#my face DROPPED when I saw 40 in her bio

[quietmyfearswith]

would've been you ; steve rogers x fem!reader

status — completed oneshot

word count — 4,477 words

summary — in which steve rogers pretends to be in a relationship in order to get his ex to stop pestering about his life.

warnings —swear words, fluff?? mentions of blood and bruising, angst?? insecurities, implied smut

pairing — steve rogers x fem!reader

a/n — italics are the flashbacks,,, and would you believe it's been a fat minute since i've written about steve rogers??? so i hope i bring his character justice lmao,, also this is my take on the fake dating au so i would really appreciate some feedback and asks/messages are open! if you follow me, please state your age/age range in your bio. i will block you if you follow me and don’t have your age/age range in your bio!!!

tagging —​ @la-cey​ @pedropcl​ @isysen​ @slutforcevans @iloveshawnieboi

masterlist | series masterlist | join my taglist (please follow the rules)

“There you are, doll!” Steve cheerily yelled, pausing his current conversation with Sharon. Walking over to Y/N, he kissed her cheek and took advantage of the fact that his back was facing Sharon and whispered in her ear, “Play along with it, please.”

Sensing the desperation in his tone, she nodded in her head and plastered a smile on her face, “Where have you been, doll?” The way he called her doll had her biting the inside of her cheek as she had to remind herself that this was all just a ruse and so she went along, “I’m sorry ‘bout that, honey,” She raised the folders that contained important mission intel, “Had to run these over by Fury first.”

Draping an arm over Y/N’s shoulder, he then turned to Sharon and smiled at her, “Oh Sharon, I don’t think I’ve told you yet but me and Y/N have been dating for quite a while now.” The girl being addressed to tilted her head a bit  — she was silently analyzing the pair’s compatibility and after a few silent seconds she somewhat came to the conclusion that they were somewhat a good couple — before smiling, “Well good for you both! Thought that our breakup was too harsh on you, Steve.”

Y/N had to hold back a chuckle at Sharon’s seemingly innocent remark; but Steve could only scoff, “Well it was harsh, until I was with my beautiful doll.” She felt his lips place a gentle kiss on the top of her head and she didn’t know the reason behind her snuggling herself to Steve’s side — was it because she was playing along? Or was it due to the warmth his body was radiating made her relax and seek more of that comfort.

“Since you have a girl,” It creeped Y/N out when Sharon wiggled her eyebrows as she said the word girl, “You wouldn’t mind going to my Valentine’s party then?” The Avenger took the invite she held out. “A Valentine’s party? Wouldn’t that be a bit condescending?”

Chuckling at her question, Sharon just waved them off, “Oh no! I don’t think it will be. Plus, me and Mark just love celebrating every holiday or festival!” She checked her phone and realized she had somewhere else to be, she waved off as she bid adieu, “I’ll see you both okay? Bye!”

“Be sure to invite us for your St. Patrick's Day party, okay?” Y/N sarcastically reminded her as Steve genuinely laughed out loud. Once Sharon was out of their sight, he grabbed her hand and led her into his office so they could discuss privately.

“What the fuck was that, Steve?” Y/N yelled at him once they both were inside his soundproof office. “I’m sorry! I had to do so,” Steve explained, his blue eyes evidently expressed stress, “Sharon suddenly had me cornered and was asking about how I was after we broke up.”

“So you decided to tell her that we were dating?!”

“No!” His answer had her confused as she tilted her head back to stare at him in disbelief, “Well, not necessarily that we were dating.”

“I feel like I’m owed more than that; so explain yourself clearly, Rogers.” Y/N crossed her arms and looked at him dead serious in the eye; sighing to calm himself down, Steve then closed his eyes before slowly opening them as he explained to her, “She asked me how I was doing post-breakup and I said I was doing well. Her nosey self wasn’t satisfied with that answer and inquired further if I was dating anyone.”

“Then you told her you were seeing me?” Y/N predicted and was surprised when Steve shook his head, “I vaguely told her that I was dating someone already.”

“But she kept on pestering you for a name and face?” She giggled as Steve rolled his eyes but nodded to answer her question, “You were the first dame to pass by and thought that maybe she’d piss off once she saw that I indeed have someone.”

Snatching the invite that he held, she read through the details of the party they were invited to as she chuckled, “Then it looks like we have a party to attend to on the 14th, hm?”

“What?” Now it was the super soldier’s turn to be stunned; he thought that it was only a one time thing where they had to pose in front of Sharon as a couple. “We’re going to the Valentine’s party?”

Pursing her lips together as she looked at him as if he lacked common sense, Y/N answered, “Well, duh. Wouldn’t it be odd if you attended the party alone when she clearly invited us both?”

He understood her point, but what he failed to recognize is why she was willing to pose as his partner when they weren’t together, in any way. “You’re on board with this whole fake dating thing?”

“Okay for one, don’t flatter yourself,” She defended as she caught herself thinking that maybe he thought that this was her way of living some fantasy where they were a real couple, “Two, you said it yourself — Sharon’s not gonna stop bothering you. Why not just ride along with whatever she’s playing, yeah?”

Her reasons made sense to Steve and he jabbed at her too, “Plus, you did seem interested with what her Valentine’s party looked like.” As he mentioned the ridiculously themed party she burst out in a fit of giggles as she raised the invitation to their eye level and said, “Well it does state that we both have to wear either red or pink.”

“I knew you were dumb, but I didn’t know you were this dumb,” Bucky stated as he placed the weights Steve lifted against the parallel bar dips of the gym bench. Lifting himself off the inclined seat, the blonde Captain glared at his best friend, “You and I both know I’m not dumb! Who was it that pieced together quickly that he wasn’t in the 40’s the moment he woke up?”

Rolling his eyes, the brunette flicked Steve’s ear as he drank some of his energy drink, “Well you’re dumb enough to engage in a fake relationship with the woman you’ve been in love with for a few years now.”

The captain was quick to swat his friend’s thigh to silence him; his blonde locks moved left and right as he looked sideways — making sure no one heard his deepest secret exposed supposed best friend. “Keep it down, will you?”

The former Winter Soldier could only chuckle as he watched Steve prepare his things as they both had reached the end of their workout, “But still, are you sure this plan won’t backfire and blow up all over your face?”

Truthfully, Steve hadn’t considered that yet, “Honestly? I don’t know.” After a few silent seconds, Bucky knew the look that his friend was sporting so he fished for more answers, “But?”

“But I’m hoping something good will come out after this whole ordeal,” Steve quietly admitted with a sigh as he rested his back against the cold, metal walls of the elevator. Bucky took the time to study his friend’s facial features; it was amazing how at the mere thought of being with Y/N instantly relaxed him. “I hope the same for you, pal.”

Midway through the elevator’s journey to their floor, it rang softly as it halted, and the doors opened to reveal Y/N, “Hey you two!” When she entered the small box, Steve stood up straight as he smiled at her, “Hi doll, how are you?”

With the metallic palm pressing against his lips, Bucky stifled his amused laughter with how dumbfounded his friend was; he could see the miniscule beads of sweat and nervousness appear behind Steve’s facade as he faced the girl of his dreams and he couldn’t wait to tell this tale to Sam. Unaware of what was previously going on, the only girl in the space smiled warmly, “Drop the act Steve, Sharon’s not here,” She turned to Bucky and greeted him too, “How was the workout, Sarge?”

“It was great! Also got to help out some of the other recruits who were struggling,” Steve’s mind was foggy as the two conversed as he silently reflected on what she said to him. Drop the act? Did she think that him being nice to her was just part of their stunt? She must not have any idea of how much she really means to me then, he concluded.

Upon hearing her say, “Well I did know you were a better combat fighter than Steve,” To his best friend snapped him out of his deep thought. “Excuse me? Did you say I wasn’t better than Buck?”

“Uh oh,” Bucky warningly mocked as Y/N laughed at Steve’s pout; she brushed his cheek with her palm to comfort him, “Don’t worry honey, I still know that you’re skilled enough to sweep me off my feet.”

The elevator chimed softly, serving as a cue for Y/N that she was already on the floor where she needed to be. Before stepping off the box, she winked at Steve, “Bye boyfriend, see you later.” Steve was grateful for the elevator’s timing as he watched her exit for his cheeks got all red as he replayed the earlier events in his mind.

The brunette, of course, noticed the dreamy state his friend was in and didn’t hesitate to poke fun at him, “Two sentences and she got you all flustered and blushing? Man, can’t wait to tell this to Sam.” Bucky huffed out as Steve hit his chest with the back of his palm before exiting the elevator once they were on the floor of their living quarters, “Shut the hell up, jerk.”

“Yeah? Well you’re one coward punk!”

“What’s the emergency?” Steve wondered as he entered Y/N’s office after receiving a text from her that demanded his presence immediately; though it was a vague text which read;

My office, ASAP. We have an emergency.

He quickly concluded his meeting, worried at the thought  that something might have happened to her. However, as she walked from her couch and greeted him, “We haven’t talked about what we’re going to wear for the party!”

“Seriously?” Steve deadpanned as he chuckled lightly, Y/N mocked his amusement as she nodded, “I am!” She held the invitation between her fingers, “The invite said we have to wear either red or pink. But couples were encouraged to wear something that matched.”

After his amusement died down, he then placed the weight of his chin on his palm, “And what are you proposing we wear to the party?” With that she gleefully skipped to the coffee table, where she carried the hangers and showed to him the outfits she bought — she bought him a pink, strawberry-themed long sleeve; while she bought herself a dress of the same design and color.

“This one?” He held the cloth of the top he was supposed to wear, “We’re wearing this to the party?” Sheepishly, she nodded as she swayed a little bit, “Okay, they were a bit self-indulgent,” Steve snorted and she glared at him as she continued, “But hey! This fits the dress code; it’s pink and we’ll be matching too!”

Scratching the back of his neck, he thought about it and was extremely on the fence on whether he should wear it; apparently he took too long to respond as Y/N huffed out as she sat on the couch with a pout as she crossed her arms, “And here I was willing to help you in your dilemma and yet you can’t do this small thing for me.

Sitting beside her, he poked her sides and to no avail, “Hey, come on now. Don’t be like that,” He wrapped his arms around her figure and he felt her still in his arms but ultimately relaxed as she leaned back to his chest and looked at him with a pout, “What?”

“I always wanted to wear this dress,” She confessed as she played with his fingers that were tapping on the skin of her stomach, “And you know, the party seemed like the perfect occasion to do so.” She peered up at Steve, his chin almost resting on the top of her head, “Don’t worry, I can change what we’re gonna wear. Would matching sweaters work for you?”

With a serious expression, he shook his head, “We’re not going to the party wearing sweaters.” She gasped out but it was short-lived as he smiled and kissed her forehead, “We’re gonna be wearing these pretty heart outfits.”

Her whole face lit up and she smiled brightly as she enclosed his neck with his arms, “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” It surprised them both when she planted a soft kiss on his clean-shaven cheek, “I’m really thankful that you want to dress up in those hideous outfits.”

Stroking her back, he shook his head, “They’re not hideous; I know for a fact that you will look even more lovely once you wear that dress,” Images of what she would look like as she wore the dress filled his mind, and she looked jaw-dropping.

After relishing in the contented silence they shared before Steve tapped her forearms, “Okay, doll. Need to go now,” He thought of how he needed to call back some of the officials he dismissed at the meeting he was earlier in, “I’ll pick you up at 6pm tomorrow, okay?”

Nodding her head, she too stood up and handed the garment to him, “Don’t forget this.” Snatching the fabric from her, he winked at her before leaving her to her company, “See you then, doll.” And that mention of the nickname, she felt himself melting like ice cream.

“So this is what a Valentine’s-themed look like,” Steve noted as he took a sip of the red, sugary drink being offered at one of the tables as Y/N snickered after taking a bite of the chocolate-strawberry, “Still a bit condescending, and damn is it too pink and red!”

Around them, there were a litter of red, pink, and gold balloons taped to the wall; while there  were pink streamers attached to the back of the chairs and heart-shaped stickers littered the room — as if to mock those who weren’t in any way experiencing an overwhelming amount of love. Steve laughed at her comment and was about to sip more of his drink when he noticed that Sharon was approaching them; he draped an arm around Y/N’s lower back, pulling her in closer to him until their bodies touched, as he continued to drink his beverage.

“Hey guys, how are you enjoying the party?” When she stood tall and proud in front them, it nearly blinded the two as she was donning a sparkly, sequined pink dress that screamed “Valentine disco ball.”

“We’re enjoying it,” Y/N managed to get out without squinting her eyes too much and with a convincing fake smile, “I do have to say you have great tastes in sweets,” She raised the half-eaten strawberry she was munching on. The blonde girl laughed as she nodded her head, “Well Mark has a sweet tooth so of course I have to indulge him.”

Steve was about to remark about how Mark was on their brief exchange upon their arrival but was quickly cut off by his ex’s questioning, “So tell me, how did you two become an official couple?” The fake couple looked at each other as they stammered out a coherent response as they stared at each other, getting lost in each other’s beautiful eyes.

“I mean, I knew about how Steve had this miniscule crush on you,” Sharon stating that casually made them snap out of their haze and focus on the blonde, “He might have confessed that early on in our relationship.”

“I’m sorry?” Y/N wasn’t sure why that was what she said but Sharon quickly waved it off, “It’s fine, really. I too had a crush on someone when we were together — who can resist Keanu Reeves, am I right?”

The two girls chuckled — Y/N genuinely laughed this time as she too draped her arm around Steve’s lower back, somewhat to ground herself — and once they both calmed down, Sharon returned to her questioning, “So really, what’s your story?”

“Well it started after a rough mission, after our breakup,” Steve recalled which caught the attention of both women. Anticipating his recollection, they watched him with eager eyes and silent mouths, encouraging the Avenger to carry on, “I was punching some bags in the gym until I was bleeding. Then Y/N showed up and from there we were inseparable,” He paused for a while before looking on his the mentioned girl and smiling softly at her, “You might not remember it, doll.”

“I do, actually,” She retorted softly, before turning to Sharon as she recounted what happened from her point of view;

“Don’t think punching that bag will change the mission’s outcome,” Y/N’s voice echoed through the empty room of the gym; it also caused Steve to halt his assault on the object and smirking to her, “It won’t, but it might change how I currently feel.”

Walking over to him, she sat on the nearest bench from where he was standing as she stated out loud her observation, “Come over here and let me treat your bleeding.” He gave her a firm look which was his tell that he was about to pull the “I’m a super soldier” card; but he hasn’t even got out a syllable out before she shut him up, “Super soldier or not, you can die of loss of blood, you know?”

Sighing and rolling his eyes, he walked over while removing the punching gloves before moving to sit beside her. Her fingers peeled off the tape he covered his knuckles in that were now sticky with both sweat and blood, “Jesus, Steve, how dumb can you be?”

“Is that a challenge?” He snickered but it quickly died down to a hiss as she applied a liquid ointment on his knuckles before dabbing it with cotton, “Sorry,” She apologized with a meek smile, “But no, I have mission reports dating back to the 40’s to prove how impulsive you can be.”

They sat there in silence for a few minutes as she was treating his hands before Y/N spoke up, “Do you need someone to listen to and comfort you? Or someone who can give you solutions?” Steve lifted his gaze from his bruised knuckles to her gentle eyes, “What?”

She smiled softly at him before resuming in bandaging his knuckles, “I know for a fact that the mission isn’t the only thing that got you all worked up.” She didn’t have to say it, but it was evident that she knew about his and Sharon’s break up.

“So you’ve heard about it then?” His inference had her smirking at him as she placed her hands on her thighs after finishing up on his hands, looking at him incredulously, “The proper question is who hasn’t? I bet only Scott and Hope don't because they’re on that mission in New Zealand.”

A chuckle erupted from his chest with the manner she was being honest with him, “I guess I just like having someone not looking sorry for me or offering sympathy with the whole ordeal,” Every time someone mentioned the breakup they were all sympathetic to him and it was refreshing to be with someone who somehow found humor in his rather sad situation, “So I like how you feel nor display neither.”

He didn’t have to say it as well, but she got the faint hint that he needed a good laugh just to forget about everything and she was more than glad to do so, “Since we’re being honest, why don’t you go for a quick shower? You’re starting to smell from the 40’s already.”

Her remark had him gasping as he placed a hand on his chest, slightly offended but was still in a playful mood, “Oh? And what do I get once I smell like more of this century?”

She stood up and smirked at him as she was strutting away to leave him shower, “Gonna show you a good time, cap. Just text me once you’re done, yeah?”

“You naughty minx! You too did it right away?” Sharon excitedly concluded, invested with the blossoming relationship of her ex-boyfriend — Y/N thought it was unusual how a person would genuinely be interested in their former partner’s well-being, but this was better than her treating her with spite.

Steve laughed loudly as he shook his head, “Sharon! No! We didn’t do what you’re thinking.” His statement had her confused as she pouted and whined for answers, “Well she said she would show you a good time? What else am I supposed to think?”

“I drove him out to this amusement park and on the way home took him to this karaoke dive bar thing,” Y/N clarified and nuzzled the side of her face to Steve’s arm upon remembering how hard and loud Steve laughed throughout the day.

Upon the mention of the bar they went to, Steve placed his now empty glass on one of the tables as he fished his wallet out and got one of the many photo strips they took on the bar’s photo booth, “I even made sure to keep these, as a reminder of our first unofficial date.”

Sharon cooed as she looked at their adorable poses; but Steve and Y/N were both staring into each other with longing and love in their eyes, and yet neither of them could bring themselves into saying it to each other.

“Oh shit, Mark’s calling me,” Sharon said as she hastily said goodbye to them as she was approaching her boyfriend, “Enjoy yourselves okay?” They both nodded to her and told her to go to beau as they would be fine by themselves.

“Wanna get out of here?”

“Yes, please,” Steve chuckled at her immediate response; tucking the strip containing their pictures in his pocket, he grabbed her hand, holding onto it tightly as he sneakily led to exit the party.

For a while, they were just walking down the street with their tangled hands swaying as they both silently took in earlier events. “So, you kept all those strips of photos we took?” Seeing as he nodded bashfully, she scoffed, “We must have inserted over a dozen quarters that night! Do you know how many photo strips that could be?”

Truthfully, she didn’t want to look at those photos — let alone have a copy — since it served as a painful relic of a night filled with fun and spontaneity. And she feared that it was all a dream and that it wouldn’t be once again replicated.

“And I kept every single one of them,” Unlike his bashful demeanor earlier, his tone was now firm and confident. They both paused their walking as they were by the park, that was thankfully not crowded at this time of the day.

“Why?” Y/N hated how she sounded so weak, which was far from how confident her tone was whenever she held meetings for SHIELD or the Avengers. Steve smiled at her with the fondness that he never thought he had, “Because if I were to choose my soulmate, it would’ve been you.”

In a state of disbelief, Y/N rapidly shook her head while she shakily protested, “But you were with Sharon,” She was struggling to unclasp her hand with Steve’s; but he wasn;t letting her do so as he held onto hers firmly, “You wanted her, possibly loved her. There’s no way you could want me.”

He understood her point, but he had his own and wanted to make it clear; he grabbed both her hands firmly and placed a kiss on her knuckles before speaking, “If there’s one thing I learned from this generation, is that sometimes we date and put ourselves out there to learn more about one’s self.”

She was unsure with where he was going, so she decided to let him talk, “And in my short stint of being with Sharon, I came to the conclusion that I’ll always want you.” His hand let go of hers as he brushed his hand from her temple to the crown of her head, “I know that you will always have the most beautiful hair that I have ever seen.”

The hand traveled to the front of her face, brushing gently the side of her eyelids, “One with the most expressive and wonderful eyes,” His thumb and pointer finger then playfully and gently squeezed the bridge of her nose, “The cutest nose.”

With a deep breath, he planted his hand  at the nape of her neck, pulling her into a soft, passionate kiss. His lips formed a smile when he felt that she relaxed into the kiss enough that she too reciprocated the vigour he had. Steve could feel the hairs on his back raise as he felt her warm hands on them; she suddenly felt the need to feel more of him as their lips and tongues passionately danced together.

“If this is your definition of a joke, I will have you removed from being an Avenger,” He thought of it as an empty threat but she was dead serious; he chuckled from where their lips were touching as they rested from kissing.

His hands were on her chin, getting her to look up at him, “This isn’t a joke, doll, I promise. This is me, putting myself out there for the woman I have grown to love and admire. Hoping that she will allow me to be her boyfriend.”

She loved seeing the boyish, hopeful smile he sported; she laid a quick peck on his lips before answering, “I’d love for you to be my boyfriend, Steve.”

In the spur of the moment happiness, Steve yelled out loud as he twirled Y/N around and dipped her, as if they were dancing. “Steve! Put me back up!” She squealed when he kissed her as he put her back to stand back up on her feet. “Sorry doll, ‘m just extremely happy.”

Bopping his nose, she teased him, “Just said yes to us being a couple, I don’t recall telling you I love you yet,” She then mockingly wondered out loud, “What more would your reaction be if I do say those three little words, hm?”

Sensing that she was challenging him, he smirked as he draped his arm around her shoulder, resuming their walk back to the compound as Steve said, “Well I too know how to show you a good time; and I bet after that you’re gonna be telling me how much you love me.”

[argylemnwrites]

Why Are We Still Waiting? - Chapter 3

Pairing: Drake Walker x MC (Riley Liu)

Book: The Royal Romance (It Couldn’t Wait Another Moment universe)

Word Count: ~4900

Rating: PG-13 (brief language)

Summary: A trip to meet the newest Beaumont isn’t off to the greatest start.

Author’s Note: So, since it has been ages since I updated this story, I feel like a quick recap is in order. Drake and Riley are in Cordonia to meet Savannah and Bertrand’s new baby girl, Caroline. They just met Liam’s new girlfriend, Iris, and her innocent questions about their postponed wedding made it clear that Drake is very frustrated by the fact they aren’t married yet. To catch up/jog your memory fully on this series, you can check out the It Couldn’t Wait Another Moment masterlist (link in bio).

“Oh, for Christ’s sake,” Drake groaned as Riley reached forward to start scanning across the radio stations.

“What?” she asked. He noticed her give a tiny shrug out of the corner of his eye as she leaned back after settling on a Greek Top 40 station.

“I knew it. I swear you pick this one just to annoy me, Liu.” Drake had made the mistake of complaining about this particular station on one of their first trips back to Cordonia, right before she’d gone back to university. It was all over-produced and sugary, and the DJs were just fucking obnoxious. Of course, that last point probably didn’t actually bother Riley, since she couldn’t understand a word they said.

“Maybe I just like this station.” 

Drake glanced over and took in the giant shit-eating grin plastered across her face and just rolled his eyes. “Uh huh, sure. Let’s ignore the fact that this station plays a ton of songs in Greek.”

“I’m just trying to broaden my cultural horizons.”

“Says the woman who refused to watch Parasite because it has subtitles.’”

“If I wanted to read something, I would pick up a book,” she said, but she did lean forward again to flip over to a different station. 

“Thank you,” Drake said, clicking on the turn signal as he switched into the right lane.

“You make it too easy sometimes,” she said, Drake noticing that she shrugged a little out of the corner of his eye. “If you didn’t act like that station was pure torture, I probably wouldn’t enjoy it so much.”

All Drake could do was shake his head. “You know, some people might not be so open about liking something out of spite.”

“No, it’s not spite.” Drake glanced over and raised his eyebrows at that, so Riley elaborated. “Spite is mean-spirited. I know you like my teasing too much for it to be spite.”

“Really.” Drake deadpanned, although he wasn’t able to hold back his grin and fully play along.

“Uh huh. What other explanation is there for you hanging around me after all these years?”

“I can’t think of a single one,” he said, earning him a flick of her fingers against his shoulder.

“Well I guess I will have to keep teasing you then. Otherwise I might have to settle for a guy who would have made me get up before six this morning.”

Drake looked over at her at that. Even after years together, her ability to jump from intensely sarcastic to gently sincere in an instant still amazed him. Last night, Maxwell had called and offered to pick them up from the palace after dropping off Mom and Aunt Leona at the airport, but they had a very early departure time. Drake had turned him down, feeling like it would be a shitty move to force Riley to wake up early on vacation, particularly since she never complained about using her limited vacation days to visit his family. Yet here she was, appreciative of his gesture that cost him nothing.

“Maybe I just didn’t want to spend two hours in the car with Maxwell.”

She let out a laugh at that. “Well, at least I rank as better company in your book.”

“Always, Liu. Always.”

“Seriously though, thank you.”

“Of course.”

Her left hand settled on his shoulder and gave him a little squeeze at that, but she didn’t say anything else, just glanced out the window as Drake turned off the main road and onto the smaller one that led to the Beaumont’s estate. Within a few minutes, they were pulling onto the driveway. As they climbed out of the car, they heard an excited little voice calling from the direction of the estate’s entrance. 

“Uncle Drake!”

Drake closed the driver’s door and pivoted around quickly, crouching down and extending his arms. Bartie ran across the drive and threw his little arms around Drake’s neck, laughing as Drake scooped him up and hugged him tightly. 

“We saw your car diving! I wanted to go out. Say ‘hi’ like Mommy or Daddy. Uncle Maxwell said I had to stay inside. Had to stand still ‘til you stopped,” Bartie rambled off, barely taking time to take a breath. 

“Thought that a little toddler darting in front of the car might not be the best start to your visit,” added Maxwell, strolling over to their car. “Hey, little blossom,” he added as he hugged Riley.

“Oh, you don’t get to just ‘little blossom’ me after you convinced Liam to keep me away!” she chuckled as she gave him a playful shove. “What happened to me being a Beaumont and always welcome here?”

“He told you guys?” Maxwell asked, turning to glance at Drake.

“Of course he did!” Riley said, drawing Maxwell’s attention back to her. She laughed a bit and shook her head before walking around the car to Drake and Bartie. “Hey, Bartie! Wow, you’ve gotten so big!” Drake passed Bartie over to her, watching as she gave him a squeeze, but Bartie started squirming in her arms, clearly wanting to be released from the obligatory hugs.

Riley placed him down, and he turned right back to Drake, grabbing his hand and tugging on it. “Uncle Drake, come see my new playhouse!” he said, attempting to drag Drake along after him as he started moving back towards the estate.

“Hey, my favorite dude, do you remember why Aunt Riley and Uncle Drake are here?” Maxwell said, crouching in front of Bartie. 

Bartie kicked his foot against the driveway before he answered. “Everyone wants to see Caroline. But she’s boring. She doesn’t do anything!”

Drake was trying to figure out the best way to deal with his nephew’s clear jealousy, but Riley stepped forward and bent down next to Maxwell. “I would love to see your playhouse, Bartie.”

“What do you say?” added Maxwell. “Why don’t we show Aunt Riley while Uncle Drake goes to see your mom and dad and sister?”

Bartie was silent for a few moments, but then nodded, grabbing Riley and Maxwell’s hands and heading inside without a glance back. Maxwell chuckled, twisted around, and called out to Drake, “You remember where the nursery is, right?”

Drake nodded and raised a hand in acknowledgment, taking the time to pop the trunk and grab their luggage before venturing inside himself. He went straight upstairs, pausing only to place their bags in their usual room, before heading down the hall, turning to the left and entering the private quarters, making his way to the small room located all the way towards the end of the hallway, the last door on the right.

It seemed like just yesterday he was building a crib in there for Bartie when Savannah was moving in. The room looked much the same, the walls still a pale grey, the furniture all pure white. The layout hadn’t changed much, with the crib placed against the far wall beneath a painting of stars shining over a lake with a squid waving a tentacle in the air, the changing table right next to it, and the dresser next to the rocking chair in the corner. The only thing that looked different, as far as Drake could remember, was the sheet tucked around the crib mattress. Back when this had been Bartie’s room, the sheets were covered in a variety of zoo animals, the only splash of color in the otherwise greyscale nursery. Now, they were a black and white check, much more subdued.

Laying in the center of the crib, wrapped tightly in a light pink blanket, was a sleeping baby. Drake didn’t have a lot of experience with infants, but even he had heard you never wake a sleeping baby, so he stepped further into the room carefully, trying not to make a sound. When he reached the crib, he couldn’t help but stare. This was Caroline. His niece.

He wasn’t sure how long he stood there, just taking her in, but eventually Savannah’s voice caught his attention.

“Didn’t anyone ever tell you it’s a bit creepy to just sneak into someone’s home and watch their child sleep?”

Drake turned his head to look over his shoulder. His sister was standing in the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest, an eyebrow cocked. “Hey, Sav. Maxwell sent me up here.”

“I should have known,” she said, walking over to join him by the crib, wrapping an arm around his waist as she gave him a half-hug. “I see you’ve met Caroline.”

“She’s beautiful,” Drake said, looking down again at the little baby in the crib, a few fine brown hairs covering her head. His niece. She was so tiny. It was kind of overwhelming, seeing her like this. When he’d met Bartie, it had been such a total shock that he even existed. Plus, he had been so much older than this. “Congratulations.”

“You can pick her up, you know.”

He shook his head. “I don’t want to disturb her.”

Savannah let out a few little chuckles. “She is the one who disturbs everyone most of the time. Besides, she’s just about due for a feeding.”

“I don’t know…”

“Come on, Drake. Just go wash your hands, and then you can hold her.”

And so a minute later, Drake found himself being handed his niece, so small and fragile-seeming. “Is this okay?” he asked, trying to make sure he walked the fine line between being gentle and holding her firmly as he tucked her against his chest.

“You aren’t going to hurt her!” Savannah laughed out.

“I just… I’ve never held a baby this little before. I don’t want to mess this up,” Drake said. Caroline felt so light in his arms. She was blinking, slowly becoming more alert after being shifted from her crib. Her bluish-grey eyes finally seemed to lock on his. “Hey, Caroline,” he said, “I’m your Uncle Drake.” But before he could think of anything else to say, she opened her mouth and let out a piercing wail.

Drake glanced over at Savannah. “What do I do?”

She laughed again. “God, what is Riley going to do with you when it’s your kid? She’s a baby, not an alien. She’s either hungry, sleepy, or has a dirty diaper.” But before she could poke fun at him any further, she reached over and shifted Caroline into her arms. “And since she’s hungry, I’m really the only one who can handle that.”

“Oh, do you want privacy or should I…”

Savannah shrugged. “I use a nursing blanket since Barthelemy walked in on me and made things real awkward.” And with that she settled onto the rocking chair, adjusting her top, positioning Caroline, then tugging a little cover over herself.

“What did Barthelemy do?” Drake asked as he moved to the side wall, leaning against it.

“Just acted real weird about the whole thing, talked to Bert about reminding me how a duchess should comport herself.”

“What a jackass.”

Savannah let out a sigh. “Bertrand was very apologetic when he relayed the message. But using a nursing blanket is not a big deal, and if it makes things easier for Bert with his dad…” She trailed off, staring down at Caroline, reaching under the nursing blanket to adjust something before she spoke again. “Having him around here has not exactly been some big happy family. I don’t know if his illness changed him, or if my memories of him were just fuzzy, but he’s an odd duck.”

Drake glanced over to the doorway. “Uhh, Sav. Not that I care, but the door is wide open and-”

She laughed and shook her head. “He’s at his rehab and physical therapy appointment this morning.”

“Ahh, gotcha. Any more talk of him trying to regain the title of duke?” Back when Barthelemy had returned to the estate, Sav had confided that it seemed like he was hinting that Bertrand should renounce his title and return it to his father. But since their wedding, it had seemed like most of that talk had died.

“No, he and Godfrey laid on the pressure after the honeymoon, but as soon as we announced the pregnancy, he backed off. His new mission seems to be to convince Liam that either Bartie or Caroline should be appointed as heir to the throne, which is crazy to think about, but it keeps him busy, so…” Savannah tilted her head to the side and raised her eyebrows, letting the thought just hang there in the room. 

Drake was bothered by the implications of that statement, but he knew that pressing Savannah on it would not really get him anywhere. As inappropriate and concerning as he found the implication that Savannah and Bertrand weren’t shutting Barthelemy down completely with that shit, he knew voicing his objections now would not solve anything. Discussing this all with Liam would make much more sense. So he just filed the statement away and moved to change the subject.

“Is it easier this time around, knowing what you are doing?”

Savannah smiled before glancing down at Caroline. “I think it’s more that I have a support system. And yes, I know it was my choice to not have one before,” she added before Drake could interject. “I guess in some ways at least I know what to expect, but Caroline is way more cranky than Bartie was at this age. Besides, I don’t think any parent ever really feels like they know what they are doing.”

“Nah, you seem to have it down.”

“It’s just a lot of trial and error. You’ll see when you guys have a baby.”

Drake ran his hand across his jaw, glancing down and watching his toes nudge into the baseboard. “I have a feeling that’s gonna be a while for us.”

“Oh come on! Don’t you want your kids to grow up with their cousins?”

Drake swallowed before taking a breath. “Of course I do.”

“Then what are you waiting for?”

“Well, getting married to start.” Shit. “Not that I think people have to be married to raise a kid or-”

“Relax, Drake,” Savannah said, cutting off his apologetic ramble. “It’s not like Bartie was a planned pregnancy.”

“Neither was Caroline,” he thought, but kept his mouth shut, not wanting to risk offending his sister or make her feel like he was judging her and her family. 

“I know you have an old-fashioned streak-”

“Hey!” Drake interjected, but Savannah just kept on going.

“-but I think you guys should think about having kids soon. You were going to be married by now anyway! And isn’t that the modern, New York thing to do?”

Drake didn’t know where all this was coming from. Why she was so insistent about something that didn’t involve her. But man, he wished she would move on to any other topic of conversation. Because what could he say? That he was ready to be married with kids? That he would have no problem starting a family with Riley tomorrow? He couldn’t share that with his sister, at least not without sharing things about Riley he was pretty confident she would never want Savannah to know.

The fact that she had decided on a birth control option that would last for three years made it pretty clear where her head was at with the whole kid thing. She wasn’t really ready, not by a long shot. And until she was ready, there was really nothing he could do about it. Drake was just going to have to wait until she felt like the time was right, whenever that might be.

Maybe it was just that he was four years older than her. Maybe that’s why he felt so ready to take those next steps when she seemed so unbothered, so willing to just roll along. And to be fair, it’s not like they were ever going to be a couple like Hana and Catherine, who had timelines and life plans and five year goals. But deep down, Drake couldn’t help but wonder why Riley seemed so ambivalent about them getting married and starting a family. Was she unsure about something in their relationship, unsure about something with him?

It’s not that she didn’t want kids ever, as far as he knew. She’d mentioned wanting kids before. And they’d planned that first wedding without issue. But now it seemed like she was stuck. No rush to get married. Not thinking about having kids for years. And Drake didn’t know how to approach the whole topic without seeming like he was demanding things. Putting pressure on her. He was happy. They were happy. It was something his younger self would have never thought possible, and it should definitely be enough. But maybe he was selfish, because there were times where it just didn’t feel like enough.

Maybe it would be helpful to talk to someone about this, but that would feel like violating Riley’s trust. He knew Riley had her therapist she talked to, and he was sure their relationship was a topic of conversation there, but that was different. The therapist wasn’t someone who knew Drake, who was his friend or family. Anyone Drake would feel comfortable talking about this with knew Riley. Knew her well, quite frankly. 

So for now, he was just going to have to keep moving forward. Keep hoping that Riley would start to feel ready soon. And at the moment, that meant sidestepping his sister’s questions and prodding.

“Geez, Sav! We haven’t even been here for an hour, and you are laying it on really thick.”

“Sorry, sorry! I know it’s not my business! If it makes you feel better, it’s not just with you. Kiara also told me I needed to back off when I started asking her about when she and Oliver were going to have kids right after their wedding.”

“Wait, when did Kiara get married?”

“Oh, Drake! At least you have an excuse for not knowing all the news now that you live abroad.” she said, shaking her head. “They eloped maybe… four months ago?”

And then Savannah was off, filling Drake in on tons of gossip he didn’t give two shits about. But it made her happy, and it was a safe topic of conversation, so who was he to complain?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Riley sat crossed legged on the floor in Bartie’s room at a little table, Maxwell seated across from her. Meanwhile, Bartie was hard at work at his toy kitchen set, organizing pieces of plastic food on plates. He wanted to show off and make “lunch” for them. Riley supposed that this was probably a common way for a three and a half year old to want to play, not that she had any such memories from her own childhood. What wasn’t common, she was sure, was the formal table setting Bartie had carefully placed in front of each of them, the perfectly pressed white apron he’d asked Maxwell to help him tie on, or the fact that he was arranging his plastic lettuce, eggs, and meat on actual china.

“Looks excellent, my favorite dude,” said Maxwell as Bartie carefully carried over several plates to the table. “What’s on the menu?”

“Steak tartare with a fresh greens salad,” he said before turning and heading back towards his little kitchen.

“Wait, aren’t you going to join us?” asked Riley, trying to keep from bursting out in laughter at the thought of a preschooler preparing such a meal.

“Aunt Riley, no aprons at the table!” he said his eyes wide as he turned back to face her.

“Yeah, come on Aunt Riley, where are your manners?” Maxwell winked before twisting to look over at Bartie. “You need any help untying your apron there?”

“No, I can do it,” Bartie ground out, tugging on the ties without much luck.

“Okay, well I’m right here if you do need help,” Maxwell responded. Within five seconds, Bartie was back, standing right next to him.

“Thanks, Uncle Maxwell!” he said, happily pulling the apron off and jogging over to hang it up nicely once Maxwell had it untied.

“You’re working hard to maintain your title as best uncle.” Riley said.

“Every time you guys come to visit, he suddenly wants to go fishing and camping instead of having dance parties with me.”

Riley laughed at that. “We’re new and exciting, what can I say.”

“Easy for you to say, you’re the favorite aunt by default.”

“What does default mean?” asked Bartie, plopping down on the floor next to them.

“It means no other choices, dude.”

“Oh,” Bartie said, nodding before picking up his silverware, pretending to cut into the plastic in front of him with surprising coordination.

“So has Uncle Maxwell been hanging out with you a lot since your sister came home?”

Bartie shrugged. “I guess.”

“We’ve definitely been seeing some jealousy,” Maxwell said with a nod. “I kind of thought this might happen, so I made sure to clear my schedule for a handful of weeks around the due date.”

“That was thoughtful of you.”

Maxwell tilted his head to the side and smiled. “Hey, I’m favorite uncle for a reason.”

“Uncle Drake is my favorite,” said Bartie, causing Riley to burst out laughing.

“Dude, that wasn’t the deal! You’re gonna pay for this,” Maxwell said, leaning over and wiggling his fingers. “The squid’s about to attack.” With that, Maxwell started tickling Bartie, triggering wild giggles and Bartie rolling backwards on the floor.

“Bartie!” Bertrand’s voice cut across the room. Riley twisted over to find him standing in the hallway, his eyes scanning over the scene in front of him. “We don’t make our guests sit on the floor, do we?”

“No, Daddy.”

“Bertrand, it’s fine-” Riley started, but he held up a hand, cutting her off.

“What do we say, Bartie?”

“Sorry, Aunt Riley.”

All Riley could do was nod, accepting an apology from a toddler that felt entirely unnecessary.

“Good,” said Bertrand, “Now go wash your hands and get cleaned up for lunch.”

Bartie scampered out of the room, turning to his left in the hallway.

“I offered to play with him, Bertrand.”

“Well, he was told that you were coming to visit Caroline. He should have known better than to monopolize your time.”

Riley opened her mouth, ready to respond, but Maxwell grabbed her wrist and shook his head. 

“How are you, by the way? I apologize for not being there to greet you and Drake.”

“I’m good, Bertrand,” she said as she pushed herself up on her feet, walking over and giving him a loose hug. “Congrats, by the way.”

“Yes, thank you. Drake and Savannah have Caroline in the private lounge if you want to go meet her. If you’ll excuse me, I need to go check and make sure Bartie isn’t making a complete mess in the bathroom.”

And with that, Bertrand was off, following the path down the hallway that his son had just taken.

“Yikes,” said Riley as soon as he was out of earshot.

“Yeah, I know,” replied Maxwell, looping his arm around her shoulders and guiding her in the opposite direction. “That is another reason I made sure I didn’t have any need to be on set or in LA for any writers meetings for a few months.”

“He’s more of a tight ass than ever.”

“I think he’s very anxious because he missed this part of Bartie’s life. The amount of research he did and the number of parenting books he read is insane. But any time any little thing isn’t what he expects, he flips out.”

“What does Savannah think about that?” Riley asked, following Maxwell down the stairs.

“Either she’s too sleep deprived to notice, or she’s just pretending not to see it. I decided to give him two months to settle into things. If he’s still snapping at everyone then, well… I guess I’ll have to stage an intervention or something.”

“Wow. Well at least you’re here to look out for the kid.”

“Yup, figure I can keep things normal-ish for him. Though I will say between watching Bertrand spiral and hearing Caroline’s shrieks, any faint consideration I might have given to parenthood has gone straight out the window.”

Riley laughed, prompting Maxwell to keep going. “I’m serious! I know I told you I was pretty sure I was good being the fun uncle, but these past few weeks have really locked in that decision. Don’t tell anyone I told you this, but Bartie is right - Caroline is boring. And loud. And I am so glad she is not my responsibility.”

All Riley could do was laugh more. “Do you need me to make up an excuse for you so you don’t need to be in the same room with her?”

Maxwell nudged her with his shoulder. “Oh, laugh it up! I don’t have any issues with her. She just confirmed that fatherhood is not for me, no matter how cute she is when she isn’t screaming her head off.”

At that point, they entered the lounge, so Riley dropped any further teasing she had for Maxwell. “Hey, Savannah. Congrats!” she said, walking across the room and giving her a hug.

“Thank you, Riley. It’s so good to see you!” Savannah replied as they pulled apart. Riley moved to sit down next to Drake on the couch, who was cradling a baby against his shoulder.

“This must be Caroline,” she said, watching as Drake tapped his hand against her back lightly.

“Either that or I have a lot of explaining to do,” Drake said, glancing over at her. Riley just smiled and nudged him lightly with her elbow.

“Drake, why don’t you let Riley hold her?” Savannah asked. “She should get to meet her aunt, too.”

“Do you want to?” Drake asked, his eyebrows raised.

“Of course,” said Riley, reaching over and helping him peel the tiny little girl off his chest, nestling her into her own arms.

Caroline was awake, her eyes roving around as Riley shifted back onto the couch more fully to try and get comfortable. After a few seconds, they seemed to settle on Riley’s face. All she could really do was stare back, taking in this child, this baby girl who might not have been planned, but would certainly be loved by so many.

“Yeah, I know I’m a stranger right now. But in a couple of decades, I’ll be the one you come to when you want nightclub recommendations in New York City.”

“Hey, I want in on that invite,” said Maxwell as Savannah let out a few chuckles. Riley glanced over at Drake, expecting him to be rolling his eyes or shaking his head, but instead was caught off guard by the intensity of his gaze. He was staring at her holding Caroline with such passion, such longing, she felt almost exposed. All she could think to do was drop her eyes back to the baby, not wanting to dwell on what that meant at that moment.

Unfortunately, Savannah must have noticed Drake as well, because she said, “Oh, I see that look. ‘A while’ my ass. I bet you’ll be pregnant by the end of the year.”

Drake let out a sort of sputtering cough at his sister’s comment, but before he could say anything, could so much as get a word out, Riley felt her own mouth opening. Her own response spilled out so glibly, without a second of thought. It was almost like she heard someone else saying the words, even as she knew she was the one speaking.

“Don’t give him any ideas.”

She felt Drake stiffen beside her, saw Maxwell shifting in his seat, and heard Savannah mutter out a little apology, but all of that was just background noise as her brain screamed at her. How could she have been so fucking stupid? What possessed her to say that? Or at least to phrase it like that? There were ways to shut down Savannah’s prying without implying that Drake had baby fever and she wanted no part of it.

The uncomfortable silence in the room was broken as Bertrand and Bartie entered. “Lunch is ready in the dining room,” said Bertrand, gesturing to the door behind him. Bertrand then stepped over to Riley. “I can go put her down,” he said, gesturing at his daughter still in Riley’s arms.

“Oh, sure thing,” said Riley, passing him Caroline before standing up. Savannah, Maxwell, and Bartie had already left the room, but Drake was still seated, his eyes locked on his knee that was bouncing up and down.

“Drake, I-” she started as soon as Bertrand had stepped out, extending her hand to help him to his feet. But Drake ignored the gesture, pushing his hands into the cushions of the couch instead.

“I’m hungry. Let’s just go eat, Riley.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t-.”

“It’s fine, Riley, Really. We can talk later” He nodded at her and started walking towards the door, leaving Riley to follow after him. And more than the brush off, more than his refusal to hold her hand, the fact that he’d not called her ‘Liu’ let her know that she had made a huge fucking mess.

Perma: @walkerswhiskeygirl @octobereighth @kimmiedoo5 @mom2000aggie

TRR/TRH: @twinkleallnight @iaminlovewithtrr @mskaneko @axwalker @jovialyouthmusic @marshmallowsandfire @kingliam2019 @sirbeepsalot @texaskitten30 @princessleac1 @ladyangel70 @debramcg1106 @masterofbluff  

Drake/MC: @no-one-u-know  @iplaydrake

ICWAM: @thequeenofpixels @sunnyxdazed @sammie0220​

[leiasfanaccount648]

Have a Grande Day

Testuro Kuroo x Fem!Reader

Summary: Finals week is rough on all college students, especially before the holidays. What better way than trying to keep them all awake by offering free coffee and hot chocolate?

Warnings/Contains: Fluff, slight pining, lots of flirting and puns about coffee.

Word Count: 2,158

Monday

Everyone knows how tough college can make one person. Each class has a different schedule and due dates, and sometimes the professors change those things at the last minute. Of course, when it comes to finals week, they’re always at the top of their game.

Some classes are harder than others, especially depending on the major, and most of the time it is STEM majors that end up having a more difficult time. For Testuro Kuroo, however, he hasn’t had a moment to relax for the past three weeks due to studying whenever he didn’t have anything to do. And now, all that studying was about to (hopefully) pay off as finals week was finally upon him and everyone else at his college.

His first class was CHEM 255 at 8am, and he managed to pull himself out of bed early enough so he could get a coffee at the Starbucks on campus beforehand. He didn’t bother with his appearance, simply wearing jeans and an old hoodie from high school. If was going to get through the week, he was going to do so comfortably and with lots of caffeine.

He passed by a couple familiar faces he had seen around campus as well as his other classes as he made his way towards the building that held the Starbucks inside; however, something caught his eye. He squinted his eyes slightly as he tried to read the sign beside the plastic table that was set outside the building.

‘Better latte than never! Free Coffee & Hot Cocoa from the Student Council!’

Testuro smiled a little at the pun and made his way towards the table where some other students had already gathered to get in line. Why spend five dollars on a medium sized drink when he can get a large black coffee for free? As he got closer to the front of the line, he saw the group that was running the table, three girls and two guys. He assumed that they would trade out shifts since they surely had finals to go to themselves, but it was nice of them to help their fellow students out during this time.

Soon enough, it was his turn to get his drink. The girl at the front of the table smiled at him, almost making him laugh at the fact that she looked so happy during such a stressful week. “Hi! Would you like coffee or hot chocolate?”

“Coffee, please.”

The girl grabbed a large thermos that Testuro could only assume held the coffee to keep it warm while they were outside in the cold weather “What size?”

Testuro glanced to the side, not thinking much about his words. “Grande,” his eyes widened in realization, “sorry, I meant a medium.” He chuckled softly to try and dismiss his mistake. The girl laughed as well, shaking her head as she grabbed a to go coffee cup and began to fill it with the coffee.

“It’s okay. It’s 7:30 in the morning on a Monday, I totally get it.” She placed a lid on the cup before grabbing a sharpie and writing something on the cup. “Were you wanting any cream or sugar?”

Testuro nodded. “Uh, yeah, one of each please.”

The girl reached underneath the table and grabbed the items as well as a stir stick and stopper for the drink’s lid. She placed the stopper in the lid before handing it to him along with the creamer and sugar as well as the stir stick. “Here you go. Good luck with your finals.” She smiled, making Testuro do the same out of kindness.

“Thanks, you too.” With that, he walked away from the table, stopping by an outside eating area to set his drink down so he could add the cream and sugar. As he took the lid off, he noticed the writing on the side.

‘Have a grande day!’

Testuro let out a laugh, shaking his head at how much he liked the pun. He quickly added in his sweeteners, looking back at the table to see the girl writing on other people’s cups too. After he was done stirring his coffee and placed the lid back on, he saw the girl grab her backpack and wave to her friends before leaving the table, most likely heading to take one of her finals as well.

Testuro watched her walk away before he began walking in the opposite direction, sipping his coffee as he went to go take his final, sighing as he already felt more awake.

Tuesday

Testuro groaned as he woke up, dragging himself out of bed as he read the time on his phone; only one hour until his next final at 11:30am. At least this course, BIO 302, was one that he was confident in passing. Still, that didn’t mean that he could leave his dorm 10 minutes before class started.

He didn’t bother switching up his outfit, wearing the same pair of jeans and hoodie from the day before. He left his dorm about 20 minutes later, as the building he needed to go to was on the opposite end of campus.

He once again passed by the food court building and saw the same plastic table and sign advertising free coffee and hot chocolate. He noticed that the line was longer this time, and that there were two this time.

“If you’re only here for hot chocolate I can help you here!”

Testuro watched as a couple people from one line joined the other, but it was still pretty short compared to the one of people who were wanting caffeine in their systems. He checked his phone for the time before glancing back at the table, seeing the girl from yesterday now serving hot chocolate to people. He couldn’t deny that she was pretty, and she seemed to have a good sense of humor as well. Plus, he still had about 40 minutes before his class started.

He got in the line for the hot chocolate, placing his phone back in his pocket. Soon enough, he was at the front of the line. He smiled as the girl did the same. “Hello again.”

“Hi there.” She laughed softly, grabbing a different large thermos from yesterday, her eyes widening when she noticed how light it now felt in her hand. “Sorry, give me one second.” She gave him a sympathetic smile before turning around to grab another thermos and handing the previous one to one of the people she was working with so they could refill it.

“You’re good. I’m in no rush.”

“That’s good to hear.” She turned back around, opening up the container. “What size?”

“A small is fine.”

The girl nodded, grabbing the cup and pouring the drink into it. “Whipped cream and marshmallows?”

“Yes, please.” Testuro watched as she grabbed a can of whipped cream along with a bag of mini marshmallows. “By the way, the coffee was great yesterday.”

“Oh, thank you. I’m glad to hear.” The girl smiled as she put on a plastic glove to put the whipped cream atop the liquid along with a small handful of marshmallows.

“Well, it’s not every day that you get delicious coffee from someone so brew-tiful.” Testuro smirked slightly, hoping that she would like his pun.

The girl hesitated for a moment as she reached for a lid to put on the cup. It was obvious that she was taking in what he just said; she chuckled, her cheeks now a shade of pink as she grabbed a lid and put it on the drink. Her smile was still prominent on her face as she grabbed the sharpie from the table and began writing on his cup. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

The girl handed him the cup, meeting his gaze one last time before he walked away and she went to help the next person in line. Testuro looked at the side of his cup to see what she wrote as he continued on his way to class.

‘You’re smoking hot!’

Testuro grinned, glancing over his shoulder to look back at the girl before taking a sip of his drink.

Friday

Testuro had managed to get through his finals for the semester, some of course being tougher than others. And every day he managed to stop by the table on his way to class to see the girl and get a cup of coffee or hot chocolate. However, as he was now finished with all of his classes, he didn’t even have to leave his dorm if he felt like it; but he still wanted to see the girl before she possibly left campus for winter break. He didn’t even know her name, but that didn’t stop him from trying to get to know her better during their brief meetings every day.

On Wednesday, he stopped by later in the afternoon, since he stayed up late the night before playing video games with Koutarou and Kenma and his final that day was his night class at 7pm. The girl was there and the two of them talked about their finals since not many people were getting drinks. That day his cup read ‘you’re cool beans!’

On Thursday, he had his last three finals, so he didn’t have time to stop by the table until the evening when the people who were there were packing things up. The girl was there thankfully, and she offered him a cup of hot chocolate that they had left over; the cup read ‘you’ve bean on my mind a latte.’

Today, however, he dropped by during the middle of the day when most people were most likely in classes or had possibly already left for winter break. Part of him was afraid that the girl had already left as well, but he was hopeful nonetheless. When he got there, he saw her about to leave the table. He quickened his stride to catch up to her. “Hey!”

The girl finished putting her backpack on before looking up, recognizing the voice. She smiled. “Hey there.” She grabbed her phone from off the table. “I wish I could talk more but I have to head back to my dorm to finish packing before I leave campus this evening.”

Testuro mentally sighed, having a feeling that she was in fact leaving for the break today. “You’re fine. I mean,” he laughed, “If you want I can walk you back and we can talk on the way.” Testuro realized how cheesy and weird he idea was, but it was too late to back out now.

The girl giggled, sensing his awkwardness. “I’d like that actually.” She began walking. “Maybe now you can tell me your name.”

Testuro smiled, catching up and walking side by side with her. “I’m Testuro, and you?”

“(Y/N).” She placed her phone in her pocket after texting her roommate saying that she was on her way back. “How did your finals go?”

Testuro shrugged, placing a hand on the back of his neck. “Pretty good actually,” he paused briefly, “but I did have a hard time concentrating during some of them. You just mocha me crazy.”

(Y/N) stopped walking, making Testuro do the same. Part of him was afraid that he had overstepped a boundary of some sort, but he turned to see her holding back a grin. “I mean if you had me on your mind while you were taking your tests, that’s on you.” She laughed. “That was a good pun though. Maybe that means we’re meant to bean together.” She smiled cheekily, continuing to walk down the sidewalk towards her dorm building.

Testuro once again caught up to her. “I mean, if you’ll let me take you out on a date after the break, I would love to get to know you over the holidays.”

(Y/N) pulled out her phone again as she stopped in front of her building. “Mind if I have your number then?”

Testuro grinned, pulling out his phone as well. After exchanging numbers, he held his phone up to her. “Smile.”

(Y/N) did so, holding a peace sign by her cheek for good measure. She giggled, opening the camera app on her phone. “Alright, your turn.”

Testuro gave her a sly smile, much like the ones he would give Koutarou after beating him in a video game. “I’ll text you later tonight.”

“I look forward to it.”

With that, (Y/N) turned to walk into her building, causing Testuro to start heading back to his own; but he stopped and turned back around as she spoke up again.

“Don’t get caught up in a cold brew of a storm during your travels over break.” She laughed at his expression as he held back a grin and walked into her building, leaving Testuro to watch her walk through the lobby and to the elevator from outside.

“This girl’s seriously got me grounded.”

Ficmas 2020 Masterlist

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[zrtranscripts]

Season 9, Mission 14: Fort Knox

Tour group

~

JANINE DE LUCA: All right Runner Five, Mr. Yao. There is only audio surveillance in this room and I have muffled the microphones. We can talk freely.

SAM YAO: I really don't like this, Janine. I mean, okay, they did let us into Van Ark's mystery base, but then they stuck us in this tiny room, insisted we take medical exams. Peter and Maryam still aren't back from the med bay. I can't believe we let them just inject us with tracking devices.

JANINE DE LUCA: We had no choice, Mr. Yao. It was take the subcutaneous trackers or leave Red Scorpion Base. General Bakari claimed he would meet us on arrival, but so far we have only been escorted by soldiers. The security here is intense. Barbed wire fencing, perimeter guard towers, patrols in unmarked uniforms. If our operation goes wrong, escape will not be... [door creaks open] Someone's approaching. [loudly] Which is why they'd better pay well for this job! Don't you agree, Sven?

SAM YAO: Uh... yeah. Yes. Mercenaries, us. Money, ooh, we want it.

GENERAL BAKARI: You can relax. I've relieved the guards in this section, shut down the cameras.

JANINE DE LUCA: General Bakari, there are others in our team -

GENERAL BAKARI: - still in the medical bay. We can't wait. The trackers you've received are a new security provision powered by bioelectric energy. They didn't tell you this, but it takes about 40 minutes for a tracker to stabilize in its new host. We've got that long before your every movement is monitored. That's just enough time. [drops bag on the floor] There are maintenance uniforms in the duffel bag. Put them on.

JANINE DE LUCA: General -

GENERAL BAKARI: I trust you weren't counting on a sentimental reunion, De Luca? There's a mission at hand. Red Scorpion Base has a secret you're going to help me liberate. All of you, out into the corridor. No time to dawdle.

~

SAM YAO: This place is just a maze of metal hallways, isn't it? Shh. Hey, do you guys hear that?

[distant metallic footsteps]

GENERAL BAKARI: A patrol coming from the intersection ahead. Duck into that store room, quick. [cloth rustles, footsteps pass] They've passed. Those maintenance uniforms will help at a distance, but the patrols here know all the authorized faces. Come on, this way. Speaking of faces, it's Runner Five, isn't it? You gave me this gammy leg. My own stupid mistake, I admit, chasing you on that motorcycle.

JANINE DE LUCA: Perhaps if you had not sided with Prime Minister Hakkinen, General, you might have avoided injury.

GENERAL BAKARI: Is that reproach I hear, De Luca? You were always so quick to judge. Sigrid was a monster, but with impressive ambition. It seemed folly to oppose her, so i toed the party line loudly when she was listening. Soldiers served their country, after all. I hear there's a thief in charge these days. Not sure your vote turned out much more righteous than mine.

SAM YAO: Hey!

JANINE DE LUCA: Don't let him needle you, Mr. Yao. The base, General. It is in excellent condition, especially given we have seen evidence it predates Z-Day.

GENERAL BAKARI: Very good, De Luca. Yes, Red Scorpion Base has been here for many years. Once we get to the next intersection, you'll see where it came from. Where's Tom, Janine? I was sure he'd be with your team.

JANINE DE LUCA: Tom... Tom was killed in action some time ago.

GENERAL BAKARI: Unfortunate. He had a weak heart, that boy. I saw it every day I sheltered you two after your parents passed. Thought I taught you to watch out for each other!

I'm not authorized for this part of the base. I've stolen passes, but if we're caught here, we will be shot. Do you see the turrets bracketing the door ahead? Machine gun emplacements, automated. Look at the symbol on the turret mountings below each gun barrel.

SAM YAO: Those are stars and stripes. Flags, American flags.

[door rattles open]

GENERAL BAKARI: And past the door, a flag painted on the wall. They're not allowed to fly one outside. Red Scorpion Base was established by the American military 20 years before Z-Day. Black ops research, top secret, and they're still very much running it today. Quickly, all of you, there are a lot more patrols in the next section. Follow the corridor branch left, on the double.

~

SAM YAO: Look, Five, by the water cooler. That's the portrait of the last US president. God, this is crazy. There's still a US military and they're hanging around a base in Tunisia!

JANINE DE LUCA: A base somehow connected to Ernest Van Ark and V-type fungus.

GENERAL BAKARI: You already know about the local fungus, eh? The US military heard rumors of it decades before Z-Day, whispers unearthed by archaeologists in North Africa. They thought it had martial potential, set up a base here to dig for it. They hit on caves of the stuff underground. There's an archive room on our way. I'll show you what they found.

SAM YAO: Wow! Janine, look! Down the corridor to the right, that looks like the war room from, well, every movie with a war room ever. Ah, there must be a hundred screens in there.

JANINE DE LUCA: All cycling through images of landmarks. The Brandenburg Gate, Times Square full of zombies, a toppled Eiffel Tower. General, are these images current? What reach does this army have?

GENERAL BAKARI: Honestly, the US isn't what it was, but the man in charge of Red Scorpion Base likes to keep eyes everywhere. [drones whir] Come on, there are surveillance drones in these corridors. I hear some coming. Forward.

SAM YAO: [whispers] Likes to keep his eyes everywhere? Yeah, yeah, that sounds like Van Ark, doesn't it, Five? If the Americans are running Red Scorpion Base, is he backed by their army? The others are getting ahead. We'd best speed up.

~

[door rattles open]

GENERAL BAKARI: We're in the main research annex deep underground. This is an archive room, oldest on Red Scorpion Base. If you want to know about the fungus, this is the place.

SAM YAO: But it's just a room full of dusty filing cabinets. Oh, and Polaroid pictures of scientists stuck up on the wall. Scientists in a cavern full of black ash.

GENERAL BAKARI: Certain branches under the Department of Defense saw huge promise in the fungus. They dreamed of perfecting a symbiosis to make humans faster, better, stronger. The early experiments went poorly. People died. The decision was made to destroy the fungus after it nearly escaped containment, every trace burned away.

JANINE DE LUCA: General, the glass tank in that corner, the blackened lump inside...

GENERAL BAKARI: A relic. This room is a memorial. The old research data is all locked away. The lump is a museum piece, scorched rock from a once red cave, long dead now.

JANINE DE LUCA: Then... the fungus is not why you summoned us?

GENERAL BAKARI: Not at all, De Luca, though not a bad guess. What I have for you is much more important. Come along through the far door. Incidentally, you see the old photo on the left, the one showing a team in bulky armor scouring rocks with flamethrowers? They still call Red Scorpion’s emergency response the fire team. These days, they wear powered exoskeletons, flamethrowers integrated. They're what comes for us if we make a mistake. We're short on time. Go.

~

SAM YAO: Loads of fancy computers in here, Five. Must be in a sciency bit.

GENERAL BAKARI: Ancillary data storage. From here, we can access files from the Red Scorpion's latter day experiments. Listen carefully, De Luca. The base contracted your team on my recommendation. Since Z-Day, Red Scorpion's been short-handed. They sometimes recruit outside personnel. Three months ago, one of my aides went MIA. Any deserter is viewed as an unacceptable security risk.

SAM YAO: Did you kill him?

GENERAL BAKARI: Fellow took a bad fall. I disposed of the body, arranged evidence of his flight to the mountains, suggested we needed help to locate him. Obviously, no one's ever going to find him outside, and our security head is getting desperate. Once she briefs you, she'll send you into the mountains to hunt down the deserter. There, you'll divert to designated coordinates. You'll find buried parts of a vehicle I've had hidden. Assemble it and escape.

JANINE DE LUCA: You are not coming with us, General?

GENERAL BAKARI: I'm rarely allowed off the base, and I don't intend to return to the UK to stand trial. I know you're thinking it, De Luca.

JANINE DE LUCA: You betrayed your nation. It would be my duty.

GENERAL BAKARI: And you always loved duty. As a child, you used to turn your night light out on principle. [computer beeps] Give me a minute with the computer. I'll get what you're here for.

SAM YAO: Um, which is what, exactly?

GENERAL BAKARI: Research from Red Scorpion Base, something that can change the future. The file I'm giving you is encrypted, I can't open it. Did you bring a computer expert?

SAM YAO: Sort of. We, um, lost our equipment, though.

GENERAL BAKARI: The file is too big to transmit without powerful equipment. If you were able to decrypt it, you might have been able to send key details out. As it is, you'll need to get this thumb drive to the UK intact. If anyone suspects you're smuggling data off the base, you're dead, understand?

JANINE DE LUCA: General, if we leave you here -

GENERAL BAKARI: I'll be fine, so long as the operation succeeds. Humanity, kin, and hope, De Luca. That's what this is for. Do not let me down. The head of security just pinged me. The rest of your team is done in the medical center. She wants to brief you all, stat. We need to get back. There's one more thing I need to give you. Through the door on the right. The doctors should be on their break. This way, run!

~

JANINE DE LUCA: General, is this a hospital ward?

GENERAL BAKARI: It's an emergency care area. Ah, here it is. Five, give me your arm. My research indicates you'll be the best subject for this.

SAM YAO: Wait, what-what are you doing? You can't just inject strange substances into people!

GENERAL BAKARI: The bio data in the injection is a crucial component of the information in the files. The only way to transport it is inside a living host.

JANINE DE LUCA: It's long past time you explained exactly what this information is, General.

GENERAL BAKARI: It's a cure, Janine.

SAM YAO: For what?

GENERAL BAKARI: For everything. Every ailment that plagues humanity, every virus, every infection. A panacea.

JANINE DE LUCA: That's impossible.

GENERAL BAKARI: No. It may take years, even generations to formulate a usable vaccine, but the germ of it is here. The zombie plague has brought such pain to humanity. I accept I played my part in it. But this data, the antibodies in Five's blood, and the files on that drive, they may be the one worthwhile thing to come out of all that death.

JANINE DE LUCA: Then I leave the decision to you, Five. Very well. Proceed, General.

SAM YAO: I'm just gonna, um, not be here watching that. Injections always make me feel queasy.

GENERAL BAKARI: Your trust will be repaid, Janine, I promise you.

JANINE DE LUCA: I hope so.

SAM YAO: Oh my God. Janine, Five, over here! There's a door with a little porthole. On the other side, it's-it's Van Ark! He's unconscious, hooked up to, well, it's like a giant dialysis machine. Looks like it's draining him.

GENERAL BAKARI: I was saving him until last. Good bait to get you here, but if I explained too soon, you'd only get distracted.

JANINE DE LUCA: Is Van Ark running the research department? What are the Americans giving him through those tubes?

GENERAL BAKARI: Van Ark running the place? [laughs] Not at all. The fellow at the top, no one ever sees. Nasty piece of work by all accounts. But Van Ark here, he isn't in charge of anything. Van Ark is one of the experiments.

~

[jisungsmochi]

stay - mark lee

mark and reader - best friend to lovers trope oops ft. supportive friend donghyuck (who is the mvp in this entire thing tbh) 

inspired by the friendship of caroline and stefan during seasons 5 and 6 of the vampire diaries. i hope my fellow tvd fans can see where i was going with this! 

n e wayz, this is pretty angsty and could be triggering so warnings: death mentioned, lots of grief and mentions of a car accident. 

word count: 4.8k 

without further ado, please enjoy and tell me what you think hehe 

a/n: anyone else love kick it era mark? oop 

//

“i’m so sorry for your loss” you heard the doctors speak to your parents. you hid behind the walls of your brother’s hospital room, eavesdropping on the conversation. your heart immediately stopped; this wasn’t possible. you had just seen him today. jisung wasn’t gone.

your parents were sobbing, you could hear the heartbroken cries from your mother. the doctors were equally distraught,

“i understand this is a very difficult time. please grieve with your family, again, my sincerest apologies” you dropped the bottle of water you were holding and bolted out of the room. you slammed yourself against the nearest wall and cried. you cried until your body ached, until your lungs were begging for more air. he wasn’t gone. jisung wasn’t gone. he was a fighter. you kept chanting in your head.

“y/n! what are you doing?” you heard donghyuck exclaim, instantly dropping to the ground with you.

“he’s gone, hyuck. he’s gone!” you wail, digging your nails into your palms.

donghyuck just held you in his arms, like nothing else truly mattered. he kept repeating “i’m sorry” to you, but he didn’t have anything to be sorry about. it wasn’t his fault.

“how’s mark?” you had the courage to finally speak.

“he’s...recovering. he’s refused to see the rest of us. i actually came to see if you were still around, maybe you could talk to him” donghyuck sighed, still brushing fingers through your hair. mark was your best friend. you would do anything for him. he was always there for you when you needed him to be. he always gave you crappy advice, which, 40% of the time actually worked. he drove you to school almost every day....your mind started drifting away,

driving.

a wreckless mistake can cause so much damage.

few hours ago

mark and jisung were driving home from basketball practice, as they had both recently started training together for a local team. it was fairly dark out, and mark didn’t want jisung to skate back home.

“just get in the car, jisung! there aren’t any girls to impress with your little skateboard” mark teased, watching as the younger boy just rolled his eyes and got into the car.

“i’m not trying to impress any girls” jisung huffs, putting on his seatbelt.

“you mean, one girl” mark smirked, knowing of his little crush on a girl in his maths class.

“shut up!” jisung blushed, turning on the radio to listen to some music.

“is it okay if we drive around for a bit longer? things at home aren’t so, well calm, i guess you can say” jisung mumbled, feeling embarrassed.

“oh okay, but are you sure you don’t want to go home? whatever it is, it can’t be too bad” mark just gulped, his thoughts wandering to you. were you okay?

“i’m sure, my parents are just arguing and well y/n doesn’t get to hear much of it because she’s always at the library or work or hanging with you guys! it’s hard just being at home, alone” jisung confides in the older boy, which led mark to have a warm feeling inside.

“thank you for trusting me, jisung! of course we can drive around, as long as you pick the songs!” mark tried to make jisung smile, even if it was the tiniest bit.  jisung nodded along, turning up the volume.

they were driving along the highway, which wasn’t as busy as it usually was. the boys were laughing, telling stories of their random experiences from school. mark swore his eyes were off the road for a second, when suddenly, another car’s headlights blinded the two boys. mark tried to swerve to the side of the road, but it was too late, the other car crashed into the passenger side, causing his car to spiral.

mark reached for the younger boy’s hand, before his vision become blurry, knocking him out.

now he laid, staring at the ceiling of the hospital room. reliving that moment over and over. replaying it. how he could have saved him. how it should have been him.

mark lee was always seen as a protector to his friends. he was a natural leader. the one who always stood up for others. but right now, in this moment, he felt like a failure. he was ashamed. he couldn’t face you. no matter how many times the rest of the boys came over, telling him how distraught you were. mark refused to see you. every time he heard your voice behind the curtain, he moved to his side and pretended he was asleep.

one night, you snuck into his room, without warning him. you stared at his injuries, he looked miserable. he was in pain. your heart broke.

“mark” you whispered. the boy had his eyes closed and laid to his side again. you sighed, taking a seat next to his bed.

“i don’t know if you’re pretending or not. but i don’t like how you’ve been ignoring me. jisung is gone. i miss him. i miss you. i want to talk to you. mark, you’re the only person i need right now. please talk to me. i will wait for you. just please” you sobbed into your hands. mark’s heart ached to hear you cry. he hated when you cried. but he couldn’t get himself to just turn around and look at you.

“goodbye mark, i’ll see you soon” you whispered, giving up at that point. you stumbled out of the room, and walked towards the exit. you passed the room, jisung was in. and your eyes immediately teared up.

a few months went by, you were trying to get yourself back on track. it was graduation soon. you and your friends were beyond excited. you all needed something good to distract from the events.

“guys we made it!” jeno smiled, as they all huddled in a circle.

“i can’t believe jaemin was able to pass bio” renjun smirked, nudging the boy.

“i can’t believe it either mate” jaemin chuckled, along with everyone else. how you’d wish mark was here to see you graduate. he was always there. no matter what. you were all aware that mark had been discharged from the hospital. after that last night, you tried to see him again, but you saw someone else occupying his room. you heart sank, at the thought that mark had yet to speak one word to you in months. not even a message or call. nothing.

“anything you wanna say, y/n?” donghyuck pulls you closer to him, sending you had zoned out.

“i’m so proud of us, we got through some tough times together. thank you all, so so much” you felt a tear threaten to leave your eye,

“oh please don’t cry! it makes me wanna cry” jaemin pouted,

“group hug you losers!” renjun yelled as you all embraced eachother.

after graduation, things settled down. you, donghyuck and renjun were packing to move out of town for college, while jaemin and jeno were staying behind to take a gap year. things were finally going back to being normal, except, you hadn’t heard from mark since the accident.

you all were hanging out at donghyuck’s house, chatting away about your future plans and what you all wanted to achieve by this time next year.

“jaemin and i wanna start our own sports club! something fun to do during summers and we get to teach kids!” jeno excitedly explained,

“suits you guys so well! i’m so happy for you” you smile at him before getting ready to share your plans.

“this time next year i’d hope to have survived first year college stress and also, not be so sad anymore” your smile faded, as the boys solemnly looked at you.

“i miss him guys” you mutter, your words becoming softer.

“we miss both of them” donghyuck puts his arm around you. you both looked up and saw the other boys fidgeting. they looked uneasy.

“what’s up you guys?” you wipe away a small tear that stained your cheek. you prepared yourself for what they had to say,

“i don’t know how else to tell you but i spoke to mark, well the three of us did” renjun began talking, your eyes widened at his words.

“what do you mean you guys talked to him? where the fuck is he? why didn’t he come see all of us?” you screwed, visibly distraught at what you had heard. donghyuck held you back, knowing you weren’t truly angry at the boys.

“he came by one day when we were shooting hoops. he told us he was leaving town. he didn’t say where he was going” jaemin continued, the three boys sitting across from you had the most sympathetic expressions on their faces, you couldn’t be mad at them.

“he didn’t say anything about me?” you barely spoke above a whisper, watching as the three shook their heads simultaneously.

“that dick” donghyuck exclaims, letting go of your figure. he stood up and began pacing.

“he just left her. he left y/n, alone. he’s known her longer than any of us and just left. he’s a dick” the boy balled his fists.

“we know, we too, don’t understand why he’s gone. but what else can we do? he’s pretty much dropped off the face of the earth” jeno sighed, holding his head in his hands.

“i hate him” you raise your voice, everyone immediately draws their eyes to you and goes silent.

“y/n, no you don’t. you don’t hate mark” renjun muttered, trying to not let this escalate.

“i hate him! i hate him so much! i hate him for leaving me. i hate him for ignoring me. i hate him for letting me fall inlove with him”  you whimper at the last few words. holding your hands over your chest, tears staining your cheeks.

the boys knew of how you felt about mark. it wasn’t so discrete. you thought of him as more than a friend, but you never thought you stood a chance. he was seen as a brother to you. but you already had a brother. you wanted mark, you wanted him to hold you when you were upset. you wanted him to be the one to comfort you during dark times. you wanted him to wake you up in the mornings with small kisses. but you would never get that. because mark lee was selfish. he was a coward. he just left.

you swore to yourself you wouldn’t contact him. but when you looked all around your room, pictures of you and mark and your silly adventures were plastered everywhere. you wanted to take them down, but some photos had jisung in them, you didn’t have the guts to remove any photos, it would have hurt too much.

you broke your promise to yourself, you continued to send mark voicemails every single day for a month. you wished him well, and that he was safe and happy. you hoped that he had found new friends and was living a great new life. you spoke about your days, and what you did. knowing that he may not even have the same phone or number. speaking out your thoughts still helped in a way. even if the other end was completely radio silent.

you were scribbling down the last sentences of your notes for class the next day, when you hear your phone ringing.

“yes, hyuck?” you answer, closing up your notebook and placing your stationery back in its usual place.

“i know this sounds crazy, but i think i know where mark is” he blurts out. you stop completely in your tracks, unsure of where he was going with this.

“how did you- when? what?” was all you could say.

“some of my second year friends, kept mentioning, a new kid named mark that has been hanging around at their parties. they aren’t sure if he goes to the same college as us, but he’s definitely a lot closer than we thought” donghyuck explains to you over the phone, you were stringing along with every word.

“where is he then?” you started biting at your nails, feeling a wave of anxiousness wash over you.

“he’s roommates with a guy named lucas, we can go there on the weekend if you want. i got their address” donghyuck waited for you to respond, but you were just in shock. not only did you think you would never see mark again, he was only staying a few towns away. that broke you down even more.

you decided to send one last voicemail to mark that night.

“i still don’t know if you even listen to these. but i’m coming to see you mark. you’ve hurt me so much, and you’re not even physically here to do it. you know how fucked up that is? i can’t wait to see what excuses you have for me, but i will not hold back”

saturday morning rolled around and donghyuck was at the front of your house, waiting in his car. you rushed out, bidding a goodbye to your parents and jumped into his car.

“ready for the road?” donghyuck flashed you a smile, waiting as you nodded, before starting the engine and driving off to the mysterious destination.

the whole drive there, you felt sick to your stomach. you weren’t sure what you would say to mark. you weren’t sure if you would even be able to speak. you might have just cried the moment he opened the door.

“we’re here” donghyuck cut out your thoughts. you both exited the car and made your way to the apartment. your nerves were going through the roof, you hoped mark was there, you really did.

donghyuck sensed your nerves, he gave you a tight hug before knocking on the door himself.

it took a few seconds before you heard footsteps. the door swung open and you were greeted by a tall boy with tanned skin and light brown hair. he was wearing a white t-shirt and black shorts, you assumed it was lucas.

“may i help you guys?” he asks kindly,

“we’re...friends, uh of mark” you spoke, watching as he nodded.

“i didn’t know he had friends coming over! i was just heading out, he’s in his room right now, feel free to come in! i’ll call him” lucas smiled widely, opening the door wider. you felt your heart pound in your chest. you were about to face the boy who brought you so much pain in the past few months.

“markie! you got some friends here for ya!” lucas yelled while pretty much slamming on his door.

“what do you mean friends?” you heard the familiar voice ring through your ears. you watched as the same boy, walked into the living area. his hair was now raven black, compared to his chestnut brown colour, you were far too familiar with. his face immediately became pale. lucas stares between the two of you, raising his eyebrows in confusion,

“this is kinda awkward, i’m gonna go now, see you guys, have fun catching up”

mark just gave him a small wave before walking towards you. donghyuck stood behind you, ready in case you couldn’t handle your emotions.

“what are you doing here?” his voice was so cold. he was so straight forward. you wanted nothing more but for him to hold you and say he’s sorry.

“really?” was all you could choke out at that moment. you saw his eyes shift around the room, clearly uncomfortable with the situation.

“i’m gonna leave you two to talk” donghyuck states as he moves to the kitchen, mark leads you to his room, closing the door behind you both.

“i can’t believe you” you stutter, crossing your arms, watching as he sits on his bed.

“what? y/n? you can’t believe what? that i actually have a good life right now?” mark groans at you. this may have been the first time you’ve seen him so distraught.

“what happened to you? did you not get my messages? my voicemails?” you whimper, he refused to even look at you.

“i couldn’t listen to them. you know that” mark muttered, turning his head to look at you.

“why did you leave?” you sighed, moving to sit next to him, leaving a fair space between you two.

“i couldn’t stay. i couldn’t stay in that town when everything bad that happened to all of us, was my fault” mark’s voice was unsteady. he couldn’t control the sobs that wanted to escape.

“what do you mean?” you wanted to hold his hand, touch him in any way you could.

“i killed him, y/n. how can you forgive me? how can you still care for me?” mark looked right into your eyes, his were glossed over in tears. the dark circles under his eyes and his messy hair, didn’t indicate he was living his best life.

“you did not kill, jisung. you got hurt too” you move to sit right against him, your shoulders touching.

“i did though. i’m the one to blame. jisung didn’t want to go home that night because your parents were fighting. he wanted an escape. i should have still taken him home. i shouldn’t have gone on that route through town. it was all my fault” mark whimpered, tears flowing out of his eyes. you placed your hand over his. your eyes beginning to stream tears of your own.

“oh mark lee, you could have never predicted that something that terrible could have happened. no body blames you” you held his head to your chest, letting his tears trickle down your shirt.

“i didn’t want to leave you, you know” he sniffled. you nodded, even though he couldn’t see you.

“but you still did. you hurt me, mark. real bad. i hated you at one point. i thought we were stronger than that” you sighed, brushing your fingers through his hair. he pulled himself up to look at you.

“i’m sorry” he mumbled, pulling his face closer to yours.

“it’s okay” you were speechless, you had never been so close to him. he stared into your eyes, flickering down to your lips.

“i’m inlove with you” you mumble, ready to press your lips together. mark stopped you, pulling himself back.

“i- i can’t” he stood up and turned his back to you.

“what?” you grabbed his shoulder, turning him to face you again. he got slightly taller, or maybe it was because you hadn’t seen him in so long.

“i can’t love you like that. i’ve hurt you too much. you deserve better than me. i can’t” mark runs his fingers through his hair. you were more frustrated than ever,

“you’re right, i do deserve better than you. go fuck yourself” you grit through your teeth, before landing a loud smack to his face. he tried to chase after you, but you were already out the door. donghyuck was about to follow you when he bumped into mark.

“look here buddy, you fucked with her heart so bad. i don’t care what you said to her, but she would die for you. she would have done anything for you. she cried almost every day for a month after graduation, because she wanted you there for her” donghyuck shoved the older boy, so that his back hit the nearest wall.

“you don’t know how much pain she’s been through, and all she wanted was for her best friend, to be there for her. and you couldn’t even do that. you’re a coward mark lee. she’s inlove with you. and i know you are too. i know you want to protect her, but she’s desperate for your love again. so cut this act and be a decent human. for her sake. please” donghyuck finishes, not waiting for mark to respond before chasing you to his car. you had already sat in the passenger seat and began crying hysterically.

“it’s okay sweets, he will come to his senses soon” donghyuck pulls you in for a quick side hug, before starting the car.

you were too broken. and you weren’t sure if anything could fix you.

a week had passed since that dreaded day. you had barely left your house. it was exactly like the week after jisung passed, all over again. your parents weren’t sure if they should push you to tell them what was wrong. you were glad they thought that, it kept you from talking about your feelings for mark. even if he was a complete ass to you, you couldn’t get rid of years of emotions.

you were laying in your bed, rewatching the vampire diaries for the thousandth time, finally getting up to parts where stefan and caroline were almost in the same situation as you and mark. you groaned at how painful it was to watch. you shut your laptop, and sighed, you hadn’t showered in a while. as you were getting ready, you heard a faint knock on your door. you assumed it was one of your parent’s, checking up on you.

“come in!” you yell, grabbing your stuff in your arms. the door opened slowly, you heard the person cough slightly, knowing it wasn’t your parents, you froze.

“uh hey” mark’s voice echoed through your room. you glared at him, ready to shove past him and tell him to leave. but as you approached him, he grabbed your wrist. you groaned, tears ready to stream. you started banging his chest, mumbling hurtful words to him. he knew you that what you were saying was true. he didn’t deny anything. he held both your wrists, not wanting you to punch him anymore. you just balled your fists, pushing your head into his chest. he let go of your wrist and pulled you into his chest completely. he stroked your hair gently, mumbling “i’m so sorry baby” over and over again. you felt your arms wrap around his torso. you weren’t sure what you were feeling at that moment, but it wasn’t complete hatred or anger for him. he was always going to be your mark lee.

“i’m sorry baby” he muttered, before you looked up at him. his eyes were red, indicating he was crying before he even entered your room.

“baby?” you mumble. not once in your entire friendship, sort of not friendship, did he call you baby.

“yes. i’m a little too late but, i’m inlove with you, y/n. i know i pushed you away, i didn’t want to. i hope you trust me on that. i didn’t want to hurt you, but i did it anyway. i didn’t want you to think about me anymore. you could have been happier without me. you could have made new friends! gotten new interests, become a new you. i didn’t know that you needed me that much” he stuttered over his words, holding both your hands in his.

“i don’t know what to say” you shake your head, holding onto his hands tightly, as if he was going to just leave again.

“can i kiss you?” he pressed his forehead onto yours. your heart didn’t hurt so much anymore. you weren’t sure how you were feeling, but you weren’t opposed to the proposition. you nodded slowly, watching as mark pulled your chin up with his finger and pressed his cold lips onto yours. this wasn’t how you imagined your first kiss with mark. you dreamt of it being in his car, while you two were watching the city lights and stats like you would always do. but this feeling, was something you couldn’t stop.

you held onto his shoulder and he moved his hand to cup your cheek. he pulled away, pressing his forehead onto yours again,

“you don’t need to forgive me, ever really. i just needed to do that before anything else happened. y/n, i would do anything for you. even if that meant pushing you away so you could be happier. i’m happier with you. i am a better person with you. and if it takes me forever to prove that to you, i’ll do it, because being with you, feels like forever” mark muttered before pressing another kiss to your lips. you didn’t respond with words, instead you pulled him in by his shirt and continued to kiss him repeatedly. he led you to your bed, your back pressed against your mattress, with mark on top of you. he tried to pull away to speak but you continued to kiss him more. eventually he started chuckling,

“why are you laughing?” you smiled, still holding onto his shoulders.

“you just want to kiss! how about tell me how you feel!” he chuckled once more, causing you to roll your eyes. you pushed him back, sitting cross legged from him.

“i don’t forgive you yet, you have a lot of making up to do. but i just want you to promise me one thing” you sigh, taking his hand in yours.

“anything” he assured you, squeezing your hand in his.

“promise you won’t leave again. please. stay with me” your voice cracked, thoughts of him hurting you, coming back,

“i’m not leaving anymore baby, i’m not going to run away from my problems. i’m done with that. i’m focusing on us now” you felt more tears prickle in your eyes,

“oh no why are you crying?” he pouted, wiping away your tears.

“fuck you, you’re too fucking cute” you manage to smile, letting him know you weren’t upset.

“you’re cuter” he mutters into your temple.

“i love you, mark” you run your fingers around the palm of his hand.

“i love you too, y/n” he stroked your hair gently as you both cuddled up in your bed.

mark lee. the only boy who was your weakness. but also made you strong. he loved you like no one had ever before. he wanted to protect you from any danger that came towards your way. he needed you close, as did you. he will always be the one for you, no matter what happens.

a/n: apologies for any mistakes! mark lee got me feeling things *sigh* 

[justabrowncoatedwench]

Rewatching Leverage, picking up on fun details, trying to find/catalogue them, as I do when I re-consume media I love xD

We know a couple of the characters’ hometowns! Or states anyway, even though it’s never stated explicitly in dialogue! (This got long so I put in a readmore.)

Tl;dr: Eliot was born and raised in Kentucky, and Parker was born and spent her childhood in Illinois*. And Nate we know was born and raised in Boston.

*Presuming she was not moved across state lines during her bounce into/through the foster system or moved across state lines with her bio family (unlikely).

The Two-Horse Job gives us both Parker’s and Eliot’s. Parker, in her flashback to being about 9 or so (based on the actors’ ages, both Young Parker’s and Beth Riesgraf) when she saw a “horse kill a clown”, the flashback places us in Camden, Illinois. I’d guess based on her age that Camden, Illinois is either Parker’s hometown or at the least Illinois is her home state, considering the imprecise age of her entrance into the foster system. In this same job, the client is his former fiancee and her father, who can be reasonably believed not to have gone through a big move. Their farm (and the job itself) takes place in Kentucky, telling us that Eliot grew up in Kentucky. (Aimee’s contentious greeting to Eliot about Southern welcomes etc also makes it clear this is not a new town/state, even if it could possibly be a new farm/property.)

Another fun thing is that Leverage is *very* good at having actors’ cast to the ages of their characters, or aging their characters according to their actor’s age. We see this in the entire main cast. For example, in The Two Horse Job Young Parker’s actress is 9, the flashback she appears in was 20 years before present day, and in present day Beth Riesgraf was 30 during season 1. Alec Hardison is 22 in season 1 (per him being explicitly 24 in season 3), and so is Aldis Hodge. etc etc...

So, from this, we can extrapolate that if Eliot (mid-30s, since Christian Kane was 36 at the time) was last home 8 years ago (Aimee’s accusation about him having not called or written or contacted her in 8 years), he was last home when he was about 28. Without precise information on how long he was in the army - he was implied to have been a green beret (The Experimental Job; Delta Force specifically, from a The Office Job DVD commentary) - we can take an educated guess that Eliot was probably last home about when he was discharged from the army and before taking up freelance retrieval/mercenary work.

I’m comfortable with this guess because of two reasons. One, he and Aimee have the conversation in the barn that the last time he left it was because she got married, and that every time he left before that he’d come back. This lines up with him admitting later that he made a promise to two “people” (Aimee and the US Army) and found he couldn’t keep them both, and that once he was discharged from the army he likely went home to see if Aimee and he could take up with each other again (is my strong feeling about that). BUT, between his previous departure and his final return she’d gotten married, so he left for good. Two, we get a flashback in this job during that very same conversation where Aimee asks what his possible reason could’ve been for “dropping off the face of the planet” that shows us Eliot barely standing between two thugs who have him by the arms, interrogating him about a monkey. This suggests to me that he was captured on a freelance job. Of course, he could’ve been a freelancer for years already when he returned home to find Aimee married, but we know enough of Eliot’s reputation and skills in the present day of season 1 Leverage to suggest that it could have been an earlier job in his independent career. A possibility, not a guarantee, of course, but still a good one I think.

Another fun fact about Eliot that lines up pretty perfectly with this theory! In The Last Dam Job he tells Nate that before he killed a man not in the line of duty, "he had God in his heart, and he had a flag on his shoulder." and "he has not seen that kid for 10 years”. The Last Dam Job aired in 2012, making Eliot (per Christian Kane’s age during filming/airing) to be about 39, suggesting that Eliot had not killed a man outside of his military line of duty for the US Army until he was 29. This lines up really well with the extrapolated information from The Two-Horse Job that Eliot was last home, presumably post-discharge, at 28.

No detailed puzzle pieces yet on where Hardison grew up, though he also went through the foster system, albeit without as much implied bouncing from home to home as Parker did. Plus he stayed in it until he was 18, versus Parker who ran away and never went back. Ditto on Sophie, though I think we’ll never really know for Sophie, since it could risk the Mystery. xD And Nate we know was a born and raised Boston boy (season 2 ep 1).

Addendum/Note: The assumption that the characters are relative to their actor’s ages plays out pretty closely for all 3 of the younger members of the team (Eliot, Hardison, Parker), and at this point also does for Sophie (mystery woman in her 40s, Gina Bellman was 42 during season 1). But we do have canon info on Nate’s birthdate, assuming his passport in The Lost Heir Job is accurate and not a fake, meaning that Timothy Hutton is 5 years older than Nate.

[peaches-of-1]

Peachtober | Day 14: Overgrown

Black!Reader x Monster Woo

Summary: Monster Woo is a simple man who sells flowers for a living and you are an Instagram photographer. Your models’ faces are better known than you yourself, but Woo wants to see what’s behind the camera.

Genre: Fluff

Moodboard and reaction requests open! Mstrlst in bio!

During a sunny Spring Day, a new shipment of flowers come in at 꽃벌 (play on words of flower and bee). It is the largest one since it is the start of the season. Valentine's Day is long gone, and White Day was a hit. All of the red and white roses being 70% of the seasonal inventory and now going back to its regular 40% since roses would sell no matter what season or occasion.

Youngwoo rolled up his burgundy sleeves to help the part time worker carry large sacks of fertilizer and dirt into the back while she balanced seedlings and vases under her arms and even atop her coily buzzcut.

“Naveah, once you’re done bringing in all the pots, can you start organizing them please?” He asked.

“Sure, Big Daddy.” She replied.

The tall man sighed, “I told you to stop calling me that.”

Naveah just smiled in response and continued to carry the rest of the product until the truck was empty. Then she began sorting pots by height and material while Woo worked on answering calls and writing down some new clients and jobs they were wanted for. A few weddings, a birthday, two divorce parties. One he turned down because they were planning on burning flowers, and he could never imagine putting his beautiful gifts through that.

A young woman about 20 or older came in dressed in purple slacks, heels to match, and a white shirt. Her typha colored hand reaching into her purse for her phone to check if she was at the right location.

She entered the store and Woo told the woman on the phone, “One second.”

“Hello.”

“Hello, I am Y/N and I run a photography blog. I was wondering if you would be interested in hiring me to take pictures of your flowers for advertising. I have experience with both still life and live models.” She said, setting her card down on the desk.

Woo picked it up and read the Hangul and the English translation. She was a photographer for sure.

“Why does your name seem so familiar?”

She gave a smile, “A few of my models have walked during Seoul Fashion Week this past bit cuz they saw my photos.”

He smiled, “Ah, right. It seems like  with a face like yours, you would be the one in front of the camera.”

Y/N began to blush, “Oh, um. Thank you.”

The two just stared at each other and smiled for a moment before she spoke up.

“Well, I should get going. You have a phone call to get back to.”

Woo nodded, “Oh, right. Yes. It was nice meeting you and I will be in contact.”

The woman left and the florist finished the call, thankful they hadn't hung up. Y/N...jeez she was beautiful.

The sound of a glass vase breaking snapped the tall man out of his daze. He sighed and called out the worker's name before heading over to get the broom to hand to her.

After work, Woo locked up and said farewell to his worker before taking a taxi home. Before going to bed, he looked up the Instagram page that was on the card Y/N gave him.

She was really good. Like, it was so much better than he had expected. Pictures of flowers in vases and people and so many beautiful faces. A lot of her stuff was currently flower based. It seemed she didn’t delete the stuff from her early days either. The camera quality had gome up so much too. Woo couldn’t help but like one of them that made him think of a tattoo. Wait, no.

It was from 4 years ago! She was going to think he was a creep! No, no. Y/N wouldn’t do that, right? It was just a possible employer checking out an employee’s past work to see if it would affect his current business. He made up his mind. Woo would hire the beautiful black girl to work for his company. All of his current photos were taken by him and Naveah, so they weren’t that great. If they could up the photo quality of the inventory, then they would sell more.

The large man soon fell asleep thinking about what floral arrangements he would make for each tier. Each one was linked with a color, so he could make it monochrome. Or maybe most of that color. Y/N looked really cute in purple. Hair like an allium.

The next day at the shop, Youngwoo called her while setting up the flowers he would use for this week’s specialty arrangement.

“Hello, this is Photobomb Productions, Y/N speaking.” She said in English and then repeated it in Korean.

Woo smiled, “Hello. This is Youngwoo from 꽃벌. I would like to take you up on your offer of becoming our floral photographer. I have been meaning to take some new pics for some summer deals.”

He could hear her squaling out of excitement in the background and then she cleared her throat and talked professionally, “That is great to hear. What day or time would the photographic subjects be ready for me to photograph?”

“Today is Friday, so I will be busy all weekend. I can get them done by either Tuesday or Wednesday since I already have sketches. All I have to do it put them together.”

“Perfecto! How does Tuesday at 2pm sound?” Y/N asked.

Woo looked at his schedule, “I have a delivery at 1:30 in the afternoon, but I will probably have my worker handle that one.”

“I see. Alright, well, I will see you then. Do not hesitate to call me if we have to move it to Wednesday. Have a nice day.”

“You too.” Woo replied and the woman hung up.

“Who was that, Big Daddy?” his worker asked, carrying in a box of seeds to set up in the seed bin near the front.

He rolled his eyes, “That woman who came in yesterday. A photographer. She’s gonna take photos for us from now on. I’m gonna be up late drafting up a contract and then we’ve gotta--” The tattooed florist sighed. “I shouldn’t bore you with technicalities. Let’s get these arrangements done.”

“Let me bring over the vases.” The short haired woman said.

Woo looked at the workbench, “Neveah, where are the Calla Lilies?” he asked after her.

“We had two weddings that wanted them, so we are getting an emergency shipment in, but not until tomorrow.” She replied, making sure the seed packets fell flat before adding more on.

He nodded, “Right. Right. Um…” then he remembered the thought he had last night and went to a sky blue bucket and picked out a bulbous purple flower with a long stem. “We’ll use these today instead.”

And so for the next few minutes before the sign was flipped, the two made matching arrangements. Neveah had always wanted to do more now that her probation was up. Woo’s shop was known for flowers and arrangements, served weddings of all types and even funerals. The most important thing about it was who it employed, however. Former convicts and people who were needed someplace to work while on probation.

Youngwoo believed that everyone deserved a second chance and that humans could change, which is why he hired who he did.

“Ah, it didn’t come out as well as yours.” Neveah said as hers had a bit of a bend in the long stem and just seemed overall more messy than the one her boss made.

“Don’t worry about it. This is only the third one you’ve ever made, so I think you did really well. In fact, yours will go on the box instead of mine so people will see it first.” The man set hers onto the white wooden box in the window and placed his next to it.

Dark pink roses and sunflowers graced the top of the white vase with solid aster placed in here and there. The allium rested above each one like a proud head. They would stay in the front for the week and then they would be dead and turned into compost for a nearby flower nursery.

The woman smiled and then it was time to flip the sign. Business didn’t pick up until around lunch which was the usual thing. People buying either a single flower or a dozen on the way to a date. When Neveah left for the day, Yieun clocked in and hugged Woo having started this business together before she tried and failed to become an idol.

“Is the car filled up yet? Remember, I have to drop off some stuff for a business meeting and a 16th birthday today.” She said.

“It’s all packed up and ready to go. Feel free to double check, but it had been pretty quiet today.” He replied. “Ah, are there business cards still inside?”

Tuesday came, and Woo was nervous to see her again. They had talked over the phone for the past couple of days to finalize things. Y/N was really kind but he could tell how much her work meant to her. It was a small business that she was ultimately running on her own and often didn’t get paid for her time because people hardly ever took the arts seriously. Photography was no exception.

People thought it was just sitting in good lighting, point and click, which it wasn’t.

Woo had three different arrangements made for each color level. White, green, purple, and yellow. Each added the amount of flower types and the default price was a clear glass vase. A custom vase color/type would cost $3 extra. The second and third were in custom vases and set up in the workshop.

It was extra clean for today and there were no arrangements to be made. Mondays through Wednesdays were the slowest of the slow most of the time. That meant today was perfect for Y/N to come in.

She arrived right on time in a yellow long sleeve top tucked into a rainbow skirt and white and rainbow shoes. Rainbow accessories too, but carrying a duffle bag of work stuff.

Yieun was out on her current delivery, so Woo fixed his brows and hair before greeting her with a poliot bow.

“Hello, Y/N. How are you doing today? Have you eaten?” He asked.

“I am doing well, and yes I have. I went to a taco place. It was good, but the sauce stained the jacket I was wearing.” The woman sighed, tying her hair back before she set up everything.

It wasn’t the most glamorous thing, but Woo asked if he could watch. She said as long as he stayed behind the camera, it was ok. However, the man wasn’t watching the flowers, but instead watched how she worked. The way she bent over to get a better angle from her tripod and set up the lights.

She seemed so delicate, like she herself was a rose petal in need of much care. However, they way she pursed her lips seemed to go perfectly like thorns. The man knew she wasn’t thinking about him. Her eyes were on the flowers, but at the same time, Y/N was all he could think about for the past week.

Sometimes his imagination would try to run away with the idea of her, but that wasn’t fair to her. He barely knew her last name.

The shy and strong Woo was enchanted by the photographer. Ah, he wanted to say something to her. To ask her out, but she was so professional. This was just work for her, and he didn’t want to get in the way of her job. Still, wasn’t it worth a chance to at least get a proper answer instead of wondering “What if?”

“No, no.”

“Um, Youngwoo? Can you help raise this up a bit more?” She reached her brown hand towards the top of the light.

As the taller man helped her, he decided to just go for it, “Hey, um, Y/N. Feel free to say no, but I was um. I was wondering if you would possibly maybe want to go on a sort of kind of date with me?”

“Oh, um, sure. Right there is good.”

Woo tightened the stand, and she began taking pictures again.

“What kind of place were you thinking?” She asked. “Y’know, for our date? Dinner and a movie?”

“I’d like to take you on a picnic. I know it’s sort of cliche, but Han River is really nice and there’s usually some nice busking that goes on there.” He said was her felt his heart beat outside of his chest, “I am leaving the shop to Yieun and a part timer this weekend. We can do it then.”

Y/N smiled up at him as she stood on the other side of the arrangement, “Sounds like a plan, Youngwoo. I shall wear a dress.”

“You can wear anything you want. I’m sure you’ll look great.” The man answered earnestly.

A surprised smile before Yieun called for him. Woo said he’d be right back and went to go talk to his co-worker about what had to be done. It wasn’t much. Just a bit of organizing here and there and sweeping. Simple things that took a while.

“By the way~” She whispered. “Did you ask her out? Niveah said she’s all you talk about.”

“I did.” He replied, playing coy.

“And? Did she say yes?”

A smile broke out on his face, “She did.”

Yieun put her hands up for a high five and asked for details one their hands met in celebration.

The following days, Woo kept sending his friend photos for potential outfits. She kept telling him to ditch the dress shirts because he looked awkward in them. It was just a casual thing, so he went with some gray sneakers, khakis, and a black and white striped top. Because of the pollen forecast, he opted out of contacts and just wore his glasses. The most expensive thing he wore was his gold watch from a birthday.

He had decided on a simple picnic instead of the ferry for dinner. Maybe if things went well, but he didn't wanna look too far ahead. He knew of a spot away from the main busy area where a few weeping willows provided the perfect shade.

“Youngwoo-ssi!” Her familiar voice called.

The man was breathless as could be as Y/N walked towards him, her copper skin covered in a blue and white dress that allowed for her arm to be bare except for a gold and white bracelet. Simple makeup other than a pink matte lip that accented her smile.

They bowed and greeted each other.

“You look...amazing.” He couldn’t help but stared.

“Thank you. You look great, too. I think this is my first time seeing you without an apron on.” She replied.

Woo smiled in response, “Thank you. I have a super special spot for us. A friend told me about it.”

She smiled, “Sounds great.”

“Have you had any other clients lately?” He asked.

“Oh my gosh, so I had this really sweet woman come in yesterday with her pregnant wife so that we can do the pregnancy announcement pictures and stuff. This is fine. I had it set up and such for that because she made an appointment.”

The tall man smiled, “Oh, that is really nice.”

“However, she went into labor in the middle of me taking the photos.”

“She what?”

“Right?

Woo asked, “Did she not know she was going to give birth?”

Y/N shrugged dramatically, “I guess not, but luckily, my next door neighbor is in her last year of training to become a nurse. She helped to deliver the baby in my bathtub.” She laughed. “I spent most of the day cleaning it.”

Both of them laughed at the whole story. That’s what it was like to have an at home studio as a photographer.

“Ah, here it is.”

Behind the leaves of a willow tree, there was a perfect little alcove where a red gingham blanket was spread out and food was separated between the two in the form of sandwiches. Conversation flowed smoothly as the overgrown tree provided shade for the couple that fate decided to put together. They talked about work and of family.

Kim Youngwoo blushed when she complimented him on being a good person, taking in people society had rejected because of a series of bad mistakes.

He told her about how he just wanted to help people like him, how the U.S. basically deported him back to Korea because of--

“I don’t care what you did, Youngwoo.” Y/N said honestly. “You’re obviously not the same person you were back then, or at least you are doing much better. Besides, that isn’t the person I’m starting fall for.”

“Who are you starting to fall for?” Woo asked, hoping his heart was beating for all the right reasons.

She bit her lip and then looked up at him after hesitating to say the truth, “You.”

[the-void-walking-hunter]

●General●

Full name:  Elizabeth 

Nicknames: The Void Walker

Age: 25

Gender/Gender Identity: Female 

Sexual orientation: Bi-curious 

Ethnicity: American 

Languages: English and a bit of everything else but not great at it.

Place of birth: New Iberia, Louisiana

[“This woman is not a lady, this woman has more guts, the most hardened vet with southern charm a mean vocabulary and a soft spot for whisky. Sadly she is from a less  updated world where certain words are commonplace and has monsters just like here.” Unknown ]

●Personality●

General description: To all with sensitive ears and beliefs you might wanna stay away from this cowgirl. She was a lean mean monster hunting machine back home and here it makes no difference now with the benefits of possibly being the oldest person in the realm who has been here the longest. She of course is from a much different time not long after the civil war that took a different spin for the worst where demons hell hounds and the dead roam and need killing. Here she puts her past work to good use only without her rifle by her side but still keeping a cross with her in her nun outfit.

Strengths: She knows how to make a killer day worse even being able to kill them if people heard right with ways to fix a gen or fix a wound.

Weaknesses: She has a bad temper with meaner vocab making most around her uncomfortable  

Fears: Of going back into the void

Goals 'and dreams: Of killing The Entity.

Positive traits: She can be a fun gal and share wisdom.

Negative traits: Can say racist things at times although she not.

Occupation: Monster Hunter/Bounty Hunter

Hobbies/Interests: Reading her bible, drinking like a drunk.

Achievements: Has killed killers and came out of the void alive

[“The girl may say things you hear a racist man would say like it is commonplace but her wisdom and fighting skill are unmatched." Bill]

●Not Going Gently Into That Good Night●

Usage: [You died before here and saw the other side and won’t go back without a fight. This perk has two different styles one for in a trap like the bear traps and one for the hook. If you are trapped on a hook you can only use it once but if you are in a bear trap you have a cool down. If the killer is close you are able to break free but kicking them in the face or gut punching them stunning them for a bit]

Level Unlock: 30

Cool down: [120 seconds ]

Related Quote: "I won't die like to bitch if those killers want me they will have to fight me!"

●Old Cowgirl Wisdom●

Usage: [People think just because it's old or from an older person it's worthless but you know better. You can use any item to any task but it takes more out of it]

Level Unlock: 40

Cool down: [None]

Related Quote: "These old eyes saw many things and before I was put in the void I learned more then any kid nowadays."  

●Cheater●

Usage: [Being in the void opened the mind to more things and taught you how to make the entity your pawn. After you are unhooked you make the hook unable to use for 120 seconds. If someone else has the same perk it can’t be used]

Level Unlock: 50

Cool down: [N/A]

Related Quote: "The Lord gave me strength and I used the entity to be my slave." 

[“Pretty good for a rich plantation girl right?"  

●Physical/Appearance●

Eyes: Used to be blue but now red.

Hair: Long white hair

Skin colour: Pale 

Skin detail: a bit soft 

Body type: Skinny

Default Clothing: [A nun outfit fitted to be used in gun fights with a holster on her hip a cross necklace around her neck and a bible on her other side of her hip]

Voice: [Tough]

Other: [Has old bullet hole scars and other scars on her chest and back.]

[“I wonder how would Robert E. Lee do here? If i had to guess not to well without help.”] 

●Bio●

Backstory: [Elizabeth was born from a rich plantation girl and a poor hunting boy. The father died while watching over her when she was no more than five or six years old by a demonic bear protecting her till his last breath. Her mom took her in as a family secret but after she kept warning them about the monsters hiding in the woods they decided to send her into nunnery but even then she still saw the beast following her. The pastor was thankfully a good man who believed her, once being an old bounty hunter who saw too much blood teaching her the way of a gun slinger. When she turned 21 the civil war was raging on when one dare stories of monsters came attacking both the south and north armys. It wasn't long before the monster attacked the people with her meeting the same battle ridden bear that killed her old man. The pastor hid Colt Paterson in his bible but died before getting it but Elizabeth thankfully dropped the gun in holy water before putting the damn bear done and on that day she and the country changed. The war was over with both sides deciding that they had a bigger problem lincoln tell the country about the new bounty hunting system with robert e lee having his old men make his gang as Elizabeth made her own gang wearing the same clothes only outfitted to kill having a old china man make her a special Colt Paterson to kill any monster or man dead quickly. By 25 she was a legend and one of the top hunters in the world but she met her match when she was taken by the entity even then she kept her fighting spirit before sadly being thrown into the void when she was useless and out of fight. It was horrible in the void till one day she heard music and saw the outline of a pretty young woman from the void and so she used all the strength she can to pull herself out of the void becoming a new woman and again a survivor who will fight back with the added bonus of seeing things a bit differently. ]

[“That girl….shit am i some fag or something? ”]

[jq37]

[obligatory recap ask]

**spoilers for subway skirmish and borough of dreams**

@kickmuncher3 and @galfast: ty for your asks, I’ll use them for the next two recaps. this is probably the least efficient way for me to handle this but I want to keep all of these visually consistent dammit. 

One of the funniest things about this season of D20 is most if not all of the cast has lived in NYC which manifests as very specific references and in character complaints that you just know come from a place of truth and experience. Which is to say we got a lot of that in these episodes.  

Also, this has nothing to do with anything but living in NY update: On Sunday, I saw a man hanging upside-down from a tree--by his feet--and playing the flute. And barely anyone registered it at all. So I really cannot stress enough how much New York is Like That.

Pete opening the fight by blasting a fireball and then telepathically calling out Kingston is--como se dice--a Power Move.

Brennan *immediately* channels the opposite of whatever energy Emily's on and goes right for Ricky's dog to the horror of everyone at the table and his absolute delight. Like, it's a spectral dog but still. Bro. Dog. 

Kingston taking the heat metal damage to get Epona to drop him is so raw. But then, for the rest of the fight, he doesn't say a single thing except for his Command spells which is a very different kind of raw. 

Question: Is Riz's mom the only good cop that exists in D20?

I know this was an RP ep and I know they knew it was gonna be an RP ep but I wonder what would have happened if they had pretended to cooperate with Epona to get more info. Probably just an extended RP ep that would have segued into this same fight eventually. But I'm curious about what information they let get eaten by a swarm of rats.

Misty's Irresistible Dance spell is very clutch. 

The gators from the last fight are back in the form of Kug's summons and one of them still has a grudge against Misty. Misty is all, "send me your resume!" because she appreciates the spunk. I was starting a sentence about what the hell play this sentient gator is going to be in but as soon as I hypothetically asked it my brain was like, "Peter Pan. Next question."

Y'all, this really was Kug's fight. Between calling the roaches, crocs, and gators, channeling Moonshine to call lightning, and killing Epona within 40 mins of the ep, he truly was on fire. Good for him. He also turns into a bear but specifically a bear that would have escaped from the zoo. It's the little details that make this show great. 

Brennan putting his foot down on tying rats together not being acrobatics is the eternal DM mood. 

Back to Epona for a second, do we think she was working for Robert directly? Someone connected to him? Something else? When her shadow split after Ricky's attack was that meaningful or just flavor? Where did that badge come from? Has it always existed? What does destroying it mean? It didn't seem to help. The bad cop ghosts were still around, just no one could control them at that point. If they had yoinked that badge, could they have had a summoning item that hey could use? Or is it bad karma to use something like that? Is it still bad if you're forcing the bad cops to do good stuff? Did Brennan anticipate this or is the Coach Daybreak 2: Electric Boogaloo? Lots of questions.

Misty's cutting words to the cop (saving Ricky) making the Law and Order "DUN DUN" noise is great. 

Emily ends up not needing to roll to make rat nunchucks because her health goes low enough that her magic ring activates but I feel like she low key wanted rat nunchucks. 

Wild that Kingston went down for just long enough for it to be cinematic before being revived by Misty ("Get up, old man,")

Also wild that this whole fight only took about 45 seconds of in game time. It makes sense if you think about it the way you would a movie and that's how most D&D fights are but that's so much play time for so little game time and it hit me this ep because I was actually keeping track of rounds. 

Anyway, I have not mentioned up until this point that the whole crux of this fight is to last long enough for Alejandro to roll high enough to summon the train to Nod but, long story short, Pizza Rat shows up to save the day. Does that make more sense in context? Marginally. 

I like that the train to Nod shows up on the wrong side of the tracks. Like I said, man. Details. 

Oh and to my above point about the cast making comments about NY as people who have lived in NY, I loved Brennan looking directly at the camera when he was going off on people who just stand at the door like idiots while you're trying to get in and then Siobhan pokes like half her head into frame so she can also stare directly into the camera. Mood.

When Ally said Pete shoots Kingston I half believed it for a good couple of seconds. I was right there with Lou. 

OK, so I don't know how many of you have watched Sharkboy and Lavagirl (and, if you haven't feel free to skip this bullet) but no movie has brought me more enjoyment overall than SB&LG. Not because it's good because it's not. But it's so insane that it's amazing. It's right in the sweet spot. I always say, if it was any better, it would be Spy Kids 3 and, therefore, unwatchable (SK 1 + 2 are dope as hell though, for the record). I bring it up because the way Brennan describes Nod reminds me a lot of Drool in SB&LG. Like, the rollercoaster subway car def could be in the same universe as the Train of Thought. This is all to say that I think Brennan could have written a version of SB&LG that was better without being worse. Idk if that comes across as complimentary, but it is, and to both parties actually. 

From the way Nod (the kid) is being framed (in this ep and the next) I know we're not supposed to mistrust him but, put in that situation, there is no way I would trust the gray faced, black eyed, creepily gliding dream child. 

Post fight, Kingston wants to offer an apology for what he said about Pete and Nod wants to apologize for putting Pete in his current situation. Also, the group decides to be more open in general. Kug, as most of us guessed, got beauty and the beasted for white collar crime by his business partner (Gabby) who is Esther's mom and a witch (also, Ricky thinks his crush on Esther is a secret which is just adorable and completely incorrect).  

Brennan cuts sharing time off because this is the combat episode dammit! Save it for next session. But, because I'm behind, next session is now! Let's get into The Borough of Dreams.

Misty, as a faerie, is instinctively mistrustful of vising other magical worlds and eating the food or taking things at face value. I love that she's playing a character where she can ask these questions and not be meta-gaming because I had some of the same concerns. 

Wildly, WALLY walks out of the train as he just happened to be on it (as conductor) at the time. Kug bursts out with the fact that he's his dad and Wally takes this to mean that Rat Jesus is his bio dad but, even after being left alone for so many years, he claims Bruce as his real dad. He's wrong but he's sweet. 

"I thought you were mad at me." Brennan, you didn't have to do that.

Murph clearly trying to not accidentally call Wally a piece of shit because that's his go to Kug way to describe things is so funny.

"We could turn me into a rat." WALLY

Kingston and Misty looking at each other like, "These absolute children," while Pete and Soph are making Brittney Spears references. 

So we find out what all of the magic stuff they picked up does. Misty's mirror can see invisibility. Pete's grill helps with persuasion. The thousand hour energy makes you immune to sleep for 42 days(!) The bagel can be used for divination or to essentially kill a person but spread their essence throughout the universe  (which low key sounds like a sacrifice someone might make to help cancel the spread of say an undead presence or a money virus). 

I want Ricky and Wally to be friends forever. 

Kingston's lack of connection to the dream world is so sad. Like, he's no nonsense but he's like NO NONSENSE. Like no nonsense possible. So he's just walking around like Eddie Valiant in Toontown. 

And, at the same time, the rest of the party is doing the MOST nonsense. Mary Poppins-ing into the sky. Misty is making out with the moon. Wild. 

SOBER SALAD

Ally drops the ketamine on the tomatoes line and Brennan fully breaks

Very sweet for Pete to bring Kingston a salad, even though that's such a random food to just have in your pocket(???). Why does salad keep coming up on this show? One more time and it's officially a motif.

So the dream world basically works on Sharkboy and Lavagirl/Xanth/Phantom Tollbooth/Wonderland/Toontown logic. If you've seen/read any of those, you basically have it down. 

"Only people with Sprint have service."/"Oh, amazing!" Brennan threw that softball out for anyone who wanted it and Emily, as usual, hit it out of the park.

Brennan very clearly knows his NY history. The mob boss (lucky Luciano, no not that one) that he mentioned during the sleeping with the fishes bit is a real dude and basically the dude who brought organized crime to the US (in the form we know it now). 

Ricky and the mints. Lord.

Anyway, the one item I didn't mention earlier is the holy grail detergent which can literally clean souls. Which sounds mighty interesting considering some of the other stuff that's come up this campaign. 

(Also, I wonder if you could use the bagel as spell components since it contains everything in the universe in microcosm).

I can't believe Pete was the one saying, "At least eat before you shotgun that 1000 hour energy." By the by, the 42 hour span of the energy drink makes me suspicious. Is that just for humor (and accurate math) or it this a Chekov's Gun kind of an item indicating some kind of time jump at some point? Ricky drinks it later in this ep so, if there's a clock attached to that, it's ticking. I'm prob reading into this but I assume if you're still reading these, this is what you're here for. 

Ally making sawing motions before being told an egg creme has nothing to do with eggs and is in fact a drink.

Pete! OK, so Pete has made some good steps in this ep, starting with promising to start reining in the drug usage. Later he works on his magic and also gets over Priya. This is the most endeared I've been to him all season. Especially his, "I try to do a good job," line. I felt that. 

"It's still open to you." Aw.

Brennan clearly saw the chance for a lore drop this ep and boy did it drop. Let's run through the highlights.

Nod dumped all this on Pete the way they did because it's super super hard to contact a Vox Phantasmus beforehand due the the natural, waking world inclination to brush off dreams. You have to have the job before you can talk to the boss. Cruddy system but that's how it goes. 

When Sophie said the thing about Robert Moses creating spaces that can't be accessed she meant by magic but it's an interesting way to phrase it because the irl Robert Moses is known for (allegedly, but like, it tracks) trying to keep black people out of certain spaces. 

Robert Moses sold his soul to Hell and Faerie which is why he's still alive it seems. No one wants to collect on his soul and anger the other party.

Whoever predicted that the golden door for Emma Laz's poem was the rectangle from episode one, collect your prize because it's confirmed in this ep. 

We learn about the ephemeral axiom which basically says, a dream can be all things but once it manifests, it's a single thing. (you might even say, "it is what it is".)

So another big thing we learn is that if a dream gets so big that manifesting them in the real world would break the game, it's called a Paragon. There are four total: Heaven, Hell, Faerie, and The American Dream. (Wild that The American Dream is the only country specific one that exists. Like, I rep my home team of course but the U.S. is a pretty latecomer to the country party. You'd think someone else might have gotten Paragon status at some point.)

"Was one of them the Grand Canyon?"

Anyway, dragging the American Dream into the waking world would fix the American Dream to mean one thing--I assume making tons of money if Robert Moses has his way. I'll admit, I was a  little fuzzy on the mechanics of this on my first watch-through because pulling the American Dream into the real world sounds like it should be a good thing. But I think, at the most basic level, it's a matter of you shouldn't put magic that shouldn't be in a box in a box. I'm still wondering about the exact implications for the waking world if he succeeds though. Like, how would that manifest? Would everyone suddenly become money hungry (lol, how would you tell)? Would people still want what they want but the American Dream would just be understood to mean making stacks and none of the good Superman-y stuff?

"It's not Protestant work ethic is it?"

Robert Moses is undead and can't get into Nod, so those are good things to note. 

I was so ready for Wally is get dispelled and for him to be a figment of Kug’s imagination or a dream or something. I braced myself so much. I was ready to set up a firing squad for Brennan for doing that to Kug.  

Who tipped the bugsters off to where Pete was gonna be? As far as I can tell, the only people that knew were the gang plus Alejandro and Esther. Maybe someone was scrying on them and that’s what the roll Zac failed during the wedding ep was. 

As soon as Brennan mentions locking the door, Ally immediately makes the connection and goes, "Key to the city." Nod "locks" the American Dream and gets rid of the lock which seems to mean the American Dream is temporarily unavailable. Which seems not good and like it's gonna have collateral damage for sure but I guess you bad is a matter of degrees and Robert getting in would be worse. But still, imagine your immigration papers get declined because some random kid decided to close down the American Dream for a couple of days. 

So, we get some backstory of Misty. She apparently just was straight up not having a good time in Faerie so she stole Titania's shoes (allowing her to be in iron-filled NYC without triggering her fairy vulnerability) and peaced out. 

"She's gonna kill you."/"Only if she can get here and I have her Goddamn shoes." (**A million airhorns in the distance**)

I love that Emily is still on the souls thing. Emily doesn't believe in Occam's Razor. In fact, I'd like to propose a corollary called the Axford Axiom: The coolest path between two points probably isn't the correct one, but it should be! I want her to run a campaign so bad so I can see her be in a game where her crazy endgame is what's going on because she's the one who wrote it. 

Misty: Let's go to hell!

So much like a videogame, the map has opened up and we have three places to check out. The former locations in the dream world of Faerie (Carnagie Hall), Heaven (JFK airport), and Hell (where do you think? Hell's Kitchen). The gang splits up to look for clues (and drinks, in Misty's case). Actually, make that four places: Pete goes to the Met Museum of Memories to basically Avatar mind meld with the other Voxes and get a handle on his magic to a degree (thank God--Nod?). We'll take these in order of appearance, which means we're off to Hell with Kug and Ricky (plus Ox and Wally).

(Focus on the Pizza, baby!)

At first I wanted Ricky, the good boy, to go to Heaven, but the idea of a firefighter in Hell also has appeal. 

Re The rat holding his guts: Gross. 

Ricky holding his axe like a cell phone.

So we and Kug learn that the rat-spell that was cast on him wasn't actually a rat-spell. It was a spell that would make his outsides reflect his insides and his insides happened to suck. I'm wondering if that means that it's a static spell that reflects his outsides at the time it was cast and it would need to be recast to reflect any moral progress made or if it will just revert him once he's made enough progress. 

I'm also wondering (partially bc one of my players asked to do this last session) can a Druid wildshape into a person? I feel like no, but like, did any of you ever read Animorphs? You know how in book 1 Tobias gets stuck as a red-tailed-hawk but then later her gets his morphing ability back and then he can turn back into his human form for 2 hours at a time? What if Kug just started doing that? Just being a rat who is sometimes a dude. 

They also go to the statue of liberty (which has a French accent, natch) who shows them that there's, like, a money/greed virus infecting the Dreaming and the American Dream. Ricky smells undeath again. They think vampires. That's plausible but I'm not sure. 

OK, Heaven. 

WHOOOO, strap in y'all

(Sidenote: I wonder what would have happened if Soph hadn't chose to go to heaven. I feel like she could have easily run into you know who in hell had she chose to go there, but I'm getting ahead of myself).

Brennan actually tries to lead Emily into the thinking about Dale mindset but Emily, having reached a note of closure in Soph's character arc, pushes back on that.

honeyougotastormcoming.gif

Brennan,about to wreck her entire life: Cool.

I and the cast keep saying heaven a lot but it's like an all roads lead to Rome situation. It's heaven, Valhalla, Elysium, nirvana. Like, whatever Good Place you believe in. It's the Good Place. 

Sophie, upon being told that if she jumps into the fight at the Pearly Gates she knows nothing about, she might literally die: And what about it?

Emily's face when Brennan says, "And you see Dale," is so much. You can see the entire range of human emotion in her eyes in that moment.

Sidenote: I wonder how much of her backstory Emily planned and how much Brennan dropped on her. Like, she knew Isabella was part of her backstory obv. Did Brennan come up with all of this whole-cloth or did she say she wanted there to be something supernatural and and let him fill in the details. Very curious about the collaborative process.  

 When Dale's character art comes up, it says "Sophie's Angel" for Dale's descriptor so where I thought we were going was that Dale was Sophie's Guardian Angel who wasn't supposed to be romantically involved with her and the reason he was gone is that he was forcibly brought back to heaven. But that may be because I recently watched this.

Dale, is upsettingly sweet with Sophie, calls her "sweetie" the entire time they're together, fights a ton of angels to get to her, and says he got her text message. Emily is about to cry. *I'm* about to cry. I'm sure the only reason Brennan isn't fistpumping is because he needs to stay in character. 

Dale gives this cryptic piece of advice before he is dragged off by angel guards: When you get to the top, I know what it'll seem like, but there is someone there.

Emily, of course: I fight the angels.

The angels, hilariously, don't take it personally that she's fighting them--and very well, but not well enough to beat a nat 20. Sometimes the dice are spooky in tune with the story.

"He's got a job to do here. Who's gonna watch the deer?"

Dale also tells Soph to tell Jackson he said hi which is interesting to say the least. 

Emily gets two very dope lines in a row:

"Let me hold your hand through this Alejandro."

"I'm gonna kill her. And I don't think she's going to the great big airport in Brooklyn."

That's it for her for now, but let's put a pin in that for now and come back to it after we check in with the others. 

Siobhan and Kingston are at the former spot of Faerie, the Glamour Bar.

Zac jokingly (I think) guessing Dr. Doolittle as the thing Siobhan can't remember when she says Eliza Doolittle is so funny. 

Also, her terrible cockney British accent on top of her actual British accent is great.

I love that the two actual Real Adults are the ones who go and get wasted mid-mission. 

Brennan introduces "Bobby Goodfellow" and it takes Siobhan exactly four seconds after Brennan finishes the word "Goodfellow" to be like, "It's Puck." She knew and she knew her character would know it and she hardcore pounced.  

I meant to mention this before but it's super funny that Kingston has been around the magical block but there's still so much he doesn't know. He was surprised by a bunch of stuff in this ep that I'd think he would know about (like the Midsummer's faeries being real) but nah. He's like, "This is my specific brand of magic nonsense. That's what I know about. I don't mess around with any of *that* stuff. I stay in my lane. I stay in my city."

Ty Brennan for teaching me how to pronounce sláinte. This is the first time I'm hearing it out loud. 

I love his Puck voice. Like, the little British street urchin voice.  

No big surprise, Puck sent the mirror on the order of Oberon and Titania (who are not back together but are knocking boots according to him). 

Puck warns Misty, "The world of mortals is not long for this world," and follows it up with a seemingly sincere, "Come home. We miss you," which is an interesting thing to say after announcing that Titania is gunning for her. Who is this we, Puck? Your boss wants to bodyslam her!

Also, what do the faeries know that they're not saying? All of them in the bar seemed to know something was off but none of them said anything and Puck didn't elaborate. 

I've always liked the trope of the person from the otherworldly, magical or super advanced being like, "Idk what you're talking about. Humans are great!" because it's the opposite of the snooty elf/vulcan/whatever trope that I really can't stand. Misty showed shades of that in this conversation but I feel like there's still so much that we're missing in her backstory and I wanna know what it is.  

(Also, this is prob just me being a little pepe silvia but I would be very unsurprised if Misty got an opportunity to betray the party at some point. Don't @ me. It's just something I could see myself offering to a player for the drama of it all). 

Anyway, Kingston is extremely uncomfortable in the bar and makes a hasty exit so let's go to the museum with Pete and Nod.

Ally jumps onto the, "Suggested donations are for suckers" train w/ Siobhan. 

Turns out, Pete f'd up Robert up so much that he has kind of a brain link with him. I wonder how long that's gonna last. 

Pete gets proficiency in arcana and a choice between lesseing wild magic surges or gaining some control over them (2 wild magic rolls on a fail and ally gets to choose which effect takes place). Obv the second one is more fun rp-wise so that's what Ally picks.

It's a memory museum so OF COURSE he gets a chance to look at the memories of the rest of the party. But it's getting late so he only has a chance to check on one person's memories. He, naturally, picks Kingston. Makes perfect sense from an RP perspective but out of character I feel like Misty is the most closed book of the party. 

Pete sees Kingston's life from his childhood to the present (Brennan puts Lou on the spot to do some improv...I mean beyond the improv they're already doing) and it's about what you would expect based on what we know about Kingston but it's very beautifully described (sidenote: did any of y'all ever watch the life and times of juniper lee? where she can't leave the city bc she's like the buffy of that world? I really felt shades of that, except more self imposed).

During that montage, a character is like, "You could make hundreds of millions of dollars--I mean, I'm exaggerating," (s/t like that) and I'm not gonna go back and check but I feel like Brennan (or maybe Lou) made almost exactly the same comment in the first ep of this season in a very similar context.

Oh, also, Kingston gets dubbed Vox Populi by a dragon on Bleecker Street in case you were wondering about logistics. 

Again, Nod says that inviting Liz into his life was basically dooming Liz to be stuck dealing with the Unsleeping City but I feel like unless you have a Vox position or something similar you should be able to, like, opt out. So what you need to ignore some weird stuff day to day? May I direct you to my earlier anecdote about the flute dude in the tree. New Yorkers are good at that. And if she moved away, would it even be an issue?

Actually, that raises another question. Is NY the only place where magic is happening? It can't be because Santa is doing his thing at the North Pole. And NY has the Umbral Arcana which shields magic from muggles. Does that mean that elsewhere, magic just isn't hidden? I'm guessing that works because the bulk of magical happenings are happening in NY. Which, again, if so, couldn't Liz just move if she really wanted to? Or is she actually being *kept* there? 

Ahhhhh, that argument scene with Kingston and Liz. Ow. 

Robert's subconscious is heckling Kingston's memories the entire time. 

The party gets back together, Pete immediately lets Kingston know he was memory spying on him and hugs him (while Misty is drunk a singing over him). Their rift literally caused a kind of rift in NYC which is now healed (which causes Sophie to see the Unsleeping City/Dreaming Yin-Yang sign over their heads).

 Ricky drinks the 1000 hr energy so start the clock I guess. 

Misty, upon hearing that Dale is dead basically does that John Mulaney bit: Hey, do you want me to kill that guy for you? Because it sounds like [s]he sucks and I will totally kill that guy for you. 

It's the day of Priya's art show which I totally forgot was happening. Before that, Sophie finally goes to see her brother and we can return back to that pin I mentioned earlier.

(Also, it’s the 20th which means we’re getting really close to Christmas)

He says that their family got mixed up with the Confettis and they've been helping to launder magical items that Confetti is paying some rep from Hell (an associate of Robert's).

And by, "Some rep from hell," I mean Isabella Infierno specifically.

Emily, hilariously riffs for a while about how small it was of her to call Isabella a succubus even though she clearly knows at this point that Isabella is some kind of demon. I mean...Infierno. Come on. 

Sidenote: Which demon actually trying to be subtle would pick the last name Infierno? You wanna blow your cover for the aesthetic that bad?

Emily goes, "Oh my (beat) Nod," which I think is the exact way she dropped the first, "Oh Melora," in one of the first eps of Naddpod. 

Anyway, it turns out that Soph's family knew that Isabella was gunning for Dale (he was getting close to realizing something shady was going on) and, while they didn't call the shot, they let it happen.

Oh! He also says Dale was a chosen one from "some monastery" which, of course, fits in with Dale's comment about saying hi to Jackson. Now I'm wondering if his other comment--about there seeming like there's nothing at the top--is about whatever chosen one test he had to take to get the position to begin with. And maybe he was giving a clue to Sophie so that when she takes it, she'll for sure pass and get whatever dope powers or weapons or privileges come with the position. 

"The only reason I'm not going to go after you right now is because I'm not organized enough to give you the fucking revenge you deserve." Soph is cold as ice after hearing about what her family did. 

"Maybe you should have said that to Isabella before she went after me." Another mic drop line from Emily. This really was her episode. You can really see Emily channeling hr genuine emotional reactions into her character.  

La Gran Gata shows up to let Soph know she has her back to hunt down Isabella. The only other warlocks really seen played are Fjord on CritRole and Leiland on Bloodkeep so it's wild to see a character with such a chill relationship with their patron.

So, Priya's art show. They show up (to a distressingly unsafe building from Ricky's perspective) and it turns out, not only is it performance art (the worst kind) Pete *is* the art.

"I present to all of you: cruelty, a exploration of a relationship. Peter, take my hand."

major barf.

Pete goes OFF

Kingston: Picasso is art, this is bullshit!

Siobhan: Her last name is Danger? I hate this bitch.

Pete gets over Priya instantly which totally tracks because, like I said, barf. 

Sophie stealing Ricky's thing and rooftop jumping. Zac narrows his eyes when she says that.

I love Isabella's title card. It says, "Literal Succubus". It reminds me of the funniest scene in Bedazzled when the Devil (Liz Hurley) gives Brendan Frasier her business card and it just says, "The Devil".

But she's here and she's here to fight! I'm so excited for this one y'all! Unsafe building. Lots of civilians. Sophie (and Emily) going totally feral. I haven’t looked forward to a fight this much since Adaine went for Aelwen. Let's gooooo!

[something-tofightfor]

He’s Not Here - Part 10

Pairing: Billy Russo x Reader

Word Count: 4700

Rating: M (light swearing)

Author’s Note: I don’t own Billy’s character. I’m just writing this for fun.

Parts 1-9 can be found on my Masterlist (link in bio)!

Feedback is welcome - Always. I’d love to know what you think! Sorry about the delayed posting of this chapter... it’s a little longer than usual to make up for it. The night in question (drunk Billy) can be read about in the NSFW Alphabet’s “bonus” section (at the bottom). 

Summary:  You meet the Castles, Billy makes a revelation, and you remember something that acted as a catalyst for your current situation. 

** Takes place well before the events of Daredevil S2 and Punisher S1 **

Tagging: If you want to be added or removed, let me know.

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In the five days since you and Billy had talked about what was going on between you, things had fallen back into place much more easily than you would have imagined. True to his request, you’d stayed in his apartment until Monday morning, (you’d gone back to your place to get clothes, toiletries and your phone charger, which had ended with the two of you in your bed for a change) and the time had been more than enough to show you that Billy had truly meant what he said. 

There were still moments throughout the days when you saw that Billy’s eyes would lose focus, his jaw would lock and even your touch wasn’t enough to draw him out of his thoughts, but you were getting less and less worried. Billy had gone to two meetings with his friend Curtis, a man that had been honorably discharged from the military after losing most of his leg in combat. Curtis’ meetings were useful, Billy had said, and it was a good way for him to get used to being back home by being around people that he was comfortable with.

“Hey.” His gaze was soft, a smile on his lips as he opened the door of his apartment for you, gesturing for you to come in. He’d finally unpacked, and the place was looking lived in again. “Have a good day at work?” Billy was in the process of finding a job, so he was at home while you were in the middle of planning an event for the same company that you’d been working for when you met Billy… and the irony was not lost on you.

“Yeah.” You set your purse down on his table and allowed him to tug you into his chest, arms going around you. “Yeah, I had a meeting with Emily and her father today. They’re excited to work with us again.” Billy hadn’t reacted at your use of the woman’s name, but you pulled back and looked up at him nonetheless, wanting to see if he had any sort of response. After all, she’s the last woman he was in public with.

“She texted me today, actually.” Billy leaned down, his lips brushing over yours slowly. “Wanted to know if I was interested in being her date for the event again ‘for old time’s sake.’” He shrugged, pressing his lips to yours more forcefully, one of his hands sliding up your back. “I told her that I wasn’t interested.” You stared at him, and for a moment he looked confused before smiling again - this one a brilliant grin. “She’s going to be so mad when we walk in together.” Oh. we’re going together? I hadn’t even thought of that.

“I can’t antagonize her, Russo.” You sighed and his lips met your forehead. “At least not until we’re there and we’ve already been paid.” His laugh warmed you, even as he let you go and you moved past him into the kitchen, taking in the different dishes on the stove and counter. “What time are they coming, Billy?” Even though it was the middle of the week, Billy had decided that it was time for you to meet his best friend in person - so Frank and Maria Castle were coming to New York City to have dinner with the two of you.

“They should be here in about 40 minutes.” He stepped behind you, hand grazing your waist as he moved to the stove, picking up a slotted spoon and stirring one of the covered pots. “Just enough time for me to finish this, and for you to get changed if you want.” His attention was on the food in front of him, and you moved to the edge of the room, leaning against the door frame as you watched his movements. He’s so focused. A smile tugged at your lips as he moved gracefully from the stove to the fridge and then back, bending down to open the oven. I could get used to this. As if he could sense that you were watching him, Billy glanced back at you over his shoulder, long hair falling into his eyes as he winked at you. I think I’m already used to this.

---

“So, Bill and I met about six and a half years ago, and we hit it off right away.” Frank and Maria were sitting across the table from you, Frank gesturing with a beer bottle in his hand. “He’s the best friend I could have ever asked for, you know?” Billy shook his head, looking down before he sipped on his own beer. “Maria loves him and so do the kids.” Billy was grinning, red in the cheeks and his neck. “Bill said that he had something to tell us, though.” What? You looked over at Billy and he met your eyes for a moment before clearing his throat.

“Yeah. Well.” Billy set his bottle down and casually reached over to put his arm around the back of your chair, his fingertips closing around your shoulder. “I… we…” He paused, and you turned your head to stare at him. He’s telling them? “We had a conversation the other day, and I wanted you guys to come over and meet my...girlfriend.” I guess he is. Frank’s jaw dropped and Maria’s eyes widened, but both of them stayed silent. “I don’t really have many other friends, and I know that you’ve spoken to her before Frankie, but…” He sounded unsure for the first time, and you bit your lip, waiting.

Frank and Maria had been friendly when Billy had opened the door, though they both looked surprised to see you lounging on Billy’s couch. Dinner had been a lot of fun, with both the Castles falling into easy conversation with you and Billy about a variety of topics. And the dinner Billy had made? It was perfect. Garlic beef tenderloin with mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables and fresh baked bread had seemed like a literal feast, but Billy had pulled it off without difficulty, and again you’d been surprised at what the man could do. And he did it to … for me? “Billy, that’s… wonderful.” Maria was grinning, reaching her hand over to grip Billy’s tightly. “I’m happy for the two of you.” Your blush matched Billy’s, but it was Frank’s words that really got to you.

“Finally picking quality over quantity, eh Bill?” Frank smirked, shaking his head. “I knew there was something different about this one.” He jerked his chin in your direction, shaking his head back and forth. “All those video chats and the letters? Never seen you like that before, Russo. Glad you didn’t fuck it all up.” That broke the tension, and all four of you laughed, Billy leaning over to kiss you on the temple. “Can I borrow her for a minute, though, Bill? Wanna talk to her about something.” Billy removed his arm and you stood, grabbing your beer and waiting for Frank to stand too. “Your balcony good?” Billy nodded as he and Maria stood to begin clearing the table and Frank led the way through Billy’s living room and over to the sliding glass doors.

After you were both outside, Frank was silent for long moments, elbows resting on the railing. You stood next to him, looking out over the city. Billy’s apartment was on the eleventh floor, so there were plenty of tall buildings around you, along with a ton of ambient noise. “Is there… What’s up, Frank?” The man licked his lips, shaking his head.

“Bill’s my best friend.” Frank’s voice was gruff. “He’s been with a lot of women, you know? I’m sure you do, you’ve been … you’ve known him for long enough.” You nodded. “He seems settled with you.” Oh? Really? “It’s… nice to see him relaxed.” Frank was silent for a moment. “What I’m trying to say is that he’s never introduced Maria to anyone. I’ve met a few of them, and they’ve all been...” He looked down, stomping his foot once. “Not like  you. Not at all like you.” You felt a warmth spreading through your body as Frank confirmed what you’d hoped was the case. “What do you know about Bill’s life?” Frank turned his head to look at you, and the expression on his face had changed. “About… his childhood, I mean?”

Of all of the questions Frank could have asked you, that was the one you weren’t prepared for. You took a deep breath and closed your eyes. “He… hasn’t told me too much, Frank.” There was no reason to lie to Frank, and you hoped that he’d tell you something more - giving you an insight into Billy’s life. “He got drunk one night when we were out, but this was before anything had happened between us.” You frowned. “He mentioned that he grew up in a group home. That he didn’t have a family.” You felt your eyes prickling with tears as you continued. “He told me everyone leaves him, and so he’s always been more willing to leave others.” Frank nodded. “He’s never known what it’s like to be loved without question.” Frank looked at you, still silent, and though his brow was furrowed, it wasn’t an unfriendly stare.

“Do you love him?” His question caught you off guard and you didn’t respond. “You don’t have to answer that, because I can see the truth on your face.” Frank stepped closer, the hand not holding his beer reaching out to touch your arm. “Don’t hurt him. And don’t let his insecurity hurt you.” Frank leaned in, talking quietly. “He cares about you. He wouldn’t have done this if he didn’t. Bill’s not the hearts and flowers and romance kind of guy, but he’s still got feelings buried under all of...this.” Frank gestured to his face before taking a long drink of beer. “Don’t make him regret this - or you. If that happens, I don’t think there’s any coming back from it for him.” Frank stood up, finishing his beer and then pulling you into a tight hug. “I want to see you around a lot, because you make Bill happy.” He stepped back. “He didn’t stop talking about you when we were over there.  He used your name.” Frank laughed, swallowing hard. “He had a picture of the two of you in his pocket all the time, you know?” I didn’t. Holy shit.

“I didn’t know he had it with him.” Frank nodded, the smile creeping back onto his face.

“Don’t tell him I told you about it.” Holding up one hand, you promised that you wouldn’t and Frank led you back into the apartment, where Billy and Maria were side by side, washing dishes. Her laughter carried across the open space, and you felt Frank relax next to you at the sound. He made his way over to where his wife stood, his hands going to her waist as he stepped behind her, kissing the side of her neck as she leaned back into him, still laughing. Billy looked over his shoulder at you and you tilted your head to the side, smiling. I’m definitely used to this.

Half an hour later, Frank and Maria had said their goodbyes - the woman hugging you tightly as she whispered “be good to him” in your ear, and Frank putting one arm around your shoulders as he stepped out the door. Once they were gone, Billy sighed, stretching his arms toward the ceiling and offering you one of his hands. Taking it, you let Billy lead you to the couch, where he sat and pulled you onto his lap. After you’d leaned you head against his shoulder, his arms circling your waist, he took a deep breath. “I’m sorry that I put that on you without warning.” His chest was rumbling as he spoke, and you brought one hand up, settling it on his shoulder. “I just didn’t know how to … I’ve never done this before.” He sighed. “I wanted you to meet Frankie and Maria, and I wanted to tell them… I wanted them to know that you’re mine...” He tightened his grip on you, and you felt his heart racing in his chest. “I know we decided that you and I were… but… I don’t know if…”

“Hey. Hey, Billy.” You sat up, looking into his eyes, which were filled with panic. “This was perfect. You caught me off guard, yes, but not because I didn’t want it to happen.” You shook your head. “I just didn’t think that you’d want to tell Frank so soon. I mean, he’s your best friend, and…”

“I talk about you in Curt’s group.” His voice was soft, and you froze. He does? “I’ve never used your name, but I talk about you.” He sighed, fingers stroking up and down your side. “I told Curt I need to get better and do better this time I’m home, and that I need to get myself back in the mindset that I’m not at war anymore… and that you’re a big part of the reason.” That’s serious. “It’s getting harder to come back home. Every time I go, I think I’m fine, but then when I get back here, everything goes to shit.” He sounded sad, but he was smiling, his eyes focused. “One of these days, I’ll tell you everything.” Everything? “I know Frankie took you outside, and I can only imagine what he said, but I hope he didn’t scare you away.” Leaning in, you kissed him, your hand moving to his cheek as you did so, and you felt him pull you closer.

“Billy, whenever you want to tell me about your life, I’m here.” Your forehead was pressed against his and he nodded once. Fuck it. “Frank told me that you kept a picture of us with you over there?” His soft laugh made his eyes crinkle at the corners but he nodded.

“I did.” He licked his lips. “I told you I wanted more before I left.” I didn’t believe him. I didn’t realize until just now that I didn’t believe him. “It was from the day we went to the Central Park Zoo.” That was from before we were… when we were just friends. “Do you remember when we took that?”

“I do. It was… your way of thanking me for taking care of you that night you got drunk.” He nodded.

“You stayed. You took care of me and you stayed and you didn’t try to take advantage of me - you didn’t want anything from me, and I wanted to do something nice for you that wasn’t at night.” He scoffed. “I was trying to prove to you that I actually did want to be your friend.” He tilted his head and nuzzled into your neck. “But really, it was getting harder and harder to see you in my place or yours without making a move on you, and I figured that if we were in public, it would be easier.” Humming at the feeling of his lips moving across your skin, you shifted your body, moving your hands to his hair and scratching along his scalp, closing your eyes.

“You kissed me that day, Billy Russo. So your plan didn’t work.” He laughed, nipping at your neck before he moved lower, tongue out and moving against your collarbone.

“Yeah, well, we got a good picture out of it… and I think that just maybe that picture was what got you to let your guard down with me.” You’re 100% right.

---

14 months earlier

“You know, you can walk next to me, you don’t have to pretend like we aren’t here together.” Billy’s voice was loud, and you immediately stopped, turning to look at him with a huge smile on your face. “I invited you here, I’d like to walk with you.” He made his way the final few steps to you, and you felt his hand brush against yours  as you fell into step next to each other, making your way through the zoo’s walking pathways. It had been Billy’s idea to spend the day together, and he’d brought it up a few days earlier, via text.

After the night you’d spent drinking together - when you’d had to help him home and into bed because he got drunk - he’d gone radio silent for nearly two days. You’d talked the morning after, seeing the surprise in his eyes when he woke up next to you, still dressed in his jeans and you fully clothed, his arm tight around your waist. He hadn’t questioned you; you thought he’d been too embarrassed to do so, and so you hadn’t mentioned the conversation you’d had, or the look in his eyes as he’d asked you to stay. He’ll remember it on his own, or he won’t. You’d cooked him breakfast as he’d done his own version of the walk of shame to his shower, jeans hanging low on his waist, hair messed from pressing against the pillow.

Even as you cooked, you felt an ache in your heart, because there was something familiar about moving around in his kitchen, about taking care of him. You’d never admit it out loud, but waking up next to Billy, feeling his arm around you and seeing those eyes when you first woke up had felt right… and that’s why the friendship hurt so much. But it’s also why you need to keep it this way, you reminded yourself as you’d flipped eggs onto his plate and added two pieces of toast and some bacon. Anything else is out of the question.

He’d come out of the shower looking much better and more alert, and though he was casually dressed in a pair of basketball shorts and a dark t shirt, he was all business, thanking you for taking care of him, for getting him home, and for making sure he didn’t pass out in the hallway or on the floor. Waving him off, you’d stayed long enough to make sure he ate while filling him in one some of the previous night’s details and then you’d left, giving him a quick hug. You’d waited to hear from him, and so on Friday night when his text had come through - ‘Busy Sunday? Wanna take you out and thank you for being so nice to me’  it was like a weight had lifted from your chest. You responded that you had no plans, but that it wasn’t necessary, and he’d sent back a short reply. ‘I want to. Be at my place at 11 am.’

And that’s how you’d ended up at the zoo with him on a chilly Sunday morning. He hadn’t told you where you were going until you’d arrived, and as you turned to him, a wide smile on your face, you’d seen in his eyes that your reaction was what he’d been looking for. “I know it’s a small one, but it’s close by, and since it’s cold, we can see everything pretty quick.” He actually thought this through. Before you could help yourself, you’d asked a question.

“Is this a date?” Though caught off guard, Billy didn’t flinch, shrugging his shoulders. You knew that if he hadn’t had a beanie on his head, he would have been running a hand anxiously through his hair.

“If you want it to be?” He sounded nervous, and so you’d smiled, ducking your head and stepping next to him as he’d walked to the ticket booth, paying for the two of you. The first few hours had been fun. You’d never been to that zoo before, and Billy pointed things out, talking about visiting with the Castles, about his favorite exhibits and about his life in general, asking you about your own past, too. The two of you had taken pictures of each other, enjoying the time you were spending together, enjoying the day… and it had been easy. You’d listened to every word he’d said, watched his every action with your heart pounding because as time passed, it felt more and more like a date. We’re out in the daytime. We’re doing something that’s not drinking or eating. This is… he wanted to spend time with me. More than once, he’d reached out to squeeze your hand, pulling you toward an exhibit, talking excitedly.

In the back of your mind, though, you were waiting for the other shoe to drop - for someone to recognize him, for one of his previous dates to call out… something, anything to ruin the time you were having and bring you back to reality… but it hadn’t happened that way. By the time you were in front of the grizzly bear exhibit, you and Billy had been laughing for long minutes, fingers twined together as you walked. It had been his suggestion to take a picture together, and you’d agreed without hesitation; after all, you had multiple pictures with your friends - how was one with Billy any different? Except you knew that you wouldn’t regard this one the same as you did all the others - no, this one was going to be special. You positioned yourselves so that the bears were visible behind you, and Billy had put his arm around your shoulders casually, pulling you closer to him. You could smell his cologne even through his jacket and you automatically wrapped an arm around his waist, getting closer.

It was easy. It was comfortable, and it was everything that you’d wanted it to be as you leaned into Billy, waiting for him to take the photo. “Alright, on the count of three, I want to see a smile on your face.” He was talking quietly, and you saw him looking down at you on the screen, biting his lower lip. “1...2...3.” His arm tightened on your shoulders and you couldn’t help but grin, staring at his phone. “One more.” You rolled your eyes but didn’t stop smiling, looking up at him and at the same moment, he looked down at you, a wide smile on his face. He got a picture of that, too. I know he did.  You were right, of course, and as he showed you both pictures, you felt that same uncomfortable ache in your chest again. Friends. That’s it. That’s all we can be. “I like these. We look like we’re having a good time.” His tone was still soft, and you nodded in agreement, looking up to meet his eyes.

“We are having a good time, Billy. You should send those to me.” He tapped on the screen a few times and you felt your pocket vibrate as he tucked his phone away, taking a deep breath. “Thanks.” You were still facing each other, staring for long moments until he turned away, looking at the bears with his hands on the railing, gripping it tight. “So what’s next for today? We going our separate ways after this?” Though it was only early afternoon, you didn’t have any reason to believe he had anything else planned for you and so you were surprised when you felt his arm go back around your shoulders, pulling you into his side. Oh, OK….

“I thought I’d take you to dinner.” He paused, “If you want to go, that is.” All day with Billy? This is… this feels like…

“This is a date. I want this to be a date.” You spoke for a second time without thinking, looking up at him and finding that he was again staring down at you, hat pulled low over his brow. He looked young and vulnerable, his beard dark across his pale skin. “And if this isn’t, then dinner definitely would be.” There was another pause and the next thing you knew, Billy had removed his arm from your shoulders, turning to face you completely and angling your body to face him. That done, he moved both hands up to your face and leaned down, closing the distance between the two of you.

“I’ve been waiting since the first night we met to hear you say that.” There was no taste of alcohol on his lips that time, and there was no hesitation in the kiss, either. Your mouth moved against his with ease, and you stepped forward, closing the distance between the two of you. Billy deepened the kiss almost immediately, tilting your head to give himself better access to your mouth and you felt something shift between the two of you.

You’d failed at keeping things platonic with Billy Russo, but in that moment, you didn’t care. When the two of you broke apart, you were both breathing heavily - his eyes were wide and dark, and your lips remained parted as you stared up at him. “I… was that OK?” There wasn’t a hesitation as you nodded, fingertips moving up to touch his cheek, and he closed his eyes, licking his lips. “Good.”

You didn’t make it to dinner until much later that evening.

---

[imaginativemarvel]

Limitations - Steve Rogers x Readers - Soulmate AU

Summary: In which everyone is born with several tattoos that match up with their soulmate, enemy, best friend (etc).Growing up, (Y/N) pondered on what it meant when she only had one tattoo. She didn’t know which one is belonged too, and it frightened her.

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader

Warning: PLEASE READ: this story includes sexual assault, implied rape, traumatic experiences & things that corresponds with those topics. I never do stories based on horrible real life tragedies, most of the time I don’t even have to make a warning label, but today I decided to use a strong topic on what happens beneath the surface of rape/assault victims as a topic of story mixed with a character. I know this is long, but it needed to be said.

Word count: 2.8k

A/N: I’ll be updating all my series (and a few request) soon! I hope you all love the four I’ve posted this week! It’s just a thank you for getting me to 1.1k!!

[[ Check Out My Masterlist ]]

<< Request information is in my bio >>

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

One tattoo. She had one bloody tattoo.

She thought about it for years and years. What could it possibly mean? And after those years and years, she came to a conclusion. Well — maybe not a conclusion — but possibilities.

It could mean she didn’t have a soulmate. It could mean she didn’t have a enemy. She could have a lot of things, but in the end it meant something was out there. Out of all the possibilities she had though, there was on that scared her the most. That they could all be the same person. In the end though, that was just a possibility. Her tattoo could be anything.

As much as she dreaded the day she got to meet the mysterious human who shared the same tattoo as her, she often decided to bury it deep in her brain. That meaning she tried not to think about it. She had valid reasons to completely disregard the fact that she had a soulmate, enemy, or both, but it wasn’t exactly one that she could share aloud.

Why? Well, because she valued her life more than her prophecies. And you may ask, what do you mean she valued her life more? Was she in danger? Well, yes. Yes she was.

At a young age she realized she possessed the powers that nobody else did. She didn’t know how or why, all she knew was it was hers.

It started off simple. She’d turn the faucet on and the water would start to float into the air as if they were reverse droplets from the sky. Then, occasionally it would become a little more complex as it was difficult to take showers. In the end though, it practically ruined her life. She was limited to a lot of things, and as time went on, she started to break loose of those limitations.

She loved swimming. When she would splash into the water, she felt as if she though clearer. She felt her worries wash away as she held her breath longer and longer each time she went back down.

But she had to stop. She was terrified that if she did, her uncontrollable powers would do something she’d regret. So, for the longest she didn’t swim. One day she did though. One day she regrets more than she thought she would.

She lived in a small apartment complex with a public pool connected to it. She had came home from a horrible day at work. Her alarm didn’t go off, she got to work late, she failed to do her job on important paperwork, spent 40 minutes listening to her boss lecture her, and then her co-worker had the nerve to hit on her after multiple times of her turning him down.

Originally the plan was to take a long bath, but the water wasn’t working. She didn’t know if it was because she didn’t pay the bill, or if it was just an outage for the whole building, but she really needed to just relax in some water.

Her eyes peaked out the window at the public pool, watching as the water moved against the air, nobody accompanying it. In a split second, she stripped down and dressed up into a bathing suit. If she were to swim, she would have to do it fast. If someone were to come, she would have to leave. It was all one big risk, but she kept telling herself that life was full of risk.

She hurried down the outdoor stairs, her feet carrying her to the gate around the pool before plunging straight into the warm water. The sun shined on the pool, warming her body as her wet upper body came back to the surface.

A smile spread across her face, her body moving backwards as she swam while floating on her back. She closed her eyes, smelling in the deep scent of freshly cut grass that roamed the air.

She continued to relax, blocking out all the other noise as her ears rested beneath the water.

After a moment of relaxing and letting her brain rest, she felt a ripple come from the stairs of the pool. Instantly, her body flinched to the touch and stood up straight.

She almost gagged at the sight of the man who entered the pool. It was her co-worker.

“Fancy seeing you here, (Y/N).” The dark haired man pulled his shirt from his body, throwing it onto a lawn chair feet away from him.

“Get lost, Rumlow.” Her feet carried her to the edge of the pool, her hands gripping the edge as she tried to pull herself up.

Rumlow quickly ran towards the edge she stayed at, grabbing her lower thigh and bringing her back into the pool. She froze and whimpered under his touch, feeling an easy bruise rise to her leg as he continued to grip her harshly.

“Brock! Stop!” She fought against him, trying to rip her leg away as he snaked his other hand around her waist and closed the gap between them.

The same creepy smile he gave her the morning before set across his face, his nose touching her neck as her body stopped all movement. The more she moved, the harder he held her. She felt bumps being send all over her body as his lips tickled her neck, her leg now pulled up to the side of his waist.

“Don’t you fucking move. You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for his moment.” The inside of her legs was pushed hard again his member, she could feel him growing hard beneath her as he rubbed himself against her.

Tears were welling in her eyes at the force he had upon her. Not only was he hurting her, he was assaulting her. She had never been in a situation like this, and since he was much stronger than her, she felt vulnerable.

“Should we do it here? Or should I take you to my room?”

She felt her silent sobs stutter inside her body, her voice lost as his hand crawled its way from leg to the back of her inner thigh.

“P-pleas-“ She began to beg him, his hand gripping harder as he felt her noise. His face became stone cold, anger visibly radiating off of him.

“Should I enjoy your begging? Should I punish you for it? Oh, the choices, (Y/N).” His fingers dipped into her leg more, his finger tips brushing the cloth above her skin.

She screamed, ignoring the fact that his nails were now digging into her skin. She continued to scream, watching as his hand from her thigh rapped around her mouth, the other around her neck. Her body was flipped around, her back placed to his front as he created new bruises on her neck and cheek.

Tears streamed down her face as she felt him pull her to the edge of the pool. Her hands crawled at his muscular arms, losing its grip as oxygen was being cut from her body.

She thought that there was nothing else she could do. That it was over. That she had lost. But in that last breath of hers, she felt her limp hands ripple against the water. The water trickling against her skin as it rose up her arms.

Then it all went black.

She woke up to the sound of a beeping noise. Cliché, she thought. Rubbing her eyes as she shifted her body. Pain was sent all through her as she moved, her voice groaning before opening her eyes from the light shining above her.

Her bathing suit was gone, her hair and body was clean, but all in all, she didn’t care. She remember what happened, and she felt dirtier than ever.

Instantly, her arms reach for the rim of her large hospital gown, pulling it up the examine where he once held her. She felt her heart drop as she saw the black and blue color show visibly against her skin. She lightly ran her fingers over it, stinging and flinching at the touch.

After that, she pulled it up higher to check her waist. Once again, another bruise. It wasn’t as bad as the one before, but bad enough.

She didn’t even care or think of the fact that she was in a hospital room. She didn’t want to think of what happened after she blacked out. Was she found naked in an alley, clearly raped? Was she found laying in the pool or somewhere else? Did he take full advantage of her? Did he feel sorry, and just leave her somewhere? She didn’t know. She didn’t really want to know. She wasn’t ready.

Even if she was somewhat asking herself deep beneath all of her panic, she still ignored it. Subconsciously, she knew those were the possibilities, but she didn’t care.

Her legs swung across the bed quickly, ignoring the fact that it made her weak to the knees. She held onto the bed side and walls, making her way to the connected bathroom.

The door opened quickly, her hand feeling against the wall of the dark room to flip the switch. When she did, she instantly looked at the mirror.

Her skin around her neck and mouth had the same bruises as the ones on her leg and waist. She stared at her dead face, the bags under her eyes and how her skin seemed more paler than usual.

She felt familiar tears come back up to her eyes, them stringing as she felt her whole face scrunch up from despair. She felt disgusting.

Her hand grabbed for the sponge in the shower nearby, squirting a huge amount of soap on it before connecting the sponge to her skin.

She scrubbed her bruised as she cried, the pain being worse, but she had to do it. She was dirty. She was disgusting. She needed to get rid of what he did to her.

The door to the room opened, a doctor walking in with a clip board. He kept looking at the board, walking towards the bed and slowly looking up. He noticed she was gone, taking full alert as he looked around the room.

The bathroom light shined through, his feet quickly shifting towards that small room. “(Y/N) (Y/L/N)?”

His eyes watched as he saw the fragile girl scrub her skin raw, his hands immediately dropping the clipboard and grabbing the sponge from her.

“No!” She screamed, struggling to pull the sponge from his grip but failing.

“Hey!” He threw the sponge into hallway, wrapping his arms around her as she sunk to the floor. His knees dropped down with her, his shirt being soaked in seconds as her face collided with his neck.

She sobbed over and over, his hand caressing her back slowly. “It’s okay. I’m here, (Y/N). It’s okay. Let me help you. Don’t worry, I’m here, darling.”

He repeated his words over and over trying to calm her down. After minutes of her slowly catching her breath against his touch, the door opened.

“Rogers? It’s Barnes. You in here? It’s been 30 minutes.” Another man walked in, searching the room for his co-worker.

His eyes found the two on the floor, watching as his friend, Rogers, held his finger to his lips. Barnes widened his eyes, nodding and walking away slowly before exiting the room.

“Hey, doll. How about we get you to that bed? I’ll stay with you, and we can talk if you want. Hey, we can even sit in silence. Mind helping me?” He balanced his back, looking into her saddened eyes. She didn’t look at him, but simply nodded against his chest.

“Alright, love. I’m going to hold you by the waist, I just need you to steady your feet. Ready?” He slowly raised off his knees, her hands holding against his broad shoulders as they both stood up.

Her legs buckled underneath her body, her hands holding onto him as if she would fall any second. He jolted in surprise, catching her and pressing her body against his.

He hesitated for a moment, he needed to hold her harder, but he was afraid he’d hurt her. She already had bruises, and anything that somewhat correlated to the way she got them could be triggering. So instead of doing what he planned, he scooped her legs up from underneath her and held her bridal style.

She melted into his touch instantly, resting her head against his chest as he turned the bathroom light off and retreated to her bed. Gently, he laid her onto the mattress.

Her hand intertwined with his, keeping him close. He smiled, pulling up a nearby chair and sitting next to her. “Want to talk?”

She slowly sat up, still holding his hand and watching his bright blue eyes stare into her dull (Y/E/C) ones.

“W-what’s your name?” She stuttered against her words, inhaling deeply before placing her other hand lightly against the one she had holding his.

“Steve Rogers.”

“What happened? Why am I here? Where did you find me?” She spilt out the questions that circled deep within her thoughts, squeezing his hand slightly, but he didn’t mind.

“I don’t know what happened, you’ll have to tell me that when you’re ready. You’re here because a kid found you unconscious next to a swimming pool, and he called the police.” He spoke slowly, watching as her eyes shifted to their hands in concentration. He could practically see her mind contradict itself over and over, thinking about the possibilities.

“What happens to Rumlow?” She asked quietly, his name coming off her lips in disgust.

“He’s dead,” he bluntly spoke out, not asking her if she was ready to hear it because it would have only made her more curious, “He was suffocated under the water. He drowned.”

Her whole body froze, her heart dropping to the lowest it can get. She felt her breathing hitch up, her heart beat gaining speed at every second.

“It’s okay, doll, calm down. It’s okay. It’s okay.” He instantly stood up protectively, wrapping his hand around her shoulders and whispering into her ear again. She hugged him back, slowly pulling his body into the bed with her.

He sat on the side of the bed, slowly pulling himself away as he heard her ask another question. “Why?”

She knew why, but she wasn’t going to say that. It was murder, and even if it was self defense, she had killed a man.

He sighed, his hand resting lightly against her leg as he shook his head and shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t know. What I do know is that you were out before he died, so you’re obviously not the culprit. He was found next to you, his whole body somewhat deformed from absorbing the water. There aren’t any camera or anything, but it doesn’t make sense. He couldn’t have been in that water longer than 30 minutes if it adds up with you, but his body looked like it had been in there for days.”

She watched as his eyebrows came together, his eyes looking down as he ranted about the situation. He didn’t get it, and he was hoping she could shine some light into it.

“So, that’s why I wanted to ask you what happened.”

“Well,” She began, crossing her legs and grabbing his hand once again for reassurance. “I went for a swim. I love swimming, and I only go when nobody else it there. I was just floating, and I felt him walk in the water. I tried to leave, but I couldn’t. I knew how he was from work, but I didn’t expect him to grab me. H-he said so many disgusting things. So many. Then he stuck his hand-“

She paused quietly, her face showing massive distress as he leaned forward. “He hurt me, and then he assaulted me.”

“I know, and I’m so sorry, (Y/N). I promise I will help you.” She nodded her head slightly, looking up into his eyes, and for a split second, all her sadness was washed away.

“I don’t understand,” she explained, squinting her eyes slightly towards Steve, “Doctors are never like this, why are you helping me so much? I know doctors say they help, but this is so much different.”

“Well,” he began, lifting up his left leg and pulling the bottom of his pants up to show his ankle. “Because I saw your leg.”

Her eyes widened in shock, her body being filled with both joy and confusion. On his ankle was inked a small and familiar design. ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡ Tags: Steve Tags- @g0back2bed @gallifreyansass @walkingtravesty97 @g0back2bed @crazy4thewinbros @iamwarrenspeace @nadtandy @feelmyroarrrr @xabeautifultragedyx @ginger-wayward-assbutt @patzammit @ssweet-empowerment @httpmcrvel @emily-ily2 @avengersbabe13

Did I miss you? Let me know!

[dat-town]

My heart leads to you

Characters: best friend Yoongi & You

Setting: soulmate compass au, (slightly) sleeping beauty au, friend to lovers

Genre: fluff (despite the summary it’s fluff, i promise!)

Summary: “I think my soulmate is dead.”

Word count: 3.8k

For more fairytale aus, check my Once upon a fairytale masterpost.

Also, happy comeback everyone! ♥

(Original pic credit.)

You will never forget the day when the pointer of your soulmate compass stopped.

It happened in the middle of your Advanced Economics exam. Sure, you weren’t bothered at first because it’s a common thing that the pointer stands still temporarily when your significant other isn’t moving, for example during sleep. But now it was stuck in that one position and didn’t move for the rest of the day. Or ever since for that matter. And that, that only happens when your other half, the one you are destined to be with is no longer alive.

 “What happens when you lost your soulmate? Can you have another one?”

You were six when you asked your mother about the consequences of losing your promised one, the pair of your soul. You have always wondered whether it hurt just like they were taking away something from you. Or is it something that can be replaced?

“Why do you ask, darling?” you mother looked up from the family accounting, frowning. Such a weird, gloomy question from a pre-schooler.

You, sitting opposite of her at the dining table, kept drawing with crayons as the answer rolled down from your tongue.

“Heejin from school said her parents will divorce. Does it mean they won’t be soulmates anymore?” you furrowed your eyebrows not understanding the concept of growing apart. Heejin’s parents will live in separate houses from now on, so she will have two rooms and two places to call home. At least that’s what she said. But you couldn’t put your finger on this. Why would one want to leave their soulmate behind? How could their love change?

But your mother had the answer, of course, because mothers always know everything.

“No-no, it doesn’t mean that, honey. Soulmates are for life. Sometimes they disagree and part ways, a few of them find their way back to each other, a few don’t but the universe is never wrong. They are your better half so you have to treasure them.”

“But… what if one of them dies? Will the marking fade?” you inquired further with your childish enthusiasm as you looked down on the compass tattoo on the inner side of your wrist. It’s nothing special, just a thin black pointer slightly moving inside of an ink circle as big as a coin. Everybody is born with it, it‘s as natural as a birthmark.

“No but it won’t move anymore. You will feel emptiness and cannot experience that kind of love only your soulmate can give to you. So once you find them, you have to take care of them, okay?”

You nodded while gently stroking your skin over the compass. Its vibrations were a little bit ticklish as the pointer moved and you watched it in awe. Soulmate compasses work like normal compasses but not quite. While the magnetized one always points at a stable, unmoving point, North based on your location, the soulmate one depends on your significant other’s position and movements that required location changes while not counting your coordinates in the equation. So finding them isn’t as easy as it sounds even with a compass.

Not even a minute later you went back to drawing since as a six-years-old, your attention span lasted only this long. But it just struck you now that you haven’t forgotten about what happens to soulmates without their other half.

 After experiencing the first sign, you tried to calm yourself down with poor excuses. Maybe your soulmate broke their leg and couldn’t move. But you knew very well that the pointer trembled even at the slightest movements. However yours were deadly still.

No more buzzing, itching feeling in your wrist. The sight of the constantly angle-changing compass used to stir up butterflies in your stomach, fuelled your excitement towards the day when the pointer would go completely crazy near your soulmate. But now it just made you sad. More so, because there was nobody you could really talk to about it.

When you told your parents, they looked at you like they were grieving an unborn child. They even offered you consultation with a psychologist who specialized in the field of people losing their soulmates. But the thing was: you couldn’t lose them because you have never even had the opportunity to have one to begin with. You never met, you had no idea how he or she (let’s not forget the fifty-fifty chance) was like. How could you grieve somebody you didn’t even know?

But there was somebody you would have liked to talk about it, whom you wanted to tell everything because you knew he would never judge you. Min Yoongi wasn’t someone who would do that. Even if it was something pitiful like that a part of you was relieved now because you couldn’t possibly disappoint the one who was doomed to be with you. You knew it was harsh and unfair but a part of you dreaded the day when your soulmate would have enough of you like all your previous boyfriends did. You knew that if somebody then Yoongi would understand it, just like he understands the complexity of you.

You ‘met’ via Soundcloud where he uploads his music and you occasionally do vocal covers of English songs. For you, it’s just a hobby but for him, it’s his life and it should be because he’s amazingly talented, there are seriously no words for his work. Sometimes you still can’t believe that he, Agust D messaged you one day proposing a collab.

 agust_d liked your audio ‘SIA - Chandelier cover’ and  ‘The NBHD - Sweather Weather acoustic cover’

You have a new message from agust_d!

 hello starlight sonata,

i really liked the english covers you uploaded. i was wondering if you would feature in one of my tracks? since you’re following me i guess you know i’m a rapper but this new song needs a vocal, preferably feminine and i think yours would fit the melody nicely. i enclosed a preview of the instrumental, let me know what you think.

agust d

p.s. i saw in your bio that you’re also korean, cheers!

 There was no way you could say no to that. Of course, you agreed and you two immediately clicked when you started talking about music. Even after releasing So far away, you messaged each other almost every day. After one point, you were talking not only about music related topics but literally everything.

 To: yoongs ♡

I just got a free coffee at Starbucks today

From: yoongs ♡

great. that’s exactly what i need.

give it to me

pleeeease

To: yoongs ♡

But you’re 2800 miles away

From: yoongs ♡

don’t quote blackbear on me

and ilsan is 200 miles away at most

To: yoongs ♡

Are you from Seoul or…?

From: yoongs ♡

yeah. seoul.

originally daegu, though. hence my alias

To: yoongs ♡

Ooooh D-boy, right. How could I forget?

So Seoul, that’s cool. Whatcha doing there?

From: yoongs ♡

trying to make it big with a few friends

namjoon and hobi are rappers too, we share a studio, it’s cheaper

joon is from ilsan too btw

To: yoongs ♡

Then you should all come visit so I can finally see your face

From: yoongs ♡

[DCMI_1503.jpg]

here. you happy?

 Well, happy wasn’t the first adjective that comes to your mind. It was more like surprised. He looked so cute in that white hoodie, fluffy, messy blonde hair and nose crunch. He was undeniably handsome. Still, you got why he didn’t post his face all over his social media, he probably wanted people to follow him because of his music and not his looks.

 To: yoongs ♡

Very

You are way cuter than I expected

You know, from someone who sends people to Hong Kong with their tongue technology

FYI, it’s a compliment

From: yoongs ♡

it sounded like teasing to me but nvm

your turn!

To: yoongs ♡

I never promised anything

From: yoongs ♡

it’s only fair

how else could i know you are not a 40 years old bored wife at home?

To: yoongs ♡

It’s called TRUST

From: yoongs ♡

so are you? i mean married?

To: yoongs ♡

No, jeez. Not even a boyfriend

Fine. Give me one sec.

[170903_1506.jpg]

Me feat the coffee you WON’t get

From: yoongs ♡

are you kidding me?

did you just download an idol’s selfie?

To: yoongs ♡

Wow i don’t even know if i should take it as a compliment or insult

From: yoongs ♡

no it’s just… how are you still single?

To: yoongs ♡

I guess I just haven’t found the right one yet

From: yoongs ♡

you are pretty, your soulmate will be very lucky

To: yoongs ♡

Thanks...

 Since then he bombarded you with selfies taken from that one angle that kills you and even though you had never met face-to-face, he was like a best friend to you. You complained to him about exams and assignments while he whined about his part-time job - being a pizza delivery boy - and missing Holly, their dog. You recommended each other movies, played 20 questions way a lot more than it counts as 20 questions, talked all night about music and silly things. But beyond listening to each other, you were also there to support each other every time the other needed it.

Yet, when you needed him the most, he was nowhere.

 To: yoongs ♡

I think my soulmate is dead.

 When he didn’t answer right away to your text, you weren’t surprised. When he was working and got into the zone, he was a little distant and slow but not answering for a week? That was unheard of. You couldn’t decide whether you should be worried or pissed off. You decided against the latter when two weeks passed and he still hadn’t uploaded anything new to his account. You DMed his friend, Joon who went by RapMon on Soundcloud to ask about him. His reply was immediate.

Oh, shit, sorry I didn’t contact you. It’s been crazy here. Yoongi hyung was involved in an accident, got hit by a car during work. He’s stabilized now but still in hospital.

You could only think of one question: which one? and with the answer you got, you dropped everything else. You didn’t worry about your probably dead soulmate at all when you were on the next train to Seoul. You couldn’t believe you were whining about being ignored while Yoongi had been in hospital for two weeks already because a freaking car hit him. Maybe it was regret that persuaded you to make that impulsive decision of going to Seoul. Or maybe it was something else.

You merely glanced at your bare wrist and the frozen pointer before stepping into the hospital’s hall with a bouquet of flowers. You brought the forget-me-nots only to tease the boy but with a warm heart still. The clinic smelled like any other and the ridiculously white walls made you anxious. For no longer you felt comfortable in your body with the colourful flowers in your hand that made you feel like you were visiting a sick grandma. You tentatively approached the door following the receptionist’s directions. To your relief, a familiar guy was waiting in front of it and when he saw you, he walked right up to you.

"Hi. Y/N, right? I’m Namjoon," he greeted you with a welcoming smile that deepened his dimples. He was a lot taller than you thought, you had to practically arch your back so you could look him in the eye while answering.

"Glad to finally meet you."

"Likewise. So bad the occasion isn’t the best," he grimaced, forehead crinkled with worry. It reminded you why you came in the first place.

“How is he?”

“Taken the circumstances he’s okay. A few fractured ribs, nothing broken though but…” the rapper gulped nervously, nibbling on his lower lip. “He has a severe head trauma.”

“As in?” You weren’t quite well-informed when it came to medical jargon. Did it mean he lost his memories or what?

“It means he hit his head so hard that despite his promising vitals he doesn’t wake up.” Oh. Now you finally understood why Namjoon wrote that there would be no point of your visit. But you were so stubborn you wanted to come no matter what. What’s more, since it was your first time meeting you wanted to look pretty and put on a nice light blue dress. Well, it look like he won’t see you anyway.

“Can I see him though?” you asked stubbornly, not wanting to go back without seeing him after you came such a long way for that. You had no idea if there was any special protocol, maybe visiting hours restriction for patients in coma You didn’t know if you could even see him in this state but you hoped wholeheartedly that you didn’t come in vain. One look and it would be enough, you told yourself.

“Sure. He would be happy to have you here.” Namjoon showed you the way to the right door.  “He talks about you a lot, you know...”

“Yeah, all the time,” another voice chimed in, stepping out of the room you were ready to enter. “Hi! I’m Hoseok but you can call me Hobi like my friends and their friends do. And now I’m starving so we would leave the big guy with you.”

“Sure.” “We will be back in an hour tops and don’t worry about it, you can leave him alone. It’s not like he could go anywhere, we just like to keep him company,” Namjoon waved to you as Hosok dragged him away until they disappeared in the hospital hallways.

“Kiss him awake!” The smiley boy shouted back and that left you speechless, blinking blankly. You waved back hesitantly, still processing what just happened and what you should do. Right, visiting Yoongi.

You were taken aback by your rapidly beating heart. Why were you so nervous? It’s not like he would be up and awake. And it’s Yoongi anyway, no need to be worried. You took a deep breath and stepped into the white hospital room. It looked just like in tv dramas and you smiled at the several Get well soon balloons wishing him quick recovery. You put the flowers into the empty vase on the nightstand and poured water in it from a pot. Then and just then you let yourself look at him.

With his hair falling onto his gauze-covered forehead, eternal calmness spreading on his lovely features he looked as if he was just sleeping. You stepped closer scratching your itching wrist and bent down to brush the boy’s fringe away from his closed eyes. How was that possible that he was even more handsome in real life? He was dressed in common hospital attire, attached to a heart monitor and kept alive with infusion. Still, he looked like a sleeping beauty.

You wondered what somebody’s soulmate felt if the other was in such state? How would the compass act? Unmoving without deadweight? And would the life functions of the person in coma be enough to keep his own compass working?

You were too curious for your own good so you touched Yoongi’s arm that rested by his body gently. He didn’t even stir but when you turned it over and took a look at his right wrist, his compass was vividly alive. The pointer couldn’t stop spinning around in a speed that made you dizzy. It didn’t made sense. Compasses should only act like this around their soulmates while yours was only itching like crazy. However, looking down at it, observing its curves closely you figured out why: your pointer kept fidgeting like it wanted to move but couldn’t.

Which meant that your soulmate wasn’t dead after all. He was only unconscious.

You should have known, finally the puzzle pieces find their place: Yoongi was the one destined for you.

You have often imagined what your first meeting with your soulmate would look like. You daydreamed about romantic buzzing with a sense of surprise, maybe fear of disappointment. But now that it happened, you were strangely calm, almost happy. Your soulmate was the boy who talked you to sleep when you couldn’t fall asleep, who asked you to sing to him when he was tired, the one who thought you were smart, talented, funny and pretty. So why almost happy? Well, meeting in a hospital while he was in coma isn’t the most romantic way to meet but a memorable one for sure.

What did just Hobi suggest?

“True love’s kiss, huh?” you snorted, giggling to yourself.

It was not like you to kiss somebody you just met. But this was Yoongi who also happened to be your soulmate. What’s the worst thing that could happen? Nothing, literally nothing. However, on the bright side, he could wake up. Why not test the gossips they are whispering about soulmate bonds and how special they are?

So you acted on impulse, you didn’t think, you just dived in and let yourself drown. Planting a kiss on a pair of unmoving, dry lips wasn’t the most romantic of experience but you swore you could feel the spark, that familiar tingling in your wrist, under the layer of your skin but you didn’t bother to look away from Yoongi’s face. Those long, fluttering eyelashes, the apples of his cheeks, the tint on his pale skin and the lips you just kissed. It didn’t take a minute and they were widening in a sharp inhale which was closely followed by a slow exhale.

What?!

To say you were awestruck is probably an understatement. You were so lost off words you couldn’t even formulate a normal sentence, much less execute any normal human activity noting that the boy you just kissed on the mouth suddenly woke up from a two-week-long coma. And to top it all, you were still only a few inches away from him face when he opened his eyes.

“Hi,” Yoongi blinked at you still half-asleep, voice raspy and words slurred but his coffee brown eyes were sparkling like thousand morning stars and so beautiful, it made your chest hurt.

“Hi yourself,” you beam at him pulling away, a little embarrassed. Even without looking, you knew your compass was spinning like a madman-driven carousel and you suddenly felt shy. What if he felt it, too? And what if he didn’t?

“Am I dreaming? Or is this heaven?” he asked drowsily, tone thick with sleep, a bit of flirty-ish as he looked around in the blinding white room and tried to sit up.

“Eww, I didn’t know you’re such a cheeseball, Min Yoongi,” you teased lightly and had the urge to playfully hit him on the chest but stopped yourself in time. There must have been some human decency protocol about not abusing physically people who just woke up from coma. So instead, you helped him arranging his pillows and keep him a leverage so he could move backwards until he was in a sitting position.

“Only for you,” he winked at you, mouth pulled in a smirk, probably still high on medicine. But yet again, you found yourself too close to his face and it took your breath away. He had a comical bandage all around his head and he smelled like antiseptics but he could still make you blush. Unfair.

You decided against playing along with him and sat down on the bed, putting an appropriate distance between you. Clearing your throat, you asked the question that had already threatened to fall from your lips: “Did you know?”

“What?” Yoongi blinked, confused and you should have remembered that maybe he was still not entirely conscious but you had too many feeling conjured up inside of you. You felt like you were going to burst if you didn’t get answers.

“That we are soulmates, idiot.”

Hearing you say it out loud, Yoongi grinned widely, showing off his gummy smile and looked down at his hands oddly shy. He watched his own restless compass for a whole three seconds that had driven you crazy before he answered:

“Kinda,” he shrugged and you gaped at him. He sounded a lot more sure than a ‘kinda’.

“How long?”

“Since your European trip. My compass went crazy when you were on the plane,” Yoongi explained and it all made sense. His frantic messages asking about when you would arrive back from your vacation, his offer that he could pick you up at the Seoul airport so that you could finally meet. But in the end, it didn’t work out because he had a show that day and your dad came for you anyway. Weeks passed, the university semester started for you and you were just as apart as you were before.

Until now.

“Ah that’s why you wanted to meet me so desperately,” you laughed, all giddy and happy that Yoongi wanted the same thing as you. But what was it exactly?

“I wasn’t that desperate,” the boy was quick to protest since he couldn’t let his pride get hurt. You knew well Min Yoongi was a prideful man but you liked to test your limits.

“Keep telling yourself that. You even got hit by a car just to lure me here,” you chuckle feeling so incredibly relieved that you could be yourself this easily around him too, not only through texts, and that it wasn’t awkward at all. It felt natural, oh so right. Like the two of you were meant to be.

“It wasn’t on purpose, it hurt like hell,” you soulmate pouted and you wanted to kiss that frown away. Especially now that he played hard to get. “You know what? I take everything back, I don’t want you as a soulmate. You’re horrible.”

“But you like me,” the words were out of your mouth faster than you could stop them and you panicked for a moment. Oh how you hoped you didn’t read the signs wrong, so you decided to raise the bid and add all in.  “It’s okay, I like you, too.”

It looked like that was what Yoongi was waiting for because his smile softened, turning into a beaming one.

“Good. Now kiss me properly,” he sighed, out of breath already and you lean forward slowly this time, engraving each passing second and the look on Yoongi’s face, the way his eyes fluttered close and his hot breath fanned over your mouth while your soulmate compasses danced to the rapid beat of your hearts.

You will never forget the day when you fell in love with your soulmate.

[kinny93ethz]

[berfometalpha]

Legacy of Eternity Chapter 1: The Adventure Begins Part 2

 When the team arrived at the bridge head they saw Kent was furiously punching the air when they saw a white energy field spreading across the face of the bridge.

Rex got down from the transport as one of the troopers were busy contacting the other rebel camps. The troopers reported that Aisha and her party placed a powerful barrier around the capital city preventing the marines or knights from following them. 

Kent had been trying to break the barrier using his fists for the past several minutes but his knuckles were already bleeding bad. 

He looked furiously at the marines asking where are the mages as he ordered to break the barrier. They will arrive in about 30 minutes sir, according to the mages we have here sir this barrier will be impossible to break since Lady Aisha was the one who made it.

“Then get to it... I will not accept idleness from these mages... We have to save them from doing something they shall Regret!” Kent shouted as he slammed his fist to the barrier.

“Commander, Stop you are going to break your arms...” Rex said.

“Rex, good bring Clayton and his railgun we can use it to break the barrier! Clayton get down here and bring your Railgun!” Kent shouted.

“Boss, my Railgun’s out of commission the fuel cell converter is ruptured that’s what I forgot to mention to you earlier!” Clayton replied.

Kent looked furious and extremely frustrated at the situation as he walked away for a bit when Rex and Willow approached Clayton asking if what he told Kent was true.

“Rex, Willow dont get mad but I lied to Kent...” Clayton whispered.

“Clay you know that is insubordination right?” Willow stated.

“I know but have you seen how Kent is right now? If he uses my Railgun... well remember the last time he linked it to his bio-cell reactor...” Clayton explained.

“Ohh... Right... Almost forgot that incident...” Rex said.

“What incident?” willow asked.

It’s a long story and it happened before the rescue operation on Vega... In short we were captured at the 1st legion’s ship the crusader of domination, the first legion thought we were renegades at the time... And we were escaping the ship since they captured the Night Hawk... Kent used my railgun and linked it to his bio-cell reactor core that he made on the fly using his blood. When he linked it into my railgun and it generated enough power to light up 30 industrial cities for 50,000 years... My Hyperburst railgun fired and destroyed an entire ship while we were in it... Though we did survive but believe me... We all agreed that we wont let Kent hold a Hyper cannon class plasma Railgun again! That would be a death sentence for us all!

“That Explains everything... But look Kent really is angry and frustrated... It’s as if he is... Frightened...”  Willow stated.

“True but... Rex should we mention that thing? Lady Charlotte said that we should only mention it unless it is absolutely necessary?” Clayton said.

“Do you mean Blight Taker? that sword is off limits Clay Lady Charlotte has said it herself...” Rex replied.

“This counts as an emergency... Rex I am telling you now... You need to make the call...” Clayton stated.

“Wait What’s the blight taker? That sounds a bit familiar... But What is that any who?” Willow asked.

Rex made the call to The Strike Base Lasting hope which is a massive fast deploying space station/ battleship that acts as a forward station for the Strike Fleet and can defend itself against anything that is thrown to it by any other legion. 

“Lasting Hope this is Captain Rex Crosswolfw from Strike Team Zero-7, i need to speak with Commander Charlotte Sentinel please respond over?” Rex asked.

“This is Lasting Hope Strike Base Commander Charlotte Sentinel Speaking... Rex What’s going on?”Charlotte asked.

“Commander... ““Sigh”“ We need help... Lady Aisha and her party of heroes sneaked out of their room and headed straight for the capital without back up... We confirmed your suspicion Ma’am... Rio swordtaker has betrayed the heroes and nearly killed everyone in the camp... Now we are currently pursuing the Heroes but they had placed a powerful barrier around the capital city... Lady Aisha placed a barrier around the city preventing us from pursuing any further... Any use of artillery would endanger the militants and civilians around the capital... We are out of options Ma’am...Permission to use Blight Taker Ma’am the last time they faced the King they nearly died Ma’am... Kent is really angry and frightened... Ma’am!” Rex reported.

Their was a silence that shrouded the communications line after a brief moment Charlotte told Rex to get ready. Meanwhile inside the armory of Lost hope the Blight Taker was heavily guarded by Class 7 Primal Wolves Champions the Grey Fangs. The Knights noticed the Vault where the Blight Taker was kept as it kept shaking as if a monster was trying to get out. 

Attention to All knights on Deck 7 be advised Blight Taker is awake and is trying to break out of her containment do not try to stop the sword let it out... For the Knight Eternal is now awake... 

The Grey fangs immediately unlocked the vault but by the time they opened the vault door the Blight taker sliced its way through the vault as it spun rapidly cutting through the thick Zennomite hull of the space station as if it was a hot knife on a piece of paper.

One of the knights was unlucky to be passing by the path of the Blight Taker just before it hit the young knight initiate. It turned into a ball of purple light and phased through the ship entering the upper atmosphere in mark 40 speed. 

As it was entering the atmosphere every knight on Ren’veil was alerted to the presence of the sword that devours darkness. as it flew past the Vai’lien sky a group of New Kingdom dragon riders were unfortunate enough to pass by it’s way as nothing will stop her from being reunited to her master.

It easily tore through a dozen dragons with relative easy as if they were a leaf in the wind. The blight taker reached the team’s position in about a few minutes later but as it reached out to the young knight it shattered the barrier as it faded into dust as it collided into Kent. 

The Blight Taker disappeared into his left arm as the barrier fell apart Rex and the others didn’t know what happened.

“I guess we are lucky now that the barrier is gone... I’ll go and start up the APC!” Clayton said.

“Kent, Get aboard now we’re Red lining it to the Capital!” Rex shouted.

Kent looked back to his friends and immediately boarded the APC and flat lined it to the capital city as many marines immediately rallied all their squads pursuing their General. 

As the APC was fast approaching the gate’s of the capital city they had more problems to deal with aside from the barrier.

“Boss Man we have a gate sized problem!” Clayton shouted.

“What now! We are running out of time.” Kent said.

“The gate is closed shut and their are a lot of archers on the wall and they don’t look happy!” Clayton said.

“Big brother... Don’t worry I got this! Now where was it again...” Genji said as he was trying to find something in his pocket.

He pulled out an old world music tape and played it in the APC as it started playing music about searching for a hero. 

“Why do that Genji?” Kent asked.

“To set the mood Boss man Lady Aisha needs a hero and you’re it so lets set the mood and... BIG BRO KICK IT!!!” Genji pointed as Clayton smashed the pedals.

Clayton nodded as he buried his foot on the pedal as the Apc was about ramming speed into the magic infused reinforced Steel gate. 

Genji grabbed the twin rocket launcher loaded with Clayton’s special Explosive rocket worth 50KG worth of compressed High explosives including Liquid Jormite the most volatile and high explosive liquid used for cracking class 3 asteroids. 

“It’s time to make a hero Boss Gen your up! Oh yeah say something cool before you fire.” Clayton shouted.

As arrows began to pelt the APC Genji opened the top door carrying the rocket launcher with a smirk on his face as he mounted the rocket on his shoulders. “Back check done... OKAY YOU FUCKS YOU CAUSED OUR BOSS MAN SOME HEART ACHES SO TIME TO MAKE THINGS GO BOOM!!! WARGH!!! HA HA HA” Genji said as he pulled the twin triggers on the rocket firing both missiles at the same time.

As both missiles flew into the gate causing a massive gate was blown to shreds along with a portion of the walls protecting the gate. As the gate came crashing down the APC jumped over what was left of the gate they somehow made it through as many of the New Kingdom soldiers. 

As they broke through several defensive lines with in the city causing a major distraction where ever they go. 

“Boss we’re almost at the King’s Castle what ever your going to do boss... I mean I know your the man with the plan... OH SHIT!” Clayton as he swerved to the left.

A massive iron golem suddenly appeared slamming into the APC nearly destroying it. After it rolled several meters from the main road colliding into an abandoned house though incapacitated the team was all accounted for at the very least. 

Kent got up as he pulled out the Excalliburst blades from his bio-cyber cell converter slicing the underbelly of the APC. 

As he walked out the knight was greeted with more than 5,000 soldier and 100 Iron Golems. Kent moved his neck slightly as his body re-connected the bones that were disconnected.

“Okay... That’s it... I am Very angry right now... So I am giving you all one chance to drop your weapons... and surrender peacefully before i start cutting off arms and legs? You have 10 seconds to comply...” Kent said as he started to limber up.

As he started to count down his body started to heat up as he started to raise his arms and crossed both blades together and made his approach to the army. 

Those who surrendered he left them alone but those who just disregarded his warning he cleaved off at least one arm or leg or even both arms and legs. 

The 5,000 highly trained soldiers were mere child’s play towards the young knight specially his time in the Hell’s gate. Several minutes later many of the New Kingdom army were either dead because of the dismemberment and immediate cauterization of their wounds through the excaliburst blades or had their heads bashed in by Kent.

“Well At least the boss cleared the way I guess...” Genji said as he rubbed his head.

“How can you... Oh...”Willow said as she saw the carnage her General did.

“Well one thing is for sure he cleared the path ahead... So everyone...GET up... and RUN!!!”Clayton shouted.

“You don’t have to shout Clay... And Yes lets run... Wait... Where’s Micheal?”Willow said.

“Of all the time.. Okay I’ll go with you WIllow Let’s find the little dude... Rex I can’t believe I am saying this but... Take the smart ass and my big brother and head to Kent’s location... He is going to need back up!” Marky said. 

“Understood Marky you two be careful we are not out of the woods yet...” Rex said.

Before the team went their separate ways Clayton stopped Willow for a brief moment with a heavy sigh he told her I’m not like the boss man but Willow... Um... Just watch your back the only one who gets to run you down is me!”

Willow smirked at the sergeant and looked at him with a smile I know you can’t really say some nice things because you got brought up differently but... I Will watch my back... And dont think im letting you go for saying that... I will discipline you later. 

“I’m counting on it... Rex lets go!” Clayton shouted.

Willow and Marky ran to the side streets in hopes to find her brother while Rex and the others followed the path made by Kent leading into the castle. 

“So you and Willow Big bro... NICE!” Genji said with a thumbs up.

“Be quiet lil bro... And yes... It’s nice to have a bitch like her... She is like... Fucking shit stick I cant think of a good word”Clayton said.

“You do realize that you can be a little nicer when talking to her right?  I understand Clay that you want to be a bad ass all the time but you could ease up on the curse words... Im just lucky that you haven’t gotten suspended for sexual harassment...” Clayton said.

“Still you can be a little nicer to everyone else... Like Kent and have you been attending your anger management sessions?” Rex asked.

“Yes... I’ll try to be a little nicer... We are chosen by Kent not because we are friends and all but we put something on the table that makes the team effective in our daily missions believe me if we were put in other teams we would either be dead of in the firing line.”Clayton replied.

“Right Let’s hurry the General must be kicking butt right now.” Rex said as they heard a massive explosion from the upper levels.

The three fought their way through what survived of the New Kingdom army as the explosions were getting louder and louder. They reached the entrance to the throne room or what was left of the main door Rex was about to enter the throne room when Clayton grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back before several blades skewered him. 

“Thank’s Clay I owe you one.” Rex said. 

“You’re welcome you have kids Rex it would be very bad if you got killed Fiora and Korra will be sad my guy.” Clayton said as he pulled out his chain gun.

“Okay then... I’ll take a page from Kent on this one... It’s time to nutt up!” Rex said as he pulled out his pistols.

“Or Shut up!” Clayton and Genji said at the same time. 

The three entered the throne room to see the heroes of Ren’veil were down on the ground badly wounded or incapacitated. 

“Rex over their Kent’s locked blades with the King and that bastard Rio!” Clayton stated.

“Way to state the obvious Clay... Genji check on the heroes Clay with me maneuver 5 Clay!” Rex shouted as he started firing at the two.

Clayton Fired his chain rotary gun to the left where the three were locked blades while Rex fired at the opposite direction hitting Rio on the shoulder while the King used his Dragon-snake cloak to block the bullets giving Kent a chance to break off. 

Kent Jumped back to his surprise to see Rex and Clayton standing behind him while Clayton poured on the pain with his chain gun. 

“Rex where have you guys been?” Kent asked.

“We took a Sunday’s stroll, looking for Micheal... well you know our usual start on a monday...” Rex said.

“Right... enough said captain... We are in trouble these two are drawing power from a massive manna pool reserve somewhere in this castle we have to find the manna conversion crystal or this fight will just drag on forever... Wait Where’s Willow and Marky?” Kent asked.

“They are looking for Micheal I‘m sure they are heading towards our way now.” Rex replied.

Rex pulled out an impact grenade and threw it towards Rio knocking him across the room Kent immediately pointed towards Rio as he had a score to settle with him. Rex, Genji and Clayton were to face off against the King the young knight rushed in delivering a powerful sword swing at Rio. 

The Swordtaker managed to dodge Kent’s sword swing and summoned 3 smaller muramasa blades that bounced off his skin. 

Clayton kept the king pinned with a seemingly endless barrage of energy bullets while Rex pulled out a pair of combat high frequency knives and tried to cut off the King’s hands but the King summoned a legion of undead soldiers that were dealt by Kent earlier.

Genji ignited his plasma blades and cleaved through the undead with relative ease but every time he puts down more and more kept on resurrecting. 

“We can’t keep this up forever Boss I’m running out of energy for my blades...” Genji said.

“Damn it... THAT’S It I AM DONE WITH THIS FARCE!!!” Kent shouted as his body began to unlock 7 of the 49 limiters placed by the Black Queen.

Rio laughed at Kent as he summoned over a dozen Massive muramasa blades and fired them like meteors falling from the sky towards the young knight. Kent grabbed one of the blades and crushed it with his bare hand as his fingers turned into claws and most of his left arm turned into a heavily armored dragon layer scale arm greatly increasing his strength to absurdly outrageous levels. 

He then interlocked the Excaliburst blades into the Skull breaker swords and charged towards Rio. Kent’s original strength which could be compared to 600 tons of force per swing when one of the 7 discipline limiters are removed. 

The Discipline limiter that was removed was his Rage when removed his strength, speed, reaction time by 5,000% though it increases his power for a short time without it’s counter discipline limiter the Discipline of Serenity to maintain Rage mode will increase the risk of Kent going berserk the longer he maintains rage mode. 

Kent’s left eye changed into a dark red as he entered rage mode he grabbed one of the muramasa blades mid-air and threw it back towards Rio. Though he was barely able to dodge it in time the blade throw was able to destroy a massive section of the throne room wall. 

Rio didn’t even bother to look back as he charged at Kent with an upward swing followed by a spin kick and double slice combination attack. Kent dodged the double slice countering his sword swing by throwing his Skull breaker sword like a boomerang before it could return to Kent. He followed up with a three punch combination with a reverse ax kick with a rushing upper cut directly to Rio’s jaw and kicked him in the chest sending him flying towards the throne.

He slowly walked towards Rio seeing fear in his eyes overwhelmed the Sword taker and summoned blades left and right trying to push Kent back to no avail.

The young knight walked towards Rio grabbed him by the neck and raised him up Kent was slowly crushing it with a satisfying smile on Kent’s face as fangs started to appear.  

Kent smiled seeing  Rio struggle and beg for mercy since he couldn’t break his grip. Rio summoned more blades that tried to strike Kent but the blades were merely bouncing off his skin.

“Mer...cy!!!” Rio pleaded.

“You said a long time ago... that you will Kill my champion... that you can kill him with one swing of your sword... You boasted your strength to Kent... Though he didn’t do anything... But I wanted to snap your neck... From the start... But... My Daughter would never forgive me for such... Instead I will leave you with a parting gift...” The Dark voice said as he raised his right hand towards Rio.

He slowly pierced Rio’s soul barrier the Dragon that took over Kent snapped off Rio’s legs and right arm and took away most if not all of his sword skills and gave it to Kent as Punishment for his arrogance.

“What.. did you... DO!!!” Rio asked.

“As punishment for killing the children of Ren’veil and selling them to those wretched dark gods... I took 

“Kill ME!!!!” Rio shouted.

“Not even death can save you From me Human... but I shall Gladly oblige your request... For my Champion of course... And one more thing... The one eyed Knight will not save you this time around...” The Dragon said as he snapped Rio’s neck and ripped him in half and threw the corpse off the edge.

Oh well... good riddance to bad rubbish... Now then to deal with the King... But first... a change of pace... The dragon said when he turned to face the King but he returned  Kent to his sanity and reviving the discipline of rage. 

Kent remembered Killing Rio which brought him great satisfaction though most if not all of his memories were still a bit hazy but he remembered throwing Rio off the edge of the throne room plummeting to his death. 

“Wait, what happened... Ugh... my head... Wait no time to be dizzy... We have a battle to win!” Kent said out loud as he picked up his Skull crusher swords and regrouped with Rex to fight the king. 

He turned around to see Clayton flying towards the young knight as he Grabbed the Promethian Gunner’s collar and shoulders catching him before he was sent out the hole Kent made earlier.

“Thank’s boss man you saved my neck back there! By the way where is the bastard Rio did you do him in?” Clayton said as he got back up. 

“Yeah... It was oddly satisfying to be rid of that retarded man who boasts consistently of his power and courage... What a pathetic display of his status as a Hero no less.” Kent said as he cracked his neck.

“Well good riddance to that piece of filth boss man...”Clayton said.

“GUYS I DONT MEAN TO INTERRUPT YOUR TALK BUT... HELP!!!!” Genji shouted as he was barely holding back the King’s relentless sword strikes.

“Right... sorry Genji... Clay... Remember that one move I really hated?” Kent said.

“Oh you mean maneuver 69.1?” Clayton asked.

“Yeah, Lets do It I still got one in the tank!” Kent replied.

Clayton smiled as he grave Kent some active grenades giving them to Kent as he grabbed him by the shoulder and threw him towards the king, The young knight immediately threw three of the five grenades at the King making him dodge as he got closer Kent ignited one of the grenades and threw it right in front of the King which he was able to knock out the air.

Kent was locked blades with the king as he pulled out of the last grenades Clayton gave him and stuck it towards the King and kicked him away. The grenade exploded but that was no ordinary grenade a proton plasma grenade.

“That should have killed him right?” Clayton asked.

“Well if not I am calling bullshit on that big bro!” Genji said as he got back up.

“Well that was a proton plasma grenade... one of Clay’s special explosives... That should be enough to kill him... Right?” Kent asked.

“It should be enough boss man that grenade is the same thing I used to blow up the armory back at Dawn base... oh shit!” Clayton said as he felt a chilling tap on his shoulder..

“SO IT WAS YOU WHO BLEW UP MY ARMORY YOU ASS!!! I was building my new Exo-frame suit... ““Crying”“ It took me 2 years to build that frame and it just melted in seconds...” Kent shouted.

“Guys the battle is not over yet! We got a king sized problem...” Rex said as he reloaded his pistols.

As the King stood back up when most of his body was torn to shreds by the Plasma grenade which Clayton quoted that he shouldn’t have survive the impact from the Grenade alone.

“Hey you fucker Just drop dead already! that is just cheating.” Clayton stated.

“I dont think this counts as Cheating my friend... Lady Arra said before she got knocked out since he is still wearing the pendant of Life he is drawing from the massive manna reserve underneath the castle and using the life energy to heal himself... Now that I think about it... that does sound like cheating...” Kent replied.

“Yeah boss man that is utter Bullshit it’s like some weird writer is making our opponents ridiculously overpowered so we can drag this along then another player comes in kicks ass take names and then chew bubble gum... What an Ass move narrator!” Clayton said as he broke the 4th wall.

“Seriously my friend... You are talking utter nonsense and stop 4th wall breaking Now is not the time to break walls now is the time for the Action Clay!” Kent said as he disengaged the Skull breaker swords.

“Still this is utter bullshit Boss man!” Clayton said as he fired his chaingun at the king.

The king raised his hand stopping all 600 bullets at once and threw it back to the team. though they were able to barely dodge in time. The King then sat back on his throne laughing at the efforts of the team.

You dare to come to my world... Stopping my right to rule and cleanse this beautiful world of all imperfections... and you even have the audacity to stop me... well then... Let’s see if you can stop THIS!!!

The King said as he started to absorb more and more life energy had begun to seep from the ground and went into the King’s body as more and more tendrils went into his body the bigger and more monster like he became. 

A few minutes later he became more than 45 feet tall with more horns sticking out of his body than can be counted and his sword mutated into a demonic blade and revived the dead soldiers into death knights.

“Well we are in trouble... unless someone can pull out a trump card or something like... Right now?” Clayton said. 

“Wait I just remembered something... Rex what was that purple light that fused to my left arm?” Kent asked.

“Oh yeah how could I forget... I requested Lady Charlotte to send the Blight Taker relic sent to you... Kent did you get it?” Rex stated.

“Wait THE legendary Blight Taker... The same Blight Taker that if she gets angry will turn her wielder into a deathly puppet THAT BLIGHT TAKER?!” Kent asked.

“Yes the same thing... That was our only chance to save those kids... We will buy you some time figure out how to summon the sword from your arm! Genji Clay Formation 3!” Rex said as he started shooting the king.

“Okay then... Time to meditate...”Kent said as he kneel down and cleared his mind. 

Kent was brought before the Temple of the soul where he could commune with his own persona and other personalities. Before he could take a single step the young knight was dragged out of the temple and into the Phantom void. 

The Phantom void according to ancient legend this is the only realm that the Blight Taker maintain’s for it’s wielder should the Warden of the Blight taker judge the wielder true then she will allow the full might of the Blight taker to it’s fullest potential.

So you are the new Knight that dares to summon me? The warden said.

The warden waved her fingers at Kent forcefully dragging him towards her forcing him to sit across a coffee table. 

I sense fear in you... Good are you afraid of me... young one? Well... you should be... The Warden said as she was about to snap her fingers and turn Kent into a Undeathly puppet. 

Before she could snap her fingers their was not a single ounce of desire or lust for power and others inside the knight that wielded 

“Interesting... unlike my previous wielders who searched for power... you on the other hand... Despise it as if you want to throw it all away... Very well I will lend you my power for now... Let us see how far will you go... tell Charlotte my regards for me child...” The Warden said as she snapped her fingers again.

Kent was snapped back into reality when he saw his team was getting beaten down as Clayton was literally throwing rocks at the king’s Face. 

“WAIT this is!” Kent said as he saw a bright blighted light emerged from his left hand.

Kent stood back up as he saw the blight taker emerged from his left hand in the form of a long single blade sword. The warden sent a message to her wielder saying I reshaped the Blight Taker into a form more... comfortable to your specifications and skills... Use the power I am letting you borrow and prove to me that you are worth of the Role of the Eternal Knight... 

Then we shall talk again... 

Kent looked at the blade as it roared out of hunger for the blood of the guilty he was eager to feed the blade though his left hand was still shaking after suffering internal damage when using Rage mode. 

He had no other choice but to push it beyond it’s limits as he placed himself into a quick draw stance. After a brief moment of concentration his left eye started to bleed the pupil turned black while the retina turned red in color.

He didn’t had time to think Kent unleashed his skill called provoke luring the king towards Kent. 

“That’s it you ignorant bastard... Come here... just a little more!” Kent whispered as his left arm veins were exploding.

“NOW!!! SHADOWFIRE COMBINATION ART... BLIGHT MOON QUICKDRAW... BLOOD VIOLET PETAL DANCE!!!” Kent said as he disappeared in flash of black light.

After a brief moment Kent emerged from behind withe the Blight Taker drawn as beautiful heart shaped petals began to fall around them. The Blight taker was drawing the blood of the king into it as it finished it’s dinner Kent turned to his team to check on Rex who was shoved into the wall and Ben who had his body stuck to the floor. 

The King looked at the one who killed him as he said one more time before his body turned into black petals I shall... Return... 

“Don’t count on it ass wipe!”Kent said as he threw the Blight taker hitting the King in the head.  

The Blight taker turned the blade into a massive jaw as tendrils began to dig into the king dragging his soul out of his dead body. He struggled to get away but the Blight Taker is a place no soul on creation should ever go to as the blade already devoured 4 dark gods already and hundreds if not millions of demon class champions. 

Let your sins burn you for all eternity... Repent for all the souls that you had wronged... Repent for you shall never know peace... Repent knowing that you had sacrificed your people for your own gain... I Warden Kyrisu of the Blight Taker judge you to Eternity of torment... Know that you shall never escape from me... Not even your gods can save you now!

The Warden said as she burned her message into the Kings soul as he struggled to maintain connection to his body as he got devoured by the Blight Taker. 

It’s over isn’t it... Kent thought to himself as the sword returned to his left arm he then checked on his friends and got them all out safely though they all suffered some form of injury.  Marky and Willow along with Micheal and the rest of the Strike team Zero Dawn made their way to the throne room to aide their leader.

The Knights immediately secured the throne room before Kent could take a breather he checked on Aisha and the others. 

Before he could approach Aisha he knelled down to check on her if their was any injuries but his arm started to feel as if a thousand needles were piercing the insides of his left arm. 

Fenris immediately ignited his Plasma knife and cleaved Kent’s left arm and tossed it aside as it exploded sending no more than a thousand miniature Muramasa blades flying in all directions hitting most marines who were busy aiding the other heroes.

Though they were okay but are in critical condition the knights removed the lodged blades from the mariens and carried them to safety. 

Fenris immediately applied first aide to Kent’s Arm but nothing seemed to force or provoke the regeneration protocols of the Virus inside his body. 

“Damn why isn’t it working!” Fenris thought.

He could hear laughter echoing in the throne room as it sounded familiar Did you think that I’ll die that easily you cocky prick... Now Look at what you did to me!!! Now I’ll kill you and become the king and become immortal! 

“Rio is still alive!” Rex said as he coughed out blood.

“Lily get Rex Kent and the others out of here we shall taker care of this!” Fenris said igniting his Vibration plasma claws. 

“Okay, Fenris kill Rio for Kent!” Lily replied as the medical teams carried the heroes and the injured team out of the king’s castle. 

The Iron wolves began searching the throne room for Rio as one of the Iron fangs (a special team made for the strike team that specializes in drop assaults and heavy type close quarter combat and siege warfare is their main specialty) as they searched the throne room they found the dismembered remains of Rio sword taker who clung onto life using the muramasa’s manna stores. 

“Master Fenris look... The bastard is still alive... Ha... and he had the gull to call our lord a monster... Let’s kill him right now!” The younger Iron Fang stated.

 “Wait... I have a message from Lady Aliyshia before we kill him.” Fenris said as he took the recorder.

Rio, I was already aware of your treachery when you said my Father of all people abandoned Angel city to it’s fate... I knew you were a traitor... and you had the gull to keep comforting my daughter... I cannot believe you... I guess that’s why your sister looks down on the Sword Taker clan...You all had abandoned your duty in search for greed and power... I hereby announce the annulment of the arranged marriage between the sword takers and the Ayekawa Clans... you are on your own... I will announce the betrayal personally so no one will even bother to work with the Swordtakers anymore... This is payback and revenge for my people of Angel city... 

“Their you have it... you don’t deserve this Relic... Ill make sure that I will find another person worth of it... I’ll take this first then you lot can murder him!” Fenris said as he took the Muramasa Pendant from Rio’s neck.

Fenris showed it to Rio and stole it from the Swordtakers the other Grey fangs began to mutilate Rio to the point he was not even recognized. 

As the battle for Ren’veil finally had drawn to a close the rising sun had finally came to greet the Knights of the Strike fleet. As Fenris took off his helmet and approached the edge of the breach. 

He sat down as he took out his kanteen of alcohol and raised it high Cheers to our brothers and sisters... Let your memories be the seeds for tomorrow! Hail to the fallen! Fenris saluted as many of the Grey wolves followed Fenris and drank from their Kanteens in celebration for Ren’veil shall have a new and better tomorrow that starts today... 

[resinoasis]

100 Questions for BJD Owners

Bringing back an old classic!

100 QUESTIONS FOR DOLL OWNERS

1. What is your name and birthdate? --Luna, 2/27

2. How long have you been interested in dolls? --Dolls in general: my whole life! XD BJD’s: about 13 years.

3. How many ball-joint dolls do you have? --Six

4. What is/are the name(s) of your doll(s)? --Lydia, Xander, Douban, Phoenix, Touren, and Ani

5. What type of BJD do you have? --DOD Tender Too and Bee-A, Luts Cutie Delf Mary, Lati Blue Rucas, Fairyland Elf Shiwoo/Soulkid girl hybrid, and BlueFairy Shiny Junior Leila.

6. Do you believe in Fate? --What the heck does that question have to do with dolls? And, um…no.

7. Who is the manufacturer of your doll(s)? Dream of Doll, LatiDoll, Cerberus Project, Fairyland, Souldoll, and BlueFairy

8. What was your first reaction when you saw your BJD for the first time? --MY BABY’S SO BEAUTIFUL!! o(ToT)o

9. Have you shown your doll off at a Doll Show? --Nope. I’ve taken them to a few meet-ups though.

10. Which do you prefer? Commercial BJDs (such as Kyon customed dolls) or Customizing your own BJD? --Customization all the way! I’ve done custom faceups on 3 out of my six dolls—no regrets!

11. How do you feel about Commercial BJDs? --They’re gorgeous!

12. Did you create a personality/background for your doll(s)? If so, describe them! --Sure did. I need to update their bios though and post them here.

13. What type of relationship do you have with your doll (ex. beloved daughter, friend)? --Lydia is my sweet little daughter! The others are kind of just “strays” I picked up, or they’re just involved with Lydia in some way.

14. Does your BJD have a nickname? --Not all of them, but Phoenix calls Xander “Xandie” sometimes (much to his chagrin), and I sometimes call Phoenix “Fifi” just for fun. Touren gets “wolf-kid” every now and then, and Ani is “the puppy”.

15. What special meaning does your doll's name have? --Lydia=Greek for “woman from Persia” or “beauty”, Scheherazade=The clever, beautiful storyteller from The Arabian Nights, Kovaleh=random Farsi surname I found. Xander is short for Alexander (just a name I like), Phoenix comes from her flaming red hair, Douban is named after a physician from the Arabian Nights and his surname al-Razi is after a real Persian doctor, Touren was a name my friend (his previous owner) invented, and Ani is named after a former student of mine named Anna.

16. Does your BJD have a special seat/place in your room? If so, where? --Yup, they all either have their own chair or share the bench.

17. Did you buy a chair specifically for your BJD? --Of course! Poor Ani still needs one though.

18. Does your BJD have accessories of her own? (ex. pets, toys, hairbrush) --Oh goodness, tons…they’re so spoiled!

19. What hard to find items do you wish you could get for your doll? --MSD sized tablets

20. What is the most expensive thing you've bought for your doll? --A DollHeart limited edition “Fer” outfit…y’all know how crazy expensive those are!

21. When you go out, do you take your doll with you? --Not usually, but I have taken them a couple places, and I always take one of them with me on vacations.

22. If so, where have you taken your doll? --To work, to my friends’ work, on vacation, to meet-ups, and to the mall!

23. Is there a regular place you take your doll out to? --Poor dears rarely gets taken anywhere…

24. If you do take your doll out of the house, how do you carry her? (ex. SD violin case, backpack,etc) I usually just carry them in my purse or in the official DOD carrying case.

25. When you do take your doll out, is it easy to do or do you find it's more trouble than it's worth? --I get sooooo paranoid when I take them out, so that’s why I don’t do it often.

26. Does your doll have a friend? Do you think your doll wants a friend? --They’re all friends with each other really, but they have some other friends outside of the house too.

27. If you could build your dream FCS for free, what would it be? --MSD, beauty white pureskin, F-13 head, boy body, 02 legs, 01 feet, 05 hands, optional cat ears, W-85N wig in black (natural), silver 16mm eyes, and custom goth makeup! (Basically another one of my OC’s Ame)

28. What is your favorite optional head? --MSD F-13!

29. What is your least favorite optional head? --MSD F-12…Bleh

30. What type of fantasy head would you like to see produced? --An elephant anthro!

31. What is your favorite wig for your doll? --They all only have one wig each…

32. What made you choose your BJD out of all the various types? --I love Bee-A’s elegant, mature face and her petite body! Plus she was a great price, but I would have gotten her even if she was the same price as the other DOD’s. As for the others they mostly perfectly fit the characters I had imagined them to be. (Except Touren, who was an impulse buy and I figured out his story after I got him)

33. Do you change your BJD's wig often and have you tried styling the wigs? --See #31…

34. How many wigs do you have? --Um, hello? #31??

35. How many shoes do you have for your doll? Does your doll have socks too? --I don’t feel like counting them all, but probably about 15 pairs of shoes between all of them (Xander only has one pair and Ani has two but the rest of them share shoes since they’re all the same size). Lydia and Phoenix share about 5 pairs of stockings.

36. What types of clothing does your doll wear? (name in order of favorite styles) --Lydia: goth, renaissance lady-style, casual, Xander: casual play clothes, Douban: casual and traditional Persian, Phoenix: colorful and frilly, Touren: punk, Ani: cute and playful.

37. Where do you purchase your BJD clothing? --I make most of their clothes myself, but occasionally I’ll buy them clothes from DollHeart or Dollmore.

38. Do you sew clothing for your doll? --Sure do!

39. Do you plan on dressing your doll as an anime character? If so, who? --My dolls have done cosplay before: Touren has dressed up as Sora from No Game No Life, and Douban has dressed as Gackt (okay not an anime character, but still cosplay!)

40. Do you make accessories for you doll? What kinds? --Arm warmers, scarves, belts, hats, hair ribbons, you naaaame it!!

41. Have you made doll items that you plan on selling? --I used to a while back, but I haven’t done it in years.

42. Do you sew/knit/crochet and for how long? --Yes, I’ve been knitting/crocheting for 10 years and sewing for more than twice that long.

43. Is there a type of music that you listen to when you are with your doll? --Not really, whatever I’m in the mood for at the time.

44. Have you ever thought about opening a doll shop? --I did for a while, but I had to focus on other things so I quit.

45. Do you have a specific area in your home where you keep your dolls or customize them? --They live in my home office/crafting room.

46. For how long did you know about BJDs before you actually got your BJD? --I first discovered them a year or two before I finally broke down and bought Lydia, then the others trickled in after her over a span of years.

47. Do you carry your doll around in the house? --Only when I’m showing them off to people, hehehe

48. Is there a special place in your house that you like to sit with your doll? --Sometimes I’ll sit with them while I’m making something for them in my craft room or while watching TV.

49. What are the comments you have heard in regards to your doll, after others have seen it in person? --“SHE’S SO PRETTY!!” or “that’s creepy”

50. Does your doll have their own website? --Do Tumblr and Instagram count? I used to have an actual website for my dolls, but I gave up the domain after a couple years because I wasn’t really maintaining it. Social networks are free, so I have those now.

51. What is the color of your doll(s) eyes now? Also give the size of eyes too.

-- Lydia: 16mm brown, Xander: 14mm violet, Douban: 12mm brown, Phoenix: 14mm light violet, Touren: 14mm brown, Ani: 12mm gold.

52. What is your favorite eye color for your doll(s) and why? --They all just have one pair that they wear permanently.

53. How often do you change the eyes? --See #52

54. How many different pairs of eyes do you have for your doll? --Anyone else noticing a pattern here?

55. Do you believe your doll has a "soul"? --Um, no…They do indeed have “life of their own” but it’s all in my imagination of course!

56. Do you talk to your doll? --Guilty.

57. When talking to your doll, how does she address you? -- Lydia addresses me as “Mama” but the others just call me Luna.

58. How do men react to your doll? --Most men have either thought they were beautiful or just didn’t really care…I have one male friend who can’t sleep in the same room with them though. XD

59. What was your favorite childhood doll growing up and why? --I had a rag doll named “Kachina” that I made when I was 11. I loved playing with her and making clothes for her! I even took her to Lebanon with me.

60. Did you have to sell items from a personal collection to raise money to purchase your doll? --Nope, I just saved money for a while.

61. If so, what did you sell? --Didn’t sell anything

62. How much do you spend on your doll a month? What is the maximum you would spend? --I don’t keep track of monthly spending really…I don’t think it’s out of hand enough to do that…

63. Have you purchased something you regretted later? --Nope

64. Do you like buying clothing sets for your doll? --Nah, I prefer to make their clothes. Especially since Douban and Ani are such odd sizes it’s hard to find ready-made clothes for them.

65. How often do you change your dolls clothing? --Every now and then, or if I make them a new outfit.

66. If you could take your doll anywhere with you in the world, where would that be? --JAPAN!! (I regret not taking any of my resin babies the first time I went, so I want to take at least one of them with me when I go back.) I did take Lydia with me to France, Xander to South Korea, and Ani to Spain.

67. Have you ever done something to your BJD and felt bad about it? (ex. leaving her naked all night, dropping her) --One time Lydia fell while I was taking pictures of her…Scared me to death, but luckily nothing happened.

68. What paint brand do you use on your doll? --Liquitex Acrylics and Faber-Castell chalk pastels.

69. If you were stranded on a deserted island with your doll, what 3 things would you want for your doll to have? --eh??

70. Does your doll have a girlfriend/boyfriend? --Hahaha, this is a fun question…Lydia has been long-distance married to a doll that belongs to a friend of mine for like 10 years now, Pheonix and Touren sort of like each other, and Douban is still single but too focused on his medical career to be interested in girls. Xander and Ani are too young still to be even thinking about such things (I think o x o;;).

71. Does your doll have siblings? --Lydia and Douban have a sibling-like relationship, Xander and Phoenix are actual siblings, and so are Touren and Ani.

72. Will you pierce your doll's ears? --Never!

73. Have you given your doll a manicure? What color? --Yes! Lydia has dark red fingernails, and Phoenix has a rainbow manicure.

74. Did you do the esthetic process on your doll? --Only on Phoenix so far. Xander has also had an elf-ear mod done.

75. If so, are you glad you did? --Yes! I have a special bond with Phoenix because I feel like she’s the most customized out of all my dolls. Xander HAD to be an elf, so no regrets there.

76. If not, why not? --Lydia was already sanded, Douban is tan so I’m afraid to do any sanding on him, and with Touren and Ani I just never got around to it.

77. If you could change anything they did with the BJD body, what would it be? --Umm…more options for hands (jointed fingers <3) and feet.

78. Have you sueded and wired your doll? --Ani was hot-glue sueded when I got her, but I actually removed the sueding because I didn’t like it.

79. If your BJD could be friends with any other BJD, which one would it be? --Hmm…they have quite a few friends already.

80. Do you plan to get more BJDs in the future? --OMG yes…I have 12 more dolls on my wishlist! (yes that means I want to eventually triple my collection)

81. If so, which BJDs? -- You might wanna sit down for this… • Umiko – Minifee Celine A-line Tan girl • Katja and Lexi – Kid Delf Almond BW girls x2 • Tara - Spiritdoll Smart Snowdrop BW girl • Maribel – Minifee Seorin A-line BW girl • Zahara – Littlefee Chiwoo girl • Kiri – Zuzu Delf Corni girl • Ouji – Luts Model Delf Avalanche Brown skin boy, cat ears added • Ame – Luts Model Delf Avalanche White skin boy, cat ears added • Jikai – Bluefairy Tiny Fairy Louis girl • Kairina – Resinsoul Bei White skin girl • QKR 2.0 – Resinsoul Bei Gray skin girl

82. Do you change the paint on your BJDs often? --Not really, Lydia and Douban are the only ones who I have re-done their faceups.

83. What is your BJD’s favorite color? --Lydia: Red, Xander: Green, Douban: White, Phoenix: RAINBOW! Touren: Black, Ani: Pink

84. In general, what is your SD’s mood or look? --Lydia: sweet, gentle mood; cute but deadly look…Xander: up to no good, Douban: professional, Phoenix: crazy colorful, Touren: punk, Ani: playful.

85. Describe your BJD's favorite outfit. --Lydia: crimson DollHeart Fer outfit, Xander: monster hoodie and jeans, Douban: brown striped pants and an open kimono jacket, Phoenix: rainbow wa-loli kimono dress, Touren: black leather pants and grey hoodie, Ani: teddy bear t-shirt and pink shorts.

86. Does your SD have a formal name? What is it? --Lydia Scheherazade Draculesti Kovaleh-Yueh, Alexander Elrond Kotani, Phoenix Zoe Kotani, Douban Ahmed al-Razi, Touren Oukami, and Ani Oukami.

87. Do you have any colored wigs for you SDs? (green or pink) Which ones? --Lydia’s wig has wine red tips and streaks in it…does that count?

88. What BJD would you like to see in the future?

-- At this point in the hobby, I feel like everything’s been done already, but I’d like to see more steampunk themed or android dolls.

89. If you have more than one BJD, do you favor one over the others? --Lately I’ve been paying lots of attention to Ani because she’s my newest doll and is a unique size…she needs a whole new wardrobe just for her!

90. Is your BJD for display only? --I guess you could call them “display mostly” XD I do pose them for pictures/photostories and I’ll pick them up when I show them to people, but most of the time they just sit around in their chairs.

91. Do you have any brand name clothing for your SDs? --Just a few Dollheart things for my MSDs and one 9NineStyle outfit for Ani.

92. Is there any BJDs you regret not buying? --Eh, not especially

93. Do any of your friends own BJDs? --Yup!

94. Do you have BJD get-togethers?

--I used to have friends over to do doll things and make photostories but I haven’t in quite a few years.

95. Have you lied about the true cost of your SD to your family or friends? --Nope, I’m pretty honest about it.

96. Do you think of yourself as being obsessive about your BJD? If so, explain? --I think I was at first, but I’m not nearly as bad as some other people I’ve seen.

97. If the house was on fire, what would you grab first? Your SD, wallet, clothes or no time and save yourself? --I’d probably grab my dolls and laptop (Mah FILES!) first…everything else is replaceable.

98. Did you buy a digital camera only because you wanted to take pictures of your BJD to show off online? --No, I have DSLR but I use it for other things besides just my dolls.

99. If you passed on, who gets your SD? wife/husband/kids/best friend/no one...it goes with me! Explain why! --I’ll give them to a daughter or granddaughter that I know will love them and take good care of them, but if I end up not having any kids, my dolls are going with me to the grave!

100. Do you think you'll ever tire of your BJD? Why/Why not? --Hehehehe…I’ll probably still be extra-possessive over them even when I’m a 90-year old grandmother!

[outlawbarbiex]

I used to do these fuckin’ things constantly. Let’s kill some time while my laundry is drying. :P

What’s your favourite cereal? I’m not a huge cereal person, but my favorite would probably be frosted shredded wheat.

Is there a bus stop near your house? Yeah, I’m sure.

Do you prefer red wine or white wine? Red.

What’s the last airport you were at? Why were you there? Probably Nashville’s airport. I think I was there when I went to visit Tiffany in Orlando a few years ago.

Who do you live with? I recently moved in with my boyfriend and his mom.

Do you read reddit? If so, how often and what subreddits do you like? Yeah, sometimes. A good friend of mine got me on it a year or so ago. My favorite sub is probably Let’s Not Meet.

Have you recently broken up with a significant other or even just a friend? Yes, actually. I ended a seven-year relationship about a month ago.

What’s the weather like today? Is it nice enough to go outside? It’s cloudy and sprinkling, but still feels rather nice.

Do you know anyone who’s had a baby recently? Not that I can think of.

Have you used a pen or pencil today? What did you write down? No.

What does your last text message say and who is it from? Tiffany said, “Ironically looked at his twitter yesterday and he had in his bio ‘don’t cry at my funeral’ or some Shit. I was like uhh 0.0 I’m hurting for her :/ I kno she loved him.”

Can you count how many times you’ve seen your favourite film? No, I can’t. I’m not even sure I could pick just one favorite.

When was the last time you ate marshmallows? It’s been a long time. I’m not a fan.

Do you listen to any podcasts? How do you listen to them? No.

How old will you be in the year 2030? 38. Ew.

How often does the kettle in your house get used? I’ve never seen them use a kettle.

Does your skin bruise easily? Do you have any bruises right now? What from? Hahaha. I have some bruises and hickeys. 😉

What was the last thing you spent $150 or more on? Fuckin’ bills and groceries. Other than that, probably makeup.

Do you prefer yes or no questions or more open-ended questions? I like both.

What brand of toilet paper do you usually buy? Quilted Northern.

If I knocked on your door right now, would you be acceptable dressed? For sitting at home, yeah. I’m in a tank top and pajama shorts, as always

Why did you leave your last job? I moved back to Nashville.

What colour were the last socks you wore? Black.

Have you ever eaten at a restaurant and left without paying? Once, but I went back and paid the following day.

What was the last thing that made you laugh out loud? Darrell trying to act like he was pissy with me.

What’s your favourite scent of air freshener? Um, I’m not sure if I really have a favorite.

How many weddings have you ever been to? Five or so.

Do you know anyone named Nora? No.

Are your hands and feet in good condition or could you do with a mani-pedi? I could use a mani-pedi. The polish is chipping off pretty badly, especially on my fingernails. I’m awful at painting them.

When was the last time you played a board game? What did you play? I’m not sure, which means it’s been far too long. I love board games.

How old were you when you first became sexually active?  15.

Have you ever been to a festival for beer or other type of alcohol? I think so.

Do you own a record player and/or vinyls? No. I had a few vinyls, but I left them with my ex.

When was the last time you went out for drinks? A couple of weeks ago, I think. I typically drink at home.

Have you ever been to a strip club? No.

What’s your favourite kind of smoothie? Blueberry or mango.

Have you taken out the trash today? Not today.

How often do you wear make-up? I’ve gotten so into makeup over the past six months or so, but I’ve been slacking lately with everything else that’s been going on. I wore a bit yesterday, though.

What’s your opinion on The Simpsons? I’ve never watched a full episode.

Do you prefer horizontal or vertical stripes? Vertical.

What’s your favourite brand of deodorant/antiperspirant? Secret.

Do you know anyone who has been through a divorce? Yes.

If you had the money, would you take taxis everywhere instead of driving? No, I have my own car.

Have you ever done a juice cleanse? No.

Do you have any friends who you can’t decide if they’re attractive or not? No.

Is the inside of your fridge clean right now or does it need a clean out? It’s pretty clean.

When was the last time you washed the dishes? A few days ago.

Are there any magazines that you read on a regular basis? No.

Do you have to pay for parking in most places in the town/city you live in? Yes.

What’s the first thing you tend to do when you have a headache? Take Ibuprofen and drink caffeine.

Can you hear lots of traffic from your house? Does it bother you? No. Our apartment faces the back of the complex away from the road.

Have you ever had proper Canadian poutine with the squeaky cheese? No.

Do your parents know how to operate smartphones and/or computers? Yes, my mom more than my dad.

When was the last time you wore a uniform of any kind? What colour was it? Thursday when I went to work. It’s all black, at least until I get my blue shirts instead.

Have you ever lost enough weight to drop a dress size? Yes.

Do you own Monopoly? Is it the original or a special version? Yes, I have Fallout Monopoly.

What was the last thing you said out loud? “Okay, have fun.”

You have to choose one: cats or dogs? Cats.

Would someone being either a cat or dog person effect you dating them? No.

How do you travel to and from work? I drive or carpool with my boyfriend.

Do you primarily use cash or card for your purchases? Why? Card. I hardly ever have cash.

Have you ever been to a stadium concert? Yes.

What’s your favourite flavour of soda, pop or whatever else you call it? Mello Yello.

What level of brightness do you usually keep your phone at? I typically keep it as low as it will go, but it automatically adjusts to the lighting.

Have you ever attended a religious or private school?  No.

Do you have any pets and are they cuddly? I left my cat with my ex.

What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?  Fucking Captain D’s. I took the first job I could find when I was taking care of my mom after her surgery. It was the most miserable four months of my life.

How many cars does your household own?  All three of us have our own cars.

Do you know anyone named Edward or any nickname of that? Yeah, my brother-in-law.

What time do you usually have dinner?  I think we typically end up eating between 6-7 PM, but it varies.

Are there any cracks or scuffs on your phone?  Probably. My case is busted.

What’s your favourite meat? Steak.

Do you need glasses to read or drive or need them all the time?  I don’t wear glasses, though lately I’ve been thinking I could use them while driving at night.

How did you celebrate your last New Years Eve?  Man, I don’t even remember at this point. I don’t think I did much of anything.

Is the internet fast where you live?  Yes.

What is your favourite meal of the day and why?  I love breakfast foods, though lately I haven’t been eating breakfast most days.

Do you like long surveys or short surveys better?  Either are fine. I used to do these things constantly.

Xbox, PlayStation or neither? PlayStation.

Have you ever been to a cocktail bar? Yes.

Do you consider yourself a fast typer? Yes.

What’s the best amusement park you’ve ever visited?  I’ve only ever been to Beech Bend.

Do you keep the cabinets in your kitchen and bathroom organized? Yes.

Have you ever had a romantic fling?  Yes.

Are you a very forgetful person?  Sometimes, though it’s not as bad as it used to be since I’ve stopped smoking pot.

What was the last movie you saw in the cinema?  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

What colour is your shampoo?  It’s like… silvery gray.

Are you doing anything tomorrow?  Yes. I need to go to the old apartment and get the last load of my things, take my ex a couple of things, grocery shop, etc.

Do you know anyone who’s gotten pregnant over the age of 40? Not that I know of.

Who does most of the grocery shopping in your home? My boyfriend’s mom, though I went with her last week and probably will this week, too.

Are you listening to music right now?  Yes. Wish U the Best by Blackbear.

What was the last thing you had to eat? An oreo cheesecake blizzard from Dairy Queen.Bottom of Form

What would you say is the worst part of high school, period?  Probably the cliques.

What is your favorite color of apple? Red, green or yellow?  Red.

How old will you be on your mother’s 68th birthday? Is that ‘old’ to you?  36. I suppose that’s not too old.

Ever thought you were dying of something you weren’t even close to having? Probably.

Ever want to be a doctor? Is it because of all the hospital shows?  Yes.

What do you think of all these reality shows that try to alter personality?  I don’t know or care. I’m not a fan of “reality” television.

Where are your favorite pair of shoes in the whole world right now?  They’re at my old apartment.

Do you live anywhere near a mall? Which one exactly?  I think the closest one is probably Rivergate.

Do you like drawing smiley faces or do you think they’re overrated?  Uh, they’re fine.

If you were dying who would you say goodbye to first out of everyone?  My nephews, I guess.

Are you someone who actually likes to babysit children?  I typically don’t mind.

Do you ever have those ‘ah ha!’ moments? Do those annoy you? Yes, but they don’t annoy me.

Do you hardly ever remember where you put things at?  No.

When is the next time you’ll eat a cupcake, if you know when?  I don’t know.

Does your family go on a lot of vacations? Are they more boring or exciting?  Unfortunately, no. I was actually talking to Betty about this a couple nights ago.

Where did you last buy socks from? What do those socks look like?  I bought some plain black crew socks from Walmart a few weeks ago.

Do you ever lay in the grass and look up at the sky, just because?  It’s been a while.

When do you normally go to sleep on the weekends?  I’ve been going to bed about midnight every night for past few weeks.

Have you ever met someone with the same ‘biggest fear’ as you? Probably.

Do you ever have movie nights with your significant other?  Yes, though it’s been a couple of weeks. I got him to watch Orange is the New Black with me before the next season so we’ve been grinding those out.

Would you rather write with a pen or a pencil? Why is this? Pen. It’s smoother and lasts longer.

Do you like candy bars? Are you trying to slack off of them?  They’re okay. I don’t eat a lot of candy.

Who was the last person to call you fat, if anyone at all?  I don’t know or care.

What color skin does the last person you danced with have?  White.

What is your favorite number? Is it significant with your life?  My favorite number has always been three, though I’m not entirely sure why.

Does anyone ever constantly act like a pervert around you?  Hahahahaha, something like that.

Are you afraid of being kidnapped if you go outside at night time?  No.

Has your mother ever called your school because of your grades?  Yes.

What is the worst name a friend has ever called you? Do you remember?  I don’t remember, but they’re probably not that great of a friend if they’re seriously calling me names.

The best field trip you’ve ever been on; where was it to anyway?  Umm, probably a farm I went to as a kid, I guess.

In the next twenty minutes, what will you be doing and where will you be? I’m going to finish this, smoke a cigarette, get my clothes out of the dryer, put them away, and take a shower.

Do you like showers or baths better? Why did you choose your choice?  I prefer showers. They make me feel more clean than baths do and hot water is a must.

Do you have a religion? Is it the same as your best friend’s?  I’m not religious, no. I’m more spiritual, as is my best friend.

Are you a controversial person? Do your views oppose other’s?  I have some views that differ from people I know, yes.

Have you ever thrown a surprise party for someone? Who for?  Not that I recall.

Do you work? If so, have you ever been fired, then rehired from the place?  I work. I’ve never been fired.

Can you tell when people are lying or telling the truth?  Sometimes.

What would you say your average word per minute time is on the keyboard?  I have no clue. I can type pretty quickly, though. I’ve been using computers for as long as I can remember.

What is your least favorite class in school? Why is this?  I always dreaded math classes because it didn’t come naturally to me like English did.

Do you bite your fingernails or tap them on desks? I tap them.

Have you ever wanted to be in a band? What position exactly?  When I was younger, I wanted to be a singer or a drummer in a band.

Who is your role model or hero in life if you have one?  I don’t know if I really have one.

Do you ever call your cousins just to talk to them randomly?  I don’t think so. I’m not very close with my extended family.

When did you last spend the night at someone’s house?  A few nights ago before I actually moved in.

Do you find any of your friends’ parents creepy or really mean?  No.

Do you ever have to wash your clothes at someone else’s house?  No.

When is the next time you’ll go to the library? Why is this?  I have no idea.

Do you like fiction or non-fiction books more? What’s your favorite?  I tend to prefer non-fiction. The Harry Potter series will always be my favorite.

Do you constantly have to be told to shut up? By who?  No.

Ever have a drug overdose? What did you OD on exactly?  No, but I’ve probably had alcohol poisoning before.

Have you ever wanted to change your skin color because you’re not satisfied?  No.

Do you know how to play pool? Are you any good at it?  Yes. I used to be pretty damn good when I played all the time, but I’m sure I’m rusty now.

Do you treat others as you’d like to be treated? Have you always?  I try to.

Were you a really mean kid or a sweet and quiet kid?  Both at different points of my life.

Have you ever been beaten up by someone before?  No.

Are you someone who likes to get in arguments or fights a lot?  No.