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hangovercurse · 3 years

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You work at the preschool next to Casie’s middle school. One day, you catch Colson’s eyes while working, and lucky for him you happen to know his daughter.

Request: “Hi!! Let me start out by saying that you are so so so talented!! I was wondering if you’d write something about colson falling for a preschool teacher? like he just sees her one day while he’s picking up casey from the middle school and he’s all soft seeing her interact with the kids and he makes up excuses to keep coming to see you!?”

Colson X Reader

Warnings: Cursing (maybe?)

A/N: I did that thing where I write too much… again.

Word Count: 2394

Colson tapped his fingers against the steering wheel, drumming softly to the beat of the music coming from his radio. He pulled into the school parking lot, the line already a million cars long it seemed. But he promised Casie he would pick her up whenever he wasn’t working so she didn’t have to take the bus. If that meant spending thirty minutes in a line of slow-moving cars, so be it.

As he was jamming, he glanced out the passenger window, finding a smaller building with a chain link fence outside, surrounding a child’s playground. The door happened to swing open while he was looking, and from there time seemed to move in slow motion.

Out of the door came a dozen or so toddlers, waddling their way outside, surrounding the most beautiful person he’d ever seen. The sun bounced off of your skin perfectly, making everything around you seem so much brighter.

Your skirt flowed with the slight breeze, making the scene more picturesque. He watched as you reached down, picking up one of the toddlers and holding him in your arms. The small boy seemed to be crying, over what Colson couldn’t tell.

You seemed to be speaking to the boy, bouncing him up and down in your arms to comfort him. Meanwhile, a little girl with pigtails made her way over to you. You spoke to her brightly, reaching the arm that wasn’t holding the boy to hold her hand.

Colson’s eyes followed you as you let her drag you over to the playground. You supported her as she climbed the small rock-climbing wall and reach the landing for the slide. You then smiled as she made her way down the slide, telling her good job when she made it to the bottom.

You then turned your attention back to the boy in your arms, making silly faces at him until he laughed.

All it took was those few moments for Colson to get hooked. If there was one thing he found attractive above all else, it was women who loved children. He refused to date anyone who wasn’t supportive of his relationship with Casie, so you were already ahead of everyone on his list. It also helped that you were breathtakingly beautiful.

Colson just got good vibes from you. From his brief observation of you, he could tell you were compassionate and kind, but also childlike and fun, much like himself.

The blonde man was pulled from his thoughts as the car in front of him started moving, signaling the line was moving.

The next day, Colson had a plan. Instead of driving into the school parking lot, he pulled into the pre-school. He checked himself out in the mirror, praying he would see you working. He stepped out of the car, putting on his best confused dad face, and walked into the building.

And by some miracle, you happened to be speaking with the woman at the front desk.

You were even prettier up close, eyes meeting his and stopping him dead in his tracks. You smiled kindly, voice ringing out, “can I help you, sir.”

He returned your smile, “I was looking for the middle school but I have a feeling I ended up in the wrong place.”

You giggled slightly, “just a little. The middle school is just next door.” You pointed to your right. “Are you picking up a sibling?” You asked.

Truthfully, the man had caught your eye the moment he stepped into the door. It was rare you saw someone your own age, and he was exponentially more attractive than most men. What would it hurt if you got to know him a little bit?

“My daughter, actually.” He spoke, fiddling with the key in his hand. You tilted your head, his face seeming vaguely familiar.

You hesitated before speaking, “who’s your daughter? I substitute over there sometimes and you look vaguely familiar.”

He bit his lip, hoping he hadn’t blown his cover. “Casie Baker.” But surely, he’d have remembered you if he’d met you.

Your eyes widened at the name, “Casie? She’s my absolute favorite!” You grinned at the man, realizing immediately that their similar features made him feel familiar. “She’s awesome.”

Colson smiled, letting out a nervous chuckle, “thank you. Yeah, she’s great.”

“She tells me about you. Whenever I sub in her classes, she talks about how cool you are.”

Colson blushed lightly, rubbing his neck. “I’m Colson.” He reached out an arm to shake your hand, mentally kicking himself as soon as he did it.

You found it endearing, shaking his hand “Y/N.”

A few days passed and Colson still couldn’t get over how soft your hands were, or how your touch sent electricity running through his body.

He felt ridiculous, leaving rehearsals and recording sessions to pick Casie up with the hope that he gets a glimpse of you.

After a few days of nothing, he almost loses that hope. Until he happens to arrive at the school a little bit early, windows rolled down to let the cool air in. He hears the sudden sound of children laughing, pulling his attention to the playground next door.

And there you are, in all your beautiful glory. Guiding the kids out, helping them into swings and onto the stairs.

Colson must’ve pleased some God because you looked over your shoulder and found him. Of all the cars in the line, you found his, eyes locking immediately. You smiled softly, reaching a hand over to him and waving. He waved back, trying to keep his cool. But really, he was freaking out.

He thought about saying something, or mouthing something, rather, as you were too far away to hear him, but he was stopped by the beautiful brown hair of his favorite girl in the world. Casie plopped herself down on the seat next to him, her backpack falling to the floor with a frown on her face.

She looked up to her dad, about to complain about her day when she saw his preoccupation. She followed his eyes, finding you in the playground. Immediately her mood was lifted, and she turned back to her dad with a grin on her face.

“Daaad?” She questioned, her voice lifting at the end of her question. The blond man looked down to her a soft smile in his face.

“Hey Case, how was school?”

“You think she’s pretty, right?” Casie ignored his question.

Colson scoffed, rolling his eyes, and shifting his car into gear. “She’s… pretty. I guess.” He mumbled, pressing lightly on the gas.

Casie continued smiling up at him, “that’s Ms. Y/N. She’s the coolest.”

“Put your seatbelt on.” He said, pulling out of the parking lot. “And I know, I met her the other day.”

Casie’s eyes lit up at the thought of her two favorite adults meeting. “Really? How? Did you like her?”

Colson chuckled at his daughter, “I went into the pre-school parking lot by accident and she showed me how to get here.” He blushed, knowing Casie would easily spot his lie.

And that she did, “I’ve been going here for almost two years, how did you accidentally go into the wrong parking lot? You pick me up all the time.”

Colson coughed nervously, “so, how was school?” He tried to change the subject.

Casie gasped, “did you go to the preschool just to see her? You like her!”

“I just met her Casie.”

“You like Ms. Y/N!” she sang, dancing in her seat.

“How was school, loser?” He asked, laughing at her.

She ignored him, again. “Does she know you’re my dad? Did she say anything about me?”

He rolled his eyes, chuckling to himself at her excitement. “Yes, she does, and yes, she did.”

“What did she say?” Casie practically yelled.

“She said you were the worst student she’s ever substituted for.” He smirked, flinching lightly as Casie slapped his arm.

“She did not say that!” The girl pouted, “Ms. Y/N is my favorite teacher in the whole world.”

He couldn’t help but smile at her affection for you. “She’s not even technically your teacher. But she did say that you were her favorite student.”

Her eyes twinkled, “really?”

Colson nodded, “she also told me that you talk about me in class.” He looked at the girl, raising an eyebrow, “any reason why?”

Casie sunk into her seat, a guilty expression on her face. “No.” Colson looked back to the road, but his eyebrow was still raised, “Okay, fine. I just think it’d be really cool if my favorite dad and my favorite teacher were… friends.”

Colson laughed, “I am your only dad, first of all, and second… don’t be weird.”

“But you said you liked her!” Casie pointed out, making the man’s ears turn red.

“I said she was pretty, that’s not the same thing.”

Casie sang again, “whatever you say.”

He rolled his eyes again, letting out a sigh and dropping the conversation, knowing he would lose. “Are you gonna tell me how school was or not?”

Casie sighed, hitting her back against the seat, “Mr. Clemmons was being mean today again. He said he’s not gonna curve our test even though only 2 people got an A on it.” She crossed her arms and huffed.

Colson pouted, bringing a hand to rub her shoulder, “what’d you get on it?”

She mumbled out, “a B.”

His eyes went wide, “dude, what? That’s awesome, that’s above average. You should be proud of that!” He always tried to encourage Casie, knowing the insane amount of pressure people put on their kids nowadays and not wanting her to feel that.

Casie shrugged, “yeah but my guidance counselor says if I want to get into a magnet program in high school, I have to get all A’s. And I have to get in a magnet program high school to get into a good college.”

His eyes went wide as he pulled into his driveway, “woah, woah, woah. You’re 11 years old! You don’t need to worry about that stuff and whoever is telling you that is wrong. Getting a B or even a C isn’t gonna stop you from getting into whatever program you want, I promise.”

Casie sighed, opening the door, and sliding out. “I don’t wanna talk about this anymore. Can we go back to talking about how you like Ms. Y/N?” She asked, her shoulders slumped.

Colson rolled his eyes, climbing out of the car and following her inside. “I don’t like Ms. Y/N.” He groaned.

“Whatever, but next time she substitutes my class, I’m texting you and you’re gonna bring me lunch and talk to her.” Casie said, going to her room and throwing her backpack onto her bed.

A week and a half later, Colson was sitting in his car in the school parking lot, staring at himself through his rearview mirror. He looked at the bag of chick-fil-a in the passenger side seat and sighed. His phone buzzed, a text from Casie coming through.

Lunch is starting, where are you???

He chuckled and texted back.

Going to the office now, calm down

He grabbed the bags and drinks, opening his door and stepping out. He made his way through the office, getting his visitor’s badge, and moving towards the cafeteria. He opened the door, searching through the sea of children for his daughter, only to find your eyes instead.

You smiled brightly, head tilting as if to ask why he’s here. He returned the smile, holding up the bags to answer your question. Casie appeared next to you, waving her hand. Colson made his way through the pre-teens, trying not to crush any of them.

Casie and you giggled at his struggle, joking with each other. Eventually he reached you two, setting the food on the table that Casie had reserved just for you three. The girl took her place across from him, motioning you to sit down next to him. You laughed but followed her directions.

Colson took the food out of the bag, passing Casie her sandwich and fries and pulling his food out of the bag. He turned to you, a smile on his face. “Woah, they must’ve given me an extra sandwich.” He held it out for you to take.

You obliged, giggling lightly. “How strange.” You commented, your smile never leaving.

“Oh, right. Ms. Y/N, this is my dad, Colson. Dad, this is Ms. Y/N, the best substitute ever.” Casie said, pointing between the two.

Colson chuckled, “yes, Casie. We’ve met.” He looked over to you, hiding his laugh behind his sandwich.

“Yep. Someone got lost and found me at the preschool.” You said, your voice exaggerating. Shit, Colson thought, you were onto him. “Speaking of, Casie. I know you’ve been talking about needing volunteer hours. If you want you can come by after school some days and help me with the aftercare program? I can take you home afterwards if your dad can’t pick you up.”

Casie smiled brightly, nodding her head. “Yes! Yes, yes, yes!”

Colson watched the interaction, fondness in his eyes. If he wasn’t sure before, he was now. He was falling hard.

You turned to him, kindness in your eyes, “if it’s okay with your dad.” You said and he nodded.

“Yeah, if you don’t mind having her around. I’m cool with it.” He tried to hide the blush on his cheeks as you continued to look at him, taking in his features.

Casie squealed, “thank you!”

You simply smiled and shrugged, “it’s not a big deal. I get some extra help and I get to spend some more time with my favorite 11-year-old. Maybe her dad can even stop by and help sometime.”

You turned to the man next to you, who was sure he’d turned very red. He was never this nervous around women, but something about you made him incredibly self-conscious, like he had to impress you.

He mumbled out a quick “huh?” before registering your question. “Uh, yeah, sure. If you want me to come help. I’d be cool with that.” He turned to meet your eyes.

You giggled, holding the eye contact, “I do want you to. I’d like it a lot if you did.”

Casie looked between you two, suddenly regretting what she’d done, “are you two done? I’m trying to eat my sandwich.”

#mgk #mgk imagine #mgk fluff #machine gun kelly #colson baker imagine #machine gun kelly x reader #Colson baker #colson x reader #colson baker fluff #colson imagine #colson baker x reader

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purpleyellow · 3 years

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NCT 24th member / Dream 8th member

Bee’s Masterlist

“The two times Bee avoided Mark and the one she didn’t”

a/n: Feel free to share your thoughts with me. Requests are open!💛

Growing up, in general, is a pain in the ass, and Bee isn't the happiest about having to deal with it. She doesn't know if it's because of how she was raised, or if it's just her personality, but the girl cannot see herself as an adult.

You see, adults are supposed to manage five different tasks, have most things thought out, and try to handle everything that comes their way. Bee, however, wants to lay in bed at every minor inconvenience and wishes she could freeze time so she can digest what's happening.

She can see herself as those five-year-olds who pout, cross their arms and look away when you tell them they can't have ice cream for dinner. Just like she can see Jeno as those parents who bribe their kids to eat vegetables with a false promise of going to the ice cream parlor on the next day.

"Why don't you want to talk to him?" Jeno whispers to Bee midst the chaos in the van. The first time she successfully avoids Mark is when the members are leaving SM after a long day of figuring out stuff for the comeback. Things were only starting to come together, and the boy knows that if Mark and the girl don't figure out everything soon it's not going to be a fun process.

"I don't have anything to say" She mumbles looking out of the window. Jeno turns her head back to him before continuing.

"Maybe Mark has something. Or maybe he has questions"

"Good for him" She simply states. "I already said everything, so I'm not helpful to talk to"

"And you stand by everything you said almost six months ago?" He asks while trying not to laugh "You didn't think about it anymore? There, you said it and moved on"

"Yes, I stand by everything" She lies. Bee has relived every single conversation she has had with or about Mark especially lately, cringing at some stuff she said, making up better answers, and overanalyzing every little word even if they don't mean a thing. Jeno probably knows she does that, yet she's not going to admit that easily, because admitting means confronting the situation.

"Just maybe think things are exponentially worst when you're trying to avoid the topic instead of solving it once and for all" The boy mumbles and she rolls her eyes. Mentally thanking the manager who happened to pull up next to their building

Trying to escape that conversation as fast as possible, Bee holds onto the back of the seat in front of her, accidentally hitting Jaemin in the head, and jumps past Jeno, who frows as he watches her bolt out of the vehicle.

The girl only stops as she reaches the elevator because of the light feeling on her hoodie pocket. She had left her phone behind, throwing away all the work she just put into getting to her room without speaking with anyone else.

Walking back to the van, Bee keeps her head down to avoid making eye contact and waves off Renjun after he shared a proverb about people skipping a step only to return two. Honestly, he might have said something different because the meaning flew right above her head.

The manager, who had also left the vehicle to check on something at their apartment, throws his keys for her to catch and tells her to be quick.

Bee goes straight to the seat she had occupied and starts searching through the openings where the phone might have fallen from, ultimately deciding it was somewhere on the floor. Patting away underneath hers and Jeno's seat, she finally moves on to the row in front of them, getting scared by a light and the muffled sound of her phone ringing.

Almost like a miracle, she was getting a call from someone who might have saved her a couple of seconds of searching. Reaching out for the device, her smug grin turns to a frown as the name "Minhyung from Canada" shines on her screen. A confused noise leaves her mouth while Bee gets up from the floor, though her debating over either answering or not doesn't go very far due to said Canadian standing at the door of the van.

"I thought if I helped out find it, you would finally listen to me," Mark says, ending the call. Though, it seems like that was the only line he had rehearsed because after it they both stay in awkward silence, making Bee look down at the device in her hands before raising an eyebrow.

"Well, my hand touched it before the call got connected?" She, not as confidently, lies again.

Mark shakes his head adamantly "No it didn't"

"Do you have eyes on the floor?" The girl frowns trying to make that topic last longer but he doesn't fall for it.

"Yunhee," He says in a disappointed tone which Bee copies by saying "Mark"

Mark raises one eyebrow feeling rather playfully. "Mark Oppa?" and she rolls her eyes while planing an escape route.

The boy seems to remember what he was there for and scratches his head, suddenly bringing back the awkward mood.

"We should clear everything up, you know" His tone is back to uncertain surprising her by the sudden change and Bee feels her hands clamming up. She knows he's waiting for her to show any kind of reaction but for some reason, she cannot have any.

"Guys, I have to get the car back to the building. You can keep the conversation going at either of your dorms" The manager pops his head through the driver’s seat before climbing it. Bee hands him the keys and both idols slowly step out of the vehicle. Her mind is still blankly looking for a way to avoid listening to whatever the older had to say when the man magically says something that fixes all of her problems. "Actually, Mark come here, it's about 127's schedule tomorrow, something came up"

And she doesn't stay to listen as she bolts to the elevator that's taking her to her safe and Mark-free bedroom.

☆☆☆

The second time Bee avoids him, or gets saved by another person, happened a few days after the van accident when she rapidly types on her phone while running to the end of the hallway where the SM elevators are.

The sound indicating the doors opening on her floor catches her attention and Bee doesn't have to fully look inside the place to see Mark standing on the edge, ready to walk out of it. Almost without thinking, her feet make her turn left into another hallway and she instinctively makes her way to the room she had visited many times before.

Bee knows for a fact Mark is supposed to go to the studio she had just left, so the fact she can hear him doing the same route she is, makes adrenaline pump inside of her and the girl starts sprinting as fast as she can.

She finds it stupid how her brain suddenly read that moment as her being chased by something dangerous, but there's not enough time to let her process the situation. Instead, Bee barges through the door of Kun's studio and throws herself onto the space between the empty couch and the wall.

Crouching so she's hidden by the armrest, Bee simply says "I'm not here" before staring at the floor in front of her, making the WayV leader question why he's even surprised at that point.

A series of three knocks on the door makes Kun get up and go greet whoever had the decency to announce themselves before interrupting his work like half of his groupmates usually do. Keeping the door half-opened, he's half surprised by Mark standing a little distance away while seemingly sorry to be in that position.

"Hyung, my bad for coming here. But I was wondering if I could talk to Bee" The boy says scratching his eyebrow.

"I mean, of course, you can" Kun starts making the girl's heart drop "I'm not sure why you're asking me, though. And next time you see her, let her know I also need to speak with her"

"Oh, yeah. Sure?" Mark says uncertainly tilting his head and closing his eyes. He stares inside the room through the small space Kun allowed and sighs defeated "Sorry about it, I'll just go"

Waving to the boy, Kun waits for him to walk a little before closing the door and turning to the hidden girl. "You know we could see the top of your head, right?"

"Wait, he saw me?" Bee asks with wide eyes, supporting her head on the armrest and the boy rolls his eyes "Probably yes. The kid is just too polite to say anything about it"

Standing up from the ground, the girl sits on the couch to wait for a little before leaving the room. Kun takes the opportunity to throw himself back on his chair and interrogates her.

"Why are you avoiding Mark?"

"I stole his charger so now he's mad" She pouts looking at the ground making the older scoff.

"I'm not buying anything that simple. Don't think I haven't noticed you've been almost daily in our dorm instead of hanging out with your unit. We like when you visit but it became a little weird when we're not even there yet you still go hide inside our apartment"

"It's too complicated" She sighs craning her neck to check the clock "And I'm actually late for something, so you'll have to deal with my stupid high school problems sometime later"

"They're only stupid because you thought over them a million times and began downplaying whatever they are. You can't do that forever and you know it"

"Confrontation makes me cry, so I'll try my best to keep pushing it away" Bee smiles like something uplifting was said and stands up "See you later"

"Sure, good luck with your date" Kun smirks turning back to the table and checking on his work. Noticing she hadn't actually left the door he lets out a chuckle "Chenle told me about it"

"It's not a date. Chenle was literally invited to tag along" Bee rolls her eyes and he shrugs despite not looking back at her.

"Sure, have fun"

☆☆☆

Ever since Mark first showed his confusion over how things were going, Bee tried really hard not to make the situation awkward for everyone. She didn't want them to be extra careful around her, nor feel like this big dramatic thing was going on between the group. And to lessen her worries, the dreamies seemed to act the same they had always been.

There is the fact she isn't talking to Mark, but much to her surprise, the girl realized she never really relied a lot on speaking to him. Pretending everything was fine became part of her routine for that two weeks.

But just like Kun caught onto her distancing herself, a bunch of staff members also did. The choreographer who first introduced them to the routine asked her a couple of times if everything was okay, and the producer noticed the idol was out of the room the time she was finished, not really mingling like the rest of the boys.

Those two didn't really say anything about it, since she was still getting work done. That isn't the same for the management team, who not only saw her change in behavior but feared how much of that would be noticeable in videos and the overall dynamic of what they had waiting for the comeback.

"Bee, can I talk to you for a second" One particular manager called for her as she was resting on the corner of the dance studio.

Bee gathered her things in a pile on the floor and got up to follow him out of the room. The man had worked with NCT for a really long time, but he wasn't the closest manager to her, nor had ever taken care of her individual schedules. She knew whatever he had to tell her wasn't going to be very good.

"We don't want to intrude on whatever is going on in your life. But the moment it affects the group I'm afraid somebody needs to step in" The man sighs walking slowly next to her "If you're not feeling well, or something happened to make you not want to be around the members you need to act on it, or tell somebody so no one gets suspicious of it"

"I'll make sure no one notices it" She mumbles playing with her ring and rolls her shoulders "It's not something to be worried about though. Nothing really happened"

"We'll some people started to point out on Jisung's graduation video that you're often really quiet. Considering your personality it's nothing out of the ordinary, but you can't afford it pilling up and fans talking about it. We're aware of what that saesang said last year and don't think the company forgets easily if more fans start thinking you don't want to be in the group or doesn't belong in it, it's going to be a big problem"

"More people are talking about it?" Bee glances once again to the ring Renjun made her wear.

"It's a small number so far, but there are those who think that by Mark coming back and you being a little quieter, your place might be in another unit," He notices her gaze turning down and places a hand on her shoulder"Don't stress over it right now, just dedicate yourself a little more to the group and show you have a place in it. It should pass after some time"

Patting her, he reminds her to 'go back to normal before heading back to his work. Bee feels a slight headache creeping in and sneaks into a smaller room dedicated to vocal training, where she drops her body on a chair and closes her eyes to either sleep or try to gather some courage and face everything she has avoided so far.

The girl ends up doing neither because a few seconds pass and Mark pushes his head inside the room.

"Can we talk now?" He asks and without any energy left, Bee nods to the chair next to her for him to sit.

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askaceattorney · 3 years

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Manfred Von Karma Character Essay

Dear Dakadondon,

I’m going to give it a go on a character essay on my favorite villain, Manfred Von Karma. I haven’t been able to find any on him and I feel like he’s often overlooked as the nothing-but-evil villain when there is so much more to him than meets the eye.

When we are first introduced to Manfred Von Karma, he both is the final boss of the game and a foil for both Phoenix Wright and his rival, Miles Edgeworth. He represents the karma brought down upon Miles Edgeworth’s shoulders by his actions in the first game, thus his name “karma” or “ Karuma,” which means “karma” in Japanese. This works in the same way with Franziska Von Karma representing Phoenix Wright’s karma in AA2. Since we are focusing on Manfred Von Karma, he will be our main focus.

We are introduced to Manfred Von Karma as Miles Edgeworth’s mentor, but it is in AA2 we find out he is much more than a mentor. He was also a father figure of sorts to Miles Edgeworth. This relationship is often overlooked, even by the game itself. We are told by Franziska Von Karma how Miles Edgeworth was like her little brother, but nowhere in the game does it ever mention or demonstrate how Miles Edgeworth would be the son of Manfred Von Karma. Even the anime never truly focuses on that portion. As a result, we, as the players, are like Godot in how we miss the obvious red on white part of the case, and instead focus on the mentor and student relationship. Like anyone, why would we believe someone as twisted and vindictive as Manfred Von Karma would consider Miles Edgeworth as a son? Yet, this same man considered him the student under Von Karma? If Sebastian Debeste’s relationship with his father could be father/son and mentor/student, why wouldn’t the same also apply to Manfred Von Karma and Miles Edgeworth?

To understand this father/son relationship Miles Edgeworth shares with Manfred Von Karma, we first need to understand why it is overlooked or taken out throughout the game. After losing his father, Miles Edgeworth practically lost everything. If we are to assume his father was the only family he ever had in his life, then this would mean he became an orphan. He was alone without anyone to care for or love him. All of a sudden, this Prosecutor, who had gone up against his father in court, takes him in under his wing. He gives Miles Edgeworth food, a home, a little sister, a family, education and training to become a Prosecutor. Before, Miles Edgeworth only had his father, now under the Von Karmas, he has a family. Manfred Von Karma gave Miles Edgeworth much more than his biological father ever did, when we take into account the mentioned family of Manfred Von Karma than just Franziska: a niece, a possible extra sibling(s) and a mother.

In the head of Miles Edgeworth, he is not deserving of this. He mentally believes he is responsible for the murder of his own father. He isn’t deserving of a family, a home or any of these things. This is a similar mentality he will eventually have with Phoenix later on after Turnabout Goodbyes. In turn, we have Manfred Von Karma, who is simply using Miles and his genius to have as his own. He knows of his crime of having murdered this boy’s father and yet is willing to provide this boy with a better life. It feels off for Manfred Von Karma, if we were to assume he’s your typical devilish bad guy with no moral compass. Though, if we were to take AAI2 into account in how he praises his wife’s cooking, despite being an amateur, and was willing to defend Delicia Scone’s innocence for no other reason other than, “she is innocent,” we can assume he does have some form of moral compass. At the very least, he is capable of love for those he considers family and will protect those he considers innocent. If we are to assume that he does love his family, or at least is capable of such, we can assume that there was a tiny bit of compassion he had in taking in Miles Edgeworth. Even if we were to reason that Manfred Von Karma was simply using Miles Edgeworth to cover up his own crime, no one can deny that Manfred Von Karma could’ve made him into a Cinderella or killed him under his care.

Of course, many would disagree this man would have a heart, if only because the game seems to imply that Manfred Von Karma took in Miles Edgeworth to beat the dead horse that was Gregory Edgeworth. Except, that would imply that Manfred Von Karma believes in spirits and was so passionate that he was willing to raise a child with severe trauma, nightmares and phobias. To put it simply, raising Miles Edgeworth, for Manfred Von Karma, would have been a nightmare in itself. Not only because he’d be having sleepless nights from a child, then teenager being up in the middle of the night because of nightmares, but also having to calm him down every time an earthquake hit, perhaps having to deal with Miles Edgeworth’s fear of elevators and there are the effects of DL-6 that took a toll on Miles Edgeworth. Anyone who knows anyone that deals with severe trauma will tell you that each day, minute and second that person is still living is a miracle. This is something Manfred Von Karma would be having to face every morning and night. For Miles Edgeworth, he believes he killed his own father and is not deserving of anything. Perhaps being a Prosecutor is his way of punishing himself, but it is also a goal he strives for that was placed upon him by Manfred Von Karma himself. You could say that Manfred Von Karma gave Miles Edgeworth a reason to live.

Knowing this, it makes sense why Manfred Von Karma framed Miles Edgeworth for the murder of Robert Hammond. This wasn’t about him ruining Miles Edgeworth’s life or revenge against Gregory Edgeworth. This was Manfred Von Karma running away from his problems, from his own guilt. We see in Turnabout Reminiscence how quickly Manfred Von Karma was willing to leave an investigation unfinished the moment he loses control. If you were to fail that game, before Manfred Von Karma demands Miles Edgeworth and young Franziska to no longer proceed in the investigation, he will stop the investigation right away or Franziska will win. It’s only after he demands there to be no more investigation that he no longer stops the investigation, but instead it is Calisto Yew or Tyrell Badd, who at one point sends his security to kick Miles Edgeworth and Franziska out. This means that the reason Manfred Von Karma wanted Miles Edgeworth to stop the investigation was because he no longer had control over the outcome. This makes sense for his character, who also left IS-7 after the events of DL-6. He’s the kind of man to run away from his troubles. If Miles Edgeworth’s trauma was trouble for Manfred Von Karma that he can’t ever get rid of, he will proceed to get rid of Miles Edgeworth instead.

The problem with Manfred Von Karma framing Miles Edgeworth for murder is that this adds another problem. Miles Edgeworth is now the supposed son of Manfred Von Karma. Keep in mind this is a man who obsesses over perfection. To frame his own son for murder goes against being the perfect father. Aside from his own personal problems, Manfred Von Karma has no reason to get rid of Miles Edgeworth. Miles Edgeworth, while did suffer a few losses, is a valuable asset to Manfred Von Karma. He is Manfred Von Karma’s proud disciple and, if we were to assume he only has daughters, the only son he’s got. He is willing to throw away Miles Edgeworth, for what? Because of his own personal problems? Because he knows all of Miles Edgeworth’s troubles are caused by him? Because the only way to fix Miles Edgeworth is to admit that he was and is a terrible murderer and a criminal?

Much like how Manfred Von Karma represented the karma built upon all the deeds Miles Edgeworth had done, the same can also be said in reverse. For Manfred Von Karma, Miles Edgeworth is the result of his own karma. That karma will never go away and, so long as Miles Edgeworth continues to live in the Prosecutor’s circle, the karma of Manfred Von Karma will haunt him for the rest of his life, unless he decides to find closure. Whether that closure be through death or reconnecting with Miles Edgeworth, unless it is met, Manfred Von Karma will always be troubled by the karma he’s placed upon himself.

To describe Manfred Von Karma is someone that is obsessed with being perfect in every way to a fault. He has family, friends, people he loves and cares about, but is also a coward to face whatever troubles come his way. He is the opposite of Phoenix Wright, who is willing to face what he’s faulted and try to make things right. Manfred Von Karma represents a side to humanity none of us want to admit. We are very narcissistic and strive to be better than everyone else. Then, the moment we run into trouble where our true colors are shown, we tend to hide or run away like Manfred Von Karma.

When you consider the events of IS-7, it’s clear Manfred Von Karma made many mistakes in how he approached the case. He refused help from his detective, he continually tried to fight against the Defense that he was right, he used threatening tactics to force the Defendant to confess to a crime he didn’t commit, he overlooked other crimes that happened such as the two missing boys, and he changed the case file to the Defendant being the culprit - even though he accused him of being an accomplice to the crime. While he didn’t forge the Autopsy Report, he placed the blame of the penalty he received from his boss on the Defense, who didn’t do anything wrong. To add insult to injury, he orphaned and traumatized a child that now is under his care. Manfred Von Karma continually ran away from his issues, the vile acts that he has done. As a result, he refuses to acknowledge Miles Edgeworth as his son. If he can’t acknowledge it, why should the game?

Manfred Von Karma is one of the most morally gray characters in the AA game. He represents the worst of all humanity. He’s definitely not one to sympathize with, but not because we can’t, but because we don’t want to. I consider the best villains as those you could become at any point in time. Someone like Kristoph Gavin or Dahlia Hawthorne would be much harder to see in ourselves, since their circumstances came from other bad circumstances. Manfred Von Karma, I can see in anyone no matter the circumstances or life they live. So long as you believe yourself to be better than anyone else, you will always become another Manfred Von Karma.

Ironically enough, I do see a redemption arc in Manfred Von Karma, if he was to ever live after Turnabout Goodbyes. The reason is because, believe it or not, I did have issues with Narcissism about ten or so years ago. Of course, I wasn’t as bad as Manfred Von Karma, but I can also relate to him. As such, I also know that it only takes seeing yourself as better than everyone else to void yourself of all empathy or compassion for others. This also includes thinking your opinions are correct or others’ opinions are problematic. All it takes for a redemption arc is realizing where you’re wrong, apologizing, and making things right. Of course, you can’t erase your history, but you can make a better future, especially for those you have hurt. Luckily, we have Franziska Von Karma and Miles Edgeworth to demonstrate what Manfred Von Karma could’ve been.

- Mod Edgeworth

#dakdondondon #Mod Post #Mod Edgeworth #Character Essay #Manfred Von Karma

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edgeofmyniall · 3 years

Text

The Arrival: Part Two

taglist | masterlist |

trigger warning: descriptive telling of a miscarriage

The warm air hits Niall like a sudden force that kicks him in the stomach. His hand still lingers on the crook of Penelope’s back and he knows all too well that his heart is screaming for her. One look from her and he feels like he could vomit.

It had always been that way for him when it came to Penelope Myers. She could make his thoughts dizzy, his heart sing, and his stomach knot with one singular look. If love was illegal, he would forever be in the top ten most wanted criminal in the world. He was absolutely, without a doubt, still in love with Poppy.

Until he started to notice that Poppy cared for more of the material things than himself. Her gaze would linger on the necklaces and rings that he presented her when she thanked him. She could not stop praising the new car that sat in the garage when she called her mom. It was him that worked hard and gave Poppy the nicer things in life. And she failed to respect him in the way that Niall seemed fit.

She was shallow, only loving him for the diamond on her hand and the car she drives.

“How have you two been?” Amelia asks as her drink slings against the carpet. Clearly under the buzz of wine, she pulls both Niall and Poppy into a forced hug, letting her Yorkshire accent free from her imprisonment. The pretend couple look at one another before Amelia lets her grip go, forcing smiles on their faces. “Been a lot of rumors going about… a divorce, an affair? Not the two of you, I say,” Amelia smiles, genuinely believing her friends were still together. “Aren’t you two trying to have a baby?”

Poppy cradles her torso in an unconscious decision-grief swallowing her whole. Niall presses his hand tighter around Poppy’s back, pulling her closer to him. They had been, trying, to say the least. Until one night Poppy woke up with bloody sheets and her torso feeling as if it’s been ripped open. Niall grieved only for a few weeks that his wife miscarried, but Poppy still grieves in silence.

Three Years Ago

“Niall,” Poppy whined, her stomach feeling torn to shreds. She had woken from a deep slumber to the intense pain that scratched and clawed at her torso. She felt weak, both physically and mentally. She thought it might have been the food she had eaten for dinner, but it was more than that. She felt the loss move through her body. She moved her legs closer to her chest trying relieve the pain somehow. “Niall, please… I-”

“What is it?” Niall sat up, leaning on one arm as he turned toward his wife whose tears had soaked into her pillow. “What’s wrong?” Niall tries to wrap his arm around Poppy’s shaking body when he feels the dampness on the sheets. Quickly he turns on the lamp beside the bed and tosses the white sheets off Poppy’s body. The dark red liquid had stained the entirety of Poppy’s side of the bed. In the scene of life or death, Niall watches his wife lose the greatest joy she had. Still crouched in the fetal position, Penelope screams out as another wave of pain courses through her body. Her back muscles were tight contracting with the pain as her lower abdomen pulsates its muscles with the pain. Niall’s heart races as he becomes frantic. His breathing is erratic as he scoops his wife into his arms and carries her downstairs.

“Please, please, please not the baby,” was the only thing that ran across his mind.

“It hurts, Niall. I can’t-” Poppy tries to speak through the tears and the gut wrenching pain, but fails as she buries her head into Niall’s chest as she cries.

“Baby, shhh, it’ll be alright,” Niall lied, panic rising in his chest, trying his best to soothe his wife. He awkwardly opens the back seat of his car and lays Poppy down gently before racing back up the stairs to grab his phone.

“Sam, get an emergency cleaning crew to my house as soon as fucking possible,” Niall tries to steady his request, but it comes off more as a demand. “I’m taking Penelope to the ER. Cancel all my meetings for tomorrow or today or what the fuck ever day it is. My wife lost my child and I- '' Niall screams into the empty house as tears fall down his face. His body shakes as he hits his fist into the wall, putting a hole into the painted drywall. “I got to go.” Niall shoves the phone into the pocket of his checkered pajama pants and flies to the nearest emergency room.

“Sir,” the doctor, a young and fairly new attendant, walks into the room. She carries herself in a way that one would when delivering bad news. Niall had been waiting in the hard metal chair while Poppy was rushed into the operating room. “Your wife has lost a lot of blood and she could have lost her life if you hadn’t made it here in time.”

“What about the baby?” Niall’s eyes wide as he takes in the unspoken words. He could read between the lines. “What about my baby?”

“The fetus did not make it,” the doctor’s face scrunched as she tried to break the life changing news. She tried so hard to stop her own tears from falling. “Penelope wasn’t far along and in the first trimester there is-”

“Eighty percent chance that a miscarriage could happen. I know, I researched everything when Poppy told me.” Niall hung his head and wept as the doctor stood in the solidary of Niall’s grief. “Is my wife okay? Did she make it?” Niall’s voice cracked at the thought of losing his best friend. His life would be shambles if he ever lost Poppy.

“She’s in the recovery room asking for you. Penelope, it seems that she does have polycystic ovarian syndrome. It’s a condition that affects her hormone levels. Penelope has more male hormones than she should. PCOS makes it hard for women to become pregnant…”

“We had a hard time… We had an appointment to start with In Vetro, but then she was pregnant by some miracle,” Niall looked at the speckled white floor tiles, trying to steady his voice.

“The high levels of testosterones caused the miscarriage. Mister Horan,” the doctor crossed her hands in front of her body. “I’m sorry for your loss.” Niall knew the doctor was truly sincere when she apologized, but nothing, no words, could bring his growing baby back.

Niall’s trek to the recovery room seemed never ending. He wanted to reach his wife and to hold her close so badly that the white walls and floors of the hospital were an endless maze. Niall curses at the barriers that are keeping him from his wife, his best friend, that needed him. He tried so hard to hold himself together when he saw his wife, laying in a stiff hospital bed hooked up to beeping monitors. He watched her heart rate continuously flash across the screen. He held her hand, still soft and gentle just like the first time he held her hand.

“I’m sorry,” Poppy said. Her eyes were still closed and heavy from the pain medication, but she knew the warmth of her husband’s hand. “It’s all my fault. My body... I-” Poppy’s voices cracked under the weight of her words. Everything she tried to say was too burdensome to speak. The invisible barrier between them was overshadowing both of them and Niall had already begun to crack under it.

“No. No, no, no,” Niall repeated as he pushed the wet, sticky tendrils of light colored hair out of Poppy’s face, his voice finally cracking. He tried to be strong for his wife when she was at her weakest, but the sight of one of the strongest people he knew lying in a bed in grief that consumed her broke him. It was not her fault. It wasn’t anyone’s fault, but maybe his own. If he would have watched more closely for the signs, anything, he might have prevented this from happening. Pale and sickly cold with sweat, Niall smiles at the angel with dark circles under her eyes as if she was the inspiration of the Mona Lisa. Poppy swallows hard as she brings her husband’s hand to her lips, the touch of his hand to her skin causes another wave of tears. She had failed him and the baby. “We’ll try again.”

“We’re...giving it some time,” Poppy dances on the right words to say. She dares not speak of anything that might give any indication of what’s happened. She curses herself for living a secret life.

“Ah, well, it’ll come. All good things come when in their own time, innit that right, Niall? The business hasn’t been doing well, yeah?” Amelia’s eyes flicker with sarcasm as Niall swallows his anger. He knew deep down that Amelia had always been jealous of his success- the way that the business skyrocketed when the firm had helped their country in the decrease of pollution. He wants to say what he’s really thinking, what he really thinks of Amelia and her winery, but instead, he only gives back what Amelia dished.

“Same could be said for you and Maxwell? Or is it Josh this week?” Amelia laughs, hurt and anger flash across her face, a look that would kill Niall where he stood. Poppy nudges Niall with her elbow and whispers, “Be nice” after Amelia disappears to fetch the unlucky lad of the week.

“I am. Being nice. Did you hear what she said about the business? Jesus Christ I could twist her head off. Ah, here is the lucky man. Name’s Niall.” Niall extends his hand out to the tall, tanned male who looks to belong in a magazine. His blonde hair is gelled back with a tiny curl swooping down his forehead. He flashes his teeth when he smiles.

“Jayden. Nice to meet you and Miss?” Jayden almost bows as he looks at Poppy. “Mrs. Poppy, Niall’s...wife.” The word is a lie and it tastes bitter in Poppy’s mouth. She wishes she could get used to the taste by now, but it still is just the same. Poppy looks at Jayden, who is still holding her hand. Niall clears his throat as he pulls Poppy closer to him.

“Leave your luggage by the door,” Amelia says before folding her arm around Jayden’s and showing them Justin’s home. As if they actually needed it. It was only to show off that the successful business couple came back to their roots, even if for a little while.

“Now, tell me,” Amelia whispered when Niall wandered over to the bar to collect a bottle of bourbon, “I saw a ginger hussie standing over Niall with her breasts all out when I came by the office one day to drop off some of my samples. I tried putting in the code on the gate at your house, but it wouldn’t work, but you would know that if you ever returned my calls.”

“Sorry about that, Millie, I’ve been busy with the magazine. Niall said she’s the new intern.” Poppy hates the taste of lies, boiling inside her as she spews one after another.

“Well, she was all over him, and Niall was eating that shit up. I swear, I almost threw the bitch off the balcony meself.” Amelia’s brow furrowed as she looked up to her friend. “If the rumors are true…”

“No!” Poppy said a little too quickly and loudly, “I mean, no they aren’t. I trust Niall. He knows what he comes home to.” Poppy smiles reassuringly, but doubts her words. Does he really know her the way that Poppy does? Poppy only disciplines herself for ever believing that she knew Niall. She never did.

“Well, I trust you. I know that you would never lie to me cuz you’re me best friend, and I love you so fuckin’ much,” Amelia’s words slurred as brought her friend in for another hug. Poppy’s heart sank as the lies burned in her mouth. She could never take them back, and if her friend ever found out, their trust would be severed and the domino effect would begin.

“I just hate that we’re together again under these circumstances. Justin was…” Poppy tried to find the words to describe what Justin meant to her. He had been her friend throughout college, and they had been close until the divorce. She was angry at Justin for keeping his cancer a secret from her for so long. She wanted to help, but Justin reassuringly let her know that unless she held the power of God, that there wasn’t anything that she could do.

“Amazing, to say the least,” Amelia finished her friend’s sentence. Poppy looked over to Niall who stood next to Alex with a smile wide across his face. He was firmly gripping his glass of red wine when he looked over to his ex-wife and felt an old happiness and yearning for her. He swallowed the feeling down as he sipped his wine, cursing himself for letting his guard down. He still loved her.

Two Years Ago

“Where were you last night?” Poopy asks, her hands crossed against her chest. “Where the fuck were you?” She cocks a brow as she looks at her husband who remained silent. The cold grey morning seeped into the pale white living room where the two were standing. Niall had only just come inside when Poppy stood at the base of the stairs. Her eyes, rimmed with red from worry and tears, watches her husband as he tosses his briefcase to the floor.

“I was out, alright?” Niall sighed as he looked Poppy in her swollen eyes. He didn’t call her. Not even after the floods of texts and calls, Niall never once picked up his phone.

“Where?” Poppy asks, her voice sharp as a knife. She could feel the tears brimming over the edge of her lids and her mouth formed a frown. She thought of the worst.

“I was at the office late with reports,” Niall walked over to Poppy kissing her temple as he pulled her close. “I fell asleep. I should have called.”

“I was…” Poppy folded her arms around her husband and sighed, “I was so worried.” Poppy's head rests inside the crook of Niall’s neck and as she breathes in her husband, she breathes in the musk of a perfume she didn’t recognize.

“I’m going to take a shower and then we can go see your mother, okay?” Niall asked as he let his embrace go. It was foreign to her now. Who was this Niall standing in front of her now? The faint outline of red lipstick still stained his skin where she kissed him. It was smudged, like Niall had tried to vigorously rub the act of possession away.

“Yeah, sure.”

One by one, the two are reunited with old friends that they had lost contact with over the years. Each time, the two forced smiles and laughter for shared memories and explanations. No one dares to address the rumors that the couple are no longer together. That would mean facing the truth and digging up each lie they’ve spoken over the past year. Hours passed and the two felt as if they had finally come home after wandering around for years. Niall steals a quick glance from Poppy who is laughing at a joke that Jayden said. He wants to rescue her as he watches her subtly flirt with the stranger. His fear of losing Poppy had come true, by his own demise, but here in the warm fire scented room, he felt that he could lose Poppy all over again.

“Where’s our rooms?” Niall finally asks after sharing a chardonnay with Alex, Justin’s long time girlfriend. Alex tried to keep the wine from coming up when Niall asked his question. Niall felt the secret becoming like loose strands the longer he stood there in front of his friends.

“Rooms? You and Poppy only need one, unless…”

“No, none of it’s true. Just misspoke is all,” Niall swallows the last of the wine in hopes of the conversation and upcoming questions dying. The bottle of unopened bourbon still stands on their suitcases waiting for Niall’s lips to taste.

“Last door on the left upstairs. The usual room,” Alex cocks a brow when Niall strides over to Poppy and pulls her in the direction of the luggage.

“Grab your bags and let’s go,” Niall breathes hard, angry at himself for letting the one word almost unravel the lie they’re both living. “We’re in our old room.”

“One room? We’re sharing?” Poppy asks as she pulls the handle out of her rolling suitcase. “Are you sure?”

“They don’t know, Penelope,” he growls, looking Poppy in the eyes before trudging upstairs leaving Poppy to her own demise.

They don’t know.

She has to repeat this to herself, reminding her that while life moved forward for the two of them, their friends are stuck in the past.

taglist: @niallerlover, @yourpolaroid07, @militrybarbi

#niall horan imagine #niall horan fanfic #niall horan fanfiction #niall horan au #niall horan #niall horan fic #niall horan 1d #1d ff #1dff #1d fan fiction

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quickspinner · 4 years

Text

I’ve Got You

Hi @ladycat1! Your original secret santa had some life happen, so here’s a gift from me to tide you over until they can post your fic! I chose the soulmate prompt and I uh, got a little carried away. I hope you enjoy it!

This was supposed to be a sprint fic, 3 15 minute sprints and 45 minutes to edit, but it took me 4 sprints to finish even the main idea and then there wasn’t enough Luka so I went back and added more, and now it’s kind of a beast compared to what it was supposed to be. So, I failed the challenge, but hey, more fic, so still a win!

She’d dreamed for so long about what her soulmate would be like. Some of her friends had silly words scribed over their hearts, things that made no sense and probably wouldn’t until they met their person. Some of them had commonplace phrases like “Hey, watch it!” or “Hi, how can I help you today?” Some of them were borderline insulting. Alix’s words were “Hey, out of my way!” Marinette wasn’t sure she would have been able to feel good about something like that, but Alix didn’t seem bothered by it. “At least our meeting won’t be boring,” she pointed out.

Still. Marinette liked her own words better, far better, than any others that had been shared with her. Easy, easy, I’ve got you.

They sounded...comforting. Supportive. Warm. She couldn’t think, even with all her natural paranoia, of any way those words could be bad. Maybe she was making too much of it, maybe it was only a little thing. Still, she liked the thought that the first time she met her soulmate, they would be helping her, even if only in a small way.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. She was supposed to be breathless, but not from hitting the pavement at blinding speed. She was supposed to be disoriented, but not because she had been tossed across half the city by an akuma. She wasn’t supposed to be cold and wet and frightened, and most of all, she wasn’t supposed to be Ladybug.

But she was, and he’d grabbed her, and when she struck out at him in fear and confusion, he’d caught her hand, and his lips moved, and her chest burned, and the words hidden beneath her suit suddenly felt etched on her skin in fire.

The arms that cradled her were strong, the hand that wiped the mud off her face was gentle, and the blue eyes staring down at her were as concerned as she could ever have wished for, but—it was all wrong.

“Are you hurt?” he asked, his hand moving to her chin and tilting her face so that he could look into her eyes.

She was supposed to answer him. Whatever she said to him in this moment was supposed to be etched over his heart, and she would say it, and he would feel that same—not fire, because it didn’t hurt, not exactly, but that flaring that would tell him that this was no random chance, that she was his soulmate.

But she couldn’t. She stared dumbly up at him, her throat seizing up in panic even as she clamped her lips tight. It couldn’t happen like this. It couldn’t be like this. She couldn’t say his words, whatever they were, while she was Ladybug. It would ruin everything. It would make things impossible between them. If anyone found out he was Ladybug’s soulmate , then—he’d be in so much danger. They couldn’t see each other, they couldn’t be together, they couldn’t become whatever they were meant to be because...because she was Ladybug, and Ladybug couldn’t afford that kind of weakness.

“Ladybug?” He frowned, and his hand moved again, brushing her hair back.

She shook her head violently and pushed at his shoulders. He let go of her, and she scrambled back, getting to her feet shakily. Her eyes darted around, taking in details—the bike discarded on the ground behind him, the color—colors, of his hair, the studs in his ears, his clothes, she had to remember all of this—

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked worriedly.

Ladybug nodded furiously, and staggered a few more steps away, whipping out her yoyo. The words on her chest burned hotter as she swung away, and then subsided into a tingling kind of numbness. Ladybug blinked back tears and shook her head. She had an akuma to defeat, and then she could worry about what she’d done.

She barely stayed long enough for their usual fistbump once the battle was over. She found the first secluded place she could think of, transformed, and ran.

Marinette knew it was useless even as she pelted down the wet streets, her light flats getting soaked as she sloshed through puddle after puddle. It would take a miracle for him to still be there by the time she could get there, but wasn’t meeting your soulmate a miracle in itself? It could happen! She had luck on her side, right?

Tikki hadn’t said anything about Marinette’s mad flight, just huddled down in Marinette’s purse with her cookie. Marinette mentally apologized for bouncing her around so badly, especially after such a tough fight, but...she had to try.

But when she skidded to a stop on the corner, there was no one there. The sun was going down and the streetlight shone only on wet, empty pavement. Her soulmate was gone, and so was his bike...and she’d have to find him all over again.

If she could. Her throat tightened, making it even harder to catch her breath, as it occurred to her that she had no idea what happened when soulmates met and didn’t complete the bond. Would it be as if she had rejected him? Would the cosmic pull that was destined to someday bring them together just...cease? When she met him again, would the words she said still resonate with him, or would it all be ruined because she had held back? Were the words on his heart the ones that she should have said, but didn’t?

Marinette didn’t know. She’d never heard of anything like this happening before. Sometimes people rejected their soulmates, or chose to live apart from them, but...but the exchange still happened. The bond was still there. They were still complete.

And Marinette...was not. The hole her soulmate was meant to fill was still there, and she felt all the more conscious of it now.

Remember , she told herself as she walked home in the dark and the cold. Remember his face. Remember his eyes, and his hands, so large against her face. Remember his clothes, his hair. Remember.

She had to remember. Because she was going to find him again.

And then...then she’d just have to see what happened from there. She’d have to make a plan. Marinette was good at plans. Marinette was good at doing the impossible. She was going to find her soulmate again, and she was going to fix this, and the universe was just going to have to suck it up.

One hand drifted up to grip her upper arm, over where his hand had rested as he’d lifted her from the street. She smiled to herself, just a little bit. She’d been right, after all. He was helping her. Supporting her. Even though she was a stranger to him. Even though she was Ladybug, and she was supposed to do things on her own, and even though it was dangerous for him to get involved while she was in the middle of an akuma fight. If Chat hadn’t been able to keep the akuma busy...

He was brave, she realized. Brave, and kind, and strong, and gentle.

Marinette had to stop herself before she got too far down that train of thought. It wouldn’t do to build him into something superhuman. That wouldn’t be fair. She wanted to know the real him, and not be blinded by a dream of who she thought he might be. She’d learned that lesson once before, after all.

Once she was dry and warm and Tikki properly ensconced in a cozy nest of blankets, Marinette sat down at her table and began to draw. She couldn’t afford to forget anything. She was going to find him again, whether the universe decided to help her out or not.

***

Luka Couffaine didn’t have a soulmate.

At least, that’s what the rumors said. There was no soulmark over his heart, and that seemed to be the only conclusion people could come to.

Luka had never been bothered by it, in all truth. He himself was well aware that there were many ways to communicate that didn’t involve words, though it never seemed to occur to anyone else. Privately he thought it entirely likely that his soulmate was a fellow musician, and that their first exchange might involve something far more expressive than mere words. Or maybe not; maybe it would be in the touch of their hands, or the meeting of their eyes. Maybe they would just know, and stand looking at each other in wonder. Maybe his soulmate had a physical issue that would prevent them from speaking. From time to time he watched video tutorials to learn signs that might be useful if it were so.

Mostly, though, he just went on with life, and didn’t worry about it too hard. He was young, and there was plenty of living to be done even without a soulmate. The rumors irritated him far more than the idea that he might have been born a whole soul in a single body.

He’d lived for seventeen years that way, and neither expected nor especially wished for a change, until he picked up an extra shift on a delivery route he didn’t usually ride, and the city’s beloved superhero crashed through a planter and faceplanted on the street in front of him.

Luka wasn’t even thinking when he shoved off his helmet and ran to her, dropping his bike on the sidewalk. After a slide like that, she should have been shredded, but when he helped her roll over and sit up, her skin was whole, though smeared with muddy water. She flailed at him blindly and he almost dropped her, startled by her strength when her hand hit his chest.

“Easy, easy,” Luka told her, catching that hand, “I’ve got you.” She stilled—froze, almost, and her expression was still dazed. No wonder, after a hit like that. Luka wiped away a smear of mud under her eye, but she didn’t move, just pressed her lips tight and stared at him. She was so pale.

“Are you hurt?” Luka put his fingers under her chin and tilted her face up so that he could see her eyes. They were even and seemed to be dilating normally. Where was Chat, he wondered with a sudden, irrational irritation. Sounds of battle in the distance answered him. At least Chat was keeping the thing busy, then, while Ladybug...recovered?

She was still just staring up at him, and he frowned, brushing her hair back to check for a bump or a bruise. “Ladybug?”

She shook her head and pushed at his shoulders, and he let her go, watching as she stumbled to her feet, his hands still hovering uncertainly in the air as he watched her. He...didn’t want her to go, and that didn’t make any sense because of course she had to go. It’s not right, he realized suddenly. t’s not right that she has to do all of this—why should it be her? She can barely stand and she’s about to run back into the fight.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked, fighting the urge to take hold of her again.

She nodded, and before he could say anything else she was swinging back to the battle. He actually ran a few steps after her before his brain caught up with his body. What was he doing?

Luka turned and went slowly back to his bike. His chest felt funny where she’d hit him before he caught her hands. She didn’t say a word, he thought, turning and looking back towards where she’d gone.

His sigh of relief was more fervent than usual when the magical ladybugs swept through the city, and over Luka. She would be okay now, he was sure. Luka was most of the way home, having walked his bike as he found himself lost in a swirl of thoughts that didn’t want to condense into any kind of sense. Luka looked down on himself in amusement, his hand smoothing over the place on his chest that had been smeared with mud from her hand. His shirt was clean, now. He glanced up. “You didn’t have to bother,” he murmured. “But...thanks.”

It wasn’t until he was getting ready for bed that night that he saw it. It was just a chance glance as he was walking out of the bathroom, halfway through pulling on a fresh shirt. He saw something in the mirror and turned to look at it instinctively. His jaw dropped, and he leaned towards the mirror, wiping away the fog with his hand to get a clearer look.

There were words on his chest, right over his heart, in the distinctive silver-grey of a soulmate marking.

***

Determination, Marinette thought tiredly, could really only get you so far. She’d done her best but, she just had so little to go on. She knew what he looked like, but it wasn’t like she could mentally beam his image into the internet and find his address.

Well. Maybe she could have if she asked Max and Markov for help, but...how would she explain that? How could she explain that she’d met her soulmate, she’d known it was him, but somehow she’d managed not to find out who he was. How ridiculous did that sound? No, she couldn’t tell anybody or ask anybody for help. She tried to console herself with reminders of how unlikely it was that any of her friends knew him anyway...but it really didn’t make the problem any less frustrating.

She found herself circling back to that same cross street where she’d met him. It was the only lead Marinette had, but there wasn’t much there. It was a residential street, so maybe he lived here, but she couldn’t exactly go knocking on doors telling people that she was looking for her soulmate. If he did live here, surely she’d see him, right?

Feeling a bit like a stalker, she parked herself on a bench the following Saturday with her sketchbook in her lap, watching the people that passed her on the street and any figures visible in the windows of the houses. All she got was a sunburn and some odd looks from a couple of people who passed her both in the morning and the evening as they went out to walk their dogs. She went home and lay on her bed moaning in frustration and embarrassment as Tikki sympathetically applied aloe to her face with little pats.

“It’ll be okay, Marinette,” the little god told her, but Tikki had already admitted that her powers were entirely separate from the mystery of soulbonds, and she couldn’t really help Marinette beyond lending a little ordinary luck.

Nobody knew better than Marinette that the surest way to sabotage luck was to count on it, though, so she carried on as she otherwise would. Marinette pulled out her sketch, and stared at the face again. Okay, so maybe he didn’t live at that intersection. Maybe he lived further down, or something like that, and this place was on his route home.

It took a little ingenuity and closer to an outright lie than she was really comfortable with, but Marinette managed to get out of school early and go back to the intersection. He couldn’t be that much older than she was; possibly he passed this place on his way home from school or a part time job.

That didn’t work out any better than the last attempt, and Marinette was sure at least one person had recognized her from her last visit. If she wasn’t careful, she was going to be having a very awkward conversation with Officer Roger, she was sure. At least she remembered to wear sunscreen this time.

Still determined, Marinette drew up an elaborate schedule, gridding out the most likely dates and times to catch him coming through. She plotted bike routes along the area from several local schools and the types of businesses that hired student-age part-timers. She changed up her style and her dress so that she wasn’t so recognizable.

Nearly a month later, she still had nothing. Her friends had long ago begun questioning her bizarre behavior, and more than one had been dragged along on Marinette’s expeditions with increasingly weak excuses, and now her parents were starting to ask questions. Marinette wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep this up, and...she wasn’t sure how much good it would do anyway. She’d covered almost every possibility—certainly every likely possibility, and most of the less likely options, too. Marinette didn’t want to admit it, but she was running out of ideas.

***

Luka kept his new mark hidden from everyone, even his family. He wasn’t sure what had happened to put it there, and he had no idea how to explain it. He kept thinking that it had to have something to do with that encounter with Ladybug, but…

Luka knew very little about whatever mystical force was behind the soul bonds, but he knew even less about Ladybug and her powers. And if it was her, did it happen when she touched him? Her hand had been splayed across his chest right there. He remembered it feeling weird, but he thought that had been because she hit him. She was strong, after all and might have—probably had?—magic that enhanced her fighting somehow, so it wasn’t surprising that a hit to the chest from her might sting a little bit. Though it hadn’t hurt, exactly, but then he hadn’t really been paying attention.

Or was it the magic of the ladybugs? Was there something wrong with him after all, that they had repaired when they cleaned his shirt? Or did it have nothing to do with her powers at all, and it really was just coincidence? He hadn’t been looking at himself all day. He was pretty sure it hadn’t been there at gym class—surely one of his nosy classmates would have noticed, since they frequently snuck glances at his unmarked chest the same way they would if he had a third nipple or some other anatomical anomaly, but it could easily have appeared any time after that. Luka couldn’t imagine what could have triggered such a thing, though.

Unless he had maybe...not met his soulmate, surely that would be unmistakable from everything he’d heard, but...gotten near her somehow? Passed her or touched her or looked at her without knowing. Luka was usually an observant guy, but when he got in his head, he didn’t always register exactly what was going on around him. Maybe he had had an encounter like that, that he didn’t notice or remember, and the universe was frustrated with him and decided to give him a hand.

That didn’t really make sense either, though.

Luka knew he couldn’t keep this a secret forever, no matter how much he wanted to, but he was going to do his best. Some discretion and a little tattoo coverup should do it. It just...felt private, those words, and he found he was self-conscious about it in a way that he hadn’t been about his unmarked chest. Luka wondered how people could go around letting something like that show all the time.

More than that, he wondered what he should do about it.

Although, he considered, as he stared into his bathroom mirror again...looking at his words, maybe he wouldn’t need to do anything.

***

Marinette stood there on that same corner, again, fighting back tears of frustration, staring at the spot where his bike had fallen when he met her. Was it even his bike? She’d thought it had been, but maybe it wasn’t. Her memories of that night were worn with frequent handling and she was starting to question everything she thought she’d seen that night. Marinette knew it had happened—the words on her chest that had once been grey and dull were a vibrant blue, so she couldn’t have imagined the whole thing...but she was starting to feel doubtful on the details.

This isn’t fair, she thought furiously at the universe. This wasn’t supposed to happen this way. Maybe I messed up, but I had good reasons! You’d think I’d earned a second chance, with all I’ve been through! Marinette blinked back frustrated tears and turned abruptly away, knuckles white on the straps of her pink backpack, eyes squeezed shut against the tears, so that she didn’t see the bike parked on the street in front of the steps of the townhome she was about to pass.

***

Luka hated this route and avoided it whenever he could, but today he didn’t have a choice if he wanted to work. It was hilly and the cobblestones were uneven, taking most of the pleasure out of the ride itself, and to top it off, the people who usually ordered from here were rude. The irritation on top of his confusion about his soulmate...situation, which had lasted for a month now with no signs of resolution, made him impatient to be done and shorter than usual with the customers, though he managed not to be completely rude.

He was clattering his way down the steps when he collided with something—shit, with someone. Luka grabbed at her as she pitched sideways from the force of the impact, trying to at least keep the petite woman from hitting the pavement due to his stupidity.

Marinette was caught completely off guard. A wordless screech escaped her and she pushed away on reflex as hands grabbed at her, but she was off balance and her feet were tangled and she was going to fall—

“Easy, easy, I’ve got you,” said a voice that sounded like an echo out of her memory, except it was real and loud in her ear and so startling that she stopped struggling. The stranger who had, apparently, both collided with her and stopped her fall had an arm looped around her waist, and he gently pulled her upright. She found her feet as she looked up at him and his hands moved to her upper arms in a familiar grip. Marinette’s heart was pounding in her ears.

He was wearing a bright yellow bike helmet, but she could see the dark, blue-tipped hair sticking out from under it, and the expression of concern, the gentleness in the blue eyes, were all exactly the same. “I’m so sorry, I was thinking about something else and I didn’t see you. Are you all right?”

Marinette looked up at him, still speechless. He frowned. “You’re crying,” he said, his voice full of compassion. “Is everything all right? Do you need help?”

Marinette shook her head slightly, her mouth moving silently. Say something! she screamed inside her mind, but she didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know the right answer, and this wasn’t a test she could afford to fail. Some distant part of her mind noted that she hadn’t gotten the details wrong at all. His sharp chin, the line of his jaw, the—

Say something!

“I’ve been looking for you,” she blurted, and then covered her mouth with her hand. Whatever she was supposed to say, surely it wasn’t—

But his eyes had gone wide, and his hand left her arm to clutch his shirt over his heart, and he was breathing faster. Marinette couldn’t help the smile that burst across her face. “I found you,” she said softly.

It was...such a strange feeling, some detached part of Luka’s brain observed. Like he’d lived his whole life in that brief moment of expectant silence right before the curtain rose and the music burst forth, only he’d never known it until now. He felt dizzy with the sudden rush, the burning on his chest barely registering.

He kind of wanted to smack himself for ever thinking he’d been whole before.

Without thinking, he pulled her close and held her tight against him. “I wasn’t even sure you existed,” Luka mumbled wonderingly into her hair. Slowly, Marinette put her shaking arms around him. Once she had, she couldn’t make herself let go; her hands fisted tight on the back of his shirt and she pressed her face close. “I didn’t have any words,” he whispered, so low he would have been inaudible. “Until...something happened, a few weeks ago. I didn’t have any words, and then one day I did, and...you know what I mean, don’t you? What happened to me? You have to know. It was you, wasn’t it?”

Marinette froze. “I—” She couldn’t go on, mind whirling with all the reasons she shouldn’t tell him, shouldn’t admit it, and with all the reasons she should, until she was paralyzed.

Luka realized he was being an idiot. He had no right to that knowledge. Soulmate or not, they had just met, she didn’t know anything about him, and he’d just put her on the spot for what must have been a closely held secret. How many times had he seen her on the news, pleading with the public not to put her family and friends in danger by trying to discover her identity.

“Never mind,” he said quickly. “It’s not important. I have words now, and you said them, and…what’s your name? I don’t even know your name.” He laughed a little shakily. “This whole thing is so crazy.”

“Marinette,” she gasped, pulling away enough to look at him. “My name is Marinette.”

“Marinette,” he said, and smiled. It sounded like music when he said it, somehow. “Nice to meet you, Marinette. I’m Luka. I’m…” What was the right thing to say in this situation? “I’m really looking forward to knowing you.”

Marinette was blinking back tears again. “Me too. But can we just...can we stay like this a little bit longer?”

“Yeah,” Luka said, pulling her back in. “Yeah. But…” He grinned, nuzzling his face into her hair. “Only a minute,” he chuckled, “and then I really need to get your number, because I’m working right now and I’ll be late to my next delivery.”

“Delivery,” Marinette repeated giddily. “You make deliveries.” There was a hysterical edge to her laughter.

“I was doing my last delivery of the night when—the night the words showed up,” Luka told her. “This is the first time I’ve been back on this route since...I can’t believe I met you here.”

Marinette dissolved into definitely hysterical laughter, that had Luka holding her tightly, murmuring words of concern she didn’t quite catch. When she had herself under control again, she pushed him back lightly, and rose up on her toes to kiss his cheek. That simple little touch brought heat to his cheeks. “Give me your phone,” she told him as she came back down, her own smile growing at the grin he was clearly fighting to contain. “I’m not losing you again.”

They traded phones quickly, and entered their information, both grinning like idiots. She was really cute, Luka thought, stealing glances at her as he typed. He caught her sneaking a look at him too and they both grinned sheepishly at each other, giggling as they went back to what they were supposed to be doing. Their eyes met again as they passed their phones back and impulsively, Luka caught Marinette’s hand and squeezed it tightly. “I have to go,” he said with a sigh, though he was still smiling—couldn’t seem to stop, in fact. “I’ll text you tonight?”

Marinette nodded. “Be careful,” she told him, and immediately felt stupid, because of course he’d been doing this for far longer than she’d known him and he presumably knew what he was doing. “I mean...well, I know you know what you’re doing, but still. Be safe. I just found you.”

Luka smiled as he stepped past her, letting her hand slide reluctantly out of his. “Don’t worry, I’ll get home in one piece,” he promised. He kicked up the stand of the bike before slinging his leg over it. “I’ve got you now, and I’m not letting you go.” He gave her a wink, and then pushed off, though he nearly made his promise a lie as he looked back at her and almost collided with a streetlight. It was almost worth the embarrassment to hear Marinette’s giggle floating after him, though. He grinned to himself, putting one hand over his heart.

I’ve been looking for you.

He was so glad she hadn’t given up on him.

Marinette covered another giggle with her hand, and started on her own way home, giddy with relief and tense with anticipation. She put her hand over her heart, over the words there that felt like they were faintly pulsing, though she wasn’t sure if that was true or if it was just the way her heart was pounding. She looked down at her purse to see Tikki peeking up at her, clapping her little flipper paws excitedly.

Maybe Marinette couldn’t tell him just yet, but...maybe the universe knew what it was doing after all. Maybe it was good that they ml this way. She didn’t have to tell him, and they could pretend he didn’t know, but…

I’ve got you.

It felt good to know that someone did.

#quickspins #lbsc sprint fic challenge #lbsc secret santa #lukanette #endgame lukanette #lukanette endgame #luka couffaine #marinette dupain-cheng #miraculous ladybug #miraculousladybug #ml fics #promptfic #quicksprints

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90spumkin · 4 years

Text

Unexpected Switch (Part Four)

Summary: Reader starts building relationships with the team members... except JJ.

A/N: I feel like this part is kind of boring but it is all very necessary. I hope you all enjoy.

https://90spumkin.tumblr.com/post/631510673272274944/summary-yn-struggles-with-the-memories-of-the

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem! Reader

Warnings: slight swearing, panic attack, talk of mental health, criminal minds talk

Word Count: 2487

Spencer stood in the doorway to Emily’s office watching y/n sleep. She looked so peaceful lying there with her hair splayed out around her, and her soft snores feeling the room. He had his head laid against the wall lost in thought. He probably looked creepy to anyone passing by, but he had to come check on her as soon as he got to work. Emily had sent out a text late last night informing the team that her and y/n would be staying there for the night, but that the team needed to be at work no later than 7 am for a debriefing of the new information Garcia had found.

Someone clearing their throat behind him made Spencer jump and hit is head on the wall with a loud thump. He turned to see that it was Luke who was giving him an implying smirk. Spencer went to scold him when he heard movement coming from y/n. She had sat up and was rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She smiled at Spencer and he felt his heart stop for a split second. Why does she have this effect on me?

She stood up and stretched, her shirt raising enough for a strip of skin above the waistband of her pants to show. Luke cleared his throat again snapping Spencer out of his thoughts once again.

Y/n smiled again, “Good morning boys.” Both men smiled back and muttered a ‘good morning’. Spencer cleared his own throat trying to gather himself before he said, “We have 20 minutes before we all have to gather to go over everything if you want to use the showers in the gym beforehand. Emily left and brought you back some fresh clothes.”

While he was telling her all this Luke handed her the bag Emily had instructed him to give her. “Here you go. I’m going to run a few things by Garcia and try not to get on her bad side first thing this morning. I trust you’re in good hands with Spencer.” He gave y/n another smile and Spencer a knowing look as he passed him going out the door.

Spencer chose to ignore Luke and instead told y/n, “Follow me.”.

The walk to the gym was a trip made in mostly silence. Spencer could not help but to glance at y/n every few seconds trying to get the courage to start a conversation.

Y/n saw him of course, “Go ahead and ask me whatever it is you are wanting to ask.”

Spencer could only wonder how she is so calm, no anxious twitch or sudden burst of tears. Emily had said the first thing she did was ask to sleep after receiving the new information from Garcia. Instead he asked, “Do you need to make a phone call to anyone? I’m sure someone is worried about you.”

Y/n just laughed but her laugh was full of sadness, “No one is worried about me. I have no home do to losing my job because some asshat though trying to put his hand up my skirt was a good idea, both my degrees going down the drain. The friends I have been staying with are drunk constantly and barely have a clue I’m there to begin with. My adoptive parents died in a car accident two years ago, and my twin sister I didn’t know existed is a murdering psychopath. So, I think I will pass on that phone call.”

Spencer stopped which made y/n stop. He placed his hand lightly on her shoulder, the germs there only an afterthought, “Y/n, you do not have get so defensive not with me. I can only imagine what you are going through, but I would like to be your friend because you are going to need one to get through this.”

Y/n looked a little shocked at Spencer’s kindness but nodded and gave him a small smile. Spencer nodded back and began walking again. Once they had reached the showers Spencer said, ‘I’ll be right here. And don’t worry they can wait a few minutes for us to get back.”

Y/n nodded once more and started to walk towards the showers when she stopped and turned and said, “Thank you Dr. Reid.”

He was caught off guard by the sweetness in her voice where anger had been not but minutes before. He gathered his thoughts and instead of a traditional response he said, “Please call me Spencer.”

She smiled and turned and began to walk away, but not before he heard her whispers, “Thank you Spencer.” And he would think about the way his name sounded coming from her lips the rest of the day.

-------

I stood looking in the mirror after showering and changing. Making it through without a panic attack was a relief. The woman that stared back at me was looking less and less like myself every day.

“Y/n, you okay in there? Emily just texted they are ready for us.” Spencer’s voice rung out through the room. He always has such a stern way about him since I met him, but something about they way he smiles softly and often tells me he hasn’t always been that way. Instead of answering I throw my old clothes away and make my way out the door.

Spencer clears his throat and begins the trot back towards the bullpen. Emily and I are pretty much the same build, so her black pants and red blouse hug my body in all the right places. I’m pretty sure Spencer noticed too by the blush that rose up his neck and into his cheeks. I chuckle and begin to walk behind him, enjoying my view I might add.

-------

Once we reach what Spencer called the round table room, I took a seat between Spencer and Luke and accepted the cup of coffee Garcia offered me. Not long after Emily and another woman who I had not met yet came in. The newcomer had lovely dark skin and hair that matched. She sat across from me between Matt and JJ. Emily took her place with Garcia at the front of the room and started the debriefing, “Okay so I got approval for y/n to be a consultant on this case considering she has worked in the justice system and has the psychology certifications. However, anything in the field is off limits unless I see fit otherwise, is that clear?”

There were nods and sounds of agreement from everyone around the table. Emily then took her seat at the table allowing Garcia to go over the major points of the case and the information she had found on my biological family.

“Okay you lovely crime fighters. So, what I found on sweet y/n family is nothing but sad. They were on their way home from the hospital only a week after y/n and her sister were born, when a drunk driver lost control and hit them. Almost identical to what happened to her adoptive parents. Only ones to survive were the two babies which local PD said it was nothing short of a miracle. Now the official police report can be found in the files on your tablets saved for our Boy Genius.” Garcia took a breath meeting my eyes to see if I was okay in which I gave her a swift nod before she continued. “Now about y/n’s sister. They were both put in the foster system with no next of kin able to take them in. Y/n was 3 years old when she was adopted, and well her sister grew up out of the system. That is where her trail goes cold except the paperwork, she had done to get her name changed.”

I finally say something when I asked, “Garcia what was her name and what is it now?” I wasn’t ready to look at file in depth.

She gave me a soft small before saying, “Oh it was Sarah Jones and now it is Tessa Delarosa, but we’re pretty sure she has used alias over the past few years which is why she has no paper trail.”

Emily spoke up next, “Okay Garcia, pull up everything we have so far on the murders.”

Penelope nodded towards her boss and pulled up the picture of all 14 victims. Rossi glanced my way and said, “Y/n I hate to be the one to say this, but it looks as if the victims are surrogates for you.” The new comer who I have yet to learn her name kept on with the profile, “There could be many reasons behind that but the fact that these victims show signs of over kill I have to say there’s anger behind her reasoning.”

JJ was next to speak, “She probably feels anger for being left behind in the system or for being forgotten by her sister. There’s many things that could play into this.��

Luke added the next part of the profile,” Her jumping state lines and killing within different races shows she smart it kept the police off her trail this long, but it looks like she was making her way to Massachusetts so that plays back into y/n being the ultimate target.”

Emily ended the briefing with, “Okay Spencer I need you to work on a geographical profile since we know she what her end game is we just need to figure out where her next stop is. Garcia, I need you to work on finding out her alias and any other information you can dig up. JJ and Rossi, I want you to get on the phone with corner and have them send over the report and then compare them to the other victims. Tara, Matt, and Luke I need you guys to talk to the families of the victims see if anything had changed the last couple of days involving the victims. I’ll be in my office talking to the foster home the girls were in.”

Once the team dispersed to do their jobs, I felt a hand on my should, it was the lovely newcomer. She stuck out her hand which I took in a firm handshake, “Hi I’m Dr. Tara Lewis, but please call me Tara.” I smiled and nodded not trusting myself to speak after hearing all I did for the second time. She continued on with sitting in the chair Spencer occupied moments ago, “I can’t imagine what you are going through, but I just want to offer you a listening ear if you find yourself need to let anything go. I know I’d have a few choice words to say in this situation.” I let out a small laugh and thanked her. She squeezed my shoulder as she took her leave to go do the job Emily directed her to do.

------

I sat for a while watching Spencer work on the maps trying to pinpoint the area my sister would kill next. For most of the time I would zone out trying to remember Tessa from a young age but all I get is blanks. How could I have serial killer as a sister? Could I have prevented this? Is this my fault?

I couldn’t breathe again, my vision started going dark, but before the abyss took me fully, I felt a hand on my knee and soothing voice telling me ‘to breathe’.

I look to find Spencer in the same position as he had been on the plane. I lay my hand over his where it’s still on my knee and say, “Thank you. I am sorry you keep having to pull me from the edge like that. I keep getting trapped in my own thoughts.”

He gave me a sad smile and said, “Y/n don’t ever apologies for this. It is not something you can control, and I will never be upset for being able to help you escape the abyss.” Does this man know what his words does to me?

I squeezed his hand and we stayed like that for a few minutes before Emily came in, “Hey Spence did you- oh I’m sorry I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

Spencer stood up quickly and walked back over to his maps. I looked up at Emily and told her, “Oh hey Emily. I was wondering if I could speak to you about a few things. Something about the profile seems off and sense I’m not a profiler I wanted to run it by you.”

She gave me a nod and said, “Yeah sure thing I need to discuss somethings with you also, just meet me at my office I need to speak with Dr. Reid a moment.”

I took my leave and made my way to Emily’s office getting an eye roll of JJ as I passed.

------

Spencer watched y/n leave, worry clearly written all over his face. He wished there were some way to save her from having so many panic attacks. Emily cleared her throat and Spencer was brought out of his thoughts.

“So, you have a thing for troubled pretty woman or something?” Emily asked him with a smirk.

Spencer just scoffed at her, “I have no clue what you’re talking about. What did you need to speak to me about?”

Emily went on to ask about the geographical profile, but not without teasing Spencer a few more times before she left. He couldn’t help but let his mind wonder, could he have feelings for y/n so quickly?

------

Once Emily came back to her office, I was pacing the length of her desk lost thought once again.

“Y/n you okay? I’ve said your name like 5 times.” Emily said while taking her seat behind her desk.

“Oh yeah sorry keeping zoning out. Anyways what I was wanting to ask you is that is there anyway the reasoning behind Tessa’s murders jealousy and not just anger? The way the bodies where discovered it was almost in a humiliation type of way.” I sat down across from her bouncing my leg trying to channel my nervous energy.

She nodded, “Yes actually it is a big part of it. I spoke to the foster home you both stayed at. Tessa was not a nice child and your foster parents said she was an envious little girl all the way up until she left.” I nodded taking in everything she was saying. “Now y/n I want to take a long shot and conduct another cognitive interview but this time focusing on when you were younger.”

I looked at her with panic clear in my eyes. I do not want to have two panic attacks in less that 10 minutes of each other. “Is that even possible?”

She gave a slight shrug, “It’s difficult and not as reliable in court, but in this case, it is worth trying.”

I took a shaky breath and said, “Okay let’s dig up some memories.”

@criminalmindzjunkie @brooklynxnicole @hendersonsshadow @misschil3

#spencer reid #dr. spencer reid #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid x y/n #criminal minds #spencer reid fanfiction #fanfic

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lemonietrinket · 4 years

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small displays of affection in domestic life with dream

genre: fluff, bits of bad humour you know me wordcount: 4073 warnings: mentions of very minor sprain in jaemin’s, bickering an: trying to keep the writing flame alight, so im currently not doing anything too heavy, just in case if that puts it out entirely due to stress (it pains me more than it does you, i promise, as all my ideas are always big ones)

gender neutral reader as usual :)

~ all members below the cut ~

mark

you were washing up in the kitchen, the wind chimes humming quietly outside on the porch. you squinted against the beams of the sun that lazily snuck through the window, as you watched the squirrels squabble on the grass of the front garden. you had to stifle a laugh as the acorn rolled away from the two of them as soon as they tussled too hard. however, your joy was cut short as you moved a plate to the draining board. your sleeve unfortunately had decided to slip, and soon enough it was down to your soap-dappled elbow. glancing around, searching for a towel to maybe dry your hands so you could roll it back up again, you suddenly heard footsteps creaking across the floorboards heading into the dining room and you suddenly had an idea.

“mark?” you called, staring into space as you tilted your head over your shoulder, “mark, baby?”

there was a sudden rush of those same footsteps, and suddenly, the sweet face of your boyfriend poked round the door frame.

“yes, love?”

those big, wide, searching eyes. you could never get enough of how they caught the light, always made him look so curious of the world. “can you roll my sleeve up for me?”

he smiles brightly and strides over to you, ever happy to help. folding the material neater than you ever could have done, he pushes it up to your shoulder, before sighing contently. “anything else?”

“no, that’s ok,” you murmured, giving him a coy glance, “you’ve done your duty mr lee.”

he snickered, quickly pressing the chastest kiss imaginable to your cheek. he then seemed to shift his weight to make a getaway, yet remained where he stood. having turned your attention back to the next plate to be washed, it took you a few moments for you to notice. as soon as you did however, you met his gaze, and he appeared in a daze. mesmerised.

“you ok there, mark?”

he paused, barely taking in your teasing grin. “you know i love you, right?”

“of course!”

he merely beams at you, shyness just tinging his cheeks. “you’re so beautiful.”

you scoffed, hands heading straight into the sink. “ew, that’s enough sap for one day.” you scooped up some bubbles and swiftly bopped him on the nose.

however you must have misjudged the positioning slightly and only ended up making him sneeze. what could you say, it was a cute sneeze.

“love you too mr lee,” you said through your laughter.

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renjun

it had bee a long day, the sun finally setting as if it had been waiting for him to make it back home to you, his comfort. when he finally stepped through the door, he met a surprisingly quiet flat, the lights off. confused, he dropped his bag onto the floor carefully by the door and made his way into the living room, just to make sure what he guessed was true.

and he was right. there you were, dozing on the sofa, legs tucked up and hand thrown over the side. your book was somehow still clutched in your fingers, by some miracle the page not lost. melting into a smile he tiptoed over to you, before kneeling down at your side.

“there you are, my angel,” he whispers, reaching out to carefully stroke your hair, “i couldn’t wait to see you.”

he clears your face of any stray hears in one graceful movement, pads of his fingers just barely causing you to stir in your sleep. he chuckled at your small pout. “sorry, sorry...”

slipping the book from your hand he placed a bookmark inside and put it on the coffee table behind him, before turning back to you. it wasn’t long before that hand encroached back onto the sofa, joining the other at your chest. renjun, if he could see himself, would never be able to handle how soft you made him. it was fortunate then that he couldn’t, and was free to lean across to the end of the sofa and pull the blanket there up and over your sleeping form. tucking the hem beneath your chin you curl in on yourself more, your cheek squishing on the cushion.

unable to stop himself he brought his fingers to your free cheek, tracing your skin with his thumb. “sleep well angel. i’ll get us your favourite takeaway.”

he leant in and planted a kiss into your crown, before getting to his feet and heading back down the hall for his bag and phone.

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jeno

he watched as you practically whirled around the kitchen, measuring sugar at one counter, grating zest at another, procuring another bowl he didn’t remember seeing you take out of the cupboard, let alone use and place it at his side. at first he had been worried since you seemed so all over the place, but by now he was accustomed to it. you were in your element, and even though it appeared hectic, it always produced the best baked confectionery he’d ever tasted. and he soon learnt to just follow your lead.

to make himself feel more useful he offered to wash up as you went along, and even though it hadn’t quite crossed your mind to mention it yet, you were more than thankful. it made your life so much easier, with more space freed up--even if you had to ask for a spoon back every now and again. he soon learnt to wash those last.

with your music over the stereo, from a playlist you made for him, he couldn’t have been happier on days such as this, even if the rain drummed against the window in a desperate attempt to be allowed to join you. that was when the music dampened and a short ping emanated from the speaker your phone was connected to.

“bub, do you mind checking that for me?”

you didn’t even look up from your mixing bowl, beating something with a fork. meanwhile he froze, measuring jug and cloth in his hands, brain fumbling over what you meant. his feet meanwhile walked him right over to your phone, lit up with a message.

“it’s from doyoung,” his mouth spoke for him, and it wasn’t until you continued, head still turned away from him, that the realisation came to him.

“oh! what does it say?”

even though it was something seemingly so small, he couldn’t help but revel in the swell of his heart. you trusted him. there was no way he had anything to worry about at all--not that he even had been. it felt like a leap of a milestone, and the glee entered his voice in a stutter. “h-he’s asking about what jaemin likes. he doesn’t know what to get for his birthday.”

“surprised he didn’t ask you for that,” you chuckled, suddenly dumping the beaten mixture into the larger mixing bowl, “tell him he should tag along with hyuck’s present, since it was actually pretty clever.”

picking up your phone carefully he smiled as he noticed your lock screen. it had been a picture of the two of him, he had been aware of that, but now it was a photo of just him, dozing off in the cafe you’d visited last week.

“got it,” he replied through a grin, making a mental note to change his lockscreen later.

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donghyuck

“ynnnnn...”

“what.”

“i hate youuuu.”

“you started it?!”

donghyuck whined again and swatted a hand lazily at your arm. you gave him a shove, though underestimated your strength and he reached the edge of the sofa.

“nooo, i’m falling, save meee!”

you took one look at him from where you were sprawled on the couch, and lethargically reached out your arm. though as soon as it was clear that you couldn’t help unless you sat up, you let it thump to the cushions again. “sorry, no can do.”

“but yn...!” you watched him slowly slip over the side with a sly smile.

“that’s what you get for being a pain in the ass.”

“but i love you!”

“and our aircon isn’t working! you’re too hot so i don’t want to even be near you right now, let alone exert all of the little precious energy i have left to drag--”

hyuck’s gradual journey to the carpet came to an end as his shoulder and head propped him up on the floor, his legs still swung over the sofa. “you think i’m hot?” he suddenly poised.

you groaned. “oh, god, hyuck, not--”

he immediately clambered back onto the sofa, only to throw himself at your side.

it was your turn to whine, the summer heat clumping at your skin and now your annoying boyfriend was there too, kicking out more heat like a bonfire, with his head nestled into your neck.

“donghyuck, go awayyy!”

you wrestled him off you again despite his protests, and normally there was no way you would’ve won since he had a habit of playing dirty, but he too was too exhausted to put up a fight, and so let you roll him further down the sofa.

“you’re the worst partner ever, yn.”

“second worst,” you countered, “you’re 100% number one.”

he scoffed, before the two of you fell into silence, laid uncomfortably across the sofa, waiting for the air conditioning to come back on.

eventually, you got bored. glancing over at your boyfriend, you found him sulking, his arms loosely crossed to let out the heat, and his dazed eyes narrowed into a frown.

“hyuckie...” you began in singsong.

he huffed.

“hyuckie duckie...”

another scoff.

“my cutest duckie hyuckie who i love so very very much--”

“what!”

you grinned as sweetly as you could manage in the face of the overwhelming heat. “can you pass me the tv remote, please.”

he stared you down, lips pursed in dissatisfaction. “no.”

“oh but please...!” you whined, pulling your signature puppy dog eyes. ‘yeah, lets see him dodge that,’ you thought.

and you were right, he couldn’t fight them. with a groan of despair, he sat up. “why are you so cute, yn,” he grumbled, stretching across to the table and grabbing the remote hanging off the edge, “it’s not fair.” slumping back he took a moment to catch his breath, before shimmying across the sofa, back to you. “such a needy princess, huh? always needing help from their handsome prince.”

it was your turn to scoff as you held out your hand to receive the remote.

however, at the last second, donghyuck suddenly withdrew it. “on one condition!”

you sighed. “what?”

“you cuddle me.”

you opened your arm and let him collapse onto your chest with a contented groan. he held up the remote weakly as if it was taking all of his strength just to hold it for you, and you rolled your eyes, dragging it from his fingers and finally pressing ‘on’.

“i hate you so much,” you said, planting a kiss on his forehead as the room lit up blue from the tv.

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jaemin

“ow...”

jaemin turned to you from the other side of your bedroom, sorting out his hoodie and watching your expression closely. “babe?”

“i’m ok!” you answered swiftly, “just... that sprain from yesterday... didn’t ease up overnight.” you cautiously furled and unfurled your arm, wincing when you hit the angle that twinged.

“are you ok?”

you shrugged, smiling despite your boyfriend’s worry. “i’m ok! i’ve had worse.” you got to your feet, waddling over to your dresser. “we don’t have anywhere to be today right?” you enquired, changing the topic to hopefully alleviate jaemin’s worry. it didn’t work, as even though his face softened he still watched you closely, sleep still hanging in his eyes. he hadn’t had his morning coffee yet.

“nowhere to be,” he replied simply, coming up behind you. he wrapped his arms around you lazily, head resting against yours as he mt your gaze in the mirror. you smiled at him, holding onto his hands loosely.

“good.” you leant against him for a few moments, letting his warmth seep into your back. however, you suddenly noticed the time. “come on, we should have breakfast before it gets too close to lunch.”

he was reluctant to move though, and only clutched onto you tighter.

“come on, minnie, gotta brush my hair,” you urged, nudging his head with your own.

he sighed, quickly pressing his lips to your temple, before slipping away to find where he had discarded his slippers the night before.

you smiled to yourself thinking about his tired little face, the ways his lips were set in a small pout and his cheeks puffy. it made your heart ache, how much you wanted to hold that face in your palms. alas, you needed to get ready.

that was when you encountered your first problem.

as soon as you lifted the hairbrush and reached up, you suddenly felt that twinge of pain and yelped, nearly dropping the brush.

instantly jaemin was looking at you. “babe, are you sure you’re alright?”

“y-yeah, i just... forgot...” his hissed as you brought your offending arm back to your side and grimaced as you looked back at your hair. “minnie what do i do. abou..”

the words had barely left your lips when jaemin had returned to you and eased the brush from your fingers. and soon enough, his were running through your hair gently, followed by the bristles of the hairbrush. he was wordless, focused on his ministrations, making sure he didn’t accidentally tug on a knot.

you watched him through the mirror, feeling your heart melt. “thank you.”

“it’s no problem,” he said, an airy chuckle on his lips, “you’ll be here all dyay otherwise.”

ah, the sleep was starting to leave him.

before long, your hair was officially not-free, and jaemin had his arms around your waist again, grinning at you in the mirror. “you happy with it?”

you nodded, giggling as he kissed the shell of your ear.

“good.” and with that he began to shuffle the two of you towards the door, still entangled.

“why do i feel like this is going to result in another sprained arm?” you sighed.

“pssh, don’t be silly, i’ve got you.”

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chenle

“yn.”

“yeah?”

chenle looked left, then right.

“get in.”

“what.”

“get in the trolley, quick!”

you hesitated for a single second before bounding over the metal rigging, narrowly avoiding kicking the kitchen roll at the bottom. you sat up, puffing as your hoodie had become dishevelled with the hood over your face, and your boyfriend merely snickered. “i got you!”

he pulled the cotton away from your face, to reveal his own gazing back at you with his bright eyes, gleaming smile, and light stubble. you couldn’t explain why his natural face seemed to break your heart and sew it back together again in a matter of seconds but it always did, every time you laid your eyes upon it. he was just so gorgeous.

“well what are you waiting for?” you teased. “onward!”

leaping round to the back of the trolley he began to push you down the aisle--way faster than you expected.

“oh my god--lele!”

you careened round the corner and into the bread aisle and chenle merely cackled. “do we need bread?”

“i--? yes?!”

“grab it as we go!”

“are you serious?!”

“that one there! see it?”

he drove you closer so the trolley was hugging the shelving and despite all rational thoughts you hung your hand over the side, and snatched up the bread, depositing it by your feet.

chenle whooped, before speeding you round the next corner.

“oh my god--chenle!”

he took it wide and you almost bumped into the frozen cabinets but before you knew it you were surrounded by cereals.

“we need cocoa pops surely...!”

you whipped your head back to look at your boyfriend, too afraid to watch you hurtle through the shop. there you met the glinting eyes of someone who was having way too much fun. you knew it was your first time going grocery shopping together, but still--!

“i’ll get it, don’t worry,” he reassured, though within seconds you found what that involved was in no way reassuring.

he let go of the trolley, skipping over to the shelving to your right as you screeched his name. the trolley was old, with uneven wheels, like all trolleys, and it meant you were left to roll into a long spin. “jesus--christ--chenle get your ass back here right now!”

and then his hands were back on the handle, you were facing the right way, you had a cereal box in your hands--

and there was a member of staff.

chenle yanked you to a halt with all his might, the speed and the inefficiency of the trolley meaning you very nearly crashed into him, but fortune had it that you came to a halt just inches before.

the two of you sat in silence as you stared up in pure fear of the stern glare of the man before you.

“excuse me, please exit the trolley,” he ordered, “i’m going to have to ask the two of you to leave.”

panic swept into your system. the next nearest affordable shop was forty five minutes walk away--an hour from home.

“i’m so sorry, sir, it won’t happen again, sir, please don’t kick us out,” you pleaded, stumbling from the trolley.

“please, we’re really sorry, we didn’t mean to go so fast--”

“you are a danger to the health and safety of everyone in this shop, now please, leave.” despite the fact that he was the first other person you had seen in the shop you didn’t dare mention it: there was no breaking through this man. he was a wall of stone.

just as you thought all hope was lost however, another person entered the fray: the manager.

fear switching into utter panic, you clutched onto chenle’s arm, and he to yours. the woman had an even sharper glare, and was twice the size of both of you.

“we’re not going to get arrested are we?” you whispered.

his eyes widened even further at you. “we can get arrested for that?!”

just as the two of you nearly dissolved into pure fear, the manager spoke up. “oh let them alone samuel, there was no harm done.

the man turned to her in shock. “but--ma’am, the shop policy--”

“i am well aware of the shop policy--enough to know that what you do in the storeroom with miss lee is also against shop policy.”

it was if the man’s voice evaporated into the air. she turned to the two of you then. her hardened glare softened when she laid eyes on you, arms folding laxly. “you kids don’t have to leave,” she explained, “just don’t do i again.”

the relief washed over the two of you like a waterfall.

“thank you so much ma’am!”

“it won’t happen again!”

she stepped aside to let the two of you through, an opportunity you took gladly. she chuckled once you were out of sight. “ahh... it’s not every day you see young love as vivid as that, samuel.”

the man in question seemed offended. “but... you know about me and--”

“hanging around in a dingy storeroom is the furthest from romantic, samuel, ask her out to the 50s diner in the city already.”

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jisung

you couldn’t contain your excitement. it had been so long since your last date night, nto that it was anybody’s fault, but at long last you could show off your new outfit that you’d bought especially when jisung had told you he’d managed to book at the semi-prestigious restaurant in town. you never really got dressed up, and always went on calm and relaxed dates--walks in the park, drinks and chocolate at the cafe, midnight snack runs to the corner store--but you’d always said you wanted to try being fancy, at least once.

and so there you were, your hair styled, earrings adorned, and the finishing touch, the necklace you had received from your partner on your birthday. it’s silver and simple, a small shimmering knot at the end of chain, but it meant th world to you. you couldn’t help but associate your relationship with those entwined threads. maybe those threads represented your destiny, or your choices, or merely the strength that you had together--you weren’t sure and nor did you mind really what it was. but you kept it safe at all times.

the problem was, all your excitement was jumbling up your nerves, leaving you fiddling with the clasp longer than you saw fit to admit to. with your arms aching and a huff falling from your lips, you relented and held it at arm’s length. it wasn’t going to ruin your outfit to not wear it, but you really did want to.

to your luck however, in that moment you were no longer alone.

“hey, yn, you alright?” jisung asked from outside the door. he’d obviously heard your small sounds of mild distress.

“yeah, i’m fine!”

he poked his surprisingly broad shoulders through the gap in the door then, mouth opened to speak, only for no sound to come out. you attempted to wrestle with the clasp once again for a good minute before giving up for the second time. “i can’t get it on,” you announced sadly, glancing over to your boyfriend.

he was still staring at you, wordless, and it wasn’t until you looked over to him properly that you understood why, falling into the same state.

he looked gorgeous in his blazer jacket and tie, things you didn’t even know he had. it made him look so different, so confident, and yet his smile was still tinged with shyness like the jisung you knew and adored.

“you look beautiful,” he finally managed, barely blinking and still mesmerised by your eyes alone.

“thank you,” you said quietly, a smile of your own forming on your lips. “so do you.”

he blushed. “d-do you want some help?”

it took you a few seconds to work out what he meant. “oh, yes please! thank you.”

he sidled over to you and accepted the necklace so cautiously, as if he thought it might break. coming to stand behind you, he let the metal rest gently at your neck, before working the clasp and chain together.

he too struggled with it, but you barely noticed the time pass, to busy focusing on how the pads of his fingertips felt when they brushed the sensitive skin of your neck once or twice. you couldn’t meet your own stare in the mirror, well aware of your own reddened cheeks.

soon the necklace came together and jisung straightened, hands coming to rest neatly on your shoulders as he looked over at you in the mirror. the two of you smiled at one another in your reflections, before you turned to take him in in the flesh.

“why haven’t we done this sooner?” you murmured, stroking a loose strand of his gelled hair back to his fringe, only for it to fall forward again. you smiled anyway, letting your fingers trace across his cheek instead.

“i don’t know,” he said, “but i’m glad you suggested it.” he took your hand slowly into his and moved it from his cheek to his lips where he placed a kiss to your fingers chastely. “come on, we wouldn’t want to be late.”

just when you thought you couldn’t be more wordless than how he left you when you just looked at him.

~~~

an: i feel like maybe jaemin’s is inaccurate, as i couldnt tell if he would be hyper or not in the mornings, but i figured if hes anything like the people i know, its that hes not going to be super bouncy in the morning without his shot of caffeine. i thought this type of sleepy jaemin was cute ok.

i tried my best, my writing mojo is constantly running away so i hope this is worth it !

please leave comments, they mean the world to me and remind me that i have things to do and places to be!

[unedited]

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masterlist

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lesbian-percy-weasley · 4 years

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Where I Don’t Belong by Gay-Natasha-Saves-The-World on Ao3 (aka someone who is totally mentally healthy)

Ship: Perciver

Content warning: mild swearing, fear of swimming

Summary: Oliver was throwing a party to celebrate becoming senior captain of the soccer team and Percy wanted to celebrate with him. But after a semi-embarrassing incident, he had to say something he wanted to keep to himself

Percy had been with his boyfriend for a fairly long time. It was almost ten months now and they were still happy with each other. But a problem had been plaguing Percy for a while now. It was the fact that he didn’t fit in with Oliver's friends at all.

It wasn’t any fault of Olivers. He would never make him feel left out on purpose. No, it was Percy’s problem. He was the one that wasn’t good at sports, the one that didn’t know any of the video games that they played, the one that didn’t like the restaurants they did. Every time Oliver brought him somewhere with his friends he felt awkward and like his presence was unwanted. If he had to describe how he felt concisely he would say he felt like a burden.

He would never tell Oliver this. Again, it was his problem to deal with. The last thing he wanted was for Oliver to feel guilty for his own insecurities. He didn’t want to cause a useless argument about it. So he sat there, pretending to be dealing with it when in fact he wasn’t.

His family got over the issue of Oliver’s family owning the only other Christmas tree farm in town a while ago, to both of their delights. His siblings still made fun of him for it but what else was new. He tried to ignore them most of the time.

Overall, things were better for them now if we weren’t counting the thing I spent 3 paragraphs discussing in detail. After all, Percy didn’t.

Oliver recently got the role of senior captain of the soccer team. To celebrate this momentous occasion he was throwing a party at his parents' house. He was only inviting his friends to keep it somewhat contained. But it will still be a relatively big party, so he was stressed about it.

Percy offered his assistance to help set up for the party. He hated seeing Oliver stressed about anything and he loved spending time with him. Oliver gladly accepted, which is how Percy found himself at his house at 11 am on the Saturday of the party.

He was staying the night too since he couldn’t drive and didn’t want to bother Oliver nor his parents with driving him home late at night. His parents were hesitant at first. It wasn’t a surprise that they weren’t keen on letting him stay at his boyfriend's house overnight but they soon caved, not wanting to pick him up at an ungodly hour.

His siblings however were much less discreet about the obvious insinuation staying at his boyfriend's house for the night brought. Giving each other suggestive glances and snickering amongst themselves. Percy quickly left the room before he had to hear another one of Fred and George’s god awful innuendos. They had already made ones about Charles Dickens and Emily Dickenson this week and he didn’t want to hear the ones that took more effort.

But now he was at Oliver’s house trying to move furniture with him so stuff wouldn’t get destroyed. Besides that, it also opened up the room a lot more. This task took a lot more effort than either boy had anticipated. They sat down for a while after everything that needed to be moved was moved.

“I have no idea why I’m even throwing a party,” Oliver sighed. “I mean I’m happy about being captain and all but this is probably the worst idea I’ve ever had.”

“Don’t beat yourself up about it. You’ve had plenty of worse ideas and will continue to have worse ideas in the future.” Percy joked. “Oh shut up, you’re not helping,” Oliver said, trying not to laugh.

“But, in all seriousness. You don’t have to worry about it. It’s only people you know, after all.” Percy tried to be genuinely comforting. “I guess, but it’s just all so much I didn’t need to put on myself,” Oliver explained

“Everything will be fine, Ollie. The party will go on without any major incident, we’ll clean what we can when it's over, and then we won’t have to worry about it anymore.” Percy leaned into his boyfriend while he was speaking. Oliver nodded in response.

It seemed like Oliver was never 100% sure of himself. Sometimes he would take 5 minutes to make a simple, inconsequential decision. He hated it so much. He was a goalie, for God's sake! He should be able to make split-second decisions and be sure of himself. But he wasn’t.

He was glad Percy was here to help him with it, at least. He always knew what to do when Oliver didn’t. He could logically sort things out when Oliver was too panicked to do it himself.

It was just around 7 pm when people started showing up. They got a chance to chill for a few hours after they set up at least. Oliver played a video game while Percy started reading Emma for what seems like the 100th time. They enjoyed being close to each other even if they were doing drastically different things.

But now there were other people there. Other people that wanted to have a fun party. The two got separated rather quickly as Oliver went to talk to his friends. Percy was honestly at a loss for what to do.

Parties weren’t really his scene. They were usually cramped and dark and loud and smelled bad to his experience. Plus, as was mentioned earlier in the story, he didn’t really mesh well with Oliver's friends. He tried to find a semi-quiet place to continue reading because it wasn’t realistic that he could stay with Oliver throughout the whole party.

Percy knew damn well he looked like the quirky self insert character in a one direction fanfic on Wattpad but he couldn’t honestly care less. He did get a fair share of weird looks from people but again, he couldn’t care less.

Oliver went to check up on him a few times throughout the night. Percy insisted he was fine but was still glad he could see Oliver even for a few minutes.

Besides Oliver, only a few other people talked to him. They either asked if he knew where the bathroom was or tried to make awkward conversation. There were two boys, who Percy thinks were named Theo and Christian, who asked about his book. It was obvious that they didn’t actually care so Percy only responded with the bare minimum.

About 30 minutes later Percy felt a wave of anxiety wash over him. It seemed to come out of nowhere, but it felt like the walls were closing in on him. He had to get outside that instant. He closed his book and started to walk outside before he got too disoriented to do anything.

Luckily there were fewer people outside. The air instantly made him feel better. It was obvious that he wasn’t having the best time at the party. He wanted to have fun, he really did, but it was hard. He was around people he wasn’t necessarily comfortable within a situation he wasn’t necessarily comfortable in.

The pool was uncovered. No one was in it because it was dark and cold. He didn’t understand why they would put the effort to uncover and clean everything when they knew no one was going to want to swim. But they couldn’t just undo the effort they put in so it was there.

Percy hated pools more than anything. He never learned to swim, he was too scared to even go near it when he was a child. His siblings teased him about it, but there was no way he would go into a pool unless he were forced in. Standing next to the pool was doing nothing to help his sudden anxiety. I mean someone could accidentally bump into him or push him in purposefully. He had to get away from the-

In a matter of milliseconds, he found himself submerged in the water. The anxiety turned into full-blown panic. He knew that if he could just stand up he could get his head at least above the water but how could he? His glasses had flown off with the fall and he was hoping with everything he had that they weren’t broken. He didn’t bring his back up pair, God, why didn’t he bring his back up pair?

That wasn’t important now, what was important is that he couldn’t see anything and the chlorine-filled water was burning his eyes. He didn’t dare to take a breath in, he didn’t want a similar sensation on the inside of his body. How long had he been underwater? Did anyone even notice what happened?

He was too caught up in his own mind to notice someone had jumped in until they grabbed him. They started pulling him up. Once they broke the surface Percy took a few panicked breaths. He still couldn’t see but he knew the person who got him was Oliver. He was trying to calm him down but it was obviously not working. Percy couldn’t possibly relax until he was out of the pool.

Slowly, Oliver led Percy to the edge and helped him out. The coldness of the air hit him hard but at least it was better than being in the pool. Oliver got out after him and ran to the patio table to get a towel that he set out. He draped it over Percy before jumping back into the pool to retrieve his glasses.

Soon enough, Oliver swam back over to Percy with his glasses and got out right next to him. By some miracle, the glasses weren’t broken just wet. He quickly wiped them off with a semi-dry part of his towel. At least he could see now.

He turned to see Oliver looking at him with an expression of utmost concern. It was just now sinking in that this incident caused a scene and that almost everyone who was outside was looking directly at him. He needed to get away at all costs. Luckily, Oliver caught on to the panic that was starting to set in again.

“Do you want to go somewhere else, Perce?” Oliver whispered. Percy quickly nodded. Oliver nodded back and led him to his room.

People that were inside had no idea what was going on, so they were quite confused to see Oliver and Percy rushing past everyone to go up the stairs while both of them were soaking wet. But looking strange was last on both of their minds.

When they reached Oliver’s room, Percy finally started to relax a little bit. He did have dry clothes he could change into. They were his pajamas but it wasn’t like he was gonna show his face for the rest of the night. Not after he ruined the party for practically everyone.

He quickly got changed trying not to think of anything else. Maybe once nothing on him was wet he’d feel better. The awful sensation of wet clothes clinging to his body was not helping his current mental state in the slightest.

He didn’t have the presence of mind to realize that Oliver was also in the room until he was just about to put his shirt on. When Oliver kissed his cheek after he changed from his wet clothes.

“Don’t worry, Perce. I’ll handle everything.” Oliver whispered to him even though no one else was in the room. He couldn’t help but notice slight anger in his voice. That’s what finally sent him over.

Once Oliver closed the door Percy felt tears running down his face. He knew he ruined the party for him and probably for everyone by extension. He wanted nothing more than to disappear. He felt extremely pathetic and useless. Standing alone in his boyfriend's room, still without his shirt on, crying to himself.

All the thoughts that he had about their relationship when it first started were coming back into his mind like an avalanche. Most were about how Oliver deserves someone who was so much more than him. It would honestly be a miracle if Oliver stayed with him after tonight.

He tried to calm down. He didn’t want Oliver to see him like this when he came back to his room. If he came back to his room. But nothing he tried was helping. He felt completely and utterly worthless.

Okay, deep breath in, deep breath out. If he can’t stop himself from crying, he can at least put his shirt on. After all, it was his favorite shirt ever since he got it. Once it was too worn to wear in public he retired it to his pajama drawer. There wasn’t anything particularly special about it, but it brought him comfort. Which was exactly what he needed right now.

It seemed like he had been alone for a long time. Percy had finally managed to stop crying, thank god, but it was still super obvious he was. He was starting to actually wonder if Oliver was gonna come back or just leave him. He couldn’t really blame him if he did.

It was only about two minutes later when Oliver came back again. Percy was a bit startled by the sound of the door opening. It startled him a little bit but he was glad to see Oliver hadn’t forgotten about him. He was just hoping he didn’t look like the mess he felt like.

He walked over to his bed, which Percy was sitting on, and sat right next to him. He had brought him some food they had put out and a bottle of water.

“Sorry, it took so long. Marcus was already dealing with Theo and Christian but everyone was stopping me to ask what was wrong.” He explained while he was scooting closer to Percy.

“It’s fine really.” His voice was hoarse and that’s when Oliver realized he was more shaken up than he thought he was.

“Perce, you don’t have to be fine. If something’s wrong, please tell me.” Oliver put his hand on Percy’s arm. Percy was trying to think about what to say. Oliver wasn’t gonna let him say he was just fine but he didn’t feel like getting into everything he was feeling. But he needed to say something.

“I’m sorry,” Percy exclaimed. Oliver looked confused for a second.

“Why are you sorry? What happened wasn’t your fault.”

“I ruined everything.” He sighed, “You would still be having fun at your party if I didn’t fall into the stupid pool.” He could feel the tears coming back. “You should be hanging out with your friends.”

“You didn’t ruin anything. I guarantee people are still having fun downstairs. They won’t miss me, Perce.” Oliver tried to explain.

“It’s just not fair that you can’t even enjoy your own party because of me.” Percy shrugged, trying to calm himself down again. He hated feeling like a burden which is exactly how he felt right now.

“Perce, look at me,” Percy hesitantly turned towards him. “I am sincere when I say I don’t mind hanging out up here with you. I wasn’t even having that much fun. You don’t need to worry about it, okay?” Percy nodded in response

They spent a couple of moments in silence. Neither of them really knew what to say. Oliver was sure that Percy wasn’t telling him something. He was never really open about his emotions no matter how much he wanted to be.

Percy had moved closer to Oliver, allowing himself to calm down a little bit. He’d stop crying but now was just a bit tired. He still felt a bit guilty about everything. It had been about 30 minutes since it happened.

The party was still going on downstairs without either of them. Percy tried to find any hint that Oliver was regretting staying up here with him but he couldn’t find any. It didn’t make much sense to him. While he was trying to figure it out Oliver started to say something.

“Remember the Halloween party last year?” He asked to break up the silence. Percy laughed a little a nodded.

“Yeah. I was Mr. Bingley and you were Mr. Darcy,” He sighed, “I also remember I thought it would be one of the worst ideas ever.”

“But everything turned out fine in the end.” Oliver rebutted while turning to look at Percy. He nodded in response. “I still don’t understand what you were so worried about.”

“I guess I was just scared that your friends wouldn’t like me.” Percy looked down at his fingers.

“Why wouldn’t they like you?”

“I don’t know,” He shrugged, “I’m nothing like them at all.”

“Just because you aren’t the same as them doesn’t mean they don’t like you.” Oliver tried to laugh it off. But Percy wasn’t really accepting the answer. “And even if they didn’t like you, it wouldn’t matter because I like you.”

“You don’t understand.” Percy scoffed. Oliver looked confused.

“Then help me understand, Perce,” He cried out. “I wouldn’t make you do anything that would make you uncomfortable.”

Percy was hesitant. He knew he backed himself into a corner and into a conversation he didn’t want to have. But he didn’t want to lie to Oliver either. He had to come clean about his true feelings.

“You know I’ve never been very confident with myself especially when it came to our relationship,” he explained, “I have to admit that sometimes I still wonder why you’re with me.” Oliver tried to say something but Percy continued talking.

“When I started hanging out with you and your friends, the feelings did intensify. It became more obvious how different we are. I just have a hard time believing that they could ever enjoy my company and it just makes me feel awkward and unwanted.” He put his head in his hands. “I’m sorry it’s just…”

“Please don’t apologize, Perce, you didn’t do anything wrong,” Oliver said, holding Percy close to him. “I knew that you were insecure about yourself and I’ve done everything I could to show you I genuinely like you for who you are.”

Percy nodded in response. “You don’t have to worry about my friends. I guarantee they don’t hate you. Remember that one time we were going to go to the arcade but you got the flu so you had to bail?”

“Yeah,” Percy responded

“When I showed up without you, everyone was asking where you were. I’m pretty sure Marcus even said I was boring without you.” Oliver started to laugh which caused Percy to laugh too.

“I just don’t want to lose you, Ollie. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.” Percy confessed after the laughter died down.

“Percy Weasley I will never stop loving you.” He peppered Percy’s face with kisses. Percy started to blush intensely at the action. No matter how many times his boyfriend did it, his body always had the same reaction.

They stayed up in his room for the rest of the night. A few of his friends texted him and said they were cleaning stuff up for them (and that Emma was still on the stairs where Percy left it). There was nothing left to worry about but themselves. It was early in the morning when Percy had drifted off the sleep. And who can blame him? It was an overall exhausting day.

Oliver was still semi-awake and fully enjoying the feeling of Percy sleeping right next to him. It was something they never got the chance to do but something he hoped they would get to do again.

It seemed impossible but Percy looked even more beautiful. Perhaps it was the moon illuminating his face ever so softly, or the peacefulness which had fallen over him, but Oliver wanted to savor the sight for as long as he could.

But the siren of sleep was singing to him and he soon fell victim to the song. Not that he was complaining. He slept better than he had in years with his boyfriend in his arms. No matter how much went wrong during the day, right now was just perfect. There was nothing else either of them could ask for.

#harry potter #percy weasley #oliver wood #perciver #fanfiction #gay #percy weasley x oliver wood #muggle au #anxiety #teenage love #hard conversations #incidents involving pools #house party

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ymiwritesstuff · 4 years

Text

Decaying Promise

So I replayed Three Houses and fell in love with Dimitri once again so I wanted to write this piece. I haven’t been feeling well lately and the lack of sleep may affect this scenario, apologies for that, but I hope you enjoy.

Fire Emblem Three Houses

Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd x Fem!Reader

Summary: A promise made years ago keeps Dimitri somewhat hopeful, despite the screams of his loved ones tormenting him internally.

Notes: Angst, SPOILERS FOR THE BLUE LIONS ROUTE!!

The greenhouse of the monastery bathed in the afternoon sun, the plants and flowers enjoying the blessing they received while surrounded by the light. You found yourself enjoying the warmth the sun provided as you kneeled in front of a certain flower, having just arrived in the greenhouse. Your (E/C) eyes lit up in sheer amazement as you notice that the beautiful white flower in front of you is blooming, having completed its growing process.

You bring your fingers to the petals, desiring to feel the velvety surface and take in the flower’s delicacy. It practically glittered under the light of the sun and just like you had read, it had a stunning iridescent glow that made it look as if someone had put a spell on it.

“That’s quite beautiful.”

The voice beside you belonged to a person you didn’t even hear or notice coming, which caused you to quickly turn your head towards them, only to notice the Prince himself, carefully looking at the flower you had picked up.

“Dimitri!” You exclaim, placing a hand on your chest and standing up, slightly startled at his sudden appearance. “You shouldn’t sneak up on people like this!” Despite your words being anything but rude in nature, the young Prince’s eyes still receive an apologetic glint as he humbly bows. Polite as always. “My apologies. It was not my intention. I simply saw you running here quite enthusiastically and curiosity got the best of me.”

You look at the flower in your and bring it up, desiring to show Dimitri its beauty. “Oh, I was just checking if this flower started to bloom. And as you can see,” You bring your hand closer to him, in order for him to witness the sight before him. “It’s blooming rather beautifully.” A gentle smile decorates your features and a sense of pride latches itself onto you. Usually, gardening was done by more capable people like Dedue and the Professor, and you didn’t have too much experience in the craft, so it was very rewarding to see this special flower bloom under the rays of the sun.

“I must agree, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a flower like this.” Dimitri’s blue eyes carefully examine the plant before him, intrigued by its abnormal appearance and seemingly otherworldly exterior qualities. Though he’d rather not hold flowers in his own hand, fearing they would just fall apart due to his inability to control his own strength, he appreciated their bloom and was more than happy to look at them.

“It’s called Sothis’s Lily. It is said that it was the first flower the Goddess created. Well, according to some legend I don’t know much about.” Stories about the Goddess didn’t grasp your interest too much, as to you they seemed quite silly at times. Still, you couldn’t deny the fact that the flower currently in your hand looked resplendent and special.

“I see. Well, it certainly looks extraordinary. It wouldn’t surprise me too much if there was some divine power embedded in it,” He says, a slight hint of playfulness and rare sarcasm you didn’t often hear apparent in his pleasant voice. A small chuckle escapes your lips.

“Perhaps. All I can say for sure is that this particular flower is excruciatingly difficult to grow. It’s a miracle we’re even witnessing it in this state!” Having read about this rare flora, you knew the challenges of attempting to grow it the moment you placed the seeds beneath the dirt, and seeing it in front of you, in full bloom, made you happier than ever.

“However apparently, this flower can stay in this prime state for at least five years! Can you believe it?” Dimitri’s eyes widen slightly at your words, a mixture of shock and amazement hitting him. It was no surprise to anyone that flowers generally withered away in a matter of days, so if this supposed rumor was to be true, this lily was truly special.

“Is that so? That is quite impressive, (Name),” He states, gentle smile dancing across his lips. He found your enthusiasm quite amusing, yet oddly admirable. Due to the recent, some quite grim, events at the monastery, the atmosphere had been quite dull and colorless, so seeing someone with this much happiness in them was uplifting for the young Prince.

“Five years is a long time for a flower, but not so much for us. A lot of things can change in such a short amount of time.” With Dimitri’s words comes a breeze of uncertainty and mystery that hits both of you like the cold winds of Faerghus. It was true that no one but perhaps the Goddess herself knows what the future holds and admittedly the thought scared you. There were things that people assumed would happen naturally, like Dimitri becoming the King of the Holy Kingdom, but in the end, even those things weren’t certain.

“We might not see any of our classmates after we leave the Officer’s Academy.”

“You’re right.” Your gaze falls on the ground for a moment as the weight of the ambiguity slowly presses itself against you. You look at Dimitri, your dearest friend, and wonder what the flow of time brings and how it would affect your strong yet so easily breakable relationship. “However, we won’t change.” Dimitri blinks a couple of times, waiting for you to continue your words of determination.

“You know what?” You suddenly say and point at the flower still in your hand with your eyes. “I’m going to keep this flower. No matter what the future holds, we’ll see each other after we graduate. Think of this lily as me. So long as it blooms, I’ll be around and ready to meet you again. And remember, this beauty blooms for a very long time.” A reassuring smile widens the corners of your lips, a playful shimmer glistening in your eyes and fortunately, you notice Dimitri smiling as well.

Your words are rather silly, and you don’t expect him to take them to heart as you are more than certain you will see the man in front of you before the flower has time to even think about withering. However, by then, he is most likely the King of Faerghus and buried in royal duties.

“Sounds like you’re proposing we make a deal.” He chuckles briefly. “Very well then. Let’s promise to reunite after graduation.” Your smile widens at that and you nod, eyes brimming with determination and hope.

“It’s a deal.”

The aftermath of the battle was like any other. Enemy soldiers on the ground, laying on top of a pool of blood, the Kingdom troops exhausted but satisfied with the victory. Just like they had been told, (Surname) territory had been taken over by Imperial forces with no challenge. No one was defending the territory during the five years the war had been going on and with a fraction of the Imperial army vanished, the Kingdom Army had reclaimed yet another part of their nation. However, this victory meant little for the King.

When you weren’t present at the highly grim class reunion, Dimitri knew something was amiss. His already unhinged mental state sunk deeper into the dangerous abyss that was his mind and his new obsession, other than killing Edelgard, was finding the very person he had made a crucial deal with all those years ago.

The (Surname) territory was undefended, empty, no signs of the members of the family anywhere; In the perfect state for an invasion and now that the Imperial soldiers had been disposed of, the atmosphere should have been better, but it wasn’t.

Dimitri searched and searched, looking for the one he cherished, desperately trying to find any evidence of your whereabouts, all the while the merciless demons within him screamed at him. He tried to ignore them, because finding you was the only thing that mattered in this very moment, however at the same time he was afraid. Afraid that he would suddenly hear your voice in his head.

“There’s no sign of her, Your Highness.” A kingdom knight said to him, having searched the entire area and returning to his King with a sorrowful look upon his face

“Keep searching!” He said, voice filled with anger, impatience, and underlying sadness and hopelessness. With heavy steps, he headed towards the manor where the noble family would spend most of their days in, a place Dimitri himself had been in many times before. Before his mind hungered for revenge.

He had to find you, his mind let go of his desire to avenge his family for this brief moment as his vision was clouded. The last bits of his sanity he didn’t notice were hanging onto him, dependent on your reunion. The broken man stepped into the manor, heading straight for his beloved’s room and ignoring the concerned Professor most likely following him.

Despite saying to himself he wanted to see your face once more, in reality, the thought scared him. Should he find you in this mansion of yours, you would most likely be but a decaying corpse, and even more than not finding you, he was terrified of seeing you in front of him with no life left in you. He tried to push the thought away, but it was stabbing him, burying its knife into him deeper than any other. He was in pain, and the screams were getting louder the closer he got to your room.

The door opened with hesitation, an overwhelming anxiety rampaging all around Dimitri and inside him as he stepped in, expecting and also secretly hoping to find an empty, lifeless room that was nothing but a decaying memory of his childhood. His mind was a mess, much like it had been for the past five years but the desperate desire to see you and you wonderful smile with his now dull blue eyes kept him partially sane. It gave him hope. But that hope was reduced to dust and blown away the moment he looked around the room. Because what he saw, was far worse than the sight of your corpse. Because what lied in front of him, on the cold floor, wasn’t a corpse at all.

The thing that completely broke him, surrounded by the grueling silence that was only broken by his desperate, painful sobs,

Was a certain, white lily, withered away.

#fe #fire emblem #fire emblem three houses #fe 3h #dimitri #fe dimitri #fe x reader #fire emblem x reader #fire emblem three houses dimitri #fire emblem three houses x reader #dimitri x reader #fe dimitri x reader #dimitri alexandre blaiddyd #reader insert #angst

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bi-naesala · 4 years

Text

A small push, a story about two (clueless) people - Debrief

Maul and Cody have their "debrief".

Once he’s out of the briefing room, Maul immediately comms Cody back, so that they can get to their own “debriefing” which, he knows, sounds way less innocent than what they actually do. Some people would actually call him a fool for not using this occasion to do something more saucy - cough cough kriffing Vos - but Maul is a serious Jedi; he wouldn’t be caught doing something so distracting so close to deployment.

No, this has nothing to do with the feeling he has for Cody. Most of the time they just chat, occasionally going through the strategies again to see if they can sense some fallacy in them that they haven’t noticed before, or think about ways to go around certain obstacles.

As of late, they’ve started the habit of meditating together. It’s something that Cody has learned from Obi-Wan; it helps focus and free himself of some of the grief the war brings. Maul understands him perfectly. He’s not exactly fond of the practice - his mind is too loud - but he’s willing to do it for Cody, if anything because of the connection that they share during these moments.

The Force is bright around them, Maul is always able to feel it, and he basks in it. Even Cody, who isn’t force sensitive, says that he does feel something too, which is another incentive to do it.

Unsurprisingly, he finds Cody at the armory. He’s always had this tendency to do a last-minute weapons check before embarking in an expedition.

“What if something malfunctions while we’re out there? That would be the last thing we need,” he said once, and Maul can’t help but to agree, even though he’d go without all these boring practices, but he supposes that it’s easier for him, having to depend only on his lightsaber and the Force, though he supposes that were his lightsaber to malfunction somehow, things wouldn’t be pretty at all.

Besides, it’s endearing watching Cody going from one weapon to another, even when he complains about how badly manufactured some of the stuff he finds are. Maul swears he’s learned more about blasters with these small moments with Cody than in his entire life; it’s not even knowledge that he needs, but one can never know that, can’t they? It’s also true that Cody has something particularity about him that makes you listen to him no matter what, no matter how dull and mundane what he’s saying actually is; maybe it’s the inflection he uses in the way he says things, but he manages to always grab Maul’s attention.

It seems that Cody hasn’t noticed his presence yet, too busy inspecting a DC-17, giving Maul all the time to lean against the entrance before announcing his presence.

“Hello there, commander.” He usually calls him Cody, but when he wants to get a rise out of him - or just simply tease him - he uses his rank; Cody does the same to him, at least when they’re alone. It’s a miracle how Maul managed to get him to agree to this, considering how by the book he can be about these things, but he tries not to think too much about it or else he’d begin wondering about what exactly convinced Cody to do it, and that’s a dangerous path to walk.

To Cody’s credit, Maul’s sudden appearance doesn’t startle him, of at least that’s how things appear: Maul does notice the way he almost reaches for his blaster, before realizing that this isn’t an enemy that got the jump on him, but simply Maul, and he immediately relaxes.

“Need something, general?” he asks, barely able to fight a smile off his face - if any of his brothers saw him like this now they would never stop teasing him.

“Your company, if you’d be so kind,” he replies then, not missing the way Cody flushes at those words, though he does his best not to show it.

“I suppose I could spare a few minutes for you,” he jokes, putting the DC-17 back to its place before joining Maul. “Is there something you wanted to discuss?”

“I was about to ask you the same thing.”

“Well…” Cody begins, crossing his arms to his chest, “We’ve already tackled all the possible ways in which this mission could go wrong. I doubt we need to go through that again.”

“Feeling confident about our success, commander?” Maul asks, already making his way towards his quarters. Cody, of course, follows him.

“Well, we’ll still have to work hard for it, but…” he begins, leaving room to Maul to finish that sentence for him.

“But you think we’ve got it.”

“Overconfidence is dangerous,” Maul admonishes him then. It’s something he’s heard throughout his entire life: if there’s a sin that he would consider himself particularly guilty of, that’s overconfidence; how many lectures he’s got about its dangers and about the reasons why he shouldn’t succumb to it? Countless. It’s quite ironic that he’s the one warning people about it now. Still… “Though I find myself agreeing with you. Even with Grievous’ presence, it should be an easy task.”

Cody nods, then a frown finds place ins his face.

“I just hope that Grievous won’t escape again,” he says. Yes, that has been a problem for quite some time, hasn’t it?

“We’ll do our best,” Maul replies, meaning every single word of it. Capturing the general isn’t their priority, but he’ll be damned if he escapes under their noses again; this story has been going on for too long already.

Oh, look at that, they’ve already reached Maul’s quarters.

He still feels a bit bad about having his own quarters on the Negotiator. He told Obi-Wan that he can sleep in the barracks with the rest of the men, that there’s no need to find a space just for him, but he hasn’t been heard; even the troops insist on him allowing himself some commodities. He supposes it’s fair, after all it could create some embarrassment if he stayed with the troops; mmh, yes, thinking about it, it would be awkward.

He punches his code in and the door opens, then Maul turns towards Cody, gesturing towards the inside.

“After you,” he says, letting Cody enter first.

It’s a standard room, with nothing particularly special about it - the Negotiator is still a warship after all, not a cruise one. It’s pretty barren as well, but that’s because it’s just a guest room that has been assigned to Maul.

To tell the truth, it’s probably going to be filled with curiosities and such that Maul is going to find once they land, even if it’s just a dumb rock which only good trait is to have a particular shape or color. Cody will never understand why he’s so fond of this kind of stuff - he’s not big on collecting things - but he’d lie if he said that it’s not an endearing trait of Maul; it certainly has an effect to see the oh-so-feared Jedi picking up some weird thing that he likes with such a wonder in his eyes that it makes him look like a cadet.

It’s because of his home planet, Maul told him once, another confidence that Cody has no idea whether he’s the only one knowing it, or if he ever revealed it to someone else; after all, he never asked general Kenobi or any other of Maul’s friends. Dathomir is an arid land, menacing, dangerous, not as colorful as other planets are - Cody has never been there, but he takes Maul and general Kenobi’s word for it; despite the fact that Maul barely remembers living there - not the place in itself, since he’s had to go there to carry out some tasks for the Jedi - he never stopped being drawn by peculiar things.

Is this why Maul has taken a shine on him? Cody doesn’t know; after all, he’s just a regular trooper, nothing more, nothing less, and yet he can’t shake off the idea that there must be something more, mustn’t it?

“… Cody?”

Cody shakes his head.

“Sorry, I spaced out,” he admits, hoping that his mental shields had been steady throughout the entire time. If Maul were to question him about some things he might’ve felt from him, he was going to offer himself for decommissioning on Kamino.

Luckily for him, that doesn’t seem to be the case, or at least Maul doesn’t ask him anything about his thoughts. Who knows if he actually felt them or not…

“Are you alright?” he asks instead. “It’s not your usual thing to space out like this before battle.”

“I know, I know. I was just… thinking,” Cody replies, clearly unwilling to disclose exactly what he was thinking about. He kneels down on the floor, assuming the position that he’s been taught, with his back rigid and hands resting on his thighs. Better to change subject before Maul insists. “So? Weren’t we supposed to meditate?”

Maul is speechless, but just for a moment. He looks like he wants to say something - and Cody immediately wonders what, exactly - but he keeps his mouth closed.

He doesn’t motion to join Cody on the ground, though.

“You’re right. Let’s begin.”

Cody doesn’t know what the Force feels like, he’s not Force-sensitive after all, so for him meditating is more about putting all his thoughts in order rather than feeling what surrounds him, and yet, he does feel something else, a playful presence that eggs him on, that keeps him company.

Were he able to feel the Force, would these sensations be amplified? Would he and Maul be able to connect more? The answer is obviously yes, but despite this, Cody is glad that he gets the chance to do this, even if he can’t do more than keeping his thoughts in check and clear his mind.

Whenever he feels Maul’s conscience getting closer to him - though he doesn’t do it too often - he always tries to respond in some kind, even though he has no idea whether his efforts actually pay or not. Every time he feels a nudge, he tries to nudge back; he actually pictures the scene of himself gently shouldering Maul, or leaning into his touch when he reaches out.

Maybe he’s doing it wrong, maybe it should be more evanescent than this, maybe he shouldn’t try to give a form to something that he should just feel with his mind. He doesn’t know it, but it’s also true that Maul has never corrected him, or told that what he’s doing is wrong, so he supposes it’s fine.

He loses himself to the sensations he feels so much that he opens his eyes, effectively coming back to reality, only when he hears the sound of sirens echoing throughout the entire Negotiator. Ah, and so they’re beginning the deployment procedure, meaning that he should join back with General Kenobi and get to the gunship.

In all his - although short - life, he’s never been this late; usually by this time he’s already at the gunships, waiting for the General to join him, but this time, well… Things are different.

It’s hard to shake the sensations he’s been feeling during his meditation, but he has to, despite the fact that he would love to be able to linger in them for longer. Now, however, it’s not the time.

He turns towards Maul at the same time as the Jedi turns towards him.

“Looks like we have a factory to conquer,” Maul states then, smirking. He can’t wait to get into combat.

At those words, Cody can’t help but to return the gesture. He can’t wait as well.

“And a general to capture,” he replies.

There’s nothing else for them to do here, so they both get up and run their way to the hangar, not wanting to be too late; oh, people are so going to talk.

That’s not important now, however; none of this matters. What they truly need to focus on is the mission. They have to succeed.

Later, maybe, they can think about the rest.

#codymaul #sw #tcw #darth maul #commander cody #my fics #mine #a small push #angry husband #clone husband

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enchantcdstories · 4 years

Text

The Strength Within Her

Words: 2774

Tags: Pure fluff! Some swearing!

A/N: Here’s the Brendan/Theo fic! I tried my best to fix their ending but its a little all over the place.

Find it on A03

V watched as Theo slumped into the plastic chair, her head in her hands after having been just told that her best friend in the whole world was gone. Something ate away at V’s stomach, the gut feeling in the back of her head gnawing at her. Do something. Fix this. V tugged at her hair, taking a few steps away to think. Think, think, think.

She could buy the vending machine, sure, she had the eddies for it. V sighed. She couldn’t fix Brendan. She couldn’t fix that kind of machinery. V stopped, realization hitting her like Jackie’s ARCH bike when she called it and wasn’t paying attention. Viktor. That man could fix anything right?

“Hey...Theo? I’ll uh.. See you around okay? Call me if you need anything?” V said, turning to face the woman. She tried not to make direct eye contact, Theo’s face just looked so sad. The girl nodded, sinking her head back into her hands as V turned away.

Pulling up Viktor’s number onto her interface, V thumbed quietly with the zipper on her jacket- waiting for the ripperdoc himself to pick up.

“V! What’s up? Everything good? The engram treating you okay?” Viktor’s voice sounded concerned and almost preoccupied at the same time. V bit at her lip, looking back in the direction of Theo as she walked to where her car was.

“I’m good, I mean..about as good as I can get with an engram taking over my brain..listen, do you know anything about uh...vending machines?” V asked nervously, this whole idea sounding stupid. The silence on Viktor’s end wasn’t any more reassuring.

“Vending machines?” His voice was full of confusion and apprehension.

“Yeah..there’s.. a S.C.S.M that..got a firmware wipe and...look it’s really tough to explain, but do you think you could help me out?” V sounded more like a child begging for parental help than a young woman at this point. The sound of metal clanging made V wince, tempted to hang up and forget this whole crazy idea. Viktor sighed.

“I mean...I know fuck all about vending machines but a firmware revert shouldn’t be too hard?....Do I dare ask what this is all for?” V sighed herself and mentally checked to see how many eddies she still had left.

“It’s a long story, I can pay ya. Meet me at the maintenance point by Megabuilding H8 in an hour?” V said, covering her eyes as she squinted over to the direction of the shop that held Brendan. Viktor confirmed, muttering about her owning him anyways and hung up. V waited for Johnny to show up, complain about this getting in the way of his plan and it was all a waste of time. V secretly thought that He felt something for that vending machine too.

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“I’m sorry...how much for the fucker?” V said, leaning on the counter of the gonk that ran the maintenance point. “We aren’t even gonna like… take him anywhere special. We’re just gonna move him back to his original spot.” The man on the other side of the counter crossed his arms.

“You heard me. You wanna change him and shit? Lord knows what fucking else? You gotta pay.” V put her head on the counter, stressed and feeling her vision starting to glitch out from the chip that was shoved into her brain. The gonk spoke again as if he felt something for this whole situation.

“Look, if it makes you feel better, I’ll throw the papers in. Legally the hunk of junk will be yours.” V groaned again. Gods that was a lot of eddies. That could pay for the ankle upgrades she’d be saving for. She’d barely have enough left over to throw something Vik’s way. Still, the look on Theo’s face when she was away from Brendan…

“Fine...here..Just, give me the papers.” V said, exasperated as she extended her hand out, transferring the eddies. The man held the papers out, some sort of legal form that was like transferring the ownership of a car. ‘I could have bought a new car with that money’, V thought. She snatched the papers up, folding them and walking over to where a powered down Brendan sat. The man wheeled a dolly over, jamming the edge of it under the S.C.S.M. V could hear Viktor outside the shop, talking on his phone to a client or something. The moment Viktor laid eyes on the machine, V could see the light just fade from them- wondering what V got him into.

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“Okay so back up, hang on- We’re doing this for a girl? Is she in love with the thing? Is that legal?” Viktor said, a screwdriver in his mouth and he worked to pry the back panel of Brendan off. V had explained the whole situation to him, but clearly, Vik was bit out of the loop on the whole ‘super-smart AI vending machines’.

“I mean, all I heard was that he was her best friend...and the look on her face! I couldn’t just do nothing.” V shrugged, leaning against the wall as she watched Viktor work. Johnny had glitched over in the corner and was smoking a cigarette, keeping to himself. Viktor chuckled.

“Always the people pleaser, eh V?” He said, dropping the back panel on the floor and peering inside. V just rolled her eyes, picking at something on her boot. Viktor grunted as he sat up, looking over his tools and grunting.

“Can you like… fix him?” V asked. She wondered if she just paid a good stack of Eddies for something that could be pawned off for spare parts. Maybe she could just..give Theo his faceplate and call it good?

“Well I’ve reversed firmware’s before, but this might take a little longer. I’m no miracle worker.” Viktor looked over to V, his voice giving her a hint of reassurance. V scoffed. “You’ve fixed me up plenty of times, even if I do got a shelf life that’s worse than milk’s.” She tried to lighten the mood, but the look on Viktor’s face didn’t look like it helped. “What I’m saying is, if anyone can do it, it’s you. Probably. I think the guy at the shop only knew how to update firmware.” V said, trying to cover up her fuck up. “And imagine the look on Theo’s face when she see’s her best friend is back!” V chirped, her voice a faux cheery tone. Even Johnny winced at that, giving a thumbs down. V flipped him off.

Viktor brought over some little machine, pulling the cord from a little compartment on it and plugging it into Brendan. V leaned her head back against the wall, her mind wandering back to Theo’s heartbroken face. That poor girl’s face was ingrained in her brain.

“Chick had a rough life. She pack-bonded to that heap of metal. Don’t blame her one bit.” Johnny’s voice filled V’s head as he walked over, flicking his cigarette to the floor and watching as it flickered away into a million little pixels.

“She said something about a breakup, right? Or at least a tough relationship..” V said, internally to her engram. Johnny moved so he was sitting down next to her, elbow propped up on his knee.

“She’s got a sentient vending machine, you got a biochip of a super famous rockstar in your head. We all need our comfort objects, huh?” Johnny said, moving his elbow as if he was gonna elbow her ribs. V felt nothing but was somehow still annoyed.

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At some point, as Viktor worked on Brendan, V fell asleep. It felt like it was the first time V had fallen asleep in days, sudden exhaustion kicking in. Viktor noticed a couple of hours ago, but chose to let her sleep anyways. The poor girl looked beat. Viktor finally wheeled away from the machine, having screwed the back panel in tightly and pulling out the electrical cord for the machine.

“Hey V, ‘bout to power this thing up, you wanna wake up?” Vik called, startling the merc awake. V groaned, rubbing at her eyes. Johnny was nowhere in sight, but Viktor was looking at her expectantly.

“What? Yeah, yeah I’m up. Plug ‘im in.” She said, moving to stand in front of the towering S.C.S.M. The vending machine lit up Vik’s entire shop, the pink of Brendan’s ‘clothes’ casting a deeper shade of pink across the walls.

“V! Boy am I glad to see you!” Brendan chirped, his eyes shifting left and right. V smiled, the same old Brendan was back.

“Hey bud, glad to see you too.” “What did I miss while I was gone? Any important drink orders I should remember?” Brendan said, his screen flickering just ever so slightly. V shook her head, glancing at Viktor. The man seemed just more confused, but sat back down on his chair.

“Nah, nothing like that. You were barely out for a day. Theo’s missing you something fierce though.” She said, hoping he still remembered her.

“Theo! Is she okay? Where is she? I hope she’s okay.” If a S.C.S.M could wag it’s tail like a puppy, Brendan would be doing that right about now.

“Relax, she’s fine. I kinda….told her that you were gone and she, well she took it pretty hard. Got the best ripperdoc in town to fix you up though. How do you uh...feel? Can you feel?” She added the last part under her breath. Brendan was silent for a moment, as if he was thinking.

“I would like to see Theo. I think I feel fine!” The machine said to her. V patted Brendan on the main screen...face-thing before moving over to Viktor. She extended her hand to him, intending to transfer some eddies to him.

“Thanks again, Vik, I know I keep saying I owe ya but this time...I really do owe ya. I got about...5k Eddies left, I hope that covers it.” She said, internally preparing to be broke for the next couple of days. Vik shook his head.

“Keep ‘em.”

“Vik-”

Viktor shook his head again. “Keep ‘em. You get to haul the thing back to Japantown though. I ain’t gonna help you with that.”

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Theo’s world felt...empty. Just the night before she had broken up her relationship, on the advice of Brendan of course. He helped her through so many rough patches and then this morning he was just….gone. She felt so powerless. The maintenance workers wouldn’t listen to her… she tried everything! Theo sat in one of the plastic chairs just in the first level of the megabuilding. Her apartment was a few floors up, she even remembers how she met Brendan. The one day she wanted a coffee from a vending machine and the S.C.S.M greeted her and asked if she was okay.

The rest was history.

He was so sweet, so caring. Knew exactly what to say when Theo struggled. Her daily routine revolved itself around Brendan now. Now? He was gone. Physically no, he wouldn’t be gone. The machine would be there still. But Brendan? His personality? Would be gone.

It was like a void in her heart, something in her life that was missing. She broke off her relationship and now with Brendan gone? Who did she have? Theo took a cigarette out of her pocket, sparking up the lighter and inhaling deeply. She wouldn’t cry over a stupid machine, yet here she was- tears threatening to spill.

Theo sat there for hours, watching the world go by as she sat in her little chair and smoked. She barely moved, barely felt. The sun eventually rose to it’s highest peak in the sky before falling back down. Night City falling under a blanket of colder temperatures as darkness fell. Theo stood up eventually. Her bones and muscles ached as she moved for the first time. She found her way to her apartment- purely on autopilot now.

Her apartment was cold, lonely, empty. It had been for a while, she realized, but now it felt more so. Theo was just about to head to bed when she heard a commotion out in the hall. Normally, especially in good old megabuilding H8, that wasn’t any cause for concern. The voice sounded oddly familiar though.

“..V?” Theo mumbled, getting up from her spot on the couch. She pressed the button for the door to slide open. V was there, standing in the hallway looking sweaty and exhausted.

And so was Brendan.

Theo leaned against the doorframe, confusion washing over her face.

“Hey uh...so listen, its a long story- but do you have space in your apartment? I was gonna put him back in his normal spot but...I’d hate to see him get vandalized or some shit.” V said, leaning an elbow on the dolly that was wedged under the S.C.S.M. Theo didn’t know what to say, merely opening her mouth like a fish. She merely moved out of the way as V struggled to haul the giant machine through the door.

“Vik fixed him up, just gotta plug him in and he’s good as new.” V said, grunting as she heaved the machine to Theo’s living room. He was angled awkwardly so he faced Theo’s bed, but no one cared at that point. She merely scurried out of the way, watching dumbly as V set Brendan down.

“He...I don’t...understand..” She said, unable to form words. V waved a hand, the cord flopping about. Theo reached for the cord, knowing where the only remaining outlet in her apartment was and plugging the machine in. Instantly her apartment was lit up with an otherworldly glow.

“That was some nap!.... Where am I?” Brendan chimed. V had leaned against the wall, watching as Theo moved to face Brendan. “Brendan?”

“Theo! Boy am I glad to see you! I missed you!” Tears pricked at Theo’s eyes. Happy ones this time. She looked over to V, rushing forward and gripping her in a bone shattering hug.

“Oh V… thank you, thank you so much!” She said, grinning up at her ‘friend’. V shrugged, not making eye contact.

“ was nothing, oh uh...here.” She said, taking the papers from her pants pocket. “He’s yours now, I guess? Your own personal uh..vending machine.” She shrugged. Theo just stared at the papers. She turned to Brendan, throwing her arms across the wide electronic.

“Oh gods I’ve missed you, B. I was so worried. They took you away I just...V tried to get you back and when she told me they wiped you… I thought… I’d never-” Theo was openly crying now, still clutching Brendan.

“It’s okay Theo, you’re strong, I believed in you all along. Am I in your apartment? You told me so much about your apartment!” Brendan chirped, his voice sounding more bubbly than usual. Theo nodded, a half sob half laugh escaping her lips.

“It is, you’re here and...you’re mine now! You don’t have to stay down on the street anymore.. No one’s gonna vandalize you!” Theo’s voice went on, about how much fun they would have now that Theo didn’t have to worry about him anymore. V rubbed the back of her neck, feeling like an intruder now.

“I’ll leave you guys to it, I guess. I’ll come visit at some point?” V didn’t know why she asked that, when she knew herself that her time was limited. Maybe Johnny would visit for her. Theo looked and nodded, before turning back to talk to her best friend. V let herself out quietly.

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It was dark now when V exited the megabuilding, her own stomach rumbling for some of the local food that filled the air’s scent. The entire day had been just a rollercoaster of emotions. She leaned down to light a smoke, one of the ones Johnny had begged her to smoke originally.

“Nothing like a happy ending, huh?” Johnny said, phasing next to her as she walked to her car. V said shrugged.

“I don’t get one, might as well give her one. She can go off and live her happy life with her vending machine. I got...a computer chip in my head that makes me smoke.” She shrugged. Johnny laughed.

“You got me. Ain’t that enough?” He said, referring to his whole body. V rolled her eyes.

“Well, out of all the engrams in the world, I’m glad I got Johnny fuckin’ Silverhand.”

#Cyberpunk 2077 #Johnny Silverhand #Female V #Brendan and Theo #Johnny Silverhand x female v

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existentialmagazine · 3 years

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Interview & Photo: Alfie Templeman on breaking into the music industry at only 18

Musical prodigy Alfie Templeman may only just have turned 18, but he's already established himself profoundly as a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer. This young star began recording and releasing demos at only age 12, before making his professional solo debut in 2018 with 'Like An Animal' after signing to Chess Club Records.

Although only young, Alfie tells us he knew music was more than just a hobby for him when labels began to approach him, acknowledging the impressive work he had been creating. Originally believing he was 'too young' to take it seriously, he found getting noticed by his current label Chess Club was a turning point towards designating his life towards this childhood passion. Since then, Alfie has released a number of EPs such as 'Sunday Morning Cereal', 'Don't Go Wasting Time' and 'Happiness in Liquid Form.'

Templeman expresses that Chess Club truly gave him a job after finishing school with no idea how he could pursue music, feeling 'lucky' they could make this dream into a reality for him at only age 15. It's no miracle that his growth as an artist also absolutely skyrocketed from this moment, with their professional insight into the music industry aiding him immensely, as well as personally giving him the confidence to put himself out there and do more things: "They've helped me in many different ways, not just literally pushing me but also helping me develop my mind."

'Like An Animal' marked the start of Templeman's professional music career, and despite his many past demos and singles being on the internet, this was truly when he began to get heard. We asked Alfie what he believed was the staple factor in this sudden growth, with him explaining that lead single 'Like An Animal' was well-structured and ultimately the release that got him heard by and signed to Chess Club Records. With their more in-depth musical background, they provided Alfie the assistance needed to build a whole EP around this single to make a stronger body of work than his previous releases. With far more structuring, his label helped to decide which tracks would be best suited for the release rather than his previous guesswork.

"It slightly came down to the fact I had a good A&R on my hands, like Chess Club's own Will Street knew how to make a really good track-listing that would draw people in."

Outside of hitting it off with 'Like An Animal', Templeman explains that his initial popularity also rose when he learned to schedule releases and allow pre-orders to build some anticipation for each new single. The success of this simple change became a large factor in Templeman getting found by Chess Club Records, as well as giving him the time to submit towards Spotify playlists that would get more people hearing his work.

Nowadays, Templeman has just released his first mini-album 'Forever Isn't Long Enough', which fell into an unusual recording process due to the current state of the world. Starting pre-pandemic, he tells us he initially began writing this project in a great place after just getting off of tour with Sports Team. However the unexpected hit of COVID left him finishing up all the happy tunes he had began to write in a less than ideal mental state. During this time, Templeman says it felt like he should have been making time for himself more, yet felt the pressure of needing to complete this mini-album at a faster pace. Once finally slowing things down as his mindset improved last summer, this project was finally completed and 'mostly really enjoyable' despite the twists and turns along the way.

With a full album looming as Templeman's next big release, he tells us it's set to be a little different from his current body of work. With his past priority being 4-7 track long EPs, this album holds much more space to cram in personality and the essence of his last year spent working on it. Offering a mix of tracks made purely alone, and some that were written with others, it's bound to be a creative blend of styles that we're sure will bounce off one another with ease.

"I'm a lot more experimental at the moment... whereas with previous stuff, I've tried to make things connect as much as possible. But because of the freedom, there's more time and more tracks and I can vary it much more without it feeling like I'm going from one extreme to the other."

Looking back on his discography, Alfie expresses that either 'Sunday Morning Cereal' or 'Happiness In Liquid Form' would have to be his ultimate favourite releases to date. Significant summers both surrounded the time spent writing and sharing these EPs, reflecting on his final summer after finishing school as well as days he remembers fondly.

'Yellow Flowers' is another older release by Templeman, yet he tells us out of all of his tracks it brings back the most special memories and holds a place deep in his heart. This song was first shared on debut release 'Like An Animal', and continues to be a staple part of Templeman's live shows, clearly due to its personal connection and happy memories.

Although thoroughly enjoying things as a solo artist, Templeman mentions he has a number of artists he would love to work more on the production side with, particularly those who are up and coming that he could lend a hand to. A few of those mentioned were: Thomas Headon, Millie Webb, Mollie Payton, Olivia Dean and many other interesting and creative people he sees himself working alongside. However, being an artist himself allows Alfie more leeway whilst he approaches many trial and error methods, as well as learning from his record label on what things work and sound best.

In his recent work, Alfie has been enjoying collaborating with singer-songwriters and producers such as Rob Milton Nick Atkinson, Tom McFarland and Kid Harpoon giving him a greater insight into how people write and record their music. Alfie adds, "If I wasn't making music, I'd still be in school learning about things so I thought the least I could do is learn from someone else with more experience than I do so I can master my craft."

With plans to tour the US alongside Chloe Moriondo, and headline UK tours next year, Templeman still tells us it sounds 'surreal' to even be thinking of playing a show again. To see people who bought tickets and know all the words to his releases is truly 'magical', as he tells us: "I think I'm going to enjoy every second of it"

Reminiscing on the days of shows, we ask Alfie his favourite parts of gigging and he doesn't fail to tell us all the best bits. Looking out into the crowd and seeing people who have emotional connections to his releases is important to Alfie, mentioning it helps him as much as it helps others. Getting back on stage is also an exciting premise, feeling the energy from his band and spending time with them again.

Templeman closes with some advice for musicians getting started in the music industry, mentioning the internet can seem truly intimidating but if something is in your soul urging you to make music you are destined for it. Regardless of how many people listen to your track, or if you don't immediately blow up on Tiktok, it's still a great life lesson and could ultimately be the start of following your dream.

Templeman also adds that when he began trying to get heard, he would search for playlist music submission websites that allow artists to submit their work for possible features. Especially with many playlisters urging undiscovered artists to be a part of their well-known playlists, it can be a brilliant way to gain follows and the attention of Spotify curators who regularly check other large playlists to discover new tracks.

Prior to getting signed, Alfie adds "That's the only thing that's really helped me", so we hope this advice can be of some help to those who possess the talent and drive needed to succeed.

Give a listen to Alfie's latest mini-album here, or follow his Instagram and Twitter here for more from him!

Interview & Photography by: Tatiana Whybrow

#interview #alfietempleman #Spotify #alfie templeman #Interviews #Photography #Concert

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dongiovannaswife · 3 years

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Home is where you are

some days ago @softlimefluff suggested a collab for my birthday,,, so here we are :3c

cw: food mentions and a smol suggestive scene but other than that,,, i don’t think there’s more.

part 1. part 2.

April 20, 8:22 PM. Giovanna’s mansion.

Giorno’s fingers pass the page to the book he’s reading, making a note to jot down the last sentence as it will help with the case he’s working on —when his wife stumbles into his studio, sighing under her breath.

He doesn’t look up from his book, “What’s wrong?”

There’s a moment of silence while she sits down at the couch in the office, crossing a leg over the other in the way she always does: the fabric of her dress exposes a small patch of skin before she moves a hand to slide over it, smoothing the fabric so nothing is out of its place.

“I got a call,” she starts and he looks up immediately, putting a piece of paper in the middle of his book as he closes it, his attention now fully on her. “We won’t be able to do what we planned.”

He frowns, although it holds a double intention, he didn’t think the execution of his plan would hurt as much as it does in that moment; he knew his plan was a tricky one, but he knew, deep down, that she needed far more distraction than him to get his surprise come across. Especially after her stunt with the apartment in Australia and surprise birthday party.

‘I wish for a quiet morning with you and the boys —just us, as a family, blasting music and cooking together. I want us to pretend we’re a normal family for once. I want to spend the day in pajamas, playing with the boys and cuddling you.’

Yes, he recalls her wish clearly. He had agreed, after all, since he had asked what she wanted to do for her birthday: but his plan had already started by the time he asked.

“It’s okay,” he murmurs, coming back from his daydream as he shakes his head, standing from his desk. Walking up to her, he undoes his tie, taking it off and letting it hang on the back of the other couch before he sits on the one she is in. His thigh presses against hers in a comforting and intimate way —his arm circles her shoulders as he rests it against the back of the couch. “What happened? Is it your mom?”

She shakes her head, huffing under her breath, disappointed and sad as Giorno tries to keep the act up. “I wish —The Morioh branch of the Foundation is asking for my assistance. Apparently the supervisor of the paramedics over there is no longer working with them and they have an event that day, you know, the interns and all that.” She pinches the bridge of her nose, feeling her ears ring for a second, her nose hurt and temples pounding as an upcoming headache settles in within her.

“Don’t worry,” he starts, “I know you wanted to spend your birthday at home, but what do you think if I get there with the boys too? After your event we can go to Tonio’s restaurant. Hang out with Ariel and Rohan —perhaps even see Josuke and Krys.”

She shakes her head, still pinching the bridge of her nose. “It won’t work, the event is supposed to follow with a press conference and then an introduction to the interns. There’s also the Paramedic Course--I won’t teach it myself, but I do have to give the first years the welcome.”

“In conclusion,” he murmurs, trying to keep his voice stable despite the smirk threatening to fall —Junichi, the person he had asked to move some strings so she would think she’d have to work on her birthday with no free time, had done an excellent job. “We’ll have to postpone it.”

She nods, sighing again and scooting closer, leaning into his chest. “I could have easily said no, but I can’t afford that.”

Giorno hums, but it really does pain him to see her like that. Even then, he hopes the surprise makes up for it. “It’s okay, angel.” He says, the arm around her shoulders dropping to wrap around her; a warm palm rests atop of her hip, with his thumb rubbing in gentle circles. “We could go with you so we spend some time together, ‘s the least we can do… What do you think?”

She’s quiet for a moment and before he can worry more, her voice is barely audible through the sad tone in her voice. “Okay.”

April 25, 2:45 AM. Giovanna’s mansion.

The pads of her fingers graze his scalp gracefully as he tilts his face to the side, deepening the kiss. The way her thighs close around his waist as the cool air from the window enters into the kitchen makes him smirk involuntary: his hips sink deeper into hers, eliciting a whimper from her.

And his phone rings.

Growling, he curses mentally as he remembers that other part of his plan as he pulls back, taking a quick look at her —hair disheveled, eyelids heavy with something else and hands resting at the waistband of his sweatpants.

He looks down at his phone, noticing the number from the burner phone he got Westwood —one of those disposable ones, just in case Lena recognized Westwood’s number if they had changed contact names to make it look like someone from work was calling-- displayed on the screen. He recognizes the number, but acts as if he doesn’t, frowning as he slides a finger over the screen, bringing the device to his ear.

His voice is slightly deeper, but he manages to sort through the call. His wife is quick to notice this is about a client that, despite his patience, this client was a… Problematic person. Always getting into legal issues.

“See you there then, Signore Trevi.” He nods, stealing a glance to Lena —smirking when she keeps looking between his lips and eyes, a playful hand touching his chest tattoo.

The call ends and he lets himself smile, masking it with a subtle roll of his hips. “Sorry, doll —duty calls.”

“Mhm. Is Mister Client in trouble again?”

He chuckles, loving the way she barely makes the words understandable, “Yeah, Trevi is always sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong.”

She laughs against his lips when he’s barely inches away from hers, “Do you have to leave?”

And so he plays along. Pulling back, he rubs the back of his neck with sudden pursed lips. “Yeah, about that —I don’t think I’ll get to go with you to Morioh... This case requires my presence, as he needs my assistance at the place he’s facing said issue.”

The mood in the room instantly shifts and he almost regrets it. Although she’s nodding with an understanding glint, he can still see the disappointment in her eyes. In the way her happiness subsides into pure empty calmness.

“It’s okay,” she says, “Like we said, we’ll postpone it.”

He never thought a plan could hurt this much —couldn’t he stick to something less hard? Something that didn’t hurt her before bringing happiness?

Then again, if wishes were horses.

April 25, 5:15 PM. Morioh.

“Han, do you think the flowers look okay here? I don’t want it to block the conversation space at the table…”

“Hmmmm.” He turned around, looking at the arrangement. “Why don’t we put them in the front hall instead? It’ll brighten the space up when Lena gets in. Sunflowers are her favorite, you said?”

Ari nodded, taking a moment to stand up, letting out a deep breath and holding her back for a second. “Mhm, I asked Giogio again to be sure.”

Walking over, he put a hand on the bump and held one of hers. “Everything okay?”

She nodded, squeezing his hand. “Fine. Ellie’s just getting big. So big. Watermelon baby.”

Rohan chuckled, grinning back. “Melon wife~”

“Shoosh~” Having stolen a kiss, Ari grabbed the vase, setting it on the bump as she walked to the main hall and setting it in place, glancing at her phone on the way back.

“Giogio says Lena should be in the air by now. Looks like things are going to plan…”

“I’ll video chat him and show him around to see if we need to make any changes.” Looking his wife over, he put a hand on her forehead. “You feel a little warm, baby. You should go lay on the couch, rest a bit. You’ve been working hard on this. The Giovanna’s won’t mind you sleeping on the new couch.”

Nodding, she walked over slowly, plopping down and curling her legs up. “Tell Giorno we can’t wait to see them.”

“I will. Rest.”

April 26, 1:15 AM. Morioh.

Humming a tune, Westwood stops the car by the house, looking over the mirror just in time to see his boss look at his sons with big eyes, seizing his options.

The boys had grown too much over the last months and, with their first words and sentences starting to fill the silence, he definitely seemed lost without his wife there to carry one along with him.

Stealing a glance at Mista, who’s sitting in the copilot seat looking at the map of Morioh, he elbows his ribs, earning a glare before he’s looking back in a silent signal so the gunslinger notices Giorno’s struggle.

Clearing his throat, Mista finally speaks. “Need help with the boys, Giogio?”

Giorno hums and Westwood adds, “I’m gonna park the car while you get inside, yes?”

With a quick nod, Mista climbs off first, circling the vehicle and opening the door. He gives Jovi a big smile, cooing at him before he picks him up, closing the door afterwards.

With Giorno carrying Dante on his hip, he and Mista walk up to the front of the small house.

“Man, I knew you got her a nice house but this? This makes me think of her parent’s house.”

Giorno nods, looking down at Dante while the little one leans on his chest, sighing —finally tired out from the flight and the sudden change of environment; the unknown people probably stress him out. “Yeah, it doesn’t look like theirs, but I know she wants to feel like we’re a normal family for once.”

Mista purses his lips, feeling Jovi moving still on his hold. “I get it.” He then looks back at the baby in his arms, inspecting him with caring eyes, gaze drifting to the boy in Giorno’s arms next, noticing how these two angels are the perfect blend of their parents; to Mista, they’re a miracle.

“Gio,” he murmurs and Giorno looks back at him, confused with his sudden change of demeanor. “Helena doesn’t need this house.”

Giorno frowns immediately, opening his mouth to reply instantly when Mista cuts him off, deep brown eyes soft with nostalgia. “As long as you and your boys are with her —wherever you are, she’ll be home. You, Dante and Jovi are her home now.”

Giorno nods, looking forward at the house, finding it hard to contain the grin that crosses his features. The sound of footsteps approaching doesn’t concern them, recognizing Westwood’s gait as he comes to a stop behind them.

“Mista,” Giorno calls. “You are right.”

The gunsling hums, smiling. “Of course, I always am~ Besides, I never thought you would get married or even have a relationship. You didn’t seem like that type of person.”

“I wasn’t,” he answers, walking forward slowly with Mista following him. “But she changed my vision of things. It took her a while to do so and I didn’t even know she was doing it, but in the end,” he strokes Dante’s hair briefly, fingers barely ghosting the baby’s head. “She did it. And now these two are giving me so much joy… I never thought I’d be a father, you know.”

“Yeah, I know. I remember we talked about it when Fugo opened up.”

There’s a moment of comfortable silence as they stop before the door. Giorno quickly finds the keys in his pocket, twirling them on his fingers before he opens the door, pushing it open and walking inside.

“West,” he calls, getting a hum as response. “Any information about her?”

“Not really,” the masked man answers, looking up in a sign that he’s remembering the details. “Fugo sent a message saying they’re okay, apparently she’s stressed, though.”

“With her workload that’s for sure.” Mista comments, sitting down and smiling when Jovi moves until he’s comfortable laying on his chest —holding onto his shirt, his eyes look around the room in search of a certain someone but upon the lack of her presence, all he does is settle down to sleep.

Giorno sighs, imitating Mista —Dante does the same, surprising Mista in the act. “I suppose that’s true. Should I call her?”

“Nah,” Westwood waves, “It’s too late and she’s probably sleeping for tomorrow or doing a shift at the Foundation, who knows.”

The Don can only hum, retrieving his phone and typing quickly, much to his heart’s ache to hear her voice.

Hey angel, how’s everything going?

Received.

Sighing again, he can only hope for the best. “Well, time to put these little ones to bed.”

April 27, 7:55 AM.

“Good morning, Panni.” Lena greets him, stepping into the kitchen with a simple outfit —she doesn’t look up at him, busy with her attempt to put her uniform into her bag in a way that it doesn’t get messed up.

“Good morning, Lena.” Fugo replies, pouring another cup of coffee for her. “Are you on a rush?”

“Not really, I just woke up a little bit earlier —I want to call Giobaby.”

“Oh,” Fugo smiles, warm —one of those smiles he couldn't pull out when he was younger. “Birthday call?”

“Mhm,” she murmurs, sitting in the kitchen stool, dropping her bag by her side. “I miss the boys, too.”

Leaning in the counter as he passes the coffee cup to her, Fugo leans his chin on his hand. “It must be hard to work on your birthday and be away from your family.”

She takes the cup, taking a sip with a sad smile. “Yeah, but it’s not the first time it has happened. I’ve had worse birthdays.”

Silence.

“I’m so stupid, shit,” Fugo frowns, cirlcing the counter quickly. “I didn’t say happy birthday.” getting by her side, he pulls her in for a short and friendly hug, squeezing her briefly before pulling back, getting back at his place on the counter.

“Well, thank you, Panni.” she grins, all traces of sadness long gone. “But you’re not stupid, remember that.”

Fugo nods, taking a sip from his cup. Lena had been the person who started to help him heal, open up, seek help. Giorno and Mista were there too, but the kind of comfort she offered was different, maybe because of her way of treating him; just like his grandmother.

Standing from the stool, Lena makes her way to the fridge, opening and closing it after the ringtone of her phone interrupts her actions. Pulling her phone out, she reads over the name displayed on the screen, answering shortly after.

“Good morning, Mister Kensho.”

Fugo turns around, curious. Watching while she leans on the fridge, looking at the ceiling while she listens to the person on the other side. Suddenly, her eyes shoot forward and she walks directly to his side, motioning at him for paper and pen. Fiddling for a moment, he soon gives her the notebook on the counter, retrieving a pen from his suit.

Writing down a direction, she hums a few times while she listens to the instructions, lips pursed together by the end. With a small salute, she hangs up, looking back at him.

“Something wrong?”

“No really, he just gave me the address to our first stop for the day —the paramedic’s academy.”

Fugo hums, taking the last bit of his coffee in one go. “Can I see it?”

She passes the paper to him. Fugo reads over it a couple of times, recognizing the address Giorno had shown him a few days ago: it was the moment of truth.

“Okay, Lena. I’ll drive you there. Do you have any other instructions?”

She shakes her head, “The usual; arrive dressed casually —put the uniform on once in the facility.”

Fugo hums, “We will get something for breakfast on the way?”

She shakes her head again, “I’d rather have breakfast after the event. Won’t be able to eat comfortably with the pressure of the big event.”

“Oh, right,” Fugo nods, watching her disappear into her room to put on her shoes. Pulling his phone out, he opens the chat with Giorno, typing quickly.

Fugo: Gio, we’re about to head there —thirty minutes aprox.

The bubble pops up as soon as the delivered appears.

Giorno: Okay, does she know?

Fugo: No.

Giorno: Good. Keep up with it.

Hearing the door open, Fugo almost crashes his phone’s screen when he shoves it down onto the counter, playing it off as an accident.

“You okay?” Lena asks, taking her bag from the floor and setting it on the stool before her, opening it to put her makeup bag in.

“Yeah, I just dropped my phone by accident —you know I‘m kinda clumsy in the morning.”

With a nod and a small laugh, she puts her bag on, taking a moment to fix the sports’ bag shoulder strap so the bag ends up by her hip; despite it not seeming good for her back, it has always been a habit. “If you’re clumsy I don’t think I’ll let you drive, Panni.”

Fugo fakes a laugh, standing from the stool and taking the car keys along with him —he’s already dressed and ready.

“You’re sooo funny, Helena.”

She wrinkles her nose as they both walk out, “Of course I am. I’m funny and pretty.”

Fugo shakes his head, laughing genuinely now. “God, I hope the boys don’t do this too.”

She gasps, exaggerated. “Take that back or I will use a fork against you.”

“You don’t have a fork with you.”

“Yeah, but I have my boots.”

“... Okay, okay.”

Exiting from the Foundation, they soon find the Jeep Wrangler parked outside. Hopping in, Lena sets her bag by her feet, taking out her makeup bag while Fugo makes sure everything’s in place.

Driving out of the Morioh Foundation ground, Fugo goes silent, stopping at a red light to tap the address into the GPS. After doing so, he looks over at his friend. She’s putting her eyeliner on, focused and calm.

“Are you sure you don’t want breakfast? I wouldn’t want you to feel hungry or woozy in the middle of the event..”

“Eh,” Lena blinks, making sure the eyeliner is finally dry and the corners of both eyes are equal —symmetrical. “Maybe some apple and cranberry juice?”

Fugo hums, nodding along, speeding up when the green light shows up; “Yeah, why not —I’ll try it too.”

“You’ve never drunk a single cup of it?” Lena’s eyes are the size of dinner plates when she asks, smiling playfully.

“Not really.” Fugo replies, stealing a glance at her, noticing she’s still doing her makeup.

“We’ll change that before we get there.”

Fugo hums again, smiling. From his perspective, buying time was better than lacking it.

9:13 AM.

Hearing the doorbell ring, Vivienne quickly walks up to the door, checking who’s at the other side first. Upon the sight of Vittorio and Pietro outside, looking tired and almost asleep on their feet, she opens the door, stepping aside to let them in.

“How was the flight?” she asks first, seeing them stumbling inside.

“Tiring as fuck,” Vittorio replies, frowning. “But we’re finally here, at least.”

“Yeah,” Pietro sets down the crate. “And the little guy’s here too, he’s a handsome and calm boy; a good boy.”

Vivienne laughs, touched with Pietro’s sudden gush. “I’ll go and tell Gio you’re here.”

“Where is he?” Vittorio asks, stopping Vivienne.

“He’s dressing the twins. The Kishibe’s are helping with the food, I believe.”

“Oh.”

9:46 AM.

Taking the last sip from her cup, Lena’s eyes quickly scan the area, eyebrows twitching when she can’t spot the academy —or at least what she thinks would look like a school; the area was pure houses, fancy ones.

“Panni,” she calls, looking over at her friend. “Are you sure this is the right address? Nothing here looks like a school.”

“Of course,” Fugo frowns, playing along. “I was following the instructions from the GPS from the direction that man told you.”

She presses her lips together, shifting so she can slip her phone out from the pocket on the back of her jeans, looking at the device for a second in hopes of a message —but nothing was there.

The Jeep stops and she looks up at Fugo, lips slightly open and words caught on her throat when Fugo’s grin catches her off guard.

“Lena, you should turn around and see who’s outside.”

Doing as he said, she turns around, facing the door of her seat.

Giorno stands by the other side —a twin on each arm and a grin on his lips, making his eyes stand out. The boys giggle, trying to get her to hug them.

Turning back to Fugo, Lena’s lip trembles while she tries to think of an explanation —but Fugo’s gone, instead appearing by her side, opening the door for her.

“Hi.” Giorno says, seeing her step out with trembling lips and watering eyes, “Happy birthday, love.”

The people outside the house start to clap, making her lean and look over Giorno’s figure —friends and family stand outside the house, bright grins and warm laughs fill the silence; Rohan and Ariel step outside last, with Rohan carrying a small cake and Ari holding on his arm as they walk up to them.

By the time they’re before her, Lena’s tears have started to fall, a hand clasped on her mouth.

“Why?” she asks in a broken voice, a smile trying to take over despite the strange mix of emotions. Although the question catches her husband off guard, he’s quick to recover, leaning over to kiss her forehead as the boys babble, calling for her.

“Because I know you love Morioh, and today, we’ll get to pretend we’re a simple family, like you wanted.”

She grins, murmuring a thank you.

#GioLena #AriHan

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simplycomplicatedwriting · 4 years

Text

Here’s a mini thing I got carried away with (Shane x Farmer)

I was playing with an idea I had for an imagine and pitched it over discord. This is just a copy-paste of the messages I sent about the prompt which turned into a half-assed mini story. It starts off as a prompt but goes into more detail and Yes the tense changes at points- sorry about that, but I was writing this over the course of a few hours between doing other things. I really liked the idea in the end so I thought I’d share :)

Shane x Farmer OC/You except it's an alternative POV Groundhog Day-esque mystery, where Shane's anxiety and low self-esteem makes him question why on Earth the farmer wants to be friends enough that he starts to notice how they can act a little weird. Weird as in the way they pause at random moments before something happens as if they were expecting it when there was no way they could have known, or how they seem to know everything he likes but play it off as a "good guess". Then, of course, the Farmer and Shane fall in love and start dating. Shane notices the Farmer goes to Cindersap forest a lot, and always in a sneaking manner. He hears from Lewis about the weird man who lives in a tower and those insecurities kick in once again. Shane and the Farmer have a fight about it, with the Farmer flatly denying any suggestions and tries to defuse the situation (and they seem to know exactly what to say to calm him down, which only frustrates him further). Shane then goes to investigate on his own and see if the Farmer is cheating on him (which is what he suspects). He finds the wizard in the tower,

[completely out of character dialogue but you get the gist]

Rasmodius: Ah, [Farmer's name]'s husband... what do you want?

Shane: ... husband?

Shane: Who- we're not married. I'm not their husband. Who are you?

Rasmodius: A-hah, finally divorced you, have they? I'm not surprised. If you want a love potion to win them back, that's not how this works

Shane: What are you on about? We have never been married- I've barely known them a year!

An awkward silence ensues and a look of concern washes over the Wizard's face. He mutters something to himself and makes a wave with his hand. Shane is pushed out of the tower against his will and the door slams firmly shut. He goes home confused and still, if not more, upset.

The next morning Shane wanders onto the farm hungover from the night before, him having drunk himself to sleep. As he approached from the upper right from town, he can hear loud voices. Once he gets close enough he see's the wizard on the Farmer's doorstep and the Farmer in the doorway. They're having a heated discussion. The farmer looks like they've been crying. Being the caring boyfriend, Shane goes to the Farmer's defence without hesitation. The wizard gives the farmer a look, which causes them to cast their eyes down. They don't look at Shane.

"You need to fix this," the Wizard states firmly. The harshness and obvious anger in his voice makes the Farmer wince. Shane goes to intervene, but the Wizard leaves too quickly for it to matter.

The Farmer doesn't invite Shane into their house like they normally would. They keep the doorway blocked with their body and come off as reserved. The sight of them causes a pain in Shane's head, like a memory fighting its way to the surface. It makes him blurt, "We've been here before." The Farmer sobs. Shane doesn't comfort them, only looking on in shock and confusion.

"We're were married," The Farmer confesses.

Long ago, in another life, the Farmer had met Shane in the secluded Pelican Town in Stardew Valley. It was like a whole other world, so cut off from the rest of society. The war hadn't reached the valley, nor had it been consumed by modern technology. The other threat to it was Joja mart, which the Farmer swiftly put an end to with the help of the Junimos. Shane and the Farmer married in the Summer of the Farmer's third year. Their love was sweet and naive. It took the Farmer a long time to gain Shane's trust, to learn what he liked and what he didn't, but they enjoyed everyone second of it. Of course, married life was much different from dating. Very quickly the threads of their relationship came undone. Tempers were tested and their love was challenged. Snide comments turned to midnight screaming matches and neither could find common ground. The Farmer was hard-working, but at times struggled to empathise with him. Shane was passionate, but still struggling with his mental health and found it difficult to have any motivation.

That was their first marriage.

With a quick deal, the Farmer was given a second chance to start again. A new life in the same old Pelican Town. A completely clean slate. They knew what they were doing this time. They knew how to woo Shane while also keeping the Farm in good condition. They were like a machine. The two married in the Winter of the Farmer's first year. Shane, unaware of the upper hand the Farmer had, was smitten. He'd found his soulmate. They were perfect together, so of course, when the topic of babies came up, they were quick to make a decision.

"We had kids...?" The memories Shane was getting back were faint and hard to interpret, but he knew the Farmer was telling the truth. He felt sick. The regret that washed over the Farmer's face when he spoke only made it worse.

"You- We, hated it. We were terrible parents. I wasn't fit for it, I-I was too busy all the time, and it stressed you out so much. We weren't happy." The Farmer's voice began to crack. "It just wouldn't stop crying... no matter what we did... it just wouldn't stop."

The Farmer had found themselves on the Witch's doorstep again, ready to make a deal. They had remembered what the Witch had offered them last time and decided to take them up on one of their offers. 'Only you, I and the wizard will have any memories of these events you are about to erase'. With a hefty fee, the Farmer wished for their troubled child to be set free, to be turned into a dove.

This was no easy fix, though. Somehow, in some way, Shane figured it out, and he stood in the rain where he was standing now, looking at the Farmer as they stood in the doorway, hoping- praying for some kind of answer that would make it all better. He relied on the Farmer for that. They always seemed to fix his problems for him, but all the sudden they were the cause.

"You were going to hurt yourself... I couldn't let you go. I had to stop you."

Shane had gone to the cliff edge like he had done times before, but nothing the Farmer had said changed his mind. They were the problem, not the solution anymore.

One more time. Just one more time and they'd get it right. Things would be perfect, and they would be happy. But the Farmer couldn't restart again. They felt themselves getting older both physically and mentally from the constant stress. A different deal with the witch, and with a little extra. Erase the town's memory of Shane and they're relationship. Any trace that they had been any more their friends would be gone. Additionally, for the price of their soul, Stardew Valley would continue to be a secluded, untouched miracle in a war-torn world, where no ill would come to the valley and its inhabitants would stay in their happy little bubble. There would be no death, no ageing, and the outside world would only resume when interacted with. It was a strong spell, but it was worth it for an eternity of paradise. The Farmer could start again with Shane while keeping their progress on the farm and with the rest of the town, that way they would be ready for anything.

"So here we are," The Farmer said with a forced laugh. They looked like how Shane felt- complete and utter shit. Hopeless, lost and hurt was a good way to put it. By now the hidden memories had come back just like any other memory, but it didn't ease Shane. Somehow he could comprehend it all, but what does one do in that situation? Knowing knowledge that shouldn't be known. Sure, the Farmer told him of two instances where they had reset their relationship (and practically time itself), but how many other times had they toyed with this power? How could one determine what was genuine and what was a forced lie implanted into the mind? Shane thought of the child he now remembered. He felt guilty for forgetting. He felt grief for the child he had lost. He felt betrayed, oh so betrayed, by the one he thought he cared for so deeply, who had used and toyed with him like he were some program that could be edited and reset at a whim.

"I hate you,"

Those three words. Three words the Farmer thought they could never withstand hearing from him... but they had. They had more times than they would ever acknowledge. The naive Farmer who came to Stardew Valley would have never survived the heartbreak, but that person was gone- consumed by the determination to fix things. They were barely fazed by the words at this point; the phrase was like a paper cut, it hurt, but only for a moment. Why should they worry, anyway? They'd get it right next time.

"One more time," they said. "It'll be the last and I'll get it right. We'll be happy. I'll wipe the slate clean this time."

#stardew valley #shane #sdv shane #x farmer #oc #reader #imagine #just for fun #gender neutral reader

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