spite of the outward acceptance, there’s still a resentment that burns deep down in him, towards his father and towards the Costellos for keeping him trapped, and that’s what he uses for his tough shell when he’s working. While not naturally violent, he’s had to learn how to use a gun, had to be willing to drive a truck into people sometimes to get himself or friends out of hairy situations, had to accept that the streets are cold and cruel and if he’s going to survive (which he will do, dammit) then he has to adapt. He has adapted and sometimes that tough shell is harder to shake off than he wants it to be. More and more it takes a few hours or longer to get out of the work mind set and back into what he considers his true self, though he’s starting to doubt it. Ten years have irreparably changed him, what are the next ten going to do? Will there be a gentler self to get back to then? Holden worries about that and tries to play the balancing act though sometimes wonders if he should just go for it, just embrace the violence, dive full on into the life of crime he has to live anyway, and forget about the rest. Such bitter moments are still few and far between though, not frequent enough for him to go through with it, so he holds onto that kid he used to be that everyone liked. If he really needs a reminder, he calls his aunt and puts on his sunniest disposition, maintains the lie he’s been telling her for years that he’s graduated and got a good job that he enjoys, and lives a fantasy version of the life he could have had for a little while. He peppers in as much truth as he can, tells her funny stories that aren’t work related about what he and Aaron get up to, and wishes he could go visit her. Holden knows that he can’t leave Chicago unless the Costellos order him to and always just tells his aunt he can’t get away, which at least has the benefit of being true.

Holden isn’t stupid enough to be openly hostile towards the Costellos and he’s too scared of them anyway, at least Marcel and Leon, though it’s more of a general wariness towards the others. The twins, from what he can tell, aren’t really involved in the business and his natural friendliness generally extends towards them. They were born into a family they didn’t choose, after all, and after that whole wedding business he feels bad for them. With other loyalists that are higher up or the Costello cousins he outwardly shows them respect and acts like the good little soldier, following orders. He’s not often rubbing shoulders with them anyway but in the back of his mind he knows it’s best to maintain a good relationship with them in case he ever does decide to dive headlong into this life and try to move up the ladder.

Holden’s isn’t a satisfying life, not by any means, but he still tries to make it a good one.

WRITING SAMPLE

On really bad days, which are thankfully few and far between, Holden indulges in a very detailed fantasy of what his life could have been if Leon hadn’t come for him when he was eighteen. He thinks about the full ride scholarship he’d had, imagines what his classes might have been like, the degree he would’ve gotten, the life that should have been his. The small details often vary but in this alternate reality that exists only in his mind, Holden always has a fulfilling career, a long term partner that challenges and delights him, even sometimes a family. When he finally pulls himself out of it, to the very different and stark reality, he feels hollow. It numbs him so much that on those days he spends the rest of his time doing almost nothing, staring out the window for hours at a time, or wandering aimlessly through the streets. It’s a dark mood mostly because of its absence of feeling, of the way that nothing seems to matter because he’s empty, living a life he wasn’t supposed to lead all because a man he barely knew or remembered had made some stupid mistakes. It can last for nearly a whole day sometimes but there is always something that manages to bring him out of it and it’s usually entirely random. Sometimes it’s because he passes a playground and hears children laughing, or he catches a glimpse of the sky at just the right moment, or Aaron shows up with his easy smile. Then, because of that random thing, Holden finds himself smiling and the world is vibrant with colour again and things are all right, or if not all right, at least acceptable.

Thankfully, today wasn’t a bad day. It was actually a pretty decent day because he hadn’t had to work and the sun was shining. There were new episodes of some of his favourite podcasts and he planned to spend the afternoon enjoying those before going out that night, to Sapphire or somewhere else, and taking advantage of the fact that he was still young, fit, and reasonably attractive. Other people at Sapphire tended to notice that too and even if he didn’t go home with anyone, it was still nice to dance and feel the bass resonating in his chest. Days like these made him feel just a little less tired, made the fact that he would always be in debt and never get away from this whole Costello business seem just a little bit more bearable.

After the podcasts and a quiet afternoon (which he shouldn’t have had, he probably should have worked to fill his quota but his sanity demanded these relatively stress free days once in a while) he headed out to Sapphire as he’d intended. The beat drew him to the dance floor as if there was a string pulling him that way. There was no alcohol necessary because he just liked to dance, liked to feel the crush of humanity around him, the young, vibrant people that all had so many more possibilities for their lives than he did. Holden could forget that for a while, smiling as a cute guy approached and started dancing with him. They stayed together for the length of a song or two before that guy disappeared into the crowd and a pretty woman took his place. Holden’s ears were ringing by the time he got off the dance floor and settled at the bar to finally order a drink and catch his breath. This made him feel alive, even if he wasn’t a college graduate with a very different life, and he would take as much dancing, good music, podcasts, and attractive people as he could to remind himself that there was still a lot to be happy about in this world even if it didn’t always seem like that when he was out doing his job.

Holden may have had a debt he could never pay off weighing on his shoulders but at least today had been a good day. Hopefully, tomorrow would be too.

[askmyboys]

The Family (their not ACTUALLY related tho I’llexplainintextshh)

Names: Luke, Alan, Scott, and Wyatt | Genders: Male | Ages: Unknown | Heights: Luke is 7'3", Alan is 5'0", Scott is 6'2", and Wyatt is 7'1" | Species/Race: Human | Hair Colors: Alan's hair is Peanut Brown (his hairstyle is Tapered Sides + Messy Comb Over),  Luke's hair is pitch black (his hair style is fairly lengthy, curly/stringy and honestly it looks very scraggly, it looks like he barely e v e r combs it or anything), Scott's hair color is Ginger (his hairstyle is: Shaved Sides + Long Parted Hair), and finally Wyatt's hair color is Hickory Brown (his hairstyle is Cool Textured Thick Hair + Short Sides) | Eye Colors: Alan's is Denim Blue, Scott's is Forest Green, Luke's is Seal Gray, and finally Wyatt's eye color is Charcoal Black (their eye colors are mostly the way they are because of the colors meanings) | Appearances: Let's start off with Alan... he usually wears sweaters, turtlenecks or hoodies most of the time- complete opposite to the others for sure, he'll wear some ripped jeans to go along with them and some regular boots, nothing TOO fancy- he just likes the comfy feeling of sweaters/turtlenecks/hoodies n such mostly, he does wear them bc of that but also to cover up all his scars- I'm going to get this out of the way already, all of them wear animal masks tbh- Alan's mask is a mouse, Scott's mask is a bull, Luke's is a wolf, and Wyatt's mask is a Fox, Alan has a circle beard, Scott has a short boxed beard and both Luke and Wyatt have full beards. Scott usually wears tank tops and ripped pants, combat boots included as well, he's not really much for fashionable looks- just whatever fits and is easy to throw on usually, he also has a ton of scars on himself as well, the most prominent one is over his right eye however it doesn't seem to affect his vision- oh he also wears fingerless black leather gloves with spikes on them- I do gotta also say- Alan's a skinny not so strong looking dude, Scott looks a bit chubby but he's definitely beefy and could probs take out 5 people at once if he so desired, Luke is pretty beefy considering those kinds of standards- he doesn't look TOO strong but he could definitely take some people out if he wanted, Wyatt is a large chubby man but don't underestimate him- he can EASILY kick your ass too. Luke's main outfit is a long sleeved black t-shirt along with overalls over them, and he also wears combat boots as well- if he's not wearing his overalls- he'll wear a ripped denim jacket (a simple white t-shirt underneath it), ripped up blue jeans and- well- okay the combat boots stay either way, he gotta have those- and he wears dark brown punk rave gloves (I have an image ref if ya wanna see- just ask and I'll show ya) he has scars on his arms, legs, chest, back- and especially his face- although they don't seem to bother him in the slightest tbh. and finally Wyatt usually wears ripped denim jackets as well, again a simple t-shirt underneath, and his boots look more punk like than anything really, he also wears fingerless/knuckle-less leather driving gloves on both hands (all the lads that DO wear gloves have them on both hands btw), he also has a bunch of scars all over him but like everyone except for Alan, his scars don't bother him- in fact he's happy he's got them- its proof of just how strong he is. | Personalities: Let's start off with Alan once again, he's the surprisingly "sweet one" of this fucked up bunch- he's shy, he hardly talks because of that fact but also the... "outsiders" as his "family" calls them (fun fact: their not actually related at all in the slightest, they just... consider themselves this kinda weird, fucked up family if you will-), so the outsiders terrify him- he's worried they'll corrupt him or worse, hurt/kill his family, he can't let that happen... So, despite his shyness n such, he WILL kill someone if it means protecting his family but that's the only way he'll kill or torture e v e r, he's the sweetest one compared to the others however so long as no one tries to corrupt him or hurt/kill his family then he's chill, he just isn't good at conversations because of his shyness and fear of corruption, he does genuinely care for his family however, they all do- they'd protect each other with all their dying breaths for sure. Scott is cold, uncaring, and pretty much the brawn of this group- sure, Luke n Wyatt are also pretty strong as well BUT- Scott still counts as the brawn, he's completely silent- doesn't ever speak a word- he's not mute actually but he just chooses not to speak, words waste time when he can be causing mindless carnage ...so long as Luke or Wyatt give him the okay that is, he HIGHLY respects them both as the leaders essentially in a way, as for Alan... despite his cold and uncaring attitude towards the outsiders, to his family he is respectful and even... friendly actually- he tries to toughen Alan up on occasion- not because he thinks Alan is weak, he just doesn't want him to be... left behind in a way- he wants him to be able to defend himself if the outsiders come into their territory. Luke is cold as well, he also rarely speaks- only when he needs to truth be told, he h a t e s the outsiders but loves his family, he won't hold back at all most of the time when an outsider comes into their territory- Wyatt has to tell Scott to restrain Luke when it comes to them, he also tries to help Alan out along with Scott, he wants Alan to have not only a strong body however he also wants him to have a strong mind- the outsiders... he'll give it to em begrudgingly, their smart... too smart, they could easily corrupt such a young fragile mind like Alan's and he won't e v e r let that happen, he has a high respect for Wyatt, Wyatt is like the true leader of this family- and finally Wyatt... Wyatt is a fuckin lunatic im just gonna say that right now, he's mysterious and unpredictable- you never know what his next move is going to be no matter how much you try to get a read on him, he's v e r y cryptic with his wording and well various other things as well (he's p much the cryptid of their territory at this point), he's cold, calculating, and cunning- he's pretty much the brains in this here family, always makes the plans when outsiders venture into their territory, he's ALWAYS prepared just in case, can't have a n y o n e ...well, anyone that isn't w o r t h y inside... but to be honest, most outsiders aren't worthy, they aren't f i t to be let inside, those that are however... Well... It's best to just wish them luck, that's all you can do at this point, because after he finds the worthy ones, there's not much hope for them afterwards... | Side Facts: Before I talk more bout them, let's talk about their territory that's referenced so much... So, their "territory" is pretty much a deep part of the woods, they have a fairly big log cabin, its a very old and dirty looking house both on the inside and outside in fact, there's lots of things on their property, lots of it looks like junk in a way, junked up cars even, honestly- it looks like something out of a horror movie which in a way is fitting given their personalities n such, you can tell your getting close to their home when you see lanterns hanging on the trees and that's a sign you should turn back and r u n, that is... If you can, there's usually one of them ALWAYS patrolling EVERY inch of their territory. Tbh- their territory is also gated off anyways and for a g o o d reason, so crossing the gate is of your own free will- so you'd p much be putting yourself in harms way willingly so yeaaahh... Now onto the lads, what do they do in their spare time when their not patrolling or keeping close eye on the new outsider that wandered inside, etc? Well, Alan usually spends most of his time inside and reading or he's making and inventing things and new weapons for the rest of his family, he's always happy to give them a new weapon when one of theirs breaks down or help out when they need (but first, lemme say that their MAIN weapons they have around the property and like to use is, well... Alan likes to use a simple baseball bat, Scott uses a hook/chain, Luke has an axe, and Wyatt will honestly use whatever he wants, in a way- their kinda similar to slashers when they start bringing out the weapons n such), when Alan's not doing any of that- he usually explores the woods, well MOST of the woods... He's always heard from the others not to explore the d e e p e r parts of the woods and of course he listens despite his curiosity. Scott usually helps Wyatt hang up more lanterns on some of the trees bc a lot of those outsider nuisances for some reason grabs the lanterns and usually winds up dropping them on the ground out of fear n other bullshit, they keep those lanterns there for a r e a s o n... aside from that, he'll borrow Luke's axe and chop some firewood (they dont have electricity, they dont really care for technology or any of that), mostly aside from doing work around the property- he'll exercise more with Luke, carrying and lifting heavy objects- gotta keep their strength up, he'll also help Alan try this as well ...he has on occasion panicked bc Alan was struggling so much with one object, it looked like it was about to crush him, Wyatt has warned both Luke and Scott to start small and then go for the much bigger objects, you can't rush these things. Luke usually also does some work on the property, he hunts food more so for the family than anything, he's a good hunter and damn good tracker, of course- he uh, uses a gun for the hunting not an axe lmao, he'll bring back the food to get them through the harsh winters and just to get by in general, he's also good with telling which plants/berries would be safe to eat and which are not, he patrols the area ON OCCASION along with Wyatt but, his self restraint to go and rip them apart needs to be stronger in order for him to patrol- he needs MORE self control than that, like Scott- he also helps Alan out with not only strength of the body but also mental strength- he knows those... book thingies, albeit usually an outsider item- will help him gain more knowledge, Wyatt has told him however that, even books can be mistreated by an outsider, they take stuff for g r a n t e d... Which is foolish, but he'll still help Alan out himself as well. and finally... the big finale of this long ass post, Wyatt, the l e a d e r of this fucked up family... He usually spends his time outside, keeping an eye on the property and ready to help one of his "brothers" as he calls them (again, just in case its been forgotten, they are not ACTUALLY related, they just think of themselves as this weird lil fam) if they need, he's essentially the overseer of them and of course their property, he makes the plans if outsiders come into their territory OR... if their worthy enough, he'll help them... see the light so to speak, he'll help them see the true meaning... blah blah ya know all that cryptic shit, he's been to the... D E E P E R parts of the woods before, he knows a l l about it... He tries to keep his brothers shielded from it, they don't deserve to be put through a n y t h i n g like t h a t, he's warned Alan himself before too of course like "Now brother, don't'cha dare go wanderin' into them deeper parts of the woods, it ain't safe... Not for a young fragile soul such as yerself..."

[batgirl-87]

it was gonna send an ask once i was done answering but it's taking too long for me to concentrate so i'mma send my ask now lol 1, 2, 3, 8. 9, 14, 17, 20, 27 for MC ask! >:3c [wilhelminafujita]

I should have expected you to ask me at least as many as I asked you =p Thank you for asking so many questions about my MC! (I feel like I should thank everyone who asked me questions from the ask game for not asking me who my favourite Weasley is =p)

Asking About Your Hogwarts Mystery MC

1. What’s their personal philosophy? Do they even have one?

Answered here

2. How do they feel about their status and reputation as the curse-breaker in the school? 

At first Keira hates when she and her family are the topic of conversation all the time everywhere she seems to go. All the whispers and the stares and the rumours… She hates being talked about. And part of it is when she first begins to attend Hogwarts she’s much more reserved and anxious - she’s in a new country where she doesn’t know anyone but everyone is talking about her and Jacob - who they don’t really know - and the rest of her family, who she doesn’t know much about either… It was scary and nerve wracking and she wanted to keep a low profile in hopes people would not talk about her anymore. Having people talk about you and spread rumours when they don’t know you or even try and get to know you is not a fun situation to be in, especially when you’re eleven years old. 

But as she grows older she gains more confidence. Part of that is from actually forming friendships, getting accustomed to living in this new country, and learning more about her other side of the family. I think there’s some slow, gradual change from her First Year to Fourth Year but I think the biggest change is definitely Fifth Year. I think throughout her first few years slowly but surely her confidence is growing - she was always ready to throw down and fight someone if they ever said anything about her brother and now she has friends she’s willing to fight for, and after dealing with a couple Cursed Vaults I think it’s natural for confidence in one’s abilities to grow - look what she’s already handled! - but she still is pretty reserved and doesn’t like a lot of attention on her. 

Year Four, okay, she can sneak into the Forbidden Forest, covert missions, no problem, let’s do this - more confident in her abilities but still doesn’t want people to know what she’s up to (especially when she could get in huge trouble for entering the Forbidden Forest… sorry about your broom Merula, buy you a new one since… you don’t seem to have a lot of money and you may be a bitch but still not cool that I got your broom broken). But I think she finally comes to terms with the fact that no matter what she does, how many times she denies or ignores what is said about her, how many times she threatens to fight someone or how many fights she gets into, people are going to talk and she’s going to continue to be shoved in this spotlight. But maybe it’s not such a bad thing…

I mean, hey, it is pretty awesome what she’s done. Breaking curses at like 12 years old?! Fighting off Ice Knights and Bogarts and Acromantula (okay that really was Bill because she does NOT do spiders), saving the students of Hogwarts from these curses - YOU ALL ARE WELCOME! She was doing good things. She wasn’t causing these curses and bad things to happen she was ending them and saving people. She’s a hero people! =p She should be proud of what she’s accomplished, the people she’s helped, even if she had to break some rules to do it. She was the hero Hogwarts needed at that time =p 

She doesn’t like being the center of attention. However, she does require recognition for things she’s done, so it’s a bit complex and contradicting…She doesn’t need constant praise showered down on her but a thank you for saving the school and everyone in it is nice. Some credit to being eleven/twelve years old and slaying an Ice Knight and breaking a Curse all on her own (okay Bill was there…) is rather badass and impressive - thanks. Now let’s move on. Don’t need a whole school assembly about it, don’t need an article in the Daily Prophet about it (seriously, don’t need that!). Just some recognition and then we can all move on to whatever’s next. It’s like when everyone in a class fails a homework assignment or exam except you and the teacher praises you at the beginning of class for being the only person who got the lesson before moving on and teaching the lesson for that day - like that =p 

And perhaps Rakepick’s presence has some sort of impact on her. Maybe talking and working more with Bill who has plans to become a Curse-Breaker influenced her. Maybe it was just realizing no matter what she did people were going to talk so she just had to accept that. Maybe strutting in to Year Five and learning that it was Penny’s sister who was taken by the Vault caused her to no longer give a shit what people said about her because helping Penny and her sister was more important did it… Maybe it was just getting older and growing up more. Maybe it was just reveling in the fact that any praise she got pissed off Merula =p 

Regardless, Year Five she enters that Great Hall like “Yeah, I am Hogwarts’ Curse-Breaker. What of it?! Bow down bitches!” (She would have entered on a flying motorcycle but SOMEONE Remus said no.) If people want to talk about her, they can talk. She’ll give them shit to talk about, whatever =p And honestly, deep down, no she still doesn’t like when people talk about her or her family, but being called a Curse-Breaker and having students talk about the curses and rules she’s broken while there is much preferred than them talking about other rumours and scandalous things about her and her family - There are worse things they could call her than a Curse-Breaker! And maybe being all cool and confident in the spotlight is an act and she’d really prefer to fly under the radar but she’s one hell of an actress. But if being a Curse-Breaker helps with a badass reputation, she’ll take it! Even if they want to say she’s cursed (which still kind of hurts her to be honest but she’s better at hiding it the older she gets).

She’ll still punch anyone who talks about her brother. But sure, she is a Curse-Breaker, and clearly she’s very good at it. 

3. Did they get sorted into the Hogwarts House they expected to?  Did the Sorting Hat have any problems sorting them?  Or did it not even have to touch their head?

Hogwarts House Expectations:

So despite being born in Ireland, she was only raised there until she was about five or six until moving to Canada. So she knew of Hogwarts, obviously, but she was blissfully unaware of the House rivalries (particularly Slytherin v. Gryffindor) and stigma that went along with each House. She knew a bit about the rivalries between Houses, thanks to Jacob, but it sounded like just playful, fun rivalries for Quidditch and the House Cup, nothing really intense… (And his best friend was a Slytherin while Jacob was a Gryffindor so why would she think there’s some huge thing between the Houses?) She didn’t realize how serious some people took which House someone was sorted into and how one could be treated differently based on which House they were sorted to. And honestly she still doesn’t get it…. 

Anyway, going to Hogwarts for the Sorting Ceremony, Keira didn’t have any sort of preconceived notions about the Houses or which one she wanted to be in, which one was “better.” This was like placing the students in different dormitories with similar people so they would live more harmoniously with each other throughout their time at school, right? Is that not what’s happening here? 

So no, guess she didn’t get sorted into the House she expected because she didn’t have any expectations going into the Sorting Ceremony? Besides, she was more focused and worried about other things, like finding her brother, navigating a new country where she doesn’t know anyone, dealing with rumours already spread far and wide about her and her family, how to survive these next seven years at school where she assumed she’d be friendless and continually have these negative rumours spread about her and her family…. 

Sorting Hat:

Hat stall! 

Keira loves and admires her brother but she also knew they would not be sorted into the same House. Despite not having a lot of information on the Houses she knew they were not going to be the same. 

She kind of wished she could be one of those people who was sorted instantly but it’s also nice knowing she’s a more complex, difficult person to place. Which makes sense, since, doesn’t everyone hold characteristics of each House? Anyways, it’s just awkward sitting up in front of everyone while the Hat sort of reads you for filth =p And honestly it wasn’t that long of a stall but it still felt like forever sitting up there with all eyes on you! 

She was a stall between Slytherin and Ravenclaw with ultimately, clearly, being sorted into Slytherin. And the older she gets the more she proves she is definitely a Slytherin. And Keira honestly is very happy and proud to be a Slytherin, no offense to Ravenclaw because she’d love to be in that House too but…. that’s a lot of stairs to get up to their Dorm and then they have to answer some ridiculous riddle to get into their Dorm?! After a long day of classes she just wants to go crash on her Common Room couch not have to think more and answer more questions! And it’s windy - it’s a beautiful Dorm, but so windy and she hates the wind. How do they get any studying done when it’s so windy?! Did she mention the stairs?! Anytime she goes to visit her Ravenclaw or Gryffindor friends, or goes to Astronomy class, you’ll hear her complaining and bitching about all the stairs =p 

Why do your Dorms have to be so high up in these Towers?! Overcompensating for something?! Hmmm William?! =p

Listen, talk about the different characteristics or beliefs on magic etc. for each House but really we should be focusing on the Dorms because that’s where you’re going to live pretty much for the next seven years! So it should be in a Dorm you actually like and feel comfortable in! The water is calming, the dark/dim lighting is soothing - it’s peaceful, for Keira. Others may hate it but that’s why there are other Houses! 

Although if it was up to the students to choose their own Dorm, wouldn’t everyone choose Hufflepuff’s and their easy access to the kitchens? =p

8. How willing are they when it comes to breaking school rules?

Hey, whatever it takes to find her brother. If she has to break school rules to do that, so be it. 

Sure, at first you’re nervous to break any rules because you don’t want to get into trouble, especially expelled because then what?! How can she find her brother and these Vaults if she’s expelled?! But after Dumbledore awards House Points for all the trouble causes and rules broken and no real punishment occurs…. well…what’s there to worry about then?

Okay, so detention kind of sucks but not really when you get to have it with a friend =p And maybe it’s a warning that she got a bit too cocky with breaking the rules after not suffering any consequences for it the first few years and she’ll have to be sneakier about it but, let’s face it, she has to break some rules to save the school and everyone in it. She’s the one breaking these curses and saving students. Without her everyone would have either been frozen in ice or eaten by those Acromantulas or stuck in a painting somewhere! So if Dumbledore really wants to expel her for breaking some rules to break these Cursed Vaults and save all of Hogwarts well that’s going to come back and bite him in the arse because he and his school is doomed without her - DOOMED! 

…So Keira may enjoy making some passionate speeches and likes to view herself as quite persuasive =p But she will do whatever she needs to do to find her brother and protect her friends and if she has to break some stupid school rules to do so, she’ll do it. And then give a good speech as to why she had to break them to Dumbledore in an attempt to get out of trouble. 

But seriously, she’ll do whatever she has to for her brother and friends. If the only way to save her brother was to Crucio Merula, she’d do it. And yeah, she’d probably feel bad this time doing it since Merula hasn’t done anything to deserve that (maybe a punch to the face or something but not this kind of torture) but Keira’s good at compartmentalizing and if it was the only way to save her brother, she’d do it. So breaking some school rules is hardly anything when it comes to finding, saving, and protecting her brother and those she cares about. 

9. Do they hang out with any of their friends over breaks?  If so, which one(s) and what do they do?

Her first few years she didn’t spend much time with her friends over breaks, especially over the summer when she returned to Canada. She may have gone over to Rowan’s over the Winter Holiday break her Second Year but that’s really a time for family and it’s a bit weird being with someone else’s family over the holiday even though Rowan and the Weasley’s would invite her, she normally would just spend it at Hogwarts. I don’t think she really cares about celebrating Christmas or any sort of holiday without Jacob. 

I believe her Third Year is when she moves into 12 Grimmauld Place and her Fourth Year is when she begins to actually spend more time there, even over the summer. She still travels back to Canada for a bit but sort of splits her summer between the two. Part of the reason for staying in England more is because Barnaby begins to spend a lot of time at 12 Grimmauld Place and sort of unofficially moves in finding it a nice escape from his home life, even more so since his grandmother highly approves of him getting close with the infamous House of Black. (Oh what would she think to learn he’s living with a Half-Blood, House of Black from an affair, and a Werewolf?!)

Fifth Year, as I mentioned, is a big transition for Keira. After spending more time in the old House of Black, literally, and learning more about that side of the family, she has embraced it more. She is also spending more time in the UK instead of going back to Canada all summer and this year spends most of her summer break in England. This is also when she officially moves Barnaby in with her. Despite his father being put away in Azkaban, clearly Barnaby still doesn’t have the best, healthiest living situation, and Keira is done with it! She’s packing up all his stuff and moving him in and she will not take no for an answer! This is the year where she’s just done with shit. Done with it all. She’s going to do what she wants, when she wants, everyone shut up and back off, she’s got this. So yes, her and Barnaby are roommates =p

So the summers between Year Four and Five, and Five and Six, Keira spends a lot of time clearly with Barnaby. She also makes an effort to spend much more time with Tonks after they discover they’re related. She also likes living in 12 Grimmauld Place because she’s closer to some friends than her old home in Ireland like (I assume) Tulip, Andre, Tonks, and Jae, possibly Diego as well… And perhaps more like Penny and Ben (really depends where they live)! Although Rowan lives on a tree farm, probably safe to assume farther outside of the city, and the Weasley’s obviously live in the Burrow - but they have a fireplace in the Floo network so they can just pop by Diagon Alley and hang out and go shopping with Keira and Barnaby and the rest whenever, right? So those summers she is much more social and hangs out with her friends much more than she used to, especially Barnaby, Bill, Charlie, Andre, Tonks, and Jae and maybe even Diego, Penny, and Ben as well, typically around Diagon Alley. They probably run into Merula and Ismelda some times as well. 

But their group most likely, definitely, got invited to the Burrow for some good home cooked food from Molly Weasley, whether she extended the invitation herself or her boys did… So there were some afternoon/evenings spent at the Burrow playing Quidditch and eating yummy food and embarrassing Bill and Charlie as much as possible - OMG baby pictures!!! I also like to think that maybe the Weasley’s hosted some big “End of the School Year” or “End of Summer” or both, feast where they let their kids invite their friends over and they had some big feast/party in their backyard. After making friends with two Weasley’s, turning down the invite was more difficult so Keira would eventually make it to the Burrow for some visit after Year Four. 

And she writes to her friends often, typically Rowan, throughout every summer. 

The summer before Year Six Keira spends most of her time in Canada training and practicing and playing with Team Canada for the World Cup hoping to clinch a spot in the Top 16, in secret. So unfortunately doesn’t get to hang out with her friends too much during that time but does her best when she has a break and goes back to visit, again primarily hanging out with Barnaby because they’re roommates =p And the summer before Year Seven is when the official World Cup is actually held with the top 16 competing for the Championship so she’s clearly busy with that but she definitely gets tickets for all her friends to attend as many games as they can, especially when her team reaches the Championship - they all better be there! And she will definitely send them many pictures and letters throughout that summer for some good behind the scenes info =p And then after winning they’re definitely invited to the celebration parties and she’ll try and spend as much time with them as possible before school starts and during that year because it’s the last year and….sadness….

14. What’s one thing they did or thought as a child that they later look back and cringe about?

That her brother would always be there…

Okay, too real! Too depressing!

Jacob clearly was a great Quidditch player and set to go pro. So there was a lot of attention and focus on fostering Jacob’s Quidditch skills during Keira’s childhood. Jacob Jacob Jacob =p 

Keira would put on little shows/plays a lot when she was younger but often lost the focus and attention of the adults she was performing for - they probably weren’t the most organized stories back then =p So clearly it seemed the only way to get any freakin’ attention was to be involved in Quidditch like her brother. She would ask and plead and beg all the time to be allowed to practice with her brother but she was always told she was too young, it was too dangerous, etc. So being the cunning Slytherin she is she figured out another way, which was to basically annoy Jacob into letting her play with him - What? Being a Keeper isn’t that hard. You just sit there in front of the hoops while everyone else is flying around doing all the work! Easiest position. Laziest position! A ghoul could do it.

Fine, let’s see you do it then!

Too easy =p

Keira went out there all confident, ready to show her brother that he wasn’t the only one with some skills! She was going to be the next, greatest Keeper in the history of Quidditch.

Now, according to Keira, Jacob-Taylor threw that Quaffle as hard as he could, with subconscious goals of being the only Quidditch Keeper and possibly player in this family and keeping all this attention on him and him alone - there can only be one! He went all Highlander on her! 

According to Jacob-Taylor he absolutely did not do that! And tossed her the ball gently! But with some force since it had to make it to her. She just missed. Because she’s not a Keeper, it’s her first attempt in the position, so she lacks the necessary skills to be one. But now she knows how difficult that position really is!

Regardless of who is right, the Quaffle hit her right in the face and broke her nose just in time for their “adopted” father to walk out and witness. Keira was humiliated, and part of her still is, and she cringes for ridiculing Keepers that way and going out there all confidently only to be hit in the face and taken out the first time! She still has a scar across her nose. Although she also definitely uses this story as a way to guilt her brother and make him feel bad - remember that time you broke my face?! What kind of brother does that?! =p And he did feel bad about it - still does, to be honest. But now she knows how hard being a Keeper is! And true, Keira admires Keepers, believes it to be the most difficult position in Quidditch, loves and appreciates all the Keepers, will protect the Keepers, and no, she definitely will never try to be one again. 

(I don’t know if it’s exactly “cringy” but it’s really the only thought out, concrete childhood memory I have for them) 

17. Do they like what they see in the mirror?

Not to be cocky but…. She’s blessed with some good genes =p Plus she’s pretty athletic.

Not saying she doesn’t have some insecurities but those stem from her personality and issues than her appearance. She may be physically fit and attractive but no one is going to actually like her for her, for who she is - anxiety, trust issues, anger issues, fear of abandonment, isolation secretive tendencies, reckless self-sacrificing tendencies, dark side, and all…

But physically - she’s good in that department. She is a member of the House of Black afterall, right? =p Plus her mother was a beautiful, red haired Undine. Her and Jacob are quite attractive and can be naturally charming and flirtatious so look out and hide your significant others =p

20. Are they pretty self-reliant? Or do they like to go to their friends for help?

If Keira could deal with the Cursed-Vaults by herself she would. That was her initial plan and still she tries to follow that plan; but she somehow managed to find friends who actually want to help her with these Vaults - this was completely unexpected to her. Although as soon as they get hurt because of these Cursed-Vaults she does her best to keep them from the Vaults - hence not asking Rowan, Tulip (and after this Fifth Year one Charlie) to accompany her to a Cursed-Vault or really even help out with them too much even.

Yes, Keira is very self-reliant. She likes being independent, she is used to handling things herself, especially since Jacob disappeared. However, she has to admit it is nice having people who have her back and actually help her. It really reduces her stress on one hand and having that support is nice to have again since Jacob left.  

On the other hand, there is immense guilt getting her friends involved in these Vaults and everything that goes along with them. And she does her best to keep them out of it and handle them herself but they are relentless =p And she appreciates their help, and helping her research how to break the curse is helpful and reduces her stress if they really want to help, but when actually facing the Cursed-Vault she’d rather tackle it on her own.

Still, she has difficulty asking for help and probably always will. When it comes to asking for help from her friends, Keira will ask for class notes and help on homework but beyond that she doesn’t like to ask for help from anyone really. She’ll figure it out herself. She doesn’t understand a lesson or a spell? She’ll read more, practice more, and figure it out herself instead of asking for help from a Professor or a friend even. So it’s not always the best to try and handle everything herself. Besides the stress it puts on her, especially with the Vaults, even just school related or basic things can be unnecessarily stressful, it can waste her time, set her back in her lessons, etc.

So yes, she is self-reliant and she struggles with asking for help. Her friends are fortunately just observant and see when she’s struggling and stressed out and offer their help, or just help without even asking if she needs it because she’ll say no, she’s fine, she’s got it. She doesn’t want to be burden, especially after everything these Vaults have put her friends through. But having people in her life who actually want to help her is a huge shock to her but also helps her feel like she’s not alone. 

27. What is the achievement they’re most proud of?

Answered here

[scoutception]

Final Fantasy Mystic Quest: forever standalone

The world of Final Fantasy spinoffs is a wild one. Aside from miscellaneous mobile games, most of what you’ll find is connected to something greater in the end. From the famous Ivalice series containing Final Fantasy XII and the Tactics series, to the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, to more humble Crystal Chronicles series, they’ve all spun out into their own little subseries. Others, however, are connected to series outside of Final Fantasy. Final Fantasy Adventure, for instance, started as its own little spinoff before becoming the start of the Mana series, while The Final Fantasy Legend games were just SaGa games retitled so they’d sell better. Bravely Default owes its existence to an obscure little game called The 4 Heroes of Light, which I shall be covering in my next review, and even World of Final Fantasy has its own mobile game spinoff. The one odd, standalone spinoff through this all is ironically one of the very first; an extremely humble little game called Final Fantasy Mystic Quest, intended as an entry level RPG made for the American audience who, at the time, namely 1992, hadn’t widely accepted JRPGs as a genre. Whether it succeeded in this endeavor is something we’ll be examining now.

Story:

The story of Final Fantasy Mystic Quest concerns a little world cleanly separated into 4 regions of earth, water, fire, and wind, each with an elemental crystal providing blessings on the land. with a tower called the Focus Tower standing at the center of the world, the sole passage between them. All was well in the world until the Vile Four (think the Four Fiends from Final Fantasy I), appeared, sealed the Focus Tower, and attacked each crystal, draining them of energy and robbing the world of their blessings, causing, among other things, a small village to be destroyed by an earthquake. A survivor of the disaster, a boy named Benjamin, meets a mysterious old man on the Hill of Destiny during his escape, who tells Benjamin that he is the Warrior of Light spoken of in an ancient prophecy, who will save the world from this very disaster. Thus, Benjamin, with the help of various allies who tend to ditch him at the drop of a hat, such as the unreliable thief Tristan and the archer Phoebe, who goes into self pity mode rather quickly, and ventures forth to destroy the Vile Four, save the crystals, and ultimately confront the mastermind behind it all, the Dark King.

If this sounds at all familiar, that’s because it is. Yes, they essentially copied the plot of Final Fantasy I, only somehow even less detailed. While you do have actual characters as party members, they aren’t much to write home about, with very basic personalities and very little screentime with which to even put them to use. While the game seems to try to have a jokey, lighthearted feel to it, similar to Final Fantasy V, with events such as the old man randomly appearing to deliver one piece of advice before flying away, often leaving Benjamin baffled, the dialogue is very stilted and only makes it come off as awkward and forced. Outside of the events that lead to the dungeons with each of the crystals being unlocked, there’s no real overarching plot otherwise, and outside of the reveal of the Dark King’s existence, and that he was the one who created the prophecy in the first place, more or less as a joke, which goes absolutely nowhere, there’s no twists to be found. While the simplicity might have been part of the “entry level” design, in the end it just means there’s not much memorable to be found.

Gameplay:

Final Fantasy Mystic Quest uses a turn based battle system similar to Final Fantasy I. At the start of your turn, you select among several commands, such as basic attacking and magic, with the main difference being the party is restricted to a maximum of two characters, one being Benjamin, who is always in the party, and the other occupied by several guest party members who join and leave at various points in the story. Benjamin, as it turns out, is rather versatile, gaining a good assortment of abilities throughout the game. There’s 4 types of weapons he can use, namely swords, axes, claws, and bombs, along with 3 types of magic, which are white magic, used for recovery on allies, or, strangely enough, used offensively on enemies, black magic, plain attack skills, and wizard magic, which are even stronger attack spells. He can also raise his defense with shields, armor and accessories he finds. Benjamin’s allies, on the other hand, aren’t quite as skilled, all being limited to single weapon types, and only a few spells each, though the party member you’ll have for the final dungeon, Phoebe, is a magical powerhouse herself. It should be mentioned that, like FF1, instead of a traditional magic point system, it’s limited by each type of magic only being to be cast so many times without resting or items. The game is, however, quite generous with the amount of casts you’re allowed, reaching past 40 casts for black and white magic at max level.

One thing that must be mentioned is the progression system. Every so often you’ll find a new piece of equipment or spell in a dungeon, or be able to buy them in towns from specific NPCs. This only applies to Benjamin, as the other party members have set equipment, and there’s only a few pieces of equipment for each type. This may not sound like a big deal, but outside of these few instances, it means money is only good for buying consumable items in battle, and since they’re littered all around dungeons anyway, and everything magic points are restored at the end of battle, this leaves few reasons to actually buy them anyway, with the exception of the seeds, which restore all of your magic casts. Every piece of equipment is also always superior to earlier found ones, to the point that they automatically replace your weaker pieces automatically, not even giving you a chance to use them again, leaving them as nothing other than nice looking decoration on your equipment screen. Aside from regular elements like fire and thunder, weapons have their own associated elements to them, which certain enemies will be weaker to than others, and defensive armor carry resistance to status ailments or elemental attacks. Weapons are also used during exploration: swords are used to hit switches, axes are for cutting down obstacles such as trees, claws grapple you to far away areas, and bombs destroy other obstacles like rocks, plus, unusual for an RPG, Benjamin is able to use his stubby little legs to jump, even over NPCs would other be blocking your path like idiots. While an interesting system, don’t expect puzzles or anything like a Zelda game. Your obstacles are bare minimum creativity, and are all easily passed as long as you’re not mostly asleep, which, admittedly, is more of a challenge than it sounds.

There’s no getting around it, this is a very, very easy game. Random encounters don’t exist, with all enemies being set and visible on the field, anything that isn’t a boss is barely a threat anyway, and even if you do meet an unfortunate demise, you can just restart with no penalties. Bosses are generally more interesting, usually being actual threats, but outside of Pazuzu, who periodically puts up a barrier that reflects magic, most don’t need strategies other than attacking and healing. All of this was entirely intentional, considering the game’s goal of being entry level, and I do believe that not every game has to be made for everyone, but all the same, the game feels rather, short shortsightedly designed. Other than collecting every piece of equipment and all the spells, there’s nothing to give replay value, and since anyone who’s played anything even slightly more complex will very likely find themselves bored by the simplicity, it makes for a very disposable game, meant only to fulfill its purpose as an introduction to RPGs, any legacy it has driven by nostalgia. Thus, while the gameplay is technically sound enough, there’s very little reason to give it attention. I wasn’t even intending to wrap up the gameplay segment of this review this quickly, but that shows how little I’ve even been given.

Graphics:

Overall, the graphics of Mystic Quest are, ok. The field graphics resemble Final Fantasy IV, if frankly a bit less detailed and muddier. The locations and designs are rather unmemorable, however.

One thing I can praise, however, are the battle graphics. Aside from some nice spell animations, enemies are much bigger and much more detailed, and while the designs are nothing special, they actually change their graphics as they become more and more detailed, which is a fantastic little detail I wish showed up in more games.

Sound:

There’s really no getting around it, the main legacy of this game is its music, and rightfully so. While the track list is rather small, and there certainly are quite a few unmemorable tracks spread around, the ones that are good are really good, the highlights being the rocking three battle themes, especially the boss theme, and the final dungeon theme. They’re definitely worth looking up for a listen to. In fact, the one game other game in all of Final Fantasy that gave Mystic Quest focused recognition is Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, the game all about music. That alone should be all the indication you need.

Conclusion:

Overall, this is a solid not recommended. Easy and simple on purpose it may be, it’s such a short and dull experience that anyone not explicitly seeking an introduction has no real reason to try it. Even those with morbid curiosity, like me, won’t find much, since it’s not out and out terrible. It holds up ok enough for what it is, but doesn’t even think of being more than that. Even at the time, it was rathe unnecessary, considering Final Fantasy IV had already been released a year earlier, in a massively simplified version. All in all, you’d be better off looking pretty much anywhere else for an introduction to the genre. Till next time.

-Scout

[moviechats]

The Amandas

Ah yes, the most exciting time of the year for film enthusiasts. The award season is winding to a close (we’re in the final month) and many of us are left disappointed.

I know everyone secretly hates those articles where people give their own version of the Oscars. People award films they feel were snubbed (although usually weren’t) through their own personal recognition of the film. Yes, it can be boring. But you know what? I’m doing it anyway.

You’ve seen the Oscars, get ready for the Amandas. 

First up: Best Picture

Best Picture

If Beale Street Could Talk

BlacKkKlansman

Bohemia Rhapsody

Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Halloween

Did I just go there with Halloween? Yeah I did. 

Granted, my five nominees are quite similar to the Academy Award Best Picture race, it was more of who I left out of my own race. Roma and Black Panther never made it on my list. I debated about Vice, which would probably be my sixth pick. 

I’ve heard that Beale Street was this close to making it into the Oscar Best Picture race, probably landing ninth out of the eight nominees. I rewarded it on my list, as it was truly one of the most phenomenal movies I’ve seen this year and I see no reason it shouldn’t have been on the official list. It was beautiful. It was powerful. The acting and directing worked seamlessly together. I was a huge fan of Moonlight, so I was all about this new Barry Jenkins film. I could definitely feel a little bit of Moonlight in the way Beale Street was shot. I think Jenkins has a style that will continue to stick with him, which is great news for me because I love it. I had read an article where he discussed how little dialogue there was in Moonlight and when he took on Beale Street he felt the characters would never stop talking. Despite this, he didn’t miss a beat transitioning from one kind of script to another. 

I wish I had seen BlacKkKlansman multiple times in the theater to really absorb all of it. Yes, it’s obviously a narrative of our society then and today (and how little we’ve come between these two times) but it’s also a wild ride. The stakes are high for everyone involved and it’s entertaining to watch. And yes, as shallow as it is, I can’t help but love watching Adam Driver because he is so good looking in this film. Alright, besides his looks, I also enjoyed Adam’s acting. The partnership between him and John David Washington was fun to watch. Overall the way Spike told an important story, that needed to be told, was still entertaining. He had something to say and he said it. I was never bored in this film. 

Ah Bohemian Rhapsody. The most conflicting film on this list. I’ll say it, I loved BoRhap (as it’s affectionately called now by fans, using a term uttered by, I believe, Ben Hardy as Roger Taylor in the film). I’ve seen it five times (a feat I was proud of until I talked with someone who had seen it 27 times...) and I’ve enjoyed it each and every time. I’ve heard the controversy and read articles about it that happen to pop up on my News Feed. These allegations are real, and I feel like you can’t discuss the film without addressing them. I, myself, am still struggling with where we separate people’s works. Obviously the director is extremely important. A film couldn’t come together without a director. But there are so many other parts of a movie. Do we punish the cast by not recognizing their talent, which they most likely had before the film? Do we throw the whole thing away? Or do we push one segment (the director) out and trudge forward? I do think we need to talk about it, but I’m not doing so here. 

I will talk about the film as a whole. Listen, I love any film about music. Real, made-up, documentary, biopic. You name it, I’m there. I even loved A Star is Born, though not to the extent of awards chatter. I know a lot of events in the film didn’t happen in real life. I understand the film could have been better and, as I’ve heard multiple times, was a PG version of Freddie’s life. But I loved this film for what it was. I’m not a Queen fan in the sense that I know anything beyond their music. So I went into this with zero expectations about how things would go down and therefor, I loved the story. The acting was superb (and I fell in love like four times), Rami Malek delivers a stellar performance as well as the rest of the cast who transformed in their own way. Plus who doesn’t love a good concert without having to be in a sweaty/smelly crowd? 

Wow so let’s move on to a less controversial film, shall we? I loved Can You Ever Forgive Me from the very first few minutes. Give me a film with a muted color palette set in New York in the winter and I’m already hooked. That’s my dream. Anyway, things only got better from there with the magnificent Melissa McCarthy in a serious, no-nonsense role and her companion, Richard E. Grant killing it as the BFF. The two were probably my favorite duo of any film, ever. They weren’t romantic partners, not even friends for the whole film, but they worked so well together. It is a true story, but it seems so outrageous that it works as a made-up script. It’s a slow burn and I can see how some (uncultured) people wouldn’t like it. But that’s what makes it feel the way it does. God, I love this film. 

Finally, yes. The moment you have probably waited for or maybe even scrolled to the bottom for. The explanation of why Halloween is nominated in my top five. For the most part I agree with the Academy on who they choose. I’m a self-proclaimed film snob. But every once in a while I think, “what did I really like?” I don’t think it should have been nominated for an Oscar (Like Beale Street or Forgive Me) but if I’m making a list of my own, why not go for it. I absolutely L O V E the original Halloween. I’m also fond of the sequel and the totally irrelevant third movie. But if you ask me, “Amanda, what’s the best classic horror film” and I don’t answer Halloween 1978, take me to the hospital because I might be dying. I had been following this film for a while, after hearing it ignored the “fun yet totally ridiculous many sequels” that followed, I was intrigued. With John Carpenter’s approval, I felt I could see this in good faith. I went on Halloween night (the only acceptable time), 40 years to the day after my mother had seen the original Halloween in theaters. As soon as that iconic score started I got goosebumps. This was a fun film. The problem I have with so many horror movies in current times (I sound 80 years old but bear with me) is that we miss the fun element of it. Yes there’s a slasher and you have to keep people’s attention and look real. But classic horror movies are fun. You jump out of your seat and then laugh with your best friend about it. You find yourself yelling at the screen for the babysitter to not open the door. You become a character, constantly looking around for Michael Meyers because that music starts playing. 

The other cool part of this movie is seeing Laurie Strode in a completely different setting than 1978. And it makes sense! She was attacked by a psychopath and now lives in a remote cabin surrounded by weapons. She’s been preparing this whole time, even teaching her daughter defense strategies knowing that he would eventually come back. It even recalls the classic haunted house setting when the characters eventually find themselves back there with him hot on their tail. It’s scary, it’s fun, and it’s a classic to me. 

So who is my winner of 2019? 

Obviously this is so much harder than picking my winner of the actual Academy Awards because these are all my favorites. I actually stressed about this. I’d watch every single one of these films again (and I will once they start streaming) and there’s so many aspects of each one I loved. People are going to give me so much crap for this but...I have to go with the film I’ve already seen multiple times (five...to be exact). 

The winner of my favorite film of 2018 is Bohemian Rhapsody. It maybe wasn’t the “deepest” film of 2018 but it was fun and enjoyable (and gave me the love of my life, Ben Hardy). I liked it. 

[littlepryingpandorica]

Project Rebuild Chapter 11

EXT. NINJAGO CITY DOCKS - DAY

Lord Garmadon is defeated. His Shark Mech is a broken and smoking heap. Garmadon coughs as the smoke clears. He tries pressing buttons and pulling levers in his control panel but nothing works. The Shark Mech does not respond but it’s shields are still up and activated.

GARMADON: (cough) Jeez, where did that come from? I did not see that coming. (cough) Your missiles are very accurate, Green Ninja. Too bad for you, I upgraded all of my shields! (to himself) That's all I seem to have at the moment, just some upgraded shields.

Lloyd speaks with a forceful and bitter edge to his voice.

LLOYD: Face it, Garmadon. You will never take over Ninjago, so why don't you just give up and go away for good?

Garmadon lets out an exasperated sigh.

GARMADON: Look, it’s been a really rough day for me. I’ve had to face my disappointment of a son...

Lloyd visibly flinches at this.

GARMADON: You’ve foiled my plan to conquer Ninjago. And now you’ve trashed my Shark Mech.

Lloyd’s patience is wearing thin.

LLOYD: (SHOUTING) WILL YOU JUST LEAVE ALREADY?

GARMADON: Okay, okay.

Garmadon raises his arms in mock surrender.

GARMADON: But mark my words! One day, I will conquer Ninjago! Maybe not today but just you wait, Green Ninja!

Lloyd seethes in anger and lets the words slip.

LLOYD: Oh I’ll be waiting… Dad.

We go to a quick split screen shot reaction of all the other Ninja widening their eyes in realization. But they don’t say anything.

GARMADON: Sorry, what? What was that last thing you said?

Garmadon leans over towards Lloyd.

LLOYD: What?

Lloyd is defensive.

GARMADON: That last part, I didn’t catch it.

Lloyd feels trapped. He rambles very quickly and instinctively lashes out in frustration.

LLOYD: Whuh uh uh? I didn’t say anything. What do you mean? I said I’ll be waiting and then I stopped talking…

Lloyd’s voice then takes on a deliberately bitter and sarcastic edge.

LLOYD: Dad.

Lloyd takes off his mask in defiance. He has had enough of hiding. He is furious.

We quickly go back to the split screen shot reaction of all the other Ninja.

ALL THE NINJA: GASP!

GARMADON: Luh-loyd?

Lloyd reveals himself as the Green Ninja.

LLOYD: That’s right! I’m your son! The one you almost killed today!

Garmadon is momentarily stunned. His mind is blown.

GARMADON: Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa….. ????

Garmadon continues saying this in the background while the ninja are interacting.

We go back to the split screen shot. All the Ninja except Zane facepalm.

ZANE: Do not worry. My sensors detect no other life signs within hearing range.

OTHER NINJA: Phew!

ZANE: Oh wait, there’s one.

Zane points in a certain direction.

We zoom in on a close up shot of General # 7 to reveal she did not actually leave Garmadon but instead was camouflaged in place this whole time.

GENERAL # 7: What? Uhh, I heard nothing!

KAI: Got it!

Kai uses the Fire Mech to shoot a stream of fire at the Octopus Lady General # 7.

General # 7 jumps out of the Crab Crawler and runs around screaming while on fire. She then finally drops on the ground and rolls around before dying with X marks on her eyes.

ZANE: Takoyaki anyone?

COLE: Mmmm… cannibalism…

GARMADON (CONT’D): Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…..

LLOYD: (SHOUTING) GARMADON!

We go to a close up of Garmadon as he snaps out of his stunned trance-like state as though nothing had happened.

GARMADON: Anyway where were we?

Garmadon and Lloyd talk at the same time. Whenever Lloyd tries to say something, Garmadon doesn’t acknowledge it and keeps talking over his son.

LLOYD: Dad…

GARMADON: Ahhh, whaaaaatt?

LLOYD: Dad, please!

GARMADON: My own son is the Green Ninja?

LLOYD: Listen to me!

GARMADON: How could this have happened? You were supposed to be the Chosen One and rule Ninjago by my side as father and son!

In response, Lloyd angrily slams down on the “Happy Birthday to Me!” button again. The Green Dragon Mech begins to shoot out missiles.

NINJA COMPUTER: Right claw missile. Left claw missile...

The same sequence of the missiles deploying plays out but now instead of focusing on the missiles, we see the baffled expressions of the other ninja. Their mechs shift around uneasily. The Quake Mech leans on the Ice Tank.

Explosion noises and Garmadon’s screams can be heard off screen.

After the explosions end, the smoke clears and this time, Lloyd is downright furious! He is breathing heavily. But Garmadon remains unharmed inside his shield bubble.

LLOYD: You’re always cutting me off! Always interrupting me! You never listen! Well, are you listening now, Dad? Do I have your attention?

Lloyd asserts his dominance while Garmadon speaks in a more submissive voice.

GARMADON: Oh I read you loud and clear, Luh-loyd.

LLOYD: I am not your Chosen One and I will never rule Ninjago by your side! I will never be like you, Garmadon! NEVER!

As Lloyd says this, the red in his eyes flashes very briefly and Garmadon sees this. Garmadon smiles and composes himself. He echoes his son’s words.

GARMADON: So be it. But if you ever find your inner darkness, then I’ll be waiting.

A couple of Flying Jelly Subs hover over the Shark Mech and attach their chain tentacles to it. They begin to lift it away.

Garmadon signals the Flying Jelly Subs and they turn to leave. But before they get very far, Lloyd shouts a final insult.

LLOYD: I wish you weren’t my father!

Garmadon pauses for a beat then signals the Jelly Subs to turn back and face Lloyd.

GARMADON: Then consider yourself henceforth unworthy of the name of Garmadon. From this moment on, I have no son.

Garmadon says each word clearly and carefully to cause as much calculated inner turmoil as possible.

Lloyd has a look of absolute hurt. All the other Ninja are shocked.

But Cole then narrows his eyes and pilots the Quake Mech over to Garmadon’s Shark Mech. The Quake Mech grabs Garmadon’s Shark Mech by the tail and yanks it away from the Jelly Subs.

GARMADON: Uh-oh!

With the lower torso wheel stable on the ground, the Quake Mech’s upper torso spins around, winds up for the pitch and hurls Garmadon’s Shark Mech far into the ocean.

The thugs in the Jelly Subs panic and quickly maneuver their Jelly Subs to chase after Garmadon.

The Quake Mech turns back to Lloyd.

COLE: Don’t listen to him, Lloyd. He doesn’t deserve you.

LLOYD: Thanks Cole!

Cole’s pupils widen to indicate he is touched and on the verge of happy tears at being thanked by Lloyd. But then, he does a double take after he realizes Lloyd may have accidentally revealed his secret identity

as well. Lloyd does not seem aware of this.

LLOYD: Well, that's our cue.

Lloyd presses a button on the control panel and the Green Dragon Mech releases a green flare from its mouth which makes a piercing noise. The green flare remains hovering in the air. This is the ALL CLEAR

signal.

EXT. THE BRIDGE - DAY

At The Bridge, the residents slowly come out of the Blast Shelter. Lil’ Nelson can be seen among them.

EXT. NINJAGO CITY - DAY

Throughout Ninjago City, the citizens begin to come out of their hiding places.

CITIZEN # 1: Ah, my ears have finally stopped ringing from all those explosions. I hope I didn’t miss anything.

CITIZEN # 2: What do we do now?

Suddenly, Lou of the Royal Blacksmiths singing group slides in. He picks up a Lego brick and starts singing diegetically to the tune of “We Built This City” by Starship, but with slightly altered lyrics.

[SONG: “We Built This City” by Starship - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfcAgnygeBI ]

LOU: We’ll rebuild this city! Rebuild this city on rock and roll!

The other members of the Royal Blacksmiths slide in and sing along.

ROYAL BLACKSMITHS: Rebuild this city! Rebuild this city on rock and roll!

All the Ninjago citizens break out in a spontaneous but seemingly-choreographed dance number. Like clockwork, they start rebuilding the ruins of Ninjago City. Everyone moves in synchronization to the beat of the song.

EXT. NINJAGO CITY DOCKS - DAY

The music continues playing but it is slightly muted.

NINJAGO CITIZENS: Say you don’t know me, or recognize my face...

All the ninja are restless and uneasy. They should be celebrating a victory but instead, they all look like they want to say something about Lloyd revealing himself in public.

Lloyd shrugs off their uneasiness. He is not in the mood right now.

LLOYD: We can talk about this later.

Lloyd pilots the Green Dragon Mech to fly off. The other Mechs reluctantly follow in silence.