#i bought a purple hooded dress for her

[not-from-your-town]

2004 [x]

[gay-wh0re-slut]

HEYYA

can you please write a rhea x fem!reader where they are both at a friends for their birthday, and everyone ends up playing seven minutes in heaven and rhea & reader end up having to play together and end up just having a good convo (maybe some makeout time too😏) and later that night sneak away and secretly hook up (smut pleaseee😍)

shut upppppp this is so goodddddd im giggling and kicking my feet right now omgggg

after writing: this turned out to be a bit long but i couldn’t stop writing. i got a lil flustered writing this one so i hope you like it too eeeee

Present

rhea ripley x fem!reader

content: meeting a hot buff goth wrestler at a friends party but of course you get picked to join her for 7 minutes in heaven. will it get spicy? will there be kissing? who knows?!

You’ve know Zelina since high school and you’ve always been kinda close. Not close enough to where the two of you would hang out everyday but enough to where you could get lunch and it not be awkward. One day at a lunch, she invited you to her birthday party and told you that there was someone that she wanted you to meet.

“I’m not sure if she’s your type but I think you two would get along at least,” she said.

“I don’t even know my type anymore, seems like everyone is either taken or just plain weird,” you fired back.

She left it at that but you both laughed at your statement. You had been struggling to find someone to find you interesting enough to at least to keep a conversation going past two days. Who knows, she might be a great matchmaker.

The day came and her theme was cartoons, of course. So you decided to lazily dress up as Daphne from Scooby Doo. You bought her a gift card to a local craft store as her gift because she’s always making something for a cosplay.

“Hi!! Thank you for coming!” Zelina embraced you carefully so that she wouldn’t mess up her Sailor Moon cosplay too much.

“Of course! Happy birthday!” You followed her in to the kitchen to place the gift by the others. “Do you need help with anything?”

“As of right now, I think I’m good, thank you though!” she smiled as she carried a platter of snacks to the living room.

“Zelina!” you heard an australian accent, “Where are napkins?”

“I’ll get them, one sec,” she said but was quickly cut off.

“Please it’s your day and you’ve already done so much, let me get them. Where are they?” You heard shuffling from the other room.

“You’re too sweet. They’re in the cabinet, under the island in the kitchen.”

“Be right back,” the accent was deep but you could tell that she had lived in the states for a while. She sounded familiar but you couldn’t make it out.

As you were pouring a drink for yourself at the Punch Bar that had cutouts and stickers of WWE things, you heard heels clicking on the tile floor. So you turned to see who it was. A dark figure was crouched at the island. She was wearing tall black platform heels, fishnets, and from behind all you could see was a dark purple cape draped over broad shoulders.

She quickly grabbed the napkins and stood up facing you, “oh, sorry,” her light blue eyes stared into you as purple eyeshadow complimented them perfectly. The hood on her head was placed to frame her face just right, “just needed napkins.” She gave you a smile as she raised her shoulder and scrunched her nose before clicking away again back into the living room.

You were frozen. She was so enchanting. You couldn’t even process what she was supposed to be. You stood silently barely holding onto the cup in your hand, your mouth ran dry, and your heart was beating faster.

“Y/N! You good in there?!” you heard Zelina yell.

“Y-yeah,” you gathered yourself as quickly as possible and walked towards her voice, “couldn’t decide what I wanted.”

“All good! This is Rhea, the girl I was telling you about,” she gestured to the same dark figure that was in the kitchen moments ago.

“Aw you talk about me?” her accent flew to your ears gracefully.

“Don’t let it get to your head Mami,” Zelina laughed before turning back to you, “but you know everyone else right?”

“Hi, yes I do,” your voice was higher than usual because you were nervous, which you quickly fixed, “nice to meet you,” you finally glanced down at the black body suit and the belt she was wearing, “Oh you’re Raven from Teen Titans!”

“I am!” Rhea flicked the cape behind her dramatically. “I’ve only seen a few episodes but I know Z really likes it.”

“Yeah it’s good!” you couldn’t think of anything to say you were so taken aback by her beauty.

“I’ve heard! Nice to finally meet you,” she giggled before turning back to the party.

The party went on as usual. Talking, drinking, yelling, dancing. Everyone was just tipsy enough to think that playing Seven Minutes in Heaven was a good idea.

“Alright let’s spin this bottle to see who goes,” Zelina slurred her words a bit, it was quite funny to be honest.

So she spins and of course it lands on you, why wouldn’t it.

“Oooooh!!” everyone chimed in.

She spun the bottle again and of course it lands on Rhea, why wouldn’t it.

“Okay you two! I don’t have a closet in here so the bathroom will have to do,” the birthday girl pointed to the door just outside the living room, “Go on! You only have seven minutesssss!”

You let out a big sigh before getting up to walk towards the bathroom. Rhea follows and clicks behind you. Your heart was already beating so fast you felt like it was going to pop out of your chest.

Rhea locked the door behind her, “Well…”

“Well,” you choked.

The two of you leaned on opposite walls. Her muscular arms were crossed as yours were behind you. It was silent for a good minute or so before the australian broke it.

“How do you know Z?”

“Since highschool, but we’ve only recently gotten close. What about you?”

“We work together.”

“Oh you wrestle too?”

“Yeah, on Mondays though, she’s on Fridays,” she chuckled.

“Oh, nice,” you sounded interested but it was so hard to talk to such a pretty person.

“It might be the alcohol talking but I think you’re really pretty,” the wrestler blurted out.

“W-what?” you almost choked, “I-I mean, uh thank you.”

“You’re like…so hot,” she covered her mouth as if she didn’t know she was going to say that either.

“Yeah I think it’s the alcohol,” you laughed. “But for what it’s worth, I think you’re really pretty too.” Where the sudden confidence came from you didn’t know but, it was now or never to shoot your shot.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, you’re like…so hot,” you mocked.

“Thank you,” her face got a little red so she readjusted her stance, “We only have like four minutes left.”

“Yeah,” you wanted to make a move so badly but you didn’t want to push it.

“Do you wanna kiss?” she said in the most confident tone ever.

“Sorry?” your face also turned red at the thought of her close to you.

“Well we gotta do something if we both think the other is hot! But if you don’t want-”

“Yes.”

“Oh, well,” she took a deep breath and took the one step it took to get to you, “you sure?”

Your breathing was labored, your heart was pounding, you were getting hot, “yeah.”

A devilish smile grew on her face which sent you overboard. She gently held your face and kissed you softly. She held it for longer than you thought she would. When she let go, you knew you needed more. So you grabbed the collar of the cape and pulled her in again. This time your lips danced together like they were meant to be. Her hands roamed your body as you held her close. You loved the feeling of her on you, it’s been so long since someone has done anything remotely close.

The way her loud breathing made you feel so weak in the knees, you needed to hear more of it. You pushed her back against her wall with a thud and small moan came from her.

“Didn’t take you to be the dominant type,” she said out of breath.

“I can do both,” you smiled.

“Good to know,” her voice was deep.

That alone made you go crazy. You knew her lipstick was smearing onto you from how her lips looked but you didn’t care. It had been so long since someone simply wanted you that you couldn’t control yourself. Your hands were on her waist holding her back as hers were in your hair pulling you toward her as your lips danced once more. When you remembered that she was wearing a one piece you were pissed, you had it all planned out to sneak your hand where you wanted to most. Instead you opted to just sneak it above the fabric, very thin fabric at that.

A small gasp left her lips as her icy blue eyes rolled back before she fluttered them closed. You started to gently caress her center, her labored breathing-

“TIMES UP!” Zelina yelled as she knocked on the door loudly before trying to open the door.

“Fuck,” Rhea said hitting her head on the wall.

“Glad you locked it,” you joked kissing her once more before peeling yourself off of her.

She stayed on her wall looking defeated while you wiped off her lipstick from you before unlocking the door.

“He- ooooooh, helloooo,” Zelina giggled while playfully biting her finger.

“Not a word,” the wrestler said behind you as she placed her hands on your shoulders before moving past the both of you.

“Whatever you say Mami,” she giggled again before heading back to the living room.

You took a deep breath and let it out slowly thinking that this was the craziest thing that’s happened to you maybe ever.

The party goes on, people get chosen by the Goodness of God, AKA the wine bottle that they were spinning.

Rhea had silently handed her phone to you with the contacts app open, ready for you to add your number in. Your heart pounded with happiness as you shakily typed it in. She already had a heart with flames emoji by your name.

About an hour went by and you received a text from an unknown number. When you looked around the room, you saw Raven staring back at you with a sly smile, licking her teeth. You shivered at her stare so you read the text assuming it was from her.

Meet me at my truck in 10 min.

You watched her get up and silently walk out the door. The others were too drunk to notice her slip out.

So you waited. Somehow patiently, but you got more nervous as time went on, it felt like hours that you were waiting but you had one eye on the clock on the side table the entire time.

Ten minutes finally passed but you waited an extra minute to not seem so desperate. You stood, “I’ll be right back,” you whispered to the birthday girl. She gave you a drunken smile with a nod.

Once you walked out the door, you realized that there were a lot of trucks and you weren’t too sure about which one was hers. You walked around a bit looking for any sign.

“Took ya long enough,” you heard her accent.

Your heart jumped a little, “how was I supposed to know which was yours,” you gestured to the multiple trucks surrounding you.

She was leaned against her ride, arms crossed and one foot over the other. She stared for a few seconds then let out a sigh, “get in.”

“You’re not gonna murder me are you?”

“We’ll see,” She said. You could feel her devilish smile from there.

As you got closer to her, she opened the door to the back seat for you. You gave her a look of appreciation before climbing in. To your surprise, she followed you in and closed the door behind her.

After a slight awkward silence of her adjusting herself, you broke the ice, “What did yo-”

“Sit,” she patted her thighs.

You hesitated, blinking at her, silently asking if she was serious. She raised her eyebrows at you to answer your question. It took a good minute for you to get comfortable but you obeyed. Her threat from earlier seemed a little too real so you didn’t want to risk it.

Her hands immediately clung onto the sides of your torso, slowly running them down to your hips and down your thighs. A shiver ran through you instantly.

“We don’t have long until they notice we’re both gone,” she whispered before removing a hand from your thigh and pulling at the back of your neck. Her soft lips traced your jaw line down your neck as far as she could reach without getting uncomfortable before going back up.

A small moan fell out of you. You were bracing yourself on the headrest with one hand while the other was tangled in her black hair. “I think we will be alright for a while,” you said weakly.

“This shouldn’t take long,” she scoffed.

You backed away from her, looking into her dimly lit eyes, offended, “so you think I’m easy?”

“No, I’m just good at what I do,” she fired back proudly.

With how she was making you feel and you’ve barely done anything, obviously she was right but you couldn’t let her know that, at least not yet. “Riiight,” you rolled your eyes.

A hand quickly found your neck, gripping it tightly, “don’t underestimate me, princess.” Her breath was heavy on your lips as she glared at them.

You didn’t know you liked that until this moment. It caught you off guard but you liked it so bad. “I’m s-sorry,” you choked out. You couldn’t think of anything else to say.

Her hand alleviated the pressure but moved to the side of your neck pulling your head with it. She took the opportunity to bite at your ear, “quick leaner.”

Without you realizing it, her other hand had slipped under your skirt. As she continued to nip and kiss at your neck, the tattooed hand began to caress where you needed her most.

“Mmm,” she breathed, “that’s what I thought,” as she felt you soaking through the booty shorts you wore underneath.

All you could respond with was a moan louder than before. Arching your back at her touch, she began to draw small circles on your center.

“Mmmfuck,” you whined.

She chuckled deeply sending another shiver through you and straight to your core. Going back to kissing your lips, her free hand was now bracing your lower back wanting to sneak to your ass. Both of your hands were cupping her jaw, pulling her in as close as possible. Your hips began to grind on her hand ever so slightly as she matched your rhythm perfectly.

Minutes went by but you couldn’t get enough of her, you needed more. So you grabbed her hand and guided it under the waistband of your shorts hoping she would get the hint.

“A lil desperate, are we?” she smiled into the next kiss.

“Yes,” you kissed her, “fuck,” you kissed again, “please,” you kissed her once more.

“I don’t know, I think I like hearing you beg,” her devilish smile grew back as she ran her tongue over her teeth. The tongue piercing glinted in the street light. Your eyes grew wide at the sight, somehow you didn’t notice it before.

“Are you really gonna make me?”

“If you want me to fuck you,” she said so confidently.

Your mouth fell open. Fuck, here we go. “Fine. Please fuck me,” you said in the blandest tone.

“Oh c’mon, at least act like you want it,” and with that her hand snuck under the shorts and found your wet center, toying with your clit.

You gasped at the new sensation as you threw your head back.

“Now, do you want to try again?” she growled.

“Mhmm,” you bit your lip. The hand started to slowly work its magic, “please,” you whined this time.

“Aw, you can do better,” she added more pressure, “What do you want, princess?”

You rested your forehead on hers, barely holding yourself up from the amount of oxygen you were losing by holding your breath to not let as many moans escape but you couldn’t hold back anymore. You needed her…immediately. “God, please fuck me. I need you so bad, please.”

“I usually go by Mami but God works too,” she chuckled, “but good enough.” So she gently plunged two fingers inside of you.

“FUCK,” you cried out throwing your head back again before letting it drop back forward onto her shoulder.

She slowly pumped in and out of you as best she could. Your hips automatically found their rhythm. Breathless moans were spilling out of you as the familiar knot in your stomach was quickly forming. Her free hand was now on your ass helping you ride her fingers.

You gained some strength to lift your head up to start kissing her again. Moaning into her mouth, your hand tangled themselves in her hair once more. A few more seconds and the knot was almost undone, “Shit, I’m go-”

“Prove it,” she cut you off knowing exactly what you were going to say.

Repeated whines filled the truck as you were sweating and breathless, your arms were weak and your legs were weaker. Finally, the knot was free and you came, hard, “OH GOD,” your eyes rolled back as your back arched, your hands anchoring you to her neck. “FUCK!” as you slammed your head back onto her shoulder. Waves of pleasure shot through your body as you continued to ride it out.

She noticed that your legs began to shake so she slowly pulled out, letting you catch your breath. You heard a noise next to your ear so you lifted your head to find her sucking her fingers clean.

“Holy shit,” you breathed.

“Told you I was good,” she cooed.

“Shut up.”

[izunias-meme-hole]

Ranking Princess Zelda’s Designs

Zelda 1/Adventure of Link

So this was Zelda? Yep, this is early installment weirdness at its finest. 1/10

A Link To The Past/A Link Between Worlds/Smash Ultimate

Okay, now this design would be the base for almost every Zelda design in the series, and I can see why. It looks regal and almost divine looking, like she 100% looks like a princess that’s a reincarnation of god. 10/10

Ocarina of Time (Young)

She looks less like a princess and more like a priestess or nun, but the design for the kid isn’t that bad, especially since the pink on her attire is swapped out for more of a magenta-esque color, which honestly works a lot. 8/10

Ocarina of Time (Adult)

This design is rather fitting for Zelda, especially the colors. The shoulder pads, the blonde hair, and the usuage of different shades of purple and pink are rather nice and keep the design from being distracting. However it is the weaker design in comparison to some of the others on this list. 9/10

Tetra

Tetra IS supposed to be a reincarnation of Zelda, but you wouldn’t see that at first glance. She looks more akin to an adventurous little rascal rather than a proper princess, which honestly fits well with how she’s portrayed in the game. 10/10

Toon Zelda

I like the outfit, and I like how much it perfectly captures the likeness of OOT Zelda (with a few modifications to the design), but what is up with her crown? 9/10

Four Swords

No… just no. 2/10

Twilight Princess/Smash Bros

This design is absolutely iconic, and completely unique. The brown hair, the white and magenta dress, the more reserved yet battle ready appearance, and the fact that it’s an upgraded version of the OOT design make this design for Zelda work stand out amongst the others. Instant 10/10

Skyward Sword (Regular)

God this design is so good in context. Zelda in this game is not a princess, so of course her appearance looks more casual here, giving her personality a chance to show itself. Honestly it’s a breath of fresh air, but at the same time it keeps some elements of her older designs. 10/10

Skyward Sword (White Gown)

It’s just her with a white gown, but the imagery here is as clear as day. She’s meant to resemble Hylia, and in all honesty, I can see it. 9/10

Hyrule Warriors

I like the whole warrior princess design she has in this game, but I do believe it’s not something that would work in the main series. Still perfect for this game. 10/10

Breath of The Wild

Despite her more reserved appearance, this isn’t her royal attire, this is the closest thing she has to a casual appearance. Still it words, primarily because of the blue, and the fact that the outfit itself feels less like something a princess would wear and more like something a researcher would slap on, and considering Zelda usually represents Wisdom and the fact that she’s a complete autistic geek in this part of the timeline, it’s fitting. Instant 10/10

Breath of The Wild (Royal Attire)

Her royal attire is perfect. The royal blue, the tiara, and the fact that it keeps elements of her main design while altering them to fit better with the fact that she IS in her “princess clothes” is great. Another Instant 10/10

Breath of The Wild (Cerimonial Robes)

The pure white dress, combined with the gold are perfect. It’s basically an upgraded version of Skyward Sword Zelda’s alternate attire, and I’m all for it. Yet another instant 10/10

Tears of The Kingdom

Not really much has changed, aside from the fact that she got a haircut and bought a hood. Still a 10/10

Tears of The Kingdom (Zonai Outfit)

I like the green on the dress, but if I’m being honest, Zelda, honey this attire is weaker than your other ones. 9/10

[caswensworld]

“The outfits in Descendants: The Rise of Red are so bad” “I hate them” what Descendants are y’all talking about?

We gonna start off with Uma. No, I’m sorry, Principal Uma! She looks so good! D2 vibes all around. Sure, there’s not as many sea trinkets as I’d like there to be but I can live with that. I missed her Pirate hat and her fringed skirt! The shredded shirt, I see you, Harry Hook inspired! I love the brown sleeves with glitter, that definitely reminds me of the sea. I just got black fingerless gloves but now after seeing her, I want gold…Great. I haven’t talked about her jacket cause there’s no discussion to be said. No defense to be made. Uma will always have that fashion!

Princess Red of Wonderland here is slaying! The designer understood the assignment! Red’s style is like a combination of Mal and Evie. The gown gives Evie’s royalty and the other gives Mal’s edge. Let’s start with the dress, I have always had a thing for corsets , I don’t know what it is, I just love them. Her arm warmers! Maybe it’s something on the arms, I just find it so sexy (y’all should’ve seen me swoon over Mal’s D3 moto sport fit). Why does her dress give more Queen of Hearts then the actual Queen of Hearts. And don’t act like we didn’t see that crown, Miss Ma’am.

Now the other picture, it may be dark but I saw everything I needed to. I think that’s a double belt she’s wearing and I love wearing more than one belt! The leather pants with the gems on the side, love that! Combat boots are my true love, but y’all. Y’all. The hood. THE HOOD! WITH THE GEMS!! OHHH! I need the character pictures to drop so I know what to gender-bend and thrift.

First off all, Hades always got it on but THIS! Hades is my spirit god! I am Hadie. I can see how he pulled Maleficent. This is my father, I dressed up as this specific Hades for Halloween. I love it when my gender wears makeup, I personally like painting my nails and wearing eyeliner so to see it on Hades, I’m very happy. I am a sucker for jewelry and that choker around the neck! I recently bought my own choker because of him! His leather jacket is everything! The studs! I haves stud fetish! I need the jacket but it’s just too expensive. Now the main thing we need to talk about is THAT SHIRT! OR SHIRTS! I fully believe these are two shirts safety pinned together! I think that the blue might be long sleeve while the gray is short! I got the safety pins so I find the right shirts, I will my customizing!

The Mistress of Evil, Maleficent always has that fashion chic. The complaints I do understand are from her horns and hair. We’re gonna start with her hair. People were expecting it to be people because Mal’s was purple. Y’all, you cannot expect me to believe Mal’s hair was an inherited trait, I did not believe for a second that Maleficent had purple hair. (Imma have to do a whole other post on that). Now the horns, I do believe that her horns are there and her hair is just long enough to be wrapped around her horns. (And if not, then we go all Dragon). Now let’s talk about the pros. THE PURPLE EYESHADOW!! I LOVE THAT! The leather corset, again, something about a corset! Why do I have the feeling that’s dragon leather? If that’s a thing, is that a thing? Now let’s talk about that single arm sleeve. Even as a teenager, Maleficent still looks regal! How many chains does Maleficent have? I love that. Ulyana is a mean girl, Maleficent is a BAD girl!

It’s not that she doesn’t look good, it’s just that it’s all red. I know that’s her main color, but she does also wears black with a little bit of gold. That’s pretty much my only complaint, she looks beautiful, I love how the dress looks like roses! The sleeves, I love translucent or mesh or whatever it’s called. The crown is crowning! Don’t get me started on that corset turned collar!! But I do understand why they made her all Red so she can contrast with Queen Cinderella!

I’m am rating this because the other one we saw is not a dress, that is a cape or cloak or something, I don’t know what it’s called. This dress is very beautiful, I have always preferred her blue over her silver but I do like how the designer added silver swirls. The jewelry is everything! The earrings, the necklace, THE SILVER CROWN! IT’S BEAUTIFUL! Brandy is royalty herself! I’m not sure if you guys can see it, but she does have these shiny translucent gloves and I like them. I don’t care what you people say, even if it’s a little random, her blue braid is absolutely beautiful! I absolutely love it!! The first black Cinderella then the first Cinderella with blue hair, Brandy is the literal definition of iconic. She is the history of Cinderella.

Emilio Sosa, the designer, is amazing and he deserves his roses and trophies

[noras-dc-shenanigans]

Parents | Discovery

‘Okay. Don’t panic, Danny, no need to panic, your parents just saw you transform into Phantom and now think you’re possessing yourself and are chasing you with a giant cannon that will rip out your ghost half which would kill you for real. It’s fine. Everything’s fine, don’t panic—‘

A massive explosion ahead of him cut him off, and Danny, definitely panicking, veered to the side and phased through a building to get more distance. On the street he’d left behind, the GAV screeched as it, probably, goes up on two wheels from the hard turn his dad made to try to follow Phantom.

A little time bought, Danny dived down, just under the street, and headed in the direction he thought his abandoned observatory was in. While underground travel was great for escaping, it was awful for navigation. Once he’d gone far enough he couldn’t feel the ecto from the giant cannon anymore, Danny cautiously popped his head above ground.

And groaned, because he’s way out on the edges of town, and nowhere near his hideout.

‘I have got to get a compass or something. At least then I could keep in a straight line!’

Sighing, Danny went both invisible and intangible, just to be safe, and started heading back into the city proper. He’d only been flying— slowly, cautiously, looking out for any traps— about five minutes when he heard voices.

Normally, Danny would ignore it, it’s not his business what people are doing, but the voices were coming from an abandoned building and it was like 2:00 in the morning (he thought) and well… at this point anything shady is probably ghost related, so he might as well—

And yup, there it was, the gasp of cold air. Joy.

With a heartfelt, totally unnecessary sigh, Danny veered off to the building and popped his head through a wall, still invisible. It’s took him a moment to adjust from street-lights to nothing, but then he could see what’s going on.

Only… he had no idea what’s going on.

There’s a group of people that certainly looked like they should be ghosts, but other than the faint ecto signature off one larger one…

They seemed to be human. Weird humans, but human.

The largest was dressed in all black, with a cape and a pointy cowl and his lower face being the only visible skin. The maybe-ghost was the next largest, with a red helmet and brown leather jacket over black combat clothes, and some sort of chest armor with a red bat on it.

Then there’s a slightly shorter, more slenderly built one in a skintight black suit with a blue bat and striped down his arms to his fingers. He’s got nothing but a black domino mask on, showcasing his black hair.

The next two also had dominos and black hair, though the middle one was pale and in a red armor-vest thing and tight black pants, and the shortest had darker skin and more green.

All of them were standing around Big Black, who was holding up some sort of device that was giving off noises. Judging by the arguing going on, the noises weren’t good ones. As Danny watched, another person in all purple walked out of a side room, this one appearing female with blond hair under a purple hood, a matching mask over her nose and mouth. She joined the group and said something just out of Danny’s super-hearing range, and they all responded by turning their attention back to the noisy devise.

Danny was still contemplating how to approach the situation when some instinct in him caused him to go back intangible, having involuntary dropped it earlier to concentrate on invisibility. Half a second later, a slim figure in all black, including a helmet, dropped through him. They hit the floor with a roll, and by the time Danny had shot up into the rafters all the others had taken battle stances. Big Black had some sort of shurikan thingy, Red Helmet guns, Blue Stripe two batons, Red Vest and Purple had staffs, and Green Cape a thin sword. Small Black popped out of the roll and into a fighting stance Danny had seen his mom take, so he assumed it was karate.

Somehow, most of them were staring straight at him, despite his invisibility still being up. Just to test, Danny flew sideways a few yards, and yup, they could see him somehow. He’s betting there’s some sort of tech in those masks of theirs.

For another few moments, they’re at a standmate. Then there was an explosion somewhere outside, and Danny startled enough to become visible again. There’s another big BANG! and then some screams, followed by—

“Oh come on!”

Completely fed up, Danny took off in the direction of the familiar shouting, totally forgetting about the Weird People he left behind.

Less than two minutes later, Phantom showed up in the downtown area and sucker punched Skulker in the metal face, taking the hunter ghost by surprise. He corrected himself mid-fall and shot off a bunch of lasers to distract Phantom, before beginning his very, very, very worn-out speech.

“Ghost Child! I have come to finally claim your pelt! With my new upgrades, you won’t escape me again!”

Phantom, unimpressed, rolled his eyes and shot several ecto-blasts at the annoying rogue as he retorted,

“Uh-huh, right. Remind me again, is this the fifth or sixth time this month you’ve said that? I’m thinkin sixth.”

Dodge. Spin. Shoot, shoot, dodge, shoot. Taunt Skulker into doing something stupid with his new jet pack, ice it over, suck him into the thermos before he can recover.

‘Just another day of ghost hunting.’ He thought wryly, clipping the thermos to his belt and taking off before someone can show up to shoot at him. Danny automatically headed for his house, keeping low and invisible, before stopping dead in an empty alley a few blocks away.

‘Oh. Right.’

Memories of his parents just— was it really just an hour ago? Ready to tear him apart to get to their son flooded his mind, and despite not needing to he sucked in a breath, battling the tears that popped into his eyes.

‘I can’t go home.’

The thought hit abruptly, and brutally. Suddenly, Danny found himself in the corner of the alley, behind a bunch of broken pallets. Tears streamed down his face, choked-down sobs barely escaped his mouth, and he curled in on himself, core aching in the way he imagined his heart would, if he changed back.

‘But you can’t do that anymore either, remember? Not after whatever they hit you with. It’s gone. Your human half is gone. You can’t switch back, can’t be separated again, not like that time with their weird invention. This is permanent.’

Grief, pure and thick, shuddered through Danny as he sat there, for minutes or hours or days. He didn’t care, couldn’t, not after losing so much. His humanity, his parents, his home.

All of it, gone, in just a few minutes.

By the time the Halfa’s emotion had run their course, the sky had just barely begun to lighten, and the niggling feeling that he’d forgotten something rushed back threefold when several silhouettes appeared on all sides.

‘Oh, right. The Weird Humans.’

Some part of Danny thought he should be getting up, running, fighting, something. But the larger part, the kid under the hero, the teenager who just wanted his parents, couldn’t work up the strength.

He watched, as if through a tv screen, as Big Black cautiously approached. As the others all moved in, blocked both ends of the alley and the rooftop. He stared blankly, face still hot and wet from his tears, as Big Black knelt in front of him and started talking. Danny couldn’t get his brain booted back up enough to understand, and after a few minutes BB seemed to give up.

Instead, he got closer, and closer, and then Danny was being carried away. The man was holding him gently to his chest, grip firm but not restraining. After a few moments, Danny let his head gently thunk to the man’s chest armor, and closed his eyes.

He was just— just too tired to take anything else. Two to three ghost fights a day, barely attending classes, grades dropping lower and lower as the school year drags on… passing out on top of his homework, rushing out at all time of the night, being shot at by his parents and Red Huntress and rogue ghosts.

Losing his friends, Tucker to his parent’s new job in another state, Sam to her parent’s fancy boarding school in Europe. His sister, to a college half a country away.

His parents, to their prejudice and rage.

It was all just— just too much.

Danny just wanted a break.

“It’s all right, lad. You’re safe with us.”

The voice is gruff, but gentle, and he’d been wrapped in something warm and tucked comfortingly against a chest and it’s just been so long since he felt safe he just…

He just gave in.

————

Alright, my contribution to DPxDCFamilyWeek! Just finished on time!

[maybe-your-left]

Do you think fuckboy Kylo would be down to do couple's costumes? Also would get mad at reader for doing a slutty costume, or would he join her?

yes.

of course, he is.

he enjoys group costumes too.

let us MUSE.

he's gone many times as the king of the Frat, dressed like Hugh Hefner, with the silk robe, a cigar, and plenty of bunnies surrounding him. he wanted you to be a bunny but you didn't like the idea of sharing him with others.

his ideas for couples' costumes are all sexual in nature, he likes when you show some skin, that way he can mark you up the night before and make everyone jealous of his claim on you.

Vampires are another favorite, he will play and bite you throughout the night while you're socializing. sinking his fangs into your tender flesh, leaving lovely marks on your already purpled skin from previous escapades.

little red riding hood is another he threw into the mix, making sure you were in a short little hooded dress. pressing and pinching in all the right places, your chest was spilling out from the tight collar. your little basket full of drinks for him throughout the night, he dressed as a wolf, big muscles ripping through flannel shirts, and he even grew out his beard to create a feral effect. you guys didn't even make it out the doorway.

at another party, he wanted to dress you up as a little doggie, complete with ears and a collar. a special collar that you suspected he had bought for other purposes... he was a responsible 'pet owner' who walked you on a leash in nothing but a nude-colored set of underwear and pasties, complete with a little tail that he carefully placed inside your ass. it was a cold night but he loved showing off his little puppy.

he has other costumes that aren't so demeaning to you, he assures you that he values how beautiful your skin looks all slicked with sweat from keeping yourself on all fours throughout the night. whispering into your hair while you tremble from the multiple lets from others coming to say hi to the frat king himself.

some classics he likes to throw around would be: hockey players, he wants to relive his glory days, the Mandalorian, he has the helmet and you have to admit it's fun to blow him while he wears the armor. Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps is another rotation, he likes to wear the speedo and the medals glisten against his oiled chest.

I hope these ideas for Halloween really help you see what kind of sloot he likes you to be dressed as.

also, he can walk me on a leash anytime.

[showfallmediamaintenance]

[Video transcript begin.] 

[The recording is blurry, as someone jogs up to something indistinguishable. Everything appears as a blob of colour, the most prominent ones being grey and white. The camera stops shaking, and finally is able to refocus. The video is taken from the front pocket of a dress shirt, as are most.]

?: I don’t think I’ve been over here more than three times…

[Voice identified: Edgar.]

[In frame, a broken brown door. On a nameplate near the top the words “Editorial room #4” are seen. Closer to the bottom, multiple bloodied handprints and the name “Ruby” written multiple times in dried blood. Seemingly somewhere around or over a few months old.]

E: … This is probably where I need to be, huh.

[Edgar walks over to the door, before entering the room.]

[The room is dark, with the exception of a phone light. And a blue lantern sitting on a desk, the walls and floor are covered in dried blood. Older than the blood on the door. Sitting in an office chair is a person in a blue hoodie, the hood down revealing their pink hair. The sound of a drink being drunk is heard.]

E: Hello?

?: Give me a minute, I'm drinking hot chocolate.

[Voice identified: Emi.]

E: Dude. Seriously?

Em: Yes! It's cold in here, you want a pack? It's not poisoned. I bought it from Walmart.

[Edgar sighs.]

E: Fine. Sure. Whatever.

Em: Cool.

[Emi tosses a small white packet behind her.]

[Edgar moves to catch it, but it falls to the floor, his hand missing by an inch. He crouches down and picks it up.]

Em: Damn-

E: Okay. What’s your angle here? Why are you giving me fucking hot chocolate. 

[Emi sighs.]

Em: Listen dude. I'm not gonna lie to you, I hate you. But unlike that purple bitch, it's not impossible for me to be nice when I want to be nice.

E: Neat. Are you done drinking your hot chocolate? I’d like to start this fight before the logical part of my brain tells me to leave.

Em: Oh yeah, you ready?

[Emi spins around, wearing an white eyepatch and the bottom half of an oni mask, painted in red. Holding up a pocket knife.]

E: Ready as I’ll ever be. Can I have a second to put a few things off to the side? I don’t know how easy it would be to replace this phone.

Em: My dad taught me to treat every fight with honor, even if you hate the person with a passion. Go ahead bro.

[Edgar places the phone on a desk, allowing a view of the full room to be recorded. He also puts the packet on the desk out of frame. After he’s done, he hefts his crowbar into the air, raising his eyebrows at Emi.]

Em: You sure you really want to do this? Like, I hate you. But if you wanna back out I won't stop you.

E: I’m sure, but it seems like you aren’t. 

Em: I mean… You still don't know what happens if I win, but let's get this over with, I have planning to do.

[Edgar nods, and wastes no time in swinging his crowbar at Emi’s torso, she ducks out of the way before it can collide. The momentum sends Edgar stumbling forward.]

[Emi uses the momentum to punch Edgar in the upper arm area, causing him to fall before jumping up and swinging again. Emi ducks it.]

Em: COME ON EDGAR! GOTTA BE FASTER THAN THAT!

[Edgar switches where his hands are on the crowbar, now allowing the crowbar to be used as a sort of spear. He lunges forward and rams the rounded end of the crowbar into Emi’s ribs.]

Em: SON OF A BITCH-

[Emi falls to the ground, before swinging the pocket knife at Edgar's legs, slicing them multiple times.]

[No response from Edgar, as he grabs her hair and slams her head into a desk.]

[Emi grabs her head, blood slowly falling from where he slammed her head down.]

Em: I COULD TELL ROSE ABOUT RUBY! I COULD GIVE HER INFO SHE DOESN'T HAVE! WHAT DO YOU GET FROM KILLING ME?

E: Honestly, nothing. But then again, what do I get from keeping you alive?

[He kicks the pink haired woman, no other emotion than pure neutrality in his voice.]

Em: Help! You get help… [Whispered.] Gotcha.

[Emi grabs an empty plant pot, bashing it into Edgar's leg. He stumbles pretty badly, giving Emi the chance to stand up.]

Em: Let me ask Edgar, what happens if you kill me? What happens to Rose when she does things alone?

E: Can’t really think of anything other than ‘you die,’ dude. What are you implying here.

Em: Rose would have died from her wounds if I didn’t help her right? To think, poor little Rosie cut herself open because of you.

[Emi stomps on Edgar's foot, her eyebrows showing she is smiling through this all.]

[Edgar shouts as her foot is brought down, before he grabs Emi’s arm and sinks his teeth into it. He pushes her arm away from him, tearing off the chunk he’d bitten. Which he then swallows. Before making an odd facial expression. It's a mix of disgust and a tiny bit of disbelief. Both emotions appear to be targeted inwards.]

E: Okay, never doing that again. That felt... very wrong. Different from the other times.

Em: You really are a fucking monster, huh?

[Emi grabs Edgar before he can respond and knees him in the gut, blood dripping from her arm onto the back of Edgar's shirt.]

[He coughs violently for a few seconds, before he lifts his head to look at Emi again. His grip on the crowbar tightens, his hands now back to where they were before.]

Em: How can Rosie care about someone like you? You eat human flesh, and you helped make and set up the death box for Showfall. You deserve to be dead.

E: Seems like someone forgot how masks work. And what makes you any better, huh? What things have you done to grant you a spot in heaven?

Em: I never said that Edgar, I know I'm going to hell. The difference between you and me? I didn't eat living human flesh.

E: [A chuckle.] I don’t plan to make more of a habit of it. Just following through with a threat. 

[Emi kicks the man in the side, laughing as she does. He stumbles sideways and falls.]

Em: How much longer until you’re just like the rest of this company? You're already friends with Iris despite knowing she has Sparrow's best friend under lock and key.

E: If you want a true estimate, I don’t think I could ever be ‘just like the rest of this company.’ Even if I wanted to.

Em: Hm… And what about Sparrow? You could try and help their friend, instead. You listed reasons for them to like Iris?

E: I don’t know why you think that my fuck-up gives you the right to pretend to give a shit about Sparrow, but it doesn’t. You can drop the act now.

Em: I don't care Edgar, I just find it funny you act like some high and mighty hero. When all you've ever managed to do is hurt the people who care about you.

E: I’m not a hero, never wanted to be one, either. Kinda just trying to survive. Now, are we ready to keep fighting? Or do you want to break down my non-existent self esteem a little more?

Em: Just thinking.

[Emi stabs Edgar in the shoulder, Edgar screams. And seconds later, he hops up, sprinting forward and pinning Emi to the wall with the crowbar lengthwise across her neck.]

Em: [Behind coughing.] Ow, fucker…

E: Gotcha. [A pause.] I wasn’t planning on even getting close to winning, Emi. But this was a pleasant surprise.

Em: Wrong, look down stupidass.

[Edgar glances downwards, now noticing a knife pressed up against his stomach. He looks back up at Emi.]

E: Oh, you sneaky son of a bitch.

Em: Try anything and I'll gut you like a fucking fish.

E: Mhm, same here, I’ll crush your throat just as fast as you can slice my stomach open.

[He makes eye contact, smiling slightly.]

E: So I guess we’re at a sort of stalemate

[Silence.]

Em: Marcy.

E: Excuse me?

Em: The girl Rose was trying to remember. Her name is Marcy. I met her once. Lied about not knowing.

E: Nice. I’ll be sure to let her know. If we ever decide who won the fight, that is. How long can you hold that knife there?

Em: I could say the same about the crowbar.

E: I’m running off of pure adrenaline, and I don’t think that’s going to go away until this is done. So... a while.

Em: You’re welcome for the girls name by the way, consider it my gift for giving me a good fight.

E: Yeah, you’re not getting anything remotely close to a ‘thank you’ from me, Emi. 

[Emi spins the knife around in her hand.]

Em: Y'know, I'm not giving up until you give up.

E: Awesome. I’m not giving up until you give up. 

Em: You give up first!

E: No, you give up first! … This is like a high school couple talking on the phone, except with killing each other. And definitely not a couple. I would rather drink a cup of fire ants than even think about dating you.

Em: Yeah- Anyway. No you give up first

E: Whoever complains about their arms getting tired first loses.

Em: Deal!

[The two stand there for over 34 minutes, neither one moving. They begin speaking at some points, it never lasts long. Finally, Emi shouts loudly in annoyance, and a loud mechanical scream is heard.]

Em: Fuck-

E: Oh, shit.

Em: Um… Agree to a dra-

[Emi is cut off by the sound of something heavy running, two bright green lights pop into frame as something runs into the doorframe.]

Em: SHIT-

E: A draw seems nice. Let’s hope you’re a fast runner, though. I’d rather do the honors of killing you myself, instead of letting you get mauled by… y’know.

Em: Is she looking at me?

[The lights become focused on Emi, a loud static is heard from the creature.]

E: Yes.

Em: …Hi Ruby… Long time no see huh?

[The creature stops, static is all that's heard.]

Em: Um… That’s not good is it?

E: I don’t speak static. But I can feel the hatred from here. I’d suggest you get going before she figures out how to bend down.

Em: IT'S IN THE FUCKING DOORWAY DUDE!

E: I don’t know why you’re yelling at me about it. I didn’t put her there.

[The static switches to distorted speaker audio, the song is identified as “Ruler of everything” despite being extremely distorted and only one word on loop.]

?: End- End- End- End- End- 

[This continues throughout the rest of the transcript.]

E: Hm. I think that means she wants to give you a hug, Emi. 

Em: I'M NOT HUGGING THAT BITCH!

[Edgar fakes a dramatic gasp, mocking Emi with his tone. His words sound forced.] 

E: Oh my, Emi. That’s no way to treat your sister! Go apologize! 

[Edgar releases the pressure on the crowbar, allowing Emi to step forward away from the wall, he shoves her towards the door. She turns around to stare at him.]

Em: RUBY IS DEAD! EVEN YOU'VE ADMITTED THAT!

[The creature begins scratching at the door frame, attempting to move towards Emi's bleeding arm.]

E: Emi. You can either be out there with Ruby, or be in here with me. And in both situations, your chances of survival are about the same. Go. 

Em: I CAN'T! IT IS IN THE WAY! WE ARE BOTH STUCK IN HERE DUMBFUCK!

[The creature backs up.]

E: Well, would you look at that. An opening. Now, again. Do you want to risk staying in here with me? Or do you want to see how fast you can run out there with Ruby? Take your pick.

[Emi begins running, dropping her mask and a photo on the ground as she does. As soon as she gets out of the doorway, the creature begins to give chase.]

E: [Shakily.] Finally. Jesus… the hell did she drop?

[Edgar moves over to the dropped mask and photograph, picking them up. Squinting at them.]

E: Oh. That’s… I should give this to Rose when I–

[One of his legs buckles inwards, causing him to stumble and drop to his hands and knees. His breathing becomes ragged as the adrenaline boost begins to subside, he attempts to stand up, failing once, but succeeding the second time.]

E: [Quietly.] Just g– gotta make it back to M– Mari’s hideout. Just a little bit more walking. Come on. 

[Using the crowbar as a sort of support, he makes his way over to the desk that has his phone and the white packet. But before he picks up the phone, he moves out of frame. A violent retching noise is heard as he vomits off camera. When he re-enters the frame, he is using the table as a support as well as the crowbar. He picks up his phone, causing it to go out of focus with the intensity of the shaking in his hands. It gets stuffed into his front pocket, and the white packet presumably goes into a pocket in his pants.]

E: M– maybe I can make t– that for Sparrow. Wh– when I get back. P– peace offering, of s– sorts? Need to make sure it’s not– ugh, poisoned, though.

[Edgar slowly moves towards the door, nearly tripping over himself twice. Once he exits the room, he leans on the wall for support. And he slowly begins making his way back to the hideout.]

[Transcript end.]

[adventuresindolls]

Dolls for Sale

Hi y'all! I have come to the conclusion that I have been avoiding doll stuff because my collection has become overwhelming. So, I am selling a few of my dolls, with a handful of outfits each.

Disclaimer so you know what you're in for before scrolling this post: none of these dolls are AG-brand, but some of the clothes are. Many more of the clothes are beautifully made by various creators on etsy.

Disclaimer the second: If you are interested in only part of a collection I've put together, or if you want a doll but can't afford what I'm asking message me and we can talk. I would really, really like to sell these to someone on tumblr because I've loved them and I want to know someone else will, too.

Even if you have no interest, please reblog so others see this.

I've listed them by their names, but obviously you can rename them.

Miko - $35

Miko is a My Life As doll with an half-hard body that I bought in 2021. I didn't modify her at all and she's in excellent condition. Her hair could be brushed out a little, but it's not tangled or anything.

Miko comes with 5 outfits: the mushroom jumpsuit she's wearing (from etsy), a purple Frozen 2 dress with zipper (from etsy), a cat Halloween dress (I don't remember the exact brand, it's some cheap doll brand, but it is very cute), the green and black witch dress (from the AG Halloween costume of the last 2 years - note I'm keeping the gloves but if you really want the boots you can have them), and a blue and silver gymnastics leotard (AG brand, retired at some point in the past). She has two pairs of shoes: the red ones she came with and the cute blue and white buckle ones she's wearing (I got them secondhand and I'm unsure of brand).

Lexie - $35

Lexie is an Our Generation doll that I bought new in 2020. She was actually the first doll in my adult collection, and I really want her to have a good home. I gave her a new wig only a couple months ago, and she is in perfect condition except for this tiny mark on her cheek I didn't even notice until I took this picture.

Lexie comes with five outfits: the space dress she's wearing (Our Generation), a Halloween witch hat dress (from etsy), a yellow and black striped dress (from etsy), a bathing suit with a fabric flower (from etsy), and a purple and white gown with lavender 3D fabric flowers and a zipper (from etsy). She also has two pairs of shoes: the blue slip-ons she came with and the pink plaid lace-up hightops (Our Generation).

Olive - $25

Olive is another My Life As doll with half a hard body that I found last year at the thrift store. I cleaned them up and gave them a new wig. I did trim it a little so their eyes were still visible. They have a couple of small clear streaks on their face that might be glue but are basically invisible in pictures, and their curls could use some defrizzing. For someone who knows what they're doing, none of that should be difficult to fix--I personally have trouble getting all doll hair to cooperate.

Olive comes with six mix-and-match pieces: the Rainbow Dash t-shirt (from etsy) and shorts (also from etsy--it's not visible from this angle but they have the old girl-reading AG logo on them) they're wearing, a Superman t-shirt (from etsy), red corduroys (Our Generation), a green jacket (Our Generation), and a pair of black leggings (I'm unsure of brand, but they look fun under the shorts). They have a pair of blue slip-on shoes (Our Generation).

Sophie - $35

Sophie is an Our Generation Glitter Girls doll I bought in 2020 not long after Lexie. I changed her wig within the last four months and trimmed her bangs so you can see her eyes. She's in excellent condition with nothing wrong. She's the same size as the Wellie Wishers, and like them her entire body is hard plastic.

Sophie comes with five outfits: (1) the Ariel dress (from etsy) she's wearing and the pink glittery books she came with (though some of their glitter has worn off); (2) Wellie Wisher Starry Sky pajamas and hooded blanket; (3) a Wellie Wishers winter outfit with coat, leggings, hat, wrap, headband, and pink boots; (4) a pink and silver gown from etsy that closes with a zipper; (5) a 3-piece historical costume including a head kerchief.

Note: prices are negotiable but don't include shipping. I'm trying to save up to collect smaller dolls that are less overwhelming but expensive.

[lovemarisolluna]

An unsolicited AG review: Zip-Up Sweatsuit (2005)

Whaaaaaat? Me and Marisol are back after 2 years with another unsolicited outfit review? It's more likely than you think. Let's get dangerous into it.

Per the wiki: The Zip-Up Sweatsuit is a Just Like You outfit released in 2005 and retired in 2007. Retail cost was $24. The outfit was loosely tied to the first four Historical Character Mysteries, ie, they put them in the catalog together on the same page.  Here's the attractive stock photo:

oooo, ahhhh

I've had this outfit on my wishlist for months. Why? I don't actually know what about it appealed to me. I was working on potential book titles for a "central series" (and more) for my Marisol doll, and I wanted a "sneaky" casual outfit for her mystery books. What better to sneak around and solve mysteries in than a cool dark purple sweatsuit? Now, I'm not usually one to buy early 2000s AG outfits. A lot of them feel kinda dated to me more than nostalgic, because I had Kirsten and that was it and my parents wouldn't buy me any other AG stuff until years later. So most outfits (Garden Party outfit and Heart-Print pjs, I'm looking at you) don't really do it for me.  But the sweatsuit is pretty basic, and by 2005 AG had started to mellow out a bit with their designs and began leaning towards more casual outfits with mix and match appeal.

Mooooving on, I bought it. Like new, with box. And then got slightly stuck on how to style it. This outfit has 4 pieces. Tee shirt with lettuce hem, zip suit jacket (no hood, so not a hoodie), matching sweatpants, and sneakers. Pretty basic stuff.

The jacket and pants are nice. Thick (but not too thick to be doll scaled weight) and trimmed with berry-red topstitching and a red zipper. The jacket has a decal of a red star and says American Girl underneath it. This is repeated on the hip of the pants. This isn't AG's star logo, its a little more rounded than their innerstar design. Jacket loses a point for having fake pockets, but its cute and has great mix and match potential. Jacket gets an A. The pants get an A-,  mostly because I don't typically dress my dolls in anything besides jeans or leggings or the occasional skirt, so I don't think my dolls will be wearing these much.

Now the tee. I don't really like lettuce hems. They're very Of An Era, and I always found them uncomfortable to wear. However, this shirt is really cute. The fabric is nice and thick, again without being too bulky. It's a great basic, and the simple tee design make sit easy to pair with a lot. However. This is the matching kid's shirt.

Look at that cute design with headshots of Kaya, Samantha, Molly and Kit!!

This design was featured on other products as well. The mystery party sets, and the bath products that were all marketed together with the first(?) historical mystery books. The doll tee, instead, has pastel colored circles instead of the pictures. Did they not show up well at scale: tiny? Did they not want to get too meta, in terms of dealing with the fact that your doll can wear another doll-slash-book character's face on their shirt? The world will never know. Luckily, that's why photoshop exists (see below). Shirt gets a solid B for good matching potential. I can see myself using this frequently.

Now onto the shoes. I hate them. I really do. AG had this weird period of time where all their sneakers were bulky, with thick soles, slightly pointed toes, and raw unfinished fabric edges at the top of the shoe. The Basketball outfit II (2005) and Tennis outfit II (also 2005) are other examples of this. I hate all of them. The do have one thing going for them. These sneakers go really nicely with this outfit. I like that they reversed the outfit colors, the sneakers are a dark pink that matches nicely with the red trim on the jacket and pants, with purple as an accent color. I will never use these shoes ever. C-

Now. Do I love all of the pieces of the zip-up sweatsuit outfit together? No. But, it works great for mixing and matching with other pieces, particularly things from around the same time. Here's how I styled it for Marisol's summer fit. Marisol lives in Chicago, but its not warm here in the PNW, and the jacket is still great for mystery solving at night.

Looking fly as hell, Marisol.

She's wearing the jacket, tshirt (with the character images photoshopped on. Maybe I can look into iron on transfers, but they'd have to go on over the existing decals...hmmm) shorts from the 1998 Picnic Outfit, and my favorite sneakers from the 2001 Skateboard outfit. She's currently wearing Gabriela's red headphones with it, and it would also look really good with the red flowered headband from the 1998 Play outfit. 

Overall, I'd say this outfit gets a hand wavy low A- for mix and matching potential. Have fun out there and don't do anything I wouldn't do!

[i-hold-horrors-hand]

Baci Sotto Il Vischio

Mistletoe fluff with the Papas and their Prime Movers.

Chapter 3: Terzo and Cassie

(Also readable on AO3)

  Cassie stretched as she entered the suite of rooms she shared with her husband—the old papal suite of one Papa Emeritus the Third. It'd been a long day, and she was eager to relax in bed with him. However, as she made her way into the bedroom, she noticed that he wasn't there.

Odd. He was usually there before she was, waiting for her. "Keeping the bed warm", as he said. But apparently, not tonight.

Wondering just where the hell he was, Cassie noticed a small folded up piece of paper, tied with a small purple ribbon. Untying the ribbon and unfolding the note, she smiled to herself.

Be at the gazebo in the garden at 7:00. I will be waiting, my love.—Terzo. (PS: wear that new dress. You know the one ;) )

She did indeed know which dress he was referring to—a wintery pale-teal dress that she'd bought recently, with white fur trim along the wrists, hem, neck, and attached hood. Terzo had said that it made her look like "that Disney princess in that movie with Idina Menzel, but prettier."

Thoughts of relaxing were now gone as Cassie changed into the dress and hurried out of the papal suite, pulling on a pair of gloves as she went. She didn't want to keep her husband waiting, and she herself was eager to see what he had in store for her.

  The snow crunched under her boots as she made the trek through the garden, an excited spring in her step. The dress was insulated enough that she barely noticed how cold the air was, and her excitement wasn't letting her focus much on it anyway. She was preoccupied with meeting up with Terzo for what was—knowing him—most likely a romantic little surprise.

And he didn't disappoint.

As she neared the gazebo—which was decorated with strings of lovely pale white lights—she saw Terzo standing in it, waiting for her. Upon spotting her, he waved and gestured for her to join him, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Cassie practically skipped the rest of the way, pulling up the skirt of her dress a bit so she wouldn't trip.

Taking hold of Terzo's outstretched hands, she paused to get a good look at him. He cut a fine figure in a white turtleneck sweater, a deep indigo-black vest and matching pants completing the look, with a matching jacket with white fur trim keeping him warm. He looked stunning. As usual.

"Buonasera, darling." He kissed her forehead sweetly. "You look beautiful."

"And you look handsome as ever."

Terzo waved off her compliment, as if to say 'I know', and pulled her closer. "Are you ready to know why I called you here?"

Cassie nodded.

"Look up."

Cassie did so, and smiled. Above them, hanging down from the centre of the gazebo, was a little sprig of white-berried mistletoe, decorated with a small red bow. Of course. She'd been expecting something like this—whenever this time of year rolled around, Terzo wasted no opportunity to get her under the mistletoe. It was one of his favourite traditions. And hers, too.

Looking back at her husband, Cassie reached up a hand to cup his cheek, and leaned in to kiss him. Terzo slid his arms around her waist, pulling her closer as he deepened the kiss, holding her tightly.

"You old romantic," Cassie giggled, once they'd pulled away.

"Oh, but it gets better, dolce."

"Does it?"

Terzo smirked as he stepped back briefly, reaching to press a button on something that Cassie hadn't noticed until just now—Copia's old boom box. Momentarily, she wondered if Copia knew that it was missing, before the sounds of an instrumental version of a romantic carol pushed that thought away, replacing it with one of wintertime romance.

"Dance with me, my love." Terzo held out a gloved hand to her, mistmatched eyes shining with heart-bursting affection.

"Don't mind if I do, tesoro." Cassie took his hand in hers and put her other one on his shoulder, staring into her husband's eyes as they began to spin and swirl around the gazebo.

  Relaxing in bed together could definitely wait. Right now, they were going to dance the night away.

[kandadiff]

Van Der Wulff : (S)Laughter

~

Slaughter. The word written in big glowing letters lit up the surrounding area few feet above the door into the night. The S blinking every few seconds - a play on words to make the dangerous word sound playful. A line of desperate men and anxious girls tried to get in past the mean looking bouncer who as soon as he saw us, motioned for us to quickly come in.

"Did Negan open another club?" I whispered to you but was met with no answer. Unlike Negan's club 'The Red Room' which was decorated in different shades of red and black, Slaughter was dripped in deep purples and contrasting bright gold shades, flecks of lime speckled on the walls like radioactive blood. This was different.

"What drink?" Katya asked as we walked toward the bar. The bartender full of showmanship (tossing up the bottles and catching them as he mixed the drinks) ignored the other patrons as soon as we approached the bar. Katya put some orders in his hooded eyes stayed glued to me as he made our drinks. 'On the house, of course' he said casually when she tried to pass him her card. She smiled and cheered to herself but it just made me feel uneasy. I turned away from him uncomfortably and tried to search the crowd for Negan and when I couldn't find him I searched for Simon, Shawn or even Amber. But it turned up empty. Where was I?

"I don't remember this place." I said taking the drink from the bartender. It was a speciality drink and as soon a I sipped a burst of blueberry flavoring burst on my tongue and the drink sipped down smooth. Too smooth. This drink was dangerous, you could drink a lot and not even realize how drunk you were getting. "Is it new?"

"No. The old owner was bought out last week." A voice a few feet away from me said and turning to the older woman my smile faded. Bethany looked at me up and down. "Embracing family history? Dress like your mother, in your fathers colors? Should make him proud." She chuckled to herself and I scowled. "That look will cause wrinkles, dear. If that happens, then how will you keep all those men on the line? You're smarts?" She scoffed "I promise you," she looks me up and down again "that not what their looking for."

"You would know, right?" I retorted. "How is it to be way past your prime?" Kassie's eyes widened as Bethany shook her head a smirk still on her face. I hated how much that reminded me of Damien. "Aren't you married? Why are you here?"

"Aren't you in a relationship with my son?" She snapped back "Why are you here? You will not solve your increasing daddy issues on the lap of some 45 year old you meet at a club." she takes a sip of her drink. "If you were smart, you'd figure that out by now."

Angry and not wanting to hear her anymore I looked at the three of you and shook my head. "Always a true pleasure talking with you, Bethany. Be sure not to drink so much, I know how your meds react with alcohol." With that I turned and walked into the crowd.

"Wow." Kassie giggled then looked at Bethany and drank her water cup.

"I have to talk with you." Bethany said looking directly at you. Katya, taking the hint finished her drink and grabbed Kassie's arm.

"Let's dance!" She drags her towards the filling dance floor and you turn towards Bethany.

"Remember what we talked about?" She asks finishing her drink and tapping her glass for another. Once the bartender gave her a fresh drink she reaches in her purse pulling out a big filled with little pink pills. "Ecstasy. Not the best but good enough for your first time. Want to really start making the big bucks? You have until...." She checks her watch "3 when the club closes. $50 a pop and anything you don't sell you have to pay for-double."

You looked at her and nodded. You could do this.

~

It was a red flag when I was let into the VIP area with no questions. I was ushered to a lone table in the center of the room. There were other people in the VIP area, but none of them were Negan or even at the thanksgiving dinner that happened two weeks ago.

On the elevated platform that was in the VIP area, I felt vulnerable and overexposed. It was becoming clearer and clearer that Negan was not here, then who was? Bethany would never be allowed in a club run by Lucian. Then who else? I shifted uncomfortably and finished off my drink. A bottle girl quickly came over refilling my drink. I stopped her from leaving "Who owns this club?" I asked and she looked at me surprised and laughed before walking away.

An overly-tattooed man took the seat across from me as I sipped on my drink. The main tattoo that drew my eye to him was a black eye on his forehead. He smiled over at me, his diamond grills sparkling in the light. "Hey baby, who are you?"

I chuckled amused looking around, a few eyes glancing over. One figure imparticular eyed us closely. His hulking frame barley contained in his black shirt and his face stirred a sense of strange familiarity in it. Like I had seen him distantly before, or maybe someone who looked like him in a movie.

"Hello!" The tattooed man brought my attention back to him. I rolled my eyes and looked at him. He chuckled. "Who do you belong to?"

I scoffed. "No one."

"Oh you're on that feminist shit." He leaned in, his strong cologne making my eyes sting. Did he bath in it? "Then who will I piss off if I take you home?"

The man in the corner caught my eye again. He moved closer , to the table just next to us and leaned over. He spoke to another man who couldn't care less what was happening to me but his blue eyes stayed on me and the man.

"You're not taking me anywhere." I said looking back at the tattooed man.

He let out a throaty chuckle "Do you know who I am?" I shook my head uninterested. "They call me monster. Do you know why?"

"No" I said sighing and standing up. I moved towards the opposite table of the familiar man. I looked at 'Monster' "And I don't care."

"Because" he continued as though I wasn't done with the conversation. "I hunt down, stuck up little bitches like you and turn them back into the scared little girls I know they are." He chuckled at my scowl. "Now, sit on my lap and ill be easy on you." I went to walk away from him and out of the corner of my eye I saw the familiar man go to grab something shiny under the table. A gun? A knife? A bracelet? "Don't make a scene." Monster ordered and for a brief moment the stranger and I looked at each other, I put my feet on the nearby table booth and stood up. I subtly shook my head and turned towards Monster. "Sit down, little girl!"

"Okay." I said and leaped from the booth square onto his elevated legs. His knees made a sharp snapping sound my heels made contact with him. His legs resembling a wrong way boomerang. He shrieked in pain and I settled on his lap. "Oh don't cry now" I laughed ripping the sunglasses from his face. We were in a club at night, who the fuck wears sunglasses inside a club?! "I thought you were big and bad?"

"I'll kill you bitch!" He screamed in pain but his hands clutched his broken legs. I felt eyes turn towards me, gasps following when they realized what happened.

"Oh please," I said flippantly and punched his legs. He let out another bloodcurdling scream that was drowned out by the music. "You know what they call me?" I whispered to him digging my knuckle into his broken leg. "You know who I am?"

A manic echoing laugh chilled me to my bone and I stood up turning around seeing the man himself. His cane moved from his hand to under his arm as he clapped and laughed. His outfit consisted of a open button-down and black leather pants. His cane matched the decor around us and thats when it hit me. It was his club.

He moved his fingers and his masked bodyguards grabbed 'Monster' and brought him to Joker. "Normally I wouldn't pay you no mind." Joker laughed ad monster tried to tell his side of the story. "But" he said as though monster wasn't pleading to him "But! you need to know who she is.." he forced monster to look at me. "That is Ace." A realization came over Monsters face and he started begging for his life.

"Yo, J, I had no idea she was your kid." Jokerssudden serious face must've struck fear in the mans heart because he started to cry.

"Blah, Blah, Blah, don't cry now." He looked at me as though asking me if we should kill him. I moved my hair from my face and shook my head. "Not ready yet." He said and ordered his men to throw the broken man out. He moved his green locks from his eyes and sat on the couch opposite where I stood. "Sit, Ace. I want to talk." I glanced at where the stranger was but the seat was empty. "Or enjoy your time here and I can talk to you at your house tomorrow." That was enough for me to sit down.

~

[dwjfansitearchive]

News Bulletins - September 2006

This year Bristol University suddenly decided to give me an honorary D.Litt. I was quite astonished, since I knew that such things have to go through a whole set of solemn committees composed of the kind of people (like professors of science and Bristol businessmen) who don't believe that fantasy – particularly when directed at children – is worth more than a contemptuous snarl. I was slightly afraid there might have been a mistake – some other Jones perhaps?

But no. It turned out that the person who nominated me was a professor of science, a bio-chemist no less and Japanese into the bargain, and I was assured by the Dean of Arts that everyone on the committees said 'What a good idea!' unanimously.

Anyway, you have to picture me, dressed in a robe of geranium scarlet and salmon pink with a sort of purple hood – regalia worthy of a Chrestomanci dressing gown– plus a wide flat floppy hat. They rammed said hat on my head and showed me the result in a mirror, whreupon I immediately tried to tilt it to an angle that didn't make me look like a clown and they cried out, 'Only an inch! You can only move it an inch!'

Luckily that inch made all the difference. It was a baking hot day. I was quite dizzy with it all as I processed to solemn organ music into the University hall behind a beadle dressed in a maroon gown and a mortarboard, who kept doffing the mortarboard to dignitaries right and left. Then all I had to do was to stand there while the nice Japanese bio-chemist told everyone about my life and my books and the Chancellor (in gold and black) kept leaning out of her carven chair to twinkle grins at me. I didn't even have to say thank you – which felt strange, because I did rather want to thank them all for turning me into Doctor Jones.

Some of my family was able to be there – although my two younger sons evidently thought I was joking when I told them about it and both arranged to be on holiday at the time. But my granddaughters turned up with their mother and father, looking very splendid in new outfits, and sat there looking somewhat bemused by it all. Their father said he grinned at me just like the Chancellor did, but I was feeling so dizzy that I didn't see him. Shame. And they bought me a teddy in a mortarboard and a bunch of flowers afterwards.

Copyright © Diana Wynne Jones 2006

(on web archive)

[letterstotheflre]

that’s the thing about illicit affairs

summary: james was never hers to lose.

warnings: CHEATING, age gap (not specified but reader is in her 20s), tiiiny angst?? i don’t think it’s sad lmao, allusions to sex and one miniature sex scene, some food mentions, and a very badly written argument.

word count: 3k (why are they always so long ffs)

a/n: my first james potter fic <3 i love this man so much, sorry for making you the bad guy here. this one’s been sitting in my drafts for a few weeks, and since i’ve been feeling kinda sad i finally got around to edit it. also hedric rights!!

They always meet like this.

The room is dark except for a small sea salt lamp she bought on sale from Target. Her clothes are piling up on the floor, discarded carelessly by her lover, and his are not too far from meeting the same fate.

He is kissing her hungrily as he could never get enough of her. His hands travel all over her back while she unbuttons his shirt, their lips never parting. He moves her to her bed, the sheets a pale green that reminds him of—

No. He closes his eyes tightly, pretends the green is actually blue like the lacy bralette that covers her breasts and moves his lips down to her jaw. He sucks and nips and bites, letting her moans echo freely between the four walls that make their little sanctuary.

Her hands quickly undo his belt and stroke him lightly through the fabric of his boxers. He groans against the junction of her neck, the skin softer than anything he’s touched in years.

He pushes her down on the bed, cupping her face while he looks at her properly, noting the tangled hair caused by his fingers. Her lips are puffy and shiny, his kisses being the perpetrator of their current state. He waits for her to say something, to give him a sign that this is okay.

(It’s not okay, and they both know it. It’ll never be okay.)

She nods her head, and he kneels in front of her, pushing her legs wide open before he dives in.

—

She is laying on her bed, the sheets covering her body as she watches him try to fix up his hair in front of the mirror on her makeshift vanity.

“Make sure no one sees you leave,” she says, “and put—”

“Put my hood up, I know,” he finishes the sentence for her. It’s not the first time they do this dance.

“Sirius and Remus are with Harry at home. I told them I was going for a run, so they won’t say anything if I show up all sweaty,” he adds, trying to fill the awkward silence.

She just nods her head, fingers playing with a loose thread on the edge of the sheet, pulling it a bit more every time she twists her index finger. He steps forward, then sits on her bed and traces her cheekbone with his knuckles. “You know I care about you, right?” he asks.

Her heart clenches, a heavy weight pressing down on her chest that makes it hard to breathe for a second. She lowers her eyes, refusing to stare at those hazel irises that started everything. “I know, James,” she assures quietly, looking at a picture of her and Harry that’s stuck to the wall just behind him.

James brushes back some stray hairs that are still stuck to her forehead, then presses a small kiss on the slightly sweaty skin. He gives her a tentative smile before heading to the door, and she only looks in his direction when she hears the click of the door.

(He might care, but not enough.)

—

Sundays are always a slightly awkward affair at first.

Both of their families have been friends for years, getting together every Sunday for lunch at the Potter’s. James and Sirius always man the grill with her dad, all of them wearing those corny ‘kiss the chef!’ aprons. Her mother helps Lily make the salads in the kitchen while they gossip with Remus, who steals a few tomatoes when they aren’t looking. Now that it’s summer, she and Harry splash each other in the pool instead of catching up in his room.

It’s always strange seeing James in the light of day, pretending that this is the only version of him she knows: the version of him that is a friend, a father, a husband.

But she knows the other version of him: the one that has her on her knees begging for a taste of him, the one that grips her hair while he pounds into her from behind, the one that lets his tongue explore places of her no one else has. The version of him that kisses her forehead and plays with her fingers while their bodies are tangled together under the sheets. The version of him that kisses her as if she were the only one made for him.

(She isn’t.)

They are sitting around the table eating. Sirius is laughing about something with his arm around Remus’s shoulders, his bark of laughter echoing across the garden. Her mother’s shoulders shake as Lily rolls her eyes in amusement. James and her father have gone back to the grill to bring everyone their second round of burgers, and she can hear her father complaining about something from work.

“Here y’go, kid,” says James as he places the plate in front of her before ruffling her hair. She tenses up for a second before relaxing, muttering a small “thank you” before reaching for the ketchup.

She hates that nickname. It’s so impersonal, keeps a distance between them that truly doesn’t exist. As if he isn’t the only person that can make her vision whiten and the colours of her room hazy while she clutches his shoulders. As if he isn’t the only person who can pull so many different sounds from her vocal cords, sounds he knows no one else has ever heard before because he is the only one who can create them.

She can feel Sirius’s eyes on her as she stretches one arm, so she hesitantly glances at him. He raises an eyebrow, eyes switching back and forth between James and her, and she can see the cogs turning in his mind.

She gulps anxiously, dismissing him with a wave of her hand and goes back to eating.

—

James’s moans are loud as he gathers her hair in a makeshift ponytail. His cock is buried in her throat, and he watches as she gags for a second before relaxing her throat.

She’s taking him so deep that her nose nuzzles his pubic hair, the musky scent of James filling her nose as she breathes deeply through it. She starts moving her head up and down, swirling her tongue around the tip every time she rises.

He is a mess above her, needy whines and wanton moans leaving his mouth. His hips thrust up softly, slowly fucking her mouth, and he relishes in the small choking sounds she makes. His head rolls back as he groans, “That’s it, baby, so good to me.”

She winces at the name and pulls away from him. “Don’t call me that,” she mutters, but her hands never stop stroking him. She takes him back into her mouth and starts sucking with a newfound fervour, his voice echoing inside her head as she tries to make him forget about her.

(She tries to forget too.)

—

Honey rays filter through her window.

They are both laying on her bed, James on his stomach while she refills the glasses with some cheap wine she got from the store. He looks at the tiny purple splotches on her neck and the red fingerprints on her hips, then smirks proudly. When she turns, she smiles at him softly.

There’s a summer breeze that ruffles her curtains, and he can hear some teenagers laughing as they walk down the street over the music that plays from her speaker.

She places her glass on her nightstand, her nipples brushing his naked back as she leans over him. She lays down on her side, her fingertips softly drawing shapes on his skin. It takes him a moment to realize they are not random shapes but letters.

Her name, written over his scattered freckles and connecting his moles with cursive loops.

He takes her hand and kisses it, slightly chapped lips pressing against her open palm. Then he kisses her lips, still bitterly sweet with grapes, as his tongue moves languidly against hers while he pulls her by the hand on top of him.

It feels like a distant memory. It feels like a dream.

—

The cacophony of different voices singing “Happy Birthday” rings in her ears.

Harry is at the front of the table, an adorable blush dusting his cheeks at the attention. On either side of him are James and Lily, smiles wide as they watch their son blow the candles. Cedric is behind him, hands on his shoulders, and he leans forward to give him a quick peck on the cheek.

She sings and claps, whooping with Sirius when Harry blows the last candle. She eats cake and drinks the pretty cocktails Lily ordered. She smiles and laughs, pretends she couldn’t see the way the candles made the golden band on James’s ring finger beam like the sun.

She pretends she doesn’t see the way James holds Lily’s waist before kissing her. She pretends she can’t see them dancing slowly to a song Remus put on the Spotify playlist as a joke.

She pretends she can’t hear his footsteps following her when she goes to the bathroom. She feigns disinterest when he grabs her wrist and pulls her towards a deserted corridor.

But she can’t ignore the butterflies in her stomach when he kisses her, the thrumming in her veins when he pushes one leg between her thighs, nor the pleasure-filled gasps and moans that leave her mouth when he helps her roll her hips along his covered thigh.

It’s thrilling; they’ve never done something like this in public, much less in such proximity to friends and family.

(In such proximity to her.)

Even though she knows it shouldn’t, it gives her a sense of victory. Because he is here with her now: he is kissing her, making her moan, and whispering dirty things in her ear.

A faraway call of his name breaks the spell they’re under. They pull away hastily; she fixes her dress while James makes sure there are no lipstick stains on his face. The footsteps are getting closer, heels hitting the floorboards at the same rhythm as their rapid beating hearts.

It’s Sirius.

James almost breathes a sigh of relief, but she remains tensed up. Sirius looks between them, the same look he had that Sunday all those weeks ago on his face, and she feels bile rising in her throat.

“Lily’s looking for you,” he says, his thumb pointing back over his shoulder towards the reception where everyone’s gathered.

“Right,” says James. “Better go see what she needs. You do not want to see an angry drunk Lily.” He laughs, almost oblivious to the awkward tension between his two friends. He goes back to Lily, leaving her leaning against the wall and Sirius standing in the middle of the hallway.

Sirius looks at her, and even though his mind already knows, he refuses to believe it. “I didn’t know where the bathroom was,” she offers as an explanation. It’s a flimsy excuse, she knows that, but it’s the best she can do under this kind of pressure.

“Right,” he whispers with a short nod, then follows James.

She stays rooted to her spot, lips tingling with the ghost of James touch and a guilty mind.

—

Hours later, she clings to a pillow as she lays on her bed alone. The same pillow James was resting on less than twelve hours ago.

She breathes in deeply, trying to catch any scent of him she can, but there’s only the scent of her fabric softener.

There’s no James. No citrus shampoo or woodsy cologne nor salty air from the beach near his house. Because he never wears any cologne when he comes to her, ensuring that there’s no trace of him once he leaves.

Like he doesn’t even exist.

—

It ends in a parking lot a month later.

She was waiting for Luna to arrive at the mall but ended up asking for a rain check when James texted her, saying they needed to talk.

‘Meet me behind the mall’, she texts him.

She walks to the back of the building and waits for his red car to show up. She already knows where this conversation is going to go, and her heart shatters at the thought of saying goodbye to him.

She raises her head when she hears a honk in front of her, and she gets in while whispering a small “hey”. He doesn’t start the car again, just settles for turning the ignition key off. She looks at the families leaving the mall through the tinted window, refusing to look at him, as her knee bounces up and down anxiously.

The silence is heavy, and she suddenly feels cold in the August heat.

James takes a deep breath, “We can’t keep doing this.”

She can’t help the snarky comment. “That’s not what you were saying yesterday while you had your fingers buried inside me.” He looks at her unimpressed, and she rolls her eyes.

“It’s wrong,” he says— as if she doesn’t already know that. “C’mon, baby, don’t make this harder than it has to—”

“I told you not to call me that!” she raises her voice, and the car gets silent again. She hates the tears that gather in her eyes, hates that she cares so much about him and their stupid game, but she couldn’t help it. Not when he whispered so many sweet nothings in her ears and caressed her skin so softly, almost afraid to break him if he was too rough.

(Not that he cared about that when he stretched her wide open and thrust so hard into her that the bed frame banged against the wall.)

“You can’t just show up here and tell me it’s over like you weren’t the one that came to me first,” she jeers, and she can see the tick of his jaw as he clenches it. Good, she thinks, make him angry.

“Don’t just blame me. You didn’t say ‘no’ once.” He grounds out, “In fact, I can recall you were begging me to fuck you against the wall.”

Her cheeks turn into a small fire, a slight feeling of shame overcoming her. “Oh, like you were any better!” she exclaims. “‘Been thinking about you for months.’ ‘You have no idea the things you do to me.’ ‘No one can suck my cock like you.’ ‘I care about you!’” She deepens her voice to mock him.

James opens his mouth to keep the ball rolling, and she wants him to do it because it meant that the fight was still on, that they wouldn’t have to end this. Instead, he takes a deep breath to calm himself. “I’m telling you now it’s over. Stop acting like a kid who didn’t get her Christmas present,” he says, knowing exactly what he is doing with those words.

“I’m not a kid,” she snaps, her eyes fighting back angry teats at his dismissal. “Then stop acting like one,” he shrugs.

Her hands turn into fists, nails digging themselves into her palms as she tries to keep her anger at bay. “Do you know how much of myself I gave to you? How many plans with my friends have I cancelled in case you called? How many guys I stopped seeing because they weren’t you?” she rants, her voice increasing in volume as she lets her frustration take over. Then, she pauses. “You’ve ruined me, James.”

Her voice is so pained that it makes his heart clench, and he lowers his head, refusing to look at her. He knows, God, he knows what he’s done, but he couldn’t help it. He had been so lonely with Lily spending so much time at the hospital, and then there she was with her caring and understanding nature. With her adorable laughs and those touches that were so addictive, a mercurial high that gave him the lowest lows whenever he tried to stop.

He keeps his mouth shut; there’s nothing left to say anyway, and it’s better for her to hate him rather than anything else. “You are not going to say anything?” It’s meek, vulnerable, and she wants to slap herself for acting this way. She knew it would never last, that he would always choose her.

He was never hers to lose, so why is she still fighting?

She nods her head in surrender, biting her lip to stop herself from sobbing. The anger now gave way to sadness, “I can’t believe I let you make a fool of me.” Her voice is hoarse, a result of the lump in her throat that prevents her from swallowing comfortably.

She gets out of the car and slams the door shut, then leaves the parking lot, leaving him behind. She keeps walking, fingers gripping the straps of her bag until she reaches an empty street.

The golden sun is ready to dip on the horizon, and she can hear James’s car speeding behind her.

—

She doesn’t let the tears fall until she’s inside her apartment.

The moment she closed the door, she crumbled to her knees, loud sobs falling from her mouth and fat tears rolling down her cheeks. It takes her a moment to gather enough strength to walk to her room.

She cries and cries, buries her face in her pillows and starts sobbing even harder because she can smell him. The salty scent and citrus shampoo finally embedded themselves in the fabric, and she can’t believe that after all those days she craved to feel him close to her, he chooses now to leave a trace behind.

She cries for hours until her eyes are puffy and red, and snot comes out of her nose. Her chest heaves with short breaths that don’t really fill her lungs as she clings to that damn pillow before throwing it across the room. She can’t believe it ended like this: with her completely broken for anyone else while James gets to go back to his life and act like nothing ever happened.

Yet she knows that if she had to choose, she would do it all over again because if she had to choose someone to be her ruination, she would choose James Potter a million times.

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[keewriting]

Cove x MC - One Shot #8 (request)

[Read on google docs to insert your MC's name]

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You stood in front of your mirror to scrutinize your costume once more. You wore a bright red hooded cloak. Your moms bought you a basket to use as a candy receptacle. You grabbed it from your desk and hooked your arm through the handle. There was not much else you needed to portray Little Red Riding Hood.

Cove was set to arrive at your house any minute now. You went downstairs to wait with your moms. Elizabeth was already out with her friends. Your moms permitted her to spend Halloween outside of the neighborhood.

Your moms wore their costumes even though they didn’t have any plans to go out. Ma, a vampire, was preparing a bowl of Halloween candy for the unlikely trick-or-treater. Mom was on the couch dressed as a pirate, flicking through TV channels looking for a good horror movie. They both looked up from their activities upon your arrival.

Mom: Would you look at that!

Ma: Our Little Red. You look wonderful, darling.

Your moms crowded around you in admiration. You complimented their outfits as well. A knock at the door interrupted the scene.

Mom: I’ll get it.

Mom opened the door to Cove standing awkwardly. He wore a gray t-shirt and blue jeans. A pair of fuzzy wolf ears jutted from his messy green hair. His left hand clutched a worn pillowcase.

Cove: Trick or treat… haha.

Cove tried to laugh but he was obviously uncomfortable. Mom ushered him inside the door.

Mom: I should have known Cove would show up as the Big Bad Wolf.

Ma: Quite a pair we have here.

Cove smiled and waved at you with his free hand. You walked closer to inspect his costume.

Y/N: Those ears suit you. But…

Cove: I know, I don’t have a nose. I was going to use a marker but I thought that might be a bad idea…

Mom: That would be a very bad idea. Wait here, kiddo. I have some eyeliner you can use.

Mom disappeared for a moment then returned with a black eyeliner pencil. Cove accepted it gratefully.

Cove: Thank you. Uh, Y/N. Do you think you could draw the nose for me?

You heard your moms stifled laughter in the background. Cove’s cheeks grew red, but his focus remained on you.

Y/N: Yeah, let’s go into the bathroom. There’s better lighting and no audience in there.

You shot your moms a playful glare. Cove followed you into the bathroom and sat down on the toilet lid. He clasped his hands on his lap. You held his warm face in one hand to tilt it upwards. He shut his eyes tight. You smiled deviously.

Y/N: Cove?

Cove’s eyes fluttered open and he almost spoke, but you interrupted him with a quick kiss. His face was beet red when you pulled away.

Y/N: This might tickle, hold still.

You traced a wolf nose onto Cove’s nose with heavy concentration. His lips twisted into a crooked smile. You heard a small hum from his throat. You stopped drawing to let him breathe.

Cove: Sorry, it does tickle.

Y/N: Almost done, hold tight.

You finished filling in the nose then drew a thin line from the base to his upper lip. Cove smiled up at you.

Cove: How does it look?

Y/N: You look stupidly cute. I hope this doesn’t awaken anything in me.

Cove looked away and huffed.

Cove: Oh my God, stop.

Y/N: Let’s go Wolfie, we have candy to collect.

Cove emerged with you out of the bathroom. Your moms stood by the front door chatting. Both of their eyes locked onto the pair walking towards them.

Mom: You guys aren’t going anywhere until we get some pictures.

Ma: There’s a nice spot outside by the pumpkin decorations. There should still be enough daylight to make it work.

You groaned, no matter how old you got your moms insisted on taking a million pictures. You felt bad that Cove got dragged into it.

Y/N: You get three pictures, so make them count.

Mom put her hands up defensively and chuckled. She ushered everyone outside. The pile of pumpkin decorations Ma set up stood neatly by the front door. Cobwebs populated with fake spiders clung to the exterior of the house. Orange and purple string lights blinked from above.

Mom: Stand to the side of the pumpkins, like that. Perfect!

Mom directed your positioning while holding her phone in front of her. Cove stood next to you with his arms stiff at his sides.

Ma: Get closer so you both fit in the frame.

Ma’s voice was teasing. You stepped closer to Cove and nudged his arm. He hesitantly draped it over your shoulder.

Mom: One, two… cheese!

You smiled brightly and heard the characteristic click of the camera sound effect.

Mom: Now, Cove. Put those paws up and give us a growl. Y/N, put on your best scared face.

Cove obliged without protest, desperate to get out of there. You turned to him and put your hands up to your shocked expression. Ma covered her mouth to stifle a giggle.

Mom: Hold it, aaaand… Perfection!

Another click. Cove immediately lowered his hands and relaxed.

Y/N: One more. What’s next?

Mom: Model’s choice.

You thought for a moment, then remembered that funny “awkward 80s couple photo shoot” trend you saw online.

Y/N: Cove is going to hate this one. We’re throwing it back to the 80s!

Ma: Oh, good times…

Mom chuckled at Ma’s wistful gaze. You guided a nervous Cove into position then settled yourself in front of him. You reached behind to move his hands onto your shoulders.

Mom: Ha! I see what you’re going for.

Ma: Give us your most uncomfortable smiles.

Mom: I don’t think that will be a problem for Cove. The poor boy is not enjoying this.

Cove laughed quietly. You turned around to offer an encouraging smile. Teasing Cove was fun, but you wanted him to know he’d always have you on his team. He squeezed your shoulders in acknowledgement.

Mom: Ready? Like, one, two, cheese!

It was hard not to break into laughter at Mom’s 80s valley girl impression. You grimaced with a wide smile. The camera clicked.

Y/N: Okay, I have to see that one.

You rushed over to Mom. Ma and Cove followed to huddle around the phone. She revealed the image and everyone laughed.

Ma: You two nailed it.

In the picture Cove had one eyebrow raised and a similar toothy grimace. Your faces reflected the exact goofy awkwardness you wanted to channel.

Mom: We finished just in time, the sun is setting. You two better head out before it gets too late.

Y/N: We’ll see you guys later.

You hooked your arm into Cove’s and headed into the night. Your moms called out behind you.

Ma: Remember the ru—

You released Cove’s arm and faced your moms while bouncing backwards, careful to avoid tripping over the uneven sidewalk.

Y/N: We got it! The rules, we’ll be fine. Thanks for the pictures!

Mom: Stay safe, kiddos.

Cove waved to them politely. He swung the pillowcase over his shoulder. You caught up to Cove and inhaled the cool night air. Darkness engulfed your path. Sporadically lit and decorated houses lined the neighborhood. Most of the residents didn’t decorate much for Halloween.

Y/N: Let the horrors begin! We’re skipping candy and going straight to the graveyard.

The devilish grin on your face caused Cove to roll his eyes. He gently swatted you with his pillowcase.

Cove: I want to pretend you’re joking, but I don’t think I can.

Y/N: I’m mostly joking. But come on, this is the first time our parents have afforded us a Halloween to ourselves. Don’t you want to do something exciting?

Cove scoffed.

Cove: Exciting and I don’t exactly go hand in hand.

You intertwined your fingers into Cove’s free hand.

Y/N: Maybe not. But we do. And I’ll always be by your side.

Cove held your gaze with burning cheeks.

Cove: Are you trying to butter me up?

Your joyous cackle broke through the chilly night.

Y/N: Trying? Succeeding? Who knows.

Innocence oozed from your coy smile. Cove deflected its power with the executive decision to turn into the first decorated house. You followed begrudgingly but flashed your best “gimme candy” smile when Cove pushed the doorbell. The residents gushed over your matching costumes and dumped handfuls of candy into your receptacles.

Y/N: Maybe trick-or-treating isn’t such a bad idea. It’s like we’re still little kids.

Cove: Well we are and pretty much always have been the only kids here. They have to unload their candy onto someone.

Y/N: Aaaand because we’re adorable.

Cove didn’t notice your wiggling eyebrows as he dug through his pillowcase. He extracted a lollipop and unwrapped it. He slipped the cherry red sweet in his mouth.

Y/N: That was a world record candy-opening. We’re still on their lawn.

He shrugged and slipped the lollipop out of his mouth only to speak.

Cove: It’s a tradition at this point.

Y/N: New tradition incoming.

You hopped in front of Cove and opened your mouth. The surge of your heartbeat surprised you. Cove’s face twisted into a smile.

Cove: You are relentless.

He offered you the lollipop. Your tongue traced around it before it disappeared into your mouth. Eye contact with Cove didn’t break. His eyes narrowed as you pulled back.

Y/N: Thanks, Cove. Very sweet.

Cove returned the lollipop to his mouth and mumbled..

Cove: Anytime, Y/N.

Cove walked ahead without another word, cheeks stained red. You conceded to trick or treating without any more resistance. The next house gave another handful of candy.

Y/N: Score! Look at all the Reese’s we got.

You skipped across the lawn while unwrapping the candy. Your hood flopped off your head. Cove caught up to you and pulled the hood back onto your head. He rested his hand on your head for a moment and gave you a twinkling smile.

The rest of the houses on your street followed the pattern of complimenting your costumes and unloading hoards of candy. You crossed streets and turned corners all throughout the neighborhood until you stopped recognizing the houses.

Y/N: It’s a shame Miranda and Terri couldn’t join us. There’s plenty of candy to go around.

Cove: Mhmm.

Cove finished chewing on chocolate taffy to speak.

Cove: Miranda’s mom was pretty insistent they spend Halloween with the family.

Y/N: This poor neighborhood will never know what a bustling Halloween is like.

Cove: I think that fits. This neighborhood is allergic to fun. .

Cove shoved a handful of sour candy into his mouth and grimaced at the punchy flavor.

Y/N: When I move out I want to live somewhere that takes Halloween seriously. Decorations at every house. Costumed kids wandering the streets for candy. The moon would be full and bright with stars dotting the sky.

You fell into a daydream imagining your perfect Halloween. You loved the holidays you spent with Cove and your family, but you missed out on the classic seasonal vibes.

Cove: Sounds like you want to live in a horror movie. But I get it. I would love that for you. You deserve it.

Cove absentmindedly dug through his pillowcase again for more candy. You chose to munch on a piece of chocolate from your basket.

Y/N: You better be okay with it, you’re gonna be joining me after all.

Cove’s eyes widened at your bold proclamation, but he didn’t argue. There was an unspoken and shared desire to stay by each other's sides forever. You walked in comfortable silence until you neared the end of your neighborhood. Having pillaged every available house, your basket weighed down with candy. Cove mumbled through the strip of licorice he was gnawing.

Cove: End of the line.

You popped another piece of chocolate in your mouth dejectedly.

Y/N: The night is still so young.

Cove: Maybe the night doesn’t have to end yet.

You perked up.

Y/N: What are you scheming?

Cove: Not scheming anything. But if you were serious before we could go somewhere scary…

Y/N: Graveyard! We’re going to the graveyard.

Cove: Actually, I was thinking of something a little less cursed.

Y/N: But I want to get cursed.

You crossed your arms and stomped defiantly. Cove shook his head in amusement.

Cove: Hey, impersonating Jeremy is my job.

Y/N: Spill it, where are we going?

Cove: You’ll have to find out. Maybe I’ll blindfold you…

Cove pretended to consider that option seriously.

Cove: I’m kidding.

Y/N: Sure you are.

He slipped his fingers between yours and tugged you along. The direction you walked in was unfamiliar. You ended up in a part of your neighborhood that you didn’t frequent. Every house on this stretch of road was dark. The flickering street lamps above provided the only light source.

Y/N: Did you get us lost?

Cove: I swear we were retracing our steps…

Y/N: So that’s a yes.

You turned onto a road lined only with trees. The maze of houses stood in your past. The silence was staggering. The crash of the ocean was no longer audible from this distance.

Cove: If we keep going this way it will probably loop back to our street.

Y/N: Are you as excited as I am for this adventure? Don’t answer that, I already know you’re not.

You bounced excitedly at the spooky stretch of road ahead of you. Cove tightened his grip on your hand and chuckled.

Cove: I’m determined to get us home unscathed.

Y/N: Unless we run into a masked mechanic impersonator I think we’ll be okay.

Your heart surged as you took in the eerie path. Crunchy leaves fluttered in the chilling breeze. The streetlamps dwindled as you proceeded. Darkness consumed the uneven slabs beneath your feet. Cove hummed to fill the silence.

Y/N: Life’s no fun without a good scare.

Cove: You got it!

Y/N: Well it is the only Halloween movie you can stand to watch.

Cove: Because it’s not that scary.

Y/N: It’s not scary at all—

A faint glow in the distance caught your eye and halted your sentence.

Y/N: Speaking of scary. I think we’re coming upon something.

You pulled ahead, leading the still-attached Cove behind you. As you drew closer you noticed a tall wrought iron fence. The creaky sign loomed above the entrance. Cemetery.

Y/N: Fate must have led us here. The Halloween gods do care.

Cove: We’re not going to go inside, are we?

Y/N: Think of it as a shortcut. We’ll pop out on the other side of this road in no time.

Cove shifted beside you and released your hand. He wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans. You clung to his arm and looked up at him pleadingly.

Y/N: Come on, you’re my big bad wolf. You have to protect me.

Cove: I thought we agreed on “not-so-bad.”

You poked out your bottom lip.

Y/N: I’ll feed you my candy.

Cove: Now you’re baiting me.

He paused for a moment to consider his options.

Cove: Let’s go in.

Cove stepped toward the entrance and waited with an open palm.

Y/N: I see. Anything for candy.

Cove: Anything for you.

You accepted his hand and walked side by side into the graveyard. The winding dirt path felt soft beneath your feet. Patches of grass and weeds sprouted from the dirt. The crumbling headstones were barely legible under years of erosion and moss. A blanket of mist lingered over the ground in the distance.

Y/N: This place is ancient. Look at how old the headstones are.

Cove: I’m sure the ghosts don’t mind.

Y/N: Don’t tell me you still believe in ghosts.

Cove: I stopped believing in them around the same time I stopped believing in mermaids. But this place feels… I don’t know. Active?

Y/N: I feel it, too. An ominous energy. Like the wind is calling us. Tempting us to the other side…

Cove adjusted his slippery grip on your hand, his tenacity waning.

Cove: Where’s that candy you promised me?

Y/N: Ha! Okay, okay. What do you want?

Cove: Mmm, surprise me?

You blindly shuffled the candy around in your basket and felt the familiar shape of a foil-wrapped chocolate.

Y/N: How about I give you a Kiss?

Cove’s mouth opened to protest, then he noticed the small shiny chocolate presented on your palm.

Cove: Oh, good. I thought you meant a kiss kiss.

Y/N: Hey! Rude.

Cove: I’m only kidding. I’ll take both.

Y/N: Chocolate first. Then we’ll see if you even deserve a real kiss.

Cove opened his mouth to accept the chocolate kiss. He smiled sweetly and hummed as he savored the flavor.

Cove: Can I get that other kiss now?

Y/N: I guess…

Cove puckered his lips. You stepped closer, gripping your wicker basket in front of you with both hands. The wind rustled the red hood against your head. Cove used his free hand to cup your face.

Cove: You’re the cutest Little Red—

A distant rumble split the romantic tension. Dust swirled around you in the charged atmosphere. Cove’s expression soured into fear.

Y/N: Looks like we’re gonna get rained out if we keep flirting among the dead.

Cove’s eyes darted away from you towards a nearby headstone. A screeching crow swooped from the tree above and perched on the ancient monolith. Cove leapt backwards with a hushed gasp.

Y/N: Scared?

Cove: No, Y/N.

Y/N: You’re not fooling me. Your hands are shaking.

Cove: Let’s keep walking. It’s getting cold and now the crows are after us.

You followed the path towards the other side of the cemetery. Cove’s clammy hand gripped yours tightly. Another loud crack shook the ground. The howling wind crescendoed and sent shivers down your spine. Crooked trees trembled with every gust.

Finally, you crossed over the threshold to the other side of the road. The misty cemetery was behind you. You analyzed your surroundings and noticed a familiar street sign.

Y/N: I know where we are! If we go in that direction then turn right we’ll end up back on our street.

Cove: That’s good news. I thought that place was gonna be endless.

You skipped ahead of Cove and twirled in your red cloak. A light drizzle dotted the sidewalk. The sky brewed menacingly.

Cove: Wait for me, it’s still scary out here!

The rain picked up with another booming clap. The sky flashed briefly. Cove jogged ahead to catch up to you. He looped his arm into yours and ran alongside you towards the sign. You turned right onto your familiar stretch of road.

Clouds swirled menacingly in the sky behind you. The rain slowed as you approached your house, but you and Cove were already soaked to the bone.

Cove: That was a quick storm.

Y/N: It wanted to wash us out of the cemetery. We were not meant to be there.

Cove: Wish the sky would have told me that earlier…

You stopped a few yards in front of your house to look at Cove. His wet hair flopped in his face. The black eyeliner on his nose smudged in the rain.

Y/N: I guess Mom didn’t use waterproof eyeliner.

He smiled sheepishly.

Cove: I look like a mess, don’t I?

Y/N: You look like a big brave wolf who conquered his fears. And I suspect it wasn’t entirely unintentional.

Cove clammed up and refused to meet your gaze.

Y/N: I mean what a coincidence that you got us lost and we ended up at the cemetery I wanted to visit…

Cove looked at you with an exasperated sigh.

Cove: Is it so bad that your boyfriend wanted you to have a thrilling Halloween?

Y/N: Ha! I knew it. You’re so easy to read, Holden.

Cove pouted dramatically.

Cove: I had you fooled, don’t lie.

Y/N: So there was never an alternative plan to the cemetery?

Cove: Nope…

Y/N: I appreciate it. It was stupid and sweet. The Cove Special.

You reached up to tousle his damp hair. He accepted the pat like a good wolf.

Cove: Can I get that other kiss now…

You wrapped your arms around Cove’s waist and pulled him closer. He tangled his hand into your hair and kissed you deeply. His lips tasted sweet with the remnants of candy. You pulled apart and admired his blushing cheeks in the dim glow of Halloween string lights.

Y/N: This was the scariest and best Halloween ever.

Cove: I agree. Can we go inside now and eat the rest of this candy?

Y/N: Yeah! It’s cavity time, Wolfie.

You walked with Cove into your house, ready to get cleaned up and dive into the rest of your candy. You felt excited to tell your moms about the adventure you had, hoping to avoid a lecture.

[let-them-read-fics]

Bite

Pairing: Vamp!Lisa x Human!Fem!Reader

AU: Vampire

Word Count: ~ 5,564

Warnings / Misc. -- Mentions of Blood

Disclaimer: This writing is a work of fiction, and no disrespect is meant for those mentioned herein.

A/N: Hey everyone! I'm alive! School has kept me crazy busy and I've had my hands full with other things as well, but I finished writing this one and I wanted to share with you lovely peeps. To everyone who stopped by to check in, and to those of you who’ve been patiently waiting, thank you endlessly. I love having you as my readers 💜

PS ~ I hope this isn't too bad for my first one shot in forever! Also, happy Lisa era. I’m so proud of our girl!

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Saturday, October 31st

You look like an idiot. 

The nurse uniform you have on is obnoxiously cliché; short and tattered in various places to really sell the "sexy" aspect of it, little is left to the imagination. Fake blood stains dot the flimsy material in random patterns and mat some strands of the tacky blonde wig atop your head, making you look like something out of a B-movie at best. 

A bonafide, absolute idiot. 

When you express that sentiment to your best friend, she just rolls her eyes and holds out one last costume for you to try on. She had a few lined up in case you didn't like her other options, and clearly that's come in handy; you've already worked through the previous picks, so she crosses her fingers as your eyes skim over this one.

"Humor me, will you?" She asks, hoping that you'll give in and at least check this last one out. 

"Fine, but this is your last chance. It had better be good." You raise a pointed finger at her in warning. 

"I have a good feeling about this one," she says, smiling as you take the bag from her and slip into the dressing room one final time. 

Her phone chimes soon after, and she's quick to retrieve it from her pocket.

Willow: Are you guys almost here?? Jackson's been asking about you.

Your best friend bites her lip at that, nervously nibbling on it as she rereads the message to make sure she didn't imagine the last part. She's liked Jackson since middle school, and he'll be swinging by the party that you've all been invited to; that's one of the main reasons she begged you to come with her tonight. 

Y/BFFs/N: Still getting ready. We'll be there ASAP tho!

Willow: Alright, we'll see you soon. Don't take all night, or else👩🤛

Y/BFFs/N: Yah, cut the violence!

The sound of your best friend's soft giggling fills the air just as you manage to fasten the costume's last zipper and pull its hood over your head.

Surprise etches its way into your features as you do a spin, taking in the sight of yourself through the full length mirror of the dressing room. The outfit's red and black color schemes complement each other beautifully, giving you a powerful and sensual appeal that the other costumes didn't even stand a chance of doing. You look alluring in every sense of the word. 

"Holy shit," your best friend says when you emerge, striking a pose. "You look hot!" She squeals, clapping a few times in quick succession. 

There's no way you think this one looks bad. 

"I think Wanda would be proud," you grin, tilting your head up and wrapping the cape around your neck. 

"One hundred percent," Y/BFFs/N nods adamantly, in total agreement. The Scarlet Witch getup really compliments your features. 

"Now," she starts, changing topics as she looks in the reflection of her phone's dark screen to adjust some of her hair that's gone astray. "Let's pay and then go. Willow's looking for us, and my future man's wondering where I am, too." 

"Hell yeah!" You chuckle, patting her on the back. "I'll help you finally land him so you can stop pining."

You watch as she takes a moment to decide between coming up with a decent rebuttal to defend herself or agreeing with you, and you smile when she goes for the latter. 

"I'd accept nothing less," she says, holding her head high like a princess. "You are my wingwoman, after all." 

"And the best one in town," you add, tugging her towards the register. She reaches into her purse and pulls out the money to pay before politely handing it to the cashier. 

The teenage boy takes it with a small smile, though the action looks a little comical as his upper lip gets caught on the cheap, plastic fangs he's sporting. His knock-off version of Dracula is definitely…. something… and you can tell that his managers forced him to wear it for the holiday. 

"Come back and s-shhee us," he says, handing your change back. Your best friend takes it, failing to contain her laughter at his messy speech. He blushes crimson, likely cursing the plastic teeth for making him look a fool. 

"We surely will," you respond, giving him a comforting smile to keep his embarrassment at bay. He nods gratefully, and you're quickly pulled out of the store by your best friend. 

"Happy Halloween!" You shout over your shoulder, accompanied by the chime of the bell over the door. 

"You too," he calls back, letting out a soft sigh. 

---

20 Minutes Later -- The Party

Upon rounding the front of your car and stepping up onto the sidewalk outside of Willow's house, your attention is immediately caught by the numerous decorations that she put up last week. 

"Huh," you mumble, gazing up at the skeleton that towers above you, standing 12 feet tall. "I think it's safe to say that this is her favorite holiday…" 

"What makes you think that?" Your best friend plays, feigning ignorance as she pops up from behind a life-sized, animatronic Jason Voorhees. 

"I don't know," you tut, admiring Willow's hard work a little longer. "Just a feeling." 

Y/BFFs/N giggles in her unique way, making you smile at the sound as the two of you make your way up the path towards the house. You gaze down at your feet, careful to step on the stones of the walkway and avoid the motion-activated hands that scramble out of the weeds to grab unsuspecting guests. 

Having known Willow your entire childhood, you've grown used to her ways. 

*knock knock*

A strong, iconic synth bassline sounds off from inside, filling the otherwise quiet night around you with its catchy beat as you wait to be let in. Its sound is well known, and you almost instantly recognize it as "Sweet Dreams" by the Eurythmics.

A few seconds later, you hear clambering from inside, followed by concerning groans and shouted apologies. 

Y/BFFs/N arches a skeptical brow at you, perfectly mirroring your thoughts.

Directly after, the door swings open in a flash, and you're nearly tackled by a whizz of curly hair. 

"There you guys are!" Willow shrieks, pulling the two of you close as she nuzzles her face against your cheeks. 

"Yep, here we are," you struggle out, nearly being strangled in her tight grip. She responds by squeezing you even tighter, blinded by her joy at seeing you again. 

After all, it's been a while since all three of you have had the opportunity to spend the night partying together like this. 

"Can't… breathe," Y/BFFs/N squeaks, successfully getting Willow to release you. 

"Sorry," she apologizes, stepping back. "I'm just so happy you're here." 

The freckles that spread across the bridge of her nose look especially adorable with the blush she's sporting, and her shy grin makes you forget about the near-fatality you just encountered moments before. 

"We're happy to be here," you reassure her, returning her smile. 

Your best friend agrees from beside you, nodding her head with a happy look of her own. "Believe it or not, we've missed your weirdness." She adds, cocking her head to the side. 

Willow giggles again, and her eyes crinkle up into those half crescents that could surely melt even the iciest of hearts. She's practically sunshine in human form, and you have to resist the urge to shield your eyes. 

"Yo, Willow! Who's at the door?" 

Jackson.

You feel your best friend tense beside you, and you subtly pat her leg to calm her down. 

Willow falls silent, though her lips go through the beginning stages of answering him; they open and purse, but she quickly halts her reply and shuts her mouth. She knows of Y/BFFs/N's crush on him, and she doesn't want to say the wrong thing. 

Plus, if the lovesick girl wants to run and hide in the bushes, Willow's silence could buy her some time to slip away. 

But alas, she doesn't. 

Jackson appears in the doorway a mere 5 seconds after asking his question with a beer clutched in his hand. He moves to lean against the wooden frame as his pearly smile beams at you, and Y/BFFs/N audibly swallows at the sight. 

For someone who's usually so confident, she can really be shy sometimes. 

"Lovely to see you, ladies," he greets, putting his free hand in front of him as he bows. His accent is modeled after that of Jack Sparrow, as is his surprisingly well designed costume.

You nod back at him. "Hey, Jackson. Long time no see." 

You elbow your best friend when she remains silent for a beat too long, and the action snaps her back to reality. 

"Yeah, hey Jackson." Her voice is quiet -- she doesn't trust it to refrain from cracking.

He smiles, not failing to notice the nervous aura that's quickly taken over the girl beside you. Her eyes nearly pop out of her head when he gives her a curious once-over, and you take that as your cue to save her from the impending embarrassment that's lurking just around the corner. 

"Alright, guys!" You clap, stepping forward. "Let's get to partying." 

Her shoulders relax, and you feel her slip her hand into yours as you enter the house, squeezing twice as a silent thank you. 

15 Minutes Later

Willow stands beside you in the kitchen, mixing a few things together in one of the millions of red solo cups that she bought for tonight. You sneak a peek over her shoulder at the concoction, seeing its light blue color turn purple-ish as she adds a new liquor into the equation. 

In comparison to typical house parties, this one is relatively small; most of the rooms are filled with people, but it's a comfortable amount. Maneuvering around the place is fairly easy, which is always a plus when you're coexisting with sweaty, drunk people. 

"Willow, love, why did you buy so many cups?" You ask, toying with the ripped plastic packaging of one of the stacks. 

"You know I like to be prepared," she laughs, brushing off her major miscalculation. "Plus I can just use the rest of them at my next party." 

You nod, knowing she's right. "Are you having another soon?" 

"I think so. Jiu and her crew are coming back in a couple weeks, so I thought I'd surprise them with one." 

You scoff, humor laced in the sound. "What, they didn't get enough partying done at their university already?" 

Willow turns around, grinning at you as she hands you your drink. "Evidently campus police keep a close eye on them. Siyeon whined about that a lot when she called me." 

"Sounds like her," you chuckle into your cup as you take a sip. 

PFFT

"Eww, Willow! What did you put in this?!" 

Your spit take didn't land on anyone, thankfully, but it did capture the attention of some people nearby. You wave a hand at them as a silent apology, and they go back to their previous tasks. 

The curly headed prankster covers her mouth, though the action does a terrible job of quieting her maniacal laughter. 

"You're lucky Y/BFFs/N isn't over here," you say, wiping your lips with the back of your hand. "She'd avenge me." 

Willow uses a napkin to dab the tears of laughter from her eyes. "Why else do you think I waited until she was busy with Jackson?" She asks, motioning to her lounge room across the foyer. 

You look inside, spotting Y/BFFs/N holding a pool cue in her hand as Jackson sinks another shot into one of the corner pockets. 

The sight reminds you of the pep talk and 2 shots of liquid courage you gave her earlier, and how she disappeared with the promise to make a move and actually talk to him. Now, she looks completely absorbed in whatever banter they're sharing, and although your violated taste buds still ache from the sickly-sweet mixture that Willow made, you wouldn't want her to be anywhere else. 

You can get your own revenge. 

Sneaking a glance around the kitchen, you search for something to help with your retaliation. A small package of streamers lays abandoned on the island, forgotten to be put up earlier, and you slyly grin. Their ribbons sparkle with glitter, shimmering as the multicolored party lights stream in from the living room and land on them. 

It's as if the universe is putting a spotlight on them, just for you. 

After side eyeing Willow one final time to ensure that she isn't catching onto your plan, you act quickly. She stands beside the counter, right where you left her, and you dart to the island to grab the streamers. Your fingertips soon gain purchase on the packaging, and you tear it open in one swift motion. 

Her gaze locks onto yours just as you near her, but it's far too late for her to get away. 

"Take this!" You declare, upending the baggie atop her head. She shrieks as they cascade down her body, getting caught in the creases and wrinkles of her costume as they go. A small wave of glitter tumbles out of the bag as well, coating her hair and clothes. 

Boy, that'll be fun to try and get out later. 

Her head slowly raises once you finish your assault and place the baggie on the countertop beside you, but the look in her eye is unlike anything you've ever seen. 

"You're dead," she warns. Just as the smile drops from your face, an even larger, more sinister one begins forming on hers. 

The floor creaks beneath your feet slightly as you take a step back, and you know you have to high tail it out of there if you want to evade her. 

"Catch me if you can!" You shout, springing into action. You turn around and dart out of the room, gliding past numerous partygoers in the hall. 

Willow's choice of footwear works in your favor, you soon realize; the sharp rapping sound of her heels pierces the air behind you, serving as a tell of how much distance is between you.

Her unstable platforms buy you a little time, and you thank the universe as you rush through the living room and back towards the foyer. You plan to cut across it and hide out in one of the bathrooms until she drops her plan for revenge. 

A grin pulls at your cheeks as you skid into one of the walls, looking like a character from Scooby-Doo as you will your feet to work correctly again and get you to safety. Willow laughs behind you, joining in on the fun. 

"Perfect," you mutter under your breath, spotting a clear path through the foyer. It leads under the stairs, and you can see the open door of the bathroom from where you are. 

Your feet take you past a handful of drunk people, bobbing and weaving through them with ease, before you're racing towards the restroom to take cover. 

Before you can make it there, though, you collide with someone rather abruptly as they step straight into your path. 

Your eyes shut tightly as you brace yourself for impact with the ground, but it never comes. The person reaches out and catches you before you can hit the floor, and a soft apology slips past their lips as they scoop you up. 

Upon hearing that uniquely feminine voice speak its regret again, you peek your eyes open. What you see nearly makes the woman's effort to keep you upright moot; she's so gorgeous that your legs almost give out from underneath you. 

Dirty blonde locks cascade over her shoulders in soft waves, half-mussed, half-pristine from your run-in. Her doe eyes are a velvety chocolate color, and you find yourself getting lost in them. Flickers of red show in them, illuminating almost rhythmically the longer she admires you. 

Are those contacts? You ask yourself. They have to be. 

She seems to be just as affected by your presence as you are of hers. 

"Y/N, I'm coming to get you!" 

Willow does her best to sound like a villain from a 90s horror film as she clambers her way closer to you, bumping into a few people on the way. You're brought out of your stupor by her rapidly approaching footsteps, and you take a step away from the woman. Her hands fall from your waist, where they had previously been resting. 

Stealing a quick look at the bathroom, you feel your stomach turn.

Damnit. Someone's in there now. 

Screw this sexy stranger for distracting you. Now you'll have to deal with Willow's wrath. 

"What's wrong?" 

There's that voice again. 

Part of you wants to brush it off and slip away quietly, but an even bigger part of you is determined to stay where you are and tell her. Something about her pulls you in, and you're having a hard time denying it. 

"I need to hide. I glitter-fied my friend and now she's coming after me." 

The woman's plump lips pull back in a humored smile, and she nods as a chuckle leaves her. "Right," she says, like that's a common occurrence. "I can help, if you'd like." 

"How?" You ask, your brows momentarily knitting together in confusion. When she unties and opens the black cloak that's wrapped around her body, your breath catches. 

"You in?" She asks, side eyeing the foyer as Willow nearly careens into the Egyptian vase that her mother bought her last year for Christmas. 

You take a deep breath and hold your hand out to her just as Willow rounds the corner, and she swiftly pulls you in close before you can be spotted. She winds the cloak around both of your bodies, concealing your faces as the fur-lined hood falls atop your heads. 

Unconsciously, you wrap your arms around her waist and pull her flush up against you to further ensure your safety. She quietly grunts when she stumbles over her own feet, falling into you a little. 

"Sorry," she whispers, though her third apology of the night is unnecessary. You almost want to thank her for what happened.

Especially when her warm breath fans across your right cheek, where her head is angled. 

Every breath you take pushes you closer to each other, and the satin shirt she's wearing slides against your heated skin. She swallows thickly as one of your hands falls to the small of her back, testing the waters. 

When she shifts a little to encourage you, you're acutely aware of the thigh that's worked its way between your legs. 

When did that happen? 

You bite back a sigh as she just smirks, quietly shushing you. 

Willow thunders by, shouting your name and threatening to throw you into the pool when she tracks you down. You want to laugh at that, but you'd honestly welcome it right now. Some cold water would surely bring you to your senses after being led astray by this goddess in front of you. 

Her footsteps grow distant as she makes her way outside, still searching.

The two of you remain as you are for a couple more minutes until you're certain that the coast is clear, and then you part. When she lowers the cloak, you look away; a deep blush has worked its way up your neck and across your cheeks, and letting her see it would surely make you die of embarrassment. 

She keeps her eyes on you as she reties the cover around herself, attempting to get a read on you. The bashful aura that's befallen you is cute, no doubt, but she can sense your arousal. She can smell it on you, and the scent is beginning to drive her crazy. 

You fiddle with the sleeves of your costume, readjusting them nervously.

"So, um… thanks," you say, sneaking a glance up at her. 

The red hues in her eyes are even more pronounced now, and the sight makes you press further into the wall behind you -- the one that you were previously pushed up against. 

"No problem," she smiles, showing off her pearly white teeth. Two of them catch your attention; a set of fangs now shine, looking alluring and threatening all at the same time. 

There's only one issue: you're certain that they weren't there when you first bumped into her. When did she put them in? And why do they look so real?

The feeling of her hand landing on your forearm pulls you away from the millions of questions that're firing off in your head right now. 

"May I ask your name?" She politely requests, dipping her head down sweetly. 

"Y/N," you breathe out, quickly realizing that you'd do just about anything she asked you to. 

"Y/N." She repeats, allowing the letters to blend in her mouth as they roll off her tongue. She looks satisfied for some reason as she says it again, trying it out. 

"I'm Lisa." 

"It's nice to officially meet you," you smile, reaching a hand out. Her touch is gentle but firm as she takes it, shaking it with ease. 

"Likewise, beautiful." 

The grin on your face only widens at the name, and you pull your hand away out of fear of what she might do next. She's already putting you under her spell, and you're sure that another touch would have you fully entranced. 

She studies you with pursed lips for a moment, clearly debating on something. Her eyes flicker over the dips and curves of your body as a smirk grows on her lips. 

"What are you thinking?" You question, curious but teasing. 

"That I'd love to have your body on mine again." 

She's bold, and she says it like the fact it is. No shame, no bashfulness. Just true, honest desire. 

You bite the inside of your cheek at her bravery, silently thanking the universe for it. The likelihood of you gaining the courage to make a move is slim to none even in the best cases, and this was no exception. She already has your heart skipping beats and you've only known her a few minutes. 

"How about a dance?" She suggests, quirking a brow. The look on her face disarms your defenses, and you take a deep breath before agreeing to your demise. 

"That sounds wonderful." 

She dips her head again, hiding her face away momentarily, and you think it's the cutest thing ever. 

She's shy all of a sudden as her cool demeanor slips up a bit, and that never happens. You might just be her downfall, too.

She holds an elbow out and steps forward, allowing you to link your arm with hers and cuddle in close. 

Her eyes scan across the living room as she studies it, but she's unimpressed. 

Sweaty, winding bodies thrash around to some upbeat pop song that's been overplayed on every radio station in town for weeks now, and the idea of taking you there puts her off. 

When a drunk boy comes into view with a dildo strapped to his forehead, her mind is officially made up. 

"Let's go outside," she says, leading you through the patio doors. 

A quaint gazebo sits on one side of the yard, and the dance floor that Willow's family installed a couple years ago occupies the other. Both are decorated with string lights in combinations of gold, purple, black, and orange. Other ornaments adorn the surfaces as well, and you smile when you spot a comically large spider sat atop the gazebo's roof. 

"Where would you like to go?" Lisa asks, keeping her voice low. It's calm and deep, running a chill through you. 

Softer music plays out here, offering a totally different vibe than inside. Some couples -- many of them introverted, assumably -- sway on the dancefloor as the DJ that Willow hired takes a sip of her drink on the raised stage. She adjusts a few switches slowly, not rushing for a second.

"Let's try the gazebo," you decide, glancing over your shoulder at Lisa. She's looking away, but you don't think anything of it as the two of you fall in step with one another on your way over. 

Shit, Lisa thinks to herself. 

Her plans to come to this party, feed, and make a quick getaway are totally derailed. She'd hoped to find a victim that she was attracted to but didn't like, if that even makes sense, and feed like the animal she is. Then she would leave them like all the rest, drained but still alive, and slip away. 

But now she's met you, and any desire for those plans have been thrown out the window. 

You interest her, and that doesn't happen often. She hasn't met someone who's been capable of doing that in years, and she's intrigued. Something about you just pulls her in, inexplicably, and she knows her feelings would be glaringly obvious if you saw her face right now. 

"Woah, look at this," you sigh, stepping out of her hold to check the place out. A bench runs the perimeter of the gazebo, only stopping at the doorway, and the lights look even prettier from inside. They shimmer, looking like star showers as their strings hang down in the windowless openings of the building. 

Lisa quickly learns that she loves seeing you like this. Your eyes are alight, and your sweet smile of wonder warms her heart. Her hands slip into her pockets as she eventually manages to take her eyes off you, following your lead as she admires the decorations. 

She does a twirl, looking around. 

"It's gorgeous." 

"I know, right? This is totally up Willow's alley," you say, grinning at the mental image that you can conjure up of her giddily spiffing the scene up. 

"I'll have to thank her for making it look so special, then," Lisa says, smiling. The place really makes you feel like you're in your own little world; everything about it is just right. The ambience, the decor, the company… it’s perfect, and Lisa's content with how the evening is playing out. 

Her fingers skate down your arm as she nears you, trekking their way down to your palm. She takes your hand and spins you, watching with admiration as your hair flows in the breeze. Now facing her, you thread your fingers together around the back of her neck as she encircles your waist with her arms. 

"Why have I never seen you around?" You ask sincerely, looking up at her. 

She hesitates briefly. "My university is a few towns over. I just come here to visit my family every few months." 

Not a total lie, she thinks to herself. 

"And stop by terrible parties like this, of course." You add, smirking. 

She shakes her head at that. "No, I can't say I do. I just decided to check this one out on my way to my friend's house." She explains. 

Underneath your cloak, her hands find their way to the small of your back. One stays put while the other dips a little lower, testing the waters. 

"And besides," she starts again, feeling you pull her closer. "Meeting you here automatically makes this an awesome party. Not terrible."

"Cheeeesy!" You scrunch your face up and groan, making her laugh. 

"Maybe, but it's the truth." 

"Sure, Lisa." 

She shakes her head and you laugh lightly together, still swaying about. You hold her close enough to rest your head on her shoulder, and the pads of your thumbs rub small circles on the sensitive skin of her neck. She hums at the feeling, and you take note of the way she relaxes in your arms. 

The night breeze appears again, performing a flowing dance of its own as it lulls past you in waves. A slight chill resides in it, mixed with a generous amount of the day's sweet, fading heat, and you're at peace. 

The slow song that had been playing across the yard ends delicately, parting with some melodic feature that resembles a warm embrace, and it blends seamlessly into the next song. 

Turning Page, you recognize it as.  

Huh, how ironic. One of your favorites. 

Lisa's lips brush against your cheek as she turns her head slightly, whispering, "I like this one, too." 

How did she know? You ask yourself. You hadn't said it out loud… 

Maybe she's just a good guesser. Yeah, that's gotta be it. 

You feel yourself melt as she begins singing the words to you. It's hushed and sentimental -- meant only for your ears to hear, and that makes it even more special to you. 

"If I had only felt the warmth within your touch"

She croons, pressing her cheek against your warm skin. You blush, catching yourself when you remember what the next line of the song is. 

"If I had only seen how you smile when you blush" 

She brings a hand up to cup your cheek in her palm, and her other arm remains around you, holding you tenderly. 

"Or how you curl your lip when you concentrate enough"

Now, her thumb runs across your bottom lip. You look into her eyes and find them an even deeper shade of red than they had been before, but it doesn't frighten you for some reason. She glances down at your mouth again, fighting her impatience as she waits for permission from you. 

"I would have known what I was living for all along"

You nod and lace your fingers in her locks, and she doesn't waste another second. 

She leans in, humming against your lips when they meet hers for the first time. Her lipgloss spreads across them upon contact, smudging its precise application, but she doesn't seem to care in the slightest. She draws you in closer, and you bring both of your hands around to cup her face as you deepen the kiss. 

Her mouth is welcoming against yours, and it moves languidly as you get adjusted to one another. Every move makes you feel dizzier than the one before it, and swarms of butterflies take flight in your stomach with no signs of stopping. 

She nips at your bottom lip as her hands dip far lower than before, now kneading your ass as your kisses continue to work her up. 

"Fuck," you curse, breaking away from her lips to catch your breath. She's stolen it all from you, and yet she's still not ready to give you a rest; her mouth drops to your jaw, embracing your skin there before moving down to your neck. 

She doesn't realize how dangerous the game she's playing truly is until it's almost too late. 

Her lips press to the area just above your pulsepoint, where she's learned over the years that blood pumps the hardest and tastes the sweetest. She draws it into her mouth, swirling her tongue over the area as her ears perk up at the breathless sound of your moans. They spur her on, and she nips at the skin, surely leaving a hickey. 

Her senses become even more clouded when you say her name, the title caught somewhere between a whine and command, and she feels the strong impulse to claim you. The sensation is overwhelming, and she knows you can feel it too. 

Your hands tug on the collar of her shirt as she lets her fangs fully extend, no longer suppressing them. They rake across your pulsepoint, making you shiver against her. 

"Please…" 

That's all you manage to get out before they pierce your skin, eliciting a whimper from you. Blood fills her mouth instantly, sliding across her taste buds in velvety waves and calming her constant craving. Your hands tighten in her hair, and the delicious twinge of pain that it provides only encourages her more. 

Your blood is different than anything she's ever tasted; it's richer -- sweeter. A throaty groan leaves her as she savors it, and you shut your eyes in pleasure. It's addicting, but she knows she has to stop herself before she hurts you. If she continues like this much longer, she won't have the willpower to let go. 

She retracts her fangs as she licks your taste from them, and then you feel her warm tongue clean the wound she made. It stings a bit, but in all the right ways.

When she pulls back to look at you, she finds your eyes half-lidded and a pleased smile on your face. It nearly kills her, then and there. 

Her gaze flickers back to your neck to admire the hickie she made earlier, but what she sees surprises her. Below it is a darker, more prominent marking that she's only seen other vampires leave behind before. 

Definitely not a hickie.

Your brows furrow as you look at her neck as well, noticing a faint outline of something growing darker by the second. Blinking a few times to ensure that you aren't hallucinating, you find that it's really there. 

"Lisa, what's on your neck?" You ask. 

"A soulmate mark." She responds, feeling a sense of belonging settle over her as she looks at you again. You just confirmed her suspicions by asking that.

"Same as yours," she smiles.

[sooibian]

So Let's Runaway - Costa Brava

Prologue >> Costa Brava >> Seville >> Cuéllar

Pairing: Kyungsoo x Fem!Reader ft. bff!Chanyeol

Genre/Themes: Fluff, angst, humour, travel AU, road trip through Spain, travel buddies Chansoo

Warnings: Grief, loss, heartache, toxic relationships, mildly explicit language

Description: A bachelors trip turns into a soul-searching journey when an unlikely group of three travels through the scenic landscapes of Spain. Their experiences present them with opportunities to mend bridges, face their fears and fall back in love with the true essence of life.

Word Count: ~ 5.3k

A/N: this story is a part of @supermwritersnet​ ‘Around the world in 31 days’ event. event masterlist. 

Tag list: @sooadorable @rosetvler @changshapatrol @his-mochi-cheeks @is-that-baekhyuns-shirt @j-pping @kysoobydoobydoo @exoxobsession @camillapad @reekyungsoo​ let me know if you’d like to be (un)tagged.

@smolgirlbigthoughts​ thank you so much for the description!!! ;~~~~~;

After having stayed the night (or whatever was left of it after a red-eye flight) in an Airbnb in Barcelona, the three of you hired a Lyft to Europcar to pick up the SUV that Chanyeol had pre-booked for the Costa Brava - Seville - Cuéllar itinerary. What you’d gathered from your several conversations with Chanyeol after that serendipitous coffee date was that each of the three friends had handpicked an adventure sport to try out in these places.

Chanyeol had chosen scuba diving in the rugged coast of Costa Brava with its spectacular cliffs and countless coves. Kyungsoo had appositely picked out an adventure sport involving throwing oneself out of an airplane thousands of feet above ground a.k.a. skydiving in Seville, the capital of Andalusia, resting, wise and old, upon the Guadalquivir river. And Yixing, bless his heart, had wanted to take part in a bull run in Cuéllar that takes place on the last Sunday of August each year.

Twirling the car key on his finger, Chanyeol, dressed in baggy black shorts, a loose fitting purple tee, super dark oversized shades and a snapback cap worn backwards, strongly resembled that ‘smiling face with the sunglasses’ emoji as he walked out of the booking office with Kyungsoo following closely behind. All set to catch a few winks in the rear seat comfort of the SUV, you pulled down the brim of your sunhat but suddenly, a blur of turquoise swooped past you, capturing your attention. Your drowsy eyes wrestled the summer sun to land upon a gorgeous turquoise Buick convertible swerving around the parking area before coming to a fashionable halt. A portly, bespectacled man stepped out of the vehicle and deposited its key with the booking office.

This was it.

This was the car ideal for a road trip, not some mafia boss’ kidnapping vehicle.

The essence of time dawned upon you so you trotted to where the Buick was parked and went down on your knees, hands folded in an implicit plea. The two men, startled at first, were quick to realize what was up.

Kyungsoo fixed you with a judgemental gaze that wasn’t any different from a mother’s fed-up of her child’s tantrums while Chanyeol broke into an uncontrollable fit of laughter. Shoulders hunched under the weight of his tan leather backpack, Kyungsoo crammed his hands into the pockets of his khaki pants and sighed, “The SUV’s more practical.”

With a twinkle in your eye, you exclaimed, “Screw practical! Just look at it! It’s a convertible and we’re on a road trip!”

Grinning from ear to ear, Chanyeol advanced towards you gingerly. “Shifu, my love-”

Jutting out your lower lip, you crossed your arms over your chest and whined, “Don’t call me that after you’ve ditched me for Miss Perfect Hair!” causing Kyungsoo to roll his eyes which distracted you from Chanyeol’s stealth attack.

All of a sudden, the beanpole leapt at you, maneuvered you like he would a balloon sculpture, tucked his arms under your knees, picked you up and shoved you in the backseat of the dreary black vehicle with sun shades on windows darker than Kyungsoo’s soul. With Chanyeol’s finger pressing down on the ridge between your eyebrows, you laid down on your back, sulking, “Some road trip this is. Can I atleast drive?”

Before slamming the car door shut, he teased, “Take a nap.”

And...you tried.

Forty five minutes into the drive, you tried so hard to make up for the red-eye flight but Kyungsoo’s phone Just. Wouldn’t. Stop. Ringing. To make matters worse, he sounded like a broken record parroting the words ‘margin call’, ‘shorting’, ‘S’, ‘B’, ‘stop loss’ over and over again. The same damn thing, every single time.

“Enough Kyungsoo! We’re on a vacation, dude,” Chanyeol chided, the almost indiscernible crack in his voice indicative of his annoyance.

Leaning back into his seat, Kyungsoo bragged, “The last thirty seconds earned me enough commission to be able to buy at least five bags of the kind I bought Aera yesterday.”

“Now, why would you buy Aera a bag?” Chanyeol asked, a hint of suspicion evident in his tone. The sounds of their voices had been mercilessly thwarting your attempts at a peaceful slumber but, this was different. The lack of response from Kyungsoo seemed to have piqued your interest. Your eyes fluttered open to a one eighty shift in Chanyeol’s mood. Brows knit together, his fingers impatiently drummed on the steering wheel as you both waited for Kyungsoo’s answer with a bated breath. But in his stead, it was his stupid phone that broke the silence.

Wide eyes fixated on the screen, Kyungsoo suddenly cried out, “Stop the car!”.

“What?!”

“Stop the car, Chanyeol!”

Letting out an exasperated groan, Chanyeol rashly veered the car to the right before hitting the brakes, causing you to nearly roll off your seat. Kyungsoo darted out of the vehicle and the next thing you knew, he stood facing the hood of the vehicle, his laptop perched atop the bonnet and his life support cellphone clutched in one hand.

Bowing to the screen, he greeted, “Moshi Moshi!”

“Is he taking  a work call right now?” you mused.

Chanyeol snorted, “That’s Doh Kyungsoo for you.”

Chuckling softly, you squished your face against the back of Chanyeol’s seat and groused, “Well, along with loony, your friend seems to be fluent in Japanese.”

“Yah! Cut him some slack. He’s had a rough couple of weeks,” explained Chanyeol, wrestling with a bag of chips in his hands.

“Yeollie -”

It was on the tip of your tongue.

You wanted to tell Chanyeol about your encounter with Kyungsoo on the rooftop but there was no way you could explain your own presence in the first place. To make matters worse, you were the worst liar you knew. So, you decided it was a story that best remained untold for your own sake, your mother’s and inadvertently, Kyungsoo’s.

“Yeah?”

“Can I have a chip?” you asked instead.

“All yours!”

“I’ll have just one, thanks.”

“You alright, Shifu?” Chanyeol slurred around a mouthful of chips, “Is there anything you need?”

“A nap would be nice,” you jested while nibbling at the edges of the deep fried snack.

“Aww, sleepyhead, we’ll be there in an hour.”

Humming in agreement, you reached for another chip and cooed, “Are you alright, Yeol? What’s with the whole ‘bag for Aera’ situation?”

Chanyeol’s head spun around to give you a warm, dimpled smile. “Don’t worry. It’s not what you’re thinking.”

You couldn’t help but notice how he had wolfed down an entire packet of chips in a matter of minutes along with a can of some neon and black fizzy drink. A distant memory of Chanyeol guzzling an entire bottle of water in three seconds for shits and giggles back in Uni stretched your lips in a wistful smile.

By then, Kyungsoo was done with his twenty minute long call against the quaint cerulean and stone backdrop of fishing villages by the coast. Who needs a virtual background when you’re surrounded by coves of deep blue sea and beaches of golden sand? As he reached for the car door, you whispered in Chanyeol’s ear, “One more call and I’m chucking his phone out the window.”

Grinning mischievously as he fastened his seatbelt, Chanyeol sang, “Oh, Shifu, I’ve missed youuuu!”

The moment Kyungsoo stepped inside, a tangible gloom proliferated in the enclosed space. Chanyeol started the car and you quietly curled up in the backseat. Kyungsoo’s head spun around, round eyes blazing with conviction. Pointing towards the trunk, he said, “Do you see that cloth bag on top of Chanyeol’s trolley?”

“This one?” you asked, hoisting yourself up on one elbow, your arm carelessly flapping all over the luggage before landing on said cloth bag with a dull thump.

“Hand it over, please,” winced Kyungsoo, “Be gentle, it’s a gift.”

Passing him his precious ‘gift’, you let out an annoyed huff and laid down again, facing the backrest. But curiosity got the better of you. You immediately turned back around to see what this ‘gift’ looked like.

Kyungsoo loosened the strings of the canvas tote to reveal a black Birkin Cargo. Soft and lightweight, it was supposed to be Hermès first off-road bag. Your droopy eyes flew open in awe of its high-brow craftsmanship and it was certainly a thoughtful gift for a bride-to-be. If this gift was meant for you, you were sure to forgive any and all of his crimes but the bag didn’t seem to have the same kind of effect on Chanyeol.

The air was still thick with tension.

Gaze fixed on Chanyeol’s profile, Kyungsoo murmured, “I didn’t want to do this now.”

Eyes on the road, “Spill,” grunted Chanyeol, as if expecting the obvious.

“This is an ‘I’m sorry’ gift for Aera,” started Kyungsoo before lowering his voice to a whisper, “I picked it up from duty free last night...it’s fifteen times Yixing’s annual agricultural income.”

Chanyeol clicked his tongue in disapproval at Kyungsoo’s snide remark.

“What do you want to apologize to her for?” he then asked with a deep sigh.

“I- I can’t make it to the wedding,” said Kyungsoo, faltering in his otherwise steadfast speech.

“Why?” quizzed Chanyeol in a terrifyingly cool tone while anger started to rise within you. Why he allowed this midget to walk all over him was beyond you. Didn’t he have better friends?

“I pushed back an important appointment for this trip. It was either Spain or the wedding. And since you insisted on Spain...”

Furious, Chanyeol struck the steering wheel with his palm. With the rattle of the metal strap of his Rolex reverberating in the car, he bellowed, “The actual fuck, Doh Kyungsoo?!” 

“What?! I said I’m sorry!”

“No, you didn’t! Besides, ‘sorry’ doesn’t fix anything! You’re supposed to be my best man - are- are you listening to yourself right now?!”

Chewing on the insides of his cheeks, Kyungsoo patiently waited for his friend to simmer down. After a pregnant pause, Chanyeol resumed reasoning with him, his tone evidently milder this time, “Okay, okay, talk to me. Does this appointment have to be on the exact same day as the ceremony?”

“No, it doesn’t and...it isn’t,” Kyungsoo explained before hurriedly requesting, “Can we do this later?”

Chanyeol took a sharp right turn along the tapering road and brought the car to a screeching halt. Brows furrowed, lips quirked in an angry smirk, he looked Kyungsoo straight in the eyes and you felt as if the air conditioner had suddenly started meting out the chilliest of blows.

“No, I want to talk about it right now! So, tell me. What’s more important than your best friend’s wedding?”

Kyungsoo took off his glasses, threw his head back and pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. “Chanyeol, please -”

“No, I need to know!”

“Then remember it was you who wanted to have this conversation on the first day of our trip,” he stated curtly.

“Enough with the drama Kyungsoo!” Chanyeol’s roar rang through the car.

“FINE!” Kyungsoo grumbled, “I got a job offer from the London office and...I accepted. I leave a week after we’re back in Seoul….since it’s a new position I cannot fly back for the wedding. And I would’ve...I- I was going to fly back for the wedding had it not been for this trip.”

“So you decided to leave. Forever. Just like that. Without even talking to me about it first.” Chanyeol thought out loud, his tone tellingly casual.

Looking out the window, Kyungsoo whispered audibly, “There’s nothing left for me in Seoul.”

Without another word, Chanyeol started the car.

Putting his glasses back on, Kyungsoo threw his hands up and argued, “So you’re not going to say anything?!”

Chanyeol cranked up the volume on the car’s stereo in response, leaving Kyungsoo tongue-tied.

***

Ten minutes into the drive, Kyungsoo’s phone blew up for, conservatively, the fifteenth time. But before he could even swipe to answer, Chanyeol lowered the car window, plucked his phone out of his hand and chucked it into the shrubbery by the roadside and continued to drive at an accelerated speed.

Kyungsoo’s mouth fell open but no words came out and unbeknownst to you, you were mirroring the dazed look on his face.

Chanyeol stuck his thumb out to where you were seated and justified indifferently, “It was her idea.”

.

.

.

It wasn’t a house. It was a warzone.

The spacious three bedroom apartment had invisible borders drawn out and nobody dared to encroach upon the other’s territory.

After arriving in Costa Brava, the three of you settled in and freshened up before heading out for a scheduled theoretical lesson on scuba diving conducted by your PADI certified instructor. The lesson had ended sometime around sunset and through the entire thing, you acted like complete strangers, making it more awkward than necessary for the twenty something instructor.

After the lesson, Kyungsoo offered to drive the trio to a boutique hotel, Hostal Sa Rascassa’s restaurant, which was supposed to be located on the edges of a tranquil, secluded cove and served traditional sea-food centric dishes like -

“- grilled sardines, cod fishcakes and octopus stewed with onion and pepper,” Kyungsoo counted on his fingers, making your stomach growl and your mouth water.

Chanyeol brushed him aside with a bitter, “I’m not hungry.”

Turning to you, Kyungsoo asked politely, “Wanna come?”

From the corner of your eye, you noticed Chanyeol shooting you a death glare so you decided to wriggle out of the situation by citing tiredness.

Kyungsoo lifted his shoulders in a dismissive shrug and took off in a taxi, leaving the car to the two of you.

“Where do you wanna eat?” Chanyeol asked as you got into the passenger’s seat.

Slack jawed, you chastised a giggling Chanyeol, “Yeollie, you’re absolutely horrible!”

.

.

.

It had been months.

Months since Natasha had walked out of their shared apartment.

And ever since then, every night, the moment Kyungsoo’s head would hit the pillow, a sense of hopelessness would erupt right in the middle of his chest. Spreading its wings far and wide, this despair would engulf him entirely and render him sleepless.

Nothing he tried helped his disposition so he’d started working on accepting this feeling as an inextricable part of his being. Something he’d have to learn to live with for the rest of his life.

Overcome by exhaustion, Kyungsoo drifted off only to be jolted awake by a jarring memory.

Hands balled into fists, Natasha yelled, ‘HOW COULD YOU DO THIS?’

‘This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, Natasha! This deal could help us!’ Kyungsoo thundered in the face of her dogged determination to not let this slide.

‘Can’t you see that I don’t care?’ She met his bloodshot eyes with tears welling in hers.

Brows knit together, Kyungsoo ruminated on his thoughts before firing back, ‘Are you saying that you don’t care about my life?’

Exasperated, Natasha ran a hand through her hair to ground herself and argued, ‘Stop it, Kyungsoo! Don’t confuse your work with your life! Your work isn’t your life. It’s just a part of it. WHAT ABOUT US?’

‘Us?’ Kyungsoo deliberated, ‘I bought this apartment so that we could live together.’

Natasha retracted with every step Kyungsoo took towards her, expression coloured in unpleasant shades of anger and disgust.  Letting out a mirthless laugh, she taunted, ‘Oh, please! You bought this apartment to impress people with your upmarket address.’

Aghast, Kyungsoo sank into the couch, his mind flitting between despair and hope. Head in his hands, breathing jagged and raspy, he reasoned, ‘I can’t believe you’re saying this to me! I’m planning a future with you.’

‘The future is yet to come, Kyungsoo. WHAT ABOUT OUR PRESENT?’

‘STOP YELLING!’

‘THEN LISTEN TO ME!’

Hands on his knees, Kyungsoo’s gaze shot up to rest upon Natasha’s flushed face. ‘What do you want?’ He demanded in a terrifyingly low tone.

A silent tear slid down her cheek as she explained with a quiver in her voice, ‘I want your time, Kyungsoo. I want a relationship not a retirement plan.’

Helpless, Kyungsoo toyed with the words in his mind before blurting, ‘If the chairman of Nakamura Corporation wants to meet me then I have- to- go! If he likes the presentation, he’ll give us the entire account. Don’t you see how big this is for me?’

‘But what about us, Kyungsoo? What about our dinner plan?’

‘We can postpone it to next month, can’t we?!’

‘It’s my birthday, Soo. I can’t postpone my birthday. You’d promised me this dinner...no matter what! You cancelled the reservation without even asking me first.’

Cupping her face in his hands, he pressed his lips to hers and whispered, ‘Baby, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry...but I have to go.’

.

.

.

When you padded into the living room, sleep befuddled at 5 a.m., you caught Chanyeol and Kyungsoo locked in an embrace, both of their eyes squeezed shut, as if wordlessly conveying an incredible degree of warmth and affection towards each other.

All of it….in “bro code”.

You imagined the conversation in your head, in two deep, distinct male voices:

‘I’m sorry I threw your phone out the window, bro!’

‘It’s what I deserved, bro!’

Rubbing away the drowsiness from your eyes, you tiptoed back into your room so as to not disrupt this….whatever this was supposed to be.

***

Underneath the purple-pink skies, enveloped in the cool early morning breeze, Kyungsoo, Chanyeol, and you, dressed in spandex scuba suits, huddled together in solidarity on the boat’s bulwark.

The diving site that Chanyeol had picked was called ‘Boreas Wreck’. The Boreas was a high sea tugboat that served for the German Navy during World War II. It was deliberately sunk in 1989 for the purpose of creating an artificial reef and thus, a scuba diving attraction.

“Any non-swimmers?” the trainer asked and Kyungsoo’s hand shot up in the air.

Her full lips curled up in a dazzling smile. “You’re brave,” she remarked and you heard Kyungsoo swallow hard, inviting a snigger from Chanyeol.

Hands on hips, her perfect figure accentuated by the spandex, she instructed, “You will be diving deep into this sea now, do you remember the theoretical part I taught you on the shore?”

Chanyeol and you were confident (and loud) in your affirmation.

Kyungsoo, not so much.

With the bulky dive equipment on, the instructor created a circle with her thumb and forefinger, gesturing, “All okay?”

The three of you responded by following suit.

First dive, twelve metres depth.

You’d become the proverbial fish out of water except you were not the fish and you were under water and your whole world had been turned upside down….quite literally.

You spun around to find the instructor assisting Chanyeol with his breathing rhythm and Kyungsoo curled up like a shrimp, hugging his knees. Arm extended, he gave you a “thumbs up” which meant an entirely different thing under water from what it did on land.

Thumbs up, in diving lingo, spelled trouble. It meant that, for whatever reason, the diver wished to ascend. But, by then, you’d known Kyungsoo long enough to understand that there was no real cause for concern.

The look in his eyes told you that he was simply struggling to adapt.

You swam towards him, with your legs and not your arms, in order to maintain good buoyancy control. Clasping your hands together in a mitten grasp, you signalled him to hold onto you. Kyungsoo created a circle with his thumb and forefinger to signal “okay” before putting his hand on your forearm, the soft ripples caused by his gentle movements gleaming in the artificial light from your gear.

You then raised your other arm and flattened your hand, palm down, to “pat” the water in front of you as you would the head of a dog. Wearing a comforting eye smile, you essentially asked Kyungsoo to take it easy and relax. You then levelled your hand with his eyes, palm facing up before drawing a deep breath, wordlessly asking Kyungsoo to breathe slow, deep and long.

Another nod. Another “okay”.

He then pointed his index finger to his ear, the gesture indicating that he couldn’t clear his ears and had trouble equalizing. So you locked your eyes with his and took his elbows in your hands to pull him up to ascend slightly before quickly pushing him down again while wondering whether he’d paid attention to the theoretical lessons at all.

He squeezed his eyes shut before giving you another nod which meant that the equalization was a success.

Kyungsoo’s thumb and forefinger met in another “okay” but this time with an eye smile which you reciprocated with an “okay” before snapping your fingers into a teasing finger heart.

All traces of agreeableness instantly vanished from his visible features.

***

The deeper you went, your fluo green spectrum widened, whelming you with the underwater world’s tranquil beauty which neutralized the shooting pain in your ears and the violent thumping of your heart. Corals in the shape of giant mushrooms floated around you and sea urchins greeted you with their bright purple-brown spikes glowing under the ocean’s natural light. At your feet, a shy goby fish with its large head and tapered body tunneled its way into the sand upon sensing the arrival of strangers.

While you were immersed in this exquisite scenery, a wide eyed Kyungsoo grabbed your attention by waving at you, his hand holding a pink fin.

‘That fin looks familiar,’ you thought before realizing it was your fin that had released itself from your right foot. You almost choked from laughing with the regulator on and the mask attached to your face as Kyungsoo helped you stick it back on.

Having been privy to breathtaking videos and countless stories of the mysteries and magic of the underwater world, a first-hand experience felt surreal. You were quick to adapt to the environment and didn’t try to fight it or control it and your first breath under water had been an experience like no other.

The Boreas Wreck was home to a number of incredible marine species such as Mediterranean sponges and blue gorgonians, scorpionfish, sea urchins, starfish, goatfish, mullets, bream, lobsters, groupers, and barracuda. While you couldn’t pindown all the enticing, drop dead gorgeous palettes of reds, blues, and yellows that crossed paths with you, shoaling, schooling...or even solitary, it didn’t take away from the sheer awe you were overcome with at every second of your time several azure and viridian metres below the surface of land.

The instructor then guided the three of you inside the boat’s wreck, which was safe to enter since all hazardous items had been removed before Boreas was scuttled. With an excited Chanyeol in the lead per usual, you visited some of its confined rooms, and went further in to explore the kitchen, the engine room, the bridge and even the captain’s cabin. The dilapidated metal and wood body of the civil boat, covered almost entirely in sea fauna, was nothing short of a beautiful nightmare.

Traversing, you reached one corner of the boat basked in a blinding white light, enveloping you in a gentle embrace. Emotions so carefully locked away came flooding through the dam of your forced stoic indifference. Giving in, you stretched your arms out, allowing yourself to freefall into a distant memory.

Haphazardly flapping your arms and legs, you struggled to keep your head up but no matter how hard you tried, the pool water made its way into your mouth, nose, and eyes, even.

‘Appa!’ you managed loudly as you felt yourself drowning again.

Your Appa was the one who always came to your rescue.

No matter where you were, no matter how bad things got. He was always there. So when he just stood there, a smile on his face, watching you grapple with a force that mercilessly dragged you down while you kicked and punched and floundered to stay afloat...a mysterious emotion rose within you.

You felt betrayed by the man who was supposed to have your back.

Seething, ‘Appa!’ you bawled, but to no avail.

Until...magically...you didn’t need his help anymore.

After days of relentless torture, you’d finally found yourself moving forward, cutting through the water with synchronized movements of your arms and legs.

But the exhilaration hadn’t lasted long.

A couple of minutes in and you realized that that force was winning again but this time, you didn’t drown.

This time a familiar pair of hands grabbed you before you went under and threw you up in the air as your misty eyes took in the biggest smile on your father’s face with an equally big one gracing your bright features.

Circling his arms around your tiny torso, he nestled you into himself.

‘My champion!’ he whispered into your swim cap covered ear.

***

Back on the boat, with your diving gear off and fresh towels wrapped around your shoulders, you sank to your knees, completely wracked with sobs.

You felt a million emotions, all at once, the reigning one being embarrassment at this sudden outburst. With his arms around you and his chin resting on the top of your head, Chanyeol whispered, ‘It’s okay, it’s alright,’ to ground you while gently rocking you back and forth until you’d let it all out. Turning around, you buried your face into the crook of his neck as if to hide away from the inquisitive eyes of Kyungsoo and the instructor. Chanyeol held you closer, his hand stroking the back of your neck in silent support.

.

.

.

Even after a sumptuous lunch of salmon canapes, baked scallops, rice with spiny spider crab, mixed seafood finger foods complete with a chocolate semi sphere, Chanyeol was uncharacteristically quiet and Kyungsoo, uncharacteristically amiable.

“Feels a little morbid to be eating all this seafood after a dive,” you jested with a serious expression, nibbling on a piece of dark chocolate. And it was only then that the boys went back to being their true selves. Amused, Chanyeol guffawed, “Good to have you back!” while Kyungsoo choked on his sparkling white wine.

Shortly after, Chanyeol excused himself to make a call to Aera.

Kyungsoo ordered two coffees for the both of you and you noticed how he kicked about a conversation starter in his head as opened his mouth only to clamp it shut several times, before finally mustering, “I just want to say -”

“No,” you interrupted him in a mortified haste, “no, please don’t say anything I don’t wanna talk about it except, I’m really sorry for making it so awkward for you guys back there.”

“Oh, no,” he gave you a dismissive wave of hand, “it was just Chanyeol, me, and...erm...the pretty instructor who we’ll never see again. Chanyeol makes a complete ass out of himself every waking hour and as for me, please don’t worry about me. Especially not after you found me blind drunk on a rooftop in the dead of night. We all have our moments. I’m sorry,” he suddenly stopped short, expression solemn, “you said you didn’t wanna talk about it.”

You chuckled, teasing, “Pretty instructor, huh?”

This was the longest conversation you’d had with Kyungsoo so far and truth be told, you were caught off guard by... his smile. His resting face was a natural frown, mostly due to his poor eyesight. And in your experience, if he had his glasses on, it was Chanyeol who was the primary reason for his scowl, with you being a close second.

It took you a moment to take in that dazzling, heart shaped smile of his before you could speak again but it was Kyungsoo who lugged the conversation forward.

“I just wanted to thank you for what you did for me back there. I think I felt a little overwhelmed by the,” he pondered his thoughts before concluding, “the vastness of the ocean. Sorry, I’m no poet.”

“Don’t mention it,” you smiled, “How did you feel by the end of it?”

“Umm,” Kyungsoo ruminated on your question, “I felt like I was in the moment...like, reaching a stage of subtle awareness from surface awareness.”

“And you say you’re not a poet,” you quipped, “So, like, meditation?”

“Maybe. It felt as if I was letting go of...of all the emotional baggage -” he trailed off rather plaintively.

Voice laced with hesitance, you sang, “So….maybe…you’ll sleep better tonight?”

Clearly taken aback by your question, Kyungsoo exclaimed, “What?!”

“I’m sorry but, it’s very obvious that you haven’t been sleeping too well.”

Thick eyebrows scrunched together, he let out a confused ‘Oh!’

“Did Chanyeol -” he continued, only to be interrupted by a booming, cheerful voice, “Think of the angel and the angel appears!”

Kyungsoo looked up at a beaming Chanyeol and deadpanned,  “That’s not how the saying goes. Anyway, what took you so long?”

Eyes holding a glint of humour, Chanyeol placed a neatly wrapped iPhone box in front of Kyungsoo and took the dramatics up a notch with a stage performer-esque curtsey thus inviting amused stares from the nearby tables in the courtyard style restaurant. Kyungsoo unwrapped the packaging with the eagerness of a five year old on Christmas Eve and to his disappointment, instead of the high end handphone, he opened the case to a hot pink flip phone.

Kyungsoo let out a low growl, “The fuck is this?”

Standing at a safe distance from his fuming friend, Chanyeol quipped, “A phone,” while making no effort to suppress his laughter.

“Thank you, Mr. State The Obvious, but I’m an adult male, not a Japanese schoolgirl!”

Tickled by his own little prank, Chanyeol threw you under the bus by triumphantly howling, “It was Shifu’s idea!” before darting out of the premises.

Dumbfounded, you exclaimed, “WHAT?! NO!” as Kyungsoo fixed you with a death glare.

.

.

.

‘When were you going to tell me about this?’

Maybe this was one of your endless nightmares.

Maybe this wasn’t happening at all.

Your mother deflected your question by putting things away. Dirty dishes in the washer, clothes in the dryer, leftovers in the fridge, while you followed her around like a lost puppy, a crumpled, time stained letter held delicately in your hand.

The throbbing in your head now bordering on numbness, bile rising up your throat, your legs threatening to give away, you reiterated your question, vociferously this time, surprised at your own power of will. A quality that forever eluded you. The inability to voice your needs, your opinions, masked under a not so thinly veiled sense of self deprecating humour was...you, in a nutshell. This sudden surge of fighting spirit consuming you whole felt alien but at the same time, very natural and, at the same time, it was taking a toll on every nerve, every muscle, every bone.

Every second felt like your last.

‘Would she be able to handle it all over again?’ crestfallen, you mused, ‘The grief. The sympathy. The cumulation of my life -- all these decades condensed into a tiny vessel of ever fading memories. The sands of time trickling through her wrinkled fingers.’

‘Eomma, please -’ you cried out, only for your plea to fall upon deaf ears.

It wasn’t until the next morning that she spoke to you again.

Bloodshot eyes framed by the weight of living, she handed you a warm cup of tea and let out a deep sigh.

‘He never wanted you. It was your Appa who accepted me...he accepted us… It’s been three days since your Appa -,’ wracked with sobs, it took her a while to compose herself to be able to speak again, ‘don’t dishonour his memory.’

‘Why should I believe a word you say? Why should I believe that- that my own father never wanted me?’