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lovelyyandereaddictionpoint · 1 year

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Male Alive with white rabbit reader?

Yandere Male Alice x White Rabbit Reader

You were the first to meet Alice. His guide back into the wonderful world of Wonderland. It kind of was your job to keep tabs on him; properly wiggling your ears and puffy tail in his sights as he followed you all throughout the kingdom. But once he routinely returned you found this position fruitless. No longer did you need to trick him to relearn the sights and know-how's of Wonderland. He knew them all. And any lack of knowledge or activity was easily filled by the Queen of Hearts or the dashing Mad Hatter or even the illustrious Cheshire cat. It hurt a little but you would be fine in no time, after all, time was constantly moving and you had no time to grieve for the growing distance of a childhood friend crush. It was time to move on.

“Special delivery, your highness!’

“(Y/n)!”

“Sorry, White.”

You lifted yourself from a bow as the White king tightly wrapped his arms around you. You let yourself hug back trying to be as wholesome as you could while pressing your face against his clothed muscles.

“I’m quite glad you and your sister are making amends! It really does wonders for her mood.”

You cheered snidely as you watched the king grimace at the opened chest. He closed the lid, gagging as he waved for another disgusted servant to come and carry it away.

“Didn’t you relay that actual hearts aren’t…good gifts to give?”

“You know the Queen of Hearts loves her labels! It’d be a crime not to give you one!”

“Right.”

You giggled as the White King shuddered again before guiding you to join him over a pot of tea. Seated across from one another you two fell into old patterns chatting away over nothings of all sorts. It wasn’t until he began to recount something Alice had done that he brought notice to the sour twitch of your nose.

“What was that?”

“What's what?”

“Your button nose is twitching again and not in the good way. What’s wrong?”

“But nothing’s wrong, it's just the way my nose is!”

“(Y/n),” he gave a stern look that had your ears drooping; you couldn’t help but sigh.

“I’d just rather not talk about him, that's all.”

A silence fell over you two and you avoided the gray gaze of the king as you took a long sip of your tea. You let yourself focus on the wild flavor, a far cry from the typical basic flavor White would have used. You let yourself sniff at the tea’s fumes, letting your nose flex as you process the smells.

Cinnamon. Tiger’s tears. A hare’s insanity.

“Mad Hatter’s tea? In the White Palace?”

“I had those two mix something up from the brew we had during Red’s tournament. How long has it been since you’ve seen them last?”

“Uh, it's been…a while.”

White gave a worried chuckle before giving a straight face.

“I’ve seen that look before. Nobody’s forgetting you, (Y/n). Everyone’s just excited he’s back…and I think everyone’s just enjoying his typical…outside perspective.”

“Yeah we love you for all your speedy paranoia!” Smiling wistfully beside the king was none other than–

“Cheshire?! Could you please stop doing that!”

“Sorry King Le Blanc! Just figured I’d invite Bunny since Hatter was feeling…experimental again.”

You deadpanned at the floating smile.

“You just want me to record how quickly someone is going to get injured or intoxicated.”

The smile giggled before twirling around to reveal the face that came with it. Cheshire's favorite part of Hatter’s experimental spells was the truly wonderlandian experience of utter chaos. Nonetheless you finished your tea quickly before leaving the white castle with White escorting you out.

“Until we meet again, (Y/n).”

“Farewell your highness.”

You quickly hopped down the steps of the White palace as you followed the constant vanishing body parts of Cheshire as you surged deeper into the forest. With no words shared between you continued on, enjoying the noiseness of the Wonderlandian wildlife.

“Hey, (Y/n)?”

“Yes?”

“A-are you mad at him?”

The serious tone from someone as playful as Cheshire had you turning to look concerned at the fully materialized cat who continued to stare pointedly back at you. They had stopped walking which made you slow down to turn back to him.

“Do you mean White? Or..Alice?”

You didn’t need to hear an answer, it was glaringly obvious.

“Are you mad at him?”

“I’m not mad…does everyone think I am?”

Your surprised response didn’t seem to bring him ease.

“...Then what do you feel about him?”

This line of questioning made your ears stand up and not in a good way. Your hairs stood up and your legs geared to run. Only affirming your worst fears Cheshire’s slitted eyes were dilated and his tail lashing around behind him.

You were being watched. No, hunted. And even as predator and prey species respectively you both were naturally on edge. You wanted to believe it was Wonderlandian wildlife but no creature other than the Queen of Heart’s jabberwocky could incite such an atmosphere.

“I’d…rather not say…not while we have a tea tasting to attend.”

You kept your hand steady as you pointed at your pocket watch, starting to walk in the direction of the tea party’s site. You kept your walk as casual as you could despite the tensing of your muscles. You beckoned Cheshire, subtly snapping him from his fearful stupor to join you in your attempt in normalcy. You accepted the quivering fingers that reached for your own, keeping him grounded as the feeling of a hunter’s gaze refused to let up.

It was a long walk. Finally coming to a close as you found the opening in the forest leading to the grounds of the tea party always hosted several meters from Hatter’s home and shop. The feeling of being stalked let up as you both followed the increasing noises of the parties attendendants. You wanted to hold out until you were surely in the clear but Cheshire had other plans. Feeling his swelling sense of relief you could only be pulled along as the cat vanished once more pulling you forward with his invisible grip on your hand.

“Sorry for our early arrival! This bunny has a habit of scampering away!”

“No worries, you're hardly tardy at all! Bun Bun we were just talking about how delicious this blend of fruits would be with a peacock plumed top hat!”

You sat beside Cheshire who still was holding your hand tight in his as you sat further away from the couple. You chuckled as your cousin erratically interjected with his own commentary.

“Nein! PLUCKED NOT PLUMED! A fedora is the better option!”

The couple went on and on easily forgetting that you and Cheshire were in attendance. The two of you giggled as you each poured one another a cup of tea as you watched their theatrics. The two were entertaining in and of themselves which made any event bearable…especially after what you two had experienced.

“So? What was that about?”

You whispered to the cat refusing to look away from the Hare and Hatter as their discussion escalated. The cat took a sip of his tea, holding the pot away as Hatter reached for something to throw.

“Can’t tell but its becoming more of an issue.”

Dodging a chair leg you hid your astonished expression behind your cup as you sipped at the interesting blend.

“A person? Able to do that? But why? We weren’t alone, not to mention we aren’t easy targets anyway. Our presence should have been enough to scare anything with pressure sensing off.”

Cheshire paused. As if debating on answering before sending a pained exhale into his cup.

“That is if that person could pressure sense at all…”

Cheshire looked at the look of horrified realization. Grimacing once more as he watched your lips form the question everyone’s been asking.

“You have to give him something. Confess to him or accept when he asks you.”

“....”

“You have to sate him. Date him. Please. He’s become ravenous.”

“But I didn’t even know he–”

“I know…I know…but he’s getting violent.”

“Violent?”

“Mock Turtle was the first. Then Dormouse. He’s frustrated. Stop him please.”

You wanted to press further. Question his shaking indigo irises and downturned lips. But before you could ask any further your ears perked up as Hatter called to the newest arrival.

“Alice! Pleased you could make it! Care for a plume of tea!”

“Why that would be lovely, Hatter.”

Alice smoothly inserted himself into the scene casually conversing with Hare who turned his throwing fits towards him. You turned to address the cat only to find he’d vanished. Feeling a squeeze at your grip and the trailing fingertips as he officially vacated the tea party. You wanted to question further only for the answer to plop beside you with a blinding smile.

“Hi there (Y/n)! It's been a while since we’ve seen each other.”

“Y-yeah it's been four weeks. Crazy, huh?”

You gulped the frog in your throat as you held up your pocket watch. Just as quickly, you pocketed it once more as Hatter called for both of your attentions. You tried to keep your eyes trained on Hatter’s elaborate display. Trying to ignore the hard staring that was being done by the owner of those baby blue eyes.

“--And this will be the final addition to our glorious concoction!”

“Mark it Bunny!”

You deadpanned as you obeyed your cousin pulling your pocket watch out and starting the timer. With the clock ticking Mad Hatter went off; pouring various tubes and objects into a boiling pot. You let yourself be entranced by the different colorful puffs of smoke that spilled from their cauldron. As the smoke persisted you felt a tightness in your throat, nose twitching in familiarity once again.

“The *cough* mandrake root?! Hatter you mad–”

Before you could yell anything more at Hatter the warm hands of Alice reeled your attention. Clutching at you shoulders he pulled you to his body; close enough to speak into your ear.

“Come on (Y/n). Lets get out of here before both of us pass out.”

Without waiting for a response he practically carried you with him ducking into the forest. Eventually running away from the overreaching cloud of smoke leaving you both to gain your bearings deep in the Wonderlandian thicket. Watching Alice heave with his hands on his knees, you were reminded of Cheshire’s plea. You hoped maybe now was a good time to address it.

“S-so Alice I heard you–whoa!”

He stood up eyes, practically glowing with an unsetting glaze as he stepped uncomfortably close to you. Now that you noticed a blush settled heavily on his face along with the recognizable hearts growing in his pupils.

“Oh no, an aphrodesia plant?! Alice are you okay?”

The blonde giggled playfully, “I’m just fine. In fact I have something real important to ask you~!”

“Uhm okay, go ahead.” You had a sneaking suspicion as to what this would be.

“Mmmh!” He moaned as he hugged himself, as he came even closer to you.

“Be mine. Be all mine (Y/n)!”

He grabbed at your red vest pulling you into him as he ran his hand in your hair and over your ears. Letting his eyes roll back as he inhaled your scent; sending a pleasurable shiver up his spine.

“L-like uhm dating?”

He giggled some more as he hugged you tighter rubbing his nose all over your hair and face. He shook his head as if you had said the funniest thing ever only moving you along with him as he began to sway.

“No~No~Be mine. All mine. Okay? You promise right? Otherwise I can’t help but demolish all those fools that keep you away from me!”

“O-okay!”

You hastily agreed lightly returning his hug as he registered your answer. Squealing he spun you around once more before lifting you into his arms as he strode deeper into the forest.

You didn’t know where he was going or what it even meant to be his, but you figured this was for the best. For once it served you right not to run.

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atlasofthestaars · 4 months

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[MK X READER] New Era - Chapter .015

first part | previous part | next part

NOTE:

Yet again we’re hoping for less than three weeks update time. We’ll see how it goes now haha ^^

edit: I lost track of time. I keep on forgetting when I last updated.

Rain got in as a love interest, which does alter the story a bit!

Reminder that I like to do canon divergence <3

Would you guys like a collection of headcanons I’ve done for requests on AO3?? I usually don’t post them there because they’re pretty short but I can put them all into one book that I’ll update.

Also happy 100k+ words! I'm. I'm not ready to figure out how many words this will all be by the end.

FROM THE EYES OF SOMEONE WHO ENJOYS A MOMENT OF PEACE

“Things are getting rough.”

You stood upon the roof of a building, staring down at the destruction of the city around you. Outworlders mobbed the streets, terrorizing the innocent Earthrealmers. To describe it as “rough” was an understatement. It’s been two long years ever since the first invasions on Earthrealm started. It’s been nearly a year since you’ve moved out to the city along with the others to fend off where it was the worst.

Most of Earthrealm’s forces were sent here, along with Raiden, to defend the city. But there were a few that were scattered around the world to help other regions. Fujin and your father, for example, stayed behind to help the monks defend the Wu Shi along with others of the White Lotus. You missed both of them dearly, only being able to communicate with them occasionally.

You haven’t been able to visit Kung Lao’s grave in over a year. You only hoped that he understood why.

“Are you planning on going out again?” Liu Kang’s voice spoke. His voice dripped with concern. You turned your gaze away from the apocalyptic sight to your dear friend. It was a much better view than the one below. His eyebrows furrowed as he stared at you. You sighed and nodded before turning your gaze down to the view below. As disturbing as it was, you felt guiltier turning a blind eye.

“I have to, I don’t think Raiden and Johnny Cage are enough to take down that extermination squad they’ve sent out.” You said, crossing your arms. A light breeze passed by, sending the smell of smoke your way. You grimaced at the acrid scent. No matter how long you’ve been here, you’re not sure if you’ll ever get used to it. Especially with how you’ve become so accustomed to the much cleaner air at the temple. “That, and Nightwolf said he would enjoy my help to help recruit the two Raiden has been getting information on.”

“New recruits?” Liu Kang inquired. You nodded gravely in response. A hint of distaste seemed to linger with his words along with some confusion. You didn’t blame him, ever since you’ve been out here, you’ve never really gone and sought out other help. Well, you’ve wanted to, but Raiden had been hesitant in dragging others into this whole affair.

As if they weren’t already. Still, you saw the logic within Raiden’s decision, even though it was flawed.

“Yes. Raiden says they have potential.” Out of the corner of your eye, you see your friend move. Was that a flinch? Or did he simply shift his weight? When you turned your gaze to check, you couldn’t tell. “I think it would be good to get more help. Our efforts are stretched out thin as it is.” You elaborate. Your hands go out to grasp at the concrete railing, gripping it tightly. You were certain by the time you let go of it, your hands would have the texture imprinted upon them.

“I still cannot believe that even after winning two tournaments and even I had nearly killed Shao Khan, it was not enough.” Liu Kang said, moving to stand closer to you. Bitterness coated his words. The distaste within his words felt strange, no matter how much more common it was becoming. You recalled back to the moment you had confronted him at Kung Lao’s grave. He was doing much better now, but you had felt like something had fundamentally changed within Liu Kang.

You could never truly pinpoint when that change happened. Was it when the invasions had started? Or maybe, was it when Kung Lao died? Part of you doubted it was either one of those, even if it sounded like it made sense. It was probably much earlier, maybe after Raiden had said Liu Kang was not the chosen one. Either way, he had changed. There was resentment that lingered in his soul, directed at Raiden. You could feel it with every interaction.

It worried you. Team morale was low enough as it were without the subtle drama between Liu Kang and Raiden. It was taxing enough to keep on a brave face in front of everyone, to pretend like everything would be alright. You didn’t know if you had enough spirit left in you to mend things together. With every day that you had to hide your dwindling confidence, you broke a little inside.

You should really talk to him, but you feared that it would lead to more issues. Maybe you were being irrational and over thinking things. You were all tired, maybe he was just irritated at how the world has essentially fallen apart.

Surely that must be it. Liu Kang was not one to dislike Raiden. If anything, he had been the one out of all three of you who had regarded him the highest. So it was illogical to think that he would suddenly dislike or even hate the god.

You were just being too worried. Maybe your logic has become weaker after pretending everything was alright for so long. That, and Liu Kang and Raiden were adults, or in Raiden’s case, more than an adult. They can figure out whatever dispute they had, if they even had one. They didn’t need you to coddle them. You had enough on your plate already, you could trust them.

Still, even with that conclusion, a pit of guilt formed in your stomach.

Warmth radiated from Liu Kang, a detail that you noted as you were drawn from your thoughts. It enveloped you in a sense of security. You closed your eyes, and for a moment you had nearly forgotten how terrible everything was. You felt safe. You only indulged yourself in the sensation for a moment before you opened your eyes and forced yourself to look at the destruction below. You didn’t deserve to feel safe and comforted in a world that needed your help.

“I can’t believe it either.” You replied after a long, long moment. You didn’t know what else to say, because what else could you say? It was unbelievable to you as much as it was to him how awful things were, even after all your efforts. It felt like a perpetual punishment for something you’ve never deserved. None of you deserved this, and yet you were all saddled with the heavy responsibility of it.

The two of you stood on the rooftop, looking out at the horrors of the world for a long while. It wasn’t as if you enjoyed seeing it. Not at all, but you couldn’t bear holding a smile for the others right now. Being alone with Liu Kang was better for your soul at the moment. None of you spoke, either not knowing how to or unwilling to break the fragile silence that settled over the two of you. It wasn’t until you realized how much time had passed that the silence had been broken.

“I need to get going now.” You informed Liu Kang. “Nightwolf will be waiting for me.” You turned away, moving to walk away from the man. Then, you felt him grasp your hand. His grip was firm, but not harsh. Just enough to keep you there, but you could still shake his grip off if you needed. But you didn’t. Your gaze trailed up from the grip to his arm then settled on his face. “Liu Kang?”

“I-” He began. His hand trembled. For what reason you had no idea why. Worried, you turned to face him fully. You placed a hand upon his, trying to quell whatever had caused him to shake. His hand settled between yours. His gaze lifted, and for a moment that stretched into eternity, he stared into your eyes. There was a fire that seemed to burn in his eyes, then it slowly burned away into embers. A soft flush appeared on his cheeks, and it seemed he even stopped breathing. You rubbed the back of his hand with your thumb, trying to coax the words out of him. His hand twitched before squeezing yours. “I just want you to stay safe.”

You could tell immediately that isn’t what he wanted to say.

“I will.” You said, reassuring him. You didn’t know what he wanted to say, you just knew those weren’t the words he wanted you to hear. But you held no judgement for the man. He could tell you what he wanted to say in due time. There was no need to rush him. You simply smiled at him. You lifted his hand and pressed it to your chest so he could hear your heart’s beat. “This heart of mine won’t stop beating anytime soon, okay?”

A shy smile spread across his lips as he nodded. His gaze fixated on where his hand was spread upon your chest, feeling the steady heart beat.You could feel how his hand grew a bit warmer, a side effect you knew from him getting a little emotional, whether it be from sadness, joy, anything really. You stood there, letting him feel the reminder that you were alive for a few moments more.

“Alright.” You said, gently removing his hand. Though the man was tough as nails, you delicately removed his hand. You moved it down to his side before sending him a smile. “I’ll be back soon, hopefully with new recruits.” You assured him, giving him a nod. “You better stay safe too, okay?” You watched as the monk nodded slowly.

You left him on that rooftop, feeling the warm gaze of your friend follow your form as you descended down back into the base.

Waking up today was the first time in a few days where you did not feel mired in heavy emotion. That was not to say you didn’t feel at least a little somber, but you at least did not feel desolate. You didn’t think your bed could handle another frenzied episode. Your fingertips traced the sewn up areas a little guiltily. You were still hoping that it was enough to not make others not mad at you.

The last thing you’d want is to ruin the apparent fragile relationship between Outworld and Earthrealm over something silly like this.

You felt a little better at the idea that perhaps not all of your memories would be so heavy and dark. You swung your legs over the bed, and you moved through your morning routine with some grace. It was a small boost of confidence, but one you sorely needed. Maybe it was a little silly, but you didn’t linger on that type of thought process for long.

As you stepped out of the bedroom, the last bits of your somber mood felt like they disintegrated when the sunlight touched you. You felt light, but there was still a slight chill in the air. It was hard to deny that you missed the warmth Liu Kang would give you within your memories. For a brief moment, you wondered if it would be silly to try and stand close to the god to feel if he had that same warmth.

Right on cue, the familiar taps of princess Kitana sounded from the far hallway. As both of you made eye contact, you shared a nod in understanding. Both of you met halfway, falling into familiar step as you walked by her side. It felt familiar. You weren’t sure if it was because you’ve walked by Liu Kang’s side for years, or because of the implications of your memories that you might have walked by her side before.

It felt nice to have a companion to walk with, either way.

“I noticed you went around with the actor.” Kitana spoke, a tinge of amusement in her voice. You couldn’t tell whether she was amused at the idea of the actor, or you being with the man. “Or, rather, he dragged you around.” She quipped. You held back an exasperated sigh at the memory. Even the princess had noticed that?

“Yes, he was rather…” You trailed off, trying to think of the proper words to express your feelings without making a bad impression of the actor for the princess. “...persistent.” You watched her eyebrows raise, and she nodded. The very hint of a laugh left her lips. You blinked, you weren’t certain if that was the first time you’ve heard her laugh.

“I can attest to that.” She replied, a tone in her voice indicating that she understood, even if just a fraction, how stubborn Johnny Cage could be. “The actor would not leave me alone the day after the banquet.” She peeked over to you, a thoughtful look on her face. “Forgive me for saying that I had the thought to smack some sense into him.”

“I take no offense, I understand just how he is like.” You said, a laugh escaping your lips. “He’s rather stubborn whenever he wishes, but he has a good heart.” You said, hand raising to cup your own cheek. Your smile slipped into something that felt sentimental before it bounced back into its more friendly state. You shrugged causally. “Even if it isn’t apparent at first.”

“Such praises are more comforting coming from you rather than his own mouth.” Kitana said, and you could detect what you could only describe as a teasing lilt to her voice. You smiled warmly at it, and you saw how her own smile seemed to grow a little less professional and a little more genuine. It was like watching a flower blossom.

“I can imagine so.” You laughed, bringing a hand to muffle it. You could imagine Johnny bragging about himself to the princess, and her probably being annoyed at it. Or amused. Either way, you had a feeling that the impression he left upon the princess was not the one he desired. “I just hope he didn’t irritate you. Like I mentioned, he means well.”

“While he is persistent as any other who attempts to court me, he is far less brutish.” Kitana reassured you, making you feel a bit better about his flirting, “And, if anything else, he is amusing enough to listen to.” You let out another chuckle at the image of Johnny thinking he was wooing princess Kitana when in reality she thought him closer to a court jester.

“Don’t let him know that.” You informed her, making her quirk up an eyebrow. “He’s an…entertainer in Earthrealm. His ego would swell with pride at the idea that he at least amuses you.” You couldn’t tell if it was the trick of the light or not, but you swore you saw her roll her eyes at the premise of Johnny Cage’s ego swelling even more.

“I’ll keep that information in mind.” Kitana replied, a light tone to her voice. With that, the both of you arrived at the entrance to the Great Hall. She turned to look at you fully, a small smile still gracing her lips. “Enjoy watching the match.” She said, and you granted her the same sentiment. She walked off, content with your response.

To your surprise, Raiden and Kung Lao were not around yet, leaving only the fire god waiting in the Great Hall. You looked around. For a moment, you considered the possibility that you had arrived earlier. You then were quick to doubt that idea due to your walk with princess Kitana. She seemed to be very diligent on routine, so you doubted that you both would have walked out early.

“Where is Raiden and Kung Lao?” You inquired, moreso thinking about the former than the latter. It wasn’t like you didn’t fret over Kung Lao, it was just that the lack of Raiden appearing was strange. While Kung Lao was typically early, it wasn’t as if he didn’t allow himself to take more time to himself. Raiden, on the other hand, was always early. Almost to a fault.

“I am not certain.” Liu Kang replied, his voice calm. You looked over to see him composed as ever. He caught your gaze, giving you a small smile in return. Subconsciously, you found yourself standing near him. You noted the warmth he radiated. It was familiar, the same aura he had back in your memories. “I would not fret over it, I am certain they will be here in due time.”

“I know.” You said, and yet you found yourself biting at a thumbnail. Your gaze was cast downwards as you contemplated over the whole ordeal. “It’s just…odd.” You admitted. “He usually would be here by now. By he, I mean Raiden. Kung Lao sometimes shows up simply on time.”

“Indeed.” Liu Kang nodded. You could feel his gaze still on you. It did not sear you, rather it felt gentle. It was much like how it would feel if you were to hover your hand over a candle to feel its warmth. “However, he is also not the type to show up late if it is an important event. I would not worry over it, it will simply cause more stress.”

“You’re right.” You replied. You felt called out at the last statement, but you knew it was for the best. After all, you weren’t the best at keeping yourself from not being stressed. It was supposed to be a friendly reminder. You took in a breath, straightening out your back before lifting your head up. You shouldn’t be stressed.

A silence settled over the two of you. This silence was different from the comforting one you were used to. It was tense, like a string being pulled far too taut. You supposed it was your fault, you and your busy mind. That, and you've been finding it harder and harder to try and separate the man you remembered the god in front of you.

“Have you been enjoying your stay in Outworld?” Liu Kang spoke. His voice was soft. It was like a droplet of water falling into a still pond. It was so deliberate, so delicate, how he broke the tension. You turned your gaze, and saw the smile he sent your way. It was bittersweet, the way he smiled. It was exactly the same way you remembered.

“I have.” You said. You weren’t keen on lying to the god, but you did feel a bit bad admitting it. You watched his face shift a tiny bit, but you couldn’t quite read if that had any significance. You turned away, finding it hard to see the way he smiled. “It’s very…different.” You told him. There was a hesitance to your words.

Certainly you were struggling to find the right words because you didn’t want to make it seem like you were suddenly forsaking Earthrealm, but there was also something else to it. You enjoyed Outworld, you truly did. But you weren’t naive to blindly praise it to a god. There were, for all you knew, probably a darker side to this place.

The memory of seeing Shao Khan for the first time still lingered in your mind.

“I’m glad you have been enjoying it.” Liu Kang replied, a pleased tone to his voice. You felt his heat grow a little more. Curious, you glanced over to him to see he has stepped over a bit. He was standing so close that he was nearly brushing your arm with his own. “I hope you continue to enjoy your stay here.”

“How has your experience been for this trip?” You asked quickly, not wanting the tension to settle back in the air. You forced yourself to look at him, meeting those glowing white eyes. You wondered, just briefly, what caused the warm mortal eyes you once knew to become godlike. Was this just a new world where Liu Kang was deemed a god? Or was there more reason to it?

“It has been lovely.” Liu Kang said, seeming satisfied with the eye contact you gave him. “Not much has changed since the last hundred years since Outworld functions differently, but something about this time around has been more…” There was a pause as the god seemed to search the air for the perfect word to say. “pleasant.”

“I see.” You replied, but the words felt like a lie on your tongue. You understood the joys of being here, but not the reason behind why it was more enjoyable. The little voice in your head told you that you should know though. And you felt just a little dumb for not knowing the reason. Still, you kept the smile upon your lips.

It was hard not to smile when Liu Kang was looking at you that way.

It didn’t take long for someone to show up. That person was Kung Lao. A broad smile spread across his lips as he sauntered in. As he laid eyes upon you and the god, his eyebrows raised as he looked around, probably searching for his fellow farmhand. When he did not see him, he walked over to you two and looked around once more, just to make sure.

“Where’s Raiden?” He asked, the confusion clear within his voice. You saw him cross his arms as once more, he scanned the room. He seemed more certain that his eyes were in the wrong rather than believe in the fact that his friend was simply not here. You supposed no one could blame him, you were just as unbelieving when you had arrived.

“He's just a little behind.” You excused, trying your best to not show in your voice that you had felt the same way. You didn't want to cause a fuss. “I am certain he shall show in due time.” You saw the fire god nod in agreement, which only made sense since he had been the one to share that same sentiment. At your reassurance, you saw Kung Lao shrug nonchalantly.

“I guess so.”

Some more time passed, and despite your own words, you felt yourself getting antsy with every minute that the diligent man did not arrive. Kenshi had arrived at this point, sending the group a curious glance upon noting the disappearance of the champion. You felt your intertwined hands fidget and clench and unclench. The stare that Kenshi sent your way did not help either. He could do very well with being less obvious.

Finally, to relieve your worries, Raiden finally showed up with Johnny Cage at his side. You sighed as you walked over to Raiden. Your eyes raked over the man. He looked rather unkempt. His clothes were a bit of a mess, and his hat was a bit crooked. He seemed to be nearly on edge. Your tongue clicked as you reached out, adjusting his clothes and hat for him.

“You had us worried.” You admit softly, making sure that the man was presentable. After all, at this point, many of Outworld’s citizens were keeping an eye on Earthrealm’s strong champion. You sent him a small smile, trying to reassure him since you could see how tense he was on his face. You watched as his mouth opened to say something, probably an excuse, but you laid a hand on his shoulder to quiet him. “Hey, you’re here, that’s what matters. Plus, you’re not late either. Don’t worry about it, it’ll leak into your fighting”

“You’re right.” Raiden said, nodding slowly. You could see the nervous energy in him seem to melt away. His eyes closed as he took a deep breath in before releasing it. A small flush covered his cheeks, perhaps still from how he had rushed to get ready this moment. When he opened his eyes, he sent you a sunny smile that warmed your heart. “I will do my best.”

“I know you will.” You told him. You watched as Kung Lao handed over a few items for Raiden and Johnny Cage to eat. You could always rely on him for that. Raiden seemed most grateful at the gesture. Chatter among the group seemed to calm the former farmhand, and it was not very long until the usual proceedings occurred.

“Young Raiden.” Sindel spoke, gazing down at Raiden. You were impressed with how she kept her smile seeming this warm and cordial despite the trend of her champions being taken down by Raiden no matter how the odds seemed. “You have…bested all the champions thus far with grace skill.” The empress commended, though there was almost a slight strain to her voice as she admitted it, it was very subtle, hardly noticeable. “Let us see if this next contender can match your might.”

Surprisingly, after being absent yesterday, General Khan was back to announce the next champion.

“The next challenger is another one of my officers, Motaro.” The general spoke, his voice booming and echoing off the walls of the hall. The sound of hooves caught your attention, and you turned to see a centuarian walk into the halls. His stride was confident, and he walked in with his arms crossed. His gaze was tilted down already, almost glaring down at Raiden who was forced to look up at his opponent.

Despite being an officer, he lacked the same armor that both Kotal and Reiko had donned, being fully bare on his upper body. Only a silver belt concealing where a horse body fused into a human body was present as any sort of protection, and even then it was more decorative than anything. That is, until you spied the back of his horse body. A metallic tail more akin to a lizard’s was attached there. Your eyes lingered on the curve of his horns, finding them interesting. It seems that centaurians were not a simply a human fused with a horse body as Earthrealmers would believe.

You believe you’ve seen this man before, but whatever feeling you had was much weaker than it was for any other person you’ve met. Maybe this man was in your life for but a brief moment…still, if he was, it was strange your brain even felt like it recognized him.

“Motaro is one of the centaurian’s finest.” General Shao bragged, seeming more enthusiastic to talk about Motaro compared to Kotal from the other day. Motaro lifted his head up to bask in the speech, an almost pleased look on his face. “With the tenacity of a bull and the might of one of the best warriors I have fought alongside, he is one of the best warriors in the legion.”

“Little man.” Motaro addressed Raiden curtly. He snorted as he continued to look down at the farmhand. His countenance returned to the look he had previously, but it was marred with a near sneer. His gaze felt nearly as sharp as his metallic tail did. You watched as Raiden took the comment in stride, bowing to his opponent, not fearing despite the size difference between them both.

“It is an honor to fight you.” Raiden told his opponent. You smiled at how polite he was to his opponents, even despite the lack of respect he was granted in return. Still, you wondered if that would remain that way in the future. While the thought of Raiden trying to smack talk his opponents was funny to think of, you hoped that nothing would hurt Raiden enough to take him in that direction.

Motaro’s fighting style was unique, suffice to say. His unusual body type, at least compared to what Raiden had normally fought against. He would charge in a brutish manner, using brute force to try and make the champion cower. Despite his bulk, he also maintained a lot of the battlefield control when Raiden tried to create space by being able to shoot projectiles from the metallic tail that you had spied earlier.

Still, even with the trickiness of the fight, Raiden’s wit led him to victory. When he needed to close the gap, he would teleport behind Motaro. Due to Motaro’s body, he struggled to turn around and face the man before he was met with lightning that was strong enough to stagger even him. Sometimes, Raiden would realize that he would have to match the reckless nature of Motaro and surge right at him, catching the other man off guard.

It was no surprise to you to see that Motaro eventually collapsed. Taking deep breaths, Raiden looked down on his opponent, an ironic twist on the dynamic before. Except for Raiden, there was no hint of malice or disrespect in his eyes. Only warmth glimmered within his.

“Thank you for the match.” Raiden told him humbly, a soft smile on his lips. You watched him reach out to try and attempt to help up his opponent instinctively. He almost seemed to flinch when he retracted it when Motaro denied the help. There was a mixture between a scoff and a huff from the centaurian, but ultimately he nodded before he walked off. You eyed the tail that almost seemed to drag on the floor, making a slight scratching sound.

“Congratulations on a well fought match.” You said, walking up to the once again successful champion. His smile seemed to grow as you walked towards him with a delighted expression. It was almost like seeing a child light up when you gave them the sweetest candy in the world. “Your technique is improving everyday.”

“I can only thank you, Lord Liu Kang, and the monks for preparing me for these moments.” Raiden replied, seeming to fall back onto his habit of being far too humble. You sighed and shook your head in disapproval of how he still didn’t consider his own skills into the fray. Still, it was endearing enough that you still smiled.

“Do not forget how much hard work you have also put in, Raiden.” Liu Kang reminded him, practically taking the words out of your mouth. You saw the god’s eyes flick over to you for a moment. Whether that was in reference to how you and Raiden had often stayed up late training or if it was a reference to how the god knew what was what you were going to say, you could not tell.

“Yeah man, you killed it out there, even with sleeping in.” Johnny hopped into the conversation. You elbowed the actor at the mention of him sleeping in, maybe a little harsher than you should have after seeing how flushed the champion’s cheeks became. You heard the American clear his throat. “You gotta give yourself some credit, Raidude.”

“I will try.” Raiden said, a bit of hesitance in his voice. While it did seem to partially stem from the insistence from all of you that he should be giving himself more credit, you could also sense the hesitance coming due to the nickname Johnny had called him. You would never admit it, but the fact that even the kindest of your mentees seemed to hold a slight disdain towards the actor’s nicknames never failed to amuse you. Yet, all the same, the enthusiasm in him wanting to succeed and work hard on whatever his criticisms were shone through.

After discussion with Liu Kang, like usual, your little group dispersed once more. For a moment, you swore you saw Kung Lao linger for a moment before he seemed to walk off with Raiden. You weren’t sure if your eyes were seeing things correctly, though. The man who did stick around was Kenshi, who soon found his way by your side.

“Ready?” The ex yakuza member inquired. His eyebrows were raised as he looked at you. The way he gazed at you seemed to tell you more words than he said, like how he was willing to wait for you if you weren’t. You supposed it only made sense, from what Kenshi had told you before, that the Yakuza would need to be subtle and communicate with others with even the slightest nod. Still, it was almost like a fresh breath of air compared to the others who seemed like an open book compared to the man beside you.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” You told him with a confident nod. Then, the both of you set off. The difference between the walk to Sun Do with Kenshi compared to Johnny was almost night and day. While it wasn’t completely silent, you both only had some chatter here and there. It didn’t feel like small talk, and comforting silence filled the air otherwise.

You took this time to try and sneak some glances Kenshi’s way while he seemed to remain vigilant in staring on the path ahead. Out of all your champions, you considered the man beside you to be the one you understood the least. While you did attempt to get closer to the man through food, there was still a lot you had left to learn about him. He wasn’t as eager to dispense knowledge as the others, even if he wasn’t totally private about the past.

The reason why Kenshi was so vastly different in this timeline compared to the other three was beyond you. It was a mystery you’ve been trying to unravel since you’ve met the man. His backstory was completely different, and the lack of powers he had previously made you question a lot about this life. Different backstories weren’t anything new, per se, but it was still strange how…different it was. From your memories of the world before, you could conclude that perhaps his lack of powers was from how he did not wield Sento.

You’ve considered confronting Johnny about giving the swordsman the sword back, after all the actor had it for a rather petty reason, but you’ve never gotten too far in your plans. You couldn’t guarantee that talking to the actor would do any good, that man was rather stubborn, even in the face of reason sometimes. But there was also another reason you’ve held yourself back.

You were afraid that the sword would doom Kenshi to some kind of tragic fate. Your memories of Kenshi's previous story were hazy. You couldn’t tell if it was because you simply didn’t remember, or if it was because you never sought out to ask too much about it in the past. Either way, you were upset with yourself over it.

What you did know for certain, despite the lack of memories, was that in your previous life, he had been blinded due an incident that had something to do with the sword. Yes, he did gain powers that enabled him to be more than he was, but thought of losing his eyesight because of it and you potentially being the catalyst for that was more than you thought you could bear. It wasn’t as if you could warn Kenshi of the dangers, you’d sound insane.

Plus, you knew with the significance of that sword, your warnings might go unheeded. You had a sense that the ex yakuza member was selfless enough to be a martyr for the sake of his clan. The thought of him giving up his eyesight willingly squeezed your heart.

You were willing to craft a hat for Kung Lao, there were no flaws behind that as far as you could tell. But Kenshi’s weapon had a lot more weight to it. You wouldn’t know if the consequences behind that influence were the same, and if they would be less than the positives. There was a lot more to consider. Even if your decision that you would err on the side of caution, you still felt guilty that you could not help and provide the weapon that the man beside you craved.

“You’re glancing at me a lot, should I be flattered or concerned?” Kenshi inquired, snapping you out of your thoughts. You found that you were now meeting the swordsman’s gaze who held you with an intrigued look. With a scene that felt all too familiar, you felt your face heat up again. How you’ve let yourself space out and stare so obviously at your companion two days in a row, you had no idea.

“Flattered, I suppose?” You said, awkwardness soaking your words after you cleared your throat. You found yourself unable to maintain eye contact. Suddenly, the blue sky speckled with clouds seemed interesting. You felt your hand creep up to the side of your neck and press against it. Compared to the heat of your face, your hand felt like an ice cube.

You didn’t know what excuse to say, or if you even should. Obviously, you couldn’t tell him the real reason why you were taking what you thought was sneaky glances. If you weren’t telling the god who took you in about your memories, you weren’t going to tell Kenshi. The issue was that now, you had no idea what excuse to even say, and you put yourself in a rather awkward situation because of it.

Despite this, it seemed that you didn’t have to. You heard a chuckle, and took a cautious peek to see Kenshi looking at you with a gaze that seemed free of judgement. His cheeks were tinged with pink. It seemed whatever excuse he had gleaned from what little you said satisfied him. You weren’t sure what his assumptions were, but at this point, you figured you were far too deep to ask what he thought it was.

This was the consequences of your lack of sneakiness, you supposed. You didn’t find yourself too upset though. It seemed to make him pleased enough, and that was enough for you.

The rest of the walk to Sun Do left you feeling just a little lighter.

You both wandered into the city, deliberately leading him in a different direction you had gone with both Johnny and Raiden. You didn’t need to retread those places, you knew very well that you wouldn’t find the gift for Bi-Han you wanted in those shops. It would only waste precious time. You both went from shop to shop, peering at possible gift ideas with careful eyes.

Shopping with Kenshi was much different than the other two. With Raiden, he had been far too passive. He seemed to enjoy peering at the wares and agreeing with you more than scrutinizing the items. He4 didn’t provide any meaningful feedback in terms of whether the gift was appropriate or if it felt right. You didn’t blame him, you had a feeling he was far too elated by simply being in the heart of the capital. That, and he was the one who invited you to explore rather than shop.

With Johnny, he had a completely different taste than you did. He often criticized your choices for being too “tame” or not flashy enough. Perhaps it wasn’t the worst opinion, you had gone for subtler gifts, but the gifts he offered before the ribbon had all been rather…gaudy and definitely didn’t fit the Lin Kuei. It was almost a miracle he had spotted the ribbon and offered it up.

Kenshi, on the other hand, was almost like the perfect shopping companion. His tastes seemed to align with what you were searching for, so that was a far better companion than Johnny. Not only that, but he was very inquisitive and seemed to take every comment you said to heart. You couldn’t resist a smile as you realized this nature was the exact reason why you had chosen Kenshi in particular to critique your cooking.

“How about this?” Kenshi inquired, lifting up an intricate blue sash. You hummed as you leaned in close to peer at the fabric. You plucked the item that was draped over his hands, your fingertips brushing against the inked surface. You lifted up, studying the details. Then, you squinted at it more as you tried to imagine Bi-Han wearing this sash. Your nose wrinkled at the fact that you could not conjure up that image.

“I think we should stray away from accessories like this.” You concluded. “I don’t think Bi-Han would find himself wearing anything in accompaniment to his uniform.” You explained. The swordsman nodded as he took your words into consideration. You handed back the sash to him so he could place it back. With careful precision, he folded the sash before delicately placing it back into its former spot. Had you not known the man, you would have never guessed his dark past with how he carried himself in his actions.

You scanned the area, looking for other ideas while Kenshi also perused the store. Nothing in particular for the grandmaster caught your eye. This store was mostly filled with accessories, which was not the type of gift you could imagine giving Bi-Han. And yet, despite this, something did catch your eye. You walked closer to get a look.

It was a set of five rings. Though they looked initially plain, the closer you inspected them, you saw the beauty within the craftsmanship. They were intricately engraved, small patterns dancing along the metal. But the part that caught the eye the most was the gorgeous gems set into each of them. Each one had a different color, gold, pink, blue, green, and red. You marveled over the rings and were pleasantly surprised to see that the rings had some minor magic, so they could be resized on their own.

You looked and saw they had a special deal if you bought the whole set. Your eyes lingered on the rings for a moment more. How perfect this would be as a gift for your champions. A smile appeared on your face as you thought about it. You glanced back at the bag where you held your gold. Maybe if you had left over gold you could come back for these.

“I don’t think this place has what I’m looking for.” You told the swordsman, striding over to him. You stood slightly in the way of the rings. You didn’t think he’d notice them since it didn’t align with the idea you had for Bi-Han. But still, you wanted to keep it a surprise, just in case. Luckily, it seemed that Kenshi hadn’t noticed where you had gone.

“I agree, especially since this place is geared towards accessories.” Kenshi replied. He nodded in the direction of the door, his hand gesturing for you to lead the way. You did just that, managing to glance back at the rings one last time. You knew that if you did, Kenshi would be likely to notice with how much he’s been noticing your stares. Then again, you supposed that’s because your stares towards the swordsman were rather…obvious. Still, you wouldn’t put it past him to notice the little things.

And so, both you and the ex yakuza member were back on the streets. But not for long. This time, Kenshi pointed out a shop. At first, you hesitated, gazing at all the porcelain cups and teapots. You weren’t certain if these ceramics would be an ideal gift, but then your eyes landed on a particular teapot set in the window. You were so fascinated by it that you stepped inside to get a better look.

The teapot set in question was delftware styled. The blue painted ceramic was decorated to be depicting a snowy wonderland with snow leopards as the main focus. Your eyes studied the set carefully, marveling over it. It had some gold accents around the rim, giving it that extra pop. It even came with a little tea pet, a snow leopard. At first, you couldn’t imagine gifting Bi-Han such an item, but the more you marveled over it, the more you couldn’t imagine giving him anything else.

“With the way you’re looking at that, I think I did my job.” Kenshi remarked, walking up next to you. You smiled over to him, and you saw on his face a very pleased expression. He crossed his arms as he took his gaze from you over to the set. “It’s miraculous how cheap these items are here, back in Earthrealm, these would be worth a fortune.”

“I can’t believe it either.” You agreed with a nod. You eyed the price. It definitely was cheaper than you would expect, but the quality didn’t seem terrible despite it. Looking at it for a few more moments, you nodded once more. “I think this is the one.” You told your companion. Kenshi hummed, his eyes lingering on your decided gift before pointing to something else.

“While we’re at it, you should probably get him some tea.” The swordsman recommended. Your eyes landed on the displays of various teas they had. You walked over, noting how they felt similar in style to the dried teas you served for Madam Bo. On a closer look, some of the teas even appeared to be the same. For a brief moment, you wondered whether a long time ago Earthrealm had some of their teas imported here. It didn’t seem too far off an idea.

You scanned the various teas they had on display. For a moment, you considered picking a tea unique to Outworld. But then you considered how awful it’d feel to gift something that he might enjoy, but then never be able to savor once again in his lifetime. For that reason, you decided it might be better to chose something that he may be able to get at home.

One particular tea caught your eye.

You grabbed the box of the high quality tea, inspecting it. You had never considered this to be made into tea. You couldn’t help but to smile down at the box, too amazed at the fact that tea was a thing. You held it up to show to Kenshi who quirked up a brow.

“Parsley tea?” He asked, eyeing the box carefully. His voice sounded skeptical. You shrugged, but you already knew that the moment you had laid eyes on this particular type of tea, you were going to buy it. Something within you simply told you that it just fit him. That, and you couldn’t deny that you were interested in how it tasted. From the look Kenshi gave you, he seemed to know you were already set in your ways.

With a little pep in your step, you walked over to the Outworlder at the counter. After discussing which set you wanted along with the parsley tea, you soon found yourself back onto the streets with a very nicely wrapped gift in your hands. As you were walking back, satisfied with your findings today, you spied the shop with the rings you had looked at earlier.

“Could you hold this for a moment?” You asked the man. You swiftly handed him the gift and quickly walked off into the shop, ignoring the perplexed look the swordsman had sent you. You couldn’t blame him, you had said you only needed one more gift.

Stepping inside, you were thrilled to see that the rings you had your eye on were still there. Elated, you quickly asked the clerk for the rings. The centaruian seemed more than happy to oblige, giving you a few boxes to carry them in. You slipped the gold one on, eyeing how the light seemed to reflect off of it perfectly. The rest you slipped into your bag. You wanted to keep them a surprise for now.

Checking the money you had left, you were delighted to see you had enough to buy one more gift. That would be reserved for Liu Kang.

“Find everything you needed?” Kenshi inquired. He peered at you, his eye catching the sight of your new found accessory. You nodded, beaming happily at the man. You reached out, hands extended to take back the boxes. Despite this, you found the man pulled away from you, boxes clutched securely to his own chest. “It’s fine, I don’t mind carrying them.” He insisted.

“I don’t want to burden you with them.” You said, furrowing your brows. You made a reach for the boxes again, but the man simply side stepped your attempt. You sighed, placing a hand on your hip. “This is rather childish of you, Kenshi.” You chided, trying to see if you could convince him to give back the gifts. And yet, despite your words, the man was adamant. You sighed once more, shaking your head. “If you insist.”

“I do.” The swordsman quipped back, a victorious tone in his voice. You resisted an eye roll and made your way back to the palace. Once there, you led the ex yakuza member back to your room since he insisted on helping them carry them back all the way back there. As you finally regained the packages, you peered at him for a moment before opening your door. “Wait a moment for me, okay?” You asked.

You stepped into the room, placing your packages along with the other gifts you’ve bought. You removed the rings from the bags, admiring them once more. For a moment, you considered bringing them all in so you could give them at dinner time, but then you paused, remembering you hadn’t gotten Liu Kang’s gift quite yet and how awkward it might seem. Plus, you fancied the idea of giving the gifts privately. It would seem more personal that way.

“Thank you for waiting.” You said as you strode out. You placed your hands behind your back, hiding the little box. You supposed you were as sneaky as a toddler attempting to hide whatever mess they’ve made, because Kenshi quickly sent you a questioning look and leaned over to try and peek. “Here.” You handed over the box, scanning his features for his reaction. “A gift.”

“You didn’t have to.” Kenshi said, his voice shocked. He tried to hand back the box to you, but you pushed into his hands. After that, he relented. He scanned the box, probably trying to guess the present before he opened the box. You felt elated as you watched his surprised reaction to the ring. He lifted it up, watching with amazement as he slipped it onto his finger and it fit perfectly. “This is…” He trailed off, trying to find the right words.

“They’re beautiful, aren’t they?” You remarked. You held up your hand to showcase your golden ring. “I thought this would be the perfect present for all of us.” You then gestured to the red ring. “I chose that color specifically for you.”

“Why red?” Kenshi inquired, looking between the ring on his hand and you. You smiled at him, a small laugh leaving your lips as you looked directly into his eyes.

“Simple. I think it matches your eyes wonderfully.” You explain to him. A soft flush appeared on Kenshi’s face, and he appeared to have been stunned into silence. His mouth closed, then opened, then closed once more. Then, a soft smile appeared on his face as his gaze cast downwards to the ring on his hand once more.

“Thank you.” Kenshi mumbled softly. You grinned at him and placed a hand on his arm.

“No problem, I’m glad you like the gift.” You told him. “Now let’s go, I’m hungry.” You walked off, leading the way. You missed the fond gaze Kenshi sent you way, taking one more glance between the ring and you before following you.

Dinner went smoothly, and it was just as delicious as before. You were tempted to make plans to go shopping for some Outworld type of seasonings before you left so you could cook up some food the reminded you of this place. Maybe if you had left over money after Liu Kang’s gift.

It was yet another wonderful night in the garden. You basked in the moonlight as you waited patiently for the princess to emerge from the palace. You perked up as you heard the familiar sound of heels, and smiled as your eyes landed on the princess.

Oddly enough, there was not the more prestigious and refined look that she usually held. Her face held something that reminded you of the first time you encountered her here. She seemed…upset. You raised your eyebrows as she drew near. When she noted you in the spot, her face shifted, masking her previous attitude with a smile.

It reminded you of Empress Sindel’s smile towards Raiden.

“Are you alright?” You inquired, testing the waters. You saw her smile strain, like a string being pulled nearly too taut. Her hands, which had been folded in her lap, squeezed together as if she were squeezing out her frustration.

“I’m fine.” Mileena replied, her words clipped. You couldn’t sense any hostility within her words, but you could tell that asking about her situation would probably be unwise. You didn’t blame her, you weren’t that close after all. You nodded slowly, taking her attitude into consideration. “How have you been?” She inquired quickly, eager to divert the topic of conversation.

“I’ve been fine, I went and shopped more today.” You told her with a smile. You could read the signs of her frayed nerves and played along with her plan, changing the conversation away from herself. You saw her eyes dart to your hands. You looked down and saw the ring. You lifted your hand to showcase it, allowing her to get a better view.

“I can see that.” The princess observed. She leaned in closer, analyzing the accessory and how it fit on your finger. You saw her expression change slightly, going from a more fake look to a more genuine smile. She looked at it for a few moments more before leaning back and looking at you. “It suits you, you have a good eye.”

“Thank you.” You replied, staring down at the golden gem which shone so prettily in the moonlight. You smiled, still feeling the high of making a satisfying purchase. You paused, considering what to talk about next due to her slightly antsy mood. “How was your day, princess? I’m excited to see how you fare against Earthrealm’s champion tomorrow.”

“My day was alright.” Mileena replied, her eyes looking away into the garden. There was almost an empty tone to her voice, as if she were not telling the entire truth. She rolled her shoulders back as she cleared her throat. “I…” She began, then paused, her face scrunching a bit as she seemed to ponder on the words she would say next. “I am interested to see how I fare against him as well.” She replied, the same smile from earlier appearing on her lips.

You couldn’t tell entirely, but you could sense the aversion towards the topic of fighting. Was it that she was nervous? You scanned her. No, it didn’t seem so. But the reason behind her distaste towards the topic was one you weren’t certain of.

You couldn’t quite ask her about it either.

“What story would you like to hear today?” You inquired, quickly changing the subject. You saw her posture relax a bit, and what must be a breath of relief left her lips. Very subtle actions, but actions you noticed. You suspicions were definitely correct, she had some type of issue with fighting Raiden, or the topic of it.

“Anything light hearted would do.” The princess requested, the relief of the topic change showing on her face. You pondered on this, humming as you considered the various stories and movies you’ve seen. What could possibly cheer her up? You smiled as you recalled the first movie you saw and turned to face her.

“Alright, then how about this one?”

That night, you didn’t quite know why she was upset, but you knew you uplifted her spirits.

part sixteen

tagged - @bonezisded @lollipopin @simpxinnie @zhivaxo @koisuko

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mari-writes · 2 months

Text

🦉🐈‍⬛

“Are you sure about this? You know I’ll support you not matter what. But dude, you’re definitely good enough to go pro!”

Kuroo glances at Bokuto, seated next to him at the bar. His friend is looking down into his drink, brow furrowed, shoulders drooping slightly. He sighs. “Yes, I’m sure. I have other things I want to do.”

Bokuto nods silently, still looking a bit dejected. And Kuroo understands. He really does. Their final university tournament is fast approaching. After that series of games, they’ll be focused on exams, job interviews, and preparing to move out.

The two of them had shared a university, including a bunch of classes, a volleyball team, and even a living space for the past few years. Their lives had intertwined so much so that Bokuto became more than just a “second best friend.”

He’s more like a brother now.

But their futures are finally heading in opposite directions, and Kuroo can admit—it’s a bit daunting. Emotions are running high. “It’s not like I won’t be involved in volleyball,” he adds. “I couldn’t stay away even if I tried. But I think I want to work from behind the scenes from now on.”

Bokuto’s mouth twitches into a smile. “You DO have a lot of options, don’t you?” Kuroo had double majored in Biology and Marketing & Communications, all while maintaining his spot on the team. He had been unanimously voted captain in his final year, of course choosing Bokuto as his vice. College had been crazy, but a good kind of crazy, for the most part.

“I want to keep ‘lowering the net,’” Kuroo says. “I want to get as many people interested in volleyball as I can.”

Bokuto’s grin turns toothy. He leans in to clank their glasses together. “Now THAT’S what I’m talking about!" They both take a long swig. The liquor burns Kuroo’s throat briefly before a warm, fuzzy feeling settles into his chest.

“You know, I’m really glad we were here together.” Bokuto’s voice is lowered, just loud enough to be heard over the din. Kuroo shifts on his stool, but stays silent, allowing his friend to continue. “It was… hard to accept that Keiji wouldn’t be continuing volleyball after high school. And even harder when he chose a different college.”

Kuroo nods in understanding. While it hadn’t been a surprise that Kenma announced he’d be choosing another path, it was still difficult to accept.

“I don’t think I could’ve done it without you here, Kuroo!”

Frowning, Kuroo reaches to punch his friend lightly in the arm. “Oi!” He tuts. “Stop that. Or else I’m gonna tell on you to your boyfriend. I know for a fact that Akaashi hates when you cut yourself down!” Bokuto just shrugs. “C’mon, Bo. You would’ve been fine. Great, even. I mean, aside from maybe Chibi-chan, you’re the best at making friends. You make your biggest rivals want to cheer for you!”

“Hey, Hinata’s not so ‘Chibi’ anymore!” Bokuto chuckles. “Have you seen his latest photos from Brazil? My disciple is turning into an absolute beast!”

They both laugh, and Kuroo relaxes. He’d been pretty worried about telling Bokuto about his plans. But now that it’s done, he finally feels at peace. “You’re going to go far with volleyball,” he declares, raising his glass once again. “I just know it. But someday you might want to put that Education degree to use, too. Hit me up when that happens, okay?”

Bokuto’s smile is blinding. “Yeah!” He nods enthusiastically. “We could coach at a school, or put a volleyball camp together or something!”

Kuroo winks. “Now THAT sounds like a solid plan.”

I’ve been thinking about Kuroo and Bo’s friendship a lot lately, especially since I saw that leaked sketch of them leading a kids' volleyball camp together. It’s just so special to me. 🥺❤️ Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed, please comment and share!

#bokuto koutarou #kuroo tetsurou #bokuroo friendship #bokuaka #haikyuu!!#haikyuu fanfiction #my writing #drabble #ficlet

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sdr2lovemail · 2 years

Note

sooo

if possible, may I have a part two of the "Neige has a crush on the NRC reader?" he's so sweet 😊😊

Yes, Neige was in the game for about 5 minutes and yes he's one of my favorites. I hope you enjoy Anon!

Part 1 here!

Gender Neutral reader!

Times Neige LeBlanche tried to woo you, the times your friends got in the way, and the one time he got to confess

With a pep in his step, Neige walks through the campus of Night Raven College. He figured his lunch break would be the perfect time to visit the Ramshackle Prefect. Ever since he first laid eyes on them he knew they just had to be his one true love.

In his hold was a bouquet of red and cream roses beautifully set in an intricate pattern. Flowers were the perfect start to any romance.

Coming up to the steps of your dorm, Neige knocks rhythmically on the door while putting on his best smile. After a bit of waiting he knocks again. No answer.

“Excuse me! Is anybody home? It’s Neige LeBlanche from Royal Sword Academy.” He calls out, hoping to alert anyone who may be in the dorm.

“Neh? A little RSA guppy on our campus? How fun!” An unfamiliar voice calls out before a large, looming presence is behind the actor.

Turning around, Neige takes a step back, almost hitting the door behind him. There was a tall boy with a single stripe of black on the right side of his head. “Oh, I remember you. Back at the sports festival you had won the swimming competition.” He pauses for a second before tilting his head to the side. “You’re Jade, right? My name is Neige LeBlanche.”

A frightening look falls over “Jade’s” face followed by an almost sinister smile. “Yup that’s me, Guppy!”

“It’s so nice to formally meet you! I was wondering if you knew where the prefect of this dorm was. I have something to give to them.”

With an excited chirp, a giddy smile breaks now on “Jade’s” face. “Yeah! Shrimpy’s my bestest friend, no matter what they say, we’re besties!” He crosses his arms lazily. “Too bad for you, Shrimpy’s not here. The crow’s got 'em doin’ his shopping in town. They won’t be back till next period.”

With a slight slump in his shoulders, Neige gives a sad smile. “Oh…I have to be back at the academy by then.” His grip on the bouquet tightens. “Perhaps another time…”

“Jade” sets a heavy hand on his shoulder. “Don’t look so upset, Guppy. I’ll give Shrimpy the flowers for you! Anything for my best friend!”

Neige perks up. “Really? Thank you so much, Jade. And if you wouldn’t mind, could you tell them they’re from me? I must be going now. Thank you once again!” A light blush coats his cheeks as he descends down the stairs of Ramshackle.

Watching as the black haired boy walked out of Ramshackle's gates, the eel half-heartedly dumps the bouquet of roses onto your porch before walking to the Octavinelle dorm.

Another day, another opportunity for a prince to meet with his brave knight.

It was the weekend, meaning that Neige won’t be swept away with school. It was a rare time where his schedule was free. His undivided attention could be set on spending time with you.

Walking down the length of a courtyard, he spots you resting on a bench. Calling out your name, he happily skips over to you.

“Neige? Didn’t expect to see you here anytime soon. What’s up?” You move over to one side of the bench to allow him a place to sit.

“Well, I just happened to be in the area!” Neige lies. While lying is very un-princely, a little fib can’t hurt here and there. “I saw you all alone and wanted to come over to see how you were doing.” He gives you a bright smile while folding his hands into his lap.

You give him a smile that sends his heart beating. “That’s nice of you. I’ve been fine, just taking a break from my homework. How’ve you been doing lately? Are your friends doing well?”

“I’ve been just perfect, and I feel even better hanging out with you. My friends are doing great as well. Hop has been preparing for the next Magift tournament against your school. If only your dorm had more members, it would be so much fun to play together.” He scoots closer to you ever so slightly.

You fiddle with your nail beds. “I don’t have any magic so I’m not sure how much help I’d be. Though I’m sure I’d find a way to adapt, like I always have to…”

Neige’s hand lifted up from his lap to clasp in front of himself. “Of course you would! You’re so smart and brave, just like a knight. I’m sure you’d find a way to be helpful to your team. Just like when you helped me.” He says as if you saved his life.

You flush at the barrage of compliments. “Thank you, Neige. You’re as sweet as ever.”

A deep, pink blush covers the apples of his cheeks. He casts his gaze to the side. “Since we’re here, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.” His soft, brown eyes look lovingly into yours. “I was wondering if you’d like to-”

“[Name]!” Someone shouts with thunderous steps heading in your direction.

Skidding to a halt in front of the bench is Ace. He’s doubled over with his hands on his knees. Panting and out of breath, he mutters. “[Name]...You gotta, huff, come quick. We, puff, need your help.”

“I’m in the middle of something, Ace. Go ask someone else.” You side glance Ace.

The red head grips onto your jacket sleeve and tugs. “You were the first person I could find, it’s an emergency! Epel is stuck under a pile of cauldrons!”

“Huh?!” You leap up from the bench. “What did you do this time?” You look back at Neige with an apologetic grin. “I’m so sorry, we’ll have to finish our conversation later.”

Neige stands up and smiles at you. “Oh don’t worry about it. Please go help your friend. I don’t want him to get-”

“Enough talking!” Ace grabs onto your wrist and sprints away to where poor Epel is getting crushed.

With a sad sigh, Neige begins his journey back to RSA.

The pale light from the moon illuminates his skin. Lugging around an incredibly outdated boombox, Neige walks up to the front garden of Ramshackle. In all of the fairy tales the prince swoons over the princess’ beautiful song. This just has to work.

He sets the boombox down and starts the track. A soft melody fills the garden. He knew every word to the song the wishful princess sang on the way to meeting her one true love. He could recite it in his sleep. Serenading would be a breeze!

Before a single word could exit his mouth, a cobwebbed window rushes open to reveal a peeved Grim.

“Fnyah! I have my makeup exams in the morning. I can’t sleep with all this racket!” He tries his best to adjust his eyes on the figure in the garden. Luckily for Neige the dark blanket of the night concealed his identity.

Quickly rushing to turn off the music, Neige starts apologizing. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you. I just wanted to speak to-”

He’s interrupted as he narrowly dodges a fireball.

“Get out of here before I burn you to a crisp!” Grim shouts before spitting another fireball out the window.

With a frightened, choked gasp, Neige books it for the gates, dodging fireball after fireball.

“Who was that Grim?” You ask with a yawn.

“Probably some jerk playing a stupid prank.” He sets his furry body into your arms and lets out a long stretch. “Now carry me back to bed, henchman.” He says before promptly falling back asleep.

Exasperated and desperate, Neige speed-walks onto the campus of NRC. He briskly passes the many students confused to see not only an RSA student, but also a celebrity, in the middle of a passing period.

Spotting you exiting your classroom, he speeds over, grips one of your hands and gets down on one knee, not caring if his white dress pants got dirty. He surprises not only you, but your fellow classmates, a few of which have taken out their phones to record.

From the inside of his blazer, Neige pulls out a slightly crumpled red rose. “Please, go out with me!”

You’re stunned for a second trying to formulate an answer.

“While this isn’t the perfect confession I had in mind, I just had to say it as soon as possible! [Name], you’re so kind and helpful. You gotta be my one true love. The one who will stay by my side and the one who I will care for! Please, accept my love!”

You carefully take the rose from his grasp. With a light flush, you smile and nod. “Okay Neige, I’ll go out with you. To be honest, I always thought you were pretty cute.”

For a second, Neige feels as if tears are coming up in his eyes. Leaping off the ground he swoops you into a hug. “Oh, thank you! Thank you so much! I promise I’ll make this the best date ever!”

A few of your surrounding schoolmates let out applause, while others are already uploading videos to social media.

While you were feeling ecstatic, Vil won’t be once he sees the two of you on the front page of Magicam.

#twisted wonderland x reader #neige leblanche x reader #twst x reader #neige x reader #twisted wonderland #neige leblanche #twst #x reader #self insert

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dino-thunder-green · 7 months

Text

"Don't worry, I got you."

Fictober Day 2

Jason Lee Scott x Reader

Description: Crushes come from unexpected places sometimes, such as the Youth Center. And you couldn't help yourself but fall for Jason. however, your feelings may not be as one sided as you'd think. {1.7k Words}

A/N: WOW THIS IS STRANGELY LONG. I like this one, I don't know if y'alls will like it as much as I do but here, enjoy. Hes such a himbo sfhakjflkjslkdfsj

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

Truth be told, you had a crush. It was different then anything you had felt before, a feeling that filled you up and made you feel like everything would be all right. A feeling of yearning, the want to just see his face, hear his voice, see him smile. And if it was you he was smiling at? You were doomed. Dead meat. Blushing so hard that you were nothing but a smoldering pile of feelings on the floor.

It was unlike you to harbor such strong feelings of liking. Especially towards guys like him. Yes, Jason Lee Scott truly had you in a predicament.

Usually what you looked for in a guy… wasn’t that. Jason was always at the gym, he was very talented at martial arts. Usually sporty gym rats like him repelled you. They were supposed to be self centered - with an ego larger than their head. They were supposed to only spend time with like-minded people, like other jocks or cheerleaders. They were supposed to be assholes.

And yet he was so overwhelmingly kind. He was nothing like you had expected him to be.

You two had been in the same class for a long time. Most of that time was spent not talking, not looking at each other, not knowing each other. But one day at the Youth Center he had bumped into you, causing you to drop your smoothie all over the floor. Even though none of it got on you, he seemed to feel terrible and bought you a new one. On top of that he even stayed and talked a bit. All it took was one conversation and you knew that you were a lost cause. He was too good for you. And that’s why you liked him.

After that short encounter he began waving at you in the hallways at school, sometimes his friends would wave too. Sometimes he’d say hello, and if he had enough time he would ask about your day. Life carried on like this for a very long, stagnant period of time, but it was enough for you.

The next major interaction you had was at the school. You had been planning a tennis tourney for the community and you had all of your work laid out in front of you, trying to make sense of it and organize it in the best way when-

“Did you do all of this?”

You jumped slightly. Turning, Jason stood to your left, scanning over your work with a fascination. There were piles of the sign up sheets, piles of possible sponsors, court assignments, a tentative schedule for the day, and even planning for concessions. You had truly put your best effort into it.

You smiled, “Yeah, I’ve had so many people tell me how excited they are, and I just want to make it the best I can.”

“And you did this yourself?” You could have sworn he leaned in closer to you, even just a little.

You shrugged, “Mostly. If I had realized that it was so much work I would have asked for help.”

Jason picked up one of the sign up sheets. “Is it too late to sign up?”

“Technically the cutoff was last Friday, but if you know someone who’s interested, I can get you a form.”

He nodded, “Can I get a few? I’m sure my friends would love to do it too.” You turned and walked to another table, picking up some blank forms.

“Would you want to be my doubles partner?” Jason’s voice came from behind you.

Your heart dropped but your expression didn’t sway. Handing him the forms you said, “I’d really love to play with you Jason but I’ll be too busy running the tournament.”

“What if somebody helped run it?”

“It's fine.”

“It's not fair. You planned the entire thing and you don’t even get to play.” He took the forms and looked over them. An alarm on his watch went off.

Jason looked disappointed as he said, “Sorry, I have to be somewhere.” He looked at you, “But I’ll see you at the tournament?”

You smiled, “of course!”

And off he went. You didn’t see him much in the next week. You were so busy planning that you didn’t have time to seek him out for the sign up forms. You just created enough slots to fit in a few last minute entries in case he turned them in. If you thought about it, you would have realized that you hadn’t seen Jason around at all, even at times you normally would.

The night before the tourney you stopped by the Youth Center to get a smoothie and take a break from your work. Ernie placed the cup in front of you.

“Ernie, I ordered a medium.”

“Yeah but I’ve heard how hard you’ve been working. Accept it as a little gift from me.”

“I haven’t had time to keep up on the news. Anything about the Power Rangers?”

Ernie gave a small sigh, “They’ve been fighting a lot this week”

You heard a group enter the building. Looking back you saw Jason. His face lit up in a grin when he saw you and he quickly made his way to sit by you. He pulled a wad of folded sheets from his pocket.

“Is it too late to give these to you?”

You took the sheets and unfolded them. The first sheet had Jason’s name under it and underneath was a large red X in the doubles spot. Next to it he wrote in your name to be his partner.

You flipped through the sheets under it. Each one had an X marked under singles and doubles with “volunteering” written in. You couldn’t help but smile a little wider as you saw the names.

You looked up at Jason who had been waiting for you to get through them expectantly. His friends had also made their way over and were grinning at you, proud of what they had done.

“Aw, you guys… thank you!” You got up and hugged them one by one.

As you got to Jason he laughed, “You should know, I’ve never played tennis before.”

You laughed too, giving him a big hug, butterflied erupting in your stomach, “That’s ok, I can teach you a few things.”

They all ended up getting smoothies too as you explained forehands and backhands to Jason, trying to get the basics down. You stayed there until Ernie kicked you out.

The tournament the next day started with a bang. Everyone was super excited to play, and many people who weren’t playing came to watch. Zack was managing court assignments. Billy and Trini ran concessions. Tommy was collecting scores and Kimberly was doing the various other small tasks such as giving players new balls and refilling water bottles.

You and Jason were set to start fairly late in the day due to signing up as late as you did. As you stood watching Bulk and Skull get their butts kicked at doubles, Jason bumped you lightly with you shoulder.

“Thanks for agreeing to play with me.”

You bumped him back, “Thanks for giving me a break.”

You glanced over at him to see he was already looking at you, with a soft expression on his face.

“You know, I really…”

“You really…?

“I need you to know that I-” He didn’t get to finish his phrase as a gang of putties flooded onto the court.

You had no idea where they came from, but all you knew was that where there were putties, there was usually something much worse. You made a beeline for the court, beginning to usher teams away from the danger. Putting yourself between some classmates and a putty, you took a hard kick to the ribs. The impact point erupted in a stabbing pain and you fell to the ground clutching your side.

You waited for more attacks, holding your eyes shut and steeling yourself in preparation, but none ever came. You squint your eyes open to see the red ranger standing before you, a pile of putties knocked out at his feet.

Another moment and he turned, crouching down to check on you. “Don’t worry, I got you.” The voice rang out, strangely familiar in your mind. A momentary peace consumed your mind.

Too shocked to respond, you stayed silent and nodded as he helped you up with a gentle hand.

Across the court you saw the other rangers facing a much larger, much scarier creature. The red ranger pushed you lightly in the other direction.

“Get yourself to safety. We’ll handle this.”

Again, you nodded dumbly and made your way towards the school, which was nearby. Upon arriving, you found that most of the people from the tourney were here. Except… Jason wasn’t. Upon further examination you found out that neither of his friends were either. You sat down, exhausted, and you began to fear that they were still out there. Maybe some putties had gotten them. Maybe that monster had gotten them. And they were out there possibly in danger and you had run away?

The ground trembled slightly as an explosion went off outside.

What was Jason going to tell you? Were you ever going to get the chance to hear it? Were you ever going to tell him how you felt?

You weren’t sure how long you sait there spiraling, full of what if’s and fears and regrets until-

“You’re ok!”

Jason ran up to where you sat, relief painted all over his features.

A million thoughts ran through your mind but none were stronger than the relief as you pulled him in for a giant hug.

“... the tournament was ruined.” you mumbled, still hugging him.

You could have sworn he held you a little tighter, “I’m just glad you’re ok.”

Pulling back you looked at him, “Yeah, I was lucky the red ranger showed up when he did. I’m also lucky everyone else is safe, especially you.”

He smiled at you.

“By the way… what were you going to say before?”

Jason laughed softly. “I was just going to say that I really like you...”

Your face flushed and you could have sworn that your heart may have exploded. He actually felt the same?

“... and I was wondering if you’d like to go out with me sometime?”

You broke into a giant smile and gave him a small kiss on the cheek.

“I’d love to!”

“Perfect, I’ll pick you up on Friday.”

#fictober23 #power rangers #mmpr #jason lee scott #jason scott x reader #jason lee scott x reader #jason scott

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lacontroller1991 · 2 years

Text

Second Chances (Johnny Lawrence x F!Reader)

Requested ages ago by @awesomemikaus: a request from johhny. where is he talking to miguel about life, girls and when he asks him if he loves someone, someone special, johhny answers yes, he fell in love with the reader since high school, they got married but then everything went wrong, bc johhny is johhny Maybe she was cheated on by Robby's mom. I know you have made a request where the reader is larusso, but I would like the reader to be too, just because I love drama, angsty. and they meet again at the scene where johhny goes to daniel's house. thank you

Author's Note: I AM SO SORRY THIS TOOK A WHILE BUT I FINALLY MANAGED TO FINISH IT AND I HOPE YOU ENJOY!!!!!! I also went with a different direction to this story, I made reader Amanda's sister XD

Warnings: infidelity, mention of drinking, Johnny giving Miguel a beer, past drunk Johnny, language

Main Master List Cobra Kai Master List

Word Count: 1.4k

==========

“Hey Sensei?” Miguel walks into the small office of the dojo where Johnny sits, popping open a Coors Banquet. “Can I talk to you?” Johnny takes a swig before swallowing his sip and moving to the front of his desk, propping himself on the edge.

“Yeah, of course. What’s wrong, Diaz?”

“So you know the girl I’ve been talking to?” Johnny nods his head, “well, I want to ask her out, but I don’t know what she’d say, let alone what to say if she rejects me,” Miguel slumps in the old office chair as Johnny walks to his fridge, pulling out a beer for Miguel, who looks at it in question.

“Don’t be a pussy. Drink,” Johnny orders, bringing his own drink to his lips. “Listen, Diaz, don’t let a girl slip away because you weren’t manly enough. With babes, you’ve got to show dominance and assertiveness, because if you don’t, they don’t pay attention to you,” he states as Miguel waits for him to continue. “Don’t cheat too. Chicks hate that.”

“Well yeah…” Miguel hesitates, looking at the bottle before taking a sip and grimacing at the taste. “Everyone hates cheating,” Johnny raises his bottle in agreement.

“If you do cheat, some girls beat your ass so badly and then leave you in a ditch,” Miguel spits out his drink in shock.

“Sensei?” Johnny chuckles.

“I was dating a girl before, married her somehow, and we were happy, but a drunken one night stand ended our whole relationship.” “What happened?”

“I slept with someone else, she found out, dented my car and kicked me out on my ass. I was so piss drunk that I couldn’t do anything. Woke up the next morning and everything was gone. She was gone.” Johnny’s face falls slightly as he thinks back to all the times you and him were together.

After he lost the All Valley Tournament to Daniel and had lost Ali to Daniel, no one had really wanted to go out with him, let alone hang with him. He found himself lost and lonely, until you showed up. Through the summer of his senior year and into his college years, you and him formed a relationship, eventually starting to date his sophomore year of college. Although he dropped out of college, you continued on with your education and it wasn’t until your graduation where he dropped to his knee and asked you to be his.

Of course you were questioning his proposal. You loved Johnny, you really did but what could he offer you that somebody better couldn’t? However, the love outweighed the needs and so you and him got married and it was nice for a while, except when you would come home from late nights only to find him passed out with a beer in his hands. It didn’t take you long to find out that he was messing around with a new girl, Shannon and ended up getting her pregnant, so with what little dignity you have left, you threw his ass out and moved states and he hasn’t heard from you since. “Sensei,” Miguel’s voice snaps Johnny out of his thoughts as he looks over the teen. “Are you ok?” Johnny tosses the empty bottle of beer in the trash and picks up his coat before heading out the door.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Class is dismissed today. I have some business to take up with LaRusso. You alright gettin’ home by yourself?” Miguel nods as he follows Johnny out of the dojo, the latter locking the door behind him. “Good, because some assholes last night torched my car and I’m gonna get payback.”

----------

Commotion outside your window stirs you from a nap. Stretching out your limbs, you look over to the clock and note that it’s almost dinner time and judging by the smell wafting through the house, Amanda is cooking something good, however, it’s not the food that has your attention. It’s Daniel and Amanda’s yelling followed by another person. “What’s going on?” You ask out loud to nobody as you slip out of the bed and fix yourself before making your way down the stairs, trying to see who’s causing all the commotion. Amanda and Daniel are standing in the doorway, their frames blocking the intruder’s but you did manage to get a glimpse of moppy blonde hair.

Spotting Anthony, you quickly pull the younger LaRusso to the side. “What the hell is going on out there?” Anthony doesn’t bother looking up from his gameboy to meet your gaze.

“I don’t know. Some douchebag out there is saying Uncle Louie burnt his car. He’s trynna get dad to fight him.”

“Fight him?”

“Some bullshit about karate.”

“Watch your language young man,” you pinch his arm but let him go, trying to see who’s causing the trouble, however deep down you feel like you know who it is. Rounding the corner, your heart drops as your stomach lurches forward. In the courtyard stands no other than the man who broke your heart all those years ago.

“How about we resolve this over dinner?” Amanda suggests, the three unaware of your presence.

“I could eat.” “No!” You shout out before you could really think about what you’re saying, alerting the trio to your presence. “He’s not allowed to eat here.”

Johnny squints against the sun trying to make out the silhouette, but your voice is unmistakable. “(Y/N)?” Amanda and Daniel look at each other before looking between you and Johnny.

“You two know each other?”

“Wish I didn’t.”

“That was harsh,” Johnny snides back, stepping into the house as Daniel eyes Johnny warily and Amanda eyes you.

“Ok what the hell is going on here?” Amanda questions as you let out a sigh, trying to relax your body.

“Johnny and I were marri”

“Are married.”

“Were married until he cheated on me.” Johnny hangs his head in shame as you struggle to push back the tears that are resurfacing.

“Look I know I made a mistake, but you didn’t have to damage my car and then literally kick me out,” Johnny steps toward you as Amanda pulls Daniel to her side, not wanting either of them to get into the argument.

“That’s all you care about? The fact that I kicked you out and damaged your car?”

“Yeah! It was my ride!” Johnny yells back, extending his arms as you put up a stone wall around your heart because despite you being angry at him for cheating on you, you still love him more than you would care to admit.

“Why don’t you stop bitchin’ and let’s eat,” Anthony comments, earning a slap at the back of his head from Daniel while you roll your eyes as Johnny stares at the kid.

“Asshole sure has a mouth for a 5 year old.”

“I’m not five!”

“Ok look, everyone just calm down, (Y/N), would it be ok if Johnny joined for dinner?” Johnny fiddles with his fingers in anxiousness as he waits for your response. He won’t tell anybody but the prospect of having a conversation with you after all those years excites him. He knows he fucked up and even though he’s glad he has Robby - despite the kid wanting nothing to do with him - he regrets every other moment he spent with Shannon.

“Whatever,” you reluctantly agree as you take a seat at the table, Johnny sitting the opposite of you. “Don’t think I’m over what happened.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to. I would, however, like it if you could maybe give me a chance to explain?” His blue eyes silently beg you as you twirl the knife between your fingers. Finding love after what happened hadn’t been easy and despite his tendencies you do love him.

“Can we discuss it after this? In private?” Johnny looks at Daniel who clenches his jaw, irritated that his former enemy is in his house, having dinner with his family and is married to his sister in law while Amanda sets down the plates of food.

“Yeah. That sounds good.”

“Now that that’s settled, how about we eat?” Amanda breaks the awkward tension as you give her a small smile, picking up your fork and eyeing Johnny, who meets your gaze.

“Yeah, sounds good to me,” you comment with a smile as Johnny smiles back and you think to yourself, maybe this time will be different.

==========

General Tag List: @marvelousmermaid @himbovillain-anon @babblydrabbly @a-reader-and-a-writer @fairchildflag @infatuatedjanes @niki-xie @11thstreetvigilante

#Johnny Lawrence x reader #Johnny Lawrence x you #Johnny lawrence #Daniel larusso #Amanda larusso #reader insert #cobra kai season 5 #cobra kai #miguel diaz #cobra kai season 1 #lacontroller1991 #sensei johnny lawrence

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moonlight-warrior-1316 · 20 days

Text

"She Ate the Squid"

Alternate Title: Tox and Neuro are chaotic neutral and should never be left unsupervised.

Hello everyone!

So, I kind of want to get back into writing. Nothing major yet, just some one-shots and short stories.

I got the motivation to write this instead of doing anything productive, like sleep, so I hope you guys enjoy!

Also I hope I posted this correctly. First time posting something like this.

Fandom: Lego Ninjago

Word Count: 1.1k

Relationships: Brief! Tox/Neuro

TW: Swearing, Homophobia, and Sex Talk. Not bad but there.

“Alright bitches!” Chamille hollered across Skylor’s restaurant. “Tonight, we are playing Truth or Dare!”

A mix of groans and cheers was the response.

It had been a few months after the Tournament of Elements. In order to keep in touch and not be at each other’s throats all the time, all the Masters have agreed to meet once a week at Skylor’s Noodle House.

Things had been awkward the first couple times. Learning preferred names and pronouns, likes, dislikes, allergies, home village/city/country, family, etc. had been awfully hectic and have caused a few fights. But Skylor ended up taking charge during the early days to ensure this new Alliance worked out.

Now the meetings have developed into a quick catch up on what they’ve been up to and then a game afterwards. And it was unfortunately Chamille’s turn to pick.

“Isn’t that for middle schoolers?” Pale retorted in response. Chamille shushed him.

“Everyone in a circle,” Chamille continued. “And I will go first.”

A collective sigh went up from the group as they all gathered around as closely to a circle as possible—Since there were booths and tables in the way—but they made it work.

Chamille smugly sat on top of the counter, pointedly ignoring Skylor’s glare. “As I’ve said, I’m going first. Shade, truth or dare?”

“Uh, truth,” Shade awkwardly answered, not trusting Chamille to give him an easy, legal dare.

“Hmmm......Is your skin naturally grey or is it just a power side effect?” Chamille asked.

Everyone turned to look at Shade. He sputtered.

“It’s a side effect,” he muttered. “Like how Neuro’s hair goes white the more he uses his powers or how Tox’s hair is green.”

“Fair enough!” Chamille cheered. “Now you pick.”

“Okay...um...Bolobo, truth or dare?” Shade questioned.

“Truth.”

“Were you really a pizza shop manager and Jay’s temporary boss?”

“Yes.”

“Wait, what?!” Turner cackled.

Bolobo sighed. “Before I got more in-tune with my powers, I was the owner of a pizzeria. This was roughly a week or so after the Great Devourer attacked Ninjago City. And Jay, the Master of Lightning, was asking about a job. He was my fastest delivery drivers before he quit.”

“Holy shit,” Turner laughed. “I’m absolutely holding that over him.”

“Poor Jay,” Skylor giggled.

“Next!” Chamille shouted.

And so it went.

A few dares were sprinkled in. Pale jump scaring a couple on a date in the park. Jacob sonic screaming from the roof. Skylor throwing a water balloon at a police car.

Then it was Ash’s turn.

“So, Tox,” he drawled, casually sipping on his soda. “What the hell is the origin of yours and Neuro’s joke of ‘they ate the squid’?”

Tox and Neuro both choked.

“Uh, what?” Gravis asked. Pale laughed.

“Yeah!” Pale chimed in. “You and Neuro only ever say it to each other. What’s it from?”

Tox’s face flushed. “Oh. Um. It’s a long story. And not suitable for children.”

Ash grinned. “Spill.”

Tox shot Neuro an apologetic look. Neuro put his head into his hands.

“So,” Tox clapped her hands together once. “It started at the Ninjago City Pride Festival roughly a week after the Tournament. I ran into Neuro by accident.”

“You crashed into me and sent us both to the ground,” Neuro interjected.

“Whatever. Anyway, long story short, we found out we were both gay. And we agreed that we would go together to any and all Pride festivals.

Well, on our fourth one, Neuro was trying to introduce me to fried squid with ghost pepper shavings tossed in powder sugar. ‘It’s a delicacy from where I’m from!’ he said. It looked gross so I refused.

So we started talking on which celebrities we found attractive. I was on a rant when this homophobic lady showed up and started yelling at us. Neuro, take it from here.”

“She was a Karen,” Neuro supplied helpfully. “And I was trying to enjoy my fried squid. She then asked us how we knew we were gay when we’ve never had sex with the opposite gender before. I countered with: ‘Do you like to eat squid?’. She answered no that it looked and smelled gross. With that, I shot back at her saying: ‘How do you know you won’t like it when you’ve never tried it?’ She was mad.”

The other Masters chuckled at that. “Go on!” Turner encouraged.

“At that point, she was full on screaming at us,” Neuro continued. “So in order to shut her up, me and Tox agreed to make a deal with her.”

“What deal?” Gravis inquired.

“If she ate the last 6 mini fried squids on Neuro’s plate, we would hook up and give straight-people sex a try,” Tox replied.

Dead silence.

“Did—did she do it?” Ash wheezed, looking between Tox and Neuro, shocked.

“Yes. Why do you think our joke of ‘She ate the squid’ came from?” Tox confirmed.

The room burst out in laughter.

“We didn’t think she would!” Neuro cried. “Then she did, and it was a whole ‘Oh shit!’ moment!”

“You guys kept your end of the deal?!” Skylor gasped.

“Yeah!” Tox and Neuro yelled.

For a solid five minutes, the only thing to be heard in the restaurant was laughter. Once everyone calmed down, Chamille took a breath and said: “Y’all need to tell us how this ended.”

“After she ate the squid and we confirmed a meet-up date and time so we could tell her how it went, we went back to Neuro’s apartment,” Tox began.

“And then spent 20 minutes figuring out how exactly we were supposed to do this. Since I’ve only slept with guys and she’s only slept with girls,” Neuro sighed.

“20 minutes?!” Shade chuckled.

“Once we sorted it out on how to do it,” Tox plowed on. “We made it quick.”

“And it was the worst sex I’ve ever had.” Neuro chimed.

“Agreed.” Tox nodded.

“Did you guys actually go back to meet up with her?” Ash asked.

“Yeah. And we told her that after that, we are for sure gay. And that it was the worst sex we’ve ever had.” Neuro answered. “She wasn’t happy about it. The best part was that her husband was with her and demanded an explanation on what we were talking about.”

“Yep. Turns out her husband was horrified to learn she was homophobic, since he himself was bi,” Tox giggled. “But after that me and Neuro agreed that when someone does something that we never, in a million years, would have expected, it’s called “they ate the squid’.”

“Alrighty then,” Chamille laughed. “That is the greatest origin story of an inside joke I’ve ever heard.”

“Though, for curiosity’s sake, did they divorce?” Pale leaned forward.

“I’m not sure,” Tox replied.

“They did.” Neuro piped up. “Her ex-husband told me all about it after we hooked up.”

The screams of shock, howls of laughter, and choking on drinks could be heard through the restaurant walls.

#i wrote this instead of sleeping #ninjago neuro #ninjago tox #ninjago elemental masters #tw: swearing #tw: homophobia #tw: sex mention #why am i like this #one-shot!#Neuro and Tox are chaotic friends #Neuro is gay #Tox is lesbian #And they have gone to jail for being gremlins

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itsthestutterforme · 1 year

Text

From the Past [2/2]

Notes: GIF is not mine, all mistakes are my own, dark themes (angst, cheating, murder, disposing of body, attempted assault)

—

Aemond has been lurking around you since the dance you shared at the banquet. Your mother, Ria, agreed that you stay at Kings Landing for a few more days. Within those days, Criston Cole is hosting a tournament for all of the houses to compete in. And Alicent is hosting a courting ball for you to pick suitors.

So there will be little free time to relax. You weren’t exactly excited at Alicent’s offer. First it started with prying questions. “Do you have a husband, Y/N?” She would ask. “No, your Grace.” “Betrothed then?” You shook your head and her lips pressed into a frown.

Whereas Aemond was holding back a smirk. Aegon didn’t bother to hide his. “A beloved? A lover? Anyone?” “I’m afraid not, your Grace.” “Why, Y/N? What have you been doing all this time?” “While there have been temptations, I’ve been busy with raising dragons and attending lectures,”

You and your mother shared a look in a silent conversation. She was asking why I didn’t tell her about the best friend slash lover you left back home. To which you said, because it’s none of their business. Aemond clears his throat and takes a sip of his wine.

“Oh really? What kind of lectures?” You and your mother made eye contact once again. “Tahtib. It’s an Egyptian martial art.” “Goodness, Y/N. You’re fighting?” “I’m.. training to fight, your Grace.” She had a look of pure horror on her face. It was quite funny.

“Absolutely not. No lady should raise her finger to defend herself. That’s what a kings guard is for,” she eyes your men. “That may be true but I enjoy training. It’s empowering.” “It’s dangerous. Your beauty attracts them and your strength challenges them,”

“I feel like I have two mothers,” you said with a sigh, reaching for your wine. “And you allow this, Ria?” “I wouldn’t if she wasn’t exceptional at it. One of the local training shops want to hire her as a trainer,” “What?” “It’s best if you don’t say anything else, mother. It might give her a heart attack.” You retort, earning a snort from Aegon.

“Then we shall hold a ball. A courting ball for you to attract suitors. It should be no problem for you, “ you took another gulp of your wine. “I don’t have a choice in this, do I?” You asked. “No,” “Lovely,”

There you sat at the center of the table with your mother and Alicent on either side of you. You wore a thicker, formal dress and strong perfume. Your make up was done up and clips were in your hair. You were about an hour into the event when you mother asked if you could have a moment.

“Are you trying to save me from Queen Alicent?” You teased when she let you into the hallway. The sadness in her eyes alarmed you. “What happened? Is Kegan and Hugo okay?” “Yes, they’re fine, honey. It’s about.. Jaskier.” “What about him?” You asked after a long pause.

“What happened?” “Word just sent from back home. They found him dead in his sleep.. the sickness took him.” She strung out and you held your chest instinctively. “I’m so sorry, honey.” Aemond and Haelena were walking down the hall when she broke the news to you. “Oh God no,”

You fell into her arms, your tears clouding your eyes. Your body shook with sobs as your mother held you. Then you came to a revelation. “I told you we shouldn’t go. I told you it wasn’t a good idea. But you were so hell bent on coming here!” You snapped, pulling yourself away.

“I’m so sorry, Y/N.” She sobbed, trying to reach for you but you took a step back. You went back into the room to grab a pitcher of wine. “Y/N, are you alright?” The Queen asks. “No, your Grace. And I don’t wish to talk about it.”

Haelena and Aemond joined your mothers side and you walk in the opposite direction. Aemond takes a step to go after you until he heard your mothers voice. “Let her be. She’s grieving.”

You spent the entire night drinking your sorrows away in the library. You could barely get up from the bench without falling. Aemond had spent some time looking for you, not expecting you to be in the library. But when he got there, he saw one of the suitors talking with you. What caught his attention was your unconscious state and the man’s ringed hand ascending up your bare thigh.

He didn’t notice Aemond until he stepped out of the shadows in the doorway. “P-Prince Aemond, I was just.. it’s not what you think, I swear. She agreed..” he trails off when Aemond’s eye darkened, sending a chill through him. “She’s unconscious. How could she have agreed?”

Aemond stalks towards the man who was trembling like a leaf on a tree. “I’m sorry! Please don’t hurt me.” All Aemond could see was red. If he didn’t walk into the library in time, gods know what he would have done to you. You were in a secluded area with no guards. Anything could have happened to you. And that’s what sent him over the edge.

He wasn’t fully aware of what he was doing until he felt warmth on his hands. He soon realized it was blood. His eyes refocus on his hand, which now held a dagger. And the dagger slicing straight through the man’s throat, his eyes wide as he feels the life drain from his body.

Aemond removes the dagger and the body drops to the floor. He uses the hand cloth on the table to wipe his hand of blood. “Y/N,” he starts, gently shaking your arm. You groaned in response, your body weighted with sleep. “Y/N, let me take you to your room. It’s not safe here.” Aemond explains but you weren’t receptive to it.

You only hummed in response, leaning forward so your head is resting on his chest. His cheeks warmed at your skin touching his. He tries his best to shake the feeling and focused on gathering you in his arms. You were dead weight at this point but it didn’t bother Aemond any.

He was just enjoying having you in his arms again. When a kings guard walks passed him in the hallway, he tells him, “Block off the library. No one goes in or out. Summon Criston Cole to deal with the matter.” “Yes, My Prince.” The kings guard states.

The walk to your room was a few minutes. When Aemond arrived, he saw your mother standing outside your chambers. “What happened to her? Is she alright?” Your mother asks. “She drank multiple pitchers of wine. She needs lots of rest.” “Very well. I trust that she is in good hands.” “Lady Ria,” Aemond calls when she turns to walk back to her chambers.

“When I found Y/N. Prince Ivan was in the room with her when she was like this.” She looks to Y/N sound asleep in his arms. “What did he do?” “Nothing thankfully. His hand was on her thigh when I got there. And that was the last thing he did.” “Good. Is he hidden?” “No, I left him in the library. I asked Cole to take care of it.”

“That’s not necessary. I can do it.” “Are you sure?” “He was going to do harm my daughter. It’s the least I can do.” He nods before holding you in one hand and opening the door to your chambers with the other.

He gently laid you down and turned to leave, not wanting any thoughts to invade his mind. Not to harm you, of course. He wanted to hold you and keep you safe. But it wasn’t his place anymore. “Stay,” you murmured. Aemond looks over his shoulder at you and you were wiping your eyes of sleep.

“What did you say?” He had to make sure he wasn’t hearing things or if his own desires were speaking to him. “Stay here with me. At least until morning, please.” Tears pricked your eyes and you sniffled a moment. You were starting to sober up and memories were starting to make its way to the surface.

Aemond approaches the bed and sits down next to you, opening his arms for you to lay in them. You took one of his arms into your hand and cried into the crook of it. “Was he your beloved?” “Yes, but he was also my best friend. I would have invited him here with me, but he wasn’t fit to travel.” You explained with a sniffle.

“I’m sorry, Y/N.” “I’m scared to sleep because I fear that he would come back to haunt me. To tell me that he called for me and I wasn’t there for him.” You croaked. “If you want, I can watch over you while you sleep.” “Then.. you wouldn’t sleep.” “It’s alright,” you laid on your side and rested your head on the inner part of your arm.

He mimics your movements and you move closer to him. Your eyes are eager to close as you gently inhale the calming scent of his cologne. You fell asleep within minutes. The soft sounds of your snores put him at peace and he was fighting sleep throughout the night.

You had flipped to the other side and Aemond followed you, his body curling against yours while his arm draped over your chest protectively. The two of you slept in each others arms until the sun came up. Aemond woke up before you did but couldn’t bring himself to pull away from you.

He laid there for an hour, watching your sleeping form until you woke up. Groaning with a pounding headache, you brought hand up to wipe your eyes when you noticed a weight. You relax when you notice it was Aemond’s arm over you. “You stayed,” “You asked me to,”

Turning around in his arms, you held his gaze for a moment. “What do you remember about last night?” He asks. “I remember drinking.. a lot in the library. Someone came into the library but I wasn’t sure who it was. By then I was too far gone. I thought it was you.” “It was Prince Ivan,”

“The creep from the ball?” “Yes,” “What did he do?” “Nothing. His hand touched your thigh and I.. lost it. I killed him.” “You would kill for me?” “I think of things I wouldn’t do for you, and I fall short of one.”

“Then why did you do it all those years ago?” You ask, sitting up in the bed. “Because I was a fool and listened to Aegon. He told me that you accepted a proposal from a suitor. A Stark. Said that you wanted someone with two functioning eyes and lots of wealth.” “After all the years you’ve known me, you actually believed that?”

“I.. believed it because I agreed with it. I wasn’t good enough for you so you found someone else.” “Aemond, you were everything to me. There are men with two eyes that are half the man you are. I didn’t care if you owned a castle or a small farm house, I wanted you. I was willing to give everything to you, and you broke me.”

“I’m sorry-“ “So this was Aegon’s doing, you say?” Aemond hummed in response. “Seems to me that he was envious of our relationship,” “He admitted to me a year after the incident. Said there was nothing more in the world that he wanted than for a woman to care for him like you did me. If he couldn’t have it, neither could I.”

“The woman didn’t mean anything. I just needed something to distract me from the pain I was feeling. I’m sorry, Y/N.” he adds, clearing his throat as he stands from the bed. “Aemond,” you caught his hand and he freezes. He sits back down and looks at you tentatively.

“May I?” You motioned to his eye patch and he hesitates for a moment. He unclasps the belt of his eye patch and removes it from his face. His gaze remained on his lap, his head turned away from you. You slid closer to him, gently lifting his chin so he looked at you.

“You changed you gem,” you said with a smile and you felt his body relax at your touch. “Do you like it?” He asks softly. “Between you and me? I loved the ruby.” He sighs when you rubbed the apple of his cheek. “Thank you, Aemond.”

You pressed a kiss to his lips. He was stunned at your advances. This seemed like a dream to him. “I should run a bath. I smell like wine and depression.” You joked, standing from the bed. Your cheeks felt warm with embarrassment. Your intrusive thoughts took over for a moment and now you opened up a new can of worms you may or may not be ready for.

You advance toward the door until you felt a hand take hold of your arm. As you turned, he held your face and captured your lips in a slow kiss. His lips caressed your own and fire burned beneath your skin the longer you kissed him. You pulled away from him and looked up at him. “God, I don’t know why I’m doing this.” You confessed, he rests his forehead against yours.

“I-I should go,” “If that’s what you want,” you held each others gaze for a long while, neither of you moved an inch.

“There you are. I was just about to send a guard for you.” Alicent says when you emerged through the door. Aemond sits at the far left of the table next to his mother and Aegon. He arrived about ten minutes before you did so it didn’t seem suspicious.

“My apologies for my tardiness, your Grace.” “There’s no worry. It’s completely understandable, dearest. My condolences on the loss of your friend.” She says and you give her a nod. You caught the gaze of your mother and she stood when you approached her. “I’m so sorry, Mom. I didn’t mean what I said.”

You wrapped your arms around her and she rubbed comforting circles on your back. “I know, darling. I know.” “Are you okay?” She adds when she pulled away. “Yeah, I’m fine.” You sat down next to her and pushed in your chair.

You looked up and made eye contact with Aemond for the first time since you entered the room. You held eye contact long enough to raise Aegon’s suspicion. He looks between you a little shocked. Your mother hands you some fresh bread and fruit.

“So, Y/N, did you find any suitors at the courting ball?” Alicent asks. “I’m afraid not, your Grace. They weren’t.. intriguing. I tend to like someone with a little more edge.” “Yes, she does.” Your mother confirms. “So what, you like someone similar to Aegon?” Alicent teases. “Wrong brother,” you said, making Alicent pause.

“You’re reacquainted, lovely. Told you it would work.” She says to Ria. Your mouth fell open. “You knew?” “Of course we knew. You couldn’t keep your eyes off each other. Nor your hands.” You pressed your lips together and met Aemond’s gaze again.

“Oh gods be good, sit next to each other already.” “Go on,” she adds when you hesitate. Aemond stands from his chair and slides into the chair on your left side. He takes your hand into his and kissed the back of your hand tenderly. You let out a breath when he rests your intertwined hands in his lap.

#aemond targaryen x black reader #black!reader #hotd imagine #aemond targaryen

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kaunis-sielu · 1 year

Text

Frozen: State Hockey

“Hey Mom, do we have another ticket for State?” You ask as you pack your suitcase to head home. High school state hockey tournament has been a family tradition for over 30 years at this point and you’re really hoping to bring Thor. You’d love for him to meet your family, or most of it, and for them to meet him.

“Yea, for all three days why?“

“I’d like to bring my boyfriend.” You tell her and you’re met with silence on the other end.

“Your, you’re dating someone?” She asks sounding surprised, which is fair because you haven’t really talked about Thor to your family. They could be a bit, much, sometimes.

“Yea, we’ve kept it pretty quiet but I’d like to bring him if that’s okay.”

“We’d love that. Can he get a plane ticket that quickly?”

“He should be able to.” You won’t tell her that you’d already bought tickets for both of you and that if there hadn’t been a ticket for him you’d have figured it out when you got there.

Thor picks you up the next morning far too early but you’d wanted to take the early flight and get home so you didn’t have to rush directly to the games.

It’s an uneventful flight, you’d been a little irritated that Thor had secretly upgraded your tickets to first class but you can’t deny that it’s more comfortable, especially for him and his long ass legs. You’d played a couple rounds of cribbage then curled up next to him to sleep.

When you’d landed you’d texted your older sister to let her know you’d be out soon, Diana and her husband Bruce were letting you and Thor stay with them so you didn’t have to stay at your parents. She meets you at the pick up with a big hug and then she sees who your boyfriend is.

“Holy shit.” She whispers, “you’re dating Thor Odinson?”

“Yes. Be cool.” You hiss back and she laughs,

“I’m always cool.” She says with smile then she reaches a hand out for Thor. “Hi I’m Diana, Moxie’s much more fun older sister.” You roll your eyes and Thor chuckles.

“It’s a pleasure. I’m Thor Odinson.”

“Alright let’s go before someone gets pissed we’re taking too long.” You say popping open the trunk and shoving your smaller bag inside. Thor grabs your suitcase before you have a chance to and puts it in the trunk before doing his too.

The ride to Diana and Bruce’s is comfortable, Thor had insisted on sitting in the back so you could chat with Diana but you make sure he’s involved in the conversation.

Bruce isn’t fazed by Thor at all. But being a billionaire since birth has granted him the opportunity to know other professional athletes and celebrities. You hang out, have dinner then head for bed.

“So,” Thor says as you get ready for bed, “were you going to tell me your brother in law is Bruce Wayne?”

“Nah, I also didn’t tell my family that my boyfriend is Thor Odinson.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re more than just your famous name.” You tell him with a shrug and he curls a hand around the back of your head pulling your lips to his.

“That,” he mutters, “may be the sexiest thing you’ve ever said to me.” You laugh softly then click off the light and snuggle in next to him.

You leave right away in the morning for family breakfast. It’s always at the hotel that’s across the street from the arena. Your mom’s brain seems to freeze when she sees and recognizes Thor. But your family, luckily, doesn’t make a huge deal about him.

“This is strange.” Thor says as you walk into the arena through the front doors, “I’ve never come in this way.”

“No player entrance for you.” You tell him with a smile. He’s holding your hand, one of the first times you’ve done so in a public place like this. A couple of younger fans recognize who he is and if they approach quietly Thor gives them an autograph or a photo but if they’re obnoxious about it he declines.

Your family has a box now, Bruce had thrown some money at the tournament a few years back and you’re grateful for it because it allows Thor to relax a bit and really enjoy the games. Your family always picks teams to cheer for, you like to do the underdogs while Diana does the team with the stats on them. Thor picks based off of the first half of the first period which proves to be an effective strategy.

On the last night, with the third place and championship game you decide to go to the Golden Puck, a sit down restaurant in the arena, with Thor to eat. You go to the bathroom and on your way back you’re stopped,

“Well, well, wondered if I’d see you here.”

“Excuse me, you’re in my way.” You say to Carl you don’t want to deal with him.

“Yea? Well I’m talking to you.”

“Give it a rest Carl. I’m not interested in dealing with your bullshit.” You tell him looking past him and making eye contact with Thor whose eyes darken as he stands up. “You should probably move, Thor looks pissed.”

“I don’t give a fuck. You owe me-,”

“She doesn’t owe you shit.” Thor’s voice is low and tight, “now, move out of her way before you cause a scene.” Thor says stepping into Carl’s way and ushering you past the two of them.

“Oh, so I see how it is.” Carl sneers, “you’re a little Puck slut.” You grab Thor’s hand you don’t want him to get into trouble with Carl.

“Let’s go. Let’s go.” You murmur and thankfully Thor doesn’t fight you. Instead, he curls an arm around your shoulders and leads you down a hallway.

“You okay?” He asks you quietly and you nod.

“I hate him so much.” You bury your face in his chest and Thor wraps his arms around you. “We were having such a good weekend.”

“I still am. I’m not going to let that ass ruin the good time. Please don’t let him ruin yours either.” You take a deep breath and nod then step away from him,

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For having my back, sticking up for me and knowing what to say to get me out of my head.”

“Moxie that’s what a good partner does. That’s just in the description.” He tells you kissing you softly.

“How are you even real.” You whisper and he laughs.

“I made mistakes in my marriage to Sif. I’ve learned from them and they’ve made me a better man.” You rest your head against his chest and sigh softly.

“Oh my god. We didn’t pay!” You cry pulling away from Thor suddenly and he laughs softly.

“I left more than enough on the table Kattunge.” You blink at him then and he presses a soft kiss to the side of your head as he slips his fingers between yours.

“Thank you.”

“You have nothing to thank me for.”

“I meant for dinner.”

“I meant you have nothing to thank me for.” He repeats with a smile pressing a kiss to the back of your hand.

You head back to the box where Diana is scowling and Bruce looks annoyed and has an ice pack on his hand.

“What happened?”

“Carl came by. Wouldn’t leave so Bruce punched him in the face and security escorted him out.”

“Wish I’d punched him in the face.” Thor grumbles, “Moxie wouldn’t let me.”

“He’s going to sue Bruce so I’m glad you didn’t.” You tell Thor and Bruce grins at you.

“He can’t sue me. Diana goaded him, he pushed me. It was self defense. I have cameras.” He says smirking over at you.

“Oh my god.”

“How long has he been harassing you?” Diana asks and when you give a noncommittal shrug Thor answers for you,

“Every time he sees her since the start of the season.”

“That needs to stop.”

“He hasn’t threatened me, he’s just an asshole. Can we stop talking about this? I want to enjoy the championship game.” Diana opens her mouth to argue but when she sees the look on your face she closes it and sighs.

You don’t talk about Carl again. Thank god. Thor ends up winning the family pool, much to both Bruce and Diana’s disappointment but you’re thrilled. Bruce has won the last two years and you’re so glad that he can’t brag for another year.

“I expect to see the trophy at Thor’s in less than a week.” You tell Bruce as you walk out of the arena.

“Trophy?” Thor asks and you grin up at him.

“Trophy.”

“Fine. Leave your address and I’ll send it.” Bruce grumbles and you laugh softly. When you get back to the house you go to bed, Thor wraps his arm around your waist and slides you flush against him.

“Thank you for inviting me. I had a great time.”

“I’m glad. I’m happy you could come.” You whisper back. Thor presses a soft kiss to your nose and you laugh. “I think you missed.”

“A rarity.” He teases and you hum softly, “let’s see if I can do better this time.” He says before pressing a kiss to your lips.

Much better.

🏒🏒🏒

This is a series of one shots. If you have any suggestions or ideas for Thor and Moxie please let me know.

Tag list:

@foxyjwls007 @andahugaroundtheneck @also-fangirlinsweden @pagina16ps @princesssterek @valsworldofcreativity @dumblani @inkedaztec @loving-life-my-way @animegirlgeeky @shinycupcakebaker @eralen @sophham @gh0stgurl @wonderlandfandomkingdom @killcomet @abschaffer2 @sass-masterkittenmama

#thor au #thor x reader #hockey player au #hockey player!thor #hockey player!thor x reader #hockey player Thor odinson #avengers #sidelines universe

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a-few-of-my-favorite-mangas · 5 months

Text

I’d Rather Have a Cat than a Harem!

Reincarnated into the World of an Otome Game as a Cat-loving Villainess Volume 1-2 (Complete)

by Kosuzu Kobato

Story ★★★

Summary

Cats Are Better Than Harems! I’ve been reincarnated into the world of an otome game, and… What? My mom did, too? Even my dad and my older brother? Meet Amy, the daughter of the Earl of Northland. Her entire family has been reincarnated as the aristocratic Northland family. In an attempt to amicably remove herself as a candidate for the Third Prince’s fiancée (which would certainly cement her position as the game’s villainess), Amy has taken drastic measures—eating tons of food and just enjoying life (at her mother’s suggestion). With this reincarnation, Amy has been given a precious second chance at life, and this time, nothing—not even an otome game—is going to stop her from fulfilling her dream… Amy wants a cat!

Review

This was a rather cute light novel, the series is mostly a fluff series... a lot of cute, wholesome moments, with nice and cute characters and cute animals. (I mean is that the cutest fluffy cat you have ever seen on the covers?) The first volume is mostly Amy (10 years old) realizing that she was reincarnated into an otome game along with her family (contrived? Yes, but just go with it as it really doesn't play a huge role). Her father is an Earl, so that makes her high ranking enough to be considered a future bride candidate for the third prince (Edward, 13yo). Amy recollects that he looks like a prince in an otome game that she used to play, and if the clichés prove true, she was most likely the game's villianess.

Her mother tells Amy not to worry too much, that there was no otome game rules controlling them, and that they can pursue whatever they want in their new lives. But if she wanted to avoid the 'prince' route, she should fatten up a little to become less appealing to the prince, as the fashion was for slim, tall figures (damn, she is 10!! LOL). Of course as is also typical of this genre, this doesn't really deter the prince, as she is still quite cute and adorable even after a little fattening up... even more so as she is so fixated on cats (and animals in general) and not marrying him that of course he finds refreshing!

Amy has always wanted pets, especially a cat, but severe allergies in her past life prevented her from having one. Amy's love of cats and animals in general is seen as cute and endearing to all those she meets and gives the impression of a kind and sweet girl who would make a wonderful partner for any noble gentlemen and she starts to gains the attention of several potential future suitors and make a few friends.

Honestly she is almost too cute, it might turn some off her character, but if you don't mind high-amounts of sugar sweetness and lots and lots of pet play and talk you might like this.

Volume 02

Summary

Juggling Cats and Romance Amy Northland has been making the most of her time at school as a fourteen-year-old noblewoman. But as her school year plays out, she suddenly finds that her relationships with her friends—and with Edward—are changing little by little. As she juggles living with her cat Tigger and helping local veterinarians heal sick and wounded animals, Amy becomes even more determined to be true to herself, no matter the cost. But all bets are off when all the otome game characters finally come together at the triennial tournament!

Skips ahead in the story a few years and Amy life of pets and friends continues. Amy continues to charm everyone, grow her healing magic, and of course more and more cute animals... and perhaps starts to feel the fluttering of love.

Both volumes are also available in audiobook, didn't listen to them, but might be nice alternative to the novels. I have listened to the So I'm a Spider, So What? audiobooks and enjoyed them a lot, looking forward to the next volume (where the anime cut off)! I really love that LN are getting audiobooks, it is much easier to listen to an audiobook, then finding the time to read a LN casually. I just don't have as much time to sit and read so many of them, I really have to want to read them (ie the story is worth it) to keep up with a LN series these days.

update: listened to the first volume and it was so cute!! the voice actor was great, really made this story a much more enjoyable experience.

#I’d Rather Have a Cat than a Harem!#Fantasy World #Slice of Life #Reincarnation #Friendship #Romance

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hot-take-tournament · 10 months

Text

it's finally time to close the book on this

HOT TAKE TOURNAMENT:

SHOWDOWN AT HIGH NOON (#15)

Submissions 8, 24, 28, 33, 88, 98, 213, 261, 272, 280

IS PINEAPPLE ON PIZZA GOOD?

[ALL PROPAGANDA UNDER THE CUT]

Then we never have to talk about this again.

Pre-preliminaries will be used to determine what qualifies as a hot take. Propaganda is encouraged!

Also, remember to reblog your favourite polls for exposure! (exposure like when your exposed to deadly radiation)

YES:

(24)

Pinapple [sic] belongs on pizza.

There are many dishes that mix sweet and savory. Cheese and fruit as found on charcuterie boards is a prime example. What else mixes fruit and cheese? That’s right. Pineapple pizza. The salty savoriness of the cheese blends perfectly with the cooked pineapple, which is less tart than raw fruit. Add bacon, canadian bacon, or chicken for extra deliciousness. You either like pineapple on pizza or you’re a coward.

(28)

Pineapple on pizza is not only good, it’s the best pizza topping there is

Sweet and savory is a godly flavor combo. It hits all the notes at once. It provides the acid and the sweetness to an otherwise very heavy dish

(33)

Adding to the last one I sent [about milk before cereal], "pineapple does not belong on pizza" people are also annoying as fuck

I don't even like pineapple but it's the only pizza my best friend will tolerate and I'm tired of people calling her a freak for it

(98)

Pineapple on pizza is fine.

I work in a pizza place & have to see absolutely fucking horrific monstrosities that people call pizza. Here’s a list of things worse than pineapple that I’ve seen on pizza: any topping that people ask for “extra extra” of (like mushrooms or spinach), fish, nacho cheese sauce, & a mix of beans and salsa

(213)

Pineapple on pizza is fine.

It's not mana from heaven or anything but it's not bad either. The flavors balance out pretty well.

(261)

PINEAPPLE ON PIZZA IS AMAZING!!!

it tastes good and pepperoni fans are just mean to us pineapple on pizza likers.

YES, but –

(272)

i like pineapple on pizza. the ham is the problem

listen i can do meat on pizza. but ham AND pineapple? no. something about that feels unholy. so i pick off the ham so i can enjoy my pineapple pizza. also i am allergic to pineapple. but we persevere

(280)

pineapple pizza is good in america

the sweet and savory combination is just… ough. but most native italian people don’t like the idea of pineapple pizza. why? the answer comes in the difference in tomatoes in italy and the united states. in america, tomatoes are very sour and savory, so pineapple can really do a pizza some favors. however, italian tomatoes, while still savory and tart, are very sweet. putting pineapple on an italian pizza would just be redundant.

(8)

I think people need to stop being so angry about Pineapple on Pizza. Weather [sic] you like it or not isn't a big deal

If we're supposed to 'respect other's opinions' then why do pizza toppings need to start a war? It's really pointless.

(oh... um... sorry dude. guess i'm not helping, am i)

NO:

(88)

pineapple on pizza should be outlawed

disgusting. crime against perfectly good pizza.

i’m RIGHT., i will FIGHT YOU, 🍍+🍕= 🚮

(266)

Pineapple should not be on pizza.

Fruit allergiers, particularly pineapple allergies, are steadily on the rise and this topping will legit kill someone if there's not at least some proper storage.

I work in a pizza place, and have been working with pizza for years. There is NO proper storage for pineapple at most pizza places. It comes from a can and the juice gets on every surface. Same with 90% of other toppings.

If you have a friend who is allergic to pineapple, do not recommend pizza for dinner during hang outs. Opt for anything else.

Pineapple should not be on pizza. The hell fruit should stay out of pizza kitchens.

#hot take tournament #tumblr tournament #tournament poll #tumblr bracket #tumblr poll #unpopular opinion #hot take #hot takes #pineapple #pizza #pineapple on pizza #pre preliminary

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purrincess-chat · 1 year

Text

Under the Moth’s Wing CH6: Lady Wifi

April Fools! The joke is I don’t have anymore of this story ready after this chapter, so this is all you guys get for now. Also Ladrien in Adrinette April? ;) Anyway, I’ve been busy, so I haven’t had much time to write or work on this one, but I promise I’ll be getting back to it soon! Until then enjoy this update ;)

Read on AO3

Chapter 6

“Hey, bugheads! Alya here with another update on Paris’s new superheroine! Our girl has done it again, defeating Stormy Weather earlier this afternoon. I wasn’t able to get much footage because I was stuck under ice, but I haven’t given up on our mission to find out who the girl under the mask really is. None of my current theories have much evidence, so one thing is for sure: Ladybug is seriously good at keeping her identity a secret, but that won’t stop me from investigating! I’ll keep you guys updated. Bye for now, bugheads. Don’t forget to stay connected!”

Adrien dimmed the screen on his phone at the dining table, and his father sipped his coffee pensively.

“Alya is really interested in finding out Ladybug’s identity. I think she could lead us to her,” he said.

“Excellent work, Adrien. I think you’re right, this girl could prove valuable to our cause.” His father smirked, the closest expression to a smile his father was capable of in Adrien’s experience. “Keep an eye on her, and let me know if she finds anything.”

“Yes, Father.”

School was like any other day, and Adrien was finally starting to get into the routine. He greeted various classmates as he passed them on the way to the locker room. Marinette was standing by her locker with her back to him, and he ran his fingers down the soft yarn of his new scarf with a smile.

“Hey,” he called as he approached. Nino got onto him about sneaking up on people, so he’d been making more of an effort to announce himself.

Marinette turned to him, with a cheery smile, though her eyes widened like she was still startled to see him. Drat. He’d have to work harder.

“Hi, Adri-you! You-drien! Ad-you. Hey, hi. What’s down? I mean, what’s going up?” She slapped a palm to her forehead with a sigh.

“Uh…” Adrien tilted his head to the side. Maybe shouting wasn’t the best way to announce himself. He’d clearly made her flustered. “I just wanted to come thank you for my new scarf and wish you luck in the tournament.”

“Oh! Yeah, right. The scarf. You’re so welcome. I mean, it wasn’t any trouble at all.” She giggled. “Does this mean you like it?”

“I love it!” He placed a hand on her shoulder. “No one’s ever made me a gift like this before. I’m just really glad we put our differences aside, and I hope we can become good friends from now on.”

“Me too!” Marinette squeaked.

The bell rang, and Adrien gestured for Marinette to walk with him to class. She offered him a stiff smile and fell into step beside him. Silence stretched between them as they crossed the courtyard, but rather than the hostility Adrien had grown accustomed to with Marinette, this felt more… awkward. Like neither of them knew what to say after being enemies for the first three weeks of knowing each other. Adrien tried not to let it get to him as they made it to class. After all, his friendship with Nino had started off slow too. They’d get there eventually.

Mlle. Bustier’s class was interesting, although literature wasn’t his favorite subject. Adrien surprised himself with how much he enjoyed school, even outside of getting to make new friends. All of the material came quickly to him, and he was consistently one of the highest grades in the class after Max — a fact he used as evidence when proving to his father that letting him go to public school was a good idea.

Midway through a lecture about Shakespeare, Adrien’s phone buzzed in his pocket. With a quick glance up at his teacher to ensure he wouldn’t get caught, Adrien spared a glance at the text.

I’ve akumatized a disgruntled office worker uptown. Stay put and keep an eye on the girl with the blog.

Adrien tucked his phone away with a sigh. At least his father sent a warning text this time, but there was no way he could sneak out of school and make it uptown in time to see Ladybug. Oh well. If Alya managed to learn her identity, Adrien could just ask her out in person.

Everyone’s phones buzzed with an akuma alert — a new emergency broadcast the police had come up with after the Stoneheart incident. Mlle. Bustier instructed everyone to remain calm as the threat was nowhere near the school.

“Mlle. Bustier!” Marinette’s hand shot up. “Can I use the restroom?”

“Yes, but hurry back.” Mlle. Bustier gave a permitting nod, and Marinette darted for the door.

Adrien leaned against his fist as Mlle. Bustier resumed her lesson, the rest of which was uneventful. The akuma threat stayed across town, never giving the school a reason to lockdown, and much to Adrien’s dismay, he never saw Ladybug.

When the bell rang to signal the end of the period, Mlle. Bustier quirked a brow at Marinette’s abandoned backpack.

“Alya, can you make sure Marinette gets her bag back?” she asked.

Alya’s eyes furrowed as she gathered her friend’s belongings and slung the pink bag over her other shoulder.

Adrien tailed her up the hall, keeping enough distance to not seem suspicious. She was watching news footage on her phone as she crossed the courtyard toward the locker room, but she made no moves to sneak out to get in on the action.

The day wore on, but Alya stayed put, shifting from class to class with Marinette’s abandoned bag in tow. Where had she gone anyway? Was her bathroom trip really that much of an emergency? Adrien shrugged it off, seeing as Marinette wasn’t his target, and he really didn’t want to know what she was up to in the bathroom.

After their final class, Adrien followed Alya back to the locker room with a sigh. Nothing exciting happened after all, and he missed seeing Ladybug too! Maybe the whole Ladyblog thing was a bust.

Alya stopped short, ducking behind a row of lockers, so Adrien did the same a few rows down. She peeked around the side to the next row, but Adrien was too far away to see what she was spying on. Or who she was spying on. After a few minutes, she paced swiftly back up the room toward the door, and Adrien fumbled to act natural, though Alya paid him no mind. He waited a few seconds, then followed.

By the time Adrien made it out of the locker room, Alya had already sprinted across the courtyard and up the stairs to the exit. Adrien jogged after her, making it out in time to see her dragging Nino down the steps to the banks of the Seine. His eyes narrowed, but he pursued them quietly.

“You absolutely cannot tell anyone what I’m about to tell you!” Alya was saying when Adrien paused on the stairs above their bench to listen.

“What are you talking about? I have to go pick up my little brother,” Nino said, sounding annoyed.

“My sisters go to the same preschool as your brother, they’ll be fine.” Adrien could picture Alya’s eye roll. “What I’m about to tell you is the biggest scoop.”

Nino sighed. “Fine, but make it quick.”

“I know who Ladybug is!”

What?

“Whoa, no cap?” Nino gasped, a phrase Adrien still couldn’t decipher. “Who is it?”

Alya got quiet for a few moments, and Adrien strained to listen.

“Pfft, yeah right!” Nino’s laughter echoed up the canal. “You really think Chloe Bourgeois has an altruistic bone in her body?”

“Shh!” Alya hissed. “Look, I saw her stuffing Ladybug stuff into her schoolbag in the locker room. What better cover for a superhero than pretending to be a spoiled brat? No one would suspect her!”

“Yeah, because she’s not pretending. Seriously, there’s no way Chloe is Ladybug,” Nino said.

“You don’t know! I’ll prove it!” Alya shot back.

Adrien rolled his eyes and crept back up the stairs. Some journalist she was. First of all, Ladybug was a radiant goddess, and Chloe was… Chloe. Secondly, Ladybug and Chloe were both at the Eiffel Tower when Stoneheart attacked, so there was no physical way it could be her — a fact Adrien remained grateful for. Alya really was a dead end.

Heading back into the school to prepare for his fencing practice, Adrien clicked the phone icon next to his father’s name. He answered on the second ring.

“I take it since you’re calling that you’ve found something?”

A hello would have been nice, but Adrien was used to his father’s curtness.

“Not exactly. Alya thinks Chloe is Ladybug, but that’s not even possible! I’m sorry she wasn’t more useful, Father.” He lowered his gaze, bracing for the scorning.

“Hmm.” His father hummed. “We may still be able to use this to our advantage.”

“Really? How?” Adrien blinked.

“Ladybug is highly esteemed by this girl. She will be disappointed to learn that her idol isn’t who she thought she would be,” his father said. “She will make excellent prey for my akuma. We just need to be patient.”

“I’m glad I could help?” Adrien smiled, still confused, but happy his father wasn’t angry. “I’ve got fencing now, but will I see you at dinner?”

“I have to be prepared in the instance that Chloe proves disappointing. I need to be ready to capitalize on this girl’s negative emotions,” he said.

“Oh.” His shoulders slumped. “That’s okay. Maybe next time.”

His father hung up, and Adrien tucked his phone back into his bag with a sigh. At least something good was going to come from his efforts. Maybe if they brought his mom back, his father would have meals with him again. It was a nice thought anyway.

The next day, Adrien sat back as Alya crept after Chloe into the locker room, dragging a reluctant Nino with her. An akumatized Alya would likely mean a chance to see Ladybug for him, though Adrien did feel a little guilty for setting Alya up. But only a little. He might have made friends with Marinette, but he hadn’t crossed that bridge with Alya yet.

Speaking of, he hadn’t seen Marinette since she left for the bathroom the previous day. Hopefully she was okay. One thing he hadn’t thought about with public school was how often everyone got sick — a fate he’d managed to escape so far. Maybe he’d get her a get well gift when she got back to school. That was acceptable for friends to do, right?

The bell rang, and Adrien headed to class, though Alya was pointedly missing when Mlle. Bustier shut the door. Chloe strutted in with a smirk, so he could only assume that everything was going exactly according to his father’s plan. Nino’s slumped shoulders seemed to confirm the worst as he slipped onto the bench beside Adrien. With a deep breath, Adrien tuned into the lecture, figuring it wouldn’t be long until Alya interrupted.

A few minutes into class, Marinette crept through the door and into her seat quietly. She seemed to be feeling better when she leaned down to tap Nino’s shoulder.

“Where’s Alya?” she whispered.

“She got suspended.”

“What?” Marinette shot up with a gasp.

Mlle. Bustier stopped her lecture and turned to them with a frown. “Marinette, if you’re going to come in late, at least do so quietly.”

“Sorry.” She waited thirty seconds before tapping Nino again. “What happened?”

“She got caught digging through Chloe’s locker because she thinks Chloe might be Ladybug.” Nino rolled his eyes.

“What?” Marinette gasped again.

Mlle. Bustier turned around again with a steely glare. “Marinette, if you interrupt my lecture again, I’m going to send you to the-”

“Hello, people of Paris! Lady Wifi here bringing you the scoop of a lifetime.” The overhead projector sprang to life on its own, and scarlet eyes glared back at them behind a black mask. Lady Wifi spun the chair next to her around to reveal a cowering M. Damocles. “Why don’t you tell us the real story? Is it true you suspended a girl named Alya earlier for no good reason?”

“I did.” He shrank away from her.

“So, you admit that you were biased?”

“I was.” He frowned.

“I thought so.” A purple beam shot out of Lady Wifi’s phone screen, a pause symbol stopping M. Damocles in his tracks. “I’ve got an even bigger scoop for all of you coming very soon. Stay tuned as I unmask Ladybug!”

The broadcast ended, and Adrien’s classmates huddled together in fear. Even Mlle. Bustier seemed shaken.

“Alya…” Marinette glanced at the empty seat beside her, face sinking.

Adrien shifted his weight, his phone weighing heavy in his pocket. He’d known it was coming, but seeing his classmates tremble in fear still made his stomach twist in knots. As much as he enjoyed seeing Ladybug, he really hoped Lady Wifi succeeded in unmasking her, so they could put an end to this nightmare.

“Stay calm, everyone.” Mlle. Bustier clapped her hands. “Ladybug will get this all sorted out soon. Go home until the all clear texts are sent.”

Adrien hung back from the crowd, retrieving his phone from his pocket.

School was dismissed. How can I help?

He retrieved his books from his locker while he awaited a reply. Halfway up the courtyard, his phone buzzed.

Lady Wifi will be targeting Chloe Bourgeois. Head to the Grand Paris and make sure she succeeds in unmasking Ladybug.

Adrien smiled, tucking his phone back into his pocket. His father didn’t have to tell him twice. He’d happily throw himself in front of Ladybug any day. If all went well, he’d know her identity, and if they played their cards right, she didn’t have to know he and his father were the ones that took her Miraculous. He could totally still ask her out.

The hotel was suspiciously empty when Adrien arrived. There wasn’t even a receptionist at the front desk, which could only mean the akuma was close if everyone was hiding. Adrien took the stairs, but halfway up to Chloe’s floor, he heard commotion coming from the dining room. Cracking the door, he peeked into the room where Ladybug was tussling with Lady Wifi.

Smartphones were scattered around on every table, and Lady Wifi was using them to bounce around the room. Frustrated, Ladybug smashed each one, forcing Lady Wifi to face her one-on-one.

Adrien slipped through the door, pressing himself against the wall to watch their fight, ready to swoop in to comfort Ladybug the moment she lost, but his cover was blown when Lady Wifi sent her flying across the room. She landed at his feet, the shock in her eyes melting into a glare.

“What are you doing here? It’s dangerous, go home!” she growled.

Adrien helped her to her feet. “I thought I could help. What do you need me to do?”

“I need you to get out of here!” Ladybug spun her yoyo in front of them, deflecting a shot from Lady Wifi. Pushing him behind the bar, she tossed the cash register at Lady Wifi.

“But I’ve helped in the past! We make a pretty good team, don’t you think?” Adrien flexed.

“Look, I’m really sorry, but without superpowers, you’re too much of a liability. I’m not looking for a sidekick, so please, get out of he-”

Lady Wifi charged in, catching Ladybug in her brief moment of distraction. The two exchanged kicks and jabs, but Lady Wifi drove Ladybug back, launching her into the kitchen and locking the door. When Lady Wifi disappeared in a flash of light, Adrien raced for the door, but it wasn’t budging. Remembering when he and Chloe would play in the hotel halls as kids, Adrien recalled there was a dumbwaiter they used to ride down to the kitchen to sneak desserts and darted for the stairs. It was a much tighter squeeze than he remembered, but the dumbwaiter held out as he descended into darkness.

“-why won’t it come off?” Lady Wifi growled as Adrien drew closer.

“Uh, because it’s magic,” Ladybug said.

Adrien’s lift buzzed loudly when he landed, drawing attention to him as he toppled out. The alarm was new, and probably a direct result of his childhood escapades.

“Oh, look. Your little boyfriend came to rescue you,” Lady Wifi cooed.

“He’s not my boyfriend!”

Ouch. Technically true, but ouch.

“Ya know, for a girl that loves superheroes, you sure had no qualms joining the enemy to fight against her. I think you’re a fake fan.” Adrien crossed his arms over his chest.

“You- What?” Lady Wifi faltered, clutching her head.

Ladybug used the opportunity to kick the phone from her grasp. It slid across the room, freeing her arms from their locks. Lady Wifi scrambled after her phone with a growl, flicking her scarlet gaze between Adrien and Ladybug.

Adrien braced as she charged for him, attempting to dodge her fist, but her foot collided with his stomach, knocking him winded onto the cold floor of the freezer. He rolled over with a wheeze as the door slammed shut and crawled to his feet.

“Why don’t you prove to all of us that you’re the real deal, Ladybug? Let’s see you save your little boyfriend, hero,” Lady Wifi said.

Adrien tried the handle, but the door wouldn’t budge. Cold pricked his skin, trailing goosebumps up his arms. He huddled down into the warmth of Marinette’s scarf, rubbing his arms. He’d never appreciated his new friends more.

“Adrien?” Ladybug beat on the door. “I’m going to get you out of there.”

“Yeah, n-no p-problem. I’ll just chill in here.” Literally.

“Lucky Charm!”

Wait, she was really going to waste her lucky charm on him? That had to mean she was into him, right? She was worried about him getting hurt earlier… The thought warmed him up quick.

“You’re all about to get the scoop of a lifetime!” Adrien’s phone sprang to life in his pocket, Lady Wifi’s broadcast taking over every screen in Paris. The image shifted to the scene of Ladybug scrambling around the kitchen with a red and black spotted box. “We all look up to her, but can we really trust her if we don’t know who she is? In just a few short minutes, she’ll transform back, and all of Paris will know what she’s been hiding!”

Pots and pans clanked on the other side of the door as Ladybug shoved things out of the way. She heaved the microwave onto a cart and placed her lucky charm inside. Plugging it into the outlet outside the freezer, she shoved the cart against the door and turned the microwave on.

Of course! The microwaves would jam the signal to the lock on the door. His lady was so smart, but why was she using it to free him when she could use it to escape the kitchen and take down Lady Wifi? Saving him was a waste of time! Not that he should complain. If she lost, it was a win for them, and his heart skipped knowing she desperately wanted to save him. All in all, his plan to ask her out when all was said and done looked really promising.

The microwave blew on the other side of the door, and Adrien pocketed his phone before she ripped open the door and pulled him out. He collapsed into her arms, nuzzling into her warmth. It was dramatic, but after being locked in a freezer for two whole minutes, he deserved to be snuggled by a beautiful superheroine.

“Are you okay?” Ladybug held him close, rubbing his arms.

Adrien would have savored it more, but the scent of burnt plastic and smoke from the busted microwave in the corner was ruining their moment. Her red and black spotted box lay abandoned on the floor, having fallen out of the microwave when it exploded.

“You used your lucky charm to save me. Why?” Adrien frowned.

“Well, I can’t have my favorite little sidekick freezing to death.” She brushed his nose with the tip of her finger and smiled. ]

His cheeks burned hot, pushing out any traces of cold left in his body. That was a statement he’d be dissecting for hours later.

“Thank you. You really are a hero,” Adrien said.

Ladybug stood up, helping him to his feet, and surveyed the room. The doors were still locked by Lady Wifi’s magic, and with the microwave busted, they weren’t getting out that way any time soon. She touched a hand to her earrings when they beeped and pursed her lips.

“After I defeat Lady Wifi, the doors should open.” She retrieved her lucky charm and crawled into the dumbwaiter. “Please, stay out of trouble. I really mean it this time.”

“I’ll do my best,” Adrien said. He pressed the button on the dumbwaiter and sent her up, rubbing his palms on his jeans.

The camera icon in the corner disappeared, and Adrien retrieved his phone from the freezer, a live feed broadcasting their battle on the roof. Lady Wifi was likely planning to stall Ladybug until her timer ran out, so it would behoove him to stay put until she won. As far as his father was concerned, getting her to waste her lucky charm saving him to start her timer was a valiant effort toward their cause, even if it wasn’t his original intention. But Ladybug chose to save him even though it set her back. The least he could do was return the favor. Comatose mother in need of magical earrings or not, Adrien owed her.

Adrien zoomed in on the wifi box on the roof and pursed his lips. Helping Ladybug was risky, especially being openly broadcast to everyone in Paris — including his villainous father who was counting on him to make sure she lost. He’d think of an excuse later. Right now, his future wife needed him.

Adrien crawled back into the dumbwaiter, lifting out the same way he’d come in. The pool deck had been abruptly abandoned when the akuma broke out as all of Paris moved indoors to avoid getting caught in the crossfire. Only a crazy person would willingly throw themselves in the middle of a battle between two girls with superpowers, but Adrien had always read that love made people do crazy things. So, as Lady Wifi’s camera followed their action on the other side of the pool, he grabbed an abandoned drink from a table and climbed up to pour it on the wifi box.

With the signal around the hotel jammed, Lady Wifi’s powers evaporated, and Ladybug kicked the phone from her hands, smashing it with her yoyo to reveal a black butterfly.

Adrien climbed down as she captured the akuma, slipping into the stairwell while her back was turned. He retreated down to the restaurant, blowing a sigh through his lips. Hopefully his father didn’t see him actively betraying their mission by helping Ladybug. Something told him his father wouldn’t understand Adrien’s life-for-a-life philosophy.

Ladybug’s magical ladybugs swarmed the dining room, fixing all of the damage. They even swirled around Adrien, removing the ache from his ribs where Lady Wifi kicked him — a strange sensation Adrien couldn’t even begin to describe. The lady of the hour emerged from the stairwell, stopping short when she saw him. Relief flooded her expression, bringing back the warmth to Adrien’s cheeks. Why did she have to be so gorgeous and concerned for him?

“I see you figured everything out in the end,” Adrien said.

Ladybug approached him, crossing her arms over her chest. “I know it was you that fried the wifi signal. I couldn’t have defeated her without your help.”

“Well, to be fair, it was my fault you used up your lucky charm.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “And I was really touched when you chose to save me instead of chasing after Lady Wifi.”

“I wouldn’t have to save you so much if you weren’t always throwing yourself into dangerous situations, ya know.” Ladybug chided. Her earrings beeped again, and she glanced around frantically. “I’m about to change back.”

“Here.” Adrien pulled open the janitorial closet.

She rushed in without a second thought, trusting him so easily. Pink light flashed through the cracks, and Adrien’s hand hesitated on the handle. He could open the door and figure out her identity. He could bring it home to his father like a trophy. They’d be one step closer to waking his mother up. But as his fingers slipped from the handle, legs carrying him down the stairs and out to the sidewalk, he couldn’t bring himself to regret the decision.

Ladybug trusted him, and even though he’d have to betray her eventually, he wanted to enjoy the double agent gig for a little while longer. Why did she have to look so beautiful in the dim restaurant lighting? His enemy being the most gorgeous woman in the world was the real crime. The way her mask furrowed over her blue eyes when she was worried about him was to die for. And something told him death wasn’t off the table as he headed home to his father.

Dinner was ready when he arrived home, and to his surprise, his father was already seated in the dining room. He instinctively straightened, taking his normal seat at the opposite end of the table. Was his father dining with him because he did something right or because he knew Adrien helped Ladybug escape again? The silence was deafening.

“So…” Adrien cleared his throat. “We were really close this time.”

“Yes.” His father nodded. “Great work. Baiting out her lucky charm was an excellent idea. I’m proud of the lengths you went to on this mission.”

“Oh.” Adrien perked up. “Yeah, totally. That was my plan all along.”

“I know I was hard on you, but getting your mother back is important to me. I want our family to be whole again. I’m sure you understand,” his father said.

Adrien straightened. “I do, Father. I’ll keep working hard to help you in any way that I can.”

“Thank you, Adrien. I can’t do this without you.”

Adrien bit back a smile, taking a sip of his tea as their staff brought out the first course. Everything worked out in the end. His father didn’t know he helped Ladybug win or that he gave up a chance to learn her identity. Ladybug thought of him as a trusted ally, which meant he would definitely be seeing her more in the future. If Adrien played his cards right, he could get everything he wanted. His mom, the girl of his dreams, his father’s regard…

Adrien’s heart skipped. For the first time since they started, Adrien felt like everything was going to be okay. His skin still crawled at the thought of hurting people, but if they got their wish, they’d set everything right in the end. Until then, he’d keep working hard to help his father. After all, it was the first time he’d ever told Adrien he was proud of him.

#miraculous ladybug #ladrien #ladybug #adrien agreste #my writing #under the moth's wing #enemies au #not so enemies au

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akindofmagictoo · 1 year

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19 + 62 for any WIP that you have been missing?

I'll reblog this with #19 later, but I've done #62 for now :)

62: "I've been thinking about you"

here is some Sierra and Isi getting to know each other, and being competitive because they might not have spent their whole childhoods together but they are absolutely still sisters

“I’ve been thinking about you.” Isi folded her arms over the fence to the archery range. Sierra jumped and let go of her bowstring. Her nocked arrow flew wide and embedded itself in the ground several feet to the left of the target. “Shit, you scared me.” She checked over the bow, then looked up. “Hi. What?” “I’ve been thinking about you. I haven’t seen you in a while, and I miss you.” “Oh. I… I miss you too, I guess.” Sierra set her bow to one side. “Were you busy again?” “Yes, I know, I work too much.” She was trying to get better at it, to work and still make sure she spent time with all the people who loved her, but there was a lot that needed doing and she was used to having to do it all as soon as possible. “When did you learn to shoot?” Many from the Islands were hunters, but they largely hunted sea creatures, so the bow and arrow wasn’t a common weapon. “I dunno, I was like… twelve? It was a number of years after you left, and it was just a hobby. Old Helen got me into it, she had a spare bow lying around and thought I might enjoy it, and she was right. I loved it. Just enough to do that I can actually focus.” Sierra glanced at the arrow still stuck in the ground near the target. The target itself had a good six arrows clustered around the bullseye. “Other apprenticeships didn’t really do it for me. I was just bouncing around between things, and Helen thought she could at least find something to keep me occupied, then work up to some sort of trade. But she always had odd jobs that needed doing, so did the others up by that hill, so I spent most of my time doing those.” Isi smiled. That sounded very like Sierra, or at least the Sierra she’d known as a child and the Sierra she knew now. “Did your fancy knight people teach you to shoot?” “We covered it briefly when I was a trainee, but I always gravitated towards sword and staff. And I haven’t picked up a bow since, except when I’ve worked with Robin on archery.” “Best of three?” Sierra picked up her bow and held it out. “You will win.” Isi didn’t doubt she had the strength for archery, but three shots was an awfully short space of time to revive her muscle memory and ability to aim. Sierra grinned broadly. “I know.” Isi unfolded her arms. “Can I have any test shots?” “One.” Sierra’s grin turned to a gentle glare of reproach. “You don’t need it. You’re good at everything.” “I am not.” “Then let me have this.” Isi vaulted the fence in one smooth motion. “Very well. I accept your challenge and vow to see it through.” “Oh, fuck off with your fancy knight words.” Sierra rolled her eyes. “But, like, stay here and lose to me first.” “Whatever you wish,” said Isi, sticking to the most formal of tournament language she could muster. It had been some time since she participated in a knights’ tournament, since they were mostly something for squires to do in their downtime. Sierra shoved the bow into Isi’s chest. “Shut up and take your test shot.” Isi grinned.

thanks for sending this!

send me a prompt and a WIP and get a drabble!

#ask game #drabble prompts ask game #zoe answers asks #wip dragonsong #dragonsong isi #dragonsong sierra

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the-al-chemist · 1 year

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Artemis Hexley: The Wilderness Years

Chapter 5: Luck of the Irish

A/N: Having won four tickets in a raffle, Artemis goes with her friends to the Quidditch World Cup, where they encounter some familiar faces. OCs referenced in this chapter belong to @lifeofkaze, @kc-and-co, @thatravenpuffwitch and @drinkyoursoupbitch. Warnings: some borderline NSFW jokes.

On the morning of the Quidditch World Cup final, Artemis, Tonks, and Chiara travelled down from London to Dartmoor, making a pit-stop at a small town in East Devon, on the edge of which a tall, higgledy-piggledy house stood in the middle of a yard surrounded by orchards.

“Oh, girls! It’s just lovely to see you!” exclaimed the plump, red-haired witch who opened the door to them. “Bill and Charlie are in the kitchen. Come on in, you’re just in time for breakfast.”

Bill and Charlie Weasley’s mother Molly ushered the girls through to the kitchen, where her two oldest sons were eating crumpets and drinking tea. Artemis hugged Charlie from behind on her way to the empty seat next to Bill, who reached over and ruffled her hair as she sat down.

“Long time, no see,” he said. “How are things with you, Little One?”

“Not bad,” replied Artemis. She frowned at him. Poking out from his long red hair was an earring shaped like a fang. “Have you pierced your ear?”

“So observant.”

“Don’t you get me started on that earring!” Mrs Weasley huffed as she used her wand to set three more places at the breakfast table. “Honestly, why such a handsome boy would decide to poke a great big hole in his ear-”

“It’s a tiny hole, mum.”

“A hole is a hole, William!”

Bill said nothing, but he smirked and cocked one of his eyebrows, and next to Artemis, Tonks choked on her tea.

“Where’s Percy?” Charlie asked, looking around suddenly. “Did he decide to get the early Portkey with dad and Mr Diggory?”

“No, dear. I think he’s just making sure that he’s got everything sorted for work so he can enjoy the weekend,” said Molly. She turned and smiled at the three girls. “Percy’s just started in the Department of International Magical Co-Operation. We’re very proud of him.”

Bill made a coughing noise that sounded suspiciously like the words ‘favourite child’. His mother ignored him as she continued:

“But, then, you must know that, Artemis. He’s been helping Mr Crouch with the Triwizard Tournament.”

Charlie tilted his head. “I thought that was supposed to be a secret.”

“Me too!”

“So did I!”

“That’s funny,” said Bill. He grinned at Artemis. “Well done, Little One. You’ve officially made this the worst kept secret at the Ministry of Magic.”

“It’s not my fault. Well, not entirely my fault,” Artemis retorted through a mouthful of crumpet. “I’m not the only one who’s been telling people, and I’ve not actually told that many people, either.”

“You did tell Penny, though,” murmured Chiara.

“No I didn’t.”

“Didn’t you?��

“Obviously not.”

“Oh. My bad,” Tonks said with a grimace. “I assumed you’d told her, so…”

“Why would I tell Penny if it’s meant to be a secret? I’m not stupid.” Artemis rolled her eyes. “No, I only told you four, Ros, Kingsley, and my uncle. And Chester, of course.”

Mrs Weasley placed her cutlery down.

“Yes, of course,” she said, turning her full attention to Artemis, who shrunk back in her chair. “I’ve been looking forward to hearing about this new boyfriend of yours.”

“I mean, he isn’t that new anymore. We’ve been seeing each other since February or March, I think.”

“Really?” Tonks’ eyes widened in faux-innocence. “I thought you started seeing quite a lot of each other in January.”

Thankfully, Tonks’ comment bypassed Mrs Weasley entirely, for she continued to ask questions as if she hadn’t heard her.

“And? What is he like? What does he do? What does his family do? Is he nice to you?”

Artemis had to work to remember what Mrs Weasley’s questions were as she answered them.

“Um, well, he’s quite tall and very clever, he likes books and music, and he’s hard-working and sensible.”

“Sensible is good. I always think that there’s something to be said for sensible.”

“He does something in the Council of Magical Law. They don’t call it training, but it’s basically training, and he plays the piano. His mum and dad are both Healers and his brother is still at Hogwarts. I think he’s in Fred and George’s year,” Artemis said. That was almost all of the questions answered, but what was the last one? “Oh, yeah. Yeah, he’s very nice to me.”

“Oh, that is good,” said Mrs Weasley, sounding almost relieved. She turned to Tonks and Chiara. “What about you two? Any boyfriends?” Both of them shook their heads, and Mrs Weasley frowned. “What about that funny boy, Chiara? Charlie’s friend, I can’t remember his name.”

“Jae?” Chiara shook her head and smiled half-heartedly. “No, we broke up over a year ago.”

“Oh. Oh dear. That is a shame,” Mrs Weasley sighed and patted Chiara’s hand. “But girls, remember, if you’re struggling with your love life - you too, Artemis, if anything should happen with you and Chester - you know where I am.”

“Thanks, Molly.”

“I have a lot of sons. There’s more than enough for all of you.”

“Mum, what the-”

“For Godric’s sake, mother…”

“Language, William!” Molly tutted loudly. “And there’s no need to look at me like that, either. You know, when your father was twenty-three, he was married with two children.”

“That’s because Dad happened to meet the love of his life when the two of you were about thirteen or fourteen,” said Bill. “I, on the other hand-”

“Meet the new love of your life every few months?” Artemis asked. She flashed a mischeivous grin at Charlie, who almost smirked, and Bill pulled a face at her.

“Shall we talk about something else?” he asked loudly. “Who are you all wanting to win later?”

“Ireland, obviously,” said Chiara, her accent more pronounced than usual, and Bill inclined his head at her.

“Of course, sorry. Stupid question. Is it just the three of you going?”

“No, we’re meeting Penny and Andre there. Penny’s been with her family in Cornwall this week so she’ll be coming from that direction, and Andre’s been there since Wednesday. He managed to bag tickets to both semi-finals, too.”

“Lucky guy,” said Charlie. “Apparently loads of people missed out on getting any tickets at all.”

“Not you boys, though,” Mrs Weasley beamed. “You were very lucky indeed. Arthur managed to get tickets for all of them in the top box! He was just given them at work, fancy that!”

Artemis made a non-committal noise, and Tonks groaned loudly.

“I’m so jealous,” she said. “It’s your fault, Artemis. You got my hopes up with our tickets.”

“What happened with your tickets?”

“I got confused about what seats we had,” Artemis said quickly.

“She thought we had ten seats in the top box when we actually only had four in the cheap stands.”

“Blimey, Artemis,” laughed Bill. “How did you manage to get that confused?”

“The seats all had numbers on. You know I’m bad with numbers. Pass me the marmalade.”

Bill carried on laughing at Artemis’ expense as he reached over to pass a jar to her, apparently oblivious to the peculiar way Charlie was now looking at her. Artemis avoided eye contact and started to spoon marmalade onto a crumpet. She was only halfway through eating it when Bill and Charlie’s younger brother - and one of Molly Weasley’s many sons - Percy burst into the kitchen, looking rather flustered.

“Are you still having breakfast?” he asked. “You know Dad is making us food when we get there, don’t you?”

“Exactly. Dad’s making it.”

“So?”

“So it might not be edible.”

“Yeah, you might want to stock up now while you still can.”

“There’s no time,” Percy tutted. “We need to go now, or we might not get through the security checks in time.”

“We should probably go, too,” said Chiara. “We can’t really leave Penny to sort out the tent by herself, especially as we aren’t supposed to use magic with the Muggles around.”

“She’s got Andre with her, hasn’t she?”

“Andre barely handled the idea of camping, I think asking him to actually put up the tent might send him over the edge,” Artemis muttered. “Come on, let’s get there and enjoy it.”

Mrs Weasley declined their offers of helping to tidy up the kitchen, but she insisted on giving them a small picnic basket full of food for lunch and a hug each before they left the house. Once they were outside, Artemis heard Charlie’s voice whisper in her ear:

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“You know what,” he said, his voice still so low that only she could hear him. Before she could reply, he was already a couple of feet away from her.

“Everyone ready?” Bill asked. “Well, then. Quidditch World Cup, here we come!”

The six of them Apparated to a narrow lane that led to a small cottage with a gate. Beyond it, a large field extended up a rolling hill, filled with hundreds upon hundreds of colourful tents. The sounds of cheering and chanting and several different overlapping songs could be heard, and far off in the distance someone was setting off fireworks. Artemis smiled, her heart lifting and racing with excitement and anticipation.

Mr Weasley and Penny had already arrived and paid Mr Roberts, the Muggle owner of the field, for their tent pitches. Having taken directions from Mr Roberts, the Weasley boys and the no-longer-Hufflepuff girls parted ways.

To Chiara’s relief, the girls’ pitch was in the middle of the Ireland supporters’ part of the campsite, and on their way through the maze of tents they bumped into several people they recognised: former school Quidditch commentator Murphy McNully was there with his grandmother, his new wife Katriona and some of Artemis’ old teammates, Orion, Skye, and Lizzie; her friend and one-time boyfriend Barnaby Lee was with his fiancée Ellie and her family; and Tonks swore blind that she spotted Donaghan Tremlett from the Weird Sisters sharing a cigarette with one of his bandmates. Eventually, having disentangled themselves from several conversations and spirited hugs, they found Andre Egwu lounging in a deckchair with his feet on top of a large suitcase and flicking through the latest edition of Starkers? Bizarre! magazine while Penny sat cross-legged on the ground, a partly-erected tent in front of her.

“Not a bad effort, Pen,” said Tonks. “These two thought you’d never manage without us.”

“That isn’t what we said.”

“Oh, it’s okay. I was in the Brownies, so it’s not the first time I’ve put a tent up.” Artemis wasn’t sure what brownies had to do with tents, but she nodded as if what Penny said made sense. Penny got up and hugged the others before looking down at her tent and admitting, “Though I wouldn’t mind a little help. Andre can’t because he had a manicure on Tuesday.”

Andre held up one of his hands, the fingernails of which were incredibly neat and shiny-looking.

“Also, I wanted to rent a quaint little holiday cottage in one of the nearby villages,” he said. “The tent was your idea, you can put it up.”

“Hang on,” said Artemis, wrinkling her nose. “You’ve been here three nights already. Where’ve you been sleeping until now?”

“A gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell, darling.”

Andre returned his attention to his magazine, and the girls finished putting up the tent without his help. By the time they had finished moving their sleeping bags, rucksacks, and Andre’s suitcase inside, adorned their faces with green and gold glitter, and eaten the picnic lunch Mrs Weasley had packed for them, it was almost time for them to make their way to the stadium. Luckily, they allowed themselves plenty of extra time for the journey, for as their walk took them deeper into the camp, they encountered even more acquaintances - mainly Penny’s - who all stopped to make small talk with them, and as they neared the woods that held the stadium, they found many stands and stalls selling different kinds of trinkets and merchandise.

“Now, this is what I’m talking about,” said Andre, and he promptly sauntered off to look at boutique Quidditch jerseys.

“Oh, look! Omnioculars!” Tonks pointed at a nearby stall. “I want some.”

“They’re ten Galleons a pair, Tonks.”

“So? We’re going to need them now that we’re not in the top box.”

“They’ll probably have some cheaper further on,” reasoned Penny, before Artemis had the chance to respond.

Penny’s prediction was soon proved to be correct, for not long after, they saw a stall selling Omnioculars for only three Galleons a pair.

“That’s a bit suspicious, don’t you think?” Artemis said, narrowing her eyes at the stall, where a dark-haired wizard was serving a witch wearing a red jumper with the name ‘Krum’ emblazoned on the back of it.

“Come on, before that Bulgarian supporter buys the lot of them!”

Tonks grabbed Artemis’ arm and half-dragged her to the stall. As they approached it, Artemis recognised the wizard selling the cheap Omnioculars.

“Tonks, maybe we should go somewhere else…”

But it was too late to go elsewhere, because as bad luck would have it, the wizard had seen them, too. He laughed out loud.

“Fancy seeing you here, Hex!” he called out, and Artemis and Tonks shared nervous glances. “What can I get for you two witches?”

“Let’s just buy the omnioculars quickly and leave before Chiara gets here,” whispered Tonks. She raised her voice again. “Wotcher, Jae. How much discount can we get if we buy five of those Omnioculars?”

“Buy four, get the fifth for free, and just because it’s you, I’ll throw in a free keyring. Even without the keyring, twelve Galleons isn’t half bad for five; matey over there is doing them for a tenner a pair.”

“Are his better than these ones, then?” Artemis asked, and Jae shook his head.

“Nah, he’s just ripping people off. Thank you, madam,” he said to the Bulgarian supporter, who handed him six Galleons and took two pairs of omnioculars. Once she had left, he leaned across the counter and began to speak with his voice lowered. “Okay, honestly? Yeah, these are just cheap knock offs. I’m not saying that they’re bad, but if it’s real quality you’re after, you need to get the proper ones.”

Tonks nodded. “Got it. So, how much difference in quality are we talking?”

“There you are!” Penny’s voice cut Jae off before he could answer. “You took off so quickly we didn’t see where you went. Did you find… Oh.”

Her blue eyes widened at the sight of Jae, and she bit her lip as she turned around to look at Chiara, whose face was a passive mask. Her eyes, however, were filled with so many emotions that Artemis’ head spun to look at them.

“Chiara,” said Jae, his salesman-like persona dropping like a tail from a newt. “It’s, er… How are you?”

“I’m well, thank you. How are things with you?”

“Yeah. Yeah, great. I was just… What was I saying? Oh, yeah. Quality. Let’s put it this way, the higher end Omnioculars will set you back a hefty sum, but they’ll probably last you for the whole of the next league season.”

“And these?”

“I mean, they’ll see you to the end of this match.” Jae scratched the end of his nose. “Providing Krum catches the Snitch relatively quickly, that is.”

One of Chiara’s pale eyebrows quirked slightly, and Jae looked down at the floor. Tonks cleared her throat loudly.

“Yeah, I’ll probably invest in some for next season. Thanks for the advice though,” she said. “Chiara, do you remember where the other ones were? I’ve forgotten.”

“We’ll get some drinks and meet you at the stadium,” Penny called after them as they rushed away. She smiled politely at Jae. “Lovely to see you. I do hope you’re keeping well.”

Jae said nothing, just shrugged his shoulders and started to rearrange the knock-off Omnioculars. Penny and Artemis left him to it.

“Oh dear,” Penny sighed, as they queued at a nearby stall selling self-refilling pint glasses, “I hope Chiara won’t be upset now. This was meant to be a fun night for us, I hate to think of it being ruined for her like that.”

“It’s been over a year since they broke up, she’s probably not that upset,” replied Artemis, though having seen the look in Chiara’s eyes minutes before, she doubted whether what she was saying was true.

“Yes, I suppose so. Do you know why they broke up? She never actually told me.”

“She never really told me either. She just said that trust was a bit of an issue.”

“Well, that would make sense. Jae’s lovely, but he can be a little dodgy sometimes. Just look at what he was selling just now. Also, Barnaby told me that Wendy mentioned at work that Ben found out…”

Artemis quickly zoned out, not really interested in whatever gossip Penny had found out about Jae Kim. She was more concerned about Chiara, and even more than that, excited about the match, which would soon be beginning. By the time she and Penny had bought their drinks, walked the lantern-lit path through the woods to the enormous stadium, and found their friends, they were able to take their seats just as the game was about to begin. Artemis felt her skin prickle with anticipation as the magically amplified voice of Ludo Bagman boomed across the pitch from the direction of the top box, even louder than the thousand-strong crowd:

“Welcome to the final of the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup!”

#artemis hexley #chiara lobosca #nymphadora tonks #bill weasley #charlie weasley #molly weasley #percy weasley #andre egwu #jae kim #harry potter fanfiction #goblet of fire #quidditch world cup #golden era fic #hphm fic

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tellthemeerkatsitsfine · 4 months

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I'm still trying to not drink alcohol. It is difficult. Writing things down about it is helping. Posting them makes me feel a bit better even if no one reads them. TW for alcohol problems. Regular posting about radio shows from 2015 will resume shortly.

What’s up, everyone? I am not drinking in January, and I am not enjoying that. Honestly, it continues to be harder than I’d expected. I think I thought it wouldn’t be that bad because I went down to once or twice a week pretty easily. I was drinking too often during the pandemic years, and also during the ten or so years before that. I’d think I was doing pretty well if I only got drunk on one weekday in a week, and then again on the weekend. Usually it would be more like two or three or four times in the week.

Pre-COVID, I wouldn’t hesitate to drink when I had to work or go to school or coach tournaments the next day. But that changed during COVIDtimes, when I stopped being used to doing stuff in person. I got so anxious about whether I’d be able to get through the day during an in-person job at all, I can’t risk making it even harder for myself by adding a hangover, so I never have even one drink if I’m working any time the next day. So when I started working full time in person halfway through 2022, I quickly went from being able to drink any time to only being able to do it on Friday and Saturday nights.

I thought that might be difficult, but it wasn’t really. I mean, the transition to working full time in person was really, really difficult. I think that was so difficult that it shut out everything else. During the week, I was so busy worrying about whether the next day would be the one when trying to keep up social interactions all day would be too much and I’d have a panic attack while on the job and get fired, that I didn’t really think about wanting a drink. I just thought about getting through the day, how to eat enough and sleep enough to make that happen.

But I think that made the drinking on weekends even more important, as I get so very stressed during the week and then rely on being able to drink a bunch of whiskey at the end of it to relax and calm down and then feel reset and able to do the next week. Which I didn’t realize until I tried to give it up. I thought, at the end of December, that if it was not big deal for me to give up alcohol five days a week, it might be annoying but not that much harder to give it up just two more days.

That has not been my experience, as I do a second weekend in a row without alcohol, and yes obviously I am aware that if going two weeks without alcohol is this difficult then that is a sign of a problem. I keep reading and hearing things about how giving up drinking makes you feel better, but I’ve had the opposite effect so far. Last weekend I felt like I never properly relaxed, and then last week at work was even harder due to not having relaxed before it, and now it’s happening again. It’s not great. I realize this won’t get better until I find some other way of decompressing, but I’m not coming up with much.

I have tried going for several runs on the used treadmill that I recently bought and put in my basement, and those are nice, but then they end. What else do people do to relax when they’re being mentally healthy and not just locking themselves in their bedroom listening to old comedy recordings all the time? I guess socialize, but my entire social life is tied to a sport that I have stepped back from and hearing stories about it just makes me depressed about how I’ve stepped back from it, and the only thing I do with those friends besides talk about the sport is drink (well, we drink and talk about the sport and watch videos of it and play music). I’ve just moved in with my best friend, which is great, but he’s gone all weekend coaching a tournament and just texted me to ask if I want to have a drink when he gets back and I had to remind him that I already told him I’m not drinking in January.

I did tell him I’m doing dry January, I didn’t mention that it’s sort of meant to be the beginning of me trying to cut back significantly on drinking. It’s hard to tell people that, because then I’ll have to stick to it. Even on here. I made a Tumblr post a couple of weeks ago about realizing I drink too much and wanting to try to cut back drastically and/or stop, and to be honest, I’ve started writing a post like that several times in the last six month or so, and then stopped. Because if you say it’s a problem, then you have to change something.

It doesn’t mean you have to quit immediately; lots of people admit to having a drinking problem and then don’t quit for years or ever. But it does change things. If you tell a friend you think your drinking is a problem, then drinking with that friend won’t be fun anymore, that friend will watch you drink and get concerned rather than think it’s a good time. You won’t even be able to tell that friend stories about you drinking, because they won’t find it a fun story anymore, they’ll find it worrying.

Posting on Tumblr.com is the lowest possible level of this. No one on this website has the inclination to hold me accountable for not drinking, or would have the ability to do so if they did. No one sees me in person or knows what I’m doing, I could be drinking as I write this and no one would know (I’m really, genuinely not, I have honestly not had a drink since December 30 and I will honestly keep it that way until the end of January and then I will see). But I still hesitated for months to write a post about that, because I occasionally like posting on here about beers I had at a pub, or drinking whiskey on a Saturday night and then writing a Tumblr post about how I drank some whiskey and here are some things I think about comedy. And I didn’t want to cut off the option of being able to do that and have it be fun, instead of an admission that I have failed in my efforts to stop.

Also, I wouldn’t lie on Tumblr, even though I could. I’d feel too guilty. If I were to drink in January after specifically informing Tumblr that I’m not doing that, I wouldn’t even enjoy the drinking night, I’d just feel bad about being dishonest. Which is kind of why I made the post. Even if no one else is reading it and it doesn’t matter, I know I’ve put the information out there, and therefore, I have ruined my ability to have fun while drinking in January. You will notice that I did not make any hard promises about after that, because I didn’t quite feel ready to ruin my ability to have fun while drinking forever. I’m working on it, I really am.

But I made that post at the end of December because I decided I finally wanted to be really really serious about not drinking for at least a little while, and when you’ve decided that, you get to be honest about stuff. Normally, when I’m talking about my drinking habits in general, I tend to minimize things, refer to something as “once or twice a week” when it’s more like two or three times, say I only had six beers last night and not mention all the whiskey that went alongside them, that sort of thing. Or I’ll put a divide between social drinking and drinking alone – that’s a good way to lie to others and/or myself. If I drink with friends on weekends and at pubs after practice a couple of times a week, I figure I’m fine because I’m only drinking as much as they are. Not considering that after they get home from the pub they go to bed and after I get home from the pub I drink a bunch more by myself, and also I’m drinking by myself on other nights. Or I’ll say I’m doing okay because I only had one drinking night a week for the last while, in which I define “drinking night” as drinking a bunch of beer and whiskey alone in my bedroom while watching videos and listening to music, and I do not count the several times that I drank with friends.

Because you can’t admit how much you’re actually drinking until you’ve decided to cut back. “I drink this much, it’s way too much, I’m trying to stop” is a reasonable thing to say. “I drink this much, I know it’s probably too much but I really really like it so I’m going to keep doing it” is not something you can say. So I guess the advantage of deciding to cut back is I get to be honest about how much I was doing, instead of finding creative ways to minimize. The drawback is that I don’t get to have alcohol and I really really like alcohol. And once you’ve been honest, you can’t take it back. You can’t say “actually I’m drinking and it’s all fine now”, because no one will believe you, and rightly so.

The point is that I told Tumblr I think I have a drinking problem and want to try to stop, and I’m going to use dry January as a first step toward that and then see where I can go from there. While I told my friend/new roommate that I’m going to not drink in January, and I didn’t tell him more than that. Because he actually could keep me accountable, and I don’t want to have someone holding me to a promise to never drink again yet.

I’m trying to figure out if there’s some way I can do something besides quit completely forever, and have it not be unhealthy. I genuinely don’t know. I do think the month off from it is going to help in some way (it fucking has to, right? Because I’m really not feeling those promised benefits yet, I’m just more anxious). If nothing else, it’ll reset my tolerance a bit. If I could come out of this being able to get to a level of drunk that feels relaxing off significantly less alcohol than that used to require, then maybe I could keep that up? I did try that last year and it didn’t really work, but I didn’t go a month without drinking last year.

I made that post about my drinking habits a couple of weeks ago, and I kept referencing comedians’ way of talking about alcohol to explain what I mean. Because obviously you shouldn’t take major life advice from comedians, but also, hearing from them does sometimes help in really concrete ways. I’ve Googled signs that you have a drinking problem before, and it’s all stuff about how you know it’s a problem when you drive drunk (something I’ve never done and would never, ever do) or disappoint your children (I haven’t got any) or get fired from your job (I’ve gone into work hungover before, but never still drunk, and not even hungover anymore). It kind of helps to hear comedians talk about their “realizing they drink too much” stories, and those stories sound a lot more like my own experiences (just having too much in a pub or in a hotel while traveling or in your own house, hating yourself and getting paranoid about whether you were a terrible person the next morning), and I figure if they could have those experiences and think they have a problem, then maybe drinking can be a problem even if you don’t crash a car or anything.

Which brings me back to John Robins and Elis James, again. They have this ironic catchphrase “Keep it sessions” (the irony being that they’re self-aware of it sounding like a sort of bro catchphrase, though it also about something they genuinely do so it might not be all that ironic), which refers to John Robins’ preference for drinking session ale, which is beer that’s less than 5 percent. Because that way you can have more drinks before the point where you start drinking and the point where you get too drunk to keep going. So it sounds like a good way to engage in responsible drinking, and then turns out to just be an excuse to drink as much as possible.

I haven’t actually employed the method of drinking beer that’s less than 5 percent before, because that sounds a bit terrible, but I have done similar things. I remember in about 2019, explaining that to a friend of mine. I talked to him about the nights I spend drinking by myself in my bedroom, watching videos from my sport, and I find it fun to play a game where I drink for every point scored (this is a sport where several points get scored every minute, it’s not, like, soccer). I said I really like the game but have started taking smaller sips each time so I can play it for longer and do more matches. And said I was considering buying less strong beer so I could have more drinks in a night.

And he didn’t understand that. This is a guy who’d been my drinking buddy for ages, he liked alcohol quite a bit, I’d assumed in the same way I did. He certainly understood the idea of wanting to be able to get more drunk throughout a night, in a way that could be achieved by having stronger alcohol. But he didn’t see why I would be motivated to find a way to take more drinks – like literally take more sips of alcohol – between the beginning and the end of the night. And I remember that conversation making me realize there was a difference between what I got out of alcohol and what he did. I like the feeling of being drunk, but not just that. I like the psychosomatic experience of taking a sip of alcohol and feeling like I’m doing something that’ll make the world go away a bit. I like the feeling of whiskey burning in my throat and my chest for a few seconds after it goes down. I like the ritual, I like verbally (if I’m with others) or mentally (on my own) toasting to something or someone before I take a drink. I’d like to do that more times throughout a night, and my friend had no interest in it. He was in it for things like the pleasant buzzed feeling and the taste of craft beer.

So it is interesting to me, to hear that John Robins, when he was my age (I’m currently into the late 2015 episodes, when he was 33, as I am now), had the same idea that I did, trying to find ways to take more drinks throughout a night. And the way he talks about his drinking rules reminds me of the way I plan my own drinking as well. The rule about not starting before or after a certain time and then doing it right in the way you’ve perfectly worked out will maximize what you’re looking for.

I don't suppose there's a way to do the "keep it sessions" thing that that's actually healthy? Like drink low-percentage stuff while having a low tolerance, possibly achieved by not drinking at all for a month, and then you get to have the ritual of taking a bunch of drinks throughout the night and enjoy yourself, but you don't need to drink massive amounts of it just to get drunk?

I did look back last week and was a bit distressed to think of just how much time in the last few years I’ve spent trying to set everything up perfectly to have drinking go the way I want. Oh, and to avoid those next mornings where I become convinced that I behaved terribly and hate myself for it, even though my way of avoiding it involved drinking when my roommate wasn’t home and always using headphones so I couldn’t bother the neighbours and not letting myself message anyone, so I couldn’t have behaved terrible in front of anyone, but I’d still have the feeling that I’d done something horribly wrong that I should feel guilty about. I guess the lack of anxiety hangovers is one advantage of not drinking that I’m getting now? Kind of. I now just have a sort of low-level anxiety all weekend instead, I’m not sure that’s better.

I had all these other comedy references in this post I made a couple of weeks ago, but the one comedian quote that has gone through my mind over and over and over today is that Ed Night one where he said he doesn't understand how sober people just wake up every single morning and say "I'm going to experience the world exactly as it is today, with no modifications at all."

I was hoping I'd reach some sort of conclusion or point with this post, but I don't have one. Well, maybe a bit. Part of the ritual of drinking for me, part of the thing that I spent way too much time and energy setting up beforehand to make sure it all went just right, is having a night where I can spend some hours just drinking alcohol and listening to my favourite music and re-watching my favourite videos (used to be sports, these days it's always comedy). I have a folder on my computer specifically for comedy that's only funny when I'm drunk, or at least much funnier when I'm drunk (there a fair bit of Frankie Boyle-era Mock the Week in there, some Amstell-era Buzzcocks, Nathan Barley). And I'll write things down about it, save it in the Word document and usually use a "write drunk, edit sober" policy for turning it into a Tumblr post (though occasionally, I do go with a "write drunk, post while still drunk" policy). I've thought that maybe I can try to recreate that sort of ritual without the alcohol. Maybe I'll do that. If I start posting a bunch of indefensible Frankie Boyle quotes in the next little while, you'll know why.

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