#i have halfhearted plans to make this a series

[kangpingyu]

My favorite pingu outfits 1/?? | ONEWE Off the Record 12 July 2021

[2dmenenthusiast]

“Maybe a series. An epic, even.”

(Varric x Elf Inquisitor!Reader)

a very short, fluffy piece for y'all. I've been wanting to write for Varric for a while cuz there's barely anything for him which makes ZERO sense. I need more fanfics about this handsome dwarf :(

I hope you enjoy and comments and reblogs are always appreciated!

Summary: dreams of being thrown into the future and watching your comrades die have been plaguing you, and a certain dwarf appears to comfort you

Word count: 1k

Warnings/other info: Mentions of death, nightmares, floof

Another restless night in Skyhold. Unsurprising, but highly frustrating.

You couldn’t remember the last time you got a decent night’s sleep, plagued with nightmares of demons and everything else under the sun trying to kill you. You’ve had them since you first bestowed the mark, but they had only gotten worse ever since Alexius sent you forward in time.

You know everyone would disapprove of you torturing yourself like this, but you couldn’t help it. You imagined every single way things could’ve gone wrong, how you could’ve been stuck in the future forever. You relived the moment you saw Cassandra die, and Varric’s lifeless body was thrown to the side. You remember the enraged look on Leliana’s face as she put as many arrows in your enemies as she could, before she was killed mercilessly as well. Everything was okay now, things were set the way they should be. But what if they weren’t? What if—

You groaned, sitting up in bed and putting some warmer clothes on before walking down to the throne room. It was empty as expected, considering it was— what, almost 3 in the morning? You’d probably only average a couple hours of sleep at this point before you had to go out scouting in the morning. Cassandra won’t be pleased, that’s for sure.

Traveling the path out to the battlements, you leaned your arms against the stone wall and gazed at the night sky. The stars were incredibly bright, and the cool air felt heavenly against your skin. You’re considering just moving your bed out here. Of course, it wouldn't be the greatest idea for everyone in the inquisition to see you in your underwear first thing in the morning.

“If you’re planning on jumping, might I remind you of the imminent threat that faces us that only you can defeat with that thing on your hand.”

You turned your head just enough to see Varric in your peripherals, the dwarf sauntering up to you.

“You think I’d leave you here to fend for yourself?”

He shrugged. “People have made worse mistakes.”

You grinned, and he stood next to you. He set his gaze to the sky.

“I understand why you come out here. Definitely prefer looking at this than the shit we’ve been facing every day.”

You huffed out a halfhearted laugh, leaning your chin against your hand as you looked at him. Varric always knew what to say to cheer you up, even if the comfort sometimes came in vague insults.

The image of his body being tossed to the side like he weighed nothing appeared in your mind again, and you squeezed your eyes shut in an attempt to block it out. Varric noticed, because of course he did. He seems to notice everything.

“Got something on your mind?”

You scoffed. “Only the seemingly imminent end of the world.”

“Oh, come on, Lucky. You know that Corypheus bastard is all talk. You’ve got that mark on your hand for a reason.”

“The reason being I was in the right place at the right time.” You sighed, shaking your head. “Recently, it feels like I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Varric furrowed his brows, forehead wrinkling as he turned his body to face you.

“What’s wrong with you? If I’m mistaken, the only brooding elf I know is Solas.”

Teeth dug into your bottom lip and your hands gripped the stone wall. The mark on your hand slightly pulsed, and you took a breath to try and calm your racing thoughts. Since the Inquisition formed, you’ve grown to care deeply about your comrades and your advisors. You all got off to a rocky start, a few being wary to even speak to you, but with time, you all grew comfortable with each other. Some more friendly than others. And Varric… Well. He was a special case.

You’ve found yourself growing quite fond of the dwarf, beyond levels of platonic, and the thought scared you. Ever since you got the mark, your life expectancy grew shorter every day. There would be times where you’d come back to Skyhold barely clinging to life, only to have your friends berate you for being so reckless on your missions. Because, of course, you were everyones savior. And you had to live. But, after Corypheus was dead, and the hole in the sky was closed, what then? Would you outlive your usefulness? Would you be forgotten?

You imagined you’d be dead, most likely.

So, you kept your feelings close to your heart, making sure  your emotions were under control. But, it was like a boiling pot, ready to bubble over any second. And seeing Varric die in that alternate timeline, it was only getting harder and harder to swallow your feelings.

“I keep… That day, when Alexius sent us into the future where… Corypheus won, I keep dreaming about it. About how you and Cassandra and Leliana sacrificed yourselves so I could go back and fix everything. And I did. We stopped Alexius, we’re still going after Corypheus. Everything is the way it should be. But…”

You sniffled, a familiar burning sensation behind your eyes that you tried to blink away.

“I keep seeing you, and your body being thrown to the floor, and any thought I had of going back to stop all of it from happening was completely thrown out the fucking window when I saw that. Because all I could think about was saving you. And how you died before I could tell you that I—”

You cut yourself off with a huff, reaching your hand up to wipe away the rogue tears that had rolled down your cheeks. Varric’s expression was a mixture of many things. Confusion, shock… sadness. You clear your throat in an effort to compose yourself. It barely helps.

“I’ve… grown quite fond of you during our time together. And when you died, I swore to myself I wouldn’t let it happen again. No matter how ready you might be to throw yourself into the line of fire for me,” you ended with a jab. Some humor to ease your words.

Varric smiled. “Anything to save the hero.”

You shook your head. “I believe you are more of a hero than I.”

“Yes, because being part of the Merchants Guild is a very heroic duty.”

Chuckling softly, you turn to him and reach out a hand, softly running your fingers down the chain of his necklace before looping them through the circle pendant. It shines in the moonlight when you turn it between your fingers, and you let it drop softly against his exposed chest.

“I understand if my… confession seems inappropriate or makes you uncomfortable, so. We can just pretend it never happened if you would prefer—”

“Actually,” your eyes slightly widened when he smirked, gripping your wrist when you tried to pull your hand back, “I think a kiss from the Herald of Andraste would be quite the story to tell.”

You smiled, hand slipping from his grip so you could hold his. “Just one story?”

He shrugged. “Maybe a series. An epic, even.”

You couldn’t control the rapid beating of your heart as you slightly bent to his height before gently pressing your lips to his, his warm, calloused hand reaching up to hold your face. A kiss under the night sky was more perfect than you could imagine. Because every time the thought of kissing the dwarf did occur, it was always in the midst of battle, when things seemed less than ideal, and it might be your last chance of telling him how you felt. Now? There might be a promise of more moments like this to occur in the future, and you couldn’t be happier.

Pulling away, you stood to your full height, but kept his hand in yours. You couldn’t wipe that stupid grin off your face, and he laughed at the sight.

“I’d say it’s time to get our hero to bed, hm? Got a long day ahead of us.”

“Trying to get rid of me already?”

Varric pulled you forward and led you down the battlements, gently squeezing your hand. “Please. You think so little of me that I’d let you be alone tonight?”

Your cheeks hurt from how wide you were grinning, and you lightly bumped your side into his.

Maybe everything would be okay in the end after all.

[armandisdaddy]

We’re Just Friends Chp.3-Modern Au! Rhaenyra x Dornish Male Reader

Pairing: Rhaenyra Targaryen x Dornish Fem!Male Reader (House of Blackmont) Cragen Stark x Fem!Male Reader

Content/Warning: !!🔞PLUS!! Angst, Denial, Some Sexual Content, Tension,p in a penetration ,breeding kink, unprotected sex, Smut, oral both males receiving, toxic love, LOTS of Jealousy, and a bit of a love square. (No not a triangle lmfao) guy on guy action this chapter.

Author’s Notes:The reader and Rhaenyra are going to be quite back and forth but trust that the reader isn’t necessarily waiting for her. They know where things stand with her or at least that’s what they tell themselves so in this series you will see them dating or fucking other people. *shrugs*

Chapter Three

Last night was a bit of a blur. Not to mention this hangover was tearing you up. You had a brain splitting headache and you couldn’t even sit up without feeling like you wanted to hurl. Waking up you heard giggling in the living room and you knew exactly who it was…Lydia and Rhaenyra…how could she..? After what happened last night you thought..she’d realize the two of you were meant for each other…but old habits die hard you guessed. You sighed and dragged yourself into the kitchen to get a glass of orange juice. Nyra gave you a knowing look and Lydia sneered at you. You rolled your eyes at the both of them and went back into your room. Plopping back into the bed you just wished you could disappear and be any where else away from here.

Your phone pinged and you saw it was your Nyra

Bestie

“Look last night was a mistake…I’m sorry. It won’t happen again and I know you hate me especially after what Lydia said to you but I promise she’s gonna be better.”

You don’t even bother to respond you left her on read and let out a loud “Wowwwww!!!!” Laughing obnoxiously did she really think that was going to make you forgive her after she used you and made you feel stupid again? Just when you were about to throw your phone somewhere you got another message

Unknown number

“Hey it’s Cragen…from the club last night. Sorry I didn’t get to text you I had gotten into the find that ended everyone’s night.”

You

“Oh so you and some other jackass ruined the party..lol I’m just kidding, hey.”

Cragen

“My apologies I had a bit too much to drink…so do you have anything planned for today? I wanted to actually hang out somewhere..maybe get to know you better.”

You

“No I was actually going to sleep off this headache but I’m down. Where we meeting up at?”

Cragen

“I know this great spot that has brunch. I’ll send you the location.”

You

Okay bet I’ll meet you there.

Without another thought you hopped into the shower with the biggest smile on your face. You were excited to make a new friend…maybe more even though this thing with Rhaenyra had your brain and heart at a war with each other. It wasn’t fair and you decided that there was to be no more slip up and now it was time to find out who you were without here. After you finished your shower you did some light eye make up and let your hair dry in its natural wavy state. Now it was time to find something to wear. Looking around in your closet you found a cute baby blue crop top and a denim miniskirt with white platform boots. “Cute.” You said to yourself looking at yourself one more time before grabbing your bag and keys to head out.

Walking past Rhaenyra opened her mouth but decided not to speak you stopped noticing looking back at her almost daring her to say something. Lydia still oblivious as fuck she smiled you and you sneered. “Save that fake shit for someone who gives a fuck…you don’t like me and I don’t like you. But, I promise you have nothing to worry about. Your girlfriend and I are no longer friends apparently a disrespectful cunt is more important than me.” You gave a halfhearted smile and rolled your eyes leaving the both of them speechless and looking at each other for answers. If this was how you were to be treated you were going to make the rest of this semester extremely hard for the both of them.

You hopped into your car and pulled off. You saw the place Cragen was talking about and already knew where you were going. You and Rhaenyra use to go here all the time. It took no time for you to get there and to your surprise he was already standing there waiting for you. After parking and getting out you smiled shyly and he opened his arms for a hug which you gave him without hesitation. His arms wrapped around you and fuck was he strong the way he squeezed you…felt perfect like you belonged there while you wrapped your arms around his neck. “Hey. You look amazing as usual.” His voice deep as he inhaled your scent. You blushed and smiled “You look good too.” Once the two of you pulled away he led you to a booth and you already knew what you wanted. The waitress greeting you and giving him a menu already having brought you a mimosa knowingly.“You come here a lot, yeah?” He looked at you while he still needed to look through the menu. You smiled thinking about the many memories here with Nyra. “Yeah, this Nyra and I’s…well it was our favorite spot.” Your voice was once bubbly and excited became low with sadness. “Did…something happen between you two?”

You sighed softly. “Yeah let’s just say her girlfriend doesn’t like me and I don’t really like her either she’s always been rude to me only tolerating me when Rhaenyra was around and well a few days ago she just went off on me. Saying I was too close…and Rhaenyra defended me broke up with her…but somehow they are back together.” Cragen winced and sighed softly grabbing onto you hand from across the table. “I’m sorry to hear that, Y/N. You don’t deserve that, but if you need a new friend to pass the time with you’ve got me.” You smiled feeling the warmth of his hand, while you looked into his eyes. “I’d like that…” The two of you smiled at each other and the brunch continued with moments of silence and then an uproar of conversation. He was actually very funny and had a personality he wasn’t your basic college jock and you were grateful to have crossed paths with him.

After a while of mimosas and food you both were stuffed and feeling a bit of a buzz. You both didn’t want to leave each other’s presence so soon so you asked him to follow you home. “Want to hang at my place with me. We can watch movies?” He gave that handsome smile and agreed. “Sure, sounds like a good time.” You giggled and once he paid the tab y’all were getting into your cars so that he could follow. Now that you were back at your shared apartment. You and Cragen came inside to still see Rhaenyra and Lydia still there cuddling seeming as though they were in the middle of something. Cragen waved awkwardly, Rhaenyra spoke but she was so obviously pissed, Lydia was none the wiser and you stayed quiet walking past them into your room. “What are whore wasn’t he just with your brother?” Rhaenyra shot a look at her “What fucking business is it of yours? Come on we’re going to your place tonight.” Lydia shrunk from her attitude and was confused they were only just laughing moments ago what was her problem. “o..okay..” she whispered grabbing her things while Rhaenyra packed a quick bag before leaving.

Now the two of you were alone in the house and you went into the bathroom to change into some shorts versus the skirt. Cragen was sitting rigidly on the edge of your bed when you came back in and you smiled. “You can get comfortable, Craggy. Let’s find something to watch.” You turned on your tv and laid down pulling him up with you by the arm. “Can I lay on you?” He looked down at you and chuckled. “Sure go for it.” You laid your head on his chest and laid your thigh high sock covered leg over his waist. His rough hands grabbed underneath your knee and the other your lower back pulling you in closer. You blushed and turned twilight on and he laughed. “I love this movie but it sucks.” He laughed. “I know right terrible but a guilty pleasure of mine.” You smiled at him as things began to die down and you watched the movie.

His fingers mindlessly trailed over your exposed skin causing goosebumps to form on your skin. You sighed softly and cooed every now and then which he took notice of rather quickly. “Craggy, you ever been with a guy before?” He looked away from the screen and down at you again. “I have…” You nodded and he sat up a bit. “I know I said I was your friend…and I am truly…but I’m attracted to you, Y/N. Ever since we met last night you’ve been on my mind and I don’t want to overstep my boundaries…but being this close to you…has me hard as fuck.” Your cheeks ran red and could see the lust in his eyes. You couldn’t deny that you were attracted to him too and even felt safe with him. “You’re not overstepping…I want you too..” that’s all he needed to hear before his lips crashed into your plush ones. His hand squeezing your thigh before easing up to squeeze your round ass cheek. Your lips worked together and your tongues found each others rather quickly he groaned into the kiss and you whimpered softly as he pulled you on top of him both hands full of your ass squeezing and kneading it like dough. “Fuck, it’s so soft.” He growled biting into your neck while he thrusted up into you pressing his hard cock against you. He was gentle but rough at the same time. Something you’d never experienced before from anyone. You were all too eager to get his pants off and he didn’t stop you as you fumbled with his jeans pulling them off once you figured out the button.

You saw his cock freed from his boxers and you were shocked at how big he was…scared even. He saw the look on your face and chuckled pulling you back in. “I’m sure you can take it, baby…don’t worry I won’t ruin you yet.” You shuddered in his hold and your own erection began to press into your shorts. He took no time to rip a hole into those thin shorts that hugged every part of you just right. Your cock fell from them and he smiled grabbing on to it causing you to hiss as he squeezed your already pulsating length while his pressed against your ass cheek. He decided to flip you around now his cock was in your face and yours in his. He was too focused on your ass though. Kneading and smacking it watching it bounce with each smack. Your whimpers and moans were driving him crazy and so you grabbed onto his cock striking it slowly before licking the tip and popping it into your mouth. He exhaled softly and trembled feeling your warm and wet mouth sucking him so well. “That’s a good boy…” you trembled at those words and he spread your ass apart lapping at the entrance. You tasted so good he groaned into you biting each cheek before go back to eating and sucking on your tight hole. “oh gods…” you whimpered softly before his hand pushed your head back down. Your eyes rolled back as you continued to suck him sloppily getting him nice and wet and he began fucking your face mercilessly. “So…fucking good…” he moaned helplessly. You were taking in by his voice, his smell, his taste and the way he held you in his hands.

“You got any lube?” He asked and you nodded getting up to get it for him. He stood up and placed you against the wall he was so much more taller than you as he hovered next to you spreading your apart letting some lube drip onto your asshole and he smiled letting one of his thick fingers rub the substance into it before plunging it inside you. You gasped and moaned lowly the arch in your back deepening. “That’s it…” he praised you slowly pumping his finger into you while his face was close to your ear. “When I’m finished with you just know this is mine now.” You nodded quickly your sweet moans filling the room and soon they grew louder once he added another finger. You were so warm and tight he couldn’t wait to bury his cock into you. Your knees buckled together and he pulled his fingers from you drenching his cock in lube lining his cock up to your entrance. Holding your cheeks apart and prodding at your hole until it gave slowly pushing his cockhead in first. You hissed feeling your hole being stretched wider than normal but he was still so gentle and slow. He hummed at how tight you squeezed him and he wasn’t even already in yet.

“That’s a good baby…take it.” Fuck why did he have to talk like that. After he sat still for a while he began to thrust slowly until he was completely inside you. Picking up the pace he wrapped his arm around your throat and pulled your back against his chest pounding into you incessantly. You were losing your train of thought he was fucking into you so roughly hitting your sweet spot with every thrust of his hips and you could no longer hold yourself together. “Y/N you feel so good. You gonna let me breed this slutty hole of yours?” Your eyes rolled. “Yes….please daddy…cum in my slutty hole.” He groaned and continued to slam his cock into you his pelvis smacking into your ass echoed off the walls and he wrapped a hand around to grab onto your length. “We’re cumming together…” he spoke quickly and breathlessly as he stroked and pumped your cock as if you weren’t already overstimulated enough. “Oh my…fuckkkk…Cragen I’m gonna cum…” he chuckled so devilishly hearing those words. “Come on my sweet boy make a mess for Daddy.” Your eyes rolled and you lost it exploding all over your bedroom wall and soon his thrusts slowed down and he was filling you with his seed. Afterwards he carried you to bed and spooned with you. But that didn’t last long before he was fucking into you from the side. Let’s just say the two of you were rather busy for the rest of the night…

to be continued…

[sunstone-smiles]

I would like to request Apollo and Athena from Ace Attorney getting into a tickle fight, please. Playfulness between them is very much encouraged! :)

A/N: Playfulness you say? Luckily for you, playfulness is my middle name (Lol). My Ace Attorney babies! Oh, how I’ve missed them! I’ve had this concept in my notes for a bit and I thought, what better characters to use a theater related concept than with the “theatrical” lawyers of Apollo and Athena! So, I hope you enjoy and thank you for your patience!

Improv Activity

Series: Ace Attorney

Characters: Apollo Justice and Athena Cykes

Word count: 1,352

Summary: When Athena and Apollo are working together in an improvisation activity, an unexpected, yet playful, turn occurs in the scene. Enjoy!

—

“Remind me again why we’re doing this?” Apollo asks with crossed arms. He watches Athena carry a fold out chair towards the middle of the Wright Anything Agency Office's living room. 

Athena places the chair down. She wears casual attire of a yellow t-shirt and sweatpants during their off time. “Improvisation, also known as improv, is a crucial skill in theater if something doesn’t go as planned.”

“But we’re not doing theater, we’re attorneys that go into court.” Like Athena, Apollo also wears comfy clothes of a red t-shirt and sweatpants.

“Exactly. And even in court, things might not go our way, so we have to be able to think on our feet to get our case back on track, hence the improv exercises.” Athena points to the seat. “Now sit in the chair.”

“Do I have to?”

“Yes, it’s part of the activity.” Athena grabs him by the shoulders and moves him towards the chair. “Now sit,” Athena shoves him down into the plastic seat.

“Fine…” Apollo grumbles with his arms still crossed.

“Now, this exercise is actually a team building one. Put your hands behind your back and I’ll be behind you with my own arms sticking out to replace yours, so you’ll be speaking while I do hand gestures that would match what you’re saying. Does that make sense?”

“Yeah, I got it.” Apollo repositions his arms to rest at the back of the chair. 

“Good.” Athena then kneels down behind him and sticks her arms under his, creating the silly illusion of Apollo’s body connected to Athena’s hands. She peeks out from behind his shoulder. “For the first scene, act as if you were an elementary school teacher. Aaaaand go!”

Apollo rolls his eyes, but he eventually goes along with the game. “Hello everyone, welcome to class,”  the lawyer in red says with a tone lacking enthusiasm. “Today, we’re going to do something fun…”

Athena huffs. She peeks her head out from around his shoulder again.  “It doesn’t sound very fun when you say it like that.”

“I’m just doing what you told me too,” Apollo back sasses her. “So now class…” Apollo returns to his halfhearted monologue. Athena growls under her breath as she moves her hands to his words. Her robotic necklace, named Widget, contorts its digital face and glows red with anger. 

Clearly, Apollo isn’t taking the improv activity seriously. Perhaps Athena needs to give him a little push in the right direction so he can become more engaged in the activity.

Unaware of what Athena has in mind, Apollo keeps on acting as if he was talking to a class. “We’re going to have a lot of laughs today. Ha ha—HA! Hehehey!” Apollo suddenly yelps when Athena uses the hands she’s supposed to be lecturing the “class” with to instead tickle Apollo from behind. He wriggles in the seat with loud giggles exploding from his chest and tugs his arms out from behind the chair to use them as a defense mechanism against Athena’s attack. The female lawyer stands for leverage with her hands still scribbling at her friend’s sides, keeping Apollo glued to the chair. 

“See how fun this can be, class?” Athena says to her imaginary audience while also teasing Apollo in the process. 

“Whahahahat pahahart of the clahahahass is thihihihis?!” Apollo giggles while trying to twist his way out of the chair. With a forceful tug, he loses his balance and topples onto the ground. While Apollo rolls over to his back, Athena runs from behind the chair and pounces to her knees by Apollo’s sides. She dives her fingers back into action, making Apollo jump when her fingers plunge into his belly.

“Athenahahaha! Nohohoho!” the lawyer squirms and swings his arms to try and push Athena away through his bubbly laughter.

Athena smirks as she scribbles her fingers around Apollo’s tummy. “First rule of improv, Apollo! Never say no and always go with whatever happens!”

“Ohoho yeheheah? Thehehen go alohohohong with thihihihis!” Apollo launches his hands forward into Athena’s ribs. She shrieks like a little bird and immediately wraps her arms around herself as she bursts into giggles of her own. She twists her torso in an attempt to shield herself from the tickles, allowing Apollo to sit up and turn the tables on her as he now scribbles into her ribs from behind. Around her neck, Widget changes from its neutral blue to glowing green with happiness.

“Scene change!” Apollo grins over Athena’s shoulder. “There’s now a monster loose in the forest and it feasts on laughter!” the lawyer in red turns his fingers into wiggling claws and squeezes down to her sides. Athena shrieks again and tries to squirm her way out of his grasp. Her orange side ponytail whips around alongside her as she shakes her head with mirth.

“Hahaha! I've been cahahahaptured by the mohohohohonster!” Athena plays along. “Buhuhuhut I wohohon't go dohohown withohohout a fihihihhight!” 

Athena wriggles in Apollo’s hold, eventually finding leeway to nudge him backwards with her elbow. Quick to react, Athena spins around and lunges at Apollo’s ribs, causing the male lawyer to let out a roar of laughter. Apollo squirms in his spot like a fish on a hook to avoid her counter attack, until he flops onto his side, then flat on his stomach. 

In his attempts to crawl away, Athena swiftly takes advantage of the situation and catches his ankles in a headlock. Sitting on on the ground by his hips, Athena uses one hand to scratch at the sole of his socked feet. Apollo yelps and claws at the ground with another giggly eruption.

“Scene change!” Athena teases as she tightens her hold on Apollo’s feet. “It’s the last round of a wrestling match and it looks like the yellow corner has taken down the champ!”

“Dohohohon’t cohohount the red cohohohorner out juhuhuhust yehehehet!” Apollo exclaims. He twists his middle like a knotted spring and playfully yanks the back of Athena’s shirt. Athena lets out a lighthearted scream as she’s tugged to the ground and releases Apollo’s ankles. Rapidly chaining the tides, Apollo leaps up and dives his fingers towards Athena’s ticklish middle.

“Nowhere to run now, supervillain!” Apollo switches the scene again, now to a superhero scenario. “I’ve found your weakness!” Apollo aims right for her belly. Athena squeals and instantly tries to shove Apollo’s hands from her tummy. She squirms, kicks, and her laughter increases tenfold. Apollo smirks from above her as a sly superhero. “Now, do you surrender, supervillain?

“I gihihihive!!! I gihihihive!” Athena manages to screech through her laughter.

“So, do we have a truce?” the lawyer in red teases his friend one more time.

“Yehehes! Yehehes! Nohohow gehehet ohohohoff!” Athena uses some of her remaining strength to reach up and tickle Apollo’s underarms. Apollo reels back with a squeak and immediately pulls his hands away from her. 

“Ah! Okay! Okay! I’ll stohohop!” Apollo squeezes his arms to his sides, then plops on his tailbone. Athena lays flat on the ground, and both lawyers release any remaining giggles into the air. Both of them place their hands on their rising and falling stomachs.

After their small breather, Apollo leans back on his arms. “Is this what usually happens in these improv lessons?” the lawyer in red asks while any leftover ghost tickles leave his skin.

Athena chuckles and also sits herself up on her arms. “Well, how the activity is supposed to turn out is never planned in improv. But the fun and team bonding aspect of it? Yes, absolutely!”

The female lawyer stands up on her feet. “Come on, Apollo! Let’s go to our next activity! And don’t worry, it'll be different this time.” She pauses to smile at him. “Unless of course, the scene calls for it.”

Apollo performs a lighthearted eye roll. “Alright, I’m coming.” 

Athena helps him off the ground and the two prepare for their next improv lesson. It may be difficult to see the purpose in something like improv at first, but Athena and Apollo were able to find the use, and the joy, in the entertaining activity.

[nami-writes]

alright fair warning. this is tooth-rottingly fluffy and i got three cavities just from writing it, but i do think the sweetness is worth it <3 whumpees deserve a little love in their lives! starts with some mild emotional whump and then becomes just pure fluff

was supposed to be a 3 part chronological series but i seem to be working backward thru it so here's present day whumpee, slowly progressing in his recovery

He can hear the clock on the wall.

Every soft tick brings a new wave of anxiety and he wishes he didn’t know why.

The hands read 11:57.

He doesn’t know why he won’t just go to sleep.

He knows exactly what’ll happen at 12. He’ll wait anxiously for someone to remember, to care, to send him a halfhearted “hbd,” and then he’ll be disappointed when it turns 12:01 and his heart is as empty as it was two minutes prior. It's the same every year. He doesn't know why he expects anything different this time.

He should just go to bed. Sleep through midnight and live in blissful ignorance of the birthday he’ll never have.

Tick. 11:58.

He’s going to bed. He can’t do this. Not again.

He pockets his phone and makes his way to the bathroom. Washes his face, rinses his toothbrush, starts brushing his teeth. It’s suddenly apparent how loud the clock is even from the other room. He checks his phone— for work emails he missed, obviously, not for texts or the time— but his eyes wander to his clock app before he can open his emails. It’s just turned 11:59.

Don’t. Don’t. He scrolls through emails he’s already read, closes the app, opens the social media Caretaker convinced him to get. Regrets that choice and closes that too. He idly swipes between his home pages. Then he notices the seconds hand of his clock app is about to hit 12 and against his better judgment, stops to watch it. Maybe this time he’ll finally learn his lesson.

The second the line on his screen crosses 12, a call shrouds his screen and he jumps at his ringtone, almost dropping his phone in the sink.

He stares incredulously. The name reads Caretaker. He almost forgets to pick up.

“Oh— Whumpee! Oh thank god, I thought you were asleep already. I didn’t wake you up, did I?”

He hastily spits out the toothpaste in his mouth and puts Caretaker on speaker so he can put the phone on the counter. “No! No, I was already awake, I didn’t— sorry, I just didn't expect you to call.” He wants to laugh and cry at the same time, so relieved he doesn't know how to react. Of course. Of course Caretaker would call. He can't believe he’d convinced himself that he wouldn't.

“Oh, good, good.” Caretaker sighs into the phone so it sounds like a gust of air hit the microphone. “Well, in that case: happy birthday! You got any plans today?”

“...No,” he says and he's grateful Caretaker can't see the way his smile fades. “I, uh… you're the first person to bring up doing something for my birthday.” He doesn't mention in how long.

“In that case, I call dibs,” he says in that familiar snarky way. The way he jokes like Whumpee’s company is so special, a privilege. Like he’s honored to have Whumpee all to himself. Whumpee can never tell how serious he’s being. “How’s ice cream at the park and a movie at my house sound? Catrina misses you.”

Whumpee laughs, more lighthearted than he ever remembers being on a birthday. “Tell her I miss her too. Give her some pets for me.” Catrina, the black stray cat Caretaker had let him name. The one that Whumpee had named after the only person he remembered from before everything went wrong— Katrina, but with extra emphasis on the “cat.” “Ice cream and a movie sounds great.”

“Thank god. Ever since you moved out Catrina’s been sleeping on your half of the bed,” Caretaker scoffs. “I think it’s her half of the bed now. You gotta come reclaim it.”

And like that, Whumpee finds himself lost in pointless conversation about the best movie genres and the weirdest new ice cream flavor at Scoop’s and the way Catrina has been waiting at the door for Whumpee to come home from work every day, and he forgets he’s brushing his teeth in a tiny studio apartment having been dreading midnight just two minutes ago.

He loses track of how long they catch up, how long they laugh and recount all of Whumpee’s progress. All he knows is that someone remembered— someone cares.

“Damn, this thing is heavy,” Caretaker remarks mostly to himself. “How tight do you think security is? They probably won't care, right?”

Confused, Whumpee laughs awkwardly. “What? What are you carrying?”

“It's a secret,” he whispers with a smile into the phone. Whumpee can’t see it but he can just hear the smile in his voice. “Hang on.” The mic rustles with the sound of fabric, maybe inside a pocket. He hears Caretaker’s muffled voice. The noise clears up to the sound of an elevator dinging. “Okay, had to talk to someone. Your favorite flavor of cake is still vanilla, right?”

“Yeah.” What's Caretaker doing in an elevator? “Why?”

“Well, you can't have a birthday without a cake, right?” Elevator doors slide open on the other end of the phone. “Actually, you wanna hear a joke about cake?”

“...Okay,” he responds. “Shoot.”

“Knock knock.”

Is this going where he thinks it's going? “Who’s there?”

The call ends. For a moment, his heart drops.

There's a knock at the door.

“Aria!”

It's Caretaker. His heart leaps, but he keeps it together. “Aria who?”

“Aria gonna let me in to put down this cake? This thing is heavy!”

He runs to the door, nearly slams it against the wall in his rush to get it open. The only thing that stops him from crushing Caretaker in a hug is the cake in his hands. Still, he laughs with breathless surprise. “That was an awful joke.”

“Yeah, yeah. You can do better for my birthday, then,” he scoffs on his way in.

“Why’d you get a whole cake? It'll only be the two of us.”

“Well, we'll just have to eat a lot of cake then,” Caretaker grins. He takes off the cover, sticks two numbered candles in the center, and raises a lighter in the air like it's a glass of champagne. “To you.”

Sheepish but warm, Whumpee smiles back. “...To me.”

Caretaker lights the candles.

His heart has never felt so full.

[writingpaperghost]

Without You (Chapter 9)

Chapter 9: Family Trip, Peace For Now

The Igarashi family take a trip. The Akaishi siblings are also there. And the Ushijima family. And Hiromi and George. That's totally not weird.

Between the last chapter I posted and this chapter, I've watched Girls Remix, and then nearly all of W other than the last three episodes and the stuff after the series. And I'm only behind one episode of Geats. What I'm trying to say is I can watch stuff pretty quick when it's not Revice. Make of that what you will.

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/43371954/chapters/113749363

Makoto doesn’t think he’s ever been on a trip quite like this, but Genta wanted to celebrate Yukimi coming home. And Makoto figures it’ll be nice for everyone, since he’s almost positive Hana has never had anything like this, and Tamaki probably hadn’t either. There had been a few family trips since they’d been taken in by the Igarashis, but this was certainly unique.

Tamaki was probably the wariest of the whole thing, almost certainly because of his ears and tail that he was struggling to hide in the hopes of avoiding any unwanted attention. That was a part of why they didn’t often go out on trips, even not as a whole family. One part was that they liked to keep Happy Spa open, the other part was that Tamaki particularly had a hard time hiding his strange features.

Meanwhile, Hana seemed very excited, and certainly a part of that was getting to do something new with her family. There’s a bounce in her step – that wasn’t entirely new, though, that certainly was more brought on by Sakura. Makoto wouldn’t complain about his sister’s new happiness, even if he’d admit to being a bit skeptical of Sakura. That strange feeling he got from her kept in his mind, and it made him worry about all the time Hana was spending alone with her.

But it wasn’t the time to worry about Sakura or the Deadmans or any of the rest of that. Unless he had no other choice, Makoto was determined to focus on his family, on celebrating that Yukimi was okay. Come hell or high water, he was going to focus all of his attention on his family.

Obstacle number one presented itself as early as check in. Namely in the form of the Ushijima family, who walked in right after they did. The moment Hikaru saw them, he sighed, making a face that looked incredibly tired.

Mr. Ushijima smiled, “Oh, what a surprise,”

“The three of you have come here too?” Genta looked a bit confused, “Well, that’s a strange coincidence.”

Hikaru gravitated to Hana, “I swear I didn’t know they were planning this, or that you guys were going to be here.”

“Well I didn’t tell you we would be,” Hana responded, dryly.

Right, okay, well Hana would have someone else to spend time with while here, at least. She’d probably like that, so while it’s a bit strange that the Ushijima family is here, it’s not really so strange that he’s going to let it bother him much.

A few moments later, obstacle number two appears – all three of them, in the form of bickering siblings. “I still can’t believe you forgot about this,” Sakura groused, “I mean, really, you’ve got to stop spending so much time training.”

Standing beside her, an unamused expression on his face, Captain Akaishi – Daiji? – sighed, “I’m sorry,” his apology sounded halfhearted, “but I have things to do, you know.”

“Not that much.” She rolled her eyes.

Adjusting his hat, Ikki sighed, “Come on, you two. Family vacation, remember?”

Tamaki startles at the sight of the three, “Captain Akaishi?”

His words draw Daiji’s attention, who seemed a bit surprised, “Ah, Tamaki.”

Upon realizing Hana’s presence, Sakura hurried over to her, hugging her, “Hana!” As they hugged, Hana lit up, equally excited to see Sakura. Hikaru frowned and reluctantly stepped to the side.

Poor Hikaru, never even tried to tell Hana how he so obviously felt, and now he had to watch her with Sakura. He seemed to be taking it rather well, at least, not that Makoto had ever really taken him as the jealous type.

Then the final obstacle, number three, came in, in the form of one dramatic Karizaki, and an exasperated, tired looking, Mr. Kadota. Karizaki appears to have made Mr. Kadota carry all of the luggage – and Makoto gets the impression most of it is Karizaki’s.

Looking between the two families (Hikaru’s parents have already left, somehow, and apparently didn’t seem particularly concerned that Hikaru was still standing next to Hana), Karizaki gains a stupidly big grin, “Well, look at that. Both the Igarashi family and the Akaishi family.”

Both Hikaru and Sakura grab ahold of Hana before she can throw a kunai in George’s direction, certainly avoiding causing an actual, significant scene. Instead, Hana is just glaring daggers at him, which was a great improvement. Meanwhile, Daiji perked up upon seeing Mr. Kadota, seeming both confused at his presences, but also glad for it.

Both Genta and Yukimi were gaining looks of increasing confusion, as Makoto comes to a horrifying realization. Coincidence or not, the presence of both the Akaishi siblings, the Ushijima family, and Karizaki and Mr. Kadota were certainly going to make it very hard for Makoto to focus on his family. He gets the impression that Karizaki was certainly going to make his entire existence the Igarashi family’s problem.

---

“I’m going to go spend some time with Hikaru and Sakura,” Hana said, with a cheery tone and air of excitement.

“Huh?” Genta sputtered, “What happened to family time?”

Yukimi takes his arm, “Oh Genta, let her have some fun. It’s not often she gets to spend time with her two favorite friends.” She likely only described both as friends because Makoto suspects that she hasn’t given up on her hopes of Hikaru doing something about his crush, as much as Yukimi seems happy that Hana’s with Sakura.

Hana practically skipped out of the room, clearly excited to see Sakura and Hikaru. Makoto watches her leave, an amused expression on his face, knowing Hana wasn’t likely to pass up an opportunity to be with either of the two. Both at once she would certainly not let pass by, though Makoto had to wonder how much the two actually got along with each other.

He was rather content at just staying with the rest of his family – especially since he doesn’t get to see as much of Tamaki as he used to, since Tamaki had joined Fenix. And at least in this room, Tamaki didn’t really need to try to hide his ears and tail. He’d tried when they arrived, but the moment they were in the room he’d yanked his had off, his ears generally not fond of being shoved in one. Probably made too much noise, too.

“Your fur’s a bit dirty,” Makoto notes, gently running his fingers over a patch of fur on the back of Tamaki’s arm.

Rolling his eyes, Tamaki responded, “I probably just need to actually… really scrub it. It’s fur, it picks up all the dirt.”

It was a bit ironic, for all that Tamaki was determined to keep his glasses’ lens clean, he wasn’t nearly so specific about keeping his fur as clean. Then again, it took more effort to get all the dirt out of fur, and far less to clean glasses. They’ll have to make sure he gets it fully clean, today.

Thankfully, it seemed Tamaki had at least kept his tail in decent order, back when they’d first met their parents, or Yukimi at least, it had been a decent while since the three had a bath, and Tamaki’s tail had been a mess of dirt and knots, matted as it so easily became when they were on the streets. Tamaki had it the worst, what with the fur that so easily got dirty and matted. Hana’s fuzz wasn’t nearly so temperamental, even if it was also easily dirtied.

“Does it bother you that much?” Tamaki asked, beginning to brush his own fingers over his fur.

Shaking his head, Makoto assured, “No, no, it was just an observation,”

Tamaki’s quiet, after hearing the response, sharp fingernails tapping on the table as he drummed his fingers absentmindedly. After another few moments, he asked, voice quiet, “I know we just… kinda assumed something had happened to you, too. Because of the scar. But did you ever have some other reason to think that?”

At the time, Makoto hadn’t thought much of it. When he’d first stumbled into Tamaki, who’d looked so terrified, and later when they found Hana, in the midst of a fist fight with someone or other. Makoto had just been so used to feeling like he didn’t belong in any given place, feeling so alienated from his peers, that he felt more at home with Tamaki and Hana, who clearly weren’t normal, than he’d had with just about anyone else. The scar that he shared with Tamaki and Hana was just a later guess as to why they got along so well. A sort of sign of why they should stick together.

Though thinking back on it, it felt as though there was some kind of voice that was telling him he should stick with them. Makoto never thought much about it, never really even realized it was there until now. But he couldn’t really tell Tamaki that – at best, Tamaki would roll his eyes, at worst, he would think Makoto was crazy.

Instead, he answers, “I’m not sure, I guess I just sort of… had a feeling.” That was close enough, what he would have answered even before now. And in a way, it probably was the more honest answer. The only voice in his head was his own, after all.

---

Makoto’s previous assertion about Karizaki making himself everyone’s problem turned out to be rather accurate, at least by his own standards. Case in point, he thinks, the fact they can’t even relax in the hot springs without Karizaki also being there. Though Makoto figures it’s probably better Karizaki than someone else, given Tamaki’s here and probably feels a bit more comfortable with people who already know about his features than not. Still, Makoto is pretty sure Karizaki is up to something.

Karizaki wasn’t the only one there outside of their family – Daiji and Mr. Kadota were there too, seated next to each other and both watching Karizaki warily. It seemed Makoto wasn’t the only one who figured he was up to something. Tamaki sat on one side of Makoto, while Genta was on the other side.

“Your brother didn’t come?” Mr. Kadota asked, looking to Daiji.

As Daiji sighed, Karizaki turned his attention towards him, and Daiji responded, “Ikki doesn’t like being in public. Especially things like bathes.”

Genta frowned, “But he comes to Happy Spa so much?”

“That’s different, he makes sure to come when you’re not busy and he’s certain no one else will see.” Daiji explained, “Practically staked out Happy Spa for months just to figure out when that would be. It was a bit weird.”

Under the water, Tamaki’s tail whacks Makoto’s side, “That seems like a lot of work, why bother going at all?”

With a shrug, Daiji said, “We never figured it out, it’s just a thing Ikki does.”

The subject changes, as Karizaki turns his attention towards Genta – and Makoto has never wanted to strangle this man more, or at least yank him away, as Karizaki moves closer to Genta. “So, your Tamaki and Makoto’s father, huh?”

Surprisingly, or perhaps he was just ignorant of Karizaki’s arguably strange behavior – even if not by Karizaki standards – Genta responded with his usual lighthearted smile, “Well, yes, I am.”

“You must be very proud of them,”

“Of course – Yukimi and I, we’re always proud of our children,” Genta still seemed unaware of what Makoto would consider the concerning behavior of Karizaki. Or maybe Makoto was just being paranoid.

“Papa…” Tamaki tried to lower himself further into the water, to hide his embarrassment.

Daiji is looking between Karizaki and Genta with a mix of confusion and concern. It seemed he too was wary of whatever it was Karizaki was trying to do, while Mr. Kadota just looked tired. Makoto couldn’t imagine how anyone dealt with Karizaki on a regular basis – especially since one of those people was Tamaki.

Inching even closer, Karizaki said, “They’re quite the trio – even if Hana there tried to stab me.”

“Probably should have let her.” The thought came to Makoto’s mind before he could even try to stop it. Immediately, he chased the thought away – if nothing else, letting Hana stab anyone wouldn’t be a particularly good thing.

Ignorant of Makoto’s thought, Karizaki continued talking, “And you know, it’s quite interesting, there’s something that the three mentioned before that I’m curious about-“

Rolling his eyes, Daiji interrupted, “They’re on vacation, Karizaki.” He glared at him, “leave them be.”

Clearly annoyed, Karizaki grumbled a little, moving away from Genta. Genta only seemed confused by the whole thing, but quickly shrugged it off. He was perhaps a little too unaware of the strangeness of Karizaki, or at least far too willing to brush it off.

Now that his attention wasn’t on Genta, though, and instead landed on Makoto, with a curious look. “Fine, fine,” there was something about Karizaki’s expression that made Makoto extremely uneasy. Then again, he found there was a lot of things about Karizaki that made him uneasy. “Oh, Makoto, you know, I never noticed, but you’ve got quite a few scars on your arms.”

Makoto’s chest tightened upon hearing Karizaki’s observation. Of course he hadn’t noticed, Makoto made sure that no one could see. The reason for his sweaters, and even the long sleeves he wore under them, for all the effort he put into making sure his arms were covered. Because though most people wouldn’t notice the scars on his arms, some would, there would always be one person, who would notice.

With a tense voice, Makoto responded, “So what? I don’t see what’s so notable.”

“Ah, well I wouldn’t think they’d come about particularly naturally,” There’s a causal tone to Karizaki’s voice, but he has to understand well just what he’s doing. “maybe they were caused by something from before you met the Igarashis?”

“That’s none of your business,” Makoto snapped. He’d never told anyone, not his siblings, not his parents, about before he ran away, and he really wasn’t going to start now. Certainly not with Karizaki present. Tamaki may have thought he was simply weird, but Makoto could see that he wasn’t harmless. He was sneaky and knew exactly what sort of power he held over people, over members of Fenix. He knew exactly how to get what he wanted.

Unless Karizaki wanted to rile him up, Makoto was determined not to give Karizaki what he wanted.

“Really because I figured-“

Makoto doesn’t know what exactly happened after, but next thing he knows he’s moved forward, and Tamaki’s got ahold on his arm, “Geez Makoto, chill!”

Confused, Makoto sat back down in his previous spot, Tamaki’s hold lingering on his arm.

This time, it’s Mr. Kadota who speaks up, an expression of concern on his face, “I have to agree with Daiji, stop bothering them, Karizaki. They’re on a family vacation, they owe you no answers.”

George pouted, but complied, even if he was still eyeing Makoto curiously. Makoto just followed Tamaki’s previous example and tried to hide himself more with the water, determined to keep his arms as hidden underwater as he could.

“What an asshole,”

He shrinks himself further and tries to chase away the thought as Mr. Kadota moves, his attention still on Karizaki, “I think it’s probably about time we go,”

---

Sakura held Hana’s hand as the two walked, Hikaru following behind with a frown on his face, even if he was trying to hide it. Hana felt a bit bad, felt that she should do something more to try to help Hikaru feel included. She just wasn’t really sure what she could do. Sakura was one thing, but Hikaru was another, and she wasn’t really sure what she could do with both of them.

“What are the odds we’d all be here at the same time?” Sakura smiled, “I mean, who’d have thought. Especially since father was the one who arranged our trip.”

“Yeah,” Hana said, her voice skeptical, “What are the odds?” They both knew that Sakura and her siblings being here was no coincidence.

If Hikaru noticed her sarcasm, he didn’t voice it, “It is a bit strange.”

Glancing back at him, Sakura hummed, “At least it means both get to spend time with our wonderful, wonderful Hana.”

“And at least you’re not stuck with your parents the whole time,” Hana stopped walking, turning towards Hikaru, “Not that I’m sure Sakura or I make that much better company.”

Quickly, he hurried closer to her, “No, no, I love spending time with you Hana!” he glanced over at Sakura. “and I guess Sakura’s fine, too.”

Rolling her eyes, Sakura looked mildly amused, thankfully. Better than annoyed. Sliding closer to Hikaru, and thusly Hana, Sakura said, “You know, it’s almost a shame I don’t see more of you.”

“Is it?” Hikaru asked, clearly unnerved by her behavior. “I mean, I didn’t think you… uh, super liked me that much.”

Still too close to Hikaru for his own comfort, Sakura responded, “Well, since you’re so dear to Hana, I think it would be good for us to get along better.”

Hikaru pulls himself away from Sakura, “I guess…”

“It’s alright if you two aren’t that close,” Hana said, wiggling herself between the two. While the closeness was normal for her and Sakura, the incredibly close proximity to Hikaru was not as common, at least in these circumstances, and caused her to blush slightly when he bumped against her. “I’d just like you two to be able to be in the same room together and tolerate each other’s presence.”

“That’s fair,” Hikaru said.

“Of course, anything for you, my bee.” At Sakura’s words, Hikaru frown grew just the slightest.

Hana thinks this walk with them might be either the best or worst walk of her life. Well, maybe not the worst, but definitely not a good one, if it went that way. Hikaru still was clearly not that fond of Sakura, and Sakura seemed mostly just interested in Hikaru because of Hana. She didn’t have high hopes of the two getting along that well. Still, she also wasn’t going to make one of them leave, not right now, at least. Maybe she’d try to hang out with them individually after this.

---

“Ikki!” Vice whined, “I want to feel the hot springs too!”

As Vice and Ikki were the only ones in the room, it made Vice both the main source of noise and also very hard to ignore. Although Ikki often felt bad about ignoring him, at times, but this would probably not be one of them. Ikki sighed, “Vice, I’m not even going to go out to the hot springs.”

Though Vice’s mouth was hidden by his mask, Ikki just knew he was pouting, “But Ikki…”

“I don’t want anyone noticing my tail,” Ikki was confident enough he could probably hide his horns and feathers enough, but his tail was… a bit tricky. He couldn’t really hide it with a coat like normal.

Sakura had made some attempt to convince him to go with Daiji, but even she knew better than to waste much effort. Besides, Ikki didn’t mind being in the room alone – he was used to it, anyway. He was the least important of the three, so it was often that he found himself with only Vice as company. This wasn’t any different than usual.

Vice takes on his physical form, sitting down beside Ikki with a small huff. Ikki doesn’t know why he waited so long to do so, but sometimes, Vice just liked making Ikki talk to himself. Usually, it’s when it would be funny, though, and here they lacked an audience. “Guess that’s kind of my fault, huh?”

Quick to respond, Ikki assure, “Not really. You couldn’t control any of this.”

“Maybe. Hey, at least our tails match!” To no surprise, Vice saw some Brightside to everything. It would be better if Ikki hadn’t heard the same words over and over for eighteen years or so.

“Hey, hey our tails match!” Vice cheered, so much larger than Ikki was at the time.

Alone in “their room” as the members of the Deadmans had told him, Ikki stared at Vice with confusion. “You… have a tail?” he doesn’t remember when Vice first appeared, but he’s pretty sure it’s when the tail and the horns grew in. Or around then. Maybe he’d heard Vice’s voice before that, but he can’t remember.

“I do,” Vice assured, still sounding far too happy for Ikki’s liking. Too many bad things had happened for him to understand how Vice could be so happy. Vice moved, and positioned himself so that a tail, one that looked just like Ikki’s, but bigger, appeared. “See?”

Ikki reached out towards Vice, before remembering he couldn’t touch him and pulling his hand back. “They… do.” Vice wasn’t really there – Ikki didn’t doubt that he was real, but he wasn’t able to be touched or even seen by anyone else.

With a roll of his eyes, Ikki said to Vice, “You always say that.”

Vice just made an amused sound, and Ikki tries not to laugh. As much as he hated to admit it, there were times when Vice was the only thing that even slightly brightened his day. There was something about Vice’s childishness and carefree attitude that made Ikki smile, even when he wasn’t sure he’d be able to otherwise.

He felt bad that he couldn’t do much for Vice. That he was stuck with Ikki. Although a part of that problem was how far from human Vice appeared. Even if he wasn’t stuck with Ikki, he wouldn’t be able to do most of the things he keeps saying he wants to do. The hot springs were not the first instance of this, and Ikki knew it’d never be the last.

“I’ll get us something nice, a sweet or something when we get home,” Ikki offered, although he supposed it probably sounded a bit out of the blue.

Glancing over at Ikki, Vice seemed confused for a moment, before practically cheering, “Yeah, that sounds great!”

Vice was the closest thing to a normal child Ikki got to be the brother to.

---

“You know, I think that being away from Fenix has somehow made Karizaki more…” Tamaki struggled to find the word he wanted to use to describe Karizaki.

“Strange, pushy, weird, uncomfortable…?” Makoto offered.

“Insane,”

Again, Makoto ignored the thought.

Tamaki seems to finally find a word he was okay with, “Karizaki.”

Barely biting his tongue and keeping himself from saying something harsher, Makoto responded, “He’s always Karizaki.”

“Well, being away makes him more, I guess.”

It really seemed like Karizaki just had less supervision here – not by much given he didn’t have a lot of supervision to begin with. Maybe he was just becoming bolder. It really didn’t matter, Makoto just knew it was going to grate on his nerves. “I hope he goes back to being less Karizaki.”

“…that’s fair.”

---

Daiji glared at George, annoyed, “Why are you two here?” he wasn’t so annoyed about Hiromi’s presence, but George was a different story.

“Hiromi being here is nice. But this guy… ugh.”

George gave a smile that was some mix of smug and innocent, to Daiji’s confusion. “We’re keeping an eye on the Igarashis – Commander Wakabayashi’s orders.”

“Even though a Vistamp went missing the other day?” Daiji, of course, knew where it had gone, but George and Hiromi didn’t.

George shrugged, “One Vistamp is manageable, at least. We know Makoto can deal with another T-Rex Deadman. Besides, they’re pretty safe in Fenix, given all the security.”

Groaning, Daiji really didn’t know what to say to that. “And why didn’t I hear about this plan?” Daiji knows he didn’t.

“We were only informed this morning ourselves, it was rather last minute,” Hiromi explained, “I’m sorry for such surprise.”

“You’ve got nothing to apologize for,” Kagerou sighed, “I just want Hiromi to ourselves.”

Again, Daiji chose to ignore Kagerou. “It’s fine, it’s fine,” Daiji assured, “I’m just sorry you’re stuck babysitting Karizaki.”

Rolling his eyes, George shot back, “I don’t need babysitting, the commander just sent him along and I didn’t get a choice.”

Kagerou slips into control, saying in a mockingly sweet tone, “That’s because you do need someone to keep an eye on you, you’re just too-“ Daiji, realizing where Kagerou was going, pulls control, shoving Kagerou to the side.

“You do in fact need someone to keep an eye on you, you’d get yourself in too much trouble, otherwise.” Daiji finished, attempting to recover from Kagerou’s words.

“We’ll be fine, Daiji,” Hiromi assured, “and I’ll keep him out of trouble.”

With another sigh, really wishing he’d just gone back to be with Ikki and Vice, Daiji said, “Yeah, yeah, I know you will.”

[frogtanii]

iwaizumi was... overwhelmed, to say the least.

the past few days had been such a whirlwind of change that hajime could barely properly process, much less appropriately react to it all, so he behaved much like a zombie, saying yes when prompted, signing papers when told, and packing up what was his entire life for the past 11 months.

wow. iwaizumi collapsed on his bed as he scanned his now barren bedroom. he’d been here for almost a year and yet, all his belongings were in boxes within a couple of days.

hajime couldn’t keep the disbelieving chuckle from escaping his chest as he leaned back on his bed, dark brown eyes trained on the ceiling.

it felt like he’d spent such a large chunk of his life trapped in this house, under the foot of the woman who he thought he’d marry but in reality, he’d been in little leagues longer than he’d been in love.

iwaizumi scoffed and rolled his eyes. yeah, “in love”. it’d been about a week since his whole life started to unravel and he had hardly seen, let alone spoken to meiko throughout that entire time.

over text, she’d sworn up and down that she loved and cared about him but as she passed by him packing his things a few days ago, she’d barely spared him a second glance.

hajime wasn’t going to lie. it hurt. he’d opened his heart up to her, something he didn’t do easily, and she’d taken his trust and used it to twist him into her weapon.

he always believed he was stronger than this — he’d never forget his mother telling him so when he was younger. he had fallen and scraped his knee yet he refused to cry to keep from upsetting his mom. iwaizumi existed to live up to what his mother thought of him but here he was, completely enveloped in meiko’s shit, doing her dirty work and following her bidding like some mutt.

god, toorū was right. he really was her bitch.

“i could hear you thinking from down the hall, iwa-chan.” speak of the devil...

oikawa stood at his doorway, leaning against the frame with a posture that seemed relaxed at first glance but if you looked a little closer, you’d notice the tenseness in his shoulders and the tightness of his smile.

hajime quickly sat up on his bed before motioning for his old friend to enter. “uh, yeah,” he began, his voice cracking a little from disuse, “i have a lot to think about.”

the light haired brunette let out an understanding hum before wandering into the room, sharp observant eyes darting to look at all the empty walls. “looks like you’re all packed.”

“pretty much,” iwaizumi nodded before the room fell into an awkward silence, the two childhood friends completely avoiding one another’s eyes.

“look, i-“

“iwa-chan, i’m-“

they both paused for a moment before bursting into laughter, the sound carrying into the hall and throughout the house.

hajime wiped a few stray tears from his eyes, shaking his head at their awkwardness. “you first, shittykawa.”

toorū gasped in halfhearted mock offense before quickly sobering up, training iwaizumi with a completely serious look. “i’m sorry and before you go on some bullshit, self sacrificing rant, you’re not the only one to blame for what happened to our friendship.”

he sighed while making his way to iwaizumi’s bed, sitting down gently beside him. “i should’ve known better, okay? i shouldn’t have let my jealousy and insecurities get in between us but i guess i got swept up in the attention, yknow? meiko is actually charming when she wants to be.”

iwaizumi nodded in agreement, knowing all too well how compelling meiko could be. the room fell into a more comfortable silence as both boys escaped into their thoughts, questions about the future of their friendship flitting throughout their minds.

“oh!” oikawa was pulled out of his own head at hajime’s exclamation, his eyes moving to observe his friend dig through his pockets to procure a thick white envelope. “here. i’d like you to give this yn.”

all toorū could do was nod, his brain short circuiting at the sight of iwaizumi’s apparent kindness to the woman he tormented for so long. “uh, what’s in it?” he ventured to ask, his soft hands toying with the sealed envelope flap.

a soft chuckle came from across the bed. “don’t be so nosy toorū, just give it to her, yeah?” oikawa rolled his eyes but obliged, the bed creaking as he stood to his feet.

“so... this is it, huh?” it was like the reality of the situation was just now sinking in — they hadn’t been close in a while but iwaizumi was still his best friend and he wasn’t quite ready to let him go.

they’d been through so much together, practically growing up together and now, they’d only see each other on holidays, if even then, and then he’d never be invited to hajime’s wedding as his best man as they’d planned and he also wouldn’t be the coolest uncle/godfather of iwa’s children and—

“fuck no,” hajime scoffed with a bright grin on his face. “thought you were gonna annoy me til the end of time shittykawa. don’t tell me you’re quitting your job now.”

the hidden meaning behind iwaizumi’s words brought tears to oikawa’s eyes and before he could stop himself, he launched his body into iwa’s arms. hajime hesitated, his hands stuttering at toorū’s sides as though he’d forgotten how to hug but the feeling passed, his arms winding around his friend’s lithe waist.

“‘m gonna miss you hajime,” oikawa’s voice came out as a broken whimper, his arms tightening around his shoulders.

iwaizumi hummed instead of responding, too afraid of his voice cracking under the weight of his emotions. they stood there for a moment but the honk of the moving truck outside signaled the both of them of their limited time.

hurriedly, oikawa wiped the tears off his cheeks before waving awkwardly at iwaizumi as he left the room with a friendly, “don’t be a stranger.”

and then he was gone.

toorū finally allowed himself to collapse into sobs on his best friends empty bed, his palms pressing into his eyes as he sat there and just let himself feel.

apparently, he wasn’t crying very quietly because it took only a few moments for you to find him, your soft footsteps alerting him to your presence. oikawa scrambled to wipe away what he knew was an unattractive mixture of tears and snot as you got closer.

you were one of the last people he wanted to see him like this.

“hey,” you whispered, standing a few feet away from him. “um, i know this is probably a bad time but i just wanted to thank you for apologizing? back at the awards show?”

toorū sniffed as he looked up at you with confusion written on his face. “what? you shouldn’t thank me for apologizing. ‘s common courtesy.”

you laughed softly, nodding in agreement. “well, not always. so, thank you.” finished with your piece and not too keen on lingering where you weren’t wanted, you moved towards the door but were swiftly stopped before you got there.

“um, here. it’s from iwa-chan.” you gaped at the thick envelope oikawa was handing you before taking it and opening it, a low curse falling from your lips.

inside the package was a dense wad of cash, more money than you’d seen in months. accompanied with it was a letter, written in beautifully loopy handwriting.

you shut it quickly before oikawa could see, stuffing the envelope deep within your pocket where you could access it alone in the depths of your room.

“do you wanna come eat? last i heard, bokuto and tsumu were doing a cooking competition and i’m sure it’ll be fun to watch.” you were severely thrown off by the money and letter but you were determined to show toorū that you’d accepted his apology and were on your way to making amends.

he gave you a shy nod and trailed behind you to the kitchen, the loud sounds of fire and screaming coming from down the hall. you wanted to focus on the fun and merriment but the envelope was practically burning a hole in your pocket.

later that night, you finally got the chance to open the letter and read it, your former manager’s words bringing tears to your eyes.

dear yn,

i’m probably the last person you expected to hear from. you probably didn’t want to hear from me at all if i’m being honest and i don’t blame you. i know there is nothing i can say that could make up for what i’ve done to you but i’d like to try.

i’m sorry. those words don’t nearly express in and of themselves how truly remorseful i am but they needed to be said. there’s no excuse for how i treated you — not meiko, not my stress, absolutely nothing.

you deserved my common decency and respect and i didn’t give that to you. instead, i abused my position and made your life hell. i’ll never forgive myself for that.

uh, i bet you’re wondering what the money is? i promise i’m not trying to pay you off, it’s just all the money i’ve denied you since you moved here. i have a lot of wrongs to right and this is one of them.

sorry, i’m not very good with words but i just wanted you to know that i’m very sorry for everything that i’ve done. and i’m in no place to make demands or anything but i just wanted to ask if you’d keep an eye on oikawa for me.

he’s strong but he’s also vulnerable. he might be a pain in my ass but he’s my best friend and since i can’t keep him from drowning, i was wondering if you’d do that - not for me but for him.

anyways, this letter is shit but i suppose you get the gist. use the money for whatever you want and if you’re as unselfish as i’ve heard, you don’t owe me anything. you don’t owe me money, kindness, or forgiveness.

take care of yourself,

iwaizumi hajime

℗ poker face

so... this is it

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an - soooo m back :D hopefully this is the last of my mini hiatuses!! this chapter sucked to write but i’m not mad at how it turned out?? pls let me know how i did skjdkd don’t forget to feed me <3333

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[battlekidx2]

The Beginning of the End Thoughts

Wow. Just wow. I knew the Amphibia series finale was going to emotionally destroy me but what I wasn’t prepared for was the fact that it had me tearing up within the first minute of The Beginning of the End. Marcy was already an incredibly relatable character but that opening scene hit me in a way I wasn’t expecting (it hit too close to home. I am way too much like Marcy) and really made you understand why Marcy did what she did. 

Marcy is a character who is incredibly lonely. Anne said it herself in this episode that she and Sasha never gave any of Marcy’s interests a chance or paid attention when she would ramble on about them. That opening scene of Marcy being so excited about this movie that she loves, quoting it and info dumping about it to the two, wearing a blanket as a cape, and trying to hide her disappointment when they don’t share any of her enthusiasm touched upon her isolation in such a poignant way in such a short amount of time. 

Many people can probably relate to Marcy. I know that I have experienced that same thing multiple times in my life. Marcy has always been heavily neurodivergent coded but this just encapsulated that experience in less than one minute. She went through life not being able to connect with others very easily and found connection and understanding in media. All of her attempts to share that experience were met with halfhearted or nonexistent reactions. She wants to share this connection and experience with people she cares about. But she is left alone watching the movie every time while Sasha and Anne sleep. That disconnect is something that makes everything so clear and painful.

For Marcy it wasn’t a matter of if the friendship fell apart after she left but a matter of when. I can’t blame Marcy for this. Was her decision rash? Yes. Was it selfish? Yes. Was it the wrong choice? Yes. But do I understand it? Yes. 

She was a scared and lonely thirteen year old child who didn’t want to lose the few people who did hang out with her.

I will admit that I was a little scared about how the show would handle Marcy in these last few episodes because she is the only one of the three that hasn’t completed her personal arc but this episode wiped those worries away completely. If they could craft such an emotional and relatable minute of animation that could make everything about Marcy’s decision, character, and friendships snap into place then I knew they could do her character justice in the final two episodes.

This is why I could never get behind people saying that the trio was best splitting ways after Amphibia because of all the betrayals. Sasha, Anne, and Marcy were going to fall apart as a friend group before they went to Amphibia and they spent the majority of their time in Amphibia apart. They are the definition of sometimes you have to grow apart before you can come back together. They had to fall apart as friends and grow as people separate from each other before they could come back together as true friends. Just like Anne said.

Anne points out that Sasha herself is proof of this. Sasha did genuinely care for Marcy and Anne but she wasn’t a good friend (that line where she tells Marcy she didn’t care about the spoiler hurt so much) and the core also calls her out on it too. But Sasha grew during her time in Amphibia to where she is kinder, more understanding, and legitimately supportive with the entirety of “The Three Armies” serving to hit this point home. And if Sasha can change, the girl most set in her ways, then so can Marcy. And if Anne and Sasha’s friendship could be salvaged then so could their relationship to Marcy.

This goes into one of my favorite parts of the episodes (outside of it making me somehow love Marcy even more) getting to see Sasha and Anne as true friends. I really like their dynamic now that they have patched things up and both grown significantly as people. Sasha supports Anne at every turn and tries to help even when she very obviously has doubts about Anne’s plan of action. But you also get to see little pieces of the good parts of their old friendship and how it is enhanced by their new dynamic such as when they used their old dance to become so in sync that they could beat Olivia and Yunan. 

Now onto Anne and Sasha finally coming face to face with Darcy. This scene was everything I wanted. The core taunting Anne and Sasha with the personal information they know about them and knowing what will hurt them the most. Sasha’s genuine hurt and anger over Darcy implying that Sasha and Marcy were never really friends to begin with. Anne managing to outwit the core and buy herself some time. The tragedy of the three friends’ situation. 

The core being revealed to the girls has been a long time coming and I wasn’t disappointed. They knew exactly what buttons to press and how ruthless to be. It’s still so creepy because of the mannerisms and memories that it has from Marcy. It really hammers home how morbid this sock puppet routine of theirs is. I can’t wait to see even more of them in the next episode.

I just hope that Sasha doesn’t actually get mind controlled because she needs to be there with Anne to free Marcy. They both need to play an active role in that moment for their friendship to come together. I’m sure that will be the case but that made me a bit nervous. I’m sure I’m worrying about nothing because Amphibia nails its finales.

While the decision fills me with way too much anticipation I believe ending on Andrias and the Core invading earth was the perfect place to stop. This is really the final chapter and I can’t wait to see how it ends. All In is 48 minutes and all these episodes did was prove that I’m not ready. I thought I was prepared but then this episode made me tear up within the first minute and I realized I was doomed.

Amphibia also knows exactly when and how to change its end credits and these ones hurt so much. The soft piano rendition of Marcy’s theme over the scene of her watching her favorite movie alone while Anne and Sasha sleep was a gut punch. This really emphasized the tragedy of Marcy’s story, her isolation, her escapism tendencies, and how her naivete and loneliness led her to this point.

There’s also the fact that I don’t think their dynamic was 100% one sided. It’s true that they didn’t show the care and appreciation they should have towards Marcy’s interests and this was shown many times throughout the series before this point but Sasha and Anne bring up things Marcy has said or interests of hers up when she isn’t there at multiple points. They took their friendship with Marcy for granted and should have shown more active interest in what she would tell them about. I just want to point out that they did care just not in the way Marcy needed but now they are at a point where they can both recognize this and rectify it because of how much they have grown.

That episode may be one of my top five of the series. It does such an amazing job with Marcy and has such great music that I can’t help but be blown away. I didn’t think I could relate any more to Marcy but here we are. It also sets up so much going into the final two episodes that I can’t wait to explore. 

Scattered thoughts

I love Grime in these episodes.

Sasha and Grime have a few wholesome moments. I have missed their dynamic recently.

I liked that The Three Armies came to the conclusion that Anne can’t solve hundreds of years of systemic and class issues between the toads, newts, and frogs. The three factions can’t solve them right away either but they can start.

I loved Anne being named mediator of the year at her school.

[emeraldenha]

TRUST FUND BABY

pairing: ex!taehyun x gn!reader | genre: the five stages of grief (bargaining), breakup au, lovers to exes, angst | w/c: +780 words | warnings: none <3

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When you told Taehyun that it might be best to part ways, he didn’t quite understand.

It was so out of the blue — no signs, no warnings. He didn’t even get a chance to see or talk to you one last time. All he found was a handwritten letter and your half of this month’s rent waiting for him back at your shared apartment. The place felt so empty. The closet that used to be cluttered with all your clothes was suddenly filled with space, one pillow instead of two on the bed, your toothbrush no longer by the bathroom sink. When he tried to call your phone number, it automatically went to voicemail. You were gone without a trace.

Seated at the kitchen counter, letter in hand, he almost didn’t want to open it. Opening it would be acknowledging that this was real, that the bubble Taehyun was living in — thinking that everything had been fine — would be shattered. He took his time processing the words you wrote that felt so definite and of defeat, the paper also slightly tattered which told him that you had been planning this for a while.

He didn’t realize how much you were hurting. It was honestly a complete slap in the face. You wrote about how much things have changed since the beginning of his and your relationship, specifically how much he’s changed. You said it wasn't his fault; you weren’t mad. It was just that the future he had in mind clashed with yours and it was only a matter of time before separating paths. 

When you and Taehyun first met, neither of you were considerably good people. You became friends through hanging out with the wrong crowd and would often spend time together to escape the realities you both were avoiding. Though as much as you embraced the worst in each other, it wasn’t long until that surface level fun turned into something deeper, confiding in each other’s every secret and learning a newfound sensation of happiness through falling in love.

You promised him that you’d work on improving yourself, and he promised you the same.

Looking back, Taehyun wished he appreciated you more. You were the reason he stopped crashing at his friends’ places and settled down on a decent apartment, you were the reason he got a stable job, you were the reason he wasn’t afraid to love again. He used to thank you every chance he could but now he’s so busy drowning himself in work that he oftentimes falls asleep at the office and barely ever returns home, home to you. He was like a ghost.

To Taehyun, that was normal. He was admittedly obsessed with money more than anything as he refused to be the loser that hit rock bottom like before. Devoting himself to his job was how he kept himself motivated from falling into old habits. That didn’t mean he never loved or missed you when he was away, he just happened to prefer the subtle moments. Eating makeshift dinners because you’re both too exhausted to cook or falling asleep next to you on the couch while you were watching one of your shows — that was enough for him.

He knew to an extent that this bothered you. While he relied on his workplace to be his safe haven from the past, you relied on Taehyun. You hated seeming pushy, but you craved his attention. You used to nag at him constantly for his repeatedly short responses or halfhearted efforts. Taehyun would try to accommodate, but at the end of the day, he brushed off the issue thinking it wasn’t a big deal.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers to no one while curled in bed, facing the side you once occupied. “I won’t be greedy anymore. I’ll remember every second to love you like you’re the only person on earth. I’ll talk to you about my day when you ask, make something for us to eat even though it might not be edible, whatever you want. I’ll tell you all the things I think but never say. Just please come back.”

Taehyun was tired of being a loser, because in his world, there was no such thing as happy endings for losers like himself. That’s why he tried so hard to no longer be the person he once was.

But despite all that, without his lover, he felt like the same old loser nonetheless.

A tear falls from the corner of his eye, silently. “If only I could turn back the clock… I would’ve never let you go that easily. I would’ve never let you go until you really knew how much I love you. I’m sorry, at least know that I'm sorry.”

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[kimnjss]

unconscious confession | jhs

⤑  series: heartbreaker

⤑ pairing: stoner!hoseok x cheerleader!reader

⤑ genre: fluff !! 

⤑ rating: pg13

⤑ word count: 3.4 // unedited

⤑ warnings: use of recreational drugs..!!

⤑ A/N: hiiii! thanks to everyone who has been reading along so far and giving me feedback with each and every update !! i really appreciate it honestly it’s a really big motivator for me. sooo i hope you like this part as well, don’t forget to let me know what you think . and also it’s this hoseok walking around lmao .

OCTOBER 3RD, 2020 | 19:26

Hoseok showed up to the game while the players were still practicing and you and the rest of the squad were in the middle of stretches. He looks effortlessly handsome from the quick glimpse you get before he's slumping down onto the metal. Focus on tucking each crumble of weed into the paper, but he'd occasionally steal glances at you on the field.

And your eyes meet each and every time. He played into the casual feel he wanted to set for tonight, an oversized pale yellow shirt underneath his light denim jacket. The pants he wears matches the jean of his jacket but are covered in rips, hair being held back by a headband. You've never noticed it before, but staring at him from the field when you really should be stretching had you realizing how well he carried himself. All of the time.

Thankfully, you're able to keep focus while you're actually cheering. Ignoring the fuzzy feeling that rises in your chest at the sight of him cheering for you (it's not for the players on the field who are losing, badly). He even waves cutely at you as you're being thrown in the air and you consider ruining your form to wave back. But decide against it, Jimin would throw a fit.

His attention is on you from kickoff through overtime, taking the steps two at a time as the players line up to congratulate the winning team. “Ooh. Here comes your biggest fan,” Jimin points out from beside you, slightly breathless from the back-to-back routines.

You're gulping down mouthfuls of water, so you actually don't see when Hoseok makes his way over to you. Not until Jimin's words are registering and your head is whipping around to catch the wide smile on his pretty face. He doesn't hesitate to drop his arm over your shoulders, easily tucking your body into his side.

Instantly, you're engulfed in the familiar scent of him. The subtle stench of weed masked by his sweet cologne. You've never been around a guy who smelt as sweet as Hoseok always did, used to the overpowering stink of AXE body spray, but you're convinced he's never purchased a bottle. 

He's offering a quick nod of acknowledgment to Jimin, which is met with a halfhearted wave as he leans down to tie his laces. “You were pretty cool cheering,” He tries to be nonchalant with his compliment, eyes focused on the sky as he talks. Which is pointless, you already caught the way he had been cheering from the crowd.

“'Pretty cool', that's it?” There's a playful smirk on your lips that he finds way more inciting than he should. But, he's determined to keep his cool in front of you so all he does is lift his shoulders in a slight shrug. “Yeah, pretty cool.” He repeats in the same tone as before.

You don't even bother to mask the snicker that sneaks past your lips. “I put my leg behind my head it was just 'pretty cool'? Maybe you need an up-close demonstration?” It's the one that you use that catches him off guard, highlighting the meaning behind your suggestion.

He stumbles slightly, eyes widening slightly. That was obviously something he's thought about before... respectfully. This wasn't the first time he's seen what your body could do and it never failed to get his mind wandering. Of course, he's thought if he had the chance to sleep with you, would you pull out the same tricks you do on the field. Who wouldn't wonder that with someone they were pursuing? 

But, the fact that you were mentioning it. Hinting at it like you were planning for exactly that to happen, that was a whole different ballpark. And it's obvious from the slightly dazed look in his eye, that you can't help but laugh at. Pulling him from his thoughts with the sound of your laugh.

“You're funny,” You say through your laughter, which he's quickly catching on to – soft chuckles leaving his lips.

He leads you all the way to the locker rooms, where he waits outside for you to change out of your uniform and into the sweater and jeans you had picked out for your date. Compliment at the edge of his tongue the moment you're stepping out, arm dropping back down around your shoulder.

While the two of you walk to his car, he fills you in on the hilarious thing Jeongguk did that morning. And you laugh along with him. Like an actual laugh, not one of those forced ones to boost his ego. He's animated as he speaks, gesturing wide and goofy voices tagged as his friend's voices.

You're a few steps from his car when he's rushing ahead of you, pulling the car door open before dramatically gesturing to it. “M'lady,” He says as you pass him and you know he's just kidding, but your heart skips a beat.

There's got to be something wrong with you, you're sure of it. You've been on tons of dates in the past and here you were all warm and fuzzy inside and the date has barely started. It was comforting being around Hoseok, though. As if you've always known him, you hardly had to do any thinking when you texted and it was no different in person.

You can't help but wonder if it felt like that for him too. A connection like that can't just go unnoticed, right? Or maybe you were getting ahead of yourself. “Will you tell me now where we're going?” You're asking as he's settling into the space beside you, tugging his seatbelt around his waist.

“I won't tell you until we're there.” You had spent the entire night before trying to guess where he was taking you, which was no use. The shrug emoji was a favorite of his you were quickly realizing. “It's really cool, though. You're gonna like it,” He says with a grin.

If that was supposed to ease your curious mind, it does the exact opposite. A place he was sure you were going to like? How would he know? Talked for seven days straight, but that's only one week. Do you really know what someone likes after one week?

Hoseok's quiet the entire car ride, a small smile playing on his lips as he drives. You're too busy striking out possible date locations to make any conversation, so the soft sound of his music is the only noise that fills the car. He's humming along to the beat, fingers tapping against the steering wheel, hair being swept by the wind. He's something out of a movie, it's hard to really focus on anything else.

Ten whole minutes pass of you shamelessly admiring his profile before he's shoving the car into park. “We're here,” Arms stretched out in front of him and your eyes squint, figuring you're missing something. “Where's here?” You're asking when you can't find the answer for yourself.

Hoseok lets out a small laugh, hand reaching to unbuckle his seatbelt. “You gotta get out to see it,” He's at your door seconds later, pulling it open and offering his hand out to you. Which you take, allowing him to pull you from the warmth and into the night wind. With his fingers laced with yours, he leads you away from the car.

You were standing on a cliff and the closer you get to the edge, the prettier it gets. Lights from the city below twinkling, but it looks so quiet. “You can see everything up here,” His fingers are still laced with yours, forgotten between you. “Right. I like to come here sometimes and just look,” Even with the endless conversation the two of you shared throughout the week, there were still quite a few things you didn't know about him.

Like the fact that he had a spot or the reason, he felt like he needed one in the first place. “How come you wanted to have our date here?” Aren't spots supposed to be private? Wouldn't showing you where he goes to 'just look', take away from that?

All at once, he's becoming all too aware with the warmth of your hand in his. The small tingle he feels throughout his palm that he had done a good job at ignoring up until now. It's the reason he's wiggling his fingers from your grasp and shoving his hand into the front pocket of his jeans.

He's plopping down on the rock with a thud, shoulders shrugging. “I don't know. Sometimes when we talk, I feel like bringing you here. So I did.” He's trying to be cool and you're not too sure why. There's a code in his words that isn't at all hard to read. He wanted to bring you here, let you in on a piece of him and no matter how nonchalant he tried to act about it, that's what it was.

So you're lowering yourself to sit beside him. From his pocket, he's pulling out a pre-rolled blunt and tucking it between his lips. He's quick with lighting it, taking his time with inhaling. “I don't really go on dates like that, you know. I mean, I do... but I don't. When I take girls out, it's like a gratuity, you know? But, I like talking to you and I wanted to show you something cool too. So I brought you here,”

His free hand rests on the ground behind you, inadvertently pulling your body closer to his. “Do you like it?” There's a bit of hopefulness in his voice that's hard to miss.

You're smiling brightly up at him, nodding your head to rid him of any confusion. “I like it. It's really pretty. Thank you for showing it to me,” Just your smile was enough to have the flutter starting up in his chest, but the way you talked to him? He'd turn into a blubbering fool if he wasn't careful.

He extends his hand, wordlessly offering the smoke out to you. And you're assuming that he just wants you to hold it for a second, so you pluck it from his fingers. And wait. He's snorting out a laugh at the patient look on your face. “You gonna hit it or...?”

“Oh! Uhm... no?” He's quick with pulling it from your fingers at the rejection, no desire to waste anything. “Why not? Are you like a good girl or something?” He teases, words coming through a cloud of smoke.

You're letting out a scoff, eyes rolling at his words. “No. I'm an athlete. My body is my most important instrument. Which includes my lungs,” He's bursting out laughing at the snootiness hidden in your tone. A loud laugh contagious laugh that could probably be heard throughout the entire city.

“Well, excuse me,” He speaks through your dying laughter.

With his arm resting behind you, you're naturally leaning into his side. The calm of the night and having him so close has a warm feeling settling in your chest, so much so that it's hard to contain the smile that has spread onto your features. Sitting in comfortable silence and watching the city below and it doesn't feel weird.

Content with just being around him and that's something you've never felt before. Whether or not he was feeling it too was lost on you, his focus on moving the blunt to and from his lips, a cloud of smoke forming above your heads.

“You see that greenish building?” You're pointing a little ways ahead of you. He has to lean forward and squint to see what you're referring to but nods once he spots it. “That's my middle school,” Punctuating your words with a grin up at him.

His fingers move to flick his scraps into the window, his body moving closer to you now that his focus wasn't split. “What was Middle School Yn like?” His free hand fidgets with the pebbles on the other side of his body, the other resting over your shoulder.

“Middle School Yn?” You repeat with a laugh, head tilting to the side as you're brought back to what you were like in middle school. Nothing like how you've turned out. “She was... different?” You're laughing again, planning on leaving it at that.

But, he's got this expectant look on his face, waiting for you to go on. So you do. “I kept to myself mostly, didn't have many friends. Not nearly as confident as I am now. I read a lot and did my homework. That's it,” He doesn't seem shocked or even surprised by the fact that you weren't always this popular magazine cut-out creation of yourself.

He doesn't even bat an eye, simply nodding at your words. “So you were a little nerdy?” His words don't come out in the rude unconvinced way that you've heard before when showing your past yearbooks. It's more like he's trying to get an image of what you looked like back than despite anything else.

“You could say that,” He's nodding, brushing the dirt from his hands. “Cute. Middle School me would've had the biggest crush on you.” Hoseok speaks as if it's just another fact like his words don't have a flutter shooting through your chest.

And with how sure he was that you two would've hit it off in middle school, you can't help but become curious. “What were you like back then?” You try to picture what a younger version of him would look like. How he'd act. Probably still cool, unbothered by most things that would usually send kids into a rage.

Your imagination doesn't get too far before he's answering. “I was a bit of a hothead... always wanted to fight someone. I was sensitive and emotional, so I argued a lot with whoever. I had a ton of friends, though. But looking, they were probably just afraid of not being my friend.” He laughs so you offer up a small giggle.

Your hand had been mindlessly resting on his thigh before, fingers tracing patterns into the fabric of his jeans as he speaks. “So why do you think you'd have a crush on me?” From the way he described himself, it seemed like you two wouldn't even sit by each other – let alone be close enough that he'd develop a crush.

He's shrugging at your words, an action that you've quickly realized is his favorite. A way to give off nonchalance, but looking close enough it's not hard to detect the light blush that dusts over his cheeks. “You said you were quiet. I think I would've liked being around you. Listening to you talk... like now,” His arm drops from your shoulders to wrap around your waist, using his grip to pull you closer to him.

“Think if I met you then or now, I'd still be into the way you smile... or the pretty way you roll your eyes when you're trying to act annoyed. And yeah, just you.” His hand reaches for yours in his lap, loosely twisting your fingers with his. “Any version of me would like you,” It's so soft, you're not sure if that last part was meant for you to hear.

His eyes are focused out in front of you, not even slightly looking like someone that just confessed. So you ignore it, summing it up as a slip of the tongue. You don't comment, but that doesn't stop the butterflies from taking over your stomach.

All at once, you're being met with the undeniable urge to kiss him. Just to see what it feels like. Throw out the self-proclaimed challenge you set for yourself because Arya was probably wrong. You've spent the entire night with the guy, he cheered you on from the crowd, brought you to his spot, and now this... unconscious confession. The fact that he liked you was on his mind so much that he was saying it without even realizing it.

You found it extremely hard to think someone like that would have the wrap sheet he was given. Or, maybe he did in the past... but with you it was different. Why else would he take you here, invite you into his space and talk to you the way that he has if it wasn't anything different? Right?

Right.

So before you can talk yourself out of it, you're tilting your head to the side to face him. “It's pretty here, huh?” Voice much softer now, you've taken control of the fiddling of fingers. Twisting yours around him and occasionally brushing your nails against his skin. It's subtle enough to be taken lightly but just enough to leave his skin tingling.

He's quick to pick up on your change of demeanor, brows raising in slight surprise, but he doesn't say anything. In fact, he's following your lead, leaning his body in closer to yours. “Mhm. Quiet too, nobody really comes over here,” His fingers tug at the belt loops in your jeans, tongue pushing out to wet his lips.

“That's good,” Your breath brushes against his lips as you speak, eyes dropping to his lips. He doesn't say anything else, gently pulling his fingers from your grasp just so he can spread his palm on the side of your neck. And then his lips are crashing down onto yours, hand holding your head in place.

Hoseok kisses you slowly at first, mouth molding with yours. But it's not long before he's brushing his tongue over your lips, testing the waters before he's plunging in. Fingers pressed into his jeans, you try to keep your head from spinning as his tongue pushes against yours. He tastes earthy... but a little sweet. It's intoxicating.

With two hands planted firmly on your hips, he's easily lifting you onto his lap. The movement so fast it's forcing you to break the kiss, a squealed laugh breaking the kiss. Which he meets with a wide grin, reaching to push your hair from your face. Slowly, he drags the tips of his fingers over your jawline, until he's holding your chin between his thumb and index finger.

“I really like your lips,” He says through a groan, leaning in to cover your mouth with his once more. Hands dropping to cover the curve of your ass, pushing your body further up on his lap so your hips collide. You can feel his half-hard cock pressed against your thigh and it takes everything in you not to grind your hips forward.

The feeling of his cool hands slipping underneath your sweater has a shiver running down your spine. Body reacting to the way his fingers climb up your skin, grazing over the underwire of your bra. His teeth tug at your lower lip and you feel the twitch of his cock hardening as his hands slide underneath.

Your slow with pulling back, not fully wanting to pull away – but knowing if you didn't stop now you wouldn't be able to convince yourself later on. It's cute, though, the way his lips chase yours as you put distance between the two of you. When he's not tasting the peach of your lip gloss, his eyes flutter open.

Two large hands resting over your breasts, cheeks matching the color of his eyes. “You don't want to?” He looks genuinely confused, like someone not wanting to sleep with him right away was some foreign concept. Still, he's pulling his hands from the inside of your shirt, resting them behind him.

“Not yet,” He nods, glossy lips spreading into a smile. “Okay,” He leans up to press a reassuring kiss to your nose before he's sliding you off of his lap. And then, without missing a beat he's saying. “I bet I can name more constellations than you,” Completely wiping away any possibility of an awkward moment rising.

Challenging you with a smirk on his face and the comfortable atmosphere you had been in before is quickly returning. “Yeah, okay.” He's stretched out on the ground so he can look at the sky properly and you're quick to lower yourself beside him.

And just like that, you're pointing out clusters of stars, laughing at the ridiculous names that you come up with. Your head pressed to his shoulder and his arm wrapped around you. You don't even notice as the hours tick by.

— you’re just his type. so it’s no surprise when all of his time and effort goes into making you his. though, they’ve always said… you only want it because you can’t have it.

⤪ masterlist ⤨

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A/N: timestamps make sense throughout the fic. if u want to be added to the tag list, send me an ask! + if you’ve asked to be on my permanent taglist, you do not need to ask to be added to this one !!

[uswntxfootball]

baby, you’re like lightning in a bottle (kristie mewis x reader)

sam doesn’t know, so it’s unintentionally a series of rendezvous in the hotel. 

word count: 2388 ish

rating: H for hi i had some time to write so i did this short thing and Y for yeah i’ve been in a kristie kind of a phase so enjoy :)

title- electric love, borns  

——

your heart beat wildly in your chest as you laid there on the ground, sam’s voice distracting you from the grossness of the hotel room floor.

“okay now can you get up and put on some clothes already so we can go to breakfast?”

there’s a little bit more chatter until you hear a bit of rustling from the bed on top of you, followed by the clicking of a door, signaling sam’s exit from the room. 

still, you don’t dare to move, but it’s only when kristie bursts out laughing that you do. 

“okay that was too close of a call!”

 you shuffle out from under the bed and glare at your girlfriend, which only makes her laugh harder. 

you sit back onto the bed, a sheet draped over you, and pout.

“you didn’t have to kick me off the bed you asshole!”

kristie rolled her eyes.

“would you rather have been naked in my bed when sam walked in?”

“alright fair point,” you grumble.

kristie laughs again, and you try to stay mad at her, but when your girlfriend is kristie mewis, how could you? 

you eventually join in the laughter and break out into a grin, giving your girlfriend a quick kiss on the cheek when she walks by to get her phone.

“as much as i love you like this you should get dressed too y/n.”

you roll your eyes but agree.

“yeah yeah- speaking of, where is my shirt?”

kristie looks up from her phone and arches a brow at you.

“it’s your shirt. how would i know?”

you smirk and pull her in gently by the front of her hoodie, the girl in front of you gasping slightly as you do so.

“well you ripped it off of me last night didn’t you?”

kristie grins and wraps her arms around your neck. 

“perhaps.”

you look up and meet her in a searing kiss, your tongue slipping in her mouth almost immediately.

kristie pushes you onto your back and moves her kisses to your neck, but a slam on the door makes the two of you jump and almost fall off the bed in surprise.

“COME ON KRISTIE I’M HUNGRY!”

your girlfriend groans into your neck before screaming a reply: 

“JUST WAIT FOR ME IN THE LOBBY!”

“OKAY FINE!”

kristie groans, and just as she opens her mouth, sam cuts her off again.

“OKAY BUT YOU BETTER NOT FALL ASLEEP AGAIN!”

kristie rolls her eyes.

“SHUT UP I’M COMING!”

“not anymore..” you mutter, earning a smack on the chest from your girlfriend. 

despite her annoyance, she leans down to give you one last peck before making her way to the bathroom.

“okay i’ll leave first, and i’ll text you when the coast is clear so you can go back to your room.”

you hum in compliance.

“mhm okay kris.”

a few minutes later, after your phone pinged with a text, you still couldn’t find your shirt, so you slip on one of kristie’s hoodies on your way out, not noticing the trail of hickies down the side of your neck...

~~

it’s later when you arrive at practice that your carelessness bites you in the ass.

you were warming up alongside abby, when your girlfriend arrives with sam and rose, the trio heavily conversing in a topic unknown to you.

your ears perked up immediately upon hearing your girlfriend’s voice, your eyes following her every step.

you blush a little when your eyes meet sam’s, this morning’s close call still fresh on your mind. 

the taller midfielder shoots you a smile and a wave, both of which you reciprocate. 

kristie and rose do the same, though kristie’s eyes linger on you for a little bit, which you realize is probably because you’re wearing her hoodie.

she meets your eyes again and you quirk your eyebrow up a little challengingly.

your girlfriend rolls her eyes and mouths: 

“you look hot.”

you smirk and do a little hair flip and mouth back, “i know”, all which earn a halfhearted eye roll from kristie. 

an exclamation from sonnett tears your vision away from your girlfriend.

“damn y/n that’s one hell of a mosquito!”

your eyes immediately shoot to sonnett’s face in panic, and from the corner of your eye you catch a glimpse of kristie’s similar expression.

you clear your throat.

“what?”

sonnett makes her way to you and leans in to inspect your neck.

she points to the trail on your neck:

“these...things.” 

you swat her hands away. 

sonnett narrows her eyes. 

“wait a minute..”

you turn away abruptly and mouth a “sorry” to kristie. 

sonnett grabs your shoulders and spins you back around towards her. 

“...these are fresh! who’s defiling you during camp?!”

“i-“

“okay girls! time for practice!”

thank god for vlatko.

~~

unsurprisingly, you get swarmed again at lunch. 

by this point, everyone knows. 

kelley runs into you first. 

“alright so who are you banging?”

you roll your eyes. 

“i’m not banging anyone.”

kelley snorts as she grabs a salad. 

“yeah right. and i’m straight.” 

you roll your eyes again and ignore her, taking a seat at your typical table. 

kristie sits down next to you as soon as you get there. 

“hey.”

your mood almost immediately improves. 

“hey,” you grin back at her. 

the bashful smiles and exchanges aren’t missed by rose, who almost squeals in excitement across the room. 

she grabs sam’s arm, but realizing who’s she’s talking to, almost immediately drops it. 

sam gives her a weird look, but returns to her lunch nonetheless.

too caught up in staring at your girlfriend’s side profile, you almost scream when sonnett claps your back and leans over you. 

“emily sonnett! what is wrong with you!”

the defender just laughs. 

“what do you want?”

“you know what i want. who are you banging?”

kristie chokes on her bite of food next to you.  

“i told you already, no one.”

sonnett rolls her eyes and opts to question kristie, who’s currently coughing, instead. 

“hey you and y/n are close, do you know?”

kristie finishes coughing and locks eyes with you, smirking. 

“i don’t know y/n, who are you banging?”

you roll your eyes and stand up. 

“y’all are annoying.”

you throw away the remnants of your lunch and meet kristie’s eyes, who takes the hint and gets up too. 

unbeknownst to you, rose is watching your every move, and seeing the exchange, gets up to follow you. 

~~

as soon as the elevator door closes, you push kristie into the corner. 

“hey.”

kristie grins and gives you a kiss. 

“hey to you too.”

the two of you meet again, but you pull back after a few seconds. 

“do you think it’s time to tell them?”

 kristie sighs. 

“i don’t know, we could just have them figure it out themselves.”

“true. b-“

kristie shushes you. 

“less talking, more doing whatever we were doing before.”

you grin and comply, the two of you so caught up in kissing that you don’t hear the elevator doors open. 

“OH MY FUCKING GOD I KNEW IT!”

you spring apart so abruptly you hit your head on the wall. 

rose stands before you panting slightly, but more excited than anything. 

you furrow your brows in confusion. 

“how did- we took the elevator-“

kristie butts in. 

“di-did you run up the stairs?”

rose nods regretfully. 

“all six floors?”

she nods again. 

“but how did you-“

“okay enough about me!”

rose grabs your arms and pulls the two of you out of the elevator and into the hallway. 

“how long-”

you finish for her.

“-is my dick?”

kristie smacks your arm and rose rolls her eyes. 

you hold you hands up in defense. 

kristie shakes her head and pinches the bridge of her nose. 

“i’m dating a child.”

rose asks again. 

“how long have you been together?”

you grin and give kristie a kiss on the cheek before saying:

“a little over a month.”

rose squeals in excitement. 

“wait does sam know?”

“do i know what?”

the three of you spin around to see sam stepping out of the elevator with a confused look on her face. 

when you remain silent, she asks again. 

“what did i miss?”

rose saves the two of you.  

well. 

sort of. 

“we’re talking about y/n’s hickies! have you seen them?”

sam replies in the negative. 

she leans in and inspects your neck, and over her head you catch kristie’s glare directed at rose. 

“these are fresh! so it’s someone at camp!”

rose agrees with her. 

“that’s what i said! but she denies it!”

“y/n.” 

you look up at them.

“yes?”

“tell us.”

“nope.”

“please?”

“nope.”

~~

you should’ve known that they wouldn’t let you off the hook that quickly. 

team movie night was happening, and kristie knocked on your shared room a whole 30 minutes before it began. 

abby was the one who opened it. 

“oh kristie, hey, you know it doesn’t start for like another half an hour right?” 

you sneak up behind abby and grin. 

“she knows.”

abby’s eyes flicker between the two of you when it hits her. 

she makes an “oh” face and lets your girlfriend in.

“please don’t have sex while i’m here.” 

you assure her.

“don’t worry, wasn’t planning on it.”

luckily for you, your best friend wasn’t as pushy or nosy as the rest of the team was. 

you could tell there were questions she wanted to ask, but abby being abby, refrained from doing so. 

so all was well. 

for those thirty minutes. 

and then the rest of the team arrived. 

~~ 

“all in favor of skipping movie night for a non alcoholic version of never have i ever say aye!”

following kelley’s exclamation, a loud cacophony of “aye’s” could be heard throughout the room. 

you rolled your eyes. 

of course.

you turn towards your girlfriend who shrugs. 

“alright everyone make a circle make a circle!”

you get dragged by abby to sit next to her, across from kristie, who’s sitting next to sam. 

kristie meets your eyes and you both smile a little. 

then the game started. 

it was innocent enough at first. 

“okay never have i ever ridden a ferris wheel!”

everyone groans. 

“really sam?!”

“that’s so lame!”

and then after a few rounds it got interesting. 

“never have i ever dated a national team teammate!”

rose stared at you when she said it. 

you shoot her a glare and try to non conspicuously take a sip of your drink, kristie doing the same. 

“NO! KRISTIE!” sam exclaimed in shock. 

kristie rolled her eyes. 

“surprise?”

sam gave her a look that read we need to talk later.

you get the same treatment from the kids.

“wait y/n who have you dated?!”

“is that who gave you the hickies?!”

“is-“

you cut them off.  

“OKAY next one.”

suddenly sam stands up when her phone rings: 

“wait hold on pat’s calling me.”

everyone awws and sam rolls her eyes, before stepping out into the hallway to take the phone call.

kelley pipes in to continue and you groan when you hear it.

“never have i ever had sex in the past week.” 

you meet kristie’s eyes and both of you blush, grabbing your drinks along with tobin and christen.

“NO WAY! I-“

lindsey promptly slaps a hand over sonnett’s mouth to shut her up. 

it takes a second for it to click. 

then everyone starts talking at once. 

“I KNEW IT!”

“DAMN YOU’RE LUCKY SAM ISNT IN HERE!”

“IS THAT WHY YOU ASKED TO BORROW MY ROOM UGH GROSS!”

you yell at them to shut up. 

“OKAY!”

you look at kristie apologetically, who just shrugs and smiles at you. 

you look at everyone and say: 

“okay you get three questions collectively.”

christen pipes in first. 

“how long?”

kristie answers. 

“a little over a month-.”

sonnett cuts off the rest of your sentence.

“how the fuck did you keep it a secret for that long?!”

“is that your second question?”

everyone glares at the blonde defender almost immediately. 

“sorry sorry.”

“does sam know?”

you both shake your head.

“alright one question left.”

“how’s the sex?” 

that question is followed by a “kelley!” and a slap. 

kristie responds to it nonetheless, accompanying the end with a wink.

“great thanks for asking.”

you blush and the rest of the team gags.

“hey what’d i miss?”

oh right. sam. 

“we just finished up another round.”

“oh cool what was the question?”

“never have i ever had sex in the past week.”

sam scrunches up her face.

“that’s a boring one. i mean it would just be tobin and christen right?”

~~

a week later, she found out.

“WOULD ANYONE CARE TO EXPLAIN WHAT IVE JUST UNWILLINGLY WITNESSED?!!”

sam’s shriek wakes both of you up. 

your heart was hammering in your chest under the blanket you pulled over yourself.

kristie just groaned and pulled her pillow over her head.

“AGAIN I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE AN EXPLANATION!”

kristie mumbled under the pillow:

“surprise, we’re dating.”

sam’s face softened. 

“you’re dating?” 

kristie sat up. 

“yes. how’d you even get in this room?”

“jane gave me your keycard.”

“ah.”

“you’re really dating?”

“yes.”

sam claps happily. 

“i have to call pat now! we can go on double dates omg this’ll be so fun!”

sam sits down on the opposite bed and grins. 

“y/n you can stop hiding now.”

from under the covers you mumble:

“i’m not wearing anything.”

sam crinkles her nose in disgust. 

“okay never mind then.”

you take a peek at sam, who’s smiling widely and happily, and then at kristie, who’s watching you with a loving smile. 

seeing her, you temporarily forget sam’s there and give your girlfriend a quick kiss.

“hey.”

kristie smiles back.

“good morning you.”

sam’s watching the interaction with a shit eating grin, and when you move to kiss kristie again, she covers her eyes.

“ew y/n you just side boobed me.”

you flip her off and kiss your girlfriend anyway. 

[saabbi]

Regret part 7

Warmth in the freezing snow

Genshin Impact Adeptus!reader au

warnings: light angst?, mentions of drugging and syringes, probably messy, crappy quality

words: ~2.8k

Notes: series is resuming after the hiatus. I had a hard time writing this chapter (because I suck at writing) so I really hope this chapter didn't turn out to be too messy and confusing. ao3 series link

[previous] [next]

Stepping out the ship, you’re immediately greeted by the harsh and nostalgic icy cold breeze. Pure white snowflakes that dance around your vision and the pile of soft snow beneath your feet tells you that you’re back in Snezhnaya.

You asked a subordinate to help you deliver the lantern you had bought for Teucer and obediently followed another Fatui member, who guided you to the chamber where the Tsarista is patiently waiting for your arrival.

“Your highness, I have returned.” You kneeled down on one knee, head lowering to pay your respects. The Tsarista’s ice cold gaze pierces you, making you anxious on why she summoned you.

“My loyal subject.” a voice so calm and quiet, barely to be heard, yet crystal clear and reverberates around the shallow and empty hall, sending a chill down your spine. You look up upon her call, acknowledging that she remains ever so strikingly breath-taking, as resplendent as the most exquisite flower, as elegant as Snezhnaya’s never-melting snow.

“Dottore has found a way to further enhance the capabilities of Fatui, and your aid is needed to achieve it.” She walks closer to you with each step, stopping just before your kneeled figure.

“To achieve it, your aid is necessary. I trust that you will provide all the help Dottore needs dutifully, yes?” A simple question, but her tone indicates that she does not accept rejection as an answer.

“Yes, of course.” The Tsarista seems delighted at your answer, resting her chilly hand on your cheeks and lightly caressing it with her thumb. The subtle intimate gesture however, was nothing resembling that of affection. The Tsarista’s sharp gaze remains fixated on you, yet it doesn’t feel like she’s properly looking at you at all. Her gaze has always been like that, as if she’s looking for something deeper in your soul, but not your existence.

“Dottore, come in. The final mission of our primeval harbinger shall now be performed.” The coldness on your cheeks is replaced by the sudden gushes of wind, the words leaving the Tsarista’s mouth leaving you off guard as you abruptly shot your head up.

“...Your highness? What does that-” Cut off by a harsh slam of the door, you turn to the entrance only to reveal a masked man with curly blue locks- Dottore. The condescending smirk spreading on his face as he meets your wary eyes sets off alarms in your head, screaming that this man is up to no good.

Your hand immediately reaches towards the hilt of your sword resting on your hips, ready to draw it out if he makes any suspicious movements. Furrowing your eyebrows and eyeing Dottore’s every move, unsure of what he would do.

“Relax, relax. This is all under the Tsarista’s orders, doesn’t do too much harm...I guess?” Dottore, now casually twirling a syringe filled with a dangerous-looking fluid, puts his hands up in the air in a placating manner, but his halfhearted response only makes you glare at him cautiously.

“I will have to question you on what you’re about to do, Dottore.” It’s all under the Tsarista’s orders, and you thought it would just be something about training new Fatui recruits, but Dottore’s behaviour insinuates that there is much more than that, and seems like the syringe is to be used on you.

“Oh this? Haha! I’m not quite sure, maybe knock you out for a bit? Y’know, draw out your adeptal powers to the maximum potential, I weaponise it, and voila! Fatui gets a new upgrade! Wonderful plan right?”

Dottore sure made it sound like no big deal, but you know that’s not all the catch. Because if it’s about your adeptal powers, then surely, the Tsarista’s intention is to-

“You’d better not do any stupid movements with your sword, yeah? It would be bad if you were to go against her highness’ orders, after all, you are her most loyal subordinate. Unless… you plan to commit treachery?” Dottore leered as your grip on the sword tightens, conflicted on what to do.

Reluctantly, you peered over to the Tsarista, who has not said a word at the impasse and tense situation between you and Dottore, silently watching everything unfold before her. The Tsarista’s glacial smile never fades as she meets your gaze, not giving you a definite response, but perhaps acknowledging Dottore’s words.

“That’s… not all there is to this, is it?” Despite your loyalty to the Tsarista, this question must be raised for your own sake. Adeptal energy has always been a rather sensitive subject to both you and the Tsarista, with you knowing that she has always wanted to utilise your mysterious powers to help her achieve her goals.

“Quite the sharp one huh? Well I suppose there’s no use beating around the bush, I’ll do you the favour in telling you this- Your adeptal energy is to be drained completely for us to use, ahahaha!” A fit of manical laughter jolted through him, his atrocious appearance matching his abhorrent personality.

“And that would leave me...vulnerable and powerless?” The appalling smirk that makes you want to throw up, the messed up plan that makes you want to run away from the Tsarista’s chambers.

“B i n g o! You neither have a vision nor delusion, so without those powers, you’re pretty much useless.” Dottore approaches you, barely stopping in front of you. Lowering his voice, he mumbled into your ears, “and you’ll be thrown away by the Tsarista, officially being useless to her. I’m sure you know by now, that all her highness cares about is that adeptal energy of yours, and not you yourself?” even at such a low volume, his mockery towards you can clearly be heard.

Of course you knew, that all the Tsarista’s interested in is your mysterious powers. It doesn’t take a detective to figure out her intentions in bringing you to her nation. Even after millennia of you serving her with your utmost loyalty, all she has taken interest in is your powers.

The cold Tsarista that requested you like an object from Morax as a trade of peace, and never paid you much attention. The Tsarista who only shows you some form of affection and addresses your name when she needs you to carry out her plans. To her, it was obvious that you are a mere chess piece, for her to attain her grand goals.

Despite knowing this, you still turned your head once more towards the Tsarista, locking gazes with her, searching for something that even you yourself wasn’t sure what you’re looking for in her eyes, but to no avail, the same empty eyes with no any sort of emotion returning your disappointment. That is how little you meant to her.

It has always been, a foolish hope of yours, to believe that one day, if you stay by her side long enough, you would become a figure that holds much more place in her heart. But that has never been the case, her icy heart never had space for you, locking you out. She has enough love for all the other harbingers, all except you.

The best course of action right now, is to draw out your blade and resist against the Tsarista. You have to defend yourself, you have to get out alive and well, because you promised Zhongli, Xiao, and Ganyu to return. You have to unsheathe your sword right this instant.

But your hands remain frozen, disobeying your commands and desperate internal cries. It should be simple, to protect yourself against those who could not care less about your existence and never acknowledging you, and flee to Liyue. So why can’t you bring yourself to do so?

Because it would mean that you’re defying the person whom your loyalty is dedicated to, denying the Tsarista’s ambitions.

The same Tsarista who ripped you apart from your family, but also the one who gave you a new identity, and a new place to call home, giving you a reason to live on by serving her.

And you who watched over her carefully throughout your lifetime; when she became obsessed with the idea of bringing down celestia, to the point where delusions are invented just for the sole purpose of resisting against the sacred land where gods are rumoured to reside.

You never found out the reason behind her obstinacy in bringing down celestia, but you stayed beside her long enough to witness her desire for power and authority to continue to expand into a bottomless abyss, and the times when she struggled.

Times when her immature plans backfired, times she felt livid and Snezhnaya would be in raging blizzards for weeks, times when she doubted her own decisions. You were always there, by her side and ready to jump into action whenever she needed you to.

Through trial and error, she learned to develop well thought-out plans after calculations and taking precautionary measures, and recruited talented individuals. The harder she falls, the higher she bounces. She was undeniably a dazzling existence to you.

The Tsarista is a blinding lone star that continues to glisten even if other stars have faded, showing its resistance towards the devouring night sky. Someone so cruel and brutal, yet ever so resplendent, that you couldn’t peel your eyes off her.

A star that defies the night sky.

And you, who only knew how to live under orders and pretty much lived a tedious life besides carrying out Fatui duties, are dull and have long succumbed to darkness.

So how could you deny her? The one who never faltered, the flames of ambition that refuses to die out no matter what? You couldn’t bring yourself to betray her even at this very moment, because you have watched over her for far too long.

“This turned out to be rather...disappointing.” Seeing you loosening your grip on the sword and putting down your defenses, Dottore scoffs.

You take a sharp inhale, making up your mind. Regretfully, your decision is to stay loyal to the Tsarista and faithfully do as she wishes up until the very end. A very foolish decision even you are aware of, and one that makes your heart scream in agony knowing that you’re once again being thrown away. Even so, this is the path you have chosen.

.

.

.

Drained, you felt. It felt as if your powers erupted all at once, and got sucked dry by a vacuum cleaner and left to die on the road. Your role as the twelfth harbinger has been dismissed, now just an identity-less wanderer. The Tsarista truly is a cruel person, you thought, to just throw you out and let you crawl away all by your own whilst surrounded by nothing but coldness and snow, knowing that you right now are incredibly weak and vulnerable. She didn’t even have someone to escort you to a shelter, simply took away your harbinger identification with the usual eerie smile.

But archons do you feel horrible, dizzy and nauseous, on the verge of passing out. Now that you’ve lost your place, where would you go? Tired, cold and nowhere to go, you lean on a nearby bark to grab a hold of yourself, trying figure out what to do from now on.

Slumping down and shutting your eyes, you are forced to face your own emotions that you have repressed in the Tsarista’s chambers. Your heart aches so much, the strong pulsations being the only thing resounding in your ears, it hurts more than how your body is right now.

What a pathetic destiny you face, to be thrown away whom you trusted and served twice in your lifetime. It hurts so much, your heart continuously screams to you, not forgiving the way you hurt it so severely. So pathetic, you are so pathetic, you thought.

Even after millennia, you still never found a place you truly belonged to, your miserable and pathetic self was not accepted anywhere. You know very well the Tsarista has always been using you, yet facing the harsh reality is not as easy as you thought.

Wouldn’t it be better if the abyss consumed you? To be embraced by darkness and vanish, not having to face pointless emotions and drama? If only your eyes never opened back from the first time you dirtied your own hands, and instead swallow by the cold and hungry arms of demise- if you only died back then, would you still have to face such circumstances?

“...Hey, comrade.” a light whisper of a familiar voice enters your ears, dragging you back from your thoughts. You looked up at the one who called for you, only to find your vision blurry and cheeks feeling wet and cold. You didn’t even realise droplets of tears had trickled down your cheeks, you are even surprised that you’re capable of crying, you hadn’t shed a tear, let alone cry out loud for so long that you had forgotten how it felt.

Childe crawls closer, slowly wrapping you into a warm hug and gently strokes you on the head like how he has treats his siblings. You feel embarrassed to be comforted by someone much younger than you and being treated like a child, but returned the hug nonetheless. Not knowing how much you needed a hug, you find his embrace to be pleasant and safe.

“There’s a ship heading to Liyue, so let’s get you home to where it’s warm and safe, yeah?” Home, Childe said, you wanted to retort, but somehow ‘home’ and ‘Liyue’ just sounded right. Is it okay if you return there? To seek asylum?

“Come on comrade, it’d be devastating if you missed the ride!” slumping your weak arms over his shoulders and a hand on your waist to support you, lifting you onto your feet to lead you to the harbour.

“I-I’m sorry for what happened, and that I...I couldn’t help you. If I had known what Dottore was scheming, I would have talked to the Tsarista and convince her not to adopt such a brutal method.” His cheery voice is replaced by one with remorse, avoiding your eyes.

“I didn’t know Dottore came up with such an outrageous method, the Tsarista didn’t inform us of her plan! I- I should’ve known Dottore was up to no good! I could’ve done something-” Getting agitated, his speech hastens and stumbles over his own words.

“Hey, hey. Calm down, you know it’s not your fault.” You cut him off, giving him a soft slap on the back. “The Tsarista had such plans a long time ago, she just...never found the right methods until today, I guess.”

Somehow, it only made Childe feel even worse, guilt and sympathy all shown on his face.

“Come on, where’s your usual jolly self? A gloomy expression doesn't suit you at all. Teucer and Tonia will be worried for their #1 toymaker of Snezhnaya.” you mustered a feeble smile, assuring him that you’re fine.

“Well, never thought I’d hear you crack a joke after all these years…” Childe’s lips curve into a relieved and playful smile. Although, you have to admit, it does makes you feel better knowing that he’s worried for you.

.

.

.

“This is the Crux, you might’ve seen their crew around Liyue before. I spoke with the captain, and it’s a huge relief that she accepted our request!” You and Childe stumbled into the guest room that is kindly lent to you, with Childe immediately helping you get on the bed and wrapping you in blankets.

“You had a not-so-pleasant eventful day, it’s best if you warm up and rest now. I can’t go back with you, but I’ve contacted Zhongli, he should be there to pick you up when you arrive.” with a soft tone, Childe picks up your hand and gently strokes your palms, taking a note of your pale complexion, you remind him of his siblings when they were sick. He turns to leave you alone, about to close the door.

“Hey, Childe?” He abruptly stops and turns back to you with a concerned look, worried if you’re still feeling unwell and perhaps he could help.

“Thank you.” but only two simple words came out of your mouth. So simple and short, but more than enough to convey the gratitude and respect you held for him.

Childe breaks into a beaming smile, “Of course! We’re friends after all, right comrade? I think I’m even your best friend!” to which you chuckled. Yeah, you suppose he isn’t wrong on that.

Just before he closes the door completely, he halts and opens his mouth, “Teucer adored your gift, he and Tonia wanted to prepare something in return… I’ll bring it to you next time, yeah? And perhaps drink tea too at Zhongli’s?”

“Yes, I shall look forward to dear Teucer and Tonia’s gift then, it’s a promise.” You feel your consciousness slip away, closing your eyes and replying to Childe with a light smile on your face.

“It’s a promise!” He enthusiastically replied, only to realise he should tone it down to let you sleep in peace. “Sweet dreams, comrade.” Just before passing out on your bed, you hear Childe’s almost inaudible reply and a click on the door shutting close.

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[ranaiki]

Split Apart | Chapter 9 - Route Less Traveled

wc: 3.3k

warnings: descriptions of death/dead bodies, gorey kinda, mild swearing, mentions of a weapon but no weapon use. Heavily implied death at the end, nothing descriptive that comes in the next chapter. Kinda harassment by Atsumu?

a/n: ayo nobody ever told me writing a series would be this hard. Consistency? Keeping track of plot points? Making sure it stays interesting? Whos she? Anyways I hope this chapter isn’t too terrible. I’m doing my best... Also I wanted to mention here that Atsumu is kinda like annoying and seems like a douche but... we have plans for him. Promise. Also his behavior with reader is purely for comedic effect/relief from the heavier tones. It’s implied that reader has never told him to stop explicitly (and if she did, he would). Wanted to make that clear since his behavior this chapter is definitely leaning into more of a grey area.

s.masterlist | prev | next

“Ya mean to tell me we’re leaving again?”

Leave it to Atsumu to complain the second he hears a plan he doesn’t completely agree with. Scratch that, the second he even woke up.

“We’re tryin’ ta get to Hokkaido as soon as possible. There’s no time to dilly dally.” Kita explained, leaning up against the back wall of the damaged house, staring across the room at the huddle of Inarizaki boys, all of them groggy and seeking warmth from the others.

You sat near his side, watching quietly as Kita assembled the group, and explained to them the logistics of the plan you had made together the night before.

The wood was cold against your rear, seeping through the insulation of your yoga pants, the black fabric stained with patches of dust.

In your hand was an empty bag of chips and package of natto. The remnants of your halfhearted breakfast.

“It’s barely even light out yet!” He grumbled, rubbing at his face to press away the sleepy numbness that had settled over the course of the night. “We couldnt’a waited even a bit longer?”

“Once we get to Otsu, we’ll spend an extra day resting, okay?” Kita promised, doing his best to placate an increasingly rowdy Atsumu.

“Unless you wanna turn into a popsicle by the time we get to Hokkaido, I’d suggest you stop complaining, Miya.” You grumbled, leaning your back up against the fragmented wall. “If we wait too much longer, we’ll have to deal with winter on top of everything.”

“She has a point, ‘Tsumu.” Osamu said, turning towards his brother.

“Of course ya’d side with her!” Atsumu snapped, glowering at his twin. Osamu didn’t respond, impassive and unamused. “But fine. We can leave.”

Akagi chuckled from the side. “Don’t think it was up to you anyways.” He said around a mouthful, stuffing the last of his chips into his mouth.

You snorted in amusement at the scandalized look that befell Atsumu’s face.

“The walk shouldn’t be too difficult.” With his words, the attention drifted from your side of the room to the opposite, where Kai had just entered from an adjacent hallway. He stood alongside Chisaki and the other Kyoto locals that were going to be tagging along. “It’s mostly flat, and should be pretty open in comparison to the city streets.”

“Thank ya again for comin’ with us.” Kita had left his perch against the wall, approaching Kai with a friendly smile and nod. Kai only waved him off unceremoniously. 

“It’s no problem, really. We’re all ready to go, looks like you guys need a few more minutes though?”

Kita glanced over his shoulder where the Inarizaki members stood, observing their states of being. Everyone was slumped with their bags nearby, some of them distracted by their breakfasts or by conversations happening under hushed tones.

“No...” Kita said, letting out a long, weary breath as he spoke, his expression remaining blasé. “That’s about as ready as they can manage.”

“Huh... alright then.”

“C’mon guys!” Kita shouted, dragging the wandering attention back towards the front and the task at hand. “Remember to stick with a buddy at all times. Doesn’t matter who.”

You pushed yourself from the floor, hands swiping down the front of your pants, adding another streak of unseemly white as the dust they picked up moved from your palms to the dark fabric. “Hey Samu, you wanna-” you paused, sentence interrupted by a harsh gaze boring into you, green eyes narrowed in your direction.

Suna had already attached himself to Osamu’s side, a long arm swung over his shoulders, hanging off of it possessively. Osamu turned his head, peering back at you with an apologetic expression on his face.

“Gee, sorry Y/n.” He said, pointedly ignoring the way Suna was glaring at you, ready to tear you up if you even tried to take Osamu away from him again. “I already promised Rin I’d walk with him. Don’t think its fair for him ta be stuck with Tsumu twice in a row...”

“Oh! That’s okay.” You smiled and waved him off. “I’ll find someone else to walk with.” It didn’t bother you, really, but you could still see the guilt dripping from Osamu’s gaze. You shifted your attention towards Suna, who still hadn’t taken his eyes off of you. “I wouldn’t wanna be stuck with the other Miya either.”

“Oh, Y/n! Y/n!” Speak of the devil. You flinched, warily glancing over your shoulder in search of the culprit. Atsumu was pushing his way through the group of boys towards you, stumbling over his and others’ feet rather clumsily. “I’ll walk with ya!”

You stiffened, whipping your head back around and walking briskly in the opposite direction.

Is it too much to hope he didn’t notice I heard him...?

“Wait, Y/n! I know ya can hear me, just wait!”

“Not happening, Miya!” You ducked behind Akagi, listening to the blond’s heavy footfalls as he raced after you.

“What? Why?” Atsumu had crouched down, peering beneath Akagi’s arm to look you in the face as you scrambled away.

“In what world would I willingly spend time with you?”

“Aw c’mon, I promise ya it’ll be fun! I’ll make it worth your while.”

You froze in your tracks.

Atsumu had straightened again, standing back with his hands folded over his stomach, that stupid, insolent smirk on his stupid face. If the change in his tone hadn’t been enough, that certainly was, and he topped it off with a wink.

Your mouth pressed into a thin line as you too straightened out, not taking your eyes off of him, though saying nothing, and doing nothing.

“I knew ya’d listen ta reason.” You had to physically restrain yourself from cringing at the purr in his voice, a triumphant look on his face that was entirely unbidden. “Come take a spin on the Atsumu train.”

You baulked. Without missing a beat, you turned your head to the side, shoving a finger into your open mouth and mimicking a rather intense rendition of vomiting, gagging obscenely to get the message across.

“Bleh!” You rolled your eyes, nose scrunched in disgust at the smug expression still plastered on his face. “How could you possibly manage to be more gross Miya?”

Atsumu’s expression faltered, giving way to his true emotions for little more than a heartbeat. “Ya don’t even have a partner anyways,” He said with a heavy sigh. “M’sorry, could ya just walk with me? And stop calling me Miya! It’s weird.”

“I do have a buddy.” You narrowed your eyes at him. “Miya.”

“Hey!” He puffed his chest up irritably. “Ya don’t have a partner, stop lyin’. And can’t I have a nickname? Ya just called Samu by his. I have one too, ya know! We’re twins. Package deal, package name.”

“Don’t lump me in with you!” Osamu’s voice rose from somewhere in the group of boys, earning snickers from all around you.

You turned on your heels, rushing past Aran and Ginjima and making a beeline for the front of the room.

“Y/n!” Atsumu took off after you, hot on your tail as you cut through the crowd of onlookers, and latched yourself onto the arm of an unsuspecting Kita Shinsuke.

Atsumu skidded to a halt just in front of you, eyes wide as he watched you wrap your hands around the captain’s bicep, hugging him close to your chest. Kita didn’t flinch even as you squeezed him tight and yanked him towards you, merely watching on with mild shock.

“Told ya I have a partner.” You said, sticking out your tongue at him childishly.

“Kita-san doesn’t count!” Atsumu groaned, though he remained rooted in his spot, fearful of approaching with Kita right at your side. He was scary on his own, even scarier when it came to things involving you.

“Does too, Nasty-tsumu!” You said, skirting around Kita’s side so you were half hidden behind his bulky frame.

It was quiet for a moment, before you felt the man beneath your grasp jerk suddenly. You glanced up to see him hiding his face, coughing into his fist to stifle a laugh.

Atsumu seemed less amused, pouting at the nickname and Kita’s reaction to it. “Nasty-tsumu?!”

“What, don’t like that one?” You asked, basking in the warm glow of Kita’s soft giggles. “How about Grody-tsumu? Shitty-tsumu?”

It was your turn to wear a smug smile, as you heard the strangled coughs and poorly concealed laughter rise up from the rest of the Inarizaki members.

“Hey! Guys??” Atsumu whirled around to face his friends and brother, all of them snickering behind their hands.

“Seems like ya earned this one, Nasty-tsumu.” Osamu chirped from his spot, snickering at his brother’s new nickname.

“Hey-”

“Sorry, sorry.” It was Ginjima who spoke up, a grin on his face as he approached Atsumu, slapping a hand onto his shoulder. “We didn’t mean ta laugh. I’ll walk with ya... Shitty-tsumu.”

“Okay, okay, that’s enough.” Kita hummed, the sound jittery with the giggles still making their way through him. “Let’s head out before it gets too late.”

You let go of his arm promptly, settling at a comfortable pace at his side instead as the group left the safety of the abandoned house, stepping outside and into the dingy light for the first time since the day before.

There was the distinct scent of petrichor in the air - it must have rained overnight.

“Sorry about grabbing onto you like that.” You said with a sheepish smile, but Kita only shrugged his shoulders, eyes glittering as he glanced down at you.

“I don’t mind..”

With 7 inarizaki members in tow, plus the 5 kyoto members, the troupe started making their way down the streets of the Kyoto prefecture, heavy grey clouds hanging from above.

It was a little rocky at first, while making your way from the suburbs to the rural highways. Streets littered in debris made it difficult to effectively maneuver so many people. Within the first hour, however, route 9 was well in sights.

You hadn’t accounted for the sheer amount of cars littering the highway. They were much easier to get around than the piles of burned wood and stone you had grown accustomed to. There was always a path cutting past pileups consisting of several cars, many crunched into each other and against the stone barrier along the edge of the highway. Only a few vehicles remained untouched in the middle of the road, abandoned, with doors thrown wide open and the keys still in the ignition. The rest of the cars had careened off the sides of the road, smashed into the outlying trees and bushes, flipped upside down with parts sprawled across grass.

There wasn’t a single soul in sight. You glanced around as you walked, feet crushing already broken glass into smaller pieces, a chunk of a bumper skittering away from your foot as you accidentally kicked it, disturbing the stillness of the surrounding area.

“I wonder where they all went to...” It was Kita who spoke up, his eyes trained on one of the cars that had flipped, the door opened just a crack and covered in blood. You could only imagine what had happened there.

“I’ve no idea-” You wandered off from Kita’s side as you spoke, drawing closer to one of the pileups you were passing by.

“Y/n, wait-” Kita called, reaching out for you.

You stepped around one of the cars, avoiding the engine that had fallen from it during the collision, and peered through the window.

The sight you saw had bile rushing up your throat, a queasy feeling taking hold of your insides, wrenching and twisting them. You slapped a hand over your mouth to hold in the terrified squeal, and the breakfast you had eaten just hours before.

The people in the car were still there.

They were covered in cuts and scrapes, bodies crushed against the seats to the point of immobility. Though you supposed it didn’t matter anyways, seeing as they were no longer alive.

But all of that was hard to see past the jarring blue-ish purple tinge that had taken hold of their skin, leaving it blotched and messy, accented by thick black lines of blood leaking from every hole and gash, smothering their faces and fronts.

They were hardly recognizable as human.

You stumbled back, holding your breath, pinching your nose shut, unable to tear your eyes away from the gruesome scene.

Warm hands wrapped around your waist, before they tugged you in the opposite direction. Only that was able to break the sickening trance that had taken hold over you.

You shuddered in Kita’s hold as he dragged you away from the crash, tucking your head down and against his chest, so that you wouldn’t have to see anything similar in the nearby vehicles.

“Nobody look into these cars!” He yelled out, the group responding to the urgency lacing his voice, and the curious few backing away from the separate cars they had been approaching. “Are you okay?” His voice was much softer now, quieter, as he looked down at your figure.

You were green in the face, struggling to hold back the sickness in your stomach. “’M fine..” You mumbled, a dazed expression on your face. “Let’s just go.”

You continued down the highway, keeping your gaze on nothing but the dirty pavement and painted white lines. Kita never left your side, his fingers brushing against the small of your back every once in a while as he gently guided you along.

You hardly payed attention, the words he exchanged with Kai and the other members of the group nothing more than mumbling as you walked.

The path went on for hours.

You couldn’t get the image of that couple out of your head, their gruesome demise flashing in your minds eye every time you caught a glimpse of a car bumper, or the faintest whiff of decomposing bodies on the breeze.

It was almost relieving when you finally saw a city rising up in the distance, drawing closer and closer with every step you took.

“There’s Kyoto.” Kai breathed, pausing next to Kita as the group approached the edge of the city. Almost none of the buildings remained intact - what was once a proud skyline completely leveled.

There was a distinct lack of buildings down a section of the city three lanes wide. A crack on the other half of the highway started near the edge of the city, running into the populated area and growing wider and wider as it went. The road was split into two, pavement slipping in, buildings leaning precariously over the edge of the chasm, easily toppled by the added weight of a single rock. Those buildings that had been lucky enough to not get caught in the opening were crumbled, and those that hadn’t been so lucky? Well, you couldn’t see very far down, but you were sure if you took a peek, you could see piles of rubble and stone at the bottom, maybe a sign or two, hundreds of meters below your feet.

“I can’t believe this...” You muttered, venturing just a little further into the city’s borders, Kita sticking close to your side. “This is even worse than I imagined.”

“Let’s get going.” Kita’s voice was low as he spoke, warily looking around the area. “We don’t know what’s in here. It’s best we get through as quickly as possible.”

“I second that.” Ginjima said, shuddering as the group stepped further into the decimated city. “I feel like I’m being watched.”

“It’s entirely possible that we are.” Kai said, pulling his weapon from the pocket of his bag. “Keep your eyes peeled.”

It wasn’t as easy to make progress as it had been on the open highway. Toppled buildings created huge barricades impossible to climb over, and there were several crevasses opened in the street, though none as big as the one you had seen near the outskirts.

The path became much less straightforward than had been planned on the map.

The group was dodging into side streets to avoid hazards, rounding blind corners in complete silence, ears and eyes peeled for the faintest of movements and sounds.

But nothing happened.

Even as you crawled your way through the city, drawing nearer and nearer the opposite side of Kyoto, closer towards Otsu, you didn’t see a single person, nor a single disturbance.

The feeling of being watched never left, gazes prickling into your back no matter which alley you turned down, or how many buildings you dodged behind.

But still you didn’t see anyone.

Whoever was out there was only observing the group from afar. You couldn’t feel any malicious intent, and they had yet to do anything - they were simply watching those who passed through their territory.

It didn’t make the hair on the back of your neck prickle any less.

It was only as you began to approach the edge of Kyoto, only a little less than an hour away from Otsu, did you finally begin to relax a little, more capable of ignoring the burning sensation at the back of your skull, and the eerie sense of doom surrounding you.

You made it through the city without incident.

Your theories had been correct, your plan had worked. Everyone had made it through safe and sound.

“I can’t believe it.” You breathed as the buildings and rubble began to thin, making way to the suburbs and outskirts, broken down shrines lining the path. “That seemed almost too easy.”

“Let’s take a win where we can get one.” Kita said, laughing a little. You could hear the relief behind his breathless giggles, pent up nervousness finally released.

The sun glinted, hanging low in the sky, just beneath the canopy of rainclouds. It was getting late. The shadows that had been nonexistent loomed a little further, stretching down the length of the block.

“Seems you didn’t need us after all.” Kai said with a smile, Chisaki tagging along at his heel as they walked alongside both you and Kita.

“I guess not. Sorry to make ya come all this way.”

“It’s alright Kita-san.” Kai said, adjusting the strap of his bag to rest more comfortably against his skin. “We’ll use this opportunity to load up on supplies we can’t get in Nantan. Can you guys make it to Otsu on your own from here?”

The group stopped walking, allowing the inarizaki members to gather close to Kita. As the pair spoke, the Kyoto locals trailed off, making their way towards a drugstore on the opposite side of the street - Chisaki leading the crew.

“I think we’ll manage.” Kita said, returning the smile Kai offered him. “Is this where we part ways, then?”

“Seems like it.” Kai held out his hand once more, grabbing Kita’s firmly in his grasp. “Don’t forget to send those rescuers our way once you make it out of here.”

“How could I forget that?” Kita grinned, his fingers squeezing tight. “Stay out of trouble.”

“No can do!” Kai said, releasing Kita from his hold and jogging off after his group members. “It’s in my blood!”

You watched with a smile as he joined Chisaki at the entry to the drugstore, discreetly pressing a kiss against the crown of her head before letting her go inside.

He turned just before disappearing into the semidarkness of the store, waving one last goodbye to you and the rest of the group. You waved enthusiastically after him, joined in your ministrations by most of the others.

“Thank yo-” A loud crack drowned out the rest of your words.

You blinked, looking around for the source of the deafening sound, but everything was still.

Another loud crack boomed through the deserted streets.

You watched in horror as the building across the way crumbled, collapsing in on itself, and burying everything, and everyone, beneath piles of cement rubble.

Taglist:

@sadcrxissant @meri-soni-meri-tamanna @deathfreak45 @kotarousproperty @ochakosprettybunny @bebetiny @itsmeaudrieee @pressuredtreasure @alatuskaleidos @ketterdam-kunoichi @cherrybeomgyu

let me know if you’d like to be added or removed <3

(side note for those I just added - IM SO SORRY I DIDN’T SEE UR REQUESTS TILL JUST NOW FORGIVE ME)

[jbuchanan-barnes]

as long as we have each other

Summary: While on a mission, something unexpected happens to Bucky.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader

Word count: 2,359

Warnings: Canon typical violence, mention of illegal weapons dealing, blood. This is the first time I'm posting something that I've written, and I'm very nervous. I feel like that should be a warning 🙈

A/N: Hi! This is for @wkemeup 's 9k writing challenge - Character A cleans Character B's wounds after a rough mission. [A]'s fingers linger over scarred muscle as they finish wrapping the bandage.

Congrats on 9k Kas!! Also, thank you to @thefanbasewhore for proof reading!!

divider credits to @bwbatta

After coming back from a two week long solo mission in Warsaw, you were just about ready to take a nice long bath and sleep for a week. As you walked off the quinjet, it was no surprise to see a certain metal armed super soldier waiting for you with his arms crossed.

As you close the space between you, his eyes rake over you from top to bottom to check for injuries. “I was starting to think your mission would never end,” Bucky says, smirking down at you. “And by the looks of it, I think you thought the same thing.” “Shut up,” you respond with a halfhearted glare. His smirk melts into a gentle smile as he pulls you into his arms. “I missed you,” Bucky replies as he buries his face into your neck. “Two weeks is too long to go without seeing you.” You hum in agreement as your hands travel to his hair. After a few moments of standing tangled together, you break the silence. “As much as I’d love to hug you forever, I’m dying to get out of this suit.” Bucky pulls out of your embrace, kisses you on the head, and gently takes your hand. You let him lead you through the compound towards your room, but before you’re able to make it past the kitchen, you’re interrupted. “Oh! Y/N, Barnes!” Tony exclaims, “Just the people I needed to talk to.” You groan just as Bucky responds. “Can it wait, Stark? Y/N just got back from Poland.” “Unfortunately,” Tony replies, “I need you both to Brazil tomorrow.” “There’s a guy who has been harboring stolen SHIELD tech since the incident at the triskelion, and he finally popped back up on our radar,” he elaborates. “You can’t send someone else?” You inquire, your lips turning down into a frown. “I’m afraid not,” Tony sounds apologetic as he responds. “I need all hands on deck for this mission. I’m even pulling Steve out of retirement.” Tony winks at you. “Luckily for you,” he continues, “This mission requires us to stay at one of the fanciest hotels in Río.” Tony glances at his watch before adding “I need you two in the briefing room by eight am tomorrow so we can go over the details before we depart. Until then, go rest Y/N.” You take a deep breath and nod as Bucky agrees.

As you finally enter your shared room, Bucky jokingly says “We should have snuck in through the back way.” “It’s fine,” you tell him dejectedly. “Tony would have found another way to contact us. It is what it is.” Your long bath would have to wait.

As you rush to take a quick shower, Bucky returns to the kitchen to make you something to eat. When he comes back, you scarf down the leftovers as Bucky takes his turn in the bathroom. By the time you’re finished, Bucky is all ready for bed. While you brush your teeth, he takes the opportunity to climb into bed and check his phone. When you walk out of the bathroom, you can’t help but take a minute to admire your boyfriend. Although he looks very attractive sitting in bed shirtless, your heart flutters at the peaceful look on his face. Bucky has been through so much, but with you, he’s totally at ease.

You’re broken out of your reverie by Bucky’s soft voice. “Hey,” he says with a gentle smile. “C’mere, doll.” You crawl into bed and let Bucky pull you into his arms. As you lay your head on his chest, Bucky idly traces random patterns onto your back. Just as you’re starting to drift off, his voice pulls you back. “How are you feeling about the mission tomorrow?” “Honestly,” you drowsily respond. “If Tony is okay with giving us all the details the day of, it should be pretty easy.” Bucky hums in agreement. “Why?” you continue. “You’re not worried about it, are you?” “Oh, no!” Bucky denies. “I just wanted to make sure you aren’t worried about it since you aren’t getting a break.” “I’ll be fine,” you say, pretending to be annoyed. “If my boyfriend will be quiet so I can sleep.” Bucky laughs and kisses your forehead. “Okay, okay!” he yields to your teasing. “Good night, sweetheart.” As you start to fall asleep, you sleepily respond. “Good night Buckaroo. I love you.” Just before you drift into unconsciousness, you hear Bucky’s quiet voice. “I love you too, doll.”

The next morning, when you arrive in the briefing room, Tony is too chipper for eight in the morning. While you would rather be in bed, he seems as if he’s already had two cups of coffee (at least). Bucky appears to be neither tired, nor overly energetic, while everyone else falls somewhere in between.

“Antonio Silva is the guy we’re looking for,” Tony begins by showing everyone a picture of the man you need to find. “He is originally from Campinas, Brazil.” Tony takes a moment to pull up a picture of the map.  “Based on our intell, he is planning on making a sale tonight in São Paulo.” “You said he has stolen tech?” you inquire. Steve takes the opportunity to speak up. “He actually worked for SHIELD before it fell. Well, hydra technically.” He turns to Natasha. “Did you see his name anywhere in the files you released?” Nat shakes her head. “No. I don’t think he was important enough to have in the files.” “I guess that explains why he turned on them and stole tech,” Sam laughs. “Either way,” Tony directs everyone’s attention back to the mission briefing. “He’s planning on selling to black market weapons dealers at the ten year anniversary gala of the hotel, and we need to stop the sale, arrest Silva, and capture the weapons dealers.” Tony pulls up a map of the hotel. “Steve will be disguised as a bartender, and Sam and I will be flying above the hotel, should anything go south. Y/N and Barnes, you two will be disguised as a mob boss and his wife looking to purchase some weapons. As soon as you make contact, make the arrest. Natasha, I want you floating around the room taking inventory of the weapons dealers in the room. A team of agents will be joining us to assist with taking people into custody should they not be compliant. Since Silva has the weapons in storage somewhere, as long as we have him and the dealers in custody, taking back the weapons should be easy. We just need the guy who knows where they are. Does anyone have any questions?” A series of no’s are heard as everyone responds. “Then everyone go pack, and be ready for the quinjet to take off in an hour.”

The flight is relatively quiet, interrupted only by Sam giving out some last minute instructions. However, as soon as the jet lands, everyone is thrown into go mode.

By the time you make it to the hall where the celebration is being held, the party is in full swing. You watch Natasha silently slip into the room in total spy mode. She glances over at you and nods slightly for you and Bucky to make your entrance. You make your way to the bar for the next few minutes as you watch Nat float around the room.

After about ten minutes, she walks up to the bar and asks Steve for a drink, discreetly informing you that all of the weapons dealers are here. Steve signals for all of the agents to fall into place as you and Bucky turn to approach Silva. Before you make it to where Silva is, he takes one look at Bucky and bolts. That’s when all hell breaks loose. Agents start drawing their guns left and right, while the dealers begin pulling out their weapons to fight back. As the gunfire starts, Tony and Sam join the fight, shield flying, while Bucky takes off after Silva. As soon as you know that they’ll be fine without you, you take off after Bucky. Once Bucky and Silva are in your line of sight, you can tell that Bucky is struggling. It’s apparent that Silva has found some way to disable Bucky’s vibranium arm. As Bucky does his best to fight one handed, Silva punches him in the nose before pulling out two knives. Before you can reach them, you watch in horror as Silva thrusts a knife into Bucky’s thigh, while slicing at his throat with the other knife. Bucky barely dodges the second blade, but not before the tip catches his collar bone.

As soon as you get to them, you tackle Silva to give Bucky the chance to reset his arm. You’re able to block a few of Silva’s attempts to stab you, and kick the knives out of his hands before Bucky joins the fight again.

When it’s apparent that you and Bucky have the upper hand again, Silva pauses. “I really didn’t want to do this to you Barnes, but you left me no choice.” Before you have time to wonder what Silva is talking about, he continues.

“Sputnik.”

Before the word is even out of his mouth, Bucky goes rigid and keels over. As he collapses, your whole world collapses with him. Shock, confusion, and panic roll through you as Steve arrives just in time to handle Silva. You rush to Bucky’s side, and as you find his steady pulse, your anxious heart settles just a little. There is chaos all around you, but you don’t have time to care as you focus on Bucky. As soon as Silva and the dealers are in custody, Sam and Steve help carry Bucky back to your hotel room. After they leave, you take the opportunity to pull out your first aid supplies. Just as you’re finishing collectiving everything you need, Bucky begins to regain consciousness.

“What happened?” His confusion is evident, even in his groggy state. “I’m not entirely sure,” you tell him, hesitantly. “Silva said a word and it was like it just flipped your off switch.” Bucky stays silent as you carefully help him sit up. “I need to clean your knife wounds,” you say gently. “Which means we need to get you out of your tactical gear.” Bucky helps you undress him to the best of his current ability, but he seemingly can’t let the situation pass without playfully making light of what’s happening. “You know, this would be a whole lot more romantic if you lit a few candles.” You snort in response and reply, “It would be a whole lot more romantic if you weren’t bleeding on the sheets.”

Once Bucky is stripped to just his boxers, you help him lean back against the headboard. Bucky silently watches as you pull out the butterfly bandages and antiseptic wipes. You’ve done this so many times that you don’t even bother to tell Bucky that it might sting. He knows the drill, but that doesn’t stop you from doing your best to be gentle. During his seventy years of being tortured and brainwashed, too many people have been rough with him and have treated him harshly. You know he’s not fragile, but you can’t help but pretend that each gentle touch will replace each bad memory of painful touches. Bucky doesn’t flinch as you wipe the cut on his thigh with the wipe. He simply watches as you move to apply the butterfly bandages in the absence of stitches. You wrap the cohesive bandage over the wound and around Bucky’s thigh, but you both know it really doesn’t matter. His wounds will stitch themselves together within a day or two anyway. As you move up to clean the cut just above his left collarbone, your eyes trace the marred scars where metal meets flesh. After you clean and bandage the cut, you let your fingers lightly trail over the scars. You follow the trail of your fingers with soft kisses before looking up to meet Bucky’s eyes. The way he’s looking at you could only be described as adoration, and he gently grabs the back of your neck to bring you in for a kiss. The kiss is soft, but no less toe curling. Like Bucky is using the kiss to convey the way he feels, without knowing how to put those feelings into words. When you break apart, you’re reminded that you need to tend to the small cuts and bruises on his face. You wipe the blood off and apply the antiseptic onto some of the smaller cuts before moving on to the bridge of Bucky’s nose. After cleaning the wound, you smile slightly as you run your finger down his nose. The action makes Bucky scrunch his nose slightly, and you laugh lightly at his reaction. The silence is comfortable and you’re both at ease with each other enough to not always require words.

You help Bucky settle into the bed before cleaning up the first aid supplies and moving to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

As you finish up in the bathroom and climb into bed, Bucky breaks the lingering silence. “I’m not sure what happened earlier.” You can hear the concern in his voice. “I thought Shuri removed all the trigger words, but apparently there was a fail safe buried deep in my head.” You ponder his words before responding. “We can start looking into it tomorrow. I can call Shuri and see if she has time for us to go see her.” “For right now,” you continue, “let’s just rest.” Bucky nods before tilting your chin up so your lips can meet. He kisses you softly and slowly before pulling away. “I love you.” He tells you with conviction, like he doesn’t know what might happen tomorrow. “I love you too, James Buchanan. Whatever happens, we’ll figure it out together.” Bucky smiles slightly while pulling you closer to him. You may not have all the answers, but you have each other. As you both drift off to sleep, that’s enough.

[aminiatureworld]

A Sea of Fragment VI

Word Count: 3.964

Warnings: Slight violence

Author’s Note: I’m back! This chapter was so enjoyable to write, I missed this series so much! Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Also yes I did see the 2.1 trailer. Scaramouche’s JP laugh my evil beloved.

After your little interlude of conversation with Scaramouche you had succumbed once more to the blinding heat that was enveloping you. Having little sense of the world around you, waking up to bits and pieces of movement only to be stolen away by the darkness again, you found yourself completely disoriented by the sight that greeted you when you finally woke up.

You were in a tent, that much was sure, though beyond that you weren’t really aware of much else. The bed that you were lying on, though slightly damp, was clean, and the top cover, which remained underneath you, was folded over neatly. There was a large table next to you, filled with what could only be medical equipment, as well as a dresser, a chair, and a bench, presumably there for medical purposes. However the high quality material of everything, the tent, the sheets, the pillow, made the whole room seem much too fancy to be a simple hospital tent.

You weren’t sure how long you lay there, too afraid to move in case the world started swimming again, when what could only be a medic walked in. The Fatui emblem was embroidered neatly above his breast pocket, but otherwise he seemed completely, almost unnervingly, normal. The only other thing of note was the Anemo vision strapped to his arm.

“Ah I see you’re awake. Good, I didn’t want to have to call the head medic in again, since she made it perfectly clear already that your case didn’t need her specific supervision. Still, when my lord Scaramouche came in shouting, she couldn’t very well say that, ignoring how banged up you were at the time.”

“Scaramouche was here?” You asked, head still slightly fuzzy.

It probably shouldn’t have been a surprise to hear that, after all you weren’t the one walking to the medical tent by yourself considering the state you were in. Still the image felt like an odd one. You figured he would’ve found someone else to do it for him. Letting this information rattle around in your mind you mutely listened as the medic asked you to hold out your arm for pulse checking, barely listening to his halfhearted small talk.

“Your pulse seems to be evening out a bit,” he finally said. “Good, you were going berserk for a little bit there. We even had to call in a healer, didn’t want you to die. Thankfully the healing seemed to help, my lord was saying something about your state being magic induced, and we were worried that there would be no effect.”

“Thank you for your concern,” you replied, knowing full well that this level of treatment was likely the result of being dragged in by a Harbinger. Still, you couldn’t help but feel somewhat grateful.

“It’s nothing. Better have you alive then a dead body on our hands after all.”

“Fair enough.”

“Still, you’ll have to take care. Your iron levels were also somewhat wonky, so we’re going to give you a week’s worth of pills for that. Come back in a week and if everything seems alright you’ll be good to go. Okay?”

“Alright.”

The medic nodded before walking out. Feeling still exhausted you flopped down on the bed. A breeze seemed to be blowing outside and a part of it came in through the slits in the tent. Letting the wind fan over you, you closed your eyes. Soon enough your thoughts swam into incoherence and you were dragged down into the realm of sleep.

 “My lord.”

Scaramouche jerked his head up from the papers he’d been half heartedly studying. Seeing the medic in front of him he immediately stretched himself up a little taller. At least this wasn’t something completely worthless.

“I assume you’re here to tell me about the condition of the person I left with you.”

“Yes, they have just woken up. Their vitals are no longer in critical condition, and they appear to be alert.”

“Good. That will be all.”

“Yes my lord.”

Scaramouche waited until the medic had left before letting his thoughts roam. You were awake, you were finally awake. Though he wanted to deny it, the relief that flooded through him made it all too apparent how worried the Harbinger had been. When you’d first woken up in his tent he had felt worried, yes, perhaps even slightly frantic. Still, he had assumed that that would be the end of it. You collapsing again had made his blood run cold in a way that rarely, if ever happened. He was Scaramouche after all. The Balladeer, the Harbinger who had no room for mercy in his heart, no time to worry about the lives of other people. After all, does the winter blizzard care about whose house it destroys? Certainly not, it only has to fulfill its goal. Yet he had cared about what was happening with you, even more than that, he’d been worried, perhaps even terrified.

Acknowledging these things left a bitter taste in Scaramouche’s mouth, but he wasn’t idiotic enough to try and deny it. Somehow you had managed to become noteworthy to him, important enough to draw such a reaction out of him. Was this some despicable side effect of your ability? No, it was unlikely. There was no use in looking for excuses or denials. What the Harbinger had to do now was figure out what to do with his predicament. He ought to crush it, to treat you as he would any other low-level lackey, he ought not to have brought you over to his personal section of the medical tents, should have had someone else carry you to the general wing. Those sorts of regrets were too late now however. He had acted out of pure panic, hadn’t even thought of the strict hierarchy that ruled all the lives of those who lived under the Tsaritsa.

Not did your aberrant status help, you who weren’t from Snezhnaya, who had no sense of authority, who had no true place amidst the Harbingers. You were merely there, a shadow that Scaramouche had hoped to command who had instead appeared to have manipulated him in some way.

Yet he couldn’t get rid of you, not now. You were still needed in some capacity, needed to tell him of the layout of the village, the location of the artifact, you had said it was a mirror. Besides, Scaramouche still wasn’t entirely sure whether or not Signora would want to inspect you, having brought you to Scaramouche’s attention in the first place. It certainly wasn’t out of the realm of possibility; Signora had a habit of going where she pleased, deriving satisfaction from the ability to draw irritation out of her fellow Harbingers. The mere idea of her sauntering in to inspect you brought a sour sort of taste to Scaramouche’s mouth. Now more than ever he loathed his coworker’s antics.

Still something had to be done, though what was still up in the air. Pondering this Scaramouche stood up. At the very least he ought to look after you, though whether this was tied into the emotions that roiled in him or simple logic he wasn’t yet sure of. At the very least there would certainly be more talking if he didn’t look on you than if he did. If there was anything that the Fatui loved it was erratic behavior. After all those who could be swayed into doing illogical things were certainly much easier to manipulate. No, better for him to make an appearance, to say that he was concerned you were on the verge of death which would have ruined his plans. This excuse in mind he stood up, urging his inner thoughts to silence as he walked out of the tent and into the afternoon sun.

The image he was greeted with upon entering your, or rather his, tent was all too reminiscent of how you had first looked in that forest where he had first met you. Face pale, a slight sheen of sweat visible on your brow, slicking your hair against your neck. Though your eyes had almost immediately snapped open upon hearing the voice of the medic they were unfocused, and for a moment it seemed as if you were squinting to make the Harbinger out.

It was a pathetic image of a person, and a mix of disgust, pity, and worry swept over Scaramouche. Silently hoping that he himself would never look so weak he sat on the only chair in the room, dismissing the medic with a wave of his hand, keeping his focus on you the whole time.

“So,” he began when you two were finally alone, “you have been saved from the teeth of death. If I had known the spectacle you were going to cause I would have never asked you to do such a thing.”

“Most visions don’t go that way,” you replied, voice husky and cracked from lack of use. “It was, it was because of the mirror.”

“You mentioned that before. This mirror, I presume it’s what we’re looking for.”

“I won’t look for it anymore,” your voice seemed to tremble slightly. “Even if my vision it was terrible. It warped the space around it, even from the future. If you were to get into the same room as it, were to try and touch it, I, I don’t know.”

“We must get a hold of it. If it is the Tsaritsa’s wish we would sacrifice a whole reserve for it.”

“How can you say such a thing?” you replied, voice quiet. The dispassionate tone sent a lance through Scaramouche, and for a moment he found himself unable to reply, knowing full well the answers he ought to be giving you, the total loyalty demanded by the archon he served.

“Still,” he finally continued, “you have showed me that you’re certainly not strong enough for this. From now on I will no longer provide you information about this mission, nor will I ask you to do anything to bring it about. All I need is a report about what you saw, if you wish you can write it yourself. There are other things that you would be better suited for.”

“What things? I don’t think you understand. I’m the only one who has seen what could happen, what seems very likely to happen based on the fragments that were lined up in front of me. The best outcome I saw was that you were unable to find it. The worst,” you took a deep breath in, “the worst outcome is that the village goes up in flames.”

“Ridiculous,” scoffed Scaramouche, feeling irritation rise up inside of him. “I thought you would be grateful to hear that you wouldn’t be required to look into the future again, instead you insult me, insult the Fatui.”

“I am glad that you aren’t going to try and force me into the future. I don’t think you could truly convince me to anyways, but I’d rather not fight about it. Still, I want to be there, to make sure that this doesn’t happen. I have to know what’s going on.”

“You don’t have to know anything. I don’t owe you information or position, you’re only here at my pleasure.”

“Yes! I am only here because you forced me to be here, only here because you asked me to do something I didn’t wish to do. And now you take the advice I give you and trample all over it! Why, why are you acting so irrational?”

“You’re the one acting irrational!” Scaramouche shot back, feeling a wave of panic shoot through him. The idea that you had managed to somehow divine the odd emotions that he was currently experiencing seemed unlikely, but that you could sense something was out of place was alarming. “I just need the report,” he pressed, feeling his voice raise in irritation, wanting this to be over.

As you stared at him, silence being your reply, the thoughts that whirled inside the Harbinger’s head seemed to get louder. Why was this suddenly so complicated? All Scaramouche’s career he had easily ordered his way around and over people. Deals were only made with other Harbingers, who quickly stepped aside to let the Balladeer do his duty. Never had someone simply refused his orders. The idea that you would do so, would turn down something so easy and to your benefit, was absolutely infuriating.

“I would like to rest a little more,” your voice finally broke through the thick silence. “I’m tired.”

“I would have gone a long time ago had you just listened to me,” Scaramouche pointed out.

“Please,” you shot him a look, “I’m not in the mood. I don’t want to fight either. I really don’t. It’s the last thing I want to do. I wanted to thank you in fact, for bringing me here rather than letting me lie on the ground or trying to slap me awake or something. But, but you just, you never listen. That’s what makes it so hard, what makes all of it so hard. You never listen so how, how are you ever supposed to hear me?”

The plaintive tone of your voice struck another blow, as Scaramouche found himself suddenly, suddenly what? He found himself leaning out of his chair, the urge to walk over to you so intense it seemed to steal the breath from his lungs. He wanted to do something, though what he wasn’t entirely sure of. To apologize? To demand? To scold? To, to console? What a stupid thing to do. Yet all these things he suddenly wanted to do. Of course he couldn’t do nay of these things, couldn’t push you any farther, couldn’t pull himself back. All he could do was lean forward, as if that might in some way convey what he was feeling.

“Is there something you want?” You asked.

“No,” Scaramouche stood up. “There is nothing more I wish to say to you.” What a lie that was.

Making his way over to the tent flap Scaramouche stopped. Quickly, almost in rebellion with his mind, he turned and walked over to you. Taking your wrist he pressed his fingers to it.

“Your pulse is still irregular,” he noted.

Spinning around and walking out of the tent the Harbinger fought the urge to scream at himself, scream for such an irrational act. Yet part of him wasn’t thinking about that at all, was instead marveling at how warm, how comfortable your hand had been in his own.

 It seemed like an hour had passed by the time your pulse managed to right itself, though surely only a few minutes must’ve passed. You held your wrist in your other hand, staring down at it, as if willing the scene that had just passed to reappear before you. What was that, what in Teyvat was that? You couldn’t make heads or tails of it, could barely acknowledge that it had indeed happened at all. Scaramouche, the Harbinger, the man who had only moments before been berating you, that Scaramouche had walked over to you and checked your pulse, held your hand in his, if only for a moment. It seemed laughable, seemed so surreal as to have been a dream, yet it had surely happened.

Of course maybe to him that had been a completely normal thing to do. After all, the medic had told you that your pulse had been irregular. Surely Scaramouche would have noticed that too. Perhaps his self-righteousness had caused him to want to make his own judgement on the state of your health. Still that didn’t stop your heart from leaping into your throat the moment it had happened, hadn’t stopped you from feeling like you were, for very different reasons than before.

You cradled your wrist, still able to feel the slight pressure his fingers had exerted on it, as if he had somehow branded you. His fingers had been surprisingly soft, not at all rough as you had expected it. Perhaps that was only natural, you knew that he sported no sword hilt, and there were no sharpening stones in his tent, meaning in all likelihood he was a catalyst user. Still, it was unexpected. His fingers had been surprisingly gentle, his palm with which he held your hand was soft and warm. You wondered for a moment what it would be like if he were to hold your hand properly. A small part of you wondered if you might yet do so in the future.

Almost immediately you shook yourself violently, willing those thoughts out of your head. Even now the idea of doing something so domestic, so intimate, with Scaramouche seemed odd, almost heretical. He was a Harbinger, a bloodthirsty man, one who evidently had no problem with a village going up in flames. And yet, and yet…

You sighed, lying back down on the bed. You should sleep, you were exhausted. Everything was going fast, oh so fast. You couldn’t keep up, couldn’t keep up with your feelings, with Scaramouche’s logic. All you wanted to do was block it out, to sleep. As you closed your eyes one final coherent thought floated through your head. He had, despite it all, not asked you to do it again.

 You never realized you were dreaming until about halfway through your dreams. Even then you had no power to stop them, they pulled you along, like a riptide, waiting to drag you down into their depths.

You weren’t exactly sure how you got into the village, the all too familiar landscape. It was hot, and your thoughts seemed to melting along with your legs, as you tried to run towards the now blazing rooftops, yet found yourself hardly moving. Yet you kept moving forward, intent on something, though on what you weren’t sure of. Something very important to be sure. If only you could reach it.

Reaching some sort of back you shinnied your way between the burning. The flames licked at your clothes and at you, but you couldn’t feel them, they certainly weren’t any hotter than the rest of you. In fact the only side effect that seemed to be happening was how close the walls were becoming, so much so that you were barely getting through. Still you kept going, and eventually you found yourself out of the seemingly endless tunnel.

There were a few men in the distance, men who seemed to be barreling towards. Unease spiked through you, somehow you knew that whatever happened they shouldn’t catch you. Yet another part of you dismissed them as no important enough. No, this wasn’t how you wanted it to go, there was something else. As you thought that they seemed to suddenly fade away, or perhaps it was that you had suddenly found yourself somewhere else.

Walking down this road that seemed so busy and so desolate you found yourself in field. Not questioning the black sky above you, the fact that there was a field in the middle of a tiny village, you approached a figure in the middle of the field. Somehow you already knew who it would be.

You had never really thought about the space that Scaramouche took up before. He was simply there, a man, a Harbinger, a person. Just there. Now however he seemed all too small, almost puny. His head was turned to the side, so much as to be unnatural. A slight dribble of blood pooled from his mouth, and his eyes stared with the glassy intensity of the dead, the kind of stare that would forever haunt. You seemed to float above him, high, high above. Yet you wanted to lower yourself, to shake him, to see if he was just pretending. Everything felt glassy and distant, like a play that you were part of but not actively participating in. Soon enough he’d pick himself off the ground and start yelling at you. Soon. Yet someone was wailing in the distance, and for once the voice seemed eerily familiar.

 You opened your eyes, at first seeing nothing before the cloth ceiling of the tent finally revealed itself to you. Lying there, not daring to sit up or roll over or do anything, you replayed your dream. Before it had seemed so distant, so disconnected from you. Now however it close, all too close. Your back was sticky with sweat, and the sudden heaving of your chest, cause panic to flood through your mind, revealed how truly shaken you were. You had seen Scaramouche dead before, had seen his fallen frame in your visions. It had been so different then however. Then he had just been a Harbinger, just been a demanding man. Now however he was, something. Something else.

All this time you had worried about your feelings for Scaramouche, worried that they were just some figment of imagination that stemmed from your visions of the future. Perhaps that was partly the truth, perhaps those visions had indeed provided the fuse for your emotions. Yet somehow you had lit them, or more aptly somehow Scaramouche had. The image of him lying there, dead on the ground, filled you with such distress that it seemed liable to drown you. Even if these feelings were somehow made up, the result of some imagined Scaramouche in the future, some need to line yourself up with some possible path, they were still real. Painfully so, if this was a sign of anything.

Finally sick of lying in one position you sat up. Though the tent was opaque enough you could see little bits of light through the slits of the tent, and the slightly warm air had the distinct feeling of it being at least midday. Standing up you made your way, somewhat hesitantly, over to the flap of the tent. You needed to see Scaramouche, if only to try and convince him again not to go through with such a ridiculous plan. You needed to make sure that your dream didn’t become a reality.

Walking through the tented hallway you quickly ran into the same medic as before, this time pushing a tray with food on it.

“Oh good you’re up,” he said, voice slightly bored. “Maybe you’ll be able to leave tomorrow then.”

“I need to talk to Scaramouche,” you said, words tumbling out and running into one another. “It’s something of the greatest urgency.”

“I’m sorry but my lord isn’t here.”

“Isn’t here? Then, he…”

“He went off on a mission, he said if you were ready to leave before he came back to move you back into your tent tomorrow and to wait until he returned for further instructions.”

“He’s gone?”

“Yes.” The medic replied, seemingly slightly impatient.

Turning around you fell right back onto the bed. Ruining the hospital corners you ripped the blanket over your head, willing it to block out all the light. You needed to get out, you needed to go find him. Somehow you knew it wouldn’t be that easy. Even if you wanted to you doubted the medics would cross Scaramouche’s orders to keep you here until tomorrow. Even more so you had no information on what exactly he had done, though you were almost positive that he had gone to the village. Even if he hadn’t though you had to go check, go make sure. What he was doing was madness, running into a situation without fully comprehending it, what in Teyvat was he thinking?

Anxiety welled up inside you, consuming any and all thoughts you might’ve had. In their place was fear, pure distilled fear. Fear for the Harbinger that you didn’t want to die, and fear for the future that might not come to pass after all.

[megumisbimbo]

Marry the Stars - Chapter 1

series masterlist

Pairing: Levi x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 1k

Content: College au, Angst, Fluff, Pining, Eventual Smut

Summary: A fresh semester with new faces and new opportunities. Y/N had just started her job as a professor at Eldia University and was determined to make it the best semester yet. A moody philosophy professor gets in the way of her plans. Will she be able to capture his heart, or will she accidentally win the heart of her student?

taglist: @awkwardangelthings @vinseul @txzierbaby @erimins @oblxvion @fiaficsxo @aotwrites @piscesfairies @rintarouss @shisoaya @ikigaitooru @innrsoul @dancingazaleas @sukunas-lady @x6nji @izukine @luvmegumi @erenuts

Your alarm wakes you up in the early morning, your hand fishing for the phone sitting on your side table. You turn it off and sigh. A long day is ahead of you. After weeks of resumes and interviews and long nights staring at your laptop, you finally landed a job at a good university. You reluctantly slide out of bed and make your way to the bathroom. You brush your teeth and wash your face, deciding on minimal makeup for your first day. Eldia University was prestigious, you knew that. You were lucky you were able to land this job. Now all you had to do was keep it. Shouldn’t be too hard.

Your black pencil skirt hugs your hips well as you tuck in the peach blouse you bought the day before. You slip on your black pumps and throw your handbag over your shoulder. You woke up a bit earlier than anticipated, so you decided to treat yourself to a latte.

The sky was clear and blue, a good omen for your first day on the job. The start of a new semester was always nerve wracking for both student and teacher. New students with ambitious dreams pour in through the gates of the university. You smile knowing you’d get to be apart of these students lives, even if your encounters are nothing beyond a “good morning.”

You check in at the front desk, receiving your teacher id and paperwork. As you turn to walk out the door, your shoulder brushes harshly against someone else’s.

“Excuse me.” You say apologetically.

“It’s fine.” The man replies, his eyes staring straightforward. He seems harsh...wonder what he teaches.

You make your way through the building towards the lecture hall, feeling a few hormonal eyes on you. You didn’t mind it too much, the way they watched the sway of your hips, your heels clacking with every step you take. But you had a job to do, so you walked with purpose. All the way to the lecture hall that would soon become your second home.

The halls and corridors fill with students, and the doors to your classroom opened. Fresh faces find seats, as you sit behind your desk waiting for the the clock to indicate the start of class. The quiet murmurs die down, and you take your place behind the podium.

“Welcome everyone, I’m professor y/n, and this is anthropology 101. We won’t be going over any material today, just the syllabus, so i’ll be letting you out early.”

You observe content smiles in the crowd and small celebrations of the grain of mercy you were giving them on their first day.

You give your halfhearted “lecture” and release the undergraduates to attend to their other classes. You were never a fan of homework on the first day and when you first started teaching it felt inevitable, but you found a way around it, deciding to give them a little leeway.

You step out of the hall, eager to catch a bite to eat, when you run into the same man from earlier.

“Oh..you again. Sorry I bumped into you earlier that was rude of me-”

“Like I said, it’s fine.” He responds, this time looking you dead in the eye. He was on the shorter side, but his presence was dominating. Somehow you felt smaller...

A few more days pass, the same faces showing up each day, somehow eager to learn. Either they were eager to learn about the science of humanity, or they were eager to learn about it from you.

A particular pair of eyes catch your attention. The young boy ignores the notes on the projector, opting to stare at the way your body moves as you pace up and down the stage. A short haired girl nudges him in his side and points to the screen, immediately bringing his attention to the bullet points he hasn’t written down.

“Eren are you paying attention?” The short haired girl asks.

“Yes...kind of...it’s hard ok! I didn’t expect the prof to...I don’t know look like that!”

“Get your head out of your pants and pay attention, we have our first exam soon and I need my notes so you can’t borrow them again.”

“Geez ok ok.”

“Mikasa be quiet!” A blonde haired boy whispers.

The short haired girl silently apologizes, noticing the eyes on her and the other boy.

Your last class for the day finally ends and the students make their way back to the dorms. A few stay behind, waiting to ask you for answers to questions that will be in the upcoming exam. The two disruptive ones make their way through the line and down to your desk.

“Excuse me professor, I didn’t understand what this question is asking for, where could I find it in the textbook.” The young girl asks, pushing her textbook towards you. You flip to the page and point to the section she needs to read.

“It should be right here.” You answer with a smile. You can’t help but notice the way the boy behind her stares at you.

“Do you have a question as well?” You ask, your attention turning from the textbook to the boy.

“Uh- no! No ma’am...just came with Mikasa is all.” He answers, obviously caught off guard.

“Are you two anthropology majors?” You ask the pair.

“I am, but Eren is still undecided.” The girl named Mikasa answers.

“Well Mikasa, I’m glad to hear you’re interested in this field. You seem like a very bright young lady. And Eren, I hope you enjoy this class regardless of what major you end up choosing.”

Eren’s eyes widen as he nods his head. The way you smile at him sending butterflies rushing through his stomach. You chuckle, glad that you still had that effect on students. It was harmless flirting, you think to yourself. Nothing would really happen.

How naive of you.