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book-of-baba-fett · 7 months

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Illicit Affairs - Chapter 22

Captain Rex x OC

Previous Chapter

Chapter Summary: In the final chapter, Talia reflects on how she's grown once receiving positive news from the war front that gives hope to the future.

Chapter Rating: M

Warnings: MAJOR angst, death, grief, alcohol,

A/N: Y'all it's finally here. More notes to come at the end, but thank you for your support in this wild ride. Firs though, a shoutout to @cyarbika for letting me use Kork in this fic, tbh defining how I view 79s, and for holding this plot in for what, a year now lol?? and the biggest love to @galacticgraffiti - you have been my guide for this entire fic, I wouldn't have made it here without your beta reads. ilysm 💜. also thanks for letting me borrow your OC, Eya!

Ao3 Link

Series Masterlist

21 BBY – Coruscant

Talia had been in bars probably from too young an age; her early missions with her Master often brought them to the seedy corners of the galaxy in search of information. What she lacked was the experience of going out and enjoying a bar, and 79’s was a much different atmosphere than the bars she had been in before. When the doors opened, she was slammed by the bright lights, the loud music, and the thrum of relief and energetic comradery bouncing off every surface.

There were holoscreens illuminating half the walls, clones engaging in drinking games or other friendly bets, beautiful men and women dressed in revealing outfits in the hopes of finding a partner for a night. It was a lot for Talia to take in: the lights, the noise, the energy a near concussive assault on her senses. But once she settled in the booth with the men she had only known a short amount of time yet had already grown to care for so much, it all calmed down somewhat.

Talia was surprised by how easily they welcomed her, but then again it had beenChurch’s insistence that had brought her out in the first place and Storm’s assurance that had swayed her. She didn’t want to be in the way, thinking that going out with the men she commanded would just burden their night off. But as she sat with them, and they tossed around jokes from the recent campaign, she saw it for what it was: a need to debrief and decompress after the stress. She felt honored that they included her, and even realized how much she needed something like this instead of going to the Temple or even hanging out with her civilian friends who just wouldn’t get it. Talia was still getting used to the title of General, still felt weirdly empty when her hands ran through her hair and she no longer felt her Padawan braid. So, it was nice to have a night where she didn’t have to think about any of it.

The downside to her inexperience in bars was she had no idea what to drink. She followed the boys lead and drank the awful free beer they were served, but decided she couldn’t stomach the stuff. When Storm noticed her displeasure he did her the favor of ordering her a gin and tonic, which he informed her was his usual drink. After she downed it and was already sporting a light buzz, she decided to treat her men to something a bit better than the standard beer, and ordered a round for all of them. She excused herself to a round of cheers, her cheeks warming in a flush from the alcohol. The bartender was more than happy to give her a recommendation for a better ale and recommended a cocktail for Talia to try.

The feeling of being out of place inched back in as she patiently waited for her round of drinks, tapping her fingers on the counter and trying to blend into the crowd when she was bumped from the side.

“Excuse me, I’m sorry ma’am, the crowd pushed a lot more than-“ a clone’s voice sincerely apologized, only to cut off as Talia turned to see Captain Rex’s face darkening from a flush as he recognized the Jedi next to him. “Oh, General Riva! I’m so sorry I didn’t see you there. And I’m sorry again for knocking into you-“

Talia chuckled at his flustered words, but shook her head, “It’s ok, Captain. It’s crowded in here; I had to fight my way to the bar.”

Rex’s face relaxed at that, a small grin even toying at his lips, “Well, you could just use the Force to part the crowd, be more efficient.”

Talia snorted, then blushed from the embarrassing noise that had escaped her, but Rex didn’t seem to notice. “The men already seem intimidated by a Jedi being here, I don’t need to draw more attention to it.”

“That reminds me, I should probably make sure my boys are on best behavior tonight then,” Rex grumbled, tossing a look over his shoulder at a booth filled with clones in the 501st blue armor. Talia hadn’t worked with them enough to know all their names yet, but she recognized a few from a recent mission. They seemed to be having fun, or maybe having an argument by the way some of them were pointing and shouting at each other. Maybe a bit of both, Talia supposed.

“Don’t dampen their fun on my account,” Talia said, “We all need a break.”

Rex huffed out a laugh and nodded at that, “You can say that again. And you wouldn’t dampen their fun at all; in fact, I’m worried it would be the other way around.”

“What do you mean?” Talia asked confusedly.

“Oh, nothing,” Rex answered quickly, as if he had gotten too close to admitting something he didn’t want to say. “Just that...I think my men wouldn’t leave you alone, that you wouldn’t be able to enjoy your night without them bothering you.”

“Oh, they wouldn’t bother me!” Talia insisted. “I liked working with you all on Taanab; Fives and Echo had me cracking up.”

Rex shrugged. “Echo can control himself, Fives on the other hand…”

“Oh yeah, he’s a flirt,” Talia cut in. Rex looked at her wide eyed then laughed. “You think I didn’t catch any of that? I can’t imagine what he’d be like with the influence of alcohol.”

“Again, why I hope they don’t bother you.” Rex muttered, once again casting a glance back at the booth, only to see some of the brothers, including the one in question, watching them at the bar.

Rex sighed and murmured something under his breath then glanced back at Talia. He straightened himself up, facing the bar again, “What are you drinking? Can I get you a round?”

“I already ordered,” Talia explained, nodding her head in the direction of the bartender, “and I wouldn’t let you get me a drink anyway. In fact, I’m getting you one.”

Rex shook his head, “I can’t let you do that.”

“I insist. You serve under Anakin; I know you must be in dire need of alcohol,” Talia said.

Rex laughed again, still shaking his head, “I’m fine with just the Kork.”

“Wow, you are a horrible liar,” Talia observed, smirking as the Captain attempted to deny it. She wasn’t even using the Force, but after experiencing the stuff herself she assumed you had to lack taste buds to enjoy it. “I don’t see how you guys can swallow the stuff.”

“The fact that it’s free helps,” Rex admitted, “But really General; I’m fine.”

“Nonsense,” Talia waved off as the bartender came back around with Talia’s drinks. She glanced at Rex, ready to take his order when Talia cut in, “Could you get another one of these ales for the Captain? And put it on my tab?”

The bartender was off before Rex could argue, “Thank you, but you don’t have to.”

“I know, but I want to,” Talia insisted. “It’s the least I can do.”

“Well, usually it’s the clone buying the girl a drink in here,” Rex offered, a slight smirk on his face. Talia’s face felt warm – a weird reaction, she thought.

“Guess you’ll just owe me a round the next time, Captain,” Talia replied. “I have to say it’s nice to see you on a night out, you seem a lot less... stressed.”

“In truth, this isn’t my usual thing. I was convinced to join,” Rex explained.

“Same here,” Talia added, “Sometimes, our men know what we need more than we ourselves do, I guess.”

“But we can’t admit that to them.” There was that smirk again. Talia tried to ignore the way it lit up his face, how it enhanced how handsome he was. It had to be the alcohol in her, making her warm and encouraging her eyes to linger on his face.

“And for what it’s worth, it’s “You kind of have,” Talia said, earning a confused look from Rex. “Naboo? The Gala?”

“Oh well… I don’t think that’s fair to count because I didn’t know you were a Jedi.” Rex offered, his hand reaching to scratch the back of his neck. “And you weren’t exactly off duty.”

“Fair, fair,” Talia shrugged. “But then I was much better dressed for a night out.”

“You look perfect,” Rex said it so simply but stopped himself suddenly, the skin on his neck and cheeks darkening slightly. Talia’s own cheeks burned once more, but she didn’t know what to say in return. Rex also seemed speechless at his own admission, and for a moment they lingered on it, silent but surrounded by the loud music and conversations echoing around them. Talia searched for a witty response, or even hoped some words of thanks would leave her tongue, but instead found herself horrendously lacking any reply. Not from embarrassment or discomfort, but almost because Rex’s words had caught her off guard. Talia felt she should say something to ease the blush creeping in on the Captain as he obviously seemed as surprised by the compliment he had paid her. She supposed she could offer the same reply back, but felt lame and she didn’t even know why she was at a rare loss for words, but she didn’t get a chance to salvage her own lapse.

“Captain!” They were interrupted as Fives pushed his way in beside Rex, wrapping his arm over Rex’s shoulder and admonishing his brother teasingly, “Stop flirting with Talia so we can get on with the game!”

Talia didn’t think it was possible, but Rex’s face darkened further as his jaw dropped. His eyes darted back to Talia as he sputtered out “I wasn’t-“

“Sure sure,” Fives waved off, his voice slurring a bit, “you’ll just deny it again. General, looking great as always, but I’m going to steal our captain for a bit.”

“Sorry for holding him up for so long,” Talia answered, her cheeks still aflame. She directed a small smile back at Rex, who looked torn between dying of embarrassment and like he had the temptation to kill his brother. “Have a fun night, hope to see more of you soon.”

“Thanks, you too, Talia,” Rex said as Fives dragged him off. Talia watched them go, her cheeks aching from the smile stuck on her face. It was weird, he had only ever referred to her as General. She liked the way her name sounded coming off his lips.

19 BBY – Coruscant

79’s hadn’t visibly changed much in the time since Talia had first walked through its doors, yet the way she knew it had evolved entirely. It wasn’t an unknown space; it was filled with memories. Its walls echoed with the joy of time spent away from war with friends who she would never forget, some who had grown to be like family… and Rex, who was so much more. Talia knew the workers, had collected bits and pieces of their lives through conversation and they felt as ingrained to the place as the clones who it was built for. As she walked in, Talia smiled in greeting at the large Nautolan bouncer, Eya. Those who didn’t know them would see them as imposing from their size, the tattoos decorating their violet skin, the spikes protruding from their knuckles and the cybernetic eye that contrasted to the deep black of their organic one, but Talia recognized there was a strange, comforting softness underneath the façade. They were also friends with Storm, who Talia had come to 79’s with that night, and he stayed back to chat with Eya while Talia grabbed a booth, seeking a private space for the conversation she wanted to have.

The 412th’s last campaign had been relatively easy work, but they had missed the battle on Coruscant, something that seemed to bother the men as they wanted the chance to defend the center of the Republic themselves, but sometimes other duties called first. They were granted leave as soon as the campaign had ended, and Talia felt relief when they approached the planet and she didn’t see much damage on the surface. Coruscant had been her home for as long as she could remember, the whole planet and the temple especially had always seemed so untouchable before the war. The bombing of the temple was a stark reminder of how war could always hit unexpectedly, and she was grateful the siege of the planet hadn’t lasted long.

As the Venator approached Coruscant, they received the news that was the cause for her and Storm’s meeting tonight. Master Kenobi had engaged Grievous in battle on the Utapau system. With Count Dooku dead, the Separatist leadership was fractured, and if Obi-Wan could defeat Grievous, they would crumble and the war would be over. It was strange to hope, considering how many times the General had evaded defeat before, but something felt different this time. He didn’t have Dooku to crawl back to for support, and Grievous didn’t garner the same level of following that the charismatic Sith had. Without Grievous and Dooku, there was no one to step in, no way the Separatists could still fight.

In other news from the war front, Talia had received word from Rex. Ahsoka’s mission on Mandalore had been a success, and they had captured Maul. Talia had never been more afraid for Rex than she was when she heard what his mission was; Maul had haunted her dreams for too long. She had taken that as a warning that something would happen to Rex on Mandalore, fighting against the former Sith. It would have been too cruel for Talia to lose Rex to Maul, to someone who had caused so much pain and suffering for her already. Especially when they were finally at the cusp of victory, on the brink of what they were fighting for.

Things with Rex weren’t fully back to what they had been, but that was what they had agreed upon. They needed to focus, be on their best without the distraction that they brought to each other. But it was better than the weeks they had spent apart, trying to act as if the other didn’t exist. They still sent each other messages, updating with what was going on in their respective corners of the galaxy, chatting if they had a free moment but truth be told, those were rare to come by. It wasn’t much, and it left a craving for more, but it also gave a promise for what they could have when this was all over. Somehow, Talia knew they would come out of this stronger than they had been before, that Rex and she could build something new off the foundation they had. And it felt like the will of the Force was suddenly on their side, like something would finally move to end this war, to end all the pain that had been inflicted on the galaxy. But to Talia, it would be a new beginning.

Storm joined her, with two gin and tonics in hand, and slowly slid into the booth. They had come here together a few times one on one. Sometimes they said a lot, like in the early days of the war when they took time to learn more about each other in ways they couldn’t just by being in proximity commanding together. Other times, they sat in silence, too weighed down by exhaustion or grief to thread words together. Storm had even confided some of his personal life to Talia, some nice stories about a handsome Pantoran man he would see sometimes on shore leave. Talia had never been able to divulge the same level of information – until today.

“Everything alright, General?” Storm asked as he watched Talia staring thoughtfully across the table, her mind distracted as she tried to ignore the apprehensive twist of her gut.

“Everything’s fine,” Talia said in a half truth. “And how many times do I have to tell you, when I’m here you can call me Talia.”

“Just as many times as I’ll have to remind you: as long as you’re my general, that’s what I’ll call you,” he said as simply as always.

Talia’s gut twisted further, “That’s actually why I wanted to come here today.”

Storm nodded but didn’t probe. Storm wasn’t the type to pry or push people beyond what they were ready to talk about. But he could always tell when someone needed to talk or would be there if they asked. Talia took a sip of her drink and took a deep breath before addressing what she invited him here to say.

“I’m going to be leaving the Jedi Order,” Talia blurted out, a bit more bluntly than she would have liked, but it felt easier to expel the news rather than to linger on it. “This campaign was my last with the 412th, unless something goes wrong with Grievous on Utapau and we still have a war to fight, but I don’t see that happening; all the signs are saying this is about to end.”

Storm’s face was unreadable, but he nodded. “Does the Council know? Does Master Plo know?”

Talia’s gut twisted again at the mention of Plo’s name, in all her thoughts of how this would go, she still had a hard time picturing how her master’s master would react to her defecting from The Order. “I wanted you to know first, I felt like I owed you that after all we’ve been through together.”

Storm nodded once again, but this time, his demeanor shifted. He seemed less tense, like the meaning behind Talia’s words struck a chord with him in a sentimental way. There was also a flicker of mourning in him, or maybe it was just the echoes of Talia’s own feelings for him – how she would miss working with him. Storm settled back in the booth, his eyes meeting Talia’s again as the curve of a rare, teasing smile toyed on his lips.

“Does this have anything to do with a certain blond captain of the 501st?”

Talia’s jaw dropped as her cheeks burned – there was no way… ”How long have you known?”

“Had my suspicions for a while; I knew you had a crush on him,” Storm teased as Talia sat mortified. “And it was obvious he had a soft spot for you. Then I saw him sneak into your tent on Turia, and that confirmed it.”

Talia shook her head in disbelief, “But you never said anything-“

“What would I say? It’s not my business what you do in your personal life,” Storm said simply. “I figured if you wanted to tell me, you would. Which is what you’re doing now. So I assume I’m right then, you’re leaving the Order for him?”

“Yes, well, partially,” Talia admitted. “The truth is, the path of the Jedi isn’t one I see myself walking anymore. At least, not in the confines of the Order. I want more, I need more from my life. And Rex gives me that.”

“What will you do? Without the Order?” Storm asked.

“I don’t know,” Talia answered, and for once those three words weren’t laced with fear or anxiety. They felt oddly freeing. “There’s so much out there. I could go to school, I could volunteer with shelters like the one we found on Turia. I could visit planets without having to fight a war on them. Hells, I could get a job here at 79’s if I felt like it. I could also just do nothing for a while. I’m not sure what I’ll wind up doing, but I feel like that’s a good thing.”

That seemed to be all Storm needed to hear, because he softly smiled at her in that reassuring way. “Then I’m happy for you, even if I’ll miss working with you, General.”

“I just said I’m leaving – you can say my name!” Talia laughed. Storm only shook his head.

“Technically you haven’t told the Council, so you haven’t relieved yourself of duty. Therefore, you’re still my General.” Storm took a sip of his drink, his eyes flashing as he teased.

“You have to be so literal?” Talia rolled her eyes but still giggled.

“Rex knows if he ever hurts you, he’s a dead man, right?” Storm said seriously, though a crack of a smirk lingered on his lips as he continued, “Though I guess I should give you a similar threat since he is my brother.”

“I can bet a few members of the 501st will beat you to it, maybe even Commander Cody,” Talia shrugged, earning a chuckle from Storm.

The doors to 79’s slid open, and a group of shock troopers marched in, heavily armed. Talia frowned; she didn’t recognize the patterns on their armor as being any of the Corrie Guard members she knew. She glanced a curious glance at Storm, and saw her look of inquisitiveness mirrored in his face.

She began to ask him what he thought was going on, when a sharp pain pierced her head.

It was an ache that seemed to shake her entire body, drenching her in a cold sweat. Images flashed in her mind of barrages of blaster fire, flashes of clone armor, piercing blue lightning, a Jedi fighter falling from the sky, and a menacing laughter mixed with cries of pain. She couldn’t focus on any of it, feeling too much and nothing all at once. She was vaguely aware of Storm attempting to check on her, his voice muffled by the others that echoed in her head crying out. A comm was going off, its shrill beep adding to the pain in her head. Every hair on her body stood on end, she was overwhelmed by the cold that had seeped into her, chilling her straight to the bone. She couldn’t make out anything, her visions were too blurred, but through all the chaos she could tell something was horribly wrong.She had to push through it, numb the visions and try and warn Storm that something had happened, even though she couldn’t make sense of it. Catching her breath, she looked up to Storm to explain what she had felt.

All she saw was his blaster pointed at her.

It was a beautiful night on Naboo, with the stars shining brightly over the navy sky. The full moon cast a glow over the gorge their spaceship was hidden in, its light reflecting over the river as it flowed through. Rex could see the outline of the palace in the distance, illuminated by lights in its windows and balconies, a symbol of the culture and beauty of the planet. It didn’t seem right that a place of such beauty was the setting for such mourning.

Everything seemed to be in a haze still. Rex couldn’t easily place how much time had passed in Galactic Standard time since the Order. Nothing felt real as he tried to process all that had happened, all that had changed. He never would have thought it possible that the Republic would fall, yet it happened in a matter of minutes with work completed by his own men. He still had blood and dirt caked on his armor from burying his brothers on the moon. He still winced when he moved from the shots that had hit him in his escape, his head still ached in the spot his chip had been removed. The chip that had been a part of him since he was created, the one Fives had discovered, exposed and tried to warn them about but instead was shot over. He had tried to look into it more after Fives died, but he could accomplish little without arousing suspicion. He knew Kix had his own questions too, then Kix disappeared. Rex should have questioned that more too, but he was too numb, too in denial over losing another brother. The idea of it all being connected was too much. Now he cursed himself for his own idiocy, seeing what should have been obvious. If Rex had pushed harder, if he had fought alongside Fives or continued the search after his death, would that have been enough to prevent this madness?

After their escape, finding out news while evading any attention had proved difficult. They knew the fighter they had would be flagged at any Imperial controlled port, but they needed fuel and to confirm how widespread the Order was. Ahsoka had held on to some small semblance of hope that it wasn’t as bad as she feared, but Rex knew better than to hope. He knew what it was like, to lose control of his mind and identity at a simple phrase. He saw how it instantly changed the brothers he was with and he knew there was no chance any clone could fight it. Once they had finally landed on some asteroid fueling station, the news was so much worse than they had feared.

Rex had never seen Ahsoka so broken as she was when they saw the news about Senator Amidala’s death. Ahsoka had been muted when they were burying the dead from the Venator, devoid of emotion in a stoicness that fit what Rex knew of the Jedi and how they dealt with grief. But when the report about Padmé played, it seemed to break the thread that had been holding Ahsoka together. She burst into tears, a wracking sob shaking her entire body, and Rex knew it was more than just from her closeness with the Senator, for he knew that if Padmé didn’t survive, that meant Anakin was gone too.

The final blow was the news broadcast they caught of the Jedi Temple, with smoke billowing from its great towers as the reports broke about the Jedi’s treason. Ahsoka had to watch her old home burn, and Rex watched in muted terror, keeping himself together so it wouldn’t be worse for the kid, but the only thing on his mind was Talia and praying to things he didn’t believe in that she had somehow made it out.

When Ahsoka asked if they could go to Naboo so she could see Padme’s funeral procession, he couldn’t find it in his heart to tell her no, even if every bit of reason in him was screaming that it could only be a bad choice. He cursed himself even more for letting her go alone, but as a clone he couldn’t blend in. So instead, he kept watch, left alone with his own thoughts as he tried to avoid glancing back up at the palace too often, because it reminded him of a night a lifetime ago, and the woman he met there.

Half the reason Rex was in such a haze was because his thoughts were filled with Talia. When he had been under control of the chip, he had not been Rex anymore - he was CT-7567. But there had been a small portion of his sense that tried to force its way through, a dull nagging in his head. He couldn’t make it out, it was like a rustle in the wind on the back of his mind. Through the haze of trying to accomplish his mission, to follow the order to execute the Jedi, images of Talia kept entering his mind. The second he woke up after Ahsoka had removed his chip, and he realized the implications of what had happened, those images were brought to the forefront as he feared for Talia. But he couldn’t dwell on it then, he had to focus on surviving. But she was in the back of his mind the whole time, that fear plaguing him whether she was fighting in the same way he was that very moment. Or had it been quick, had she not even noticed before anything happened?

No, he couldn’t think like that. Rex shoved those thoughts deep inside him, because if he dwelt on them too long then the air was too thick and he wouldn’t think of anything else. He would think of the images of the Temple burning, of the Emperor’s speech about how all Jedi would be hunted down, and he would think about how all the messages Rex had tried to send her had gone unanswered.

Ahsoka’s figure appeared out of the darkness, slowly walking back towards Rex and the ship. She didn’t say anything, and he wouldn’t probe her and ask about it. They had agreed it would be safer for the both of them if they separated soon, rather than risk attention by traveling together. Rex didn’t like thinking about the kid on her own in the Galaxy, but he already had plans in the works that he knew she didn’t want to be a part of and he didn’t blame her. She had fought enough. He had agreed to take her to Naboo, just to make sure she was OK on an Imperial controlled planet. He would drop her off after, but before he did, they had one more stop.

Waves crashing filled Rex’s ears, the thick smell of salt water lingering in his nose. It was hotter, more humid than when they had been here, something that would have been unbearable when they were stranded. In all honesty, at first it was hard to tell if this was the same island; Rex had charted the planet after they had been rescued, but its surface was littered with many similar atolls and sandbars that disappeared as they were covered by the tide. But as the fighter approached, Rex could see the shuttle still crashed on the shore, only in a further state of disrepair than what they had left.

Its durasteel floor creaked under Rex’s footsteps, the hull was weakened by rust and damaged from their original crash, plus the repeated bashing of waves. Barnacles and other traces of ocean life had left their mark in the shuttle, with a coat of sand and grime lingering over what was once a well-engineered shuttle in the Separatist army. Rex approached the cockpit, stopping as he examined the scorch marks still visible from when he had to cut the door open. The cockpit was in equal ruin to the rest of the shuttle, its controls long lifeless and stripped for the communicator they had made to call for help. He glanced at the wall where he and Talia had first kissed, where he had first lost control and plummeted headfirst into their reckless, beautiful, tragic love affair.

Rex exited the shuttle, trudging through the ankle-deep water back to shore. Ahsoka stood in the distance, giving Rex his moment. For what, he didn’t even know. He had avoided her gaze when they first arrived, and just like he didn’t probe her after the funeral, she asked no questions now. Rex supposed she had a feeling there was more to this visit than pure sentimentality, and he guessed a part of her had always known that his and Talia’s relationship went beyond a soldier and a general.

The beach held no signs of the camp they had set up, it had been washed away by weather and the sea, no memory of what had been. As Rex stood alone, he wondered if he was the only person left in the galaxy who this insignificant spot held any memory for.

As his vision fogged, he wondered why he had bothered to come here, as if he was expecting Talia to be waiting along the shoreline, ready to meet him like they had promised the last time they were together. But that was a promise for a different outcome, a different galaxy. He had hoped being here he could somehow feel her presence, and know she was out there, but he felt more blind than he ever had in his life. And the words ran through his thoughts, words he didn’t want to think but were becoming more and more real by the minute.

Was she gone? Was Talia dead?

He didn’t know whether to scream or cry. He kicked the sand at his feet, a fruitless attempt to get out the rage and frustration festering in him. He fell to his knees, eyes locked on the horizon as he watched the sea, swallowing thickly as he failed to hold in the tears that cascaded down his cheeks. He had done well, holding it all in through everything, but coming to the one place he associated so heavily with Talia, where the memory of her took over his mind, broke him. Half of him wanted to take on Palpatine himself, to seek revenge for Talia, his brothers and all the Jedi. But then another part of him wanted it all to be over, for his fighting to be done. He had done enough of it, and what good had come of it?

Rex wiped his face, and breathed in and out, placing his palm on the ground and clenching his fist around the sand. He had come all this way, for what? To be with the ghosts of his past, of Fives, Jesse and Talia, all whose deaths could have been prevented had he been a stronger man?

He reached into his belt, dug in the pocket of his pouch and pulled out the thin silver chain with the coin-like pendant, his thumb gliding over the raised bumps and lines etched into it. In his hand was the last thing left of her, the only tangible proof that she had been real. Rex considered burying it in the sand, the only memorial that she would get. But he couldn’t find the strength to let it go.

Should he wait? Spend the rest of his days on this beach, motionless as the galaxy spun on, just for the chance that she might arrive one day? Rex almost chuckled as he imagined how frustrated Talia would be at him if he did that, that she would roll her eyes and make a comment about his stubbornness. Then she would flash him that teasing smile, with that steely glint in her eye and say, “You can’t give up on me that easily, can you?”

The sound of the waves was rushing over him, a faint line of pink tinting the sky as the sun began to set. They had been so close to having it all, so close to finally starting a new life without the war and a hope for what they could really be without all the obstacles around them. Instead it was the end of everything. But as much as his muscles ached and urged him to rest and to grieve, that wasn’t in his nature. As Talia always liked to remind him, he was too stubborn for that.

Rex collected himself and pushed up from the ground, clasping the chain around his neck; now it wouldn’t matter if anyone saw him wearing it. Sitting in his grief wouldn’t bring back the brothers he had lost, but he could do something for those still out there. And Talia…the harshness of reality had already settled in his mind, but he had to still fight for her, had to believe she was out there. She had survived more hells than anyone should, but he knew she had more fight in her. If anyone could have made it out, it was her. That’s what Rex told himself as he approached the fighter. Rex still had some fight in him, and he would fight till the last breath to take back what the Empire had stolen from him.

Author's note - so how much do you hate me lol.

I know what you're probably thinking - 'wtf iris where's the rest of it' 'how dare you'' 'WHAT ABOUT THE MAUL SUBPLOT??" and to which I say - all will be answered in time. But I really wanted to thank you - because anyone reading this note is someone I basically owe my life to. When I was a kid, I used to write little flipbook pages and had a mini dream of being an author one day. That dream got kicked out of me quickly just through my own insecurities because I would try and write in middle school and hated every word. Then during covid, I was binge watching the clone wars and rebels and reading fic and thought "hey, what the hell why don't I give this a shot" and the ideas of Talia and Rex were the first I had, even before I was publishing any other fics. I posted other ones as a test, just to see if anyone would even bother to read and I was always so lucky from the beginning to have such fantastic support. Some of you have been here from the beginning, some have joined along the way, and you've all been so patient and understanding as I've dealt with blocks. It's cliche but I could not have finished it without having y'all around. I've cried reading some of your comments, and have been so touched when some of you have messaged talking about how much you've connected with Talia. She's so personal to me, I really have a part of my soul in her and I was terrfiied that people would hate her but the responses to her have been so positive and I can't express how much that means to me. I also got so much more love for Storm than I was expecting (but I guess I shouldn't be surprised because who doesn't love a good clone captain) but I also am so sorry to y'all. I won't leave y'all hanging long, in fact things have been in the works for awhile (in fact I was more hyperfixated on those things and that's why finishing this felt so long).

Taglist: @djarrex @justanothersadperson93 @paige6768 @saltywintersoldat @clonecyare @dinner-djarin @whore4rex @swlover2187 @collectoroffics @pinkiemme @twistedstitcher27 @frietiemeloen @a-c-lee @ashotofspotchka @galacticgraffiti @itsagrimm @rexandechosandwich @immortalhdx @queen--kenobi @stankferrik @aquaamethyst96 @mavendeb @alwayssnivellus @rain-on-kamino @staryskyforever @amyroswell @lucyysthings @manqoz @ilikemymendarkandfictional @punkpirate82 @paperplanes221 @saturnsokas @starstofillmydream @wild-karrde @purgetrooperfox @sleepingsun501 @burningfieldof-clover @seriowan @samspenandsword @sunshinesdaydream @ariadnes-red-thread @babygirlrex0504 @arctrooper69 @cw80831 @dhawerdaverd

#captain rex #captain rex x oc #star wars fanfiction #the clone wars #Captain rex x reader #star wars #captain rex fanfiction #illicit affairs fanfic #ia fanfic #oc fanfiction #original female character #star wars oc #talia riva #tcw fanfiction

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nightmaretist · 1 year

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Ghosts That We Knew // Emilio & Inge

TIMING: Present LOCATION: The Wormhole PARTIES: Emilio @mortemoppetere & Inge @nightmaretist SUMMARY: Inge finds herself staring down Emilio, who looks an awful lot like a hunter she came across in the nineties. Both engage in a paranoid conversation where their paranoia is proven right. CONTENT WARNINGS: Allusions to alcoholism

The Worm Row was a fun place to frequent, so full of hedonism and crime, with a liveliness that sometimes reminded Inge of where she lived in Amsterdam, when she had first moved. Spending an evening in a bar like the Wormhole was nothing out of the ordinary, too — sometimes, she found someone to go home with, to scope out their place and take notes for future use. Sometimes, she just got drunk.

She was nursing a strange concoction that came close to a gin-tonic when her eyes fell on a man at the bar. Nothing impressive, really — just a hulk of a man, shoulders taut and expression dark, but when his eyes trailed around she felt a stir within her. Something like recognition, a similarity that was hard to deny. Inge didn’t get up from the boot where she was sitting, though, as her drink was far from finished and she didn’t like the feeling the other’s presence brought up in her.

But once her drink was done and her company (a thirty-something entrepreneur who smelled of stale cigarettes) grew too boring to tolerate, she got up. Ingeborg had never been very good at self-preservation, so ignoring whatever instinct told her to stay away was easy. She plopped on the barstool next to the stranger and slid her empty glass to the bartender. After ordering another round, she turned to the other, “Why so sullen? Did you miss that the letter L isn’t working tonight? We’re in the Wormhoe. We have to support the worm sex workers, and that requires some cheering up!”

—

On nights like this, Emilio often wound up right here. A seedy bar in a seedy neighborhood where he could drink too much without anyone calling him out on it, where he could disappear into a crowd without anyone trying to pick him out. The Wormhole was the closest place to his apartment that fit the bill, and therefore he found himself there often. The bartender knew him by name now, but didn’t kick him out for the growing tab that was often left unpaid; either he knew Emilio would be good for it eventually or he knew enough to recognize that having a guy in your bar who could keep something from eating you if it wandered in unchecked was a good thing. Either way, Emilio wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

It wasn’t particularly crowded tonight, because the Wormhole never was. There were a few scattered people who weren’t smart enough to find a better bar. A businessman, a few college kids. And a woman who kept looking at him, something strange on her face. At first, Emilio thought she might be scoping him out for a hookup. He wouldn’t have said no — he rarely did — but the more she stared, the less he believed that was what she was after. It was like she was trying to solve a puzzle; he wasn’t sure he liked it.

He wasn’t really surprised when she got up from her seat and approached him, though he wasn’t thrilled about it either. He also wasn’t thrilled about the way his stomach clenched as she approached, at the familiar feeling of undead. He tensed without meaning to, gripping his glass a little too tight. “I don’t know what you mean,” he replied as she settled next to him, trying to shake off his unease. If she wanted him dead, she probably wouldn’t start a conversation first. Even the undead weren’t usually stupid enough to do that. At least, not in a public setting. “This is me cheery. It’s a great night. You should spend it somewhere else.”

—

It must have been at least twenty five years ago, now, the time she had faced off Elena Cortez. A hunter so dangerously skilled and single minded, that Inge had felt a kind of terror that had inspired nightmares for years to come. Other people’s of course, as she pushed off the intense panic of fighting for ones life into the dreams of others, making an abstract spectacle of it. She didn’t think of it often, those instances in the past where she had come across hunters and had become afraid, where the consequences of her actions licked at her heels. But looking at this stranger, she couldn’t help the memories seeping back.

Inge refused to reach to her neck where that woman’s blade had made its way, ready to sever head from torso. She just looked at the other, feeling as if her skin itself was humming with some kind of thrill as well as anxiety. It really was uncanny. And while there were many faces Inge had seen and forgotten, the one of the hunters who’d made attempts on her life were always remembered.

Her eyebrows lifted at his insinuation that he was cheery, but she decided not to argue him on it. She simply lifted her hands and let them sink down when her drink arrived, taking a proper sip before putting it down. “Then pretend I didn’t say anything.” If there was any relation – and there probably wasn’t, she was probably just somewhat paranoid and most definitely a tad over dramatic as she often was – she supposed this might be cheerful. What fun could there be in the life of a hunter? “And why should I spend it elsewhere? I like it here. Reminds me of home.” It did. It looked like the shitty bars in her hometown, and some of the dingy ones in Amsterdam. “You’re not one of those people that goes to a public bar just to drink alone, are you?”

—

She kept looking at him, even now as she got closer. Eyes darting over his features, expression hard to read. And through it all, that feeling crawling up the back of his neck continued. Emilio could be around the undead for extended periods without much of a problem. He enjoyed hanging out with Metzli even when he knew he probably shouldn’t, and he spent a lot of ‘quality time’ with vampires who’d been involved on the attack in Etla to find out what details they might be able to spare him. But this? A stranger in a bar who was looking and looking and looking at him? It set him on edge, just a little.

He refused to let it show, though. He reminded himself what he’d already decided — when the undead went after a hunter they didn’t know, they tended to cling to the element of surprise. And if she knew who he was, he’d recognize her, too. Wouldn’t he? (A hint of doubt crept into his mind now.)

“I’d love to,” he replied dryly, lifting his drink up to his lips and taking a long swig to punctuate the sentence. Most times, you could get someone to leave you be if you were willing to be rude to them — and Emilio was always willing to be rude. “If this bar reminds you of home, you should probably look into finding another home.” The Wormhole was an absolute shithole; that was why Emilio liked it. It tended to make moments like this a little rarer, but she was persistent. His jaw clenched, the feeling of undead, undead, undead seeming to grow the longer she was near. (A purely psychological effect, of course, though Emilio didn’t have enough knowledge of psychology to recognize this.) “I would love to drink alone in a public bar, yes.” The reply was a pointed one, and he raised a brow at her. “Are you going to let me?”

—

Sometimes Inge wondered if she had become desensitized to fear. As if all the ways she had caused others terror had made her incapable of feeling it herself, or if perhaps she had already felt all the fear she could. Her human life had been overrun by it, after all, from the nightmares to the cruel husband to the terror of motherhood itself. Sometimes it worried her, the way she could sense danger and simply keep moving, how she kept collecting hunter-inflicted scars but never succumbing to their drive to see her undone.

So she was not afraid by this hulk of a man, by the similarities he bore to the late Elena Cortez. She was not afraid to bother him a bit more than she perhaps ought to, refusing to leave him alone. If he got mad, it would hardly be the first time that something like that had occurred, anyway. Maybe she looked for this kind of risk for the thrill of it. And maybe this was nothing at all, just a disgruntled stranger, and it was just her mind playing tricks on her. She didn’t mind either way.

“Ha,” Inge said, “No, I definitely live somewhere nicer. But you know, you can’t forget your roots, and something ‘bout this place reminds me of where I come from. Not as stuffy as the places uptown.” She took a sip from her drink, too. She wondered where he came from, took note of his accent as he spoke. “I don’t think I will. I find it a depressing sight, can’t stand it if I’m honest. If I buy you a round, will you tolerate my company at least for a little while?” Maybe she did mind: maybe she wanted to know if she was growing paranoid, seeing familiarities in stranger’s faces. Maybe she wasn’t afraid, but at least wary. “Get something top shelf, for all I care.”

—

Typically, Emilio didn’t have to work quite this hard to get someone to leave him alone. There were exceptions to the rule, of course — the fae going around and stealing everyone’s names seemed to be a big one, though blocking him seemed to have done the trick for now — but for the most part? If you closed yourself off enough, people could take the hint. Not her, though. She made no move to leave, no matter how tense he grew. Maybe it was a good thing; he could keep an eye on her this way, figure out if she knew something or if she was just stubbornly trying to befriend the person in the bar who seemed least likely to want her to.

“Fine,” he decided with a roll of his eyes. “You buy me a drink, you can stay.” He waved the bartender over, ordering the most expensive whiskey behind the bar and informing him that it was on the stranger’s tab while looking her directly in the eye. It was a move designed entirely to irritate; Emilio, at this point in his life, couldn’t taste the difference between something top shelf and the cheapest bottle in the liquor store. But if she was going to continue to irritate him, he was going to get something out of it. Even if it was just a blow to her wallet.

Leaning back with his glass in his hand, he turned to eye her warily. “Where are you from, then? Not here, but somewhere like this part of town. Somewhere, ah… bad?” Not quite the word he wanted, but he found it difficult to maintain the motivation to speak decent English in a conversation he didn’t particularly want to be involved in, anyway.

—

He stared at her while he ordered and Inge didn’t mind, using the opportunity to stare right back at him. She had heard what had become of the Cortezes, the news having spread its way around over time. Good riddance, she had thought, a couple less skilled hunters running around the world was never a bad thing. She had been relieved, even, with those memories of her days in Mexico ruined by the attempt Elena had made on her unlife.

That was why she was wary of her instincts. Was this fitting distrust? Or was she paranoid, a certain level of panic triggered by someone with such similar eyes. One of her fingers reached up mindlessly, rubbing that part of her throat where the Cortez woman’s weapon had cut her skin. Inge considered laughing: they were all dead! No survivors! “Enjoy it,” she said, continuing her eye contact as if it was a staring contest, not laughing the way she wanted to. She felt insecure, sitting there, suddenly. Wondered if her mind was traveling again and thus felt the need to enter someone else’s, rather than sit here across someone who might simply be a boring man. Her mind had been fallible for decades now.

She decided to stay, go along, because what did it matter? The night would end and in a decade’s time she’d be gone from this town, if not sooner. “Boring, more like. Shithole town, with a dark, dingy bar like this.” Hendrik would go to them and come home smelling of booze — no, she couldn’t begin to think of him too. All these mental ghosts, making a haunted house of her mind. She downed her drink. “Amsterdam, after. More of these types of bars. Had less money.” Were her sentences growing chipped. Inge told herself to keep her head on her shoulders. “What about you? You don’t sound local.” Neither did she. The dutch inflections remained, even now.

—

She was still looking at him like he was a particularly challenging puzzle she couldn’t figure out how to solve, and Emilio had never particularly liked this. Being the one beneath the proverbial microscope instead of the one looking through it was never the sort of thing that had ended well for him. When it was his mother studying him, she always found a flaw, always uncovered something to punish. With Juliana, there was always some disappointment, something he’d failed to do or someone he’d failed to be. Who knew what a stranger might find? What she might assume?

And an undead stranger at that. That made her particularly dangerous. Emilio might not have been a typical hunter anymore, but there were years that still followed him. There were plenty of people out there who might want to track him down for revenge, both people he’d recognize and ones he wouldn’t. There were others who’d love to earn the bragging rights that would undoubtedly come with being able to claim the title as the person who’d killed the last of the Cortez hunters, too. To be a hunter was to live your life balancing on eggshells, knowing that you could only make it so long before you broke through.

But living like you knew that only ever got you called paranoid. Emilio had made it to 34 — a miracle that most hunters didn’t achieve — because he was cautious. He’d made it this long because he treated everyone like a threat, like a potential enemy. He couldn’t see this woman any differently, even if he was no longer the sort of man who would attack her based on this feeling alone. She asked him where he was from, and his mind went in circles, sure that she was gathering information on him. And he couldn’t lie about it; his accent gave him away, his heritage clinging to every word he spoke. “Mexico,” he said curtly, accepting his drink when the bartender set it in front of him and taking a long swig. “How long have you been away from Amsterdam?” Turning the subject away from himself, he hoped that she was the sort of person who’d rather focus on her.

—

Mexico, he said, and all the paranoid whispers in her head chanted together that they’d been right. Inge wished he’d said anything but Mexico, because then she might have called it a night. Chastised herself for her silliness and have moved on, fed herself with the nights of one of the humans on her roster and worked on some piece of art. But now the nagging feeling remained, her memories of her months in Mexico swirling in the back of her mind.

People’s recollection was faulty, she knew this. Their memories got twisted in dreams, reshaped and repeated in ways that weren’t factual or accurate. But Inge didn’t dream, so all she had was her own mind — and while plenty of the details grew hazy over time, one simply didn’t forget the faces of the people who tried to kill you. In Mexico, she had nearly seen her life end and now here she sat, staring at someone who dwelled from the same (albeit large) country, with eyes so similar, and her fingers rubbed at the scar tissue. She wanted to crawl into his head, put him to rest and watch to see if any of his memories would leak through his dreams. She should, truth be told, just lift her drink and walk off, go home and stop making herself spiral.

“Whereabouts in Mexico? I’ve been around.” She should just go, but here she was pressing on anyway. “Oaxaca?” Inge considered his question, his own curt answers. She could hardly tell him that it had been thirty years ago, as that would have made her seemingly a child. She kind of wanted to, though, to test him and push him. Rational regard for her safety had always been an issue. “Quite some time ago. I went across the pond after my friend died a tragic, sudden death.” Maybe she was just oversharing, or maybe she was hinting at the presence of hunters in her life. “A decade, at least. Though I’ve been in Maine for only a year or two.”

—

She said Oaxaca, and it was Emilio’s turn to tense. It was silly, he knew; there were a lot of reasons why she may have chosen that particular state. It was one of the larger states in terms of both population and surface area, and if she had ‘been around’ the way she said she had, it wasn’t entirely unlikely that she recognized the unique lilt of his accent. Like any country, different parts of Mexico came with different accents. Just because some people didn’t bother learning to tell them apart didn’t mean it was impossible. For someone who knew the country well enough, it was a simple thing to do.

It could have been innocent enough, coming from someone else. If she hadn’t set off that familiar sense in his mind, those old slayer warning bells that screamed undead, undead like a siren cutting through, he might not have thought much of it. Or if this had been a few years ago, when he was less paranoid and had less reason to believe the whole world was trying to kill him, when his mind was less convinced that his daughter’s death was a conspiracy that everyone was in on. As it was, though, Emilio’s muscles tightened, his jaw clenching.

“Something like that,” he said tightly, tapping a finger against his glass. Her friend died a sudden, tragic death. Emilio felt something that was half sympathy, half suspicion. Had it been a Cortez who killed them? Was that what this was about? The idea of someone seeking vengeance on his dead relatives by taking him out was somewhat ironic, given his own mission to avenge said dead relatives himself. “Sorry to hear about your friend. Why Maine? Looking for something specific?” Or someone? How targeted was this encounter?

—

He was being vague while asking more question and it seemed that they could be going at this all night, asking questions while evading those of the other. Inge thought there was some kind of thrill to it. At the very least it was better than talking to half of the people here, who spoke of their boring jobs and their boring lives and their boring anxieties, their minds so narrow because their world was narrow. But the thrill wasn’t just good, of course — it was crawling through her nervous system, reminding her of the fear she loved to feast on.

“Got a large family? They still out there?” Why not throw caution in the wind? Maybe she was just a patron making conversation, asking questions that were perhaps a bit too personal for the first drink shared. Inge took a long sip from her drink, not quite finishing it but wanting something to burn on the way down. She wished that all people besides her suffered that affliction of fae, where they couldn’t lie. She wished this man was asleep so she could move away through his subconscious, though considering his potential history that might be a bad idea. Not one she’d refuse to partake in, though.

She nodded as he expressed sympathy for her loss, “Cheers,” she said, taking another sip. Thinking of Sanne didn’t help in this moment. It seemed that for Ingeborg thinking often didn’t work out for her, anyway. Maybe that was why she stuck to her art and her subjects, rather than try and stir up larger bits of trouble. She didn’t seek retribution or revenge, didn’t built on the relations she had. She ran, when time was ripe, and sometimes took uncalculated risk like this and this was it. “Just looking. I heard stories about this town, of course. Plenty of rumors. Wanted to see if they were true. What about you?”

—

With that question, any doubt in Emilio’s mind seemed to settle, because why ask it? Why go from asking where he was from directly to interrogating him about his family with no real bridge between the two? Most people would ask how long he’d been here, or even question his intentions behind moving. It was another thing that might have been written off if she weren’t undead, but with all those pieces in place? Emilio was certain that his paranoia wasn’t entirely unfounded.

“Whoever you think I am,” he said lowly, “I’m not him.” Not anymore, in any case. The Emilio Cortez that most people had known had died in Etla with his wife, with his daughter. The man who made it out was something different, something new. Maybe not something worth being — his mother wouldn’t have thought so — but it was all he had. This shell, this husk, it was him now. Whatever vengeance she was hoping to seek would be lost against it.

He wasn’t stupid enough to think that would stop her. He’d killed enough empty vessels in his revenge tour that he knew just how little it mattered. When someone hurt someone you loved, when your daughter died in the living room floor while your wife bled out beside her, you didn’t much care if the people who’d done it changed after. You couldn’t. Not if the vengeance was the only thing you had left. “And what stories brought you here?” Was she here for him specifically, or was this up to chance? “I’m here for work.”

—

Now they seemed to be getting somewhere. Inge shook her head at his reply, because it was hardly like she was looking for him. Even if he was related to Elena Cortez, she didn’t want to know in order to get something from him. She wanted to know so she could satiate her own paranoia, so she knew she should try to never interact with this man again. Brand him in her head as ‘Avoid At All Costs’, as well as this bar where he seemed all too comfortable.

“I’ve no clue who you are. Don’t much care, either. I think you’re related to someone I did come across once, though. You’ve got an awful resemblance to her.” It could be a compliment. The features he shared with whoever Elena Cortez might be to him weren’t ugly, even Inge could recognize that in a moment of stress. Her mind traveled to those damned days again, where life had almost seemed finite in stead of the infinite gift it was supposed to be.

She guffawed at his response, “You came all the way form Mexico to some small town in Maine for work? That is interesting. Sure. That’s why I’m here too. The position that opened at the university appealed to me very much. Surely neither of us had any interest in the tales of cryptids and whatnot here.” She was teetering a dangerous line, but what did it matter? Hadn’t her M.O. always been throwing caution in the wind? Wasn’t that why there was a scar on her neck, and plenty of others littering her body?

—

And there it was. Some relative he resembled, some long lost Cortez whose sins he was bound to pay for. A woman, evidently. Emilio wondered how far back it went. Was it his mother she’d known? His sister? His grandmother, or his great-grandmother? How old was this grudge that drove her to a stranger in a bar? And did it matter? He knew he could live for a hundred years and still ache for vengeance against the vampires who’d taken his daughter from him. If someone who shared his name had taken something from her, he doubted it would matter how many generations that loss went back.

“Maybe it’s just one of those faces.” Was there any point in playing dumb? Did he want to? He’d planned on going out in a blaze of glory, avenging the family he’d failed to die alongside, but what did it matter if it ended like this instead? Dying for their sins might feel a little something like dying with them, the way he was supposed to. And yet, that painfully human sense of self preservation remained. It was easy to climb on a ledge. It was harder to gather the courage to step off of it.

In a different situation, he might have laughed. If he were less on edge, less tense, he might have made some stupid, dry joke that would be funny to no one but him, because Emilio was not a man made to please the masses. As it was, he only lifted his drink to his lips, taking a long swig of the amber liquid. “I never said what my work was. Did I? I am not a teacher at a university.” He was a slayer. She probably knew that. And that was just as much his job as the stupid detective agency that kept his lights on. “What are you hoping for here, then? You want to press me for information? You won’t get it. You want to try to fool me into thinking you’re something you’re not? You can’t. So why come over here at all?”

—

The cards might not be fully on the table yet, but it seemed they were at least past the point of pretending there were no cards. If Inge was right and he was a slayer, then he knew that she was not technically alive. Perhaps it was as close to a mutual agreement as they could come, even if she wasn’t sure if it even was one. She wasn’t even sure what she was doing, acting on impulse and paranoia rather than rational thought, and as he asked for her motives she felt frustration bubble up.

Her jaw set and to combat it, she finished her drink in one gulp. “I’m not hoping for much. I’d really love it, actually, if this is the only time we have a conversation or interaction, ever.” It was slayers that based their existence on bothering and undoing others, rather than letting them be. She would be glad to leave this alleged-Cortez alone as long as he did the same in return. “Like I said, I don’t care about who you are. You don’t have to know me either. You can just leave me the fuck alone. Yeah, alright?” Inge conveniently seemed to forget that she had been the one initiating this conversation.

Now she was showing her cards, maybe, or at least her desperation to not be caught in a situation not too dissimilar from the one she’d been stuck in with Elena Cortez. She got up, shoving her bar stool back with a loud scraping sound. “Just drink your drink. Good night.” She dug in her purse, producing her credit card and waving at the bartender, figuring that perhaps now was the time to get out and find a different place to drink.

—

Could he make such an agreement? Emilio wasn’t the sort of man who could keep himself from picking at scabs. Already, he wanted to pull on the thread she’d placed in front of him until the sweater unraveled in its entirely, wanted to dig and dig and dig until he found himself standing in a hole too deep for him to climb out of. She was undead, and she knew someone who looked like him once. She was undead, and she might know his name. Could he let that sort of thing slide? Could he afford to?

“And what if it’s not alright?” He leaned forward, meeting her gaze and holding it. “What if I say no?” Would she attack him here, in a public bar? He didn’t think so. Would she follow him home, try to come for him in his home? It wouldn’t end well for her. She’d made a mistake in approaching him; he would have left her alone if she’d never implied that she knew his name, would have just let her have her peace if she hadn’t come at him first.

She stood, and Emilio offered her a smile that didn’t quite match up with the dark look in his eyes. He was no longer the sort of man who would kill someone he didn’t think deserved it. But what made someone deserving? How much would he cling to his petty grudge and call it a reason? “Goodnight,” he replied, raising his glass. “I’m sure I’ll be seeing you.” It was only a threat if she made it one.

—

So maybe it was getting to be about time that Inge started thinking about new places to live. New York was at a reasonable distance and would afford more anonymity, and had a glorious art scene. The downside was the fact that she’d been there quite recently and there were still probably some hunters who wanted to keep her from messing about in the heads of the NYC elite.

But godverdomme, this place was proving to be troublesome. The hunter they’d come across at night. The hunter collecting bits and pieces of fae (albeit preferably without violence). This fucking Cortez. “Then you’ll just be another hunter who didn’t manage to do what plenty had tried before,” she snapped, her voice not nearly as confident as it should be. She was faltering, her mask of a somewhat eccentric but very well-adjusted woman slipping. Inge refused to show desperation. “But I guess we’ll see.” Her second attempt at playing it off cool failed, too.

There was little instinct to fight, though. Despite her tendency to alter people’s dreams until they were altered too, Inge had never been particularly combative in the real world. She knew how to fight out of necessity, not please. And though there was an instinct to scream in his face and claw at it right after, she resisted. She swallowed and shoved the chair back where it was supposed to be, and rather than meeting his threat with one of her own, Inge did what any seventy year old would in this situation: she gave the Cortez hunter the finger.

#ghosts that we knew.#emilio.#threads.#wow two super well adjusted adults!

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sonybees · 4 years

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random harry potter characters headcanons because i am bored

includes: fred, george, harry, ron, hermione, ginny, luna, seamus, dean, neville, padma, parvati, cedric, angelina, alicia, katie, cho, draco, adrian, blaise, and pansy.

warnings: slight modern!au, swearing, food mention

these are all headcanons i made on the spot so i’m sorry if they suck. i’m just really bored. it is also all over the place. a lot of these are collabs between some characters. i hope you enjoy though!

(by the way, the little dashes are just dividers)

rest under the cut!

fred would dance around his room at 3 am to literally any song.

jazz, classical, rock, metal, pop he does not give a fuck.

he woke up george once by jumping on his bed and playing all star on his electric guitar.

probably a song writer

uses “life is short” as an excuse to act on his bad decisions

dancing in the rain is one of his favorite things to do

sleeps at 3 am or pm, you decide.

hopeless romantic

good old fashioned lover boy by queen is his song

has a soft spot for hufflepuffs

george loves birds and bugs. completely unrelated to the last one but it’s true.

saw an injured bird outside his room when he was 5.

he cried and immediately took it in.

also cries when someone kills a bug.

thinks the bug’s family would be angry and disappointed in him.

enjoys painting random objects in his room

loves being called pet names

something like dear, honey, or hubby would make his heart burst

loves using them for his significant other as well

hopeless romantic part 2

has a soft spot for ravenclaws

harry is a night owl and he likes reading comic books.

he likes listening to rock music. i said what i said.

prefers being alone

likes quiet places and probably has a hideout

usually doesn’t understand poetry until he reads it like 20 times

has a soft spot for ravenclaws

ron adores ducks.

tears up when he sees them and always used to beg molly to keep them.

still tears up to this day.

not a big fan of seagulls though

he’s scared of them

but eagles are cool

likes country and rock music

also takes an interest in photography

the breakfast club is his favorite movie

has a soft spot for hufflepuffs

hermione loves listening to taylor swift.

reads to her songs always.

ravenclaws save her a special seat in their common room because a lot of them grew quite fond of her

a taste tester for hufflepuffs who go to katie’s lessons you’ll understand this later

she actually enjoys dressing up as well even if there wasn’t an event

has a soft spot for ravenclaws

ginny accompanies dean while he draws.

she just likes looking at other people do what they love so it’s not only dean.

she sometimes zones out looking at hermione read a book, always taking note of the facial expressions and guessing what she just read,

catching harry push his glasses up or cleaning them,

also is with luna every time she paints.

luna has a few artworks with ginny as her muse.

gin likes the simple things in life.

loves board games

sometimes a little too competitive

struts down the hallways with her significant other

she’d never admit it but she loves 10 things i hate about you

has a soft spot for slytherins

luna almost always goes with neville to the gardens.

she helps him with whatever he needs and sometimes draws a few stuff.

she’s a photographer too so she loves waking up early in the morning and taking photos.

amazing at braiding hair

and making flower crowns

likes reading royal fantasy books

watches 10 things i hate about you with ginny

has a soft spot for slytherins

seamus also hangs out with luna sometimes,

talking to each other about whatever.

he thinks she’s interesting and would make great conversations.

she does.

he also took some painting lessons from her

meditates

loves pumpkin juice

likes the movie my girl

has cried more than he will ever admit

has a soft spot for slytherins

dean has a wall in the boys dorm room where he puts up all his drawings.

the guys love it and always just stares at all of them in awe.

they’re all so amazing

is usually the first to notice when someone is sick

takes care of them immediately

loves sweaters

knows how to speak in latin

has a soft spot for hufflepuffs

neville goes to hagrid way more often than anyone thought.

he learned how to take care of the creatures, make some awesome tea,

he also sometimes helps hagrid clean his own house.

helps others in herbology

likes green tea

loves overalls

has a soft spot for ravenclaws

padma holds a record of the fastest writer at hogwarts

yeah, she’s amazing at it

ended up publishing her own fantasy book starting at hogwarts

sold out faster than expected

she is also a singer

amazing singer

movie marathons are her thing

prefers crime shows/movies

soft spot for gryffindors

parvati is very very very protective over her sister

does archery and is amazing at it

a very chill person until you mess with her loved ones

loves sixteen candles

adores puppies

watches big bang theory

soft spot for slytherins

cedric plays the piano.

the ravenclaw common room is where the only piano is at hogwarts so he goes there quite often.

everyone loves hearing him play.

other students gather around with their instruments and sing along as well.

wears glasses for reading

netflix type of guy

probably a theatre kid

has a soft spot for gryffindors

angelina also took piano lessons from cedric.

she just asked him one day where he learned it and he said his father taught him and he could tell that she wanted to learn.

so, he offered to teach her.

she was a natural at it and the lessons are always fun, even for the ravenclaws

angelina is also a tutor at hogwarts.

it all started with george and fred and she realized that she actually quite enjoyed it.

all her students love her

has a soft spot for ravenclaws

alicia is always the group leader in every group work she’s ever done.

she’s also usually the main organizer for any event at hogwarts.

she’s usually there with the help of angelina and katie.

they all work very well together

has a soft spot for slytherins

katie has a passion for cooking.

she’s friends with a lot of hufflepuffs and she meets a lot of them by the kitchens.

in there, they watch her cook amazing dishes and baked goods.

she was able to teach a few others how to as well.

the house elves love her.

has a soft spot for hufflepuffs

cho has an interest in fashion designing.

mcgonagall found her making a dress once in an empty hallway with some cool music playing.

minnie was amazed.

she was also able to start a fashion club at hogwarts.

luna, katie, dean and a few other were apart of this club as well.

likes pudding as much as luna does

has a soft spot for gryffindors

draco plays the violin.

pretty unexpected to his friends because he never really told anyone til goyle walked in on him playing in his dorm room.

he is actually very good at it.

combs his hair too often

the type to take too long at the water fountain

finishes his water bottle after like less than two hours of getting it

acts ‘ominous’ to the point where it’s funny

soft spot? for ravenclaws

adrian teaches young students how to play quidditch

his favorite color’s green for nature

actually loves reading and writing poetry

“most respectful”

has a soft spot for gryffindors

blaise seems very intimidating but is actually very sweet

shouts at quidditch games (much to everyones surprise)

loves the rain

likes dark academia movies

it’s basically his whole aesthetic

holds a record for most botts beans that fit in the mouth (without puking)

has a soft spot for hufflepuffs

pansy has a whole drawer of jewelry as she should honestly

actually soft for cats but it’s not like she’ll ever tell anyone

loves playing with other’s hair

massages her friend’s backs

they do the same for her

a goddess at card games

is actually a gymnast

has a soft spot for ravenclaws

bonuses: george and fred’s favorite movie to watch together is bill and ted’s excellent adventure

all the gryffindors have a movie night at least once a week and others from different houses join along as well

hermione, ginny, luna, parvati, padma, angelina, alicia, katie, and cho have girl nights

the same with the guys though it was quite awkward at first due to draco being there but they eventually warmed up to each other (after like 4 months)

no one really knows how draco and the slytherins even got there but yk

they never tell anyone that they’re comfortable with each other now though

tags: @quadrupledeckertaco @audreysmusings @georgeweasley19 @krasivayadarling @crookedhag

and others who i think would enjoy this: @lunalovecroft @whizboyhalo @darthwheezely @sirlorelai @puntuations @cherryweasleys @amourtentiaa @whatthefuckimbisexual @gredmforge (you don’t have to read if you don’t like!)

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cosmiclatte28 · 3 years

Text

Long Flight (Taeyong x you x jaehyun)

SUGGESTIVEEEE YAHOOO (sorry idk what’s with me, I made this into suggestive fic and the idea started when I took a long flight across Pacific Ocean)

tagging @neopalette and @yutahoes

a/n : do not proceed if you’re young (innocent) other than that, just go lol i know we’re all thirsty. daddy dom and master kink

jae is your colleague cabin crew (and your daddy), Taeyong is a famous designer taking first class flights who happens to get you as his stewardess and oh a fun night is about to happen in this long flight

UH AND IT’S A LONG ASS RIDE

Long flights are a literal pain in the ass. For lee taeyong, long flights are inevitable especially with his business trips that require him to fly from Korea to the Free land of the United States. He is lucky as a designer to be called from one runway to another. Attending photoshoots, ending the runway of his collections and of course after parties.

Though he is never fond of the jetlag and morning flights plus the 12 hours butt pain, he finally meets you. From one of his shittiest flight. He needs to rush to New York but his plane got canceled and that’s how both of you meet. You're in charge of the first class passengers and importantly, him. You're trained to give the best service, making sure his seat is comfortable and his bed ready if he really wants to lay down.

“A long flight ahead sir,” you greet him after keeping his suit on the hanger and helping him with his stuffs.

He looks coy with his fitted bomber jacket and eye glasses. His fragrance reminds you of the forest with deep musk coming out from him.

“Yes and my flight got canceled. I was moved here.” He rumbles, though he is sort of happy because he got upgraded to the first class. His invitation earlier was only for business class but here he is now on the second floor with a nice personal stewardess and of course a bed.

“I am so sorry about that, but i'm here to help you enjoy your flight.” You smile nicely to him.

“For now do you want some drinks?” you take out the menu sheet you’ve prepared.

He takes a glance and smirks “Surprise me? I’m in for an enjoyable flight with you (y/n).” Taeyong winks to you.

You blush, “My pleasure, Lee Taeyong-ssi" you bow before leaving him to take the drink and calm your heartbeat.

You know him, he is famous for his designs and cool godly handsome face. Gosh he really looks handsome!

Your light steps bring you to the bar in the lounge and your fellow mate, Jaehyun, is already busy making orders for the other passengers.

“What may I help you with?” Jaehyun playfully smiles at you and winks. You're used to it, you share almost all of your trips with Jaehyun and you won’t lie, both of you share some nights together.

Your eyes scan the liquor collection and hum while you think “I'll just get him some gin and tonic.”

Jaehyun nods “Who is the special guest tonight?”

You gulp “Lee Taeyong, the famous designer.”

Jaehyun smirks, “Lucky you! Guess I'll be alone tonight and the night after.” He steps out of his cubicle and playfully slaps your ass. You glare at him but he just pushes you the drink and kisses your cheek “Goodluck, heard he was a bad drinker.”

You professionally go back to the narrow hallway and stop just in time to see Taeyong taking off his jacket.

“Here's your drink and please let me help you with your jacket.” You reach out your hands and he gladly passes it to you.

“Hmm gin and tonic, simple but best for me.thanks" he winks and gulps down half of the drink.

His face turns red and you clearly knows tomorrow an apple juice might be a better option.

“Did I turn red?” he asks with big eyes while touching his forehead and cheeks to check his heat.

You nod “A bit sir, but you still look great.” You blurt out and turn shy suddenly when he smiles and runs a finger over your arm “Aw thank you, heard that a lot but it sounds better from your red lips. I wonder why you don’t end up on my runway but here instead in this small airplane!”

He sure is not hearing himself, you know he's more humble than this. Must be the drink.

You just smile and nod “Well, I am glad I can serve you tonight. Now, we'll take off soon. Please fasten your seatbelt and ring me up if you need anything. Enjoy your flight sir,” you bow before returning to your seat so the plane can take off.

Taeyong keeps his eyes on you as you exit the aisle and he can’t help but bite his lips when he sees how perfect you walk in a heel and how beautiful your legs are.

“I should probably start making stewardess uniforms.” He giggles to himself before feeling fuzzy and closes his eyes to sleep.

“So, any sign he's into you?” Jaehyun asks after the plane is steady in the sky and you're not called over yet. You sit on the stool and lean your chin on your arms.

“What? No way. He's out of my league.” You look to your arms and feel Jaehyun staring at you.

“Huh? Don’t you see how he looks at you when you leave him?” Jaehyun asks while his hands are still busy making drinks. The bar is empty, the passengers are still mostly sitting on their compartments.

You raise a brow “You were stalking me?”

He wiggles his brow “Gotta make sure you are working and not flirting with him.” He pulls your chin and blows over your lips “I know how naughty my little baby can be.”

You feel heat creeps into your core and cheeks. If both of you are not in duty, you'd play along and ask for drinks already.

“Stop teasing me, I am working.” You cough and try to remain professional though Jaehyun's deep stare is not helping you at all.

“We’re going to stay in New York for two nights, where do we wanna go?” Jae traces random lines on your arm and you hold your breath “I don’t know, guess we can have a night of sleep and the other one for fun.” You wink and his smile blooms “Fun? Are we thinking of the same fun?”

You want to answer him but a bell chimes and you glance to the intercom to see Taeyong's request for your assistant.

Jaehyun sighs “Tough competition I smell here.”

You tap his shoulder “Aw don’t be sad. I'll be right back, promise.” You blow him a flying kiss and tidy up your uniform before marching to Taeyong.

“Yes, how may I help you?” you nicely check on his stuffs, and he looks at you with clouded eyes. Gosh how many alcohol did Jaehyun put earlier? Is Taeyong this light headed?

“I- I want some snacks.” He looks at you with “that" gaze.

You gulp “Oh right, I can do that. We have-" you almost recite him the snack options before he pulls you onto his lap and snakes his arm around your waist.

“Not that snack, come on I know you know it.” He boldly presses his nose on your neck taking a whiff of your scent

You shiver and breathily moan “Sorry sir, I'm on duty.” You remind him but your hands are already touching his hard abs and thigh

Taeyong giggles next to your ear “On duty? baby I saw you flirting with that bartender guy right there. Didn’t you promise me you'll serve me well tonight?” his tone sounds sad at the end and you never like to hear someone sad because of you, so you quickly look around and whisper back to him

“I- I am-" you stutter when he runs his hand closer to your core “You're what princess?” he grins smugly

He sure is drunk. But he's super hot and you're super aroused!

“I am Sorry sir,” you whisper and he smiles with satisfaction.

“Good girl, now after dinner when the bed time is near, I'll ask you to prepare for my room and princess, be ready." He presses a small kiss on your nape and you gasp. Taeyong quickly presses his hand over your lips “uh oh we don’t want to get in touble right?”

You nod and when he taps you back, you get up and return to work like nothing happens.

Dinner is served and you notice the first class passengers are just few tonight. Only Taeyong and three other people. You notice Taeyong's bed is also far from the other's rooms.

He requested for a glass of red wine on dinner and when you collect his plates, you notice he finishes all of it. Wow, just how drunk is he planning to be?

“Baby, just remember you owe me one fun night,” Jaehyun whispers next to you when he sees you fix your face and tidy your appearance.

You roll your eyes “You look more interested into him, do you want to join us?” you tease him

Jaehyun turns red and he growls “Baby, try to remember all the wrongs you make today. We'll see if you can get as much spanks as your faults, daddy will reminds his baby about her attitudes.” He palms your breast and you clasp your mouth when you see the light for your duty lights up.

“Duty calls, gotta go-" you lean next to his ears “Daddy,” you kiss him quick and walk to Taeyong.

“Evening sir, tired already? Do you want me to prepare your bed?” You ask the standard procedure and he nods.

“Alright let me take you there, master.” You whisper before kissing him quick and following him to his cubicle.

“You're such a good kitten aren’t you? So ready for your master.” He grins when he sees the small bedroom already tidied up and shone in dim lights.

He goes into the room and after making sure no one sees, you enter and lock the door.

“I am glad I got to do this in first class, not in the lavatory.” Taeyong sounds drunk and confused to which you mentally slap yourself.

“Whoops sorry, ruined the mood. Come here kitty, master can show you how great he is when powered with wine!” he unbottons his shirt and you climb to his lap

“Tell me sir, do you want the soft kitty or bad kitty?” your fingers already play with his hairs and you lightly grind on his lap.

He groans when you touch his hardness and from his hooded eyes he makes his request “Both kitty, both.”

“Greedy, but as you wish master. Your words are my command.” You tie your hair up before diving to a deep desperate kiss with both of your hands roaming wildly around each others curves.

Your breathy moans could be heard if anyone is standing right in front of the door, you don’t mind it though. The room is locked, Taeyong rocks you so well and he is wild on bed. It's like having the best wildest fever dream and you're reaching cloud nine on a plane!

He was a great man in bed, a great master who puts you back in place and a great one to teach your soft side more about the wild fun.

You slip out of his hug when you notice he'd fallen asleep. Gently you tuck back your heels and uniform. Your under garments are broken but you'll skip them

With one sticky post it left on the bedside and a kiss, you slowly creep out from his room to meet your cabin crew.

“last night you were both wild and loud.” Jaehyun already greets you on the bar and you pause in track

“You were eavesdropping?” you turn to look at him

He shrugs his shoulder “Someone ordered a drink, I happened to pass by you and your master.” He playfully scans your body.

“Where did your bra go baby?” He walks closer to you and calmly pulls your chin up to face him.

“Look at daddy when you want to answer.” He warns you when you're about to answer.

Your eyes shake as you lock eyes with his fiery one.

“Broken, i'll change into another pair.” You gulp suddenly feeling small and vulnerable to Jaehyun.

“Don’t bother wearing one. I want to see them suffer in cold.” Jaehyun flicks one of your nub and you shudder

“Yes daddy.” You gulp “Anything else?”

“Oh, no touching yourself until I got to be the one touching you. Also, once we land… you're taking a room with me.” He takes your neck and pulls you into his chest “I want all of his traces gone by the time we're together.” He growls next to your ear “Understand baby?”

You nod “Words" he coughs and you mumble “Yes daddy.”

“Good, now don’t forget all the things you did and good luck finishing your errands.” He pats your ass and pushes you lightly.

“Good morning sir, how's your sleep last night?” you go back to your daily routine like nothing happened last night.

Taeyong looks sober already and his stomach is rumbling “Good. I had a good sleep, lucky me for I have to catch up a runway this afternoon.”

You nod “Coffee or tea for breakfast?”

He smiles “Coffee, without alcohol okay" he winks and you smile “Alright one coffee coming to you along with your breakfast sir.”

He turns red “calling me sir just makes me turns hot again princess.”

You wink “I'll be right back sir.”

:”Wait!” he holds your hand and you pause in track “Here take this,” he fishes something out of his bag and hands you a nice invitation

“Come to the gala, walk to the backstage pass and meet me for your dress.” He puts on his sunglasses

“I am invited? Well thank you sir, it's such an honor.” You smile widely

He shakes his head and peeks from his shades “Invited? You're my guest of honor. You'll walk the runway!”

You stare at him in disbelief and he quickly taps your arm “Now go princess, prepare me your best breakfast and i'll see you later.”

Oh yeah this will be the greatest experience and oh no tomorrow is gonna be the longest night with Jaehyun.

end, yow any great smut writers if you see this and want to make the hot scene TAG ME I WANNA READ :D thanks!!

#jaehyun x reader #jaehyun x you #jaehyun x y/n #taeyong x reader #taeyong x you #taeyong x y/n #taeyong smut #jaehyun smut #taeyong suggestive #jaehyun suggestive #nct 127 smut #taeyong scenarios #jaehyun scenarios #jaehyun oneshot #taeyong oneshot #nct smut #nct scenarios

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missdawnandherdusk · 4 years

Text

A Girl’s Choice

Draco X Reader (highschool!AU)

Summary: Everything was absolutely fine in his small town, until you stumbled in and began to defy the status quo.

A/n: So, guess who got Midnight Sun and has been reading it non-stop for the past few days? Me. It was me. So, please enjoy this Twilight Parody of our favorite characters. Also I get to move back to college in like a week and I am EXCITED--mainly because there’s a good chance that I get a room to myself bc of the virus. So yay me. I love you guys a lot and really thank you for your patience and enthusiasm. It makes me smile.

“So, Gin asked me to the dance this morning,” Harry was chatting you up—a normal occurrence before class started.

Draco didn’t mean to eavesdrop on you. He really didn’t, but he was intrigued about how this would go down. Since moving to the small town, you had been a buzz among the boys in the grade level. Draco could all but assume that most of the fantasized about you asking them to the girl’s choice dance coming up.

“That’s great!” You genuinely smiled. “You’ll have a lot of fun!”

Harry fumbled, losing his casual composure. You noted on it, and your look became more skeptical and judgmental—something Pansy would approve of.

“Well, I told her I’d think about it,”

This surprised Draco as much as it seemed to surprise you. It was no secret that star lacrosse player Weasley and Potter were all but official and had been for almost all of high school.

“Why in the world would you tell her that?” Your words mimicked his thoughts.

“Well... I thought maybe you’d... want to ask me?” He ran a hand through his usually untidy mass of curls.

Draco could not make this up if he wanted to. He barely suppressed the laugh that threatened to escape his lips. How in hell had Harry figured that you’d want to go to the dance with him? You’d been here maybe a month. As far as Draco knew, you weren’t interested in anyone. Perhaps the small town didn’t have enough shine for your city lights.

“You should tell Ginny yes, Harry,” You scolded him like a child. “It’s rude to make a girl wait,”

“Yeah, I guess,” Harry sulked, his face falling as the bell rang, signaling the start of class.

Draco couldn’t wipe the amused smirk from his face. You huffed annoyed and opened your notes, already prepping a new page for today’s lesson. You didn’t pay him any mind during class—a normality between the pair of you. Draco ignored you and you returned the favor. It was almost easier this way for him. Your shiny new toy status had no effect on him. He had every shiny toy he ever wanted. You had no appeal to him.

Harry, however, Draco stole glances over from time to time. The green-eyed jock pouted throughout the entire lesson, stealing glances over to you. You hardly noticed. Instead you were doodling in your notebook, waiting for the teacher to move on.

Maybe the stars aligned, or maybe you did fascinate him, but Draco found himself in the lunch line next to you the following day as another tried to ask you to the girls choice ball.

“So, I heard you turned down Potter,” Cedric gave off-hand. “Waiting to ask someone else then?”

Draco snorted, and this time you did give him the slightest glare before turning back to Cedric.

“I’m not going,” You answered curtly, grabbing fruit from the stand. “And no, I don’t plan on asking anyone.”

“Why aren’t you going?” Cedric almost pouted.

“There doesn’t have to be a reason.” You snapped. “I’m not going,”

Draco could only imagine the glare that you gave Cedric for him to back off so quickly. Again, a smile quirked at his lips. You might be the shiny new toy, but you weren’t going to be used like a porcelain doll.

“So, has she asked anyone yet?” Pansy asked as he sat beside her at their usual lunch table.

“She’s not going, and you totally missed her going off on Diggory,” Draco grinned. “That girl has to have a glare that rivals yours,”

“She turns down Potter and Diggory... do you think maybe she’s into chicks?” Pansy asked almost hopeful.

“Wouldn’t know and don’t care,” Draco shrugged. “Besides, she’s not going to the dance so go ask Greengrass before it’s too late,”

Pansy sulked and stabbed her salad with a bit more vigor than before.

You stormed into the chemistry classroom a bit more irritated than he had seen you in the cafeteria. He wanted to guess that another guy had tried to ask you to the girl’s choice dance because honestly it amused him to see you so upset. It was cute how riled up you could get from some unwanted attention. He wondered how far you’d have to be pushed before you actually started swinging. Maybe he wanted to find out.

“So,” He asked pointedly. “Anyone else try to ask you to the dance?”

“Oh, fuck off Malfoy,” You hissed making him grin wider.

“Well, I was wondering if—”

“If you even start to finish that, I won’t be so forgiving,” Your hand clenched into a fist and Draco thought that maybe you’d actually try to hit him, but Snape walked in as the bell rang, taking any chance away from you.

Draco sat back smugly in his chair—to your great annoyance—as class droned on. At the end of the hour Draco followed you out, calling your name. You froze in the hallway, before turning to face him.

“I’m really not in the mood right now Draco,” Your strained voice gave a hint of weariness. “What is even with you guys? Can’t you just leave a girl alone? I’m not going to the stupid dance and I’m not just saying that so I can ask someone else,”

Before Draco could get a word in you stalked away, disappearing in the crowd. And he stood there, dumbfounded. Was he not amused an hour ago about your annoyance? Did it not make him smile that you were tortured by your suitors? Why all of a sudden was he frowning and loathing Potter and Diggory—and whatever poor bloke had the unfortunate courage to ask you before class—even more for winding you up?

“It was Krum,” Pansy didn’t even say hello as she sat next to him in Spanish. “He was the one who tried to ask her,”

“She said no to Krum?” Draco’s eyebrows shot up. “You might be right, she really might swing the other way,”

“Aw, but I already asked Daphne,” Pansy pouted.

“Pans, darling, I think if anyone else breathes near her about the dance she’s gonna send someone to the nurse,” Draco chuckled. “So maybe you dodged a bullet there,”

She sighed wistfully. “Still, it’s nice to dream,”

____________________________________

“So, did you ask anyone to the dance yet?”

“Dad, I really don’t want to talk about this,” I huffed, kicking off my shoes. “I’m not going to that stupid dance,”

“Well, I know it’s probably not as glitzy as your uptown shindigs, but you should still go and have fun,” My dad set down his paper. “Make some friends while you’re here,” His tone was hopeful, as I knew it would be.

He wanted me to be happy here. He wanted me to fit in and enjoy my time in the middle of nowhere. It was a farfetched dream. But it was mine, I supposed.

“I have a few friends,” I insisted. “But I’m not one for dances... and the guys in town aren’t exactly... appealing,” I decided.

“Well, not that a father will complain about his daughter not wanting to date, but maybe you should go with a group of friends or something?”

“Everyone’s paired off, dad,” I sighed, looking in the fridge for something to make for dinner.

As I set off to do my chemistry homework, my mind meandered to my chem partner. It was out of character that he spoke to me today. Normally we disregarded another in comfortable silence. It had been that way since I showed up. And though it might have stung a bit in the beginning, I could tell quickly that Draco and his friends were the wrong sort of crowd that I didn’t want to be caught up in. The kind of crowds that I escaped by moving from my city life.

And I liked the crowd I had found; Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville were all very sweet and welcoming on my first day and had sort of adopted me into their group without looking back. Not that there was much depth in any of their lunchroom conversations, but at least I wasn’t alone. Hermione was the only one I could hold a conversation with—she had AP classes as I did and was a saint when I needed homework guidance.

Chemistry, however, was the one subject she couldn’t help me with. She had opted out for AP Environmental instead, claiming she had done her time with Snape and would rather dropout than be in his class another year.

So, it left me begrudgingly texting Draco about tonight’s homework. He was the only other one in class that seemed to keep up easily. Maybe it was because he was a shoe shiner class pet of Snape’s.

Malfoy: Oh, so you’re talking to me now. Don’t want yell at me again?

My cheeks flushed in anger and embarrassment at his response. He was never one to hold back what he was thinking—even if it was brutal.

Y/n: I’m sorry for snapping at you. It wasn’t fair to you. I’d give a reason, but I doubt you’d care

Malfoy: Pansy already told me that Krum tried to ask you to the dance. That’s what? Three guys now? If I hadn’t stopped her, Pansy wanted to ask you too.

Y/n: At least it would have been a girl asking me to a girl’s choice

Y/n: And you’re short one, Ron asked me too

Malfoy: Weasel? Wow. Never thought he’d have the guts to ask anyone

Y/n: He’s actually going with Hermione

Y/n: Now will you please help me on 7?

And to my surprise, Draco was quite civil about walking me through the covalent bonding prompts. It made me feel a bit more guilty about snapping at him earlier today.

Seeing how I struggled on the homework, I wasn’t surprised that Harry came over during study hall and asked me for help on the same, if not more, questions. After the first couple, he griped that I was too similar to Hermione for knowing it all. And that it wasn’t fair that it came so easily to me.

“Actually, Draco helped me,” I smiled as I showed my notes to Harry for the next question. “He might help you if you ask,”

That was a long shot. Harry hated Draco and vice versa. It didn’t take me long to figure that one out.

“Malfoy helped you? Like actually helped you?” Harry scoffed. “The little prat,”

“Hey,” I warned snatching my notes away. “If you’re not gonna be nice about it I won’t let you use my notes,”

“Oh, come on, don’t be like that,” Harry pouted. “You know I was kidding,”

“Yahuh. Sure Harry,”

“Oh, come on,” Harry tried again. “He’s a prat. Always has been,”

I rolled my eyes, not wanting to hear anymore of Harry’s lamenting, and grabbed my bag. “I’ll be in the library,”

Wordlessly I left, fuming slightly. The music from my headphones thawed out my anger towards Harry a bit as I pushed the doors of the library open and sat at a table, pulling out my calculus homework to go over it one last time.

“This seat taken?”

I barely heard the question over my music. My eyes darted up to meet steady grey ones.

“It’s a free country,” I shrugged then remembered that I want particularly irate towards Draco at the moment. “Thank you, by the way,” I murmured, taking out one of my headphones. “For the chem help,”

“I might have had an ulterior motive,” Draco mumbled, pulling out a binder.

“If you think I’m gonna ask you to the dance because you helped me with my homework you have another thing coming Malfoy,” I warned.

“I think every guy in the school has got that by now,” a smile played at his lips. “No, I... I need help in McGonagall,” He was almost sheepish to admit it.

I raised an eyebrow at him skeptically, but he did seem genuine about needing help.

“I’m not sure I’ll be much help, but I can try. My old teacher, Jones had a different way of explaining it...” I trailed off, a pang of remorse about leaving my old school in my chest.

And maybe the way Jones taught me made more sense to Draco because he did eventually start to understand the calculus on the paper beneath us. I realized that Draco was very methodical. He enjoyed having rules that worked every time no matter the question. A failsafe that kept him ahead of the curve.

“Do you miss it?” He asked as we started to pack for the next hour.

“Miss what?”

“Your old school? It has to be a lot different than this hell hole,” His words were nonchalant but still skeptical.

“It’s not so bad here,” I defended weakly. “But... I miss it, yeah. I feel like I have to prove myself all over again. Back home—back in New York no one questioned me. The teachers trusted me... the staff knew me...” I sighed. “I’m a stranger here.”

The warning bell rang and the same sense of dread that settled upon me reflected in Draco’s eyes: we were halfway across campus and there was little hope of getting to Snape’s class in the two minutes we had left.

Both scrambling, we headed for the doors and tore down the hall. I followed Draco’s path because if I was honest, I still didn’t quite know my way around the school nor the quickest ways to certain buildings.

“Miss Y/l/n,” Snap looked down disapprovingly at me. “I hope you have reason for being late or it’s Saturday detention for you,”

My anxiety spiked as I fumbled out an explanation. In the corner of my eye, I saw Harry stand, ready to come to my defense, but there was no need. Flawlessly Draco directed the attention of the irritated teacher to him with a sly smile and quick lie, that wasn’t really a lie at all.

“It was my fault,” Draco smoothed quickly. “I was having Y/n help me with McGonagall’s homework and I kept her late.”

Snape’s eyes darted between the two of us before he sighed, telling us to get to our seats before he gave out detentions for disrupting his class.

With a breath of relief, I sat beside Draco.

“Thank you,” I murmured.

He shrugged and took out his notes and homework just as Snape began to go over it. And we went back to ignoring each other. Except, this time, it deemed impossible for me not to glance at him every so often, or for my eyes not to drift to his notes on the table, making sure that I hadn’t missed anything. The hour seemed to end quicker than normal. As usual, Harry walked to gym with me, chatting about the upcoming game before the dance this weekend.

“So, you and Malfoy?” The comment caught me off guard. “I don’t like it,”

I rolled my eyes. “It’s nothing Harry,” I shrugged. “No need to let your little feud make up wild stories. He just needed help with calc,”

“Sure, the golden boy needed help with his homework,” Harry said flatly. “That’s believable.”

“And what about it is so farfetched?” I demanded.

“He’s doing it for some reason. He knows you turned me down, maybe he’s trying to get at me by being nice to you,” The offhand comment had my blood boiling.

“Are you serious right now!?” I snapped. “What is so wrong with you that you can’t see past your own ego!?”

Storming off, the only relief from my anger I was allowed happened when I ‘accidentally’ pelted Harry with a ball in the face, sending him to the nurse. When my anger faded, doubt remained. Was Draco only trying to be nice to me to get at Harry? From what I knew of Draco secondhand, I wouldn’t put it past him.

______________________________

Draco was shocked when Snape had called on you for a homework answer, and you admitted that you didn’t know. Didn’t you know that he didn’t mind you texting him about the homework? That helping you wasn’t the worst waste of his time in the world? You had done it before. Not days ago. And yet you allowed yourself to be ridiculed by Snape for your lack of habitual knowledge.

You didn’t notice the small frown that lingered on his face for the remainder of class as you kept your head down and doodled in your notebook. Deciding that he didn’t like your comatose, he did something that deemed childish: he passed you a note.

You ok?

You stared at the paper and looked over at him, biting your lip before scribbling:

Fine. Pay attention.

Rolling his eyes, he took the paper back and wrote:

I can’t if you’re over here moping.

You took the small piece of paper and crumpled it in your hands, shoving it into your bag. Draco decided to leave you alone for the rest of the hour his curiosity still burning through him. A quick meeting of Harry’s livid stare, and Draco had a better idea of what was going on. He just hoped, for perhaps the first time ever, that he was wrong.

“Oi, what the hell did you say to Y/n?” Draco demanded, singling Potter out in the hall the next morning.

His curiosity and suspicions had festered over the night. Draco had made the conscious decision to text you, asking if you needed help with chem, and your lack of response had him worrying again.

“What are you going on about Malfoy?” Ron crossed his arms, coming to Harry’s defense.

“Stay out of this weasel,” Draco hissed, noticing the crowd that began to gather around the small confrontation. Most of his attention, however stayed focused on cold green eyes.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about Malfoy,” Harry tipped his chin back. “What? Is she not bowing down at your feet like you’re used too?” A laugh barked out of him and Weasley and a few other onlookers.

“At least she’s got enough self-respect to not be on her knees for you,” Draco heard the familiar condescending voice of Pansy beside him. A grin curled onto his face at her words.

Harry didn’t know what to say to that it seemed, and it further proved Draco’s suspicions.

“So, you did say something to her,” He accused. “She got her not a month ago and you’re already dragging her into our mutual hatred?” Draco wouldn’t stoop that low. It was pathetic.

“Well if you hadn’t gone and pretended to need help with McGonagall’s work, there wouldn’t be a problem,” Harry gritted, as if he had the high ground.

“As opposed to you who pretends he doesn’t need help them blames others when he fails?” Draco snapped.

There was quite a large crowd gathering around now, and he and Harry were less than a foot apart. Both boys were on the verge of snapping.

“Draco?”

Your voice was enough to distract him that he didn’t see Harry throw the first punch. Pain blistered across his jaw as fury burned in his eyes. Now the kids around them were chanting and egging on the fight. But Draco never had the chance to swing back.

Because you had drove yourself into the cleared circle and delivered a few punches of your own.

“What the fuck is wrong with you!?” You shouted at him kneeing him in the groin leaving him keeled over, groaning. “I told you to back the fuck off!”

Draco wasn’t as surprised at the comment as he was about the knowledge that you knew how to beat the pulp out of a star football player without a whim. You never seemed like the athletic type but the blood pouring from Harry’s nose begged that you were slightly more dangerous than Draco had originally thought.

“Are you okay?” Your wild worried eyes were trained on him.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” He didn’t mean for the words to be so harsh, but the hurt that flickered across your face made him regret them.

He wished he had time to explain exactly why you shouldn’t have done that, but McGonagall and Snape were already upon the scene and threatening detentions. He and Harry, of course, were called out as the other students scattered.

“McGonagall, please,” You stood loyally beside him, despite his harsh words. “Draco didn’t have a hand in this, I did.”

Both teachers raised their eyebrows in surprise. Draco just gaped at you. Harry was glaring and still bleeding.

“I see. All three of you go to Dumbledore’s office.” She said, her careful eyes not leaving yours.

Harry strode off first, perhaps feeling smug in the fact that either way, you or Draco would be in trouble for this encounter. Draco wondered if you knew you had just bought yourself three days suspension for fighting.

You were silent beside him as you flexed your hand. He pondered if you had hurt it in your fervor. He almost asked you. Then he remembered the hurt on your face at his last words and decided against it. You wouldn’t want to talk to him.

“So,” Dumbledore said pointedly. “I heard there was a bit of a skirmish today in the hall,” An amused smile sat upon the principal’s face, no doubt taking in Harry’s state. Draco wondered if his skin was bruising yet.

“It was me,” Draco said not realizing what he was doing.

“Oh, don’t you even,” You were scathing at him, your hands clenched again, pain flitting across your face—you definitely hurt your hand then. You turned to Dumbledore. “Harry swung at Draco and I stepped in. I’m the one who did it.”

“Mr. Potter?” Dumbledore raised an ancient eyebrow.

Harry seemed like he was debating whether or not he wanted to admit getting beat up by a girl. The thought made Draco smile, causing his jaw to hurt. He tried to flex it but halted when pain blossomed again.

“That’s what happened,” Harry admitted under his breath.

“And why, Mr. Malfoy, did Potter swing at you?” Dumbledore turned to him, an amused smile lingering on his face.

“I thought that Harry had said something to her that hurt her. She... wasn’t keeping up on homework and it was unlike her. After she turned Harry’s proposal to the dance down, I thought...”

“You turned down Mr. Potter’s proposal to the girl’s choice dance?” The principal turned back to you.

“His, Weasley’s, Cedric’s, Viktor’s,” You muttered, much to Dumbledore’s delight as the older man began to chuckle.

“Had quite a welcome here, haven’t you?”

“You could say that again,” Folding your arms, your face became solemn.

“And do you have a reason for your actions?”

“I don’t like bullies, no matter where they come from,” Confidence founded your voice as you squared your shoulder. Never once had Draco ever heard someone call Harry a bully. The words had always been reversed. Everyone in the school saw the reputation in Draco, never Harry.

“Well, under normal circumstances, I’d have to suspend you and Mr. Potter here, but instead, I’m suspending you from being allowed to the dance this weekend. All three of you,”

“But sir!” Harry argued.

“Not another word Mr. Potter.” Dumbledore rose from his office chair. “My decision is final.”

Three ‘yes sir’s were mumbled as the three of you filed out of the office. You began to walk away, towards your next class Draco assumed, but he caught your non-injured hand, Harry slinking away himself.

“Let me go,” You shrugged him off.

“Wait,” Draco caught up to you, blocking you in the narrow hall of the office. “Look, about what I said,”

“Forget it Draco,” You snapped, and he could see unshed tears in your eyes. “Just leave me alone,” You pressed past him with a bit more force than necessary that had him after you again.

“I didn’t mean it like that!” He called, and you actually paused, your head turning in interest.

“Then what did you mean?” Your voice with thick. “Cuz all I see is a rich little prat who can’t say thank you. Or a self-centered guy who thinks I need someone to fight my battles for me. A high and mighty guy who thinks he can tell me what to do,” Your words were sharp and snarled. “So please, tell me what you meant.” The challenge dripped dangerously from your scowl.

“I...” Draco fumbled for the right words. “I’m not worth getting suspended for,” Your anger turned to confusion, turned sympathy, turned neutral.

“But I’m worth fighting for,” It was a stubborn and bold declaration. “And I know that,” A pause as you turned to leave. “So yeah, I should have done that,”

___________________________

I couldn’t help the tears that streamed down my face as I nearly ran to the parking lot, yearning for the safety of my car. Slamming the door shut, I let out a frustrated yell and slumped in the seat.

The backroads under my tires held a calming solace as I drove the long way home. It was something that New York couldn’t replace: the backroads I had grown up on. With the windows down and the radio blaring, all of my thoughts were tuned out.

At a red light, I found the courage to call my father and explain what happened. He said I was grounded this weekend for fighting, but I didn’t mind much. It got me out of having to go to the dance, even if Dumbledore hadn’t already said I couldn’t. I smiled when my dad told me he was proud for standing up for myself and beating the hell out of Harry.

I found myself smiling as I pulled in at home. Icing my hand and popping some pain killers just in case, I scrolled through my notifications, only answering Hermione. I didn’t care what the school gossiped about or what rumors started because of the fight. Hermione just wanted to know if I was okay and if I’d want her to send the homework from the classes I missed. I told her yes to both and thanked her.

Another notification popped up.

Draco: are you okay? how’s your hand?

I stared at the notification, and instead of deleting the icon like I should have, I opened it and gazed at the words. His mood swings were giving me whiplash. I thought about ignoring it, but he had already seen that I had read it. Cursing modern technology, I responded.

Y/n: fine

Mulling it over, I sent another text.

Y/n: can you send me the chem homework? please

The messages that followed were unexpected. Steady and clear photos of his notes for the day— and week it looked like—as well as the worksheet Snape had given. I felt a pang if gratitude towards Draco in that moment and his words from earlier settled in.

Draco has confronted Harry because he was worried about me. Somehow, he had picked up on how Harry’s words had affected me and driven me into doubt and a few missing homework assignments. Tears sprung back up in my eyes without my consent. It left me regretting the words I had snapped at him earlier. I let him know as much with another text.

Draco: most of it was justified

Draco: I know I’m not the easiest person to know

Y/n: I was still wrong to say it. I’m sorry

Y/n: and you’re not so bad :)

There wasn’t a response from him for half an hour, so I settled down and began to transcribe his notes into my own notebook, then began to untangle the questions that the worksheet gave me. The crumpled note from a few days ago spilled out of my bag. I took it, unfurling it, running my hand over his words. I tucked it in my chemistry binder, smiling softly at his kindness.

Anxiety fluttered in my chest the next day as I drove up to school and parked in my usual spot. I felt torn between two clicks—probably the only two clicks this school had, and I had managed to get caught in the middle of a turf war—the thing that I wanted to escape by moving back in with my dad and I still managed to find myself in the same situations. Maybe it was just me. Maybe I was the problem.

Shaking the thought, I headed to first hour just as the bell rang in my efforts to avoid confrontation. Other than a few approving comments from my sorta friends, no one seemed put out that I had fought their golden boy. It eased my anxiety as the day went on. I was quelled a bit more when I heard that Harry wasn’t in school today. And maybe I smiled at that a bit.

“The jackass deserved it,” Ginny shrugged, “If you hadn’t shown up, I wouldn’t have hesitated either,”

She calmed the majority of my fears with her words unknowingly. If there had been one person I didn’t want to cross it was Ginny—she was fierce and took no prisoners. If the school had a queen bee, it would have been Gin.

“Is your hand alright?” Luna asked during art class. “You seem a bit off your game today,” She noticed my failing live portrait.

Luna was always quiet but observant of others, and it drew me towards the peaceful girl. Her calm nature as well as my fierce need to protect her from bullies kept me as her partner despite the seat changes in Trelawney’s art class. The teacher didn’t seem to care as Luna and I were some of her best students although Luna’s whimsical style contrasted my realistic preference heavily.

“It hurts a bit,” I answered truthfully. “But not enough to cry about,” There were yellow and purplish tinges to my knuckles, but nothing was broken.

“Everyone’s talking about it,” Luna semi-whispered. “Are you and Draco together?”

“No,” I answered a bit more harshly than I meant and refined my answer. “I was tired of Harry being an egotistical ass and dragging me into it,”

“He’s probably just jealous,” Luna gave offhand, adding some shading to her sketch. “Boys are like that,”

“Jealous? Of what?” I scoffed. “He’s with Ginny, and it’s not like I fancy anyone at this school,”

“Yes, I heard about all the failed proposals to the dance.” A smile touched her lips, “Regardless, from the outside, the only person you’ve shown interest in is Draco, and Harry doesn’t like it,”

“Well, he needs to get over it,” I muttered. “I’m not some prize to be won,”

My annoyance didn’t fade as I slumped into my seat at lunch, grateful that Harry was absent today because I might have just gone off on him again. Stupid teenage boys thinking they have some claim over a girl.

Harry was back the next day, looking worse for wear. I went to apologize, but he didn’t allow me too, saying he deserved it and the he was the one who was sorry. I wondered if Ginny had a hand in his apology. Shrugging, I decided it didn’t matter. At least Harry, and maybe everyone else at the small school, knew that I could handle myself.

The weekend passed, and I didn’t notice much. Hermione sent me a few pictures of the dance. They held no interest to me, but at least they were having fun.

On Monday, it seemed that Draco had gone back to ignoring me. At least that’s how it appeared for about the first half of Snape’s lecture. Then every so often I’d catch him staring at me, or my notes. His eyes would quickly dart down when he realized that I had noticed his gazes. It left me frowning and struggling to focus.

It was Wednesday that Hermione and I talked about the calculus test coming up on Friday. I glanced over to Draco, wondering if he’d need help or a study partner for the exam. I wondered if he’d be too proud to ask. Or if I’d be too stubborn to offer.

“Go over there and ask,” Hermione nudged my arm, picking up on my train of thought.

“I shouldn’t,” I shook my head. “Besides, you’d be a better tutor than I am,”

“Yes, but Draco doesn’t like me. You on the other hand,” An amused smile lingered on her face.

“We’re friends,” I insisted. “That’s all,”

“More than it was last week,” She pointed out. “Draco’s always been a stuffy prat, but I see how he is with you. He’s almost... normal.”

My eyes shifted back over to his lunch table, where he was hunched over a book, tuning out the dark-haired girl beside him as she prattled about something adamantly. Something the girl said must have caught Draco’s attention, perhaps she warned him about my gaze, because his eyes met mine. I looked down quickly, my cheeks flushing.

“He’s coming over,” Hermione whispered.

“Stop staring,” I hissed under my breath, breaking my own rule by looking up.

“Can I talk to you?” His voice was quiet and guarded, his eyes sliding over my company.

“What’s up?” I asked casually.

“Alone?”

I looked to Hermione who was saying if I didn’t go, she’d never forgive me with a single look.

“Sure,” I stood, gathering my things and followed him out of the cafeteria and down the halls, to the library. “Did you want help for the calc test Friday?” I asked softly as we sat at the same table as our previous encounter.

“Well, yes,” He chuckled softly. “I... also wanted to talk to you... about last week, and...” His eyes refused to meet mine. I waited in silence for him to continue. “This... this doesn’t have to be anything, and I know you’d probably rather it weren’t... but I’ve never actually...”

I raised my eyebrows, leaning closer to him, the butterflies in my chest growing more restless with each second that passed. They had begun to arrive on the day of the fight, and now it seemed like they were taking flight for the first time.

“You came here a month ago... and in that time have managed to capture every guys heart in this school and then proceeded to turn most of them down. You’ve gotten into fights and out of trouble and you’re really someone I should avoid, but... I don’t want to, not anymore.”

“You think you should avoid me?” The question was soft on my lips. His eyes flashed to mine in brief panic.

“Again, not what you think,” He sighed and scrubbed his face, then proceeded to wince at the pain that no doubt was triggered by his action. “I should avoid you because if I’m being honest, I’m not much better than Harry, and I wouldn’t be someone you’d want to be with. And it would make it easier for the both of us if I avoided you.”

“Cards on the table then?” I mused softly and he nodded, begging my candor. “I know what they say about you. And I have my own opinions, but...” I paused and smiled. “You are the first guy who hasn’t acted like an arrogant jackass to me,” Then mended, “At least in a way that hasn’t made me want to deck you,”

“That’s comforting,” A smile reached his eyes this time.

“And... if it had to be anyone... I’d probably want it to be you,” This surprised him, told by the expression on his face. “In terms of intelligence, I feel semi-confident to say that you wouldn’t drive me mad with your lack of knowledge, because most of the kids at this school are so dull,” I muttered then continued. “You’ve been kind to me, and never pushed me into doing anything I haven’t wanted to do,”

“So, you wanted to beat the shit out of Potter then?” The same smile turned to a grin.

“It was bound to happen eventually,” I chuckled softly. “You gave me a valid excuse, to which I thank you,”

“Shouldn’t I be thanking you? For ya know, being my knight in shining armor coming to my rescue?”

I laughed at his words and shook my head at his antics.

“Does that make you my damsel in distress?” It never occurred to me how easy it might be to talk to Draco, considering we’d barely said a word to each other since my arrival.

“If I must be,” He feigned distaste, the smile not leaving his face long enough to convince me of his façade.

A silence fell between us.

“Is this something then?” His words were riddled with uncertainty.

“It’s not nothing,” I offered. “But I don’t know what it is yet.”

“Would you be willing to see what it is?” Draco’s voice turned hopeful.

“If you’re willing to be patient,” My eyes met his grey ones, storms above the seas held in them. “I don’t really... date. Flings and a list of exes isn’t really on my bucket list ya know?”

“Understandable,” His smile returning. “Not that I prefer them either,”

I sighed softly. “People are gonna talk, if they’re not already,” It was a defeating thought.

“Let them talk,” Draco shrugged, lost in thought. “That’s all they do. No matter where you go,”

“It’s a bit worse in a small town,” I challenged.

“I’ll give you that,” He chuckled. “But things are a bit less scandalous in a small town,”

“Granted,” I thought of New York and how the smallest things morphed into rumors and gossip that took down empires. Here, in the middle of nowhere our problems seemed almost trivial.

“So,” He raised an eyebrow at me, awaiting my verdict.

“So,” I mimicked. “This... this can be something,”

______________________________

Draco had never once thought of dating. Ever. Whereas Pansy couldn’t wait to have her next summer love, Draco... he was reserved. Not that he ever held it against Pansy, and of course he was there to curse the name of her exes with her, but him dating? It was laughable.

He could claim that ‘you weren’t like other girls,’ but it’d be a lie. You were just the perfect mix of being like other girls that appealed to him so much. The girls he had passed in the halls for years and never once felt attraction to were now suddenly a bit more interesting. Granger had calculus with you and was very good at the subject, sharing your passion for it. Ginny had the same fire in her eyes as you did when you were angry. Even Lovegood seemed less like a spaz and a bit more down to earth in the few passing moments that he saw her when picking you up from art class.

“I might warn you,” he whispered gently the next day, hand in yours as you headed to the cafeteria. “Pansy has been dying to talk to you... so heads up,”

A laugh fell through your lips as he opened the door for you, the cafeteria, once buzzing solemnly was now almost hushed as eyes turned to the couple at the door.

“Oi! Malfoy!”

Draco tensed at the curt calling of his name but relaxed when you smiled and waved to Ginny.

“Come sit with us,” The redhead offered. “No need in you taking Y/n away from us,”

“Get Pansy,” You smiled, letting his hand go as you went to drop your stuff at the table before heading toward the lunch line.

“Can I talk to her now?” Pansy demanded.

“She’s all yours,” Draco chuckled, trailing behind his dark-haired friend, a smile resting on his face as you entertained all of Pansy’s question with unbelievable grace.

Tensions were high as Draco sat with you at your usual lunch table, Pansy on his other side, but it seemed that you, Ginny, and Hermione had the boys under control, so nothing more than loathsome glares were exchanged before the conversation settled into something pleasant.

It took a couple weeks, but the bruises on your hand and his jaw faded, then soon Harry’s broken nose was healed, and it was as if nothing had ever happened. As if it were preposterous that your group ever had animosity against another.

True to your word and his, it wasn’t exactly dating. He dedicated a lot of his effort to figuring out what you were comfortable with and what you weren’t. Something that appealed to both of you was holding hands in the hallways. The gawking faces of those around you seemed to keep a smile on your face. You had tamed the rich prat and he had tamed the spitfire in their eyes. And perhaps he was a bit kinder to those around him. And maybe you weren’t as volatile. Maybe you had finally settled into the small town.

Slowly it seemed, you sifted into the role of a girlfriend—well, whatever the equivalent was for you and him. It took some coaxing and a compromise, but you allowed him to pick you up and drive you to school—three out of five days of the week. He looked forward to those mornings and didn’t mind leaving earlier as long as you were at the end of the road under his tires. You were defiant about him paying for things, mundane things like lunch or random gifts, so he tried to keep it at a minimum, or at least didn’t let on how much he had spent on you.

Draco was never one for physical affection. His parents had been distant and reserved. Closed off. He wasn’t bitter about it, but he was worried that it might affect how he was around you. But it seems that you were a bit standoffish as well. The abrasion faded over time, but it was still never over abundant. You held his hand, that was easy and almost routine for the both of you, and though he hadn’t kissed you yet, displays of make outs in the halls never appealed to any part of him. Ever.

But he wouldn’t forget the first time you kissed him. It was a quiet night at your place after you two had studied for Snape’s final. You declared if you looked at another carbon bond you were going to scream, so you slammed your binder shut and led him to the old sofa and pulled him down, both of you nestled beside another as you flickered through TV stations, settling on something that held half your interest.

His arm draped around your shoulder, a gentle sign of affection that you returned by resting your head on his shoulder, your arm stretching across his stomach, holding him. His hand absentmindedly played in your hair, earning soft sounds of agreement from your lips as he continued. Your exhausted face in the TV light held all of his interest. The way your eyelashes fluttered eleven your eyes changed focus, or the way you worried your lip now and again almost thoughtlessly. Never knowing that it drove him mad.

Draco called your name softly, earning your attention. Your faces were inches apart and he could feel your soft breaths mix with his. Your eyes searched his for something—what exactly he wasn’t sure. But you must have decided that whatever you found was enough, because you leaned up and closed the distance between your lips and his.

He smiled at the moment and the ones that followed. The desire that built in his chest and the gentle pant of need that left your lips, flushing across his as you pulled away.

“Thank you,” You had murmured.

He smiled at you simple gratitude and wondered why you thought it necessary. Did you believe that he didn’t want to kiss you? That you weren’t constantly in his psyche? Imagining how soft and warm your skin must be? Wondering if the rest of you was worked and scarred like your hands from years of use?

Not knowing what you were thinking—or why he was for that matter—he pulled you into his lap as the two of you sat on the couch, cradling you close, letting you know that he craved your affection though he wasn’t the best at portraying the ideal.

You had fallen asleep in his lap that night. When your dad came in to check on the two of you, Draco thought your father would be furious but instead he smiled and suggested that Draco carry you to your room so that you could stretched out on your bed and sleep for the night. Those were the few moments that Draco had ever been in your room. It was one of your fathers rules—which he humbly agreed to. The sight made him smile. It was perfectly you. An organized chaos of all of your favorite things.

You barely noticed him setting you into your bed and pulling the covers over your shoulders after removing you shoes.

He preferred your home over his. It took about two months before you coaxed him into the idea of meeting his parents formally. Draco was terrified, knowing that his parents disapproved just about everyone in the town they lived in, save a few families. He wasn’t sure how they felt about the divorcee and his daughter living on the outskirts of town.

“You understand how much of a bad idea this is?” Draco hissed as he walked you up the front steps of the pristine farmhouse—it was the last attempt he made before it was too late to back out.

“They’re just your parents,” You took his hand, saying the words nonchalantly.

“That’s why I’m worried! They’re my parents!” He dismayed.

“Dray, love, it’s gonna be okay,” You reassured, and he couldn’t argue with the honesty in your eyes.

You’d never stop surprising him. He didn’t think ever. He knew his parents were hard people to entertain. There were thousands of unspoken rules that they forced him to follow and you picked up on them as easily as you knew calculus. Sit one way, speak another, you blended in flawlessly. Your persona differed from the one he knew, but it was still perfectly you.

“And you moved here? From New York?” His father eyed you skeptically.

“Father—” A cold look silenced Draco.

“Yes sir,” Your smile was sweet and conniving.

“Was the city not satisfactory for you?”

“It had a certain charm,” You spoke softly. “But I didn’t want to give my teenage years to a concrete jungle when I could call here my home,”

“Well,” Draco’s mother cut in before his father had a change to reply. “You sure do have quite a spirit in you. I can see what our Draco likes about you,”

You smiled and looked over at him. The blush on your cheeks matched his.

“Thank you,”

Lunch came and passed. If it was out of the ordinary in any way to you, you gave no sign.

You did however, pause, gazing at his grand piano that sat in the drawing room, your face pensive.

“You play?” He mused, curious. You hadn’t let on if your hidden talent.

“Not very well,” You muttered back. “It’s been years.”

“Y/n, do you play my dear?” His mother cut in. “You must play for us,”

“I...” Glancing at the piano, you caught your lip in worry.

“Mother, if she isn’t comfortable, she doesn’t have to,” Draco defended.

“No, it’s alright... you must forgive me, it’s been a few years since I’ve played properly.”

The shy smile on your face didn’t fade as you made your way to the instrument. He shadowed you all the while, asking one more time before you began to play.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Your smile turned warmer. “It’ll be alright.”

Draco watched as you placed your hands on the glossy white keys and fell into a pattern as they searched for the next note, the next chord, the next verse. And you kept forging ahead until your piece had come to an end. Draco should have known that you’d lie about having the talent tucked away.

“That was lovely,” His mother fawned from somewhere behind. “Draco you must play with her,”

The eyebrow you raised at him informed him that maybe he also hid the talent from you unintentionally. Who did you think the piano belonged to?

“Any ideas?” He muttered softly, placing his hands on the keys next to yours.

“Moonlight Sonata?” It was a simple request, and one that he knew decently enough to nod.

Draco began the repetitive harmony as you waited for the melody and joined him. Your fingers played in time and in tune as the song unfolded—your hands trailing along the treble clef and his adding in the deeper bass tones.

It wasn’t until one of his hands ran into yours that the dance faltered, and four hands banged on the keys in frustration. Draco laughed at the simple fact that you had the same response to making a mistake as he did while playing. Your soft laughter joined his.

Someone cleared their throat behind him, and you both turned, meeting the scrutinizing gaze of his father. Draco looked down anxious and respectful and you followed suit, your hand finding his in reassurance.

“Perhaps if you two had more time to practice together, you two wouldn’t be tripping over another.” His father mused.

“Father?” Draco looked up. “Does that mean?”

“Yes, she is welcomed here any time she wishes.” His father gave a small smile.

Relief flooded through both of you. Draco might have even slouched momentarily.

Masterlist

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jar-full-of-pixel-hearts · 4 years

Note

Heyy it's so good that requests are open! Could I request some angst? Maybe with "Why do you care?" and "I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression" from that prom list? It's also fine if you just want to take one :)

Friends or more...

F. Tony Scarapaducci x Reader

Space Force Netflix

A/N : Hi ! I agree it was good to open the request and I will do it really more often ! Angst usually my strong suit, but I give it a try and I hope you will like it. If you do, please let me know as an anon or not ! Thank you for your request.

* English is not my first language, I tried really hard to correct myself but, I hope you will excuse me if some mistakes are still there.

---

You were in the control room that day, when the news about the pyromaniac astronaut came out.

As much as you had tried, it had been hard for you and all of your co-worker to not turn around and watch, like in case of a car crash, the high general spit his guts against F. Tony.

It’s true that it had been a true mistake. But, you still felt bad for the social media manager, knowing how difficult and messy it had been to find the volunteers.

For the past year, you had tried to create step by step a bond with the tall man. Succeeding more than you trough when, at the first laugh party, both drunk, you had shared a steamy kiss you never talked about after that night.

Keeping your position at your computer, you wait for everybody to return to their work before going to the office of F. Tony. After such an awful scene, the little support of a friend will probably help him feel better.

Approaching the door, hearing a muffled but still audible series of swears, you knock at the door, opening it slightly in the same move.

“ What ! “ F. Tony shout.

“ Hi...I thought that you might need a friend ? “ You simply tell, closing the door behind you.

Passing a hand on his face, he faced you, more serious that you never saw him. F. Tony wasn’t the angry or the grumpy type in front of a problem. He was more the kind to accept the problem and work on a way to solve it, even if the solution he choose is completely stupid. But, right now, almost dominating you of all his stature, he was more looking like a tiger trap in a cage.

“ I don’t need a damn friend, I need to fix that fucking situation ! “ He raged, taping now furiously on his phone. “ And then kill Brad “

Staying patient, trying to get closer, judging if the best approach wasn’t to simply leave, you made a few steps in his direction.

“ That’s why I'm here, after what happened with the general I want to help you...” You said, watching him scrolling on his screen.

“ Help me ?! “ He mocks, putting his phone down. “ The last person who said that to me was Hannah and you know what happened !“ He exclaimed. “ Anyway, why do you care !?”

You knew you shouldn’t feel that way, but hearing him compare your offer of help as the false one that this snake of Hannah made him a long time ago, hurt you. Add to his angry and mocking attitude, your tone suddenly becomes more cold.

“ Because I thought we were friends and maybe even more. You know it's funny, I even remember that you kiss me for a really long time one night. But maybe you don’t remember it since we never talk about it and you feel the need to ask me Why do I care. After all it’s not like you have a lot of friends to compare me to “

You didn’t know exactly why you had been so harsh or why you told him about the kiss. After almost a month, you had simply tried to persuade you that he simply didn’t remember and you had chosen to move on.

It was a fact that F. Tony didn’t have many memories of that night. But, the gin tonic taste of your soft lips against his and the way you had loved yourself on his arms, your sleepy head on his shoulder, was one of his favorites. Unfortunately, the accumulation of all the problems and the recent humiliation he had to endure that day didn’t let him tell you, make him explode in a white rage

“ In my memories it’s you who almost fell on me, I only respond to your invitation ! ”

“ You had pushed me on your way to the bar !” You gasp, getting closer, shouting.

“ You was on the way with that stupid muscular spaceman ! “ He replied, shouting now too.

“ Maybe I should have kissed him ! “

“ Yeah, Maybe you should have ! ” F. Tony rage, jealousy slowly crawling in his body.

“ Wow I can’t believe that I though we’re at least friend”

" I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression ! And as you can see I can resolve this fucking pyromaniac bad publicity problem by myself ! I don’t need nothing of you. I will just have to do a conference an make a list of all the stupid things they don’t tell me before. “ He replied, showing you a paragraph writing in a note app. “ If you can let me know, I have work to do “

Shame and anger now filling your veine, you close your fist, a million of sours replies flying in your mind. But, stepping back, turning on your heels you decide to simply let go, tears of anger and sadness already slowly flooding your eyes.

“ And for your information I have friends ! “ He retorted as your hand touched the door handle.

Biting your lips for a few seconds, you turn on yourself facing him one last time.

“ No Fuck Anthony, they are not your friends. On a million of followers, you will maybe find two or three with whom you could become friends, but you don’t interact enough with them for that. No F. Tony. A friend is a person you can go hang out and call when you're in trouble or feel sad, even if it’s late at night. I think I was that person for you, but apparently I'm not. Good luck with all that. And for information...You’re an idiot ! “ You coldly reply, trying without success to hide your emotion.

Didn’t waiting for his answer, you stepped outside of the office, not noticing the shameful expression of his face in front of your gaze full of tears and the realization of what he had done. The only thing you heard was the Fuck he shout, as you take the way of the bathroom to calm yourself.

---

The next day, as you enter your little office, relieved to not have met F.Tony in the stair. You suddenly stop on your track.

On your desk was sitting an arrangement of most of your favorite flowers in a sky blue vase. Surprise, you take the little card hanging on one of the large leaves.

“ I am an idiot, a moron, almost a troll.

I’m sorry for what I said yesterday I was angry . Do you accept my request for friendship ?

Or more ? Because yes, I remember your pretty lips and i’m so glad that i’m the one you choose to kiss.

Again, I’m an idiot and I’m sorry.

Fuck Anthony Scarapaducci.

#You talk a lot when your drunk and I remember your favorite flowers“

Giving a glance to the beautiful bouquet, trying to not grin like a fool. You reread the carte another time, hoping to do the right things, before taking your phone. Opening the contact of F. Tony, smiling at the tongues out picture he put for his contact when he gave you his number, you simply send him a quick text.

“ Y/N has accepted your request of friendship...or more. “

—

PLEASE don’t forget to Like, Comment or Reblog !

—

#space force #space force netflix #Space force fic #F. Tony Scarapiducci #F. tony x reader #Fuck Tony Scarapiducci #Fuck Tony x reader #ben schwartz #x reader #Request #Fluff #Angst

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nikkirecs · 3 years

Text

RECS FOR ANTO

hi ily

Bold - ongoing manga

anime or manga - Links to anime with the source “manga”. Most if not all I have not read the manga.

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun - I’m surprised you haven’t seen/read. It’s just a load of fun.

Kekkai Sensen - I’ve only seen the first season but it was so fun. It’s animated by BONES if that makes a difference to you.

Arslan Senki - Ceator of FMA making a story about a prince trying to reclaim his throne? Sign me up. The art gets me all nostalgic.

Enen no Shouboutai - This doesn’t need to be on here but it felt wrong to not include it.

Gin no Saji - Cute sol about farming? I’m in. By the creator of FMA? I’m obsessed.

Monster - Me recing this is not a secret.

3-gatsu no Lion - It makes me feel things. Those things are all sad.

Doukyuusei - Ngl it was boring to start but then it made me feel things and it’s really short. Also gay.

Made in Abyss - This is genuinely horrifying but also fantastic. Not for the squeamish. You will probably cry.

Saiki Kusuo no Ψ-nan - I laughed until I cried. Also has gintama cameos.

Shadows House - I hear the manga is much better but as I have not read I cannot verify. That being said I loved the anime. It was a fun and at times downright creepy mystery without losing all the joy sol gives me.

anime only - Either anime originals or with a source other than “manga”

GREAT PRETENDER - This is already on your ptw bc you added most of my favs but just a fun heist anime. Technically has a manga adaptation but it’s an anime original and the adaptation is on hiatus so just watch it.

Godzilla: Singular Point - It just has really nice visuals and cute characters. Also godzilla.

Nagi no Asukara - This made me cry. While there is a manga adaptation, as it’s an anime original I’m not confident enough to rec it under both.

Hataraku Maou-sama! - Adapted from a light novel but has a manga version. It’s fun and with s2 coming I expect we’ll see it on our dashes again soon. Gotta get ahead of the curve.

Itai no wa Iya nano de Bougyoryoku ni Kyokufuri Shitai to Omoimasu. - Fun op protagonist but in a very sol way.

K - Excuse me I’m just still thinking of yata misaki and fushimi saruhiko. Has some manga adaptions. Lost small world has a manga and that’s honestly the most important part of the series you just need the context of the main series first.

Modao Zushi - I’ve fulfilled my obligation to han. Has a manga adaption.

Otome Game no Hametsu Flag shika Nai Akuyaku Reijou ni Tensei shiteshimatta… - So fun. Has a manga adaption.

Promare - It’s nonsense but so fun to look at.

manga only - Either manga only, I have not seen the adaptation, or I just think the manga is much better.

BURN THE WITCH - While I love the anime, you need the prequel manga to make it make sense and since reading is easier for you might as well just go with that.

Karin - I really like the anime and the anime original ending but this is how I first consumed it so this is the way I will rec.

Akame ga Kill! - I liked the anime. The manga is better.

Owari no Seraph - I know you’ve watched the anime but the manga is so much better. I need someone to scream with me.

Terra Formars - On indefinite hiatus. I really enjoy this but it will slaughter all your favs. My favs are all still alive though so we good.

Choujin X - I see this on your planning. It’s 3 chapters in but v good so far.

Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne - My favorite magical girl and one of the few without an awful age gap between the mc and the love interest. It’s a lot of fun and I’m loving the anime so far but the angel backstories here make it worth the read rather than being interchangable.

Robot x Laserbeam - THIS DESERVES AN ANIME. Golf manga by the creator of knb.

Tokyo Ghoul - At this point you need to just because everyone has. It is fantastic though.

Dr. STONE reboot: Byakuya - I don’t know if you know this exists.

Sonyeowang - It’s been a while so I don’t remember it super well but it made me laugh a lot and I thought the art was pretty.

Beelzebub - I haven’t finished it and it’s been ages but I remember loving this. It has an anime but I just haven’t gotten around to seeing it.

#nikki recs #anto

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zahneundklauen-retired · 4 years

Text

Booze and Blood and Bonding|| Harsh and Alcher

TIMING: Current PARTIES: @notsoharsh and @zahneundklauen SUMMARY: Two strangers meet at a bar and find they have similar dietary habits. CONTENT: Blood, Alcohol, Death

Of all the things Alcher had seen herself doing, going to a bar to meet up with someone she’d never met before wasn’t one of them. But, in a town so strange, she was finding that meeting new people was a benefit. There weren’t many so far that hadn’t intrigued her-- even the Langley she’d met in the forest was intriguing. What was he doing here? What coincidence in life had brought them together in this place? She was excited to find out. As she was also excited to meet Harsh from the internet. Perhaps he would be intriguing, too. Perhaps he would even be non-human-- and while she hoped that maybe he was even a wolf, she knew not to get her hopes up too high. Still, it was worth it to wonder, was it not? The bar was different from what she expected of something named The Stacked Deck. Rowdy noises could be heard from inside, but she certainly didn’t mind that. And once she was inside, she found that her rather tattered clothing actually fit in well here. A cursory glance told her that she was early, and she sauntered up to the bar, away from the gambling tables-- a foolish activity, in her opinion-- and took a seat. Her senses tingled but not in the familiar way of another wolf’s scent in her nose-- instead, it smelled of death. Her eyes watched the man who entered, tracing the smell back to him. And watched as he made his way over to her. She smiled. “Harsh, I assume?” she said, turning to greet him. “Thanks for offering to meet up with me. It’s hard finding new places in a town like this.”

It wasn’t the first time Harsh had agreed to meet up with basically a total stranger. Maybe he should rethink that a little. Oh well. Alcher seemed interesting at least, and he really needed more friends who weren’t cops, or… cop adjacent. Maybe she wouldn’t even be human. It was kind of weird how often that happened. White Crest was definitely way more than it appeared. The Stacked Deck was the same as ever. Harsh nodded at the familiar faces behind the bar. He came often enough that they knew his order and his tells. It had been a while since he had lost any serious money, but his fingers were starting to get that itch. Another time. Later. There was a new person to welcome to town. That was what decent people were supposed to do, right? He didn’t need to be decent, not really, but twenty years of trying had made it something of a habit. There was an interesting smell in the air, something… just a little left of human. Huh. he made his way toward it, lips curling into an easy smile as the stranger said his name. “And you’re Ada, right? Cool to meet you,” he said, offering his hand. “I know what you mean, I’ve been here for months and I still have trouble finding my way around sometimes. Let me buy you a drink, what’s your poison?”

Alcher took the man’s hand and immediately noticed the chill to his skin. Definitely undead. But what type? Either way, she was almost excited by the idea. Though she would have preferred another wolf, anyone who was part of the supernatural world was better than a human. Even if undead were previously human, they were no longer. And they tasted awful. So might as well make other use out of them. Like acquaintances. She smiled, gentle and calm. “This place does seem to get one all turned around, doesn’t it?” She sat back down, in the spot next to him, and rest her hands in her lap. “How gentlemanly of you,” she grinned, lifting one arm to lean against the bartop and rest her chin on. “Gin and tonic usually hits the spot, thank you.” She watched him closely for a moment longer before adjusting herself. “So what’s your favorite thing to do in town, then? Besides come here.”

“You got it.” Harsh waved over the bartender, two gin and tonics. Alcohol mostly tasted the same unless it was something particularly vile, so he never cared much what he ended up drinking. The drinks were slid their way quick enough. Things moved fast at the Stacked Deck, that was half of what Harsh liked about the place. “Well, that depends. I go out a lot, uh… mostly to come here,” he said, with a sheepish little laugh. “But this place has a lot to see honestly. Sometimes I just wander around and look at all the little shops. I haven’t been here too long, I still get lost every now and then.” Usually, when he went out, his walks took him to a few less than savory spots of town. But he was willing to risk a guess that Ada might not mind that so much. “I crash a lot of parties, but so do half the people who usually show up to the ones I go to. There’s plenty of fun here if you know where to look for it.”

Alcher was surprised with how quickly their drinks had arrived. She supposed being a regular meant perks like this, though, and she wasn’t about to complain. Harsh was good company already, and easy on the eyes. She raised her glass to him. “Well, here’s to you and being a good citizen,” she said with a smirk before tapping her glass to the bar top and taking a sip. Perhaps it was a little telling of her background, but she was taught that whenever you took a cheers, you had to tap the glass. It was bad luck otherwise. “I’ve taken a particular liking to the hiking trails around these parts. I’ve been warned against the lake, but I found it rather relaxing, actually.” She took another sip, eyeing him. If he was something else, he wasn’t revealing it yet. Still, the smell wafted from him. Undead for sure. “Party crasher, hmm? Interesting hobby. So where, then, would one look for this fun?” she asked, looking at him from over the top of her glass.

“I do what I can.” One brow rose ever so faintly as Ada tapped her glass against the bar. Huh. Interesting. Harsh sipped at his own without any such rituals, maybe it would’ve been more polite to follow suit. “Oh yeah, I’ve heard a lot of weird stuff about the lake. I can’t really say for certain how much of it is true, but it’s a little creepy after dark. So you hike a lot? You picked a good place then.” He wasn’t much for hiking, but he had heard whispers that it wasn’t too hard to pick off joggers if people knew where to look. Ada was definitely more than she appeared if she actually liked Dark Score Lake. “Well, it depends what you’re looking for. It’s… a little lame, honestly, but people really like throwing ragers in graveyards around here. Those can be fun, but they can get a little out of hand sometimes. Is that the kind of thing you’d be interested in? I could probably find us one if you wanna go get some fresh air.”

Alcher tilted her head curiously, sipping her drink. “The rumors are what interest me most,” she said with a little grin, tongue grazing her teeth before she took another sip. The lake, as far as she’d seen, was just full of mysterious creatures. But if you kept your distance and you knew how to fight, it was no threat. It was a nice inconspicuous place to snag joggers, as well, thanks to its reputation. She listened to his explanation with a curious tilt of her head. “I can’t say that I’ve ever been to a ‘rager’ in a cemetery before,” she answered carefully. He was undead, it made sense that he would be drawn to cemeteries, right? “But I don’t entirely think I’d mind experiencing one for the first time.”

“Rumors, huh? Well, there’s a lot of those around here. Some of them are pretty out there, but… I don’t know, I’m not really an expert or anything. I’ll say I’ve seen a lot of weird things since I moved here thought.” There was plenty Harsh could say, but he held back for the moment. Even if Ada wasn’t quite what she seemed, it was still better to test the water. Hell, even with how long he had been dealing with the supernatural, White Crest managed to surprise him. He grinned, finishing off his drink before moving to rise from his stool. “There’s nothing like it. C’mon, you’ve gotta see it for yourself. We could probably grab a bite on the way there if you’re hungry,” he said, eyes flicking over her again. She hadn’t felt cold, not quite undead, but that didn’t mean she would get judgey if he wanted something more to drink than cheap gin.

Alcher watched the undead man closely for a moment. He seemed relatively relaxed in her presence, but she could sense his initial wariness. Perhaps he was holding back because he did not know her that well. It made sense, it was why she was so wary of others after all. When they stood again, she finished off her drink and held out her arm to him. “I could do with a small bite to eat,” she offered. It would be up to her to make the first move, she understood that, but she didn’t mind playing the mystery a little longer, “although I must warn you, I have a rather...exclusive diet,” she explained as they made their way out. The cool air felt fresh on her face and she could smell a pair of humans somewhere down the alley. She ushered him that way. “What about you?” she asked, “what is it that you enjoy eating?”

Harsh linked their arms as he led Ada out of the bar. Exclusive diet, huh? That could mean a lot of things. But he had never been particularly good at staying cautious for long. It was so boring playing it safe. At least in the open air, there weren’t too many people to overhear. “I don’t know, I’m not that picky, but… I do like my food a little bloody,” he said, still grinning. “Especially when it’s fresh. What about you? Do you like things on the rare side?” It was a guess, a whole mess of implications hidden in his tone, though not particularly well. Either Ada was or she wasn’t. This whole ‘keeping up appearances’ thing was always such a pain. But then he heard it, two beating hearts just a bit further down the alley. “Looks like there’s plenty fresh meat around here.”

Alcher was enjoying Harsh’s company the more time went by. “Bloody and rare is the only way I take it,” she grinned. Usually, she was more cautious, but her nose never lied. Most undead were just as eager as her to spill a human’s blood, and so far, he seemed no different. And if he was, if this was a rouse, she could easily tear him apart. They might be hard to kill, but undead were still killable. Especially if you had teeth and claws to combat them with. Still, she’d rather not take that route. The couple down the alleyway was lost in their own drunken bliss. Alcher tilted her head at them, then looked at Harsh. “It sure does,” she agreed, before unraveling her arm from his and heading down the alleyway. “I want her,” she said loudly enough to inform the couple they were no longer alone. “She smells the best.”

“I think you and I are gonna get along just fine.” There it was. In an instant, the tension slipped out of Harsh’s shoulders. He cast a glance behind them. Not a soul in sight, even the nearest footsteps he could hear were drifting further and further away. With the noise drifting from the bar, no one would overhear a few little cries for help. The couple stumbled to a halt at the sound of Ada’s voice. The guy’s steps were uneven, stumbling as he waved a warning finger their way. Oh, this was going to be too easy. “Fair enough,” Harsh said, baring his fangs. “I’ll take the tough guy.” His arm slipped from Ada’s as he launched himself forward, reaching the couple in a few quick steps. The man’s eyes went wide, even through the drunken haze, his mouth flying open. Harsh silenced him with a swift jab to the throat, words cut off in a rasping cough. That was better. There was no breath for the guy to scream with even as Harsh sank his teeth into his neck.

Alcher let her bones shift and move, muscles tightening as they expanded. Ripping apart as she left her human shell and clothes behind. Only teeth and claws and the woman had but a second to scream before teeth sank into her neck, claws in her chest. They fell to the ground with a loud thump and Alcher lapped up the fresh blood pooling from her neck as the poor woman choked and sputtered on her own blood. She relished in the taste, in the smell, in the person beside her enjoying the meal just as much as she did. When she finished, she took a moment to relish in the feel of the blood on her lips, in her throat-- and being in her natural state. She gazed at him evenly, watching him close. Wondering what he would do first before she changed back.

Fresh blood, there was nothing like it. Harsh let it wash over his tongue and down his throat. He had been sticking to blood bags too often lately. The man struggled for only a few moments before going limp. What a loser, couldn’t even put up a decent fight. His blood had the bitter tang of alcohol, a bit of it creeping into Harsh’s system. Always hit better that way. Pulling away for a moment, he wiped his mouth on the back of his hand as he turned to see how Ada was handling her own snack. Oh. Huh. He cocked his head to the side, appraising. “So you’re a wolf, huh? I should’ve figured, I thought you smelled a little different,” he said, with an easy smile. “If you want more, you can have the last of this guy, I already ate earlier.”

His ease and confidence of seeing her helped Alcher enjoy the moment. Without a word, she strutted over to his remains and tore into the man’s throat with her own pair of long, pointed canines, extended longer than a normal wolves. It was just a part of her species, to feed on blood like this, as well as her smaller stature. Her father had told them that their species were known for being the more timid of the wolves, but Krieg’s had been raised to be vicious and rough. They would bow to no one, even with their timid blood. When she finished, making sure the scene had that special ‘animal attack’ set up to it, she stretched and began the shift back. Picked up her abandoned clothes-- and her prosthetic leg, clicking it back on-- and turned to look back at Harsh. Blood still stained her face, as it did his, and came back over to him. “Ready to party now?” she asked, tilting her head.

Leaning back against one of the alley walls, Harsh straightened out his shirt, glancing over himself. No blood. Good, the stains were always such a pain in the ass to get out. There were no wandering eyes peering down the alley, no one looking to inspect the little yelp. Perfect. He watched with vague interest as Ada set about mauling the bodies, nodding his approval as she shifted back. “Nice. I know a guy who can call this in, say he saw some animal just going nuts in here. We probably wanna get a little distance first.” Laughing a little, he grinned. “Oh, I like you already. What else did you have in mind? Still hungry? I did promise you that rager, I bet there’s something big going down at Eluria, there always is.”

As she slid her jacket back on, the last piece of clothing she’d abandoned, Alcher came to a stop just in front of him. Though he wasn’t a wolf, she was elated by the fact that she’d finally found someone who shared in her sentiment. She knew she’d eventually find someone like that here, but it sure had taken a while. She reached out gently and adjusted his collar. “Wild animal attacks are common around here,” she replied, before glancing over her shoulder back at the dead bodies. “I quenched my appetite for now, but you did promise me a fun time. I’m eager to see what that means to you now, especially after that.”

“I’ve got a couple ideas.” Harsh pushed himself off the wall, offering his arm. “What’s more your speed, drunk college kids or idiots who read too much Twilight?” There was something freeing, getting to be himself, the rough, bloody, soulless warts and all. Even with other vampires, it was a weird line to toe. Some people were so uptight about things, trying to stay above board, acting like they were so much better for only drinking animal blood. He didn’t even have to look much to let his feet lead them toward one of the many cemeteries in town. “Or if you wanna go a little further out of the way, we could probably find some weirdos sacrificing someone in the woods.”

Alcher took Harsh’s arm up again, taking the time to wipe the blood from her face and lick her fingers clean. When she looked back over at him, she pretended to contemplate. “You know, I’m still pretty new in town, so why don’t you show me which one you enjoy the most?” she said, letting the cool air flow around her as they headed out of the downtown area and, presumably, towards a cemetery. She could smell the woods in the distance, the air still tinged with the smell of the blood from the alleyway. “I will say, though, that I do enjoy showing people what real monsters look like. Humans are pretty insufferable that way, aren’t they?”

“Y’know, the night is young, I think we might have time for all three.” There were lone footsteps this way and that, and as they drew closer to Hambry Park, Harsh could hear the rhythmic thump of shitty dubstep. So many options. And it had been way too long since he had last gotten to explore with a friend. “Humans can be so small minded. Honestly, they’re usually pretty boring, but… it can be kinda fun reminding them that there’s somethings that still go bump in the night.”

#chatzy #chatzy: harsh #booze and blood and bonding #harsh #wickedswriting

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fics-of-my-mind · 4 years

Text

Trust - Chapter II.

'What's so funny?' he asked seemingly gruffly.

'You,' I replied. 'You always have to be number one, don't you?'

'There's nothing wrong in wanting to be the best,' he shrugged, but I heard something in his voice that made me think. He really wanted to be the best, and while there was nothing wrong with some brotherly rivalry, I was sure that Nick just needed to always win. It's like it was coded into his cells.

'You know,' I started biting my lips, not perfectly sure if I wanted to say this out loud. 'I did read on tumblr that you're a dominant little fuck, but well... I never expected it to show this much.'

Warnings: mature content, BDSM content Pairing: Nick Jonas / Other Female Character This fanfiction can also be found on Wattpad by fnntth

I don’t own Nick Jonas or any other recognizable characters. This fanfiction is completely fictional, its only purpose is entertainment.

Chapter II. - Well, you probably know more than you ever wanted to

The whole night was surreal. From the moment of buying Nick Jonas a 24-hour Hola BCN card, to the minutes we spent on night buses with drunks or people that were having flashmobs all around us, to 5 in the morning, when we ended up sitting on the wood of the dock, just listening to the voice of the sea and enjoying the first beams of the sun.

Half of the people we met were drunk, the other half were just laid-back Spanish guys, who didn't care about who Nick was, so we weren't disturbed once. In the five or six hours we spent together, we managed to see every mainstream attraction in Barcelona, like the Sagrada Familia, the Houses of Gaudi, the Cathedral with the gothic quarter (which by the way was not so promising at night, but Nick's presence made me extremely calm), Las Ramblas and we even managed to take a short walk on the beach in Barceloneta.

'I mean, I'm not saying there is nothing else to see, but I think we did really good,' I glanced up at him, while taking a bite from my McDonald's cheeseburger. I got us the metro tickets, which meant that Nick got us food. And what would be better than some McDonald's?

'What did we not see?' he raised his eyebrow, taking a sip of his soda.

'Well, for starters, nothing from the inside,' I chuckled. My anxiety was long gone, I somehow managed to comprehend the fact that I was, in fact, sightseeing with Nick Jonas. It all seemed strangely natural and normal. 'We didn't see Parc Güell, the market, and the gothic quarter is much nicer in the daylight. We didn't see the museums, or the Camp Nou stadium.'

'That's the home of the soccer team, right?' he asked, then stuffed his face with some fries. I couldn't help myself but grin. Seeing him eat McDonald's out of a paper bag was just so... Mundane.

'Home of the football team, yes,' I corrected him. 'You're in Europe, Jonas, might as well use the phrases we use,' I teased and he rolled his eyes.

He looked at me for a long moment. I can just imagine, how attractive I looked with my cheeseburger. My hair must've been a mess and also, my makeup, due to running around all night. I'm sure that there were dark circles under my eyes. I should've been tired, but this whole intercourse with Nick made me extremely energized.

'You know, it's amazing... You speak English, which is not you first language so perfectly, that you get to lecture me, an American on grammar and words. You're just brilliant,' he said, and I could feel myself blush.

'Yeah, thanks, well, my intelligence is one of my best traits,' I tried to seem confident.

He chuckled, then returned his cheeseburger. I looked around the empty dock, nobody was up at this hour. I could see the boating people starting to work in the distance, but around us everything was calm. It did seem quite idyllic, we only heard the seagulls and the water crashing on the shore.

'Did you check your sugar?' I asked suddenly, my fangirl-self making me remember that the man next to me had a condition that he needed to be cautious with. Nick smiled at me, with yet another strange expression on his face and nodded.

'I did in the bathroom of the McDonald's."

'Not the best place, I guess,' I shrugged. Honestly, I had no idea about diabetes. All my knowledge came from fanfictions about Nick, so I wasn't sure what exactly he needed to do in order to prevent highs or lows. 'What?' I asked after about half a minute, when he was still looking at me.

'It's just crazy, how much you know about me,' he shrugged.

'Oh, believe me, I've been holding back,' I chuckled. 'If you knew about my very-very extensive Jonas knowledge, you'd think I'm some creep.'

'How extensive is it exactly?' he asked with a smile, taking the last bite of his burger.

'It's a lot,' I shrugged. 'But it's not like I know you. I just know some things about you.'

'Things like...?' he asked, teasingly, but I could hear the curiosity in his voice.

I sighed, ready to embarrass myself with all the useless information I knew about him. Normally there's no way I would've told him, yet something in his eyes made me want to be completely honest with him. I found this effect of his quite awful and confusing.

'Well, I know your and your brothers' middle names. I know who you've dated. I watched the amazon documentary, so I know what happened between you and the others. I know you're diabetic, that you've had an overt the top wedding, that you're extremely talented and that you aren't embarrassed when there's spinach in your teeth in a Grammy's performance.' He chuckled at my words. 'I also know pretty useful facts like you like cheese but only on pizza and homemade quesadilla and you like when the moon looks like a toenail,' I laughed, and he joined in. Just like that, the whole song was in my head.

'I just realized,' he started after calming his breath. 'I don't even know your name.'

'We just went six hours running around the city and you don't even know my name?' I raised my eyebrows, replaying our whole night. Indeed, my name never really came up.

'Well, I've been calling you beautiful in my head.'

'Nice save, Jonas.' I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks again. 'My name is Kamilla.'

'Kamilla,' he repeated, as if he was tasting my name on his pink lips. 'That's way too long. What do your friends call you?'

'Mostly Kami. My boss calls me Kamille, but she's from the Czech Republic, so...'

'I'm going to call you Milla,' he announced, and even though I usually hated when someone made up nicknames for me, it somehow felt perfect coming from him. I had no idea why.

I hummed, not really finding words. This whole experience just got even more surreal. Up until now, while I didn't have a name in this little trip, it was just a fantasy, two people running around. Now, as I told him my name, it somehow got real.

I still wasn't perfectly sure that this was actually happening. I wanted to ask him for a picture, something that'd help me decide after a long long sleep it this was real, but I didn't want to make him feel like I was just another fan, who wanted something from him.

'So what should I know about you, Milla?' he asked, and I swallowed when he pronounced my name again.

'There's really not much,' I shrugged.

'C'mon, if you know so many useless facts about be, at least give me something to work with,' Nick asked, and I shook my head with a small smile on my face.

'I'm an economist, getting my Master's degree soon. I work for a multinational company in the beauty industry. I have a sister, who is eleven years younger than me, so we aren't that close. I live in Budapest, like to travel and watch series.'

'And you love fangirling,' he noted smugly.

'And I love fangirling,' I chuckled.

'What is your favorite flower? Favorite food? Favorite alcohol? Disney movie?' he asked.

'Peonies, sushi, gin-tonic and is it really relevant?' I asked.

'So I guess it's not JONAS,' he guessed.

'I actually loved JONAS. I know that you hated making the second season, but I loved that one. It was so much more mature than the first.'

'You aren't answering to the question.'

'Hm, I'm so sorry, but I've got to stick with High School Musical.'

'I'm really hurt that it's not even Camp Rock,' he said, bringing his hand to his heart.

'Well sorry, Zac Efron stole my heart long before your brother did,' I replied with a grin.

'My brother?' he raised his eyebrows. 'What about me?!'

"C'mon Nicholas, you know that Joe was the star of those movies. Sure, your curls were quite cute back then, but Joe was the older guy, the one the girls wanted to... do things to,' I finished, biting my lip. It was so funny, Nick actually seemed offended by my words, or at least he was a great actor.

'Do things to? Really? You were like eleven when Camp Rock came out," he remarked sarcastically.

'Twelve and I was an early riser,' I teased. In reality I'm sure my twelve-year-old self didn't want anything else, but hold Joe's hand, maybe kiss him, but Nick didn't have to know that. I quite liked the reaction my words were getting out of him. Looking at his expression, I couldn't help but laugh.

'What's so funny?' he asked seemingly gruffly.

'You,' I replied. 'You always have to be number one, don't you?'

I bit my lip again, knowing that I was entering unknown territory. Honestly, I had no idea why I said it. It just seemed so natural to tell him what was going on my mind. I think I even forgot to breath for a while, as I was waiting for his reaction.

Nick looked at me and I could see him gulping. He seemed surprised but also intrigued, a smirk playing on his face. He looked into my eyes deeply for long, long seconds. I was a little bit worried that he was going to find my remark insulting, or he was going to say that it was none of my business, but the worry was surprisingly slight. I could feel a lot more curiosity about his reaction. I could see his eyes move to my lip for a second, that still was between my teeth, then back to my eyes.

If he said not to bite my lips, I would've laughed at him I think. That's what Mr. Grey always said to Ana in Fifty Shades of Grey, and it would've been ridiculous to hear it from Nick. Yet, for some reason only his short glance was enough for me to release my bottom lip, and just look up at him expectantly.

'There's nothing wrong in wanting to be in control either, is there?' he asked eventually in a low voice.

'Nothing, I guess, as long as you find people who are willing to give you control," I replied. Our gaze stayed connected for long minutes, and I felt like there was something that we didn't need to say out loud, but we both knew. 'It's almost 5:30,' I announced, looking at my phone's screen. I sent a text around one to the girls, saying that I wasn't going to be back to the hotel for a while. Only got back incoherent words, so I guess they've also had a great night. The strange moment between us was gone.

'We should get you back to your hotel,' he nodded. 'And I should be back to mine, if I don't want to miss the next show.'

'When do you leave here?' I asked, collecting the trash from our dinner/breakfast. Nick looked at his phone, checking his calendar.

'At eight,' he groaned. 'I'll have to sleep on the road. If Priyanka lets me,' he only muttered the last part of the sentence.

'Wait, Priyanka is here? In Barcelona?' I asked, stopping in my tracks. She's called him a couple of times during our night, but I thought she was back in the US, making sure that her husband was doing okay.

'Yeah,' he nodded, biting his lips. He didn't seem nervous though, rather regretful.

'And you've spent your night with me, a complete stranger, running around the city rather than being with her?' I asked, making sure that there was no emotion in my tone. I didn't get it. Seriously. I had no idea why he would do this. He nodded. 'Why?'

He looked at me for a long moment, which I spent with taking the trash to the nearby trash can. I didn't know how to feel about this. The fangirl in me wanted to find out what happened, but the adult in me wanted to respect his privacy. It was none of my business after all.

'I just needed to take a breath.'

'Yes, that explains why you smoked a cigar outside,' I nodded. 'It doesn't really explain why you've ignored your wife all night.' I tried to be as careful as I could, not wanting to seem like I believed I had any right to judge his actions. We barely even knew each other after all.

'I mean I needed a breath away from all of it,' he explained, but failed to meet my eyes. 'Needed to stop being me for a minute.'

'What do you mean?' I raised my eyebrows.

'I'm always Nick Jonas. People always want something from me. And I'm fine with it most of the times, but now, we're so close to the end of tour and its starting to be too much. I was supposed to take Priyanka for a late dinner, we would've gotten papped, and mugged. Instead tonight I was just Nick with you. We managed to explore a whole city for the first time ever, without anyone giving a fuck about who I was. I missed this. Needed this.'

'But you are Nick Jonas,' I replied softly. 'Is a night of escape worth all the drama that's going to follow today? All the explaining you'll have to do?'

'Yes,' he said instantly, lifting his glance to meet mine. 'This night was worth everything. I finally feel like a normal person again.'

'Glad I could help,' I smiled at him, as we started walking towards my hotel. It wasn't far away, about 20 minutes on foot. The city around us started to wake, more and more people were on the street, but luckily none of them disturbed us.

I felt a bit sad. This night felt like something out of a movie. It was great, truly, even though I didn't have as much stress in my life as Nick, I felt much calmer now. Maybe it was his company, or just the tiredness of being awake for almost 24 hours now. And now, the night was coming to an end.

'Thank you,' I smiled at him when we arrived to my hotel.

'For what?' he asked, raising his eyebrows.

'This night I guess. I also needed this,' I shrugged, smiling up at him. He was much taller than me. 'For walking me home. And for the breakfast.'

'Well, thank you for being my tour guide,' he smiled back, taking his cell phone from his pocket and handing it to me. 'Hey, give me your number.'

'Why?' I asked, furrowing my brows.

'Maybe we can be each other's air, don't you think?' he asked, as I took his phone from his hand. 'When you need to vent, you can write me, when I need to vent I can write you.'

'You know, that's kind of genius,' I chuckled. 'It's not like we will ever meet again to feel embarrassed about the things we tell each other.'

'Oh, I do think we will meet again,' he smirked, and for some reason I believed him.

#nick jonas #nick jonas imagine #nick jonas fanfiction #nick jonas fic #jonas brothers #jonas brothers fanfiction #jonas brothers imagine #fanfiction #nick x reader #nick jonas x reader

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iohourtime · 4 years

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Hey!Say!JUMP 2019 in Taipei - Reports from various newspapers

Notes:

I was going to do this back in October when it was more timely but I was going nuts trying to organize all the articles in some semblance of order. Why now then? The concert DVD’s will be released on August 5! A digest version of the Taipei concert will be included in LE 1. According to the fans, they only cut 3 songs (and probably a lot if not all of the MC).

This article was translated mainly from the Apple Daily article, but I filled in the details from other articles, con reports, and news clips.

Johnny's group Hey!Say!JUMP held their first concert in Taiwan in 7 years. The 9 members of Hey!Say!JUMP are Yabu Kota, Takaki Yuya, Inoo Kei, Yaotome Hikaru, Arioka Daiki, Okamoto Keito (studying abroad), Yamada Ryosuke, Nakajima Yuto, and Chinen Yuri. For two days, they took over the Taipei Arena and were greeted with great enthusiasm: the 22,000 tickets sold out immediately, with the 2 performances grossing 58M TWD in ticket sales.

The concert was not just attended by local Taiwanese fans, the Japanese fans also formed their own tour groups to go to the concert, and you could find fans from many countries like China, Thailand, etc… Wu Chun, who co-starred with Yamada Ryosuke and Arioka Daiki, sent flowers to congratulate them on opening night. They also arranged a lot of "Taiwan limited events" for the local fans, such as opening a pop up shop, releasing 2 songs on streaming services, as well as a collaboration with Line Poko Poko.

2 minute digest video here.

Opening Introduction

As the LED sign of Hey!Say!JUMP's name rose to the top, the 8 members appeared on stage donned in sparkling suits in their own members' colour. The 11,000 fans switched on their penlights to their biases’ colour and turned the arena into a spectacle of lights.

Yamada shouted "Are you ready!!!!" Takaki* (or Arioka & Chinen) said in Mandarin, "Are you having fun? OK, we are having fun too. Taiwan! Welcome to our concert!" The other members didn't want to lose to each other and they all chimed in with their newly learned Chinese phrases like "you guys are super cute", "sing along with us" , "please sit" or “let me hear you scream”. They started with a performance of “Arigatou~ Sekai no doko ni itemo”, a song that included lyrics in many languages, such as “Thank you” in Manadarin.

* The Taiwanese media could not tell some of the members apart, so certain quotes were attributed to multiple members. I used 1 and put the other possibilities in brackets. I suppose we will find out when we watch the DVD.

When it was time to introduce themselves, they did not forget to flirt with and charm their fans in Mandarin. Yabu Kota started by saying “We’ve learned a bit* of Chinese. Please bear with us as we are not very good. How are you, I am Yabu Kota. We’ve let you wait for too long. Friends in the back, I can see you clearly!”

* Another article said we’ve spent a year learning Chinese. That’s what I heard from the news clips too, but either is possible because of his pronunciation. 😅 我們學了一點 (yī diǎn)中文 vs. 我們學了一年 (yī nián) 中文.

Hikaru Yaotome continued, “I remember the last time we came here. Let us melt your hearts.”

Takaki Yuya also shouted, “I really really missed you guys.”

Inoo Kei, who wasted no time telling the fans they were cute made a “shocking” declaration. “You are all our girlfriends. Can my girlfriends on the left hear me? How about my girlfriends on the right? ” Then he put his arms around Chinen Yuri and said, “But my real girlfriend is…” and trailed off, leaving the fans to draw their own conclusions.

Chinen Yuri was worried that the fans did not recognize him, so he kept asking “Do you know me? Do you know me? Really?” When he heard the affirmative responses, he said, “I like you very much! Thank you.”

Meanwhile Yamada Ryosuke tried a different strategy and used Taiwanese to tell everyone in the audience that they were cute*. However, his pronunciation was quite off so nobody understood what he said and the response was very tentative. He panicked and kept repeating the phrase*, when Chinen finally asked him to clarify. Yamada said “You’re cute” in Japanese and that was met with kyaa’s. Nevertheless, his failed attempt brought a lot of joy to the audience.

* Cute in Taiwanese is 古錐 (Actual pronunciation). 😅

Finally, Nakajima Yuto used both Mandarin and English to address the audience. “It’s been a long time. We are so happy to see you again. We’ve been waiting to see you again for 7 years since we came here last time. For 7 years. Our dream to come back here has finally come true. We are so glad.” (Source: a clip from a Taiwan TV entertainment show.)

You can watch some of the exchanges here.

There were many familiar songs on the set list but with a Taiwanese twist. For example, in Kimi Attraction, the members mugged the camera and acted cool as usual. At the end, Chinen said “As expected, Taiwan is No. 1.” Inoo added in Mandarin, “So cute!”

They also brought back the "flying circle" from the stage show “SUMMARY”, which was something they had not performed for years. Dressed in white, they quickly hooked each other up to the harnesses and held each others’ hands as they flew, their capes flowing gracefully as they twirled to the music while they sang “Born in the EARTH”, the audience went wild. The rest of the concert was filled with effects like confetti, smoke, dry ice, and gin tape. It was a spectacle.

Just before the end of the first half, the 8 members were chatting with fans and each other on stage. When they found out a lot of them attended their concert at Nangang 101* 7 years ago, they immediately said “Thank you” in Chinese. They then asked each other (in Mandarin), “Do you have a smartphone?” Nakajima also asked the audience, “What kind of group is Hey!Say!JUMP?”

* Nangang 101 was a small concert hall that has since been demolished. From what I heard, it was actually a pretty bad location. Supposedly, Taipei Arena is a much nicer space.

At this time, it looked like Yamada was going to introduce each member, but all he did was point at each one and said “他很帥! (He is handsome)”. When it was Arioka’s turn, Yamada pointed at him and said, “他是笨蛋! (He is an idiot)”. Arioka, who didn’t know the Mandarin for “idiot”, immediately asked, “Hey, the word you used to describe me is different from the others!” The audience roared.

After Yamada introduced everybody, Chinen introduced Yamada* with “他是...我的錢包. (He is my... wallet.)” Yamada clarified, “不是,我是...銀行! (No, I am... the bank!)”

*This is not in any of the news articles, but the Taiwanese fans won’t shut up about it, so I’ll add it here. Either the whole thing was in Mandarin or it’s a mix of Japanese and Mandarin. I have no clue but at least “wallet” and “bank” were in Manadrin.

Meanwhile, out of nowhere, Chinen showed off the line he learned and said, “I will not make the same mistake next time”*. The members were completely baffled by that.

* When Yabu, Yuto, and Chi went to Taipei for the press conference, they appeared on a number of TW entertainment shows and were taught a bunch of “useful” Mandarin phrases. I think this was one of the lines.

They also remembered to advertise the pop-up shop. Since the members arrived a day earlier in Taipei, they secretly visited the pop up shop to check it out and signed the poster. The members teased Yamada, the spokesperson for Lachesca cleansing product, and said “The shop is filled with Yamada.” At this time, Yamada brought out all the products and promoted them to the audience. Nakajima added, “If you use this, you will have the same soft skin as Yamada!” Yabu said, “I heard a lot of items that were sold out will be restocked tomorrow. Please go check them out.”

They also promoted the Line Poko Poko game they were repping. Takaki jokingly said, “Yesterday, I went to the sauna. Just when I was very relaxed, I suddenly saw our ad on TV. It was a bit embarrassing.” They also revealed that the stickers were designed by Yaotome Hikaru and even used Mandarin to say “Go download it.” Indeed, they were good spokespersons.

Second Half

After a short intermission, the second half of the concert began. The members changed into purple Japanese outfits for the “Wa” corner, with Nakajima on taiko and Yaotome playing shamisen. The “Wa” corner was reminiscent of senpai Domoto Koichi’s musical, “SHOCK”. Each member performed a series of fan dance and ribbon dance, set to a rearranged version of “Over” and “Give Me Love”, etc. The background also changed throughout the set into various Japanese motifs. During “Give Me Love”, Yamada and Chinen grabbed the white ribbons and started flying on stage with no safety harnesses. The audience was shocked and awed.

As the main part of the concert came to an end, the audience was treated to a highlight video of HSJ’s last Taipei concert 7 years ago, giving them a chance to reminisce. They changed into sparkly gold outfits and sang a 12-song medley of their hit singles, including their debut song “Ultra Music Power”, “Mayonaka no Shadow Boy”, “Mae wo muke”, etc., while… you guessed it… flying through the air again! They finished with “White Love”, their single from the previous year, but to the audience’s surprise, they sang the last half of the song in Taiwanese (correctly pronounced apparently)! The audience completely lost it with excitement at this point.

「White Love」（台語版）：

若有一天會實現

咱兩人永遠做伙的彼個夢

妳就是唯一願望

妳是我的從今以後的未來

最後一擺的戀愛

我的愛乎妳一個

獻予妳全心全意的一個人

我的心愛妳到底

我愛妳　遮愛妳

全世界只有妳一人

我愛妳遮愛你

妳是我永遠註定的命運

上愛的故事

“White Love” (Taiwanese version)

If it comes true one day,

That dream where we are together forever,

Then I only wish for you,

You are my future from now on.

My last love story,

I give my love only to you,

To you, who love me wholeheartedly.

In my heart, I will love you till the end.

I love you, I love you very much,

There’s only you in the whole world.

I love you, I love you very much,

You are my destiny,

The best love story.

You can watch the video here

Encore

After the thunderous shouts of encore from the audience, the members appeared on stage again and sang “Fanfare!”” and “You & I”. They promised their Taiwanese fans to “not let them wait this long for the next time”. However, since this was the last night, the 11K fans shouted for a second encore and the members appeared on stage again. Chinen said with a smile, “We see each other again so soon!” Yabu used Mandarin to ask the fans, “What do you want to hear? What do you want us to sing?” They then performed “Ultra Music Power again, and rang around the stage. Nakajima Yuto said in pretty fluent English, “Thank you everyone for coming. We are so happy. We will not forget tonight when you are here with us in Taiwan together!” Chinen also said in Mandarin that “We will come again!”. The members wistfully said goodbye to their fans.

Fan stories and fan service

Hey!Say!JUMP’s concert was like a grand entertainment show. In addition to the members’ hard work, the fans also brought a lot of enthusiasm. In Johnny’s tradition, fans communicate to their idols through homemade uchiwa, which was a sight to behold for [those unfamiliar with Johnny’s concerts]. Fan messages included “Wink at me”, “Blow me a kiss”, “Point at me” etc., and the fans could quickly switch to different uchiwas depending on the member who appeared in their sights.

A 30 year old OL fan, Sen, brought a Yamada Ryosuke and Nakajima Yuto uchiwa as well as 2 message ones that said “Give me a kiss” and “Did you drink bubble tea?” She said the handmade ones were actually borrowed from a fan, who successfully got a kiss from Yaotome Hikaru the day before, so she hoped the luck would rub off on her.

Apple Daily’s reporter even saw a Japanese fan who brought 8 uchiwa, and she even joined forces with her seat mates, all holding up that members’ uchiwa together to catch the attention of their idols who appeared in front of them. During the encore, Nakajima Yuto immediately started running around the stage to look for fans. When he found a fan from Singapore and he asked this fan directly, “Did you fly here from Singapore?” He also compiled with all the fan service: blowing kisses, giving them thumbs up, heart signs, the fans were super excited. [I guess you can say his service is excellent.]

Sources (in addition to news clips and twitter / weibo):

Apple Daily

https://tw.appledaily.com/new/realtime/20191006/1644575/

China Daily

https://www.chinatimes.com/amp/realtimenews/20191006002555-260404

Liberty Time News

https://ent.ltn.com.tw/news/breakingnews/2938402

https://stars.udn.com/star/story/10092/4089578

Now News

https://www.nownews.com/news/20191006/3674832/

https://www.nownews.com/news/20191006/3674976/ (White Love lyrics)

Star UDN

https://stars.udn.com/star/story/10092/4089727?from=udnamp-referralnews_ch1022artbottom

#hey say jump #taipei concert 2019 #translations #yamada ryosuke #chinen yuri #nakajima yuto #arioka daiki #inoo kei #takaki yuya #yaotome hikaru #yabu kota #hey!say!jump #Hey!Say!JUMP 2019 in Taipei

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writing-radionoises · 4 years

Text

death xiii

ship: none, mostly akutagawa & dazai with a little gin & akutagawa

genre: canon rewrite

prompt: the first time dazai met akutagawa

notes: tw for illness and death. title is a reference to tarot cards uwu

There's a burning feeling in his chest.

Coughing, coughing, and more coughing.

There's a gentle, rhythmic pat on his back.

His younger sister, who had saved him barely a few moments ago.

Akutagawa continues to cough into his shaking hands, Gin keeps encouraging him to breathe despite the smoke in the air.

Their temporary home is gone. Everyone they knew is dead, the bodies of homeless children pile up in the streets.

Akutagawa would have been among them, had it not been for his sister's quick wits.

Though, now that it's all over, he's half wishing he had been among them.

To die from an explosion would be a much quicker and less painful death than to die from pneumonia.

Akutagawa withdrew his blood covered hands from his face, beginning to breathe in the air that smelled of smoke and burning bodies.

He wiped the blood on his makeshift clothes, having been restitched together at least twenty times now.

He looked over to Gin, scanning over her to make sure she was safe and well.

She gave a gentle smile at him, and Akutagawa gave a weak smile back.

Truthfully, as long as Gin was safe, Akutagawa could care less what happened to him or anybody else.

Footsteps are heard from behind him, Akutagawa cranes his neck to see the culprit of such a noise.

It was a young man with frizzy brown hair, deep red eyes. He wore a black trench coat over his shoulders, along with a bloodstained white button up and vest. There was another man at the end of the alleyway, though he wasn't approaching the Akutagawa siblings.

Rashomon acted upon instinct, manifesting from Akutagawa's clothes and wrapping protectively around Gin's forearm. She shoved her free hand in her pocket, and Ryunosuke knew well she was planning on drawing her pocket knife have the man get any closer.

The man stopped a few steps away from the siblings and got down on his knees, down on their level.

"Who are you?" Ryuunosuke called out,his voice dry from all the coughing previously.

His legs left like jelly, there'd be no way he could stand up to this guy.

He was at his mercy.

"My name is Osamu Dazai," he explained with a smile, "I'm not here to hurt you, I heard you coughing an awful lot, and wanted to check if you were okay."

Akutagawa froze up, looking down at his lap and then back to Dazai.

The truth of the matter was that he wasn't okay, his lungs were caving in on themselves and wouldn't last another year of this polluted environment, nor another case of pneumonia.

Would it be strange to tell a stranger you've been giving a death sentence due to your illness?

Akutagawa can't remember the last time he interacted with a helpful adult, it had been a few years.

"He's sick," Gin piped up, "The many cases of pneumonia have damaged his lungs a lot."

"Pneumonia, huh?" Dazai said, "What are your names? And how old are you two?"

"I'm Gin, and I'm 12," she said, then gesturing to her brother, "He's Ryuunosuke, he's 16."

A surprised look came to Dazai's face. Akutagawa supposes he doesn't look 16, his body and muscles are underdeveloped from years of sickness and an ability to be active.

His years of homelessness have truly taken a large toll on him.

Quickly, Dazai wipes the surprised look off his face and smiles again, "I'm only two years older than you, young man," he says, holding up two fingers and wiggling them, "It's nice to meet both of you. I assume you're orphaned?"

"Something like that," Akutagawa answered, Rashomon retracting from Gin and curling around it's owner instead.

Dazai watched the ability carefully, curiosity in his eyes.

"You're an ability user?"

Akutagawa nods.

"Ah, me too," Dazai replied, "Though, mine isn't a physical manifestation like yours, it's definitely not as cool."

"Wh… what does yours do?" Akutagawa stuttered, tilting his head. He had never met another ability user, outside of people who tried to hurt him or Gin.

He never really got to talk to anyone about it.

"Oh! It's called No Longer Human, I can disable any ability as long as I'm touching the ability user," he explained, moving in closer to Akutagawa, "Like this."

He pressed his pointer finger against Akutagawa's forehead, humming a noise along the lines of "boop" as Akutagawa watched Rashomon retreat before his eyes, and refuse to come back out. Dazai removed his finger shortly afterwards, another smile plastered on his face.

"See? Clearly not as cool, but a lot of people think it is."

Rashomon manifested around Akutagawa's wrist once again as Akutagawa's brows furrowed. It's a strange, but useful ability.

"Now, I have an offer to make you."

Akutagawa lifted his head back up, looking over to the bandaged man with curiosity in his eyes.

"I work for an organization called the Port Mafia," Osamu explained, "I'm sure you've heard of them, they're a mostly ability user based organization. I'm the boss's right hand man."

Dazai's skin seems to crawl against his will from saying such words. Akutagawa can assume he doesn't like the boss very much.

"But anyways, Ryuunosuke, you have potential, a lot of it. You could join the Port Mafia and work under me, it'll get you guys off the streets and pay a good amount of money," Osamu explained, "You could get your illness cured, and never worry about food, clothes, or shelter ever again."

Akutagawa's brows furrowed again as he looked down at his lap.

The Port Mafia kills people, he's seen them do it before, he's killed Port Mafia members.

Akutagawa doesn't like killing that much, he does it only when he has to, when they're in a life or death situation.

However… getting him and Gin off the streets sounds incredibly appealing. Gin has been on the streets most of her life now, Akutagawa could finally give her the life he always wanted to.

His death sentence could be moved back, and Gin wouldn't have to be alone…

Though also, Gin would be under the care of a murderer.

Is that really okay?

Akutagawa bites his lip.

"Ryuu, think about it," Gin urged, "We could finally get you medicine, and you won't get pneumonia for a sixth time. You could actually live! They want your ability, they say you have potential, you're special!"

"But-"

"No 'but's! Don't think about me for once!" Gin interrupted, "I don't care what I have to do, you'll have to kill me before I let you die on the streets like this!"

A slight laugh escapes Dazai.

"You've got a strong spirit, young lady," he says, "I think your brother has to stop babying you one of these days."

"Exactly!" Gin agrees.

A weak smile appears on Akutagawa's face.

Dazai's probably right, Gin isn't a little girl anymore.

He looks back up from his lap and back at Dazai.

"I'll do it. I'll join the Port Mafia."

#bsd #bsd dazai #bsd akutagawa #bsd gin #bungou stray dogs #bungo stray dogs #bsd osamu #bsd osamu dazai #bsd ryuunosuke #bsd ryuunosuke akutagawa #bsd gin akutagawa

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bloodandpaintchips · 4 years

Text

Bar & Murder Tips

Tagging→ Andrea Sheldon, Johnny Arcos Time Frame→ 11/29/2020 around midnight. Location→ Sangren, Colorado General Notes→ They’ll continue these conversation topics after the hangover.

For a moment, Andrea was distracted with all the bottles lining Johnny’s counter, and their colors. He’d told her things here and there, tips on working behind the bar at TARTARUS but this was the first time he was showing her anything. She’d mentioned the need for a small purpose again, needing somewhere to be and a schedule before she lost her mind or herself again. She didn’t know what to expect, her palette for alcohol being very limited considering she didn’t start drinking beer until her mid-twenties and liquor, until after she “died.” She could be terrible at this, or she could be mildly competent; she had no way of knowing. “So...the sheer possibility of combinations here is kind of intimidating.”

"I find it odd that you still get intimidated," purred the witch as he set yet another bottle on the counter. Nothing too expensive, but definitely nothing he served the more... economical customers. The drinks he intended to make with Andy, no matter how terrible, would not be wasted. "Someone tells you what they have a taste for and you follow the notes of that taste to produce something they would like." With a wave of his hand, he willed the lights in the kitchen to dim and music to waft into the room like a breeze. "It does help, however, to know what the alcohol tastes like. Do you know what vermouth is, my Andy?"

Andrea snorted, turning her gaze away from the bottles to look at him. “You’d be surprised what things change and what things don’t.” She left it at that, drumming her fingers on the countertop and listened to his explanation. “Seems simple enough, except I don’t know what most of this tastes like. And no, I have no idea what vermouth is. Except I’ve heard the word. I know shots of whiskey and various beers. Please don’t be as judgemental during this as you are about my clothes,” she joked. There wasn’t much to make fun of at this moment; the great thing about training at home was the fact that she could learn this in the oversized tee she slept in, bare feet on the floor, barely feeling the cold.

"I will absolutely be as judgmental about this as I am about everything else. Your clothing is awful," he tacked on. He pulled a glass from the counter behind them, then reached for the bottle of Cocchi Vermouth di Torino. "We will drink." He poured her a glass and then himself. "Hold this. Smell it."

The only comeback she gave him was an eye roll before he moved on to grab a fancy bottle (they were honestly all fancy, nothing you’d find in the liquor store with the flickering OPEN light downtown). She could already smell it as he was pouring it, and she was intrigued, taking the glass from him and inhaling like he asked. “Wow. It’s like sweet and spicy. Really…” she raised her eyebrows a bit, holding the glass away a little. “Strong. I like it though. Makes me think of autumn.”

He sipped a bit at his glass, rolling the amber liquid along his tongue. "Vermouth comes in this sweet, red form, but also in a dry, white form - which is used for martinis. I prefer the sweet, but with the dry, I like to pair it with lemons. What do we think pairs well with our autumn taste?"

She listened, making a mental note. “In the past I may have hated the dry version, but lately I’ve been trying a lot of things I may have hated and liking them, so who knows. I like the sweet though. And I don’t know, maybe something like orange? Citrus seems like the way to go still. Do people ever pair things with juice?” She took a sip, surprised to find she really enjoyed it alone. She liked the spices and the warmth in her mouth. It made her throat prickle in a way she liked.

Nodding approvingly, he downed the rest of his drink, then poured another glass. "Everything can be paired with juice, but one must be aware of the full flavor of things. Red vermouth is sweet already, spicy... woodsy and herbal - orange is an excellent choice. Add gin and you have a cocktail." His freshly poured drink went back just as fast and he set his glass in the sink. "What is a taste that you like that isn't citrus?"

Andrea smirked, a little proud of herself like a good student when he said the word “excellent.” She watched him knock back the drinks, an eyebrow raising in curiosity. “I like cranberry. I like most berries actually. Chocolate...I’m not sure what the right answer is really.” She ran her fingers along her glass before pushing it towards him. “Do you get drunk easily? Like in terms of being human?”

"Oh, I get drunk very easily," he told her, even as he took her glass and pulled the bottle of cognac forward. Her used glass went into the sink and was replaced with a clean one, which he poured a taste into before giving it back. "Cognac can be spicy as well and has hints of fruit and chocolate. Hold it on your tongue a bit."

She took the new drink from him, taking a sip and holding it in her mouth like he asked. “I can taste that...but the thing I think I taste the most is nuts. Maybe walnut? Kinda think this would taste good with blood.” She said the last part quietly, briefly thinking about how she had to take care of that soon. She’d succeeded in making it feel like a job. For a few seconds she felt like the lamest creature ever, but she pulled herself out of the distraction by downing some more of it. “What goes with this?”

"That is not the first time I have heard that; many of our... guests at the bar have asked for a bit of this with a few fingers of O-positive." Johnny watched her drink the mouthful with curious eyes, lingering over her expression to gauge a reaction. "Overall," he continued, "Cognac is very good - alone, mixed with ginger ale or lemonade, all kinds of ways really." He poured himself a taste and knocked it back, shaking his head as he began to feel the drink. "Tequila next, I think."

She raised an eyebrow at that, feeling strangely validated she wasn’t the only one who thought that about the flavor profile. “I need to get more comfortable saying things like that. I still talk about blood like it’s my dirty secret,” she said, laughing a little. “But lemonade seems like it’d be really good with this too, so I’ll also keep that in mind. “Tequila. Don’t people usually just take that in shots?”

"Tequila is really quite versatile - shots, sours, cocktails... margaritas!" He turned and reached for the blender beside the sink then, with a blink of empty, black eyes, the blender was filled with a light green mix of alcohol and ice, buzzing away until he stopped it.

Squinting her eyes at the witch, Andrea couldn’t help but smile as she noticed he was getting a little looser with every swallow. “You get a little swishy when you’ve had a couple drinks, Johnny,” she told him, smile getting wider as she admired him. An eyebrow raised when he materialized margarita mix and she simply helped herself. “I think you should know that I’m beginning to feel these and will probably pay less attention to how the drinks are made, so for now let’s just focus on how they taste,” she said, sipping.

"You have to know how to taste... how the drinks taste when you are serving them," he agreed with a lofty nod, holding out a glass for her to pour his margarita into. He gulped a mouthful, scowling at the brain freeze, but soon he was moving his hips to the music playing and chuckling. "'Swishy' is a good word, my Andy. More tequila - a sunrise! Ironic."

Andrea laughed, rolling her eyes and taking another sip of her drink. “Ah yes, sunrises. Loved those.” She tried to make it sound like she said it in jest, but it likely just came out as bitter. “Hopefully the drink is pretty,” she added, smirking whenever she noticed him get a brain freeze. It made her very aware of her lack of one. The more she had to drink, the more she found herself getting lost in thought about those changes.

"Yes, a sunrise!" He reached for her hand then and rolled her cool fingers between his own. "I will give you sunrise," he said, then sealed the promise by lifting her fingers to his mouth for a kiss. He then reached for a new bottle of 1942 and the grenadine. "You will find, my Andy, that adding grenadine to just about any drink will please any sorority girls that wander into the bar." Once he was finished with the drink, he swiftly exchanged her margarita for it.

She let herself be distracted by his promising kiss to her knuckles, smiling and letting him take her glass. “For a moment I was worried you were going to give me a literal ball of fire, but this will do fine.” She chuckled at his advice, tucking it away for future reference, because if she remembered anything, she remembered the greek crowd. Sipping the new drink, her eyebrows went up and she downed it before setting the glass down. “I like that one.” She slid the empty vessel toward him so he could refill it. “Can I tell you something that I have to say out loud before I explode?”

He hummed inquisitively as he swallowed the last of his sunrise and waved his fingers so that the music changed to 'More Than A Woman' by Aaliyah.

She turned around and jumped up to sit on the counter as she waited for him to make their drinks again. Swinging her legs for a moment and listening to the song, she finally went on. “I think I burned the bridge with my dad. Like burned it, totally,” she said, holding out her palm in a leveling motion. “I went back there to fix things and made them worse. I should stop trying to fix things. Drink more tequila sunrises.”

This stalled his hand as it reached for the next bottle and he turned to look at her quizzically. "Fix things? ...Is he dead now?" Quick as he could, he tried to pull what he knew about necromancy into the forefront of his fuzzy mind, but even as his fingers wrote runes into the air between him, he just as quickly forgot what he had intended to do. "Is he dead?"

Andrea laughed dryly, watching him attempt something and quickly forget with a smile on her face. “No, he’s not dead. That probably would have been easier. I didn’t make it worse like that, I just got angry at him. More angry than I’ve ever gotten at someone in like, person. I wanted to talk, but he still thinks I’m a demon. And then I kind of acted like one.” She shook her head and downed another drink. “But fuck it.”

"Well... you are a demon, I think, so the behavior is expected." He frowned down at an empty glass on the counter, then licked a finger, rimmed the lip of the glass with it and willed another drink into it. After taking a sip, he lifted his gaze back to Andy and said, solemnly, "So what shall we do about this, my Raggedy One? It sounds as if your father doesn't understand what kind of town Sangren really is."

She set her glass down and folded her arms, scoffing a bit until it turned into a full blown laugh. “You know, I guess I am a demon. I wish that felt cool instead of just me feeling like my lame self, but meaner and more okay with murder,” she replied, shaking her head. Meeting his gaze, she shrugged. “I guess there’s nothing to do about it. I don’t wanna see him again. You know, he actually mentioned he had an idea of this town and just hoped we dodged it or something. Like he couldn’t save me from the town in the end.” She growled a little, rolling her eyes and sliding her glass toward him to ask for another. “Like he’s fuckin Super Frank and movie nights and Hungry Man dinners would shield his poor daughter from the hellmouth. Incredible.”

Johnny took the time to contemplate what a hungry-person meal could possibly entail by taking another long sip. By now, the fuzz was starting to warm him from the inside out and the need to reach out with his powers to support Andy's growing agitation was growing ever more tempting. "These are survival instincts - the need to shield a child from exposure to evils for your father and that feeling 'okay' with murder for you... all survival."

Andrea was quiet for a moment, sipping her newly filled glass. “Survival. Maybe that explains the why of it, but that didn’t really work out for him did it? The pretending. His wife walked right into it all and it claimed his daughter. His daughter, who is now a demon,” she said gesturing towards herself. “I guess it’s a form of survival but it didn’t do a lot of good for him did it? He still lost everything. Staying blind on purpose and turning me away....I guess I see how it’s a survival tactic but it also feels like it was easy for him to love me and that changed in an instant. He just seems like a coward to me.” She set her glass down after downing it and slid down against the cabinets to the floor. “I...also think it’s more than being okay with murder. Saying it like that just feels better.”

He waved his hand dismissively. "'Murder' is such an inconsequential term to creatures who are no longer mortal, my Raggedy One. It's a wonder you have any appetite at all - Magic requires sacrifice, no matter what form it comes in. You see it when I bleed myself. You see how strangely it burns through Gunnar. You see it in death here, especially. It calls for this death, these sacrifices - what are people placed in your path for if not to be sacrifices?" He finished his drink, then suddenly slouched against the counter. "I'm drunk."

She let his words sink in, staring down at the ground for a moment with her eyebrows furrowed. “Sacrifices,” she repeated. Something did burn through her, and surprisingly his drunken advice had given her a bit of clarity. Just a bit. When she thought about death and sacrifice and magic in the way he described it, it made a little more sense. “Guess I’m just getting used to the order of such things,” she said, reaching up to grip the side of the counter and stand. “You are. I am a little too. How about I walk you to your room? That seems like the best course of action now.” She laughed a little and moved towards him, gently slapping a hand on his back.

He had straightened, but found himself buckling a bit at her slap. "You forget yourself," he chided lightly, even as he recovered and stood ramrod straight to allow her to lead him to the staircase that led to his bedroom. "I wonder, how long it will take for you to realize that you are now an apex predator, my Andy?"

She ran a hand through her hair and winced. “Sorry, I actually swore I was being gentle,” she replied, rubbing the spot and taking him up to his room. Being ahead of him, she walked in and pulled his sheets and comforter back so he could just fall in. She hadn’t responded right away to what he said but once they were inside his bedroom, she responded. “Yeah. Me too.”

"Come sleep," he sighed, already burying his face into his pillow. "I could have sworn I was better at drinking. I haven't done it in so long."

Laughing a little, she nodded and kicked off her jeans before jumping into the soft bed opposite of where he laid. Andrea relaxed against the pillow, smiling and turning her head to face him. “Personally I thought you were great at it.” She snuggled in, sighing and continuing to think about their earlier conversation until his words “sleep,” echoed in her head and she closed her eyes to let herself.

#ja #ch: johnny arcos #p #para: bar and murder tips

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detectivedreameater · 4 years

Text

Opposites Attract||Lydia and Marley

TIMING: A few nights ago probably PARTIES: @inspirationdivine and @detectivedreameater SUMMARY: Just two women with secrets meeting up over some drinks.

The Artesian. Last time Marley was here it was to investigate the crime next door. She distinctly remembered locking eyes with Evelyn outside and the feeling that had consumed her at the time. She was still working on that. It needed more time, more trust. And perhaps a little push. But Marley wasn’t here tonight for Evelyn-- she was here for a different woman. Lydia was her name. She was pretty famous and her name even sparked conversation around the station. Not in a bad way, but in a way that she was a local town celebrity. So when Marley had arrived and told the hostess which party she was waiting for, the woman had raised her brows so high up on her forehead, Marley was sure they’d disappear into her hairline. She led Marley over to the bar and told her her party would arrive soon and then they would seat them, and until then, she could order a drink while she waited. Which she did. A gin and tonic, to start off light. She’d felt odd having to dress up to come here-- it’d been a while since she’d put on fancy clothes, but she could make an exception. The dress she’d chosen was black and hugged in all the right places and she’d adorned a nicer blazer atop it, black as well. Not a lot of her clothing had much color. She’d even broken out her special pair of frames, magically enhanced to hide the red sheen from her eyes, but clear so as to not draw suspicion. Finally, across the room, a rather mystical looking woman approached the hostess. Marley grinned in anticipation.

Lydia, on the other hand, was dressed in a deep sun-dried red dress with a V neck that dropped to her sternum. The random invitation online had been a surprising one, even with a bottle of wine in her. If she’d been entirely sober she might not even have engaged, but as it was, Lydia had agreed, and her word meant plenty even to her. Maybe this Marley would be an interesting type, or maybe she’d be a dull human that Lydia would bail on after the first hour. She slid in and the hostess pointed her to the woman in the black by the bar. “Are you Marley?” Lydia asked, with a long, appreciative look up and down that dress.. “We’re being seated in the booth back there, if you are.”

Marley nodded her head. “That would be me,” she answered, “which makes you Lydia.” She slid from her chair to greet her, holding out her hand. “Interesting choice for a first meet up,” she noted, motioning to the restaurant around them. “It gave me many expectations about you, and yet, you’ve already almost outdone them all.” Looking her up and down back with an obvious motion. Not that Marley wasn’t used to the fancier side of things, it just wasn’t something she indulged in often, and Lydia seemed like the type who frequented places like this. That was fine with her, she wasn’t picky.

“I’ve learned by now that if someone’s dissuaded by a place like this, they’ll be dissuaded by me,” Lydia replied smoothly, taking Marley’s hand with comfortable ease. There was nothing immediately magical about her - no freezing hand, no chiming bells, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t anything to find. Lydia preened in kind in response to the piercing eyes framed by glasses, smiling. “We have a booth back there, I believe. Plenty of privacy.” The hostess guided them both to the booth, beautifully lit already set for two. She’d have to send a gift basket to Evelyn. This place was divine. “I certainly aim to please, and I’m excited to find out how you stack up against mine. Do you often pick up people online?”

“You know, that’s a good move,” Marley commented, following Lydia back to the table she’d had reserved for them. Well lit, secluded, already set-- she was prepared. “I think I might steal it.” Smiling sweetly, a rather foreign concept to her usual smirk, she sat down across from Lydia, eyes following her every movement, downloading the data of her body language. She was a woman of high confidence, but Marley liked a challenge. “Well, I would hate to disappoint. I aim to never be disappointing, after all.” A bigger grin, head tilting slightly, letting her curls fall over one shoulder. “More and more, lately. Seems to be the way of the future, now, doesn’t it?”

“You’re welcome to it,” Lydia replied with a smile, picking up the drinks menu to find out if Evelyn had added anything to the offerins while the place had been closed. She smiled at Marley’s reply, that delicious voice and the confidence behind it. “Mhm, I’d tried to avoid it for the longest time, I grew up… used to other things, and it’s always seemed quite crass. That said, you can’t knock the convenience of online. That said, in a town like this, it’s easier to find the kind of date I’m looking for in some of the local bars.”

“Local bars, huh?” Marley said, raising a brow slightly as she picked up the drink menu. She’d never actually been to the Artesian, even though it’d been open a couple of years now. Leaning her chin in her palm, she scanned the menu before looking up at Lydia again. “Convenience is really the only draw to it. While I don’t mind cruising the local bars, sometimes it’s just easier to send a text about it. Also a lot easier to find the right type online, unless you go to those very special bars around here. Like, you know,” wondered if Lydia was trying to parse out what she was, too, “some of those ones down on Amity.

Once done with the drinks menu, Lydia watched Marley perusing it through half lidded eyes. The corner of her lips turned up as Marley began to answer. Oh, this was good. Unless she was one of those self proclaimed monster fetishist, of course. Lydia certainly hoped not. “Yes, exactly like those bars on amity. They make it so much easier.” Lydia leant in her gaze searching. “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.” She offered, smile deep and somewhat hungry. Greedy to meet someone like her.

Marley didn’t often like showing her cards so quickly, but this wasn’t anything special or big or eventful. It just was what it was for her-- a meet up. A possible night in someone else’s bed. Besides, she got the feeling that if she tried to play with power with Lydia, it’d be more than the struggle was worth. So, slowly, she lifted her hand to her glasses, grabbing the frames to remove them from her face. “Don’t look too hard,” she said, eyes glowing red under the pale mood lighting of the Artesian, “I don’t wanna scare you off right away.” After a long moment, she blinked-- purposefully-- and put her frames back on, her eyes becoming a shaded brown once again. “Your turn.”

Lydia’s gaze flitted away the moment she saw the red, breathing deeply as her heart began to hammer in her chest, her fingers curling around the edge of the table and squeezing until her knuckles went white. Lydia swallowed and smiled, looking back at Marley once the shades were back on. “Incredible,” she murmured. Just as she’d been prepared to reveal in kind, the host staff showed up to take their order. Her eyes flicked to him in the mildest irritation before she placed her order for the house red, and she turned away from him as quickly as possible, with a small dismissive flick of her hand. Once they were alone again, Lydia smile. In the booth, half her face was concealed from half the patrons, so the glamour for that half melted away. On half her face, her veins disappeared, wrinkles and pores clearing too. Her eye shifted from a deep chocolate brown turned iridescent blue, glowing faintly under the light. Her ear grew, stretching up into a point near the head of her crown, and her hair iridescent from a deep brown to rich peacock colours. The next, it was gone. “You certainly aren’t disappointing, Marley.”

Marley’s eyes widened as she watched Lydia’s glamor drop. Fae. She’d been running into more and more of them lately, not that she was entirely complaining-- but she had to be careful with Fae. Not only were their words trickery (a thing she’d learned all on her own, mourning how they lacked any weight behind them like a Fae’s did), but they were some of the more devious individuals. The kind who often thought themselves above the law, above her. Good thing she’d left her badge buried deep in her jacket pocket instead of on her hip. She grinned, wide, awed. “Absolutely gorgeous,” she murmured, only truth in her words, despite her previous thoughts, “I’ve always held a bit of envy for you Fae,” she said, making sure to keep her voice hushed, “to be able to slip away from being so...human.” In fact, she was jealous of the fae for a lot of reasons, not that she’d ever admit it.

Lydia grinned, proud and unafraid to show it. Even the most cruel of hunter textbooks referred to her unearthly beauty - at least, that was what her father had told her as a child, and how could he be wrong - and she did love it when others could appreciate that too. Not everyone could appreciate it properly, too caught in what human beauty was supposed to look like. “Now you’re overdoing it,” she breathed, but her skin was flushed with the compliments. “I must admit, I don’t know much about your kind beyond the nightmare eating.”

“Maybe,” Marley said, chin resting in her palm again, “but it’s just the truth.” She grinned back, giving a shrug. “But I can tone down the compliments if you really want that, though,” a slight pause, as she made it apparent she was observing her, “I don’t think that’s what you want.” She sat back as the waitress arrived with their drinks and Marley took her gratefully. This was always the best part. Sipping it, letting it linger on her lips, using just the slightest scrape of teeth on her lip to get it off, waiting to see if the other person watched. “Mmm, not just nightmares, fear. We give the nightmares to feed on the fear,” she said, unsure of how much of her abilities she really wanted to give away. “But we’re more than just that. You know, if you’re interested.”

“If you’re accusing me of vanity, you would be completely right,” Lydia replied, tongue in cheek. She sat back when their drink arrived, realising only then how close she’d gotten to Marley, her intrigue leaving her hungry for more. Lydia swirled her wine, looking down at the colour before taking her own sip. Her eyes flicked back to Marley, and was so aware of how she was observed, and how she observed in turn, her gaze dropped to Marley’s lip as she did… that. “I am, but I don’t expect you to share secrets you wouldn’t usually. I understand what that’s like. We can talk about whatever you like.”

“Is it really vanity if it’s right, though?” Marley jested with a smirk. She liked that Lydia was confident in herself, and that she understood how attractive she was, both in and out of her glamor. If anything, Marley might’ve preferred without, but she understood why she hid behind it. It was the same reason Marley wouldn’t take her glasses off. Monsters, the people would say. She smiled, covering up the thought. “If you say so. I don’t mind letting you earn the secrets the normal way.” Sipped her drink again, taking her time. “So how long have you been in town? I find it hard to believe someone of your--” a pause to look her over again-- “stature could be around long without someone scooping you up.”

“Oh, it’s still vanity, it’s merely justified,” Lydia grinned. A lifetime of hunting the weakest in the room had taught her how to spot the strongest, too. The little turn in the corner of Marley’s mouth, the smile, the easy confidence of it all. She suspected Marley was in some ways much more experienced in all this than she was, but right now, Lydia didn’t mind. “I’ve been in town since, oh, October? November? Something like that. It took a while to install all my equipment, but I keep myself rather busy with work. I don’t usually make more time for this kind of… experience.” Lydia looked down at her nails, slowly tracing them over the grain of the wooden table, her silver nailpolish glinting in the light. “What about you? You seem like someone used to town.”

“Fair play,” Marley said back, listening to Lydia’s liquid pearl voice. It matched the pearl sheen of her hair, even though right now Marley only saw the dark locks, hanging perfectly around her face. Lydia hadn’t been in town long, but it seemed as if she was already ready to pick up and run it, what with all that confidence, and the way she spoke. By how she had initiated the conversation towards revealing their cards about the supernatural. Marley appreciated that, sometimes it was exhausting doing all the work. “So not long. Must be why,” she grinned, eyes dropping to watch her fingers, and silver gilded nails, trace along the table, following the wood’s grain. “I’ve been here for almost six years now. Guess that makes it home. I’ve gotten pretty comfortable here, but it’s certainly been throwing me for a loop lately. Not that I don’t mind a challenge.”

“Must be,” Lydia replied, smiling as Marley turned her gaze to Lydia’s hands, and Lydia changed the pattern of her fingers, instead circling a whorl, just so. Only for a moment, before she picked up her wine glass, listening to Marley’s answer, raising an eyebrow. “All the more surprising that someone hasn’t scooped you up. Although, I suppose that perhaps they’ve tried. What kind of way has it been throwing you for a loop? There have been so many strange happenings rather consistently much of the time I’ve been here.”

Oh, so Lydia could play this game, too. Marley watched her finger circle before lifting her eyes back up to meet Lydia’s, wishing she could see their iridescent sheen again. Wishing she had a way to turn off her eyes, without shoving a contact into them, or wearing silly glasses at night. “I suppose a few have tried,” she shrugged, “was just never my thing. To be scooped.” She sat up a little straighter for a moment, unsure of her next moves. It didn’t usually matter to others what her profession was, but she knew Fae were the most wary of others, especially law enforcement. “I suppose it’s because of all the strange occurrences. Been keeping me busy chasing after mime clones, fish rain, and strange coins. It almost feels like the precursor to something bigger, and I’m not sure I want to take a guess at what that might bring.”

There was that uncomfortable shift, just briefly, a secret withheld. That was understandable, Lydia had secrets of her own that she wouldn’t share on the first date either. Her eyes glazed right over it, finishing her glass. “Is it more often than usual, then?” Lydia asked, and the thought sent shivers down her spine. She had assumed that was just the cost of living in a place like this. This was Wicked’s Rest, after all, and all manner of creatures and people wanted to spew their nonsense here. “Something bigger? I certainly hope not. The murderous mime clones were quite enough for me to deal with, and I’m sure you felt the same.” She tapped Marley’s glass. “Can I get you another?”

Murder probably wasn’t a good topic of conversation for a first “date”, but Marley hadn’t always been the most socially aware. She shrugged. “They were a nuisance, but they’re gone now, so it’s no sweat off my back.” Lydia tapped her glass and Marley was grateful for the subject change, despite her being the one who brought it up. Sometimes her mouth got her into more trouble than she cared for, though mostly, it was good at getting her out of it. She smiled again. “Yes, that would be lovely,” she said, picking up the glass and finishing off what little was left in it. “As long as you get yourself one, too.”

“A nuisance is a generous term,” Lydia replied, rubbing the side of her neck idly. The skin was healed and clear now, but the ghost of it lingered. She was also happy to move forward with such things. “Of course, I can keep up, at least for a little while.” Lydia replied, waving over the host only to gesture that they’d like a repeat. He nodded with a smile that Lydia ignored as she turned back to Marley. “So, if you aren’t keen to be scooped, pray tell, what were you looking for this evening?” She asked, her eyes glittering. She was far too old to play too coy here.

Marley chuckled at that. She liked Lydia’s commanding presence, the way the waiter almost seemed to preen for her attention with that smile, and the way she completely ignored him. It made Marley feel special, like all of Lydia’s attention was on her. Something she craved with interaction. “Well,” she said, leaning forward again, putting her chin in her palms as if mulling over the question, “mostly I’m just here for a good time and to see a beautiful woman. If that just means drinks and a conversation, so be it. But I’m never opposed to...more happening.”

Lydia shifted in mirror as Marley did, leaning forward, and twisting a lock of hair between her fingertips. Even now, part of her itched to reach across, and snatch those glasses from Marley’s face. Even if it turned her heart to stone, she wanted to see her as she really was. Lydia knew enough to quash those instincts, to remember that fear came too easily to her to be actively chasing it. Her hand slid under the table to Marley’s knee, unabashed. If she had been any other kind of fae, her pupils might have widened. “Funnily enough, I was here for the same. You wouldn’t find me opposed either, my dear. Not at all.”

Marley’s skin tingled where Lydia’s hand rested. Her forwardness was not lost on Marley at all, simply adding to the charm and revelry Marley had for her. These kinds of things were what Marley was used to, and though most interactions ended with less matching of energies and more of a simple “This will do”, it was the moments like these that Marley really loved. Even if they were a dime a dozen, it was worth all the other mundane personalities to find the one that wasn’t. She’d found a few of them here, and she was definitely adding Lydia to the list. “Then what do you say we finish up these next drinks and then head out? Your place or mine?”

“Yours, for tonight,” Lydia looked searchingly in Marley’s eyes, through those tinted spectacles, and wondered what she was hoping to find, exactly. “Although, perhaps, before we go anywhere, I should warn you that my lips are as off limits to you as your eyes are to me. I hope that isn’t a deal breaker.” If it was, they could keep talking, or redirect the electrifying tension in the air elsewhere.

Whatever type of fae Lydia was was a little out of Marley’s wheelhouse of knowledge, but that didn’t discourage her. “Mine it is. Good thing I live close by.” The waitress came back with their next round of drinks and Marley took hers gratefully, taking a nice, hearty sip. At Lydia’s next statement, she quirked a brow. Most people didn’t understand that the fear gaze a mara possessed needed to be activated and wasn’t instantaneous-- and that it worked during the day-- but Marley was okay with that. It could be her secret. Instead, she grinned around the edges of her glass, before setting it down. “I can work with that.”

#chatzy #chatzy: lydia #lydia #wickedswriting #opposites attract #//just a whole bunch of flirting #and maybe a new friendship ???

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infinitestarsintheskye · 4 years

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I was tagged by the ever lovely @besidemethewholedamntime, thanks lovely! 😘

1. What is the color of your hairbrush?

Just plain black. Nothing exciting unfortunately!

2. Name a food you never eat

Mushrooms, and at the moment, cheese. Damned dairy intolerance.

3. Are you typically too warm or too cold?

Both, but usually cold. My internal heating and cooling system is truly buggered, thanks to the fact that I was a premmie baby. Just one of the many fun side effects.

4. What were you doing 45 minutes ago?

Fannying about after having a shower. Every single day I do this and I don’t know why.

5. What’s your favorite candy bar?

CURRENTLY, it is the Galaxy Vegan caramelised hazelnut chocolate and oh my god it’s so good. A lot of vegan chocolate is really crumbly and whilst it tastes good, the texture is just off and that kind of ruins it for me. But Galaxy have really nailed the texture, it’s just creamy and good and just tastes and feels like real chocolate and I was honestly so happy the first time I tried it.

6. Have you ever been to professional sports event?

I have! I went to a few Scottish Premier League (football) games when I was younger, with my dad, before realising that I didn’t enjoy it much. I have also been to one singular hockey match, which really tells you everything you need to know about how I found that. Honestly I don’t really go in much for sports. I enjoy watching horse riding, show jumping and the like, and figure skating, and that’s about it.

7. What is the last thing you said out loud?

“WHAT ARE YOU EATING?!” To the doggo, who had just got a hold of the leftovers of my dad’s lunch.

8. What is your favorite ice cream?

Ben and Jerry’s do an ice cream that has vanilla on one side, and chocolate on the other, with a full ass BLOCK of caramel in the middle, and it is probably the unhealthiest thing I have ever consumed, but oh my god it’s so good.

9. What was the last thing you had to drink?

Tea! Please assume that I am always drinking tea, it is a fairly accurate assumption.

10. Do you like your wallet?

Eh. It’s okay. It’s getting a bit old but I’ve been putting off getting a new one.

11. What is the last thing you ate?

One of those tiny little packets of haribo that are STILL somehow leftover from Halloween

12. Did you buy any new clothes last weekend?

I did! I bought a new top for work, a white jumper bc white goes with everything and I’m a bit lazy.

13. What’s the last sporting event you watched?

On purpose? The 2018 Winter Olympic Ice Dance final when Virtue/Moir FINALLY WON THE GOLD!!! It was on until like 3/4am, and I had 3 back to back lectures the next day, and I was SO TIRED, but oh it was worth it!! I think the mens individual final was on the next night but I FULLY fell asleep halfway through 😬

14. What is your favorite flavor of popcorn?

Sweet and salty!

15. Who is the last person you send text message to?

My sister! I was ranting about The Crown and she was just kind of listening haha

16. Ever been camping?

Twice! Both my guide troop. Once just cause, and once bc it was the Centenary of Girl Guiding in the UK and all of the troops in our county pitched up in a giant field for the weekend, which was good fun! Would I do it again? Maybe not. I’m not really that outdoorsy, but I will give anything a go once.

17. Do you take vitamins?

Nope! I probably should, but I swear every time I start taking vitamin C I get a cold. Not sure if this is just my immune system being weird or if I am actually cursed.

18. Do you regularly attend a place of workship?

Nope! I am very much agnostic. I used to live almost right across the road from a church, that was fun on a Sunday morning no need to set an alarm, and I used to walk past, I kid you not four or five on my way to work, which is a lot considering it was ALL ONE ROAD and a fairly short walk.

19. Do you have a tan?

Nope! I’m so pale I reflect the sun back.

20. Do you prefer chinese or pizza?

Pizza!!! I miss it!!! Dairy free cheese suuuuuccckkksssss

21 . Do you drink your soda through a straw?

Not really. I didn’t really before but I’m really not a fan of paper straws and them getting all soggy.

22. What color socks you usually wear?

Literally every single colour. A lot of blue and navy but I’m not kidding, it is every colour.

23. Do you ever drive above the speed limit?

I can’t drive so I can’t go over the speed limit haha

24. What terrifies you?

Oh well, what a fun question. So much. Ultimately failure. Failure to do anything worthwhile in my life, failure to help people, failure in my personal life. The list goes on. And heights. I am truly truly terrified of heights.

25. Look to your left, what do you see?

The doggo!! 🐶

26. What chore do you hate the most?

Sorting through odd socks. All black socks should be burned imo.

27. What do you think when you hear Australian accent?

Neighbors. My mum loved Neighbors in its hayday, and it is always discussed when Kylie or Jason Donovan is on the telly haha.

28. Whats your favorite soda?

Good old lemonade.

29. Do you go in a fast food place or just hit drive through?

Can’t drive so go in. My flatmate and I got really bad for ordering in McDonalds last year after it got put on Uber eats. She was a terrible influence on me I swear.

30. What’s your favorite number?

31. Who’s the last person you talked to?

My granny!

32. Favorite meal?

My mum’s leftover chicken risotto with bacony bits

33. Last song you listened to?

According to Spotify, Smoke by Gia Margaret (suprise surprise, its from the Normal People soundtrack)

34. Last book you read?

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell. Such a beautifully written book. Very casually magical and oh so very sad.

35. Favorite day of the week?

Tuesday, but I couldn’t tell you why.

36. Can you say alphabet backwards?

Absolutely not.

37. How do you like your coffee?

I don’t like coffee. I like the smell but it is far too bitter for me and the caffeine makes me feel truly awful.

38. Favorite pair of shoes?

I have a pair of brown boots that are almost victorian in style, they lace up, and made of the softest leather and I love them to utter pieces.

39. Time you normally get up?

On a normal day, usually any time after 10am. I like my bed and I don’t go to sleep until quite late. When I’m working, it’s usually between half past 6 and 9am.

40. What do you prefer, sunrise or sunset?

Sunset. I am very much a night owl.

41. How many blankets on your bed?

At the moment I just have my big thick duvet which keeps me very cosy and I never want to get out of my cosy bed, but I FULLY expect that to increase as it gets colder bc I am a cold creature.

42. Describe your kitchen plates

Just plain white, fairly standard.

43. Describe your kitchen at the moment.

Clean???

44. Do you have a favorite alcoholic drink?

Oooh, I like a Bacardi and coke or a gin and lemonade (which according to my gin and tonic loving mother is a sacreligous thing to do to gin). I don’t drink a whole lot, but those are my two go tos.

45. Do you play cards?

I can play cards, but I don’t do it on the regular.

46. What color is your car?

Don’t have a car!

47. Can you change a tire?

Nope!

48. Your favorite state or province?

Don’t really have that here, so I’m gonna be a bit cheeky and say Perthshire 😉. It really is beautiful though!!

49. Favorite job you’ve had?

My current job! It’s just a clothes shop retail job, but the company is so good (which is rare for a big company), the people are so lovely, the hours can suck sometimes, but I enjoy it so much more than waitressing and bar work!

Thanks again so much for the tag! I think just about everyone has been tagged in this, so if you haven’t done this yet, consider yourself tagged now!!

#skye rambles

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gallaghercest · 5 years

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REPOST: Evidence #1 - Noel’s Sexuality

Hello! So, I’m reposting this 2017 post because Tumblr deleted it.

Enjoy!

— x — x — x —

Good evening, class! It’s been a long time but I’m back. It took so long because I needed plenty of time to arrange everything correctly, because tonight we’ll have a long post. And I’m back with such a polemic subject to talk about. That’s right: Noel Gallagher’s sexuality. Pretty much a taboo in the whole fandom.

I actually realised this should have been my first post here, since it’s focused much more on the 80s, but, well, it’s all said and done now, so just pretend you read this post first, ok?

Before starting I know that there will probably be someone/some people who will go “but jULIA YOU CAN’T TALK ABOUT THIS, IT’S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS, IT’S TOO PERSONAL, YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT NOEL AND HIS GAYNESS AA A A A A A A”

And I’ll tell you what, kids: I’d rather walk I HAVE the right to talk about this, I’m his fan, I have the evidences, I’ve done researches, essays, everything you can imagine, and my conclusion is: it’s not my fault if he prefers to stay inside the closet LG x

So, take your seats and here we go!

Disclaimer: this is a bunch of evidences I made by myself, based in conversations I had with my friends and months of analysis, suffering, nights of insomnia and tears. Don’t know if everything is veridical, but at least, it’s a way that I found to “light” up our way and try to find some proper fucking answers to this stuff.

Well, I bet lots of you have already wondered (at least once in your lifetimes) about Noel’s sexuality, because, honestly, it’s something really confusing if you stop to think about it. The guy fucking hooked up with his brother, that’s already a good point to start. But I’ll try to list all the evidences on a chronological order.

1-) This Charming Man

This one is more like a deduction but ok. Yes, the famous Smiths’ song always had an important role on Noel’s life. It was the first song he learned to play on guitar. It was his main inspiration to become a musician as soon he saw The Smiths playing it on Top Of The Pops in 1983.

But, a 16 year old Noel who hated school and all type of book obviously didn’t understand the references and the lyrics meaning of any song as a 21 year old Noel could.

There’s a quote from Noel, which I think it’s from the NGHFB era already – but it might be from the late Oasis years, who knows – which I couldn’t find now, but I promise I’ll try my best to find it. If you know it, you can send it to me, too. The point is that, basically, Noel was asked by the interviewer why would he play the same fucking songs in every single gig.

Noel answered that, when he attended his first Smiths’ gig, which I’m sure it was in late 80s, he wanted them to play This Charming Man SO SO SO SO SO MUCH, and they had played it on their last gig, or on the last week’s gig, something like this, so Noel was really hopeful about it. The point is: they didn’t play it on the gig that Noel attended, and he got pretty much traumatised over that. So, he claims he plays the same songs every single gig because of that happening.

But, now, I ask you: As I said, this song was always important to him. But, as he grew old, he might have understood the lyrics more – This Charming Man’s lyrics clearly talks about homosexuality and an affair between a guy from working class and a guy from an upper class, you can read more about it on Genius, I guess. And now that he was older, maybe he identified more with the song in general.

He said once that as soon as he heard This Charming Man, everything made sense, even though he didn’t know any literature references and stuff like that – so he admitted that he didn’t get the lyrics at first. And this is important because I’m not telling you he had homosexual tendencies since he was born, it came after years and years.

2-) “Effeminate Phase” AKA Manchester Mauler

In the Definitely Maybe DVD, when talking about the “Give me gin and tonic” bit from Supersonic with Mark Coyle (11:30), Noel mentions that he must have been going through one of his – ONE OF, IT MEANS HE HAD LOTS OF – ‘effeminate phases’ to be drinking gin and tonic at that time.

He even joked once in an interview with Zane Lowe that when Peggy asked him why did he kept in his room 24/7 playing guitar, he answered, joking, “because I’m gay” :’))))))))))))

And now, the thing that I guess it’s the most iconic thing about Noel’s sexuality: if you search on Google “Is Noel Gallagher gay?” you will find an anonymous answer (that actually was answered by The WikiAnswers Community™), which goes:

“Definitely! He’s known as the Manchester Mauler. A refrerence to his brutal homosexual appetite durring his youth in Manchester, England.”

And in case you’re wondering “what the fuck does Mauler mean?”, Urban Dictionary will help you:

(I censored it because maybe Tumblr would block it again if I didn’t)

Let me tell you: this is my favourite piece of information of the entire Oasis history. It doesn’t come from any reliable source but the point is: I don’t doubt it. It’s the truth to me.

3-) Clint Boon

This is probably the most important evidence – so important that it’s why I’ve chosen it to illustrate the post. Noel’s years as a roadie were, obviously, wild.

Everything started when he auditioned to be the new singer of Inspiral Carpets. As we all know, he wasn’t accepted, but he was asked to be a roadie, in case he was interested. I don’t want to be pretentious but I have lots of friends who think that the job was only offered to him because Clint was already interested, BUT ANYWAY.

It’s common to see lots of photos of Clint and Noel together, we all know. And very suspicious photos, in fact. Some of them are not even with Clint, for example. The one where Noel is almost kissing a guy with a hand on his **** is actually Graham. And you can tell it because Graham’s hair was shorter than Clint’s (it’s the third photo of the collage above)

Noel was already asked by this photo on an interview and he was BOLD ENOUGH to deny the kiss:

“Interviewer: There’s a quite famous photo of you snogging Clint [Boon] from The lnspiral Carpets.

Noel: Oh no, that was Graham [Lambert, Inspirals guitarist]. Yeah. We weren’t actually kissing, though.

I: It looked like you were.

N: Yeah, yeah, it did look like it. But I can assure you.”

Anyway, the point is, we know Noel can assure they weren’t kissing because the only guy he would kiss was Clint. Ok, seriously now: we know that Noel used to take suspicious photos with his friends, while they drank and did drugs.

You can even see Noel shotgunning – the act of blowing weed or simply cigarette’s smoke on another person’s, usually your partner’s, mouth, and maybe even kissing – on the 4th and 5th photo from the beginning of the post. Notice that both photos were taken at the same night (their clothes are the same) and with the same guy.

Ah, and we have the matching haircuts as well. Thing we saw happening to Liam and Noel too (1997, 1999…)

(please don’t ever let this photo die)

Well. My point here is not the photos, not even the haircuts at all. It’s Clint. The amount of photos/footage we have of Noel with Clint is much more significant than the ones we have with the rest of the band. For example, Noel’s not seen in bed with any other member than Clint.

Actually, I have more things to talk of Clint, but I’ll leave it to another post.

And more: on the book “Carpet Burns: Life with Inspiral Carpets”, by Tom Hingley, the lead singer, contains a quote where Clint claims that Noel taught him another use for the airplane tables (thanks, Mat, for the useful info!). Another use. If you know what I mean.

But the most extraordinary thing is that, coincidence or not, there’s a Inspiral’s song, called Dragging me Down, written by Clint, released on 1992 – when Noel was already gone and in Oasis –, that strangely makes references to planes, travels, sky and flying. Behold:

Now, it’s up to you to patch things together.

AND DON’T YOU GET ME TO TALK ABOUT THIS:

4-) Random Noel’s quotes through the years

This one is probably the more common and easy-to-find evidence. I’ll just give the examples I recall now, but if you have more in mind, feel free to share it so I can add it to this post!

I don’t know what happened to Noel in the ‘Russell Brand 6Music show’ on 2006, because somehow he said a lot of things there.

Noel insisted that if he was gay, he’d be the biggest gay in the world, saying “I would be gayer than Freddie Mercury”, and then, Russell suggested that the 3AM girls might be interested in Noel suddenly getting in touch with his gay side, to which Noel replied:

“In a manner of speaking, I may have done already.”

Bingo!

And there’s that one from 1 Leicester Square, also being interviewed by Russell Brand, where they even talk a little about Noel’s years as a roadie, and Noel later says he was “very in touch” with his “effeminate side” (again!) and that Noel was a girl’s name¿? Russell says Liam has a “sexualised arrogance” and I confess I’m really like ?¿?¿where did you get it, son?¿?¿? because I really do think it’s something Noel thinks at the deep heart, not something Russell Brand could say, actually.

And again, there’s another quote, from another Russell Brand BBC2 show from 29th July 2008: “I like a few women but I like men an awful lot more.” He even continues and say “I call myself straight, but I’m GAY!”. “If I went to call myself bisexual, it would be equally, if not more misleaded (?), I’m not undecided or bi-curious either” Then, Noel asks “Matt, can you come up with a new word for people who are mostly straight but a little gay or mostly gay but a little straight?” and Russell comes up with the brilliant answer: “Oasis.”

It actually surprises and triggers me how nearly every time Noel and Russell meet, they end up talking about that subject… really weird, innit? Does Russell know of something? We might never know… *suspense intensifies*

And, now, going out of the Russell Brand show, we have the beautiful quote of Noel for a German TV interview on February 2009, which I’ll give me the luxury to copy down here:

“Q: So tonight you’re on stage with your brother.

N: Unfortunately, yes.

Q: Unfortunately. You don’t like each other very much.

N: No.

Q: Is there anything you like about your brother? Anything?

N. There’s lots of things I like about his personality, but he doesn’t like me.

Q: Do you know why?

N: Uuuhm…

Q: Have you ever talked to him about it?

N: I don’t know. You’d have to speak to him. But I know he doesn’t like me. He insults me all the time.

Q: But you like him.

N: There’s certain aspects of him that I like.

Q: What kind of aspects?

N: He wears crazy shoes.

Q: Ah. Anything else?

N: He has crazy hair.

Q: And what’s that got to do with his personality?

N: They’re just things I find attractive in men.”

Fine.

6-) This.

Ok, now I have two destinations: either people will kill me or support me. I don’t want to, I don’t know, ruin Noel’s perfect-marriage-husband reputation or whatsoever; actually, I don’t want to ruin Noel’s marriage lolololol but the point is: it’s in the internet, so it’s free, right? And my job here is exposing. So, that’s what I’m gonna do.

Well, one day I was doing my daily research with my friends, seeking for evidences of Noel’s bisexuality, and I bumped up into this:

But then I thought, “c'mon, the guy (who I censored the username for legal reasons) could be tripping”, but then me and my big-stalker-KGB-ass did a research on the lad’s profile, and, in the same weekend he tweeted that, he really was at Glasto, in 2014:

And the point is that, Noel wasn’t playing Glastonbury then, but he ATTENDED Glastonbury; he was at backstage, as you can see here:

Maybe the guy is crazy? Yes! Do I think he is actually crazy? No! Simply because, as I said, I don’t doubt anything, I know Noel and his capacity. The only difference between Noel and Liam is that Noel is a perfect secrefreak.

7-) Oasis fans are noticing it

If you think I made up all this bullshit, think again. It’s more and more common you see, not only the more dedicated fan accounts talking about it, but more grown-up fans talking about it too – I mean: it’s common to see not only the fan girls talking of it, but 30 year old blokes talking too. So, something must be quite right in all of this, right?

That’s it, guys, thank you so much for reading, I really consider this post my ultimate masterpiece, so I hope you enjoyed it! Feel free to reblog, it helps me a lot, send a message or whatever, I’ll love to read it, see you on the next post!

#noel gallagher #gallaghercest #gcestlavie #evidence #80s

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