#caution yap ahead

[mochi-kitty]

I wish they talked about this more

That’s all.. (except the tags lol)

[woniedarlin]

He listens while you yap

pairings: boyfriend! enhypen x reader | listener x yapper trope

caution: be prepared for their randomness (•‿•)

author's note: This is my first time trying something like this, and I thought, why not switch things up? If you enjoyed it and want more like this, just let me know! Happy reading!

permanent tag list: @sol3chu @chlorinecake @13tter @jung1w0n

HEESEUNG

You explained an article you found earlier and made an especially interesting point. “So, apparently, there’s this theory about how—wait, are you even listening?” you paused mid-sentence then glancing up at Heeseung.

He was just staring at you the entire time.

“Am I talking too much?” you asked, feeling embarrassed. Was he bored? You might have been talking for hours...well, you were.

“I’m sorry,” you added. Feeling guilty.

Heeseung tilted his head slightly. His lips formed a gentle smile that quickly made you feel comfortable. “No, not at all. I’m just listening,” he said gently. “You always have the most interesting things to say.”

You blinked. For a moment, you were caught off guard by his words.. “Really? Because I’m pretty sure I’m just rambling about random stuff half the time.”

He chuckled softly while shaking his head. “Not to me. You make even the most ordinary things sound extraordinary. Like you’re breathing life into them.”

“Come on, that’s a bit much,” you teased though you were shy with his words.

He shook his head slowly. “It’s not. You could talk about the lifespan of jellyfish, and I’d still want to hear every word.”

You laughed. “Seriously? Jellyfish?”

“Yup,” he said with a grin. Heeseung’s eyes crinkling at the corners. “I don’t think you realize how much I enjoy hearing you talk.”

You looked at him for a moment. Your laughter turned into a warmer feeling. “You always know how to make me feel special, right?”

Heeseung smiled more. “I’m just telling the truth. You’re the one who makes everything feel special.”

Your heart swelled at his words, and you couldn’t help but grin. “You’re too good at this, you know. No wonder everyone’s always talking about how sweet you are.”

He lightly shrugged. “Only for you.”

JAY

You plopped down next to Jay on the couch, “Last night, I dreamed I was a bottle of ketchup,” you said, not even glancing at him.

Jay didn’t even look up from what he was doing, though you knew he was listening. “Oh?”

“Yeah. And you were mustard. Which is weird because you’re usually mayonnaise in my dreams.” You said it matter-of-factly.

Jay glanced over at you and gave a small smile. Your boyfriend didn’t even question it anymore.

“Mhm. We were sitting on a picnic table, minding our own business,” you continued, staring blankly ahead. “Then this kid comes over, grabs you, and squeezes you all over a hot dog.”

“Of course,” Jay muttered, his smile still there.

“And then they grabbed me and put me on french fries,” you said, your voice now lighter. “But even though we were on different foods, we ended up on the same plate.”

Jay gave you a soft look. “Of course you did.”

“Yup. It’s like… no matter what, we always end up together,” you said nonchalantly. “Even if we’re on different things, we’ll always end up on the same plate.”

Jay didn’t react much, just looking at you with that same fond smile. “Ketchup and mustard, huh? That’s one way to put it.”

“Yep.” You nodded as if you were completely confident in the analogy. “It’s like fate, you know?”

Jay leaned back. “Fate. Of course. You’re the ketchup, and I’m the mustard.”

“Exactly,” you said, kicking your legs a little. “I mean, I’m obviously the star of the show, but you do make a good sidekick.”

Jay laughed quietly to himself, shaking his head. “You’re the star, hm?”

“Of course,” you said, completely unfazed, “but you still belong next to me.”

“Right,” Jay replied with a small, affectionate smile. “Next to you, always.”

And just like that, he continues to look at you with the same smile as you continue to talk, absolutely in love with you.

JAKE

You were pacing around the room, hands gesturing wildly as you went off about the movie you’d just watched. “And don’t even get me started on the plot twist—like, I saw it coming from a mile away! But, still, how could they—ugh, I can’t wrap my head around it!”

Jake sat on the couch with one arm stretched across the backrest. “Go on, tell me more,” he said, his voice smooth and teasing.

“Okay, but can we talk about that scene? The main character falls—of course—and she’s like, ‘Save yourself!’” You rolled your eyes dramatically. “Like, girl, what? Just get up! Run with your friend! Why are you making it so dramatic?”

“Mhm,” he hummed, clearly holding back a laugh.

You kept going, utterly oblivious to his gaze. “I mean, realistically, if I fall, I’m grabbing your arm and dragging you down with me. We’re both going down. There’s no ‘save yourself’ moment. You’re coming with me.”

Jake chuckled, shaking his head. “Good to know.”

“And the friend?” you continued, throwing your hands up. “She’s just standing there, like, ‘Noooo!’ for too long. Like, hello? Help her up and run!”

Jake leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “You’d definitely survive in a movie.”

“Oh, absolutely,” you said, pointing at him. “I’m not wasting time with emotional goodbyes. We’re both making it out, or no one is.”

Jake grinned, his voice dropping just slightly. “So, you’d save me?”

You froze for a second before narrowing your eyes. “Obviously. I’d even ensure you didn’t trip in the first place.”

He laughed softly. “And here I was, thinking you’d be the one tripping on purpose just to get me to catch you.”

Your jaw dropped. “I would NOT!”

Jake smirked. “You totally would.”

“I’d be saving both of us!”

“You’re hot,”

You froze. “What?”

“You heard me,” he said.

Of course, he had to flirt.

You crossed your arms tighter, fighting back a smile. “Okay… what? That’s random. You’re distracting me.”

“That’s kind of my thing, isn’t it?” Jake grinned wider, tilting his head. “Admit it, baby.”

You shook your head with a sigh. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever.” But the way your heart fluttered at his words? You couldn’t deny it.

SUNGHOON

You paced around the room as you got lost in recounting the day. “And I visited my parents today! I missed them so much…it was the best.”

Finally, you stopped mid-stride and turned to face him, hands on your hips. “Okay, are you even listening? Or are you zoning out again?”

You have seen your boyfriend zoning out often, especially in the mornings. You wouldn’t be surprised if today were one of those days.

But he chuckled softly, wanting to assure you. “I’m listening. I always do.”

You tilted your head. “Even when I’m rambling about stuff that’s probably unimportant?”

“Especially then,” he said, his dimples appearing as his smile grew wider. “I like hearing you talk. It makes me happy.”

Your arms crossed, though you couldn’t fight the grin pulling at your lips. “You like when I yap on and on?”

“Not the yapping part,” Sunghoon teased. “It’s the way you’re so happy when you talk. You’re glowing, and I can’t look away.”

That made your cheeks heat up. “I’m just telling you about my day.”

“I know,” he said softly. “But you light up when you talk about the things you love. I could listen to you all day. It’s comforting.”

“Comforting?” you echoed, raising an eyebrow. Oh?

He nodded as his eyes began to soften. “Yeah. It’s like you’re letting me see a part of you no one else does.”

Your lips curved into a smile. “I never thought I’d be comforting while going on about my life.”

Sunghoon’s smile grew. “You’d be surprised.”

SUNOO

“…and I don’t even know why they didn’t just say that in the first place! Would it have been so hard? Honestly…” you trailed off, glancing at Sunoo, watching you with the softest smile.

You blinked. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Like what?” he asked, his smile widening.

“Like you’re completely entertained by my nonsense.”

“Because I am,” Sunoo admitted without hesitation. “I love it when you yap.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Yap?”

“Yeah.” He nodded. “You go off about the most random things, and I love it. It’s my favorite background noise.”

You playfully gasped. “Background noise? You’re saying I’m noise?” How dare he?!

“Sweet noise,” he corrected, grinning cheekily. “The kind I never want to tune out.”

You rolled your eyes, but there was no hiding the blush on your cheeks. “So you want me to keep going?”

Sunoo nodded eagerly. “Of course! Why do you think I never interrupt you?”

Tilting your head, suspicious. “What if I talk about like….I don’t know... talk about socks?”

He laughed softly. “You don’t realize how cute you are when you get all caught up in your little stories.”

You tried to fight the smile tugging at your lips but gave up quickly. “Fine. But you’re stuck with me talking forever.”

Sunoo’s eyes sparkled. “Lucky me.”

JUNGWON

You were sprawled on the carpet while Jungwon sat next to you, quietly listening with that ever-patient expression.

“…and I don’t get it! Why would you even bring a cat to a grocery store? What’s the cat gonna do? Pick out your produce?” You threw your hands up, exasperated. “Next thing you know, they’ll be pushing their pets in carts like it’s totally normal.”

Jungwon blinked at you. You can see his lips twitching.

You squinted. “You’re holding back a laugh, aren’t you?”

“No,” he said, lips pressed together tightly.

“Yes, you are!” You pointed at him accusingly. “You’re trying so hard not to laugh right now.”

He cracked. His shoulders shook as he let out a small giggle. But then it escalated. His hand flew to his stomach, and he was laughing so hard that he tipped backward.

“HAHAHAHAHA OH MY—AHHHH HA HA HA HA!”

You sat there, wide-eyed. “Is it that funny?”

He nodded, tears forming at the corners of his eyes as he tried to catch his breath. “It’s not even the story! It’s you! You’re so serious about the ridiculous things—AHHH HA HA AHH HAHA—I can’t!”

You crossed your arms, pouting. “I was making a valid point.”

“I know, I know!” Jungwon wheezed, wiping his eyes. “But you looked so offended! Like, personally attacked by the cat in the store.”

“Well, someone had to say it!”

Jungwon shook his head. “You’re too much.”

You huffed. “I don’t know why I put up with you.”

“Because you love me,” he teased, his laughter finally calming down.

You rolled your eyes but smiled despite yourself. “Maybe.”

“Definitely,” he said, still grinning. “Now, please. Keep going. I need another good laugh.”

NI-KI

You were going on about how your day went, and Ni-ki, leaning against the doorframe, watched you as he kept grinning. He wasn’t saying much but teasing you with every detail you mentioned. “Wow, you don’t stop talking, huh?” Ni-ki said with a smirk.

You raised an eyebrow. You do not want to back down. Especially to him. “I’m just sharing my day, okay? You don’t have to listen if it’s too much.”

“Oh, I’m listening,” Ni-ki said as he stepped forward. “I just didn’t know you had this much to say. You’ve been talking for hours, baby.”

You shot him a look, unfazed. “Oh, please. You know I talk plenty, just not to you.”

Ni-ki chuckled, pushing himself off the doorframe and walking over to you. “I think you talk to me more than you realize. You just don’t want to admit it.”

You scoffed, crossing your arms. “I don’t know about that.”

“Uh-huh. You’re giving me the full lecture today. You can’t hide it,” he teased. “And honestly, I’m enjoying it.”

You rolled your eyes, trying to act indifferent. “Of course you are; you love it when I talk.”

Ni-ki shrugged dramatically. “Guilty as charged. Your yapping is one of my favorite things. Keeps me entertained.”

You couldn’t help but laugh at how easily he could get under your skin, even with his teasing. “Well, I hope you’re ready for more because I’m not stopping anytime soon.”

“Bring it on,” Ni-ki said with a wink, clearly looking forward to hearing all of it.

[fuckedupfate]

ANGEL!READER SERIES

you're finally meeting ange . . . and you're going to meet her just the way the winchester's did so sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride - love, jade.

it was just a regular day, or as regular as it can get for the winchesters. they were driving along a road, on their way to a city where some odd behaviour has turned up. they were expecting to be at a motel soon, as they had seen a sign that did mention there was indeed a motel up ahead.

but what they weren't expecting was for a woman to walk onto the road.

okay.. odd.

but dean was quick to stop, slamming down on the breaks. of course he did. if a woman were to be walking onto a road with oncoming traffic, you would think that they were in danger, wouldn't you?

"what the—" dean mumbled, cutting himself off once he had come to a stop and the woman was coming to the driver's side window. oddly calm, for a woman who had just ran onto the road and in front of a car. just adding a whole load more weird to the pile.

dean rolls down his window as he looks at the window.

"hello." the woman said simply. calm. eerily calm. "are you.. sam and dean winchester?" she asks, her head tilting to the right ever so slightly as her eyes remain on the two men, and their eyes do the same. until they send each other a look.

"uh.. yes. why?" sam responded, and dean's hand subtly inched closer to the gun which was tucked into the back of his jeans, hidden by his shirt.

"i am to accompany you. i have some things to share." she says. still so calm and simple. though, she clearly sees the confusion and caution in both of their expressions, and their body language.

"wh—"

"i am an angel." she adds on, cutting dean off from speaking.

sam's eyes widen for a brief moment, as do dean's.

well that's just fucking great. an angel? another one? fucking hell..

"may i please get in?"

oh? now she wants to come in? fucking—

"do we have to let you?" dean says, clearly not too pleased by the fact they have, yet another, angel on their asses.

"it would be smart, yes."

her answers are always so simple. so short. so to the point. just like another angel they know of, and that same angel is, too, always on their asses.

dean sighs, looking over to sam before looking ahead of him at the road. "get in." dean says simply, and perhaps his tone is quite sharp and bitter, but can you blame him?

the angel nods, looking to her side at the backseat door and the handle. she looks confused, just staring at it for a good five seconds before she looks to dean. sam notices the confusion on her face, as does dean, but before dean can say some sort of blunt comment, sam is getting out of the car and opening the car door for her.

"thank you." she says, looking up at sam before she gets into the car.

it is silent for a few moments. dean doesn't want to speak. sam doesn't know what to say. and ange, well.. she's busy looking out the window as dean drives, taking in how things seem to pass as they drive. it's new to her, what can she say?

then, sam parts his lips, having the intention to speak.

"..so.. what's your name?" sam asks, and dean looks at the angel through the rearview mirror for a couple of moments before focusing back on the road.

"ange." the angel replies simply.

this is going to be.. great.

♱ JADE YAPS: it's the angel!reader series everyone!!!!!! i'm so, so, so excited to write more about this one, and i'm so excited that this is the series i am doing!!!!

.ᐣ TAGLIST: @littlesoulshine, @multiversefanfics

.ᐟ JOIN THE TAGLIST!

.ᐟ SEND IN REQUESTS!

♱ ; @i-mmaculatus , @brokenbard

go to pinned .ᐟ read about angel!reader .ᐟ meet silvia — the newest member on the block .ᐟ view my other work .ᐟ my c.ai .ᐟ

[giveafike]

Can I request a Ben Shelton x fem reader where the reader is plus sized and also a tennis player and dating Ben and gets hate from like the public or another tennis player and Ben like stands up for her and then like re assures her? Just fluff.

TLDR: Little story of Challengers plus-sized fem!tennisplayer x Ben. Confident girl (period!), sharp and smart w it and yk Ben's got ur back too.

Word count + info: 1.8k - Dialogue too!

Warnings + Content Ahead: SFW, backhanded comments about size, if that's a trigger, proceed w caution (dw ben defends ;) )

Azzie Notes ✚: why yes ofc you can request bb!

for whatever reason, tumblr just would NOT save this blurb and I had to rewrite and save it elsewhere n all, chat it was so annoying but anyways, technical difficulties aside, this was such a fun, little write hehehe I hope u enjoy, anon!

It's nice to write shorter stories/blurbs and about not-pro players every now n then : ) SEND IN MORE REQUESTS!! I love writing hehehheehe <33

I'd love to write a fanfic (suggestive SFW preferably) w a reader name and character description, like I could do SOOO much more, someone pls req, so I can storyboard and draft up stuff!!!

Also, #azzie asks for anon talks, do we want to hear me yap? Ask questions if so, otherwise I’ll stick to notes here and normal writing :/

————————————————————————

Your Corner - B.T.S.

The court was hot beneath your shoes as you lined up for a match point in the semifinals. It had been a gruelling few hours, hard-fought points, long rallies, but this was your moment. You bounced the ball at the baseline, taking a steadying breath before tossing it into the air. The world seemed to hold its breath as you struck your serve, a powerful delivery that left your opponent scrambling.

Her return was weak, setting up just how you wanted it. Without hesitation, you sent a forehand screaming down the line for a winner.

"Game, Y/L/N!" the umpire's voice boomed, and the crowd roared.

You let out a shaky breath, overwhelmed by the reality that you'd just secured your place in this Challengers finals. It was a huge moment, one you'd dreamed about for years. It took so much grafting, grinding and work to get to where you are and this was testament that you’re moving forward.

But beneath the pride, there was something else that lurked, something darker, heavier. The whispers, the comments. The side statements about you not "fitting the typical mold" of a tennis player or backhanded compliments about how “you’re doing well for a woman like yourself”. They always seemed to follow you, lingering even in your victories, mixing into bittersweetness.

As you approached the net for the customary handshake, your opponent forced a smile.

"Nice match” she said, but her tone carried a subtle edge as she eyed you up and down. "You really know how to throw your weight around out there. Makes it tough for the rest of us, you know?"

It stung the familiar backhanded compliment from your own opponent, someone supposed to be an equal to you but low enough to make a dig disguised as praise. You met her gaze evenly and returned a fake smile. "Yeah, hard work tends to do that. Maybe next year you’ll understand".

The comment stayed with you as you left the court, even as the applause rang in your ears. You were used to comments like that and you always kept yourself standing your ground, but it didn’t mean they didn’t hurt or get at you a bit. Not everyone understood the dedication and effort you put in.

But Ben did.

He was waiting for you outside the locker room, leaning casually against the wall with a proud grin on his face. His tall frame, relaxed posture, and ever-present easygoing smile had a way of making you feel instantly lighter.

"There she is!” he said, his voice drawling thick and warm. He pulled you into his arms as soon as you were close enough, holding you tight, kissing the top of your head as his arms held you. “That was unbelievable out there. You were on fire."

You sighed into his chest, feeling the weight of the day melt away. "Thanks. But, of course, there were comments," you mumbled, voice muffled against him. "You know how it goes."

Ben being your boyfriend learned how you felt and how these things go over time. Despite him getting angry and agitated at first, he learned how to control himself and lead with poise, rather than start an argument or threaten a fight. He loved you more than anything, so he couldn’t fathom why people were so concerned about your appearance above anything else, when to him you were beautiful and skilled, amongst so many other qualities. He sighed and leaned back, his brow furrowed in concern. "Yeah? What’d they say this time?"

You shook your head, not wanting to give the remarks any more power than they deserved. "Same old stuff. About how I 'throw my weight around' or how my power gives me some kind of advantage."

Ben’s jaw tightened and fist clenched a bit, his protectiveness kicking in. He bit his tongue and shook his head, "You know none of that shit matters, right? You’re here because you deserve to be. You’re in the finals because you're one of the best players out there."

His words were soothing, but the doubt still lingered. "I know," you admitted softly. "It’s just hard sometimes. Feels like no matter how hard I work, they’ll always have something to say. Or take my win and take it as something more than meets the eye". You sighed as you leaned against the wall.

Ben cupped your face in his hands, his eyes locking onto yours with a fierce intensity. "Look, I don’t care what anyone says. You’re more than some 'advantage.' You're a force with pure, raw talent and skill on that court. And no one can take that away from you. I see how much effort you put in every single day."

He leaned down, pressing his lips softly to your forehead before kissing your lips softly, in a gesture that made you feel grounded and safe. "You’ve got this," he whispered against your skin. "You’re my girl. You're unstoppable."

You hummed against his lips, closing your eyes softly as you nodded, feeling tension lift. You both left together, to mentally recharge and prepare for the finals.

The morning of the final match was buzzing with energy, and while you were back in the locker room mentally preparing, Ben was making the rounds outside, fielding questions from reporters. The media had taken quite an interest in your relationship recently, especially since Ben was considered a US Seed on the ATP tour and now that you were heading into the finals of a major Challenger event.

As Ben stood on the sidelines, watching the warm up, a few reporters approached him. He was used to this by now; questions about your relationship, his own career, and the inevitable attempt to stir up drama. Still, he handled it with his usual laid-back charm, trying not to let anything or anyone get under his skin.

"Ben, can we get a quick word?" one of the reporters asked, holding up a microphone.

"Y/N’s in the final today, a big moment for her career. How are you feeling about her chances?" Ben smiled, his accent curling around the words as he spoke, unable to hide his love and excitement for you, his gummy smile wide. "I’m so excited, man. She’s worked so hard to get here, and I know she’s ready. I’ve seen her push herself day in and day out, so I’m just proud she’s made it this far. No matter what happens out there, she’s already won in my eyes."

The reporter nodded but quickly shifted the angle, clearly fishing for more. "A lot of people are saying Y/N’s been playing above her level recently, especially with you as such a close support. Some might say having a pro player as a boyfriend is giving her a bit of an …unfair advantage… an edge. What do you think about that?"

Ben's smile faded into something a little sharper. His voice remained calm, but there was an undeniable edge of seriousness as he responded, his eyes narrowed as he took his hand out as he talked. "Listen, Y/N’s success has nothing to do with me being in her corner. She’s earned everything. I might cheer her on, but I’m not the one down here grinding every day. Challengers are tough, and she’s been keepin’ her head up. People love to downplay her achievements, but they don’t see the hours she puts in or how dedicated she is to her craft. She’s in this final because she’s the best out there, period." The reporter, sensing the shift in Ben’s tone, tried again. "Right, of course. But as a couple, how does it feel to see her on this big stage? Do you think your relationship helps her stay focused, or does it ever add pressure?"

Ben took a moment, his expression softening. "I think we both help each other stay grounded. It’s not about pressure, if anything, it’s the opposite. We get to lean on each other in ways a lot of people don’t understand. But when she’s out there on the court? That’s all her. I’m just lucky to be the guy who gets to watch her shine”.

The questioning wasn’t done yet, though. "So, today’s a big day for her. What’s next for you two if she wins this thing? Are we talking celebration, big plans?" the reporter pressed, trying to turn the conversation into something light-hearted.

Ben chuckled softly. "I think the only plan is celebrating her hard work, win or lose. But, you know, I’m already so proud of my girl. The finals just mean the world’s catching up to what I’ve known all along; she’s incredible."

The interview wrapped up, and Ben headed back to the player area. His words, though, had already spread, making their way to you as you sat in the quiet of the locker room, preparing for the biggest match of your career. Hearing that he had spoken so highly of you, and not just as a partner, but as a player in your own right made your heart swell.

The final match was nothing short of intense. Every point felt like it could be the turning point, each rally stretching longer than the last. The air was thick with pressure, but you fought through it, refusing to back down. With one last powerful serve, the ball hit the line clean, giving you the final point and securing your victory.

The crowd erupted, but your focus was only on one thing, Ben. As you turned to the stands, there he was, beaming from ear to ear, his hands raised to the sky. You were too tired to run, but the smile that broke across your face matched him as you made your way toward him, your heart racing just as fast as it had been during the match. He ran back to make his way inside too, hoping to meet you in the middle.

Ben met you just off the court, pulling you into his arms without a second’s hesitation. The hug was tight, your bodies pressed together, his warmth enveloping you like a shield from the world. His lips found yours in a proper, deep, lingering kiss, one that said more than words could at that moment. It was full of pride, relief, and love, everything you needed to feel after such an exhausting, triumphant day.

"My girl just won that" Ben whispered as he pulled back just enough to look into your eyes, his hands still firmly around your waist. "I’m so damn proud of you, babe."

You leaned into him, your forehead resting against his chest, taking in the moment. "I couldn’t have done it without you," you murmured, though you knew, deep down, that wasn’t entirely true. Yes, Ben’s support had been a rock for you, but you were the one who’d fought your way here, just like he said. You were the one that pushed yourself here and you were the one on court, but mentally, Ben kept you sane.

He pulled back slightly, tilting your chin up so you were looking at him again. "Hey, don’t sell yourself short. You did this. You’ve been proving them wrong all along. I’m just here, lucky enough to watch you do it."

The noise of the crowd began to settle, and as the cameras flashed around you, the two of you stayed in your bubble, lost in the quiet, personal victory.

Back in the locker room after the match, you sat down on the bench, letting the exhaustion finally sink in. Your muscles were aching, but it was a good ache, a reminder of everything you had just achieved. Ben followed you in shortly after, leaning against the lockers with a proud grin still plastered on his face as he sauntered with a bottle of champagne.

"How ya feelin’, champ?" he asked, his voice light but full of warmth.

You looked up at him, biting back a smile, the weight of the day settling in. "It feels… unreal. I don’t know if it’s sunk in yet."

He crossed the room in a few strides and crouched down in front of you, his hands gently resting on your knees. "You were incredible out there. And I mean it, every word I said earlier. You’re here because you’ve earned it, because you’re the best. In no time you’ll go pro and then we can play mixed doubles and make out in between sets and all".

You smiled, rolling your eyes as you playfully shove his shoulder, feeling a warmth spread through your chest at his words. He always knew just how to lift you up, how to remind you of your strength when the world tried to diminish it. "And I love you" you whispered softly. "For always believing in me and for having my back."

Ben leaned in, his lips brushing against yours once more, but this kiss was soft, sweet, and full of promise. "I’ll always be in your corner. Don’t ever doubt that."

As you sat there in the quiet of the locker room, with Ben by your side as he popped the champagne bottle open, the doubts that had tried to creep in earlier felt distant.

You weren’t just defined by the whispers, the remarks, or even your victories. You were more than all of that, and with Ben’s unwavering support, you knew you were ready for whatever or whoever came next.

[thehydraethereal]

MY WARNINGS

✦ I will put the warnings ahead of each piece of fanfiction. Keep in mind that my work contains triggering elements such as nonconsensual sex; abusive relationships; sexual/mental/physical abuse; violence; harassment; sex trafficking; abduction; age gap; power dynamics and possible other dark themes. Proceed with caution. This blog is not for minors. You are responsible for your own media consumption.

WHAT I WRITE...

✶ I will only write female reader / I will only write dark content ✶ I will only write the elements written above in my warnings, nothing else, and for sure, nothing that includes underage relationships or gory elements, A/B/O dynamics or something that includes supranatural creatures such as vampires, werewolfs etc.

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✶ other important links: MASTERLIST / CHARACTER LIST /

©thehydraethereal 2025. My work might contain triggering elements. You are responsible for your media consumption. Do not translate or repost my work without my consent.

[immortal-saccharin-swan]

"I'm the monster underneath your bed, I'm every thought inside your head."

"You can run but, you can't hide. No not this, no not this time."

Eternal Sugar Cookie roleplay and ask blog run by @peppermintstarsonamintyway!

possible canon-divergence and definite headcanons ahead, approach with caution please! <3

blog-specific tags!! answered asks; 🦢🍨 delights from the jewelry box, roleplay interactions; 🦢🍨 offers from the sloth, magic anon events; 🦢🍨 shenanigans of the cherubs, anons; 🦢🍨 faithful will o wisps, other blogs; 🦢🍨 denizens of paradise, random posts and/or starters; 🦢🍨 the small musings of joy, event/story posts; 🦢🍨 the slumbering awaken,

characters that are available to ask on this blog go as follows; - Eternal Sugar Cookie (of course!) - Pavlova Cookie - Sugarfly Cookie - Damson Sugar Cookie (aka Calm Sugar Angel) - Grape Sugar Cookie (aka Gentle Sugar Angel)

"I'm the itchin' underneath your skin, can't stop me from creepin' in."

"You can run but, you can't hide. I am already inside."

alright mod gets to yap under here this woman is such a fucking lesbian holy shit /pos this is your like one and only heads up that mod is a multishipper and is going to be going ham i guess?? i'm gonna be keeping a catalogue of doodles and other stuff under here as well so, look out for those i suppose

[hamausagi]

HELLO AND WELCOME to this episode of JAKES SOAPBOX !!! where i yap on and on abt things i care abt, but likely no one else does. todays episode i will be ranting and raving abt the highly anticipated (at least for me) OMORI official manga first chapter release !! below is my highly opinionated review <3 there are spoilers for the manga, and i do discuss the prologue and day one of the OMORI game so read this with caution. i added screenshots from the manga itself as well.

this is simply a critique from the point of view of a superfan who was hoping the manga would be suitable for both old fans, new fans, and people reading the manga with no prior knowledge of the game at all. this is simply my opinion. while i compare this manga to the game repeatedly, i want to make it clear upfront that i wasn't expecting this to be a cookie-cutter remake in manga form of the game. i believe that it's lacking some important story beats and pacing that makes the story as impactful as it is. enjoy

first of all, i was ECSTATIC when i saw the promo for this. i am OMORI's biggest fan forever and ever, so god knows i was sitting and (im)patiently waiting for this to come out. however, upon reading the first chapter, i can't say i'm a huge fan. i will say that i am the type of person to view content regarding my favorite things with the most insanely rose tinted glasses, however that wasn't going to save my first impressions of the manga from scrutiny. tl'dr, i was really disappointed.

now my first complaint: pacing. to start with the beginning, i do really like how it starts off with the same dialogue as the game does. the art is simple, yet extremely effective when it comes to portraying the overall "vibe" of OMORI, which is something that carries on throughout the first chapter and i'll talk about it more later. however, i'm really not a fan of how the story begins. the first three pages are showing this dream sunny is having, a contorted memory of a christmas spent with his friends, ending with a horrifying and distorted image of mari begging sunny to "tell her why".

now, my issue with this, is that the story is now lacking a very important aspect that made the original so much more impactful: a foundation. in the game prologue, we are introduced primarily to the whole group, all of the fun-loving and sweet characters all living happily in headspace- INCLUDING mari. it was meant to establish two very important things about sunny: A) headspace is a safe, fun place where all of his friends are, but something isnt right and B) the real world is NOT where he wants to be, it's scary and reminds him of something he doesn't want to remember. yet the way the manga is paced, it skips all of that. we are immediately thrust into the real world as sunny wakes up to get himself the steak from the fridge, where again, we are robbed of another crucial detail: sunny does NOT want to go down the stairs in the dark. in game, when sunny tries to leave his room, he doesn't allow himself down more than one step of the stairs. before i get ahead of myself, the artist did include this panel (right to left)

which i think wonderfully portrays sunny's fear of going down the stairs. the wobbly lines and darkness coming out of the piano room is great. however, this comes after sunny has already come down the stairs and eaten the steak, and seems to be more centered around him being afraid of who was at the door. which, in my opinion, also holds even less weight as the original mari door jumpscare wasn't included either (which is a whole other can of worms), which was an actual deterrent from the player opening the door for kel in game.

(this leads me to another, much more nit-picky complaint: but that is the specific pacing of this page specifically:

which occurs after sunny goes back upstairs to throw up the steak he ate in the bathroom. the panels, while aesthetically pleasing and visually descriptive towards sunny's paranoid thoughts, aren't really showing me what's going on. he slams the bathroom door shut, seemingly does nothing, and is suddenly back in the kitchen cleaning his knife. but for some reason, the kitchen is upstairs, rather than downstairs, which is where we get the panels of him being afraid of descending the stairs. i feel that this was an unnecessary change, and could have been avoided by sticking to the original planning of this segment. but again, this is just a small nitpick that doesn't really mean anything.)

speaking of kel at the door, this is another reason why the lack of a headspace prologue in the very beginning is frustrating. as of now, the reader has no idea who kel is, or what he really means to sunny. sure, we saw him briefly in the dream sunny has, but he says one thing, and that dream lasted 3 pages. two, of which, didn't show anyone besides mari or sunny at all. in the prologue, kel is shown to be very protective and caring towards sunny, notably staying by his side and making sure sunny isn't alone for too long when being "it" during the hide and seek minigame, and overall establishing that he (and the rest of the friendgroup, might i add) was an important person in sunny's life. knowing this, then hearing mom's voicemail about how kel has been trying to reach sunny all this time, and THEN hearing him call out to sunny at the door, makes seeing kel in the real world for the first time a meaningful experience. we understand why kel is so excited to see sunny come outside. but in the manga, to me, it feels so rushed. when playing through the story, you're in headspace for a good 3-5 hours before you even enter the real world, or have the chance to open the door for kel. in the manga, it feels lackluster.

this leads to the faraway town scenes. kel and omori make their way to faraway town, which is full of the typical headspace cameos that the reader won't understand due to the lack of the headspace storyline. when in hobeez, kel mentions how the store is the same, featuring "captain spaceboy games" and "sweetheart movies", which would mean a lot more to the reader if they saw the group dig through spaceboy's junkyard and battle him at the end, or sneak through sweetheart's castle and confront her on stage. these are small nitpicks, but the biggest issue for me is that during this segment, kei and sunny are going to hobeez to buy hero a gift. but yet, the reader doesn't know who hero is. there isn't that moment of realization that hero, alongside kel, is a real person in sunny's life, not just a figment of sunny's imagination, and he's old enough to be in college. there's no emotion there. they pick out the same cookbook, but the reader has no idea why this holds significance. in the game, we all know hero as the chef, the cook that heals the team with his snacks and his frying pan fighting skills- but the reader doesn't know why hero, mentioned as a pre-med student, would even want a cookbook. these details lose all meaning without being backed up by important scenes in the original prologue.

this leads to my personal least favorite moment of the whole chapter: the confrontation between basil and aubrey. i was so incredibly disappointed by the absolute assassination of her character, which is simply because there's more missing context left behind in the game prologue. aubrey is introduced as a sweet, silly girl in the game, who cares deeply for omori and her friends, which is supposed to shock the player when meeting her in the real world for the first time. aubrey's change is supposed to make the player really question what happened to these friends, what made these kids who clearly cared so deeply for one another behave this way, and wonder why sunny (and mari's death, along with why no one wants to talk about it) seems to be at the center of it all. there is none of this extremely necessary context here. what makes things worse is that the reader also has zero idea who aubrey or basil are. while yes, they too were mentioned in the 3-page dream at the beginning of the chapter, it was for one single page with one piece of dialogue each. these characters hold no meaning here. aubrey then hits basil with her nail-covered bat, which is NOT something that happens in game. its actually kim who pushes him away, NOT aubrey, which is an important detail as aubrey never meant to lay a hand on any of them originally. the manga just paints her out to be violent, angry, and in a rush to hurt people she used to care about. while her character is extremely detailed and nuanced, i won't get too into it here as the player wouldn't know at this point, and neither would the reader.

the altercation in the manga between sunny and aubrey continues as she mocks him for locking himself away after they supposedly "couldn't save mari". this sends sunny into a spiral, aubrey swings her bat at kel, and poises to hurt sunny as well when he swings his knife at her, slicing her shoulder. the choices the artist make here are astounding, in the most negative way possible. while yes, there is a fight scene with kel and sunny vs aubrey in game, it portrayed a lot differently. its made very clear in game that sunny is very seriously impacted by his inner world to the point where he sees apparitions of space bunnies or other creatures while walking down the streets, or even the "fight" between himself and the poster inside of hobeez. this is important to note, because the player can also see the RPG fighting menu, which is extremely important to display just how out of touch with reality sunny is. he can't grasp that there's a difference between reality and his dream world. inside headspace, fighting is extremely normal. combat is a huge part of the game and the story, where the player fights bosses, smaller enemies, and gathers weapons and even toys to use in battle. that normalization where the player is USED to battle in the dreamworld, where there are no real consequences, if a character dies they can be healed or revived, comes to a screeching halt when we realize that we, as sunny, just actually slashed aubrey. the battle comes to a screeching halt, aubrey collapses after just one hit, which again, the player AND sunny isn't used to after fighting so many hard battles, and displays real pain. this is a far contrast to the manga, where we just see sunny lash out at aubrey. while it can be argued that yes, the manga is a completely different medium of storytelling than the game where we have that fighting and battle UI aspect, there are a myriad of ways the creator could have given the same effect- which could have easily been achieved by including the headspace prologue instead of jumping immediately into the real world this way.

the creator then chooses this moment to send sunny back into white space, which completely removes the interaction sunny has with basil and kel after the scuffle with aubrey. there's no walking with basil home, theres no learning about the photo album- in fact, there's no mention of basil's album at ALL, which is incredibly strange not only due to its immense importance to showing the bond between the friends, but the fact that it's a huge plot point and storytelling device.

in conclusion, i sincerely believe that this manga is a poor presentation of OMORI's story, and an incredible disappointment. leaving out the hours and hours of content before the real world is even introduced robs the manga of any substance, as the whole point of the prologue being so incredibly long was to establish a baseline for the player to become comfortable with, to allow us to get to know the characters and see how they interact, and then have that all be contorted and changed when brought into the real world. there is no established connection to the characters, the plot is ridiculously rushed, and the story feels empty and disconnected. it truly feels like the author barely knew what the game was about. i also don't feel that the artstyle in general works either, as the characters look extremely young, while the real world characters are 15-16 and the way they are drawn makes them look 12. but, i will rest my case there. i completely disagree with the flip-flopping of the story, and my expectations for the rest of this manga have plummeted to insane depths.

[eternity-death]

prev anon here. will just take on 🫧 as a marker.

prev tags “if sunday actually dies”: i’m literally so worried about sunday and the chances of him dying.

leaks ahead.

speaking of, i saw old oti’s letter & it had me going insane imagining a grieving sunday and what acting out of line could/will do, considering the control (a key component of sunday’s when we take his leaked personality into accoumt) over his emotions is fraying, but such only emphasizes that he wants to take control of the situation regarding robin’s death. now, i saw this in between loading screens in-game, and they’re mentioned, but the dreammaster is the true mastermind behind penacony, and old oti warns sunday to act with caution. actually, i wrote a little something to help me summarize old oti’s letter:

The Dreammaster, being higher in rank, is the one who is displeased with his actions. Sunday is the head of the Oak family, but from what we’ve seen, this role does not exert his control over things; it only exerts control over him.

speculations (this is a LONG ask, op i’m sorry)

honestly… perhaps i’m reaching for the moon, never mind that i don’t know how to articulate this properly so if anyone’s out there, please help me make sense of this or clear away the “yapping” spectacle i’m about to showcase here.

but looking back at this summary, this kind of bears a resemblance to ena the order and their assimilation into xipe (aeon of harmony), who the family follows. we already know that xipe is comprised of many entities, ena being “enormous in size” as a part compared to the others xipe has assimilated yet nevertheless “swallowed”. in relation, sunday is only one of the local leaders of penacony as robin said, and oti warns he could get impeached, right? he’s still a part of the whole despite his notable influence. . . . i can’t stress how much i feel i can explain this better.

matter of fact, ena has similar traits to sunday (albeit initial personality leaks) as it is. mentioned to be a “control freak” (herta tells trailblazer, “they could not tolerate any disorder”), to be “absolute, just, and magnificent” (tying this back into sunday being halovian, how they “seem born into the love and admiration of other species and peoples”), to be all-seeing (both have eye motifs, sunday knew about firefly’s death).

even more of a stretch, but ena is a puppet and if we go back to sunday taking after them. well. are you picking up what i’m putting down? (hint: it’s a death flag. after all, to be controlled…and for the family to be fixated on a collective ambition versus an individual’s desire that’s interfering with such ambitions. this isn’t their harmony. his dedication to robin can be considered self-serving, and so doesn’t align with their goals . . . mind overloaded. no more can be said at this time.)

tldr: “it’s all nonsensical! / what is it saying! / i can’t make sense of it either.” the skeptic in me loves looking for nothing …

This reminds me of this theory I saw (I encourage everyone to read it bc it’s so incredibly thought out and all the connections made by op are insane).

The person who made that theory noted that Ena is probably way more involved with The Family than we thought. They also came to three conclusions, one of which is Sunday being used as a sacrifice.

Adding to the sacrifice thing I’m once again reminded of the Dominicus-Sunday theory that Dominicus might possess him/take over his body.

Much to think about… food for thought… something to chew on even if the flavor is foul…

[airborneknuckle]

blinkie wall be upon y'all (flashing warning below cut)

[ID: 1) "alluka is a girl" written on the trans flag in all caps. 2) blinking green "gonsequences," which is a joke from this post. 3) "every flippin' word, pinboy!!" written on a golden glitter background.

4) "i [heart] tragedy" with a beating heart. 5) a pink banner w "palm defense squad" written between a bloody knife and floating heart. 6) flashing green and purple text that reads "illumi's ahoge" with two flames on either side.

7) "kurapika's eyes will glow red from a positive emotion" written on a rainbow confetti background. 8) "i doth yap" written next to finfin icon. finfin is half-dolphin half-bird. 9) kirby walking in place labeled "small-town blogger."

10) two caution signs with "manga spoilers ahead" written between them. 11) "spam like/rb is ok" written next to the tumblr logo.

blinkes: source 1, source 2,

[tammulberry]

MIRACULOUS GENESIS | The 1st Season of the Miraculous Dynasties AU by T.A.M. Mulberry begins

SYNOPSIS OF THE SEASON: Miracle Jewels were once widespread throughout the centuries as they traveled through worlds and through dynasties. However, when the rise of machines came, so did the fall of miracles. The new world had long forgotten the old ways as capital cities soon advanced to reach for the stars. After a mysterious rumbling was detected in Paris, a hopeless romantic with dreams of being a fashion designer and a famous teen celebrity collide the new world with the old world.

This is the return of the century. The return of the Yin and Yang. The origin of Ladybug & Cat Noir.

Years of the Yapping™ started in 2021 finished in ?

RATING: PG-13 WORD COUNT: 2.8k+

Copyright © 2024 by T.A.M. Mulberry

CHAPTER 1. The Invisible String

Long ago, before the rise of machines, there were miracles… 

For centuries, worthy heroes were given jewels that granted extraordinary magic from beyond this world. There are two miracle jewels, however, that stand on top of the hierarchy. The Ladybug of Creation and the Black Cat of Destruction. Juxtaposed for eternity — as one cannot live without the other. 

Legend has it — that when both these jewels are used at the same time, one will have the power to alter reality itself. 

“Are you willing to pay the price of absolute power?”

***

Along the many dark alleyways of Europe, an old Chinese man walked swiftly as if he were being chased. He had a red hibiscus shirt and board shorts underneath the long coat he wore in the chilly evening. On his back, he had a heavy knapsack. 

“I can feel the tug, Fu! We’re almost there!” A small floating creature that resembled a ladybug whispered excitedly. 

A string was shown to be present in the eyes of the creature. It was vibrating towards one source. The source that the strange crew had been following for months. 

“Patience, Tikki. We must proceed with extra caution. We may never know who could be watching!" A floating creature similar in appearance to a turtle scolded. He seemed to be the same species as Tikki. 

Just then, the frantic running stopped. The string was connected to an old crusty mansion that led to nothing but forested grounds. On the outside, it seemed to be abandoned as the vines were left to grow, the fences had paint falling off and the tall gate was full of rust. Nevertheless, it had shown signs of being beautiful once and Fu stared in awe at the sheer size of the mansion.

“So, this is where the string leads to…” 

"After all these years … the Qiji of Destruction laid dormant here," said the small turtle creature in wonder.

Fu glanced at it with a knowing look, and the small creature bowed as Fu said, "Wayzz, Scute Down." 

A magical energy traveled down his entire body and he transformed into a suit with the attributes of a turtle. A circular shield was on top of his head for good measure. 

"Tikki, where does the string lead to next?" Fu asked.

"I think it's … I think it's inside the mansion!" 

Fu contemplated before he took action. It was a gamble on their part. While the mansion looked abandoned, there is no saying that there isn't someone in the small village that was on to them. They needed to be careful.

"If you can feel the tug — then Plagg should be there. We'll retrieve him, Tikki. I promise," he reassured her, and they prepared to sneak in from the back. 

Just as expected, the mansion was covered in vines, rust and dust. Luckily, Fu’s suit protected him from any dangers that lay ahead. 

But not only was it armor — it also granted him superhuman abilities. 

They stopped below a balcony that led straight to the string. Fu grabbed one of the vines and swung it with enough force for him to roll inside. Except, it didn’t go too well and his landing went wrong as he fell splat on his face. 

“OW!” Fu groaned. 

“Are you okay, Fu?” Tikki asked, concerned.  

Crack! "Why, of course Tikki. I may be in my 70s, but I'm still young— ! Ow… right in the tailbone…” he rubbed his back in pain, which completely contradicted his previous statement. 

“Don’t worry, I can still function. Good thing Wayzz is here to keep me safe.” 

And so the old man and Tikki continued their search. Not a sound could be heard with each step he took. Fu could assume that the mansion was from an era before the rise of machines. Ornate doors that stood as tall as small trees, covered in dust. Statues that were in ruins. Curtains worn and torn. Elaborate paintings from moments forgotten in time. 

As they shuffled through cobwebs and the occasional rat, they opened a door that was relatively smaller than the other ones they passed. They were in what appeared to be a storage room. It was dusty and cluttered. Much like the rest of the mansion from the outside. 

"For such a beautiful mansion, it's really filthy," Tikki said, as she flew into even more cobwebs.

“Nevermind that now, Tikki. Now, we must look for Plagg!” 

As they continued their search, Tikki felt a tug. This time, it was much stronger than the previous ones. She looked around frantically and discovered that the string led to the next room. 

"Wait, Fu! It's in the next room!" Tikki whispered. 

"Brilliant, Tikki!" Fu exclaimed. 

After all these years, he was excited to see Plagg, the Qiji of Destruction. Fu had heard many things about him and if the legends were true, then he’d be face to face with the universe’s most dangerous force. It was fascinating to think about. 

But … at the same time, it felt like a weight was lifted off his shoulders. To him, it meant freedom. To him, it meant the guilt he had been feeling for decades will finally be put to rest — 

CREAK! In his haste to get the job done, he moved recklessly within the storage room towards the door to the other side. The worn out wood of the floor squeaked loudly. He cringed at the sound in contrast to the almost heavy silence of the storage room.  

“WHO GOES THERE?” an unfamiliar voice boomed, and the both of them panicked. 

Fu and Tikki ducked beneath broken cabinets and cobwebs. Fu crawled as far away as he could from the voice. The latter was about to scold him for making that mistake but he shushed her. The two of them listened intently. Was someone following them this whole time? 

Yes, admittedly, he already knew that going into an abandoned mansion like this was a gamble. In fact, he didn’t want to go here in the first place. There were rumors that a kind old man would tend to it every now and then so he thought he could play the part, but… 

"They were here longer than us…" Tikki whispered in his ear.

The tension started to rise when they heard the doorknob twist. The two of them were hiding behind a grand piano and a curtain in one of the corners of the room. They prayed that they wouldn't get caught in a police search. Anything but that. 

Just then, it opened. With Fu still being transformed, his senses were heightened, and he heard two pairs of footsteps walk into the room. He tried to peak from where he was but all he could see were vague silhouettes. 

One of them seemed to be wearing a full suit with a tailcoat. The other looked to be in more casual clothing as he held a flashlight. And so the more sophisticated of the two spoke, "Has someone infiltrated the mansion?"

The other one surveyed the area more thoroughly, and Fu could hear his footsteps getting closer. He may not be in the best condition but he was still capable of defending himself through Wayzz. Fu tried to curl himself into a ball only for his back to betray him once again. 

I hope this isn't permanent, he thought to himself. 

As he braced himself along with Tikki, the man with the flashlight replied, "I can't seem to find anything." 

"Very well. It must have been a false alarm," said the man in a tailcoat calmly and he looked up. "Perhaps a light bulb fell…"  

Relief washed over Fu and Tikki as the former slumped down. He could hear the two men walking back to the exit of the other room. Fu peered over to get a better look at the two of them. Luckily, their backs were turned.

The refined young man coughed a bit as he walked into cobwebs. He swatted away at them and Fu couldn't help but feel amused. 

"We must really renovate this storage room. It is an absolute mess. Just like the mansion's exterior." 

"Agreed, sir." 

Tikki nudged Fu. "Now that we know there are people in the mansion, we need a new plan." 

"You're right, Tikki," replied Fu, as quietly as he could. "So — do you think we can sneak in from another route? 

"I'm not too sure. I can't make it that far without the Ladybug Miraculous near me." 

Fu observed Tikki as she concentrated. Her previous holder was not the most creatively adept person out there. A few moments later, Tikki jolted in the air. 

“Tikki, what’s wrong?” he asked 

"I don't understand — the movement is getting quite rapid," she said confused. “It's like someone is running and jumping.” 

At the same time, when the two men opened the door. They noticed another silhouette at the entrance. One that was shorter and resembled a kid. Fu had the height of one himself so who was he to assume? 

"Hey, boy. What are you doing staying up so late? And why are you here?" The sophisticated gentleman talked down to the silhouette. 

"I'm not sleepy. What's the problem with me staying up late anyway? You don’t even come and play with me.” 

That was most definitely a young boy, Fu thought. 

"Do not question my rules, brat. Know your place. Now go on, shoo and return to your mother." 

“Fine!” the young boy sneered and he slammed the door on the other side of the room shut. 

Something seemed to click in Tikki as she tried to rush towards him. 

"Wait a minute, the ring! It's on that child!" she whispered frantically.

“Tikki! Stop, they're going to hear us!” He yelled as he tried to grab onto her but immediately clamped his mouth shut as the two men looked around the place and at each other. 

"We should call a medium to this place soon. I believe it’s haunted," said the man in the tailcoat. 

"It's twelve in the morning, sir," the other man replied. 

And so the door slammed shut once again. Everything was dead silent. The swaying of grandfather clock’s pendulum was the only sound Fu could hear as his ears started to ring. 

“There’s still a chance to retrieve Plagg!” Tikki said but she was immediately stopped by an invisible force. The force that prevented her from going far from the jewels she was bound to. 

“If we follow this string then maybe we can—”

CLAC! 

“Oh, this was such a fun game of hide and seek," said the man from behind the other door’s entrance. 

Fu wasted no time as he felt his life flash before his eyes. 

“CARAPACE!” 

He broke the window and part of the wall with the expanded circular shield as he hastily grabbed the box. Tikki’s trail followed suit. He landed on one of the bushes and rolled out. A spherical shield had formed around him. A shield that no mortal machine can penetrate. 

As he rushed to the entrance, he looked around and noticed that there were more guards coming from the ground floor from both sides. 

Did they already know someone was breaking in? Where did they come from? 

“Fu!” Tikki yelled. “We can still go back there! The carapace can take on a thousand bullets! You have to fight!” 

An unpleasant memory flashed in Fu’s mind but the adrenaline from the sound of gunshots kept him focused on running away. 

“Nevermind that now, Tikki!” He answered back. “We need to keep running! They might track me down if I show my face!” 

They were nearly out of the mansion. All he had to do was bulldoze through the gate and he can detransform somewhere safe enough to look like an innocent bystander. 

Fu thought it was futile for the guards to continuously fire their ammo, but little did he know that there was a crack in the carapace. It was like time slowed down the moment he saw the first hole on the shield. The look of horror on his face as he wondered how that was possible. 

I’m sorry, Tikki…

His desire to be free from the guards overrode anything else and he managed to break through the gate. He ran, and ran, and ran until he reached a forest outside of the mansion’s territory. It was guarded by thick trees and bushes that light couldn’t pass through. He kept himself transformed in case they used their weapons again. Fu could hear the guards as they walked in the direction that he escaped, his ears muffled by the intense ringing. He hyperventilated and prayed that they would stop looking. 

He didn’t want to die. Not like this. Not in a state so pathetic. 

He overheard the man in the trenchcoat talking to what seemed to be the head guard of the mansion. “We need to issue a search party. What did the man look like?”

“I wasn't able to see his face clearly, sir.” 

In the brief silence, Fu thanked the universe for Miànshā—the veil that managed to keep the identities of jewel holders hidden.

“However, I suspect he is one of those people.”

That silence was broken as he flinched at the light. “We need to issue a search party. We don’t know just how much that man saw. But if he is what you think he is, he can’t be left alive.” 

The color left his face as the men walked in the other direction. 

He can’t be left alive… 

If he’s caught… then he’s going to die…

***

Four hours had passed since the fiasco at the mansion. Fu had detransformed. He, along with Tikki and Wayzz, found themselves in another dusty old shed in the countryside. They were able to hitch a ride on a train far from the mansion. 

They were safe, at least for now. 

Fu was afraid. Something wasn’t right about that place. Even a fool like him could tell. It seemed like no one was there when they snuck in but once the man in the trenchcoat knew, it was like the guards on the ground floor appeared out of nowhere. 

“You understand the situation, right? You’re a wanted man now, Fu,” his Qiji, Wayzz reminded him. 

“I am aware of that, Wayzz,” said Fu, agitated. “What I don’t understand is how those guards managed to damage carapace. It’s supposed to be impenetrable to machines and technology, and—” 

“Fu. Those guns they were using had Mogui energy in them. Those weren’t just ordinary mortal weapons,” explained Tikki. 

“But that’s impossible…” Fu got up from the haystack he sat on.

“Do not tell me what’s impossible, Fu. I know what I saw and I know for a fact that the mansion is hiding something more sinister than we realize. And you ran away.” 

“I know! I know…” Fu said as he tried to calm himself and Tikki looked at him intently.  

“How long are you going to run, Fu?” She asked him sternly. “How long are you going to keep up this act of bravery? Feeding us false hope? It has been decades.”

“I’m afraid I agree with Tikki on this matter, master,” said Wayzz ruefully. “Perhaps if you stayed and pursued Plagg then—”

“That’s easy for you to say!” Fu snapped and they stayed quiet. He couldn’t bear to hear the words of Wayzz or Tikki any longer. 

"A hundred years to both of you is like a blink in time. You cannot die but I can! You don’t know what it’s like to fear dying! If I didn’t have to die then everything could have stayed the same as it always was!” 

Wayzz and Tikki did not answer back anymore and Fu let out a deep breath as he slumped in front of the haystack, his hands on his face. 

“We cannot go back there. I don’t think we can stay in this country any longer,” said Fu, more to himself than to the two of them. “If we manage to escape outside their borders, we will be outside their jurisdiction.” 

Wayzz and Tikki looked at each other, as if they pitied him. 

Fu started to regain control over his own emotions as he remembered something that made him smile again. Even after all this time. 

“Wayzz,” he started as he looked at both of them. “Tikki.” 

He looked at them half-heartedly. A million questions, a million memories, a million regrets flooded his mind but there was one that resounded in his head the most. 

“Are you going to run away again?”

“It is time for us to go to Paris.” 

Perhaps he had ulterior motives. Perhaps it was born from the primal desire of not wanting to die. There were many things Fu feared but to die without atoning for his mistakes terrified him the most.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Author's Note:

I'm so excited to share my passion project with everyone. I've been working on it for over 3 years now and it's about time that it got published.

This isn't really a rewrite of the show per se but the beginning does follow the origin slightly before completely going off the rails in the next few chapters. This is just an exploration and my attempt at trying to make a living, breathing world for these characters because I really enjoy the quantic universe and I guess this is my take on it if it focused on one magic system specifically.

Some notable differences will be the age range and the target audience. This AU is not really for younger kids like the original show and that is why the main cast's age range in Dynasties is 18-20 as the story starts with them in their last year at Lycee Francoise Dupont.

There will also be some changes in terms to keep it consistent with the Chinese mythology that the magic system is based on (ex. Kwami is changed to Qiji) and a lot of changes and additions to the magic system like the powers or weapons to fit with the lore of the Dynasties AU better.

Hopefully, there will be people who can enjoy this silly little fanfic series of mine and I thank you so much if you do!

[marshmallowprotection]

MOD DOING MASH-UPS? OMG

I'd love if you give me both a romantic or platonic but if you want only romantic is fine.

First of all I hope you're doing okay! Take care plz.

Well, I'm someone who's mbti is infj. Idk how this work but I absolutely love when people make me try something out of my comfort zone, usually extrovert people. I'm very introverted when I sense that people don't usually cares abt the things I say, but when someone just gives me the green light I turn into a yapping mess.

I like the type of person that looks they would give you fun facts of something very random just after a kiss (I never kissed). I like when people want to know more about me with just silly things I do.

I (most of the time) am all I mentioned above. I like all of those things cuz I tend to do it too for them.

I'm generally very patient and open about certain things, if I like it I'd request to do ir again, if not, I'd be honest with you.

My fav colors are blue and red.

I match you with...

Saeyoung!

Even though people don't expect it out of you, you love life and you want to experience it to the fullest. What better way to experience that than with somebody willing to throw caution to the wind? Saeyoung is that kind of person. He wants to experience everything, of course, with some safety measures in mind since he’s such a mother hen even when he’s having fun. You'll never have to think too hard about what comes next because he's already seven steps ahead of you!

You know what you're about and not a lot of people can say that about themselves. So, when you're walking into a situation, you know what it might entail but you don't hesitate to follow through. That’s why it’s so easy for you to jump after Saeyoung when he tells you to dive into the water after him, even if you’re not dressed for the water! He brings out the laughter in you, and you bring out the peace in him. He doesn't have to afraid with you, and you don't have to hold back.

[nazorneku]

time for more Ji Yan yapping— pls beware of #wuwa spoilers, even tho i will not go into much detail regarding the whole story and quests, but specific mentions will be present... so caution is advised, regardless

After my previous post, I was asked to elaborate on the matter of why I made Ji Yan so young— The answer is rather simple: it was literally written in the game and spoken out by characters directly, so unless you skip story and cutscenes, you will not miss it.

Will start from the fact that was delivered directly from the man himself. Ji Yan, in his companion quest, mentioned that he was appointed to the role of General at the age of 20.

In his character story, it's written that he is the youngest General in Midnight Rangers' history. Which also implies that Geshu Lin (previous General) is older than Ji Yan.

YangYang also stated that he was assigned to this position after the Battle beneath Crescent. We do not have the exact time frame, but I assume it was short after and not years after.

Narrowing down the timeline, TaoQi explained that the Battle beneath Crescent took place 3 years ago.

Now I will go further with his age and point out other certain things.

In his companion quest, it's again mentioned that Ji Yan was a part of temporary Gulpuff Relay team 10 years ago that set a record, which remains still unbeaten. It also described him as "new recruit". Concluding with everything said above, Ji Yan joined the ranks of Midnight Rangers as medic at the age of 13.

Again in his character story it's written that he was born into the family with a medical background and became his mother's assistant at the age of 10. He still keeps the pill case, disguised as a gourd and it has a lot of sentimental value for him.

There're also some things I want to mention that are related to his story. I see a lot of ppl being upset that his companion quest did not tell them anything 'bout Geshu Lin and ngl I'm like 🤡 that quest isn't 'bout him, but Ji Yan as a character and person, it showcased us his second side. Before we only saw his General side, and the quest showed us his human side, with his own fears and regrets.

In regard to Geshu Lin, despite the drastic and extreme measure with which the previous General commanded the army, Ji Yan still holds respect towards him. They are indeed polar opposites in handling the same position, where Geshu Lin commands "victory at all cost" and Ji Yan aims for "victory with minimal loses". Both cope with the burden of command in different ways - the first willing to sacrifice others to achieve victory, the latter will sacrifice self. NGL their conversations in both Ji Yan's trailer and main story gave me a lot to think 'bout— And then there's this piece from his character story.

Day after day, year after year, he fought in vain until he was the sole survivor on a desolate battlefield. The Tacet Discords transformed into his fallen comrades, encircling and closing in on him. Despite being known for his calm and decisive nature, few were aware of the nightmares that would sometimes jolt him awake, haunted by the voices of the dead. As the general, it was Ji Yan's duty to safeguard not only the borders, but also the entirety of his nation. Every move he made and every plan he enacted carried immense responsibility and consequence. This is why he seems to be always frowning, thinking, and planning ahead. One day, perhaps, he will finally turn around and answer those questions from the dead. He fights for the living, and for the deceased.

Ji Yan is very compassionate, he takes every loss personally and one of the major displays of that is Captain Bei Wang. He was a Midnight Ranger, a friend and last patient, and his death pushed Ji Yan to join the battlefield. And the wind spear he wields now, was modelled after that Bei Wang wielded.

Another meaningful connection to Ji Yan is Mortefi. From the latter's profile we find out that he was saved by Ji Yan and referred to the Academy, in return he provides own help to Midnight Rangers and helped solve a lot of problems. Mortefi has also anger-management issues that can cause Overclocking (overuse or loss of control over the Forte; causes can be emotional and phycological stress, bursts of energy), the scales we see on his body are the result of it. Unlike Ji Yan, whose frequency displays high stability with a low risk of Overclocking. I also do like their communications, 'cause Ji Yan does sound softer around Mortefi and he even smiles, and Mortefi sounds playful around Ji Yan. Considering the general opinion of ppl on Mortefi and him often sounding almost arrogant, it's v peculiar change. And he also doesn't use the title "General", when talking to or 'bout JiYan, which indicates further at their close relationship.

[saph-yells-into-the-void]

welp guess ill go ahead and make a pin

My main is @sappho-rose , where I'll post art and important posts..

I have a writing blog too :) @saph-writes

As for this blog, its mainly just shitposts, reblogs, and random things that come to mind. I cycle through various obsessions of mine, so most of the things I post will probably be whatever I'm obsessed with within that given period.

Right now its: Blue Lock (manga specifically so if you're an anime-only please read my tag list to know which tags to filter out ^^)

Info about me is on my main, though I'll summarize a bit here.

I'm Hispanic, lesbian, and ND.

Typical DNI stuff: no weirdos, racists, homophobes, transphobes, etc you get the picture.

I'll be pretty accepting of whatever ship you got, as long as its not weird, proshipping shit. Just keep it away from me, I don't want to see it.

Tags:

#rb - reblogs

#srb - self reblog

#fanart - fanart

#saph-reacts - liveblogs

#wip - work in progress, related to the occasional fics I write that I may yap about from time to time. these posts also tend to be tagged with #my writing but not always

#beyburst - beyblade burst

#mp100 - mob psycho psycho 100 (variation #mp100 spoilers)

#bllk - blue lock (variations include #bllk manga and #bllk spoilers)

#sk8 - sk8 the infinity

#save for later - archived posts

#toh - the owl house

#ygo - yugioh related posts

#tbhk - toilet bound hanako kun (variations include tbhk manga and tbhk+chapter number)

#bd - buddy daddies (variations include #buddy daddies spoilers)

#onk - oshi no ko (variations may include #onk manga and #onk spoilers)

#bakuten - bakuten!!/backflip!! related posts

#sgdlr - shiguang dailiren or link click in eng (variations include #sgdlr spoilers and #link click spoilers)

#orv - omniscient reader's viewpoint (novel spoilers will be untagged, so proceed with caution)

#ssmy - sasaki to miyano

#hrkg - hirano to kaguira

#tgswii - the guy she was interested in wasn't a guy at all

#vnc - vanitas no carte

#knh - Kusuriya no Hitorigoto, or the Apothecary Diaries

#kot! - kono oto tomare (manga spoilers untagged)

#bucchigiri?!

#rotrk - requiem of the rose king

#fnae - fumetsu no anata e, or to your eternity (variations include #fnae manga)

#bsd - bungo stray dogs

#alnst - alien stage

#tokyo aliens

#beryl and sapphire

#ynm - yuukoku no moriarty, or moriarty the patriot (manga spoilers are untagged)

#senpai wa otonoko

#kagurabachi

#ekuoto - make the exorcist fall in love

#no home

#tbhx - to be hero x (variations include #tbhx spoilers)

Trigger warnings are formatted as followed:

#// [insert tw]

For example - "#// incest" "#// suicide" "#// csa" "#// eyestrain"

It will always be in all lowercase and for the most part they will be spelled out completely. Exceptions are as seen //csa and //sa.

I always try to tag the appropriate tw, but if i overlook one, please let me know! My posts and reblogs are always ask to tag :)

[forsakenoathkeeper]

I Am Alive (chapter 19/?)

Chapter 19: The Missing Android

Deviant!Connor[RK800] x (fem!)Reader Rated M(18+) for canon-typical violence and gore, medical procedures, and graphic sexual content

Chapters: 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 19 • more coming soon

You can also read on AO3 & thank you for supporting me ♥

The Detroit Police Department had yet to make any substantial progress on the murder that occurred at AlphaBio a few weeks back, before another murder case hit their desks.

Connor stepped past the holographic caution tape into the building where their crime scene was located, immediately noticing the smell of blood was heavy in the air. In response, he turned his scent receptors down from standard to low. A body was sprawled out on the floor, cheek pressed into the pool of blood puddled beneath them.

"Nolin Greene," Officer Wilson stated when he saw Connor walk in. "M.E. estimated dead less than six hours."

Connor nodded at him before scanning Greene's body with his optical unit. He was 52 years old, had never been married, and was previously employed at Cyberlife as one of their esteemed programmers.

Even without scanning the man's corpse, it was obvious he had died from multiple gunshot wounds. One prominent bullet hole left a gaping wound in the back of his head, likely just to ensure he was dead, considering he had a few on his torso in addition.

Hank rounded the corner with a sigh. "All the security cameras were offline. Haven't been since pre-rev," he explained, approaching Connor.

He waited until Officer Wilson stepped away to lean into Connor with his arms crossed. "What did they make here?" Hank asked quietly.

"They used to generate code for androids operating systems and protocols," Connor explained smoothly, matching Hank's hushed tone. "All android manufacturing has been put to a halt. He had no reason to be here."

"Good point," Hank said lowly. "Would they have kept anything here?"

"Considering the audits Cyberlife financers are going through, I would imagine this place was-... scrubbed clean, so to speak," Connor replied, briefly glancing around the office space. Judging by the dust pileup and the damage to one of the windows, this place had likely sat abandoned for months.

"You think it's related to AlphaBio?" Hank asked the android. "Chips were stolen from that plant. This facility creates code. That's a dangerous combination," he observed.

Connor gave Hank an agreeing look before eyeing the room again. Officers had brought in crime scene lights to cast out the darkness, and a flashlight was on the floor, labeled as evidence. It was next to Greene's body and had his fingerprints on it, powered off likely due to dead batteries. It didn't require any detective skills to see the power was cut off completely to the building.

"Greene was likely here to meet someone," Connor observed. "Who made the 911 call?"

Officer Wilson walked back in, careful not to step in any of the evidence. "An android apparently," he answered. "The call is saved in the case file."

"I'll pull it up now," Connor stated, using his HUD to pull up the case files remotely. "Would you like to listen, Hank?" he offered, eyes staring blindly ahead as his focus was elsewhere.

"Go for it," Hank said gruffly.

Connor's lips didn't move, but the sounds came from his mouth. Hank had seen him use his vocal processor like a speaker before; but, he never quite got used to it, and still found it very bizarre to see Connor look dead in the face while making noises that weren't his voice.

"911. What's your emergency?" the dispatcher asked.

Officer Wilson, who had never seen Connor do that before, stopped dead in his tracks and stared at the android in shock.

"My friend has been shot. I'm at-" a feminine voice followed. Seeing as she was an android, making the call with her internal processor, no outside noises could be heard, and there was no way to identify what made her suddenly stop talking.

The recorded 911 call continued in silence for a few more seconds before the android disconnected, giving dispatchers just enough time to locate the GPS coordinates from the call.

Connor stopped the recording and turned to Hank, his expressionless face returning to normal. He ignored Officer Wilson's concerned look.

"The android didn't block her GPS coordinates; so, she definitely wanted to be found," he explained to the lieutenant.

"She could have been the killer? Guy used to work at Cyberlife," Hank suggested thoughtfully. "Pissed off android?"

"Possibility," Connor acknowledged, nodding at the older detective. "However, she did identify him as her friend..."

The android trailed off, using his HUD to run a background check on Nolin Greene. "He belongs to no clubs, publicly, anyway, and has been unemployed since Cyberlife closed down. His former boss still has a primary residence in Detroit."

"Think he's worth a visit?" Hank offered more so than asked. "Let's go."

"I can drive," Connor offered, following the older detective as he headed for the exit.

"Fuck no," Hank immediately declared.

"Are you sure you can afford another speeding ticket?" the android challenged, some tease in his tone.

"I'm not gonna get another speeding ticket," Hank retorted fiercely, climbing into the driver's seat. He eyed Connor as the android shimmied into the passenger seat.

"Keep it up and your ass is walking," he threatened in a tone that Connor had grown rather accustomed to. It sounded sincere, but the android could tell the difference.

"Whatever you say, detective," Connor uttered, knowing full well his relaxed tone and stoic expression would irritate the older detective further.

Hank only grumbled in response.

...

...

...

Arthur Torres lived in a nice house in the posh, suburban side of town. He didn't seem at all surprised to find detectives at his door; however, he couldn't seem to bring himself to stop staring at Connor with blatant distrust and fear.

"You were a head programmer at Cyberlife for years," Hank stated, reciting information Connor had filled him in during their ride over. They had decided to let Hank lead with the likelihood that the man would be untrusting of Connor.

That seemed to be a very accurate assumption.

"Yes," Torres acknowledged Hank's statement.

"One of your former subordinates, Colin Greene, was murdered last night."

Torres was a skittish looking individual, and completely failed to maintain composure at the news. His hands were digging into his lap and he was struggling to keep still, fidgeting in his seat. Both the detectives doubted it was concern over Greene's livelihood, or lack of.

"Was it an android?" he asked, confirming their suspicions of his intentions.

Hank decided to ignore that question. "Greene's body was found at one of Cyberlife's office spaces, where programmers worked on their operating systems," the older detective explained. "We were hoping you could tell us why he would be there."

Connor decided to wear a cold look while he stood there, next to the couch where Hank had parked himself. The android was standing with perfect posture, arms crossed elegantly behind his back. It was clear that Torres was afraid of him. If he was being honest, he was taking advantage of that.

"Must have been the office where we worked," Torres offered quietly, trying to avoid Connor's piercing gaze. "I can't imagine why. The place was cleared out months ago. Did you ask Maria?"

Hank's brow lowered slightly. "Who?"

"Maria. She was a KL900 placed at our office. Nolin had reconfigured her so that she could test our codes. After the-" Torres' eyes flickered to Connor with uncertainty. "-revolution, he took her in - let her live with him."

Before Hank could utter another word, Torres continued, suddenly eager to run his mouth. "She had a lot of our incomplete code saved. I warned him it was dangerous to keep her."

The older detective looked down at his cellphone, that had vibrated quietly while Torres yapped. It was a text from Connor, reading, "the voice on the 911 call matches that model."

Hank tucked his phone back into his coat pocket. "What was their relationship like?"

"Well-" Torres began. "I suppose-... She was unique. He had modded her greatly - well beyond her manufactured purpose. I think he saw her as his own creation, in a way."

Again, before Hank could inquire further, Torres started up again. "She's missing, isn't she?"

Connor spoke up this time. "Are you suggesting she is somehow responsible?" His tone was calm, collected, almost polite, even; however, that was likely even more frightening than if he spoke with anger.

"I-" Torres stammered, eyes briefly flickering up to meet Connor's before immediately shifting back to the older detective. It was bizarre to think that this spineless man was once a lead programmer for Cyberlife.

"You can't think of any reason Greene would turn up dead in your old office?" Hank asked, maintaining the good cop persona he had taken up during this discussion.

"I can't think of why he would be there at all," Torres insisted.

"I would advise you offer something substantial," Connor warned, his tone cold and unyielding. "As of right now, you are our number one suspect."

"W-what?" Torres stammered, his panicked eyes falling on the android. "I haven't spoken to him since we were shut down. What motive could I possibly have?"

Connor's brown eyes remained unreadable, cold and robotic. That seemed to make Torres more uncomfortable than expressing valid emotion. "You said it yourself: he had access to incomplete code. Perhaps he knew something you didn't want getting out. So, you shut him up."

Torres' eyes landed on Hank, his gaze silently pleading, as if he expected Hank to stop Connor. Instead, the older detective wore a faint smirk. "He's got a point."

"No! I would never!" Torres defended himself loudly. "Y-you need to leave. I'm calling my lawyer."

...

...

...

"God, I love when those rich assholes lawyer up," Hank groaned as he climbed into his car. "It's like crying to mommy and daddy."

Connor slid into the passenger seat, a sour look on his face. "I pushed too hard. We probably could have gotten more out of him," he said apologetically.

"Nah," Hank retorted gruffly, silencing Connor's regrets. "We got the only useful thing out of him."

Hank pulled out of the street with a little more force than was necessary, mainly because he wanted to cause a fuss in the posh neighborhood. He could see the neighbors poking their heads out, rich and bored with nothing better to do than gossip. Hank's vintage car screamed detective or organized crime, and no in between.

"Let's check Greene's place. Maybe you can find something to help you locate this android," Hank suggested.

Greene's neighborhood wasn't as posh as Torres'; but, it was still nice, a little noisier with families out and about enjoying the weather. The warrant request had already been received and an electronic key had been sent over to Connor. He used the interface on his hand to let them inside.

The detectives walked around carefully, taking turns examining rooms for clues. The place was nicely furnished and impeccably clean. An android definitely lived here. If there was anything Connor could stereotype androids for, it was cleanliness.

There were a few photos hung up on the wall in the living room. The KL900 in the photos was likely Maria. She was an ordinary looking KL900, everything factory issued. Most of the photos were likely her at the Cyberlife programming facility.

There was one photo of just her and Nolin Greene together. She was wearing civilian clothes and her LED was removed. Their smiles suggested the relationship was a good one.

One of the bedrooms could easily be identified as Maria's room. There was no bed, but a desk with a charging station and a computer with an android interfacing tool in place of a mouse and keyboard. A quick scan of the room showed almost no fingerprints, except for a few on the door handle and door frame, which Connor immediately scanned as Nolin Greene's.

Hank was looking over a study that was likely Nolin's. The dark, stained wood desk was enough of a giveaway without all the golf memorabilia decorating the wall behind it. There was a laptop plugged into the charger. He figured CSI would pick it up later.

"Still waiting on that warrant for phone records!?" Hank called out.

Connor called back, "affirmative!"

"Damn," he grumbled to himself. "What's the holdup?"

The two detectives rendezvoused in the kitchen, exchanging disgruntled looks.

"No signs of a struggle," Hank observed.

"It wasn't a robbery. There aren't any fingerprints in the house not belonging to Greene," Connor explained. "The perpetrator left Greene's wallet and keys on his body... It's almost as if Greene was just... in the way."

The android looked away for a moment, staring off blindly as he searched Greene's employee folder again from Cyberlife's records. There was nothing in there about Maria, unsurprisingly. There were thousands of KL900's in circulation; so, there was no point in searching registered android records.

"Ya' thinking Greene wasn't the target?" Hank suggested.

"Assuming Torres wasn't giving us the runaround," Connor added on, setting a pondering gaze on the lieutenant, "Maria could have been the target; but... who would know that an ordinary looking KL900 has Cyberlife codes?"

"Someone who used to work for Cyberlife," Hank answered.

"It leads us back to Torres," Connor said sourly.

"He wasn't the only one that got bit in the ass," the older detective corrected him. "Lot's'a people out'a work. Lot's'a people facing lawsuits... and lot's'a people losing money. Oldest reason in the book."

"We need those phone records," Connor stated fiercely.

"I'm gonna call CSI. Get them on these damn computers," Hank stated, pulling out his cell phone.

"I could-"

"No."

...

...

...

After a long day of field work, Hank, Officer Wilson, Officer Miller, and Detective Collins gathered around a food truck a few blocks from the police station. It was already dark out and the street lights were illuminating the cityscape.

Connor decided to join them.

"You wouldn't fucking believe-" Officer Miller explained, an excited look in his eyes. "I thought this son of a bitch was gonna clock me. Connor came jumping over the roadblock and slam-dunked that motherfucker to the ground like this was WWE."

Detective Collins nearly chocked on his drink, doubling over with laughter. Hank was grinning, having witnessed that, and plenty of other amazing feats from the android, firsthand.

Officer Wilson nudged the android's shoulder. "Damn. Where the fuck were you when that crackhead tried to hit me with a baseball bat?" he teased, shoulders trembling with laughter and a wild, bright smile on his face.

Connor looked bashful, a crooked smile forming on his face.

"That's how you fucked up your hand," Hank added on.

"Small price to pay," Connor replied sincerely.

"Wait - was that how you met your lady friend? That nurse?" Officer Wilson asked, eyeing Connor suspiciously. He shifted his eyes to Miller with a grin. "Maybe I should save your dumbass next time and land me a hot nurse."

"You just need to get hurt," Miller replied with a grin, popping his knuckles dramatically. "I can help."

"I'd like to see you try," Wilson retorted. "You get knocked out by little old grandmas."

"That was Lewis," Detective Collins corrected. "But, it was pretty fucking funny."

"She put up quite a fight," Hank jumped in. "Earned that 'resisting arrest' with honors."

The conversation continued for a while, the men talking in-between eating their meals. Connor was mostly quiet, observing, occasionally jumping in when the moment seemed right. He worked with these guys almost every day and had grown to know them well; still, he found himself struggling to adjust to this - to fitting in.

When it was nearing eight o'clock, the android decided to dismiss himself.

"I'm gonna call it a night," he proclaimed, removing his elbows from the table. He had taken to using more common phrases around his coworkers, and this in particular was one of his favorites.

"Already? You don't sleep," Miller protested casually.

"He needs to get home so he can rearrange his girlfriend's guts," Wilson teased.

Miller and Collins broke out in laughter and Hank rolled his eyes, despite his faint smirk.

Connor stood there staring at them blankly, sincerely confused for a moment. Surely, that sort of thing would kill you. At the very least, it would cause severe damage that would require a surgeon. Why would he want to do such a thing?

A quick internet search, however, showed him that it was slang for rough sex.

He couldn't quite tell, but Connor was certain a faint blush had appeared on his cheeks. He spent 1.61 seconds internally debating if he should deny it or tease back.

At one point in the past, he might have taken this behavior as negative; however, he had grown to recognize banter as common between humans. The impersonality of it was how bonds were formed. Besides, he could easily recognize their teasing was unharmful. If anything, they were treating him like just another human, and that was more preferable.

"Maybe," he said lowly, the corner of his lip curling up slightly.

Connor's eyes reflected a mischievous glance at them briefly before he retreated. As he walked away, he heard the officers hollering obnoxiously at him, an echoing "ooohhh" as if he had declared something profound.

Before he was out of earshot, he could hear Hank grumpily, albeit fondly, telling them to "shut the fuck up".

[readyplayerhobi]

Flower | 36

; Hoseok x Reader

; Genre: Fluff

; Word Count: 3.9k

; Synopsis: You finally decide to take a dip into the world of online dating and find the Flower dating app. One of the top matches for you proves to be a guy who looks to be your complete opposite; tattooed, pierced, a metalhead and oh…incredibly handsome. What happens when you throw caution to the wind and reach out to him?

; A/N: If no one sends me tons of messages/comments about THIS chapter then I will be eternally sad LOL. I enjoyed writing it and I hope you all enjoy reading it :P

; Flower Masterpost

-

“Ciri! Don’t go too far! Ciri!” You call out, concern laced into your voice as you stretch up onto your tiptoes to try and catch sight of the eager puppy. She’s over six months old now and she’s not grown a huge amount, although her personality is bigger than ever.

Something Hoseok and you had both discovered about Ciri was that she was just unbelievably affectionate and sweet. Kasumi hadn’t been too happy at her arrival but had resigned herself to it pretty quickly, taking herself away to the top of her cat tree when she’d had enough of play fighting with her new yappy sister.

You’d been trying to teach her when to be quiet so that she didn’t make too much noise and had been pleasantly surprised by how receptive she was to learning commands. She didn’t learn them incredibly fast but enough that you already had a little repertoire that she would do happily for a treat.

Hoseok had been the same with her; just as firm as he was fun and she was turning out to be a perfect little puppy. Already house trained at this point and so inquisitive, you didn’t think that you could ask for anything better. And you would admit to enjoying being welcomed so enthusiastically every time you came home.

Cage training was working very well with her and she often took herself off to sleep in it even when you were both sat on the couch. Just as Kasumi was able to have her space above the ground, Ciri had her space with comfortable blankets and a fluffy dog bed.

Probably her only issue was that she got a little too enthusiastic, but you didn’t get too annoyed over it. She was a puppy after all, and her boundless energy always ran out eventually. You did not doubt that by the end of this walk, she’d be fast asleep in Hoseok’s arms. It happened often enough.

Ciri just didn’t have the endurance yet to go for long walks and she still did the puppy thing of practically falling asleep midstep. It was adorable, but what was better was getting to see Hoseok holding her so close and how safe she must feel in his arms.

You understood that feeling so you can’t begrudge her a little snooze while being held by him. If you could do that then you would as well.

“I’m gonna have to carry her back, aren’t I?” Hoseok asks, once more seeming to read your mind and making you snort with laughter. Grinning broadly, you poke at his side playfully until he’s giggling and trying to shift away from you.

“Oh, you love it. Don’t lie. You get all those pretty ladies fawning all over the handsome, tattooed guy with the tiny, fluffy puppy in his arms. All that attention must be tiring.” He’s biting at his lip, trying not to let his amusement at your words show but you manage to tickle it out of him. 

His laughter is pure and infectious, body wriggling around in an attempt to avoid your searching fingers. It’s a half-hearted effort though as he doesn’t move too far away, staying close to you on the rough dirt path. You’d both taken up a little more walking since Ciri was able to go out properly, exploring the nature trails that could be found close to where you live and even driving further afield to make a day of it.

Today was one such day, with the two of you finally visiting the largest national park closest to you. There were rolling hills as far as the eye could see, lush grass growing in a wave of green. In the far distance, you could spy a herd of cattle as it grazed slowly along with another field of sheep. Life seemed so peaceful here compared to in the city.

“There’s only one pretty girl I want to impress with my puppy skills,” Hoseok finally gets out, a little breathless from the mini-workout you’d just given his stomach. “And that’s Kasumi. I think she’s very impressed with me. Ten out of ten would recommend on Yelp.”

Rolling your eyes in bemusement, you push his shoulder lightly and make a half-hearted complaint as he crowds you, kissing your cheek loudly. If there’s something you’ve learnt in over three years of dating this insatiably attractive man, it’s that he could be a certified idiot sometimes.

He was just lucky you loved that about him.

“The good news is that Kasumi is going to love you no matter what. Me, however…” That makes him wrap his arms around your waist, his chest against your shoulder as he tries to hug you tightly sideways. It’s combined with his whining and you wonder what kind of image you’re presenting now; the tattooed man crab-walking while squeezing his girlfriend tightly and making the most childish noises.

You wouldn’t think he was thirty-two-years-old. Though you knew he only did it because you let him, and you didn’t feel like stifling his personality for no real reason.

“Ciri!” Ignoring him, you call out for the puppy once more and feel relief when she stops where she is. Her head looks up at you alertly, watching you both carefully. It takes her only a few seconds to decide she doesn’t like what she’s seeing before she comes running back, barking as loudly as she can.

When she finally reaches you both, she growls lightly at Hoseok before trying to jump up at both of your legs. Smiling, you crouch down and fuss her with kisses and strokes before gently scolding her for growling at Hoseok. While you appreciate her being protective of you when she saw a situation she didn’t particularly like, you didn’t want her to encourage her behaviour when it was harmless. Particularly with Hoseok.

“Don’t growl at daddy, okay? He’s not doing anything wrong, see?” Reaching up, you gently tug Hoseok until he’s crouched with you as well. She sniffs at his hand for a moment before licking it and butting her head in an attempt to get more strokes. Of course, he obliges, his lips quirking up as he babies her with words that she couldn’t possibly understand.

But she doesn’t need to understand really, all she probably cares about is the positive tone to his voice. Ciri reciprocates immediately, yapping as her tail whips back and forth furiously and trying to almost climb into his lap.

Gently, you push at her until she’s just sitting there and accepting the love from both of you. Her eyes watch you both carefully with so much love and you can’t help but smile. While you were still more of a cat person than a dog person, you couldn’t help but love this little ball of fluff with her exuberant nature and unending love.

“Okay, come on. We’ve still got more to walk.” Standing back up, you gesture to Ciri and giggle as she runs off excitedly. She’s still adorably small but growing, her legs awkward as they’re a little too long for her little body. It means she runs oddly at the moment but it just makes your heart clench more, your hand pressed to your chest.

“Happy we got her?” Hoseok asks, taking said hand and holding it gently with his. You let him, happily leaning into him as you both carry on walking along the well-worn path. Instead of verbally answering him, you just nod before taking in a deep breath of the fresh air.

The temperature is pleasant today, warm enough that you don’t need a coat but with a slight breeze to keep you from getting too warm. It’s a little stronger than you might have expected from all the open land but it’s nice to combat the heat. You hadn’t even known that this place existed, only finding out when Chungha had talked about the hiking walks she’d done with Dahyun over the last few months.

But you were glad that you’d listened properly, enjoying the scenery and the fact that you were getting a little bit of exercise in as well. Plus, you had the perfect company to do it with.

Turning, you walked a little ahead of Hoseok and just admired him as he followed you. His head tilted slightly, his question silent but easily understood. He’d dressed today in some jeans, a pair of hiking boots on his feet given the distance you both were hoping to walk and a plain black shirt that was covered by a hoodie. It made his shoulders look a little broader than normal and you couldn’t help but admire the way his chest looked.

Jungkook had convinced Hoseok to go to the gym with him every other evening straight after work, the two of them spending an hour working out before he finally headed back home. It had resulted in Hoseok just becoming a little...bigger overall. Muscular bigger, but still lean enough to resemble the man you originally fell for. You certainly weren’t opposed to it.

While you didn’t go to the gym with Hoseok much anymore, you had taken up going with Soyeon instead. The two of you attended some of those classes that they held every week along with going swimming. You much preferred swimming to being in a smelly gym.

Unlike Hoseok though, you were just going for general health purposes to make sure that you could keep yourself fit enough to ward off illness. You’d finally reached a place where you could accept your body and feel content with yourself, not feeling the need to hide away and just generally loving what you had. The exercises you did help to ease your mind’s worries as well.

“What?” Hoseok asks, a hint of laughter to the question as he can’t help the smile that spreads over his face at your inspection. There’s a tiny hint of awkwardness when you don’t respond at first which vanishes as you shrug, biting your lip coyly.

“Just admiring the scenery.”

You only hear his snort once you turn back, facing the path once more and keeping an eye on Ciri as she sniffs intently at the path just ahead of you both. There are only seconds that pass before you feel familiar fingers creeping around your waist, playfully tickling at your sides before linking up on your stomach.

Walking awkwardly for a few paces, trying not to fall over or trip over the extra feet you suddenly had, you don’t complain as Hoseok holds you. His embrace is tight enough that you can’t escape easily but also light enough that you can walk without being too encumbered. Leaning back slightly, you put enough pressure on his front to make him walk even more awkwardly until he’s complaining, his words loud against your ear and you just laugh pleasantly.

“You’re being particularly...annoying today,” Hoseok teases, tightening his arms until you can’t move properly. “What’s gotten into you?”

He doesn’t mean the words in a bad way, his tone is far too light and jovial for that and you wiggle until he finally let’s go. Darting forward a few steps, you carefully step around Ciri from where she’s been standing and waiting for you both to catch up before spinning around with your arms wide.

“It’s just...a nice day! I’m in a good mood.” And you were. It was the weekend, you were out with your boyfriend on a lovely walk in the beautiful countryside. On top of that, you’d found out this week that the promotion you’d put yourself forward for at your company had been approved. It was hard to not feel happy and carefree when life was going so damn well.

Feeling so good about everything wasn’t exactly something that came naturally to you, to be honest. It was still awkward for you to realise that you were allowed to be happy and to not have to feel anxiety about something going wrong, but you were getting a lot better at it. And you didn’t want anything to ruin the high you had going right now.

“Life is going good right now,” Pausing, you face Hoseok and reach out to take his hands. “I think I’m doing better than I thought I would be at this point. But then again, I was half-convinced that I’d be back at my parent’s house by this time.” 

“Why? You were doing pretty okay before.” He keeps going, one hand firmly encompassing your own until you’re once more walking alongside him. For a few moments, you don’t respond and just hum as you think over where you were back then.

Lips twisting, your nose wrinkles as you shake your head.

“No, not really. I wasn’t living. Just more...existing? Like I didn’t enjoy a lot of stuff, I had bad depression and anxiety, I hated my job and had become way too obsessed with my routines. Now...now I don’t feel the need to have everything in so much order. I feel a little happier just letting things happen sometimes. I do like my routine but there’s way more wiggle room in it. Not to mention the fact I have a better job, a house I never thought I would’ve had, waaaay better mental health and feeling a little more economically stable. It’s nice.” 

“That’s good.” Hoseok seems to be a little quieter than normal, his expression almost like he’s miles away when you look up at him. Frowning, you chew at your lips and wonder what he’s thinking about. You were being honest when you said that your life was going well right now, but you wondered if maybe that was about to change in the future. One of the constant issues of your anxiety, that still happened, unfortunately, was that you could never have too much of a good thing.

There was always an inevitable downside.

“Hey, is something wrong?” Playfully swinging his arm, you give him an encouraging smile while tilting your head. Ciri speeds past you both, having fully investigated that intriguing patch of grass and yapping at some birds ahead on the path. You're not surprised when they take off immediately, fleeing the scene before your excitable puppy can reach them.

Distracted by the fast ball of fluff, you don’t notice the way Hoseok frowns slightly. If you had, it would have been sure to worry you even further than normal. You may not be as anxious as you had once been, but that didn’t mean that you didn’t get a little stressed over things sometimes.

“Ciri! No!” Calling out sternly, you let go of Hoseok’s hand and speed walk ahead, catching up to her and scolding her while you take the empty food wrapper out of her mouth. She yaps at you annoyed that you’ve taken her prize but you take care to try and teach her that she was wrong. You know it’s a bit futile at the moment, but hopefully, she will eventually learn that she can’t go around trying to eat everything she sees.

Just the thought of what she could accidentally eat makes your stomach turn. Who knows what kind of crap gets thrown onto the floor by uncaring people?!

Lifting the wrapper as you stand, anger bubbles in your stomach as you note it’s for a chocolate bar. Turning, you hold it up for Hoseok to see while outrage laces every syllable as you speak.

“People are so fucking selfish, look at this! It’s a fucking chocolate bar, don’t they know that’s poisonous to dogs? God knows what might have happened if Ciri had- Hoseok? Are you okay?” He’s just stood, staring at you a little oddly and you feel unease burn. Stowing the wrapper away into your pocket, you move towards him hesitantly.

“Hobi?” His sudden change in demeanour frightens you, particularly given how you’d been babbling only minutes earlier about how good your life was. Did he not feel the same way? Was there something going on that you weren’t aware about? Was he ill or something?

“Will you marry me?” 

You’re that concerned about what could be wrong that you don’t quite register the words, your frown still present as your mind races through all the reasons that he could be unhappy. It must have looked comical when you finally realised, the lines on your forehead vanishing as your eyes widen and jaw drops.

“What?”

Whenever you’d imagined this moment previously, it had always been far more romantic in your head. Him on one knee after a meal, you clasping your hands in front of you before cupping them over your mouth while tears fell and you nodded. It would have not only been romantic, but graceful.

Instead, he’d just blurted the question out randomly in the middle of a walk and you’d just bluntly given a one-word answer. The one word you hadn’t quite imagined you would have told him. But you’re just shocked, this came out of nowhere. Although you supposed proposals did usually come out of nowhere, but still.

“Will you...marry me?” He’s grinning now, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his wallet. Your eyes goggle in amazement as he pulls out a small velvet bag, revealing a beautiful ring. The band is silver, whether it’s white gold or platinum you don’t know because you’re not an expert in that kind of stuff. The solitaire diamond on top is circular and practically glitters in the sunlight.

Squinting slightly, you realise there’s something else on it. Without even realising what you’re doing, you take the ring from him and examine it closely. The elegant design beneath the diamond is in rose gold, standing out from the rest in a beautiful infinity symbol. On one side of the ring, the centre of the infinity symbol has a tiny amethyst while the other side has an aquamarine gem.

“Wha-” You go to ask, but Hoseok’s already moved closer to you with a hopeful grin. Pointing at each side in turn, he explains them a little more to you.

“Amethyst for February, aka my birthday. Aquamarine for yours, an infinity because I hope we’re it for each other and diamond because it’s traditional. Do you like it?” As the meanings sink in, the tears finally start to fall. A little late but better than never.

Pressing a hand to your mouth, you blink through them as your lips wobble slightly. It’s all finally making sense and you’re feeling a little whiplash at the change in topics. Mostly, you’re just flabbergasted that he’d suddenly proposed. And that he’d been keeping the ring in his wallet of all places.

It shouldn’t be too much of a surprise to you; the two of you had casually discussed the idea of marriage over the years. Much like you had both talked about children, or the decision to not have them. You’d known that you were both open to the idea, but you hadn’t thought Hoseok would truly want it to be honest. He’d always felt a little like he couldn’t be fully held down, and given his past, you hadn’t expected him to want to get married.

But here he was, proposing to you.

“Really? You...I mean...you want to get married?” Now he frowns, pressing his lips together until his dimples appear.

“Yes. I mean, for starters I did just propose. With a ring that I bought and everything. Seriously though...yes. I love you. I love living with you, I love our house, I love our dog, I love our cat, I love our life. I never considered marriage before, didn’t think it was for me. I do now. I want to just...be able to call you my wife and get to see you walk down the aisle while I blub. You can say no if you want, I won’t be mad.” He speaks earnestly, gently wrapping one hand around yours while his other takes the ring from you.

Holding it up in front of your face, his brows rise as he smiles at you. There’s a softness to his eyes, and you wonder what was going through his mind to make him do this suddenly. The realisation that he hadn’t been upset or annoyed was a relief though.

You don’t even realise you’re nodding until Hoseok’s smile widens and brightens, his eyes almost disappearing as his cheeks rise from the force of it. It’s enough to rival the sun in the sky above and you feel just as much warmth from the sight of it. Your lips mirror his as the tears fall, not of sadness but pure happiness and joy.

Carefully, Hoseok pushes the ring onto your finger and you have to bite your lip to stop yourself from squealing. You’re not hugely a ring person so it’s the first time you’ve ever put one on your ring finger. It’d be a lie if you said you didn’t like the look of it.

“I may have measured your finger while you were sleeping once,” He says, almost apologetically as he glances at you once it’s on. “But at least it fits.”

“Oh my god, Hoseok!” You breathe, lifting your hand to admire the ring and the way it refracts the light so perfectly. The design is incredibly simple but the underlying elegance and intricateness make it even better. It’s everything you could have ever wanted in an engagement ring.

Stepping forward, he carefully avoids Ciri from where she’d plopped herself down to sit at your feet. She’s reached her limit for the day, already beginning to snooze but you can’t bring yourself to truly care right now. Which sounds mean, but you’re far too enamoured with staring at the ring.

Wrapping his arms around your waist, he distracts you away from looking at it. His lip ring catches the light momentarily and you marvel at how you’d managed to get this stunning man to not only date you, but fall in love and even want to marry you. A once in a lifetime opportunity.

“I just had to when you were talking about your life being good right now. I wanted to make it even better. Not quite the setting or the time that I was originally planning but...I figure all this pretty scenery will make up for it.” Wiping at your face, you sniff as you nod slowly.

Instead of responding to him, you just link your hands behind his neck and tug him gently until you can press your lips to his own. It’s a soft kiss at first, full of love that you want to try and imprint into his skin before it evolves into something much deeper. Neither of you cares that you’re making out in the middle of the path, not even when his tongue slips into your mouth as it gets far more heated than you’ve ever felt comfortable with being in public.

You can’t bring yourself to give a damn, not when you just need to show Hoseok how much you love him. How happy you are and how happy he makes you. Needless to say, there’s not a whole lot of talking that happens for the next five minutes. At least, nothing that’s said verbally. It doesn’t get unsafe for the general public but you’re glad that no one comes by during that time.

The excitement and happiness you’d felt before are magnified to levels you didn’t even think was possible. 

You’re getting married to Jung Hoseok.

[wevegottogetaway]

Whirlwind Part I - Mistral

DAY 0

Time seems to slow down but the speedometer on Aella's Triumph says otherwise. As the needle flirts with the 124mph mark, it's hard to tell wether she's the one chasing after the wind or the other way around. Miles after miles, her beloved motorbike swallows up the empty road offering itself before her, almost begging her to throw speed limits cautions to the wind. Speed has no secret for Aella though. Brown eyes steady on the asphalt, her focus is unswerving. Yet, she's never felt more free and insouciant.

Except maybe when she's flying.

In the tight confine of her Tomcat, as she defies other kinds of laws, Aella seeps in a whole new world. One where she makes her own physics, her own rules. One where the sky in no longer a limit and neither is her gender. Because when she occupies the cockpit of the F-14 - a baby only a handful of aviators are lucky to even sit in - she's just that: an aviator. A squadron unit who receives missions and completes them. Once her feet tread the tarmac though, the reality is quickly sobering. That's why Aella has learnt to savor each one of the limited hours she spends in the in-between realm of the stratosphere.

Tilting her head briefly to look at the clear sky above her, Aella lets a smile grace her lips as she realizes she'll be back up there very soon. And in high amounts at that. A few years ago, she could have only dreamt to be recruited as part of the most elitist of naval aviation programs in the world. But after years of working twice as hard as her fellow Navy fighter pilots and putting up with their never-ending bullying, her resilience has finally paid off. The memory of their crest-fallen faces when their Commander announced her promotion in front of them all is still one of her favorite. And on that note, they can respectfully kiss her ass.

Maybe it was fate, or maybe it was just life. But no matter how serendipitous the death of Navy fighter Jonathan Evans, she'll be the one taking his place in the US Navy's Fighter Weapons School's Top Gun program. It was a regrettable news but one that changed Aella's destiny forever.

San Diego's sun is just as blazing as LA's, but the nice breeze the city benefits from neighboring the ocean makes it easier to breath. The streets are void of the usual hustle and bustle that inhabits the city of angels, but the palm-trees-lined streets seem to remain a consistent feature of the Californian landscape.

After driving in two hours what should have been a three hours ride, Aella finally pulls up in front of a single-story condominium situated on the street that runs alongside the shore. Taking in the magical scenery that surrounds her new place, she finds herself standing front row for the sun's crepuscular show.

Aella has always loved sunsets. She fell in love with their ephemeral hues when she was 7 and already wanted to make the sky hers. At 25 years of age, they now serve as a reminder that regardless of the fact she knows it like the back of her hand, the blue immensity still withholds secrets that are meant to remain forever's mysteries.

Aella finally makes her way to her new home and her eyes immediately fall on the three large boxes that she had sent from LA the week prior, as per US Navy's request. Waiting for her on the floor, they seem quite a bit lonely in the otherwise empty room. The place is small but designed well enough to be comfortable. The L-shape kitchen directly on the right upon entrance shares one main open space with the living room and dining room, though the term "room" is to be taken loosely. Mostly, they consist of a dining table placed in the center, and a sofa facing a TV set at the back. Between the two, french doors lead the way to a small garden; just enough space for a sun lounger and a small outdoor table.

Aella doesn't expect to be around much as most of her days will be spent at the training center, but as she starts unpacking, she can already picture herself living there anyway. Early runs on the beach, morning coffees out with the birds chirping the news of the day and some lazy reading on the lounger when she's lucky to have a day off. That night, as she lays on her bed waiting to be taken in Morpheus' arms, Aella relishes in the jitters of happiness that course through her veins.

She can't remember the last time she was so impatient for tomorrows.

DAY 1

To say the San Diego Fighter Weapons School's campus is huge would be an understatement. Aella has been on plenty bases during her short naval aviator career, but they all pale in comparison with the three massive hangars standing ahead of her. Deeply rooted on these holy grounds, they serve as home for no less than 30 of the most powerful aircrafts ever designed in the world. Perched on her Triumph, Aella can't help but slow to a more moderate speed as she drives past them. She can feel her heart bouncing in joy at the sight of the F-14 Tomcats, F/A-18 Hornets and F-16 Fighting Falcons neatly aligned like pawns on a chessboard ready to be pressed into service.

Finally, the main buildings come into view. They house all the administration offices as well as lecture and conference rooms. Indeed, part of the Top Gun program takes place indoors (that is, not in a cockpit) as trainees are taught advanced combat strategy, theories of air-to-air and air-to-ground missions, and most painful of all, the riveting matters of astrophysics. In addition to their scientific knowledge and flying skills, the recruits will also be tested on their physical fitness.

That's what Aella dreads the most. While she could probably recite all of Newton's laws in her sleep and fly a supersonic twin-engine, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft with an arm in a cast, she's positive the physical examination is what might give her the most trouble. Not that she's in bad shape. Obviously one has to be quite fit to be able to handle 25 tons of titanium rocketed at more than 1500mph. But alas, the minimum requirements generated by the State for the final physical examination have yet to be adapted to female dispositions.

The military field has definitely still plenty of room left for improvement when it comes to women's interests...

Two men in their service uniforms are casually conversing in the parking lot when Aella pulls up with her Triumph. One seems to be in the middle of a thrilling story judging by his gesticulating limbs, while the other listens to him, cigarette pinched between his lips. As soon as the latter's eyes fall on Aella though, he interrupts his friend with two taps on his torso. The shock on his face quickly turns into a condescending smirk as his eyes shamefully scan Aella from head to toe. His friend turns around intrigued and it's not long before his features mirror the same irksome smug.

For a few seconds too many, Aella doesn't react. She simply stares at the jerks standing a few feet from her like they might be two very realistic-looking hallucinations. A sick jock her brain is playing on her by materializing ghosts from her past when she's least expecting them. Aella doesn't know who she's the most angry at: Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum for looking at her like she's a hot commodity or herself because she'd actually thought it wouldn't happen here.

It takes all of her self-control and then some to keep her from rushing over and giving them a piece of her mind. Instead she just swallows back the crude remarks she's dying to throw at them and puts her uniform cap on. Maybe there weren't checking her out but the Triumph behind her instead. Maybe she just bumped into the two assholes of the program. Maybe the 13 other recruits will turn out to be actual decent human beings who acknowledge women's worth in the Navy and will treat her as an equal. Aella tries to keep the positive thoughts coming as she heads towards the main building for the induction speech.

Still, she can't help the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

The effervescence of the conference room is almost palpable as loud chatter and boisterous laughters bounce off its walls. Taking in the glorious sight of her fellow trainees, Aella already feels like an outsider. Easily distinguished by their uniform, they're all bantering like they've all known each other their entire life, even though the program hasn't officially started.

From afar she recognizes the two morons from the parking lot, sitting on tables as they're gathered around a balky blond man completely sprawled out on a chair with aviator sunglasses tucked in the front of his kaki shirt. Because of his lazy posture, he has to look up at his disciples but it is clear that he's the last person to be looked down on.

Aella already despises the narcissistic vibe he exudes. That disdainful and self-assured attitude which makes her want to rip his stupid head off. It's certainly not the first of his kind she's had to partially work with and sadly, it will definitely not be the last.

"Oi, Rex! How's it goin' man?" Another block yaps.

"Snyder," Rex chuckled. "'Was doin' good till ya ugly face showed up"

"Ah, 's not what the ladies say..." Snyder replies, completely unfazed by the playful dig made at him.

"That's cause you woo them drunk, you bastard." The whole group of them burst in laughters as Snyder rolls his eyes.

"Speaking of lass, I heard there was a bird joining the ranks with us? 'S up with that?"

Aella immediately stiffens as she hears the dreaded words. Ones that make it crystal clear she's gonna be the odd one out right from the start. Not to be mistaken, Aella takes great pride in being one of the very few female fighter pilots of the US Navy but all the self-confidence in the world couldn't amount to the loneliness she always feels on base. Amongst the 'mates', she's never more than a fellow recruit, watching from afar her colleagues' relationships blossoming from mere work affiliations to ones of brotherhood.

Finally making her way to the last seat available in the audience, Aella feels the energies in the room drastically shift. Voices are no longer clashing in rowdiness; instead, the air is charged by the intensity of the quiet stares following her silhouette. However, the silence is interrupted by the sound of a flirtatious whistle that does no wonder for her already-tested nerves. God does she hate men sometimes.

"Well, well, well...look at that guys. I think the eagle has landed its cute ass down."

Aella is about to pop a knuckle from how hard she's clenching her fists. How foolishly naive she was to believe that things would be different. That joining Top Gun with the 'best of the best' would give her solace from the incessant chauvinistic behaviors she'd been so used to. If anything, the prestige of their accomplishments has exacerbated the arrogant disposition of their ego-inflated character.

Aella knows better than to respond though. No matter how quick-witted the comeback, it never works in her favor. So once again, she just takes a deeper breath and settles in her seat facing forwards. She is saved from hearing more about her eagle ass by two impressive figures marching in the room towards the front. Postures straighten, smirks vanish and a de facto silence ensues at the officers' arrival. Respect is almost tangible in the air, and it has little to nothing to do with the plethora of decorations adorning their white uniforms, and everything to do with the aura of invincibility transpiring in their intimidating gaze.

"Gentlemen," one of them starts before tilting his head towards Aella and adding a soft "ladies." He then proceeds with a quick scan of the room. Years of experience standing on that very same stage have forged the unyielding yet somewhat benevolent eyes landed on the students' expecting faces.

"You were probably told that you were here because you are the best of the best. Well, let me set things straight: you're not. Not yet anyway. You might be lieutenants out there, but on these grounds, you are nothing but students. My job, is to make you unbeatable up there. Your job, is to trust me in doing so. That means no challenging orders and no cocky attitude or any funny business. If you respect that, you might have your name on one of these plaques in 5 weeks. Until then, work your hardest. My name is Aaron Berks and I will be your Commander. Everyone, welcome to Top Gun."

Commander Berks offers a light smile to his audience, and Aella has a feeling it's not a sight she will be privy to very often. She likes him though. He seems intransigeant but wise, proud but not arrogant and no matter how cold his exterior, he has the warmth of a master who looks after his apprentice. A caring facet that resembles that of fatherhood, and Aella knows she'll be able to trust Berks just like he asked in his introduction speech.

After a brief silence, the class' attention is once again captured by one of the officer. Taller and bulkier, this one is definitely missing that fatherly vibe Aella is so found of. "Gentlemen, I am Lieutenant Commander Wayne Rogers, I will teach you the art of naval strategy in flight combat alongside Commander Berks. You will also have the pleasure to have me whip your asses in physical testing. As you know, Top Gun is structured around 3 ranges of expertise, namely: naval strategy both in theory and practice, advanced astrophysics knowledge and physical training. Needless to say, you will be tested in more ways than one. And just a heads-up, I don't do no favor. To anyone."

Aella cringes for a second as she wonders if there is any implicit lines to read behind Lieutenant Rogers' clipped tone. She already dreads the time she will have to spend under his teaching. She doesn't have the time to dwell on it though, before Rogers resumes his speech. "Anyway, enough with the pretty words, let's go over the program. As you know, the 16 of you will form 8 crews who will be confronting each other and us instructors to master advanced dogfighting tactics. Each of the 25 missions you will be assigned during the program will earn you points. Your aptitudes in physical training will also earn you point, as well as your results in astrophysics evaluations. I'm sure you can guess who wins the Top Gun trophy at the end of the program. Bear in mind, that all instructors have the right to deduct points from your score should they deem your actions or behavior disrespectful, underserving or quite simply unacceptable. On that note, welcome to Top Gun, class dismissed."

As soon as Lieutenant Rogers voices the discharging words, the room is once again caught in a rambunctious nebula of clacks and clatters. Everyone is making their way out when the commander's voice transcends the ongoing commotion; steady and resonant.

"Officers Styles and Lonethorne."

Aella's brows immediately wrinkle as she recognizes her last name. Turning around, she sees Commander Berks intently looking at her as if beckoning her over. Obediently she makes her way up to the front of the room where Berks hasn't moved an inch since the beginning of the induction. Soon she realizes she's being followed by a tall lanky man. His face, objectively handsome, doesn't seem to show any emotion but Aella doesn't have much time to further study his features as she finally reaches her commander.

"I wanted to welcome you both personally given the circumstances. Styles, you have my support and condolences. Lieutenant Evans was a very fine man and gifted flyer." Aella is a bit thrown off by the declaration. It takes her an extra second to figure out the reason of her presence for this discussion. Once she does, her attention is immediately drawn to the silent man standing next to her, his face still not displaying any feelings, as though his skin was made of cold marble.

"Harry, this is Aella Lonethorne. Her former chief has nothing but praises to say about her flying skills. She will be your partner for the next 5 weeks." A nod and the brief connection of his emeralds to Aella's sapphires seems to be all the assertion elicited from Harry. No handshake, no hello, not even the pucker of a brow. Commander Berks might as well have announced the refectory's lunch menu, the lad's reaction would have been the same.

"Miss Lonethorne, it's a pleasure to have you on base, I have no doubts you two will achieve great things together." It is such a relief for Aella to realize her first impression of Berks was spot on. He is the kind of manager that leads with strength in his fists but encouraging lyrics on the edge of his lips. There is no hint of condescension fueled by the power high of his status, coloring the tone of his voice. It's something Aella has seen a few times. Pleasant comrades turned into aloof leaders full of bitterness from their years of submission and laden by the hierarchy's expectations. Commander Berks never yielded to that pressure though, it was clear in his wholesome nature.

"Thank you Commander, it's a real honor." Aella responds in genuineness.

"Alright, I'll leave you to it. See you both on the tarmac" he exclaims with a smile before making his way out. Berks departure leaves enough room for tension to settle between the newfound partners like a third interlocutor taking the warmed place of their superior.

Harry is still keeping mum, unfocused eyes staring somewhere far off on the floor while his mind appeared to be wandering the secret passages of never-never land. It freaks the hell out of Aella though she doesn't show it. They are a team now. They're supposed to trust, rely on each other and have the other's back no matter what. Yet, she doesn't even know the sound of his voice and it doesn't seem like he's gonna give her the time of day anytime soon.

Aella is about to speak up when Harry suddenly shakes his head out of its hypnotic trance. For a second she thinks he's gonna initiate conversation himself but instead he just tilts his head in her general direction and rasps a weak 'see you' before storming off the room. Aella is left in total disarray, she doesn't comprehend why he's acting like a 3 year-old running off because he's scared to say hi to the postman. Is it because she's not what he expected in a partner? God she hopes not. He doesn't strike her as a misogynistic prick, didn't really show any sign of disgust or clear animosity. But then again he was impossible to read.

After exiting the teaching building and mounting her precious Triumph, Aella feels the dread resurfacing. It is such a big contrast to how she felt when she left this morning. All the thrill and elation that had bubbled in the pits of her stomach just evaporated into disillusion, leaving a fog of uncertainty in Aella's frenzied mind. This was supposed to be a drama-free experience; a chance to be recognized and treated with respect.

Instead she got barely acknowledged.

The music coming out of Godspeed's is so resoundingly loud Aella can feel the bass line thumping through her whole body. Standing across the street from the entrance, she's still hesitating joining in the merrymaking even though she can hear the spirits calling out her name. Despite the crispiness of the air, a few rowdy souls are camping out front, obviously warmed over by the substance in their glass and the nicotine stick between their lips.

The dodgy pub never lacks in visitors no matter how threadbare the furniture, tacky the decoration and questionable the sanitation prove to be. Truth be told, the popularity of the place can be explain by one and sole reason: it is, lo and behold, the only bar on base. A fact that implies 99% of its customer base works in the US Navy, and thus explains why one could usually count on one hand the number of people dressed in day-to-day clothes.

Bracing herself, Aella finally makes her way inside the bar. The smell of booze and fries immediately invades her nostrils but she pays it no mind. Instead she takes in her surroundings from the swaying of hips on the torrid dance floor to tokens passionately thrown at a table with a pair of aces following. The sound of glasses clinking blends with that of drunken laughters and even drunker squawks. It's nothing but good times and pent-up stress release, and for a moment Aella is really glad she decided to show up. She was told Induction's Rave was not to be skipped.

Unfortunately, as she heads for the bar, Aella's eyes fall upon a few familiar yet loathsome faces. It appears the infamous Rex and his phony clique didn't want to miss out on the festivities either. Much to Aella's dismay, they are all huddled around the counter monopolizing the bartender's attention and just like that, she knows a relaxing time is not in her cards for tonight. There is no way she can walk out of this with both a drink in her hand and her composure intact. It would be too easy.

Strategically, she waits till the barman is done with them before voicing her request as inconspicuously as she can. "May I have a Vodka Martini, please?" she asks just as the bartender lifts his eyes from the counter he was wiping. She originally went for a pint but somehow she had an inkling it wouldn't quite suffice. The guy nods and leaves to mix her precious elixir but just as she thinks she might make it through unscathed, the obnoxious voice she has come to strongly despise cuts through the pub's damp air.

"Gotta stop trying to play James Bond, darling. S'just not for you." Snickers. "Now, James Bond girl on the other hand, you definitely have the proper assets for that." Once again, every guy within Rex's arm radius bursts into insipid laughter as the mockery tumbled out of his mouth. She doesn't have to look his way to picture the disgusting smirk he must be sporting. Jerk.

From the corner of her eye, Aella recognizes the lonesome lad sat at the far end of the bar, nursing a Bourbon with tinted cheeks and glossy irises. There is no doubt he's in a slightly inebriated state but his participative chuckle still stings. Maybe even more so than Rex's offensive words for Harry is supposed to be her closest ally. She doesn't expect him to jump to her defense, wouldn't want him to anyway, but she's profoundly disappointed he would find such humor in someone degrading her that way. The thought angers her so much, she doesn't realize Harry is actually showing some kind of emotion at last. It's not the one she wanted anyhow; not when it's at her expense.

She's handed her drink before Rex speaks up again. "You think you can just sweep in and fight the bad guys with your pretty hair and 5 pounds muscles? I mean, come on darling, you're not meant for the job." She'd started to walk away at first but Rex's lousy rant makes her halt in a sudden. "Just sit and look pretty like the others. Or fucking teach. You know what they say, right? Those who can't, teach... Anything but the fucking Navy, yeah? We have enough wannabes as it is."

Deep breath. Tight fist. Down the Vodka. Then she turns around and marches up to him, armed with daggers in her eyes and a punch away from feeling better. She doesn't hit him though. Has more dignity and self-control than that. "You should really consider shutting your goddamn mouth before I show you just what I can or can't do." Aella's tone is cold; colder than the marble of Harry's face from earlier that day.

As she expects, they don't take her seriously and giggles erupt all around her. "Darling, I really wouldn't mind," is what he replies with a suggestive lip bite and a smug that rivals her scowl in intensity. He's dangerously toying with her last nerve and he knows it. Deliberately exploits it in the hopes of seeing her explode and then crumble into pieces. That's how Aella knows she has the upper hand. She knows how guys like him work, what gets them going and their tactics to achieve that, but Rex has no clue what she's like. He's deluding himself into thinking he's pushing her break-down button when in reality he's in for something else.

Nobody knows that yet, except maybe Harry.

As a quiet and incredibly guarded individual, Harry proves to be a tremendous observer. It might come off as standoffish though he doesn't mean to, but those who matter know and have accepted just how introverted his nature is. He knows he probably should have made an effort and better impression on his new copilot but the wound from his best friend's loss is still too fresh to be bothered. They'll get to talk soon enough anyway, is what he thought. Plus she didn't really go out of her way to make an impression herself, did she?

Now though, observing the sour interaction from afar, Harry's starting to think differently. He shrugged at Rex's crude remarks, already used to the block's insolence and admittedly amused at the childish antics. But as he becomes more attentive to Aella's shifting stance, it is obvious to him that she's not a person to ever take shit from anybody.

His suspicions are proved right when Aella slowly closes the few steps between her and Rex until her eyes level with his. "Oh Rex. The thing with guys like you, is you feel powerful because power was handed to you on a silver fucking platter." All the while talking, she moves to remove his hold from his glass. "I could have pity for you, really. You think you're good; you must even think you're the best but you're nothing more than a selfish privileged opportunistic prick who feels entitled to walk over anyone who won't fucking bow down before you." Then she chucks the rest of his Whiskey in one swallow and places the empty glass back on top of the counter next to them.

"Oh yeah?" Rex smirks as he watches her face closely, casually leaning on the bar. It works in her favor as he fails to notice her hand creeping around his own. Then the next thing he knows is a tremendous throb shooting from the joint between his thumb and index, all the way through his arm and up to his neck. The pain is seizing and has him doubled up like it is suddenly to painful to even stand straight.

Aella has never been more glad to learn a thing or two about pressure points.

"Yeah. And I might be smaller than you or less of a weightlifter than you are, but I can still bring you down wherever and whenever I want to. Don't you forget that." He's almost kneeling by now, arm twisted in a weird angle from where she's still applying pressure on his hand. Rex's acolytes seem to have lost their voice and giggles as they're all taking in the sudden reversal of the situation. They have probably never seen Rex in such a submissive position, hence the dazed expression of stupor plastered on their faces.

Aella finally releases the whimpering man at her feet. She's about to make her way out but she stops herself. "Oh and one more thing. You're cocky, and vile, and despicable. And one day, probably too late, you'll realize your arrogance is what will fail you."

Satisfied with her last words, Aella looks up at the scene around her. Most people are still engrossed in what they were doing when she first came in, oblivious to the whole confrontation. Then just as she turns around, her eyes catch Harry's broad frame, as though some magnetic field was coaxing them to his radiating force. She doesn't delay her departure though. Her steps barely falter on the way out but her mind is left in a whirlwind of thoughts.

He was smiling. Shy and in the corner of his lips. But genuine and almost knowing, like he'd been rooting for her the whole time. And really, for Harry to be on her side is everything Aella hopes for.