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lovelykhaleesiii · 3 years

Text

Newcomer: Chapter 2

Pairing: Rafe Cameron x fem!Reader

Words: 2.3k

Summary: The Outer Banks was a place you’d only heard of until recently. The unfolding changes in your life had led you to this very moment, and it appears you still have much to learn...

Warnings: swearing, (***) minor time jumps

A/N - sorry for the delay, had a huge assignment due and work <3 I know this is a slow ass start to the series, but trust I’m trying to build momentum LMAO

It had been just over a week, and seemingly still trying to settle in. Majority of your belongings, clothes and other sentiments have now been unpacked and neatly placed away in their new space, although you felt the hardest part wasn’t over just yet. Yourself, Caleb and Anya still struggled to find your way around town, mostly succumbing to the help of Topper, who despite initially being ever so welcoming, had grown slightly agitated from the coercion of having to always help. He’d be dragged out of whatever event or plans he had made, just to help out, especially during the grueling days of the unpacking stages of moving. Not to mention the not so discrete argument you’d overheard, just a few days ago, that he had with his mother, complaining about not being able to enjoy his own summer break.

You couldn’t deny that your presence did somewhat impede on his break, therefore, the guilt was there. You knew you’d have to start taking on some accountability, with or without Topper’s help.

“Y/N, can we just run to the store real quick, I need to grab a few things and you know how hopeless I am with directions…Please, come with, or else I’ll have to get Topper and we both know how much he loves-”

“Yeah, yeah-”

With a reluctant sigh, you tagged the page you’d just turned over in your book and propped yourself off the bed, adjusting your midi skirt before nodding in agreement.

One of the most convenient things about the Outer Banks was that nearly everything was within walking distance. It gave you a chance to explore the scenic landscape and water front, and perhaps even chat with a few of the locals you hadn’t yet properly met.

“So, how are things looking with that JJ guy? He seems pretty cute,” You intrigued, nudging your sister’s shoulder into conversation.

“Yeah he’s great actually, he's a really funny guy. He, uhm, he wants to meet but-”

“But what, Anya? That’s exciting! We sure could do with someone else’s company that isn’t Topper.”

“Yeah, I know but, I, well we, don’t really know him that well. Who’s to say he isn’t some sociopath, Y/N.”

“I highly doubt anyone around here is a psychopath, Anya. Look around, this is a place people come around to relax or retire.”

��Don’t speak too soon, Y/N…”

For some odd reason, you hesitated in a response. Anya was right, you had no familiarity with the people of Outer Banks, although it just seemed like an outrageous place for crime. Ever since arriving, you felt some unexplainable ease here.

“But I mean yeah sure. I’ll probably meet up with JJ some time… In public though, and you need to promise me that you’ll be on the lookout. Not like you’re busy with any plans at the moment, huh,” Anya remarks, as you appeasingly roll your eyes: God she could be so paranoid.

“Yeah, yeah. I promise. Think we turn right up ahead-”

Continuing right on the pathway, you could just faintly decipher the movement of people bustling in and out of the stores, and with that a wave of relief settled over you. Seemed like you knew your way around after all, having doubts along each turn of the walk.

“Make this quick, Anya, the sun’s starting to set, okay.”

“Whatever, Mum!” Anya quips, before rushing off into the convenience store, leaving your lonesome self outside waiting.

You watched the crowd across the street at the diner, enjoying their dinner, as you observed the locals in action, contemplating who was who, as you heard Evelyn exchange many names with your father over endless dinner conversations.

One name that stuck by you was “Cameron.”

Evelyn mentioned it countless of times, although you’d simply assumed they were one of the many well-known families that had established themselves in town. There wasn’t much else you knew, or wanted to know. You hardly met anyone else outside of the house, nor were you in any rush to.

“Hey!-”

Instantly snapping from your extensive thoughts, the familiar voice dragged you back to reality, as you turned your sight to its direction.

“It’s Y/N, right? Anya’s sister! It’s me, JJ, the waiter-”

“Yeah, of course, I remember you-”

As formal and proper as your manners from childhood were, just as you’d gone in for a handshake, JJ wrapped his arms around you, pulling you in warmly for a friendly embrace, before letting you go.

It had caught you off-guard, although not at all in a distasteful way.

“How are you? How’s Anya?” He asked, folding his arms as he leant against the wooden post of the front deck.

“Yeah we’re good! I’m sure Anya’s kept you posted, we’ve pretty much moved in now. How about you? I haven't seen you around.”

“Yeah, I’ve been pretty good! Oh that’s great to hear, that would mean you guys are free to come to the Boneyard tonight!”

“The what?”

“The Boneyard? Where we have this party with a kegger, Topper didn’t tell you?”

By the puzzled expression reeked across your face, JJ knew to take that as an immediate no, not questioning it any further.

“Well if you’d like, I could meet with you guys later and escort you there myself. There’s a few friends of mine I’d like to introduce you guys to.”

“Yeah, sure. That would be lovely, JJ-”

And as perfect as the timing could get, Anya returned from her little store run, stunned by JJ’s unexpected presence.

“Anya- I was just telling Y/N, I’d love to take you guys out tonight to the Boneyard, I was going to text you about it before, but something with my Dad-”

“That’s fine, but we just don’t know where exactly the Boneyard is.”

“That’s okay, JJ’s got us covered,” You exclaimed, before exchanging a friendly wink to JJ who just managed to catch it.

***

“You texted JJ our address right?” You persisted, growing anxious by the thought that perhaps JJ might’ve forgotten about you two.

“Yes, for the last time Y/N could you just relax. He should be here any minute now!”

And just on cue, in the close distance, the roaring sound of an old engine with dull headlights belonging to one of those old, retro “hippie” vans had pulled up through your drive-way. JJ’s head popped out excitedly by the window, waving for you guys to join, and immediately you both walked over.

It was difficult to convince your father of going out tonight, in fact, he’d been pestering you both to get out and mingle. As soon as you’d both approached him with the idea of heading out to some party, he leaped with relief, and encouraged you both to take up the offer. He was easy going like that, trusted you both knowing how well he’d raised you both. Of course, he covered some basic ground-rules: no drinking, no drugs, no smoking.

By the time you’d both arrived to the van, you could just make out the silhouettes of some figures inside the van through the grimey windows. JJ was out of the van, as the courteous man that he was, pulling the side door right open.

“John B-” Pointing to the boy on the driver’s seat, who gave you a friendly wave, made himself known.

“Kie-” A lovely, young girl, exchanged a gracious smile and nod to both Anya and yourself, before JJ finally introduced “And this is Pope-”, a young, pleasant man sat beside Kie.

“Guys this is Anya, and her older sister Y/N. They just moved here like a week ago.”

“Nice to meet you all, thanks for letting us join you guys tonight-” You warmly proclaimed, before gesturing Anya into the van with you following her behind.

As JJ was carefully closing the door behind you, John B mentioned how JJ spoke of you two, confessing you to be the “mystery newcomers” before kindly welcoming you to the Outer Banks.

You felt Kie’s over gaze fall between yourself and Anya, and felt somewhat intimidated, although it there was no threatening intent to it, however more of a protective sentiment.

“So you guys are Kooks, huh?” Kie blatantly questioned, before Pope nudged his elbow into her, as though to signal her to stop whatever interrogation she had planned.

“Sorry, what?”- Anya questioned in response, frowning as she looked around the van, back to you.

“Kie, stop. They don’t know about any of that stuff. Just drop it, okay!” JJ insisted, as he ran his fingers through his blonde locks, almost in frustration.

“We really have no idea what this whole Pogue-Kook business is, but perhaps you could enlighten us one day, Kie-” You suggested, as amiable as possible, not wanting to already cross the line with the few locals you’d just met.

“I sure will, I just can’t believe you guys live with Topper. He’s such an-”

“Ass?-” Anya intervened, finishing off Kie’s sentence precisely the way she intended, making Kie smile in agreement.

“Yeah, I don’t think he likes us very much,” Anya confessed, and as much as you hated “gossiping”, you couldn’t deny this one.

“Well Kie, you’re on to talk… What about your Kook year?” John B laughingly mocked, as Kie infuriatingly shoved his shoulder.

“S-So what exactly is the difference between a Pogue and a Kook?” You intriguingly questioned, shifting your gaze from Kie to Pope.

“Well, to put it short, Pogues live on the Cut, which I assume Topper would rather die than enter. Whereas yourselves and our Kie here, live on Figure 8,” Pope answered.

“So it’s just a social class thing?” You quipped, being reminded again of how very unprogressive things were around the Outer Banks.

“Exactly!-” Kie shouted, a hint of relief, as though finally finding someone who’d shared mutual understanding with her cause.

“I mean there’s more to it-” JJ added.

“But it’s best if you guys don’t get as involved, your only just new here-” He calmly reassured.

“Just keep an eye out for the Kooks, they usually come to these sort of events anyways for the booze they can’t afford-” Kie ridiculed.

“Yeah, especially Rafe-” Pope uttered, his tone reeking of bitterness to the name.

“Wait-Who exactly is that? The name just sounds familiar-” You brush off, not wanting to vex Pope any further.

“Good God, he’s the worst of the worst-” Pope scorned.

“An asshole-” Kie provoked.

“He’s the older brother of Sarah Cameron, I’m sure you’ve met her. She’s Topper’s girlfriend,” John B confessed.

“HA! Topper has a girlfriend, since when?!” Anya broke out mockingly laughing: as Kie and JJ chuckled to her comedic outburst.

“He must be that bad, huh?” You uttered, as the rest began to settle themselves.

“He’s a terrible person, Y/N. If I was you guys, I’d avoid him at all costs,-” Pope insisted, although by the seriousness of his voice, it seemed more of a warning than anything.

***

The Boneyard was a secluded location of the island, where the ashy white trunks of dead logs were arranged in a way to accompany large crowds, and rowdy parties far from the complaints of the adults. As you’d all arrived, kegs ready at the hand, the party had already commenced, as people from which John B described had consisted of Pogues, Kook and tourists. Regardless, all strangers to you.

As you finally eased yourself into that party mood, you found yourself enjoying the company of the Pogues, they were quite the friendly bunch. And it seemed ANya was letting loose as well, no thanks to her new-found companions: it always seemed like an impossible mission for Anya to enjoy herself, although witnessing her from the standpoint of a bystander, you felt comforted.

“I’m just going to go grab myself a drink-” You assured John B, as he nodded in agreement.

As you crammed yourself through the crowd, you felt a tight grip pulling on your elbow, making you topple in the direction of whomever it was that grabbed you.

“Topper, what the fuck?”

“How the hell did you get here, let alone find out about this?” He exclaimed, by the faint smell of the beer oozing with each breath, you could tell he was slowly becoming intoxicated.

“No thanks to you-” You snapped, before jolting your arm out of his strained grip.

“Seriously, Y/N. Does your Dad even know you’re here?”

Before you could even respond, some sort of internal sixth sense, felt an intense pair of eyes on you. As you shifted your gaze, to a bunch of people standing behind Topper, you’d immediately recognised his face.

For some odd reason you felt a shiver crawl down your spine, as though in fright of seeing some ghostly figure. His intense, blue eyes just fixated on you and only you, as he took sips of his drink, with one hand snugged away in a front pocket. It seemed he was in conversation with a bunch of other guys, all dressed quite similarly to one another in their polo shirts and summer shorts, and yet he was not at all engaged... Only to you.

“Earth to Y/N!” Topper loudly interjected, stirring you to snap back, as you fixed your view on him.

“Y-Yes, yes he does. Now could you just let me be?”

And before you knew it, you instinctively stormed off, before Topper had the chance to drunkenly question you any longer. As you disappeared into the crowd, heading for the kegger, your mind persisted in contemplation.

That was Rafe, surely. You vividly remembered the whole, minor incident during your first encounter with him.

After what the Pogues had confessed about him, and by his looming nature, you’d never felt so unnerved by someone, you’d in fact, never even met.

But why?

TAGLIST - @juliep7654 @foggybanditgardenprune

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whaleofatjme1920 · 3 years

Note

Can I ask for an scenario were the proxies have to interact with Charlie? Like, maybe for example the boss sends the 4 of them to Kate’s old house for some reason, or Charlie just wonders into them because he’s scared

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

[Proxies and Charlie]

[Warnings: like, none?]

[This is like full fic length bc I kinda liked the idea]

“Kate?” Tim’s soft voice called out from the driver's seat. He sees that she’s gazing out the window, lost in her thoughts. A small sigh escapes his lips as he leans back, hand gently patting at Kate’s shoulder. “Kate, we need to go.”

The dark haired woman stirs, blinking rapidly in response. She pauses. “I’m sorry?”

The men in the car laugh, Toby devolving into giggles as he clicks her seatbelt. “We’re h-h-here,” he smiles.

Kate shifts, slightly uncomfortable in her seat as she reaches to unlock the door. There, down the driveway is the house that used to be hers. She slides out, listening as her teammates do the same. Her shoes rest on the gravel and gently press against the earth. She hasn’t been able to see her house in the daylight for goodness knows how long. In fact, most of the time she’s here, it’s nighttime.

“You okay?” Brian asks as he rests his hand on her shoulder before moving to her upper back. He’s gently guiding her to the house.

She shrugs ever so slightly, a cloud overtaking her eyes. “Not sure.”

Brian hums and gently rubs her back as they walk up to the house. “We’ll be in and out, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Tim suddenly cuts in.

“W-Why exactly a-a-a-are we h-here?” Toby asks as he catches up to his three group members, stretching his arms and cracking his neck as he does so.

“Operator said we needed some files or something,” Tim answers. “Shouldn’t be that hard, yeah?”

Kate feels a little on edge and nostalgic when she sees the brick walls that surround her home. She takes a glance around. The yard needs to be done as there’s tall grass and weeds that have overtaken the once pretty garden. Ivy and vines grow over the windows, the brick needs some upkeep - it’s a mess. But surprisingly enough, the swingset is still intact. She walks down the path to her front door and reaches out for the doorknob, opening it and raises her brows to see that it’s open. “Huh,” she murmurs. “Wonder if there have been any squatters in here.”

“Sure hope not,” Brian says as his gloved hands trail the tall grass’ edges. “Means we gotta go out there and hunt them down.”

Tim and Toby both sigh in agreement, grimaces crossing over their faces. This house is practically a time capsule into Operator behavior and the like. It reeks with his energy. This place is only open to proxies, and even then, they have to be cleared proxies. If any humans made it in here, that means they have to get killed. That’s just how it is.

Kate steps into her old house, slightly displeased to see that the house looks eerily similar to how she left it with the minor additions of Lauren’s snooping as well. It doesn’t feel or smell like someone has been in here for a while. She begins to explore the place, her hand on her weapon just in case as her teammates file in.

‘So,’ Tim begins in the back of his proxies’ heads, ‘just a few files. Apparently we’ll know ‘em when we see ‘em.’

Toby snorts slightly. ‘You don’t have anything more solid than that?’

‘No.’

‘They’re bound to have Lauren on them,’ Kate says. ‘It’s uh, just the feeling I get.’

Hums echo throughout the house from her teammates as they split and scope out the house. Kate stands in the kitchen, looking for the files. Nothing so far. She sighs. She was hoping they’d be in and out.

“Any luck?” Brian calls out after deeming the house safe.

“Nope,” Tim calls out from the TV room.

“N-Not here either,” Toby says from one of the upstairs bedrooms.

Kate hums as she opens up the drawers. “Empty,” she says.

Tim sighs and runs his fingers through his hair as he rounds the house, mindlessly looking for the things the Operator asked of them. He’s a little upset that they’re just not out there in the open, but that would be convenient, far too convenient. He begins to look out the window, watching for the birds and other things, anything to just calm down. He pats absentmindedly at his pocket, feeling his pack of cigarettes. “Goin’ out for a smoke,” he says over his shoulder to Kate who is still searching the kitchen.

Tim steps outside and lights up a cigarette, placing it between his lips before sucking in a slow breath. He watches the clouds as they swim in the sky, the sun as it passes overhead. What a beautiful summer afternoon. He’s honestly zoning out when he hears a rustling in the grass. What is that? His head turns and so too do the hairs on the back of his neck. Something is on the grounds and it doesn’t feel human. Tim immediately drops his cigarettes and crushes it under his boot before palming his gun.

Dark eyes begin to scan over the tall grasses as he remains planted at the doorstep. He’s about to call for his teammates in what they lovingly call ‘head talk’ before he sees something peeking out of the tall grass, just outside the brick gates. It has dark hair and sticks out like a sore thumb amongst the lush green. Before Tim can even make any plan of action, it’s up and stalking towards him. He swears under his breath, raising his gun towards the creature.

It hisses, making clicking noises and snarling as it keeps a distance, large hands get held up defensively as Tim growls back.

Kate, in the kitchen, hears this and internally panics. At first, she thought it was some rabid raccoon or something, but she recognizes those clicks. That’s Charlie! She slams her drawer and then rushes out to the front where Tim, Brian and Toby are locked in a standoff with the poor thing.

“Woah, woah!” She cries out, extending her hands as she does so.

“Kate, get back,” Tim hisses, hand reaching out to grab at her collar. He grows in disapproval when she pushes off of him, quickly coming to the zombified proxy’s side.

Upon seeing Kate, the creature pauses. It purrs lowly and lowers his head.

Kate stands in front of him, arms out. “He’s not gonna hurt you.” She gently pushes Charlie back, wanting to get him as far away from her teammates as she can.

“It c-c--could be an o-outlier,” Toby says with narrowed eyes, hand not loosening its grip on his hatchets.

Kate takes in a deep, frustrated breath and shakes her head. “His name is Charlie.” She explains. “He’s what we are.”

“What we are?” Brian asks with a tilt of his head, brow raising, but gun still pointed. “He can’t be.”

Toby nods in agreement. “P-Proxies don’t l-look like t-t-that,” he murmurs with uncertainty.

Tim sighs deeply as he lowers his gun, holstering it. “This is what happens to proxies if the Operator wills it,” he explains, a small grimace on his lips. “It’s the radiation.”

Uncomfortable chills run up and down the spines of Tim’s teammates as they slowly put their weapons away, frowns on their faces.

Charlie tilts his head, though his body language conveys that he’s clearly still distressed over what’s happened. His hands are waving, ready to strike should he need to, teeth bared and ready to snap.

Kate runs her fingers through her hair and waves off her other teammates. “Go back inside, let me handle this,” she commands. “He’s harmless, but you’ve made a bad impression on him.”

“He shouldn’t have been poking in the grass,” Tim says as he crosses his arms over his chest.

Kate sticks out her tongue at him. “Get inside, and bring me two sandwiches.”

“Excuse you?” Tim says in slight surprise.

She looks over her shoulder as she gently grabs Charlie’s large hand, leading him to the swingset that is surprisingly still intact. “Go take a seat buddy,” she guides in a warm tone, watching as Charlie slowly slumps back over to his most natural pose, quietly walking towards the swingset. “You heard me,” Kate calls back over her shoulder.

Tim rolls his eyes and heads back inside, mentally telling Toby to make two sandwiches.

Toby, who is watching as Charlie sits on the swingset, rolls his eyes at Tim’s command before sauntering off to the kitchen. He’s admittedly surprised to pull open the fridge and see it’s stocked with food and there’s fresh bread. ‘What kind of sandwiches did you guys want?’ Toby hums as he rummages through the fridge.

Kate pauses swinging. ‘PB&J would be fine,’ she replies. ‘Really anything goes though, Charlie just looks hungry.’

Toby obliges and frowns for a moment. ‘Do you think you and Charlie can wait a second?’

‘Why?’

‘I have something special in mind.’

Kate hums and then nods. ‘Yeah, take your time, Tobes.’ With Charlie at her side, Kate begins to talk with him, buying Toby some seconds. “So, you feeling alright, buddy?”

Charlie chirps quietly, swinging beside her.

“Did the big guy send you here?”

Charlie nods.

“Is he being mean again?”

Charlie’s eyes lower as he shivers slightly, another solemn nod dragging his head downwards as he focuses on the pretty flowers that grow up from the ground.

Kate furrows her brows with a small frown and stands up from the seat, peeling off her hoodie. She drapes it over Charlie’s shoulders before sitting on the gravel just in front of him, pulling at the pretty pink and blue flowers. “I’m here now, yeah?”

Charlie purrs as he holds the arms of her hoodie, a small smile curling upwards on his face.

Kate hums softly as she weaves him a flower crown.

Inside the house, Toby is almost done with the grilled cheese sandwiches. He’s melting the cheese on the second one when Brian and Tim stroll in, a tad bored from watching Kate and Charlie.

“That’s surprisingly nice of you,” Brian lightly ribs. “Smells good though.”

“Why don’t you ever make these with us?” Tim inquires with a small chuckle.

“I c-c-can make them n-now for u-u-s,” Toby begins, flipping the sandwich. “B-But my s-sister used t-t-to make these w-when I was u-upset. F-Figured C-Charlie needed a p-pick me up,” he explains, a small smile on his lips as he turns off the stove. Toby places it on the plate and grabs it before heading to the front door.

In the front yard, Kate is just finishing placing a flower crown on Charlie’s head. The colors compliment his hair and Kate giggles softly as he coos. “You’re so pretty,” she compliments, gently tapping where his nose should be, making him giggle in response. Her nose picks up the scent of Toby’s cooking and a warm smile spreads over her lips. There he is, in the doorway.

“T-Thought you g-guys would l-like these,” he says as he meets Kate halfway.

“You’re so thoughtful,” Kate smiles as she takes the plate into her hands. “You wanna come say hi to Charlie?”

“I-Is he o-okay with it?” Toby asks, wanting to ensure Charlie won’t get wound up again.

Kate glances over her shoulder to the large cryptid like proxy that is currently playing with the flowers that adorn his head. “He’s fine,” she hums, leading Toby to the swingset. “Hey buddy,” she quietly greets. “Toby made some sandwiches for us.”

Charlie tilts his head curiously at the new scent, both Toby and the grilled cheese. He pokes at it before lifting it.

“It’s s-s-still a little h--hot,” Toby warns as Kate sits him down on one of the swings.

Charlie tilts his head again.

Toby blows a bit on his hand.

Charlie follows in suit before chomping into the sandwich, mouth opening and closing like a dragon due to how hot it is.

Both Kate and Toby laugh.

Brian and Tim watch from the windows as Toby, Kate and Charlie begin to get to know each other, giggles and positive energy flowing between the three of them as they do so.

“Should we let them stay?” Tim hums.

Brian nods, a small smile on his lips. “Yeah, let the kids play.”

Tim chuckles, patting Brian on the back. “You check the basement for those files yet?”

“Nah, did you?”

“Wouldn’t be asking if I did,” Tim grins.

Brian rolls his eyes. “Be right back,” he informs, hazel eyes reluctantly leaving the vision of the swing set.

#masky #masky creepypasta #tim wright #tim wright marble hornets #hoodie #hoodie creepypasta #brian thomas #brian thomas marble hornets #marble hornets #creepypasta #creepypasta scenario #kate the chaser #kate the chaser scenario #charlie matheson #slender the arrival #slender man

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fayeimara · 3 years

Text

Meant To Be || One For Every Billion

8. Fan Behaviour

Your impromptu group has slowly made way through the long street of vendors over the last hour, sampling different treats and picking up small trinkets and mementos of the festival.

It's been pretty exhilarating not only with the exuberant energy of the younger girls with whom Akari somehow seems to blend right into, but also the odd tension between you and Suna. He's mostly stayed by your side as you stroll behind the others, his watchful eye on his sister and her friends but you've also caught his discerning stare aimed your way many times as well.

In as little as sixty minutes, that's quite a lot of time to make eye contact with a silent and seemingly immovable companion for the night. You don't let his demeanor throw you off, however, and continue on, immovable in your own way. Which means you say what comes to mind but don't follow the urge to stumble or yammer to fill any quiet gaps in conversation.

Somehow, it works and instead of being awkward and uncomfortable, you find myself at an odd peace, even with the feeling in the air as if you're at a precipice.

You haven't felt this level of comfort and familiarity with someone since... well, since Toru, you suppose. At the thought, a prickle rushes over your skin but you shouldn't have anything to feel bad about. You're in no way committed to anyone and you're sure nothing will happen here, regardless.

"Sorry," You look over at Suna's quiet intervention to your thoughts, "I don't have a jacket on me."

You raise an eyebrow before realizing you must have shivered outwardly at your last thought, hm, you really are letting your guard down to have let a physical reaction slip through. And he really is as perceptive as you first thought to have noticed that small movement.

Looking over at his own simple yukata that suits him incredibly well, you feel the corner of your lip lift before replying, "No, but it's so worth it."

He flicks another one of those sideways looks at you, chin lifted slightly and face angled so you can't read too much of it, "Yeah? Like what you see?"

"Oh yeah." You bite down on your lip to stop your smile from breaking into a flirty grin. You really cannot stress how incredible attractive his laid back confidence is to you.

A small smile of his own breaks through and you catch it before he turns his face away to the stalls on his right. When he looks back, it's gone as if it never happened but there's a look in his eyes that makes you feel almost breathless.

You think you actually do lose your breath when he smirks and casually adds, "Me too."

"Y/n-chan! Rin-onii!" You don't get a chance to respond as Rika bounces back to you both, "We're at the end, but Akari-chan found us a perfect place for the best view for the fireworks!"

"Then lead on, brat." Suna huffs out in mock annoyance. Yeah, you've been getting slightly better at reading him over the past hour. It's a gift.

The two of you follow behind them again, heading towards one of the bridges over the river beyond the street you were just on. There are glowing paper lanterns floating in the water below, lazily passing underneath and by in groups across the length of the bridge. Strung up above you all and reflecting in the dark water are similar lanterns, casting a warm glow over your group's chosen little corner with only a few people some distance away from you all.

Even if the view of the fireworks isn't all that great from here, which you're not sure about since you don't know quite where they've been set up, this ambience is enough to make this a perfect place to rest. Suna leans his back against the railing, right beside where you've chosen to lean forward facing the other way, with your forearms resting on the wrought iron as you survey the lanterns that are carried away.

"Do you game?"

You jerk your head up at his random question, looking up at him where he's got his classic side gaze trained on you. Hm, maybe not so random as probing. You answer just as succinctly as he asked his question, "I do."

"Okay." Another smile tugs at his mouth, you're sure he knows you're being stubborn. "Your voice..."

He's baiting you but what exquisite temptation, you can't help but ask, "What about it?"

"It sounds so..." He trails off, as if lost in thought but you think he's just torturing you for your sass earlier.

You're usually patient, you swear, but.. "Suna." but, you're starting to think his patience might just outweigh yours.

"Familiar." His eyes meet yours again as soon as the word leaves his lips and you're called back to the moments you were thinking that being around him felt familiar too.

But that's not what he means is it? You wait for him to speak again and when he does, even though you're expecting his next implication, you're somehow still both surprised and flattered, "I really like your channel."

"You watch GameOverGirls?" Yeah, that's literal disbelief in your voice. You know you and Vee have a lot of followers on the channel the two of you started back in the fall, especially thanks to both your fans from other clubs and activities, but here in Japan? At least any family you have hear that know about it would make sense, they know you from the first degree. But how would Suna Rintaro have found you already?

He shrugs casually, expression unreadable when he answers, "I like your voice. And you actually know what you're talking about." Then, with a smirk, "The streams aren't too bad either."

You don't even know where to start. The audacity of this pretty boy. Now you're flattered, flustered, and somehow offended at the same time. "When did you figure it out?"

"Just now."

"Seriously?"

"I couldn't place it at first. But then I just did."

"Huh."

"Pretty sure this is where you say thank you."

"For what? Entertaining you?" You pretend to yawn with a hand to your lips and a roll of your eyes, "Talk about fan behaviour."

He tilts his head back fully to study the sky, "Guess I can't deny it, huh?"

With a laugh, you mirror his stance, turning around to lean back against the railing and tilting your head up to survey the stars. After a pause, you give him an opening, "Unless you think you can do better?"

"Well, I could have cut some serious time on that run through of Sekiro. And yeah, I'd be the one carrying you through Warzone." He pretends to grimace and you smack his arm in retaliation.

"Please, squad up and let's see who carries who."

"Okay, bet."

You're about to turn to look over at him to see if he's serious or not about his offer to join your party sometime when something streaks over the sky. You've been expecting the fireworks but when you realize what it is, you suddenly reach out to his arm with one hand and point with the other, excitedly exclaiming, "Oh my god, Suna, a shooting star! Make wish, quick!"

Then you're watching its briefly brilliant light slowly disappear, scrambling to think of your own wish without realizing you're already making one by wishing that you could enjoy more moments like this. It takes you a little bit to realize you're still lightly holding Suna's wrist and he hasn't said anything.

After another beat, once the star has completely disappeared, your eyes slip back over to meet his only to realize he's already been watching you. You're compelled to break the building tension and choose to ask, "Did you make a wish?"

The serious, piercing look in his eyes holds you in a trance as he replies, "I did."

Light blooms across his face just as he answers, sharp, bright bursts accompanied by loud booms and pops, but you can't tear your gaze away from his own immovable, captivating gaze. It's better this way, the reflection in his eyes as they echo the light cast by the fireworks.

So the two of you stand there watching each other instead of the fireworks, surrounding by the cheering of your group leaning on the railing across from you both, conveniently facing away from you to give the illusion of a private moment. One that belongs just to you and Suna.

x-x-x-x-x

The rest of the night flies by quick as you and Suna are pulled to rejoin the rest of the group shortly after your interesting moment together. You don't know what it means but what you are sure of is that you'll be replaying it over and over in your head later, unable to stop from analyzing such a poignant moment with a guy that was a complete stranger to you just hours before.

Neither of you really have the chance to explore it further either, as you're both pulled this way and that by the others for the rest of the activities. No more breathtaking moments relatively alone together, but you don't mind too much, you have to think it over after all and need a minute to catch your breath in the meantime.

Everyone writes down hopes and wishes on paper lanterns before setting them afloat to join the hundreds of other dreams that float away hopefully to a benign deity. Your group then stops at the shrine, placed at the apex of the location, to offer your respective prayers before returning to loop around to any stalls you missed.

As you're all winding down for the night, Rika asks for your socials and you happily oblige. Suna, on the other hand, manages to slip your phone out of his sister's hand as the two of you are exchanging the devices back and taps at it briefly before handing it back to you. You smirk and mouth 'fan behaviour' when you see he's added his contact info, including his twitter handle.

He just raises an unbothered eyebrow and replies out loud, "Just wait until it's you asking for my autograph. You'll thank me then."

"I won't need to thank you if you're my friend."

"But you'll still need my autograph?" He smirks at you.

You can't help but tease about something you both had discussed earlier, "Didn't you tell me you were scouted to go to school here? I'm sure I'll be wanting your name on a paper someday."

"You'll want my name, huh? At least buy me dinner first."

You blush as you realize how he twisted your words and, for once, you don't have a comeback. So you make a reckless, last ditch effort to act like he didn't just win this round and do the opposite of denying his words, "Sure, Suna Y/n has a nice ring, I guess."

Holy shit. You didn't think anything couldn't completely break his impassive expression but you think you might have accidentally have won this round as you see the shock roll his expression right before the red of a full blush sneaks up to kiss his cheeks and tips of his ears.

His surprised eyes are wide on yours as if he's frozen solid by your words before he blinks and then it's like a shutter as he recollects himself and suddenly he's completely unreadable again. But you saw it, that moment that Suna Rintaro was completely caught unaware and absolutely flustered.

You both know who won, though somehow, he still gets the last word, "Well, that's definitely one way to get a permanent autograph."

The two of you turn and start to move forward to the exit in mutual silence, neither you nor Suna noticing Rika still by you both, having watched your exchange in delighted surprise and gears now turning in her head as she realizes her half baked idea earlier seems to have worked even better than she could have ever imagined.

Prev | Next

Masterlist

Behind The Scenes!

-Remember Vee's tweet back in the Falling Into Winter Interlude? Sept 18th (21-09-18 timestamp if you're curious) - she was promoting her and Y/n's gaming channel - GameOverGirls :)

-There was still another hint connection in regards to it back in the same episode

-One that may be one or two degrees of relation as to how Suna found the channel ;)

-He really does like Y/n's voice specifically (even though Vee's got a nice one too but he's barely noticed lol), long before he saw the pretty face to match :D

-Y/n and Vee only suffered through Sekiro on a bet from Key and Tee

-Suna realized it was crazy since he just met Y/n tonight but... he kind of liked how his name sounded with hers..

A/N: Seriously, why is everything about him so pretty??? His name, looks, voice. Just...why? Anyways, with this episode, I've caught up to where I'm currently at in written segments for this series so updates might be slightly slower than usual until I can pull back ahead. Additional notes - I don't know why but I'd mixed up the pic for Suna's priv with his main so ended up using the same one for both since it was too late by the time I realized. It'll be fixed from here on. Also, clearly, the yukata pic makes him look older but he's still 14, it's more about the visual of him in his simple (but striking) yukata <3 Finally... can we all guess which precious bby boy is next???

Taglist: @delusivist, @prettyinblack231, @kac-chowsballs, @sakusasimpbot, @hawkthekinnie, @poppi144, @oikawasbuttcheeks

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danakin-skywalker · 3 years

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ho ho ho!!!🎄☃️🎁

i hope this wagner wednesday, december 15th, was fabulous and your booster shot didnt suck too badly<3

I DIDNT KNOW THEY WERE MAKING A BAYMAX MOVIE BUT EXCITING hes so adorable!!! glad to see hercules and atlantis in that top 5 bc wow they slap - same with coco. i took my younger brother to see it in theaters and cried like a baby. i cant say much about the pizza because im a slut for a couple of the local pizza places around me. with fries i cant say ive had any food from dq but now im tempted to try them👀

✨ questions of the day ✨

1. do you believe in the supernatural? if so, to what extent?

2. are there any local legends/cryptids now/where you grew up that are cool or interesting?

3. top 5 places you want to travel to?

4. favorite kinds of flowers?

5. do you have any tattoos or piercings?

remember santa loves u with their whole heart <3!

🎅🏼

#26

ps. when you answer this itll be 9 days to go till the big reveal!!!! 🥳

Good morning santa!! I’m feeling much better today than yesterday booster-wise! The ending of Coco also makes me cry, but so do the DQ French fries bc they’re SO GOOD you have to try them next chance you get I swear santa.

Okay, so here’s my thing about the supernatural. I love consuming media about supernatural things, but for the most part I believe in ghosts/spirits and aliens and that’s about it. I just can’t bring myself to believe that other things like werewolves and vampires exist. Although, with how little of the ocean has been explored, it’s still entirely possible that mermaids could exist, so the jury’s out on that one. I just like to consider myself a critical thinker when it comes to these, I’m hesitant to believe but I definitely can be swayed.

My hometown didn’t really have any local legends that I knew of. Honestly, Santa, I had a pretty sheltered youth. There was this abandoned psych ward near our closest city that people would sneak into sometimes to take pictures and smoke weed. I never went (bc I’m a lil bitch and that sounds scary) but friends of mine have gone and said it freaked them out.

Ooooh okay so full disclosure I’ve never crossed an ocean so there are lots of places I haven’t been to that I’d love to see. First and foremost, one day I’d love to do just a grand tour of Italy, because there are so many cities I wanna see; Florence, Tuscany, Rome, Venice, Naples, all of Sicily, etc. I would also love to see Greece, I remember falling in love with it after watching Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants when I was younger. I’d also like to see France, but probably not Paris. I’d want to go to Nice and Toulouse and Bordeaux and Cannes. After spending years studying French and France, I’ve come to the realization that Paris is really only exciting if you’re rich or super interested in history, other than that you might as well check out another city. I’d also really love to see Japan one day, there’s this guy I watch on YouTube who lives in Japan and basically goes to the convenience stores and vending machines and assembles and tries instant food and I know this is a strange thing to want to try but it all looks so good and it’s so cheap I want to try the snacks and instant noodles!!! (Literally all I was able to stomach yesterday was ramen noodles so there may be a bias at play here). Also, I’ve always wanted to see Ireland. I have family lineage in Ireland (along with Italy) and I think it would be really cool to reconnect with that, plus Ireland looks beautiful nature-wise.

My favorite flower bouquet-wise has always been roses with baby’s breath. Preferably red, but just any roses. I know that’s kind of basic, but I’ve always felt like a bouquet of roses really truly symbolizes a special occasion. Non-bouquet wise, my mom and I were growing some hibiscus plants on the balcony of her old apartment during quarantine and I really liked how quickly they could turn over and start growing a new flower bud, so that even though they only bloomed for a few days, there was always at least a few in bloom. It was a very rewarding flower to take care of.

I have two small black ink tattoos- the first being a cross on my back between the back of my neck and the middle of my shoulderblades. I got it just a few weeks after I turned 18 and I had been thinking about it for years- my mom only agreed because of the easily-hideable placement and the fact that it’s a cross. The thing is, because of the so-easy-to-hide placement, I would fully forget I had it and so would people around me unless I happened to have my hair up and be wearing a shirt that has a low back. So, around this time last year I believe, I got another tattoo on my right wrist that reads “this too shall pass” in typewriter font, lengthwise. I wanted to get this tattoo because I had a realization mid-quarantine that what my mom had been telling me for years about having visible tattoos and getting a job wouldn’t apply to me because I’m going into the entertainment field. This phrase has also always been an important mantra for me— in bad times, it’s a reminder that even though something feels like it’ll last forever, it won’t. Alternately, in good times, it’s a reminder to live in the moment because time is fleeting. I wanted to get it right on my wrist so that it can be in my line of vision when I need the reminder, because my issue with mantras and corrective thinking is I don’t remember to use them when my brain is in fight or flight mode. Also typewriter font because screenwriting.

Also, I have my earlobes pierced but that’s it, I have a topical nickel allergy and nickel is the main ingredient in most cheap jewelry, so I rarely even wear earrings to begin with. For that reason, I don’t really have any motivation to get a new piercing. I was looking into a daith piercing for a minute last year until I realized I wouldn’t be able to wear earbuds. So yeah, just the two tats and normal piercings for me!

I love you Santa I hope you also enjoyed Wagner wednesday there was a lot of good content. Can’t wait to officially meet you in 9(!!) days

#secret santa #26

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carriagelamp · 4 years

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Book Review - Summer Summary 2020

I didn’t get around to doing an individual post for the books I read in June/July/August, so I decided to choose a dozen that I read over the summer... I’d separate the wheat from the chaff for you so to speak. Though like you’re about to find out, that doesn’t necessarily mean they were all good by any means...

Crave

My girlfriend got this for me to “tide me over until Midnight Sun”. Between you and me, I think she was taking the piss. Anyway, Crave is very... standard fare paranormal YA school romance with the added flare of being written by an adult erotica writer, meaning the rhythm and tone of this novel is fucking bonkers. If you want to read the novel without reading the novel, just take Twilight and the entire Vampire Academy series, shove them in a blend, and force down the sludge you get from that. Normal Average Girl Goes To Secret School In Alaska For Vampire, Werewolves and Dragons. That’s this book. It is so big and so so so bad. I finished it out of spite, please don’t do that to yourself. Unless you are really craving (hurr hurr) some top tier trashy paranormal romance, in which case... no judgment.

The Last Firehawk

The Last Firehawk is a Scholastic “Branches” series, written for beginning readers (grade 1-3ish, depending on the child’s reading level). It has short stories, big text, and awesome pictures on every page. Guys. I unironically am adoring this series. It’s simple and is introducing children to a number of classic elements in the fantasy quest genre, but it is so charming. Friends Tag and Skyla discover a firehawk egg, and species that is supposed to have disappeared long ago. When Blaze hatches from it, the three are tasked with going out and finding the magical ember stone which was hidden long ago by the firehawks and which could be used to defeat the evil vulture Thorn and his dark magic... I read the first two books to second graders who ate it up and read the next four books because I personally wanted to continue the series. If you have young readers in your life (or just want a fun kid adventure) then please try these they’re the literary equivalent of nibbling on a chocolate chip cookie.

Lupin III: World’s Most Wanted #3

All the kind people that still follow my tumblr and haven’t tried to murder me because of my Lupin obsession are not going to be surprised by this one. I finally read one of the manga for this series and honestly I’m delighted. Somehow even hornier than the show, but hilariously funny. I felt like I was reading a more adult version of Spy Vs Spy. It’s a bunch of short, individual bits/adventures with lots of visual gags and an artstyle that is really different and delightful.

River of Teeth / Taste of Marrow (American Hippo series)

I’ve talked about River of Teeth before, but I finally finished the American Hippo duology and need to sing its praise. This is an alternate history series composed of two novellas that explore the question What would have happened if the States had decided to import hippos as livestock...? Anyways, my pitch for you: queer hippo cowboys. That’s all it took for me to read it. You have a gay gunslinger who loves his hippo to death, a nonbinary explosives-expert / poisoner who is the main love interest, a fat con artist who spoils her hippo and is the only voice of reason in this entire series, and a latina mother-to-be who is the scariest assassin in the entire series and is obviously scheming. The four of them are brought together on a job to deal with the Mississippi’s feral hippo problem.

IT’S A QUEER HIPPO COWBOY HEIST NOVEL GUYS I DON’T KNOW WHY I’M STILL TALKING AND YOU HAVEN’T JUST GONE TO READ THIS YET.

Petals to the Metal (The Adventure Zone series)

The graphic novel adaptation to the McElroy family’s DND podcast The Adventure Zone. Most of you are probably aware of this? It’s a great adaptation, it hits all the important beats, shows off the characters really well, and still gets lots of good gags in even while condensing entire arcs into single book stories. This one is probably my favourite so far just because Petals to the Metal was one of my favourite arcs in the show... but you can also see how the art has improved and the chaos of the race is fun to see drawn out.

If you like The Adventure Zone but haven’t tried the graphic novels yet -- would recommend! If you’ve always wanted to listen to The Adventure Zone but don’t have time for such a long series or struggle to focus on podcasts then pick up the first book of this series (Here There Be Gerblins) and try reading it! It really is an enjoyable adaptation.

Pony to the Rescue (Pony Pals series)

I continued my April/May theme of reading old-school chapter book series to combat Covid Brain Fry, so I picked up a few Pony Pals books. I read these as a kid and always enjoy them -- there’s just something so appealing to a child about having a horse. It gives your child characters a level of independence and ability to explore that you wouldn’t get otherwise. These books definitely read young, but they were nostalgic to revisit.

Small Spaces

A really cool middle grade horror novel I picked up. Maybe it’s because I live around a lot of corn fields, but farm/scarecrow themed horror absolutely does it for me. One evening, after seeing a woman try to destroy a strange, old book, eleven year old Ollie doesn’t stop to think, instead stealing the book and running. That’s how she becomes wrapped up in the strange, sinister story of a cursed family and creature called the Smiling Man that seems to live out in the foggy fields. While unsettling, Ollie tries to remind herself that it’s just a story... but this becomes more challenging when her school bus breaks down one day out their own set of fields, and a fog is rolling in...

“Avoid large spaces. Stick to small.”

Snot Girl #1 - #2

A Canadian graphic novel series by the creator of the Scott Pilgrim series! I love his work so I decided to give Snotgirl a try, even though it’s not generally my genre. I’m glad I did! First book took a while for me to get into, but by the time I hit the second I was really wrapped up in the mystery and character development. Snotgirl is about Lottie, a self-consumed fashion blogger whose biggest struggles are dealing with her allergies, frustration with her fellow-blogger friends, and how entirely her self-esteem is tied to her “beauty” and how people view her. But everything shifts in strange and horrifying ways when Lottie starts taking a new allergy medication, meets a new friend... and then witnesses that girl’s death. Or does she?

Seriously, or does she? I have no idea, I need to read the third book. This book is full of intrigue, complicated relationships, murder (or not?), and a healthy dose of magical realism to keep you guessing. If you like slice-of-life, crime, and abstract reality then this series is world a try. Plus the art is gorgeous.

Summer Wars #1 - #2

I recently rewatched Summer Wars (still one of my favourite movies) and decided to read the two-book manga adaptation. It was a really neat little adaptation. The creator of the movie gave the writer free range to tweak things to fit better in a manga format, which means some movie elements were allowed to fade into the background, whereas other aspects were fulled into the forefront and fleshed out to a greater degree. It was very cool, it kept the same story but gave you new things to think about which I wasn’t expecting. Reading this as a stand alone works just fine, but honestly if you’ve never watched the movie Summer Wars you should give it a try! It’s a great mix of slice-of-life, sprawling family dynamics that I relate to a little too well, cyber adventures, and fantasy. Super feel good.

This One Summer

Okay, last graphic novel, I swear. This One Summer was... weird and intense. It’s a coming-of-age Canadian graphic novel that follows a pair of pre-teens who meet up like they do every year at their family’s summer cottages. You see them both in the awkward phases between childhood and growing up to become teenagers, as they’re confronted with things like maturity, friendship, self-esteem, family problems, and sexuality. A beautiful read, but probably the heaviest out of all the books on my list.

Wild Thornberrys Novelization

I rewatched The Wild Thornberrys movie with my girlfriend earlier this year, and decided I wanted to hunt down the chapter book novelization because I’m kind of a sucker for novelizations. Honestly, this was about what you would expect from the era. 90s/00s novelizations, especially young novelizations, are generally just a transcript of the movie without much thought or effort put into them to make them anything but. That’s what this was. It was fine, and it really let me revisualize the entire movie, but honestly you’re probably better off just rewatching the movie unless you also really deeply love The Wild Thornberrys.

The Willoughbys

I saw that Netflix had done a funky looking adaptation of The Willoughbys and I decided I needed to read the book first before watching the movie. This was a little bizarre, I’m still not sure how I feel about it. Over all, I think it was a net-positive experience. It’s an obvious satire on classic children’s novels, especially the likes of Mary Poppins (real Mary Poppins, not the Disney version) and while a little heavy-handed, it does a Series of Unfortunate Events vibe that redeems it. The story is about a group of horrible children (The Ruthless Willoughbys) who decide they are sick of their parents and would rather become Worth Orphans... and to do that, they’re going to have to dispose of their inconvenient parents, obviously. Conveniently their parents are also sick of having children and decide to do away with them as well. The Willoughbys sets up three (or four?) different subplots that are gradually woven together through a series of schemes and exploits. It’s definitely more ruthless (hurr hurr) than the Netflix version, which tried to make the children more sympathetic, and in some ways I think that’s a definite point in the novel’s favour. I’m not sure I would go out of my way to recommend it, but it was a fun romp if you want something short and off the wall (and a lot more fleshed out than the Netflix version).

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thenovelartist · 5 years

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Childhood Friends Headcanon -MLQC

I’m sorry to all the people who come to my blog for ML only to get bombarded by posts for MLQC. But I’m enjoying myself.

Premise: What if the boys and MC actually stayed together once they met?

(Note: Minor spoilers for chapters 7-13, particularly surrounding boys backstories.)

Gavin

He’ll never forget that day in the rain meeting MC.

She knew about him—his reputation preceded him—and it was clear she was leery of him.

But with a little time, she came around.

So much so that she was sad that he graduated before her.

He was kinda sad, too, to be honest. He didn’t want to leave her.

But they never lost touch. Made sure to meet up as frequently as they could.

He didn’t attend his high school graduation—he both didn’t care and thought the everyone else would appreciate him not being present—but she did watch him with pride as he graduated his cop training program.

He almost cried over the fact that he actually had someone there to support him. He didn’t have familial support, but that didn’t really matter anymore when he had his own personal cheerleader.

He surprised her by showing up at her high school graduation.

Not really a “Surprise” but she was still wildly excited to see him, nonetheless.

Though they didn’t get to see each other often—Gavin busy with his demanding job and MC busy with college—they were instantly contacting the other when they had a moment of free time.

Gavin totally tried to coordinate his days off with hers.

They were that couple that claimed they were just friends but looked to the world like they were dating while also each wishing they were actually dating but both being too chicken to confess.

But Gavin finally gets the guts one day.

No surprise MC quickly followed up with a confession of her own.

How do you date?

They’d been so close and doing couple-y things for so long. Like, what was even a date compared to what they normally did?

They decided to do something they wouldn’t normally do and have a nice, truly ‘couple-y’ dinner.

Then they chuckled all the way home because that really wasn’t their style.

Still enjoyed it.

Gavin took her home, dropping her off at her door… and totally chickened out of kissing her goodnight.

They try the “date” thing again. This time, something more casual.

And that time, it did end with a kiss.

Gavin’s little mind went “boom”.

Already positive he’s gonna marry this girl.

Waits a little longer to propose, though. Just to make it seem like he’s not rushing it.

Courthouse wedding a few months later. Her father witnesses.

Then when her father passes shortly after, leaving her with the company, she’s constantly having to ask her coworkers for new copies of documents because she’s not used to signing her new last name quite yet. Especially when everyone still calls her by her maiden name. Or sometimes addresses her like they would her late father. (It’s a change for everyone.)

She’s got it down in a couple of days and likes her new signature better than her old one.

After marriage, Gavin also has a problem of his own. Particularly with the ring on his hand.

It’s his new nervous tick to play with it when he’s stressed on a scouting mission. And when he has to take it off for an undercover one, he’s a mess without it on.

Feels like he’s being unfaithful to the love of his life. MC has had to reassure him many times he’s not but secretly is touched that he feels that way.

These two have disastrous schedules, which is why when they both have time off they can spend together, phones go on silent. Someone can literally come to their house if it’s an emergency.

Kiro

They make it out of the lab together.

Poor kids were terrified out of their mind, each only five. They never let go of each other’s hands during their escape.

And they don’t want to be separated afterwards.

These two kids are each other’s “emotional support person.”

Literally inseparable.

These kids’ guardians bend over backwards to accommodate them. MC has a killer set of puppy dog eyes, but Kiro’s pout is downright impossible to resist.

They end up in the same classes at school.

Play together on the playground at recess and spend lunches together.

They are the “class couple.” And do get teased for it.

They’re told to ignore it, but it still takes a toll on them.

Eventually, Kiro steps out of school to become home-schooled, thanks to his music career.

Oh, these two kids do not know how to handle themselves.

But they are growing up and they can be apart from each other, right?

Right?

Wrong.

They survive not being in class together, but the moment they’re each out of school, they are attached to their phones, texting or calling each other.

Get together to hang out as much as humanly possible.

Kiro has 1000% both snuck off sets to go see MC and snuck MC onto sets to have her around.

MC has also enabled Kiro’s snacking by sneaking him anything he desires.

Usually it’s chips. She’s his chip dealer. Which only leads to the nickname “Miss Chips”.

They were so close that this mutual crush thing was absolutely unavoidable and unsurprising to most people who watched them.

They were fifteen and each exploring their feelings for each other and what dating was like.

And by sixteen, these two were totally making out in closets.

Savin just deals. As long as it doesn’t get out to the public, he’s fine with it. They’re generally discrete, anyway.

Though, the poor guy has had to hunt Kiro’s hiding spot down more than once. Generally, he scopes out the building beforehand so he knows where to find Kiro and MC if the superstar disappears from set.

Kiro would totally get her a promise ring. “I can’t officially propose now, but… I don’t think I’m going to be letting my Miss Chips go anytime in the future.”

She’s in tears.

Kiro’s already planned out proposing to her as soon as they are eighteen and has scoped out the perfect wedding venue.

Though, Savin now has to do everything in his power to keep the whole thing under wraps. He thinks it’s best the public doesn’t know Kiro’s getting married so young. They’ll slowly break it later.

MC travels with him everywhere, attending school online for convenience sake.

But when her dad passes and she has to take over the company, Kiro does his best to settle down more in Loveland to be by her side and support her more.

He fights to film exclusively at her company.

They totally have a closet that they make out in there, too. One MC has the sole key to.

Victor

He doesn’t loose track of her during their escape from that hellhole disguised as a “lab”.

She saves him, and he manages to carry her to safety.

Refuses to be separated from her after that.

Victor soon becomes like her over-protective big brother.

If he’s with her, he’s got his eye on her. And he’s with her a lot.

He’s so soft with her. Yes, there’s name calling on occasion, but he’s always met with a giggle when he calls her ‘dummy.’

He doesn’t really mean it, anyways.

Totally helps her with her homework.

And she always helps him in the kitchen. Rather, she tries and just ends up being the dishwasher after an incident with the fire alarm.

But she’s just happy if pudding is involved.

And though Victor swears he’s not going to make pudding every single night… there’s pudding more nights than not.

She goes to all his graduations; high school and college.

And he’s there supporting her at hers, looking on like the proud big brother his is.

“Good job, dummy.”

He totally teaches her how to write reports and such. Makes her do them and redo them until up to his standards.

“If you can impress me, you’ll win over anyone in the business world.”

Also teaches her all the ins and outs about running a business and how to thrive in the business world.

She’s always ready to take advice he offers.

Everyone in LFG knows that unless Victor actually is in an important meeting, MC is allowed in his office any time.

Has always seen her as his little sister.

Until she takes over her father’s company.

Suddenly, there’s a warmth in his chest as he watches her handle everything with ease.

It no longer feels like he’s watching over his little sister but rather watching a strong, capable woman handle the high-intensity job of running a company with confidence and poise.

… okay, poise was too generous a word. But his point still stood.

Suddenly, he notices she’s actually on his schedule. And their meeting takes place with none of the familiarity that they’ve become accustomed to.

He won’t coddle her as the business owner. She assures him she expects that from him.

And when she leaves his office, Victor finds himself a little bit of a mess.

They slowly lose their brother/sister mentality and grow into business partners that are close enough to have dinner a couple times a week.

“Question,’ he asks her one night. “Can these be considered ‘dates’ or not?”

She drops her fork in surprise.

They date for a several months before Victor proposes. He wouldn’t have proposed so early to anyone else but MC has always been an exception.

They put the wedding together in eight months. It’s a good, large, proper wedding, and they honeymoon out of the country. Because of course they do. Victor wants to give MC the best and only the best.

Total power couple, and Victor takes pride in that.

Lucien

This tree, or their tree, as Lucien likes to refer to it as, holds a very special place in his heart.

It started off as his sanctuary, the spot where he came out to draw.

But then it became the place that he got to bond with the girl who saved him.

After his parents were killed, everything went downhill for him at a rapid pace.

But she…

“It’s going to be okay.”

He still remembers the warmth of her hands when she held his and the tightness of her hugs she engulfed him in.

This girl’s smile lit up his dark world.

She’s the sole reason he escaped the pull of Black Swan.

Being four years apart as they were put a little gap between them growing up.

People looked at them in disdain so often that Lucien constantly lied about her being his sister.

He didn’t like that kind of attention from people, though he also logically knew why they received it.

Though he did his best to act respectfully and appropriately, he couldn’t help but feel all fluttery around MC. Every single time she came around, he had a physical reaction to her proximity.

Did his best to always act the gentleman. The last thing he wanted was to make her uncomfortable.

For now, he focused on his studies, partly because he found them interesting, partly because he wanted to be the kind of man who could provide well for his family.

Because he had his heart set on making one with her.

It was irrational, if he thought of it logically, to be become romantically attached to someone simply because he was emotionally attached to. Yet he could not separate the pull of romantic notions from his emotional relationship to her.

He eventually surrendered his attempts at trying to separate the two and gave up entirely in his quest to understand it.

He was already on his track to a doctorate when she graduated high school. And suddenly, them both being adults made those four years that separated them growing up seem a little less of a hurdle.

That’s when he asked her out.

“I had to wait so long, but I think now’s finally an appropriate time.”

And that’s when she admitted she had feelings for him, too.

It warmed his cold little heart.

They did take things slowly.

But they were already discussing marriage by the time MC had to take over the company when her father suddenly passed.

Honestly, though it was a terrible tragedy, Lucien is glad he finally gets to return the favor of being there for her just as she was there for him all those years ago.

He also decides to hide the ring he’d bought in a drawer, only to open it again when things were stable.

Well… relatively. The life of a media company manager is never fully stable. Mostly, Lucien just got tired of waiting.

He takes her back to their tree to propose.

They get married there, too.

#mr love queen's choice #mlqc #mlqc headcanon #Headcanons #mlqc gavin #mlqc kiro #mlqc victor #mlqc lucien

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a-student-out-of-time · 4 years

Note

Explain yourself dork. Yes I mean Kyoji. Gone for who knows how long and suddenly you're conveniently back and helping with a bust?

//https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYdImXwmee8

To understand this, I think I should start at the beginning. In fact, all of this began after that original Kasugano broadcast.

_________________________________________________________

“Those of you who attend this school, I will ensure your exploitation comes to an end. Those of you across Japan, who have committed great sins against others and never faced justice, you know who you are. I know who you are too.”

_________________________________________________________

Even back then, to me, the words from the broadcast seemed too precise to just be someone dissatisfied with the current state of affairs. No, I knew it had to be someone who knew the truth.

That was when I knew I had to get involved somehow. And I knew it was going to start with the kids.

So I spent a couple weeks gradually trying to get in touch with the parents, just quietly enough that I could be sure I wouldn’t draw any attention to myself. And lucky for me, I managed to do so right around the time a certain young actress went missing. Which was also coincidentally when Kasugano really showcased his abilities.

______________________________________________

After that, I can guarantee you that Utsugi Junya was more paranoid than ever, and even some of the other parents were starting to fear for themselves. After all, if he could out someone like Otonokoji, who’d kept her role in 60+ murders secret, what could they hide?

It was honestly hard to keep myself from laughing when I talked to them. When I was sure that I got Utsugi on my hide, next I went after the Shingetsu’s.

_______________________________________________________

Yes, I can promise that your son will be in care. Nobody else will know. This will stay between all of us.

_______________________________________________________

I got there at a good time. Shingetsu Nagisa was being pushed to the breaking point and wasn’t far from total mental collapse. And after I caught the news of Daimon Masaru’s father beating him to the point that he ended up in the hospital, I knew I had to do something.

So I made a deal with him.

_______________________________________________________

Y-You can make sure everyone’s okay, right? W-We’re all gonna be okay?

I swear on my life. But I’m going to need you to work with me, okay?

Nobody can know that you’re awake. Whenever the clinic’s open or you’re absolutely certain that someone else is around, you need to pretend to be catatonic. You can’t let anyone know that you’re awake.

But wouldn’t me remaining unconscious for weeks draw more suspicion?

That’s kinda the idea. Don’t worry, this will all make sense in due time. I just need you to trust me. And I’ll also need you to help me get in touch with your friend Towa Monaca.

__________________________________________________________

Following that, it was fairly easy to send her the occasional email. I was also planning on trying to look for Utsugi-san.

But as luck would have it, you guys brought her right to me. Yeah, as good as that disguise was, I knew it was her from the beginning. And I knew she would be safer with you all, especially as the final leg of the plan took place.

And that’s why you gave me that letter.

I was working with these parents. It wasn’t hard to guess that you had somehow found a way to located Shingetsu-san, and that you and your friends had some connection to Kasugano. It explained the break-in at my clinic, that’s for sure. I needed you working at a rate that was compatible with what I had in mind.

And you actually gave me the perfect next step there. That gave me all the ammo I needed to keep feeding into Utsugi’s paranoia, making sure he moved exactly as necessary when I needed him to.

Which got a bit complicated with that broadcast in Towa City where Kasugano gave them an Ultimatum.

But as it turns out, that also helped me plan ahead with Monaca-chan.

__________________________________________________________

“So you’re lost on what to do?”

“I’m...planning. Brainstorming. There’s a difference.”

“Hmm...hey, here‘s an idea.”

“Kasugano-sama always talks about how much he wants to save people, right?”

“Yeah?”

“What if we gave him people to save?”

“How so?”

“A staged kidnapping, duh! We get a bunch of people and he has to come to save them! That’s how we’ll get him to come to us!”

“That’s...pretty extreme.”

“Nobody’d really be in danger! We‘d just have to really act like it!”

“...”

“You may have just given me the best worst idea I’ve ever had. You really wanna meet Kasugano? I’ll help you make it happen.”

“You will?! Yes!”

__________________________________________________________

Yeah, believe it or not, she gave me the idea for this. And I presented it to Utsugi.

__________________________________________________________

You’re sure about this?

Absolutely. It’s extreme to be sure, but it’s a surefire solution.

I mean, he hasn’t found us yet, right?

You...do have a point.

We’re going to need some convincing tactics first though. We need to get them scared, as counter-intuitive as that may sound. We want to scare them, and show Kasugano we have his kind of reach as well. And I think I know just who to go after.

Inori Kanata, adopted daughter of the famous Ando Hikaru. She’ll be perfect. I’ll also hire some assistants to help us patrol, see if we can find anyone connected to Hope’s Peak. I’m certain that Ando won’t hand Daimon over so easy, but that’s not what we need. Just make sure we put the right kind of fear into them.

__________________________________________________________

Lucky for me, Utsugi was full of fear and hate at that point. He went right ahead with it. He even went straight to Hope’s Peak himself.

I...didn’t exactly expect Inori-san to end up saved courtesy of Komaeda-san’s luck, but still.

From that point, it was about finding someone adequate to work as hostages. Hostages that I’d be in charge of. And that’s when I...really had to dip in some unpleasant waters.

__________________________________________________________

“I know way for this plan to work, but I really need you to listen to me, alright?”

“Monaca’s listening.”

“I need to get in touch with your brother. And I’m going to convince him to kidnap you.”

“Huh?!”

“Oh...oh, wait...”

“Oh, Monaca gets it now. She‘s gonna be the fake hostage, right?”

“Oh, it’s so much better than that. I have something bigger in mind for you, if you’re interested.”

“If this works, we can make you the next in line to inherit Towa Group.”

...

“Monaca’s listening~”

__________________________________________________________

That was when the official partnership between me, Utsugi, and Towa Haiji began. Towa was already freaked out after that citywide broadcast, and Utsugi was the one who...let’s see he was a springboard for to move into more...extensive plans.

That was when we started moving into taking other girls. I’d convinced him that we needed the money, which, thanks to Towa hiring so many henchmen for us, we were in a bit of short supply of.

With that, we set up shop in that old cargo warehouse by the docks. It was Utsugi’s recommendation, since he’d been planning for some time to sell his daughter off after she hit puberty, and that was where he was going to meet up. It was...adequate.

We moved all our forces there for extra security, and shortly afterward, we caught word of a certain group of girls who’d been investigating the situation. A trio that was exploring Hope’s Peak, the hospital, and a few other spots we hadn’t known about. So we decided they were our best bet.

__________________________________________________________

“It’s simple. You go in dressed as cops and they’ll believe you.”

__________________________________________________________

And with that, I had everything I needed. We moved Monaca there as well, with the cover-story that if we put her in a vat of specialized fluids full of healing compounds, I could get her to walk again. I knew she wasn’t really paralyzed, but it was the perfect story to convince them to move her in.

__________________________________________________________

*Mouthing* “From now on, don’t move unless it’s just me, okay?”

*Monaca nods*

“It should just be a few days. Hope you can wait that long. But then, you’ll be asleep through most of it.”

*Monaca nods, excited*

__________________________________________________________

It was never about the money for me. It was always about the mission. I was planning on sabotaging this entire operation from the beginning. To that end, I made sure I had as much working against us. But I needed it to happen according to my plans, nothing I couldn’t see coming.

__________________________________________________________

Trust you? How am I supposed to trust you? Why does this have to happen?!

Hmm…

*He reaches over and grabs her blindfold, pulling it up*

H-hey, what’re you…huh?

How’s that?

…What’s this about, really?

I don’t like this anymore than you do. But that’s why I’m doing this.

And when all this is over, and you’re in the custody of the police, or Kasugano, or whomever, and you’re away from all this and they ask you what happened…

I want you to remember my face. I want you tell them everything you can about me.

Is this a threat…?

Just a request.

__________________________________________________________

And after all that, it worked. It really, actually worked. Sure, I had a few issues and hiccups here and there, but in the end, I got you all to come.

So, there you have it. Any more questions?

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wollymalfoy · 4 years

Text

New girl in town

Draco Malfoy x reader

Tags: @mythology-mohini

Description: Can you do Draco Malfoy x reader where reader is of different culture and sorted into slytherin and could not understand why people of other houses are rude and Draco befriends from his heart not for any benefits and can draco be lighter shade of grey. Its your choice whether to make reader y/c (your culture) or Indian (if convenient)

Writers note: I’m sorry this is sooo bad! :( but I’ve got some good fics coming up so stay tuned for thoseeee! I’m very excited to post them all!!!!

Your heart beats fast as you walked into the hall with the first years. It looked strange because you were much taller than all of them since you were third year. People stared because of this, it was rare you got transfer students so that wasn’t people’s first guess. Some thought you could be half giant others just thought you were ‘big boned.’ You had just moved over from India, because your dad was offered a job at the British ministry of magic. You had no friends here, and had no idea how things worked at this school. What even was a sorting ceremony? Was it splitting boys and girls? Of course not you thought they’re all mixed at there tables. You watched as the first person was called, they walked up the few steps and sat at in the stool. One of the professors put a old hat in their head. What’s a hat going to do? you thought with a clearly visible puzzled look. ‘HUFFLEPUFF!’ Shouted the hat. you nearly jumped out of your skin, since when did hats talk? ‘I hope I’m not in Slytherin’ whispered a boy in front of you, ‘I’d be ashamed to go home if I was’ giggled a girl next to him. You had no idea why they thought so badly of the house. You watched as each first year was sorted. You watched each of their faces either drop or smile proudly when they had been assigned a house. You then was the only one left. ‘Now that we’ve sorted our first years, we’ve got an new student here in her third year’ she looked at you and smiled, ‘she’s come here all the way from India, I hope you all give her a warm welcome. Now, let’s get you sorted miss Y/L/N’ you walked over to the stool and sat down. The hat was placed over your long silky smooth black hair.

Ah, right, very courageous, quite ambitious I see, awfully clever, determined, yes... better be

‘SLYTHERIN!’ Shouted the hat. You smiled softly and walked over to the table that roared with clapping. Is this a bad house? If it was bad what made it so bad? Did that make you a bad person? You was sure you was good...

Your first days at Hogwarts were nice you explored the place and got to know the teachers, however you hadn’t yet made any friends. The only thing wrong with the school is that people from other houses avoided you because you were a Slytherin. After a few teasing you lost your temper and yelled so loud the whole hall could hear it, ‘what’s so bad about Slytherin!’ ‘Most bad witches and wizards come from that house’ laughed a Ravenclaw girl. ‘But I’m not bad, I swear I’m not!’ You said breathing heavy, tears pricking your eyes. ‘Ye right’ and they walked away laughing.

You ran and ran tears falling from your eyes and running down your smooth brown skin. You let your legs take you where they wanted and found yourself in an empty corridor. You collapsed to the floor as you covered your eyes with your hands. You just needed a place to escape, hide away from all the taunting. You heard a grinding sound, the sound of two stones moving together you looked up and the once blank wall was now a door. What the hell? You though. How does a room just appear out of no where? You entered curiously, and looked around the cluttered room. It looked like people had been shoving items in here since the school opened. Dressers and chairs piled to the ceiling. There was paintings, bird cages, cabinets. Anything you could think of was in there. You looked around and after a while you heard a cough. ‘Hello? Is someone here?’ You said looking around to find the source of the coughing. ‘Hi? Who is it?’ Said a male voice. ‘I’m Y/N Y/L/N, a Slytherin. Who are you?’ You said loudly so the boy, wherever he was, would hear you. ‘Hello Y/N I’m Draco Malfoy, a fellow Slytherin’ he laughed, ‘let me come and find you.’ ‘Okay, should I like keep talking?’ You ask feeling awkward. ‘How about we play Marco Polo, just not in water and you don’t run away’ he laughed. ‘Okay’ you giggled. ‘Marco!’ He shouted, ‘polo!’ You replied. You did this several times before you saw the handsome boy come from around a tower of chairs. He grinned at you, ‘that was fun.’ ‘Yeah’ you said smiling brightly, the boys smile was very contagious, ‘what are you doing in here?’ ‘I can ask you the same question’ he smirked. You looked at him and then he went on to explain, ‘I come here to get away from people.’ ‘That’s exactly why I’m here but I found this place on accident’ you explained. ‘Ah well, this is the room of requirement it appears when someone is in need and it comes equipped with what the seeker wants’ he said walking over to a red couch, ‘I’m guessing you was looking for a place to hide?’ You nodded, ‘a lot of people make fun of me’ you said sitting next to him. ‘Whatever for?’ He said giving you a sympathetic look. ‘Well, they make fun of me because I’m a Slytherin, they say I’m bad or evil’ you frowned, ‘I don’t know why everyone says Slytherins are bad, I don’t think I’m a bad person’ you fought the urge to cry, you couldn’t cry in front of a guy you just met. Of course you’ve heard of Draco, who hadn’t but you’d never spoken to him. ‘Not all Slytherins are bad’ he said looking into your eyes, ‘I know! how would I know, I’m Hogwarts biggest bully, but I’m actually not that bad I promise and from this little interaction you aren’t either’ he grabbed your hand as he said this, ‘Don’t listen to them. How about you hang with me from now on, I won’t let anyone be mean ever again.’ ‘I’d like that’ you smiled. ‘Great!’ He smiled, ‘now how about we play Marco Polo again?’

Thanks for reading :) requests are open!

#draco malfoy #draco malfoy fluff #draco malfoy x reader #draco malfoy x y/n #golden trio era

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dammitadolfnomorecake · 4 years

Text

Once Bitten, Twice Stupid prt 125

125

A nice big bed. Plenty of soft blankets. A few bags of A+ blood. Lance held plenty of fake hope as he was marched along, well aware that’d he’d gone and got himself kidnapped. There’s been stairs, now things smelt damp, this was definitely a secret lair of some sort and he already hated it. People these days had no respect at all for pregnant people. You accidentally vomit on someone and suddenly your missing half your teeth. He was so stupid as to be intentionally uncooperative. He wasn’t that stupid... well, maybe he was. He’d gotten his arse kidnapped thanks to what was now obviously not a message from Shiro.

Marched along, he kept his mouth shut, playing docile. The fabulous hospitality he’d been shown ending with him literally kicked into some kind of dirty cell, before the grating of clearly metal bars. Fucking idiots. He was a vampire. You know. Stronger than the average human. What were bars supposed to do?! Hissing as his knees scraped on the stone floor, they could have at least taken the stupid bag off his head and untied his hands

“I’m leaving you the worst YELP! review ever! 1 star and a stern warning about your manners!”

The stupid bag was dosed with orange scented... surface spray if he had to hazard a guess. All scents wiped out thanks to “dumb” and “dumber”. Hearing someone moving, he automatically tensed, preparing to lose his head, yet instead, all he lost was the obnoxious bag. Matt, Sam, and Curtis sat together in the corner of the dark room, craning his head up, he tried not to smile at Shiro

“Hey, guys. If you were going to throw a party, you could have invited me the normal way”

Shiro chuckled humourlessly. Lance felt that to his soul. He was going to be in sooooooooo much shit when they got out of here

“We didn’t think we’d be seeing you here. Let me get those restraints off your hands”

“Thanks. They’re really not comfortable, and probably not my colour either”

Crouching down behind him, Shiro started working at the biting restraints. Lance trying not to hiss as the pins and needles sensation in his hands burned

“Does Keith know you’re here?”

“Nope. He went with Coran to pick Rieva up”

“She’s okay?!”

Lance nodded slowly. Matt’s eyes were glowing yellow and he really didn’t want to be turned into Lance paste. He really didn’t appreciate the lingering scent of orange at all. He might just risk scurvy because it’d be along time before he went near an orange again

“Yeah. Everyone’s pretty much like joined up. Pidge is safe, so’s Colleen, and Hunk and Allura”

“Thank fuck for that...”

There was a burning need to question how this had happened, instead that hiss finally escaped as Shiro pulled the restraints of his hands

“Sorry. Matt chewed through ours...”

“Yeah. I feel like Sendak is scraping the barrel with his new hires. No brain cells there at all”

Moving around him, Shiro offered his hand, Lance letting himself be pulled to his feet before half collapsing again Shiro from dizziness and relief. Shiro wrapping his arms around him as if he thought this was an intentional hug

“Did they hurt you?”

“Knocked a few teeth out. Zero respect for the pregnant”

“And they didn’t...”

His face was their punching bag, which he’d be more grateful for if he didn’t have to feel his teeth growing back

“Nope. I’m sorry, but I’m pretty much sure you guys were used to distract everyone so they could kidnap my dumb arse”

Shiro asking

“How did they even get to you?”

“Used your phone. I stupidly went out the front. Douche canoes got me with a tranquilliser or something...”

One moment he’d been up, the next the ground was rushing to say hello

“You should sit, here, take my jacket too...”

Even in a situation like this Shiro was a worrier

“You need it more than I do”

“You’re still in Keith’s sweats. You might not be cold now, but we need to keep your warmth up”

Right. That. This wasn’t exactly a tropical beach... and why were they still in the cell?

“Why haven’t you guys busted out?”

Matt bitterly spat

“Lead and mercy on the bars. Plus they shock you when you touch them”

“Did you try covering your hands?”

“Nah, I thought what’s a little more fucking burn”

Okay. Matt’s ego was dented and his mate hurt. It wasn’t time for Lance’s ego to keep cracking wise arse remarks to hide the fact he was secretly panicking. He could feel he’d let go of it too much. Feel his fear and annoyance feeding its cockiness

“Sorry. Sorry, I’ll just... yeah...”

Shut up is what he needed to do. So he would. He was dumb for thinking they hadn’t already tried to break out.

Shiro sat him a little farther away from the others than he would have liked. Matt’s anger stank so bad that he could taste it instead of smell it. Covering his shoulders with Shiro’s jacket, he pulled his knees up to his chest, burying his face between them. This sucked. This sucked so hard. He’d felt like something was wrong with Shiro’s message but he’d run off instead of calling Keith who hadn’t called him even though he said he would. Lance already knew they wanted him. They’d talked about how he was a valuable sample now the pregnancy was confirmed. Curtis wouldn’t have wanted to talk, but his friend couldn’t help if and it wasn’t fair at all. He wanted to feel angry over it, but they’d definitely said Curtis confirmed he was pregnant. Not told them outright like it was fresh information. He was a goddamn vampire. A sleepy, cranky, ready to blow his lid, vampire... Who didn’t love dark and scary spaces unless he was exploring with his friends.

“Are you okay?”

No. He wasn’t. He was tired and hungry and couldn’t imagine what Keith was going through. Softly he mumbled, trying to deny Shiro sitting next to him made him feel a tiny bit better seeing the man surely had years of experience under his belt and would come up with some amazing plan

“I’m fine... you should go sit with Curtis. I’ll be okay”

“Lance... Keith would...”

Keith would want him to rely on Shiro. To rest and gather as much information on his surrounds, but hearing his boyfriend’s name was too much. He really fucking missed and it’d only been a short time

“Keith was a wreck. He left me at VOLTRON so I’d be safe. Instead I fucked up...”

“Oh, boo hoo. It’s not like he was shot right in front of you”

“Matthew! That’s enough”

Lance whined softly. He deserved that. He only knew what it felt like to be scared shitless in front of someone holding a gun on Keith. Not to see it happen... Sam scolded his son, another whine slipping out as Shiro settled next to him, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him up against him

“We’re obviously going to be here for a while. You should rest”

AKA he should shut up and stop with the pity party. No one wanted to hear it. Not when Matt was worried about Rieva and his father. Mutely he nodded, wondering if the smell of orange was blocking out traces of Keith’s scent on Shiro. Sendak had to have some fucking master plan... Lance kind of wanted to skip punching him in the dick for ripping off his testicles. He was old and he was tired. The bastard ruining his plans... but he also never wanted to set eyes on Sendak again. He’d rather be locked down here with Lotor for the next decade of his life than stand before Sendak and be made to feel all those messaged up things again.

Dozing off without meaning to, Lance kept his eyes closed as he listened to the others. Shiro had moved from beside him. Sam and Matt talking technical stuff while Curtis and Shiro fretted about having Lance in the cold and how it couldn’t be good for his mental health... that and how Lance was going to need blood. He could have kept up the charade if he hadn’t been suddenly made aware of why he was awake, throwing up violently beside himself. Fuck. Pregnant. Right. His twins didn’t care they were making his father throw his guts up at random times.

Hacking and coughing, Shiro came over to him

“Lance, you okay?”

“Morning sickness... sucks”

“It’s alright, buddy. Let’s get you away from the mess”

“Not much point when I’m...”

Yep. There he went, gasping like a fish out of water before throwing up again. The cold had crept in. Holding his ego down was hard. Those bars looking pretty tempting despite their construction.

Shiro sat patiently by him until he was done. Letting himself be moved by Shiro did nothing for his ego. His nails extending as the hunter sat him down closer to the group

“You just had to throw up, didn’t you?”

“Fuck off, Fido”

Growling at him, Matt pushed the wrong buttons. Lance snarling back in his friends face with his fangs extended, Shiro looping his arms around Lance’s waist as if he was trying to hold Lance back

“Enough! Matt. Your ego is out of control. Rieva is with Coran. He’s the best person to help her. Lance... can you try to bring your ego back under control. You’re making your scary face”

“He can’t fucking help it. He won’t settle until he sees his mate. And I can’t stop my fucking morning sickness. Fuck this”

Unexpectedly Sam chuckled

“I never thought I’d ever hear you swear quite as many times as you have. Somehow it’s quite relieving”

Ugh. He had been swearing a lot. And thanks to Keith “Fuck” had slipped more and more into his vocabulary. No one really used it swear any more as it was. It was just a convenient word for summing up all sorts of feelings in different situations

“That’s because my Mami taught me to have manners. I’m not usually this angry”

“Usually he’s pathetic”

Lance nearly snarled at Matt again. He would have if Shiro hadn’t sighed, changing topics

“Okay. Lance, we started discussing exit strategies on the way out. Naturally we assume everything we’re saying can be heard”

Lance nodded because it did make sense

“Sendak would hear it. If not him, he’ll have someone listening out”

Technically he didn’t know if it was Sendak. He was simply the assumption seeing Lotor was at VOLTRON and they were here. Lotor also knew he was pregnant and probably that he hadn’t been well. Maybe if he could have turned into a bat, he could have gotten them all out by now. Half talking to himself he said his inner thoughts out loud

“If we can overload the bars then we should be able to bend them”

Either he had to grab them or Matt did. He obviously couldn’t because of the twins. Matt had been through enough as it was. Maybe...

“If we put something against them will the current shock it? Like... maybe we could start an electrical fire and trigger a fault?”

“Or we could start a fire and die in it”

That was too close to Keith’s nightmare for comfort and way too close to how he’d lost his father. He wouldn’t do that to Keith. Sam pretended it was a good idea

“We’ll keep that in mind. Matt, can you check if you can see any kind of cabling or switches?”

“Why? We’re on the wrong side of the bars to do anything”

Ugh. Even Lance got that they needed as much information about the environment they were being kept in, and he was falling back to sleep

“Your eyesight is better than ours. It’s so dark in here I can barely see a thing”

Matt got up, walking over to the bars, he stood there for a good moment and a half

“I don’t see anything. I’d say we’re in a basement, but other than a few scraps against the wall, there’s no switches”

“Nothing on the roof?”

“No”

“How thick is the outer wall?”

Oops he was asking questions again... Matt sighing at him. Matt really wasn’t great at this “captivity thing”. He expected more “Let me out!” And “I’m going to piss on your leg!” from him

“How is that supposed to help us?”

“I don’t know, we’ve got a vampire, a slightly cursed human and a werewolf. If we can’t go through the wall we can always go through the roof”

“And what do you know about construction?”

“I know enough. I renovated my house inside out, plus dust and mould don’t really affect vampires like it does with humans”

“Dude, you’re so weak I doubt you’d make any impact if you tried. Why don’t you just go back to sleep?”

Lance had had enough of Matt’s attitude. He was trying... even if he was failing, he was still trying... Matt might be able keep his hunger under control, but a few days and Lance would either go completely crazy or collapse unconscious and be no help at all

“Matt’s right. You need your rest”

Now Shiro was agreeing with Matt?! Maybe he wasn’t the best “prisoner” but it hurt to be dismissed. Whatever. He was going to keep his temper and hopefully his mouth in check.

Lance had hit cranky. By his estimate it’d been something around 12 hours since he’d been rudely stolen. They were resting in shifts. Shiro urging Sam and Curtis to rest. Lance trying not to feel any kind of jealous over the pair of them at least being kidnapped together. He missed his boyfriend and hunger was setting in. He was cold. Cold. Tired. Hungry. Lonely... and mostly cranky. There should be kind of clause to this morning sickness where you only threw up when there was something there to actually throw up. Rubbing his stomach in soft yet agitated circles, he couldn’t bed himself down like the others, instead getting up to pace.

“Lance?”

Shiro sounded sleepy. He’d known the hunter was still awake, but had wondered if maybe Shiro was really simply sleeping with his eyes open

“I’m fine”

“I didn’t say you weren’t... but I would understand if you’re lying to me right now”

“I’m fine, Shiro. You should sleep”

“Nah... I’m good”

Well this was awkward. Why was Shiro trying to talk to him if he didn’t have anything to say? Walking over to the door into the cell, Lance stared down the lock. It was keeping him from his Keith and he didn’t like it

“Don’t touch it”

“I wasn’t going to”

“I know it’s hard but the best thing we can do at the moment is wait it out”

“There’s lots of other things we could be doing”

Whoops. He was letting his crankiness show. Seriously though. He didn’t get how a little bit of electricity was keeping everyone so obedient. Covering your hands would protect you from the lead and mercury. A hard blow against the gate would probably work to knock the damn thing unlocked. His hunger was definitely affecting his thought process.

Climbing up from where he’d been sitting, Shiro walked over to him

“Matt got shocked when he tried touching the bars”

“I figured that much out already”

“I know you’re anxious and you want to see Keith...”

“Sorry, Shiro, but don’t even go there right now. I know he’s your brother, but to me... He’s the love of my life and the father of my twins. Like Matt can’t keep his temper worried about Rieva, I can’t keep my temper right now”

“Then what do you need?”

“Other than out of this ridiculous cage? Oh, I don’t know. My boyfriend. My bed. Blood. A good nights sleep. Honestly, pick one”

“If you need blood...”

“Don’t. I’m a ticking time bomb and you all know it. Starve me and I’ll lose control. Don’t tempt me with your blood”

Shiro sighed at him as he pinched the bridge of his nose

“Lance... You can’t help what you are”

“I’m not about to fucking feed on you. I have some self respect left under everything”

“It’s not about self respect. Look. We don’t know how long we’ll be in here”

“Well maybe if we fucking thought of an actual plan, we could break out”

“And what’s on the other side of the door? How many vampires are between us and getting out?”

“And how long until Matt wolfs out? How long before I lose control. I’ve fucking had it! You’re all here because I’m pregnant. Keith’s going to be fucking blaming himself. We have no clue what’s going to happen. I swear I’ll take my own fucking life before I let them hurt Keith’s children”

“We need to wait. Patience yields focus”

“I’m fucking focused enough. We don’t even have to start a big fire to short the bars out. We could collapse the fucking ceiling between me and Matt. Yet we’re sitting here like good little children. They hurt Keith and I’m not going to hold back when I see them”

“Keith’s fine. He was with Coran”

Physically fine meant nothing when Keith would overthinking absolutely everything

“That’s not what I meant and you know it. You didn’t see the look on his face at the news you guys were missing. I did. He’s going to be tearing himself apart. Blaming himself for everything. He’s been through more than enough”

“And if you get hurt? Then what? He wouldn’t want you hurt”

“At least he’d know I tried my hardest to get back to him”

Shiro wrapped his arms around him

“We’ll get back to him. You’ll see. He’ll be fussing over you and the twins in no time”

“I... just want to see him again”

“I know. We will. For now all we can do is wait”

Lance sniffled, returning Shiro’s hug

“I hate what this is doing to him”

“I know. I also know whatever he’s doing, he’ll have Krolia, and Coran, and Allura. He’s not going to be alone”

“Not until he snaps and pushes them away, or takes off on his own thinking he knows best”

Shiro chuckled

“They’re not going to let that happen. He’ll be cranky, and probably won’t let you out of his sight, but he’s not going to care about anything once he sees you again”

“You too... it was like the worst feeling hearing Rieva was shot and you guys were missing... I felt so useless”

“At least you’ve got hilarious friends to keep you preoccupied”

“I don’t see anyone hilarious in here”

Shiro chuckled again Lance’s weak humour

“Alright, come sit back down, kiddo. When the moments right, we’ll all get out of this together”

#once bitten twice stupid #oncebittentwicestupid #ashratherose

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searchingwardrobes · 4 years

Text

The Early Leaf’s a Flower: 6/11

In different realms, Emma and Killian still think of the other as they search for something to fill in the hole in their hearts.

Yes, Emma and Killian are still separated in this chapter. Before you yell at me, though, this chapter also shows how often they still think of one another. Bear with me, I swear, all of this will make sense later, and I promise a great (steamy) payoff ;)

This chapter also introduces more of our favorite Once characters both in Neverland and the Land Without Magic. Emma does end up in Storybrooke, but I will go ahead and make something abundantly clear: it is an ordinary (albeit quirky) small town in this story. Some of the scenes in the Neverland section may sound familiar to some of you. I have had head canons for ages about Killian’s backstory with the fairies and with Wendy which I explored previously in fics that I have since deleted. They have been resurrected here, which I love because they are now fully fleshed out and in my own au! Anyways, I hope you enjoy my au versions of these characters.

Once again, massive thanks to the mods in the @captainswanbigbang fo organizing the CSRT especially @optomisticgirl who helped me handle self-doubt and writer’s block. B also was invaluable as a beta and in Discord chats as I tried to figure out how magic would work in this au. My other beta, @shippingtheswann whipped this chapter into shape, pointing out sooo many plot holes. Girl, where would I be without you?

Summary: She saw eyes that were the blue of the forget me not peering at her through the cracked door of the wardrobe. He saw hair as gold as the buttercups. Why does the wardrobe keep bringing them back to one another, if fate keeps tearing them apart? Or maybe fate has her reasons …

Rating: M for eventual sexy times, violence, canonical character death, and attempted rape

Trigger warnings: vague references to child abuse (physical and sexual), violence, and positive Millian

Words: Almost 6k in this chapter

** Complete and updated every Monday** Also on Ao3

Emma: Age 19

The taxi drives off behind her, and Emma startles, grasping the straps of her meager duffel bag tighter as she looks up at the quaint inn before her. The small wooden sign out front swings in the breeze: Granny’s Inn. Behind it, facing the opposite street, is Granny’s diner. The two are attached by a stairwell. Convenient, since Emma will be working there.

She hoists her bag with a deep sigh as she walks up the stone steps leading to the inn. In her jacket pocket is the recommendation letter from her parole officer. She doesn’t think she’ll need it, but she has it at hand just in case.

A bell rings over the door when she enters, and an elderly woman with white hair and bifocals perched on her nose bustles out. With a pang, Emma thinks of Martha so long ago, though this woman has a stern look on her face, almost a scowl, that Martha never would have borne upon her countenance.

“Need a room?” the woman asks, all business.

“Um,” Emma hesitates, fishing the letter out of her pocket. It’s crumpled from the cab ride, and she feels a bit foolish as she holds it out like it’s proof or something. “I’m Emma Swan.”

“Oh!” the woman cries out, flinging both hands in the air as she bustles around the check-in desk. “My apologies. I was expecting you this evening.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think -”

“No trouble at all.” She glances at the paper in Emma’s hand. “I don’t need that, I’d know you from Marco’s description.”

The woman heads for the stairs, gesturing for Emma to follow. The inn is warm and homey, with vintage wallpaper and wall sconces illuminating the stairs. She follows the woman to the second floor and down the hall to room 210.

“This has a view of Main Street,” she tells Emma as she pulls an old fashioned key from her apron pocket and inserts it in the lock. “It’s a suite with a little sitting area and kitchenette, though you’re welcome to take your meals in the diner. On the house, of course.”

Emma’s eyes widen. “Oh, but I couldn’t. It’s your business.”

Granny waves her off. “I know a waitress’s salary isn’t much. How are you ever to get back on your feet if you have to spend every dime just to live? Besides, it was all in the agreement I sent you.”

Emma just nods, still nervously clutching her duffel. She doesn’t want to tell her that she didn’t actually read it. All the fine print and the legal jargon had made her head spin. Marco had said it was the best deal for a girl like her, and how many options did she have, anyway?

“Storybrooke is a nice little town,” Granny says as she pulls the curtains open to let in more light. “The last girl I helped, Ashley, ended up staying. She’s even engaged to a nice young man who works at the cannery.”

Granny comes closer, studying Emma’s face carefully. “Ashley was pregnant when she came. Marco told me you just gave up a baby. I want you to know, I’ve been there. Back in my day, they just shipped me off to a convent and ripped my little boy from my arms. I didn’t even have a say.”

Emma glances away nervously.

“Oh, I know you don’t want to talk about it. I’ve said my piece, and I won’t bring it up again. Just know this is a safe place, and I’ve got your back. And I don’t answer to anything but Granny, okay?”

Before Emma can say anything else, the woman is gone. Emma sinks down on the antique sofa situated in front of the fireplace. She feels out of place, out of sorts. Granny seems nice, and it’s clear she means well, but Emma isn’t staying here. Once she’s saved up enough money, she’s getting as far away from Maine as she possibly can.

Tallahassee still sounds nice.

**************************************

Emma stands in front of the large, mahogany piece of furniture, her dry toothbrush dangling from her lips. It doesn’t look like the one from when she was ten and sixteen: the carvings are far more ornate, and the trim is all wrong, yet her fingers itch to open it and her heart rate picks up just a bit. She’s just about to reach for the little pewter knob when a knock sounds on the door. Emma opens it to find Granny standing there with towels in her arms.

“Thought you might need these tonight,” she says, bustling in without an invitation. “You’re not a guest but an employee, so washing these is your responsibility. The laundry is in the basement. Do you know how to do laundry?”

Emma nods.

“Good. Ashley turned her sheets pink.” Granny says this matter of factly, and Emma stifles a laugh. “Well, I’ll leave you be.”

“Um,” Emma gathers the courage to ask, “this wardrobe . . . “

“Wardrobe?” Granny asks, brow creased in confusion. She sees what Emma is gesturing at, and nods. “Oh, that. It’s not a wardrobe, it’s an entertainment center. Just fits the decor better. There’s a tv behind those doors. A small one, and it’s just the basic cable with fifteen channels or so. Better than nothing, though, right?”

“Right.”

“Well, goodnight.”

Emma’s shoulders fall after Granny leaves. An entertainment center. Nevertheless, she holds her breath when she flings it open.

Nothing but a twenty inch television set, just like Granny had said. It seems even smaller in the large cabinet, and it sits atop a cable box. Emma sighs and closes the doors. What had she expected, anyway?

***************************************

Emma’s feet are sore as she sags against the prep sink and removes her apron. Ruby sees her and laughs in camaraderie.

“The first day is always the toughest,” she encourages.

“I hope so,” Emma groans. She pulls a wad of bills out of her apron pocket and thumbs through it. “I got good tips, though.”

Ruby smiles. “The breakfast crowd is always generous. Lunch? Not so much. Too much take out.”

Emma shoves the cash into the pocket of her jeans. There’s no uniform here, just the matching retro aprons with the pink frilly trim. Ruby is dressed vastly different from Emma in a tiny skirt and a midriff top. Emma wonders if this got the brunette more tips. Not that Emma is going that route, no matter how much she wants to get to Tallahassee.

“Speaking of lunch,” Emma says, “I’m starving.”

“Take a seat out there, and I’ll bring you something.”

“Grilled cheese and onion rings with a Coke?”

Ruby winks. “Coming right up!”

Emma heads for one of the smaller, two seater booths in the back near the jukebox, not wanting to take up room needed for real customers. She still feels a bit guilty taking food from Granny’s business. Of course, Ruby is Granny’s actual granddaughter, and she didn’t bat an eye at Emma’s “order.” She’ll just have to try and get used to generosity, she supposes.

Emma’s surprised when Ruby comes out almost immediately, but it isn’t her lunch on the waitress’s tray. With a flourish, she sets a mug of hot cocoa down in front of Emma. It’s even topped with Emma’s favorite: whipped cream and cinnamon.

“From a secret admirer,” Ruby chuckles with a roll of her eyes.

Emma frowns down at the beverage, and then her eyes flash as the cop she’d served at the bar earlier walks over. She’d recommended the whipped cream and cinnamon, telling him it was her personal favorite. The pervert! He stops at her booth and opens his mouth, but before he can speak, she lifts the mug and flings the cocoa right at him. It wets the front of his dress blues and drips from the badge at his hip. He glances down in shock at the front of him then back up at her.

“You do know I’m nineteen, right?” she snaps. “I may not have the most spotless past, but I’m not an easy score.”

The cop calmly grabs some napkins and pats at the stain on his shirt. “I agree one hundred percent,” he says, focusing on his shirt and not her. “I’m a thirty-two year old man. However, that creep Walsh Oaken over there is thirty-six and likes to sniff around Granny’s girls. I wanted to warn you.”

Emma’s brow furrows in confusion as she studies the cop, then looks over his shoulder at a skinny man who’s also perched on a stool at the bar. He winks at her, and Emma’s face turns red.

“Uh, you mean that guy at the bar? The one who’s been sitting two stools down from you since you came in?” Emma attempts a wry grin at the cop.

He chuckles, and Emma thinks that his eyes look kind, though also sad. The creep Walsh obviously overheard her conversation with the cop, and she suddenly wants to crawl under the table.

“Graham Humbert, sheriff of Storybrooke,” he tells her, extending his hand.

“Oh God,” Emma groans, “the sheriff?”

He laughs again. “It’s okay. I admire your spunk. Guys like Walsh obviously have no hope of taking advantage of you.”

“Ew,” Emma says, her nose wrinkling, “he’s gross and old.”

“I’ll overlook the old comment,” he tells her, “since he and I are too old for you.”

“Hello, Graham,” Ruby purrs as she sidles up with Emma’s plate of food. The sheriff’s eyes light up, and Emma is surprised when Ruby, over the top flirt, actually blushes.

“Hello, Ruby.” He replies, and Emma almost laughs at the way the man’s voice hikes up an octave. He clears his throat nervously, then says, “Well, duty calls, ladies. I’ll see you tonight, Ruby?”

“You know it,” the brunette tells him with a wink.

Ruby watches him go, and the sheriff even glances back in the doorway. Emma takes in the exchange with growing humor. When Ruby turns back around, Emma arches both brows at her.

“What?”

“You and the sheriff?”

“Shhh,” Ruby admonishes, waving at Emma, “not so loud, my Granny doesn’t know about us yet.”

“Why would she care? He seems like a nice guy. And you’re old enough for him.” Now that she knows he isn’t a pervert, Emma can acknowledge the man is attractive. She has eyes, after all.

Ruby shrugs. “Well, he lives here in the inn. Granny likes that he does, says he makes her feel safe, especially with the girls she takes in. If she found out I was sleeping with him . . . “

“Oh come on, Ruby, Granny seems more understanding than that.”

“Maybe,” Ruby gives Emma a sly grin, “but there’s also something thrilling about sneaking around.”

Emma rolls her eyes.

Ruby waggles her eyebrows. “Enjoy your lunch.”

*******************************************

The envelope is fat with bills and Emma smiles at the heft of it before she slips it beneath the panties in her underwear drawer. Not the most original of hiding places, but it works. Granny offered to take her to Storybrooke Savings & Loan to help her open an account, but Emma had declined. It’s too permanent, for one, like making a commitment to this quirky little town. But Emma also knows that plastic can be traced, and she has no desire to be found.

Or does she?

The pop and boom of fireworks shatters the silence of her room, and it's followed by a chorus of oohs from the families gathered below in the streets of Storybrooke. Emma merely crosses the room to draw her drapes closed before plopping down on her bed and turning on the tv. Fourth of July celebrations are playing on almost every station, but the last thing she wants to look at are families in the crowds with wide eyed children balanced on their hips. She could walk downstairs and out the door for that.

After she flips through the main four stations and PBS, she finally finds movies instead of fireworks. She’s not surprised by her options: Independence Day (naturally), Top Gun (of course), and a western she’s never heard of before. What’s more American than a western, right?

She settles for Top Gun, though she’s seen it so many times she can quote it by heart, wriggling beneath the covers and propping the pillows behind her head. Ruby had ragged her about living like an old woman, Granny had given her a reprimanding glare over her bifocals, and Graham had gently asked why she insisted on hiding. She supposes he’s right - she is hiding, but it’s for the best. This is merely a stop on her journey, and it’s best for everyone if she doesn’t get too attached.

She may live like an old lady, she won’t deny it, but Emma is still only nineteen years old. Going to sleep when even toddlers are gazing in wonder at fireworks is something Emma finds physically impossible, and by the time the smoke fades from the harbor, she’s antsy and slightly claustrophobic. She crosses to the window and sees the crowd slowly dispersing but not in any hurry to get home. She lets the curtain fall back into place and plops back down to watch Maverick and Goose for a bit longer. Once the credits roll, Main Street is finally empty, the few remaining revelers having headed down to the Rabbit Hole for drinks. Emma grabs a light sweater that’s draped over her desk chair and heads quietly downstairs.

This isn’t the first time she’s made her way through the quiet streets and headed to the docks. It’s one of the things she’ll miss when she leaves because Neal had been wrong. Emma looked it up - Tallahassee isn’t on the coast of Florida. The nearest beach will be over an hour’s drive away.

Emma sighs as she reaches the boardwalk, wrapping her sweater tighter around herself as a cool breeze sweeps across the water. She leans against the railing, looking out at the barges from which they’d shot off the fireworks. She can hear faint shouts from the crew as they clean up from the festivities. She glances over to her left and sees a sailing ship bobbing in the water where it’s tied to the dock. She thinks of a boy from years ago with sea-chapped lips, messy hair that smelled faintly of salt water, and bright blue eyes.

Three years ago, that’s when she saw that boy last. Has he changed as much as she has? Emma crosses her arms upon the wood railing and bends over to rest her chin atop them. As she often does when she comes here, she thinks of the first boy she really kissed and wonders if he’s still sailing the ocean. Maybe he’s a lieutenant now, like he had hoped. Maybe he has a nice, sweet girl who waits for him at the end of each voyage.

Emma isn’t sure why she entertains these fantasies of a boy she knew so briefly. Perhaps because it’s better than other places her thoughts could wander.

Only when her eyelids begin to droop and goosebumps rise on her arms does she leave the docks. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a penny. She holds the copper to her lips and whispers “Tallahassee.” Why she needs to get there so badly, she can’t even say. Nevertheless, she says it like a promise before tossing the penny into the waves.

Killian: Age 19

“Bloody fairies,” Killian mutters as he makes his way deeper into the thick jungle. Tiger Lily and Tink just had to bring up Milah and the need to avenge her death.

He stops at another thick tree truck; the only ones on the island that grow so large and tall. As the fairies had instructed, he slashes his hook across the smooth bark. He leans close on bated breath, and within minutes he has his answer: thick, black viscous liquid seeps from the tree. Hook retrieves a piece of parchment and a stub of charcoal from his duster pocket and makes a mark. So far, he’s counted two dozen dead pixie dust trees like this one and only half a dozen that are still producing.

Half an hour later, sweat is trickling down his back as he hacks his way through the dense bush. Suddenly, Killian spins, his hook at the ready as someone or something comes crashing through the jungle foliage to his right. He takes cover behind another thick pixie dust tree and waits. Pan’s crew are breaking in a new lost boy, most likely. Killian is shocked when it’s a girl, not a boy, who stumbles into the small clearing near his hiding place. Her blonde curls are a matted mess filled with bits of leaves and bracken, and her white gown is tattered and stained. As she scrambles to her feet, the moonlight hits her face, and Killian can make out the sheen of tears. Her blonde hair reminds him of Emma so long ago, and he can scarcely breathe for a moment. Then he blinks, his eyes clear, and he obviously sees that this girl’s hair is darker than Emma’s was.

Killian is so distracted by this strange turn of events, he doesn’t even hear the lost boys coming. They have the girl surrounded before Killian can get a bearing on the situation. The girl spins in a circle, frantically searching for an opening of escape, chest heaving in panic.

Félix stalks towards her, smacking his club repeatedly into his open palm. A phantom pain throbs where Killian’s hand used to be as the urge to pummel Félix with both fists surges through him.

“Wendy, Wendy, Wendy.”

“Please,” the girl begs, “just leave me alone.”

What happens next is a blur of white hot rage. The boys advance, Wendy is on the ground screaming, and Killian is suddenly in their midst, flinging lost boys right and left. Félix has Wendy on the ground by the throat, and Killian turns on him next.

“Run!” Killian yells, but Wendy simply stares at him with wide eyes, trembling as she curls herself into a ball. An image of a nine year old boy, cowering behind the barrels in a ship’s hold, swim up in Killian’s memory.

Félix stalks towards him, the rest of the lost boys regrouping at his back. “She’s a little young for you, don’t you think, Captain?”

That’s all it takes to send Killian over the edge. He swings with his hook, slicing down the side of Félix’s face. The young teen howls in pain, and stumbles backwards, blood gushing from his wound. The other lost boys falter as Félix stumbles to the ground, then turn and flee. Wendy has backed herself against a tree, still cowering in fear. Growling in frustration, Killian hauls her to her feet and commands her to run. When she makes no move to obey, he plunges into the jungle, hauling her along with him.

A few moments later, Wendy comes to herself and begins struggling in his grasp. “Let me go!”

He stops, turns, and snaps at her in frustration, “I’m trying to help you!” He gives her a small shake, but stops when he sees the terror in her eyes. He looks down at his hook, still dripping with Félix’s blood. He suddenly realizes what he must look like to her. Trembling slightly, he drops her arm and steps away from her. He points towards a faint trail to his left. “There’s a fairy nearby. Her tree house is that way. It’s hidden from the lost boys. You’ll be safe there.”

Wendy narrows her eyes. “You’re . . . saving me?”

The sound of lost boys echo through the jungle. “Weeeendyyyy! Come out, come out, wherever you are! We only want to play!”

Killian gestures with his hook, “Go!”

Once Wendy is heading for the tree house, Killian takes off in the opposite direction, crying, “Wendy! Run!”

He can hear the lost boys behind him, following him far away from the little lost girl.

The sounds of the lost boys are distant once he stumbles onto the beach where he’s left the dinghy. He hasn’t finished his task with the pixie dust trees, but that will have to wait. The lost boys were never supposed to know he was here.

“Bloody fairies,” he mutters again as he scrambles into the boat.

“Going somewhere, Captain?”

Hook’s blood boils as he turns to find Pan hovering nearby, his arms folded over his chest and his head tilted at a cocky angle. “Do you have a death wish, boy?”

“You can’t kill me,” Pan scoffs, “or you would have by now.”

“I can try!” Killian growls, leaping from the boat and onto the sand.

Predictably, Peter flits about around Hook’s head, but his taunts aren’t what the pirate expects and makes his blood run cold.

“You can’t save them both, Hook.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’re old friend Tiger Lily or your new friend Wendy? Which should die today?”

Killian gives a feral yell as he grabs ahold of Pan’s ankle and flings him to the ground. He pins the demon there, his hook to the lad’s throat.

“What game are you playing now?”

Pan smirks, as if cold steel at his jugular is of no consequence. “Wendy was a gift for Felix, and you ruined it.”

“You hate girls.”

“But teenage boys have needs, unfortunately. It was long overdue.”

Killian presses his hook just enough to break some skin. “Wendy is safe, and what do you know of Tiger Lily?”

Peter laughs. “My crew has Tink’s treehouse surrounded. And as for Tiger Lily, well . . . let’s just say I hope she can hold her breath long enough for you to save her. Skull Rock fills up with water when the tide comes in, you know.”

Killian hauls the imp up and tosses him across the sand as he plunges back into the jungle.

“You don’t have time to save them both!” Pan calls after him. “The tide is coming in soon, Hook!”

Killian ignores him as he slashes his way through the thick brush towards Tink’s place. He’s racing so fast to get to the innocent little girl that he doesn’t see the flash of two blond heads coming from the opposite direction. He collides with Tinker Bell with such force, she tumbles to the forest floor, taking Wendy down with her.

“What the bloody hell, Hook, are you trying to kill us!”

“Tink, thank the gods!” Killian exclaims as he hurriedly pulls first Tink and then Wendy to their feet. “Pan said -”

“That the lost boys had found my hideout?” Tink finishes for him. “Yeah, I got that already.”

“Hurry!” Wendy screams when they hear shouts in the jungle behind them.

“Let’s go,” Tink orders, yanking Wendy by the arm down a ravine nearby. Killian brings up the rear, his sword at the ready in case he needs to slow down the enemy. Soon they’re racing along the bed of a trickling stream, and the sounds of the lost boys fade into the distance.

Tink stops in front of a large boulder covered in moss and pushes at a curtain of thick vines to reveal a shallow cave.

“This doesn’t look like much of a hideout,” Killian mutters.

“Do I look dense to you, Hook?” Tink snaps.

Killian arches a brow and tilts his head at the fairy. “Don’t answer that,” Tink mutters, and Wendy giggles. He winks at the child and is pleased when he elicits a blushing smile from her. Tink taps on the back wall of her cave with her wand, and a door appears.

“Bloody fairies,” Killian says for the third time that day, but this time with affection. That makes him think of - “Tiger Lily!” he cries. “Will you two be okay?”

Tink rolls her eyes. “Of course.”

He gives a tremulous smile to them both, then turns back, taking a different route back to the beach from the way they had come.

*********************************

Skull Rock is a hulking menace in the distance, staring at Captain Hook with vacant eyes as he rows across the choppy waters. Rowing isn’t easy with one hand, even with his hook, and he wishes he’d thought to bring one of his crew along today. Of course, he hadn’t expected to be performing a rescue mission.

Killian curses himself, because – once again – he has mucked everything up. Just like with Milah, he has put a friend in danger. He just hopes Tiger Lily forgives him for going to rescue Wendy first. If she lives, that is.

Curse that wretched demon of a boy! His stomach turns remembering the lad’s mocking laughter on the beach.

The tide is rising faster, filling up the cavernous, yawning mouth of Skull Rock. Killian rows harder and swears again as the waves crash against boulders as he draws closer to his destination. Killian’s row boat is almost knocked sideways as he makes his way through the mouth of Skull Rock. There’s Tiger Lily, lifting her chin to call for help. The water splashes into her mouth, and her thick braids float on the surface of the water. Killian abandons the boat; there’s no more time. He dives beneath the waves, kicking his way to where Tiger Lily is tied to a rock. He comes up for air in time to see Tiger Lily’s wide and panicked eyes just as the tide completely closes over her. Killian inhales deeply and dives back under, hacking at the thick rope with his hook. Finally, it breaks free.

Killian grabs Tiger Lily around the waist and kicks upward. When they surface, they both gasp for air. The waves are beating harder, sending the row boat farther away from them. If they don’t catch up to it soon, water will completely fill the cavern, and they’ll both drown. Tiger Lily doesn’t need any instruction; she kicks her legs and swims alongside him. When they reach the side of the boat, Killian pushes her inside, then shoves the row boat through the opening of Skull Rock that has become the narrowest of exits. Killian dives under to follow the boat.

He swims with long strokes as far as he can, hoping he has cleared the rocks. When he breaks the surface, gasping for air, he’s relieved to find himself in the open air. A hand reaches down, and Tiger Lily hauls him over and into the boat. He barely has time to catch a breath before her hand connects with his cheek. The sound of her slap echoes across the water.

“What the bloody hell was that for?” he shouts.

“Hook, you are a dirty pirate, and I never want to speak to you again.” She yells, crossing her arms over her chest.

“What did I do? Pan was the one who tied you up in there!”

Tiger Lily glares at him, her arms still crossed. “And the only reason he found me was because YOU told him where I was!”

“Why the bloody hell would I do that?”

Tiger Lily deflates slightly, her brow furrowed. “In exchange for some of your crew.”

Killian arches a brow. “And you believed him?”

“Well, I . . . “

“I would have been here sooner, but I had to rescue Wendy.”

Tiger Lily shakes her head, even more confused. “Wendy?”

“A girl Pan had his shadow bring to the island. To . . . entertain his teenage crew.” Killian can barely get the words out.

“Pan hates girls, and he’s never cared . . . unless . . . “

Killian’s eyes widen. “Unless Wendy is bait.” He thinks of Mason and Felix telling Pan that he didn’t have the mark. “He’s looking for someone specific. He’s looking for -”

“A little boy,” Tiger Lily finishes for him, “very young.”

“But why tie you up in Skull Rock?”

Tiger Lily’s eyes widen as she takes up the oars. “A distraction. Where is your crew?”

Killian shakes his head as he too takes up the oars. “The ship is docked in Pirate’s Cove while I’m gone.”

“Exactly. No pirates to rescue lost boys from the shadow. Does Wendy have any brothers?”

Killian scowls. “I’m guessing the answer to that is yes.”

*****************************************

“Don’t they ever sleep?” Tiger Lily mutters from their hiding place behind a large rock. In the clearing, the Lost Boys are hunched around the blazing campfire, dipping spears and arrowheads into the sticky black sap of dreamshade.

Killian arches a brow at Tiger Lily. “Not much. Not without a mother.”

Tiger Lily tilts her head in confusion. “What?”

He shakes his head and mutters, “Never mind.”

The fairy crouches lower and tightens her hold on her bow as she draws closer to Pan’s camp on soft feet. Killian follows her, his palm sweating as he grips the hilt of his sword.

“They’re preparing for battle,” Kilian hisses to his companion.

“But why?”

Killian doesn’t reply; he’s too distracted by the rustling in the branches above them. He scowls when Tink drops to the forest floor beside him.

“Bloody hell, can you warn me before you drop out of the sky like that?”

“Tink,” Tiger Lily admonishes, “there isn’t enough pixie dust left for you to flit around like that!”

“Shut up both of you, and listen to me! I had to fly here, it was an emergency. Wendy is gone!”

“What do you mean she’s gone? ” Killian snaps. “I left you not an hour ago!”

“She was dirty and covered in scrapes, so we went to the stream for water. She swore she heard her little brother crying. I turned around for a second, I swear -”

“Shit,” Killian mutters, “it’s not a battle they’re preparing -”

“-it’s a hunt,” Tiger Lily finishes for him.

The three of them split up, knowing that covering more ground is the only hope for Wendy and her brother. His heart pounds in his chest as he makes his way up Dead Man’s Peak, thoughts of his brother swimming up from the dark recesses of his mind. He can’t let Wendy lose hers. He pauses for a moment, closing his eyes and taking a long, slow breath. Barreling around won’t help the children; he needs to focus.

Holding his hook aloft and using his sword to push aside the foliage, he continues his search. He wishes he had a lantern, but the risk of drawing the Lost Boys’ attention was too great. Thankfully, the moon is full tonight, and its light bathes the ground more and more as he ascends the peak, the foliage becoming sparser. His eyes scan the meager sized clumps of bushes, hoping for a glimpse of Wendy’s white nightgown.

Yet it’s a pair of green eyes that halts his steps. For a moment, his heart slams against his ribcage. The shade is so similar to Emma’s from long ago. As his gaze lands on those green eyes, they widen and he hears a small gasp. The bush from whence the sound came rustles, and he recognizes Wendy’s voice as she whispers, “hush!”

Killian sheathes his sword and lowers himself to his knees, not wanting to startle the children. “Wendy,” he hisses.

“Hook?” she asks in a wobbly voice.

“Yes, it’s me,” he says gently, easing around the bush. It grows right up against a wall of rock, and beyond it he hears the gurgling of Rainbow Falls. He pushes aside the foliage shielding the children, and the moonlight falls across them both. Wendy has her arms around a little boy of about four. For a moment, he looks up at Killian with wide, light green eyes, but then he shudders and buries his face against his sister’s shoulder.

“It’s okay, Michael, the pirate is our friend.”

“Come, children, quickly. The Lost Boys are on the hunt for you.”

“They don’t want me,” Michael says hoarsely, peeking out at Hook again. “I’m too little, and I don’t have marks.”

Killian’s brow furrows. “Marks?”

“Here,” Michael says, holding out his arm.

Killian blinks, thinking back to Felix yanking at Mason’s arm a year ago. He doesn’t have the mark. Yet he has no time at present to contemplate it further as the shouts of the Lost Boys echo from the canyon below. Killian reaches for the children, urging them to hurry, but he stills when he sees a large palm leaf resting near Wendy’s knee. Water shimmers in the center of it, reflecting the moonlight.

“Where did you get this?” he asks Wendy.

“From the falls,” she tells him, “we were thirsty.”

“You drank from Rainbow Falls?” he asks, his heart plummeting to his stomach.

Wendy tilts her head. “Yes, of course. Why?”

Killian puts on a brave smile as he scoops up Michael. “No time for that now. Let’s get you back to the fairy’s cave.”

“I want to go home,” Michael whimpers as he clutches the edges of Killian’s coat.

“Hook will help us,” Wendy says with so much faith, that it makes Killian want to weep.

He says nothing in reply. He doesn’t have the heart to tell them that they doomed themselves the minute they drank from Rainbow Falls. They will never be able to leave the island.

Tagging: @snowbellewells @kmomof4 @whimsicallyenchantedrose @teamhook @bethacaciakay @let-it-raines @welllpthisishappening @wellhellotragic @winterbaby89 @xhookswenchx @courtorderedcake @branlovestowrite @hollyethecurious @vvbooklady1256 @profdanglaisstuff @carpedzem @ekr032-blog-blog @jennjenn615 @tiganasummertree @lfh1226-linda @ultraluckycatnd @spartanguard @shireness-says @scientificapricot @stahlop @resident-of-storybrooke @superchocovian @sherlockianwhovian @snidgetsafan @ohmakemeahercules @thislassishooked @ilovemesomekillianjones @nikkiemms@delirious-latenight-laughs

#cs ff #csrt #captain swan rewrite a thon #cs neverland au #cs canon divergence #magic wardrobe #soul mates #angst #childhood sweethearts #slow burn

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haberdashing · 4 years

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Labyrinth

Statement of Avery Horner regarding her experiences with an unusual patch of forest in a local park.

on AO3

Statement of Avery Horner regarding her experiences with an unusual patch of forest within a local park. Original statement given February 6th, 2020. Recording by Artemis Lee, archival assistant for the Usher Foundation.

Statement begins.

Okay, before I get into what happened to me specifically, I should probably give you guys some background. I mean, you’ll probably dig up a lot of the same information eventually--I assume, anyway, I don’t really know a ton about how all this works--but I might as well save you the trouble, right?

So, this is about a park right by my house called Old Pines Park. You’ve got my address from the intake forms, shouldn’t be hard to find from there, it’s literally right down the street from me.

The first weird thing about the place is that there are no pine trees in Old Pines Park. As far as I know, there never have been. There aren’t too many pine trees in the surrounding area, either; just not the right climate for them, I think? Could be named after someone named Pines, I suppose, but the time I tried looking into it I didn’t find much, certainly not detailed information about some famous person from my boring suburban hometown with that surname. That’s just... what the park’s called, for whatever reason.

Also, despite the park being, like I said, right down the block from where I live, I don’t have much in the way of childhood memories associated with the place. There’s a fair few parks in the area, though, so maybe it’s just that all the other parks had bigger playgrounds or nicer scenery or more sports equipment or whatever. It’s not the biggest park around, and I wouldn’t be surprised if some people didn’t even know it was tucked away back there, just an old playground and a grassy field with a small, dirty pond in it.

And the woods.

That’s the main thing I want to talk about--the woods there. Calling it “the woods” is probably- no, definitely overstating things, but I’m not sure what else to call it. It’s on the edge of the field, just a somewhat-thin strip of land where the trees are much denser than elsewhere, to where you can’t see through to the other side.

When I was growing up, my mom always told me not to go in the woods there. She claimed they’d found a woman’s body there once, though I never really believed her. I looked it up not too long ago, though, and sure enough, there’s a news article from when I was a kid about a body being found in Old Pines Park. Didn’t say it was in the woods, but I believe it. Didn’t say what had happened to the body, either, or whose body it was. Just a brief blurb, “jogger finds body,” end of story, apparently.

Come to think of it, I’ve never seen anyone jogging in Old Pines Park, especially not in the woods--the landscape’s not exactly the most conducive to exercise--but the news article definitely said it was a jogger who’d found the body. Why’s it always seem to be joggers who find dead bodies like that?

Anyway.

I actually listened to my mom about not going in the woods for longer than you’d probably expect. I never had much of a rebellious teenager phase, and what little rebellion I did attempt didn’t involve the park just down the road. I think I went in the woods once with a friend when I was a kid, but I barely remember any of it, and I don’t think we went far. It wasn’t until after I’d gotten back from college that I decided to see what the woods had in store. (Yes, I live in the same house after college graduation that I did throughout my whole childhood. Not proud of it, but it is what it is, I guess.) I didn’t tell my mom what I was doing, didn’t tell anyone, just went out exploring by myself.

There’s a clear entrance to the woods on the end of the park closest to my house, an opening where the trees part and you can walk through without any difficulty. The ground dips down a bit where the rest of the park ends and the woods begin, and depending how much it’s rained sometimes there’s a bit of water there, but it’s not hard to get past.

I didn’t get very far the first time, though. Just a few feet from this entrance and the sometimes-stream beside it, there’s a chain link fence that blocks off part of the way--and more importantly, there’s a hole in that chain link fence that’s plenty big for a person to get through. On the other side of these strange, mysterious woods is... a strip mall. There’s a few fast food restaurants, a furniture store, a bunch of storefronts for sale. Nothing that exciting, really, except...

Okay, don’t laugh, but I’m really into Pokemon Go, even now. And that strip mall has a Pokestop in it--one of the places you go to get more items in the game. Dunno why, since there’s nothing that neat there, but it does. So for months I’d occasionally go through the woods just far enough to get through that hole in the fence, spin the Pokestop in the strip mall, and head back. I’m not exactly the most adventurous person out there, so even that was a bit of a thrill to me, especially knowing that it’d been forbidden back in my childhood.

At some point I noticed that the hole in the fence that let me cut through to the strip mall had changed--before it was just like a bit of fence had been torn out entirely, but now a metal bar around shoulder height was still in place, so I had to duck down when making my way through. Still plenty of space to get through, though, so it didn’t really bother me; it was just a bit odd, especially since I hadn’t seen any in-between stages where the fence got built up before being torn down again.

One day I was out walking my dog, Biscuit, and after I popped through the fence and back I decided to go further into the woods, see what I could find.

First off, I didn’t notice it so much when I was just ducking in and out, but while the area’s objectively pretty small, when you’re in the woods of Old Pines Park, it really feels like... well, like you’re in the middle of the woods. The foliage is dense, and there’s not too much to remind you of civilization besides that fence on the side and the occasional garbage wrapper.

Biscuit and I followed the fence along for a bit--I figured it’d be easy enough to find our way back with that as a landmark--and we found a decent-sized stream that must lead into the park’s pond, but where it comes from I’ve got no idea, since everything’s built up around here and there’s not much in the way of rivers. I vaguely remembered seeing the stream before, maybe that one time I went with a friend, but it was still an interesting sight. It didn’t look like some pristine bit of nature, though--the water was discolored, and the wrappers and similar debris I’d noticed before seemed to be clustered around the stream.

We kept going, and before too long I found a second hole in the chain link fence. This I definitely didn’t remember from my one foray into the woods in childhood. Looking through it, I saw a white building that looked pretty big, and kind of industrial? It was pretty nondescript, and I’ve forgotten most of the details of it by now, I just know it was big and white and I had no clue what it was or what could be inside, even though basic geography suggests it must only be a few blocks from my house at most. I thought about going through, but it looked like the sort of building where you could get in trouble for being on the premises without permission, and I wasn’t looking to get arrested for trespassing, so I just kept going.

I think this was about the time I checked my phone--I still had Pokemon Go open, I usually do whenever I leave the house, I’ve joked with my mom before about how convenient it is that I always have a GPS in my hand--and noticed that it wasn’t getting a signal. Specifically, the game still showed, but there were no features on the map, no Pokemon, nothing to indicate where I was. It didn’t say that it was having trouble with the GPS, though, it just... didn’t load the map at all.

The woods got thicker and denser as I moved on, and eventually there wasn’t much of a path left to follow alongside the fence as there had been. The only thing close to a path, inasmuch as I wouldn’t be attacked by tree branches if I followed it, led away from the fence and deeper into the woods. I figured what the hell, and I followed the sort-of-path further in, even though it took me away from the fence, from the one major landmark this place had.

I went kind of slow at first, but Biscuit kept pulling me along. She was loving it. Maybe she’d just gotten sick of taking the same path every walk and was glad for the chance to explore, smell new things, wander a bit. A few times I had to pull her back and remind her that while she could get through that tiny gap in the trees, I couldn’t, so we’d have to find another way around. (Biscuit’s a pretty small dog, so she’s good at fitting through narrow spaces like that.)

As I kept walking, the path, such as it was, got less and less clear, and I stopped seeing any garbage laying around, any signs that this place had been touched by human hands before. I had to do a fair bit of ducking and weaving to keep going without getting scratched up too badly, but Biscuit was so excited about the whole thing that I felt it was worth it.

Then the path went from hard to find to just straight up not there, and I went to turn around, and... I couldn’t see the fence behind me. I could swear we hadn’t gone that far--I didn’t think the woods were even spread out enough that we could go that far--but apparently we’d managed to leave the fence behind.

I did my best to backtrack, but it was slow going, especially since the “path” had never been an actual path with clear markings, just the way that was most devoid of trees that would slap me in the face. Also probably doesn’t help that I have a horrible sense of direction--that’s one reason I like having a GPS in my hand at all times, but the map on it still wasn’t working. Biscuit didn’t seem to get what I was trying to do but then, hey, that’s dogs for you, am I right?

I felt like I kept going in circles, like I wasn’t getting anywhere, and I still couldn’t see the fence, and I was succeeding less and less in my “don’t get scratched by stray tree branches” goal, and I had no idea where the entrance I’d gone through was from here, or the garbage-laden stream, or any other landmark I could use for guidance...

What I ended up doing was just letting Biscuit lead the way. I figure dogs have a good sense of smell, maybe their sense of direction is good too. She always seems to know which way to turn on our usual walks, too, so maybe this would be the same? At the very least, it couldn’t hurt... well, it could, but so could continuing to wander around aimlessly on my own devices. It sounds ridiculous, I imagine, but... I trust this dog, and I know she trusts me too, and I figured if I couldn’t get us back home, maybe she could.

And it worked. Not too long after I just did my best to give in to Biscuit’s pulling and let her be the guide, she led me in one direction, and sure enough, the fence reappeared, and I could see one of the holes in it in the distance.

You’d better believe we stayed right up against that fence for the rest of our trip in the woods, up until we stumbled back out of the entrance.

My phone buzzed right as we left the woods, and the map was back, everything displaying just fine. But as I looked at my phone more closely, I noticed the time on it was only three minutes after I’d decided to go further into the woods than I normally did. I don’t know how long I spent in there, but I am damn sure it was longer than three minutes.

Since then, I’ve gone back to only popping through to reach the strip mall, and even that I’m not doing as much as I used to... and last time I went to do that, the hole in the fence was different, with some metal wiring still in place near the foot of the hole as well as that metal bar. More importantly, though, there was a No Trespassing sign up. I don’t know how many other people know about the hole in the fence there, how many other locals have figured out that little trick, but I couldn’t help but think that sign was put there specifically for me. Still don’t feel like getting arrested for trespassing, so I just turned around and left, Pokestop be damned.

The sign only forbids crossing the fence into the strip mall, though. It doesn’t forbid walking deeper into the woods again.

And part of me wants to go back, to go even further into the woods. I want to see if I can find my way out the other end all by myself. There must be a way, right? I mean, that stretch of land only goes on for so long, it’s not that big of a park. I’ve been resisting the urge for a while now, but I keep thinking about it. I feel like it’s not a matter of if I’ll go back in the woods, it’s when.

I wouldn’t bring Biscuit along, though. Partly because I want to see how much I could do without her help and without her pulling me through gaps I can’t pass through, but partly because... if anything happens to me when I’m in there, if I end up like that woman whose body got found in there all those years ago, I want to make sure Biscuit doesn’t get in trouble with me.

It’s one thing to take risks like that for yourself, but I wouldn’t do that to someone I love. That’s going a step too far for me.

Statement ends.

#tma #tma fic #tma fanfic #the magnus archives #the magnus archives fic #the magnus archives fanfic #personal #my writing

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fandomrewrites · 4 years

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Season 1, Episode 7: Night School Part 1

Hello all! I’m back! I took a little break from this story both on here and on Wattpad but I am now ready to continue and I cannot wait for everyone to read more. This is the only episode in season 1 that I have split into two parts, the second part will be posted on Thursday. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and as always constructive criticism is appreciated.

Season 1, Episode 7: Night School Part 1

Pairings: Scott McCall x Twin Sister, Lydia Martin x Best Friend, Nate Wilson (OC) x Reader

Warnings: Swearing, mention of death, panic attack

Word Count: 2,790

Season 1 Masterlist

As soon as the doors were slammed shut Scott started to yell in a panic, “Lock it, lock it!”

“Do I look like I have a key?” Stiles instantly replied.

“Grab something!”

“What?” Stiles is now yelling back. I can’t think straight as I’m pacing the hall behind them. The only thoughts running through my mind are about Derek, who is probably now dead, and how we are next. We are trapped in this creepy ass school with no plan and a killer Alpha werewolf out for blood.

“Anything,” Scott hisses.

As the two boys quiet down I finally stop pacing and look, “No, Stiles, don’t...” Before Scott could finish his sentence, Stiles opens the door and runs out as quickly as he can. I rush to the door, eyes wide and mouth open. Stiles rushes to grab the bolt cutters and quickly starts to make his way back to the school. A dark, ominous creature charging after him.

Stiles makes it back just in time. I step back so he and Scott can quickly place the bolt cutters into the bars of the door, using it as a makeshift lock. We slowly back away and head into a classroom.

The minute the door is shut, “The desk!” I exclaim as the two boys move to push the teacher’s desk in front of the door. Only for the desk to make a loud squeal that has us all flinching, “Stop, stop!” Stiles rushes out.

We took a breath then Stiles started whispering, “The door’s not going to keep it out.” Scott and I nod in agreement as Stiles continues speaking, “It’s your boss.”

“What?” Scott asks.

I finally speak up, “Deaton is the Alpha.”

“No,” Scott tries to argue but before he can continue I interrupt.

“Yes. He disappears and that thing,” I throw my hand in the direction of the windows, “shows up ten seconds later to toss poor Derek twenty feet through the air. That’s not convenient timing?”

“It’s not him.” Scott continues to argue.

I immediately roll my eyes and shake my head, “He killed Derek.”

“Derek’s not dead. He can’t be dead.”

Stiles then starts arguing with Scott, “Blood spurted out of his mouth. That doesn’t exactly qualify as a minor injury. He’s dead. We’re next.”

“Okay... Just... What do we do?” Scott finally asks, clearly upset.

I sigh as Stiles talks, “We get to my jeep. We get out of here. You seriously think about quitting your job. Good?” He looks between my brother and I as he talks.

We both nod, then the three of us turn towards the windows to see if we can spot the Alpha anywhere. “The windows won’t open, we’re going to have to break the glass and then run really fast.”

The boys sigh at my statement but not being able to think of another plan, they start searching the classroom for something to break the window with. As I’m keeping watch from the window, I notice something is wrong, “Hey Stiles. What’s wrong with the hood of your jeep? Was it like that before?”

“What do you mean? Nothing’s wrong.”

“It’s bent.” I turn my head to look him in the eyes.

“You mean dented?”

Scott looks out the window then confirms, “No, she means bent.”

Stiles then walks back to the window to look at his jeep, “What the hell happened to my...”

Glass explodes above our heads, effectively cutting off Stiles’ sentence. We all scream and drop to the floor to avoid getting cut by the glass. I feel someone pull me into them to help shield my head and body from the sharp shards.

When the room is quiet again we slowly lift our heads up to see what had caused the glass to break. On the opposite side of the room were broken glass and the jeep’s battery.

I then glanced at Stiles who was sitting next to me with his arms still wrapped around my body. When he noticed my gaze he awkwardly scooted away and coughed, “Uh, are you alright?”

I swallowed before answering, “Yeah I’m good. Thanks.” I attempted to smile, “Are you?”

He nodded. I then turned to look at Scott checking on him, but his eyes were still frozen on the car battery, though Stiles and I both know he heard our whispered conversation.

Stiles decided now was a good time to stand up, but before he could fully get off the ground Scott spoke, “Don’t. He could be right outside.”

“He is right outside.”

“Just let me take a look.” Scott slowly lifted his head and glanced out the window.

“Anything?” I question.

Scott shook his head, “So... Move now?”

He then nodded in agreement as the three of us stood up and scrambled to get out of the classroom.

*_*_*_*_*_*

As we slip into the hall, we nervously start drifting forward unsure of where to go. “We need to go somewhere without windows... Or at least fewer windows.” Stiles speaks up in a hushed whisper.

Scott pauses for a brief moment coming to a realization, “The locker room.”

We quickly rushed to the boys locker room and hurried inside. As we were trying to think about what to do Scott spoke to Stiles, “Call your dad.”

“And tell him what?”

“Anything. There’s a gas leak, a fire, whatever. If that thing sees the parking lot filled with police cars it’ll take off.”

“What if it doesn’t? What if it goes completely Terminator and kills every cop in sight including my dad.”

“They have guns.”

“Scott... Derek had to be shot with a wolfsbane-laced bullet to even slow him down. We can’t put anyone else at risk. Especially Sheriff Stiliniski. We have to find another way.”

“What about Derek’s car?” Scott asks.

Stiles and I nod as he speaks, “That could work. We go out. Grab the keys from his body. Take his car.”

“And him,” I say quickly. As both boys turned to look at me I continue, “We can’t just leave him out there!”

“Fine, whatever.” Stiles rolls his eyes.

As Stiles heads for the locker room door Scott stops him, “I heard something.” As we all stop to listen we see a shadow pass by the mottled glass window of the door. “Hide.” Scott quickly whispers just loud enough for us to hear.

We all glanced around trying to find a hiding spot but there is none. Before any of us can think about it for any longer Stiles reaches for a locker opening the door and stepping inside to hide.

Scott and I both follow Stiles into separate lockers of our own. I try and hold my breath as I look through the vents of the locker trying to see what is happening.

A large dark object walks past the locker I am in, moving towards the lockers Scott and Stiles are hiding inside. The locker beside mine, the one Scott is in, is opened and I hear a scream of surprise. Stiles and I both stumble out of our respective lockers to see a janitor standing in front of Scott’s open locker.

Scott tries to get the janitor to be quiet but all the guy replies with is, :Quiet my ass. Are you three trying to kill me?”

The janitor grabs both boys by the shoulder and gestures for me to follow, “All three of you get out.”

“Just listen to us for half a second, okay?” Stiles tries to speak.

“No, not okay! Get the hell out of here! Right now!”

The locker room door slams shut on the three of us as soon as he pushes us into the dark hallway. Not even a minute later the janitor’s face slams back into the door.

Scott moves to grab the handle as Stiles and I both grab his arms pulling him away. Finally, the three of us take off running down the corridor to try and get away from the Alpha.

We quickly race through the empty school halls and head for an exit. As we reach the door and try to burst through, something stops us. Scott peers at the door, that will only open an inch, to see a dumpster in the way.

“The bastard pushed it in front of the doors to trap us in!” I clench my teeth as I run my hand through my brown hair. The boys start arguing but I can’t focus. I’m trying to control my breathing, knowing that I am on the verge of a panic attack. Breath (Y/N), just breathe.

My mind is racing as I take deep breaths. shake out my arms and start counting to 10, a technique that I’ve used since my dad left and I started having panic attacks.

When they stop arguing we head down the hall trying to find a way out or at least a place to hide. But as we make our way down the corridor Scott stops and looks out one of the windows. On the roof across from us, a large figure crouches in the darkness, red glowing eyes staring directly at us.

We all start running, nearly tripping over each other’s feet. The Alpha is chasing after us when all of a sudden glass shatters behind us as the Alpha crashes through the window.

I quickly race down the hallway to my right, heading for the library. As I reach the doors I take a moment to breather, not hearing anything chasing me anymore. As I stop I turn around to face the boys and whisper under my breath, “Fuck.”

Scott and Stiles are no longer with me. I am alone in the creepy-ass school with a killer werewolf. I quietly groan as I lean against the wall, tears brimming my eyes.

*_*_*_*_*_*

I take in two big breaths as I try to steady my heartbeat once more. I rub my eyes refusing to cry. “Okay (Y/N), think. We talked about going someplace without a lot of windows. We tried the locker room and that was a complete fail.

“Where else in this school is there next to no windows...” I pause before I mumble out, “The basement. Great, never mind exploring the creepy empty hallways now I need to go to the even creepier basement. And I’m alone.”

I take one last deep breath as I poke my head out of the library searching for any movement or sound. When I see and hear nothing I step out and slowly make my way down the hall.

Trying to decide which way was the best to head down to the basement, I headed towards the main lobby thinking it would be the safest route.

As I finally make it to the lobby I spot Allison, Nate, Scott, and Stiles all standing together. Relief fills me as I realize that I am no linger alone. But I don’t get the chance to enjoy the moment for too long, realizing that more people are now in danger, and one of those people is my boyfriend.

When they notice me Scott rushes over to give me a hug, “Thank God, you’re alright.” He whispers in my ear as I nod. As we break apart Nate quickly takes his place.

“Babe, I know you’re mad at me but please stop ignoring me.”

Before I say anything Allison’s phone rings. Jackson and Lydia hurry around the corner and Lydia speaks, “Finally. Can we go now?”

But once again, before any of us get the chance to speak, an odd rumblings is heard above us. “Run,” Scott says. We all quickly move out of the way, the ceiling panels behind us burst as something falls through.

*_*_*_*_*_*

As we make it to the cafeteria everyone but Stiles and I start piling tables and chairs in front of the doors. “Scott, wait. Not here.” Stiles starts saying, but now one is listening.

Scott speaks to Jackson and Nate, “The vending machine. Help me push it in front of the door.”

“What was that? Scott, what was that?” Allison rushes out in a panic.

Lydia is also panicking as she asks, “What happened to the ceiling?”

No one answers as Scott Screams, “Just help me!”

Stiles and I keep glancing between the group of scared teenagers and the wall filled with windows. Stiles tries to get their attention again but fails.

Finally, I yell to get everyone’s attention, “GUYS!” They turn to face Stiles and me, “Great, nice job. Now, what do you think we should do about the twenty-foot wall of windows.” Stiles and I both move our hands to indicate the windows to our left.

Allison speaks up, “Can someone please explain what’s going on? I’m freaking out here and I’d at least like to know why.”

Scott doesn’t even look at her, unsure of how to respond. I bite my lip and look outside. Stiles decides to answer, “Someone killed the janitor.”

“What?” Lydia screeches.

“The janitor’s dead.” Stiles once again states.

Allison, in full panic mode, turns to Scott, “What’s he talking about? Is this a joke?”

Scott shakes his head as I gulp. Jackson speaks for the first time, asking a question we don’t know the answer to, “Who killed him?”

Lydia starts pacing as she speaks, “No. This was supposed to be over. The mountain lion,” she gets cut off by Jackson.

“Don’t you get it? That wasn’t a mountain lion.” This time Jackson gets interrupted as Allison starts questioning Scott again.

“Who is it? What does he want?”

“Why does everyone always think a murderer is a guy? Girls can be murderers too.” Everyone stares at me in disbelief as I speak, “Right, sorry. Now’s not the time.” I put my hands up and pull my lips into a thin line waiting for someone else to speak.

Allison breaks the awkward silence once more by questioning, “What’s happening? Scott?”

He sighs, “I don’t know, it’s just... If we go out there, he’s going to kill us.”

“Nate’s eyes nearly bulge out of his head, “Us? Kill us? Who is it?” His eyes turn to meet mine, all I can do is shrug and shake my head.

Scott finally answers, “Derek. It’s Derek Hale.”

All eyes turn to him in shock. Especially mine and Stiles’. My mouth flaps open, I quickly close it seething in anger that Scott would blame him.

Jackson then asks, Derek killed the janitor?”

“You’re sure?” Allison asks for a confirmation.

Scott nods, I saw him. He killed all of them, starting with his own sister. He killed the bus driver and the guy in the video store. It’s been Derek the whole time. He’s in here with us. And if we don’t get out, he’s going to kill us too.”

As we all take a breath thinking about what Scott just said Jackson turns to Stiles, “Call the cops.”

“No.” He instantly replies.

Nate then questions him, “What do you mean no?”

Stiles looks between the two lacrosse players, “I mean no. Want to hear it in Spanish? No. Derek killed three people. We don’t know what he’s armed with.”

Jackson argues, “Your dad is armed with an entire Sheriff’s Department. Call him.”

Before Stiles can reply, Lydia takes out her phone, “I’m calling. Yes, we’re at Beacon Hills High School. We’re trapped in here and we need you to...” She pauses in shock then pulls her phone away. “She hung up on me.”

“The police hung up on you?” Allison questions, also shocked.”

Lydia nods, “She said they got a tip warning them there would be prank calls about a break-in at the high school. She said if I called again they would trace my phone and have me arrested.”

“Then call again.” Nate urges.

“They won’t trace a cell phone. They’ll send a car to your house before they send someone here.” Stiles says.

The girls start interrogating Scott asking him questions about Derek that he doesn’t have the answers too.

Stiles gets in between Scott and Allison when the discussion turns a little more heated. “Okay, everybody just ease back on the throttle, alright?”

Scott, Stiles, and I move away from the others to talk quietly. Throwing Derek under the bus? Nicely done.” I say sarcastically.

“I didn’t know what to say. I had to say something. And if he’s dead, it doesn’t matter. Except if he’s not...” His voice trails off as he thinks about Allison, “Oh God. I totally bit her head off.”

I roll my eyes as Stiles addresses Scott, “And she’ll get over it. We have bigger things to deal with. Like getting out of here alive.”

#sister mccall imagine #series rewrite #teen wolf imagine #lydia martin imagine

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painandpleasure86 · 4 years

Text

It’s a Hard Life (Entry for Binky’s DTIYS)

A/N: Hello ppl! Again writing... I had a writer block until today :( But here I am. Writing something for the @binkyisonline ‘s DTIYS! I made a fic with her unicorn John. The ending it’s open, so, if this haves success, I could continue a little more the story. You with your support decides! ;) Was an interesting experience write something with an humanoid.

Summary: A young human-unicorn lives in an enchanted woods and it’s about to meet with a young artist that also loves exploring.

Warnings: none. Some swear words, but a few.

Pairing: Platonic Deacury (for now)

Word count: +1500

Permanent taglist: @warriorteam1924 @toomuchlove-willkillyou @deakysgurl

If you want to be in the tag list, just tell me! ;)

(John’s POV)

Everyone looks at me as something strange, something beautiful. They think that because I'm the way I am, I'm somewhat innocent. I'm not. I know the dangers of the world. I know people's thoughts. Everyone wants to ride me.

I'm an abomination. They didn't make me 100% animal or 100% human. Sometimes I take the form of a human with brown hair, long and wavy, six feet tall, very thin, gray eyes... But with one detail: my horn never goes away. Do you see why I say I am an abomination? I think whoever created me wanted to have fun at my expense. Thank you...

It seems not, but my life it's very difficult . I have no place to go, and no one who really loves me. No ulterior motives. I wander the woods, eating what I can, sleeping where I can. I try to do it in my animal way, because being in my human way, people usually get scared. It's not just the horn, but also the fact that I have nothing to cover me. But why do I usually say? Some maids want to possess me. Also some gentlemen. Don't they think I have feelings? I'm not someone who whores or someone who wants to be intimate with the first person who comes across me. Everyone wants me for convenience. Or at least, everyone I've met. Sometimes I fantasize about meeting someone who cares for me, loves me and respects me as I deserve. But it seems like it's something that will only live in my head...

By the way, where are my manners... My name is John. Or at least that's what I've chosen to call myself. I don't know how old I am, but in my human form I look like someone who's barely 21.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

(Freddie’s POV)

I love walking around these parts. I always find something beautiful, something strange, something worth documenting. It's full of wonders.

Today I wander through an enchanted forest, where a being lives that leaves me speechless. He is a young man who is barely over 20 years old, with long brown hair, tall, thin... Whenever he sees me close enough, he runs away from me. He usually looks at me with a frightened face, even when I ask him if I can come closer. "Get away from me. I don't want you to use me for your pleasures," he told me last time. Like every time. I don't know why he thinks I want to possess him, although I cannot deny his immense beauty and that his lack of clothes makes him even more tempting. I just want to know him better. To ask him why, even though he looks so human, he keeps that horn.

By the way, my name is Frederick. I'm 26 years old. I'm the son of a very important nobleman in my kingdom. My father wants me to get married, I'd rather be like this. I prefer to spend weeks exploring the world around me and making sketches in my notebook of the most curious things I can find. I don't want to deal with any of those serious things. I want to enjoy life. Marrying a maid for family arrangements is a bit of a letdown. It would ruin my life and the life of the poor woman they put next to me. They'd ask me for children. I don't want to. It would take time away from my enjoyment. But then, my father doesn't want to understand my decision. He prefers to say that I'm the disgrace of the family. Being the oldest of four brothers has its drawbacks.

When I'm not exploring, I spend my time painting pictures. I take my sketchbook and make one of them on the canvas. I paint over everything I come across, including that mysterious young man with long hair. Lately it's just that young man with long hair...

I think I've seen it. Or at least I've distinguished his horn. I'll go slowly, so I don't scare him. God, I feel like a stal-...

SHIT. IT HURTS.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

(John’s POV)

I was very quiet walking around, since I didn't see anyone around, when suddenly I heard something. It was a noise of something falling on a pile of leaves. My curiosity is stronger than that. I walk up and see a human being collapsed. He tripped over a protruding tree root. I don't usually get this close to a human in my human form, but I think I'll make an exception today.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Yes, I just tr- Oh it's YOU!"

I got a little out of the way. I won't let him down, but don't let him harass me.

"Yes, it's me. I saw you lying there and I wanted to help you up. I may be an abomination, but I have feelings."

"Why abomination? You're unique. You're a wonder."

That sincerity in his words. That feeling... I couldn't help but I blushed.

"You're nice, but you know I can turn into a unicorn, right? And when I become human, I don't lose my horn. No one will ever take me seriously."

"Hey, why do you say that? Love is for everyone." responded him, smiling.

(Are you hitting on me, stranger?)

"Ha, really? Then why do you only want to have sex with me? Everyone sees me with a fucking object. I love walking around like this, with nothing, but they mistake it for seduction or being available for fantasy. That's why I prefer to be here alone, because I can be free."

I don't even know why I took it out on him so hard. Maybe because the others I've met I can't talk to them like that.

"Well... I'll help you to stand up," I said, trying to get back to what had gone before.

I leaned back so that he would rest his left arm on my shoulders, I took it from his waist. Slowly, we stood up.

Looking at his face, I ask him, "Can you walk?"

"I think. At least help me ride my horse. Too much exploring for today."

I rode with him for a mile. We went along the "road." He didn't want to attract attention.

"By the way, I'm John," I said, as we walked.

"I finally know your name... I'm Frederick."

"You seem like a nice guy. I see you have a notebook with you. Are you drawing me? Hahaha."

Blushing a little, he answers me.

"Not just you, John. But anything I see that catches my eye. I'm a painter."

"So I'm your muse," I add.

"Yes, lately you're my only muse. I can only paint you."

He blushes too much.

I don't know, but I feel very good with this young man.

---------------

After several minutes of silence, we found his horse.

"Shall I help you to ride your horse?"

"No, John, I can handle it. Thank you for what you've done for me today." Already on his horse, he adds, "Until the next time, John. I hope you don't walk away from me like you always do."

"I will not. Promise. Take care of yourself."

Little smile on his face.

"I will. You take care too."

I smiled at him.

His horse came out at a full gallop. And I thought to myself... Have I found what I've always been looking for? No, it's too fast to make sure of that. But the truth is that I met the first human who wants to talk to me. And that's an enough reason to smile.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Freddie’s POV

I went to the nearest inn to get some rest before comeback to home. Eating a little, I can't stop thinking about that young man. John. I don't know why he's so disregarded. He seems to be a very kind, affectionate being; as well as beautiful on the outside. I could enjoy his company forever. It was only a few minutes this time, but it was beautiful. They were like being in paradise. I would love to bring him to my palace, to live with me. But my father would still call me the family disgrace, as well as crazy. And gay. Yes, I am. But my father doesn't understand happiness. He only wants to keep alliances with other lords. Aren't my other brothers and sister enough for you, Father?

Well, at least I have my mother on my side. She knows how I like to live and she understands, even if she doesn't like it. If my father hasn't thrown me out of the house, it's because of her.

Well, stop rambling. I think it's time to go to sleep. I'm tired. I know in my dreams, he will be. That beautiful, divine creature. I don't know what the paths of life will be like, but I hope they'll allow us to continue to cross...

---------------------

If you like this, please reblog! It helps me a lot! :3 <3 And if you want more of this au, please tell me! ;)

Cheers, Lily.

#painandpleasure86 writes #painandpleasure86 fics #john deacon #freddie mercury #unicorn boy #silverunicorn #deacury #deaky #queen fandom #queen fic #painandpleasure86 posts

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maidenof-thesea · 5 years

Text

Snakes & Butterflies | Part VII

Pairing: Jimin x Reader

Genre: Soulmate Au!, Fluff, Angst, Smut (in the future)

Words: 3.2k

Warning: minor swearing

Note: Part 7 is here! I hope you enjoy. I have decided to add a lot more fluff and a just a little pinch of drama. I love you guys !!

Reminder: * conversations in Korean *

Once we separated Jimin from Taehyung, the adventure to the museums commenced. I decided to leave my Jeep and opted to ride with the guys, since they had such a big car. Jin wanted to drive there but I decided to drive since I was more familiar with LA traffic. Jungkook was my navigator, so he had to sit in the middle, right next to me, much to Jimin’s disappointment.

Once we were on the highway, Taehyung started to play music and the car became a karaoke party. After hearing Namjoon and Yoongi rap to Eminem’s Lose Yourself, I was convinced that they were not human. I mean, I knew Jungkook had a beautiful voice but I never imagined that all of them were so talented. Taehyung’s vocals were husky, yet rough that made it sound warm and soulful. Jin’s were very even and yet sweet sounding. I could tell from how Hobi was vibrating in his seat that he was full of passion, if I remember correctly, Jungkook did mention that he was dance major and he specified in hip hop. I had yet to hear Jimin’s voice, which had me a bit excited. Once Charlie Puth’s ‘We don’t talk anymore’ I was not disappointed.

“We don’t talk anymore, like we used to do” Jimin sang. “We don’t love anymore. What was all of it for?”

His voice was what I would describe as heavenly. It was very sweet and crisp and combined with Jungkook’s soft and smooth vocals, I may have been the first person to thank God for LA traffic because I’m sure I would have crashed. To my surprise, I looked in the rear view mirror, and I was attacked by Jimin’s intense stare, as if he had already been staring at me as he sang. I quickly averted my gaze back to the road and put both hands on the wheel, even though the traffic was so bad that we hadn’t even moved an inch for the last five minutes. I gulped my nonexistent saliva, and I realized that my throat was really dry. I should have brought water. I risked another glance at Jimin, and he was still staring at me, but this time with a smirk. I quickly rolled down my window and prayed that there was some wind. The audacity.

“Y/N,” Taehyung said from behind me. “You’re next. What song do you want to sing?”

“I-I” I stuttered. I tend not to listen to music since most songs portray love but I was definitely not gonna be singing some club banger.

“Noona,” Jungkook said. “You liked that one song by Ariana Grande that I showed you. You should sing that one.”

“Are you insane?” I spluttered. “I would butcher that song.”

And they all started to chant my name and I quickly rolled up the window since some of the other drivers were giving me weird looks.

“OK!” I exclaimed with a slight eye roll and the buys erupted in cheers. “Play Breathin’ by Ariana, Taetae.”

“Coming right up,” Taehyung said.

“I actually have never heard it before,” Yoongi said with Hobi nodding in agreement.

The music began and almost immediately I began to sing.

Jungkook

I bopped my head along to the beginning of the song as Noona started to sing and the car was real quiet. Too quiet and her voice wavered a bit from what I reckon was nerves. So in order to help her relax, I started humming along.

“Sometimes it’s hard to find,” Noona sang now, getting in rhythm and swaying back and forth with me, “Find my way up into the clouds. Tune it out, they can be so loud. You remind me of a time when things weren’t so complicated. All I need is to see your face.”

Once the song ended, Noona’s face was flushed from embarrassment but erupted into her signature smile as the hyungs cheered and complimented her.

“Liars.” she started pouting with a small smile, but I could tell she felt a bit proud. “You guys sound like angels and over here I sound like a dying whale.”

“I like your voice Noona,” I said automatically and she turned and gave me a grateful smile but she nervously looked into the rearview mirror and back to the road. Traffic was starting to move and she focused on driving. For some reason the back of my neck was feeling real hot.

“You are a brave boy Jungkook,” Namjoon whispered from the passenger seat next to me. “But let’s not test Jimin’s patience anymore okay?”

“Yes hyung,” I said with a gulp, remembering the punch Jimin gave Taehyung earlier.

“We’re almost there!” Y/N said in excitement and the boys sighed in relief, even though the SUV was big, it was slightly uncomfortable for eight fully grown adults. Once Noona paid for the parking, in spite of Jin’s insistence to pay, we were finally off and exploring. We relatively kept together as a group as we explored the museums, which were all conveniently within the same area. One of the museums had a German history exhibition, much to Namjoon hyung’s delight. Him and Noona stayed behind to look at more historical artifacts and photos.

Jin hyung had dragged all of us outside to take selcas and Yoongi and Hobi hyung were heading to another exhibit on the opposite side, which looked like an indoor garden. Jimin sort of lingered outside of the group, almost as if he wanted to go back inside.

“Hyung,” I whispered to him and he hummed in response, not really paying attention. “Just go back inside, Namjoon hyung may get lost, and Noona will panic, you know her.”

“Should I?” He said even though he was already taking a step towards the building. “Does she really panic like that still?”

“Yep,” I nodded. “If anything she’s gotten worse.”

Jimin then took off without replying and I couldn’t help but smile and feel relieved. A big arm wrapped around my shoulder and Jin hyung sighed from between me and Taehyung.

“Always needing encouragement,” Jin said with a hint of endearment. “It’s the first time I’ve seen him act this way towards a girl..I never thought I would actually ever witness it.”

“He deserves it,” Taehyung said with a small sad smile.

“They both do.” I said with a twinge of an unfamiliar emotion in my chest.

I noticed that Namjoon had a tendency to wander off in curiosity, since it had already been twice that I lost track of him. I was incredibly thankful for his height, otherwise I would have had a full on panic attack at being left alone in a room full of people I don’t know. I kept hold of the sleeve on his hoodie, just in case though but he didn’t really seem to notice. We were both currently looking at a photograph of a statue of a leopard carrying a child, when a small statue caught my eye. I looked at Namjoon and he was still reading the facts about the photograph. With a slight sigh, I released his sleeve and made my way to the small secluded statue that no one paid attention to.

It was a replica of a gravestone found in Germany in the 1850’s. It was of a butterfly and a snake. The snake was devouring its own tail, while the butterfly was in the center. The butterfly reminded me of my own drawings from when I was a little girl. I lightly traced the henna tattoo and I let my mind wander back to my dream. I haven’t had any dreams lately, to my disappointment.

Don’t cry too much

I wonder what Cassandra meant by that. I shrugged, I had been a tad bit more sensitive lately but I figured my cycle was due. I look back at the statue one more time and this time I focus on the snake devouring its own tail.

“I’m jealous,” Jungkook said with a sigh. “Your Mark is so cool! The snake looks so real!”

“I like yours Jungkook,” another voice said. “It suits you, you are like a hawk: quick and agile.”

“But I like Y/N’s the best,” the voice continued. And I felt a warm pressure on my hand. Almost as if someone had squeezed my hand. “Monarch butterflies are really pretty.”

When I looked up at the voice, the sun was too bright for me to make out the person. I looked back down squinting from the sting of the sun.

“You’re home now Noona,” Jungkook said with a teasing tone. I felt my eyes water slightly. “Don’t cry Noona I was only joking!”

“Jungkook,” the voice said sternly and I was quickly enveloped in a hug. “You didn’t have to come, I could have walked her by myself.”

“I was only joking Jiminie!” Jungkook whined. “I’m sorry Y/N!”

“Jimin,” I said wrapping my arms around him. Not really wanting to let go.

“Yes?”

“Jimin,” I repeated once more, hugging him even tighter.

“Are you okay?”

And I was startled, almost as if I had fallen asleep.

“I’m sorry,” a familiar voice said, as big hands steadied me. “I was talking to you earlier but you seemed lost in thought, Y/N are you okay?”

“Yes,” I said quickly, regaining my surroundings. “I must have dozed off in a daydream. Wait..”

“Minho?” I asked once I recognized the man in front of me. And I was right. Minho was in front of me and he chuckled at my expression.

“You really were dozing off,” he chuckled once more. “As I was saying, you never gave me a call...I was wond-”

“Y/N?” Namjoon sighed in relief, he was panting and his glasses were askew. “Where have you been? Jimin and I have looked all over the place-wait I need to call him before-”

“Ladies and gentlemen sorry for the announcement but we have a missing child: her name is Y/N L/N. She is wearing a black V neck shirt with a jean skirt. She has long black hair-”

Before I could hear the rest I covered my ears in horror, while Namjoon scrambled through his pockets. I have never been so embarrassed in my whole life. Not even my mother would have dared-

“Jimin!” Namjoon said into his phone. The rest of the conversation was in Korean and Minho chucked a bit.

“Wow,” He said as we both heard a pair of running footsteps. Before I knew it, I was wrapped in familiar arms and Jimin’s chest was constricting with exertion against my cheek.

“Jimin,” I said as best as I could. “I’m-”

And he spins me around inspecting me and then his hands are on my cheeks.

“Why did you go off by yourself?” He said his eyebrows scrunched in worry. “Do you have any idea how worried I was?”

“Aren’t you twenty four, Y/N?” Minho said in amusement. I felt my face turn red in embarrassment. Jimin’s eyes hardened, and he took my hand in his and took a step in front of me, almost blocking me from Minho’s view. “Didn’t know you were a child, almost foo-”

“I’m sorry but who are you?” Namjoon said before Jimin could. He was now fixing his glasses and straightening his coat. He had his hand on Jimin’s shoulder.

“He’s an acquaintance of mine,” I said side stepping around Jimin, who tried pulling me back behind him. “It’s okay, his name is Minho Lee.”

“Nice to meet you,” Minho said bowing. “You guys are Korean as well right? I’ll speak comfortably if that’s okay?”

“Aren’t you already speaking comfortably?” Jimin said, his tone brazen, causing Minho’s smile to falter and his gaze darted to our clasped hands. I felt my face turn even more red and I tried to tug my hand but Jimin only squeezed more. “Keep still.” He whispered.

“How do you guys know each other?” Minho asked, his eyes held a hint of amusement.

“I’m actually their host-”

“We’re friends,” Jimin answered. “Since we were children.”

“But we’re actually staying where she works,” Namjoon clarifies. “An Airbnb.”

“Did you quit your job at the hotel Y/N?” Minho asked. “Did you quit the same day you saw me there?”

My eyes widened at that, and Jimin quickly glanced at me with a question in his eyes. I had forgotten to mention that I worked at a hotel as a part time outside of the summer.

“It’s a long story,” I sighed, pushing my hair back with my free hand.“I’ll give you a call soon to plan a meeting with you Professor Lee.”

“But-”

“You’re a professor?” Namjoon said with a surprised tone. “You seem young..”

“Ah,” Minho laughs. “Yes, I just started lectures at Y/N’s university. We’re both from the Anthropology department.”

That piqued Namjoon’s interest and before me and Jimin could even stop him, Namjoon’s curiosity got the best of him.

“What do you specify in?” Namjoon asked with his head inclined. Jimin quietly sighed and he wasn’t alone there, I was always open to hearing Namjoon rant and answer questions but I didn’t really have patience for it right now.

“Origins of the Nethanderals,” Minho replies. Almost immediately Jimin and Namjoon stiffened. I hummed in confusion and Jimin shook his head. His phone vibrated and he quickly whispered in Namjoon’s ear. Namjoon nodded as well.

“Well,” Namjoon says, extending his hand to Minho. “I would love to hear all about it sometime Professor Lee but we really must get going, the rest of our group is looking for us.”

“Oh that’s too bad,” Minho says smiling as he shakes Namjoon’s hand. “Do you perhaps have a moment Y/N?”

“She actually can’t,” Jimin replies before I even open my mouth. “She brought us here, and she’s showing us around so-”

“It will only be a minute,” I said with a hint of annoyance. Before Jimin could protest, I managed to pull my hand free. I lead Minho towards a secluded section, missing the way he shrugged at Jimin, who took a step in his direction but was held back by Namjoon.

“Okay,” I sighed. “When are you free so we can chat?”

“Your friend is funny.” Minho said with a hint of mischief.

“I’m not here to talk about Jimin,” I said rolling my eyes. “So if you have nothing to say I can go?”

“Wait!” Minho says attempting to grasp my arm but I crossed my arms. I was honestly annoyed with these guys trying to manhandle me. “I was just joking. I’m free whenever after the morning.”

“Well I’m having a barbecue tonight if you want to come?”

“Will that be alright with your guests?”

“It should be,” I shrugged. “You can talk to me about your research then.”

“Do they know about your?” He asked, gesturing to my arm.

“No,” I sighed with frustration, only Jungkook knew. “How about after, the barbecue shouldn’t take too long?”

“That’s fine.” He said, sounding a bit pleased. “It’s a date.” He said that last part a bit loud and I turned around to glare at him.

“Or not.” He shrugged. “It’s not a date.”

“I’ll meet you at the hotel around 8.”

“Bye!”

And I walked back to Namjoon and Jimin. Namjoon was reading the facts on the statue of the snake and butterfly, while Jimin was staring at me intensely.

“Jimin,” I sighed was I was in his proximity. “I’m not a child anymore, you didn’t have to make an announcement.”

“Oh excuse me,” Jimin said with an brazen tone once more, causing my eyebrow to arch. “Didn’t mean to interrupt your reunion.”

“Jimin, I-”

“Never mind,” Jimin sighs. “Hobi hyung wants to have lunch.”

And he left me and Namjoon standing there. Me more in shock and Namjoon scratching his head. I look at Namjoon for an explanation.

“We were worried, Y/N,” He says sighing. “With what’s been going on lately how could we not?”

“I understand that,” I sighed in defeat. “But he seems upset for another reason.”

“Well that guy was a bit weird,” Namjoon mutters. “He didn’t know how to take a hint.”

“What?”

“Nothing,” he says smiling. “Let’s go. I’m hungry.”

Namjoon

“What the hell happened?” Jungkook whispered to me as Jin was showing me all the pictures he took. I sighed as I looked at what he was talking about. Jimin and Y/N were both sitting next to each other but facing the opposite direction, not even acknowledging one another. But it was funny how the maknae line still managed to get them to sit next to one another.

“He sort of asked the museum to make a missing child announcement.” I whispered back, causing Jimin to roll his eyes. “It was embarrassing.”

“What?” Taehyung and Jungkook both said.

“Why didn’t he just call her?” Jungkook whispered.

“Not all of us have her number,” I reminded Jungkook.

“What are you talking about?” Taehyung said, pulling out his phone. “We have a group chat.”

He was right. The group chat was on kakaotalk and already there were several messages.

“Taehyung,” Y/N said with a confused expression. “What’s this app, it’s all in Hangul? Wait, my whole phone is in Hangul?”

“Oh!” Taehyung laughed. “Sorry I still have trouble with English! I’ll fix it for you!”

Taehyung reaches for her phone but Jimin quickly grabs it.

“Hey!” Y/N whined, but Jimin just gives her a pointed look and she blushes. “Oh thanks..”

“You forgot to add me to the chat Taehyung…” Jimin muttered in annoyance. “But he added you Namjoon…”

“Really?” I said surprised. “I actually haven’t heard anything..oh it’s on silent.”

I did a derp face while everyone but Jimin laughed. He rolled his eyes and handed Y/N’s phone back. After lunch, we went to other museums and this time we made sure to stay together, which pretty much meant we went through everything fairly quickly, to my disappointment. There was one garden or a greenhouse that we all did not want to leave though.

“Y/N!” Hobi exclaimed with excitement. “You’re gonna love this place, me and Yoongi loved it!”

Jimin

Hopi started to lead Y/N to this greenhouse that seemed to be packed with people. I felt myself get a bit nervous by the crowd so I decided to keep a close watch on her. Once we had entered, Hobi had covered Y/N’s eyes, who pouted and I opened my mouth but Yoongi hyung shushed me.

“Wow…” Y/N said once Hobi let go. And wow was right. What must have been a trillion monarch butterflies flew just about everywhere. Some landing on people’s faces, shoulders and hands. The others had walked further in, leaving me and Y/N to stare in awe. I cupped my hands and sure enough a butterfly landed on my hands. She squeals in joy and does the same, but a butterfly lands on her Mark. Her sword Mark was bleak compared to the butterfly. I couldn’t help but wonder, how her Mark looked. Did it look like mine? Was it cracked and broken as well? Did she have it removed and got a tattoo of a sword. I wasn’t quite sure. I look back at her face and her smile was gone and her eyes shined with unshed tears. She stared at the butterfly that had yet to fly away.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“Jimin,” Y/N said. “I remember.”

“Remember what?” I asked. My whole body was on alert and I could feel my blood ringing in my ears. She looks up at me and a tear fell, I go to wipe it but she catches my hand.

“I remember you,” She says and I felt my heart drop.

Shouldn’t I be happy?

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#jimin #bts #bangtan boys #park jimin #jimin x reader #reader insert #soulmate au #bts soulmate au #soulmate!au #bts fluff #bts angst #bts smut #my work #hoseok x yoongi #jungkook

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