#i feel like they had wore way cooler fits than the ones shown here but.. they also look like the offbrand avengers so we take the dub

[jrueships]

WHO RUN THE WORLD ?? (GIRLS 🗣‼️)

[cherryblossomstars]

paper crowns (t. oikawa)

a/n: take a shot everytime i say the words “paper crowns” in this fic lmao. i hope you enjoy it! i’m really proud of this one

pairing: oikawa x reader

word count: 2,138

genre: childhood friends to lovers, very light angst, hurt/comfort, fluff, its like 85% fluff 15% angst and imo its not that angsty

summary: you were in love with the boy who wore paper crowns and kept galaxies in his pockets

you were in love with a boy who wore paper crowns and kept galaxies in his pockets in case the both of you ever got bored of the same old scenery the miyagi prefecture had to offer. he’d take the stars and universes out of his pocket and paint your skies with nebulas and show you everything beautiful the world had to offer.

“i want to travel the world with you one day,” he’d shrugged one day out of nowhere- as if you weren’t both in fourth grade and had no real means of being able to make that dream come true.

“we will.” you’d promised, anyway.

the paper crowns were a craft you’d shown him how to make when you were both little. he’d become so enamored with it the both of you had gone to the store and spent your pocket money on buying blue card stock paper, just to have quality, blue paper crowns.

when iwaizumi had joined one day, the both of you had offered him a crown. he refused, saying knights were much cooler anyway. and so, the three of you spent the day learning how to make a paper sword for your dear friend instead.

you and oikawa preferred the crowns much more.

“see, i’m a king, and you’re my queen!” he’d exclaimed. you wondered if it was a silly proclamation or a promise for the future.

the paper crowns remained on your heads all throughout your childhood and middle school. by the time you got to highschool, you’d realized with tears in your eyes and a heavy heart that oikawa had traded in his paper crowns for a volleyball and a net.

the paper crown you’d both made and decorated with stickers and drawings remained on his dresser, but your friendship had long since withered away.

the garden that was your friendship needed the care of two people and oikawa, busy as he was, had left you to do all the work. eventually, what had become this one-sided friendship of yours had dried up.

he regrets many things, but he regrets that the most.

he pretends he doesn’t see the way you steal glances towards him and look like you’re about to cry.

he pretends it doesn’t hurt when you stop. he has to steel himself whenever you walk by him without so much as a glance.

you don’t make paper crowns anymore.

he’s not sure if he was better off with you hating him or you ignoring him.

oikawa tooru loves paper crowns, attention, and volleyball. he’d realized too late that he loves you, too.

in his second year, he’d ditched volleyball practice for the first and last time. he’d gone to the store, just like he did many years ago, and bought a pack of blue card stock.

two new, clean paper crowns. he’s gotten much better at them, he thought proudly. he grabbed some stickers from takeru (much to his nephew’s protest) with promises to buy him more later. he’d stuck the stickers on carefully, the perfectionist that he is. and afterwards, after deciding that the crown looked too plain, he’d drawn and cut out some designs on a different sheet of paper, meticulously glueing on every little drawing.

the first and last time he’d ever ditch volleyball practice, and it was to make you a paper crown for your birthday. he’d even made a matching one for himself.

“i’m such a simp...” he sighed to himself. the both of you hadn’t spoken in two years, and he was about to show up to your doorstep with an origami project and a sheepish smile.

he decided he needs more because you deserve better than a childish arts and crafts project with sentimental value and a shitty friend. another stop at the store, with the crowns in his hand.

the florists are all closed by this time of day, so instead he buys a few cheap, half off bouquets that the stores sell.

he hates them, if he was being honest. so he compromises, stealing certain flowers here and there from each bouquet he bought and made it into one, beautifully done (almost professional looking, if he could say so himself) bouquet— just for you. he’d put the leftover flowers into a vase and arrange them later to give to his mother.

by the time he’s finally finished preparing, it was on the cusp of twilight. his mother had flashed him a knowing smile on his way out of the door, the pieces all fitting together when she sees the familiar points of the crowns in his hand. she’d seen them often enough in his childhood to know that they were worth more to him than just simple toys.

while the night is winding down, you open your door to a pretty bouquet shoved into your face, tied with a pretty blue bow and held by a pretty boy, with a shy, apologetic smile on his face. the real kicker was the paper crown placed on his head.

you smile, glad to see the boy you once called your best friend again. you happily take the flowers, side stepping away from your front door to let the chocolate haired setter into your home.

your family greets him with a smile, they’d always loved oikawa. to them, he was the boy that would spout facts about space and conspiracy theories about the government and the aliens that they were hiding whenever he could. his faces flushes bright red when it’s brought up.

they, too, smile knowingly at the familiar blue set of crowns in his hand.

you put the beautifully arranged flowers into a vase and ask him to follow you. he does, of course. he’d follow you to the ends of the earth if you’d asked him to.

he won’t say that. not right now, at least. your relationship still needed mending. he still needed to learn how to manage his schedule. it’s the reason the both of you had distanced yourselves from each other in the first place.

volleyball first, he’d always think. he’d just assumed you’d always be able for him to come home to whenever he needed. you’d just felt used, instead.

he thinks he’s learned his lesson. enough, at least, for him to try being friends with you again. properly, this time. and then maybe, just maybe, he’ll be able to confess the feelings he’s been shoving away from his heart for years.

you both enter your room, placing the vase of flowers onto your nightstand. his heart stutters with hope when he sees a paper crown left on your nightstand, right next to the newly set vase of flowers. he ignores how his stomach plunged with guilt, as well, for neglecting your friendship for so long.

you both pretend you don’t see your family peaking through a crack in your door to see what was going on.

they pretend they didn’t see oikawa hold you in his arms and whisper apologies, asking for another chance. they slip away without a word.

oikawa’s head tucks into your shoulder, his paper crown falling to the ground when he does.

you wonder how he could be comfortable in this position, considering your height difference. he’s grown so much taller since you knew him.

when he steps back, he places the paper crown he’s been holding in his hand onto your head. you bend down to pick up his, and place it onto his head.

you realize quickly that oikawa is still the boy that keeps galaxies in his pocket and that he’d never traded in his paper crowns for volleyball. he brought them with him.

he’d make a great king, you think, when you watch him play a highschool game for the first time.

you’d been avoiding watching your high school’s volleyball games out of fear and, quite frankly, humiliation for the friendship that withered after not seeing sunlight for two years.

he’s still a setter, just like he was in middle school, and he’s still amazing. he conducts his team with ease and, despite always receiving the brunt of their jokes, it’s clear they respect and trust him just as much as he does them.

you smile and wave at the boy who once held a paper sword in his hand. iwaizumi sends you a confused glance, but waves back nonetheless. he turns to oikawa, his furrowed brows and look of confusion still evident on his face.

oikawa turns to his friend, who then points to you. when oikawa sees you at his game, he complains about you waving to iwaizumi before you greeted him, yelling his complains all the way from the gym floor.

you roll your eyes, “i have an inquiry box at home, if you want!” you yell right back.

he pouts, “well maybe i’ll submit an entry! about how mean you are to me! hmph!”

he turns away with a smile on his face. he can’t help it— you’re finally at a game.

he’ll never admit he always looks for you in the crowd when he plays the sport he loves so much. when you finally show up to one, he finally acknowledges the feeling of pride that swells in his chest.

he confesses to you at the end of your second year, when he thinks that you’re both back and settled into your friendship.

he knows that he really should have chosen a better place to confess to you, rather than the halls of aoba johsai during a lunch period. he loves attention, but for once he decides he hates the stares of the students around the both of you, the air hanging heavily as everyone waits to hear your answer. he knows better than anyone at this moment that this wasn’t the best spot he could have done this, but he couldn’t wait anymore.

“take your time,” you’d always tell him when you were younger. he was never one to listen to that advice.

then again, he was also never one to be the person confessing. it was always him getting the confessions. he feels his face burn with embarrassment and fear that you’ll reject him.

you accept his confession with stars in your eyes.

he paints your skies with the galaxies he keeps in his pockets. he lays in your arms with a dazed smile on his face, your hands carding through his hair.

“you’re ruining it.” he complains with a pout.

you hum, “i have an inquiry box, you know.”

“you don’t. i think you should get one, i have a lot of complaints to put in.”

“is that so? you can go ahead and fuck right off, then.” you try not to laugh when you roll him off of you.

he whines, “i was joking!” he crawls his way back into your arms and settles himself between your legs.

after a period of silence, he brings up your promise from long ago. “let’s travel the world together?” he mumbles, as if he was shy to ask.

oikawa tooru is shy, you think with amusement. you may as well enjoy it while you can.

“hm? where’s this coming from?”

he buries his head in your shoulder in an attempt to hide his embarrassment. you won’t mention how you can see the tips of his ears turning red.

“don’t ask questions you already know the answer to.” he pouts, “remember? you promised we would.”

“ah, that’s right. i did.”

“so, can we?”

“well, i promised, didn’t i? promises are made to be kept.” you say, as if you both aren’t broke highschool students worried about college applications.

“where would we go first?”

“hmm. i’ve always wanted to visit argentina since we watched that professional volleyball game when we were younger. you know, the one where you had that dude sign your—“

“stop! stop! and for your information, his name was jose blanco! and don’t bring that up, please, it’s embarrassing. you just love watching me suffer, don’t you?”

“not my fault you decided to—“

“so!” he interrupts again to save himself, “argentina? we can do argentina.” he smiles against the exposed skin of your shoulder, his hand playing with your fingers.

“and then after that, let’s visit france. and then i’d like to see the philippines, too. so many places to visit, too little time and money, jeez.” you continue to ramble, your hands reaching for your nightstand to grab and place the paper crown displayed on it onto your boyfriend’s head.

he listens to your rambling intently, fully ready to do everything he can to make both your dreams a reality.

oikawa thinks his heart might explode out of his chest at the thought that he was lucky enough to fall in love with the girl with paper crowns and stars in her eyes.

fin.

[pies-writes-and-more]

Blue

Word Count: 3, 334

Pairing: Steve Rogers/Fem!Reader

Warnings: None? Drinking alcohol but all characters are assumed to be legal.

Masterlist

(Wrote this fic and then found the perfect gif [shown below] made by @capsgrantrogers​ who was an angel and let me use it! The full blue Steve Rogers gifset can be found here! Go see it, like it, love it, cherish it - PERFECTION.)

“You are all cordially being invited to a party, next Saturday,” Tony had announced, a wide grin on his face. “We shall celebrate my birthday in the only appropriate way, in style.” He gave the group a cheeky smirk before strutting off without giving any real details of the party.

“It’s nothing too fancy,” Pepper explained after he walked away. “Just semi-formal.” She offered, glancing as the boys shared a look. 

Internally, (Y/N) groaned. She enjoyed hanging out with the Avengers, really she did. But parties meant more guests, more new people to meet, more socializing. She sighed, also knowing that a reason to dress up was, in Wanda and Natasha’s minds, a reason to get Steve and her together, much to her embarrassment. 

“He’s going to wear that blue shirt, you know,” Wanda smirked as she smoothed out her dress. “Try not to drool this time.”

“I don’t drool,” (Y/N) grumbled, staring at her closet. “Why is always blue? Why can’t he wear some other colour..”

“He looks good in it, It matches his eyes,” Natasha offered, shrugging. “What’s with you? I thought you liked him in that shirt?”

“She’d like it better if she was taking the shirt off,” Wanda snickered, ducking a tissue box that (Y/N) threw at her in retaliation.

“Shut up!” (Y/N)’s cheeks were bright red, quickly drinking more of her cooler as her friends laughed. Definitely wasn’t drunk enough for her. “It’s not that I don’t like the shirt, it’s just that...” She hesitated, wondering what it was about the blue shirt that made her swoon so hard.

“Regardless of the colour of the shirt, his muscles and chest are still going to make you drool,” Natasha pointed out, smirking as (Y/N) huffed, shifting through the dresses in her closet. Nat finally gave up and came to her rescue, pulling out a dress for her. 

“Really?” (Y/N) gave her a glare as Nat shoved the hanger into her hands. “Didn’t we just discuss the whole blue thing?”

“It’s a pretty dress!” Natasha argued. “Plus last time you wore this was that party were Steve broke his whiskey glass, remember?”

Wanda burst out laughing at the memory, looking at the girls through the mirror. “His eyes were about to pop out of his head, I swear.”

(Y/N) gave them another glare, stripping down to pull the dress on. “I swear, you guys attend different parties than I do. He wasn’t even looking at me.”

“Wanda, remind me to videotape this shit sometime,” Natasha rolled her eyes, zipping the dress from behind her. “You two are so disgustingly in love with each other. Every time one of you looks away, the other one stares.”

(Y/N) rolled her eyes, sighing as she changed the subject to something else, fixing up her makeup just in time as FRIDAY informed them that Tony was asking for their ETA.

“Down in 5, FRIDAY!” Wanda called out, slipping on her pair of heels. “How do I look?”

“Not too shabby, Maximoff,” (Y/N) teased, tugging at her dress once more before they headed towards the elevator.

Steve was over it. This party was like all the other Stark parties - loud and crowded. He leaned against the bar, nodding a thank you to Thor as the demi-god poured some of his Asgardian alcohol for him. “I am glad to be sharing this with a Midguardian,” Thor grinned, patting the super soldier on the back before disappearing into the crowd of people.

“I’m glad to be getting a buzz off of it,” Steve mumbled into the drink before swallowing some of it down.

“Oof,” Sam muttered, eyes looking past Steve. “I always forget how good the girls clean up.”

Steve whirled around, gaze immediately attracted to the tight fitting blue dress walking around. The alcohol stung his throat as he coughed in surprise, putting his glass down and turning away from the girls’ entrance.

“Damn, guess Cupid missed the heart and went for the lungs,” Bucky smirked as he downed a shot. “You know, Steve, if you don’t ask her for a dance tonight, I will.”

“Might have to fight me for her attention,” Sam agreed, giving a low whistle as his eyes examined (Y/N) in her semi-formal attire.

Steve shot his friends a glare, clearing his throat, “Ask who?” He replied stupidly.

Sam and Bucky shared a look, rolling their eyes together. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence she’s wearing the same colour as you tonight,” Sam mentioned smoothly.

“I don’t either,” Steve mumbled. “I think it’s called ‘Natasha’.”

“Or you know, maybe she wants your attention,” Clint spoke up from behind him, grinning. “She always says she likes you in blue.”

Steve glanced at him, reading his gaze for a moment. It didn’t seem like he was lying, but how come (Y/N) never mentioned it to him?

“Boys,” Natasha smiled, leaning against Clint’s shoulder. “You all look...decent,” she smirked before looking up at the Captain. “I think gentlemen are supposed to tell the ladies they look nice tonight.” She nudged Steve’s arm, nodding her head towards (Y/N), who rolled her eyes.

“Nat, stop that. I, for one, am happy to compliment them for a change,” (Y/N) laughed, smiling at the boys. “You all look so cute in your fancy clothes.”

“Cute?” Sam wrinkled his nose in response. “We aren’t hamsters.”

“Fine, handsome, my bad,” (Y/N) laughed. “I haven’t seen you all dressed up before, Barnes. It’s a nice look.”

“How else am I going to grab your attention tonight, doll?” Bucky responded with a wink, Steve tightening his grip on his glass slightly as (Y/N) giggled.

“I paid good money for these people to come play their music,” Tony called out, interrupting the conversation. “I invite you all to a party and you’re just standing around? Come dance, unless you think you’ll make a fool of yourselves. Then absolutely come dance so that Pepper and I can show you up.” He grinned, nodding at Steve before walking back to his wife.

“Hey Bucky, those girls over there are eyeing us,” Sam mentioned with a grin.

“Time to suit up,” Bucky snickered and the two of them walked away, both turning to give Steve a look.

“Clint, where’s your lovely wife? Go ask her to dance,” Natasha insisted almost immediately after, the two of them scurrying in Laura’s direction.

(Y/N) bit her lip, wishing Wanda hadn’t left earlier to find Vision. She signaled to the bartender, quickly asking for a shot. She definitely wasn’t able to be around Steve in that incredible blue shirt of his while sober. He had the sleeves folded up and she could see his muscles tugging at the fabric. God, I need to stop, she thought to herself, finding every excuse to look away.

“(Y/N)?” Steve spoke up after the bartender passed her the shot. She threw her head back, grimacing at the feeling of the alcohol burning its way down her throat. “Nat was right,” he cleared his throat, standing a bit taller. “My ma would be very unimpressed with me right now if she saw me standing next to you, all prettied up, without letting you know just how gorgeous you are.” The words spilled out of his lips quickly, leaving him to wonder just how fast the Asgardian liquor worked.

The smile on her lips though made Steve’s stomach go warm. “Awe, thanks Stevie.” She smiled, reaching over to straighten his shirt collar slightly. “Blue’s more your colour than mine though.”

Steve bit his lip, feeling the warmth of her skin so close to him. “I’d never wear it again if it meant I could see you in this dress more often,” he mumbled quietly.

“Hm?” (Y/N)’s eyes caught his, smiling happily as she smoothed out his shirt. 

“Never mind,” he gave her a quick smile, offering her his arm. “Dance with me? The prettiest girl here shouldn’t be the one standing at the bar.”

(Y/N) must be going crazy. Did Steve really just ask her to dance? She nodded eagerly, both of them avoiding their friends’ eyes.

She wasn’t much of a dancer, but she was surprised to find that Steve led well. There was something so comforting about being so close to him, but she also felt like her heart was going to burst out of her chest. She would catch his gaze every now and then, his blue eyes making her feel like she was hypnotized. 

Meanwhile, Steve hoped that she couldn’t feel the shaking of his movements as he lead her around the dance floor. She seemed so loose in her movements, the dress flowing after her body like an angel. Never in his many years of living did he think a girl could be this close to Heaven. 

(Y/N) couldn’t help but feel her cheeks burn with how much she was smiling. She felt the heat of her blush grow as eyes followed them. She tried to hide her disappointed as his hand pulled away from her waist as the song finally ended. He gave her a little playful bow, winking at her before they were whisked away by different groups of people.

 (Y/N) was overwhelmed meeting Tony’s guests, and re-meeting some of the ones that had been at the complex before. She knocked back a few more drinks, nervously interacting with those nearby.

Soon, the room became too warm with conversations and social interactions. (Y/N) quickly found herself feeling incredibly small, sliding along the wall until she escaped down the hallway and onto the balcony nearby. She threw herself against the railing, gasping for fresh air as her heart slid out of her throat.

Cursing to herself, she swallowed down the rest of her drink and let herself feel the cool night breeze against her bare arms. “I hate parties,” she mumbled, tapping her fingers along the steel railing.

“(Y/N)?”

She turned to find Steve standing in the doorway, looking worried. “Are you okay?” He asked, rushing to her side and touching her arm gently. 

“F-Fine, just needed air,” She told him, having to steady her balance slightly. Her gaze quickly dropping from his face to his chest. He looks so good in this stupid blue shirt, she thought to herself.

“Thank you,” he laughed, her cheeks suddenly turning red as she realized the thought had escaped through her lips. “But if you think it’s that stupid, I’ll wear a different shirt next time.” He gave her a nervous smile, rubbing the back of his neck.

“No!” (Y/N) yelped, blinking quickly as she scrambled to come up with an answer. “I-I just... You just looked really good in the shirt and it’s really difficult to not notice,” she admitted, slurring her words slightly. “I hate blue.” She mumbled, leaning against the railing. 

Steve’s smile faltered slightly, “Well it looks incredible on you,” he insisted softly.

“N-No no.” Her eyes squinted at him slightly, “You always look so damn good in blue. I hate it. Can’t you try to look bad for once?”

Steve chuckled, leaning against the same railing the girl was swaying against. “Why would I want to look bad in front of a girl like you?” He asked her, placing his hands on her hips to hold her steady. “Had a bit to drink haven’t you?” He teased.

“I didn’t want to socialize,” She pouted, looking up at him. “Don’t make me go back and socialize, Captain, please,” she begged, tilting her head to one side. “Just stay out here with me, will you? I like it when you stay with me.”

Steve felt his cheeks go pink but gave her smile, wondering just how much alcohol it would take for a girl this beautiful to act like this around him. “How about I take you to your room and you can head in for the night? It’s getting pretty late.”

(Y/N) shook her head quickly, huffing, “My room’s a mess. I don’t want the Cap’n to see how messy it is when I get ready.” She insisted, standing up off the railing. “Take me to your room.” She demanded. Somewhere in her mind, sober (Y/N) was wide-eyed and screaming that she stop talking.

Steve’s eyes also widened, stammering out a response quickly, “S-Sure but I don’t know if my room will be comfy for you, love. At the very least you should get out of those clothes.”

“Tryna take me out of my clothes, Steve Rogers?” (Y/N) giggled, poking his chest. “I knew there was a bad boy in there somewhere,” she smirked, stepping out of her heels and heading inside. “I will go get pyjamas!” She exclaimed, stumbling in the opposite direction of her room.. 

Steve shook his head, laughing as he grabbed her heels and walked after her. The tipsiness Thor’s liquor gave him disappeared when he couldn’t find (Y/N) in the ballroom, having been worried she was sick. “Doll, this is my room,” he raised an eyebrow as she pushed the door open.

“I know.” She playfully glared at him, walking in. “I’m not dumbbb. I want to stay here, I told you.”

Steve watched as she sat down on the bed, attempting to reach the zipper at the back of her dress for a few minutes. “Steeeve,” (Y/N) finally called out, waving to him earnestly. “Helpppp,” she whined.

Steve quickly moved to close the door behind him, not wanting Sam or Bucky to find him undoing her dress. The teasing would be endless. He sighed, finding some old clothes of his and tossing them to her before sliding the zipper down.

He quickly turned away, pretending to be finding other clothes for himself as he heard her throw her clothes around and slide into his. After a moment, he peaked over his shoulder to find her looking as innocent as can be in his shirt. She giggled as she scrambled into his bed, proclaiming, “I’m ready!”

“Ready for what, doll?” Steve smiled at her gently, sitting down next to her and helping her pull the bobby pins and hair elastics from her hair.

“For my goodnight kiss,” she gave him a smirk and Steve hesitated. Could she feel his heart beating faster? 

“(Y/N), you’re drunk,” he stated simply, pulling an old shirt over his head. “Very very drunk.”

“Oh come on, I haven’t had that much,” she gave him a pout, leaning her head against a pillow.

Steve laughed, raising an eyebrow. “Oh yea? Sober (Y/N) never acts like this around me. Bucky maybe, but not me.”

“Is Stephen Grant Rogers jealous?” Her eyes widened, allowing herself to take in his now casual attire. “It’s easy to flirt with Bucky. He doesn’t have those stupid blue eyes of yours. Every time you look at me, I wanna keep looking back but I’m worried I’ll stare. Plus he flirts back, why don’t you flirt back with me?” she pouted, her hand gestures becoming a bit overly expressive.

Steve rolled his eyes playfully, pressing a kiss to the top of her forehead. “I wish you were sober,” he murmured to her softly, “maybe then I could work up the nerve to tell you just how much I like seeing you in my bed.”

(Y/N)’s eyes were as wide as can be, pretty sure she was imagining things and hearing only what she wanted to hear. “I’m not good enough to be the Cap’n’s girlfriend,” she mumbled out, sighing and settling under the covers. “He doesn’t even pay much attention to me.”

Steve frowned hearing the last words to pass her lips before her eyes fluttered shut. Did she really think she wasn’t good enough? He sighed, grabbing one of his other pillows and tossing it to the floor. Tonight had gone oddly... okay.

(Y/N) groaned as sunlight woke her up, muttering some curses to any higher power in the universe. She rubbed her eyes open only to find an unfamiliar bed and unfamiliar clothes. She paused, staring at herself and wondering how lifelike a dream can be.

She slowly turned to find an empty bed beside her, crawling to the edge towards the sound of soft breathing to find Steve lying on the floor, a light blanket covering him.

“Oh my g-” (Y/N) quickly covered her lips with her hands as short images of last night flashed through her memories. Had she really asked him for a goodnight kiss?

Embarrassed out of her mind, (Y/N) threw the blanket off of her, scrambling to pick up the things she had drunkenly thrown onto the floor.

“G’morning,” Steve drawled, waking up to the sound of her shuffling and yawning as he sat up. “Didn’t think you’d be up so early.” 

(Y/N) quickly avoided his eyes, stammering out some answer about needing to leave.

“Nothing happened, doll, promise,” Steve looked at her, standing up and stretching slightly.

“I-I know, I just feel bad I had you sleeping on the floor,” she admitted, a blush creeping onto her cheeks.

“Sometimes the floor feels more familiar than the bed,” he confided, rubbing the back of his neck. “You had quite a bit last night, hm?”

She nodded, swallowing hard as she tried not to focus on the blue eyes staring at her. “Y-Yeah so you can ignore everything I said, I’m so sorry, I must’ve crossed so many lines-”

Steve smiled, wondering if she was always this cute when she got flustered, “Why are you so nervous around me, doll?” He asked softly, sitting on the bed so she didn’t feel like he was looming over her. After everything she said last night... she had to like him back right? With a newfound piece of confidence, Steve ran a hand through his hair saying, “Can’t tell you how jealous I used to get when you’d flirt with Bucks right in front of me.”

(Y/N) blinked, staring at him for a moment, “Jealous?”

He nodded, “I don’t know how much you remember from last night, but I loved every moment I got to steal you away from everyone else. You looked..perfect in blue.” His voice was soft and (Y/N) shifted her arm to pinch herself, making sure she was absolutely conscious.

“Am I still dreaming?” She murmured out loud, biting down on her lip. “You’re Steve Rogers and you’re telling me I look good in blue?” She moved to stand near his legs, watching as he shifted nervously. “No one compares to how good you look in blue, Captain.”

Steve watched her, his hand reaching up to play with her fingers gently, “Any chance I could get that goodnight kiss from you tonight?” He whispered.

(Y/N) hesitated, wondering just what her drunk self said to make Steve this confident in front of her. “I-I’d like that,” she breathed, eyes moving down to look at his lips.

“Captain, I hate to interrupt,” FRIDAY’s voice startled the two, causing them to both jump. “But I thought you’d like to know that Mr. Stark has requested to see the security tapes of where Miss (Y/L/N) went last night. He and the others are worried she had been kidnapped.”

Steve groaned, making (Y/N) giggle, “FRIDAY, tell Tony not to worry and that I’ll be up to kick his ass in a moment.”

“In those exact words, Miss?”

“Yup,” (Y/N) smirked, kissing the top of Steve’s nose gently, whispering something to him quickly before turning away.

it was Steve’s turn to blush, watching as she slipped away from the room in his clothes, making him wonder if she was going to get dressed first or if he was ever going to hear the end of it if Sam and Bucky caught her in his clothes.

Her voice echoed in his mind as he got up to head to the shower, ears pink with happiness. “Don’t think I forget how happy you were to see me in your bed, Rogers. But if you want me back... all you have to do is just ask.”

This woman was going to be the death of him. He was certain of it.

Feel free to send me any requests you may have for a Steve Rogers (or other Avengers) fanfic!

[beantown-boy]

Punch Bowl ||An Andi Mack Fic|| (CW Homophobia)

Quick Shoutout to @abg-blah​ and @luzawithoutu​ for providing me with motivation, and to @dumb-binch-juice​ for providing me with inspiration

"Cyrus, please DON'T wear a tux to homecoming."

“Please, wear a tux,” TJ countered, giving Buffy a pointed look before turning to his boyfriend with a smile. Cyrus looked amazing. It was like the universe had decided that Cyrus should be able to look both handsome and comfortable in formalwear. He wasn’t so lucky. The shoulders of his suit jacket were awkwardly tight, and he was pretty sure that his socks hadn’t shown this much when he wore this last Homecoming.

“It’s too formal,” Buffy pleaded. “I’d go with the blue suit. Why stray from a classic? Plus, you just had it tailored. It would be a shame for that to go to waste.”

“But the tux makes a statement.”

“Yeah it does. ‘I’m too good for normal dress clothes’”

“Which you are. Don't let her undermine your confidence.”

Cyrus drew his hands up dramatically, cutting them off mid-argument.

“Dearest and most beloved advisors, I have come to my conclusion. Before I state it, I must say, I love you both in equal, though different measures. That being said, Buffy is right. It’s just a little too much. Don’t worry, Teej, I’ll rock the tux for next year’s prom.”

He jumped onto the bed, and quickly kissed TJ on the cheek before walking back into his closet.

“Gross,” Buffy teased.

As the closet door clicked shut, a series of sharp knocks came from the door to Cyrus’ room, followed by Marty’s muffled voice. “Hey, guys? Are you done in there? Jonah and Lenni are here, and they’re starting to think that Buffy killed TJ. Which you didn’t, right?”

Buffy smirked and gave TJ a playful shove before going to open the door.

“Not yet. I could never do that to Cyrus.”

“More like you couldn’t do it, period, Driscoll.” TJ shot back.

“Can you guys please make it through one night without bickering?”

“No.” They replied in unison before bursting into laughter.

Being friends with Buffy was great, but ever since she and Marty had started the whole 'being straightforward' thing she'd needed someone else for verbal sparring. And joking with her kept TJ on his toes. It was nice to know that he still had his sharp tongue, even if he rarely used it. Marty and Jonah were fun, but sometimes a bit witless. Buffy was anything but.

The pre-Homecoming dinner at the Goodmans' was just as good as the year before, if not better. Cyrus' dad always went all out when his son had friends over. And even if the meal still devolved into Jonah and Lenni heating up hot pockets and seeing who could eat the most of them without burning themselves, TJ was happy to spend the time surrounded by his friends and his boyfriend.

By the time the group split up between TJ and Buffy's cars, TJ was already getting snaps of the dance from Chet and William. He put his phone down as Cyrus and Jonah climbed into the backseat, leaving him alone up front. He stared at the two of them, as the awkwardness seeped in.

"So no one wants shotgun, huh?" TJ deadpanned.

"I mean, I was going to," Jonah explained, "but then I thought Cyrus might want to, and then-"

"I just know that the passenger seat is the least safe one in the car." Cyrus stated. "And I do trust your driving skills, but I don't necessarily trust everyone else on the road."

"Oh, so if I die, I'm dying alone, gotcha. Since that's cleared up, Jonah, do you wanna ride shotgun."

"Risk of death, let's goooo!" Jonah shouted, climbing over the passenger seat.

"See," TJ said as he pulled into the Grant High parking lot, "no fatal accidents."

“Told you I trusted you.” Cyrus

The dance was already in full swing as they entered the overcrowded gymnasium. A swarm of students surrounded the DJ booth, while others milled about between the snacks and the neatly decorated tables.

“Isn’t this amazing?”

Cyrus sighed as he took it all in. He and the other class reps had worked really hard to make sure that the dance went flawlessly, and judging by the look on his boyfriend’s face, TJ believed they’d succeeded. The junior class rep, Avery, TJ thought, waved Cyrus over towards the punch bowl. Cyrus looked cautiously between her and his friends.

“Can I just -”

“It’s fine.” Buffy interrupted. “Go talk to her, grab some punch and then meet us on the dancefloor.”

Buffy, as it turned out was a very good dancer. TJ didn't think he was abysmal himself, but he certainly wouldn't have managed half as well if she hadn't been by his side. They slid this way to that beat, as they ran into Jonah again. They made a turn at that moment because it seemed to fit just right, and Buffy broke off from him to join Marty. TJ spun into the guys from the team before Lenni pulled him back towards the others. The energy between the five of them was electrifying. TJ wasn’t sure how much time had passed before they settled with just bouncing in the crowd of Grant High students.

“Okay, Buffy,” Lenni huffed, “we get it. You’re tireless. But some of us would rather just watch someone else dance for a change. In your car you were talking about the Cyrus Shuffle. What even is that?”

Buffy’s laugh was almost drowned out by the sound of the crowd.

“It’s whatever dance moves Cyrus throws together whenever he says he’s gonna do the Cyrus Shuffle.”

TJ picked up after her.

“Each one is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You have to see it. He should be back any second now, unless-” He turned back to Buffy, who was already giving him her ‘I know exactly what’s happening’ smile. They had left Cyrus with Avery, another huge nerd. They’d almost definitely started seventeen different tangent conversations, and if no one interrupted them the class reps would probably spend the whole dance talking about chemistry or exam prep. One of them would have to get Cyrus.

“You’re his boyfriend,” Buffy said quickly. “You go get him.”

“You just want to kiss Marty while I’m not around to make fun of you.”

TJ didn’t catch her reply as he turned and tried to make his way through the crowd. Now that he was trying to get out, he realized that making people move was so much harder than he remembered it being. Even last year, people still had given him a bit of precautionary space, and sure, it had stung, but it had also been useful. He pushed the thought out of his mind as he slid between flying elbows. He was nice now. He had been for two years. It made sense that people would feel at least comfortable around him. And if that feeling came with feeling small and cramped sometimes, so be it.

Finally, he made it out of the crush of bodies. Relief crashed over him with a wave of cooler air, but the jostling of the crowd still left him a bit on edge. TJ took a moment to get his bearings before heading towards the punch bowl. He spotted Cyrus’ familiar blue suit from across the room, and immediately he felt more relaxed. It took him another moment to realize that something was wrong.

Avery was nowhere in sight, and Cyrus was shifting from foot to foot like he was ready to bolt at a moment’s notice. He was talking to someone who TJ couldn’t quite make out in the dim gymnasium light. TJ nearly sprinted past the tables to get to Cyrus. And as he got close, he recognized Ethan practically towering over his boyfriend. He felt himself go cold, hot, then cold again as he stalked toward the senior.

TJ was sick of him. Ethan had been a jerk to Cyrus before. He’d done horrible things to Chet’s sister Charlotte. Cyrus had tried reporting the guy last year, but despite the school’s zero tolerance policy for bullying, Ethan was still around. And now he was screwing with Cyrus again. TJ interrupted whatever insulting comment Ethan was making as he made it to the punch bowl.

“Don’t you have anywhere else to be? Or did your soccer buddies’ house party get busted?”

That was nice enough. He hadn’t outright insulted Ethan, which was good. Civility wasn’t his strong suit.

“I was just swinging by to my last ever HoCo,” Ethan replied. He flashed a toothy sneer that made TJ’s skin crawl. “And then I saw your little boyfriend here, and I couldn’t help but share a little senior wisdom.”

“Can we just go?” Cyrus suggested before freezing again when Ethan turned his attention back to him.

“No.” The way Ethan spoke made it seem more like a fact than anything else. Cyrus shrank back even further, and TJ tasted metal in his mouth.

“Ethan’s right,” TJ said. He felt like he wasn’t the one speaking. His voice was surprisingly level, even as his nails began to dig into his palms and a painful heat began to spread from the pit of his stomach. Whatever force was carrying him continued. “I’d personally love to hear what an idiot calls wisdom.”

“It’s easy, kids. Homecoming is for normal people. And that’s not you guys. I don’t care if you do the whole gay thing. But not at my homecoming. So get lost,” He shoved Cyrus towards the door, and muttered something under his breath that made Cyrus wince. Adrenaline and panic spiked in a moment of white-hot fury and-

“TJ, are you okay!”

Cyrus’ voice connected through the haze, and TJ felt himself slowly becoming a person again. He tasted blood in his mouth, and his face was still burning with wildfire. He realized he was on his back. His head hurt. His chest hurt. His hands hurt worst of all. He looked to find blood on his knuckles and under his fingernails. Then, he saw Cyrus standing worriedly above him, right next to Principal Donaghue, whose face was set in an unforgiving line.

“Mr. Kippen, I must ask you to leave the premises immediately. We will be discussing disciplinary actions Monday.”

The next few moments still felt like a dream. Cyrus was still looking at him with that concern, or maybe it was fear, as Buffy seemed to materialize to help him to his feet. The next thing he knew he was lying on his back, on the football field, in the chilly October night. Buffy was resting on his left, either unaware or uncaring of the grass stains on her dress. Cyrus was sitting on his right, more contemplative than concerned.

“I’m sorry.” TJ offered, eyes fixed on the night sky.

“Well,” Cyrus supplied tentatively, “This isn’t my first run in with school administration. I just haven’t been kicked out of a dance before.”

“I’m so sorry,” TJ repeated, thinking back to the look of shock on Ethan’s face when he leapt forward to punch the senior.

“I never meant to actually-- It was just so-- And he was-- I’m sorry. For ruining our night.”

Buffy laughed, and a plume of fog erupted with it.

"Congratulations, Blood-Nose, you are officially the loose cannon of Grant High's sophomore class, again." She paused, weighing her words, before continuing. “Besides, that Ethan guy had it coming. I’m actually a little bit jealous I missed the action. He’s one of those very punchable people. Right, Cyrus?”

Cyrus’s breath steamed in the silence. A moment passed, then another, and TJ’s heart clenched as Cyrus finally spoke.

"You are a great guy, TJ, and I know that. And I should’ve spoken up more to stop that from happening. But you’re still you. You’re headstrong and brave, and remarkably kind. But, sometimes, you remind people why they used to fear you. And that’s not a bad thing, as long as they know they don’t have to anymore. I know I don’t. I just love you. So, I will see you either after detention, or at your house if you get suspended. But tonight-"

Cyrus kissed him, and TJ was still scared. He was scared about what repercussions would come on Monday. He was scared about telling his parents what had happened that night. He was scared about all the rumors that were probably already spreading through the sophomore class. But for once, he wasn’t scared of himself. And for ten seconds he let himself enjoy that. Until Buffy said, “Gross,” and the three of them collapsed in crazy stressed laughter.

[gfriend-daily]

[LINEBLOG] About GFRIEND’s Korean Comeback🦋✨

We asked about the Korean comeback🦋✨ Hi BUDDY！

Thanks for always supporting GFRIEND‼️🌈 Now, have Japanese BUDDY already listened to GFRIEND's latest Korean comeback songs「Crossroads」and「Labyrinth」❓🦋✨

So for today's LINE blog, we prepared a ton of questions for GFRIEND regarding their Korean comeback songs‼️🎶✨

For BUDDY who haven't watched the MV, as well as those who have watched it many times, I'm sure you'll want to watch it again after reading this blog…✨

Clear your ears…focus your eyes…feel GFRIEND with your heart……💖🦋🌈📚✨

https://youtu.be/kx5TWKPE5sU

【 Regarding「Crossroads」 】

🍀Please tell us your impression of「Crossroads」as well as any points you want BUDDY to take note of！🍀

SOWON：This song has a lot of story built into it so please focus on the lyrics when you listen！

YERIN：During performances there's a part in the choreography where we show off the crossroads part. Don't miss it.

EUNHA：It's a song where you can really empathize with the feelings of a confused girl. Please pay attention to the delicate voices of the members！

YUJU：For my initial impression, the song caught me right from the start. They let us listen to it in the meeting room at first and my first thought was that I wanna do this song right away！Both the lyrics and the choreography are very impactful in my opinion.

SINB：From the very first time I listened to Crossroads I felt that it was the kind of song that makes you want to listen to it over and over again. As for what to pay attention to, I want you guys to focus on Yuju's final part！

UMJI：The more you listen to the song the more you appreciate its charm, I feel. The final guitar solo really gets me as well.

🍀「Crossroads」MV was shot like a drama, was there any interesting episodes during filming, please let us know！

SOWON：When we were filming for the fireworks it was really cold that day so our managers prepared heaters for us. But one of the heaters actually managed to burn Yuju's pants！It was so shocking that there wasn't anything to do but laugh.

YERIN：During the scene when I submerged myself underwater, I had these green hair extensions on, so when I went underwater the dye sort of turned the clear water in the tub green as well. We had to really rush filming that part before it turned even greener.

EUNHA：There's a part where they film me at various points in the timeline where the room is destroyed around me, and I had to keep my eyes wide open and stand there without moving while this was going on. But with all the stuff breaking and falling behind me, I couldn't help but blink at some point and I felt really bad for the staff because we had to redo itㅠ🥺

YUJU：During the aquarium filming, there was this one fish that kept staying in that one specific spot without moving away. I thought it was really cute so I took a photo of it.

SINB：During the first filming session for the music video, I had to film my solo angle shot on top of a roof. It rained all night until morning that day, so it was freezing and the wind was so strong that it kept blowing my hair into my face so it couldn't be seen. I tried my best to not express how cold it was, and thankfully on the final cut it worked out pretty well.

UMJI：During the campfire scene with the members, I was worried about the cold at first but the campfire was so nice and warm that we were able to finish filming that scene without feeling like we were freezing.

https://youtu.be/GehwcGWC-H8

🍀It's been 5 years since your debut, please tell us which moment it was that felt like a major crossroads decision for your life！

SOWON：Before I joined this company, that time I spent worrying about what to do with my life was my crossroads moment I think. I was in an acting focused agency and they tried casting me about 3 or 4 times. I did consider working towards an acting career but even after the agency called me into a meeting to decide my future, I was unable to fully let go of my dream to become a singer.

YERIN：When I had to decide on my high school path, I was torn between going to a performing arts focused school or just going to a regular high school, but I figured that if I didn't at least try it out I'd regret it, so I went for the performing arts school. Thankfully I was accepted to the school of my choice as well.

EUNHA：Probably during my high school days. I had a choice between staying a student and figuring out what else I wanted to do with my life after that, or enter this agency and prepare for debut. But now I feel like I really chose well back then!

YUJU：It was right before I joined this agency I think. There was a point where I wanted to give up on being an idol and branch into songwriting instead, but then I heard about the auditions for this agency and I really spent a long time thinking about which path to take before making my decision.

SINB：Umm… Actually isn't life itself a kind of crossroads? Whether it's when you're deciding on what to eat, whether or not to eat it, isn't that a kind of crossroads moment all the time？（lol）

UMJI：When I had to decide whether or not to enter this agency as a trainee！

【 Regarding「Labyrinth」】

https://youtu.be/lSK9kQObdLc

🍀For Labyrinth's dance you had a bunch of backup dancers participating as well, please tell us how that felt！

SOWON：When we first heard the song I felt like it wasn't our usual style at all. But it was the kind of tune I like personally so I was interested already, and when the choreography for it came out I felt like it made the song even more perfect.

YERIN：It wasn't a song about your personal ego and it was interesting trying to process the many conflicting feelings within the song. Having this many dancers on stage with us made it very crowded but I feel like it brought out the GFRIEND charm even more during the performance.

EUNHA：It was a song with a lot of backup dancers, so you really have to watch the performance instead of just listening to the song on its own！ This might actually be the most powerful GFRIEND performance among our songs k feel. I really love it🥰

YUJU：When I first saw the choreography video, I had a moment of 「Wow, how am I going to dance to that？」because it left such a strong impression. But with every practice, the more I studied the choreography, the more interesting it got. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the dancers who filled the stage with us as well.

SINB：When I was listening to the song, I really hoped that the choreography would look cool as well, and it turned out to be something amazing and quite unlike the usual GFRIEND style. You'll definitely fall in love with the song even more after watching the performance.

UMJI：This performance is where you see GFRIEND at their most powerful I think. The expressions of the members were even cooler than I imagined on stage, and I think we did really well expressing the essence of the song. It's really a song that allows you to discover a different side of GFRIEND.

https://youtu.be/Cluo9eJZi5I

(The questions below are in relation to the MV and other contents！)

［🍀🦊To Sowon］ ① At the beginning part of Crossroads, the part where Sowon had her eyes closed really made her look like a goddess！When you saw this part of the choreo, did you think「This could be a new charm point！」？

⇒Nope！Actually because I'm so tall, I kinda felt bad because I was totally kind of covering SinB who was behind me. I spent a lot of time worrying about the pose. Since I had my eyes closed I had to wonder if I lowered myself enough？But I'm glad it all worked out in the end.

② In the MV, the car scene sparked a lot of comments that you looked like a movie star. How do you personally feel about this, were you satisfied by your acting and the atmosphere of the scene？

⇒ For my character, the stylists went with a darker style to express the atmosphere and it was really refreshing for me, I really liked it！ During the filming, the car wasn't all that big but we still had to fit the camera in there somehow, and I wasn't sure if the camera would be able to film me at my best angle, but I'm glad that in the final cut I turned out looking great.

［🍀🐥To Yerin］ ① You had to go underwater for the MV in one scene, are you good at submerging yourself like that？ ⇒I learned how to swim from a young age, so going underwater wasn't hard at all, but the problem here was that I had to submerge myself while lying down in the tub, so lots of water kept entering my nose and it was kinda hard.

② The green hair extensions really left an impression, and you also wore a beret as well. But there were also performances where you didn't wear a beret, which did you prefer, with or without it？ ⇒If I really had to choose I honestly prefer the performances where I had the beret on. I'm really happy I got to show different sides of myself though！

［🍀🐰To Eunha］ ① We were all surprised by your change in hair colour. How did you feel when you heard that you had to dye your hair pink this time？

⇒ Dyeing your hair is troublesome…that was my first thought！But I really like this colour and now I kinda don't want to change it to other colours now😭

② Among the fans there are comments that your hair colour and styling in this MV makes you look even more like the protagonist of a manga or anime, do you feel that way too？And if you were really a manga protagonist what genre would you be？

⇒ Personally I feel like I'd be the protagonist of a magical girl story. To defeat evil as a pink haired heroine..😎

［🍀🐶 To Yuju］ ① You had to run around a lot in the video, please tell us how you felt then！

⇒ Not all of it was actually included in the final cut of the music video but I totally ran way more than was shown. The director kept telling me to run faster so I really ran with all my heart！

② Also, the parts in the choreography where you cover your face with your hand, as well as the part where your hands were trembling, everyone realized it really added to the emotions of the song and the fans all went crazy for it！Is there anything else we should pay attention to in the dance as well？

⇒ Actually I didn't even realize it myself at first. It was only when I was checking the replay in the monitor that I realized my hands were shaking then. I was really focused on the lyrics in my part so it just came out naturally like that. I was really surprised that the fans were able to catch such a tiny detail as well！I'll definitely continue focusing hard on the lyrics in the future for all other performances as well！

［🍀🐱 To SinB］ ① There was a parrot in the MV with you guys. As a dog owner, do you like birds too？ ⇒ I'm not actually good with birds. Bugs, reptiles, birds, I'm kinda scared of them so I can't really deal with them…

② There's a lot of difficult dance moves this time round！Which one was the most difficult according to main dancer SinB？ ⇒ To be honest Crossroads was probably the most difficult choreography to express correctly so far in my life. It'd be way too easy to mess up on the choreo if I wasn't careful enough, so I really worried about how best to dance to it.

［🍀🐹 To Umji］ ① In the MV you and Yuju were on bad terms. You guys are normally really good friends, was it hard to act out this part？ ⇒ Thankfully the music was always playing in the background so I just had to focus on「the conflict」. But the moment the director yelled Cut! both of us would just end up bursting out laughing.

② Everyone was talking about how Umji's outfits for Crossroads really made you look like a princess！Which one was your favourite though？

⇒ I really liked the dress I wore for the jacket shooting, and I really like wearing a jacket over a shirt like that！！I also thought the white blouse with navy stripe outfit was really good！！

https://youtu.be/wvcJKFGv5kc

All you BUDDY who loves GFRIEND！How did you like this？Thanks for reading today's LINE blog！✨ https://youtu.be/gqxd7J0xHno

The limitations imposed by the current virus outbreak is hard on all of us, but both the GFRIEND members and staff all hope that BUDDY will be safe and happy in your everyday lives.

Please continue sending questions and messages to GFRIEND‼️✨🦋🌈

Translation: GFRIENDaily - Estrea

Source: https://lineblog.me/gfriend_japan/

[hufflepuff-ish]

The Skam 11 questions tag (don’t quote me on this, I just wanted to give this a title lol)

rules:

always repost the rules

answer the questions given to you by the one who tagged you!

give 11 questions

tag 11 people

Thank you @hufflepuffsh for tagging me babe x (lowkey would love to know your answers to my questions but don’t want you to be tagged twice lol)

1. Which remake/og sqaud do you think you would personally fit into the most? 

This is such a difficult question, oof. So I’m shy, but I’m also a good listener, and I try to be supportive of my friends, sometimes I’m more with myself between my own shell but I also like loosening up and having fun. I think because of that my answer is Skam NL’s squad (honesly maybe it’s just because I’m biased lol). They’re so accepting and loving, and I feel like their general energy is similar enough to mine (but way cooler), so I think they’d just accept me as I am and they would be easy for me to get along with.

2. What is your favourite remake and why? 

Skam NL. S2 was definitely a journey and I didn’t like all of its aspects, but I just love the dynamics between the characters, the aesthetics, the music choices, the cinematography, and the characters are probably the closest to my heart out of all the remakes.

3. What is objectively the best remake and why?

Probably Druck. They have great actors, they make changes but still keep the main issues of every season, their have great music choices, their social media team is great and that’s just what comes into mind.

4. Opinions on each of the girl squads? 

SKAM NL - where do I even start??? I love each one of them soooooooo much. I love them all together even more. I don't even need anything, just give me scenes of then together and I'll be thrilled. (GIVE US A THIRD SEASON). Each girl is really her own character and they definitely stand out to me when compared to the other remakes.

SKAM ITALIA - I have a complicated relationship the squad. I love them but it feels like I’m watching a group of college girl. Silvia isn't a character that I like too much, though the actress is cute. I like Eleonora, but that's pretty much it. My favorites are probably Eva and Federica (I relate a lot to Fede because of her looks). They have a good dynamic, though not as much as the Italian boy squad. They maybe feel a bit less close in my opinion. Also, the writers always make me feel like Federica is only there to give them information on stuff and make a joke here and there, so if they would have put more thought and effort into her character maybe it’d feel like the squad is more,,, real if you will.

DRUCK - hi, I'm controversial on main. I... don't really care for them as a squad?? They're cute but I don't feel much of a connection to them (as a squad), or to their friendships. No idea why. I do find them interesting as individual characters, though and seeing them happy at the end of s3 was great. I'm definitely excited for s4.

SKAM FRANCE - s4 ruined them for me. I liked Emma in s1, Manon was always nice in my opinion, Daphne was getting on my good side in s3, Alexia has always been one of my favorites in this remake, and Imane is absolutely great. Then their friendship got ruined. But, if I'll ignore s4, they were a squad that I enjoyed watching and I really felt like each girl had her own thing, and that they were more of a group of random girls brought together than the og squad.

SKAM AUSTIN - I honestly love them more than I realize. Their friendship has a lot of growing to do, but I loved the scene when Grace confessed to them about Daniel's brother. Within the squad I probably like Jo's relationships the most, partly because she's my fave and partly because she just has a really loving heart. The other girls aren’t may favorites out of all the remakes but they have a warm corner in my heart.

SKAM ESPANA - They’re my Spanish babies. I love them and they just seem like this cute and cool girl squad. They’re not perfect and there are definitely things to come, no matter who’ll be the main of s3, but they love each other a lot and I think that they’ll grow together as individuals. 

WTFOCK - I'm not the best person to talk about this remake because I missed like half of s1, but whatever. They remind me a bit more of the og squad, and I love the friendships between Hanna and Zoë, and Zoë and Yasmina. I don't really like Luka, I can't really explain why but she doesn't really feel as part of the squad to me, and Amber is just okay. 

5. Favourite hairstyle out of all the remakes? (this includes any hijab styles of the Sanas)

I love Cris with her hair in a low ponytail, and I love the half up hairstyle that Skam NL uses a lot. When it comes to hijabs, so far my favorite was Sana’ s in the og’s s4 when it was a bit loose under her chin because it really fit her well.

6. Who do you think from og/remakes would have a youtube channel and what would they post about? (not including hei briskeby or lucas rubio’s yt channel)

Liv could totally have a music youtube channel because I feel like that’s realistic to starting musicians these days.

I can see the Italian boy squad having a youtube channel where they post vlogs and pranks lmao.

Sam could totally have a beauty channel where she does hauls and stuff.

Basile would have a youtube channel for pranks and magic tricks (idk why but I can really imagine him doing magic tricks????? lmao)

7. Pick someone you think is underappreciated from og/remakes and explain why you think they should be appreciated more.

Hmmmmmm another difficult question. I’m going to ignore the fact that I’m only supposed to mention one character.

The balloon squad - they’re honestly the most refreshing Muslim representation that I’ve come across because they’re just this bunch of dudes who run a hilarious youtube channel and love to have a good time. I love them SO MUCH and I wish we got an Elias season so we could get to know them better. Highkey my favorite boys from og Skam.

Federica - I probably talked about it enough times but she’s so underappreciated. The actress (Martina) is gorgeous and Federica is a ray of sunshine that the fandom tends to ignore. Also, I want to know how she knows so much about almost everything that’s happening in their school.

Shay - She’s definitely the most underrates Isak. Hopefully s3 will happen and she’ll be the main, so she’ll be more appreciated. Personally, I’m on the fence about how I feel about Shay, but I would watch the hell out of her season and getting more music from her, Marlon and Tyler would be amazing!

8. Favourite outfit/clothing item?

Isa’s green scarf, and honestly, any scarf/coat that the og girl squad wore because they always seemed fluffy, warm, comfortable and had pretty pastel colors.

9. Which character do you think is most similar to you?

Physically, it’s definitley Federica in terms of height and her and Hanna in terms of body size. Aside from that, the characters that I feel I'm most like are Hanna, Martino and s1 og Eva. The three of them are pretty simple, dare I say “””boring”””, and that’s how I see myself, lol. Also, Martino has this keeping things to himself things that he does and I relate to the hell out of that. Hanna has a really soft and nice vibe, which I think can be said about me haha.

10. Do you like the Eva season (season 1)?

Yes! The more remakes I started watching, the more I realized that I actually really like s1 because we get to see the girls becoming friends, and there are a lot of iconic scenes in s1 (Noora dragging William, the girl squad fighting with Chris’ girlfriend) and I learned to appreciate Eva’s journey to becoming her own person.

11. (Insert your own question that you’d like to answer!) Which representation do you think Skam should show other than the existing ones?

I don’t remember if I ever posted about this, but I would LOVE to see a Jewish character in one of the remakes. I think this idea can have so much potential (and I’m part Jewish so I’m biased) because there are really interesting things that could be discussed and shown - anti-Semitism from what I know is becoming more popular again and I’m always waiting to see if one of the remakes (especially Skam France, Skam Austin and Druck) will discuss it, and a Jewish character could have a really interesting relationships with the Sana character and they could have great conversations about the expectation from them and that judgement they get from people inside and outside of their religion.

My 11 questions:

If you could create an ultimate girl squad, who out of the skam universe would be in it and why?

If you could change one thing in each remake, what would it be?

What is one plotline that you wish to see in a remake of your choice? (go wild lol)

Which side character would you want to have their own season?

What do you wish the fandom would appreciate more in each remake? (could be a season, a character, a scene, anything)

If you could create a crossover between the og/one of the remakes and a movie/tv series/book, what would it be?

A crack ship that you wish would happen?

Is there a character that is very different from you/you never thought you would like, but you ended up loving?

What is your favorite friendship? 

Do you read any og/remakes fanfiction and if so, do you have any favorite fanfictions?

Would you have preferred if Skam worked a bit more like Skins did, in terms of every character gets a full episode from their pov instead of an entire season?

I’m tagging: @lonelyfridays , @matteohnah, @feelinsorad, @amystylezz, @eliottlallemant, @xxviii-xi-mcmxcviii, @lil-milkovich, @spockhasfeelingstoo, @miaundalex, @pampammmxum, @vnesshudgens, @promisethestraz but of course only if you want to and if anyone who’s not tagged wants to answer these consider yourself tagged!

[centeris2]

“This is fancy,” Scott muttered, sitting in the back of a car with the others as a chauffeur drove them to the photoshoot.

“Are you having fun?” Tor asked, looking insecure for the first time. Scott blinked, realizing Tor was addressing him specifically. He was doing this to distract him. Scott blushed and glanced away.

“Yeah, it’s been nice,” Scott mumbled.

“I had no idea how much work there was in making music,” Justin admitted, “I thought it was just…”

“Play a tune and sing into a mic?” Tor teased.

“If you can play piano why don’t you? For your songs I mean?” Scott asked.

“A rapping pianist? Now that’d be something… probably not a good something.”

“Instruments can go hard if you do it right, I’m sure there is some way you could get a piano to match your style,” Rebecca pointed out.

“And electric pianos are a thing,” Scott added.

“Bigcake is gonna love that idea,” Tor snorted and looked out the window to see where they were, “by the way photoshoots can be really boring, so, sorry.”

“We’ll be fine!” Justin reassured him.

“We’ll make faces at you,” Scott promised earning him an almost playful nudge from Tor, but at the last moment the rapper stopped himself. Scott appreciated that.

“Ehh, good company keeps them from getting too boring,” Rebecca said in a matter of fact way that made them look at her.

“You’ve done photoshoots?” Tor asked.

“Yeah, nothing professional though. Just stuff for friends,” she explained, stopping when the car parked.

“I’ll get you in,” Tor promised, getting out first so he could tell the staff waiting at the door. The group headed inside the building, Rebecca saying hello to the fashion police, and were shown to the photography studio.

“Ah, Raptor! And… others,” a man with an Italian accent declared, giving a grimace to ‘the others’ until he looked up at Scott’s face.

“Che bello!” he whispered, eyes widening, smile growing in excitement, “such a marvelous structure!”

Scott backed away as the man reached out to touch his face, the man catching himself.

“Ah! I am The Ennio Rosiello! Forgive me, I was overcome by you,” he apologized, offering a hand in greeting to Scott. Scott hesitantly took it out of politeness, but was still put off.

“You’re here, excellent! I’ve got some lovely pieces -oh hello Rebecca!- for you to wear, Raptor. Ennio-” Franziska appeared, bouncing between her targets before Ennio took her by the hands.

“Franziska my dear! Look!” Ennio gestured to Scott, Franziska giving him a critical look, “a perfect canvas, no?”

“Hmm, a good canvas at the very least, but we are here to work-”

“We are here to make art!” Ennio declared, insulted but conceded, “but you are correct, Raptor must be out muse for to-”

“Oh I’m okay with waiting, I don’t know why Bigcake scheduled a photoshoot today when we’re doing more later this week,” Tor cut in, smirking at Scott who was still in shock.

“Eccellente!” after that none of them understood the string of Italian that came from Ennio, but as he reached for Scott again the others got in the way.

“Please refrain from touching him unless necessary,” Rebecca asked sweetly with a smile, annoyed when Ennio recoiled in disgust looking at her and Justin. That expression was one of the reasons she wasn’t such a fan of high end fashion people.

“Mio cara, I dare not damage beauty! I’d rather die than harm such a face- such a haunted and tortured expression! You, on the other hand,” Ennio sniffed and sneered down at her.

“Ennio!” Franziska snapped, getting his attention.

“What? No self respecting person would dare be seen looking as she does-”

“She is my project,” Franziska said firmly, Ennio’s jaw dropping in shook and staring at Rebecca.

“This? Franziska my wonderful partner… why?”

“I thought you were an artist,” Rebecca snorted, making Ennio bristle.

“An uncultured girl like you questions my artistry?”

“Well if you can only make art with things that are already beautiful, how much are you actually doing? It’s not hard to take good pictures of beautiful people, the model does all the work.”

“I design! I create the scene!”

“But you aren’t making them beautiful, you are responsible for like 10% of the beauty of a picture. Just doesn’t seem like you are actually a good artist if you always pick the easy route.”

“Easy!?”

“Sure lighting and background help but beautiful people look good in anything. It’s not really a challenge if all it takes to make a person look good is making sure the camera is in focus.”

Ennio let out an angry string of Italian, getting through at least a few sentences before he realized none of them knew what he was saying. He snorted and took a deep breath.

“I accept your challenge!”

“What?” Rebecca blinked, not expecting that.

“You shall become my masterpiece! You and your stable boy companion! Franzi-”

“Come along dear, I’ll get you into something fabulous!” Franziska whisked a very confused Rebecca away before she could protest. Ennio sighed and looked back up at Scott, looking over Justin and Tor.

“I promise you, my muse-” Scott’s look of rage made Ennio stop, surprised by the intensity.

“Such passion… such-”

“Don’t ever insult her again,” Scott wasn’t interested in the artist’s comments on his face. Ennio blinked, glancing down and noticing similar looks on Justin and Tor’s faces.

“Ah… such passion indeed! Of course! Three men, in love with that girl? Oh the ideas! Now-” Ennio studied Justin carefully, evaluating him, “perhaps you are not so hopeless.”

“Thanks,” Justin grumbled.

In the dressing room Rebecca watched Franziska look through outfits.

“Hey, Franziska? What just happened?” Rebecca asked, not understanding the combination of clothes the fashionista was pulling out.

“A photoshoot by Ennio Rosiello, that’s what happened,” Franziska said with a grin. So many outfits, so little time…

“And what do you mean by project? You called me your project.”

“I had hoped to discuss it with you next time we met, which happens to be today. You impressed me last fashion week on the catwalk, I do believe you have potential as a model.”

“I don’t… that’s not a good idea,” Rebecca muttered, wringing her hands.

“Why not? Modeling is 25% fearlessness, which you have shown.”

“What’s the other 75%?”

“The clothes of course! Now, your body will be an issue on such short notice…” Franziska held up a dress, mentally noting Rebecca was not the standard model body type she normally worked with. Too short, too much weight.

“Uh, yeah, sure. I also have to wear gloves,” Rebecca explained.

“Gloves? Heavens no! That’s not in fashion at all-”

“Trust me, I need to wear gloves.”

“Are the gloves stuck to your body?”

“Well no, but-”

“Then gloves are not necessary.”

“Well, I guess makeup will have to do,” Rebecca muttered.

“Don’t worry, makeup will be done for you, now please take your clothes off,” Franziska instructed. Rebecca glanced around, there were two other women in the dressing room, busy with their own tasks sorting makeup and clothes.

“What happened!?” Franziska gasped when Rebecca took off her shirt, the scars on her arms revealed.

“Burn damage,” Rebecca shrugged, pulling off her gloves. She let out a happy sigh, feeling much cooler in just a tanktop without the long sleeves.

“That’s… that’s what you meant. Okay, okay…” Franziska thought, fingers tapping the clothes she was holding.

“If we go period we can do gloves…” Franziska muttered to herself and disappeared among the racks of clothes.

“Franziska!” Ennio called as he entered the dressing room, urging the guys inside. The photographer and fashion design needed to discuss the new plan, and the guys would need to be outfitted as well. He stopped, staring at Rebecca’s hands and arms.

“Ahh…” Rebecca braced herself for a grimace or an insult, or both, but instead Ennio approached her and took her hands, feeling her skin in fascination.

“A girl burned by the flame of passion… it’s perfect!” he squealed in excitement, “I can’t believe how fast Franziska got this makeup applied and set!”

“Yes. Makeup,” Rebecca said, a bit confused. Did he really not realize it was real scarring? And then he was gone, chasing down Franziska to discuss ideas.

“So…” Rebecca looked at her boyfriends, “anything interesting happen after Franziska dragged me back here?”

“There was a lot of Italian and him talking to assistants,” Tor shrugged. Scott looked angry, Justin dejected.

“Hey,” Rebecca touched Justin’s arm, “I think you are a very beautiful and handsome stable boy.”

“Thanks,” Justin muttered, blushing and feel reassured when Tor and Scott voiced their agreement.

“You, though,” Rebecca looked up at Scott with a grin, “are apparently too damn beautiful.”

“What would happen if we brought Ydris?” Scott wondered aloud with a grin.

“Ennio would probably explode,” Tor snorted.

The day grew more bizarre as time went on. Justin and Scott were especially uncomfortable with the fussing and strangers applying makeup and telling them to change clothes and taking measurements. No one was surprised when Ennio came around on Rebecca not being a downright hideous uncultured peasant, he was clearly surprised when she cleaned up and wore form fitting clothes. There were still comments though, for all of them, as none were the perfect model body type. Scott had the fewest negative comments, and the complaint was that his muscle definition could be better on his torso.

[poweredbycoffeeandwine]

A Glance at the Sun

Mass Effect Andromeda Fic - Camille Ryder x LIam Kosta - Pre-relationship  Here is my take on the first Christmas in Andromeda for Camille. Hope you enjoy!

Morale among Initiative staff had been on an upward trend, and nothing could keep that going like a big holiday party. With that in mind Addison had suggested that the station celebrate the Earth holiday of Christmas. The timing was perfect. She hoped that a party would demonstrate the good that could come from supporting the Initiative. Tann however announced the celebration was “In honor of the Human Pathfinder and her recent accomplishments.”

She knew what being manipulated was like, and this was definitely it. Forcing her to be involved to help boost morale put more strain on her, and she was quite frankly tired of “Eight” yanking her around when she had important leads to follow. Camille wanted to call bullshit, and take her crew elsewhere, but couldn’t bring herself to do it. The Salarian’s scheming aside, Ryder was astonished by the decor and lights squirreled away in personal -and even official - Nexus supplies. Overnight the station workers transformed the place to look like a proper winter wonderland. With her team, and so many others, excited with the prospect, she didn’t have it in her to deny them the chance to let loose.

Instead of having the mother of all tantrums, hiding in her room with corney holiday vids, she found herself watching the festivities from Addison’s office. With any luck people would forget she was around, and she could slink back to the Tempest. One hand gripping the glass barrier, she sipped whatever beverage Dutch was calling wine, and attempted to avoid eye contact with everyone. Her plan backfired quickly as a slightly tipsy -and very handsy- Keri T’Vessa found her. Her normally professional friend had obviously drank a little too much, and was a decidedly friendly drunk.

Ryder broke free, ushered her into Hakim’s waiting arms, and rushed to the Operation’s balcony. She was flustered and blushing profusely. She knew Keri would be mortified by the interaction once sober. Smoothing out her dress, she tucked her hair behind her ear and took the opportunity to survey the area. Gil had commandeered a table, and set up an impromptu game of poker. By the look on his face, she believed he was already making a killing. Vetra was not far away, talking shop like always. She smiled to herself, the idea of the Turian taking a night off was too amusing.

Drack held court, pretending to hate the attention he was getting. Nexus Security -especially the humans- pleading for war stories and tips from the grizzled war veteran. She attempted to look casual as she glanced his way. Pretending not to be looking for anyone specific, but knowing full well that if Liam was going to be anywhere, it was near Drack. Despite their squabbles, Drack won him over with his tough love attitude that didn’t fool anyone.

She would never admit to actively keeping tabs on Liam. She toyed with the idea of confessing how she felt about him, but shoved the idea back down time and time again. Getting caught up in his teasing and flirting happened far too often. When she stepped back, silent witness to his interactions with others, she doubted that he saw her as anything special. He had a natural ease and charm, a disarming smile, and no shortage of admirers.  Ryder really had no interest in seeing him be the life of the party, no interest in playing savior of the galaxy while nursing a broken heart. Especially since he had done nothing but show her kindness.  She would never accuse him of leading her on, however, she allowed herself to rush into infatuation faster than she previously assumed possible.

Glutton for punishment that she was, she scanned the room for him, heart plummeting when she didn’t find him. She was being an idiot. Why could she handle fighting Kett, playing diplomat, and general Pathfinding, but she couldn’t talk to a guy? A very goofy guy. Hell, she could do this. She tossed her drink back, downing her mostly full glass in one go, and stopped by the makeshift bar. Shared a pointed look with Anan T’Mari, and reached behind the counter, helping herself to a bottle of alcohol. If she was going to speak to the object of her affections, tell him she was falling madly in love with him, she was going to need more courage than she had at present. Of course, her entire plan hinged on Liam being somewhere she could find him. Should she inquire about him? That wouldn’t be unusual, right? Just looking in on her squadmates, nothing that anyone could take out of context…

Like a sign from the universe, Drack appeared next to her at the bar, ordered something strong, and grumbled. “What’s got you looking like a jumpy little pyjak?”

“I don’t… what do you mean? Nothing going on here, just relaxing, hanging out….chilling.” She cringed internally, did she actually say that aloud?

He laughed, a deep rumble, and gave her a pat on the back, “Is being uncomfortable part of this Christmas of yours? The boy looked a little green, too.”

“Liam’s not feeling well?” she asked, quickly feigning plucking at imaginary lint; fighting to appear nonchalant, but the urge to bolt making her skin itch.

“Mmmhmm,” Drack grunted his assent, pausing to drink, “he got this queasy look about him like a bronto kicked him in the quad.”

“That doesn’t sound good. Maybe someone should go check on him?”

“Probably.”

“So…I should go.”

“Not stopping you, kid.”

“Ok…right. I guess I’ll do that.” Camille grabbed for her pilfered alcohol, two glasses, and walked quickly to the tram, happily leaving the Christmas party behind.

**

Liam stalked to the Tempest. The artificial air of the Nexus only slightly cooler than the interior area hosting the party. The bodies packed together had done nothing to settle his nerves. He would be lying if he hadn’t thought of trying to get Camille alone at some point, hoping to use the crowd in his favor. Maybe casually drop how pretty she looked, even if that didn’t come close to describing what he felt. When she first stepped on stage with Tann, his heart had damn near stopped. She wore a cream tulle skirt that hit her knees, and a burgundy long sleeve sweater. The heels on their own were enough to send him into shock. Sure, Ryder always looked good. She was fighting fit, got dirty on missions, and filled out the armor. But seeing her in a dress, all shapely legs, and hair curling around her neck, had him reeling.

When did everything go all pear shaped? He was standing around, trying to be obvious, in case she was looking to talk to him. Or making sure he would see her first in case some other bugger tried to talk her up. He didn’t count on the damn Asari. Were they snogging and he hadn’t noticed? That didn’t seem right, and the gossip mongers would have caught wind if she was in a relationship. Even struggling to survive, people loved their tabloids.

Inside the ship, he wandered a bit, not quite sure what to do. The quiet of the ship never settled right with him. Thoughts came unbidden, and when he had time to think, he realized how much he missed. Everything he lost, and most of it gone for good. He rolled up his sleeves, and took a good look around. Camille had a fake Christmas tree set up in the hangar bay. She begged them all to help her decorate it. Some weird team building kick she was on. Ryder had been so cute and hopeful, he had volunteered to help, even though everyone else said no.

It took them three hours. The lights had been easy, some multi colored strand she got from the Nexus. The hard part had been coming up with ornaments. They ended up using strange bits of things - cereal box pieces tied with string for Vetra, playing cards for Gil, shiny rocks for Suvi. All random ridiculous items for each member of their mixed up crew. Liam lay on the floor and stuck his head under the tree. He stared up at the lights, squinting his eyes, watching them blur. He had done it often as a kid. Mum had shown him, told him it was her favorite part about the tree. Lights shimmering, ornaments reflecting light, quiet and calm.

“Is there room for one more under that tree?”

He closed his eyes, he knew her voice like the melody of his favorite song, and damn if it wasn’t the best thing he’d heard all night. “Course, always room, Pathfinder.” She had been walking towards him, but he could see her now bare feet pause mid stride. She always hesitated when he used her title. He felt like such an arse at times. Not knowing what made him use the title. She had a name, had asked him to use it once, but it always felt wrong. Like he wasn’t respecting her somehow.

She set her shoes down on the floor, and slid next to him. Shoulder to shoulder, hands nearly touching, hair spilling around her like a halo,  it was certainly the closest they had been out of armor. Liam swore he could feel the heat of her, the scent of roses and jasmine pulling him closer than appropriate. God he was in love, and she didn’t have a clue what effect she had on him. Probably thought he was a replacement brother since hers was out of commission. “This is a great spot for a party, sorry if I’m crashing it,” she finally said breaking the silence that had fallen around them.

“No worries, Camille. I just…that was a bit much for me. Room full of people, guess I’ve gotten used to being on the Tempest out in space.”

She sighed, and rubbed a hand up and down her arm, “Yeah, I get it. Things have been different. Not what I expected at any rate. It’s exhausting being Pathfinder. I wish…”

Liam turned his head to look at her, “Alright?”

She let out a half laugh, “It’s stupid isn’t it. Mom and Dad both gone, I don’t have a clue if Scott will ever wake up, and it’s the first Christmas in Andromeda. I’m not the only person that’s missing family, but I feel so alone.” Her voice cracked and Liam reached over for her hand, holding it tightly in his own. “Everyone wants something from me, and I can’t stop thinking about what I would be doing if we hadn’t left Earth.”

He knew, knew exactly how that felt, and damn if having first hand knowledge didn’t make his heart break for her even more. “Tell me,” he offered voice a little rough with emotion. “What else did you get up to? Bet you were a right piece. Your poor mum having to deal with two of you.”

She laughed, genuinely this time, amber eyes dancing with mischief mingled with unshed tears. “Oh we did all the normal things like rummaging through mom’s closet to find presents early. We still did that, even though we were grown. Sang along terribly while we watched Muppet Christmas Carol on repeat. Mom baked, amazing and delicious things, and always let us lick up the batter.” She went quiet for a moment, then continued in a whisper, “I’m such a jerk.”

“What’s that? I don’t follow.”

“Here I am whining like a brat, and you are probably suffering more.” She rolled out from under the tree, skirt puffing up hiding her legs, making her look like a mermaid in ocean foam. She tugged at his hand, pulling him along with her. She smiled, huge and unguarded, and if he had thought she was beautiful before, he had been very wrong. Seeing her true smile was like stealing a glance at the sun, bright and warm. She set him on fire from the inside out. Picking up a bottle of wine, and waving it in his face she supplied, “I swiped this from the bar, I’m going to drink it all, are you going to make me do it alone?”

“Hell no, Ryder. Pour away.” He watched her face as she concentrated on filling each glass to the brim, tossing him a grin when she achieved her goal. They clinked their glasses together, then Liam leaned over voice soft and said, “I have Muppet Christmas Carol on vid, and I’ll share my comfy couch.”

“This is why you are my favorite man in the universe,” she squealed kissing him soundly on the cheek. He sat dumbstruck as she stood and began to walk out, leaving her shoes behind. She looked over her shoulder, eyebrow raised and asked, “You coming?”

“Wouldn’t miss it, Ryder.” He scrambled up, trying not to spill his drink, hoping there might be something between them after all. He wouldn’t press it tonight, only a sod would take advantage of a woman’s loneliness, but he would tell her soon. He wasn’t fool enough to let her slip away.

[3laxx]

Wintery Warm Drabbles - 18th “Warm“

I am honestly so sorry.

Ao3 / FF.net

Adrien still remembered when Christmas had held a warm feeling, in contrast to the cold winter. He still remembered how his mother had hugged him and whispered into his ear that she loved him.

He still remembered when his father had sat down with them, on the floor, to open gifts and read the Christmas story.

That had been Christmas. Somehow, it had always been on the floor. His mother had loved that.

It had somehow given them a feeling to be closer together, a feeling of breaking the rules and celebrating Christmas their way. They had even eaten on the floor, laughing, living in their own little world of three that had seemed so much bigger and warmer than the whole rest of the year.

He still remembered their laughter echoing through the mansion. Still remembered that the presents hadn’t been as important, had never been.

He still remembered the times as he had been a little boy, remembered how he had been allowed to sleep with his parents in their bed on Christmas.

He still remembered.

That was just the thing.

He only remembered.

The laughter had faded. The warmth had seeped through the floor and away from his grasp. The little world that the three of them had built had vanished.

Sometimes, especially during the month before Christmas, Adrien just wanted to forget.

Forget his mother had ever existed, forget his father had been close and warm once instead of distant and cold.

Sometimes he wished he was the same as his father.

Because then, the pain wouldn’t be ever so present. Because then he wouldn’t hear his mother’s whisper in every howl of the wind, he wouldn’t think back, wish himself back to the times where he could sit in his father’s lap an entire evening.

He wouldn’t have to be reminded that it would never, ever happen like this again.

He wouldn’t wish for anything, he wouldn’t hope again and again and he wouldn’t feel a thing.

His bed wouldn’t be as big and lonely as it felt on Christmas Eve, his room wouldn’t feel like a giant isolated box and the mansion wouldn’t feel like a prison.

He wouldn’t have to go through this pain again.

Adrien sighed as he closed his eyes in the big, empty, silent room. He had long given up texting with his friends, listening to music, watching movies, playing games or talking to Plagg. He had long given up trying to somehow distract himself from this.

His Kwami had retreated to the paper bin that was under his desk, apparently sleeping because Adrien didn’t hear a sound from him.

The house was big and empty, too big to make sense for him. Why did they need such a big house with so little in it to keep it alive?

Alya’s family lived in a remotely big apartment and they had everything they needed. Nino’s family lived in a similar apartment, a little smaller than Alya’s, and they had more than everything.

Marinette’s family lived in a space that was overlooked by one spin on his heel and it felt like the small apartment could burst at any moment because of how much love they managed to fit in.

Here? He wasn’t even sure if it was some kind of house anymore.

Maybe it was just a demonstration of power by his father. To show the competition how much money he had. To show his son how mighty he was.

That’s how it felt.

That his father wanted to show him his place. Intimidate him with silence and coldness since his mother had vanished. As if he was punishing him, blaming him.

The silence was deafening.

The little sniffle he allowed himself was nothing in the room that was too big and silent. Marinette’s entire apartment could fit in here.

The tear that rolled down his cheek was too hot for his freezing surroundings and as he began shivering he felt inferior to the powerful motionless around him.

When his mother had still been around the house had been alive. It had greeted her when she had entered through the door, it had seemed to make every room as beautiful as possible when she walked in. The house had somehow loved his mother. Even if she hadn’t thought it was necessary.

His mother had told him they didn’t need all this. He knew why.

She had wanted to teach him modesty, contentment.

Oh, how she had failed to understand.

He desperately wished for a house that could fit in his room, he desperately sought for a bed that was barely broad enough to hold him. He desperately wanted a home, not a house.

No matter how this home would look like, honestly. It could be an apartment with one room, hidden away in some basement. A wet corner in which an old sink and a toilet stood, out in the open. A single bed that was shared by his family. A smelly couch, maybe a rickety table. Not even that.

Three chairs, one on which the one with the most balance had to sit because two legs diagonally from each other had broken off. Another corner with a small table and a measly, single hotplate on top, plucked into the only outlet the room had. All the ingredients next to that, no fridge but a small, worn out cooler, with faded red paint.

One stolen mannequin, hidden under the bed. A pile of clothes next to it, some washed, some worn, partly to hide the mannequin. A jar with some change in it, all the money they had.

One window, above the kitchen area. Smeary and almost vanishing under black graffiti.

Oh yes, he had seen how his parents had lived once. He had seen how the poor design student had tried to make a living by illegally working for a tailor. His mother had shown him some photos she had snapped. His favorite one would be the one of his father and his mother in this room.

His father sat on the bed, his hair already in the haircut he so firmly wore now but way messier. Adrien assumed it was because his mother had messed it up by brushing through his hair. His father sat on the bed, his long, slender legs lightly bend, only his heels propped up on the sheets. His mother sitting on top of him, her elbows propped up on his chest, her legs folded beside his father’s thighs. Her hands in his hair. His father was looking up and their forehead’s leant against each other.

His father held her on her hips. They both laughed.

Adrien smiled under tears when he thought back to that picture. An old friend of them had snapped it as his parents had been together for a year. It had been one month from the moment that his father had been offered a life changing job. A job as a designer.

It had been a small job at first since he had still studied design next to that. But a designer who had stayed a good friend until he had died a few years ago had recognized his father’s talent.

Just a few months after that his parents had left this apartment. His mother had always told him how two boxes had been enough to move all their stuff. In their new apartment his father and his mother had finished their studies and his father had been offered a bigger job. Just three years after this photo had been snapped Adrien had been on his way. He didn’t remember his old room, though. He had been younger than a year old when they had moved into the mansion.

And there was nothing he would rather have than just that.

His mother had tried to teach him he didn’t need luxury in his life but she hadn’t understood how much he wanted just what they had left behind.

One room was enough. One room. A single bed for all three of them. One single outlet, one single plate to cook on.

Nothing more. If he could only have the love of his parents back. If only he could at least have his father back.

But Gabriel Agreste sat in his office every single day of the year, not caring about holidays or birthdays or festivities. He would schedule photoshoots on Christmas Eve at seven in the evening if he could book a photographer then.

Adrien knew, because he had heard his father try to schedule a shoot for this year.

The tears freely flowed down his cheeks, way too hot as they left his eyes and way too cold as they dropped into his lap. The snow outside swirled in front of his window and the grey sky let the house seem even colder than it probably was. Adrien had left all the lights off and had just sat down on his couch, watching the weather outside until his eyes had burned too much from the sadness that overran him.

His music system was turned off, his earphones and phone lay forgotten on his bed. His computer was turned off and his TV didn’t give a sound. He had even plugged out his lamp on the nightstand, not wanting to have anything that counted as luxury interrupting his daydream.

He was in the room his father had lived in. In the room his mother had moved into, because she had loved his father so much and hadn’t cared for the protection, for the warmth that the home of her parents provided. Because she had valued her love above everything.

And his father had been so grateful he had bought her dinner form his savings. His mother had told him how they had gone to a hot-dog stand on a forgotten parking lot. She had laughed over how the owner had immediately recognized this as a date and had even set up a table for them with paper plates and plastic forks and knives. He remembered how his father had laughed and told him that the owner had called a friend to give them a mouth organ concert. And how the owner had only wanted half of the price because his father couldn’t offer more.

He still remembered.

Adrien sighed and opened his eyes to glance at the big window before losing himself in his memories again. His memories that burned like a fire inside him, eager to revive this place to its old glory again.

He remembered how his mother had cuddled with him and had baked Christmas Cookies that had tasted like Ladybug’s with him. He remembered how they had told each other stories that they imagined, about pirates that flew in their ships high above the clouds or about elves that lived in the underground, beneath the surface of the mossy forest ground.

They had created worlds while lying in the middle of the room on the floor, building a mattress of blankets and pillows until his father would join. His father had always had the biggest and most colorful fantasy out of the three of them.

He had listened to his son telling the stories he had begun with his mother and suddenly, the pirates above the clouds became vivid in his father’s excited mouth. He let them have adventures, invented cruel captains and heroic young cooks that saved the crew. He remembered how the elves had gotten a fair king who had to marry his daughter to another tribe. He remembered how the ideas of his mother had become novels with his father.

He still remembered.

A small smile played around the corners of his mouth as he recalled how they cooked together because the cook had gone home to his own family. His sniffles turned into light giggles as he practically tasted the dough of the cookies, the adventurous and not always delicious attempts of his parents to try out new things. The playful banter that they had thrown back and forth between them, way more harmonizing and practiced than even the banter between his lady and him.

He still remembered, yes.

And because he was so caught up in his memories, in the warmth that his mind provided, he almost didn’t notice the couch sinking down next to him, a stiff but familiar presence brushing against his side.

He opened his eyes and turned to his father, almost scared he would say something about a scheduled meeting or photoshoot. About Christmas, about a dance or anything that Adrien didn’t want. But he didn’t find Nathalie in the room, nor did his father have a clipboard, a planner or his phone with him.

His gaze remained fixed on the window, his eyes slightly jumping when he followed some lazy snowflakes falling.

“Father?”, Adrien asked, his chest slowly tightening as his father still didn’t turn to him.

“… She loved this weather…”, Gabriel finally whispered, his hands almost not noticeably trembling. Adrien faced the window again sighing.

“… I remember.”, he agreed, his words tasting like the new Christmas he had been forced to know now. Dry and cold.

Father and son stayed silent for a moment before Gabriel spoke up again, his voice shaking. Something Adrien hadn’t been prepared for.

“Do you also remember the stories?”

“The pirates above the clouds?”, Adrien asked, helping his father.

“Yes.”, Gabriel silently agreed, his voice already gone.

Adrien looked up into the sky, seeing a wooden board, a fin, appearing in the clouds. Helping to navigate a ship through the sky. As he blinked it was gone again.

“… I do.”, and even just for a moment, the warmth returned.

[legendofzeldaalinktothepast]

Opalescent Tides - Chapter 5

Previous Chapter // Next Chapter 

Waves crashed against the shore, and rain pattered against the ground, forming little brown puddles in the crevices of the sandy beach. Amidst the rainstorm, a large, muscular mermaid heaved herself up onto a plateau of rocks. Jasper coughed as she adjusted to the atmosphere, and then lifted her head upright, sea water dripping from her mass of thick, platinum blonde hair. 

She took in the scent of her surroundings. Humans had walked across this beach very recently. Amber eyes gazed past the trees and spotted smoke rising in the distance.

Before Jasper could observe any longer, she heard the rustling of trees. She didn't want to linger around to find out if it was a human or some other land creature, so she turned and leapt back into the water with a splash.

'I'll come earlier tomorrow.' she thought to herself, clutching a glass vial in her left hand. 'Better to wait another day than get caught...'

* 

The weekend had finally come; as Rose and Greg set out coolers and filled them with juice boxes and ice pops, Steven covered himself head-to-toe with sunscreen. "Amethyst!" he called towards the house, grabbing his frog-shaped pool floaty and slipping it around his torso. "You wanna come put on some sunscreen?"

Amethyst slid the glass door open and stepped out onto the patio, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "What now?"

"Whoa, you look so pretty!" Steven gasped and cupped his cheeks, admiring the beautiful grey and white polka dot dress she was wearing. "Oh, and it's just sunscreen. It'll keep your skin from getting sunburned." Steven said. "Here, lemme spray you!"

"Oh, totally!" she said. Just remembering the horrible sunburns she'd gotten when she'd woken up on the beach made her shudder... "And thanks, kiddo. I mean, it's your mom's dress, not mine, but still.”

"Yeah, and she looks pretty when she wears it too!" Steven sprayed the strong, yet pleasant smelling sunscreen on Amethyst's arms and neck. "There we go!"

They heard the sound of a car door, and Steven's eyes lit right up. "Someone's here! Oooh, I wonder who -- " He peered into the driveway, then immediately bolted over to the car. "Connie!!"

"Hi, Steven!" Connie responded, hugging Steven once they met. She was a couple inches shorter than him, and her dark hair was pulled back into a neat french braid; she wore a pink and white striped tank top, a pair of black shorts, and some brown sandals.

As Steven chatted with his newest guest, Amethyst made her way back into the yard, approaching Rose and Greg. "Uh, you guys need any help? I just woke up, so sorry for not asking sooner..."

"Don't worry about it. It took me a long time to adjust to the human circadian rhythm." Rose said with a wink. "But if you don't mind, could you get us some more ice from the kitchen? It should be at the very front of the freezer."

"No problem." Amethyst gave her a thumbs up, turning and heading back towards the house.

As she pulled the bag of ice from the freezer, she spotted Lion sitting by his water bowl, purring loudly. "Aw, you want some?" Amethyst plucked a few ice cubes out of the bag and plopped them into his water bowl. "There ya go." she cooed, scritching his ears before heading back out.

As Amethyst stepped back outside, she saw that Steven, Connie, and a newer guest -- was Peedee his name? -- had already begun swimming in the pool, while Doug and Priyanka chatted with Rose and Greg on the patio. Amethyst opened the cooler and emptied the bag of ice, and from the corner of her eye, she saw Garnet and Pearl coming in through the gate.

"Hey!" Rose called, waving a hand at them,

"Hey there." Garnet greeted softly, adjusting her heart-shaped sunglasses. Pearl smiled as she greeted Rose, but her expression fell ever so slightly the moment she laid eyes on Amethyst. The latter burned with a mixture of shame and irritation -- Pearl really knew how to hold a grudge. She shyly acknowledged Garnet with a wave before ducking her head and heading towards the pool. She'd rather bathe in that chemical-filled water than deal with Pearl staring at her all night.

"Hey, kiddos." she said, slipping out of her dress and smoothing out the black two-piece swimsuit underneath.

"Hey, Amethyst!" Steven grinned. "Did you wanna play volleyball with us?"

"You bet I do!" Amethyst said, sitting down on the edge of the pool and sliding into the water with a splash. She shuddered at how cold it was, and silently asked herself why regular salt water wasn't good enough for humans, but managed to adjust to the temperature and chemical smell after a few moments.

"You wanna be on Connie's team?" Steven asked. "I'm with Peedee."

"Sounds good." Amethyst said, swimming over to Connie's side of the pool. Then, she leaned into her ear and whispered, "How do you play? I'm out of the loop."

"Oh, it's pretty simple! You just bump the ball back and forth. Like this!" Connie popped the ball up into the air with the palm of her hand. Peedee dove for it and knocked it back in their direction. Amethyst, still processing Connie's demonstration, flinched as the ball bounced back off of her head.

Steven burst into laughter. "It was your turn to hit it, silly!"

"Hey, cut me some slack, I'm new to this." she snickered, grabbing the volleyball and whacking it with full force -- straight into Steven's face.

She cupped her hands over her mouth. "Oh shit! I'm so sorry, I -- "

But before she could apologize any further, Steven had burst into a fit of laughter. "It's volleyball, not dodgeball, silly!"

Amethyst let out a sigh of relief. "Geez, I really thought I hurt you. Now I don't feel so bad."

"Pfft, I'm made of steel. This little volleyball won't even phase me!" Steven whacked the ball back in Amethyst's direction, but she narrowly dodged it. She grabbed the ball from the surface of the water and knocked it in Steven's direction again, hitting him in the face yet again and cackling.

As the two of them went back and forth, whacking each other with the volleyball and laughing themselves to tears, Connie and Peedee exchanged confused glances.

"Try not to knock each other’s brains out, you two!" Rose called from the picnic table, giggling.

"Pfft, like that could happen!" Steven giggled, tossing the ball at the side of Amethyst's head.

"Augh!!" she exclaimed, dramatically clasping a hand over her ear. "My brain is falling out! Nooo!" She fell over into the water, causing Steven to only laugh even harder.

Once Steven and Amethyst had finally settled down, the four of them prepared, once again, for a real volleyball match. Pearl watched from her seat at the table, fidgeting with her juice stained popsicle stick and tearing it to shreds. Garnet rose to her feet and glanced in Pearl's direction. "I think I'm going to join them. Maybe I'll be able to keep it peaceful this time." she said with a chuckle. "Do you want to come along, Pearl?"

"Perhaps a bit later. Still feeling... You know." she said.

"I understand." Garnet smiled, patting her on the shoulder before heading over to the pool.

With Garnet gone, Pearl was feeling even more anxious. Everyone else at the table was chatting and laughing together, but Pearl struggled to chime in, so she simply zoned out, watching the volleyball game in the pool. Her gaze fell on Amethyst more often than she’d like to admit… But when Amethyst caught her glancing in her direction, she immediately averted her gaze... Guilt and anger tangled in her chest. 'Heaven's sake... What is wrong with me today?' she thought with a sigh, taking a sip from her bottle of water.

* 

Later on, a couple more teenagers had shown up -- some of Steven's friends, Pearl presumed, though they looked a fair bit older than him -- and Greg had started setting up the bonfire. For most of the night, Pearl had attempted to enjoy herself; she'd even taken a quick dip in the pool, but ended up getting somewhat overwhelmed by how noisy the kids (and... Amethyst) were being. But when she re-joined the adults chatting on the patio, she felt just as uncomfortable. It seemed no matter where she put herself, she found herself feeling isolated and overwhelmed.

"Excuse me for a moment." Pearl said, half expecting nobody to even notice -- but Rose gave her an understanding smile, which made Pearl's heart pound even faster than it already was, and she hurried into the house before it could burst out of her ribcage.

As soon as she shut the glass door, instant relief washed over her. It wasn't quite as cool as she'd hoped -- with everyone outside, the air conditioning and fans had been turned off -- but it was quiet, and she was alone, and that was all she needed.

With a heavy sigh, she leaned against the wall in the hallway and slid down to the floor. Silence. Then, the soft pitter-pattering of paws on the carpet; Pearl glanced up and smiled at the approaching cat -- Lion, was that his name? -- and stroked his back. "Hey there, little kitty..." she whispered, allowing him to crawl onto her lap. The soft feeling of his fur on her fingertips soothed her, bringing her anxiety and sensory overload closer and closer to an acceptable level...

Then, she heard the glass door slide open. She tensed as Lion leapt from her lap, clearly wanting to greet whoever had just come in the house. She heard two familiar voices in the kitchen; one was Steven, and the other Amethyst.

"I'll get the stuff for s'mores! Do you wanna get the mosquito repellent?"

"Yep! It's in the bathroom, right?"

As Pearl heard footsteps approaching, she immediately rose back to her feet, banging her head against a picture frame she'd completely forgotten was there.

"Shit -- " she hissed as she rubbed the bump on her scalp. When she opened her eyes, she was staring straight at Amethyst.

"Hey, uh, you okay?" Amethyst asked. "Didn't mean to startle ya, heh."

"Yes. I'll be fine." she responded through gritted teeth. As she pulled her hand away from her head, she noticed a faint patch of blood on the pads of her fingers. "Goodness..."

"Man, your timing couldn't be worse. We used up all the ice in the cooler." Amethyst said, continuing into the bathroom. "Want me to get you a cold washcloth?" she added.

She truly didn't, and in all honesty, she just wanted Amethyst to get what she needed and leave, but... She also didn't want to be rude, and if they had no ice, there wasn't really any other option... "Ah, that might help. Thank you." she said, following Amethyst into the bathroom.

Amethyst grabbed a washcloth from the cabinet and drenched it in cold water, handing it over to Pearl after wringing it out. "Here ya go!"

"Thank you." Pearl smiled softly, pressing the cool cloth against the sore spot on her head.

"No problemo." Amethyst said. "Now, for that mosquito stuff... Ah, shit. I shoulda asked Steven what it looked like. Do you know mosquito re... repel... The stuff that keeps mosquitos off, you know what I'm talking about? What's that look like?" Amethyst asked, rummaging through the cabinet.

Pearl crouched down beside Amethyst, still holding the cloth up to her head with one hand, and reached for the mosquito spray in the very front.

"Oh, thanks!" Amethyst smiled sheepishly, a bit embarrassed that she hadn't noticed it right under her nose. "Welp, I'm heading back out. You gonna be okay?"

"I've banged my head before. I think I'll survive." she said, rolling her eyes.

Amethyst rolled her eyes in return. 'That's what I get for being nice, I guess.' "Alright. Later." And with that, she began to make her way out the door, but Pearl lifted her head up and called out, "Wait!"

Amethyst glanced back. "...What?"

"I... Forgive me for being rude, I'm just -- I'm not having a very good night. Or week." Pearl sighed.

"I can tell." Amethyst said. "I probably haven't helped, with breaking shit in your store and calling you a horse and all that." Amethyst shrugged. "I really am sorry about that, by the way. I was kind of a dick."

"Oh, it's not even that... But I appreciate the apology." Pearl began, taking the cloth from the back of her head and setting it down on the sink. "There's... I just feel like something isn't right." she continued, her eyes still not meeting Amethyst's. "Either with my head, or... With you. Because ever since you showed up..." She bit her lip. "Never mind. I need to keep some thoughts to myself. I'll come and join you guys by the bonfire in a few minutes."

Amethyst opened her mouth to respond, but heard Steven call from down the hallway. "Amethyst, did you find that mosquito stuff?"

"Yeah, just a sec!" Amethyst called back. She turned back towards Pearl, but she'd already turned her gaze towards the window, making it clear she didn't want to continue the conversation any longer.

"Alrighty..." Amethyst said. "See ya outside, then." She turned and made her way out, hesitating for a moment in case Pearl responded (she didn't) and then continued on her way down the hallway.

* 

For the rest of the night, Amethyst tried to enjoy herself. Some of her irritation towards Pearl, admittedly, hung around -- yet at the same time, she felt a hint of pity towards her. If she had been in her situation, she'd probably be irritable, too. ’I should cut her some slack…’

"Hey, uh, Amethyst?" Steven tapped Amethyst on the shoulder, snapping her back to reality. "I know they're best when they're crispy, but your marshmallow is gonna be a lump of coal if you don't take it out soon."

"Oh, right." Amethyst pulled her stick out from the fire and blew the flames out from her marshmallow. She smeared it across a graham cracker and placed some chocolate on top, smushing it all together with a second graham cracker.

As the night went on, some of the guests began to file out; Connie, Priyanka, and Doug were the first to leave, insisting that Connie needed to be in bed by ten. Peedee went home shortly after -- his curfew was the same as Connie’s. Now, it was just the Universe family, Pearl, Garnet, Lars, Sadie, and Amethyst.

"Can we tell some scary ghost stories?" Steven suggested.

"If we do that, you'll be up all night." Rose chuckled. "And wipe your face, you have marshmallow all over."

"Aww, I promise I won't..." Steven whined, wiping his face with his arm.

"Sorry, kiddo." Greg ruffled Steven's hair. "Last time you got really scared, and we don’t want that. But I know another way we can have fun! What if we do campfire songs instead?" Greg suggested. "I can bring out my guitar!"

"Laaame." Lars mumbled through a mouthful of s'mores, and Sadie elbowed him in the ribs.

"Ooh, that'd be just as fun! Maybe even funner!" Steven perked right up. "I know someone who's a good singer." He grinned at Sadie.

"Hm? Oh, I don't know about that..." she blushed, nibbling on a plain graham cracker. “M-maybe another time.”

After Greg went inside to retrieve his guitar, Amethyst spotted a cluster of familiar glowing bugs off in the distance. "Whoa..." her eyes widened. "Hey, Rose." she began, glancing towards the woman in the lawn chair beside her. "What are those glowy things called?"

"Hm?" she glanced over in the direction Amethyst was staring. "Oh, those are called fireflies! Or lightning bugs, depending on where you come from."

"They're so cool… I saw them the other night and thought I was dreaming, heh." she remarked. She spotted a fleck of green light just above her head, eagerly reaching out and cupping it in her hands. "Gotcha!"

"Ooh, lemme see!" Steven leaned against Amethyst's shoulder. When she opened her hands, the bug immediately fluttered out, its body glowing bright green. It flew all the way to the other side of the bonfire and landed on Pearl's shoulder, causing her to flinch in surprise.

"Oh, hello there!" she giggled, relaxing once she realized it wasn't a mosquito. She allowed the bug to crawl onto her finger, watching as it glowed and lit up her fingernail. She turned her gaze up towards Amethyst, and for the first time since they’d met, gave her a genuine little smile. But it only lasted a mere second before the firefly took off into the night, and Pearl watched it go.

"Alright, got my guitar!" Greg said, strumming it once he sat back down in his seat. "Anyone got any song requests?"

Silence. Then, Steven decided to speak up. "Oh, I know! You should sing that one song that goes like, um..." Steven tapped his head as he tried to remember it. "The one goes like, 'what are you doing here', you know?"

"I'm still working on that one, though..." Greg scratched the back of his head. "Besides, I'm sure everyone else probably wants to hear a song they already know..."

"Aww, but it's so good! Pretty please?" Steven begged, giving Greg the biggest puppy eyes he could manage -- and with his cat-like pupils, he had an advantage.

"I'd like to hear it, Mr. Universe!" Sadie said.

"Me too." Garnet chimed in.

"Aww... Alright. Guess I can't say no, now." Greg chuckled. He cleared up his throat and strummed his guitar, adjusting the knobs on the side to make sure it was perfectly tuned before he began.

"Do you believe in destiny? Close your eyes and leave the rest to me..."

As she listened to the song, Amethyst reached for the bag of marshmallows and pierced one with her stick. She held it out to the crackling fire, and caught a quick glimpse of Pearl from the other side, who was preparing herself another marshmallow as well. They made a quick moment of eye contact before Pearl quickly glanced away.

"...Do you believe in fantasy? I have to when it's right in front of me, oh...'"

The light from the fire illuminated every little detail of Pearl’s face; if she was aware of it, Amethyst had a feeling she'd probably be self-conscious. Human women were like that... Compared to Rose, she barely wore any makeup, and had some sleep-deprived bags beneath her eyes... Yet it was almost charming. 'Oh, get a grip.' she thought, shaking her head. 'Don't go drooling over her now. She already thinks you’re a freak...'

"What are you doing here, in the real world? What are you doing here, so close I could touch you?'"

As Pearl pulled her marshmallow out from the fire, and smushed it between a few squares of chocolate and two graham crackers, she rest her arm on top of Garnet's -- she'd mostly calmed down from her fit of anxiety earlier, but still clung to Garnet as a way of making sure she stayed that way. Social gatherings, no matter how calm, always had the potential to overstimulate, and physical affection (when Pearl herself initiated it) was one thing that always kept her grounded.

She glanced across the bonfire at Amethyst once more, allowing another soft smile to spread across her face. But she couldn’t help noticing… something about Amethyst's eyes looked so unnatural. The pupils were narrow slits… They almost reminded her of a cat’s. ’What if…’ Her body tensed up once again and she gripped Garnet's arm, her warm smile fading.

Amethyst's heart sank.

"What are you doing here, and what are you doing to me?"

[plutoandpolaris]

Martyr Part 3

Marvin started from the beginning, as far back as he knew with Seán, a kid fresh out of college in a cabin in the middle of nowhere. Up through the years, the hair dye, the youtube success, the birth of Jackie and Schneep, Signe moving in, all the way up to his own creation, the big move and Chase’s first video. All the while though, he purposely left out one, very important detail. Anti. Marvin wanted to save that for the end in order to lay the whole “being stalked by a demon” business on Robbie as gently as possible. “Wait, so we’re all just physical personifications of Seáns imagination? None of us are really…real?” Robbie was fully alert now, hanging onto every single word Marvin spoke. “To put it simply, yes. The only reason we exist is because they decided we should.” Robbie cocked his head to the side slightly. “They? Who’s they?” Shit, how the hell are you supposed to explain the concept of a YouTube subscriber to someone who just popped into existence three hours ago? Marvin pondered this for a moment before taking out Stacy’s phone and pulling up Seán’s channel. “They.” He pointed to the number beside the icon. 16,737,980. “All of these are individual human beings. They are the ones who take Seán’s ideas and make them real, for the better or worse.” Robbie took the phone from Marvin’s hands slowly, looking down at the number like he’d just discovered the meaning of life. In a way, he had. “Then where…did I come from? Specifically, I mean.” Marvin took the phone back, scrolling down for a few seconds before stopping on a very specific video. “While I was out getting Stacy’s groceries I looked into that question, and I think I know where you came from. Look.” He turned the phone back around, showing Robbie a thumbnail featuring a zombie that looked eerily familiar. “It seems that they’re not stopping at Seáns videos, they’re bringing his thumbnails to life as well. They saw that image and thought, hey, what if we made that a character? A few days later and here you are.”

Robbie looked from the mirror on the wall  to the phone, back to the mirror. “That’s me.” “Indeed it is.” Marvin let Robbie sit in this new information for a while, watching his face as he scrolled through Seán’s channel. After a few minutes he spoke up again, asking the last question Marvin wanted to answer. “You said that they, the viewers, bring Seáns ideas to life for the better or worse. What do you mean, worse?” Marvin took in a deep, deliberate breath before taking the phone back again, pulling up a picture. “This is what I mean, by worse.” The image was of Anti, as he appeared during his Pax video. Robbie studied it, clearly unsettled. “This is a ‘character’ known as Antisepticeye, but he’s not really a character at all. In fact, he’s a demon, a demon who existed long before Seán and will be here long after he and I are gone. Anti first possessed Seán in early 2013, and the small community of that time began to take notice of the little quirks he exhibited as a result of this possession. Using that as inspiration, they created  Antisepticeye, the dark version of Seán. The demon noticed this and took on the community’s new character as an identity. He spent years absorbing their attention and obsession with him from the background, right under our noses. Seán had no idea, not until it was far too late to reverse what the community had done. They had created a monster, one who finally saw fit to reveal himself after three years of waiting. Predictably, revealing himself only made the viewers love him more, even as he slowly wore down Seáns psyche, even as he took over the channel, even as he killed his host live on video. They still cheered him on. He has the power of a demon and a tulpa combined, and he’s using it to dispose of the rest of us one by one. We’re all bargaining chips for them, the viewers, Anti’s puppets. That is why I brought you here. To keep you away from him.” The room went so silent you could hear a pin drop. Robbie looked absolutely horrified, and rightfully so.

“What would he have done to me if I had stayed?” He asked, so quietly it was almost a whisper. “He either would have killed you or corrupted you with his magic.” Like he did to me. Marvin didn’t say the second part out loud, but he thought it, and the simple reminder sent a pang of regret through his chest. “But,” Marvin put a hand on Robbie’s shoulder, attempting to calm him down. “That is why you’re here. So that won’t happen.” Robbie took some slow breaths, pulling his knees close to his chest. Marvin stood up once again, giving him a sympathetic glance before taking a seat at the dining table across the room. Stacy sat opposite to him, handing him another mug of coffee. “That could have gone better,” Marvin muttered, taking a sip of the coffee. This cup was significantly cooler but he really didn’t notice. Stacy put a hand on his forearm, attempting to comfort him. “You did what you could.” Marvin stood up abruptly, nearly knocking his mug over. “Ẅ͕̙͎̺̞̬͎͈́̀͑͆͛̚͞H̢͎̹̣̝̗͗̍̿̐͛̋͒͘͡ͅͅĄ̧̛̝̟̱͕̳͋́̃̀̂͌̃͒͟͠T̶͔̪͖̠̖̐͌̄̑̕͢͜ I̸̡͙̗̱͎̖̫͎͇͉͂̐̑̀͛F̵̡̯̝̥̤̲̘̤̊͛͐̌͒̎ I͕̬̹͇̲̠̎̃̅̒́̒́̓͡ͅṮ͙̼̟̟̺̳͂̀̃̓̀̀̀͞ͅ W̗̲̗͉͕̩͈̣͆͗̏̄͢͜͝Ạ̸̟͎̪̼̦͕͎̋̄̍͆͐̇̀̎̕S̨̨̝͉̫͑̂̃̊̑͊͊͜͟͝Ņ̷̟͓̰̹̹̾̀̈̈͊͐̕͜͝T̢̨̟̻̝̥̬͋̍͗͆́̾͞͞͠ G̴̙̘̙̣̜̭̝̟̉̅̓̇̉̈͢Ơ̴̺̜̮͇̲͆͊͑̃̚͜O̱͉͚͎̘͕̻͛̈́͒̍́͝ͅD̛̤̳̖̭̞̻̺͊͋͋̽̒̔̚͜͟͡ Ȇ̸̦̜̣͔̞͚̠͕̇̌̽̈̏̔͢͝ͅÑ̷̢̮̺̼̦̞͈͔̿̽͊̃͘͢Ỗ̟̲̗̳̉̊̐̈́ͅU̸̫͉̠̟̠̩͌̊̉͐́͞G̵̹̫͎̻̭̈̔̀͗͌̀͊͊́̚Ḩ̴͍͙̩̹̏̔́̅̽͛̔̍̓͞?̶̡͖͚̖̥͕̜̐̊̽͐̏̈͛̚͜!̸̨̩͍̜̟̼̱̘̗̪̇̋̍̍͠"̨̣̙̗̫̟͍̻̹̀͑̋̑́̀͊͟ Marvin grabbed at his own neck, bending over slightly as he backed into the wall. That was Anti’s voice. From his mouth. All of a sudden he had been hit by a huge burst of anger, enough to invoke the demon magic that was constantly pulsing beneath his skin. It was getting worse. Stacy’s eyes widened as she stood from the table, grabbing the bat from behind the kitchen door and raising it over her head. Marvin backed against the wall, attempting to speak but mostly unable to. "It’s not- it’s not what you think it is. Stacy, please, you have to listen to me!” Stacy lowered the bat slightly, even though her eyes still burned with an anger so visceral it actually scared him. “Sit the fuck down, you have a lot to explain.”

Marvin took a seat slowly as Stacy did the same, still hovering over the handle of the bat. Robbie was also watching them over the back of the couch, eyes wide and terrified but inquisitive. “Talk.” So Marvin began his story, from being found in the darkness and taking Anti’s magic, all the way up to finding Robbie just that afternoon. Stacy rubbed her temples, clearly at her wits end. “Why… why would you accept his magic?! That seems like the worst idea you could possibly have!” “I. had. no. choice! I would have died otherwise!” Marvin gripped the table so hard his knuckles went white, still attempting to keep Anti’s magic down and at bay. Stacy shook her head at him, downing the rest of her coffee. “If it were me, I’d have died before I would have taken anything from that fucker.” Marvin let out an exasperated sigh, leaning back in his chair and speaking with a venom that he didn’t expect. “You don’t get it.” She looked at him for a second, at first surprised but then with such anger that he leaned back in his seat slightly. “I don’t get it?! I’ve been stalked by that asshole for months, I can’t remember the last time I got a full nights sleep. He’s threatened my life, he’s threatened the life of my children, he’s taken away every single fucking thing I care about! Every time I close my eyes I see him, laughing at me, mocking me. He follows me in my goddamn dreams, everywhere I go he’s there, watching, with those eyes. I’d rather cut out my own then look in them ever again. But yet, after everything he’s done, he’ll have to rip my still beating heart out of my chest if he wants anything from me. Why? Because I’m not done. The moment I give him anything is the moment I’ve shown him that I’ve given up. I lived through all of this, and you tell me that I don’t get it?” She sat back down in her seat, seemingly exhausted, letting out a shaky laugh. “But what do I know, right? I’m just Chase’s ex wife. It’s not like I matter to them anyway.” Marvin didn’t have anything to say to that. As much as he wanted to argue, he knew Stacy was right. He got into this mess because he was scared. Scared of death, scared of being forgotten, but by taking Anti’s magic he’d created a much scarier monster.

After a long period of silence Robbie spoke, voice laced with apprehension. “There is dark energy here.” Stacy looked from Marvin to Robbie, visibly confused. “What’s he talking ab-” Marvin shushed her, listening very closely. It was very VERY faint, so much so he could barely detect it, but it was there. Static. “Anti’s coming.” Stacy’s eyes widened as she leapt from her chair, locking the front door with several deadbolts. “Fuck fuck fuck what do we do?!” “We calm down, for one. He’s pretty far away, and those deadbolts will hold him for a little bit.” Marvin paced around the room, retrieving his mask from where he had left it and putting it back on. Having the familiar feeling of the plastic helped calm his nerves. “You all need to leave. Stacy, her children, all of you. I’ll stay behind and stall him,” Robbie said, standing up from the couch and speaking with a confidence Marvin didn’t expect. “No! That’s a terrible idea, do you know what he’ll do to you?!” Marvin gripped Robbie’s shoulders, hoping that maybe he could shake some sense into him. “If you stay here, Anti’ll have five victims. If you leave, he’ll only have one. He doesn’t know me, maybe I can somehow reason with him. Either way, I’d rather die rather than take all of you down with me.” “Robbie, no! You were just created three hours ago, you have an entire life to live!” This was Stacy now, voice strained with stress. “That just means there’s no one who’ll miss me. You all have people who’d be hurt if you died. NOW GO.” Marvin and Stacy stood shocked for a moment before rushing into action. There was no time to argue, the static was getting closer and more aggressive the more time they wasted. In about five minutes Stacy had both of her children by the arms and was unlocking the back door. In another minute they were out the door and in a full sprint across the backyard. Marvin hovered in the doorway for a moment, looking back at Robbie. “Whatever you do, don’t let him see that you’re scared of him. That’s when it’s all over. Good luck.” The magician cast back one last glance at a face he may never see again. “I’m sorry.” With that he was gone, the door firmly locked behind him. Robbie was alone. With Marvin and Stacy gone, the true severity of the situation started to settle in. He was probably going to die. Just seeing a picture of Anti scared him to death, but the prospect of having to face that in person? It was safe to say that Robbie was having a mild panic attack just at the thought of it. The static was getting more severe, and he could swear he heard footsteps at the porch. There was no going back now. Don’t let him see that you’re scared of him. Marvin’s words echoed in his mind and he collected himself. Standing up straight and setting his jaw, Robbie positioned himself in front of the back door. “All I have to do is stall him, keep him from catching up to Stacy and Marv. That’s all,” he thought to himself, trying to calm down as much as possible. The static was nearly unbearable now, overloading all of his senses and making it hard to think straight. There was a knock, followed by several loud bangs as Anti began to break the door down. The deadbolts rattled and shook before shattering completely, the door swinging open with such force it punched a hole into the wall. Standing in the door was the most terrifying person Robbie had ever seen in his life, the pictures didn’t translate the half of it. He stepped over the shattered deadbolts, scanning the room from left to right before his eyes landed on Robbie. “What do we have here?” His voice was exactly as it had sounded coming from Marvin, but somehow even more terrifying. Anti made his way across the room agonizingly slowly, keeping his eyes on Robbie the entire time. The other man stood still as a statue, returning the demon’s piercing stare with one of his own.

“Have you seen Marvin around? I’m assuming you have considering he was just here.” Anti leaned in close until they were almost touching, his voice low and threatening. “You’d be wise to tell the truth.” Robbie said nothing, his jaw closed so tightly it would have hurt, if he could feel pain, that is. Anti glared down at him for a moment before grabbing the collar of his shirt and flinging him across the room like he was made of fabric or paper. Robbie hit the wall hard, knocking several picture frames off of a nearby shelf and landing in a pile of crooked limbs and broken glass “I̶̢̥̜̹͕̣̟͋̉̿̈̀̈́͆͜͢ͅ Ą̸̬͖̦̠̬̭͔̜͔́̄̑̌̔̔Ś͓͇̲̯̻̰̓̿̀̓̆͐͗͌͟K̷͎̼͈̠̜͓͖̀̓̍̾̄̒̆̈́̇E̵͖̙͚͕͍̗̭̬̐̅͆̌͐̎̽̂͆͟͞D̶̨̠͖̯̪͛͛̋́̓̈́́̚͞͠ Y̧̡̹͙͚̟̰͑̂̆͆͊̊̓͝O̡̡̩̭͚̟̎͋̓̓͘͢͠͝U̮͎͍̪͔̥̦̠͌̒̆́͒̆̋̀͘ Ậ͖͇̻̻̆͋̅̅̈́̾̕̚̚͟ Q̛̛̯̖̞̠̟̻̟̀̓̌͐͐͡͞Ü̵̢̧̧̜̳͓̞̬͒̓̊͌̊̓̍͘͢͟E̸̡̨̩͙̗̽̊̎͐̑͜͟͞͞ͅͅS̛͉̻̟͍̜̱͚̑̈́͌̌͗͟͞ͅṬ̢̫͚̮̋̃͑̾̍̎̏̆́͜͠I̛͔̳̠͙̱͆̂̋̏̈́̅̚͢O̡̠̝̩̲̙̹͇̟̓͑͋͋̂͐̈͟Ń̷̡̩̜̗͉̠̟̟̄̑̇̎̑̋͊͋̚͟"̴̢͖̼̭̩͑͛͋͆̈͒̚̚͜͠

Robbie stayed perfectly still, even as purple bruises sprung up on his fragile skin and dark blood poured from the many cuts and gashes the glass had caused. He could hear Anti’s footsteps as he approached, crunching on the glass shards under his feet. Robbie could vaguely see the demon crouching beside his head, peering down at him like one would an insect or a piece of roadkill. He composed himself, slowly coming to a half standing position against the wall. Getting thrown halfway across a room onto a pile of broken glass would have killed or at least severely injured him had he been human, so he sent off a silent prayer to whomever that he wasn’t. Anti seemed to notice. "Resilient little fucker, aren’t you?” Robbie said nothing, trying to focus on keeping his body from literally falling apart at the seams. Even though he couldn’t feel the pain he was still extremely fragile. Anti glowered at him, twirling the knife around in his hands like a baton. “I would ask you again but the truth is that I already know where Marvin is. I know where he is at all times, and if I wanted I could kill him right now from 200 feet away. But-” Anti leaned over him, hovering the blade inches from the bandages on his throat. “I’m much more interested in you.” Marvin’s warnings went right out the window then. Robbie shook like a leaf, terror holding him in an iron grip. All cognitive thinking was gone, every single bone in his body telling him to run for his life. He felt Anti snake his hand up to grip his collar, and he fully expected to be thrown across the room again. Instead, Anti adjusted his hold on the knife and struck it against Robbie’s already damaged neck so hard his head flew clean off of his shoulders. It was disorienting to say the least, but he eventually landed at Anti’s feet, the rest of his body still held in the demon’s grip. It didn’t hurt, it was just strange, but the fear of having no control over the rest of him was almost worse. Anti studied him for a moment, looking from his decapitated head to the headless body slumped against the wall. “So it is as I thought. You can’t feel any of this, you’re some kind of zombie creature.” He leaned down, picking up Robbie’s head by the hair and lifting it up to eye level. Anti’s eyes were black as ink, horrible voids that seemed to consume Robbie’s entire field of vision, garbled and scratchy voices whispering in his ears. He wanted to scream or cry or do something, but all he could manage to do was stare back in abject horror. “You’re going to wish they never created you.”

HOOOOO BOY.

I thought Checkmate took me a long time to write. That was three weeks, this was almost two months. XD It is nearly twice as long, so that’s to be expected. I hope you all liked it though! For those who were confused, this is part three in a series. The other two chapters will be linked below so you can catch up. Thank you all once again for all of the support you give my fics, it makes me incredibly happy.

Chapter 1: (You Brought This On Yourself):

https://plutoandpolaris.tumblr.com/post/163723803751/you-brought-this-on-yourself

Chapter 2: (Checkmate):

https://plutoandpolaris.tumblr.com/post/164191559401/writing-is-hard-part-17-its-done-guys-heres-the

@fear-is-nameless

@molly-pond-holmes

@mysteriousdogduo

@where-did-the-good-ones-go

@magic-marvin-protection-patrol

@robthezombie-support-squad

Part 1:

https://plutoandpolaris.tumblr.com/post/166083171681/martyr-part-1-so-ive-been-inspired-by-the-new

Part 2:

https://plutoandpolaris.tumblr.com/post/166083190336/martyr-part-2-trying-to-smuggle-someone-who-looks

[imaginetonyandbucky]

Eight Ways to a Sunny Day

Part Two of OctoBucky and Seahorse-mer Tony. Read Part One Here

Tony stretched luxuriously. He finally had his mate with him. Their home was as safe and secure as they could make it -- there were advantages to having a mate as strong as Bucky. For an octo-mer, he was deficient, having only seven lower arms, and one upper, but for a seahorse, he was amazing.

Bucky could lift incredible loads with his multiple limbs. He could squeeze into tiny gaps --Tony didn’t really like watching that, it was sort of gross, really, but useful -- to get the finest foods. He was fast, so fast. Tony could barely keep track of his unusual mate as Bucky tore around on the ocean floor, gathering materials and collecting food and soft kelps for their bed.

For a creature that was supposed to be solitary, Bucky had mostly adapted to mated life. He was occasionally shy and if he wasn’t thinking about it, he’d shade himself to blend in with the background, giving Tony terrible panic attacks when he would think his mate had left him. And he still hadn't quite adjusted himself to the sheer amount of food a mer-seahorse could eat. Particularly a pregnant one.

“I’m hungry,” Tony mumbled. Not unusual. Tony’s species were grazers, constantly moving (when not pregnant) and eating a bite or two as they went. On a good day, Tony could eat up to forty tiny little meals.

But he was also all entangled with his mate.

When Bucky slept alone, he usually squashed himself into the smallest crevice he could find where he’d fit, and pull a rock in after him. It kept him safe from predators and let him rest. Tony, on the other hand, as a mer-seahorse, slept upright with his tail wrapped firmly around a strand of coral or plankton and tried really hard to look like part of the scenery.

They’d adapted, inside the mate-shelter; Tony slept upright, his tail latched firmly on one of the mate-shelter’s pillars. Bucky slept entangled around Tony, arms wrapped around his mate’s torso and tail, letting him rest his head on Tony’s shoulder. It kept Tony protected and allowed them to be in contact the whole night.

Tony slowly started unlooping Bucky’s arms from around him. Sometimes Bucky would just mutter and curl up against the nearest rock, turning the same brownish shade as the ocean floor. Sometimes he woke up as soon as Tony started shifting.

Tony got himself untangled, patted Bucky’s hair, and let his mate sleep, while Tony went to investigate the idea of breakfast.

Bucky had done something; a human thing, he’d called it. Weaving. Sort of the same thing that the herds did, to make their mate-dwelling, piles of stones to protect the young. Bucky had made tiny little dwellings from sea reeds that he used to keep the krills and shrimp and tiny fish that made up Tony’s diet alive, but contained, until Tony was ready to eat. Baskets were what Bucky called these things. Magic, more like. Tony could see how they worked, and once he’d been shown, he could even manage to make a few crude containers. They were nothing compared to what Bucky made, but the idea… the idea could change everything.

Tony lifted the lid and peered into one of the basket, stomach gurgling. The babies were already up, poking and prodding at him. Annoying little things. Tony loved them already, but sand and tides, he’d be glad to be done with this pregnancy. There were a handful of clams in one basket. Tony stuffed two in his mouth, sighing with satisfaction.

One of Bucky’s arms slid around Tony’s waist. Another fastened onto his shoulder, suckers taking little nibbles. “Morning,” Bucky said, curling up sleepily against Tony’s back. “How are you feeling?”

“Hungry,” Tony said.

“You’re always hungry,” Bucky said. Another limb slid around Tony’s throat, the tip caressing his jaw. “It astonishes me that you still fit in the shelter.”

Tony slapped at the arm. “Be nice to me. These are your babies that are making me fat and has absolutely nothing to do with what I’m eating.”

“Mmmm, yes, they are,” Bucky said. He rubbed his hand over the swollen roundness of Tony’s pouch. The babies inside kicked at each other again for a few moments, each one trying to reach their parent through the plating of Tony’s pouch. “They certainly feel like it.”

“All over enthusiastic acrobatics,” Tony groused. He picked up the empty basket. “There aren’t any clams left.”

Bucky prodded inside the basket with another limb (sometimes Tony felt like his mate had a hundred arms, he kept doing stuff with them) and sighed. “You could save me one, before you eat us out of bed and basket.”

(more below the cut, or read on A03)

“I have not eaten the bedding material except once,” Tony protested. That was mostly an accident. He didn’t really like greens, but he’d gotten a bit of a craving and half the plankton was gone before he’d really realized what he was doing.

“Still did it,” Bucky crowed. He swam around in a little loop and ended up sticking to the ceiling, limbs twining around the rocks and holding himself in place. “Can I get a kiss before I go hunting on an empty stomach?”

“Not if you’re going to continue mocking me,” Tony complained. That was totally a lie. Bucky’s kisses were incredible and Tony never wanted to go without them.

Bucky stayed upside down, wrapped an extra limb around Tony’s back and pulled him in. He licked along Tony’s top lip before moving in, tasting and exploring the contours of Tony’s mouth. Bucky threaded his hand through Tony’s hair, pulling his head at an angle, taking greater licks at Tony’s teeth and his soft palate, sucking on his tongue, sliding along Tony’s tongue until Tony was dizzy with it and tried to wrap his tail around something to stay upright. Bucky’s arms enclosed him, until they were drifting in the deep ocean currents, swaying and rocking slowly as Bucky kept one limb stuck to the upper rocks, his entire weight and Tony’s combined held by one fragile-seeming arm.

“Right,” Bucky said, breaking off the kiss with a suddenness that made Tony whine in dismay. “The sooner I hunt, the sooner I’ll be back, the sooner we can both have some breakfast.” He kissed Tony again, quick and warm, grabbed two of the baskets. He made to leave, then darted back, tasting Tony’s lip. “This time, for real.”

And he was gone.

The mate-shelter seemed very empty without him.

The water was good. Clear and a little warm. The currents were bringing in warmer water from the south. Bucky looped the baskets over his shoulder and went hunting. Small succulent clams and other bivalves from the ocean’s floor made quick work.

A crab, fat and irritable, made up Bucky’s breakfast. A few whacks with one long arm, smacking the creature upside a rock, and it didn’t care anymore. He put the shell into the other basket; Tony sometimes liked to make beads and there was a good deal of raw material there.

A small colony of seasnails went into the basket as well. Tony ate more than anything his size should possibly want. Bucky smiled, fond. His mate was demanding, but well worth it. And while demanding, Tony was also easily pleased, heavy with the praise, and generally happy with Bucky’s efforts.

A glissade of cooler water moved over Bucky’s skin and he pressed himself close to the rock, shifting colors, wondering what the change meant.

Bucky squinted into the depths, listening with every bit of concentration. The slow, slush-slush of respiration was his first clue. The bigger the creature, the slower it breathed, the slower its heart beat. An immense amount of water was passing over the creature, whatever it was. The push of water as it moved… it was huge. A whale, maybe?

A slithering drag, and then one of the baskets was ripped off Bucky’s arm, the lash of fibers stinging and leaving bruises on his back.

What in th’ depths was it?

When the feeding tentacle came for the second basket, Bucky shucked it quickly. He could always make more baskets!

The feeding tentacle’s club end was almost the size of Bucky’s torso. Just above the club, the creature wore a white and red striped bracelet, a solid mass of substance.

Ten Rings.

Like the hydra, Ten Rings, the colossal mer-squid was a legend. Bucky had hoped never to see another legend again. Dealing with the hydra, Bucky had escaped the situation short two limbs, and that had put him at a decided disadvantage.

Ten Rings was a ship-killer. Twice the size of a man-going vessel, the huge creature used its enormously strong limbs to pull fishing vessels before the surface. It cracked them like Bucky might smash a crab, eating the men that fell from the wreckage. Ten Rings took his name from the round items it had found aboard the ships, using the pieces of man-tools to adorn its limbs and claim its prizes long after they were nothing more than wreckage on the seafloor.

Bucky crept backward, arms feeling the way. Seeking a crevasse, a narrow gap between the stones. Something. Anything.

Ten Rings was slow, comparatively, but a squid didn’t have to swim fast to catch him. Ten Rings was also huge; Bucky could swim as fast as he wanted, but it would do him no good. Those feeding tentacles would slice through the water like whips, wrapping around him without Ten Rings even moving.

Bucky found a medium-sized rock, something about the same size as his head. He wrapped two arms around it, flung it as hard as he could, and then took off, swimming as fast as he could, in the opposite direction. Hopefully Ten Rings would be distracted, chase the rock, and leave Bucky alone.

He had to hurry, had to get away. Tony needed him. The babies needed him. Bucky kept an eye out while he swam and finally spotted a lovely, perfect gap between two large boulders. He could squeeze in there and wait for everything to be over.

Bucky squished to the crack, felt the press of stone against his chest, the roughness on his fingers.

Ten Rings wasn’t distracted long. The huge squid fluttered through the water, an unnatural disaster that happened to have a heartbeat.

Bucky hated predators. He’d lost everything to the hydra; he wasn’t about to let Ten Rings take what he’d rebuilt.

But what could he do? Ten Rings was huge, it would take an army of octo-mers and more to bring Ten Rings down.

Finally, Ten Rings moved on.

Bucky waited longer, until he was sure the squid was long gone, and not just waiting for a careless octo-mer to show himself.

He cursed the loss of the baskets and the snails; Tony would be hungry and Bucky had nothing for him. There was nothing. Ten Rings had come through for food, and there was nothing left. Bucky cursed. He would swim home, check on Tony. Apologize. And hunt later, when Ten Rings had cleared the area. There was no way to tell how far the squid had gone.

On the way back, Bucky talked himself around; he might not have breakfast, but he had outwitted Ten Rings, and that was a feat to be proud.

The water seemed darker, somehow, as Bucky made his way back to the mate-shelter.

He climbed the side of the reef, arms finding holds and pulling himself up.

Bucky’s smugness washed away like shapes in the sand.

The reason Ten Rings had gone away without turning every rock and reef looking for a mere octo-mer was because the beast had gone after a much tastier morsel.

A pregnant mer-seahorse, close to his spawning, was more vulnerable prey. No need to chase him across the ocean floor. Tony… wasn’t going anywhere.

Tony’s lower back was killing him.

It didn’t seem to matter how much he stretched. He even wrapped his tail low around one of the pillars and reached as high as he could, trying to relieve the pressure on his spine.

Still hurt. Ached, really.

Pulsed. A deep, throbbing sort of pain.

“Oh, scales and shells!” Tony swore. He pressed his hands to the bulge of his pouch. He was going into labor.

Alone.

Because, really, that just seemed his luck.

Tony really could have gone for some breakfast before this; the handful of clams barely sated his hunger. He peeked into the two remaining baskets, just in case something had decided to crawl in on its own. Nope.

He thought about going out, seeing if he could flush out a bit of shrimp or something from the nearby kelp beds. Although one might have thought Bucky would already have stripped them before venturing out further into the ocean to hunt.

Couldn’t hurt, though, could it?

It wasn’t that far, even though Tony was pretty slow. He flexed, pushing himself toward the door. The sway and stretch of his pouch almost dissuaded him from the attempt, but then his stomach growled again. He could do this. After all, he’d built almost half a mate-shelter by himself before Bucky showed up. What was a little swim, just over to the kelps?

He grabbed the basket.

Delicately, Tony swam -- well, floundered, really, but since no one was looking, it didn’t count -- over to the kelp beds.

Oh, krill! The tiny creatures were tasty, even if they were tiny. A handful would barely slake Tony’s hunger, but there were millions of them in a swarm, and they were swarming today. Tony was on his sixth or seventh (or ninth, or tenth, it didn’t count, Bucky wasn’t there to mock him) handful when it suddenly occurred to him to wonder why the krill were swarming south to north. It wasn’t time for them to return to cooler waters.

Only the mouthful that Tony had prevented him from shrieking out a distress cry when the shadow passed over him.

Too bulbous and graceless to be a whale.

Tony lashed his tail around a piece of help and tucked himself inside the greenery, pulling it around him. He pushed his face against it, then peeked around the corner. It wasn’t until the mantle passed directly in front of him that Tony knew what he was looking at.

A squid.

And not just any squid, but a massive creature. Nearly the size of two human fishing trawlers placed end to end, with feeding tentacles that stretched another two times as long. Ideal for plumbing the depths and snaring enough food to keep something that large functional. The tentacles trailed along behind it as the squid explored.

The ocean was often a deep and silent place, but now nothing moved.

Except the babies in Tony’s pouch that didn’t know enough to keep still.

That had no idea what was outside that safe and warm place for them.

Tony pressed his hand against the opening to his pouch.

He spared a moment’s thought for his mate, that Bucky would come and find him. But what in the depths was Bucky supposed to do against a creature this size? There was nothing that could be done except hope that the squid passed him by. That it was sated and lazy and returning home, rather than hunting.

Tony closed his eyes, curling into the plankton reed. A soft touch against his belly forced his eyes open again in shock. A pair of reddish, tentacled arms waved at him from the slit in his pouch.

“Oh, oh, no, baby, no,” Tony said, soft as he could, prodding the arms back into his pouch. Like playing with an eel inside the coral, every time Tony got one questing arm pushed back into place, another two or three would come out. His body was ridding itself of these babies, whether he wished to or not.

“Chum, chum, chum,” Tony swore. What was he supposed to do now? The babies infantile flailing would attract attention. His only hope was to finish his labors and then swim away, drawing the beast’s gaze, get them away from his babies. He couldn’t move very fast; could he possibly lure it far enough away?

And what would happen to his children? Would Bucky think to look for them, or would he be too distraught at the loss of his mate to search?

Tony bit his lip.

One of the babies made its way out, and once it broke free of his pouch, there was no going back. A little girl, her arms clinging around Tony’s wrist like a wiggly little bracelet. She had hair as red as her arms and eyes of grey.

Tony stared down at his daughter. She gnawed at his finger in frustration. Hungry and not even knowing what food was yet. Tony should have been prepared for her.

His gaze dropped to the basket. Of course, Bucky would find the basket, he would know his own craftsmanship.

There were krill in the basket. Tony pressed one into his daughter’s hands and tucked her into the basket. She attacked the little creature, shoving sustenance in her mouth with both hands and an arm while she was at it. Greedy little thing. Tony couldn’t quite help cooing over her. She was adorable.

“Ow!” Tony bit down on his hand, trying to stifle the pained moans as his pouch opened again. He reached, barely caught the spawn trying to escape and swim away, chasing the krills that still lingered in the undersea forest.

Tony blinked. Another girl, but this one had a mer-seahorse tail, with black, curly hair that stuck straight up from her head. She twisted her tail around Tony’s fingers and he absently gave her a few krills, watching her eat, messy and graceless. He’d taken in already fertilized eggs, Bucky’s former mate’s eggs that Bucky had given his seed to. How were any of them anything but octo-mers? Could Bucky have failed to inseminate all the eggs before giving them to Tony to tend?

He pulled the baby closer, holding her against his chest. “All right, little one. Into the basket. Stay with your sister.”

The next two came out together, as alike as two pearls in an oyster. Thick, dark hair, greenish arms, twin octo-mer boys. Tony didn’t have time to cuddle them; the squid was turning around. He pushed them both into the basket. Was that all? Four was a respectable spawning.

Nope. Tony winced, arching his back, trying not to scream.

A fifth baby clawed his way out; this one with reddish arms and a scowl to match his father’s. Tony kissed the baby and placed it in the basket. “Almost done, almost done, everything is --”

Everything was not fine.

Giant. Eyeball.

The size of Tony’s freaking body.

The feeding tentacle was weaving through the kelp forest.

Tony swam. Straight up. As far from the basket as he could get. As fast as he could go.

It wasn’t going to be fast enough.

Bucky hefted one of the cornerstones from the mate-shelter and dropped it on the trailing end of Ten Ring’s feeding tentacle. He smashed the club end onto the ocean floor, pinning the tentacle down.

Ten Rings let out a bellow, vibrating through the water and sending what small fish still remained in the area scattering in a panic.

“Come on, ugly, this way,” Bucky yelled, waving his arms enticingly and trying hard to look utterly delicious.

As soon as Ten Rings turned, Bucky was gone. Scrambling madly across the ocean floor, throwing up as much dirt and rock as he could manage. Making his path easy to follow.

He slid, throwing a cloud of dirt up, then darted to one side.

Just in time. Ten Rings blasted water from its mantle, slamming in front of Bucky before he could think. He grabbed hold of Ten Ring’s skin with his suckered grips, scuttling over the creature and kept on going, forcing Ten Rings into a tight maneuver. Squids were fast; utilizing the same water-siphoning technique that Bucky’s people were famous for. But in tight quarters, Ten Rings was at the disadvantage, unable to change direction nearly as easily.

Bucky skimmed over Ten Rings’ arms, squeezing himself through loops as they attempted to close over him. One sucker bit down on his shoulder, the sharp dentata tearing at his skin. Crimson blood stained the water. Bucky scurried down to the ocean floor, blending and settling into stillness, letting Ten Rings lash at the water, trying to stir him up.

When Ten Rings was looking right at him, Bucky let himself be seen. He shifted, going from I’m-an-inedible-rock to tasty-octopus. Ten Rings’ eye widened then narrowed dangerously. Bucky fled. He squirted a huge cloud of ink, but it hardly deterred the larger predator. Tentacles slashed through the cloud, seeking him out.

Bucky slammed into a boulder, blended to match it, and then scurried around behind it. He let go, the instant the feeding tentacle grabbed it, let Ten Rings draw it back to its beak. Fled further, waving his arms.

Ten Rings flung the rock; its aim was nearly as good as Bucky’s. Bucky slithered to one side and the boulder came down almost where he’d been. Bucky eyed the reef behind him; the drop off there wasn’t as deep as some places, but the bottom was fathoms down. “Come on, come on,” Bucky urged Ten Rings.

As the colossal squid streaked at him, Bucky blended into the boulder again. Ten Rings smashed into the rock, its great mantle pushing and pummeling. Even through the rock, Bucky groaned in pain. The impact was bruising. Not just for Bucky; dark ichor flooded the water as the boulder’s edges ripped at Ten Rings’s supple flesh.

Bucky squeezed as the tentacles wrapped around the rock, sliding between the tentacle and the ring around it from which Ten Rings took its name. With a quick tug, Bucky yanked the ring free.

Now he’d done it!

Ten Rings roared again, infuriated. Those rings were its legacy, its pride. Symbols of its triumph.

Bucky fled again, settling into a depression in the sand, covering the ring with his body, then blended. Just a bit of sea floor here, no need to look any further.

Slithered an arm out and grabbed a twist of seagrasses. It wasn’t going to be his best braiding job ever; he couldn’t even see what he was doing, but he had seven arms, and he could braid quick. Another twist of grass. Kept an eye on Ten Rings, who was scrambling through the boulders and rocks, trying to shake him loose.

He looped the crude rope over the ring, bound it. Skimmed across the ocean floor to another boulder. An outcropping on that one suited his needs. Bucky put his shoulder to the stone and shoved it across the ocean floor toward the reef’s drop-off.

“Faster,” he urged himself. “You can do this.”

Got the stone over to the edge. Tied the ring to the stone.

“Hey, ugly!”

Ten Rings cavitated a bit as it turned. Good. The more disoriented the beast already was, the better.

It saw its ring. Flexed its arms and sent itself into a spin, driving toward him, full speed.

Bucky went over the side. A moment later, Ten Rings slammed into the boulder, arms and tentacles scrambling for its ring. The stone shuttled forward in the dirt, pushed by the force of Ten Rings’ impact.

Bucky watched in satisfaction as the boulder went over the side and into the depths, Ten Rings clinging to it, trying in vain to rip the ring free.

Tony wasn’t ashamed to admit there was a very large part of him that wanted to just lay down on the ocean floor and wait for death. His mate was gone. Their mate-shelter was destroyed. He had six babies (six? That was at least two more than most spawnings, and was a ridiculous number of babies to look after) in a basket strapped to his chest.

He was tired.

He was still hungry.

He was terrified.

The squid had chased after Bucky, but Tony wasn’t certain that it wouldn’t come back. After all, something that big had to eat an awful lot.

But Tony did have six babies.

And he owed it to his mate, and to them, to try.

The basket kept his babies contained, and that was good. It also wasn’t too much different from being pregnant. He was still ungainly and middle-heavy and awkward, but at least he was mostly used to it.

Just get to Rhodey, he thought. Once he was there, some sort of plan… some…

Tony tucked his face against the basket, trying not to wail his grief and anguish.

A shifting in the sands was all the warning Tony had before great arms reached for him.

“Hey gorgeous.”

Bucky.

Yep. That was it. Tony was dead. He clutched one hand over his heart, staggered backward. If the basket hadn’t been hooked over his shoulders, he might have dropped it.

“Woah, woah.” Bucky’s arms went ‘round his waist, behind his neck, under his hips, keeping him upright. “I got you. It’s okay. It’s okay. I’ve got you. I’ve got… all of you. Wow.” One arm opened the top of the basket and Bucky drew out one of their children.

The mer-seahorse filly was awkward, bumbling from side to side as she scooted toward her parent, arms stretched out.

“Well, I’ll be hooked,” Bucky said. “Look at her, baby.”

Tony couldn’t help a smile at that. “We did make some very pretty babies.”

“Come on, we need to get to shelter before Ten Rings comes after us again,” Bucky said. Tony shuddered delicately. So, the giant squid had a name? Ug. Somehow that was even worse. Bad enough to be eaten by a predator, but it was worse to devour something that could think… and knowing that it could.

Tony patted Bucky, as if reassuring himself that Bucky was all right. Which he was, give or take a new battlescar or two. “Where are we going?”

“My friend, Steve. His cave is this way; he’ll let us impose for a while,” Bucky said.

An altogether agreeable plan; unlike Rhodey’s mate, Pepper, Steve wouldn’t be overly territorial. Mer-crustaceans were more sociable than their crusty exterior might have indicated. Not to mention, Steve had powerful arms and a hide of solid armor. They’d be in less danger, with such a protector.

Bucky gave his daughter a quick nuzzle and put her back in the basket. “Here, let me carry them, you’ve been doing it long enough.”

“I hate to agree with you, but yes,” Tony said.  “And you have more arms to carry with anyway. Which will come in handy, as you’ll need six of them, looking after our brood.”

“Six for them, one for you, which still leaves me one to wave for Steve when we need help.” 

[tumblunni]

OKAY I FOUND SOMEONE SCANNED THE JAPANESE VERSION OF THE PERSONA 5 ARTBOOK!!! I’m still preordering the english version though. And this seems to have a LOT more text info and interviews than other artbooks I’ve got, so the english version will still be enlightening even though i cant resist the temptation to read this preview here... So yeah, I’m gonna link this in case anyone else wants to see! And also cos i really wanna talk about the interesting stuff AAAA!

IT HERE

But seriously I would feel ALL OF THE GUILT if I just read this and DIDNT buy the real version when it comes out in my country. So I’d heavily advise that all of y’all buy it too, okay? Its just real hard to wait til september.

Bunni’s Thoughts About Things In This Thing:

* The one everyone already seemed to know was Yusuke’s beta design, I think it was shown in an english interview or something? But yeah, I already knew about this, but I still really think he looks even cooler with long hair! And I like that they ended up using this design for his mother instead. That just feels like a really sweet way to deal with beta designs! Apparantly Ann’s design was based on Rise’s beta design from the last game, so its nice to know that atlus always tries to find ways to keep promising ideas, even if they dont work with the current project. ANYWAY BETA YUSUKE OF CUTE

* Also unrelated but: did you know that Yusuke slapping people during the Harisen Recovery skill was actually a GLITCH and not a feature?? It strikes me as weird that they didn’t catch that in the super long time it took to finish the various dubs. Its a meme in japanese fandom too, so its definately in every version of the game! They only just patched it recently and I AM SAD NOW. It fit really well as an easter egg for this character in particular, lol.

* ALSO I am sorry that i commonly misspell his name as Yosuke. Its weird cos I never get Ryoji and Ryuji mixed up... ANYWAY BACK TO COOL BETA TALK AND NOT JUST YUSUKE LOVE TIME

* Beta Wakaba (futaba’s mom) used to have the hairstyle that was given to Haru instead! O_o She looks really cute with it, I guess they thought it was hard to make the shadow boss scary with such awesome hair. There’s also a beta doodle of what seems to be an alternate introduction scene, where the party would be walking down an alleyway and her giant face would appear behind them as a jumpscare. I THINK I WOULD HAVE FUCKIN DIED! that’s some fuan no tane shit!

* Man I didnt even recognise beta kawakami! O_O I would have thought that was beta takemi, or even yusuke’s mom again...

* Oh man, Sae is already one of the coolest and most beautiful looking characters but seriously beta Sae has EVEN MORE of that badass butch lady handsomeness holy shit. If I can appreciate her aesthetic so much as an asexual person, I can only imagine how other fans would feel about this!

* I have legit no idea who this character is, but she looks badass! Its a shame this imgurl dump of scans is completely out of order, lol! Another reason to buy the official version when its translated: actually knowing the context of things! XD

* Same design for papa okumura’s shadow, but it seems there was originally an idea for a chase minigame with his shadow. Instead of being weak with an army of reinforcements to fight thru, he’d be weak but keep fleeing in his motor chair thing. Considering how much I DESPISED the chase minigames in Nocturne and DDS2, i am really damn glad they didnt do that...

* BETA PERSONAS!! Wow they’re so different?? Its weird how they seem to be like.. different art styles/personalities for the same character idea? Maybe this was from before the personalities of everyone had been pinned down, or maybe the personas originally belonged to different party members? i’m really curious by the goemon in a modern punk style, did he belong to ryuji??? MORE BETA PERSONAS!! Oh holy SHIT, johanna is SUCH a good design! like... what?? BADASS!! typical lady pope face attatched to a buff as fuck body in a jojo-esque costume, with like an encapsulated hat thing with halves of a mask of a cliche male pope. This design has way more to do with the actual story of that mythological figure! Popecycle was cool too tho, I think maybe they should have made someone else be popecycle, and then johanna could be the second persona using this design and taking the place of Anat.

* Beta Ohya has a nice design! Its not even necessarily a cooler costume or anything, I just like how they try and show her personality more through it. She looks more dishevelled and overworked and has some bandages. Dunno why they couldnt have worked that into her final design!

* BETA MORGANA WHAT THE FUCK jesus christ thats almost as creepy as some of the beta Teddie designs I mean, I like using swirly eyes on a lot of my mascot ideas too, but that sort of face just looks a bit unnerving along with the body being like.. all leather and weirdly detailed. Its like ann’s costume but on a damn cat! As its skin! What!

* Some goofy expressions of final design morgana that ended up not being used.

* Beta Iwai looks like a younger AZ from pokemon??

* Beta design for protagonist’s thief costume and persona, which were WILDLY different! I like the all-concealing cloak, it looks like it would have animated really flashily. Tho i totally agree that showing more of protagonist’s actual design works better for the version of him you’ll be seeing 24/7 in battles.

* Not a beta design, but look at this concept art of Makoto beating up everyone. I love makoto so much.

* Aww I kinda prefer the beta costume for [spoily endgame character]. It makes her seem closer to [other two characters of relevance to her]. I mean, not like I dislike her costume, but I really liked [those two characetrs’s costume] so hers seemed a bit boring in comparison. Having it at least have more similar design elements to other [people in that place] would have gone a long way towards making her seem less like just... Alice, as a person isntead of a persona. (It would have been a cool plot if that was her backstory tho, lol!)

* I HAVE NO IDEA WHO ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS ARE BUT I LOVE THEM! Are they rejected Confidants? Or designs for characters mentioned in confidants who never appeared? i wish we got to see the sick lil girl in takemi’s subplot, it would be cute if she looked like that design there.

* Another beta of Milady! She used to have the same design but different weapons would come out in a different way. Knives instead of guns looks a lot scarier, but I dont like the weird garbage disposal mermaid thing, just from the fact people would inevitably make vagina jokes.

* Beta Futaba was very similar but just with different outfits. She looks really cute with a beanie hat and EVEN MORE becomes Literally Me As A Character. Seriouslyyyyyy

* Also we never get to see the mounting animation for futaba’s ultimate persona. I like it a lot better cos robot hands come out and carry her to the cockpit, instead of weird tentacles. Seriously, again, inevitable pile of stupid sex jokes about that. *sigh*

* A nice bigger reference of P5 Loki design, without all the SFX and stuff during that boss battle. I really like the way he sits on his sword sassily, and how it levitates around instead of swinging it normally. I also never noticed he has hoof-like heels! With that and the long ponytails it kinda looks like they were trying to give him an eight limbs sort of look, so maybe the design is meant to invoke Sleipnir?

* HEY. UMM. HOH. LEE. SHIT. I guess this kinda counts as beta cos we never get to see this, even if its part of the final design?? Seriously, I thought the shiny red bit was like the visor of his helmet, not a mouthpiece! LOKI’S HORNS COME OUT OF HIS FUCKING EYEBALLS! What the FUCK, they should have shown some sort of animation to make that clearer, that would be SO scary and fitting for that particular boss fight!

* A few beta outfits for our heroes! Ryuji originally had a clown mask instead of a skull, and Makoto wore a jacket with a biker gang logo, in addition to everything else biker gang. INCREASE BIKER GANG! Eeeeeven more beta outfit designs! Some more cyberpunky thing for ann, and a blue colourscheme protagonist, and a character with a sledgehammer who seems unused. There’s Iwai’s gecko tattoo there, so maybe originally his role was gonna be a school-aged ally instead of an adult shopkeeper? or maybe his son would join the party? The hero also originally wore Arsene’s top hat, and there’s this mysterious pic of two characters that I dunno who they are?? They look like twins, so it makes me wonder if that means there was originally a gender choice for the protag...

* A lot of storyboards for scenes that never happened! There’s a female character we’ve never seen before, so maybe that adds more to the theory of a rejected fem!protag option...

* Beta Ann had a bunch of different ways they tried to make her look like catwoman but not too much catwoman. She also used to use a crossbow as her ranged weapon!

[atravellingfoodie]

When I moved to Dubai more than a decade ago I didn’t give a thought to a Dubai dress code or even what to wear in Dubai once I was here. I assumed that the work and leisure clothing I possessed would be suitable for my work and leisure activities.

My clothing was indeed suitable, but what I did not count on was the heat and humidity that made me feel like I had a river of sweat running down my back when I was outside in the first month. Nor did I realise how contrary to the seasons my dressing would be, making layered outfits essential.

It was very easy for me to feel at home amongst women who wore abaya and head covers and men who wear the kandora because I dress modestly and cover my hair anyway. That was a conscious choice that I made more than twenty years ago, and have never regretted. However, it is not for everyone, and every person should make that choice for their own personal circumstances.

The Dubai dress code provides guidance on what to wear in Dubai and the other emirates, in order to respect the religious values of the people of the UAE and the local culture. The UAE dress code is applicable to all visitors and residents and is mandated by the UAE Federal government.

I have never felt oppressed by the Dubai dress code as I was born into a Muslim family and raised as a Muslim. Consequently I share the same religious values as the people of the UAE. This is not true for many non-Muslims who visit or move here for work and this may result in dissatisfaction with the requirements for modesty in public places.

The photos in this article were made possible by my friends from work Ederlyn, Shielibeth and Marites who selflessly allowed me to photograph them to show what real people (as opposed to sponsored influencers) wear in Dubai.

Dubai dress code

Everyone is expected to dress modestly, especially in conservative areas or public places like shopping malls.

Clothing should not be transparent or result in indecent exposure.

Clothing should not display obscene pictures or language.

For comfort both genders are recommended to wear loose fitting clothing that covers limbs (shoulders, arms and legs).

Women are not required to cover their hair or wear traditional or modern Islamic clothing.

Women visiting a mosque are asked to respect Muslim tradition and required to cover their hair and wear an abaya. These are often provided at the mosque.

Any nudity is forbidden. This includes topless sunbathing and wearing swimwear in areas outside of beaches, swimming pools and water parks.

Visitors are reminded that the local culture is conservative and that UAE citizens dress conservatively and may be offended by inappropriate dressing that do not conform to Islamic values.

Dubai dress code rules for tourists

Residents and tourists alike are subject to the same dress code. However, caution should be exercised in other emirates as they may be more vigilant in applying the dress code in public places.

Many of the younger generation feel that the dress code is oppressive to them because it demands modesty.

What many visitors fail to appreciate is that we are guests in this country, and that by choosing to stay we are obliged to respect the laws, religious values and local culture of the people of the UAE.

Read more: The Best Time to visit Dubai (a resident’s guide)

What to wear in Dubai

In Dubai traditional clothing for local ladies is the traditionally black abaya and for men it is the kandora. Visitors to UAE are not required to wear the abaya or kandora except when visiting a mosque. The climate and culture dictate the appropriate dress for men and women and it includes the following:

The abaya, the UAE traditional dress for ladies, has been adopted by women of many nationalities and faiths in Dubai. An abaya is a loose full length full cover coat like garment worn by Muslim women over other clothing when they go out in public. It is usually a plain color and is often embellished with lace, sequins, crystals and pearls and matched with a similarly decorative head cover (also referred to as a shayla or hijab).

Midi or maxi dresses and skirts, loose fitting trousers and tops in natural fabrics like cotton or linen or are cooler and more breathable than synthetics and will be more comfortable when exposed to the heat and humidity.

Short and long sleeves are more modest than sleeveless or spaghetti strap tops but also offer a small measure of protection against the summer sun or the frosty air conditioning in most buildings. That is especially true in malls and office buildings where the air conditioning temperatures are frigid in summer and many actually wear a shawl or pashmina to ward off the chill.

A bolero style jacket or shrug is useful to cover shoulders and arms and can be worn over the above mentioned sleeveless or strappy tops.

Cotton leggings can be worn under short dresses to cover the legs or with tops and tunics.

For casual wear capri pants, culottes, pedal pushers and cropped pants are suitable as they cover the thighs and knees.

Men and women may wear shorts, although they may be cautioned if found wearing hot pants (extremely short shorts) that shows their naked buttocks in public places frequented by families.

Read more: Where to stay in Dubai for all budgets

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What not to wear in Dubai

These Dubai dress code wardrobe no-nos should be avoided in public places including on the streets, malls, public parks, markets and souks, supermarkets, cinemas and public areas of hotels. These do not apply inside private residences or hotel rooms.

It is not permissable for Muslim men to look at the uncovered bare skin of un-related women, except for their hands and faces. Unfortunately, there are not many ways to avoid it in public places, hence the dress code guidelines.

Swimsuit tops and bottoms are considered swimwear and suitable for the beach, beach parks, beach malls, swimming pool and water parks and are frowned upon elsewhere. A see through sarong or cover up is suitable for the beach or swimming pool. Please don’t go out in public dressed like this as it may cause offence, and applies to both men and women.

Skin tight clothing is discouraged in public and very uncomfortable in the heat. This includes gym wear, so please change into something suitable before going out in public.

Wearing shorts in Dubai is allowed, however, hot pants or ultra-short shorts are not appropriate in public. Men should wear shorts that are at least mid-thigh or knee length.

Sheer and see-through clothing through which underwear can be seen must be avoided.

Plunging necklines may cause discomfort to other members of the public if they reveal the chest or breasts.

Crop tops, low cut or cut out dresses that expose the midriff or back are not deemed appropriate in public places frequented by families, but are suitable for nightclubs.

Ultra short and micro mini skirts or shirt dresses that may accidentally expose the derriere are inappropriate anywhere.

All of the above must be avoided at places of worship, government ministries and municipal offices as you will be shown away and asked to come back dressed appropriately, if an abaya or kandura is not provided.

Although it happens infrequently, all malls have their dress code on the entrances and visitors may be asked to change or leave if they are not dressed appropriately.

Where to buy traditional clothes in Dubai

When I first moved to Dubai I did not wear the abaya because I did not travel with any on my mum’s advice who said: ‘you will find them every where’. We did not realise how expensive abayas were in the malls and I would never have ventured to a souk in Deira or Bur Dubai by myself.

For months I struggled to find any abayas that were in my price range or that were suitable for my needs. I finally found a reasonably priced abaya shop that sells modern abaya fashion including open abayas. After a decade I grew tired of all the black abayas and over the past few years transitioned to more contemporary modest women’s clothing.

You may find abaya shops in Mall of the Emirates, Dubai Mall, Souk al Bahar or Madinat Jumeirah and wonder how anyone can eat or pay rent after buying one. Those are generally very expensive and for the luxury local and tourist market. There are cheaper abayas available in the souks and bazaars.

Classic World of Abaya – branches of my favorite abaya shop are found in Lulu Hypermarkets malls all over Dubai. They have better quality abayas than the souks and also make bespoke tailored abayas on request.

Naif Souk – this is one of the favorite places for tourists to shop for souvenirs but they also have a good selection of abaya shops selling cheap ready to wear abayas. The fabric quality may not be as good as the more expensive shops.

Meena Bazaar – this is one of the favorite places for residents to shop and there are numerous stores selling ready to wear abayas as well as tailors who will make or alter abayas and kaftans for you.

Read more: How to get around in Dubai public transport

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What to wear in Dubai for Leisure wear

The women in Dubai are never sloppy so even the casual clothing that they wear for leisure activities is still fun and smart.

What to wear in Dubai to the beach

Two piece bikinis, one piece swimsuits and burkinis are allowed on public beaches, with or without cover-ups. However, thong bottoms that expose the derriere are discouraged. My friends all prefer a cover up over their swimsuits but allowed a few shots without it to show the variety that is seen on the beaches here.

I have seen older women wading into the ocean wearing full length dresses or long pants and tunics to preserve their modesty since they may not have access to other swimwear.

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What to wear in Dubai for Breakfast or Brunch

Dubai brunches are legendary but are much less formal than they were ten years ago. Comfort is queen especially when looser waistlines are required 🙂

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What to wear in Dubai for work

Many Dubai companies have a fairly relaxed smart casual work attire, although staff may be required to be more formal when attending outside meetings, seminars or workshops. In our company even the senior executives only wear jackets and ties to meetings.

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Read more: Pros and Cons of Expat life in Dubai

What to wear in Dubai on Ladies night or a night out

Ladies night is one of the most popular cheap and free things to do in Dubai and is an opportunity for the ladies to get out and have some fun.

Most cafes, restaurants and bars that have ladies night promotional offers have a dress code of smart casual / semi-formal.

A few places insist on heels so double check with your chosen venue.

Most ladies get dressed up and show off some bling or skin.

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What to wear in Dubai on a Desert safari

Desert safaris start out around 3pm when it is still quite hot and lasts into the evening, with many ending after 9pm.

Casual trousers, tights or capri pants and long sleeve t-shirts or tunics will protect your limbs from the sun and sand. Save the dreamy dresses for your instagram shoots because they will get in the way during sandboarding, dune buggy rides or camel rides.

A shawl or scarf is essential for the outdoor time on the dunes while sandboarding and will prevent sand getting into nose and eyes and if the breeze picks up.

Closed shoes or tennis shoes / trainers are preferable to sandals and easier to walk on the soft dune sand. The sand will get into everything and is extremely hot during the warmer months.

A sunhat and sunglasses are advisable and ensure skin and eye protection against harsh sunlight.

The desert evenings can be chilly even in summer, and it is advisable to take a light jacket or shawl.

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The reality is that this country has a majority of expats, including men who have not seen their families for a year or two. They may be inclined to stare at semi-naked women wearing revealing tops, shorts or short dresses that show a lot of skin. I never know whether it is out of shock at seeing so much skin or due to carnal desires.

I’m old and have never been subject to it here and never realised the extent of the staring until my cousin visited with his teenage daughters. The girls wore shorts and sleeveless or strappy tops, the same thing they wear in Cape Town during summer. Wherever we went I noticed the stares and lingering glances of strange men, and I must confess I felt particularly protective of the girls, even telling a few of the young men to lower their gaze!

The most important consideration for visitors to the UAE is to maintain modesty and respect for the religious and cultural values of the land and it’s people in speech, actions and dress. Always wear layers, so that you can be comfortable whether you are outside enjoying the heat or inside a cold air conditioned building.

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What to wear in Dubai – The Dubai dress code When I moved to Dubai more than a decade ago I didn't give a thought to a Dubai dress code or even what to wear in Dubai once I was here.