#bewitched the other guys i think i already said the other guys

[villanevehaus]

I love it it feels so much like elf 😭😭 my favorite part was when ken was like “I think I’ll stay over tonight” and Barbie’s like “why? 😄” I love that it’s camp and colorful and theatrical not dull and realistic like every other live action ever. I am strangely not really against will Farrell being in it and that is said with no knowledge of him as an individual beyond the limited exposure I have of his career so if he’s a dick I take that back

YEA!! it looks like its going to be very visually fun. also i have literally no idea about farrell as a guy but i think i was accidentally scarred and given a bias against him when i watched him smear his ballsack across a drumkit in stepbrothers. im pretty sure this was the first movie i ever saw him in </3

[bunny-1111]

One step ahead - TN, enemies to lovers + academic rivals

Description: You and Theodore hate each other. Amidst exam season, was the tension and the teasing because of your rivalry or something else?

Word count: 1.2k

Authors Note: I'm backkkkkkkk, sorry for not being as active been so flat out, but this story came into my head, and I just couldn't resist

...

You glared at Theodore across your charms class, his gaze already haunting you before you could find his eye line.

It was always a competition; who would break away first, but he always won.

Regardless of being in the same friendship group, it did not affect your rivalry.

Since children, you hated everything about each other.

You hated how he strutted. You hated how he'd be so sure he was right about everything. You hated the way he flirted with every girl in Hogwarts, you hated how he'd always find a way out of trouble, regardless of always breaking the rules, You hated the way he sounded so sophisticated, even, if not, especially when he cussed.

He hated the way you'd smile, and get your every which way bewitching anyone with that stupid perfect mouth of yours. He hated how guys would kneel down to you, he hated how you always managed to hold such composure even when you were slaughtered drunk, how you fluttered your eyes up, and more than anything, he hated how he couldn't get rid of you, you lived in his mind, you danced in his head like a memory he couldn't shake.

As he made his way towards your desk, his face didn't budge, his expression curious, like he had planned what he was going to say before he even got to you.

he leaned over and inspected your grade, his arm leading awfully close to your hand, "One point behind me" he almost laughed

Your brows threatening to furrow, his lips threatening to smirk.

"Well, next quiz, you'll be two points behind me" you insisted

"Shame that's not true", he shrugged, "I'll always be one point and step in front of you." he practically gritted through his teeth

With that, the bell rang, he turned and made his exit. Not that easily, you thought, shoving into his shoulder, overtaking his place in the corridor. You didn't look back, you didn't need to, you already knew his eyes were watching you, you felt them.

With exams coming up, the pressure was on, more than ever, to outdo each other's intelligence.

Sitting around a large round table at the table were Matteo, Enzo, Theo, Pansy, Draco and yourself, most eyes glued to books, except Theo's. His eyes found themselves studying your face instead of his charms book. When you caught him staring, you rolled your eyes and took a deep breath, concentrating back on your notes; you thought he's just trying to distract me. Do not let him win, you reminded yourself, fighting the urge to look back up.

When your exams finally finished, you dropped your pencil and followed everyone out of the hall, Theodore found himself beside you, "Stand still for a second, Nott" you say. He listened and waited for what you were about to say; you took one big step in front of him "see that, one step ahead" you smiled as you continued to walk backwards, he laughed, actually laughed, shaking his head. You couldn't help but smile yourself.

"Did you see that?" Pansy says, nudging into Draco's shoulder, "See what?" he questions. "I think they're... getting along... in their own fucked up way," she concluded, her head tilted to make sure what she was seeing wasn't in her own mind. "Maybe hell has frozen over", he said, watching, equally as shocked as Pansy.

Sitting patiently in your chair, waiting for you exam results.

When you flip your page over, you smile, confident you have beaten Theodore, "98" you mouth to him from across the room, his lips turn into an exaggerated frown lifting his paper up for you to see. 98.5 written at the top of his page.

You have to be fucking kidding me! You wanted to scream, point five, point motherfucking five, are you kidding me?!

Throwing your page back onto your desk, you were pissed, as Theodore had never been more pleased.

You didn't wait around for his snarky comments, you walk straight out of class, you were in no mood to be trifled with.

Spending the rest of the day in your room, not showing up for dinner, you had no appetite for food, or Theodore's reminders of beating you, just.

Just after 11pm, you couldn't sleep. Being a weekend with no curfew, you grabbed your packet and stormed outside, desperately fighting the wind, trying to light your cigarette.

"need a hand?" Theodore said covering your smoke from the wind, you said nothing back, instead leaning slightly on the wall behind you.

"What are you doing here?" you finally replied

"I could ask you the same question," he retorts

You couldn't look at him, so mad, you were scared you would cry or hit him, which would encrypt guilt or satisfaction?

"Look at me when I speak to you," he demanded. Had he been talking? We were so caught up in your thoughts that you couldn't hear anything he had said.

Clocking your head towards him, "Don't tell me what to do", you huff, exhaling. He snatched the smoke out of your lips, stomping on it

"Sorry?" He gritted, spineless

Rolling your eyes, he took hold of your face, more specifically, your chin, "Don't fucking roll your eyes at me again, understand?" he instructed "I always roll my eyes at you" You reply, eyes squinting in anger

"Not anymore," he said calmly

Now you were confused, "I don't un-" you start

"Understand, yeah, I know" he finishes

"But that's a lie, I do understand, and so do you, all too well" He continues as he stalks closer to you, to the point your back is now completely pressed against the wall

Your heart rate picked up, "You hate me. I hate you too," You had to say out loud, trying to remind each other about your feelings

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," he says, pressing his chest onto you

"Don't do this" you begged. He didn't listen. He just kept getting impossibly closer.

You huffed out a deep and heavy sigh. "What's wrong" he practically whispers

"I'm frustrated because I hate you, you frustrate me" you hiss out

"No," he said, as his mouth rested at the top of your neck. "You're not frustrated because you hate me; you're frustrated because you want me." He breathed onto you without thinking you pulled his face upright, crashing your lips with his for what felt like too long.

"Theodore" you rushed, catching your breath

"Don't pull away from me" he pleaded, kissing you harder.

Finally, leaning off him, you turned away, "Why did we do that" you ask, were you asking him or yourself?

"We can't help it" He soothes, turning you back over to face him again

"I have a bad habit of breaking everything I touch, y'know," he admits, his hand gripping the back of your neck, the other firm on your waist.

"go on then," you say above a whisper, hands linking behind his neck.

"Break me. Touch me." You purr.

[st4rgzer]

now playing…MY BOY ONLY BREAKS HIS FAVORITE TOYS (spencer reid)

summary: words get spoken on a night out with a team, things don’t go as planned as a realization dawned upon spencer.

genre: fluff/angst

cw!: alcohol, public humiliation kinda

a/n: i rlly struggled with this one guys, i like how it came out even if it’s not entirely the same as the song.<3 masterlist

anyone that saw spencer right now could tell he was absolutely and irrevocably in love with you.

his puppy dog eyes traced the exposed skin of your collarbones, eyes slyly exploring your silhouette. his gaze landing on your face, your mesmerizing eyes. he glanced at your lips and thought about how sweet the lipgloss you were wearing would taste.

he tried to conceal the smile that was stretching across his face, putting all his efforts in averting his eyes from you. which was probably the most difficult thing he had done ever (…)

you were invited to go out with the team, by penelope. spencer giddily awaited your arrival. glancing over at the bar entrance every time a person came in, his heart racing when he saw someone enter. only to be disappointed when he saw that the person was, in fact, not you.

yet another opening of the door could be heard, and spencer turned his head lazily. slightly dazed from the few drinks he had. his eyes practically doubled in size as he saw you walking in. you looked around a few times before setting your gaze to the group of friends stood by a table. your smile was contagious. by the time you arrived at the table, spencer’s cheeks hurt.

“hey, pretty boy’s been waiting for you all night” derek grinned. spencer shot him a glare.

“no i have not!-“ he stuttered, foolishly struggling to look at you in the eyes, though he really, really wanted to.

you smiled, rolling your eyes at derek’s play fighting with spencer.

“okay okay, who’s getting drinks with me?” you laughed, looking at spencer specifically. he smiled like a kid who just received a new shiny toy, glancing up at you with a bewitched smile.

“i’ll go” spencer spoke, his tone lacking confidence. following you like a lost pup, a soft smile still plastered on his face.

“hey looks like the genius is finally makin’ a move”

“go get her tiger!”

collective catcalls and words of encouragement toward spencer were heard from the table, voices becoming more faint as spencer and you went deeper into the crowd.

“assholes” you laughed, making the air immediately lighter. a trait that spencer admired, amongst many others.

“huh? oh! yeah ignore them, they’re- stupid…” he stumbled over his words, coming out faster than his brain could think. it’s funny how his IQ of 187 could easily be sliced in half when being met with you.

you laughed, nodding in agreement.

“so, what’re you having?” you asked, tilting your head slightly. you noticed how pretty spencer’s featured looked, illuminated by the dim light, accentuating the carvings of his cheekbones.

“i’ve already had something, i don’t drink much” he said quietly, afflicted by the fact that he just turned down your offer.

“but whatever you drink, it’s on me” he looks up, a smile in his voice as he sees a grin form on your face.

“really? you don’t have to do that” you laugh, looking down. you are incredibly thankful for the lights in the bar being to dim, or else you’d have no chance at hiding the tint that was creeping up your cheeks.

“yeah yeah it’s fine, really, it’s on me” he say’s chivalrously. you nod, kissing his cheek lightly and muttering a ‘thank you’ before smiling and leaning on the counter to order.

spencer swore to god his heart stopped. he blinked a few times with wide eyes to make sure it wasn’t just a figment of his imagination. a lingering effect of his intoxication. no, it was real.

you sipped on a martini, nodding to spencer for him to follow you back to the table, where emily and jj were dancing not very far away (and definitely not very far apart) penelope was flirting with derek, and rossi and hotch were doing typical rossi and hotch things.

your face twisted in confusion as the team diverted their attention to reid, looking at him with a mix of pride from morgan, and wonder from the rest of the team.

“you got something there pretty boy” derek pointed to his cheek. spencer rubbed the side of his face, being met with a slightly red stained hand.

you covered your mouth, a laugh threatening to come out.

“sorry spence” was all your could muster without giggling. Spencer looked terrified, a slight pink tint painting his face.

the whole team broke out in laughter, friendly heat of course. but spencer didn’t seem to enjoy the little scene he’d made, he turned and started walking swiftly toward the bar. you tried chasing after him, after realizing he was the only one not laughing. but it was too late as he disappeared into the crowd of drunk dancing people.

you sighed, turning towards the team.

“guys.” you looked at them with a warning expression as their laughter slowly faded. you skipped to were you thought spencer would be. finding him sat at the bar with a glass of water, and his chin resting on his hand

“hey…sorry about that” you said, sitting next to him. closer than usual.

“it’s fine” he gave you a tight lipped smile, clearing his throat and avoiding your eyes. your heart ached, knowing the embarrassment you had probably caused him, and knowing his history with public humiliation. even if they were his friends, it was still wrong.

you reached and placed your hand on his shoulder, giving him a reassuring squeeze. you felt him tense underneath your touch.

“i’m sorry, really. i didn’t know you had the lipstick and-“ spencer interrupted you , which took you by surprise.

“it’s not that y/n, do you not understand? you are selfish. do you like making fun of me melting under you? do you actually like me or is it just fun to just watch me.” his words were fast and sharp. your brows furrowed and tears pricked your waterline. spencer’s eyes widened after he realized the full blown confession slash burst he just had.

you were his best friend, he trusted you with his life and viceversa. and he was making you cry, all because of his frustration with himself. his love life was not your problem.

“y/n, i didn’t mean it, i- i’m sorry i-“ he stuttered nervously, desperately wishing to reach for your face and wipe the first tear that fell.

“no its fine” you spoke, quietly, so your voice was less doomed to breaking. not only did his harsh words sting, it was incredibly heartbreaking to realize what you had been doing, and how it affected him.

you decided to walk out of the bar, spencer heading after you. the cold air hit your face, shivering at the sudden contact with your skin.

“please- y/n” spencer pleaded. barging out the bar chasing after you.

“spencer, i get it, i’m sorry” you yelled, a bit more loudly than you’d like. you felt frustrated at the fact that he thought you were simply making fun of him. he was your person, quiet console in the middle of the night, there when you most needed him. of course you inevitably fell stupidly in love with him.

“i don’t do any of those things to hurt you. i would never do anything to hurt you, and spencer, i’m so sorry if i did. i’m in love with you. and not just in a best friend way, in a way in which i want my bed to feel empty when you’re not there, i want to be able to kiss you and say how gorgeous you are in any given moment. and- i’m sorry if you don’t feel the same but i-“ you sighed, exasperated and out of breath from the drunken confession.

a minute passed and it felt more like eternity as you awaited for his response, or at least a sign of rejection or approval, anything.

“well, say something!” you threw your hands up in the air, breathing out.

spencer’s mouth opened to talk but nothing came out. he was still coming to terms with your reciprocated feelings toward him. and then his mind began to spiral, it all went downhill from there.

his palms began to sweat despite the cold breeze that sent shivers down your spine.

“i’m in love with you too. i love you, and i have for quite some time” he spoke too calmly, as if he was warning you about what was to come next.

“but we can’t be together. not right now. not with me.” he spoke crudely, trying to distance himself from you, hesitation coursing through his veins. he couldn’t blame the alcohol this time after the confession sobered him up. he was scared, but the terror that came from the idea of losing you because of him? no. even if you were eternally infuriated with him, at least you weren’t in front of him with a gun to your head.

you swallow a lump in your throat, making it hard to speak, hard to breathe.

“but, why?” you ask, awaiting for a worthy response that justified the worst sentence he could’ve ever uttered: ‘we can’t be together’.

“we can’t. it’s too difficult, my job is too difficult.” he had placed an invisible barrier between the two of you. refusing to look at you, and the damage he’d done.

‘There was danger in the heat of my touch

He saw forever so he smashed it up’

“but-“ you were rudely interrupted by the sound of the bar door opening, presenting a very drunken group of people. who just so happened to be your friends, watching you and spencer have this tense conversation, or at least the aftermath of it.

you closed your eyes for a few seconds, trying to regain your composure. spencer and hotch were the designated drivers. you decided to head home in the car where the driver wasn’t the guy you had just confessed to and had given you a pathetic response. you could see spencer look at you as you got into the car, a puzzling expression hard to decode on his face.

‘my boy only breaks his favorite toys.’

as you headed home, the quiet voice ringed in the back of your head, threatening to call him. for you to insist on a worthy response, an explanation to his unwillingness. instead you just laid in bed, your covers acting as a shield to everything in the exterior that could hurt you. you still wished that your bed felt empty. and that spencer would be the missing piece.

‘and I'll tell you that he runs

because he loves me.

cause you should've seen him, when he first saw me.’

taglist: @ilovesadiesink @sp3ncelle

*comment to be added!*

[cntloup]

one-night stand your first date :)

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

“Hey!” you greet him with a welcoming smile, your gaze lingering on his scar-adorned features and his mysteriously alluring eyes, nearly knocking the air out of your lungs. 

“Hey...” he responds, holding your riveted glare as if you’re the most enchanting soul to ever walk the earth. 

(you both just stand there like idiots staring at each other with heart eyes for a good few minutes) 

He called you to say he’s gonna take you to the pub with his mates. 

He didn’t even ask you, only told you to message him the address and that he’s gonna pick you up. 

(what a freak! I love him!! and yes he takes you to meet the lads on your first date because they're the closest thing to a family he's got so he wants you to meet them asap and he's already planned your wedding in his mind!!) 

“Umm... these are for you!” he mumbles, holding out the bouquet of flowers he got you, his unwavering stare still fixated on you. 

(he asked Gaz what to get you and he said the simple old-fashioned flowers are the best way to go)

“Oh! These are beautiful! Thank you so much!” you exclaim, almost tearing up as you take the flowers with a grateful nod.

(spending a good few more minutes staring at the flowers while sobbing, the poor lad thinks he did something wrong!) 

“Fuck! Sorry! I love them! Thank you... again!” you ramble and chuckle nervously while furiously wiping your tears with your sleeve and turn back to go inside and put the flowers in a vase. 

“So? Where to?” you ask excitedly when you walk back to the door, “To the pub. Near my place. About 20 minutes from here.” he states matter of factly, yet somehow it sounds intriguing. Maybe it’s just his voice that makes everything sound so... so... (idk man his voice just does something to me) 

He leads you to his car, a Range Rover Velar, suitable for a guy like him; it holds an intimidating and mysterious aura paired with a rough and tough attitude, yet maintaining a sense of style, captivating. 

He opens the door for you and the moment you step inside, a mixed aroma of whiskey and leather reaches your nose, intoxicating. 

He lets you pick the songs during the whole drive and sing along off-key while he chuckles at you, surprisingly not annoyed one bit. On the contrary, his heart might just burst out of his chest. 

Once you arrive at the pub, he has his hand on the small of your back, leading you to their usual cozy spot. 

You take a seat in the far corner of the booth and he sits beside you, resting his arm on the back of the chair behind your head and leaning closer to you to introduce everyone through the loud music. 

The faint smell of pine, bourbon and tobacco takes over your senses, the low timbre of his voice and the soft brush of his fingers on the back of your neck, already making your head cloudy and your heart flutter. 

As night carries on, you can feel the warmth in your heart turn into seething flames, engulfing your soul as he shifts closer and closer to you, his arm now wrapped around your shoulders, pulling you impossibly closer to him. 

His head is turned towards you all throughout the night, occasionally making sarcastic remarks and smiling proudly as you laugh, your beautiful laugh making him adore you even more if that’s even possible. 

He takes you back home before midnight, his paranoia creeping up on him out of nowhere and cursing himself for endangering your life even though nothing even remotely dangerous has occurred. 

He kisses you at your doorstep, his kiss so sweet and tender, melting your heart right at the spot. 

“Good night, dove.” he murmurs while softly caressing your cheek, “G’night, Si.” you whisper back with a hazy smile as if in a trance, absolutely smitten, bewitched even. 

He stays by your door and asks you to text him when you’re inside. 

He stays a few more minutes after you text, observing the surroundings to make sure no one has followed you. 

And he leaves with a newfound emotion enfolding him, reviving his cold, dead heart as he thought it was. 

[nolita-fairytale]

still into you | carmen 'carmy' berzatto x fem!reader | chapter one: thursday

summary: you, syd, marcus, and carmy return to where it all began: new york city, prompting you and carmy to think a lot about your past... and your future together. (four part series | follow-up to 'make my heart surrender)

warnings: lots of swearing, tooth-rotting fluff, use of she/her pronouns, the lightest of smut, no use of y/n, second person pov

word count: 5k

listen to: 91 - bleachers | now i'm in it - haim | bewitched, bothered, and bewildered - ella fitzgerald (playlist here)

a/n: re: the poll -- yall really said 'let this man be happy please!' and i love that for us. if you voted for the other fic, i want to reassure you that i will be writing that one right after this! please enjoy all of the fluff and joy of this four chapter fic. i also feel like i potentially robbed us of a smut scene so... anyone interested in a bonus smut scene as a companion to this chapter?

Thursday 

“Alright, guys. We only have a few hours to get our day one prep done. I’ve outlined a schedule for today so that we’re as efficient as possible. Tomorrow’s gotta go smooth, alright?” Carmy instructs, laying out the day. 

You listen intently, marveling at your boyfriend in-action. He’s so fearless when he’s in his element, and being back in New York just seems to bring back all the memories of how you met. It’s like you’re twenty seven again, huddling up for a pre-shift meeting, led by recently-promoted wunderkind CDC, Carmen Berzatto. 

Only, you’re not twenty seven anymore and Carmy is the love of your life. 

“I’m gonna start with the mise for our beef dish, so Syd, can you get working on our signature veal stock? I think we should work with one in the pressure cooker just in case we get short on time and have a back up,” Carmy directs, an intense determination filling his eyes. 

He looks from Sydney to Marcus, before continuing his orders. 

“Marcus, I need you to start on the ice cream today, chef. I ordered us some liquid nitrogen if we need to make more on the fly, but I’d really prefer not to.”

And then it’s your turn, and boy, do you love to watch him work. You have to fight the corners of your lips from curling into a broad grin because you know now is not the time. 

“And lastly, I’m gonna have you work on the pasta. My goal is for us to get all of the agnolotti assembled today, so I’ll jump in when I wrap up with my mise to help you with that, yeah?”

“Heard,” the three of you answer in unison. 

Everyone’s got their game faces on because this is a big deal. 

The biggest, actually. 

Representing The Bear at the James Beard House is more than a big deal – it’s an honor. Only a handful of chefs get invited to cook here per year, and after a little fancy footwork in terms of scheduling, the four of you were finally able to agree on a date with the famous organization. You’re more than elated to be a part of the team, even if you aren’t working at The Bear anymore. 

The four of you quickly busy yourselves with setting up your stations. You only have a few hours to accomplish a whole lot of prep, and the pressure sits heavily on each of your shoulders. Tickets to the dinner had sold out within the first hour, which, after all the press, accolades, and media attention the restaurant had earned over the last few years, hadn’t been a huge surprise.

“Think you can keep up, chef? Don’t tell me you’re gettin’ rusty on me,” Marcus quips, already starting the playful trash talking early.

You let out a laugh, before challenging him in jest.

“Damn, Marcus. Hasn’t been that long. Bet I can still kick your ass on a ‘beat the clock’ mise, chef.”

“Oooooh. Shots fired,” Sydney calls out, joining in on your friendly banter.

“Challenge accepted,” Marcus shoots back, almost instantly. 

And then you’re scrambling to get as many prep containers and a kitchen scale, as you race your friend and mentee, all in good fun. 

You’ve missed this. 

It’s only been a few months since you started your new job – a culinary education director at a startup intent on building more sustainable food systems. While your heart would always be at the restaurant, you’d been ready to take on new challenges. The salary pay and benefits didn’t hurt either. You were happy taking a grown-up job, craving a little more stability and normalcy – and so that you and Carmy could stop paying out the ass for health insurance. Besides, you were still working with food. It just looked… well, a lotta different these days. 

You’ve missed the fast pace of the kitchen, your people, and Carmy’s desire for excellence, but it’s not like those things have left your life either. You still have them. 

After you’d left the restaurant, Marcus had taken over as the head pastry chef. In the last few months, you’ve watched him mentor and inspire a new group of wide-eyed, green, chefs-in-the-making, which had made you prouder than you’d ever have the words for. 

You can smell the sharp-allium scent of onions, as Syd quarters them for her stock, and while you have several cartons of eggs and 00 flour, Marcus has gathered all the milk that you’d just purchased for today’s prep.

“Behind,” Carmy says. He passes you by with a few 5 qt storage containers stacked, as he hugs them to his body with one arm. 

You feel his other hand place the gentlest touch on the small of your back as he leans in and whispers in your ear, “It’s good to have you back, chef.” 

You smile, turning your head just enough to lean back to look at him. 

“It’s good to be back, chef.” 

He presses the gentlest, slow kiss to your lips, and it feels like time stops for a moment. As he pulls away from you, there’s a small smirk on his face as Sydney shouts, “Oh get a room, you two!” 

“If we had the time…” he murmurs quietly, planting one more soft peck onto your lips. His face is still only inches away from yours. You giggle in response, the tender moment filling your heart with warmth. 

“Speaking of time… I just bought Marcus a head start,” Carmy teases, your jaw dropping as soon as you realize what he’s doing. 

You pull away from him, your head snapping towards Marcus’ direction to see that he’s already filled a 5 qt container to its capacity with one portion of the milk. 

“Seriously? Damn it, Carmy!” you cry out, shaking your head. “This is sabotage!”

You hear Marcus laugh in the background and as Carmy walks away with a cheeky feeling of accomplishment. You shake your head in disbelief. 

“Sorry, babe. You can deal with a little hazing, yeah? Since you’ve been gone for so long. Gotta give my guy a head start. ‘S only fair.” 

“You’re such a dick,” you scowl, scrambling to catch up. 

Oh it is so on. 

*

By the time you’re done with your day one prep, the four of you head to the hotel. Luckily, it’s only a five minute walk away, and you’re grateful that the James Beard Foundation chose to partner with one so close. The four of you pull your suitcases down the streets of Greenwich Village, before arriving at the luxurious, vintage-inspired hotel. 

You’re eager to get up to your room, as you haven’t had a shower, nor a time to take a break since you all arrived. 

“Woah…” Carmy says, his brilliant blue eyes scanning the high end hotel room. “You sure we can afford this?” 

You chuckle, “I think uh… they have a partnership with the James Beard Foundation, which is the only way I can answer your question with a ‘yes’ without having to tell you that we have to sell an arm, a leg, and our first born.” 

He shoots a half smile in your direction before letting out a whistle as he looks around. The floor to ceiling windows feel way outside of anything you could afford, as Carmy spots the French doors that lead right out onto a terrace. As you continue to explore the rest of the room, you spot a huge tub in the bathroom – something you’re very eager to take advantage of. 

“Power nap?” you ask Carmy, setting down your suitcase in the middle of the room. 

You’ll put your things away later.

“Fuck yeah,” he agrees eagerly.

You’ve barely put your book bag down before you’re both stripping off your jeans and climbing into the perfectly made hotel bed. After spending the morning traveling, you, Sydney, Marcus, and Carmy had gotten off the plane at JFK and gone straight to the James Beard House in Greenwich. Not only had Carmy been antsy to see the kitchen and get a head start on prep, you hadn’t been able to check into your hotel till this afternoon. You’re both spent, and you know that Carmy’s been running himself ragged preparing for this once in a lifetime opportunity. He hasn’t been sleeping all that well either– his thoughts consumed with nailing down the perfect menu, while paralyzed with indecision.

His quest for perfection had made him irritable over the last few days. You could see that the pressure was getting to him. His appetite was down, he was picking fights with you about small, unnecessary things at home, and pushing Sydney (sometimes a little too hard) at the restaurant. 

But today, he seems a little more in control of his feelings, and it puts him a little more at ease now that you’re finally in New York. He knows he’s been driving you crazy all week, and now that you’re all here, he’s hoping he can relax a little. 

Now that you’re here, in the city. 

Now that the dinner is only a day and a half away. 

You’re hoping he’ll slow down at some point too – give himself a little time to enjoy how big of an accomplishment this is. At least by the end of the weekend. Frankly, you’re glad you’ll have Saturday to enjoy the city without any pressure. 

For all of your sakes. 

You’re surprised that Carmy falls asleep with you during your late afternoon nap. He’s been so wired, so high strung lately, but you’ve just been waiting for him to come back down. Now that it seems like he is, there’s no way in hell you’re going to wake him up. You’re curled up together when you wake, your back pressed against his chest, his arms enveloping you. It feels almost impossible to pry yourself out of his arms without waking him up, but his deep slumber confirms your suspicions and you’re more than willing to let him continue sleeping. It takes a few tries to slip out of his embrace, but you do, and it’s off to the bathroom to get ready for dinner.

You try to make as little noise as possible, but by the time you're out of the shower, and your hair has been blown dry, Carmy’s up. You can hear the hotel TV on as you exit the bathroom and see he’s put his jeans back on. He’s perched on the edge of the bed, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes. You notice that the dark circles under his eyes that have accumulated over the years seem to sit heavier this week, as his eyes flicker over towards you.

“Damn, my girl’s got style,” he compliments, checking out your all black-ensemble. “We really are back in New York, huh?”

You nod, grinning at his sweet compliment, as you sit down to slip your white sneakers on. 

“You meetin’ up with Liz and Maya tonight?” he asks you. 

“Yeah. Syd’s gonna join for a bit before her thing. She should uh… be here any minute, actually.” You begin tying up the shoelaces of one of your shoes, before slipping the other one on. 

“You sure you don’t want to come?”

“Nah I-, I'll see ‘em tomorrow right? But tell ‘em I say ‘hello’.”

“Of course. I think they’re both really looking forward to seeing you.”

You check the time on your phone making sure you have enough time, before you make your way to where Carmy sits on the edge of the bed. 

“What’re you going to do tonight?” you ask, curiously, stopping so that your body is right in front of his. 

“Well Marcus is staging at per se so… I’ll probably just hang out. Order room service or pick up a sandwich across the street. I wanna run through all this shit so tomorrow goes as well as it can,” Carmy answers, waving his notebook at you. 

He’s like a man possessed, but it’s one of the many reasons you love him. You pull the notebook out of his hands tossing it somewhere on the bed behind you. You place your knees on each side of his hips, before settling down on top of him. 

“Think you can relax a little tonight?”

He pulls you in, his arms moving over your hips. Carmy leans in, placing a small kiss against your glossy lips. 

“Think you can help me with that?”

You giggle in response, twisting your fingers into the curls at the nape of his neck.

“I think… that could be arranged.”

Before anything too spicy can happen, there’s a knock at the door and you know it’s Syd. Carmy groans as you pull away, falling back onto the bed with a sigh of defeat. You climb off of him, heading to answer the door. 

“Hey, you ready?” Sydney asks, as you greet her. 

“Yeah, let me just grab my phone,” you reply, stepping aside to let her in. 

As she enters the hotel room, Carmy’s sitting up. With his feet planted firmly on the ground, he leans over, resting his forearms on his legs as he runs a hand through his messy curls. 

Sydney looks from you to a somewhat pouty Carmy, as if she knows she interrupted something. 

“Staying in tonight, Carm?” she asks him, as you gather your things. 

“Yeah,” he grumbles, and you can’t help but notice how tired he looks. 

Sydney rolls her eyes in response, “Don’t worry. I’ll have her back by nine.”

“Alright, I’m ready,” you say with a smile as you address Sydney. 

“You guys have fun,” Carmy nods, with a half assed wave.

“Don’t work too hard, boss,” Sydney adds, as the two of you turn to leave. “Oh and Carmy. You’ve got a little…” She gestures towards the lipstick you’ve left on his face. 

You laugh in response, and as you close the door, Carmy can hear Sydney’s ‘oh my god, you two are like rabbits’ comment in the distance. 

Carmy allows himself to fall back on the bed, reaching above his head to grab his notebook again. He’s honestly grateful to have a night to himself. He’s never been much for going out, or big social events, so having a night in feels like a good kind of calm before the storm – especially because the next few days will be full of social interactions. He’d always found New York City a little overstimulating. 

Between the dinner and the reception on Saturday, Carmy felt like he was collapsing under the enormous pressure – his only out being excellence. It’s not just the fact that being invited to cook at the James Beard house was a once in a lifetime opportunity, but there’s important business to announce here too. And then there’s the social aspect of it all, and he can’t help but feel like there are high expectations: from the food world, his reputation, your old friends from New York. And he wants to make everyone happy – he wants to impress them all. 

Something about being back here, and being back here with you, has him caught up in his head about it all. This is where you’d met. It’s also where he’d been at his lowest – right before Mikey died. So much has changed, and Carmy feels too large for his old battlefield.

Because that’s what it had been for him: a battlefield. 

A battle for his mental health, to rise to the top of the New York City fine dining scene, fighting with his feelings for you. 

Over the last two years, he had learned that he didn’t have to fight every single damn day. Some days he could just… be – be himself, whatever the fuck that meant, be a friend, and be with you. It felt strange – familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. Being back here makes him somehow feel like the total loser he was six years ago when he first arrived in NYC… and a completely different person at the same time. 

While he was over the moon when he got the call from the James Beard Foundation, he also couldn’t fight this uncomfortable feeling that’s been sitting in his stomach all week long. Carmy had never quite been able to come to terms with the whole ‘celebrity’ aspect of the food world. He knew what he could do in the kitchen. That was unquestionable. But the rest of it – the networking, the celebrity chef circles – was the part he felt most unsure about.

Ever since Sydney’s Rising Star win, he’d let her take center stage with her rising visibility in the culinary world. Actually, he’d been grateful that she was so good at it – that it seemed like she enjoyed the part of the job he hated. There was someone to take the pressure off of him – someone who thrived in front of the camera so that he didn’t have to. But he knows at some point this weekend, he’ll have to face the music. 

There were big changes coming to The Bear. 

*

It didn’t take long after the initial introductions for your friends to fawn over Sydney. They were more than happy to meet your friend they’d heard all about, and the incredible chef who was shaking up the Chicago food scene. 

“Well I’m glad to hear that some things have changed and that working with Carmy’s not a total nightmare any longer-?” Liz concludes your conversation about the restaurant, earning an eye roll from Maya and a laugh from both you and Sydney.

“Oh no it’s still tough sometimes,” Sydney says back. “He has his days. We all do.”

“Liz!” you protest, in regards to the Carmy-bashing.

“What?! You didn’t have to work directly under him back then!” she defends herself, before clarifying with Sydney. “And in his defense, Sydney, it was really our exec chef who was the real nightmare.”

“Oh she works directly under him, alright,” Maya jokes, raising an eyebrow at you. 

“And sometimes on top of him, and also-,” you quip back, ready to play along.

“Oh my god, you’re out of control and I am sick of you!” Sydney exclaims with a laugh in reference to your crass comment.

“So tell us more about the new restaurant,” Maya prompts, refocusing the conversation back to Sydney’s previous reveal.

Sydney tells your friends about The Bear’s plans to expand, and shares ideas she has that even you haven’t heard from Carmy yet. As she wraps up her story, she realizes what time it is, meaning that she’s gotta head uptown soon. She really only was supposed to stay for a glass of wine, but meeting your friends has been so fun that she’s lost track of time. 

“Shit. I have to head out,” she says. “But I’ve really loved meeting you guys. You’re coming to the dinner tomorrow night, right?”

“Wouldn’t miss it.”

“Absolutely.”

“And the reception!” you add gleefully, so glad you get to see your best friends three days in a row. 

“It’s been really great meeting you, Sydney,” Liz says, shooting you a look of approval. She squeezes your hand under the table momentarily, before saying, “Thanks for taking care of our girl. She speaks so highly of you.”

“Where are you off to next?” Maya asks, excitedly. 

“Syd’s got dinner plans,” you answer, waiting for Sydney to provide more detail.

“Yeah, I uh-, I got invited to one of the To Be Hosted events and it just worked out that we’d be in town for this the same weekend,” Sydney replies, a glimmer of excitement flashing through her eyes as she shares.

“Damn, you got invited to a supper club?” Liz marvels. “Okay!”

“Yeah because she’s a rockstar,” you cheer your friend on, saying it so matter of factly that even a stranger would believe you. 

You all say your goodbyes to Sydney before ordering food. It feels so good to be back in the city, back here with some of your best friends. Maya and Liz had been the friends that held you up, and you them, when you lived here. While you had met Liz at your last job, a sous chef under Carmy’s leadership, Maya worked in fashion and the two of you had become fast friends after meeting through an ex-boyfriend. Once you introduced the two of them to each other, the three of you had been inseparable ever since. 

They had always been your biggest cheerleaders – especially when it came to you and Carmy.

“She’s great,” Maya says, in reference to Sydney. 

“Right? I’m so excited for her. This is a huge deal: create her own menu, a chance to run kitchen without Carmy…” you agree, feeling deep satisfaction over the amazing people you have in your life. “We’re announcing the big news at the dinner tomorrow.”

“Speaking of, how is our favorite guy? What’s he up to tonight?” Maya asks, guiding the conversation back to Carmy. 

“I told him he could come but I think he wanted to stay in tonight. I think he needs some time to decompress. He’s been pretty high strung all week,” you answer. 

“Carmy? High strung?” Liz asks back sarcastically, earning a laugh from you.  “I’m kidding! I really am looking forward to seeing him tomorrow. 

Maya shakes her head, before taking a sip of her glass of wine. She’s always adored Carmy, but knows that Liz has a different relationship with him, having worked as a line cook. 

“You guys are… getting serious, huh?” Liz asks, glancing over at you. 

“Um.. I think those two were married after their first coffee date,” Maya adds. 

“It was not a date!” you insist, shooting her a look. 

Liz lets out an unconvinced laugh, and you accept defeat because you know they’ve always been right about you and Carmy. 

“Maya, don’t forget. Our girl is and has always been the Queen of Denial,” Liz adds, winking in your direction. 

“Oh ha-ha. You guys are so funny,” you reply dryly. You nod, thinking about you and Carmy’s relationship over the last few years. “Yeah uh… it’ll be three years in the Fall so… you could say it’s getting pretty serious.”

Your friends are beaming back at you in response to your admission, and while you’d love to spend all night talking about how head over heels you are for Carmy, you’re also kind of ready to shift the attention off of you and your relationship. 

“Enough about me. What’s going on with you guys?” you change the subject. 

It feels so good to catch up with your girl friends. You all agree to make it an early night. While Maya’s husband had agreed to put their kid to bed, she wants to make it home in time anyways. Liz has a date later, and before you know it, you’ve wrapped up dinner and are walking back to your hotel. You send Carmy a quick text, because you’re only a few blocks away. 

You: On the way back. 

New York City has always been so inspiring to you. The city itself feels alive – like there’s an electric undercurrent that always makes you feel so full. There’s never a dull moment, and it feels as if the potential for a wild adventure is always around the corner. It’s also the place that you and Carmy met, all those years ago. It’s funny. The version of you that met him six years ago never could’ve predicted this: that you’d actually get to be here together, after almost three years of loving each other fiercely. 

Your friends were and always have been right about you. 

Back then, you were Queen of Denial and even then, Carmy had been your king. 

But you’re here now: in the city you met in, stupidly in love with the man you’d met six years ago who had seemed terrified to merely have a conversation with you. 

Your phone buzzes in your hand, interrupting your trip down memory lane, as you peek at the text you just received. 

Carmy: Went out for a walk and a smoke. 

You type back a quick, yet short reply. 

You: Love you. 

When you return to the hotel room, you enjoy the quiet of the evening. It still feels like spring in NYC, so you open a window because it just feels too damn good outside. No wonder he’d gone for a walk. You kick your shoes off, placing them gently by the door, before stripping off your jacket and heading into the bathroom. 

As you pull your hair up and out of your face, piling it into one conglomerate on top of your head, you eye the large bathtub you’d admired earlier.  Not only are you in need of a relaxing soak, but you’re hoping you can persuade Carmy to join you – maybe even help him destress a little. You don’t think twice about it, as you strip off all of your clothes, sliding on one of the fluffy robes that the hotel has provided. You flip on the hot water, the sound of rumbling water against tile hitting your ears.

There’s a bath soak in a glass jar that you find on the bathroom counter, before adding it to the increasingly hot water. While it looks like a mixture of some kind of soak and epsom salt, large bubbles begin to form underneath the rapid stream of the faucet, and you inhale deeply. 

Lavender. Vanilla. Chamomile, maybe?

The smell puts you at ease and you can feel your shoulders melting away from your ears. 

It’s not long before Carmy returns, the bathtub is almost at its capacity and the bath soak that you put in the hot water has bubbled up and blossomed into large, sudsy configurations. You’ve put on a jazz playlist, the sounds of Ella Fitzgerald filling the small space as you hum along. 

“Babe?” Carmy calls out to you, as you hear the front door close behind him. 

“I’m in here,” you call to him, turning the volume of your phone down a few levels. . 

You hear a shuffle of shoes, before he’s peeking around the door frame, his eyes lighting up as soon as he sees you. He knows it’s silly. It’s not like he’s been able to be very present over the last week, and it begins to dawn on him that he’s missed you.

“How was your walk?” you ask softly. 

“Good.”

He looks around the bathroom, the air thick with humidity from the hot water. You turn the faucet off, as you’ve now filled the tub to its capacity.

“You look comfy.”

“I am. It’s a very comfy robe.”

You wait a beat before preparing your ask.

“Big tub,” you entice him, gesturing towards the bubble bath that awaits you. 

“Yeah?” he asks, a half smile on the edges of his lips as he takes a step towards you. 

“Big enough for two,” you nod, making your case. 

It’s all the convincing he needs. You’re removing your robe, leaving your bare body on display for him to see, and soon enough, he’s stripping down and climbing into the bathtub with you. You share an awkward laugh as the two of you clumsily figure out how to position yourselves for optimal comfort. Your back is pressed against his chest, and you’re truly in awe of the large bathtub that somehow holds the both of you.

It becomes progressively easier for Carmy to relax. Between the hot water, and your naked body pressed against his, thoughts and worries about tomorrow begin to slip away. The two of you enjoy the quiet intimacy between you, the soft sounds of your favorite jazz standards, and Carmy’s lazily dragging his fingertips across any bit of exposed skin that he can.

You lean your head back against his shoulder, and Carmy buries his face in the crevice where your neck and shoulders meet. 

“Why don’t we do this more often?” he asks, in between leaving a few slow-paced, soft kisses across your shoulders. 

“Hm?” you hum in response. From the way his mouth and hands move across your body, and the silky feeling of the hot water, you barely have a thought left in your head.

“This whole… bath thing,” he clarifies, exhaling a deep sigh. 

This may be the most relaxed he’s felt all week and he likes that you seem to be enjoying this too.  

“Probably because we have a tub that I can only assume was built for a small show dog,” you joke. 

He laughs dryly. 

“Fair enough.”

Carmy waits a beat before speaking again, enjoying how his mind has quieted for the first time in days.

“Let’s put it on the list… for when we’re ready to move to a new place,” he suggests, quietly. 

“Somewhere with a big tub?” you ask, only sort of surprised by his request. 

“Yeah.”

You turn your head to look at him, as Carmy presses a searing kiss to your lips. You feel his hand snake between your legs and you begin to understand exactly why he’s enjoying this whole bath thing. 

“As much as I’m enjoying this…” he whispers against your lips. “Think you maybe want to get out of this tub…”

Another kiss.

“… dry off…”

You slide your tongue against his as his fingertips move higher up your inner thigh, earning a hiss of pleasure from you. 

“…not put our clothes back on?”

And then he’s swallowing your moans in his mouth, as he continues his exploration. Your head is spinning, and it’s not just the hot water that makes you feel as if your soul was set aflame.

“Yes.”

*

The next morning, you wake up alone. On the bedside table there’s a note in Carmy’s scratchy handwriting that reads:

Couldn’t sleep. Went to Chelsea Market. Love you.

You let out a frustrated sigh. Last night had been incredible but you also knew it’d be back to the grind today. While you’re excited for him – and for tonight – you’re also kind of ready for this to be over. You’re ready to have your boyfriend back.

read: bonus smut scene | chapter two

taglist: @allthefandomstogether @gaysludge @sobshoney @harrysmatcha @starbritestarlite @tpwkkmila

[enam3l]

eddie’s love letter to reader after leaving her in chicago where he’d followed her after meeting for the first time. (i was in my feels despite not even being in love myself)

masterlist or series tag #enam3ls rockstar eddie

Dear sweetheart,

I’m considering hijacking my own plane and making them turn back to Chicago, back to you. My lips left your skin an hour ago and already they’re itching to be reunited.

Ready to commit felonies in order to feel yours once more. The guys have ditched me, they’re sitting further up the place. Apparently I talk too much as is, now I’m worse than ever and the only topic on my tongue is you. I can’t blame them, I wonder how I’ll ever shut up about you.

The flight attendant brought her little trolley round and all she got from me was a lecture about how you only mix your drinks with lemonade, never soda. I told her my girl has a sweet tooth. I suppose I don’t know for sure if you’re my girl yet. Not even officially my girl and you’ve got me hopping states and writing love letters.

You’ve bewitched me, babe. Appeared out of thin air on a dark stormy night in a small town like Hawkins? It all makes sense. I knew you had to be other worldly. You hexed me that night, turned me into a lovesick teenager. I hope the spell is irreversible if it means I get to be yours.

Shit, this could all be nonsense, I don’t know. I’m so god damn tired. You kept me awake. I’ve not even got my mind in the gutter. Just mean, how could I possibly sleep when I got to have you to myself? There’s only 24 hours in the day and you’ve existed for nearly 24 years. Hard to hear all your stories in that time. I want to hear them all. It feels cruel the universe robbed me of 24 years of you. Think I could listen to you til the oceans ran dry and I wouldn’t get bored.

I took my jacket off once I was seated to get comfy but then I realised it smelt like you. Had this thing since I was 16 and it’s only ever smelt like smoke and cheap beer. You wear it for a weekend and it smells like you. You you you. That pretty perfume and that sweetness natural to your skin. It’s soaked into the leather. Under the fibres. I think you’ve done that to me as well. Seeped under my skin. Running through my system.

Already owe Dustin and Steve my life in ways you don’t even know. I owe them it all once over for introducing you.

You were right when you said this wasn’t normal. People don’t just feel this way with someone they’ve known for a couple of hours. I think my heart was yours from that moment in the Hideout. It’s still with you now in Chicago. I don’t want it back. Keep it in the back pocket of those tight little jeans you wore yesterday. If you gave me yours, it’d be the most precious think I owned.

When you get back home to New York and read this, call me. I’ll be on your doorstep in seconds if I’m not already camped out there. I should’ve stayed in bed with you in that fancy ass hotel in Chicago.

Call me and I’ll crawl back into your sheets and promise to never leave again.

Yours if you wish,

Eddie.

don’t worry i know it’s been a while but i could never forget about my lil star crossed lovers

my taglist angels: @whoahoney @lukewearingbeanies @esme-viridian @elysian-chaos s @munsonology @mseddiemunson @kreepja @midnightsgetawaycar

[katyspersonal]

Another SOTE progress post!

1) Okay so like I said earlier in another post the highlight of today was finally defeating Rellana x) It felt REALLY rewarding to finally win after having to try so many things, Miyazaki forced me to use my brain AGAIN

2) After that I went to talk with the NPCs around the crosses by an advice by @val-of-the-north since not being able to summon Leda apparently meant that I've got the rune of Miquella broken. And hoooo boy.... At last I got to that part where Ansbach revealed the uncancelled Mohg's lore.

"Once, in an attempt to free Lord Mohg from his enchantment, I challenged Tender Miquella, only to have my own heart rather artfully stolen. I knew not how weak I was. I believed that with sufficient mastery, even and Empyrean would be within reach of my blade. I could not have been more mistaken... Miquella the Kind...is a monster. Pure and radiant, he wields love to shrive clean the hearts of men. There is nothing more terrifying."

"Righteous Tarnished. Miquella the Kind makes my blood run cold. I am loath to admit it, but even at this very instant I wish to run very far away indeed."

Soooo, yeah.. Apparently the bit I was spoiled is later game dialogue, this is a different one and I see it for the first time! Damn, trailer quote tho x)

3) What I did NOT know is that all these characters were under the spell of Bewitching Branch too ;-; Guess Leda is going after the hornsent guy's throat now gfhgjg Wild to see how everyone now does what they actually want, SPEAKING OF:

4) Thiollier now wants to go seek the part of Miquella he earlier had sealed away with the spell wall branded with his Haligtree symbol! There is now outright confirmation that Trina IS Miquella:

"Would Kindly Miquella chasten me? For falling for St. Trina, while knowing that she was the discarded half? The problem is... I simply cannot help it. I would sacrifice everything, just to gaze upon her, one last time."

Damn... either 1) Looks like both alters of Miquella have the capacity of compelling affection? Not just his Bewitching Branch, but whatever sleepy scent powers Trina is using or 2) Thiollier is Just Like This. Tea?

"I see you've thrown away... Something you should not have. Under any circumstances. How will you salvation offer... to those who cannot be saved? When you could not even save your other self? Kindly Miquella..."

5) The cross strangely has the message from Miquella, "I abandon here my love". All things considered it is not supposed to refer to his feelings, and recalling dialogue by Ansbach I'd say it maybe refers to his ability to wield love as weapon? Because look at how NOW Trina's power entices people into coma. Speaking OF:

6) Turned out my previous guess was wrong, and "bastardisation" of Trina's otherwise pacifist powers was not work of followers, but result of Miquella severing her from his being!

7) (or rather 6.1 lol) This is actually a good additional timeline clue! Earlier Freija mentioned that she received her Scarlet Rot wound in Caelid, so, as Malenia and Radanh fought, and Miquella was the one to heal it! So he was around that time yet. Then, change in Trina's powers happened as Miquella went to abandon his Empyrean entity, when Dolores has been using the powers as they were and she was in the Roundtable Hold! This I think will be useful for later to recover when could he have started with the plan! I already have a working suggestion for explaining events, just need more info!

8) Damn, not the area from the trailer ;-; Thiollier is so dead lol

By the way the boss in this area is RIDICULOUSLY difficult hghghg I gave up on him and kinda went to have adventures elsewhere just for the heck of it!

9) Discovered an actual dialogue by an old lady in Belurat, AND:

EMPYREAN?? I actually yelled at Val about it since I needed to know whether it is legit the same term or perhaps a loss in translation! And he researched Japanese script and confirmed that yes, indeed, this woman IS an Empyrean like GEQ, Marika, Ranni, Miquella and Malenia! @val-of-the-north be a dear and add the evidence you've found today in a reblog or another pose! Because HECK, WHAT????

10) So I went to look around in random places since that boss was too hard. Found a small piece of some ruins by Val's advice, using one of those blue Keyswords. Then I wanted to go down in a village down near Moorth Ruins but for the heck of it could not figure how to get down there. While waiting for Val's slow ass to instruct me, I started to run wherever, really. And ironically, found the exact cave leading me to the FULL version of those Ruins! Felt surprised to find the golden tree inside!

11) Went through second poisonous swamp in the game yet, truly Miyazaki xD

12) Stumbled into Kindred of Rot, but they are RED in color!!!

This was so bizarre?? Damn, still, what ARE they doing here? First turned out that Formless Mothers and rituals for her that Mohg is using originated in Shadow Realm, now this.. Makes me wonder whether all Outer Gods come from this place originally, so God of Rot too, so, Twinbird too?

13) Hey @heraldofcrow how did you lose your clothes?? Put them back on slut gdghvgbvbbh

14) I decided to explore later and instead went to bully Horned Knights and Ascetics for their sets and weapon in Belurat. Belurat has places very close to Site of Grace for both! Horned Knight farming went pretty fast and easy! Ascetic... not so much. :/ He did drop his weapon and arm piece, but past this point he's been only dropping leg piece over and over! Reminds me of that 'Seebass? No, it's at least C+!' meme vffhhhh I think I will return for his mask later :/

15) This type of posts becomes a bit too structured, I need to post more random items descs

16) However I got a note from Val that we surprisingly got lore on Fingercrawlers (lol at my recent theory post aging like milk xd) and @jarognieva said something about a couple of spots on the map looking like giant fingerprints + having many fingers within 👀 No idea what is going on yet, but I can see it now!

Okay that's it for now.. until the tomorrow's work shift ends xD

[cherrysoojins]

८ bewitched , ateez laufey songs .

✉️. three of eight, kim hongjoong. falling behind.

romance was a huge aspect of life that you felt as though you were missing out on. but after meeting kim hongjoong, you felt like you were no long falling behind on it.

&ㅤㅤ 📦 ♡ warnings. sfw, fluff, small mention of jongho if you read his story you will understand, suited for all ages, not proofread ( might have spelling errors ), let me know if any other warnings that should be added ! 1263 wc.

reblogs appreciated because im shadow banned 😭

taglist. @luvvvlyjoong , @cherrystar1117

you haven’t experienced love yet.

you don’t think you’ve even experienced liking someone properly and working to establish a relationship with them.

in reality, you started to think you’re not cut out for relationships. more so, that you just weren’t destined for a relationship, to experience love. and at some point, you were okay with that. being more focused on yourself proved to get you far, graduated high school as the top student and you’re now about to graduate from college and open your own business. a small little clothing line and thrift store, it was accomplished with ease because you didn’t let complicated things get in your way. (like relationships)

but it’s not like you closed yourself off to people, no. you had a lot of friends. you only closed yourself off from relationships to once again, focus on yourself.

but now that you’re graduating and life is continuing to move forward, you realize as you walk around campus, go grocery shopping, sit at a cafe, or even take a walk down the busy streets of seoul, couples were everywhere.

and then you look to your empty side where nobody has the liberty to walk next to you, the loneliness of your hand not wrapped around someone else's… it sort of felt like you were missing out on an important life experience.

it made you feel like even though you were miles ahead of everyone, this one hurdle was making you fall behind.

you can hardly see your friends anymore because they’re all in happy and healthy relationships, too busy with work and their significant others, and you don’t blame them, but they used to be the only way you could fend off this lonely feeling. even your best friend choi jongho, who was once like you and was closed off to relationships, got into one recently. you and him used to bond over the fact you were single and felt like relationships were a waste of time, but now…

you don’t even blame him, the guy needed a girlfriend.

but man, you really feel like everyone is moving forward and you're stuck in the same spot, with the same mindset that was threatening to shatter, which held you back from moving forward even more because you feared what lied in the unknown, you were scared of what love meant.

yet, you think you might be figuring it out. what love means.

“i really think you should distress the sleeves,” hongjoong said from behind you, his chin resting on your shoulder as he reached his other hand to point at the black denim jacket you were working on for your little thrift store brand.

“but i distressed the bottom hem of it already, would it look weird?” you asked him, trying to calm your beating heart down from the close proximity between you two, his chest pressing against your back and his head so close to yours, you could smell the sweetness of the blue raspberry lollipop that matched the color of his hair that you gave him earlier.

hongjoong shook his head on your shoulder and moved back to pull his phone out, muttering a small “hold on” as he unlocked the device.

you turned back to look at him before looking back forward, grabbing onto the edge on the table in a strong grip. you mentally took deep breaths in and out.

these emotions… they were overflowing. you’ve never felt this way before about anyone. this feeling of your heart banging against your chest, the fluttery feeling in your stomach and the red hot feeling rushing to your cheeks whenever hongjoong talks to you… you couldn’t describe this feeling, but you like it.

hell, you enjoy it more than you probably should.

you did feel like you were falling behind in the relationship aspect of life, but you had no thoughts to actually pursue the idea, choosing to just go with the flow of how things have always been.

but kim hongjoong came in like a storm, truly. it was merely an accident how you two met. you’ve been in the same fashion design class for awhile now, and also had the same business classes together, but never interacted.

but one night when your thoughts about relationships and everything got too far into your head, you found yourself stumbling into the 24 hour studio open to your fashion class to continue working on your final assessment project, to which kim hongjoong was there.

first it was simply helping each other out, then it was talking about each others dreams and future aspirations, then it came to always sitting together at class, going to lunches together, painting the walls of your apartment together, to asking him to help you with your thrift shop and clothing line, it was supposed to be just business and a new friendship at first… now, it’s gotten to the point of no return. for you, at least.

now it was doing all those things with the addition of butterflies in your stomach and constant bathroom breaks to calm the red flush on your cheeks whenever he says something that is a compliment towards you or just sounds any sort of sweet.

“see, it wouldn’t look bad if we did it this way.” hongjoong cut you off from your thoughts, putting his phone in your face to make you look at a reference photo he pulled up from pinterest.

you grabbed the phone from his hands, the sparks that you felt when your fingers lightly brushed his was enough to sprinkle pink along your cheeks and a giddy feeling to flow through your stomach.

“oh, you’re right.” you said, immediately going back to your professional act and putting the phone down on the table to look at it as you grabbed the sleeves of the denim jacket. “if we do it on the wrists, it’ll look fine.”

“right?” hongjoong said, coming up to your side and using a finger to pull his lockscreen down on his phone to check the time quickly. you two have been working on clothes since 12pm, and it was now bordering 8 at night. you acknowledged the time and the fact his wallpaper was a picture of you sleeping comfortably in your bed holding the stuffed animal he gifted you.

you felt like throwing up from all the emotions running through you, they all were so overbearing and intense, but they felt so good.

“it’s getting late.” you noted.

“sure is. wanna go on a date for dinner?”

“yeah–” you paused, slowly turning your head towards him with a squinted stare. “date?”

hongjoong laughed to himself, his eyes still on his phone as his bubblegum blue hair covered his eyes.

“a date, yeah.” he told you, turning his head to look at you sincerely.

the idea of love was originally something that was an obstacle in your mind, something that would prevent you from getting far in life because it was a distraction. you simply felt like you were solely cut out for being by yourself, focusing on yourself.

then love became something you were secretly envious of deep down. when everyone around you started to experience it, you felt like suddenly you didn’t have everything figured out in life, like you were missing something, that you were falling behind.

but kim hongjoong changed that. suddenly you were moving again, jumping the obstacle you so desperately wanted to avoid, to walk around. you were no longer feeling left behind, now you felt like you were complete.

“yeah.” you replied. “let’s do that.”

full bewitched series masterlist !

send an ask or a pm to be added to the bewitched masterlist !

[swiftieblyth]

The Nightshade Sisters: Professor Snape

Warnings- dead mom, abusive dad, raised by aunt uncles and godparents, death eaters, Voldemort, violence and murder, Draco Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy, all other Harry Potter stuff

Let me know if there’s anything else!

ROSIE’S POV:

The next morning Draco and Rosie walked down to the great hall to get some breakfast. Draco sat next to Rosie, across from Crabb and Goyle. Draco was talking to them as Rosie was writing a letter.

Dear Moony, I miss you so, so, so much! I didn't get put in Hufflepuff with Ceddie or Lacy, nor did I get put in Gryffindor like you. However I did get put into Slytherin like Aunt Joyce and Uncle Tim. I already made a friend! His name is Draco Malfoy, he’s in my house as well. I don’t like that I won’t get to be with you on full moons now. Harry Potter was put in Gryffindor just like you said he would be. I had a panic attack as the train stopped in front of Hogwarts yesterday, but Lace and Ceddie helped me through it.  Today’s the first day of classes, I’ll write to you tomorrow to let you know how it goes. I’m really nervous, but I don’t think much attention will be on me if Harry Potter is in my class. I miss and love you, Uncle Moony. Love, Cub

“What are you doing?” Draco asked, looking at Rosie. 

“I’m writing to my uncle. I miss him, so I decided to write to him. Do you want to go with me to ask my siblings if I could borrow one of their owls?”

“Sure.” Draco replied, he got up and grabbed Rosie’s hand, to help her up.

“This way.” Rosie stated, taking the lead and dragging him behind her. “Lace, Ceddie!” 

“Rosie!” Lacy replied, wrapping her arms around Rosie in a big hug. 

“Lace… I… Can’t… Breathe.” 

“Sorry.” Lacy let out, letting go of her, as she saw Draco. “Hi. Who are you?”

“I’m Draco, Rosie’s best friend.” Draco explained, sticking out his hand to Lacy. Rosie smiled and a small blush came to her cheeks. Cedric saw and smirked.

“I’m Lacy,” Lacy replied, shaking Draco’s hand. “I’m Rosie’s older sister, and this is our brother, Cedric.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Draco,” Cedric smiled, shaking Draco’s hand.

“Could I borrow one of your owls to send a letter to Uncle Remus?”

“Yeah, of course, Little Rose. Sugar’s in the owlery. Just call her and she’ll come to you.”

“Thanks, Ceddie.” Rosie replied, hugging him. “I love you guys.”

“We love you too, Little Rose.”

“So much.” Lacy added.  

Later that morning Rosie and Draco went off to Potions class. Rosie sat next to Draco in between the big boys, as if they were their bodyguards.

“Professor Snape is the head of Slytherin so he should like us.” Draco explained to Rosie. “Actually I know he likes me, I’ve known him since I was a baby. He’s my godfather, so just stay with me, and stay on his good side, and you’ll be set for all seven years.”

“Thanks, Draco.” 

All of a sudden the doors opened and Professor Snape came storming in. He stopped in front of his desk and looked at the class. Draco sat up straighter with a small smile on his face, his eyes filled with admiration.

“There will be no foolish wand waving or silly incantations in this class.” Snape explained. “As such, I don’t expect many of you to appreciate the subtle science and exact art that is potion making. However for the select few,” Snape glanced over at Draco and Rosie. “Who possesses the predisposition, I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensure the senses. I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death. Then again, maybe some of you have come to Hogwarts in possession of abilities so formidable that you feel confident enough to…not pay attention.”

Everyone glanced over to where Snape was looking, Hermione nudged Harry, and he looked up to see Snape glaring down at him. Draco and the big boys snickered, but Draco stopped when Rosie nudged him and gave him a look. 

“Potter!” Snape called. “What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" 

"I don't know, sir," Harry said. 

Snape's lips curled into a sneer. "Tut, tut -- fame clearly isn't everything." He ignored Hermione's hand. "Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?" 

“I don’t know, sir.” Harry said again, as Hermione’s hand stayed in the air.

Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who were shaking with laughter as Rosie tried to shut them up, feeling sorry for Harry.

“What’s the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?”

“I don’t know. I think Hermione does, though, why don’t you ask her?”

“Miss. Nightshade,” Snape called, turning around to look at her. “Perhaps you would like to explain the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane? I do believe this is something you would know.”

Rosie stared at him a little wondering how he knew. “There’s no difference Professor. They are the same plant known as aconite.”

“Yes. I thought you would know that. Very nice, Miss. Nightshade, ten points to Slytherin.” The Slytherins started cheering and Draco smiled at Rosie. “And I’d like to see you after class, Miss. Nightshade.”

After class finished Draco got up and looked at her. “Are you going to be okay? Do you want me to stay with you?”

“No, I’ll be okay, Draco. But I wouldn’t mind if you waited outside.”

“Okay,” Draco sighed and walked out of the class behind everyone else. 

“You wanted to see me, Professor,” Rosie let out.

“I think you should know that I went to school with your aunt, uncles, and parents before they got expelled and banned from the wizarding world.”

“What does this have to do with anything?”

“I was in Slytherin with your aunt and uncle. I was on good terms with them. However your uncle, Remus, was someone I despised.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, sir.”

“I do hope you aren't like him.”

“I’m not a werewolf if that’s what you’re implying.”

“Good to know. Judging by the fact that you are in my house, I do hope that you behave more like your aunt and uncle, rather than your uncle and sister.”

“I’ll do my best, sir. May I go now.”

“Yes.” 

“Hey, everything okay?” Draco asked, when Rosie walked out of the room. 

“Yeah, Snape just wanted to talk to me about my family. Apparently my sister’s not the best student, and he wanted to make sure I’ll be better than her.”

[atamascolily]

TBF S4 Speculation: We Could Be Immortal

Urobuchi has said in interviews that Thunderbolt Fantasy Season 4 is going to dig into Shang and Lin's backstories. I'm of two minds on this--on the one hand, I live for juicy details about my faves, gimme all ya got. On the other hand, one thing I genuinely like about TBF is how much remains mysterious and open into interpretation. Character backstories can be challenging, and up until this point, they haven't been necessary for the narrative--I think Urobuchi is a talented enough writer to pull off a satisfying reveal that ties into everything else, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous... and curious.

Because I love speculating, and because there's still a month and a half before S4 starts airing, I'm going to write out my thoughts for the hell of it.

I first came across the "Shang is a fallen god" theory from @jafndaegur's fic "Just A Guy With A Sword" and it's intrigued me ever since. A past history as a martial god of some sort would not only explain Shang's unique skill set, it would also explain why collecting magical swords and preventing misuse of them is so uniquely personal--as a way of atoning for the suffering and destruction he's undoubtedly been privy to in that kind of privileged position. Not to mention that Shang's decision to reject his destiny/role and do his own thing as a (mostly) ordinary human being feels so in-character for him.

I like this idea because it makes Shang, and his emphasis on appreciating everyday life becomes even more poignant and meaningful as a result. It fits into the series' larger themes of the responsible use of power and an emphasis on free will and choice over destiny and fate. Plus, it would delightfully recontextualize the entire series, from Lin Xue Ya's wry comment at their first meeting that Shang has no respect for the divine to Shang's conversation with Bai Lian, an ordinary person who was mistaken for an immortal. Not to mention a contrast with whatever Huo Shi Ming Huang has planned--unknown for now, but almost certainly related to acquiring cosmic power(s). Up to this point, we've only had humans and demons, but there's no reason why Urobuchi couldn't up the stakes even more by introducing beings with entirely new power levels, just like he did with the introduction of the Sorcerous Sword Index at the end of S1.

(Also, as a bonus, this would be a backstory for Shang that wouldn't involve fridging his family or anyone else he cared about; we've had quite enough of that already, thank you very much.)

On a meta level, becoming an all-powerful divinity has been a running theme throughout Urobuchi's prior works, so the idea of someone starting out as a god and then giving it up seems like a logical evolution of the idea, as well as a fun twist. I could totally see him doing it here.

I've suspected for a long time that Lin Xue Ya might not be fully human--his lack of canonical birthday (when even the immortal demons have them!), his incredible genre-savviness, etc, etc, all point to someone who isn't what he seems to be, on top of his general sketchiness. (Depending on how seriously you take the epilogue to Bewitching Melody of the West, it also seems like he has knowledge that he shouldn't otherwise have, again pointing to him as a meta-narrator and authorial stand-in.) As a trickster figure, he echoes the kitsune of Japanese legend (who can take on human form in many stories), and the main Pili series has a bunch of dragons with human forms. [A recent social media post for this year's Dragon Boat Festival also put Lin Xue Ya in the role of Bai Suzhen, the famous "White Snake" of legend who took on human form and fell in love, so, uh, there's that.] Lin Xue Ya's backstory also involves him giving up and turning away from the path of the sword, which in turn could mean that he also gave up on other things as well when he became a wandering thief and rogue whose sole purpose in life is his own personal amusement.

Previously, my one stumbling block with this theory was that Lin and Shang are both opposites and equals in every sense of the word. This is, for instance, the reason why Lin also has to be a Secret Sword Master at the end of Season 1, because Shang is one. In order for them to contrast each other most effectively, they have to be on the same level. Thus, if Lin Xue Ya isn't or wasn't human, then Shang also has to be the same level of being in order for this symmetry to be maintained. Having Shang be a fallen god would satisfy this requirement and then some.

Given that the ending of the series is most likely Shang and Lin walking off into the sunset together as their journey continues, this backstory would also mean they were and have always been timeless and archetypal, with no beginning or end, and the symmetry is also pleasing to me.

Is this where the story is actually going? I have no idea, but this is certainly plausible and I look forward to finding out!

[twentyfivemiceinatrenchcoat]

hehe..... ari.......... i am already here...... knife and fork in hand............... gimme food gimme lore. how did you and mister sweetheart mister laios mister oblivious meet?????? was it a meet-cute, or a meet-ugly perhaps???? like an accidental meet-ugly????? he bumped into you and spilled his food all over you???? i could see that i think it would be qwfully cute actually:333 anyway hehehehe please indulge me i really wanna know more abt the two of you!!!! - @teddybeartoji

MICKEY . you work fast ……. i have to respect it…….. BUT WAHHHH THIS MADE MY BRAIN SPIN SO FAST :(((((((( sniffle . i love him. I HAVE MANY THOUGHTSS pls bear with me my sweet sunflower…….

here is a snack for you while you read :33 🥪 and a kiss on the cheek. mwah!!

OKAY SO . i’m very fond of the meet-ugly idea….. thank you for the free lore i’m a tiny pigeon eating crumbs straight from ur hand 🐦🐦 NO BC. it feels so fitting doesn’t it…… a pair of losers stumbling into each other’s lives………. we’re both at some adventurer’s restaurant stop and i trip over his foot and drop my plate of food . and he apologizes. and i’m like . ah . he’s cute. (puppydog effect 💔)………. and i end up joining his party somehow. i don’t think it’d take a lot of convincing tbh i’m susceptible to manipulation and peer pressure at any given moment 🙏🙏 maybe it’s like… right after the falin thing. and they’re desperate to fill up their party. and i’m just like . okay yeah. bc i wanna see the dragon + laios has bewitched me 😔😔

….. actually this got me thinking abt . what kind of adventurer i’d be …. and as much as i love & adore playing as the knight-esque sword guy when it comes to rpgs….. realistically i feel like i’d be a magic user …. or a bowman ….. or a rogue like chilchuck . a bard ??? 👀 maybe ????? ANYWAYYYY that’s not important i just think it’s fun 2 think abt :333 (which class do u think you’d be mickey 🎤🎤 i need to know!!!!)

AND THEN . yeah. i’m just….. crushing on him. i think. and the more i get to know him the more i’m like. i need him to be happy. i need him to succeed. i want to stay by his side . etcetc…… down horrendous in other words <///3 and he’s just so oblivious yk???? marcille and chilchuck get it immediately and they’re both like . my condolences. he’s happily married to monsterkind 😐😐

BUT LAIOS IS JUST . he’s just so caring….. yk……….. makes me food and pats my head and drapes a blanket over me when i get sleepy . ik i’ve already said it but!!!! i rlly do see arilaio as a black cat/golden retriever kinda deal…… w me being . very eepy all the time . a little grumpy. i just feel like that side of me would peek out around him bc he’s big and safe and warm :3 i’m normal abt him btw .

i’m already starting to get 2 into it so i’ll stop myself BUT. i do also wanna say!!!! this is . a yapper/yapper dynamic…….. bc i feel like we’re both good listeners. but also yap a horrific amount when it comes to smth we love 😭😭 yk how he is abt monsters….. i’d be the exact same way but like . w books. or games. or whatever. so it’s just him teaching me abt monsters while i look up at him w hearts in my eyes + me rambling abt smth or another while he gives me Intense Eye Contact and asks follow up questions <3333333 OK I’M DONE . he just. he is….. the way he is . which is perfect . 😔😔

anyway !!!!! THANK YOU SM FOR THE QUESTION MICKEY….. 🥺🥺🥺 you’re the sweetest little guy ever and i hope you know i love you <3 i hope you’re resting a lot and soaking up the sunlight!!!! and i hope you sleep so well tonight :3 i’m tucking you gently into bed as we speak!!! bringing you extra blankets and fluffy pillows and a big cup of jasmine tea <33333

this is literally arimickey + laios btw <333333

[astraljedi]

Bewitched (Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw)

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x OC

Author's note: This is a re-upload of an old fic/idea I posted months ago and rewrote. If you have any requests for anyone in the dagger squad, request are always open! Also, this is pure fiction, this isn't going to be 100% accurate and it's just for fun. Enjoy!

This is basically an enemies to lovers fic. It will contain a lot of smut, angst, mention of death, and spoilers for the Top Gun movies.

Warnings: Just some cursing and fighting. Spoilers for both movies.

Many people knew who Sadie was and the well-known family name she carried. When Sadie was a child, she was her dad's little shadow. Tom always had a feeling that Sadie would follow in his footsteps just by the way her face would light up every time they arrived at the base. How she always paid attention to him when he explained anything about the planes and the power they carried.

And on the weekends, after Sadie had all her homework done, her parents would let her join her Godfather, Pete, to work on his project plane. In the end, if the hard work paid off, Pete would take her on a quick little joy ride while the sun sat. Sadie cherished those moments with Maverick, he wasn't able to be with her every weekend working on the planes because of work, but when he had the chance, he wouldn't hesitate to let Tom know he would stop by to pick her up. 

Even though most people knew Sadie from her father and her close relationship with Pete, she built her current reputation by herself.

Sadie was determined, carefree, and maybe too charismatic. She was the type who would make anyone feel welcome and part of a team. She wasn't all about letting someone feel left out of the group. And everyone loved her; it was impossible not to. But, like her godfather, Sadie could be reckless, and, Sadie always craved the need for adrenaline. 

When Sadie got called in for TOPGUN, she wasn't surprised. She knew the type of pilot she was and that her hard work was paying off. The little girl who always hid behind her father's figure would've been jumping in excitement like a lunatic. She wanted to make that little girl proud. 

"I'm going to TOPGUN," Sadie announced to Pete suddenly while at his garage one Saturday morning. Maverick was visiting for a few days before he had to leave again for a mission to Iraq. But she needed to see him and deliver the news in person before leaving later that day. Maverick's eyes widen, immediately pulling her into a hug. "I hope you and dad could be there for my graduation."

"Me too, kiddo."

On Monday, Sadie arrived, and there were a few people with their claimed seats chatting away in different groups. "That's Iceman's daughter over there." Sadie turned her head to see a dark-haired woman pointing her out to the two other guys in the group.

"I heard a rumor from someone that she broke into the control tower after hours and threw a graduation party after the ceremony." One of the boys mentioned. 

"C'mon, Coyote. Do you believe those stupid rumors?" The woman spoke again, chuckling at Coyote. "But, if it's true and I had her last name, I would've done the same or worse." 

"I also heard some captains and other lieutenants are placing bets on who will end up top of the class," Coyote began. "You think you can beat Iceman's daughter, Hangman?" Coyote said, mocking Hangman.

"Oh, please." Hangman scoffed. "We all know she's here because who's going to turn away Iceman's daughter?" 

"I'm here because of the same reason all you are. I'm a damn good pilot." Sadie interrupted, standing in front of Hangman. "It's okay to admit you're intimidated, but that doesn't mean I'll go easy on you." 

Hangman chuckled, causing the little wooden toothpick between his lips to fidget. "I like you already," Hangman announced, patting Sadie's petite shoulder before grabbing a seat on the table next to her. "Let's see if that ego stands a chance up in the air." 

"Hi, I'm Phoenix, by the way." The black-haired woman introduced herself, extending her palm to Sadie's. Phoenix completely ignoring Hangman's last comment about Sadie. 

"I'm Hex, and you must be Coyote." Sadie chuckled at Coyote.

"Why do they call you Hex?" Coyote asked timidly, grabbing a seat next to Hagman.

"You'll find that out later," Sadie smirked. Phoenix patted the empty chair, gesturing to Sadie to sit down right next to her.

 “It’s nice having another woman here, too much testosterone in one place”. Sadie looked around the class full of unfamiliar faces, except one. She recognized that face from a picture Maverick had framed in the garage of Bradley’s graduation from the Naval Academy. Her dad mentioned something about his relationship with Maverick, but she never had the whole story. She did ask Maverick once about him, curious why he had Bradley's picture in his garage but never talked about him. Maverick gave her a vague answer, but she didn't push more on the topic once she saw his eyes flooded with tears. 

“That’s Rooster over there, he’s tense but he’s one of the good ones,” Phoenix whispered, noticing Sadie’s staring. “You’ll like him.” 

Rooster looked up from his hands, a bit nervous, only to meet Sadie’s stare. Embarrassed about getting caught, she turned her attention to the front of the class to the empty podium. “I’m not sure about that,” Sadie muttered to herself as the class was ordered to stand. 

After the little introduction from their instructor, the teams headed out to grab the rest of their gear and head out to their planes. The first day was nothing but relaxing. Phoenix and Hex were paired in the same group against Hangman for the first round of dog fighting. But with no surprise, Phoenix and Hex managed to take down Hangman's plane and his ego with it. "Oh, I like flying with you, Hex," Phoenix confessed once they were on land again. 

"Hex, you'll be the target this time against Rooster and Hangman after the next team lands." The instructor informed Sadie, looking up from his clipboard. Hex nodded, heading back to her plane. 

"Give 'em' hell, Hex!" Phoenix shouted at her before Sadie made it back to her F18. 

Up in the air, Hangman and Rooster were bickering, Hangman teasing him about his call sign and whatnot. "Hangman, do you see her?" Rooster asked, trying to change the subject while looking around for the target. 

"Is she even here?" Hangman groaned impatiently. He was still bitter from the previous round.

"Been here the whole time, boys." Hex chuckled as her plane flew up vertically between the two planes. A little trick she picked up from Maverick.

"Jesus!" Rooster shrieked, not expecting her to come from below them. 

"Are you guys done gossiping? or do you need a little more time before I take both of you down?" Hex gloated, disappearing from their sight again. Hex lays low and far from them. Hex preferred to stay low on her target; she liked to sneak up on them. Especially when they only looked up and to their sides. 

"Gloating doesn't look good on you, sweetheart," Hangman replied, signaling something to Rooster. "How about a bet? Whoever loses, buys the winner's drinks for the whole night." 

"It's a deal, blondie," Hex didn't hesitate at the chance of a good bet. Increasing her speed, Hex flew away above the pilots, catching them off guard again. "You just made a deal with the devil." 

Hangman increased his height and speed, leaving Rooster behind without a word. And that was Hangman, who never knew how to work as a team. Rooster increased his speed, following Hangman but staying below him. "Hangman, she's on your nose." Rooster was a team player; he liked playing it safe and sticking to the rules. And now, he was stuck with the most competitive duo on the air. 

"Oh, I see her," Hangman smirked, his fingertips leveling the lock on her plane. "I don't drink the cheap beer, by the way," Hangman said, a bit too cocky. When Hangman was about to lock, Hex increased her speed and lowered altitude just enough to pass underneath Hangman's plane by the hair, leaving his aircraft shaking unexpectedly. Hangman cursed loudly, losing his focus from the turbulence. Hangman cursed under his breath, ascending the plane, and leaving Rooster behind. 

Before Rooster could react, he lost her from his sight once again. Rooster looked down; all he saw was the blurry terrain underneath them. It was a bit too quiet. Hex tried to maintain the same speed as Rooster, camouflaging herself upside down from his plane. "Rooster, I think you should do a little maintenance underneath your plane." Hex chuckled, Rooster's eyes darting back down. Hex flew from underneath him and switched to the top of his plane, upside down still. "Bye, Rooster." Hex waved at him. Rooster glared at her, his cheeks turning red from the growing anger, recognizing the little trick she was pulling off.

Rooster was about to increase his altitude, but Hex swooshed underneath him twice. Hex spun around his plane, putting him in a trance. After the third spin, she pulled the brakes, jerking her plane right behind him while he was still looking for her underneath him. Hex centered the target on Rooster's plane and locked it successfully on him. "And that's a hit." 

"Fuck!" Rooster cursed loudly, hitting the cockpit's glass. 

Hex couldn't help but smirk; she got under his skin. But, she didn't forget about Hangman, how he completely flew away and left his wingman alone. Leaving Rooster with his loss, Hex increased her altitude again and searched for the remaining aviator. 

"Rooster, do you have a sighting of Hex?" Hangman asked through the com but was met with silence instead. "Rooster?" He called again while Hex successfully slipped underneath his plane as she did with Rooster. 

"He's dead, Hangman." Hex said, switching her plane right side up. Hangman didn't even have a clue she was so close to him. Hex mocked him. The plan was going smoothly, and Hangman didn't suspect a thing. 

Hex spun around his plane twice the same way she did with Rooster. Hangman pulled the brakes as she aligned her plane to his nose before she dipped underneath him swiftly and settled behind him. The dial tone from the lock blared like crazy through Hangman's plane and the radio back at the base while he was in a complete daze about what had happened. He didn't even have a moment to react to her maneuvers. "By the way, I don’t drink cheap beer, Hangman."

After landing back at base, everyone else was already changing from their gear into their casual clothing to head out for the afternoon. Some were tired, but others were ready to head out to the bar after a long day. Especially Hex, she was craving those beers Hangman owed her. 

Surrounding the pool table at The Hard Deck, Hangman handed Hex a second beer while the group chatted about Hex's trick during the exercise. "So that's why they call you Hex," Coyote announced before taking a sip of his beer.

"It's like getting them under a spell, bewitched," Hex added, taking a sip from her beer, which tasted like a sweet victory. Sadie looked around the bar searching for Rooster and spotted him on the porch that led to the beach behind the bar. "I'll be right back." 

Phoenix and Coyote watched her walk outside where Rooster was moping around the patio outside. "Was it just me that sensed tension between those two earlier?" Coyote speculated, looking at Phoenix. 

"I sensed it, but I didn't want to say anything," Phoenix confirmed his suspicions as they watched Rooster and Hex’s interaction from inside the bar.

"Hey, are you okay?" Hex asked, her palms gripping the neck of the beer bottle. 

Rooster gulped down his beer and didn't turn around to look at her. "I'm fine," Rooster stated dryly towards her. 

"Why are you mad?" Sadie probed, stepping in front of him to catch his eyes. His tall figure shadowed her, hiding from the curious eyes of her new pilot friends in the bar. His eyes were blank, lost and he didn’t dare to look at her. He kept his eyes glued to the waves behind her. "Rooster, please." 

"I don't like you, and I don't want to get to know you. Can you get that through your brain?" Rooster snapped, slamming his beer bottle to the wooden table at his right. "You are a dangerous pilot! Eventually, you'll get someone killed with your stupid tricks."

"What is wrong with you?" Hex raised her voice, pushing her index finger to his hard chest. "I came out here because I truly wanted to be friends, especially if we're going to be here for the next nine weeks in training," Hex added, pushing him again. "You can mope around and play the victim or grow a pair of balls and act like a decent person because newsflash, buddy, you're going to see and hear about me for the rest of your life,"

Rooster was stunned as he watched her walk back inside the bar. “He’s such an ass.” Sadie cursed, taking a sip from her beer as the group of pilots stared at her confused. 

“I can handle nine weeks”, he tried to convince himself. Rooster hoped he didn't have to see her again. She acted so much like Maverick; she needed to be reckless and always have the last word, like him. 

For the following weeks, Hex avoided Rooster around the base and at the bar. She didn't even look at him, but he looked at her the whole time. Her presence pissed him off. He worked hard to get where he was, even when Maverick backtracked his career for about four years by pulling his papers. And she, the one who had everything handed to her, also had to have TOPGUN. 

Needless to say, the following weeks were going to be long for the whole team. 

There wasn't a doubt that Sadie would end up being top of her graduating class at TOPGUN with her astounding skills. She wanted her father and Maverick to be proud of her, but without them, she wouldn't have found her true calling. Also, she wanted to see Hangman's face when they announced her name instead of his. 

Unfortunately, Maverick was still deployed and couldn't make it to her grad ceremony, but he managed to deliver some flowers back to her parent's house. But deep down, she knew it wasn't the best for Maverick to be present, especially with Rooster graduating third in his class. Or would have it been better? 

[beewolfwrites]

An Iron Box - A Mind Bewitched

Thank you all for being so patient! I’m still not 100% but by next week things should be back to normal :) 

The AO3 link is here. 

I hope you enjoy! 

Edit: Sorry guys, I realised too late that Tumblr got rid of all my italics and formatting. I’ve fixed it now. 

__________________________________________________

I had never been particularly concerned with my appearance. However, even I was glad to change out of my singed swimwear. Those awful shorts hadn’t been my first choice, although it was a shame about my hoodie. I had grown quite attached to it. 

Now cleaner, and dressed in actual clothes like a sane human being, I was reclining on the couch in our “living room” while Kuina and (name) made a cacophony of noise in the tiny staff kitchen. What had started as a decision to make dinner together now resulted in an orchestra of pots and pans, miscellaneous clatters and the clack of cutlery on the tile floor. 

I busied myself with the tiny map of the subway station. This scrap of paper would lead me to the answers I craved, but which station would be best to enter through? If the small hole in the paper marked out a den, then it had to be somewhere hidden along the tracks instead of at a station entrance where players could easily discover it. 

But which station?

My thoughts were interrupted by a particularly loud clatter. The door opened and (name) appeared, carrying two steaming bowls with spoons inside. (Name) handed me one of the bowls, which contained a hearty-looking vegetable stew, and sat on the other end of the couch whilst Kuina plopped down in an armchair, a third bowl in her lap. Kuina immediately spooned some of the stew into her mouth, only to spit it back into the bowl. 

‘Argh!’ She fanned her tongue with her hand. ‘It’s so hot!’ 

‘I would never have guessed by the steam,’ I said, setting down my spoon to let the stew cool for a while. 

Kuina prodded the chewed mush in her bowl, and I was mildly perturbed by the fact that she still planned on eating it. Ever the dramatic, she felt around her mouth with a finger. ‘I think I’ve scalded my gums.’ 

‘What a surprise.’ 

Her eyes narrowed and she placed her bowl on a side table. ‘What’s got your boxers in a twist? You’re even more sarcastic than usual.’ 

The comment was so stupid, it didn’t even deserve a response. Finally lifting a spoonful of stew to my lips, I blew on it before eating. And within one bite, I knew that Kuina couldn’t possibly have cooked this. I had tasted her experiments before, and it was a mistake I had no intention of ever repeating. 

‘It’s good,’ I said to (name). 

She smiled quietly, cradling her warm bowl close to her body. ‘It’s nothing much. Just something I threw together.’ 

We ate quietly, leaving the cutlery on the coffee table to be cleaned up later. However, as the sun set and the sky darkened, it became a little too quiet. Something had changed. The city beyond the window was swept in shadows with no sign of life. And no games. 

‘What d’you think will happen when our visas run out?’ Kuina asked, staring out at the empty apartment blocks and offices. 

‘It probably has something to do with the Ten of Hearts,’ (name) replied. ‘Maybe there’s no need for games anymore, since we’ve got all the numbered cards.’ 

The change was definitely due to the Ten of Hearts, which only confirmed at least part of Hatter’s original theory. Even if the cards didn’t send one person home - which I knew already - perhaps collecting them had been a trial. The deck lay heavy in my pocket, carrying so much weight for just a simple pack of cards. Whoever was running these games had been working quietly behind the scenes so far. Now, what would they do?

What are they thinking?

The night stretched on, and although I was occupied with studying my paper map to work out the best route to take, I began to notice Kuina’s futile attempts at hiding her yawns behind her hand. (Name) was curled up on the other end of the couch, her eyes closed in restfulness. Between them, it was Kuina who gave into exhaustion first and headed off to bed. With a not-so-subtle wink, she disappeared upstairs. 

And naturally, in Kuina’s absence, (name) slid along the couch until she was pressed into my side, her face angled over my shoulder to see the map in my hand. Heat radiated from her body, her arm and thigh brushing against mine. She was far too close for comfort, but surprisingly, I didn’t hate it. 

She leaned in closer, if such a thing was possible. ‘Isn’t that…’ 

‘Ah.’ She remembered well. ‘I took it from the tagger’s pocket.’ 

‘What is it?’ 

‘Well, I have an idea.’ 

Sluggish, she leaned her head against my shoulder, and I couldn’t help but tense under the unfamiliar weight. The sweet scent of her hair overwhelmed my senses. She smelled like flowers and fresh air. 

‘Aren’t you going to tell me?’ She murmured, yawning into her palm.  

‘And if I don’t want to?’ 

It’s more fun if you work it out. 

She snuggled into my cardigan, perhaps enjoying the softness. ‘Then I’ll just stay here and annoy you until your visa runs out.’ 

I could think of worse ways to die. However, her words had reminded me. 

Our visas. 

Once again, I looked out of the window. Midnight had passed several minutes ago, yet nothing had changed. There were no games, and no lasers. ‘I have a feeling that won’t happen anytime soon.’ I felt (name) twitch by my side, perhaps unsettled by this new change. However, if we were to find out what it meant, we needed to find the dealer’s den. ‘I believe it’s a map.’ 

‘And that hole in the paper,’ she replied. ‘Do you think that’s where the others are? The dealers, I mean.’ 

My shoulder was beginning to ache, and I shifted a little to the side to ease the pressure. If I asked her to move, she would probably misconstrue it in some way or another, and I would have Kuina nagging at me tomorrow. However, the pressure lifted itself away as (name) sat upright. She leaned closer to the map, analysing the entangled scribbles, then uttered two words.

‘The subway…’

Clever girl. 

I couldn’t help but smile. ‘I went to the nearest subway station this morning to check it against the real map. It’s a loose fit, but it works.’ 

She looked at the map with intrigue. ‘Maybe if we find the place, we’ll get some answers.’ 

‘Probably. But I’m curious to see if anything changes within the next few days.’ 

She yawned into her hand again. ‘Do you think we’ll hear something soon?’ 

Even if we did, you’d sleep through it at this rate. 

With her half-lidded eyes and dusty pink cheeks, she was at risk of falling asleep right here on top of me. ‘I believe we will,’ I told her. ‘But right now, I think you should go to sleep.’ 

She didn’t protest when I detangled myself from her hold. Or at least, she didn’t have the energy to. And personally, I didn’t have the energy to protest about her crawling straight into my bed instead of her own. I kept plenty of distance between us, in case she become too excited and start crossing all kinds of boundaries. However, I had to admit, I found peace in watching the stresses and lines of her face relax as she sank deeper into sleep. She often slept flat on her back, head lolling to the side and hair splayed out over the pillow. Then - and only then - would I allow my hand to touch the glossy ends of her locks. The colour and texture was unlike anything I had experienced here in Japan. Perhaps that was the only reason I was drawn to it. 

Yet as I ran my fingers through the soft silk, I realised there was something comforting about it. About her presence. It soothed that hollow ache deep inside. 

_________________________________________________

Minami-Aoyama station. 

It had taken a little while to work out the subway station that would direct us to the mysterious hole in the map. However, this was it. The three of us were standing at the top of the staircase leading down into the platform, Kuina and (name) peering into the darkness with uncertainty. 

When I looked into those black depths, I felt a rush. A thrill. A new piece of the puzzle was finally within my reach. Hands in my pockets, I fingered the deck of cards. 

Almost... 

‘Are you sure this is it?’ 

Kuina had asked the same question three times now, and I was beginning to wonder if she had short-circuited. (Name) looked at the route map printed over the station entrance. 

‘Positive,’ she said. 

Kuina pursed her lips. Then folding her arms, she began to descend the staircase. I felt around in my pocket for a small torch, which I had found in a toolbox in a storage cupboard. Flicking on the beam, I followed after Kuina, whilst (name) began to trail behind me. Checking the paper map against the direction of each rail-line, I directed them towards the correct platform. 

‘This way.’ 

It was a steep drop onto the train tracks, however in the thick darkness that engulfed the tunnel, the torch became our only guiding light. I shone the beam on the tracks, the three of us trudging through the gravel in pensive silence, wary of stumbling upon something we shouldn’t — a trap, perhaps. Some form of deterrent to kill or keep players from discovering this hideout. We walked on, and I occasionally lifted the beam, shining it on the tunnel walls. 

It should be around here somewhere. 

And there it was. By chance, the edge of the beam caught the metal of a door. The door was cracked open, and there was a panel with a keypad on the wall beside it. Presumably, the dealers had needed to enter a passcode to enter, which would explain the lack of traps. But if that was the case… 

Why is the door open?

I stopped. Directly behind me, (Name) skidded on the gravel, her hand fisting the back of my cardigan to keep from running straight into me. I raised the beam, revealing the door in full. 

‘That must be it.’ Kuina's whisper echoed through the tunnel. 

I didn’t hesitate, approaching the door and walking straight through into what appeared to be a dark, concrete walkway. The air was cold, and there was a mustiness that cloyed at my throat and lungs with every intake of breath. Hearing scuffles and curses from back in the tunnel, I paused, shining my torch at the doorway. Kuina and (Name) emerged, flustered and rubbing at their elbows. If they found it this difficult to walk through a door, it was truly a wonder that they had survived so many Spades games. 

Kuina caught my eye, glaring daggers at me. ‘Hey! Don’t do that again! You’re the only one with a light here.’ 

‘Walk faster then,’ I said as they caught up. I smiled as (name) muttered a string of profanities under her breath, some too explicit to translate for Kuina. 

However, my smile disappeared as I turned the beam down the walkway. Something glistened in the blackness. The other two froze, having also noticed it. I followed the walkway, keeping my eye on this mysterious glimmer, a reflection of sorts, growing larger and larger, increasing in number as we approached what appeared to be a large structure. 

Well, this is more interesting than I had thought.

The structure consisted of endless television screens, running right up to the ceiling in rows and columns, curving around one another to create several large watch-rooms. Wires and cables hung across the ceiling like vines. Small concrete tunnels ran between each watch-room joined them together in a network. 

We walked closer, entering one of the tunnels that led into a central watch-room. I could feel (name) hovering by my side, her breath ragged with anxiety. It was silly. She had nothing to fear whatsoever. Because inside, the watch-room was set up like an office, filled with desks, chairs, papers strewn here and there, used mugs, snacks, pinboards of post-its, and more notably, bodies. 

There were bodies everywhere. 

They were hunched over desks, sprawled across the floor, limp in chairs. But there was something rather curious about these bodies. A pattern, so to speak. Their heads bore the same singed holes running from head to chin, their eyes bloodshot. Every single person in the room had been struck by a laser. 

So this is the game we’re playing, hm?

(Name) squatted down, her hand hovering over the body of a man in a suit. ‘What… is this?’ 

This is the game-master’s handiwork. 

She inspected the charred hole in the man’s crown. ‘They’re not the ones in charge of the game.’ 

My eyes caught sight of something rather familiar tucked underneath a pen pot. A scrap of paper. Pulling it out, I read through the notes. It was filled with roman numerals, all written in different colours of pen, some ticked off. A visa tally. 

I passed it to (name). ‘Evidently not.’ 

She scanned the paper, her eyes widening as she realised exactly what she was looking at. Her expression was one of disgust, and she tossed it back on the desk. 

‘So, these guys were the dealers.’ Kuina held up a piece of paper for us to see. It was covered in numbers and scribbles. I picked out some rather interesting looking nicknames - “girl in blue hoodie”, “fat dude”, “baldy” - along with some items like shampoo, chicken wings, and cookies. Items that held value in a world without currency. In other words… ‘They were betting on us,’ Kuina said. 

Well, at least they knew how to have fun.

Personally, the thought didn’t bother me. In a place like this, it was only natural for people to try and make the best of a bad situation. Coping mechanisms were strangely fascinating. However, (name’s) coping mechanisms were clearly failing her. She was shaking lightly, and her eyes roved over the pieces of paper dotted around the room with a disturbed horror as she came the the very same conclusion I had. That their visas were tied to the number of deaths in each game. Even by surviving alone, we had potentially caused a person’s death. I stepped out from behind her, tracing my fingertip against the goosebumps on the back of her arm. 

‘Momoka’s friend,’ she said, ‘she died right after she told everyone she was a dealer. And the taggers died because we won. I have a feeling their visas depended on whether or not we cleared each game… or maybe how many people didn’t make it.’ 

‘It doesn’t explain why they’re all dead now.’ 

She winced slightly, casting her eyes over the bodies around us. ‘Actually, I have a bad feeling about that too.’ 

Before she could speak further, something echoed from back at the walkway entrance. 

Footsteps. 

Without thinking, my thumb slid over the switch of the torch, plunging us into darkness once more. I grabbed (name) by the wrist and pulled her into the small tunnel at the back of the watch-room. Kuina skidded inside, hiding in the shadows behind us. 

I kept my eyes trained on the original tunnel we had entered through, listening carefully to the clap of footsteps as two torch beams swung in different directions. This was more than one person. But who? Somewhere in the darkness just outside the watch-room, a voice echoed. 

‘Where is this place?’ 

‘Who knows?’ 

Oh? I’m impressed. 

Two figures emerged through the entrance, two faces I didn’t expect in a place like this. That was my mistake. I should have realised sooner. In spite of his clueless appearance, Arisu did have a knack for solving puzzles. Arisu and Usagi hesitantly looked over the room, taking in the televisions, the bodies, the laser wounds. Arisu looked better, less bruised, and no longer dribbling blood and spreading sentimentality like a saint. Beside me, (name) sighed in relief. I brushed past her and stepped into the watch-room once more. 

‘You actually found this place. As expected from someone I have high hopes for.’ 

Kuina walked around the room before leaning against one of the walls. ‘We meet again,’ she said with a nod. 

Instead of addressing me or Kuina, the two peered over my shoulder, frowning in confusion. I glanced behind me where (name), awkward as ever, was grimacing with a little wave of her fingers. Idiot. She was probably still embarrassed by the whole stealing-the-cards ordeal. 

What’s done is done.  

‘You guys,’ Usagi whispered warily. Clearly she didn’t share the same sentiment. 

Pulling the deck of cards from my pocket, I attempted to diffuse the tension. ‘Thanks to you guys, I have all the playing cards with me.’ I smiled as politely as I could. ‘Thank you.’ 

Usagi blinked in disbelief. Meanwhile, Arisu actually had his priorities straight. ‘How did you discover this place?’ He asked. 

I took the scrap of paper from my pocket and held it open. ‘It took me some time to realise this is actually a map. The route map of the subway.’ Sliding it back into my pocket, I strolled around the desks. ‘As for what happens when we collect the cards… I thought I would know the answer if I came here.’ I caught (name’s) eye across the room. ‘But there’s something else we discovered instead.’ 

Arisu seemed to be entranced by the number of bodies around us. ‘They’re not the gamemasters.’ 

(Name) stepped over an arm as she crossed the room. ‘Because we collected the cards, they were all killed.’ I could see her struggling to form the right grammar. I had almost forgotten how patchwork her Japanese was. ‘There must be someone above them,’ she added in English, looking pointedly at me for help.

Unamused, I translated on her behalf, and Usagi frowned deeply. ‘But who?’ 

I shrugged. There were a number of possibilities. ‘Who knows? They might be aliens.’ From the corner of my eye, I saw Arisu’s skeptical face. I turned to him, perfectly serious. ‘Or even God.’ 

Suddenly, a screen blinked. 

The watch-room lit up as every screen in the room flickered to life, glaring a bright white. (Name) flocked to my side. Music - trumpets - echoed from an unknown source, and in the centre of the room, the televisions displayed the four card suits along with the words “Special Urgent Broadcast”. 

And who exactly is broadcasting this, I wonder. 

‘Congratulations to all players!’

My curiosity was quelled instantly. Emerging through the speakers, that tinny yet familiar voice answered almost every question I had. I was pleasantly surprised. 

I have to say, you had me fooled…

Stretched across the televisions before us, Mira’s enthusiastic features came into view one by one, blurring then focusing to reveal her dark attire, her long hair, and a curious glint in her beady eyes. So she was the spy at the Beach. The one who switched off the generators, who organised the Witch Hunt, who had been keeping an eye on our “utopia” from the inside all along. 

But that also meant…

The Eight of Diamonds - Open Market. Back then, the game had taken me off-guard. The decision to place me in the jewellery store, and the answer to the final question. Had Mira been watching the two of all along? 

‘How interesting,’ I mused. What exactly would she get out of toying with us? 

Cold fingers brushed my wrist as (name) slipped her hand into my pocket. I was acutely aware of Arisu and Usagi’s presence, but since they were more concerned with the disjointed image of Mira before us, I allowed her this. I laced my fingers around hers, brushing my thumb against the smoothness of her skin. 

Mira was quivering with excitement. ‘With the exception of the face cards,’ she said, ‘you’ve cleared the numbered games and emerged as victors. It’s a sweet victory, gained by sacrificing so many lives.’ She stood up, as if locked in a trance. ‘I wonder, how many of your comrades have died. Try remembering those who were shot dead with guns.’ 

One of the screens changed, playing game footage of a group standing around. They were gripping guns close to their chests as they inspected a pile of bodies on the floor, nudging them with their feet. 

‘And that girl you burned alive,’ Mira added. Another television screen showed a large billowing flame, which upon closer inspection, was actually a girl waving her arms wildly as her body drowned in embers. 

Perhaps they didn’t have footage of Niragi.

‘Those struck by lasers, and those that drowned.’ 

(Name’s) hand tightened around mine. I followed her glassy stare to a television screen directly across from us, where I instantly recognised the furniture store. But this time, it was different. A table and chairs were fixed in the centre of the room, where two men leapt from their seats. At that same moment, lasers pierced them where they stood, and their bodies tumbled to the ground. And there she was, doe eyed and trembling.  

Your first game…

It was a game of “Rummy”, if I remembered correctly. I squeezed her hand in return, and she eased the pressure a little. 

Oblivious, Mira continued in her wistful dream. ‘Those whose heads were blown off,’ she mused. ‘Those comrades of yours, the despair you’ve felt so far, and those dying moment you’ll never forget.’ 

A number of screens changed at once, each displaying various game footage. In one, I noticed Arisu’s former friend. His partner with the Hawaiian shirt and blond hair who had joined him in the Tag game. In this, he was surrounded by botanical plants, his head lolling as his collar exploded in a spray of blood. 

The screens changed one by one, alternating between various games, various deaths. Meanwhile, Mira’s face cracked into a delighted grin. ‘Everyone,’ she breathed, clutching her heart. ‘I’m so touched!’ She hesitated, smirking with mischief. ‘All of you players, we’d like to give you a present.’ 

Hm? There must be more of you. 

But just how many more? Were there other spies in the Beach? It was a small slip, but it raised another bout of questions. And as (name) had stiffened slightly, I knew that she had caught it too. 

‘Are you returning us to the real world? Kuina asked, hopefully. 

Mira clapped her hands together, shaking with barely restrained mania. ‘There will be new games! Let’s play more games together and fight for the face cards this time!’ 

The face cards. It was a little too predictable, even for my tastes. And naturally, these new games would be even more challenging. But there was a matter of numbers. Since there were twelve face cards in total, did that mean we would enter regular games without knowing the rules, suit, or difficulty, and have to collect cards in the usual way? Or were there only twelve games to complete? 

‘New games?’ Kuina scoffed. ‘You’re kidding.’ 

New games… new challenges… twelve new puzzles to solve. 

‘I don’t dislike the idea,’ I muttered. 

Immediately, (name) drew back a little. ‘What do you mean?’ 

Someone like you wouldn’t understand. 

I met her eye, holding back the very comment that had run through my mind. It would only end with yet another argument. 

Mira continued, cordial and vibrant. ‘The next stage will commence tomorrow at noon. Everyone, let’s have fun together!’ 

And as if someone had pulled a plug, the televisions shut down in unison, the watch-room slipping into blackness once more. Nobody spoke for a long moment, even to address what we had just witnessed, and it was Arisu who eventually decided that it would be best to leave. Kuina followed him, along with Usagi, leaving (name) and I in the empty watch-room. 

She was still gripping my hand in the warmth of my pocket. I didn’t pull mine away, nor did I try to explain what I had said earlier. Finally, after a moment of tense silence, she spoke. 

‘These games, they’re going to be harder than the others.’ 

There was no point in denying it. After a silence, I replied with, ‘Probably.’ 

‘About what you said before,’ she whispered. ‘Do you remember that time on the rooftop of the Beach, when I asked you if you were okay, and you told me it shouldn’t matter to me?’ 

Back then… 

It was right after the Hunting Season game, the measly Two of Spades that had left me with a gash in my side. All that time ago, and yet she still hadn’t learned her lesson. She should have been more concerned with her own safety. But it wasn’t worth the lecture now. 

‘I remember.’ 

‘What I said then still stands. You might not care about your own life, and I can’t stop you from taking part in these new games.’ She chewed on her lip, her eyes welling up. ‘Perhaps this is selfish of me, but you need to survive. And if you can’t do it for yourself, then…’ she trailed off. 

I had heard enough. ‘You cry too much,’ I said. Her affection was better spent on Kuina, or even Arisu and Usagi. It was wasted on this empty shell of a human being. But that was a conversation for another day. ‘We should find the others.’ 

She wiped her eyes on her sleeve and released my hand at last. We walked back through the tunnels, emerging from the station steps into the bright sunshine of Tokyo where the others were standing out in the open, squinting up at the sky. A series of bangs crackled through the air, as fireworks exploded into red, purple and green flowers that sizzled against the skyline. 

Fireworks.

Where had I last seen fireworks? I pushed away the thought, watching the display with no particular interest. Things like fireworks had never excited me. Nothing much did. And yet, here I was, craving the lost warmth of her fingers once more. How was it that someone so hopelessly naive could bewitch my mind in its entirety? Dredging this box from the seabed with her presence alone — a train whistle with the power to break through iron.

‘Let’s make a new deal,’ I said. ‘I’ll survive, if you return the favour.’ 

I could feel her eyes on me, and I knew that she was smiling, just like she always did when she was truly at peace. 

‘It’s a deal.’

[anawrites3]

"Honestly, Bruce, what were you thinking?"

Clark sighed exasperatedly as he dodged a porcelain vase flying his way - a third of which shattered pieces were already adorning the wooden floor of King's study chamber - trying to bring himself to be just a little bit more empathetic towards his fellow monarch. He couldn't even recall now how many times has he heard the words "outrageous" and "shameless" this night. If he had to be completely frank with himself although, it was hard. It's not like he didn't feel bad for Bruce when his dear friend found himself in a situation like this, with a choice that was leaving him with no good options. It was only normal that he also felt mad at him since it put his dear nephew in an even worse position.

As a bargaining chip.

"You could've accepted any courtship from so many young and virtuous men!" And Clark remembered many of them and their families taking interest in the young prince as soon as his 16th birthday came; sir Wallace with the brightest smile he's ever seen, lord Queen's charge, prince Roy, even foreign knights like mysterious sir Lucas or sir Raptor seemed bewitched by young prince's charm. Clark found Bruce's overprotectiveness amusing back then, now though..."You should've let them try at least when they asked for Richard's hand, then he wouldn't--"

"I thought" Bruce growled through gritted "I'm giving him a chance. To fall in love, to choose by himself. I thought I'm giving a chance to my son, not to some..." Bruce waved his hand in the direction of his desk where the offending letter lay. "Some old, deprived bastard to ask for him like a war trophy!"

Clark didn't have to look at the letter again, he remembered perfectly the words that horrified him more than his friend's grieving face. Lord Wilson - The Terminator as they called him - whose own kingdom was in a state of war with Gotham for years now, years that took thousands of lives, proposed conflict resolution, a pact that would unite the kingdoms in peace against stronger opponents like Nanda Parbat.

Slade Wison wanted young prince Richard as his spouse - such a small price, a bastard son for peace. A beloved child for the misery of father.

Anon, I love you so much!!! It’s so good ahhh I love royalty aus! I already said it earlier but I’ll say it again - I’m having love/hate relationship with you rn because ITS SO FREAKING GOOD but because of it I almost wrote a whole fic in this reply! I hope you don’t mind me adding to your idea, I really couldn’t stop myself! You guys seriously need to tell me if you’re okay with me writing about your ideas when you send me asks haha

Slade is a sly fucker for using a war like this, damn. And I love how Dick is a bastard son. Or maybeee people just think about him as a bastard son because Bruce took him in and he’s not a royalty by blood. UGH I LOVE IT!! Oh and I really like that Clark is here as well!

Thank you so much for sharing with me! I had to write something for you and I tried to keep it short but... well, see for yourself I guess

/ / / / / / /

"You should have let those men interested in Richard get closer to him." Clark spat out. He knew that there was nothing they could do about it now, knew that Bruce hated the situation even more than he did but he needed to let those words out. "You should have let them at least get to know each other so then Dick would be able to decide for himself. But no, you were just scaring them away instead and now-"

Another vase crashed against the wall where Clark was standing just a moment ago. Bruce grabbed another thing close to him - a potted plant, as there were no more vases left - but before he could throw it at Clark as well, another voice spoke up.

"You're making a mess." Dick said quietly from the doorstep. He had his arms wrapped around himself and looked smaller than a prince ever should. "Other people will have to clean it up for you."

"Dick..."

"I've thought this through." Dick began in a mostly steady voice, not looking at any of them. He wet his lips nervously. "Well, there wasn't really much thinking to do but still... I'm- I'm going to accept Lord Wilson's offer."

The pot slipped out of Bruce's hand and hit the floor loudly, spilling the dirt all around the king's feet.

"No." he said firmly, when he finally found his voice back.

"Bruce-" Clark tried gently but the man ignored him.

"No, Dick. I'm not letting you-"

"Then what do you want to do?" Dick demanded. He looked up at his father at last, his eyes red and rimmed, expression taut as if he was in pain. "What else can you do? Do nothing and just let even more people die in this damn war? Wait a few more years so Wilson'll ask for Jason instead when he gets old enough?"

Bruce stumbled as if he was punched. Clark didn't blame him, feeling himself like he was about to collapse.

"Dick-"

"We don't have a choice, Bruce. And I know you know it." Dick straightened with a shaky breath. "As a crown prince, it's my responsibility to take care of my people. I'm not letting them die for a war that has no purpose. If it takes just one to save hundreds- thousands... then I'm ready to do it."

- - - - -

Dick looked out of the carriage's window, trying to get his hands to stop shaking.

Bruce demanded a meeting before giving Wilson their answer and the king of a neighboring country agreed without any further demands. All warfare was suspended now that the peace treaty was being arranged but their warriors still waited with a held breath - none of them could know whether an agreement would be reached.

Dick knew. There was no way he would ever allow more people to die for nothing, not if he had a way to stop the war. Agreeing to Slade's terms was his decision, it was for the better of both countries. Still, thinking about it like that didn't help with stopping the trembling of his hands.

He met Slade Wilson only a few times in his life but he knew how powerful that man was. There was something about him, something that screamed danger. He had this aura around him that made others fear him, made them want to run away even with being aware that turning your back to him might be fatal. But with that fear came respect. Wilson was a good king, people were saying, he was rigorous but fair.

Maybe he would be a good husband as well.

"We're almost here." Clark announced softly and Dick lifted his head to stare at the castle looming in the distance.

"Oh." he breathed out quietly. He sent his uncle a small smile. "Thank you."

"Of course." Clark replied with a smile of his own, though a bit more forced. He wasn't happy about the deal either. No one was. Even Jason grabbed at his sleeve this morning and tried to stop him from leaving.

Bruce didn't look up. He was staring at his knees with a frown since the moment their journey started and it was clear he was thinking about something hard. Dick placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed.

"It's the best solution." he said when he met his father's eyes.

Bruce placed his hand on top of his and closed his eyes with a tired sigh. He looked so old, so fragile. Not like the proud king he should be.

"Maybe..." Bruce began slowly in a raspy voice. "Maybe if we offered him something else. We still can-"

"He won't agree. You know he won't."

"Maybe it won't be that bad..." Clark offered weakly but Bruce just glared at him.

"I'll be alright." Dick assured them.

He really tried to believe those words himself as the carriage stopped in front of the castle’s entrance.

- - - - -

Slade was already waiting for them in the throne hall when they arrived. He was talking with one of his generals but quickly turned their way when they stepped inside the room. His single eye immediately found Dick and the young prince hid his trembling hands behind his back.

He felt as if his heart was beating loud enough for Slade to hear it even across the giant hall.

"King Wayne. Lord Kent." Slade greeted them with a nod, standing up from his throne. The smile on his lips was a little bit too predatory for Dick's liking. "Prince Richard. Welcome. I’m honored to host you in my country.”

Dick bowed his head. "Your Majesty."

"We appreciate your hospitality, Your Majesty." Clark said, ever the diplomat. “We are aware it was all pretty sudden.”

Not even a week passed since they received Slade’s letter. No one could blame Dick for wanting to stop the war as fast as possible - there was no point in delaying what they all knew would happen anyway.

"Not at all." Slade replied easily, his eye never leaving Dick. No one said a word about the grim expression on Bruce's face. "It's recommended for me and Prince Richard to get to know each other better after all."

"Don't get ahead of yourself. You still didn't get your answer." Bruce hissed through his teeth.

That at least made Slade look away. Dick could breathe a little bit easier without that heavy pressure on him.

"Of course not." Slade hummed. He glanced at Dick again. "You're free to stay here as long as you want before answering to my offer. We all know that reaching an agreement, especially in war times, takes a lot of time and thought."

Bruce pursed his lips into a thin line but before he could answer, Clark placed heavy hand on his shoulder and spoke for him,

"We're grateful for your generosity, Your Majesty, but I’m afraid we won't be able to stay for long."

"I wasn't talking to you. My offer concerns Prince Richard, does it not?" Slade's fingers wrapped gently around Dick's hand and guided it to the king's lips to place a kiss there. "By all means, my prince, make yourself at home."

Part 2 Part 3

[icejello]

Anyways this is a kinda ling rant but i was plagued with ideas of hualian ice skater/yuri on ice! AU. Just thinking of Xie Lian being this infamous ice skater that everyone knows, he's a prodigy, he's beautiful, he's talented, he's amazing, he's a star, he is everything. His parents are retired well known ice skaters. People were awed by him, this young man who has been in ice skating for almost his whole life, who's been a star ever since he started learning how to ice skate. Thinking of how he started ice skating as a little boy and grew up with it and he loves it.

Thinking of little Hua Cheng who has a pretty hard life due to people always bullying him about his eyes maybe, he's seeking for comfort from anything he can fine and just so happens to end up seeing this beautiful boy performing ice skating on the tv. He's bewitched, he's amazed, he found comfort there for some reason. He watched and looked for all the videos there is about this beautiful boy named Xie Lian and somehow he's lucky because the next tour that xie lian would be on would be near where he lives. So he saves his money to buy the tickets and when the day came, he can't believe that the boy can somehow be even more beautiful in front of his eyes. He was mesmerized watching the show and finally when the show ended, he managed to push through the crowd and call out to Xie Lian. The older boy turns to look at him and smiled and gave him a little wave and said "you have pretty eyes". That smile stuck with him for all those years.

Fast forward years later, Xie Lian somehow disappears from the public eye. He suddenly stopped ice skating, he made no news about his sudden disappearance and the public can't find him anywhere. Rumors spread that he disappeared due to the grief of his parents dying. Hua Cheng is devastated. He's been trying to find the chance to look for Xie Lian again, he got into ice skating and has been trying to be able to join competitions just so he can meet that beautiful boy again but now that boy is gone and he has no way of looking for him. Years passed, Hua Cheng joined multiple competitions in hopes of somehow meeting Xie Lian but to no luck. People started talking about how he might be the new ice skating star but he doesn't want any of that, he just wants to find Xie Lian.

One day Hua Cheng just decides to go on a vacation maybe idk and went somewhere that he had heard has a nice frozen lake and a beautiful quiet scenery. What he didn't expect was to find that someone else was already skating there. He thought about leaving but somehow the other guy noticed him too. They talked and he says he would leave but the guy tells him to stay instead and he'll be the one to leave instead bcs he's done anyways. Hua Cheng thanked him and like was like getting ready to start skating before he caught a glimpse of the stranger's face as he was leaving and it's Xie Lian. It kinda stocked him too much that he didn't manage to call out to Xie Lian and Xie Lian just left.

Hua Cheng goes back and watched back all the past videos of Xie Lian and tried to copy his past routines that he has made. Somehow someone took a video of him doing it and posted it online. Cue to a few weeks later and someone suddenly approached him while was practicing and it's somehow Xie Lian and he's offering to train him for his next competition.

[sinkableruby]

hey talk about Monogatari ships

YAHOO <- said like mario

although i do want to say that i dont really do many ships either so my ideas may not be sparkling... nevertheless it is a fun ask and i want to do it

i will try to keep big spoilers out of it for once!

ill mostly leave aside canon i think

ships i like:

sodachi/tsubasa: this ones a shout out to you. but also. it is very good... i always think of that idea of them bonding over cooking. not only would they be good for each other with each able to provide the kind of support they'd both need, but i think they'd understand each other too. its good 😌

hitagi/ougi: i dont think i would like this one seriously but its just really funny to imagine. araragi crying in the background, ougi being so confused... its so fucking funny

hitagi/tsubasa: i know this one doesnt work bc like the whole point is that its unrequited and all... but i still think its cute. two best friends and they're gay for each other? that's wonderful. i love it.

koyomi/shinobu: weirdly i do like it. wouldnt say i necessarily like it more than the canon koyomi/hitagi but theres something i can appreciate about how theyre stuck immutably together, bonded forever... once koyomi gets older we dont know how his lifespans gonna work, so theres something there about being lonely and solitary in the world except for just one person who you'll always be with whether you like it or not. it's not exactly a sweet or romantic type thing but its more like a 'you're all i have' melancholy sort of thing.... and thats interesting to me

tsukihi/nadeko: the classic i love this one yeah. i dont even think it'd be a super healthy relationship given how tsukihi is.... tsukihi. but thinking about how nadeko has been pining over her for so long i think itd be interesting, especially considering tsukihi would definitely not be as infatuated with nadeko as nadeko would be with her. and nadeko would have to put up with so much for it... they'd probably break up like every other week because of tsukihi's fickleness, or like have whole periods where they dont talk and nadeko thinks theyve broken up or are fighting and tsukihis just being tsukihi. 'the things nadeko does for love' is basically how i think of it. maybe she'd be better off just moving on... poor nadeko. not very good luck when it comes to love...

suruga/higasa: ok i said i wouldnt talk about spoilers so i wont talk about this one much. but i think they'd be cute together. i like how higasa sees through suruga. i think itd be super cute if she was teasing her out of like a crush. they should kiss

also any like specialist/specialist stuff i'd probably like, just bc we get so little of those guys that its cool to play around with their dynamics. maybe like yozuru/tadatsuru for like a kinda rarepair rivalry dynamic... i could see them as a divorced couple maybe. but really just. any of them. hell maybe theyre even a polycule who knows.

and also rouka/suruga is good but i dont really have any thoughts on it per se, i just like it a lot. its complex... its bittersweet... ya feel

ships i dont like:

koyomi/tsubasa: yeah p much everyone's talked about why this would never work. i might almost like it for like, the angst it would bring but i think it doesnt quite reach there either so its just meh.

koyomi/ougi: m..m... dont like it.. dont like it. i think their relationship is so much more interesting the way it already is so i dont really feel the need to see them in a romantic one yk. i dont think it would be good for either of them either... they will just stagnate if they stick around each other. and also this is like maybe not so applicable bc anything is possible in the ship world but. these two just would never. they dont see each other like that yk. if im looking from an analysis lens here, the camera which is mostly under koyomi's perspective that licks and slobbers over all the girls never does that for ougi. despite him thinking shes like "bewitching" (appearance wise but also probably in the other sense too lol) or w/e. i could write more about this and the harm i think it would do but it'd get spoilery and become a dissertation so ill leave it at this. ummm... dont like it. :p

deishuu/hitagi: ok i see people talking about this one a lot so i just have to put my foot down.. i think its meh. i think its whatever. i think kaiki is not and was not interested in her, and just saw her as a brat who was infatuated with him. and while i do think its possible or maybe even probable that hitagi was infatuated with him while he was scamming her bc she saw him as a savior... i dont think the infatuation would have been that strong. maybe just a little crush, but nothing serious. i wouldnt go so far as to call it love yk, if those feelings were there... and on the idea of that 'if,' i also think its way more interesting if kaiki only THINKS hitagi was infatuated with him when really she never was because it shows the flaw in his perception. like thats the kinda perspective cool thing i like in the monogatari series... thats why i like how its so vague in canon too. the ambiguity makes this dynamic interesting imo

suruga/karen: kind of dont have strong feelings about this one but i cant really see it. i dont think they'd be the right dynamic for each other and it'd become awkward...

ok thats all i can think of for now thanks for sending the ask >:3