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airis-paris14 · 3 years

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Wonder What She Thinks Epilogue

Summary: She learns to put herself first and he loses the best thing he ever had.

A/N: A new chapter of Starlight coming up next.

Warnings: None

Masterlist

It's Never Wrong When You're In Love...

I haven’t felt this type of thing in a while. I thought I lost myself in love until I found you.

- “Natural” Sabrina Claudio

I’m telling you right now from this day on, I’ve already weighed out the pros and cons, your just the woman I want.”

-"4evermore" Anthony David (ft. Algebra)

“Mrs. Jordan,” Michael leaned over and whispered in his bride’s ear. “Yes, Mr. Jordan?” Zoe beamed as she and her new husband waited for their cue to walk into the reception party. “You look absolutely breathtaking today. Coming down that aisle I was watching you like hot damn that’s my lady,” Michael grinned as Zoe slapped his arm, laughter falling from her lips. “Shut up, you were crying too,” the bride reminded, allowing Michael to wrap his arm around her waist.

“Yeah but that was the internal monologue,” he insisted as one of the tech workers handed each of them a microphone. The intro to “4evermore” by Anthony David began to blare on the other side of the banquet hall doors. “You ready?”

Zoe nodded and took her husband's hand. The doors opened on cue and the couple walked in belting their respective parts of the song.

“Forever’s a mighty long time but I really wanna spend it with you. I shine when you shine. There's really no substitute. 4evermore,”

The two danced around each other singing along with the track. The audience joined in clapping as the newlyweds continued their performance. “I’m making my plans just to be with you. It’s you and me, babe, till the days are through, And I ain’t ashamed, love, to say I do,” Michael crooned

They went through the chorus again before Zoe got her chance to shine, consequently surprising the guests who’d never heard her sing, “Pick a tree to carve our names, let the world know it’s not a game. Last longer than a wedding ring, generations tattooed with the love we bring. From the seeds we sow, to the time it takes to grow. Long enough to show you, I won’t let go of you. Without you, I'm incomplete, like this love song without this beat. I’m saying you are the man I need,” Zoe sang causing the crowd to erupt in cheers.

“I didn’t know Zoe could sing,” Shuri leaned over to her brother who was carrying both of his children in his arms. “She doesn’t often, but she’s great,” he nodded, trying to stop the regret flooding through his veins by bouncing his fussy two, almost, three-year-olds. He watched as their mother spun and sang with her husband. A man that wasn’t him. A man who was making her laugh and having fun on the dance floor as Camden started the rap verse in the song. His attention was then pulled to Nakia, as she laughed and danced on the sidelines of the dance floor cheering on Zoe and Michael with the rest of the bridesmaids and groomsmen.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, give it up for the new Mr. And Mrs. Michael B. Jordan. That was the best wedding entrance I’ve ever seen,” the DJ announced as the crowd began settling back in their seats. Zoe-Iman laughed as Michael handed over their mics and pulled her in close for their first dance. “I’m serious, who giving the new Mrs. Jordan a record deal, cause sis got some mad pipes. I know all this money in here, there’s gotta be a music exec looking for fresh talent. But, imma get off my soapbox so this new union can enjoy their first dance as husband and wife.”

Soon, “Butterflies Pt.2” by Queen Naija was drifting from the speakers as Michael gently swayed with his new wife, the couple singing along softly to each other. “You going to ask Nakia to dance?” Shuri caught her brother’s attention as she grabbed her niece from his arms. Not wanting to be left behind, Meluzmi began wriggling from his father’s arms to get down to the floor with his sister. “I don’t think Nakia wants to talk to me.” The king glanced again at his ex-wife dancing with Camden. “Nonsense, you all were friends first,” Ramonda interrupted, stooping to kiss both of her grandchildren. “That is why your father, and hers, thought you would make a great match.”

“You all are running the country well together, for over a year now.” Shuri pointed out smiling as the toddlers began bopping along to the song with each other. “Business conversations do not mean she will want to dance with me. Besides, she seems like she is having a good time with Camden.”

Shuri shook her head, “I’m taking the twins to dance, Mama, do something with him please,” the now 19-year old shook her head and headed towards the floor as the song shifted, signaling that other couples could join the wedding party on the floor. “Dance with me,” Ramonda extended a hand and the son turned king accepted and escorted her onto the floor.

“You know,” the queen mother started a few seconds later, “the first time you brought Zoe home, I was sure that within a year or two, you’d be telling your father you wanted to marry her.”

T’Challa smiled, “I was that obvious?”

Ramonda chuckled, “Painfully. You were looking at her like a lovesick fool the whole time she was there. Your father tried several times to give you his permission to date him. Even blatantly asking if you all were dating, but you were so stubborn.”

T’Challa looked away and swallowed, “It was not my finest hour and it will forever remain one of my biggest regrets, but I am happy for her.”

“You are, but you are also jealous. Zoe gave you plenty of chances, she even bore your children T’Challa but you were so stubborn, you lost your chance. Now that she’s happy, you should try to find happiness of your own. If not with Nakia, try again with someone. Don’t spend your life believing these were the only two women who could ever have been a great wife. Zoe found her happiness, Nakia is working on hers, it’s time you find your own.”

“Umama-” the king started. “Happiness outside of your children T’Challa, you need adult company too. Company you actually like, the elders don’t count.”

The king sighed and glanced across the room, “I’d like to try again, but I fear I will always wonder what Nakia and Zoe think of her.”

“That is your problem, you always wonder what everyone else is thinking, son.”

“You loved Zoe, but you were so afraid that we would hate her, you hid her and lost her. You had feelings for Nakia, but you wondered what she would think about what you had done to Zoe, so you pushed her away. Stop wondering what one girl will think about the other. Find your happiness, then bring her around. You always attract wonderful people, and we all always love each other. Think about it son, who else’s ex-wife is good friends with the woman her husband was cheating and had children with?”

Ramonda laughed, watching Zoe and Nakia dance with the rest of the wedding party. The king joined in chuckling as his mother continued, “Stop pitting the women against each other before they can even meet. Just let yourself fall in love freely son. We just want you to be happy.”

Zoe instinctively held her head further back as a smirk crossed her new husband’s lips. “Now, Michael, this is a very expensive white dress-”

“And you look beautiful baby-,” he raised his hand with a piece of cake in it closer to Zoe’s face. “Michael,” Zoe whined as his smirk turned into a full-on grin, “What? I’m just trying to feed my beautiful wife.”

“No, you are not!” Zoe laughed and dodged Michael’s hand, “I don’t wanna ruin my makeup, I paid a lot for it,” the bride pouted. “Fine,” the groom sighed, “I’ll be on my best behavior.”

“Thank you,” Zoe beamed and allowed him to feed her the piece of cake, she leaned in, kissed his lips, and smashed the piece of cake and icing onto his face, “Gotcha,” she cackled as Michael wiped icing from his mouth. The guests doubled over in laughter as he wrapped a giggling Zoe up in his arms and shook her. “You play dirty,” he laughed. “Mama!” two voices cried out as Ka’aulani and Meluzmi ran to their mom and stepfather. “Cake,” Meluzmi pleaded and his twin nodded her head in agreement. “Okay baby, “Zoe smiled. Michael cut them two small pieces and handed Zoe a plate. The caterers took over cutting up the rest of the large cake for the couple as they led their children over to the main table.

Michael took his self-proclaimed best friend Meluzmi in his lap and let him try and figure out how to spear the soft pieces of dessert, before eventually helping him out. Not wanting her daughter to ruin her dress or hair, Zoe still couldn't understand how so much of the toddler’s meals ended up in her curls, the mother alternated between feeding the toddler and herself. The small family sat sharing cake in silence, bobbing softly to the beat of Kiss Me More while watching their guests tear it up on the dance floor and fight over pieces of cake. “There you two are!” Shuri sighed obviously frustrated, “ T’Challa is gonna kill me, he wanted me to keep them so you could enjoy yourself.”

“Girl,” Zoe dismissed. “He will be fine. My babies just wanted some cake and their mommy.”

On cue, the twins giggled. “Are you having fun?”

Shuri shrugged, I’m just glad to see you happy,” The teen admitted. “Yeah but you’re young, you should be out dancing, and not with two-year-olds.”

“I got a cousin, he’s 20, but I think y’all get along great,” Michael grinned and called the boy over. As predicted he and Shuri hit it off and as the party forged ahead, the couple saw the two dancing and shared a fist bump. “We’re definitely the matchmaking couple,” Zoe beamed.

As the party began to wind down hours later, T’Challa approached the couple for the second time that day and cleared his throat. “My mother and I were about to leave, I was gonna take the twins,” the king gestured towards the children sleeping peacefully, each spread over two chairs pushed together. “Oh okay, thank you for coming and babysitting,” Zoe Iman Jordan hugged her former best friend, ex-lover, and the father of her children, “I’m gonna go say goodnight to mama,” she squeezed Michael’s hand before leaving in search of the older matriarch. “I’ll help you grab the kids, '' Michael broke the silence.

T’Challa nodded and they grabbed the slobbering children from their makeshift beds and headed out of the venue to the cars. Once both twins were buckled, they leaned against the car awaiting the women’s arrival. “Michael thank you.”

“For what?” The actor turned to the monarch. “For loving Zoe and for bringing the light back to her life. For taking care of her and loving my children as your own, even when I wasn’t man enough to do the same.”

Michael nodded, “You know for the longest I hated you. I didn’t understand how one man could be so self-involved he couldn’t see how amazing of a woman he had right in his hand. I hated that you messed with Zoe’s head, made her second guess herself. Then I finally got her to a good place, she opened up, we were having a good time, then she found out she was pregnant. You wouldn’t even text her back about your own kids.” T’Challa nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets, “If I could do it all again, I would do it differently believe me.”

I know,” the groom agreed, “but everything happens for a reason. I don’t approve of what you did, but if you had been a good partner, I probably wouldn’t be married to the love of my life right now. So I forgive you. And those kids, they are like my own. I am beyond glad that you’ve stepped up for them. I want them to have their father and a bonus father in their lives. You stay involved and love them, then there are no hard feelings between us.” The acclaimed actor extended a hand and T’Challa accepted his handshake. “You have my word, I’m never leaving them again.”

“Good.” Michael leaned back against the car and crossed his legs, hands stuffed in his tuxedo pockets. “So what’s next for you?” He asked a few beats later.

T’Challa exhaled, “I’m not sure, but I do know I wanna get my life back on track. Find someone and treat her right.”

“Then you do that man,” they stood up off of the car as Ramonda approached. “I just wonder what she’ll think of this family. It’s all a little bizarre isn’t it?”

“Yeah most baby mamas and ex-wives aren’t best friends, especially under our circumstances, but if she loves you and you love her, there’ll always be room in the family.”

“I appreciate that Michael.”

“Shuri staying with Nakia?” The actor asked when the queen mother reached the car. “Yes, she and your cousin have taken quite a liking to each other,” Ramonda raised an eyebrow. “You know me and Zoe will watch out for her,” Michael reassured. “I know, that is the only reason I’m letting her stay,” Ramonda answered.

“We’ll get her back to you safely later tonight. I promise,” The actor shoved his hands in his pocket and stepped back. “I guess we better get going then-”

“Wait,” Zoe walked out of the venue over to the car. “I didn’t get to kiss my babies goodbye,” the mother pouted. Michael laughed as T’Challa rolled his eyes. “Boy, don’t roll your eyes at me before they get stuck like that.” She slapped his chest before opening the car doors and kissing both of her toddlers.”

“Okay, we will swing by to pick them up after we get back. And you have everything packed for them right? You have Meluzmi’s inhaler, and enough clothes and replacement outfits? You got the earplugs too right? They hate heights and the sounds of the plane's engines when-”

“Zoe they will be fine. T’Challa reassured. “And if I don’t have it, you know my mother will make sure they get it. They will be fine. I can do this,” The king grabbed both of her hands and squeezed them gently. “I know, I know,” the young mother sighed, “This is just the longest I have been away from them ever and I’m nervous.” Michael moved up to wrap an arm around his wife’s waist and press a kiss to her forehead. “ Everything will be fine,” he soothed. “I know-”

“Then stop worrying,” T’Challa offered a sad smile, “You deserve this, to be happy, to have a break, to enjoy your honeymoon. You are an excellent mother Zoe, but they have a father too. So enjoy your break, enjoy your marriage. I promise they will be just as alive and happy as they are now when you get back from your trip.”

Zoe nodded and sighed, finally stepping back from the car with Michael at her side. “Okay, see you in three weeks. Thank you all again.”

“Anytime, you know I love my grandbabies.” Ramonda hugged the bride once more before closing the door facing the twins and taking a seat in the backseat next to them. “Ayy, Mike, it’s almost time for the garter toss,” Two of the groomsmen waved the couple over but T’Challa reached for Zoe’s hand. “Can we talk?”

Zoe nodded at her husband letting him know she was okay, he looked the king over once more before heading inside to watch from the doorway. “What’s up?”

“I just wanted you to know that you were right.”

“About what?” the bride squinted. “About deserving to be with someone who can say they love you in and out of the bedroom. You deserve someone who loves you out loud, and I’m glad you found it in Michael.”

Zoe smiled softly, “Thank you. I hope you find the same for yourself. We both deserve someone.”

“I think I already did but I kind of fucked it up...twice,” the king chuckled. “I’ll keep you updated on that front though.”

Zoe Iman nodded. T’Challa gestured to the doorway, “I think you better go though, your husband hasn’t stopped watching.” Zoe laughed, glancing over her shoulder at Michael who was, sure enough, watching from the door. “Yeah... Goodbye T’Challa.” Zoe pulled the king in for a hug before placing a kiss on his cheek.

“Goodbye, Zoe… I love you,” he sighed once she had walked off out of earshot.

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oneshotnewbie · 3 years

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I love your fics, could you please do one where B!D has an eating disorder and Kara, Lena, and Alex help her through it and try to take care of her?

A/N: This topic got pretty close to me because, yes. What is certain is that this request will contain several parts, because I want to expand it a little to get everything so that it fits instead of just writing everything down without feelings. I don't know how many parts it will have, but I'll be surprised where I can get it all to. I also say that I do not support, glorify or promote this type of eating disorder. I know how difficult this disease can be and I also know what it does to body and soul. But I also know that people cannot talk openly about this topic because it is a topic that still creates a stigma and people feel even more misunderstood. You don't like it or it triggers you? Okay then please don't read it and keep scrolling. I don't want to be responsible if you feel even worse reading, I couldn't agree with myself. Stay safe! ♥ ---- The grey marble counter in the house in which you grew up reflected the sun’s rays and the individual white built-in stones shone brighter than usual. Under it stood various compartments with all kinds of stuff that your parents and elder sisters stowed away when there was nowhere room for it.

As a child you loved this bar, it was the best time of the day when the whole family was sitting together and enjoying time, it was the bar where you baked with Kara and ate rabbit pancakes with Alex every morning while the red-haired woman got angry about the shape and cut off the ears of it because, according to her, she was no longer a small child.

Like most siblings, you had food fights. Mashed potatoes and other food flew across the kitchen. Not only did the kitchen look like it had exploded, you also looked like you had bathed in a bathtub full of flour, eggs or beans. Both were five years older and so they were always winning. The special trick with Kara was that she had super powers, even if it was unfair. On cold evenings you made hot chocolate and ate the cake mother had baked.

But you all grew older and no longer sat together at the counter. Alex moved out to college and later be recruited into the DEO, Kara followed soon after to accept a job offer for Cat Grant assistent and you were left alone to go on to college and finish with your studies.

You wanted to follow in your oldest sister's earlier footsteps and worked towards the medical school to which you were successfully accepted.

But university and practical learning in the hospital swallowed you up. You loved helping and taking care of patients, but you ran out of time for yourself. The learning material became more and more difficult, new test were announced every week.

You started to spend your lunch breaks going to quiet places and teaching yourself material instead of wasting it on food in the cafeteria. You skipped some of your breakfast if you had studied late into the night so you could sleep half an hour longer. Most of the time you grabbed a banana or an apple for your way to the classroom. And your dinner wasn't always much either, sometimes it was just a small salad or a few chips from the machine next to your dorm.

To be honest, you didn't really have a lot of money to order anything from delivery services or buy you food that you could cook for yourself. You found it uncomfortable to share the kitchen with twelve other people and so you didn't wanted to cook either, you only had food that you could keep in your room and that you didn't need any or many utensils to do them. You didn't have rich parents and your part-time job offered you just enough money that you could survive somehow.

There were no elevators in your university and your classrooms extended over the whole campus, even in the hospital you would rather take the stairs than risk that something could happen to your patients at that time the elevator took too long and stopped on every floor so you were always on your feet.

You didn't even noticed how much weight you were losing with your new, if unwanted, lifestyle and you didn't cared either.

You were always a girl who was normal. You never had any problems with your body or appearance, you were always complacent with yourself. Even with food you could say you had a healthy relationship, even if you ate more sweets than any woman might have on her period.

But now it was different, you had completely lost your appetite. Food seemed to look no longer delicious or good to you, it was unsavory and it seemed disgusting and kind of weird. The smell of it made you feel sick and you just wanted to hide if something came up with food.

But to your regret, the autumn holidays had come again and it was time for you to spend the next two weeks with your older sisters where it was time for food, food and more food. You maybe could stay away from breakfast, but you could not get out of lunch with them or even Lena, and the various holidays and game night snacks made you almost panic if you thought about it.

While you were packing your last things in your suitcase, you wondered why you had developed such a panic and fear of eating, but could not find an answer.

With these thoughts and the fear of how Kara, Alex as well as Lena would react to you when they would see you, how you would hide your problems in front of them and how you would survive the two weeks, you opened the door with a fully packed suitcase and walked to your car.

They would notice and ask you over and over again until they found an answer. You could not hide your body, that was clear.

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sidgenoabofest · 4 years

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Remember, you can write for as many or as few prompts as you’d like! And check out the updated FAQ and Timeline pages or send us an Ask if your have any questions. Happy writing!

1. Mpreg

2. Courting

3. Omega/Omega

4. Jealous mate

5. Lactation kink

6. Mermaid a/b/o au

7. Mail order bride!!!

8. Subversion/Inversion

9. Non-traditional dynamics

10. Very elaborative courting

11. oral knotting + cock warming

12. Geno’s first heat in America.

13. Little Drummer Girl au but a/b/o

14. alpha/alpha first time taking a knot

15. a xeno take on heat and abo dynamics

16. Geno falling for Ace!Sid in an a/b/o au

17. Mutual pining where they’re both Alpha’s

18. Hockey player Alpha Geno, non hockey Sid

19. Alpha!Geno’s dick is too big when he knots

20. Geno and Anna (alphas) try to woo Sid (omega)

21. Regency AU arranged marriage with shy omega Sid

22. Rival teammates and one goes into heat mid game

23. a/b/o dynamics based on lions, rather than wolves

24. beta/omega; first time going through heat together

25. Alpha-Alpha dynamic going into rut on the team plane

26. cockwarming as self-care and/or somebody's love language

27. Sometimes Sid will let Geno fuck his thighs and let him knot.

28. Alien Alpha Sid captures Earthling Omega Geno in his tractor beam

29. Snowed in and/or cabin fic where one of them goes into heat or rut

30. Mafia boss Geno, with husband omega Sid, who is still a boss in his own right

31. Sid's knot takes forever to go down. They work around it with cosy movie nights.

32. Alpha Sid being all worked up over pregnant geno.... and perhaps overly protective…

33. Sid being scent blind and falling in love with Geno the long way, while Geno pines and pines

34. Sid goes into a full on mating heat at the West Point hill climb, Geno fights off all comers.

35. Geno is intersex, with physical characteristics of both alpha and omega. Sid's into all of him.

36. Evgeni always goes to Sidney post heat (or rut). It’s one of many things they don’t talk about.

37. During a goal celebration, Sid and Geno experience a spontaneous bond. It freaks all involved out.

38. Alpha/Alpha rival knight au or Alpha knight and Omega squire? Just something with romance and armour.

39. Tired of being teased and the punchlines of locker room jokes, Sid asked Geno to take his virginity/knot him.

40. Geno and Sid as two alphas who pine for each other and try to pretend they don’t want each other, but they do.

41. sid has a kink for fucking new brides, so omega geno dresses up in bridal lingerie and begs sid to knock him up

42. Alphas and omegas will fuck betas, but they don’t end up staying with them. This is what Sidney knows from experience.

43. Medieval abo au, Sid's castle is small and he and Geno have to consummate their marriage in front of all of Sid's patrons

44. omega/omega pregnancy kink, no getting pregnant angst, just skip right to the good stuff: already pregnant and horny about it.

45. rookie sid and geno are still a bit too young for a real heat, so they put in some practice together and things get out of hand

46. “i’m rich and i’m not supposed to talk to servants but the person that scrubs my floor is really cute” (/smells fucking amazing)

47. New relationship during the holidays and somebody forgot to take their suppressant and goes into rut in between dinner and dessert

48. Omega Sid and alpha Geno hook up, it's a one night stand. Sid notices he's pregnant a couple weeks after and goes to hunt down Geno

49. Baby NHL omegas come to Sid for advice on omegas working with alphas, dating etiquette with alphas and what its like to get knotted by an alpha.

50. Alpha Geno courting Omega Sid to be allowed to mate him, over expensive gifts to dinner invitations to being possessive and protective on the ice

51. Sid can’t stand being touched or scent marked by strangers, but Geno’s never been that to him. (Authors choice re: what designations they each have)

52. Regency AU: Mr Sidney Crosby is as well know for his big estate and he wealth as he is for being an omega who tops all the alpha gentlemen he take to his bed

53. Sid is always yapping on the bench, but in relationships his communication skills go right down the drain when he has a cold and can't rely on scent cues for help.

54. you rescued me from the creepy person that was hitting on me in the bar and i’m glad you did because MMHMMM you are hot and smell like nothing i’ve ever smelled before

55. Sid is a beta who Geno always calls on when he goes into heat/rut. It’s fun and no strings attached and they’re friends. Only Geno slowly realises he wants more than that

56. one is an omega and the other is a beta (the inherent convenience of a self-slicking butthole; the beta figuring out how to satisfy their partner in heat, who can go for HOURS)

57. Only werewolves are a/b/o’s, humans are just humans. As a general rule human!Sid stays out of wolf business but Evgeni keeps making it his business by acting like Sidney’s *his.*

58. sid being teased relentlessly for his big alpha dick in the locker room, and loving it, kinda strutting around naked but also going all pink, and geno really LOOKING for the first time

59. Sid has been on high level suppressants since juniors and nobody knows if he's hiding being an alpha or an omega. Geno has been curious for YEARS but never asked, till something happens.

60. One of their alpha/omega statuses doesn't kick in until after retirement-- they spent a good portion of life thinking they were a beta but now that shit is going BANANAS. Puberty at age 40

61. Sid/Geno/Anna where Sid + Geno are both Omegas and have banded together like "we don't need any alpha nonsense" but then Geno meets Alpha Anna at the Olympics and shit gets real, real fast.

62. Tradition has it, your mate is supposed to smell best to you. But Sid usually smells like old milk. How the fuck is Geno supposed to work around that? Because Sid is definitely the one he wants.

63. Alpha Sid's enthralled with Geno's omega trills. Geno's kind of a picky eater (like he's picky about everything) Sid revels in the challenge of finding snacks and gifts that will make Geno trill

64. geno's heats come on fast and with no warning, sometimes in the middle of a game, so once in a while sid can help a buddy out and slip geno some fingers to just get him through to the intermission

65. Established Sid and Geno who have not bonded for some reason (is one beta? are they waiting for something?), with a side of whoops, accidentally bonded to someone else in a heat-related medical emergency.

66. You’re an actor/other famous person that I really admire and I just saw you in the street and as I was debating whether or not to say hi you came up to me and started flirting what do I do?? (but make it hockey abo)

67. Sexual dysfunction: Maybe an alpha who's having trouble knotting, or a bata having a hard time staying hard his fist time dating an omega, or an omaga who's having issues self lubricating. Emotional comfort through sex!

68. Camboy or porn AU where the one who does sex work specializes in alpha/alpha or omega/omega porn. Ideally the one watching is still an NHL player and has some complicated feelings around their own same-gender preferences.

69. one is an alpha and the other is a beta (first time getting knotted and being overwhelmed by it plus like LOTS of lube; or the alpha likes getting fucked but doesn't like to be knotted so a beta partner is the perfect option)

70. omega/omega sid figuring out how to top geno's giant peach ass when omegas aren't particularly well-endowed (dick-extending knotting dildo? practicing flexibility? finger-shaped bruises trying to keep those cheeks pried open?)

71. Green card heat bond au! The KHL don’t want to release Geno from his contract to let him play in the NHL. It’s becoming messy and it looks like the Penguins may lose their legal case when someone suggests a heat bond green card.

72. Trophy wife Geno: He likes to be pampered, he like his valour track suits, he likes lounging around in fur coats, and he likes getting knotted when Sid comes back from a win...and maybe even more when he comes back from a loss…

73. Heatfic PWP set during Geno’s rookie year when he barely speaks any English. Up to you which one is in heat—I just like the idea of Sid and Geno trying awkwardly to communicate & then not really needing to once instinct takes over.

74. Beauty and the beats/ or some kind of monster au. Geno is saved by Beast!Sid and nursed back to health in his castle. By the end Geno is as in love with the monster as he is with Sid's other self. This could be any dynamic combination.

75. Sid’s concussion messing up his alpha or omega cycle, or maybe delaying him from differentiating. Everyone calls him a late bloomer, which Sid doesn’t care about except when he sometimes sees Geno post heat/rut and feels confusing stuff

76. ABO specific sex toys: training knots for omega's, dilators for alphas and betas who want to sleep with other alphas, knotting flashlights, double headed dildos for omega/omega pairs? The list goes on! The only limit is your imagination.

77. Geno - omega who's never gone into heat. Maybe he never will. Despite the pessimism of his younger years, this has turned out to fine, because he and Sid have an excellent and well-established sex life regardless, and SID's heats are pretty great for both of them.

78. Nontraditional abo dynamic frat au: Either with alphas, betas, and omegas all in the same house or maybe separate different fraternities? It could be two competing alpha's from different frat houses? or maybe a beta at an omega house party feeling *very overwhelmed*

79. Geno breaks up after bonding with someone. It’s sudden and it happens mid-season and he can’t go home to lick his wounds so instead his bond-withdrawal becomes a team issue. The trainers and medics all have opinions and advice, but it’s Sid who gets him through the worst of it.

80. Omega Sid is wedded to foreign Prince Alpha Geno because male Omegas are rare and a 'sign to God'. The marriage is a sign of goodwill from the people of Sid's kingdom, he's a low noble but his Omega status makes him more worthy. They meet for the first time in front of the altar

81. Omega Sid is ‘President’ of the NHL omega groupchat/association, Sid and Seguin have a friendship forged through both declaring they “dont need no Alpha!” But cant stop having ‘issues’ with their closest Alpha on their teams. Sid-Seguin gossipy omega friendship as they explore life getting closer to alphas (Geno, Benn)

82. Beta Sid's the king of locker room talk and all the rowdy shenanigans that go on there. He flirts with everyone shamelessly and Geno has no idea how he's supposed to tell if Sid's being serious or not when he tells Geno to "take a picture, it will last longer" or something to that degree. (He really wants Sid to be serious).

83. Age difference Coach Sid/ Rookie Geno au. Geno needs to get bonded to be allowed to travel overseas and play for the Penguins. Sid agrees to be his alpha without really thinking about it until Geno shows up wide-eyed and perky at his front door and things just derail from there. (and by derail I mean office sex at the arena.)

84. Sid is an Omega but pretends to be a suppressed alpha as omegas are considered special and rare, almost local celebrities unto themselves, plus most wouldnt want to see an Omega risking injury playing professional sport. The presence of an ideal Alpha in Geno is making it harder and harder to hide his omega side and instincts.

85. After the NHL All Star Game, alpha Sid ends up with omega Geno’s gear bag. Sid doesn’t realize the mix-up until he gets home. When he opens the bag, he instantly recognizes the smell of omega arousal, and a couple of things become clear: Geno was getting hot while playing in the ASG, and Sid has unfettered, private access to Geno’s scent.

86. Pirates of the Caribbean/Black Sails au—Zhenya is a wealthy young omega hostage on pirate Sid's ship. In the end Sid can’t follow through and hand Zhenya over to the people who want him in exchange for gold. (or maybe Zhenya offers knowledge of something better for them to steal in order to save himself and they fall in love during the adventure)

87. Someone tried to take advantage of Sid while in heat/rut; it’s something that Geno hears whispers of when he is a rookie, but no one talks about it and Geno doesn’t have a nearly good enough grasp on English to try. He just stays later to practice with Sid and sits next to him at clubs and uses his body to block people when they try to touch Sid.

88. After years of dancing around their feelings, AlphaGeno and OmegaSid start ‘hooking up’ and then accidentally bond in The Playoffs bubble. This is a problem because newly bonded omegas tend to become bratty and act out in many ways and try to test their alpha, sometimes taunting other alphas to see if their own alpha will come defend them. Chaos on and off the ice ensues.

89. Werewolf/abo au: an unsuspecting Geno (omega or beta) comes across Alpha Sid's pack (maybe on a full moon run or Sid helps him with car troubles in a snow storm or maybe Geno visits Sid's pack after moving to the area as a gesture of good will.) Either way, Sid knows as soon as he sees Geno that he wants him for his bond mate, and will do whatever it takes to get him to agree.

90. Geno scent marking Sid; maybe they’re not bonded or in a relationship but Sid is *his*; his captain, his friend, the person who laughs at Geno’s jokes and exchanges knowing looks with Geno whenever one of their teammates does something dumb. It’s possessive and technically rude, but whatever. Sid likes it, Geno argues when someone (Flower, probably) tries to call him out for it.

91. Rookie Geno is ultra-competitive about everything from who goes last out of the locker room to how many eggs he can eat in a minute. Everyone sees it as Geno locking horns with Sid, competing as young alphas do. Only, Sid doesn’t seem offended or annoyed. If anything, he seems delighted and more than a little turned on. (Bonus points if everybody is wrong about one of them being an alpha).

92. Alpha sid being possessive and jealous over oblivious omega geno and maybe getting into a fight (throw in some alpha ovi shipping these idiots but also teasing sid about his and geno’s past hookups because he might be onboard the Sid geno train but he’s also a sassy bitch about it) bonus if it also has backy/ovi (if we squint not here to take the spotlight away from the two headed monster)

93. Mail Order Alpha AU: To Play in the KHL Omega Geno needs to be bonded. Metallurge team management offers him many options for Russian suitors, but Geno being Geno doesn’t like being told what to do. Instead of accepting any of those, he finds himself a nice Canadian alpha on "mail order bride" message boards. Bonus points for slightly awkward but also hot “bonding night scene” and Sid charming Geno's family with his broken Russian.

94. Sid never joins in with any of the rowdy locker room talk about hook ups/sex/knots/heats/ruts. Some of the guys joke it’s because Sid’s a virgin or frigid. Geno knows that isn’t true, because they hooked up one time when they were rookies. In retrospect he thinks it was probably Sid’s first time, and he knows he messed it up because instead of talking to Sid and seeing if they had anything real, Geno got back together with Oksana. It’s been years since then, and he and Sid are friends, but sometimes Geno wonder’s ‘what if...’

95. Geno broke an Alpha/Omega bond when he escaped from Russia to come to the NHL. He promised himself he’d never bond with anyone else ever again. He’d just have fun. And he is having fun fucking around. He was never allowed to do that at home. He probably shouldn’t be doing it in the west because he’s getting a reputation but he doesn’t care. He’s free and no one can tell him what to do. It’s his life and his choices and he’s never going to bond with anyone ever again. Only without noticing he finds himself falling for his best friend, Sidney.

96. nesting!! it can be because one of them is pregnant, or something bond/hormone related, or just a pre-heat behavior, but i love fics where the omega partner is secretly stealing the other one's clothes and small personal belongings to make a nice safe nest/den in a closet or spare room or even a trainer's room at the rink. i especially love this trope if the nesting partner is a little embarrassed or evasive about it, lol. my heart says it's sid who's building a nest out of geno's things (and being a little squirrely about it trying to keep it secret) but i think an omega!geno version would also be delightful.

97. Demisexual!Sid in an a/b/o world where designation/romance/sex has never been a big deal to him. He’s never understood his teammates stories of losing their minds with heat lust, or falling in love at first scent or losing days in bed with someone riding out their heat/rut or anything like that. Most people tell him, he’ll understand one day when the right alpha/omega/beta comes along or question if something is wrong with his designation/him. Geno never does. For the longest time Geno is one of the few friends who doesn’t think anything is wrong with him. But the problem with friends is sometimes Sid falls for them.

98. I'd love to read an a/b/o fic involving an unplanned pregnancy. Maybe they're in some kind of casual fwb arrangement off and on for years, or maybe they just hooked up the one time and had tacitly agreed to never speak of it again. I'd read pretty much any take on this prompt -- an Obvious Child-esque version where they decide to have an abortion but also realize they have feelings for each other; a version where they decide to have a baby but both think the other just wants to be friends and co-parents (not romantically involved); a version where the pregnancy forces them to reckon with their true feelings for each other... really, anything goes!

99. Loser's sacrifice / victor's prize fic, version 1: Geno wasn't drafted by the Pens, and he and Sid have spent their whole careers as rival captains (you can decide if it's a no-love-lost rivalry or just mutual respect for each other or a hatesex chemistry type dynamic). The Pens lose to Sid's team, and Sid offers himself to Geno as the victor's prize. (I'd read any version of this, but I'd especially love an alpha!Geno / omega!Sid fic where Sid's the only omega captain in a predominantly alpha league -- and this creates some weird tensions, because the sacrifice is supposed to be about the humiliation of an alpha having to submit to another alpha. Maybe Sid doesn't usually accept or offer sacrifice (someone else on the team does it for him).

100. Loser's sacrifice / victor's prize fic, version 2: Sid and Geno are together (you can decide how serious it is). After a bad loss one night, Sid offers himself as the sacrifice to the opposing team (or maybe just to their captain). Geno is insanely jealous and territorial about it and pretends to be sulky/angry, but in the days after he can't stop furtively jacking off thinking about it. Sid figures it out eventually, and somehow it becomes a thing for them. Sid starts regularly offering himself as sacrifice but always comes to Geno immediately afterwards, smelling of the opposing captain/team, so Geno can fuck someone else's come out of him while Sid tells him everything the team did to him.

101. I've been thinking about an a/o universe where non-alpha/omega pairings are still socially stigmatized, but there's an active scent-masking party/club scene, where people take blockers and go to hook up with other people without knowing what their dynamic is. Maybe the clubs themselves are a little taboo -- sort of like gay bathhouses in the '70s or private BDSM clubs -- so it's mostly people who are in the know, and there's a general understanding that you don't acknowledge people you meet there if you encounter them out in the world. I'd love an alpha/alpha fic set in this verse - could be a non-hockey AU where Sid and Geno meet at one of these clubs, or a canon fic where they don't realize the other is into alphas until they're out of town on a road trip and they run into each other at one of these clubs.

102. There are no omegas in the NHL—at least as far as anyone knows. Sid’s been taking illegal scent-blockers/suppressants and passing as a beta since he presented as an omega as a teen. The only people who know the truth are his parents, his agent, and Jack Johnson (who helped make excuses for Sid at SSM during his first heat). Sid doesn’t intend to reveal his secondary gender until his retirement—once he’s won a Cup or three and gold for Canada and proven decisively that omegas can play at the highest levels. Except something happens (his supply of blockers is interrupted, or he has a breakthrough heat, or something) and Geno finds out. I’d especially love it if this was early in their NHL careers, before they knew/trusted each other and were able to communicate well, but I’d definitely also read a fic where Geno finds out many years into their friendship, and has to grapple with how much Sid’s hidden from him.

103. old timey pirate AU! sid’s a naval officer who’s clawed his way up the ranks despite significant prejudice against omegas. he’s achieved his dream of captaining a ship, but his life is a lonely one, in part because he can’t let himself be vulnerable with anyone (in case they use it against him to challenge his leadership). the only bright spot in his life is the years-long cat-and-mouse game he’s been playing with evgeni malkin, a notorious russian pirate captain who‘s managed to evade arrest for years, often by tricking the navy or managing to cleverly conceal his crew’s stolen loot when their ship is boarded by the Navy. Geno’s an alpha, but unlike Sid’s fellow officers, he’s always treated Sid with the utmost respect—even if he also gleefully delights in tricking Sid’s men and repeatedly evading capture. in fact, after years of meeting in various port towns and at sea, Geno seems to consider Sid a friend. (Sid knows Geno finds him attractive, too, and has made it clear—always teasingly, never in a pushy or aggressive way—that he’s available, should Sid ever want to go to bed with an alpha.) up to you what the plot is, but I’d love something where Geno’s luck finally runs out, and Sid’s the one who‘s tasked with bringing him back to shore to be tried (and most likely hanged) for piracy. make Sid choose between his honor + love of rules and his unacknowledged feelings for geno!!

#sidgeno #sidgenoabofest

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yourfriendslimey · 4 years

Text

7 Minutes

Bambam x fem. Reader

Genre: smut if you can call it that

TW: mild sexual content

WC: 2.5k

Author’s note:took me long enough. this is literally my first smut (r.i.p.). also the ending is a nit dumb but wow did I not know how I wanted to end it.

Preview: “I can hear you heart beating,” Bambam spoke softly. His face was inches from yours; a soft hand placed gently on your jaw…

You melted into an old beanbag chair slumped haphazardly against the corner and let your eyes wander the smoky room. Lit only by a few table lamps, the whole space seemed to rock to the R&B music being playing around you. Even though you were hesitant at first, coming to this party was the best idea you’d had in weeks. Well it was less of a party and more like you and 11 other people sitting around in your close friend, Yugyeom’s apartment. You didn’t know most of the people here, but social interaction was social interaction, nonetheless. It felt like ages since you’d had any actual fun.

The smell of sweat, weed, and hours old pizza filled your nose with each breath. Your eyes traced over the mostly unfamiliar faces in the room and landed upon Yugyeom’s roommate, Bambam, causing your stomach to float.

You didn’t know him very well, but the longer you looked at him, the more you wanted to. However, he seemed to almost avoid you whenever you came by; ducking into his room or leaving the apartment altogether. On the rare occasions you were both in the same room, you’d barely acknowledge each other, giving only a polite wave and a short “hey”. You never really asked Yugyeom about it, opting to just admire him from a far as you were doing now.

His slender frame was leaned against the wall as a bored hand scrolled aimlessly on his phone. A red plastic cup occupied the other. He wore white skinny jeans paired with a pale brick turtleneck that hugged his form. Short snow-white hair and small silver earrings contrasted with his golden skin.

“Hey creep.”

Your heart leapt to your throat at the shock. You shot a stern look to your left to see Yugyeom crouched playfully beside you. “Enjoying the view?” The shit-eating grin plastered to his face made your cheeks burn. He’d known for a while about your feelings for his roommate and took every chance to tease you about it. Honestly, he probably needed to bug you as much as he needed to breathe.

Yugyeom lightly patted your cheeks, giggling at the pissy look growing on your face. “Go to hell, Kim,” you pushed his hands away and threw a punch at his shoulder. “Ow, hey! C’mon, I’m just messin’ around, lighten up,” he pouted as he rubbed his shoulder. “Seriously though, why not just ask him out already? I mean what’s the worst that could happen?” You leaned back with folded arms and sighed, “Well for one, he could laugh in my face and say no. And if that happened I would not and could not EVER come over again. Our friendship would then slowly dwindle away to dust since I rarely see you anywhere other than here. And I honestly don’t know if you’re prepared to handle life without me,” a smirk found its way your face. Yugyeom rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to retaliate but stopped himself and smiled impishly, “I have an idea.” He gave one solid clap of his hands, jumped to his feet, and breezed away, leaving you in a pool of confusion and frankly, mild terror.

You watched as he traversed to the stereo and turned the music down, the sudden silence pulling all eyes to him. “Alright guys, it’s that time…” he paused and rubbed his hands together dramatically, “Anyone down for seven minutes?” The room whooped and laughed excitedly, everyone already moving to sit in a circle on the floor.

“Seven minutes” was shorthand for Seven Minutes in Heaven. From what Yug had told you, he and his friends always played when they got together like this. Your stomach formed a knot as Yugyeom moved the small coffee table off to the side and an empty beer bottle was placed in the center of the carpet. Yug found himself a spot, patting the floor next to him for you to join in. Lazily you made your way over and sat cross-legged beside your friend.

You noticed that Bambam was sat across from you leaning back on his hands. He eyed up everyone in the circle and the moment he landed on you, a slight smirk crept to his face. You quickly looked away, feeling your cheeks grow hot. Excitement sparked within you as you silently wished you’d be paired with him.

Yugyeom piped up, “Before we start, I’m gonna explain the rules since y/n hasn’t played with us before.” You listened intently, “I’ll spin to see who goes first. Then that person spins for their partner. No re-spins. You get who you get. The pair will go into the coat closet together for exactly seven minutes. They’re free to do whatever they want with each other, no questions asked. When seven minutes is up, we open the door and let them out. Then we just go clockwise from the first pick. Questions?” Yugyeom looked directly at you.

You shook your empty head. Even if you did have any questions, you didn’t want to make yourself stick out even more than you did. “Then let’s begin,” Yugyeom said as he spun the bottle.

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The rounds passed by quickly. Couples were sent into the closet one after another. Each time the timer went off, Yugyeom unceremoniously swung open the door. Make-out sessions were cut short, wandering hands returned to their owners, faces were flushed red.

You remained mostly uninvested, only taking interest when Bambam was finally up. The circle whooped and whistled, a ring of excitement. You could see almost everyone crossing fingers and leaning in, hoping to sway the bottle in their favor. He smugly chuckled and gave a few flirtatious glances at girls he’d probably been paired with before. A pang of jealousy took root within you. Bambam obviously got around and at least half of these girls have gotten a taste before. You watched intently as he reached out and spun the bottle; your heart a lump in your throat.

You weren’t sure if you were hoping to be chosen or not. If you got paired up, would he even be into it? Into you? Would he be disappointed? You mind did somersaults. Time seemed to slow down, the bottle taking its sweet time before finally stopping. Your heart paused; your eyes widened.

You sat frozen, staring at the bottle waiting for it to somehow move to someone else. This moment was too perfect to be true. Your face grew redder; your cheeks hot. For a moment, you only heard blood pumping through your ears. The sounds in the room grew muddy and you thought you might pass out from shock alone.

Yugyeom laughed and nudged your side, bringing you back, “you’re finally in the game!”

He stood and made his way to the closet, opening the door and gesturing inside. Bambam appeared in front of you. He looked like an angel; a vision too good to be real. Smiling he extended a delicate hand. You gently took it, thinking if you grabbed too fast, you’d pass right through him. He pulled you up and guided you towards a giddy Yugyeom who was practically bouncing on his toes. You watched your feet as you walked, too nervous to look anywhere else. Bambam entered first; you crept behind, taking your spot opposite from him.

Dimly lit only by a small strip of purple LED’s the closet took on a cozy air. Save for a few scattered jackets and the building tension, the space was empty. You were practically shaking, wondering if anything would happen between you two or if you’d both sit in awkward silence. “Have fun,” Yugyeom teased in a singsong voice, winking at you as she slowly shut the door.

You were practically glued to the wall, your sense of time skewed. These first few seconds felt as if minutes had already passed by. Now what? You thought. Do I say something? Make a move? Keep looking at my feet, twiddling my thumbs? You swallowed hard, finally working up the nerve to look up.

Bambam was looking right at you. The weight of his stare keeping you pressed in place. He seemed to take notice of how tense you were.

“We don’t have to do anything, you know. We could just talk; get to know each other better. I mean you’re hear all the time, and I only know your name,” his smile was genuine. It helped to slow your heartbeat just a bit. Even still, your head was swimming.

“Yeah, yeah, sounds great… What do you wanna talk about?”

Bambam thought for a moment, “Well to start, how long have you and Yug been hanging out? He’s never been one to brag about that kinda thing, but he’s never been shy about it either.” You raised a curious eyebrow, “Honestly I thought you were just some onetime hookup, but when you kept coming back-“

A wave of laughter erupted form you. Bambam jumped a bit in shock. “What’s so funny?” he laughed uncomfortably. “I’m sorry,” you wiped a tear from your eye and took a deep breath in, “We’re not sleeping together. I love him yeah, but as a friend. That’s it.”

Bambam’s eyes widened, “Oh. That’s good then…”

“What do you mean ‘good’? Would it be bad if we were?”

“Well yeah,” Bambam’s voice was low, the lighthearted smile now replaced by a sultry smirk. He stepped closer to you, “Cause then I’d have to keep staying away from you.” He pressed both hands against the wall on either side of your head, locking you in. You felt your breath leave you.

You stammered a bit. The air in the closet grew thicker. Bambam’s soft features were illuminated by a purple glow; his eyes grew darker and sharper the longer you gazed into them. For a moment, you thought the floor had collapsed under you. Your eyes darted down, making sure there was still solid ground below your feet. There was. You pinched your arm to make sure you were awake. You were.

He leaned in close to you “I like you, y/n.” The musky smell of his cologne took over your senses. Your heart picked up pace, your knees almost buckled, and your breath became shallow. You swallowed hard, your mouth an arid desert. “I can hear you heart beating,” Bambam spoke softly. His face was inches from yours; a soft hand placed gently on your jaw. “Do you want me to stop?” You shook your head and before you knew it, Bambam’s soft lips connected with yours.

Electricity shot through your body. A soft moan left your mouth as the warmth of his body overtook you. Bambam released you face, his hands finding their way to your hips. Without much thought, you brought your arms around his neck and pulled him in deeper. His tongue knocked at your mouth’s door. You willingly let him in. Your tongues battled back and forth; teeth clashing wildly. He pulled your hips into him and you could feel the growing mass in his jeans push against you. He wanted you as bad as you wanted him.

Bambam broke the kiss and set his sights on your neck. You welcomed him, craning your head to the side to give him room. You felt your core grow warm, beginning to throb with desire. He left a trail of animalistic kisses, pulling at the collar of your shirt. Your breath became hollow. A sharp gasp left you as he grabbed your left leg and pulled it up to his hip.

“You don’t know how bad I’ve wanted this…” he groaned before lightly biting your collar bone.

“Tell me…”

“I’ll do you one better,” he lifted you, pressing your back to the wall. His hips ground into yours all on their own. You couldn’t help but let out a moan, your hands finding their way to his shirt, tugging it desperately. As his fingers dug into your thighs, you pulled harder, craving the feeling of his naked skin. He let you down, lip still attached to you, before unbuttoning your jeans. You were practically dripping, your panties ruined. He toyed with the hem of your panties, knowing fully well what he was doing to you. You bit your lips, frustrated, desperate for his touch. He slid his hand down, rubbing his first and second fingers against you through the thin fabric. You groaned. Two can play at this game…you thought, moving to undo his belt and pants button.

You teased back, palming him through his boxer-briefs. The soft groan vibrating against your neck felt euphoric. He grabbed your wandering hand with his free one, pinning it by your head. “You’re so mean,” you sighed. He said nothing, giving only a deep chuckle; his fingers finding, their way into your underwear, lightly brushing against your outer folds. Your hips moved on their own, instinct taking over. You wanted, no, needed Bambam to go further. If he didn’t, you were sure you’d lose your mind.

He slipped a digit in between, lightly feeling out your entrance. “Holy shit you’re wet...” He brought his lips to your ear, nibbling your lobe, “Do you get like this for every guy?” You shook your head and hummed in reply, too lost to speak. “Good,” and he pushed his finger inside.

You bit your finger as you forced yourself to stay silent. Slowly, Bambam curled his fingers in and out, savoring the feeling of you on his hand. You whimpered, trying your best to keep your sounds to yourself. He met your gaze, smirking smugly. “Having trouble keeping quiet, are we? You better be care, or else everyone’s going to hear you,” he pushed his fingers deeper, beginning to pump faster. You bit your bottom lip hard, your breath fast but deep. You began to feel yourself tighten on him, your body on autopilot, chasing a high so out of reach. You needed more so damn badly you thought you’d die. But you knew time was limited. If you both lost control then you’d for sure be exposed to a room of curious eyes. Bambam knew too, slowing his pace to a halt before slipping out of you. You whined in frustration, throwing a pair of big puppy eyes and a pout at him.

“Our time’s almost up,” he sucked you from his fingers, while using his dry hand to caress your cheek. You looked at him inquisitively. “We’ve played so often; I’ve gotten pretty good at gaging the time. We’ll pick this back up later,” he winked and fastened his jeans and belt. You follow suit, quickly straightening yourself out to avoid suspicion.

The two of you returned to your original spots, leaning against the walls. A bright smile stretched across Bambam’s face which you mirrored. The closet door swung open to reveal Yugyeom still bright eyed and grinning. The two of you stepped out and returned to your spots in the circle. Yugyeom took his seat next to you, shaking your shoulder and quietly whispering, “Well? Well?” You smirked, glancing at Bambam before looking back to your friend. “We’re gonna play again later.”

#got7 #got7 smut #got7 bambam #got7 yugyeom #bambam #got7 fluff #got7 imagines #kpop smut #got 7 jaebeom #got7 jackson #got7 mark #got7 jinyoung #got7 youngjae #bambam imagines #bambam smut #kpop imagines #kpop fluff #got7 scenarios

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anextraordinarymuse · 3 years

Text

I'm just gonna go ahead and make a new post to respond to your points Katie (@jonesgirl88) so that we're not constantly reblogging and trying to load all of those gifs.

Jump to the DLO dance: there is a war going on in Oliver's head and the fact Eric can act that so we can see it? Brilliant. Chef's kiss. He's so torn and you can feel it and your heart breaks for both of them. He's holding her hand to his heart but Shane is also physically on his right side. Her chin is nearly resting on his right shoulder and he's pulled her close to his right side. What say you?

I noticed this too, of course. But first - Eric and Kristin deserve awards. All of the awards. They act beautifully, and they play off of each other so well - they're wonderful scene partners. Okay anyway. Yes, Shane is physically on his right side and has many points of contact along that side (like you said, her chin is nearly on his shoulder) but I pointed out their hands specifically because they are originally positioned away from their bodies. Shane and Oliver's physical closeness is a given in this moment because dancing is intimate. It requires that a lot of you be in contact with a lot of your partner. But originally Oliver and Shane's hands are extended away from them until Oliver pointedly draws them in and places Shane's hand over his heart. This movement is unnecessary in the context of ... well, anything. It's a purely instinctive and intimate move. He could have simply let go of her hand, or drawn it closer and then held it in some other position, but no: he pulls it right in against him. That's why I included it. I'm sure that it was included in the blocking and written in to the script because we're meant to notice it.

I could write for days about that DLO dance scene. THE. FREAKING. CHEMISTRY. I blush ridiculously easily (seriously it's A Problem and I hate it) and I would have been crimson that whole time if I were Kristin. The Tenderness. The Tension. The way his eyes dart back and forth right before he lets her go because he's so at war with himself: kiss her or let her go? O.Y.E.

They're standing in a line (because they're being given awards) but he's turning towards her and she's turning towards him. I just...I can't with these two.

This is totally A Thing©. Shane and Oliver both have a tendency to turn in toward each other like that - but especially Shane. It's an unconscious attempt to take refuge in Oliver and his strength, I think. She often does it in times when she's seeking comfort and closeness/affection. That moment where Shane is sleeping on Oliver's shoulder is one my favorite moments of it, but there's another one that's a small moment (that apparently was either filmed in a longer moment and cut, or aired as a longer moment/actual hug in one of the international versions).

Right before the scene fades into the next one we see Shane turn herself even more into Oliver's left side and tuck her head, as if she's going to bury her face in his shoulder. I wish we'd been gifted with more of this moment! Look at the way she tucks her arm into him and tips her head - she even kind of pushes her hip into his side. I just love this moment a lot.

1) Shane is shown to be freaking out when closed in the vault. Her fear seems to trigger at odd times? She's fine when she learned there's 13 hours of air; she's fine when she learns there's actually less than 5 hours of air; she's fine when she's bored and wants to play a game; but Katherine might be dead so she freaks out? I get it, she believes their fate to be tied together but then why wasn't she more fearful before they started reading the letters? It just doesn't make a lot of sense.

I think for a large part of this Shane was doing a good job of distracting herself and focusing on something else. But reading the letters made them both emotional: they connected with something poignant in those letters. They're reading about two people who fall in love despite their circumstances and share something beautiful even if it's only words - and then find out at the end that these two people may not have actually been able to be together. Not only does that mirror their situation, but all of a sudden it seems like they might never have the chance to be together either (to Shane) because, oh yeah, they're also in danger of not breathing anymore - and I think that just brought her fear to the surface. Also, it's a small moment, but Shane wasn't too thrilled about having to go into the vault at all. When she first sees it she hesitates and says "in there?" like she'd rather not go anywhere near it. I always took it as a small nod to the fact that Shane might not have a love of small spaces. We've never seen it mentioned again though, so who knows.

I know it's part of the story but he literally just wrote he's willing to give things with Holly another chance but then spends his time thinking of Shane when reading the letters.

Yes! And I have always taken this as another indication that, at this point, Oliver is saying what he feels he should have said long ago. He's making the effort he feels duty bound to make. I mean, I think part of him does want to put in the effort - but that part is his head. His rational mind, and probably his memories of Holly and his affection for her, and the importance he puts on his marriage vows. This is another reason why I truly don't think his heart is with Holly anymore, or in his marriage. AT NO POINT after he writes that letter and tucks it away does he think of Holly. He's reading powerful, moving love letters between two people and the only person he thinks about is Shane? And - we don't find this out until later, but still - the letter he does write to Holly isn't that romantic. He promises to try to see her dreams through her eyes, and says that he's willing to change, but there's nothing about how much he loves her or how her absence has affected his heart or his life. Maybe because Oliver didn't really believe when he was writing it that he was in danger? I don't know. But it's interesting.

That hand grab!! ... And then the way she looks at him as he sings along at the end when Rita wins?? I can't with this man. I can't with this woman.

Um, yes. Shane takes Oliver's hand and he just ... short circuits. It's hilarious. And they're so smitten with each other it's ridiculous.

And in that hospital scene, Oliver absolutely would have let anyone sleep on his shoulder like that. But it wasn't anyone: it was Shane, and it was Shane after all of the emotional intimacy they shared in The Treasure Box; and, once again, it was Shane turned into his side like Oliver offered to let her lay her head there, or she knew what she was doing when she did, because she's not facing forward in the chair with her head to one side like she just accidentally fell asleep and then her head sort of slid to one side. She's angled her body into his. Her feet are pointing toward him. Her hand is just under/next to his arm. How did they get to that moment? I NEED TO KNOW.

(I always understood Jordan to just be an angel. Definitely open to interpretation though.)

OLIVER IS THE ANSWER TO HER LETTER. His words, his faith, his person is the answer to Shane's childhood prayer she never forgot. He opens the wound but it's destined he's the one to help her heal.

Oliver is the embodiment of Shane's hope. Jordan couldn't answer her letter because it had to be Oliver, which he realized. And before he leaves the chapel he says to Oliver "take good care of that little letter writer." HE'S TALKING ABOUT SHANE. In the Impossible Dream, Shane tells Oliver that he's given her something she'll never forget: "a little hope for this world." Oliver. Is. Shane's. Hope. Oh my gosh! She's his heart, he's her hope. How tooth-rottingly, disgustingly sweet. I love it.

Extra point: Kristin can rock a leather skirt...like hot damn woman.

A) she always looks so good, but yes, this leather skirt and periwinkle/lavender top is one of my favorite looks on her, and B) I love her fashion and style and aspire to be that fashionable one day.

Holly and Oliver try to have a conversation with words and they fail.

This literally just occurred to me: Holly herself points out that she and Oliver suck at having actual conversations. Physically they click, so they obviously had a lot of chemistry, but they struggle to just talk to one another. Juxtapose that with Shane, who literally understands Oliver so well and on such a deep level that she not only understands him when no one else does, she can actively translate him. The reunion in HG instantly comes to mind here. She translates in real time for the audience what Oliver means ("And I might be the only person on Earth who understands what you just said!") But she also translates what he says for their waitress in OIAM ("Oh, he just means that people weren't having their booshes (or however you spell that) amused in the 20th century.")

In the Pilot and The Masterpiece, things get McSteamy so quickly but it never starts out that way ... He's trying for the sake of his marriage one last time but his head and heart aren't in it.

Exactly! The pull between him and Shane is magnetic. It's natural and impossible to ignore. This is why I maintain that even if Holly had changed her mind and asked to work on their relationship it never would have worked. Oliver was in love with Shane by this point even if he wouldn't say it or wasn't ready to acknowledge it (although Jordan played a part in making Oliver more aware of this truth. Hard to ignore when a freaking angel points out to you how important someone is to you.)

To Holly, kissing Oliver is akin to breaking promises to herself ... To Shane, kissing Oliver is akin to keeping promises.

Well, you just blew my mind. This is so true! Holly tells us that the only way she could see to live her dream was to stop kissing Oliver (insinuating that it was also to leave him behind); Shane's dream seems to just be ... Oliver. Sharing a life with him; delivering dead letters with him; loving him.

BRB, sobbing over this stupid show and these idiots in love.

I do think that Holly and Oliver parted amicably. I can't decide if I think that Holly asked about Shane, or if she made a comment about her (directly or indirectly). I kind of feel like Holly was more the type to make a comment than ask a question.

I am dying over the logistics of Oliver actually buying that porch swing. Well dressed Oliver scouring the aisles of Walmart at like midnight for the perfect porch swing while surrounded by a bunch of people in their pajamas and college kids on middle of the night snack runs because they're marathoning TV shows instead of studying? Hilarious. Headcanon accepted.

Back to the topic at hand...I do think some of the left/right stuff is purely ease of blocking

As do I. I'm definitely reading more into it than I'm meant to at some points, there's just SO MUCH of it and it's so fun to contemplate that I went for it.

THE HUG IN TRUTH BE TOLD.

hahahahahahaaa ... the way that Shane literally just drops everything and wraps her arms around him slays me. The stunned little pause where Oliver's arms are just up in the air for a second, as if he's somehow surprised at the force of her hug despite having watched her move toward him, and then he tentatively puts his arms on her back and then ... he holds her a little tighter. Ugh. UGH. I DIE.

CAN WE TALK ABOUT OLIVER IN FLANNEL WITH THE SLEEVES ROLLED UP??

Yes. A million times, yes. Oliver with his sleeves rolled up? Outstanding. Oliver in flannel? An absolute vision. Oliver in flannel with his sleeves rolled up? I C A N N O T.

There will be more. I need to make the gifs, but there's going to be a part 4. And probably 5. In fact, I think this is just going to become a series of Things I Need To Scream About™ with supporting gif evidence.

I'll try to break it up though, so there's just ShOliver stuff, just Shane stuff, and just Oliver stuff. And then all Postables stuff because they're the cutest little Postal family ever.

#oliver x shane #shane x oliver #sholiver #Jess' thoughts #look at us bringing life to these tags lol #in my head it's just you and me in this little room freaking out together about these idiots Katie #like every once in a while someone opens the door and it's just us #squealing at each other and flailing #and whoever it is just closes the door and backs away quietly like #nope not going in there

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rantingwriter · 3 years

Text

Body Guard (Levi x Reader)

Day 1

I still don’t fully understand what happened...I was at work at the behavioral hospital, some big dark GMC type car pulls up, and now I’m riding in the backseat getting told I’m actually related to some big shot that’s being threatened and everyone she holds dear is in danger. “Can you please elaborate how someone I’ve never met...holds me dear…?”

“Your dad was her secret lover when he was working at her company. She has kept tabs on you for years and even sent him money for child support. There, all caught up.” The stoic man with sharp, narrow blue eyes, who also looks really tired, sighs in exasperation. He cards his fingers through his straight black hair and looks at me through the rearview mirror. I am still reeling, I have a mom and dad who are happily married, but now I’ve got a mom who I’ve never met? “Geez, what’s so complicated about this for you?”

“My current mom is not my mom, my real mom is some bigshot that pissed somebody off that’s more violent than my psychosis patients, and I’m in the back of a fucking car that should only be used for this scenario in movies!” I’m starting to freak out when a voice comes over the radio.

“Captain, you lack delicacy…” It sounds like a woman, “don’t worry [f/n], you are safe with us.”

“W-Who are you?” I try to sit forward and look around, a hand pulling me back into my seat. “WhO?!”

“Please stay seated, that’s just Petra.” Another woman with glasses and her hair up in a ponytail is looming over me. “We’ve got a team ready to protect you and we’ve already taken care of your job since you won’t be able to leave once we get you to our safe house.”

“Safe house? What about my parents? M-My cats?!”

“They have been picked up by our second team and taken to a separate location.” The driver sharply turns down a backroad. “We’ll fill you in on everything at the safe house. Just sit still and shut up.” I tried to relax in the backseat, but it was impossible to relax with all this new information careening around in my brain. Before long we roll up to a townhouse and I am led inside. It’s nicer on the inside than it looks on the outside, my stuff is already here too. The driver starts barking orders to the other members of his team, soon enough it was just the two of us standing in the living room. “I sent for dinner, you go wash up.”

“C-Can I at least get your name?”

“Levi, I’ll be staying with you in the house. The others will man the outside.”

“Okay, nice to meet you.” He simply nods and goes to do what I can only assume is his bodyguard duties. I go to get showered up and process my thoughts. It’s way too much to handle all at once.

Day 3

It’s been a couple of days. I’m still reeling, been crying myself to sleep from fear at night, but overall...I guess I’m okay? “Hey, you look like shit.”

I jolted at Levi’s sudden comment, “gee thanks…” I wipe at my eyes, they feel puffy and dry.

He stares at me a long moment, before extending me a cup of coffee. “I know it’s rough the first couple of nights, you’ll adjust.”

I take the cup and inhale the aroma of coffee, “If you say so…” I take a sip and make a face at how bitter it is. I grab the creamer from the fridge and add some more to the little cup. Levi says nothing, he just watches me as he leans against the counter. I don’t understand why he insists on watching my every move, it’s like he’s studying me or something. I eat some breakfast and go to the living room to play on my laptop. Before I can do anything online, the muscular guy snatches the device. “Hey!”

“Do not sign into anything, they’ll be able to track you if you do.” He goes through and logs me out of everything I usually use.

“B-But-”

“No buts, nothing that can be tracked.” He finally hands it back to me and sits in the nearby armchair. I simply sigh and try to enjoy some me time with the stoic statue in the room.

Day 7

I’m starting to wonder if Levi’s constant staring at me is simply his way of learning about me. He has been making my coffee exactly how I like it without me saying anything. He has been paying attention to what I like to eat. If we weren’t basically living together, I would be super creeped out by his attention to details. It’s honestly really sweet and I think he is growing on me a little. “Hey, [f/n], want to go somewhere?”

“I thought I couldn’t leave the safe house,” I was putting away my laundry when he came into the room.

“We can go somewhere so long as it’s visible for the team and not super crowded.”

“What’s even in this area?”

“Some restaurants, a park, we might be able to swing a movie theater, and one of those animal cafes.” He doesn’t sound very excited about any of the options.

“I’d like to go to the movies and m-maybe the café afterwards?”

He does his signature stare at me, “we’ll see. We’ll start with the movie at least.” I smile and hurry to get my shoes on, we go to the local movie theater and Levi keeps me close to his side the whole time. Once we are seated, he drapes an arm over my shoulders and whispers. “Best to look like we are dating while we are out of the house.”

“O-Okay…” I’ve never heard of this kind of tactic in all of those movies and games involving bodyguards. Or maybe I just never found those specific ones. He idly moves his fingers along my upper arm. His touch is giving me goosebumps. The movie goes by without a hitch and we are able to visit the animal café. I didn’t realize how much I missed home until a cat curled up in my lap while I tried to eat a slice of cake. I also try to make small talk with the quiet bodyguard, but he has his guard up constantly. It’s hard to get any information about him personally or otherwise. I’m almost finished with my cake when he suddenly pulls me out of my seat and throws the table up as protection. My ears are ringing from the sudden downpour of bullets that destroy the little café. Animals and people alike scatter trying to find safety. Levi yells into his earpiece for his team to engage. I can only tremble in fear as the man shields me. When the gunfire finally stops, he leads me out the back and we are forced to relocate to a new safehouse.

Day 10

I’m struggling with sleep again, I think Levi is starting to take notice. “Do you need me to start sitting in the room at night?”

“How would that help?” I’m a little snappy, I don’t mean to be.

“It’s just a suggestion,” he seems unfazed by my words.

I sigh and sip my coffee, “it’s worth a shot, I’m not sure what else to do at this point.”

He sets his cup down and grabs my wrist, half dragging me to the couch where he sits down and pulls me down to join him. “Lay down.”

“I’m not napping, if I can’t sleep how can I-” He cuts my protests off by guiding my head into his lap, I feel my face turn red hot at the realization of my position.

“Just shut up and try.” I couldn’t see it, but he was hiding his face in his hand. Sure enough his little experiment works and I finally get a little sleep.

Day 15

Levi’s been staying in my room for nearly a week now and I’m surprised to say it’s helping a lot. His presence lately has brought a great source of comfort and also been generating some...feelings...I don’t know what to do about it. He is my bodyguard, he is just doing a job. “Hey…” I can’t believe I’m about to ask him this. “Have you ever...caught feelings for a client?”

“No, never.” His stoic stare is unwavering. “Why?”

“Just curious…” I need to just do what I usually do, bury these feelings deep down inside until it festers and then slowly rots away over the course of a few years...or until he does something that just kills the feelings all together.

“Do you feel like trying to go out in public again?”

“Not really, getting shot at once was enough.” I turn to take care of something when next thing I know I’m on the ground with Levi hovering over me. Jesus, this is not helping!

“Damn it, we are under fire!” Despite the fact he is yelling, my ears are ringing enough I can barely hear him. How did these guys find us again? We haven’t been out of the safe house at all! Levi leads me to a secret exit and he drops his ear piece and has me ditch basically every electronic. We take the car we’ve been using and ditch it in the middle of town before getting set up in a motel. He pays in cash and uses a fake name, I’m pretty sure the receptionist thinks I’m a mistress or something. We get in the room and he starts frisking me.

“Whoa, what are you doing? What what what are you doing?” I feel my whole body goes warm at his touch.

“I’m checking for anything that might have been placed on you to track us. I’ve purposefully gone dark in case it’s a mole in the ranks.” He stops frisking me and suddenly starts stripping his clothes off.

“Whoa! A warning would’ve been nice!” My heart can’t handle all of this. He says nothing as he inspects all of his clothes.

“Okay, looks like we are safe, I’ll sweep the room for bugs and then go get us some new clothes. Will you be alright alone for a couple of hours?”

“I-I think so?” I feel anxious at the thought after being shot at again mere hours ago.

“Lock the door, do not open it until you hear this knock.” He completes a little sequence on the coffee table. “Can you remember that?”

“Y-Yeah, okay, got it.” He goes around the room to check for any secret cameras or microphones or anything out of the ordinary before running off to resupply everything we left behind. I’m ready for this madness to stop.

Day 20

There is tension, I can feel it! Ever since we were downgraded to this motel and basically forced to stay in the same room day and night it’s been harder and harder to ignore my budding feelings for the bodyguard. He just stares at me half the time, the other half we are sleeping. On top of that there is only one bed and I’m starting to feel bad that I’m the only one using it. He swears he is fine in the chair, but I don’t believe him. “I’m going to take a shower, are you getting hungry?”

“Yeah, a bit.” I can feel his eyes on me as I go into the tiny bathroom. I shower up and try to relax under the hot water. It’s only after I turn the shower off I realize I didn’t grab clothes to change into. I tightly wrap my towel around me and venture cautiously out into the room. Levi hasn’t moved.

“I...forgot to grab my clothes…” I try to break the awkward silence, but it only proves to make things more awkward for me. “C-Could you look away for a moment?” He doesn’t move his head, only his eyes as he looks off to the side. I turn so my back is to him as I pull my clothes on to get ready for bed. I’m not used to wearing half the stuff he bought the other day, but at least they fit. I turn and run straight into him, when did he get behind me?! “S-Sorry, do you need something?”

His face is harder to read than usual, I can’t tell if he is pissed about something or what, but it’s starting to scare me. Before I can try to awkwardly fill the silence void, he simply replies “you.”

“W-What?!”

He leans closer to my face, “I need you.” He closes the distance and presses his lips to mine. I instantly melt into the kiss and drop my towel on the floor. He backs me up to the bed and we both fall back onto it. The rest of the night is a hot and steamy blur as we made love. He was surprisingly gentle at first, but that didn’t last once he was sure I was okay. In the morning I’m surprised to find him still in bed with me, his arm draped over my side.

Day 30

They finally located us and gave us the all clear, they caught the guys and I can return to my life as it was. But...I don’t want to. They are already trying to assign Levi elsewhere and I can’t imagine being apart from him now. I can’t exactly go with him on jobs and I doubt they have local work. Is this really going to be goodbye forever? “[F/n]?” I am startled out of my thoughts by a tall blond man with one arm.

“Yes?” I have to crane my neck a little to see his face.

“Your biological mother has extended an invitation for you to go live with her.”

“Really? I...wow, I’m not sure how to respond to that.”

“She also requested that the one who kept you safe joins her new permanent security detail.” This catches my attention. “He said he would gladly take it, but he requested that you be there too. He didn’t specify why.” I feel my cheeks turn red as I consider the offer.

“S-Sure, I’d like to get to know my mom and I’d hate for her to not get such a well trained bodyguard on her team.” I try really hard to cover up my excitement.

“Alright, that settles the matter, I will make arrangements to have your belongings transported over there. Levi will give you a ride.” I see him pull up behind the blond man as if on cue. I thank the mystery man and rush to see Levi. He gives me an emotionally charged kiss as soon as the door shuts behind me.

“You didn’t think you could get rid of me did you?” He smirks as he backs up to look me in the eyes.

“No, I figured you wouldn’t be gone that easily.” He gives me one more kiss before driving off towards my soon to be new home. I honestly can’t believe how much happened in the span of a month.

Day ???

“What’s this scar from?” I point to one on his forearm as we snuggle in my bed.

“That was from a knife fight I got into as a kid.” He holds the scarred arm up while his other holds me to him.

“Why were you in a knife fight?” I rest my cheek against his bare chest.

“I had an uncle that figured I would be better off learning the ways of knife fighting instead of going to actual school. Oddly enough it worked out.” He puts his arm down and tucks some stray hair behind my ear.

“Would you teach me knife fighting?”

“Hell no, I’ve got a track record of unscathed clients to upkeep.”

“But I’m not a client anymore.”

“Still no, I will teach you some self defense if you want to learn to defend yourself.”

“Deal!” He gives a rare chuckle as he shifts to get more comfortable. “Aren’t you supposed to be on rounds this morning?”

He shrugs, “I’m sleeping with the boss's daughter, I think I have some immunity.”

“Are you sure about that? Think about what you just said.” He takes a moment then moves to get out of bed.

“Fair point, I’ll see you after work.” He pulls his pants on then turns to give me one last kiss. Gotta admit, despite the chaos that prompted our meeting, I’m glad it happened.

#reader insert #levi ackerman #fluffy fluff #slight angst #one shot #attack on titan

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fleckcmscott · 4 years

Text

Another Decade

Summary: Arthur discovers Y/N's fortieth is just around the corner. He hopes to get the occasion right.

Warnings: Swearing

Words: 5,044

A/N: This request comes from @hhandley80, who is an absolute sweetheart! Funnily enough, I got the request for this story and Another Year within a couple days of each other. Thank you so much for it! It was great to write.

If you have any thoughts or questions, please comment, feel free to message me, or send me an ask. Requests for Arthur and WWH are open!

This morning's therapy appointment had boosted Arthur's spirit. Left him refreshed instead of worn. Dr. Ludlow had given him a break from discussing his negative thoughts and various neuroses. Rather, she'd asked him what he wanted to talk about. What was foremost on his mind. And he'd spent close to the entire hour diving into what it was like to live with Y/N.

Having a person who cared about him was fulfilling. Beautiful. Challenging. Struggles inevitably happened but she attempted to help him through them. (A stark difference from when he’d been on his own.) The faith she'd placed in him by inviting him into her home was exciting.

Fears he'd never be worthy of that trust or such a good, intelligent woman did tend to eat at him. Especially when he couldn’t sleep or suspected he was slipping. But he was trying. Doing his best to learn every day, every hour, every minute. To alter his view of himself to include intimate partner alongside mentally ill loner. “I- I thought it would fix me,” he’d said. “It’s hard. But I don’t feel so bad all the time anymore.”

The doctor had complimented his resolve. Said he was dealing with all the changes as well as could be expected. If he followed his treatment plan, she anticipated he'd continue to do so. Appreciating the recognition, Arthur had wondered how to keep her praises close.

And now here he was. Experiencing the ordinariness of sitting in a diner with his girlfriend. Talking about their respective mornings. Sharing a meal. The crinkle fry he grabbed from the blue-plate special in the center of the table was soggy. The corner of his mouth quirked up as he dunked it in ketchup, a possible punchline coming to mind. If he could just figure out the right-

An inviting caress to the back of his hand brought him back to the present. He hadn't meant to tune out Y/N. With an apologetic grin, he pressed back into the booth's plastic cushions and took another drag off his cigarette.

“I was saying I need to head back to work,” she told him. A smile slowly spread across her face, until it nearly blinded him. “And that I can’t believe we’ve been shacked up for almost two months. I know it’s been an adjustment-“

“A good one,” he interrupted gently, interlocking their fingers.

"I’m proud of you.” The pink on her cheeks was faint. “I wouldn’t have taken the leap with anyone else. I can’t seem to get enough of your company, Mr. Fleck.” With that, she signaled for the waitress, retrieved her wallet from her purse, and got out some cash. Rising, she turned to Arthur. “Get the change for me,” she said, heading towards the back.

Her suede billfold was open on the table, her Gotham City ID card in view. He tentatively picked it up to examine the photo. Her hair was uncharacteristically flat, shorter than it was now. The flash had turned her lovely eyes red, and her lips were agape, as though she was in the middle of a sentence. A giggle escaped him. Frumpy. She was frumpy.

Reading her details, his brow quirked at her full name: “Y/N M/N L/N.” There was a nice rhythm to it, one that would also work with “Fleck,” if they got as far as he daydreamed. Then he saw her date of birth and stilled.

Her fortieth was in less than two weeks: 4/6/1942. April sixth. Shit.

He’d learned so many facts about her: the names of her nephews and niece; which college she’d attended; her favorite bands. She’d told him her birthday was in the spring. How the hell had he neglected to ask her the specific date? Awash with embarrassment, a hiccup left him and he covered his mouth.

The waitress returned with a dubious look, a receipt, and coins. As he counted out the tip, he calculated what he had in his own wallet and checking account. He’d scrimped and saved to cover the electric and water bills (though he knew he’d have to pay them in secret to avoid Y/N’s finding a way to repay him). Could he afford a decent gift, too?

Arm in arm, they walked back to Y/N’s workplace. She chatted about that afternoon’s court process, and he puffed away as if he was going to Hoyt’s office for an impromptu scolding. When they reached the steps in front of her building, she tugged at him until he stepped closer. “You’re so stiff.”

Putting on a half-grin, he leaned into her. “Don’t worry about me.” He stole a chaste kiss, one she tried to turn into more before he backed off. “I’ll see you later.”

When he got home, he didn’t bother to change into his thermal shirt and pajama bottoms. Relaxing wasn’t an option. Stretching and pacing the kitchen, he breathed in and out, in and out. He needed to focus instead of letting himself be thrown off. Like a good partner would.

Plans. He had to make plans. And not the vagaries floating around in his head of what boyfriends were supposed to do. Special ones. Personal ones. Ones that demonstrated the depths of his love for her. This was important. The start of a new decade. And her first birthday with him.

Unable to conjure other options, he grabbed the phone from the wall and dialed Y/N’s office. His leg bounced harder with every ring. He hadn’t yet spoken with Patricia, Y/N’s friend and co-worker. But he’d heard she was nice. Any suggestions she could offer were welcome.

Thank goodness she answered before he lost his nerve. “Shaw and Associates. Patricia speaking.”

“Hi,” he pushed out, fiddling with the phone cord. “Um, this is Arthur. Arthur Fleck. Y/N’s boyfriend?”

A smile lingered in her professional lilt. “It’s nice to talk to you, finally. But she isn’t here. I can take a message.”

“No, I know.” If he hesitated too long, he'd reveal his awkwardness. So he went for it. “Do you know what Y/N’s favorite cake is?” That question commenced a conversation that gradually became easier. Each sentence soothed. Consoled the irritation he’d aimed at himself.

Y/N liked hummingbird cake, a mix of pineapple, banana, and cinnamon. It sounded intricate and expensive. There was a bakery that sold it by the slice, according to Patricia. Y/N hadn’t disclosed what gifts she would fancy, but had said she didn’t need any knick-knacks, mugs, or other such trifles. As for activities, she was uncomplicated. She liked going to the movies and restaurants. Conversations and walks. The mundanity of domestic life, especially since becoming involved with him.

That lovely sentiment caused his eyelids to shut, an ember to glow in his heart. But it only confirmed what he already knew. “I want to make her happy,” he breathed. “I’m new at this.”

“We all were once,” she said, brushing his concerns off. “Arthur, she’ll love anything you do. Because you’re the one doing it.”

The kindness she was extending to him felt surreal. Not yet used to it, he tried to believe it wasn't a trick. He thanked her quietly, for her ideas and for listening to him. But as he was about to hang up, she gave him one last piece of advice. “Wear your button-up with the blue flowers. And your yellow vest.”

Blinking, he frowned. “But those are for work.”

Patricia laughed softly. “Yeah, well. She likes them. What was it she said? ‘They accentuate his sexy waist?’”

A burn rushed across his face and he rubbed his forehead. “...Oh.”

Well, that was a request he could handle.

~~~~~

It seemed as though newspaper adverts, television commercials, and even the damned billboards plastered around Gotham had an ax to grind. They all declared the same thing. Women needed to “mold their faces back to youth!” “Guard against aging skin!” Learn they could “look young again!” To be someone other than themselves.

Rolling her eyes, Y/N dropped the magazine she’d been reading in the trash can next to her desk. She’d be crossing into the “Fatal Forties” in a week. While she did use lotion before bed to prevent the formation of wrinkles, and the prospect of gray hair wasn’t one she relished, turning the big 4-0 bothered her less than she’d anticipated. Her looks were minor concerns compared to what she’d gained over the years.

The hardships she’d endured had mostly strengthened her. Allowed her, mercifully, to grow into a person who was comfortable with herself. It was said women were supposed to be set in their ways by now. And in many respects, that was true. She enjoyed her routines. She liked her career. She loved participating in life amidst millions of other people.

But meeting Arthur had changed her path. Started her on an adventure she treasured. A journey into actual partnership, rather than her earlier attempts to please and meet other’s expectations. Attempts she had failed at. Miserably.

He hadn’t cared she was five years his senior. Hadn’t hinted that he’d considered her a “spinster.” Never joked that she was an “old maid.” If she stood in front of the cosmetic counter at the pharmacy while he got his prescriptions, he’d slink up behind her and say, “You’re already pretty.” She’d never expected him to make her feel more desirable now than she’d ever felt in her twenties, stretch marks, moderately saggy breasts, and all.

During the past few days, she’d tried to piece together what he could have planned for her birthday. He hadn’t left any clues, though one night he had hurriedly tucked something under a couch cushion. He’d been a bit out of sorts, though. Biting his nails more than usual. Seeking greater reassurance.

She’d had plenty of good birthdays. There’d been parties and games. Presents. Hugs and well wishes. When she’d taken care of her father it had mostly been forgotten, apart from the cards she’d received from her ex-husband and sister. The passage of time had been marked by worsening dementia. And she had been fine with not caring.

In contrast, Arthur had stated he’d never known what it was like to matter to someone. Not until her. He’d told her he’d given Penny a blouse for her birthday once or twice. That had been years ago, however, before his mother’s reactions to him had gradually reduced to requests to send letters. Before her health had declined when he was a child and he’d had to take over every basic task. Before he’d become too exhausted to try.

Would it be fair to expect him to take much notice?

At the end of a long workday, she’d be satisfied with a quiet evening at home. Cooking dinner together. Drinking wine until she felt warm and fuzzy. Kisses exchanged here and there. Maybe some fooling around before she nodded off on the sofa with her feet in his lap. Such basic joys would be plenty.

~~~~~

The page in Arthur’s journal taken up by Y/N’s special day wasn’t atypical. He’d been writing about her since the grocery store. (“I wonder what her name tastes like. Less bitter than mine, I bet.”) Since they’d shared donuts. (“I shud have given Sara my number.”) Since she’d stared at him, then smiled at him, and he’d felt the whole world change. (“I hope Y/N likes the joke I rote for her. I practised it 100 times! Maybe she’ll let me touch her again. Shit. I’m nervos.”)

With it a mere four days away, there wasn’t much time left for gift hunting. So he pulled on his trusty tan jacket and headed out. He was unsatisfied with what his search had turned up so far. Flowers. Candy. Nylons. It had all been mediocre when she was beyond compare.

On the verge of desperation and distress, he finally managed to stumble upon the right shop. The name above the entrance, Nice Twice, was catchy. And there was a sign: “Personalization available!” Following a quick glance through the streaked shop window, he flicked his cigarette to the ground and opened the wooden door.

As he stepped inside a shopkeeper bell rang. The stench of sandalwood incense and mothballs was thick, causing him to wince. The place was overstuffed, filled with circular clothing racks, shelves of home decor and appliances, and furniture from the sixties. He tread along the faded, orange parquet floor. Squeezed between displays of bell bottoms and coats to reach a large jewelry counter by the cash register.

A man Arthur assumed was the owner popped out from behind a nearby shoe rack. He appeared to be what Penny had disdainfully referred to as a “hippie,” with his beaded headband and light blue jeans. When asked if he’d found anything he liked, Arthur answered, “Not yet.”

His shoulders tilted, drew together as he scanned the contents of the glass cabinet. Being able to get Y/N diamond earrings or a bracelet would have been ideal. He’d heard they were supposed to be symbols of commitment. Show her how important she was to him. But they’d never be affordable, even in a thrift store. There were some lovely brooches but they weren’t her style. She didn’t wear pins, anyway.

About fifteen minutes had passed when, at last, he spotted a suitable piece. The owner gave it to him to inspect. The heart, hanging from a long, silver chain, was a tad smaller than the end of his thumb. Purple, blue, and gold flowers, faded with age, were pressed under the pendant’s rounded, glass front. It was lovely, like her. And picturing her wearing it made his chest tighten.

The necklace was twelve dollars. For two dollars more, the heart’s silver back could be engraved. Arthur could definitely swing that. It took only seconds for him to choose what should be etched into it, having had his imagination sparked by a recent fifties sit-com. It would be ready Monday, the day before her birthday.

While Arthur retrieved his wallet, the owner asked, ”Hey, what’s your sign?”

Forehead furrowed, he tried to decipher the man’s meaning. He was sure he’d heard the question on television and in films. “My sign?” The man clarified and Arthur provided both his and Y/N’s birthdays.

The owner laughed. “Woo wee! That’s a powerful match.” He indicated a collection of astrology scrolls next to the register. “Your lady friend might like one of these.”

Waving dismissively, Arthur shook his head. “I don’t believe in that.” Seemingly determined, the hippie held out a rolled-up scroll. It was about the length of a cigarette, its title printed in a faux-ancient font: “Aries & Scorpio: Love & Romance.” Curiosity piqued, he pressed his lips together. “What does it say?”

“Only good things, man.” This was obviously a well-practiced pitch. And it was working The man retrieved a keyring full of unrolled, laminated scrolls. After flipping through the collection, he handed one to Arthur. He wasn’t the fastest reader, having had difficulties with it since he was a kid. But he scanned the page.

According to “the stars,” palpable chemistry existed between Aries and Scorpio. They were fun, passionate, and explosive in the bedroom. Snorting, he brought the scroll closer. “Your attraction to each other defies logic. Aries has a tough demeanor, but Scorpio brings out the compassion and love hiding underneath. Scorpio has an inner strength Aries finds irresistible.” Hm. What it said about Y/N was true. And she’d told him he was strong (which he didn’t really believe). He smiled, pleased this silly tract paid him such compliments.

He kept going. “As a pair, you are inhalation and exhalation in one. Two sides of the same coin. Aries is the sun to Scorpio’s moon.” Y/N was all those things to him. Even on days he wasn’t sure he wanted to feel better. Even on days it was easier to sink into the familiarity of misery than to strive for the unfamiliarity of feeling good.

It was after reading the final line that he nodded and dug into his pocket for two quarters: “You will be together for decades, even into the next life.”

~~~~~

Though she was standing in an overcrowded subway, squished between a man holding a dog and a woman using her as a vertical bed, Y/N felt giddy. Albeit tired. The day had been brimming with paperwork, phone calls, and running around. But it had started off well, and she was certain its upward trajectory would continue the rest of the night.

When she’d awoken, she’d discovered a pink envelope in Arthur’s place, laying haphazardly on his pillow. She’d boosted herself up on her forearm, ran her fingertips over her handwritten name, and taken out the yellow card.

There was a drawing of a man holding a woman by the waist. Lifting her until her hair touched the cheery, red “Happy Birthday.” The couple appeared thrilled. Taken with each other. And straight out of the forties. It wasn’t quite them, but it did reflect Arthur’s old fashioned romanticism.

No preprinted poem was inside. No famous quotes. Arthur had written a message instead. One which made her ache. “What do you get when you cross chocolat with something that goes thump-thump? A sweetheart. (That’s you.) My life is nicer with you in it. Even Gotham. I’m happy you talked to me. I love you a lot. -Arthur.”

He’d returned to the bedroom. Caught her mid-giggle as she’d wiggled out of her nightgown, hidden between the sheets. He was holding a mug. The same one they’d shared after the first of many lovemaking sessions.

Greedily, she’d ogled his damp hair and slender musculature. Light green eyes soft and serene, he’d sat next to her and pecked her cheek. At the flick of his gaze to her mouth, she’d flung her arms around his shoulders. Stubble burned her skin, her kisses to his dimples urgent.

“Wait,” he’d chuckled, putting the drink on the nightstand. “I made pancakes.” Even as he’d protested, he’d splayed his hand on the small of her back.

“To hell with pancakes,” she’d purred, pulling him under the blankets.

Work had been sentimental, which she’d neither expected nor wanted. Her new job would be starting in a week and a half. The small celebration they’d squeezed in served as both a goodbye and “Over the Hill” party, black balloons and grey streamers included.

Matt had been downcast as he’d shoveled red velvet cake into his mouth. “I’m sorry it turned out this way.”

A lame attempt to lighten the atmosphere had been needed. No one was going to start blubbering on her account. “You could come with me. Follow the conscience I know you have hidden somewhere.” He’d looked askance, turned towards his office. Trying to soften her joke, she’d patted his arm. “Don’t feel too bad. You could still lose the case.”

Settled on the windowsill, she’d gazed out at the streets of the city she’d grown to love. The city she called home, despite having spent only five percent of her existence in it. It was fitting to start this phase of her life here. The only period in which she’d felt whole, both professionally and personally.

A sheen had been in Patricia’s eyes when she’d joined her in the tight space, nudging her with her hip. “I don’t know what I’ll do without you here, accelerating Matt’s hair loss.”

“You’ll have to add it to your list of duties.” Elbowing her gently, Y/N continued. “I’ll only be a couple blocks away. We’ll meet for lunch. And you have my phone number.” Before her own eyes could water, she’d gone to her desk to cut another slice.

Patricia raised her hand. “You’re going to ruin your appetite.”

“Oh? Should I be expecting something?”

Finishing her own piece, Patricia crossed her ankles. “Arthur called for tips while you were in court. He decided I was an expert on you.” Y/N’s brows shooting up prompted a chuckle. “I didn’t give away all your secrets. Just some of your favorite sweets.”

The clench of Y/N’s throat was instant. And shame washed over her for assuming he wouldn’t plan much, if anything at all. He’d been considerate, even during tough times. Like at Christmas, which had been hard for him but turned out well in the end. He’d made it clear that what he coveted most, besides love and validation, was to be treated normally. Normal expectations were a part of that. She’d sought to give him a break when the benefit of the doubt had been what he deserved.

Y/N thought a bit. Surveyed the ornate woodwork in the corners of the room. Then she'd met her friend’s gaze. “Patricia, I want to spend the rest of my life with him.”

“Because he’s getting you cake?”

“I’m not that easy.” Laughing, Y/N sat on the corner of her desk. “Do you remember when I said I was almost forty and was going to grab what I want? Well, I’m forty and he’s what I want.”

Caution and kindness had softened Patricia’s concerns. “I don’t mean to be indelicate. But you’re his first relationship. Is he ready for that?”

Y/N sucked the frosting off her fork. “Our sixth month is soon. I’ll drop a hint. When he’s ready - if he’s ready - he’ll know I am, too.”

She’d been floating since that realization. Since admitting her devotion to Arthur aloud and thereby making it concrete. Since getting a supportive hug from Patricia. And reassurance from Matt, of all people, that she hadn’t entered a mid-life crisis.

That headiness continued as she fumbled with her keys. Upon entering their apartment, music reached her ears. Music with a faster tempo than the classics Arthur usually played. Hanging up her coat and slipping off her shoes, she recognized it as one of her “Best of Soul and Disco” LPs. She braced herself on the wall separating the kitchen from the living room, her cheeks breaking wide open.

Arthur had moved the television and its stand to the side of the coffee table. A blanket, folded into a square, lay in front of the windows. Two plates and two wine glasses were on it. As she approached, she saw sandwiches on a platter. There was pasta salad and potato salad, both covered in plastic wrap, from the deli around the corner. In the center of it all sat an empty vase.

When he came out of the bedroom, magic wand in hand, he stilled. “Oh. Hi. You’re back already?”

A giggle. “I ran.” Biting her bottom lip, she admired his tousled brown curls, feathery, light, and attractive as hell. His face was unobscured by make-up, allowing her to revel in his handsomeness. The top button of his white shirt was undone. And his yellow vest outlined his lean frame in all the right ways. He wore his usual trousers. “Did you have a gig today?”

“No.” He smoothed a palm down his chest and stomach, and she noticed he’d rolled up his sleeves. “Um, I heard you like it.”

She felt herself blush and nodded eagerly. Thank you, Patricia.

With a flick of his wrist, flowers sprouted from the end of the wand. “I wanted to do this outside. On the fire escape. But it’s too cold.” He knelt on the blanket to put the flowers in the vase.

Y/N cocked her head. The juxtaposition of him wearing his “Carnival Casual” outfit, the cutesy charm of the picnic he’d arranged with the music that was playing was ridiculous. The song went on repeatedly about miracles, need, and “sexy things.” She snorted.

As Arthur removed the cellophane from the salads, his shoulders tensed. “I wasn’t sure what you’d like,” he breathed. “I got too much.”

“No,” she replied, sitting next to him, laying a hand on his thigh. “This is wonderful.” When their eyes met, she found his look at once bashful and flirtatious.

She served the sandwiches and salads while he poured the wine, following her request to fill the glasses to the top. Mostly potato salad ended up on her plate, the mix of mayonnaise, pepper, and egg just right. A majority of the pasta wound up on his - he liked the vinegary flavor. The red wine did not pair with the turkeys on rye he’d prepared, so she saved most of it for dessert.

When Arthur held out an orange roll of paper, she was dabbing her mouth with a cloth napkin. The title made her laugh. She never would have suspected he put stock in the zodiac; she certainly didn’t. Gingerly, she opened the scroll and squinted down at it.

It described her as determined, confident, and extroverted. And called Arthur a curious, emotional introvert. While mostly true, it wasn’t quite accurate. Arthur was only introverted in personal situations, while having the courage to perform as a clown and a stand-up. Those traits could belong to anyone, depending on the situation.

But the next paragraph clued her in as to why he’d bought the horoscope. And given it to her. “You were made for each other. There are times when it’s hard to know how you both managed to ever exist apart. The bond between you is unbreakable. You have much to learn from one another.” A lump formed in her throat when she read the last line, that they’d be together until the next life. She didn’t believe in that, yet longed for it all the same. “Thank you, Arthur.”

The scroll would have been enough. Dinner would have been enough. He would have been enough. But he placed a pink, velvet necklace box on her lap. She blinked at it, hoping he hadn’t spent too much on her. Then she forced that notion from her brain - he was a grown man who could buy what he chose - and cracked it open. Her breath caught.

The heart with pressed flowers was obviously vintage. The size was demure, like her other, few pieces of jewelry. And it was exactly her style: feminine and practical. She was grateful he hadn’t gotten her diamonds or other flashy gems. Her eyes darted to his as she took it out. “This is...” Gently, he turned it over in her palm, and she saw the engraving on the back: A+S.

A+S. Arthur and Y/N. It was a bold move from him. A welcome one.

“I think that’s usually done on trees,” he said. “But there aren’t that many in Gotham.”

Chuckling, she sniffed back her tears and shoved it at him. “Here.” She turned her back towards him. His fingertips dragged along her collarbone as she lifted her hair and he latched the chain. The kiss he placed above the clasp made her shiver. Wanting him to see how the pendant rested right above her cleavage, she unbuttoned the top of her blouse.

“It’s beautiful.” She pulled him in for a kiss. Traced his crow's feet. Let her thumbs wander to the slight puffiness underneath. The wine, along with her earlier confession to Patricia, was making it easier to open up. “You have my whole heart, Arthur,” she sighed into his mouth.

His palm went to her chest as he tilted his head, his other holding the nape of her neck. The tip of his tongue slipped between her lips and warmth enveloped her. She felt his fingers play with the necklace. Heard his ragged inhalation. Knew that pride and pleasure were emboldening him, because she was wearing what he’d gifted.

Eventually, he broke their connection, told her to close her eyes and pecked her nose. She concentrated on his steps to the kitchen. The clatter of him going through the silverware drawer. And then the chill breeze of the glass door being opened.

When she was allowed to peek, she stood and followed him onto the fire escape. A lit cigarette was already between his lips, and he was lighting a candle on a gigantic slice of cake. “You’re supposed to make a wish,” he said, smoke escaping his nostrils.

She snuggled his side, snaked an arm around him as he slung his across her shoulders. After eyeing the flame a moment, she sucked in a deep breath, pursed her lips, and bent closer...

Just in time for a split-second gust of wind to blow out the candle.

Arthur groaned and started to let go of her but she stopped him. “It counts.” She lifted the fork and fed him a bite, grinning at his pleased hum. “You won’t mind me turning grey, will you?”

“No. I won’t be the only one looking old.”

She nuzzled his temple. “You don’t look old. You’re refined.”

“Sure,” he scoffed. They ate silently for a bit, but then he squeezed her tighter. “What did you...” Trepidation lurked behind his question, even after their steamy picnic. “What did you wish for?”

“That we’ll keep loving each other, even through tough times.” She lowered the fork, already full. “That I’ll like my new job.” Letting go of him, she set the plate on the metal stairs, next to his ashtray. “That you’ll be healthy.”

He huffed. “You shouldn’t have wasted any on me.”

“You’re worth all of them.” She kissed his bicep, laid her head on his shoulder. The record playing in the background turned over, switched to a slower song, and she grinned. “Now,” she said, “may I have this dance?”

Delight in his eyes, he bowed. She giggled as he grabbed her around the middle and pulled her flush against his solid frame. He led beautifully, gazing at her as if she was the only woman in the world, guiding her to the beat she was deaf to. He even dared to raise her hand for a modest twirl, and she trusted him enough for it to work.

As they spun slowly, rotating in the lights of their living room and the city, he kissed her hairline. “Happy birthday. I hope you liked it.”

“I loved it.” She captured his thin lips with her own. “Promise you’ll be here for the next twenty.”

“The next forty.” He bumped their noses and lay his cheek on hers. Y/N cuddled deeper into his embrace, feeling more cherished than she had in years.

~~~~~

Hot Chocolate - You Sexy Thing

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homogrimoire-archive · 3 years

Text

The Remnant Branches

CH. 3 - Would You Like To Hear A Song? Or Perhaps See A Pretty Flower?

Parts 1 - 6

Glynda arrives in a mysterious forest, and makes acquaintance with a beautiful program. There, in a dream, her adventure begins. After her dream, she awakes in another world once more. There, she becomes acquainted with a young woman and her sisters. And eventually, she returns to Ozpin with Qrow already there, and James arriving back soon after.

AO3 Link

Glynda wakes up on cool grass, surrounded by fog. Checking her countdown, she sees that she was only out for an hour.

“Hmph. A wasted hour.” she retorts, as if he wants the hour to feel bad for being useless. But, she doesn’t dwell on it any further.

She gets up, and dusts herself off. She notices that its not fog, but steam. Alarm bells go off in her head, but she doesn’t panic. Panicking could very easily lead to death. At least the magic Ozpin used renders death in the unknown world as a trip back to Remnant. Looking around, she sees that trees and shrubs also surround her. She takes that as a good sign, but is curious as to why there is a lot of steam in a forest, and begins to walk in a direction.

As she walks, she trips over something. At first, she assumes its a root, and curses the fog and the root, but then sees that it is a pipe. From it, steam is periodically released.She sees that it extends further into the steam, and follows it. As she walks around, she notices that the forest is rather quiet, despite the amount of pipes there must be, and that she has yet to see or hear any animals.

The deeper she goes, the more humid and warm it gets, so she assumes she’s going in the right direction. However, she regrets not changing her attire more and more. Oz advised lighter clothing, but she was adamant that she would be fine. She doesn’t blame herself much though. Most don’t prepare for a forest filled with steam.

Soon, she sees more and more pipes. They all vary in size, and converge somewhere. And sooner, she sees where they converge. They all lead to a single, incredibly large tree. Although, it was a lot less organic than most trees. It reminded her of James, in a sense. It was half organic, and half inorganic, but the tree’s machinery and wood did not part cleanly down the middle. It was all entangled and intertwined. In some places, it seemed as if the metal completely integrated into the tree. Or was it that the tree seamlessly integrated into the metal? She couldn’t tell.

Regardless, she made her way to the base of the tree to inspect it further. With each step, her body grew sleepier and sleepier, despite the protest of her mind.

“I knew… I should have…” she yawned, “stole their coffee...”

Just as she touched the base of the tree, she fell into a nearby bush as she fell into the deep slumber of Sleeping Beauty.

The strange woman had finally awoken, stretching as she rose up to stand.

“What the fuck???” Glnda exclaimed, rather confused. “These are all words and sounds, and I didn’t stand up and stretch because there’s only words and sounds here!”

She continued on with her insane rambling, spouting nonsense left and right.

“I didn’t say anything more, for your information. Now, could you please explain to me what is going on? I am a very busy woman and I don’t have time for your games.”

…

“Well? Are you going to answer or not?”

…

“Ugh. Fine then. I’ll figure it out myself.”

Upon hearing the commotion outside, she stepped out of her castle and onto its front steps. Before her laid a beautiful land of plenty. Verdant plants and flowers of every color were before her. Just beyond the porch lay a yellow brick road. Seeing the beauty of her land brought a smile to her face.

“I did none of that, but the description is helpful, I suppose?”

“There she is!” shouted a voice. “Its Glinda the Good Witch of the South!”

“It’s spelled G-L-Y-N-D-A, Glynda, and I’m not a witch of the south or anything. Please cease all this nonsense. It’s starting to give me a headache.”

“My, if it isn’t Dorothy, slayer of that Wicked Witch of the West.” said the good witch as she gracefully glided down the many beautiful steps.

“Wait. I recognize that voice… Theodore? Is that you? What are you doing here?”

“My, if it isn’t Theodore, slayer of that Wicked Witch of the West.” said the good witch as she gracefully glided down the many beautiful steps.

“I guess I’m just going to have to live with this, aren’t I?.”

“How may I help you, young Theodore?” asked Glynda.

“Please, I need you to help me have to find my way home!” the young man pleaded.

“Hmph. He isn’t exactly young, you know.”

“Please, I need you to help me have to find my way home!” the YOUNG man pleaded.

“You know what… You’re just lucky he’d like to be called young.”

“But I want to help my friends first before I leave.” the dashing man explained.

“I’m the Cowardly Lion.” said the furry beast.

“Leonardo? What the hell is happening here?”

“And I want to be brave! I have to be brave, but I am not, so I need magic to make me brave!” the kingly animal said just as a cute, little mouse in blue work pants scurried at his feet. “EEK!” the lion shrieked as he jumped into the air and into the arms of the one next to him. “See! I am a Lion! I shouldn’t be afraid of a mouse. You have to help me!”

“I’m the Tinman of the Forest,” began the tin man as he gently placed the cowardly beast down. “And I need to have a heart.”

“General Ironwood?”

“To be exact, I need to have a heart of my own so I can love. I want to love, but I can’t without a heart. There was once a doctor with beautiful green eyes that visited my woods frequently to help an adjacent neighbor of mine, and we became good friends, and then we started dating. But, I can’t love, so things didn’t work out. I need a heart so I can feel love, and give it too. I saw a very beautiful flower the other day. It was a shining white and had five luscious petals. I would like to begin by loving that. Starting simple, you know?” the iron man shyly explained

“Well that’s sad.”

“Oh you poor thing.” said the good witch with an incredibly sad look on her face.

“Mmm, not that sad.”

“Oh you poor thing.” said the good witch with a sorrowful look on her face.

“Better. What’s the next person’s story?”

“And you, Mr. Scarecrow, what is it you need?”

“I need a brain, you see.” the Scarecrow told her.

“Yup. Qrow really could use one of those on occasion.”

“I want to be smart! Just the other day, a farmer boy came to me and asked for help with baking. He said it was so a girl in a red hood could give it to her grandma, but I’m not smart enough to read, so I messed up the measuring amounts and the steps. The peach pie still came out alright, but I want to be smart so I can be helpful! You’ve got to help me Glynda!” The Scareqrow said as he begged on his knees.

“Well those are words I’d never thought I’d hear in his voice. Ha. First time for everything I guess.”

“Oh you,” the witch of the west chuckled, “and you, and you, and you!” she said, pointing at each of them with her magical wand. “I may not be able to help you, but there is someone who can. You all must go to the Emerald City. There you will find Prince Ozma. He has such powerful magic, and with it, he will be able to help you. However, beware of the Wicked Witch of the West, Shalem.” The beautiful and good witch explained.

“Why thank you. I appreciate the compliment. … You know, you’re not so bad.”

“Shalem keeps her eyes on the city in hopes to destroy it and Ozma. I hear they have quite the past with each other. But, I am not one to gossip.” The gentle, serene, and most beautiful of the ensemble said as she floated back to the top of the stairs.

“Hmm, Oz and Salem… Oh, thank you, I appreciate it, I do, but you don’t need to go overboard with it for me. Besides, it makes the sentence too wordy.”

“Salem keeps her eyes on the city in hopes to destroy it and Oz. I hear they have quite the past with each other. But, I am not one to gossip.” The serene and gentle good witch said as she floated back to the top of the stairs.

“See? Better.”

“Now, all four of you have to do is follow the yellow brick road there. It will take you to The Emerald City and Oz. And remember, beware of Salem and her monsters. I wish all of you the best of luck.”

“Thank you Glynda!” the group said in unison. In the distance she could hear them singing gleefully about following the yellow brick road. She almost felt compelled to join them at their request.

…

No, she did not feel that. She didn’t want to follow them in the slightest. She had her little moment of repose, and wanted to get back to business. To do that, she needed to answer some questions first.

“Thank you. I’m glad things are moving along.”

She waited for the questions in anticipation, fearing that she would answer wrong and have to start the text all over again.

“Huh? Could you repeat that?”

1) What was the mouse wearing?

A. a pair of Blue Pants

B. a Plaid Bowtie

C. a Flower

D. A and B

E. None of the Above

“A, a pair of Blue Pants. You should know, I am a teacher. I make tests like these on a much, much, much more difficult scale than this.”

Correct.

2) What was the color of the doctor’s eyes?

A. Brown

B. Green

C. Red

D. White

E. Pink

“B, green. Huh, was that supposed to be Watts? How did you know that?”

Correct.

3) Who did the farm boy and the Scareqrow try to make a pie for?

A. a Magical Songstress

B. a Grandma

C. a Sister

D. a White Flower

E. a Girl With a Red Hood

“Ok, it’s between the grandma and the girl in red. It was made for the girl so she could give it to her grandma. Hmm, who did they make the pie for… E! Damn trick question...”

…

“Don’t … me! It’s making me nervous! And I’ll be very annoyed and angry if I have to go through that again.”

…

“Ha ha ha. Very funny.”

Correct.

“Oh thank goodness.” she said as she let out a sigh of relief. “That, is true.” she confirms with a smile.

My favorite memory: the memory of the beginning of the end. A giant of grotesque white emerges from the sky, fighting a red dragon. A chaotic song ushers in a new world, a new world that is born on the brink of death. But, it is also a world with magic. It is born from the defeat of the giant, and the death of the dragon. The red dragon falls, and is skewered onto Tokyo Tower, June 12th, 2003.

The magic born from it is called Maso, the demonic element. I will show you the power born from it. Amazing isn’t it? Not only humans wield its incredible power, but machines, and androids too. It is a shame this could not be in a better world.

The magic of the giant rains. It rains a massless white. It is a snow in summer. It is salt though, not snow. That accursed magic is a virus. Those that are infected either turn into that same weightless salt, or become a beast akin to the giant. It is a shame this came into existence at all.

Research into other worlds has shown that the beast’s magic initiates a connection to god. The god offers a pact to the unfortunate human. If they agree, they become a beast. Let me show you. … Terrifying aren't they? If they refuse… well, you just saw what happened.

There is more to this story, and you will find some of it in a distant past, in another dimension. With it, you will find what you seek.

I, Sleeping Beauty, aim to keep knowledge of the past alive, among other things. I grant you this knowledge and more. With you, the past of this world will have a greater chance of living on now. And, as a true human, I serve you, and grant you your desire to the best of my ability.

“Thank you Glynda. Stay safe.” Sleeping Beauty solemnly told her friend.

“You’re welcome. And thank you too. Tell me, isn’t there anything I can do for you?” Glynda said, sad for a reason she could not fully discern. Perhaps it was because someone finally showed some thanks to her. She laughs lightly.

“No. You’ve done more than enough. ” The program replied.

“Goodbye Sleeping Beauty. Sweet dreams.” A calm yet sad smile is on her face as she fades from her dream.

I think this dream might be my new favorite memory. Hmmm. At the very least, it’s my new favorite dream.

When Glynda awakes, she finds herself in a well furnished but simple room. She realizes that she is no longer with Sleeping Beauty. She looks around, and finds no one there. However, there is a small letter on a nearby nightstand. She picks it up and reads it,

To whom it concerns,

If you're reading this, you’re awake, I am sure you have many questions. As do I. Just wander until you find a servant. They will direct you to me. Once you find me, I will explain myself to you, and you can explain yourself to me. I am sure we will reach an understanding.

Lady One

“Lady One...” Glynda murmured to herself. She didn’t know if she could trust this Lady One person, but she didn’t have much of a choice. She could just ditch the place. It seems like it would be easy since the Lady just told her to wander. But, Glynda wanted answers. Worst comes to worst, she ends up back in Remnant with an already decent repertoire of info on the magic. So, she heads out the door.

A lavish, ornate hall is what she sees, much different from the room. She considers that this might not even be the world she was first sent to. This palace is a place that simply could not exist in the world of eternal night and day. She passes a portrait of a young girl. She wears white clothing with black accents. She has light blond hair, red eyes, and pale skin. Glynda assumes it’s the daughter of Lady One, or a painting of her younger self.

After finding a painting of a purple dragon, the paintings of four other women, and a detailed painting of a well decorated city, Glynda finally runs into a servant.

“Oh, excuse me!” she cried out, grabbing the servant’s attention. He silently ushers her to follow him, so she does.

However, she still maintains her wariness with The Disciplinarian at her side, just in case. She is led through a maze of halls, each just as beautiful as the last, but each providing information no more useful than the last. Eventually, they come upon a set of doors, which the servant opens for her to enter. Once past the doors, the servant quietly shuts them behind her.

In front of her is a large table. If it weren’t so fancy, it could be in a school cafeteria. Sitting on the left end is a girl, the same one from the painting. She sits, eating a small plate of food. It’s mostly full, so she either just started eating, or was a very slow eater. She turns her head to acknowledge Glynda.

“Please, have a seat.” she says, motioning to a chair not too far from her. In front of it is another plate of food.

“Yes, of course.” she states, and walks to the seat. The girl doesn’t say anything as she takes a seat. She just continues eating. “So, are you Lady One?” Glynda asks to break the silence.

“Yes. I am, but just call me One. You’re not a subject of mine after all.” She takes another bite of her food and swallows. “Who are you? If you don't mind telling me.”

“I don’t mind at all. My name is Glynda. Glynda Goodwitch.”

“Glynda, what brings a woman like you here?”

“I was sent on a mission to learn about magic.”

“And who could have sent you to do that?”

“My boss. A man named Ozpin. But if I remember correctly, you said in your letter that you would explain yourself to me.” Glynda said, whipping out the letter. One grabbed it, and reread it.

“Well. I did. In that case, you are in Midgard, in The Cathedral City. And I am Lady One, an Intoner. I found you on the floor asleep as I rounded a corner. I sensed the magic of a dragon around you. Which brings me to this: who are you. I know you aren’t from this world.”

“Well, how I got here is a bit convoluted, and I don't really understand it all. But, I will try my best to explain myself.” And Glynda did her best to explain herself, from Oz and his mysterious magic and even more mysterious knowledge, to Sleeping Beauty and her manufactured dreams, and the gist of the unsettling knowledge granted to her.

“I see. Well, while you are here, you are free to visit my libraries. You should be able to find plenty of information concerning magic there.”

“Really, you’d let me do that?” Glynda asked in awe. She was amazed a stranger would just let her have access to that.

“Yes. If there’s magic in your world, The Flower could be a threat there. This way, if it does show up there, your world will not be defenseless.” She said, taking a sip of tea when she finished her sentence.

“The Flower?”

“Hmm. I suppose I should give you the basics.” One summed up her story from the beginning, from Zero, The Inoners, Gabriella, and her research into magic and The Flower, only omitting her brother.

“That is… a lot, to say the least.”

“Perhaps, but I manage it well. But please, tell me more about your world. I sensed a different kind of magic on you, one I’ve yet to come across. Is it from Ozpin?”

“Most likely. He used magic to grant me the ability of telekinesis.” she said, lifting a teacup with a movement of a finger. “It’s also the same ability as my semblance, but I only really tend to use the magic when my aura has run out.”

“What is a semblance, and aura for that matter?” One asked quizzically.

“I’m guessing that’s not a thing here. Well, aura” she said, manifesting it for One to see, “is a manifestation of one’s soul. Its used as a layer of protection from things such as attacks and extreme heat. It’s also best to think of aura as a resource, as it can run out if it’s used too much. Semblances are a power that is typically unique to a person, and are intrinsically linked to aura, and possibly a person’s personality. Without aura, a semblance cannot develop. It is also best to think of them as a muscle. The more you use them, the stronger they become. However, aura is not magic, and neither is a semblance.”

“Can anyone have an aura and a semblance?”

“So long as it has a soul, yes. Aura can be developed over time, or unlocked with the help of someone who already has aura. A semblance, however, is more finicky. Sometimes, even those who had honed their aura well will not manifest a semblance.”

“Interesting… Shall we see if an Intoner can have an aura?” One questioned, eager to see if it was indeed possible.

“You have a soul, so I don’t see why not.”

“Our universes could be ruled by different laws.” One suggested.

“That is a possibility… But there’s no harm in trying. May I see your hand please?” Glynda requested as she held out her own hand. One obliged, and placed her hand in Glynda’s. Glynda closed her eyes, took in a deep breath, and focused. She brought her aura up, and began to transfer it into One in an attempt to kickstart her own aura. Her efforts were successful. Purple aura began to turn red once it entered One.

“And that’s,” she huffed, “that. Congrats. You have an aura.”

One marveled at her new ability. This was the magic she sensed. It was weak compared to the magic of The Flower, but knew it could be because it was newly manifested. She focused some of it on her other palm. In it, a red barrier formed, one that felt different from a barrier formed of Song.

“It seems as if you’re a natural. That kind of technique tends to take years of training to master.”

“Is that so?”

“Very much so. If you need help in training your aura, I could help you. I’d say I’m very qualified to do so, as well.”

“I’ll take your offer, but, perhaps tomorrow. It’s getting late.”

“Yes, that would be a good idea. But do you mind if I take a visit to the library? I’ve had a lot of sleep recently, so I’ll probably be up for a while.”

“Of course.” she said. With the snap of her fingers, a servant quickly appeared. “Please escort her to the library.” she ordered him, “When you’re ready to retire, just get one of the servants or guards. They’ll escort you to your room. If you need anything of them really, just ask, and they’ll see to it.”

“Yes. Thank you One. Feel free to summon me if you need me as well.” She said. With One’s hum of approval, she went off to the library. She was glad her mission was going good, It wasn’t as planned, but still good, very good at that.

The library itself was large, as expected. She wasn’t sure where to begin, and asked the servant if he had any advice. He pointed her to a dusty book in the center of a table. It was an index of topics. Topics such as food, carpentry, and sealife. It also listed where each topic could be found in the library. Magic could be found on isle 547, so that’s where she went. She found the servants a bit odd, but did not bother to dwell on it.

On a small table by the aisle was another dusty book. It listed the subtopics and what shelf number to find the desired subtopic. Demonic magic, healing magic, elemental magic, transformation magic, alchemy, and even sexual magic were a few of the topics she saw as she scanned through the thin book. She was sure Oz didn’t plan for this level of magical knowledge. But, she had to begin somewhere, so she began with something she thought might interest Oz: Magiks Related to The Soule, as the book was titled. It was discussed, pacts, transferring souls among vessels, creating a soul, destroying a soul, and shaping souls.

Most of it proved too complex to easily understand. However, she did take pictures of some glyphs and the surrounding text. The only thing that was simple was pacts, which One briefly mentioned earlier. She found the concept interesting, and thought could have some use in Remnant. So, she went to find a book on the basics. There were many specialized beginner-friendly books, but she settled on a book on the generalities of magic.

It stated that magic was a natural ability that could not be learned. A person either had an affinity for it, or didn’t. Even then, people only had an affinity for certain magic, or multiple magics if they were lucky. Beyond that, lots of magic was connected to a writing known as Angelic Script. It was indecipherable, but otherwise well documented. It showed some basic glyphs that she took a picture of with her scroll. Magic also tended to need a conduit. This was a concept she understood well. Weapons could be a conduit for aura, and some semblances worked better with a conduit, much like her own. In passing, it mentioned that some species had innate magic, magic connected to either god, or the gods. No one was entirely sure.

It was all very mysterious, but she began to find herself feeling drowsy, and found a guard to escort her to her room. There, she slept very comfortably, glad she was making progress.

After eating, and after the woman from another world left, One was left to ponder her new ability. She focused the aura onto the tips of her fingers to form claws.

“Is that a new form of magic you learned, sister?” her brother asked.

“In a sense, yes. Its called aura, an embodiment of the soul. Remember that lady you found? She is from another world, another dimension. She said it wasn’t magic, but as far as I’m concerned, it is.” She stood up, and with the slash of an arm, sent a wave of aura that sliced through a training dummy.

“Do you think you could teach me it?” he asked.

“It can be taught, but there is a quicker way. Let me see your hand.” she requested. Just as she saw Glynda do, she held his hand and focused on transferring the aura to unlock it. It was met with success, as a darker red appeared on him.

“Do you feel it brother?” she asked. She understood why the woman seemed a bit drained after preforming the unlock, but it was hardly anything to One. She chalked up the difference to her status as an actual intoner.

“I do.” he said with amazement. He tried to bring forth a small barrier in his palm like he saw his sister do, but failed. It was faint, and flickered on and off.

“Odd. Yours is weaker.” she said, inspecting his palm.

“You said it was an embodiment of the soul right?” he asked. At that moment, she had a theory.

“Yes. I did. That means this aura is not only mine’s, but Gabriel’s as well.” She turned to look at Gabriel, who was peacefully resting.

“That could explain why yours is so strong, right sister?”

“It could, but I don’t know enough about it to know for sure. I will ask the woman tomorrow though. This could help us in our war against Zero.”

“And The Flower.”

“I don’t think this will truly help against The Flower, but we can hope, can’t we?” she said, her expression darkening.

“Sister, what else did she tell you?”

“That people with aura can develop a power unique to them, and something else. She traveled to another world before this one. That world faced something I think is related to The Flower. It was killed by a dragon, but its remains forced a pack with the gods onto people who came into contact with it. If they refused, they turned into a massless salt. If they agreed, they became a slave of the gods.”

“So even in death and defeat, The Flower can still be a threat.” Brother One stated.

“Apparently so. At the very least, we can put more trust in the Dragon-Bone weapons. Now spar with me Brother!” One commanded, putting some distance between her and her brother. “Show me you haven’t been slacking off.”

“Understood!” he shouted back, jumping to his feet, readying his Dragon-Bone Sword. In the background, the morning sun shone brightly.

One made the first move, dashing forward to slash with her chakram. Her brother parried it, countering with a thrust into a slash that One caught in her chakram. With a twist of her weapon, pulled the sword out of his hand, and into hers. She kicked him back, and pointed the sword at him. Seeing that he was defeated, he yielded.

“Well, you lasted a second longer than last time. You are improving. I will give you that.” She said as she helped him up and gave him back his sword.

“Impressive technique, One. In my world, you would no doubt be a legendary huntsman.” praised a voice.

“Oh, Glynda. I didn’t expect you to be up so early.” Said One.

“It’s a habit, but I thought you only had sisters?” she curiously questioned.

“This is my brother, Brother One. I keep him a secret because he is my failsafe, in case everything goes wrong.” she explained.

“A smart move. But, I’m honored you trust me with this.”

“With how shortly you’ll be staying here, it’s not much of a risk.”

“Fair point. But, I just finished my breakfast and came to see if you needed anything of me before I head off to the library.” Glynda explained. One thought for a moment, looking at Glynda, a teacher of combat, and then her brother, someone who needed combat training.

“Actually, yes. I’ll be gone for a few days to gather my sisters. I have word that Zero is making her way here once more. During that time, I’d like for you to train my brother. At least a few hours a day would suffice.”

“I can do that. Do you have any specific kind training in mind?” Glynda asked. She preferred to be very thorough.

“Combat training, but before I leave, would you mind having a spar with me?” Once asked of Glynda. “I’d like to gauge your strength against mine.”

“I don’t mind at all. I believe this will be a beneficial experience for both of us.” Glynda said, drawing out The Disciplinarian.

“Good. However, no magic, only our other abilities, our weapons, and our surroundings. Our spar ends when one of us is depleted of our aura. Is that agreeable?”

“Very. Now, let’s begin.”

Glynda, with an aura coated fist, hit a nearby pillar to knock a few chunks of stone out of it. Using her semblance, she sent the stones hurtling towards One with incredible speed. With skilled dexterity, One used her chakram to reduce them all to dust before they hit her. However, she did not anticipate for them to reform and hone in on her once more. She jumped just in time for the stones to crash into each other, rather than her.

“Impressive technique.” One complimented.

“Thank you. It usually gets them the first time though.” Glynda bantered.

This time, she kicked a pillar to chunk off larger pieces. They were hurled at One as she was still in the air, but she was fast with her chakram. It was obviously a weapon forged with only the best materials. It sliced through the stone like butter, cutting it up into smaller and smaller pieces. By the time she realized her error, she was being pelted by pebbles that hit hard due to the incredible velocity they were flying at. Focusing on her aura, she extended it outwards instantly in the shape of a bubble, pulverizing any remaining projectiles in the vicinity.

Free of the onslaught, she threw her chakram into the air. It was a slow move that Glynda could see she could dodge if she moved unpredictably. Unfortunately for her, One’s senses were too sharp to allow her to miss. It crashed down onto Glynda with incredible force, meteroing her into the ground. She got up as quickly as she could, but One used this opening to unleash a combo of attacks that Glynda could not defend against.

Meanwhile, Brother One was watching intently, amazed at his sister’s skill, and Glynda’s own tenacity and skill as well. He was excited for the coming days, and hoped to learn much. He wanted to make his sister proud. He was certainly proud of his sister as with one final attack infused with her aura, she shattered the aura of her opponent, winning the spar.

“Impressive.” One complemented as she helped Glynda up.

“You’re quite impressive yourself.” she returned as she dusted herself off.

“Us Intoners are rather… gifted.”

“I get the feeling that’s an understatement.”

“It is.” Brother One interjected. “With Zero on her way, you’ll be likely to see the full might of an Intoner soon.”

“In any case, I have no doubt you can teach my Brother much. Well. I should be taking my leave now. The sooner our sisters are here, the better.”

“A wise move.” Glynda commented. Then, they all heard the door to the training ground open.

“A report, My Lady.” the servant said. He only acknowledges his Intoner. Glynda notices that Brother One even doesn’t try to hide. He just looks at the exchange.

“What does it say?”

“Zero and her group have been spotted in an area a few days away. However, a soldier that managed to escape said that most of the loss was caused by her dragon, and a new member of her group: a man with a scorpion tail.” he stated. Glynda immediately perked up at the mention of Zero’s new friend.

“Tyrian… I know that man.” she told One. “Tyrian. He’s a follower of Salem. When Zero arrives, I will take care of him.”

“I am sure you will.” she tells Glynda. “Get the Dragon-Bone daggers,” she orders the servant, “and give them to her.” She returns her attention to Glynda. “Consider it a gift for instructing my Brother, and something to help your world should The Flower ever become a threat there.”

“Of course. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” One says, and looks to the sky. “Gabriel.” In mere moments, an incredible dragon appears at her call. It is unlike anything Glynda has ever seen, and stares at it in awe. One’s words had not done it any justice. With the flap of its wings, it is in the air, and out of sight in only a few minutes.

“My sister has a theory that her aura is strong because her pact partner is Gabriel.” One tells Glynda.

“Hmm...” she thinks for a moment. “That could be a factor, all things considered.”

“It’s a rather interesting way the rules of our worlds interact, don’t you think, Miss Glynda?”

“Yes, it is. But if I’m going to be your teacher, call me Miss Goodwitch.” she instructs him.

“Understood, Miss Goodwitch.”

“Hm.” she acknowledges. “Let’s begin today’s training then. First, show me what you know.”

“Mmm, to what pleasure do I owe you, my dear sister? Bored of the Cathedral city? Looking for some real fun? I do have the best brothels in the land.”

“No, Five. I’m here to gather you and our sisters. Zero is launching another attack, and I intend to finish her this time.”

“Aww, can’t we have some fun with her first? We never had any fun...” she laments.

“No again, Five.”

“Oh, all well. You’ll have prostitutes in the city, right?”

“Yes Five. There will be prostitutes.” One says.

“Oh goody!” she squealed as she claps and hops up and down, her tits bouncing uncontrollably. The servants in the room all have their eyes on her. “Let's get going then! Cathedral City, here I cum! Uwaaah!” Silently, One prays for Four.

“Eeyah! There’s my favorite, flat chested sister, Four! And my breasts are still as huge as ever, if you don’t believe my letters. Are you still doing that whole virginity thing anyways? I just have to know.” Five asks Four.

“Hello One, Five.” She greets, ignoring what Five just said.

“Hello Four.”

“Now, I imagine you have an important message or a request of me? Whatever it is, I’ll do it!” she affirms.

“Mmm, whatever? You’re so brave...” Five asked. Four turned to her to give her a death glare. I will fucking kill you, whore! She mouthed, facing away from One.

“Oh Four, so you do have it in you...” Five said pridefully, clearly misinterpreting her sister somehow. Four took in a deep breath, put a smile on her face, and turned back to her big sister.

“I’ll help you however I can One.”

“Good. Zero is attacking Cathedral City again. This time will be her last.” One said. Four immediately deflated.

“What? But One, Zero’s our sister! We can’t just kill her! Our Zero is still in there!” she reasoned.

“Four, I’m sorry. I truly am. We all want to be a family with Zero as much as you, but we just can’t.” One began, placing her hands on Four’s shoulders. “If we want to help our Zero, we have to kill the traitor Zero. That way, our Zero can rest in peace. That is all we can do.”

“I― Alright. Alright. I understand. Thank you One.” she said, giving her sister a hug. It felt so nice to have One return the hug. Then she felt a pressure on the side of her, and on her head. It was Five joining in on the hug, with her breasts resting on Four’s head.

“Mmh I just love these sisterly moments.” she said as she hugged them harder.

Four was going to fucking scream, but, she did not, at least not externally. She only hoped Five did not push her off the edge around her favorite sister, One. But even then, she wasn’t sure she would mind if that happened.

“I’ll help, of course.” Three replies sleepily. “I won’t have another chance to experiment with an Intoner in such a way, after all.”

“Oooh, I think I can help you with some Intoner experiments...” Five said salaciously.

“Science thanks you for your contribution.” She says with a clink clink clink of her scissors.

“Umm, on second thought, I just remembered I have other plans cuming up.”

“But Five! Think of all the good you’d be doing for science!” Four pointed out.

“No experimenting on Intoners. When we kill Zero, we’ll give her a proper burial. We have to give her that much respect. She’s still our sister, remember?”

“If you say so.” Three huffed, rather unhappy she would have to give up time that could have been used experimenting. Five was relieved, happy she would live another day to enjoy life and sex. Four was sad, sad that Zero would be dead soon, and that Five wouldn’t tragically die in an experiment gone wrong.

“Gone? What do you mean she’s gone!?!” One demanded to know.

“How do you lose your Intoner?!?” Four also demanded to know.

“You don’t treasure her, pleasure her, you know, the basics.” Five answered her. One and Four looked sternly at her. “What? I’m right, aren’t I?” she asked the man who had taken Two’s role as leader in her absence.

“Well, yes...” he admitted.

“See? These gigantic boobs aren’t just for looks you know.” she said as she caressed them. Four facepalmed and shook her head. One let out a sigh.

“Is that so?” Three clinked.

“Well duh! What else am I gonna think with besides my fat pussy? Oh dear sisters, you have so much to learn.” Five chuckled as she rested her head in her palm. Four clenched her fist so hard blood began to trickle. The only thing that stopped her from killing Five right then and there was One’s hand on her shoulder to hold her back.

“I believe your brain is what truly requires further study.” Clink.

“My what?”

“No, both of you.” One ordered.

“Why not? A star falls from the sky as wolf howls at the sun, and I experiment to learn.” Three explained.

“That doesn’t make any sense! That’s a terrible metaphor!” Four yelled.

“Is it Four? Isn’t it?”

“Enough bickering. We have to find Two. You, wh― Five, seduce him later.” One ordered.

“But One!” Five said as she was unbuttoning his shirt.

“Later. You, where could she be?” One demanded as Five got off him. “Oh, umm.” he began, flustered. “She can’t be too far, I imagine. But she could be very far too. She’s been gone for a while.”

“Great. Thanks.” One said plainly. “Five, can I see you for a moment? In private?”

“Ooomhhh, of course.” she said, meeting One outside the room. “What is it, my dear, dear sister?”

“He’s hiding something. I need you to fuck the information out of him.” she explained. Five lit up.

“Ooooh, consider his dick done for.” she grinned.

“Good.” One said as she opened the door. “Three, Four, lets go. Five, have fun. Show no mercy.” Five sexily sauntered in as her sisters left.

“My pussy is gonna rip your dick clean off, big man!” They could hear her yell.

“Ugh, why does she have to be like that? Why can’t she be respectable?” Four complained, uncovering her ears.

“She thinks with her fat pussy and her gigantic boobs. What do you expect?” Three reasoned.

“Quit being so vulgar!” Four shouted as she covered her ears.

“If its any consolation Four, she’s not just doing this for her own pleasure. It’s also for the mission I gave her. He’s hiding something, and Five is finding out what.”

“One! There’s a better way to do that, isn’t there?” Four questioned.

“I can think of a few ways.” Three clinked her scissors.

“Ugh. nevermind. … You’re right. This probably is the best way to do it right now. You know, I can do a mission for you too if you need me to.” Four offered. Three opened her mouth to speak. “Not you.” Four cut her off. She closed her mouth.

“I’ll let you know Four. But I’m sure there is something acceptable you could help Three with when this is all done.” One told her.

“Heh heh. Hear that Four? I have lots of acceptable things we could work on together.” Three smiled as she clinked her scissors happily.

“Of course Three, of course.” Four fake smiles. If it wasn’t for One suggesting it, she wouldn’t have smiled at all. She would have done something else.

“Found her! Poor thing, I don’t even think she’s been fucked in forever. Nice room though. The bed was great for napping, and the furniture gave me some banging ideas for the sexy pool I’m making.” Five went on as she propped Two onto Gabriel.

“Sis...ters...” Two managed to speak.

“You live by the ocean, Five. What do you need a pool for?” Four asked with disdain for her sister’s idiocy. The bright side was that the breeze that blew as they flew kept her cool enough to deal with Five, for now.

“Oh, this pool is gonna be inside another pool, and that pool is gonna be in the ocean. I’m gonna be sooo wet when it’s done, mmmhh, three times as wet...” Five moaned dreamily, then innocently giggled. That was the last straw for Four, and One could tell.

“Four, no.” It was too late. Four screamed as she launched herself at Five.

“Oooh, this scale is extra shiny!” Five gasped as she bent down to get a closer look, allowing Four to fall off of Gabriel onto the ground below.

“YOU STUPID WHOOOOOORE!” she yelled as she fell.

“I always knew I would help her scream someday. I just always thought it would be at a brothel I recommended.” Five noted. Meanwhile, Three was poking at Two’s head.

“Fascinating. She exhibits no reaction. I wonder if there is damage to her nervous system. How could an Intoner’s nervous system be damaged? What does the damage to her nervous system look like compared to a human? What does an Intoner’s nervous system look like compared to a human’s in the first place? A warm blanket smothers the cold in summer rain like the moon covers the sun, I suppose. One―”

“No.” she immediately answered as she had Gabriel fly down to catch Three. Once he caught her with his mouth by her hoodie, he threw her up to land right back on his back. “One, Four, Two, Three, Five. That’s the order we’re gonna sit in.” With swiftness, they rearranged themselves.

“You know Three, your hair is rather pretty. I’ve never noticed it before.” Five realized.

“Thank you. It’s constantly growing, like One’s senses, Two’s strength,” Three began.

“Twooo...” Two quietly repeated.

“Four’s nails, and your breasts. It is interesting that we all have something unique about us that constantly grows. I believe it is an outlet for the excess magic that courses through us, but to be sure of that would require experimentation and study… Acceptable” she emphasized for One, “experimentation and study. However, only One and Two’s traits seem to be a useful function.”

“No, my breasts are great for attracting people, and hair is just as much of a factor in attracting people as breasts!” Five explained.

“Hmm… That is sound reasoning. That would leave Four’s nails as the least useful.”

“They’ll be useful for―” she began to sing song sinisterly.

“Four.” One said.

“I was going to say they’re useful for showing how much I love all my sisters.” she smiled like she was innocent and pure.

“Did you cut them recently?” Three asked with good reason. It made Five chuckle.

“Oh Three, you’re so funny! My, you’re funny, and pretty. Why aren’t you drowning in sexy sex? Mmh! I know! Let me braid your hair!” Five offered.

“Why?” Three wondered.

“Think of it like an experiment. Watch, once I finish with your hair, you’ll be drawing in people more than ever! You can compare how many people you brought in before I braided your hair, and how many people you bring in after I finish your hair.”

“A study in human nature and what it finds attractive… Alright. You may braid it.” Three allowed.

“Eeee! This is gonna be so much fun!” Five squealed. “I just love braiding hair. It’s too bad I suck at braiding my own hair. I’ve sucked lots of things, now that I think about it.” She alluded as she began to work on Three’s hair. By now, Four had calmed down, and was able to ignore her sister’s innuendos. And to her surprise, braiding seemed to keep Five busy, and her filthy mouth shut. This, Four was grateful for.

“Cent...”

“Hmm?” Four asked.

“Miss… Cent… cock...” Two whispered weakly, so low that only Four could hear.

Four flung herself off of Gabriel, screaming into her hood as she fell to the city below.

“FOUR!?! WHAT THE HELL?!? Goddammit. Gabriel, take them home please.” she sighed as she dove to join Four.

“Huh, I guess she really likes screaming now. Good for her.” Five said, and went back to braiding.

“Perhaps her mind requires study as well. Hmm… Maybe all Intoner’s minds require study.” Four mentioned, and then shrugged the thought away and went back to nodding off peacefully as Five braided her hair.

“He he… Fun..ny…” Two laughed.

“Four...”

“Yes?” she replied sharply.

“Tell me, what’s bothering you?” One asked.

“Our sisters, what else?! Zero isn’t Zero anymore, Two somehow manages to be terrible, Three is so illogical, and Five is the worst of them all! She has no respect for herself or others! She has no self control! A sack of rocks has more brain power than her! She doesn’t care about anything except for being a selfish, sex crazed glutton!” Four shouted as they walked through the street. The people paid no mind toward her.

“Four, please forgive me for being blunt with you, but please have some empathy.” One sighed.

“I have empathy! I―”

“Perhaps you do, but you need to have it for our sisters as well, not just your people. Two’s mind is broken, Four. We have to be understanding, and help her. She would have done the same and more for any of us. And you know she would never purposefully anger you. Even if it seems odd to us, Three is just trying to help in her own way, the only way she knows how. All her science is for the benefit of all of us. If you asked her for help with an experiment or research, she would help you in an instant. I know you’re having trouble growing food in the mountains, and Three would gladly figure out a solution for you.”

“Oh. I see...” Four said quietly.

“And Five… Five is Five. I’ll let you in on a secret. Don’t tell her, but she gets on my nerves a lot too.”

“Hmph. I’m not surprised.” Four said as she rolled her eyes.

“But, we’re her big sisters. She just wants attention from us. And like Three, she just shows it in the only way she knows how. She doesn’t mean to aggravate you Four.”

“Sure seems like it.”

“Four… Has Five ever given you any indication that she hates you?”

“... No. She hasn’t.”

“Five loves you as much as she loves the rest of us. I know some of her… activities aren’t to your liking, but she just wants to spend time with you, especially you because you push her away. She doesn’t want you to leave her. She just wants for you two to be sisters.”

“I guess, when you put it like that...” she paused and began to cry. “Oh One! I have been a terrible sister! I’ve been so mean to them all this time, and I, and I―” she sobbed, unable to continue speaking. One pulled her in for a hug.

“There, there Four.” One comforted.

“T―Thank you One. I’m sorry. There’s no excuse for how I was acting.” Four shamefully admitted.

“In your defense Four, you didn’t know. But now, you know.” One stated.

“Is there even any way I can make it up to them?” Four asked.

“Just spend time with them. I’m sure Two would take comfort in knowing that you spent time with her, maybe help her with her land once and a while. She would appreciate that. Or visit an orphanage with her. She always loved that.”

“That does sound nice. I do like paperwork, and visiting the orphanage would be good for her, I think.”

“And don’t be shy to ask Three for help. Ultimately, she would be glad to work on a project with you. And visit her and see if she needs help from you. I imagine she would like to study the habitats in your land.”

“That would be fun, wouldn’t it? And we would be getting so much work done together.” Four smiled at the prospect.

“And Five. I'm not going to tell you to visit her brothels or anything, but just try to be a little nicer to her. Or at least write her back. Remember, she just wants your attention.”

“I’ll try One, I promise you, I’ll try.”

“I’m glad.” she said. She was surprised when Four pulled her in for another hug.

“Thank you so much One!” she said as she hugged her sister harder, causing her to yelp. “I don’t know what I would do without you!”

“I’m your big sister. I just want to see my younger sisters happy, together.” She said, and could feel Four loosen our grip.

“It’s too bad Zero can’t be with us...”

“It is. But, like I said before, all we can do now is help put her to rest.” They continued to walk in silence for sometime. “Oh, this reminds me!” One exclaimed as they neared her home. “Let me see your hands.”

“Of course.” Four said as she offered out her hands. She saw one close her eyes as what she could only describe as a red glow enveloped one. It moved into Four, soon turning a light green color. When she was done, Four looked at her hands and arms in amazement.

“Was that a new form of magic?” Four wondered. “It feels… different.”

“In a sense, yes. It is called Aura. A woman who traveled from another world unlocked it in me. I would have told you all sooner, but the opportunity hadn’t come up.”

“It’s alright. We were rather busy after all. Hm, I’m sure this will interest Three a lot though.”

“I imagine so, as well.” One said. They continued to walk to meet back up with their sisters. Along the way, One explained to Four what Glynda had taught her about this new form of “magic.”

“Hello One, Four.” greeted Three once they found her. Two was also with her, but no Five.

“Hello Three.” One greeted back. “Everything went well, I assume.”

“Oh, very well. I even met a woman who taught me a new form of magic. See?” she said as she brought forth a light purple glow. “Intriguing, isn’t it?” she laughed. “This will require lots of experimentation. I wonder if this can get this to affect my dolls?” she asked herself.

“I guess she told you stuff about Aura too, hmm?” One asked.

“Naturally.”

“Hey, Three, where is Five anyways?” Four questioned.

“With the woman. Five said she wanted further instructions on her new powers.” Three answered.

“Well good for her. I’m glad she’s having fun!” Four replied.

“You don’t have to try that hard Four.” One clarified.

“Oh, thank god.” Four exhaled. “If I had to do that again, I think I would have puked.”

“Do you think Two can still cook?” Three said as she looked at a spaced out Two.

“Cook...” she murmured. Just then, Four’s stomach growled.

“Only one way to find out.” Four said as she went to gather Two. “Come on Two, let’s go cook together.” Two only murmured something indiscernible.

“Wake me up when the food is done.” Four yawned as she laid down on the table before her. A couch was only a few feet away. With all her sisters busy, One went to go check on her brother. As it turns out, Glynda was an excellent teacher. Who would have guessed.

“Ohhhhhh Fooooooouuuuuuuuuur!” Five called as she was setting the table. Four prepared herself, keeping her big sister’s words in mind.

“Yes, Five?” She answered as Five breasted boobily towards her. Trailing behind her was a woman she could only assume was Miss Glynda Goodwitch.

“Look what Miss Goodwitch taught me!” She said. In an instant, her nails glowed a shimmering gold, and grew to a length that easily rivaled Four’s own nails. “See, we match now. Twinsies!” she excitedly exclaimed as her hair also glowed brightly. “She says I have to name my semblance. Ooh! What should I name it?”

Four was… shocked, dumfounded, surprised, speechless, astonished, bewildered, the whole shebang. To think Five found such joy in having something in common with her was unimaginable. They were just so, so different, near complete opposites. But this was more proof the One was right, that Five wants her sister’s attention more than anything, and that she does love her sister.

“How about… Sister’s Love.” she offered.

“You’re so silly Four!” Five giggled. “Ooooohhh I love it! It’s perfect. We can have a girl’s night painting our nails together and everything! I’ll make them so pretty you’ll have to beat the men off you! Mmmh, beat them hard.”

Four was grateful she said she didn’t have to try too hard, so she ignored that last comment. It was an improvement over ignoring her entirely. But, spending time doing each other’s nails seemed like it would be a fine time, if Five braiding Three’s hair was any indication.

“When this is over, I’ll check my schedule to see when we can have some together time. Okay?”

“Oh of course! I always knew I’d get you to spend some quality time with me. Mmm I’m sooo excited.” Five giggled once more. Yet, for some reason, the sexual nature of her words did not aggravate Four as much as they used to.

“I’m excited for dinner. Where’s dinner?” Three spoke as her head still resting on the table.

“Only the most healthy and nutritiously beneficial dinner anyone could ask for! Unfortunately, Two can’t really cook anymore, so I did all the cooking, but she was a big help!” Four explained. Two was really good at holding things in her arms, no matter how heavy. Even the centaur ribs didn’t maker her arms buckle. She was also very good at balancing bowls on her head. “Could you get off the table now? I have to put the centerpiece there.” she requested of Three. Lazily, she got up and flung herself to the floor with a thud.

“Is she okay?” Glynda asked as she took a seat at a nearby chair. Typically, seeing someone throw themselves onto the floor was cause for concern. Five just stepped over her as she led Two to the couch.

“Yeah, she’s fine. She just really likes to sleep. I know I like sleeping all over the place too.” Five answered as she placed Three on the couch, resting her head in Two’s lap. She also placed Two’s hands on Three’s head.

“S… soft...” she quietly said as she began petting Three’s hair.

“Oh aren’t they just the most adorable?! I wish I could get a painting to make it last forever!” she shouted as Three still slept peacefully.

“I think I might be able to help with that.” Glynda said as she got up. She went to where the couch, and brought out her scroll. It was the latest model, built with the newest functions. She took a picture, and with a few taps, a physical picture printed out of the bottom of it. It was not particularly large by any means, but it printed out the details of the photo well enough. She handed the photo to Five, who took it almost greedily.

“It’s wonderful.” she gasped. “Let’s do another one!” she insisted.

“I can only do this nine more times, so I’d rather be more sparse with printing a picture.”

“We have to get a picture with all five of us then!” Five insisted again.

“That does sound like a nice thing to do.” One said as she joined the group. “But we should do it after we eat. May I see?” One asks Five. She inspects the paper, then admires the serene photo. Two almost looks like her former self, with a gentle smile on her face and a soft look in her eyes. Meanwhile, Three rests peacefully in her big sister’s lap. Why it brings a tear to One’s eye, is unknown to her.

“What’s wrong?” Glynda asks.

“Huh? Oh, nothing.” she quickly answers as she wipes the tear away. “Nothing bad.” she clarifies.

“Food’s ready!” Four sings as six servants follow behind her, tearing the unwanted attention away from One.

Each servant carries a covered tray of food, and holds open a seat for each of them. Four guides Two to a seat. Once the servants had them all properly seated, they placed down the tray, and unveiled the tantalizing food beneath.

“I’m no Two when it comes to cooking, but I tried to cook like I think she would have. Its still a very balanced meal though.” she makes sure to state. Five is the first to taste the food.

“Mmmnnm It’s absolutely divine.” she moans nonsexually for once, and digs in. “What is it?”

“Centaur ribs, with centaur cheese, cooked with aged red wine and olive oil, and drizzled with strawberry jam. On the side is whole wheat bread and steamed vegetables, lightly salted.” she listed.

“...Yummy.” Two said after swallowing the bite One gave her.

“Well, Two approves.” One announces.

“Really?!” Four gasps. Two’s smile is evident of her approval. “Twooo… ” Four says as she almost bursts into tears.

“I’m not sure if it means much, but this is the best meal I’ve had in years.” Glynda after she took a bite. She never thought she'd eat a monster, or that it would taste so good.

“It’s the first cooked meal I’ve had in years.” Three comments as she slowly but surely picks away at her food.

“Three! No wonder you’re so skinny!” Four exclaims in horror.

“So you think I’m skinny? Noted for future reference.” she states.

“That settles it!” Four says as she takes a bite of her handiwork.

“Mmmhhhhnnnn… soo goood!” Five cries out.

“I’m making you a meal plan!” Four finishes.

“Not necessary. Towers shoot for the moon as god is bound by rules” Four riddles.

“But if you eat healthier,” Four begins, “you’ll be able you stay awake longer, and focus on your experiments better.” That definitely got her sister’s attention.

“Science thanks you for your contributions.” she says with eager intensity, and returns to eating. Four chuckles.

“You're welcome Three.” she says gladly as she returns to eating her food.

One looks at her sisters, all happily sitting at a table together. It’s the happiest they’ve all been in such a long time. So naturally, she is very happy. Especially now that Four and Five are on the path to being on good terms. And Three seems to be opening up to them all, and Two is no longer being neglected. There is little else she could ask for. … There is much she could ask for, but at the moment, this was all she needed. Yet, something felt missing. Someone should be there with them.

“Everyone,” she announces, “there is someone I would like you all to meet.” They all look at her with curiosity.

“Who?” The other sisters each ask in unison.

“Oh, umm, a moment please.” she requests as she runs off.

“Who do you all think it is?” Glynda asks them, eager to see their reaction.

“I hope its a slutty prostitute. Sex after a good meal always hits the spot.” Five offers as her answer.

“Five.” Four berates.

“Oh fine, a respectable, slutty prostitute.”

“Hmm…” Three says, unsure of how to respond to Five. Four was at least glad the prostitute would be respectable. She couldn’t ask for much better when it came to the matter. “Well maybe its a disciple she made on her own. Three?”

“A brother in black has a brother in black. A sister in red has a sister in red.” Three yawns. “Two?”

“A… child.”

“Ooh, spicy. I wonder how she made it, or do you think it was the stork that brought it?” Five wondered aloud.

“Babies are made through sex, Five.” Glynda told her.

“Sex? You don’t make babies through sex! Why, I’d have more kids than there is sand in Two’s land if that were true!”

“No, she’s not joking.” Four said before Glynda could ask.

“Nor is she exaggerating.” Three added.

“You ladies really have to stop thinking with that brain thing. It’s putting all sorts of ideas in your heads.”

“Everyone.” said One as she reentered the room. “I’d like for you to meet our brother.” They were all in shock as she stepped off to the side to reveal their brother.

“Hello everyone.” he waved demurely. “I’m Brother One, but just Brother will do. It’s nice to meet you.” Five was the first to get up and run towards him.

“Ohh look at you!” She said as she cupped his face. “You’re just as cute as One!” She gasped suddenly. “Mmm this means I’m a big sister! If you ever need anything at all, just let me know and I’ll be sure to get it for you, my little Brother!” Five exclaimed gleefully.

“Five, give him some space.” Four said. “Hello Brother. I’m Four, ruler of the Land of Mountains. It’s nice to finally meet you too.” She introduced herself with a handshake and a genuine smile.

“I’m Three.” Three greeted. “Don’t worry One, I won’t experiment on him. I have lots of toys you can play with. We can have fun like automatons that become clowns under an immortal sun.” She offers.

“Two… he he...”

“It’s nice to meet you too, Two.” He greets. She smiles ever so slightly. But before they can continue their introductions, they are interrupted.

“Lady One.” the servant says obliviously.

“What?” she demands to know.

“Lady Zero has infiltrated the Cathedral City. Troops are already being dispatched as we speak.”

“Dammit.” she curses. “Everyone. We proceed as planned.” With great dissatisfaction, they all begin to leave.

“Wait!” she shouted before they left the room. “When this is done, let’s all take a picture together, alright?”

One by one, she sees her sister’s songs begin in the distance. With every song, she knows Zero comes closer and closer to her. She’s done waiting.

“Gabriel.”

“It’ll be zero soon enough!” Glynda shouts, and sends the daggers flying towards Zero and Tyrian. Her target is Tyrian, but she still wants to help one however she can. Both are barely scraped, but Zero seems shocked nonetheless.

“Dragonbone… Who the hell are you, bitch?!” she spits out with her traitorous tongue.

“Miss Goodwitch, soooo nice to see you again. A shame your death won’t be permanent!” Tyrian shouts as he launches himself towards her. Swiftly, she sends some of the daggers at him, and the rest at Zero as she makes her way towards One and Gabriel. However, Tyrian just requires too much attention, and is forced to recall the ones sent after Zero.

“Come on Zero! Hop on!” she hears the dragon say. She didn’t expect him to sound like a child.

“Tch. You just had to show up and make things difficult, didn’t you?” she said in a caustic tone.

“Well I can’t defy the will of my Goddess, now can I?” he answers with a wicked smile. “Buut, I think I would have loved to show up and ruin your day anyways.”

“Figures.” she states. What else would she expect of the devout madman? She keeps throwing the large daggers at him, cycling through them to ensure that he is offered no openings.

“Can’t you be any more fun to fight? I’ve been soooo bored lately.” he complains like a murder loving child. He deflects a dagger back to her, but she tilts her head to dodge it.

“No.” Was there any other answer she would give? Yes? I’ll kill you right now, just come a little closer, deadly murderer?

“I guess I have to do allll the heavy lifting then.” he says like he’s unhappy with the task. With a berserker mindset, he goes on the offensive, but has little success. He is thrown back with magical telekinesis, though he can't tell if it was magic or semblance, not that he knew enough to even wonder that.

She uses the daggers as stairs to get far out of his reach. Using her magic, she brought forth the debris below. It would be a hailstorm of detritus that he would not be able to withstand. Broken swords, large boulders, catapults, spear tips, and a few trees targeted him like flies to honey. However, Tyrian proved to be more slippery than sticky.

She heard him scream something, but was too focused to make out what he was yelling about. She had hoped the trail mix of debris would take care of him, but things were never so easy with Tyrian. That is why she kept her Dragon-Bone Daggers by her side. Just when he thought he had her, she jammed one right into his back. He didn’t even see it coming. With her semblance, she sent him crashing down. She sent down two more daggers to penetrate his arms for good measure.

“YOU FUCKING WHORE!” she heard him wail in agony as she descended on the remaining two daggers. “I WILL NOT LOSE! MY GODDESS DEMANDS IT!” With incredible resolve, he picks himself up and lurches towards her. She could see that a random spear pierced a leg in his fall. Blood runs from his wounds and mouth, yet, he goes on. “I, WILL NOT, LET, HER DOWN! I, WILL, NOT, LET, HER, DOWN!” he repeats like it is a mantra “I, WILL―” He doesn’t finish as a dagger embeds itself in his throat. He falls to his knees.

“Tell her Ozpin sends his regards.” she tells him through heavy breathing. She sees him fade into nothingness, almost like a grimm, and hears The Final Song begin. Above her, a pretty flower can be seen blossoming: The Flower.

“What the hell did you do One?” Zero asks as they circle the Flower on their dragons.

“I, I don’t know.” she answers.

“So you don’t know how you just started breathing fire? You know, the fire tHAT FUCKING FORCED THE FLOWER OUT OF ME!?!” Zero screams out. The flower that once covered her eye is gone now. A long scar has taken its place

“It could have something to do with Aura and my and Gabriel’s pact, or it could be my semblance…” One ponderd.

“Meaning???”

“I’ll explain later. We have The Flower to kill. I’ll take care of the rings. You see if you can hurt it physically. If we’re lucky, maybe your semblance will manifest soon, and into something useful.”

“Sure. Whatever. Mikail, up.”

“Got it!”

“The Flower… It was always our enemy.” Four says solemnly as she looks at her eldest sisters in the sky above.

“And Zero. Her goal to kill us wasn’t as wicked as we believed.” Three realizes aloud.

“But why would One hide this from us?” Two, having regained her mind, wonders.

“I don’t know.” Five answers.

“For the same reason she hid Brother One: she didn’t know if she could trust you all. The Flower had its grip on all the Intoners. And with you all, the grip was tighter. But unlike Zero, One believed The Flower could be defeated with her younger sisters still alive in the end.” Glynda explains.

“So what do we do now? We just can’t stand down here and do nothing!” Four shouts.

“Now that The Flower’s power is no longer within us, I don’t think there is much we can do.” Three hypothesizes.

“Only a dragon, or an Intoner can even harm The Flower.” Two mentions. “And none of us are Intoners anymore, and none of us have dragons.”

“But, We have Dragon-Bone weapons.” She says as she brings out the daggers gifted to her. “With my magic, I can send us all up there to help.”

“WAIT!” They hear a male voice shout. “Wait!” He shouts again.

“Brother?” Five asks. “Aren’t you supposed to be in the tower?”

“I’m done hiding.” he huffs as he catches his breath. “I want to be here to help you all.” He eagerly says with determination as she unsheathes his sword.

“It’s settled then.” Glynda says as she gives the younger sisters a Flower killing dagger. “There’s no turning back now, and there’s no other way forward. We will kill this Flower. Say it! We will kill The Flower!” She orders.

“We Will Kill The Flower!” the siblings shout in unison as they all ascend to atone for the Intoners they once were.

A single flower gently sways as it falls to the ground. Its five petals are a brilliant, incomparable white. Each had birthed an image of an intoner, an image in the medium of massless salt. Each Beast had fallen, so now, its remains fall. Softly, it lands perfectly onto the cobblestone ground of the Cathedral City. Zero stabs it with her sword for good measure.

“Goodbye you fucking piece of shit.” she insults. For better measure, One sets it aflame. They all watch, bruised and bloody, as it burns an unparalleled black, the color of its predecessor, and ashes into nothingness.

“So what now?” Mikail asks, breaking the silence.

“I’m gonna crash at your place, One. Nobody bother me for a week.” Zero exaggerated as she walked to the main cathedral where One resides.

“A good rest is in order for all of you.” Glynda says. “You’ve all earned it.”

“Agreed. We can all discuss this in the morning, or whatever.” One drones out, most tired of them all probably. With that, they all weakly make their way towards One’s residence.

Brother One sleeps soundly, glad he no longer has to hide. Five falls asleep wondering what her life will be like now that The Flower no longer influences her desires. Four falls asleep almost unable to comprehend what transpired. Three falls asleep in a way that feels different than before. Two cries that she is herself once more, and that she is without Cent. One wonders what will become of her younger sisters now that they know the truth. Zero falls asleep, questioning what she will do with her life now that she has one to call her own.

Two is the first awake. She always was, as she was in charge of breakfast, and all the other cooking when she was with her sisters. When they were younger, she imagined she would always be cooking for her sisters, and cooking with the one she loved someday. For the longest time, she didn’t know what he would look or be like. Then she saw Cent, and knew he was the one. He saw her, and knew she was the one. They say it is better to have loved and lost that love, to have never loved at all. She isn’t sure what to think of the saying. The memories of them together are too painful, but she would never want to live without them, even if some of them were implanted by The Flower. Quietly, and sadly, she opens the door to the kitchen.

“Hello, Lady Three.” A voice greets, a voice she recognizes instantly.

“Cent! Oh Cent you’re alive!” She shouts with incredible joy as she runs to him and holds onto him tightly. “But how?”

“Zero. She and that other woman gathered us up and somehow turned us back. Can’t say I know how though.” He answers his lady as they embrace each other.

“All that matters is that you’re alive. I’m never letting you go ever again!” she says as she kisses him. He kisses her back, and intends to never leave her again. Together, they make a wonderful breakfast.

“Good evening Zero.” One greets as she takes a bite of eggs and bacon.

“Morning sleepyhead!” Five says as she moves onto her second plate. Was it morning, or evening then? Did it really matter?

“I made sure we saved a plate for you.” Two says as she leads Zero to her seat.

“Thanks.” she replies.

“And you have my gratitude for reviving the disciples. It will be good to have a willing test subject.” Three thanks.

“Gnnnnhh. Truly. I must thank you too, Lady Zero.” Decadus groans.

“Keep it in your pants freak, I’m trying to eat here.” Dito tells the masochist. Four wipes away a tear.

“Thank you Zero. I’m so glad I have someone who understands me.” Four says, sounding like she’s about to really cry.

“Whatever. If anything, thank the Goodwitch woman. She did most of the heavy lifting. I just did some magic mumbo jumbo Michael taught me to pull it all together.”

“Really? Then you have our thanks too, Glynda.” Brother One said, and the others thanked her as well.

“You’re all welcome. I’m just glad I could help.” She said as she returned to eating.

Zero looked around at the table. Seeing her sisters and not immediately be filled with the urge to kill them was new. It would take some getting used to. However, she could not help but feel in the back of her mind that it was all wrong. But, she there was no reason to feel that way anymore. The Flower was gone. They were no longer Intoners. They were just normal humans now, laughing, joking, wincing at the bruises than littered their body, being a family. Her goal was always to die. Even just last night, she considered it. Her life was hers now, no longer a slave to The Flower’s demise. She wasn’t even sure life would be good enough to live, but seeing her sisters, the disciples, and the woman that helped them, she knew that she at least had to try. At least for Mikhail too.

“Hey, where’s Mikhail? The big baby is probably hungry.” She said.

“With Gabrielle. He’s teaching her how to fly. Don’t worry though, they already ate.” One responded.

“Daemonification is that easy to undo huh?” Zero wondered, almost finished with her plate. She was more hungry than she thought.

“Yes, and no.” One answered with a hint of sadness. Zero didn’t press any further.

“When you arrived,” One began, “we promised we would all take a picture together when the fight was over.”

“Cocky, weren’t you?” Zero teased.

“Did someone say cock? Mmmmmhhnnnn I could really take some of that right now.” Five looked up, mid bite.

“Yeah, it’s just outside that window. You might have to lean out reeeeeal far to reach it.” Zero said. Quickly, she got up and ran to the window. Octa followed her, shouting that Zero was joking, that there was no cock outside the supposed makeshift gloryhole.

“That’s cruel, Zero... ” Five said angrily as she crossed her arms. She laughed, along with Four, Brother One, and Goodwitch. Yes, this life would be fine. It was certainly off to a better start than her previous ones.

“Alright everyone, five seconds!” Glynda shouted as she ran back to join the group. The former Intoners, the disciples, Mikail, and a baby Gabrielle readied themselves for the picture. Mikail lay regaly as Zero told him, and Gabrielle copied him as she sat in One’s lap. She was only a short matter of time before she would be too big for that.

Glynda took a spot next to One, standing tall and proud. Five posed sexily, showing her best assets, Octa Stood next to her, doing his best to accentuate her features. Four stood in a basic, refined posture, and Dito relaxed as he leaned on Three. Three was forced to stand upright at first by Four, but resumed her natural hunched state when she looked away. Decadus stood rigidly with his arms behind his back, smiling at the camera. He relished having to be in such an uncomfortable position. Two and Cent lovingly gazed into each other’s eyes as they held hands. One and Brother One sat side by side towards the front. Brother One rested his hands in his lap, while One rested hers on little Gabrielle. And lastly, Zero took a comfortable seat on Mikhail’s tail, which was spread in front of One and Brother One. She couldn't stand just looking at the device, so she looked off into the distance.

With a click, the photo was taken.

“Oh thank goodness you’re back!” Ozpin said with a sigh of relief.

“What’s wrong? I was only gone for a week.” she said.

“Noo, you’re a daaaay late. You, need a tardy slip now, hehe.” Qrow chuckled drunkenly. No surprise there.

“Odd… Well, I’m alright. And you’ll be happy to know I learned much, despite the ‘complications.’”

“Complications?”

“Well, not exactly complications, but I’ll fill you in later.”

“As long as you’re safe and sound then.” Oz says as he takes a sip of his drink. “Hopefully James returns on time then.”

“Oh, General Ironwood joined after all?” Glynda asked.

“Yes, sent to find out about the technology of that world.”

“I’m sure he learned much then. It’s surprisingly advanced.”

“Hey, G, what’d ya bring me?” Qrow asked as he noticed souvenirs.

“A kick to the dick.” she growled.

“Damn, okay, nevermind then.” he said, astonished, and went back to nursing the bottle.

“Sorry.” she apologized. “I haven’t been around the most… I've been with some people with colorful language recently. But if you must know what I brought, these are gifts from them.” A bag of beautiful seashells from Five, the centaur dish recipe from Four, a well-crafted doll from Three, a hand-knit sweater from Two, the daggers from One, a sheet of clean, exquisite fabric from Brother One, and Zero’s sword. In a pocket, she held a few thank you letters.

It’s not like I need it anymore. Just hurry up and take the damn thing already. Zero told her when she refused at first. She wasn’t going to argue after that. It was a very beautiful sword, after all.

Before they could even react, James was before them.

“Hello James h─” Ozpin paused to stare at the sword he was holding. “What is that?” he glared at the thing just as it soaked up the last of the blood. “Oh gods what happened to you!?” he cried out, just noticing the broken arm.

“I’ve been through worse.” He said as he let go of the handle and let the sword fall to the ground. He then walked over to Qrow. “Gimme.” he ordered as he snatched the bottle out of his hand.

“Hey! You’ve crossed a liiine Jimmy!” Qrow slurred as he launched himself at the cyborg. Ironwood easily dodged it and downed the thing as Qrow lay on the floor. With a groan, he tossed the bottle onto the couch, and wiped his mouth.

“General...”

“Yes, miss Goodwitch?”

“What is that in your hair?” she asked cautiously.

“Hmm? Oh, this?” he said as he held the flower out in front of him. “Hmm, a Lunar Tear. Pretty flower, aren’t they? They’re bioluminescent, and rather rae=re. I imagine they would be very popular and sell well.”

“Wooowwwwww, only one, Jimbooo? Welllll I got four!” Qrow exclaimed as he pulled four crumpled flowers out of his pocket and threw them up in the air. With deadly precision, she sent the Dragon-Bone daggers to kill the flowers.

“Umm, Miss Goodwitch? Don’t you think that was─”

“Sing.” she ordered as she pointed Zero’s Sword at them.

“Glynda, are you alright?” Oz asked with concern evident in his voice.

“Yes. I know what I’m doing. You’ll just have to trust me.” she reassures him, not taking her eyes of Ironwood for a moment. “Now sing! Or you won’t be half human for much longer.”

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.” He belts out fearfully.

“Ooo, Jimmy can sing!” Qrow teases.

“You’re clear.” she states. Ironwood lets out a sigh of relief as she makes her way to Qrow.

“Start singing little birdie.” Glynda commands Qrow as she points the tip of the sword to his neck. He gulps.

“a, b, c, d, e, f, g!” Qrow screeches out.

“Dear gods, enough!” she yells as she covers her ears. “You’re clear! You’re clear!”

“H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P!” He screeches even louder.

“I will kill you to shut you up!” she tells him as she pushes the sword towards his neck. Qrow giggles as he finishes and she pulls away the sword.

“Those things,” she says, pointing towards the Lunar Tears stabbed into the wall, “are related to The Flower, a force of magic that not even you, or Salem could compare to.” Glynda tells Ozpin.

While Ozpin tends to Ironwood’s arm, she begins her story, from the forest and Sleeping beauty, to meeting One, introducing aura to that world, learning from her library, meeting the other intoners, and finally facing the Flower.

“What, the fuck?” Qrow commented as she finished.

“Correct me if I’m wrong. The most powerful magic in the world is a song.” Ironwood said as he furrowed his brows

“The Song.” she corrected.

“And it was granted by a flower.”

“The Flower.” she corrects once more.

“And The Flower, which only a dragon can kill, granted it to them so they could corrupt and destroy humanity.”

“Yes.” she confirms.

“Sure. Why not.” James sighs. “Salem’s pretty much doing the same thing, just less convoluted.”

“Mind control, angels, creating life, creating monsters, a near unstoppable disease, a pact with god, it is a truly fearful power you were dealing with.”

“Well, I took care of it with some friends. Oh yeah, and I ran into Tyrian. I told him to send Salem our regards.” She smiles.

“Nice.” he says as he hi-fives her.

“How about you Qrow? What’s your story?” James asks out of curiosity.

“Don’t remember all of it, and no, it’s not because of drinking.” he responds.

“There was an error in the magic, I believe, and it split his consciousness across multiple timelines.” Ozpin clarifies.

“Lucky me, huh?”

“Hmm, another error in the magic is probably why your arm didn’t return as it should have.”

“That portal isn’t sounding as safe as you made it out to be, Oz.” Qrow said, now more sober than before.

“In my defense, magic is fickle. Well, you all won’t have to return there ever again at least.” Ozpin stated. They all seemed a bit sad at the realization.

“That world, I know that it was pretty messed up, but it wasn’t so bad.” Qrow says. An image of Two floating books, two children, and two teens pops into his head, as does another image. This one has the two teens and the white book sitting around a campfire with a floating, clothed skeleton thing. It didn’t seem worth mentioning.

“I’ll agree with you there. It was nice, overall… Mostly. I think I’d go again, given the chance.” James said as he lay on a makeshift bed. Thinking of all the people he met, it was a blessing, but thinking of that last shade…

“It was an interesting experience, to say the least, but by no means a bad one.” Glynda comments. She thinks back to the ones she met on her journey, from the program Sleeping Beauty, to the Intoner family. “By no means a bad one.” she repeated at a slower pace. She took out a picture, to reminisce, to make sure she would always remember.

#The Remnat Branches #glynda goodwitch #rwby #nier #drakengard 3 #CH. 3 - Would You Like To Hear A Song? Or Perhaps See A Pretty Flower?#Yeah #im just gonna do the series like this now. way quicker.#I still really love how i had the intoner sisters interact #maybe ill adapt it into a fic that can stand alone from this someday #14.3k words

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artificialqueens · 4 years

Text

Taking Advantage of The Moment (Max-centric; Max/Jaidynn if you squint) - Puppy

A/N: Hello, folks. I have posted things for writethehousedown, but this is my first time on AQ. After seeing/posting the Groundhog Day prompt, I wanted to take on the challenge. I’ve always been fascinated with time loops, so heck. Here we go. Max and Jaidynn’s relationship here can be seen as either platonic or romantic.

TW: Panic/anxiety attack

Summary: Max Malanphy finds herself reliving her elimination day over and over and over and over again.

Max solemnly rolled her bags out of the workroom for the- who knows how many times it was at this point. She understood completely what the universe was trying to tell her.

Was her runway not up to standards as other times? Yes. Was her Snatch Game performance questionable at best and terrible at worst? Well, she was literally near her last possible choice since producers disapproved of her first few choices. If only this stretched to yesterday, the grey lady thought to herself, I could’ve thrown in a line about Party City or something like that… She had already accepted that she lost the lip-sync against Jaidynn too. She was a damn good performer and 80s’ R&B wasn’t generally in Max’s repertoire. So why the hell was this still happening?

Perhaps she’d sleep on it, but that was useless. She’d wake back up on the same day. It seems she had lost count of the many things she had tried to do to finally fly back home. 

~~~

“This seems a little familiar… repetitive even…” Max approached Violet with some caution.

“You’re the one getting read about your wigs, and you talk to me about repetitive?” The one-of-a-kind collectable joked, or at least attempted to. She was still getting used to the whole ‘bring a warmer person’ thing.

“Shouldn’t I have gone home already?”

Violet tilted her head in slight confusion. “What do you mean? I think it was Kandy’s time and…” she beckoned Max to lean down so she could whisper into her ear. “You didn’t hear it from me, but your Merle Ginsberg… wasn’t that bad last week.”

Max’s fears were assuaged until she got on the runway. The brightness of the lights and the tightness of the corset creeped back into play. She once found herself asking to loosen her outfit and sitting at the edge of the stage. Yep, she was reliving the moment that sent her home.

~~~

Around the fourth or seventh time she had been eliminated, Max had practically memorized the backstage conversations. “Well, now we know what she really sounds like!” Ginger joked, prompting a fit of laughter and a punch to the arm. Max hoped to have hit her face, but she wasn’t that far gone yet.

She once attempted to shed her purported prudish nature in another loop. She started conversations about what she once deemed vulgar, but all she had got was strange looks and reminders she was sharing too much information. She didn’t speak again until critiques. 

Immediately after (or was it two times after?), she had tried her best to be the friend that everyone needed. She’d help with outfits and accompanied Fame and Katya as extra moral support. Among the sewing and helping others with makeup, she barely had time for herself. The moment she stepped onto the runway, she barely put on a face of makeup and nearly fainted from lack of energy. Thankfully, she woke back up in her hotel room and last night’s pajamas.

The most recent loop was just spent in utter silence. Max had just… broke. She dared not speak or respond to anyone. She had choked back inaudible tears everywhere she went that day until the runway. As she was sweating under the lights, she prayed that she would pass out again. The voices in her head overpowered anything that she wanted to come out of her mouth. The ones constantly nagged at her for every decision she made on that show.

In an attempt to direct her attention away from those voices, her focus shifted elsewhere. This elsewhere unfortunately was drilled on the various sets of eyes staring at her, and the thousands more who would see it once it was edited and aired to the public. How many people would consider this some stunt? They’d probably think she was crazy or delusional.

She’d whisk herself back to Oz in times like this to cope, but it didn’t work. Any time she’d try, she would be trapped in the Witch’s castle near the crystal ball. “Auntie Em, I’m frightened…” Max whispered to herself as she slowly got back up. Hopefully the tear stains would have dried out of the corset by the time.

Max remained silent backstage. She knew what the judges’ verdicts were going to be; why bother discussing them? The outcome was the same yet again. She’d pack, she’d sleep, she’d wake up to walk the runway yet again.

As she woke up yet again, a thought crossed her mind. All of her attempts to actively change the situation ended up making things worse. The day kept repeating. Max got up out of bed and stared at her reflection. Had she been too much in her head? She chuckled; if she was that far in her, Fame probably would have gotten the joke by now. The queen took a deep breath in and vowed this. Go through the day as it was any other. Don’t make any drastic changes, Maxie. If you do, just… have them be small and insignificant. Try to make someone happy. The grey lady sighed and officially got ready for yet another loop of the same day. If this was the last, that would make her one extremely happy person. If it wasn’t, she would go back to trying… maybe ask Violet for a cincher this time.

~~~

“You’re done early,” Ginger noticed Max from her peripherals.

“Well, I’ve basically worn the same face since I’ve been here, so I guess practice amounts to shaving off a few minutes.” Max retorted as she admired herself a little longer. Her red contacts stared back at her: the leather-bound black widow. She laughed at her own little joke. The other girls couldn’t possibly know what that little comment also meant. The queen hummed a show tune to herself as she waited until filming started.

Being done this early felt so surreal, almost voyeuristic. The now black-haired lady stared among the workroom, eyeing her little corner of the room in particular: the various wigs and looks she wasn’t going to bring to the public. Perhap she could use this time to start packing again; there was no need to delay the inevitable. She let out a sigh as she stared at her belongings.

“Hey, girl. You seem a bit out of it today.” Max was shaken out of her reverie and looked down at the shorter queen.

“It’s nothing, really,” Max lied, but saw that there was no use doing so. For all she knew Jaidynn was going to forget it the next time this happened; telling her wouldn’t hurt. In fact, it was cathartic for the tall one. “Never mind.. It has felt a little strange. Ever since I’ve been here, it’s been as if I was in a dream and I still haven’t quite woken up yet. Speaking of… I’ve probably already asked you this, but can you pinch me?”

“Did you get enough sleep last night?” Ever concerned, Jaidynn leaned against the wall and attempted to hold her friend’s hand.”I think this may have been the first time we saw each other today.”

“I’ve been reliving this day for gods know how long. Sleep is the least of my worries.”

“Have you actually done so or is this just ‘Max language’ for something else? I get that filming has been repetitive and it’s all routine, but I doubt that you’re going through some Bill Murray shit.” Max had a tendency to speak entirely in metaphor; Jaidynn and others on set knew that first hand. When she spoke, she often spoke in terms of Oz and werewolves when she wasn’t giving sage advice. When she wasn’t inside of her head, she was off in another world where magic is real and nothing can go wrong. Thank goodness she had folks who could snap her back to reality.

Max nodded her head as she then eyed Fame and Katya in another corner of the room, silently mumbling along to their conversation to prove her point.

“Damn, girl. That sounds pretty cool. It would definitely come in handy. You could improve on your looks and save yourself if you were ever on the bottom.”

Max widened her eyes, not wanting to say too much. She already violated her mission by confiding in Jaidynn. “I’ve already done so much. What else is there to do?” Before she could say anything more, a PA had come in telling them to line up. “Shall we continue this later?”

Before they knew it, the arduous hours of judging had passed yet again and the critiqued queens headed backstage. “Did.. did that happen every time? You sounded good” Jaidynn asked about the corset mishap. All Max could do was nod her head and laugh.

“Sometimes, I’d switch up the song,” she whispered back and giggled. “I remember I did ‘Over the Rainbow’ one night… ‘The Man That Got Away’ another… One night, I think I-”

“The accent…”

“What about it?”

“You lost it for a second there.”

“I- I did?” Max shouldn’t have been surprised, but she just stopped for a second. It felt strange, having slipped out of this persona she had made for herself after having maintained it for filming and then some, but also freeing too. It was as if a giant weight had been lifted off her shoulders. “Didn’t even realize.” She laughed a little louder than she normally did, garnering more attention that she usually got. Max and Jaidynn joined the other girls with smiles on their faces and an underlying sense of uncertainty.

Sitting with her fellow castmates wasn’t the best thing in the world. There was no doubt that Max Malanaphy was an introverted figure. When they were normally congregated backstage, she would be among them, but barely contribute. Her comfort zone could only extend so far. She’d often flock where Violet or Pearl were, so she could talk about her day and how the other queens acted towards her, but that was the longest she’d have a conversation. The constant loops had certainly made things easier for the young lady. The only time she broke away from the conversation was to practice the song with Jaidynn.

“You really don’t have to do this, Max. I mean… you have the song down better than me at this point.” The Nashville queen remarked, taking a headphone out of one ear.

Max blushed a little at the remark and bounced the curls of her wig with one hand. “Don’t puff me up too much, dear; I wouldn’t want to send you home tonight,” She awkwardly laughed afterwards. “I’d still very much want it to be an even playing field… or as even as possible considering circumstances.” Jaidynn popped the earbud back in and they continued to listen together, mostly in peace and quiet. The song looped on repeat until the five minute warning came around once again.

“You ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

“What happens after this?” Jaidynn started as she was lining back up. “I’m gonna forget all this ever happened, I guess…”

Max was shaken by the suddenness of the statement. She had never really considered the implications of Jaidynn’s situation. This whole day would be meaningless “I mean it depends… I might go through the wringer again.” Her cadence suddenly began to speed back up to an alarming pace. “The outcomes of the lip sync might change but it does not seem likely at the moment because I’m pretty sure Michelle hates me and they’d want me out as soon as possible but who knows, it might be a double sashay or a double shantay or I might win or no one wins or-” She stopped herself yet again, but her breathing became much more erratic. Now wasn’t the time for yet another breakdown.

Jaidynn attempted to cup her tall fishy friend’s face, but settled for squeezing her hand. It would have looked ridiculous due to their sizes. “Look at me,” she started as Max crouched to her height. “No matter what happens, you’re gonna kick ass. I’ve seen you, girl, and you’re a badass performer. You’ll turn it out.”

“The Shakespeare challenge…” Max’s eyes widened as she realized what Jaidynn had just said.

“What about it?”

“You used my own encouragement against me!”

“Y-yeah.. I figured it’d help.”

“And it did.” Max curtsied and kissed the back of the hand Jaidynn was still holding before throwing herself into a hug. “It’s just… I- I’ll make sure you won’t forget me.”

“Do you promise?”

“I swear.” That was the last thing Max had said before the final lip sync.

Like most go-rounds, the outcome was the same. Jaidynn had lived to see another week while Max was sent packing yet again. This time was different; she didn’t feel as defeated as she had previously been. She had said a speech, blown a kiss, then left the stage with as much dignity and grace as she had entered.

It was melancholic seeing the looks that she wouldn’t be able to show the judges, but it wasn’t too bad. She’d probably see them the next day. That was the least of her troubles at that moment. The only thought occupying Max’s mind was Jaidynn. If this was her last tomorrow, how was she going to let her friend know she was safe and that she made it out with a little bit of sanity intact? Before she left the workroom yet again, Max tied the handkerchief that was paired with her final runway look to the end of the table where her friend’s stuff was. She took one hopefully final glance at the workroom and didn’t look back. All she could do was pray that she’d wake up with a phone the next day.

~~~

The next time Max walked into the werk room, she wasn’t alone.

She followed behind the eliminated queens. It was nice seeing everyone again. She apologized to Trixie for saying she’d win it for her, but her college friend laughed it off, saying it wasn’t that big of a deal. It was also quite lovely seeing Sasha and Kasha and Kandy again, as well as Tempest and Jasmine, but something felt missing.

Although she was ultimately paired up with Violet (something she was happy about), she still couldn’t get her mind off of Jaidynn. She was the only person she had trusted with probably the most valuable information of her life. Just seeing her had to have been enough evidence she was back. For all she knew, it could have been a couple more loops since she returned from Jaidynn’s perspective. Memory was a funny thing. For now, she just had to pretend as if her first yesterday was the only time the elimination had happened. There was a possibility of returning to the competition tonight.

“I think you might have forgot this.” Max put part of her corset down and looked up at a familiar face. There Jaidynn was with the little black shawl in her hand. She maintained herself the best that she could, but it didn’t last much longer. The tall queen hugged Jaidynn as hard as she could.

“Thank you…” Max whispered as a few tears started to form. “Thank you, darling, for everything.”

#rpdr fanfiction #max malanaphy #jaidynn diore fierce #ginger minj #jaidynn x max #angst #hurt/comfort #fluff #canon compliant #on set fic #groundhog day au #s7 #taking advantage of the moment #puppy #tw panic attack #rare pair

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himbowelsh · 4 years

Note

Hi! I wanted to ask if you could do the Valentine's A-Z thing for Smokey. If you're uninspired, it's totally fine if you don't, though!! :) in case you do, thank you very much!^^

valentines day alphabet ( accepting! )

A : AFFECTION. how does your muse show affection?

He’s a very demonstrative person who’s not shy about his physicality, and most at ease around people who are able to take it; sometimes Smokey can even be thoughtless with touch, because he doles it out so casually. he loves to be touched in return, relishing the reassurance it provides --- Smokey’s just not someone who enjoys being alone for too long, so brushing shoulders and wrapping arms around people chases those feelings of loneliness away.

B : BOUQUET. does your muse like flowers? which ones are their favourite?

He’s actually very good at picking out just the right bouquet for the occasion! His twin sister has a passion for flowers, so Smokey had to learn, okay?Flowers really aren’t that confusing, once you know how to take care of them. He’s no gardener, but could definitely keep plants alive if he tried.

C : CHOCOLATE. does your muse like chocolate? which one is their favourite?

He’s a casual fan. While he won’t buy it for himself, if someone gives it as a gift --- or a bribe --- he’ll gladly accept.

D : DATE. what is your muse’s ideal date? where / who with / etc?

He wants to take something completely casual and turn it into something semi-illegal. Let’s go to the movies and try to break into the projector booth, just to see if it’s possible. Best seats in the house! Let’s see if we can “accidentally” get locked in a department store overnight, and run around bouncing on beds and doing weird things in the dressing rooms. Smokey can make most casual things a lot of fun, but he thrives in situations on just the right side of absurd. He’d love a partner who can liven up even the most mundane date! (And hopefully rein him in from doing anything too wild.)

E : EMBRACE. does your muse like hugs? what are their hugs like?

Again ---- very driven by physical contact, very liberal giving it out. Smokey hugs like it’s going out of style. He rubs people’s backs, claps their shoulders a bit, sometimes blows in their ear to make them jump... he’s got a different hug for every occasion.

F : FLIRT. is your muse good at flirting? how do they flirt?

A very playful flirt, with a collection of pickup lines ranging from inspired to creatively-terrifying.

G : GIFT. is your muse good at gift - giving or do they struggle to get it right?

He thinks he’s great at gift-giving. Plenty of people who’ve received gifts from him would beg to disagree. And beg to be able to return the thing. (“Why the hell do I need a Dick Tracy lunchbox, Smokey, I’m a grown-ass man ---”) Always gives his gifts with the utmost confidence, even if it’s not something any sane person would want.

H : HEART. is your muse quick or slow to give their heart away?

He definitely needs the right incentive, with the right partner... but that doesn’t take much. Truth is, Smokey falls in love fast. Once he’s in, he’s in, and it’s not easy to shatter his affections.

I : I LOVE YOU. does your muse find ‘i love you’ easy or hard to say?

Gah, he loves saying it. If he’s in the right mood, he’ll say it twenty times in a day, just because he loves hearing it. When it comes to love, he’s very verbally demonstrative, as well as physically. Saying the Three Big Words isn’t a big deal to Smokey, because by the time he says them, he knows he means it ---- not like there’s any point holding them back. He’ll be the first to say it in a relationship (and might hold his breath until his partner says it back, but he’s willing to wait all year).

J : JEALOUSY. does your muse get jealous in a relationship?

Nah, not really. He’s a confident guy, and that confidence extends to his partner --- he’s fully confident they’d never do anything to hurt him. And... honestly, Smokey’s got a wide circle of friends who he’s very affectionate with, so seeing the same behavior from his partner wouldn’t raise any red flags for him at all.

K : KISS. is your muse a good kisser? why / why not?

Smokey is the world’s biggest tease --- a very playful kisser, who enjoys stringing his partner along after him. He loves pulling someone close, his arm wrapping around their back completely, a hand cupping their head; he’ll angle them slightly backwards, leaning into the kiss as his mouth finds a rhythm against their own. Slight grazes of teeth and tongue, just enough to leave them tense in his grasp, eager for more... and then he’ll pull away with a broad grin on his face, inviting them to come get it. Very into love nips, but will pull unexpectedly tender kisses seemingly out of nowhere.

L : LOVE. who does your muse love?

He’s got a lot of love to give, and when it comes to the people he cares about, Smokey loves fiercely. Probably the most important person in his life is his twin sister, Cleta, who he adores; then his parents; then all his friends, who he’d hide a body for without question; and his family should he ever start one, would immediately move to the top of the list.

M : MOONLIGHT. is morning or night a more romantic setting?

He tends to get in a weirdly touchy/romantic mood anywhere around 1 - 3am, aka the hours when any sane person just wants to sleep. He’s tired too, and he knows his partner is, but when the mood strikes...

N : NAUGHTY. what is your muse like in bed?

Smokey is a very attentive lover. He does not work on instinct; it’s all observation, keeping track of what his partner responds to best. Do they shiver when he nips them here? Groan when his tongue does that right there? Very interesting. He files it all away for later, stocking up an arsenal of how best to drive his partner wild. And what a tease --- he’ll bring his partner to the brink, only to pull them right back, so many times that they can actually get angry at him. Fisting a hand in his curls and pulling is a guaranteed way to get him compliant; he’s very sensitive at his hips, and will turn to putty if his partner directs their attentions there.

O : ODE. does your muse have a way with words?

You know he does, baby, you know he does. One of his favorite hobbies is writing long-winded poems just to troll people, but Smokey has also tried his hand at writing short stories before. Love poetry is very different --- much more intimate --- but Smokey’s sharp enough to do anything if he puts his mind to it, so he’d give it a shot.

P : PARTNER. what does your muse look for in a partner? looks / personality?

Smokey wants someone with a bright personality ---- someone who lights up every room, with a quick wit and sharp mind. They don’t need to be a social butterfly, just to entertain him; he likes to be kept on his toes. Someone with a great sense of humor, and a great laugh. Someone who loves to read, because so does he, and they can talk about books for hours; someone who makes good coffee in the mornings, and that’s crucial. Smokey really just needs someone who can bounce off of him, take a joke, and make him smile even when it seems the hardest thing in the world.

Q : QUESTION. would your muse ask the big question or expect their partner to?

If you don’t think this man will plan an elaborate proposal --- he’d do the most elaborate thing. He’s probably brainstormed wild proposals long before he even met his partner, just because he figured he’d have to do it someday, and wanted to be ready. Smokey would find some insane way to propose, like on the top of a roller coaster or via skywriting airplane,just to see if he could pull it off. And if it doesn’t, he has no qualms with finding another way, and proposing all over again.

R : ROMANCE. is your muse a romantic or a cynic?

He’s got a super romantic heart, and is 100% willing to laugh at his own optimism. That doesn’t make it any less genuine, or make him any less eager to find love.

S : SWEETHEART. did your muse have a childhood sweetheart?

His sister went through a phase when she wanted to get married, and poor Smokey was the nearest boy she could rope into playing the Wedding game with her. She got her best dress out, a little bouquet of flowers, forced Smokey to make a ring out of an old bottle cap for her... then, somehow, a bunch of other neighborhood girls got involved. Smokey ended up with six wives, including his sister. None of them wanted anything to do with him by next week. He’s 90% sure none of those marriages are valid today.

T : TRUE LOVE. does your muse believe in true love?

Sure he does! When he meets the right person, Smokey’s determined --- that’s going to be it. He’ll be sold. He’ll know them, he’ll love them, and the rest of his life will just be getting to show them. He’s definitely idealized romance in his head, but that’s just because he really wants to fall deeply in love with someone.

U : UNREQUITED. has your muse had their heart broken?

Smokey’s not the type to be completely shattered by a failed romance, even if it were one that meant a lot to him. Something like... losing someone he loves without warning, or having them die too soon... that’s the sort of thing capable of breaking his heart.

V : VALENTINE. how does your muse feel about valentine’s day?

It’s a fun night, and he’ll spoil his partner any way they want, but he loves using it as an opportunity to come up with dates no one else would think of. Who else would spend Valentine’s Day renting horses to ride, or going to a haunted house?

W : WEDDING. would your muse get married? why / why not?

Yes! Please marry him! He wants it bad! He’ll ask a dozen times --- once he loves someone, he wants nothing more than to spend the rest of his life with them. Marriage sounds like a dream.

X : XOXO. does your muse use / like pet names?

Oh, absolutely! He’ll make lists, just brainstorming as many as he can think of, and leave them lying around the house for his partner to find; he’ll bounce a few off of them, just to see how they’ll work. (“honeycakes, what are you --- no, that doesn’t work, does it?” // “hey, sugarpuss--” “NOPE.”) Nicknames are a sport for Smokey, and he plays to win.

Y : YOURS. does your muse get protective easily?

Smokey has a very short list of people he’d go ride-or-die for. It includes his sister, his mom, a few close friends, and his partner. Once they’re on that list, no one gets to hurt them, ever.

Z : ZZZ. how many people has your muse slept with?

Honestly, it’s all about finding takers. Smokey’s not shy, but wasn’t exactly rolling in girlfriends back home. Overseas, it’s easier. If asked, he’d probably quote a number much higher than the actual amount.

#3milesup #this man is 90% chaotic energy and cheese i love him #smokey gordon #band of brothers #headcanons

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thelazyhermits · 4 years

Text

So, I was thinking about what happens on Fortune’s birthday--the actual day she chose for her birthday since @euan112358‘s awesome fic covers her birthday party which happens the Sunday following her birthday.

I figure since her first day at UA was in the middle of the week that her birthday would still be on a weekday during her second year, so while they celebrate the day of her birthday, the big party, which is when everyone gives her their presents, doesn’t happen until the following Sunday when no one has work/classes.

The day starts off with several of the 1-A students and Eri storming into Fortune’s room and piling onto her bed to wish her a Happy Birthday. The funny thing about this is that Iida forbade his classmates from waking Fortune since he thought that was incredibly rude lol

To get around that, the students spent the past several days prior to her birthday studying Fortune’s sleep schedule so they could figure out what time she usually wakes up. Luckily for them, Fortune almost always wakes up around the same time each day, so it’s not hard for them to figure out the pattern.

So, on the day of her birthday, the kids get into position in front of her bedroom door. As soon as they hear signs of movement inside thanks to Jirou, they all bust into the bedroom, surprising the hell out of Fortune. She didn’t have a vision about this since she wanted to avoid having any visions related to her big day since she wanted everything to be a surprise.

While this is going on, students like Iida, Momo, Bakugou, and Satou are working on breakfast so that Fortune won’t try to do any cooking on her birthday. Everyone made sure to wake up extra early since Fortune almost always wakes up early and they knew they needed to wake up before her in order to start breakfast before she could.

Everyone, who doesn’t naturally wake up early, set their alarms, but for students like Kaminari, Kirishima, and Ashido who still managed to somehow oversleep, other students are sent after them to wake them up. Bakugou takes great pleasure in scaring the hell out of Kaminari and Kirishima to wake them up lol Meanwhile, Uraraka and Hagakure bust into Ashido’s room and jump on top of her bed and keep jumping until she wakes up haha

While those three always have a tendency to oversleep, one of the reasons they were like this on this particular day was because they were so excited about Fortune’s birthday. As a result, it took them a while to calm down and finally get to sleep the night before. Adorable, right? XD

Besides the dog pile that happens right after Fortune wakes up, she also gets individual hugs from all of her students, Eri, and Dark Shadow that morning. It’s a total hug fest lol

Even Bakugou allows it, but he doesn’t initiate the hug. He just averts his gaze while opening his arms to her. Normally, there’s what Midoriya dubs “Kacchan’s Ten Second Rule” where Bakugou allows Fortune to hug him for ten seconds before he starts complaining unlike with anyone else who he immediately starts complaining about if they try to hug him.

Since it’s her birthday, Bakugou extends the rule from 10 to 30 seconds which he feels is incredibly generous on his part. Once the 30 seconds are up, he’s back to his usual complaining haha

Class 1-B also gets in on the action since they come over to the 1-A dorm to have breakfast with the residents. Responsible ones like Kendou and Shiozaki come early enough that they can also help with the breakfast preparations since so many people will be at the dorm.

After Class 1-B arrives, Eri tells them that everyone must give the birthday girl a hug. Class 1-A backs her up cause whatever Eri says goes haha The reactions to this are varied. Either they’re perfectly fine with it or get really embarrassed.

All the 1-B girls are quick to offer their birthday hugs. Yanagi even promises not to scare Fortune any that day which is the greatest present Fortune could ever ask for lol

Tetsutetsu, Honenuki, Shishida, Bondo, and Fukidashi have no problem with hugging Fortune and show zero signs of embarrassment. Rin and Shoda are a little embarrassed but can handle the hug without much difficulty.

Kuroiro pulls a Bakugou cause he finds it embarrassing to be the one to initiate the hug. So as long as Fortune is the one to hug him then he can handle it haha

Kaibara, Awase, Tsuburaba, and Kamakiri are the next level of embarrassment, but they’re still able to get themselves to hug her. It just takes them a little longer than the others to do it.

Monoma is on a level all on his own. He is beyond flustered and can’t cover up his blushing no matter how hard he tries. However, he does hug her since he wants to and he refuses to be the only 1-B student to not hug her lol

If y’all are wondering about Shinsou, he’s definitely there for breakfast and doesn’t put up much of a fuss about hugging her. There’s a little embarrassment, but he still handles himself a lot better than most of the boys haha

Eri also gets the teachers in on the hug action, so Fortune gets birthday hugs from all the teachers, not just Aizawa, Mic, Midnight, and All Might.

Mic and Midnight give her the most hugs out of the teachers cause that’s just the way they are haha Aizawa really didn’t want to hug Fortune while the other teachers were watching, but he couldn’t refuse when Eri’s expectant gaze fell on him XD

That day is actually the first time she hugs the majority of the teachers so it was a very surreal experience for her. Of course, that’s not a bad thing. This is how she finds out that Vlad, Thirteen, Nedzu, and Hound Dog are all excellent huggers.

Hatsume also eventually gets involved in the hug action when Fortune and Eri pay her a visit later in the day. Although, it’s not because Eri tells her the rule but because Hatsume glomps Fortune as soon as she sees her to wish her a happy birthday haha

Even though they’ve graduated by this point, the former Big Three all call Fortune to wish her a happy birthday. Nejire even face-times her since she likes to be able to see Fortune’s face when they’re talking.

Mirio calls her and spends over an hour talking with her and Eri cause he’s one of those people who can talk on the phone forever lol He also gets Nighteye and his sidekicks on the phone so they can share their own birthday greetings.

Tamaki is a bundle of nerves since he hates making phone calls, but he felt that just sending a text message wouldn’t be enough considering what a big day it was. Fatgum had to give him several pep-talks before Tamaki finally made the call lol

Fatgum calls Fortune that morning around when he thinks the kids are off to classes and they spend a while chatting on the phone. Fortune also passes the phone to Eri for a little while since Eri always loves talking to Fatgum.

Lunch ends up becoming much like breakfast with all the kids showing up at the dorm so they can eat lunch with Fortune and Eri. That’s also how dinner passes since no one wants Fortune to do any cooking today. Aizawa, Mic, Midnight, and All Might also join in on the fun for dinner, so it ends up becoming a dinner party.

During the free time everyone has after class lets out for the day, not including when they have dinner, everyone plays games, whether it’s video games or board games. Every free minute is spent having some kind of fun, so there’s never a dull moment.

From beginning to end, the day is a total blast, and Fortune will always remember her first birthday fondly. It was by far one of the best days of her life.

#TABF HCs #fortune loves hugs #so she gets plenty of them on her special day #some students give more than others #but that's fine #she just appreciates the fact that all of them gave her one #her birthday is celebrated from the moment she wakes up #until she finally falls asleep that night #UA parties are always plus ultra XD #I love the idea of eri telling everyone that they gotta hug fortune on her birthday #because no one can tell her no #no person at UA is powerful enough to tell that child no #so fortune gets a lot of hugs that day haha #the teachers will never let aizawa hear the end of it for his hug #fortune didn't help matters cause she kept clinging to him #cause she enjoyed how embarrassed he was #mic totally took a picture when aizawa wasn't looking #it took vlad a long time to stop laughing

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drethanramslay · 4 years

Text

Part 2: Therapy

Pairing: Aurora x MC ( Iris Everette)

Word count: 3.2K words

Previous part is here

Warning: Includes triggers like eating disorders and mental illnesses

Tagging: @miyakokurono @agent-breakdance @trappedinfandoms @vampiregirlsblog @lilyofchoices (let me know if you want to be tagged😊)

Songs: Therapy by All Time Low and Feelings by Lauv

Forgive me if I make any mistakes 🙈

Aurora stood in the kitchen, tapping her fingers on the kitchen island. It was six in the morning and she knew that her roomates would be waking up in the next half an hour so that they get ready and head to the hospital.

Aurora just don't stand there like a mannequin, move your ASS.

Aurora wanted to make breakfast for her roommates as a gesture of thanks for letting them stay with her for the past three months. She also wanted to impress Iris. Not that the ship had sunk but, she wanted to reciprocate for all the cute gestures she had done so far. Like buying her breakfast at iHOP and having Disney movie marathons, cuddling in her bed.

It had been three weeks since Iris was discharged from the hospital. God, she was a horrible patient. That girl had the audacity to show up in her hospital gown, dragging the saline with her for her rounds at 5am in the morning.

And that's not it.

When they sent her to her room to sleep, they ended up finding her with Amar, her nine year old patient. She was CHECKING on him apparently. It was a joy ride for Dr. Ramsey to explain the parents why their doctor was roaming around in a hospital gown, looking like a lunatic who escaped from the psychiatric ward. It was hilarious to see Ramsey getting worked up over Iris, like a mother hen.

It was so hard to deal with her stubborn nature but there were good times as well. Times like when Aurora would feed her the bland hospital food. Or the times when they played that question game.

Aurora learnt a lot over those two days in the hospital. Things like how Iris was a valentine baby. Or how she loved playing the piano, guitar and singing, her obsession with KitKat and the list goes on and on.

What Aurora enjoyed the most, was sleeping and cuddling with Iris. Aurora craved Iris every night after that, but she didn't dare say it loud so that she didn't look clingy.

And here she was, trying to make breakfast. She settled on making bacon.

How hard could it be?

Well, she got her answer when she almost set the fire alarm. "ARGH YOU PIECE OF-" Aurora shouted in frustration. Smoke was everywhere and she opened the windows to let most of it out.

She looked at the burnt bacon and grimaced. "Stupid goddamn pig!"

Her roommates stepped out, groggy with tired eyes. "What's burning?" Sienna asked.

"Outta the way! I have a fire extinguisher." Elijah said as he zoomed towards the kitchen. He was going so fast that it almost seemed like he was gonna do a wheelie on his wheelchair.

Aurora held her hands up. "Whoa whoa! Calm down everybody...I just burnt breakfast."

"Awww...you wanted to surprise us with breakfast??" Iris cooed as she leaned on the counter, her voice groggy and her eyes sleepy. "Key word being 'wanted'. I know you all have been so nice to me...so I just wanted to return the gesture." Aurora pouted.

Iris just giggled and walked around the island counter. "You are so precious, Rory." She kissed Aurora on the cheek.

Aurora was taken aback. She felt her face heating up and thanked the lord that her dark skin covered her blush.

"Oh god.. Can y'all stop being cute for like a minute?" Jackie groaned but, she could see the teasing glint in her eyes.

Iris just rolled her eyes. "Ignore her Rory. What if I teach you how to achieve prime crispy bacon?" Iris asked as she dumped the pan in the sink and took out a new one.

Aurora smiled. "Yeah, that would be nice."

🥓🥓🥓🥓🥓🥓🥓🥓🥓🥓🥓🥓🥓🥓🥓🥓

Aurora had finished checking in on her patients by two p.m and she headed towards the cafeteria to have her lunch. She wasn't that hungry but she knew that she won't get an opportunity to eat later.

She made sure her pager was on so that she could have constant updates on the patient in room 304, that had arrived this morning.

It was a teen girl who had swallowed a fork. When she sat to speak with her, she learnt that the teen had eaten her lunch and headed to the bathroom so that she could puke.

"How did you end up swallowing the fork?" Aurora asked Elyanna when she was awake and conscious.

"I kept on trying...but it didn't work...so I tried to go deeper and- it got stuck."

Aurora shut her eyes as she felt a pang in her heart. This case hit home. Reminding her of the vicious cycle of her eating disorder she had to break, all by herself. Her father brushed it off as a puberty thing and her mother actually congratulated her when she became thin and weak.

She loved her parents, despite them treating her like a trophy child, who always complained about how what she was doing wasn't enough. She even got a chewing down by her parents when she didn't make the diagnostics team. But she didn't care, because Iris deserved it completely.

I mean, they are your parents, you can't hate them. They brought you into this world. Right?

She finished her salad and coke while she scrolled through the phone, making a list of rehab programs which she thought Elyanna would like. Crushing her can, she headed towards the room.

"Hey, Ellie. How are you feeling?" Aurora asked kindly as she opened the chart.

"Wierd." Aurora looked at the blue eyes and raised her eyebrow.

"Like I have eaten a hearty meal. And I am satisfied." The frail girl said with a small smile.

"Never thought I would hear that about hospital food." She chuckled and the girl giggled.

"But on a serious note, I am happy and proud of you."

"For eating a meal?"

"Yes. See, I know what it's like. I-" Aurora took a deep breath, "I too, used to binge eat and then puke it all out. Somedays, I would starve myself as a punishment. The day when I decided that 'No, we are going to stop this right here right now' and ate a good meal, I felt... liberated."

"I also want to be liberated from this but it's like an addiction...the need to look thin and beau-" the girl stammered.

"No! Don't for a second think that you are not beautiful. Don't let society's image of small breasts, thin waist determine beauty. Beauty is what comes from within. Beauty is not covering up your scars, but wearing it like a goddamn medal. Beauty is fighting for yourself. Beauty is loving yourself. Beauty is breaking the stereotypes and being your own person. So promise me, you won't give a shitty excuse that you want to be beautiful." Aurora said assertively.

"Okay. I promise." The girl said, with a small smile.

"Good."

"So what are the steps from here on? I want to change and reset. I want to be the better version of Elyanna Johnson. Ellie 2.0"

"Well, first of all, you are all cleared to go home. You can choose which rehabilitation program you want. Then it's your path to rediscovering by yourself."

"I can choose??" The girl was bewildered, which showed that she really didn't have much choices in her life. That she was kept under contol, not allowed to have any freedom.

Aurora smiled. "Yes you can. We can talk to your parents, if you want."

"That would be amazing. Thank you so much doctor."

⚕️⚕️⚕️⚕️⚕️⚕️⚕️⚕️⚕️⚕️⚕️⚕️⚕️⚕️⚕️⚕️

"Your daughter has been diagnosed with purging disorder, and it has been confirmed by Dr. Francis, our resident psychiatrist." Aurora said to the parents, as they stood outside Elyanna's room.

"Purging?" The mother, Mrs. Washington asked.

"You daughter has been having eating disorders. It means that after eating, she forces herself to vomit. She was using the fork to induce it, but it slipped causing her to swallow and choke on it."

"Oh my god. How could I not notice it?" The mother gasped. Aurora rolled her eyes internally. She knew how oblivious her parents had been. In the last two hours, Ellie had opened up about them and Aurora was just plain disgusted.

Well, you would have noticed if you weren't so engrossed in your manicures and kitty parties.

"Eating disorders? That's just bullshit." Mr. Washington scoffed.

Aurora was taken aback. You gotta be kidding me..

"Sir, it's a real concerning matter. If untreated, it can lead to a tonnes of mental disorde-"

"Please. My girl Ellie has always been a tad dramatic. This is just a phase." He waved his hands dismissively.

"Sir, with all due respect, this is a very serious condition which requires rehab and thera-"

"Rehab??!! Therapy??!! What will our community think?? They will shun us." Mrs Washington exclaimed.

Mr. Washington placed a hand on his wife's shoulder, calming her silently before he turned his hard gaze at Aurora. "Dr. Emery. With all due respect, I know my daughter for the last seventeen years. A trip to our priest, will make all this- drama go away. Can we take her home?"

"But-" Aurora started before being interrupted by Mr. Washington. "Answer me."

Aurora gritted her teeth, counting till ten so that she could control the overwhelming need to punch the oblivious man's face.

"Yes."

Mrs. Washington clapped her hands. "Wonderful. C'mon honey, let's give out daughter the news." Aurora just stared through the window, looking at the spirit of the young girl, slowly draining out of her.

And she hated every second of it.

⚕️⚕️⚕️⚕️⚕️⚕️⚕️⚕️⚕️⚕️⚕️⚕️⚕️⚕️⚕️⚕️

Aurora was in the new resident's lounge, taking a nap. She had been on her feet all day, running from one corner to another. Her legs were throbbing and were sore. She draped her coat over her face so that she could block out the light.

"What's up Big A?" Bryce asked as he threw himself on the other couch, groaning at the relief his back felt when it touched the soft cushions. He had had a tough neurosurgery which had extended for five hours. His hands were cramping from holding the clamps in place while Dr. Harper Emery worked her magic.

"Shut up Queen B. I want to nap." Aurora mumbled incoherently. Bryce just shook his head and closed his eyes. After a long moment, aurora broke the silence. "I'm scared."

"For what?"

"For my patient. I think she is suicidal."

"Why? Is she alone at the moment? Because if she is then we need someone checking on her continuously." Bryce said urgently. He knew how vulnerable these moments are.

"I have Danny checking on her every fifteen minutes. I think her parents broke her. Like... She has an eating disorder and she was completely on board to go to rehab and get well... but her parents, GOD THEY ARE SO INFURIATING. The mom is spineless, only worried about what other people think.. and the dad is so backward and refuses to believe that eating disorders are a thing. He thinks that a visit to the pastor will fix this." Aurora scoffs.

"Oh my-" Bryce was interrupted by the beeping of Aurora's pager. When she looked at the message, she bolted for the door. "Lahela, you are with me. They are running a code on my patient."

"I'm with you." They both ran down the hallways and reached room 304. On entering the room they saw red. Red blood pooling on the side of the bed, while Ellie shook, vomiting.

"What the hell happened?" Aurora barked. "She just started puking blood not two minutes ago." The nurse said as they held the tray near her mouth.

"That's not supposed to happen, everything was fine when I checked an hour ago." Aurora ran around the bed and checked the vitals. Ellie had stopped puking and looked at Aurora and wheezed, "I'm sorry. I can't do this anymore."

"Ellie WHAT DID YOU DO?!!!"

"Um, Big A?" Bryce called her. Aurora turned her head, eyes flashing. "I think I know how." He picked up the empty wrapper.

"I think she swallowed the scalpel."

🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪

After a harrowing hour of surgery, Aurora marched towards the parents who were sitting in the waiting room. She walked up to them and showed them the bloodied scalpel, in a sealed plastic bag. "What is this supposed to mean?" Mr. Washington asked.

"This is what your daughter swallowed so that she could die."

The mother gasped while the father's jaw dropped. "Can't you see how serious this is? How this is bigger than any of us?" Aurora said in a cold voice.

"I-I- I didn't know.." the parents stuttered. "No. You do not get the right to say that. You damn well knew what was happening and chose to ignore medical advice. And it almost cost your daughter's life!!" Aurora spat out.

"We will heed by it from now on." Mr. Washington replied somberly, with teary eyes.

"You damn well should otherwise I-" Aurora began but she was interrupted by a voice. "Dr. Emery, can you help me with a patient?" Iris asked. Aurora sighed. "Yes Dr. Everette. I'm right behind you." Aurora sent a last poisonous glare their way before following Iris.

Iris dragged them into an empty on-call room, and locked the door. "Now tell me Rory, what happened?"

So Aurora spills about the events of the day, speaking so passionately, that Iris was blown away. She did not once interrupt her, intertwining their fingers and squeezing them to encourage her.

"I am just so pissed, I feel like breaking something." Aurora hissed. "Well...why don't you punch this...um...pillow?" Iris offered. Aurora stared for moment. "What? I don't have anything else to offer?!" Aurora just chuckled, tension slowly leaving her body.

"Okay, I will punch the shit out of this pillow." Iris stood up and held the pillow in front of her. Aurora landed a series of jabs and hard punches on it. They were so powerful that they pushed Iris towards the wall. When she felt her back against the wall she knew it was time to stop otherwise Aurora might end up punching her through the wall.

"Timeout!! Damn Rory, how did you learn to fight like that?"

"Been doing MMA for the last seven years. It helps deal with stress." Iris hummed and then sat on the bed. She pulled Aurora to sit in her lap, in such a way that her legs were thrown over Iris' thighs and she was facing Iris.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"I have seen you work with patients before and you are very passionate about it, no doubt. But this is affecting you way more than usual... See, I don't want to be pry but, why?"

Aurora sighed. "Because seven years ago, I was her." Iris held her hands and squeezed, encouraging her.

"As you know, my family is practically royalty. My mother is an actress and dad's a surgeon. They were always in the limelight and that meant that I was too. So how I appeared was important to them. And I hated how I looked, overweight and ugly. Sometimes, I still do."

"Rory, you are not fat."

"Right now, no. But, then I was a little plump. I was a nerd, kept to myself, stayed at home all day. My parents didn't like that. They would continuously throw jabs at me like, 'Aurora, you ar so fat that you could break the weighing scale' or like 'Aurora I am surprised you haven't hogged the entire pantry' or my personal favourite, 'Aurora you are such a collosal waste of space. You don't do any activities, you just sit in your room on that damn phone of yours, not doing anything constructive'... When the actual truth was that I was busy reading medical articles, making notes.

I had tried working out but people would snicker and laugh. I was so goddamn tired. I was never enough. My parents were never satisfied. I know they cared for me and that they loved me but some days, the snide remarks would just become so..."

"Loud." Iris completed the sentence.

"So, I started starving myself. As a punishment for not being good enough. They would feed me and I would throw it up in my bathroom, because I wasn't deserving. I hated myself and I couldn't look at my reflection because the ugly would just jump out." Aurora was crying quietly.

Iris let her cry. Let her mourn over her past self. Letting her make peace with her young self.

"My neighbour, a sweet old lady, pointed out that I was way too weak. And I knew that I had taken it far. So I decided to stop this vicious cycle. I seeked help from a psychiatrist and started MMA."

"It's been seven years...but I don't think you recover from such a thing ever. I think a small part of me will always loathe myself. That I am still the weak, pathetic and fat girl. What is that saying? 'Once a fat kid, always a fat kid.'" Aurora shook her head and tears streamed down her face.

"Can I say something?" Iris asked as she cupped Aurora's face. She wiped the tears, and tucked stray pieces of hair that had escaped her immaculate bob cut, behind her ear. "I think you are the strongest-" she kissed Aurora's left cheek "-the bravest" she proceeded to kiss her right cheek "-the prettiest" she kissed her forehead "-and the smartest woman I have ever seen." She kissed her on the nose and Aurora giggled.

"I am lucky to know you Aurora. I look up to you and I love the way you don't let your past define you. Everyday I learn something new from you, and it inspires to be a better person. And I like all of you. The silly, the practical, the ugly and the happy."

Aurora was swooning. Her feelings for Iris just bubbled to the surface. Her heart was bursting for the green eyes girl in front for her.

And in that moment she knew, that she was the one for her. Aurora surged forward and pressed her lips to hers.

Iris was shocked so as to say. To think that Aurora would like her, baffled her. She will leave you when she gets to know... She returned the kiss, tenderly, holding onto Aurora, as if she would vanish. That this was just a dream.

The sweet kiss turned into a passionate one. Both of them poured their feelings into the kiss. Pouring their dreams and their fears. It was euphoria, rushing through their veins, igniting their bodies. Iris pulled Aurora closer to her, to feel everything. Her hands roamed, memorising the curves, the dips, the way their lips moved in perfect synchrony, like two halves uniting as a whole.

Both of them knew that there was no going back from here.

They eventually broke apart, so that they could catch their breath. Iris pecked her lips once, twice, thrice. "So, you like me huh?" Aurora asked breathless.

Iris chuckled and gave a soft smile. "Well I don't go around kissing people like that. So I think this is a clear indicator that I like you..."

"So will you date me?" Aurora asked hopefully.

"Obviously Rory. But I would like to ask you out properly if you don't mind."

"I will be waiting."

This was so hard to write... It's hard when your own parents just brush off your fears and worries...it's hard...that shouldn't discourage you, reach out to your friends and make your own support system.... If you want to talk my dms are always open

Anyways, let me know how you liked it.

Like and reblog :))

#choices stories we play #playchoices #choices #choices stories you play #pixelberry #open heart #open heart 2 #ohsy #open heart fanfiction #aurora emery #aurora x mc #oh aurora #tw: eating disorders

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