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junkissed · 3 months

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ocean view

member — junhui x f reader genre — romance, smut, strangers to lovers, soulmate au word count — 8.8k synopsis — an all expenses paid trip to greece for your friend's wedding seems too good to be true, but it gets even better when you meet a handsome stranger on the beach. with the help of a mysterious old lady, her magic deck of tarot cards, and one too many coincidences, you're starting to believe things really do happen for a reason. warnings — descriptions of female anatomy, unprotected sex, fingering, marking, an oddly romantic one night stand, mentions of past hookups, reader wears dresses, way too much yearning, happy ending ! notes — my part for the @svthub world tour collab; check out the masterlist here! thanks to @multi-kpop-fanfics for answering all my questions and the biggest thanks ever to @onlymingyus for proofreading & helping me brainstorm throughout !! inspired mostly by the spell mv but also a little bit from nana tour and in the soop bc of the vacation vibes. disclaimer i know nothing about tarot but i did a ton of research so i hope that part makes sense anyway :) this fic was a huge challenge to write so please please reblog if you enjoyed reading, the feedback is super appreciated and it helps me keep writing!! read bonus material here!

they say time flies when you’re having fun.

it felt like just days ago when your best friend had announced she was flying everyone to athens for her destination wedding. between helping prepare for the wedding and getting yourself packed for the trip of a lifetime, a weekend on the beach sounded like exactly what you needed to unwind.

but now that you’re here, you’ve quickly realized that your dreams of lazy spa days, massages, and lounging on chairs in the sand with cocktails aren’t on your friend’s itinerary.

what is on her itinerary, however? clubs. lots of clubs, and bars, and raves.

the night before the wedding, you’d showed up at the place you had all planned to meet at for her bachelorette party, a popular bar right on the beach in the center of everything. you hadn’t been sure what to expect, so you’d worn your swimsuit underneath your sundress just in case. between wedding plans and jet lag, you hadn’t yet had the chance to explore the beaches, and you weren’t about to let your favorite white strappy one-piece go to waste without wearing it the whole trip; especially not when you’re surrounded by gorgeous clear waters you don’t get to see while you’re at home.

you tug at your dress a little awkwardly, a simple off-white piece with buttons all down the front. cute and casual, the perfect thing for an evening on the beach. except an evening on the beach is not what you’re getting.

“next round is on me!”

all the girls let out a cheer, clapping and whooping as they raise their glasses. you’re still not even halfway through your first drink; the night is young, but your friends are more enthusiastic partygoers than you are.

you lean away to check the time on your phone, trying not to feel defeated when you see how early it still is. you’ve been trying to hype yourself up for tonight all weekend, but it doesn’t help that your friends are bigger partiers than you. that isn’t to say that you dislike parties, or that you never go out; but parties like this, huge events with hundreds of people packed into a small space with loud music and flashing lights, aren’t really your ideal way to spend a saturday night. even for such a special, rare occasion like a bachelorette party in another country, you can’t bring yourself to get lost in the scene. you should’ve known how this would go, and yet here you are, standing at a cocktail table by yourself surrounded by drunk women.

you turn back around and suddenly the bar is a sea of unfamiliar faces, everyone around you lost in their own worlds jumping and dancing to the music that booms from the speakers. you stand up on your tiptoes to see above the crowd, trying to push your way through in search of someone you recognize, but it seems like they’ve all vanished.

the pounding of the music is starting to give you a headache, so you down the last of your drink and head away from the bar, pushing past people until the crowd eventually starts to thin and you break out into the open air.

it’s still light outside, but the contrast from the darkened bar makes it feel like stepping into another world. the noise gets quieter the farther away you move, and you find your feet carrying themselves down the beach. you walk backwards, turning to look over your shoulder one more time to see if you can spot your friends, but all you see is a crowd full of strangers.

it’s easier to breathe out here, feeling the freshness of the ocean breeze and the salty air in your lungs as you get further and further from the people and the businesses. you turn around again and almost run straight into a man walking from the opposite direction, and you stumble into his arms before you realize what’s happening. you let out a little squeak in surprise and jump backwards, almost tripping over your own feet but his hand instinctively shoots around your waist to help keep you upright.

your cheeks burn with embarrassment, an apology already ready on your lips, but he beats you to it. “sorry,” he says with a shy laugh, slowly letting go of you and offering his hand for balance as you slip your sandal back on that had come off. he steps back and gives you a polite smile, trying to move out of your way. “you look like you’ve got somewhere to be.”

“the opposite, actually. escaping my friend's bachelorette party," you explain.

"we're in the same boat, then," he chuckles, tucking his hands into the pockets of his shorts. "trying to ditch the bachelor party. it’s a popular place for weddings, huh?”

“seems like it.” you hum, turning to look out over the water. the setting sun glints off the surface, a clear and bright sparkling blue, and you lift your hand to keep the glare out of your eyes. “i just didn’t think it’d be so…”

“…hectic?” he asks, and you laugh a little.

"yeah, you could say that.” a warm breeze ruffles through your sundress, and you cross your arms over your chest. “i guess all weddings are like that, though.”

he nods, following your gaze off into the horizon. you go quiet, listening to the music still loud in the distance and the sound of seagulls cawing above your heads. "i was hoping to get a chance to explore more of the beaches while i'm here. i don’t get to see it often."

"wanna go for a walk?” you ask suddenly, uncrossing your arms. maybe it’s the fresh air of a new place, maybe it’s the comfort of finding another person wanting to get away from it all, but some part of you wants to stay here and find out. you’d wanted to see more of the landscape anyway, and now seems like as good a time as any, especially now that you’ve got company.

he looks over at you, judging your expression before his face softens. “that sounds perfect.”

it’s still early enough that the beach is still mostly full of tourists, adults lounging on towels while reading books and kids splashing water at each other and playing in the sand. you walk further down the beach, passing in front of a grey haired old woman sitting cross-legged on a towel, shuffling a deck of cards in her wrinkled hands.

"always lovely to see couples enjoying the islands,” she calls out to you. there’s an almost rhythmic lilt to her voice, and it’s so sudden that it makes both of you pause and turn around, having paid her no mind as you walked past before. she gestures down at the deck and you finally notice that she’s holding a set of tarot cards, a deep matte black that seems to glitter and sparkle even while shadowed. “would you like a reading?”

your cheeks start to warm, and you push down the butterflies that flutter to life when she assumes you’re together. "oh, no, we're not—”

"sure," jun says over you, and you sneak a glance up at him when you think he's not looking. "how much?"

she clucks her teeth and shakes her head, staring directly at you although she’s answering his question. "no, no, no, my dear. just offering a bit of friendly advice. won’t cost you a thing."

jun nods, but she seems like she’s waiting for your answer so you quickly nod, too. “okay. what… do we have to do?”

she places her palms over the deck and closes her eyes, falling silent. you stand in front of her, feeling a little awkward to be hovering over her like this, but she it’s like she doesn’t even notice. you share a look with jun, but after a beat he grabs your hand and grins as if to say, just go along with it.

her eyes suddenly fly open and she seems pleased with whatever she was doing. “i knew i could feel it,” she says cryptically as she begins shuffling the cards. “but let’s just see what fate has to say about it.”

she stops and pulls the top two cards from the deck, placing them face down on the towel as she motions at them with her hand. at her signal, jun bends forward and turns over one of the cards, reading it aloud. “ace of cups.”

“ace of cups,” she repeats. “an invitation. the open, uninhibited flow of emotions, creativity, and love; the awakening of your spirit. this is a new beginning for you, the start of a new season. trust yourself and your feelings, and embrace the opportunity to grow with your emotions.”

jun nods seriously like he’s taking in her words, but you can see the hint of a smile at the corner of his lips that he’s trying to suppress.

she looks at you expectantly, and you hesitate before realizing she’s waiting for you to flip over the second card. you cheeks heat as you read it, but you try not to let it show. “the… lovers?”

she smiles, and although her face looks kind you have a sense that there’s something she’s not telling. “the lovers,” she says, almost solemnly. “many people think this card is strictly about romance. and in some ways it is, but what it really represents is a choice. two diverging paths, two responsibilities. will you choose with your head, or with your heart?”

she stares at you for another moment, then looks back at jun. you both stay quiet and still, subconsciously hanging on her every word as she pauses, clearly having more to say. “having these two cards come up together… now, that’s fascinating for you two, isn’t it?”

you find yourself nodding silently, although you have no idea why. you feel jun’s hand in yours, warm and soft and grounding, and the smallest shiver runs down your spine.

“the lovers and the ace of cups are the potential for new beginnings and the fulfillment that comes with following your heart,” she says, her eyes locked with yours. “this is a very powerful and meaningful connection, but only if you make the choice that is most heartfelt. you must be willing to be your most authentic self and hold nothing back. keep your eyes open, and you will be rewarded with profound joy and happiness.”

immediately you turn to look at jun to see his reaction. he looks just as confused—but is that a hint of excitement in his eyes?—as you do. the woman’s words are… cryptic, to say the least, but it stirs up a feeling of excitement in the back of your mind that you’re trying to ignore. it probably doesn’t mean what you think it does, right?

"hey, wait, so what does—”

you turn back to look at the woman for another explanation, but there's no one there. the beach is empty except for you and jun and the slowly setting sun, a few boats tied up at the dock. you’ve walked so far down the beach that even the distant music has faded into obscurity and you’re left standing alone together, surrounded by nothing but the sounds of the waves. even the wind has died down, and it feels eerily quiet but in an almost comforting sort of way, to be alone together in a place like this.

"you believe in that kind of stuff?" you ask curiously as jun starts to walk away.

"mm… not really. but she seemed like a lonely old lady. i thought it'd make her day." he looks down at your entwined hands and squeezes lightly, almost teasing as you look up and see the grin on his face. "why, do you?"

you can't help the butterflies that instantly flutter to life in your stomach when you feel his warm hand in yours, but you shrug. "why not?"

jun doesn't reply, just nodding thoughtfully as you continue to walk hand in hand.

with the way the atmosphere has suddenly changed, it feels like time has stopped as you meander your way along the edge of the water. you chat off and on with jun, but there’s a hefty amount of silence that neither one of you feels obligated to fill. talking to jun feels like talking to an old friend, and maybe it’s the beautiful scenery or maybe it’s the way both of you had found yourselves here looking for company.

after a while you come to a stop just below the rocks where you’d started. your footprints from where you’d run into each other are still visible, little indents in the damp sand, and it reminds you of what you were running away from in the first place. maybe you don’t want to run anymore.

"well…” jun says, inhaling slowly. "we should get you back to your friends. i'm sure they're looking for you."

"would it be so bad if i said i didn't want to find them?"

he pauses to gauge your reaction, and you don’t miss the flicker in his eyes as he looks at you. after a moment nods and points up the shallow cliffs, towards a little stone staircase worn down from years of being travelled on. "my hotel is just up there. if… if you wanted to stay a little longer? with me?"

you pull your lip between your teeth, looking up at him and the way the fading sunlight shines through his soft brown waves, and it only takes a second to make your decision. “i’d really like that.”

it turns out that missing out on your friend’s party for a few more hours is an easy price to pay for more time with jun.

the door of his hotel room barely has time to shut before your hands are on each other. you tug him closer by shirt with an eagerness you rarely allow yourself and he immediately reciprocates, pulling you by the waist until you’re pressed chest to chest.

his hand skims over your collarbone towards your neck, and you shiver at the warmth of his fingers caressing the side of your jaw. he angles your chin upwards and leans in as you meet him halfway and your lips finally touch, a low sound escaping from your throat as his nose brushes your cheek.

he makes a soft noise as he inhales, deepening the kiss until you feel your knees go weak. his hand cups your jaw harder, trying to draw you further into him, unwilling to break apart. he kisses you so softly yet you can still feel the intensity behind every movement of his lips, exploring your mouth with a gentleness that feels more natural than anyone you’ve ever kissed before.

jun curls his arm around you tighter, and you’re sure he can hear how fast your heart is beating as he kisses you again and again until you’re breathless. you slide your hands away from his chest and start to undo the buttons at the front of your dress, but he stops you. you look up and meet his gaze as his hand on your cheek moves to wrap around your waist, carefully walking you backwards until the backs of your knees hit the bed and you let yourself fall back onto it.

he lets out a quiet groan as you pull him down with you, landing on top of you and catching himself on his forearms beside your head. his face is inches away from yours, staring into your eyes for a beat before he presses down to capture your lips again.

his kisses feel like magic, and you almost forget exactly what you’re here to do. you’d be content to spend hours with his lips on yours and nothing else, but you’re quickly pulled away from it when he sits back and starts to slide his hands down your body, his nimble fingers skillfully undoing the buttons of your dress one by one.

he pulls the fabric away and lets it fall to the floor before leaning to kiss you again, and a grateful sigh slips from your lips at his touch. your fingers tug at his shirt and he breaks away once more to quickly pull it off over his head, tossing it behind him without a second thought.

your hands slide earnestly across his body, your fingertips trailing down his torso and the deep lines of his abs. his fingers brush over your swimsuit in tandem, tracing the cutouts of the fabric where your skin is visible and making you prickle with goosebumps at his touch.

he seems equally as content to just continue doing this, but eventually his hands make their way upwards and gently slip the straps off your shoulders. he doesn't move any further than that, waiting for you to move instead, his fingers resting at the base of your neck just beneath your chin.

you follow his actions and shimmy the suit down, letting it bunch up at your hips. only then does he finally break apart from you, moving his mouth down to your exposed breast and letting his tongue glide over your peaked nipple. your skin tastes like salt and sweat, like sunny days and warm breezy nights, and he can't get enough of you.

the first moan you let out is like music to his ears, and immediately he craves more of them. he wraps his mouth around your other nipple while keeping his hands attached to your body like magnets, desperate to be the one to draw more of those pretty noises from your lips.

you lift your hips just a little and he quickly gets the hint, wordlessly pushing his fingers between your skin and the fabric of your swimsuit before tugging it all the way off. he pulls it down your legs and you help him kick it away, leaving you completely bare beneath him.

your hands slide across his shoulders and up the back of his neck, tangling in his hair with another moan that sends a shiver down his spine. you can’t help but roll your hips upwards against his body, squirming for more friction as your nails scratch at his scalp.

his face stays buried in your chest for a long time, moving between your breasts and planting wet kisses all along your skin. your head is spinning at the sight of this gorgeous man working his magic on your body, his hands wandering up and down with a tender purpose. you don't even know his name but you already know you're gonna be thinking about this night for months, probably even years. you're shocked at how good he is at this; there's a melancholy feeling looming in the back of your mind, knowing that this is probably the first and only night you’ll get to spend with him, but you don't have time to focus on that when you have the tingly feeling in your stomach to focus on instead.

despite not saying anything aloud you can tell exactly what he wants from you, and something about how easy this is sends a feeling of relief through you. all of the mistakes of your past hookups feel like a distant memory. there’s none of the empty conversations meant to do nothing more than fill the silence and the awkward, tentative movements that you’ve become accustomed to from strangers who aren’t familiar with your body.

but something about the way jun touches you does feel familiar, like you’ve been waiting all your life for it, for him. his silence, something that most of your partners in the past had fought so hard to avoid, now only leaves more room for you to enjoy the sounds that often go overlooked: the wet hum as his lips connect with your skin, the distant crash of waves outside the window, the quiet whir of the ceiling fan.

jun leans down and kisses you again, shifting on top of you as his hand wanders down your hips. you pull him closer and let your hand travel a similar path, and you bite your lip in excitement when your fingers skim over the bulge straining against his shorts.

he lets out a strangled noise almost like a whimper at the contact but the sound only encourages you to add more pressure, soaking in his reactions. he whines again, pushing his hips into your hand and exhaling a shaky breath as you continue to palm him, feeling the hard outline of his cock as he struggles to keep his composure.

his knee is against your thigh and he repositions himself to press it higher between your legs, returning the favor and giving you something to grind on. instinctively your legs widen a little to give him easier access, and he rewards you with another hot, messy kiss.

you groan at the feeling, pushing your hips down towards him and rubbing yourself on him. it’s a little rough at first, but you’re already so wet that it doesn’t take long before his knee is coated in your arousal and you slide along him easily.

after a minute he pulls back just an inch, giving you room to breathe, but one hand is still on your hip and the other curled behind you to support your neck. “good?” he asks breathlessly, and even though it’s clear as day that you’re enjoying this as much as he is, you still nod and give him an encouraging smile, and he returns it with a smile of his own. “just let me know,” he says, and the sultry yet sweet tone of his voice makes your heart skip a beat.

at your approval his hand begins to wander again, trailing over the top of your thigh. his finger slowly make their way down and you shiver, your hand stilled against his abdomen as you anticipate his next move.

you take this moment to get a good look at him; you’d been too shy to stare earlier on the beach, unsure how things were going to go. but now that he’s on top of you, shirtless and obviously just as eager as you are, you let your gaze roam unabashedly across his body. your eyes glide over his torso, the hollow slope of his collarbones and his hardened nipples, the deep-set grooves of his abs and the faint lines of his ribs beneath his skin. you want to reach out to touch him and run your hands over every inch of him, but you’re trying to be patient. and although you know your time here is limited, it seems like jun is only just getting started.

his fingers finally make it to your inner thighs, tracing the area around your pussy, but it’s still not close enough for your liking. you wiggle a little to try and encourage him, whining softly and letting out a little plea. his lips quirk up and he nods, his grip on the back of your neck tensing and tangling in your hair.

his fingers finally brush against your entrance and you gasp, writhing at how gentle his touch is. he dips his middle finger into your heat before pulling it back out, trailing upwards to your clit to circle it for a moment before heading back down and repeating the process. it’s barely enough, yet it leaves you breathless almost instantly.

he’s staring down between your legs with an intense focus, spreading your arousal around before sinking back into you for more. and just when you think you can’t take it anymore, he pushes his finger in deeper, holding it still for a second even though you’ve already adjusted to it. he waits until you start moving, arching your back and trying to get him to go further, before he adds his ring finger and begins slowly thrusting both fingers in and out together.

you whimper and curse under your breath, trying to roll your hips to match his rhythm. he starts to curl his knuckles and you swear you see stars, despite the fact that he’s barely moving at all.

after a moment when you’ve regained the ability to breathe normally again you start to move your hand back against his bulge, shaky fingers dipping beneath the waistband of his shorts. you wrap your hand around him and your eyes widen at the thickness, the heavy weight of him in your hand and how you’re sure he must be aching by now. you feel the way his cock jerks when you squeeze ever so slightly, his fingers inside you freezing for a split second as his brain tries to process before he plunges them in even deeper, curling into you with even more fervor than before.

you hold him tighter and run your thumb over his tip, swollen and leaking with precum. he gets a little noisier with every move you make, unable to contain the pleasure he gets even from this. even the smallest touches from each other have both of you on edge in a way you’ve never felt before, drawn to each other like no one you’ve ever had before.

his clothes in the way are starting to frustrate you, so after another second you release his cock and move your hand up to the waistband of his shorts instead, trying to tug them down but it’s difficult from the position you’re both laying in.

“please,” you pant out desperately after having little success, and he obliges, pushing his shorts away as fast as possible before resuming his motions. he’s still almost completely ignoring himself as he continues to focus on you and only you, and his complete devotion gives you another boost of confidence.

now freed, his hard cock slaps against your thigh and you moan happily at finally being able to see all of him. it looks even better than it felt, thick veins bulging out across his length and his tip flushed a deep red. you wrap your hand around him once more, flicking your wrist as you start to jerk up and down.

his fingers curl upwards to massage the spot that makes your eyes roll back, and if you had any functioning thoughts left you would’ve marvelled at the fact that he was able to find it so easily, but you’re too busy arching your back against his pillow to think about that.

he can feel you starting to clench harder around him, making his fingers stutter inside you, so he pushes his other hand down on your hip to stop you from moving so much. he pulls his fingers out and your eyes dart back up to his face for an explanation, unable to stop the whimper that escapes from you at the loss, but the look in his eyes instantly puts you at ease. you can already tell he knows what he’s doing, and somehow he seems to know exactly what you need, so for once you don’t mind sitting back and letting someone else call the shots.

“can i fuck you now?” he murmurs, and it takes you a second to even hear what he said because you’re shocked at how low and rough his tone is since the last time you heard him speak. he wipes his fingers against the inside of your thigh as he waits for your reply, and you shiver at the cool wetness on your skin.

the best you can manage is a stuttered “yes”, and without a word of acknowledgement he pulls you off the bed, guiding you off your back and onto your hands and knees.

you let out a squeak at the sudden change but you let it happen, and a second later you hear his voice beside you, his breath warm against your ear. “still okay?” he asks, and despite the gruffness in his voice you can still hear the soft edge to his words.

“yeah,” you repeat, suddenly losing the ability to say anything else to express your pleasure, but somehow you know he understands. your stomach flutters at the low tone of his voice, steady and calm but so full of warmth and lust.

you feel the heat from his face move away from your skin, and you know he’s sitting up on his knees behind you. his hands slide down your sides, reaching under you to cup your boobs with both hands as he groans at the feeling. you let out a matching whine, pushing your hips back against him to feel his hard length against the soft flesh of your ass.

his hands still holding your breasts, he leans down over you to keep you flush to his body, your back pressed against his chest. he presses a kiss in between your shoulder blades, letting his tongue trace lightly over the ridges of your spine.

you grind backwards against him harder, your body on fire from his kisses as he starts to suck gently at the back of your shoulder. you’re not sure if it’s hard enough to leave marks, but you kind of hope they do, because then you’d be sure this encounter wasn’t a dream. what other explanation is there for the fact that you’ve not only met the most handsome man you’ve ever seen in your life, but that you’re currently on your hands and knees in his bed as he runs his lips over every single inch of you, waiting for him to fuck you? it’s too good to be true.

but it is true, and you know it when he pulls away to brush your hair to the side and expose more of your back for him. his fingers are still so gentle against your skin, his touch heavy but soft, and it makes you even more desperate for him.

after a while he lets go of you and leans back, taking his cock in his hand and gently tapping it against your ass. you groan and fall forward, pressing your face into the pillows and arching your hips up into the air. his hands slide down your sides, gripping your waist with a low groan as he leans forward to kiss the side of your neck again.

he finally pushes all the way into you, and it feels so good it takes your breath away for a second. you can feel your walls throbbing around him, struggling to adjust to the feeling of being so full in the best way, a way you haven’t felt this strongly in so long. it’s a feeling like no other, and it makes you wonder why you ever settled for anything else before this.

his hands are all over you like he can’t decide what to do first, but after a while they settle at your hips and give them an encouraging squeeze, waiting patiently for you to set the pace. finally you bring yourself to move, tipping forward to let him slide out of you just a bit before you lean back into him.

he adapts quickly to your rhythm, thrusting in and out and matching your pace, using his grip on your waist for leverage to push himself deep inside with every stroke.

“fuck,” he moans under his breath, finally breaking the silence, and with just that one sound you feel yourself starting to let go.

the words tumble out of your mouth and you ball your fists into his sheets, clinging to the bed to keep you grounded while your head is spinning. “please, please, yes—”

everything finally hits you all at once, like a tidal wave pouring over you as you fall forward and bury your face into the pillow with a broken whimper.

“don’t stop, please,” you whine breathlessly. your words are muffled by the pillow, but you can tell he’s heard them because his grip on your hips tightens even more, slamming into you with just as much force as before and carrying you through your orgasm.

jun has to bite his lip not to sail right over the edge with you, focusing all his energy on holding himself back until he feels your body go limp all at once, the waves finally subsiding and you let out a deep, pleasured exhale. he’s so close he can practically taste it, his skin flushed and damp with sweat and his abs burning with exertion. only once he’s absolutely sure that you’ve finished cumming does he let himself break, pulling out as fast as he can and wrapping his fist around his length with all the energy he has left.

he moans weakly at the loss of your tight, warm walls hugging him so perfectly, but the view as he jerks himself over you all but makes up for it. the sight of your ass pressed flush against his thighs, your lower back arched and on display like a gorgeous blank canvas, and it gives him such a rush until he can’t hold on anymore.

the warm, sticky liquid hits your back and you whimper into the pillow, instinctively lifting your hips even more towards him. his cum spurts out in thick ropes, painting your skin and pooling in the little divot at the base of your spine, running down your ass until it feels like you’re soaked in it.

he finally pulls back and lets out the breath he didn’t know he was holding in, groaning as he sees you sitting still on the bed with your hips in the air. you feel the bed shift with his weight as he gets up, but you don’t pay any attention to it as you focus on trying to steady your breathing instead. something in your gut tells you to stay put, and sure enough, a minute later you hear the sink running and then feel the cool fabric of a damp washcloth brushing over your back.

he lays his hand on your ass and gently gives it a little squeeze to signal that he’s finished, and you finally fall over onto your side. you’re coasting on cloud nine, and everything feels both dulled and hypersensitive at the same time. the whir of the overhead fan is a little more prominent now, and the quiet drone echoes around in your brain.

“do you need water? or do you want a snack, or something?” jun asks, and while his voice still has a touch of shakiness as he’s recovering himself, you can tell his tone is back to the gentle and polite sound you’ve become used to hearing from him.

you shake your head, and he hums softly in acknowledgement as he points to the nightstand on the side of the bed closest to you. “there’s an extra water bottle there, if you need it. i haven’t opened it.”

you nod against the sheets, suddenly too tired to even think about forming words. jun climbs back onto the bed next to you, stretching out his long limbs and leaning against the headboard with a satisfied sigh.

you surprise yourself when your body automatically reaches out for him, curling into his body and laying your hand across his forearm like a weight keeping him close. but what surprises you even more is when he mirrors the action, scooting closer to you and letting your head rest against his stomach. your first thought is that he makes a very comfortable pillow, and you let your eyes fall shut for a moment as your breathing returns to normal, wanting to savor this moment as you collect yourself and prepare to leave.

you open your eyes what feels like minutes later, but when you reach over to check your phone you realize you’ve been asleep for more than an hour. you inhale slowly and swallow, blinking a few times as the sore feeling in your hips reminds you of where you are.

instinctively, you start to panic a little. your friends are probably looking for you. you disappeared without telling anyone, and now you have to get back to your hotel and make sure you have enough time to sleep properly and get ready for the wedding in the morning. never mind that it was probably the best night you’ve ever spent with another person, and never mind that your friends are probably still out partying and haven’t even noticed you missing yet.

you slide off of the bed as quietly as you can, stumbling a little when your feet hit the floor. you crouch down to pick up your swimsuit off the floor and put it on, hopping on one foot as you slip each leg through the holes. it's darker outside now, but the street lamps and the moonlight shining through the sliding glass door that leads to the balcony of his hotel room are bright enough that it still feels like day. you're so focused on getting dressed and mentally running over your to-do list that you completely forget there's another person in the room until you hear his voice cutting through the silence.

“you don’t have to do that, y’know.”

you freeze and look up, your half-buttoned dress hanging loosely from your shoulders, your cheeks burning at the realization you’ve been caught.

jun swings his legs off the bed, crossing the room in a couple of strides before he’s standing in front of you. he’s wearing nothing except for the boxer shorts he threw on right before you fell asleep, and your cheeks flush even harder at the sight, despite the fact that you’ve already seen much more of him than this.

it takes every ounce of restraint you have to keep your eyes from straying, locked on his face before your gaze falls quickly to the floor where your sandals are left in a heap.

you didn’t mean to sneak off. but what else were you supposed to do? you hadn’t meant to fall asleep and stay as long as you did, either, and now you were stuck with the awkward conversation that always comes afterwards. the inevitable hurried goodbyes and uncomfortable tension as you try to put yourself back together and leave as fast as possible.

jun takes a small step closer to you, and despite all the confidence you know he has, it feels almost… tentative. as if you’re meeting for the first time and he isn’t sure whether or not he’s allowed to touch you yet.

there's a lingering feeling that you can't quite put your finger on yet. it's conflicting, because you know you can't stay but everything in you is screaming not to leave. maybe there's something you can do, anything you can do. is it all worth it? to turn your life around in a complete 180 for someone you barely even know— and yet, the last few hours that you’ve spent with him have been incomparably the best of your life.

after a moment he reaches out and starts to finish buttoning your dress for you, his fingers working them back through the loops with just as much care as he did when he was taking them off earlier.

“sorry,” you manage quietly, though you’re not even really sure what you’re apologizing for. a lot of things: sorry for running away, sorry for having feelings you probably shouldn’t be feeling, sorry for knowing this won’t work out despite the way you really, really wish it could.

but he just shakes his head as he finishes buttoning the last button. “i took it off. i can help you put it back on, too.” you can tell he knows what you had actually meant, but he’s ignoring it either for your sake or his. something about his words feels so easy, like all the problems in your head don’t mean anything anymore. here you are, an anxious and awkward and confused mess, and there he is, smoothing out the wrinkles in your dress like it’s something he’s been doing all his life.

he adjusts the strap on your shoulder with a gentle pat, but his hands linger for a few seconds longer than they should, and you lift your eyes to meet his. “can i kiss you again?” he asks quietly, and for some reason his choice of words sticks with you. not one final kiss, not a goodbye kiss, just again. like he’s refusing to admit this will probably be the last time you’ll ever see each other.

and you nod, and his hands slide up to cup your cheeks and pull you back into his lips, just as warm and just as soft and just as familiar as the first time. there’s something so innocent about kissing him, even in the midst of a complicated and confusing mess of emotions that makes you second guess everything. somewhere in the back of your mind you vaguely register that this is the last time you’ll ever kiss him, but as long as his lips are on yours it doesn’t matter. you’ll figure out how to deal with all that later; for now, the only thing you’re concerned about is the way he grips your chin and pulls you even closer.

it feels like hours later when you finally pull away, letting out a slow exhale as you try to blink yourself back to reality, and you know what has to happen now. “can you find your hotel on your own? do you want me to walk back with you?” jun asks, and you can feel the hesitancy in his voice.

“it’s not far,” you sigh quietly, turning away to slip your feet into your sandals that wait by the bed where you’d taken them off earlier. you should’ve said yes. “but… thank you.” your words hold a sincere weight to them, and it’s silent for a few seconds as you cross the room quicker than you want to.

“you could stay,” he says finally, but his hand is already on the doorknob and you both already know the answer. you hate that you have to be the one to tell him no, even though it’s been clear from the start what the outcome would be. you give him a small shake of your head, and he pulls on the knob.

he stands and stares for a minute, watching you walk down the hallway and praying you’ll turn around. and then you do, glancing back at him over your shoulder, and he almost allows himself to have a little bit of hope that you might come back, even though you both know you can’t. when you find him still standing in the doorway your eyes light up just the slightest bit, and finally you disappear with a tiny little wave.

the door clicks shut again, and the silence that follows is louder than anything he’s heard all day.

“and you didn’t even get this guy’s number?!”

you wince at the tone in jeonghan’s voice, rubbing the back of your shoulder guiltily. “his name, either.”

“even after the magic old lady said all that shit about soulmates?”

“she didn’t say that!” you huff. your tone rises almost defensively, although it probably has no reason to. she didn’t say anything about being soulmates… right? “she said something like, ‘keep your eyes open for stuff around you’. but he said he didn’t even believe in it, anyway.”

a waiter carrying a tray of champagne glasses walks past, and he snags a couple of them, holding one out to you. “well, it doesn’t sound like you’re keeping your eyes open. it sounds more like your eyes are closed, actually. are you blind?”

you scowl and take the glass from him. “my flight home is tonight, hannie. i’m not gonna see him again.” you take a sip, letting it sit in your mouth for a second before you swallow. “and besides, he said he was here for a wedding, too. he could be from anywhere in the world. it would be impossible to find him.”

“doesn’t hurt to at least try.” you both stop in front of a circular table covered in flowers, with a little placard next to one of the plates with jeonghan’s name on it. “i guess this is my table. you want me to help you look for yours?”

you shake your head, pointing to a table a little ways away. “i saw mine on the way in, it’s over there.”

“whatever,” he hums at you, but you know he’s just teasing. “i still wouldn’t blame you if you ditched and ran off to try and find him.”

“not happening!” you call over your shoulder as you walk away, matching his playful tone. but you can’t help but feel like maybe he’s right.

jun taps his fingers against the table, staring mindlessly at the bubbles floating in his glass of champagne. he’s stuck in his head— no, that’s not right. that’s not the problem. you’re stuck in his head. it’s nearly a full day later and he hasn’t been able to stop thinking about you, the taste of your lips, the feel of your breasts in his hands, the scent of the shampoo in your hair. if that wasn’t the most perfect hookup in the history of hookups, then he doesn’t wanna know what is.

he still feels bad for not even paying attention during the ceremony, because he was too busy imagining you and him up there on the altar kissing instead. god, what he wouldn’t give for another kiss like that. but just like you, he knows it never would’ve worked out, and despite the what-ifs that are chewing him up inside and the fact that he definitely, absolutely, totally would’ve tried to make it work however large the distance was, he knows it’s probably for the better. even if it means he’s gonna spend the rest of his life pining after a girl he met on vacation for less than a single day, and he’ll never even know your name.

he takes a swig of his champagne and tries to put on a cheery face. this is a wedding, after all, and he can’t afford to spend all his time pouting when he’s in a beautiful city by the seaside enjoying delicious food and near perfect weather.

and then he sees you.

not really, of course, because it’s probably the champagne going to his head after chugging the majority of his glass like a frat boy at a college party. but then he blinks, and it really is you, wandering around for a second before you sit down at a table on the other side of the venue, wearing a soft blue dress that’s even prettier than the one he saw you in yesterday.

he blinks again, not fully believing that it’s you and not just the combined effect of the alcohol and his daydreams, but you’re still there when he opens his eyes again. and he knows it’s you, because he can see the faint hickies on your back and shoulders that you clearly tried to hide with makeup but couldn’t fully reach.

the chances that he’d see you again—not even that, but the chances that you’d be attending the very same wedding he was—must be one in a billion. maybe even more. yet there you are, picking at your nail and staring wistfully at your empty plate as you wait for the reception to start.

he stares for another minute, just to make sure you’re actually real, before he stands up and makes his way to the terrace at the back of the venue where the groom is standing next to a tower of cupcakes.

“gyu,” he greets him, “hey. are we allowed to switch tables?”

“i… don’t think so?” mingyu hums, a little off guard by the sudden question. “i made sure we put you next to hao, but—”

“if i give you twenty bucks, can you put me at table 8 instead?” jun’s eyes flicker with desperation, and he has to force himself not to look back over at you.

mingyu whines apologetically and hesitates, glancing at his bride a little ways away as she talks to a table full of guests. “she did all this planning, jun, i can’t just change everything now…”

“it’s not changing everything.” jun pulls his wallet out of his pants pocket, already rifling through the bills. “i’ll make it a hundred. mingyu, please, just switch me,” he says.

the whine in jun’s voice makes him pause, and he bites his lip as he considers it. on one hand, he could have his brand new wife a little bit mad at him for a while (who’ll probably forgive him the second she gets in bed with him tonight), plus get to help his friend and get an easy hundred dollars out of it. or, on the other hand… he could not help him, and his wife would never know, and jun would probably hate him for some unknown reason even though he doesn’t think jun has a single bone in his body capable of hating anybody. the decision is easy.

mingyu takes the bills from jun’s hand and stuffs them in his pocket before anyone can notice. “go ahead,” he says, tossing his head in the direction of the table. “i don’t know what it is you want, but don’t let anybody see you.”

“thanks! i owe you!” jun grins and hugs him, letting out a noise almost like a squeal before he turns and dashes away.

you’re barely paying attention to the reception anymore as you sit with your chin in your hands, again mentally running over all the things you need to pack and how on earth you’re going to be able to board your flight tonight and leave everything behind. the beaches, the city… and him. how are you supposed to just get on a plane and get on with your life, knowing that he’s out there somewhere in the world, and you’re never going to see him again.

you’re trying not to sulk, but you can’t help the way your mood has been sour all morning, already filled with regrets and you haven’t even left yet. maybe you should’ve skipped the wedding altogether and spent another day in his bed, wrapped up between his sheets and lying in his arms. but then the rational part of your brain reminds you that he was also in town for a wedding, so even if he’d wanted to or even been okay with doing that, he probably had other plans anyway.

you’re still trying to figure out what to do about your hopeless situation when you hear a sound close behind you. it startles you into putting a smile on your face, preparing yourself to socialize although you really aren’t in the mood to.

“is this seat taken?” jun asks as he pulls out the chair to your left and sits down.

your brows furrow in confusion, trying to place the familiar voice, until you turn around and your jaw drops when you see who it belongs to.

you stare at him in shock, your eyes darting back and forth between his trying to figure out what to say. “you’re not joshua,” is the best you can come up with as your mouth hangs open and you whip your head around to check the list of names assigned to this table. you recognize them all, yet here he is: the nameless stranger you’ve fallen so helplessly in love with in so short an amount of time.

he smiles at your reaction, and it’s such a genuine smile that you know he’s feeling exactly the way you do right now. “i guess you’re right. i’m not.” he brushes the name card in front of him to the side and sets his own down in its place instead before he holds out his hand to shake. “it’s nice to meet you. i’m jun.”

you pause for a minute, staring at his hand. you can’t believe this is real, you can’t believe he’s real; you’d almost been able to convince yourself that the whole encounter last night was a fever dream, if you hadn’t woken up in the morning with a soreness between your legs that screamed that it definitely was not a dream.

finally you reach out and take his hand, and even in that little touch you can tell it really is him, from the way your heart picks up when you feel the familiar softness of his skin and the gentle squeeze that sends goosebumps down your arm.

“it’s nice to meet you, too.”

i hope you enjoyed this!! if you did, consider reblogging or leaving a comment or an ask :) it shows me this is something people want to see more of, and knowing people like this makes me want to write more of it! thanks for reading!!

if you want to be notified when i post a new fic, you can join my taglist here!

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melrosing · 5 months

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What do you think of the Sansa bullied Arya take if you don’t mind me asking (just don’t answer if you don’t want to haha)

per my usual practice on Controversial Topics im putting this under a cut

At the real risk of that lot showing up in my notes again, I think this ‘Sansa bullies Arya’ pins their pre AGOT dynamic squarely on Sansa herself, rather than the way they are both being raised by the adults around them to behave towards one another. Sure, Sansa is mean to Arya sometimes during their childhood! We don’t have a lot of examples besides the oft-mentioned ‘horseface’ insults, but I think it’s fair to assume that more often than not, Sansa was looking down on Arya. Meanwhile, Arya herself feels inadequate and like she just can’t do anything right. She resents Sansa, but also worries that Sansa’s opinion of her may be true.

Fine. But where has Sansa’s opinion of Arya come from? Is it her cold black heart? Fucking no, it’s come from Septa Mordane, Catelyn, and whoever else surrounds them growing up. The men don’t seem to really give much of a shit how Arya acts because it’s not their business and she’s just a kid anyhow, but the women pointedly give many shits. In our first scene with Arya, Septa Mordane scolds her for not being good at ‘women’s work’, and there’s plenty to suggest that this is just another day in the life for Arya. Meanwhile, Sansa gets the carrot for excelling. Both Arya and Sansa are learning their own worth in this chapter, and the worth of one another. Sansa internalises the praise whilst learning that Arya is bad, and everything she mustn’t be. Arya internalises the criticisms whilst learning that Sansa is good, and everything she can never be.

They’ll be getting this from Catelyn as well. Catelyn clearly adores both her daughters, and will move heaven and earth to get them back in ACOK. But one good adjective for Catelyn is ‘dutiful’ - it’s in her house words, and it’s how she’s lived her life up to AGOT. Doing as she’s told, even when it pains her. She expects the same of her daughters, and finds those expectations satisfied in Sansa’s case, and apparently flouted in Arya’s. So again, from their own mother, Sansa internalises that Arya is bad, and that she, Sansa, is good. Arya internalises the same. If societal standards were reversed, perhaps it would be Arya lording over Sansa, but such as it is, it’s Sansa over Arya.

Now, Sansa is a child. When children are told over and over that X is good and Y is bad, they generally don’t question it, at least until they're older and more experienced in the world. They will also parrot what they hear, often in graceless ways. Because they’re children. Sansa is told that Arya wilfully misbehaves because she’s bad, and so Sansa thinks: then I should look down on Arya. It sounds like Sansa mostly keeps her distance from her sister pre AGOT. Not always - they play together sometimes - but a lot of the time. She has internalised the teaching that Arya is an aberration, and as she herself knows the adults value obedience in girls, and she wants to please them so badly, the distance between her and Arya demonstrates to them just how good she is - she won’t descend to Arya’s behaviour.

When Sansa does interact with Arya (pre Darry), we see her being a bit bossy - telling Arya what to do, etc. Sansa is replicating what she has seen the adults do with Arya, and is mimicking them to assert her own position as the good, obedient child. If Arya ever doesn’t want to do something, it can only be because she’s bad.

[sidenote, it all really reminds me of these short stories me and my sister used to get read a lot as kids, called My Naughty Little Sister (lmao) by Dorothy Edwards. They're pretty old and I don’t think they ever got major circulation outside Britain, but for anyone unfamiliar, you can probably guess how these stories go. There’s an elder sister, good and obedient, who narrates short tales of her ‘naughty little sister’ doing terrible things like idk, making a terrible mess etc, and going ‘now I’m sure you [the child audience] wouldn’t do a thing like that!’ They’re supposed to be short morality tales for the children, and amuse the parent reading them aloud, who recognises the mischievous behaviour of the younger and is charmed by the haughtiness of the elder sister, who you can hear is narrating the incidents of her sister’s mischief with the disdain that she’s heard the adults do so, and is asserting her own good behaviour over said sister. And the whole fucking reason we were read these stories was because my younger sister was precisely the kind of kid who got up to all kinds of shit as a little kid (which now all of us find hilarious but DIDN’T AT THE TIME), and I was the elder sister like ‘my goodness how could she do such things as these!!’ (e.g. paint an entire bookcase with grout). It amused us both to see ourselves in the stories. You could say this was life imitating art, but I think this is simply an age old dynamic, familiar to many people with siblings: you would see how the adults spoke to another child in your family, and replicate their manner in an effort to come across as an adult. Except you weren’t an adult, so you weren’t always as graceful about it as they were. That is pre AGOT Sansa, to a T. And I’m sure that’s what GRRM, a child of three who had two sisters of his own, is replicating here.]

But I think there’s also a loneliness in being the ‘obedient child’. Doing as you’re told all the time can be boring, and living up to expectations is a lot of pressure. Sansa wants a companion in all that, but Arya has no interest in sharing in it. Arya is offering friendship, but from a place Sansa believes she can’t reach her sister - Sansa thinks she’d have to ‘descend to Arya’s level’ to accept it, and she can’t do that. You get a sense of Sansa thrilling in trying Arya’s ‘misbehaviours’ for herself when she quietly delights in behaving ‘as wicked as Arya’, but you see in this that she has to condemn such behaviours and herself for exhibiting them, all in the same breath. And in the end, I can easily imagine Sansa resents that Arya has more fun with their brothers than she ever does with Sansa herself: that the one sister she has is one she has nothing in common with. Sansa can’t find a like mind amongst her siblings, and so clings to Jeyne Poole, and the praise of the adults around her.

So with all that in mind, YES! Sansa is sometimes mean to Arya, and calls her horseface. That is because Sansa is a child, nobody is correcting her behaviour, and she understands that Arya is bad, and the way she behaves is frustrating to Sansa herself, so really what does it matter if she’s a little mean sometimes? She knows that she is good, because everyone says so. Even if she calls her sister a name now and then, she’s still the good child.

AND THEN we get to Darry. And Sansa starts to see that society isn’t a song, and sometimes it doesn’t matter how good you are, horrible things can happen to you anyway. But she doesn’t want to believe that, because it would turn her world upside down, and her future would look a lot darker, too - Ned has not ended her engagement to Joffrey, and Sansa has to live for the foreseeable in KL. So when Arya doing the thing she ‘wasn’t supposed to’ (playing with Mycah) snowballs into a terrible miscarriage of justice where Sansa’s wolf is killed, Sansa rejects the notion that the songs could be wrong about beautiful princes, and shifts the blame onto Arya for that original 'misdemeanour'. The grief at losing Lady is terrible too (the wolves are meant to have a soul deep bond with the Stark children), and so the target of that grief likewise becomes Arya. What was previously a normal, childishly complicated sibling relationship gets twisted into something else.

This is where I think Sansa becomes different level of unpleasant towards her sister. She’s cruel about Arya’s loss of Mycah, tells Arya she wishes she were dead instead of Lady, etc etc. Arya is not giving as good as she gets here - she even tries to make amends with Sansa, but Sansa throws the offer in her face.

The reasons for Sansa’s behaviour are complicated, but not that complicated. She’s been raised to slot perfectly into this world, without ever being told what that world is really like. And when abruptly it turns out that what she’s being raised for is essentially the slaughter, she rejects it. She can’t see Joffrey as he truly is: she’s been told that princes are charming, that Kings are just, Queens are kind, and she herself will be a Queen. Sansa is going to be handed over to the Lannisters, and she’s going to live the song of her dreams, and the only thing between Sansa and the realisation of those is the thing that’s always been wrong: Bad Arya. Because again, if Arya isn't bad, then everything else is, and Sansa is in terrible danger.

No one is sitting Sansa down and explaining to her that Arya is not bad, just different from her, and that they should love one another - that there are dark forces here far stronger than them that could tear them apart, that the Lannisters are the greatest of them, and they have to fight together, not each other. Arya gets this talk, funnily enough, but not Sansa. Arya is asked to understand that Sansa is different from her, but Sansa is only ever taught to abhor that her sister as different from her. Where Arya is told to be wary of the court of King’s Landing, Ned leaves Sansa to continue her fantasies, and then, when he abruptly tries to put an end to them, he doesn’t bother to explain why. I’m not saying this is unforgivable on Ned’s part - he has a lot on his mind lol - but it’s quite obviously a major failing. Ned leaves Sansa in a fantasy world. It’s fucking Joffrey who has to step in and clarify for Sansa that actually, she’s been dreaming.

So as long as they’re together, Sansa is never able to come to terms with the fact that Arya was not the aberration, but rather, everything else was. In the absence of one another, they cannot reconcile over that fact. So yes, GRRM says they’ll have deep issues to sort through when they meet again, but those aren’t going to be the times that Sansa called her ‘horseface’ - they’re going to be about what happened since they left Winterfell, when their relationship was twisted by forces much darker than Septa Mordane.

So no, I think the ‘Sansa is a bully’ diatribes are seriously tedious, because even if you want to insist that calling your sister ‘horseface’ a few times even qualifies, you can still accept such wrongs without deciding that that makes Sansa a fundamentally unkind person who cannot be reconciled with Arya and doesn’t deserve to be. It is on the page that the two of them miss each other. Like I genuinely cannot imagine going through everything Arya does in the story and then, upon reuniting with a sister I thought lost forever, deciding I’m actually still mad about the things she got wrong as a child that she herself has paid dearly for, both physically and emotionally. Like jesus fucking christ man. By all means let them talk about it!! But who do you think Arya is lmao

Tl;dr: Sansa is a kid in a society. She is not the arbiter of Arya’s place in society. She is not mean because she’s cruel, but because she has internalised the exact same things that Arya has, based on the example of the adults surrounding them. It just happens that those things were a carrot for Sansa and a stick for Arya. But then in the end, they weren’t a carrot for Sansa either.

tl;dr 2: clarifying once again - i am a jaime stan. i find the stark sister relationship interesting bc I have experience of a similar sisterly dynamic and find it interesting to see a version of that explored on the page. so if you think one has to be a sansa stan to observe all this then that kind of just demonstrates how dichotomous you've become on this issue lol like if I'm talking about takes I dislike re JB I don't generally feel the need to attribute them to JC fandom. let's all grow up x

tl;dr 3: no i don't hate sansa or arya, since i know these are both conclusions various people reach whenever i even mention these two. in fact i think they are both great girls! imagine

#ask #im not tagging them

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jackiepackiee · 10 days

Note

Hello! If you could consider: I was wondering how Tanjiro, Sanemi, and Mitsuri would react when their s/o answers the man vs bear question with bear? Maybe little hcs, or mini drabbles?

Have a lovely day/night!!

You literally read my mind I was thinking of this the other night

𝒟𝑒𝓂𝑜𝓃 𝒮𝓁𝒶𝓎𝑒𝓇 𝒟𝓇𝒶𝒷𝒷𝓁𝑒

𝑀𝒶𝓃 𝒱𝒮 𝐵𝑒𝒶𝓇

𝒲/ 𝒯𝒶𝓃𝒿𝒾𝓇𝑜, 𝑀𝒾𝓉𝓈𝓊𝓇𝒾, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒮𝒶𝓃𝑒𝓂𝒾

𝒯𝒶𝓃𝒿𝒾𝓇𝑜

The topic is pretty unfamiliar to him at first

He understands and knows about misogyny, but growing up with such a loving family in the secluded woods of a nice town didn’t expose him to much

Being surrounded by good hasn’t shown him much of what people can really be like, especially humans and not demons

But this boy is willing to listen!

Now he will defend you with. His. Life.

And that includes your opinions (unless they are obviously immoral)

But when he firsts hears it he’ll be confused

“A… bear? Why would you be with a bear?”

He makes that silly face he has when he’s confused

Then he starts to understand the more serious aspects of the discussion

He wants to know everything so expect a whole lot of questions

“Which man? I can’t pick? Oh well I don’t want it to be random.”

After he gets an understanding know he’ll be more aware of you and Nezuko.

On the lookout for creepy looks or comments

Overall 8.5/10, he supports you fully with your opinion but he’s not fully up to date on the topic

𝑀𝒾𝓉𝓈𝓊𝓇𝒾

Mistsuri is sad when she hears this question

Why would you ever have to be afraid of a man or a bear when you have her to protect you?!

She’d defend you from any man, no matter the cost

And probably become friends with the bear like a Disney princess

Now she definitely understands

Being a very beautiful woman she’s been through a lot

And while it might not show in her bubbly personality, she does often get uncomfortable with men and their advances

Only really being used to either complete rejection by possible marriages or creepy injuries by strangers

She has her own input as well

“Well I think you’re right! The bear is also way cuter!”

This is her way of cheering you up, making silly comments

Because she’s well aware of how disheartening the topic can be

And sees how it brings you down to have to think you can’t trust half the worlds population

And if anyone tries to disagree with you?

Mitsuri is no yeller but she sure is fierce

10/10, she understands completely and cheers you up after the depressing discussion topic!

𝒮𝒶𝓃𝑒𝓂𝒾

He HATES the idea that this even has to be a debate

He truly and honestly believes woman should be safe and respected

And the fact that his lover would rather be with a wild animal than a man? It’s disgusting to him that you would ever feel so unsafe

He’s not mad at you at all

But everything he feels he feels 100% so his support of your opinion is probably more intense their your original thought

You’d think he’s the one who brought it up in the first place with his passion for his opinion

Going off your given fear from the psych question, he becomes more protective

Now he is well aware of how unfairly woman are treated, being raised the way he was

And he respects their power and perseverance more than anyone else in the corps

The fact that you feel even the slightest bit uncomfortable from the idea of a male stranger has him subconsciously keeping you at his side in public and defending you louder than he berates a demon

You don’t have to teach him anything about woman’s respect and safety

While he may be cranky, it’s all equal lol

He’s not rude to people because of their gender, he’s just that way (not to you obviously)

11/10, he’s such a big defender of your opinion that he cares more than you do!

#sanemi x reader #sanemi shinazugawa #kny sanemi #mitsuri x reader #mitsuri kanroji #kny mitsuri #tanjiro x reader #tanjiro kamado #demon slayer tanjiro #demon slayer x reader #demon slayer #kny x reader #kny

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charmwitch · 1 month

Text

wrote something about Samantha (knight) and Nirinel (witch)

N, "Oh hey, you're awake."

The world was dark, but there was only a small pause before the voice continued.

N, "I was worried you were seriously hurt. I can't fix you up if that were the case."

She knew that voice.

S, "Ugh…" N, "Hey, how you feelin'?"

The light was blinding, or so she thought. It took her a few moments to adjust her vision before she looked over at the direction of the voice.

S, "Uhm… kind of bad." N, "Yeah, if you're not expecting it, it's not great. But we made it out in one piece." S, "Nirinel?" N, "Yeah?" S, "Where… how? We were in the cathedral when…" N, "Oh yeah." N, "I'll tell you in a bit. You should take a breather first. It does come with some motion sickness sometimes." S, "…'It'?"

Samantha looked around, her surroundings quite unfamiliar to her. They were sitting under a rock, shaded from the red sun. Samantha had heard of this occurrence before, but had never witnessed it herself until today. Areas thick with memories, battlefields often come to mind in these situations, often caused such a phenomena. There was such an occurrence near the border of Belacuna and St. Helena, from previous land disputes before the countries had stabilized.

She turned to look at Nirinel, who seemed bored- if tired.

S, "We're not in danger?" N, "Nah. … Not that I know of."

Nirinel looked up, shielding her vision with her hand. Her wide-brim hat was on the ground next to her, it had been charred slightly in the monstrous encounter they had only just narrowly avoided. How did they avoid it, Samantha was still unsure. Her eyes scanned the flats. There were high walls off in the distance. She recognized exactly where they were- after all, it was she who brought them here down to the decimal.

N, "Water levels are lower than normal, though. See that? You can see the mariners."

She pointed off into the distance, Samantha rubbed her eyes to get a better look, but was confused. The flats had pockets of water, some with strangely shaped rocks peering out from the mud. Strangely shaped was perhaps an understatement, they were long and cylindrical, but rough and dull looking from far.

S, "Are those… tubes?" N, "Mariners. They're relics from the forty-year war. They're underwater boats." S, "… Why are they here?" N, "This area's usually underwater. Well, most of it. I used to come here to train my magic when my teacher wasn't around. He was never around, so that was quite often. He's so busy, so I would take it out on some of the rocks in this area. Got pretty spooked the first time I saw one of them, but they're harmless. In fact, they're pretty immobile at this state. Look, see?" N, "Anyway, it's the dry season. Sometimes they appear from the mud."

Nirinel looked over at Samantha, scanning her face for her mood. Her thoughts. She seemed curious, but still a little frightened.

N, "I guess I should tell you. You'd find out anyway. They're graves." S, "What? Wait, really?" N, "Yeah. They're not supposed to be. But if they're here, that means their crews are still in there." S, "Uhm…" N, "I'll probably inform The Society after we get back. I'm not skilled enough for that. I think Auntie Clem can take care of it pretty easily though." S, "… W-we're in a battlefield…" N, "Yeah." S, "…" N, "… Sorry. I, I didn't know where else to go. I panicked." S, "You brought us here? How? We're no where near St. Helena, are we?" N, "No, sorry." N, "Ah… this is hard to explain. I teleported us… here?" S, "…You can do that?!" N, "Hmn? I'm not supposed to. It's not magic. That's why you're also here. I was worried we might die, so I…"

S, "It's… forbidden, right? I've heard… mom talk about it." N, "Yeah, no one knows how it actually works. But if you're able to calculate a location fast enough and can access a terminal, you can do an instant teleportation. It's a bit more complicated with two people, but I was able to successfully find a point under the adrenaline. Accessing a terminal takes a lot of magic, I don't think that's the intended form, but if I can hack it I can handle it somewhat."

S, "That's-" N, "Mn?" S, "That's amazing! You did all that by yourself? It's because you're a math wiz, right?" N, "Aah, I wouldn't- I wouldn't call myself that." N, "Hehe." N, "You need to give coordinates pretty quickly and accurately. If you mess up, you can just get yourself killed or who knows what happens. No one knows. I figured it'd be fine, we were probably going to die anyway."

She pauses and looks away.

N, "Sorry I didn't ask you first." Samantha takes her hand. S, "You're incredible! Thank you for keeping us alive." N, "Haah. you can't just say that so casually." S, "I-I mean it.. I'm… thank you…" N, "…" N, "Come on, we should head back. It'll take a few hours though." She looks up. N, "-by broom. I mean. If I teleport again, I could screw it up. It's always a risk. … Sorry."

Samantha nodded, smoothing out her dress as she stands up, her balance a little off.

S, "I mean it. You're really amazing! Thank you for taking care of me, Nirinel."

Nirinel could only look at her for a moment before smiling.

N, "Stop that. You can thank me when we get back to town." S, "Oh, um." N, "What is it?" S, "Should, should we offer a prayer…" N, "Ah, for the soldiers?" S, "Y-Yeah… I… don't feel right knowing… they're just there…" N, "Yeah alright. We shouldn't stay long, they'll keep you here. They're still working, after all." S, "Still working?" N, "It's a military notion- Oh, right. You're a foot soldier. I guess you wouldn't know. Those lost at sea are considered still on patrol. Still working. They'll always be working until they're found. I heard about it on the radio. I couldn't sleep for days afterwards. Ghosts aren't a big deal for us, but it's still spooky, right? Imagine that. Being lost at sea for hundreds of years? No thanks. I'd haunt everyone."

Samantha could only nod before offering a small prayer and following behind Nirinel.

#solstoria #original

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cenvast · 30 days

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Rin, Kabru, & Toshiro: On Asian Identity

I have a lot of thoughts about Rin's identity as a second-generation Asian refugee and how it impacts her relationships with other characters, especially Kabru.

I see Rin as being Indonesian specifically. The name "Rinsha" is of Muslim Arabic origin. In real life, Indonesia has one of the largest Muslim populations in the world, so what might seem like a geographically incompatible name works if Rin is the Dungeon Meshi equivalent of Indonesian.

Rin also says that her parents came from an island that isn't Wa, and Indonesia is a series of islands.

In her Adventurer's Bible entry, she's described as having "no real knowledge or attachment to the East" because "she's second-generation." She also clarifies to Mickbell that she was "born here." From this character description and her dialogue, we get the sense that Rin doesn't really identify with being Asian.

As noted in this Rin masterpost, a large part of this is because she was denied her parents' cultural identity by the elves. They likely suppressed any cultural markers she had and denied her information about her heritage. Since she wasn't born in the Eastern Archipelago and her parents died when she was young, she understandably hasn't inherited a lot of cultural knowledge.

Rin seems to have internalized ethnic self-hatred. Her disconnect from the East and her unwillingness to remedy that disconnect suggests that she has shame surrounding her Asian identity.

Again, she doesn't have many opportunities to interact with people from her parents' homeland, and her trauma also impacts her behavior. Remembering her parents is probably painful, considering the horrible way they died, and since they're her main connection to her cultural heritage, it makes sense that she wouldn't broach the topic.

You could also argue that Rin identifies more with her Northern identity than her Eastern identity since she was born and raised in the North for the first eleven years of her life, and as a result, she doesn't feel the need to connect with her parents' culture. But considering her home was presumptively still steeped in her parents' culture and her main association with the North is probably her parents' murders, this seems unlikely.

It's important to note how different her experiences are from the story's other Asian characters', like Toshiro's, for example. Toshiro travels to the Island as an adult of his own volition (technically, his father's). He's completely culturally Eastern. In comparison, Rin's parents fled from the East. Her family had to assimilate into an unfamiliar Northern culture, and later, she was "raised" by western elves, who are coded as colonizers in text. She seems to have internalized the elves' suppression of her culture and the way assimilating to the North required them to discard parts of their heritage. Her lack of interest in her culture seems learned.

Her strong attachment to Kabru further complicates her relationship with her Asian identity. I see Kabru as Indian or Nepalese; his name derives from a mountain on the border between India and Nepal. On top of being the only person who treats her like a human being during her childhood, Kabru is the only other significant Asian person in her life. They share the trauma of their parents having been brutally murdered and being raised imperfectly (much more severely in her case) by elves. While in the elf's care, they're both othered as tallmen— this aspect is strongly emphasized in the text — and in the main story, they're othered as Asian people in its European-inspired setting. Their shared experiences as Asian refugees are the foundation of their close bond.

It's not a stretch to assume that Rin consequently views Kabru as her main connection to being Asian. While they're from very different parts of fantasy Asia, their experiences as Asian refugees still overlap significantly as seen above, and the way she clings to Kabru suggests she wants to connect more with her culture, but for the previously stated reasons, she doesn't prioritize it. Besides, she doesn't have good models for what embracing one's cultural identity as a refugee/immigrant looks like. Just like her, Kabru doesn't seem to have many cultural ties, similarly because of his upbringing with the elves.

Toshiro could completely topple Rin and Kabru's original dynamic. Rin doesn't seem to like Toshiro. Their personalities would probably clash at first, because just like him, she's prone to judgment, out of self-preservation, and she's quiet. One of their canonical interactions is being captured by the orcs together; they don't even speak to each other in this scene.

Kabru and Toshiro become friends by the story's conclusion. Deep down, Rin might feel threatened by this. She's been Kabru's closest Asian friend up until this point. Toshiro, as an Asian person who was born and raised in his culture, might seem like a "better Asian" and thus, Kabru's replacement for her. This would be the worst projection of her buried insecurity over her disconnect from being Asian and how it potentially separates her from other Asian people. Given her personality, I doubt she would express this beyond acting wary around Toshiro.

With time, Rin, Kabru, and Toshiro could resolve her fears and the deeper issues they point to by all becoming friends. Interacting with other Asian people would heal her. She appears unphased by Mickbell's microaggression, implying it isn't an uncommon occurrence; she seems to only hang out with Kabru and their party. Being around other people of color would lessen the amount of othering she experiences and grant her a break from defending her identity.

Beyond the potential for cultural exchange and bonding over being Asian in fantasy Europe, Rin and Toshiro are also very similar in character. They're both anxious, quiet, and caring. If they made a little effort, they'd relate to each other and get along well.

Ideally, Rin would also befriend Hien, Benichidori, and the other girls in Toshiro's party. Kabru and Toshiro have their own issues with their treatment of women, so without positive Asian female friendships, she'd have another issue on her hands. Still, Kabru could be the bridge to a friendship with Toshiro, and Toshiro could be the bridge to friendships with his retainers. And with mutual growth, they could all enjoy each other's friendships.

Rin herself points out the vast cultural differences and language barriers between different parts of the East. The Asian characters of DunMeshi might not always share culture, but because of the story's setting in fantasy Europe, many of them experience being nonwhite in a mostly white locale. A support system of other people of color could allow Rin the space to explore her identity and culture and begin healing from her childhood trauma.

#rinsha fana #rin dungeon meshi #dungeon meshi #dunmeshi meta #kabru #toshiro nakamoto #shuro #kabru of utaya #my silly thoughts abt rin but also just me heavily projecting other asian am ppl in my life onto dunmeshi charas #love rin dearly #it's so important to me that all the asian charas become friends and bond over being asian #dunmeshi #delicious in dungeon #*mine #*meta

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just-aake · 1 year

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Red Room Sacrifice - Part 1

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x fem!reader

Summary: You grew up and trained with Natasha in the Red Room. Your close relationship with her is put to the test during your final exam.

Warnings: angst, violence/blood

Words: 2274

“I think I would like to be a superhero.”

Natasha peeks open one of her eyes at the sound of your voice, waking her up from her attempt at some rest. She squints at the bed above hers, trying to determine whether or not you were talking to her.

Seconds later, your head appears upside down over the edge of your bed to look at her when you didn’t hear a response.

“Natasha?”

She turns to look at you in confusion. “What?”

You smirk at her from your position.

“Come on, Natasha. We would be the perfect team. Traveling around the world, helping people in need.”

Your eyes brighten at a thought, continuing.

“Ooh, like that Captain America guy.”

Natasha rolls her eyes before closing them when she realize you are talking about your usual fantasies for the two of you.

“Go to sleep, Y/n. Or else, you’re going to get punished again.”

You frown at her words, but eventually, you do move back to your original position on your bed.

She’s not wrong. For some reason, Madame B, the supervisor and trainer of the Red Room program, hated you. You’re positive she would have gotten rid of you a long time ago if only you didn’t match Natasha in strength and skills.

For a few minutes, silence enveloped the room as you get lost in a thought.

“I think you would be a great superhero, Natasha.”

Natasha’s eyes snap open again at your whispered words. She stares at your bed, waiting for you to elaborate further, but all she hears is the soft, even sounds of your breathing, indicating that you had fallen asleep.

She huffed in disbelief. Of course, you would fall asleep after saying something so ridiculous. You were both trained to be killers.

There was nothing left in the world for either of you.

~~~~~~~ ⧗ ~~~~~~~

Your hands were restricted.

That was the first thing you realized as you slowly woke up. Your body also felt sluggish, and your head was pounding painfully, which leads to one possible conclusion.

You’ve been drugged.

Slowly regaining your senses, you open your eyes to examine your surroundings. You were in the center of an unfamiliar room. It was mostly empty, except for some tables and chairs scattered around.

The large window on one side of the room gives you an indication of what this was.

Another test.

Annoyed at the realization, you decide to examine yourself and find that both your hands and body were bound tightly to a chair. Your legs were not tied though, so that was an upside to the situation.

You test the restraints. They didn’t budge at all which means you would need to find another way to escape.

Sighing, you lean your head back to contemplate your next course of actions. Your head bumps against something hard.

“Ow, so you finally woke up.”

Startled, you turn your head over your shoulder to see the familiar red hair.

Natasha was also in the same position as you, though her body seems to be more alert. Looking between the two of you, you see that your chairs have also been tied together back to back.

You craned your neck, trying to see her face.

“How long have you been awake?”

Natasha was about to answer you when the crackle of a speaker sounded inside the room, and Madame B’s voice rings out.

“Welcome to your next test, girls. Your task for today…”

A buzzer sounds, and the doors open as dozens of soldiers march into the room, surrounding the two of you.

“Eliminate everyone.”

The doors slam shut at her words.

Chaos erupted immediately as the soldiers lunged towards the two of you. One soldier reaches you first, knife raised in attack.

You twist your body to dodge the incoming swing. The knife narrowly misses you and embeds itself into the back of your chair. In a fluid motion, you bring your leg up and knock him to the ground with a powerful kick.

Turning your head over your shoulder, you call out to get her attention.

“Natasha!”

Natasha kicks away another incoming soldier before glancing over her shoulder at the knife lodged on top of your chair. She quickly looks around and spots a nearby table.

Still bound together, she stands, pulling you up with her, before running towards the table, slamming the sides of your chairs against the edge.

The impact knocks the knife out from your chair, and it slides across the table. Soon, more soldiers close in around the two of you.

You look over at Natasha and find her looking back at you too. Understanding passes between the two of you as you both simultaneously kick at the soldiers, using the momentum to propel yourselves on top of the table.

Another swift kick from you causes the two of you to slide across the table, allowing Natasha’s bound hand to reach and grab the knife. By the time you land on the ground on the other side, she has already freed herself from her restraints.

Within seconds, you are also released. Standing up, you rub your wrists in relief.

Natasha tosses you the knife which you catch reflexively.

You twirl the blade in your hand, testing the balance, before gripping the handle close to your body in a defensive position, ready for combat.

The two of you lock eyes once more, quickly checking on each other, before jumping back into the fight. Separately, you and Natasha were already formidable opponents, but working together as a team made the both of you essentially impossible to stop.

You and Natasha were in perfect sync, defeating soldiers left and right, barely giving them any time to react. Within minutes, all of the soldiers were defeated, lying motionless on the ground around the room.

Strolling casually over next to Natasha, you stretch your arms above your head and smirk at her.

“I got twelve.”

Natasha huffs in disbelief at your words. She was about to respond when a movement behind you catches her attention.

Reacting quickly, she moves you to the side before knocking the hidden soldier away. His body crashes into a table, breaking it into pieces.

Natasha turns back to you, dusting herself off before giving you a smirk of her own.

“Thirteen.”

Bowing your head slightly in acknowledgment, you raised your hands, admitting your loss. You give her a fond smile as you both stare at each other.

Madame B’s voice fills the room again.

“I said to eliminate everyone.”

Your smile drops as you realize what she means. Natasha also looks shocked at her words.

This wasn’t some ordinary test. You’ve heard the whispers of girls being chosen to fight against each other to the death.

Scoffing in disbelief, you realize that this was the final exam.

The Widow program doesn’t tolerate weakness, so either one of you kills the other, or both of you will die.

Looking around, you find another knife on the ground. Picking it up, you toss it at Natasha. She catches it easily before giving you an incredulous look.

“What are you doing?” she asks.

Determined, you twirl and toss the knife in your hand before gripping it into a defensive position again, facing her.

“She said to fight,” you respond with a shrug.

You slowly circle around her, looking for an opening.

Natasha shakes her head resolutely.

“I’m not going to fight–.”

You swing at her with your knife, interrupting her as she dodges your attack. You don’t let up, pursuing after her with constant strikes.

Not surprisingly, Natasha dodges or parries each of your attacks, constantly graceful and quick on her feet, but she doesn't attack you back.

Irritated at her actions, you force her towards a side of the room. Her back hits the wall with a thud as you press your arm against her neck.

Natasha’s hands grip each of your wrist tightly, restricting your movements, despite being the one pressed against the wall.

Desperately, you look into her eyes and cry out in anger.

“Fight me!”

Natasha winces at your cry, looking away from your pleading eyes. Throughout the fight, she has been conflicted on what she should do.

Her instincts and training tells her to follow orders no matter what, but every time she looks at you, her heart stops her.

The pressure on her neck increases, as you push yourself closer. She turns back to look at you. Your eyes were frantic as you begged her, trying to make her understand.

“Fight, Natasha!”

Gritting her teeth, Natasha reluctantly kicks you away, releasing herself. You catch your balance quickly in time to block her next incoming attacks.

Her actions were precise and powerful, pressuring you to be on the defensive. She swings her knife towards you.

Using your own knife, you block her attack. The blades slide against each other as you dodge to the side, redirecting her momentum.

Natasha barely stumbles from your action, instead she twists her body around to deliver a hard kick to your side, knocking you to the ground.

Coughing, you push yourself up, trying to catch your breath. Blood drips from your mouth, and you know you can’t last much longer.

Standing up, you see Natasha watching you with pain and concern in her eyes. You give her a reassuring smirk, getting back into position. Your hand taunts her to come at you.

Grimacing, Natasha lunges forward again with a powerful thrust. Like before, you block her attack with your own knife.

In the next second, your eyes lock with hers, and you give her a small, sad smile. You subtly redirect her attack again. This time making it appear as if she evaded your block.

Natasha's eyes widened in shock and realization. Time slowed as the blade pierced your stomach. The sound of metal clanging against the floor echoed in the room as you dropped your own knife.

Natasha steps away in panic. Eyes frozen, she stares at her hand that held the weapon now impaled in you. All she can focus on is the blood covering her hand.

Your blood.

Holding your wound, you slowly take a couple steps forward towards her until your head slumps against her shoulder. Instinctively, Natasha supports you against her body, wrapping her arms around you.

You raise your hand to press against her chest as your voice comes out in a whisper next to her ear.

“Survive, Natasha,” you take a stuttered breath through the pain, already feeling your body weakening from the loss of blood. “You have a good heart. Don’t let them take that away.”

A single clap echoes from behind Natasha, followed by multiple footsteps, and then she feels herself being pulled away from you. Without her support, your body slumps to the ground, too weak to move anymore.

“Well done, Natasha. You will be a wonderful Widow,” Madame B praises her, eyes gleaming with pride at her best student.

Natasha doesn’t register her words. Her eyes only focus on your still body on the floor.

Noticing her distracted gaze, Madame B. glances disdainfully at you, motionless on the ground. She snaps at two guards.

“Dispose of her. She’s useless now.”

At her command, they move to take you away. As their hands grab your arms to carry you, Natasha snaps out of her state of shock as she tries to reach for you.

“Wait, no, don’t touch her—“ Natasha cries out in pain when she is tased by one of the guards holding her back.

Ignoring her cries, Madame B. walks out of the room.

“Come Natasha, we must prepare for your graduation ceremony.”

The guards holding her follow right after, practically dragging Natasha as she thrashes around in their hold. She turns her head to look back at you in the room.

Your body is being carried by a guard towards the opposite direction. Her heart clenches when she sees your closed eyes and arm hanging limp beside you. She hangs her head in despair.

You were a fool. She will only ever be a killer. Only now, there was truly nothing left in the world for her.

~~~~~~~ ⧗ ~~~~~~~

“You are positive?”

The soldier nods at Dreykov, who was currently standing in front of the examination window, watching as doctors and scientists work to save his daughter’s life.

“Yes, sir. The attack was by Natasha Romanoff. She disappeared from our radar a week ago but then suddenly reappeared right before the explosion. It seems she has somehow broken her indoctrination and defected, working together with SHIELD.”

Dreykov clicked his tongue in disappointment at news of losing one of his best Widows. He goes to his desk and pulls up Natasha’s file. Skimming her information, an event during her training days catches his attention.

“What’s the status of this girl?”

His assistant looks at who he was referring to before pulling up your information from the Experiment and Research department.

“Y/n L/n. Combat, weapons, and tactical skills were almost at the same level as Romanoff. Eliminated from the Widow program by a fatal injury from Romanoff, which led to the discovery of super enhanced healing not seen in the other Widows. She was transferred to the research team for further study on her ability.”

The assistant shows a video of you currently locked in a cell, punching angrily at the wall.

“Notes from the team indicate that her skills and abilities are still giving them difficulty when handling the subject. Despite multiple methods, her defiant and rebellious behavior makes it impossible for them to control her.”

Dreykov examines your image on his screen curiously before looking over at the room with his daughter, an idea forming in his mind.

“Transfer her back to the Widow program…,” Dreykov commanded. On another screen, he pulls up Melina Vostokoff’s newly developed research on brainwashing mechanisms.

“...And add her as the second test subject to our new form of indoctrination.”

~~~~~~~ ⧗ ~~~~~~~

Part 2 | Part 3

#natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romanoff imagine #natasha romanoff x you #natasha romanoff x fem!reader #natasha romanoff fanfic #natasha x reader #natasha romanoff #black widow x reader #natasha romanoff angst

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herrscherofinsanity · 9 months

Text

Love's Compass

Summary: As usual, wherever you go Jimin is sure to follow, but this time around it is obvious that she cares about you as you explore a new city together.

Fluff

Yu Jimin (Karina) x fem!reader

Word count: 1.2k

This are the same Jimin and y/n from Yours Truly by the way.

_____________________

The morning sun bathed the unfamiliar city in a golden glow as you and your manager, Jimin, stepped out of your hotel. The anticipation of exploring a new country fueled your excitement, and you couldn't resist the urge to document every moment. Armed with a camera and a vibrant personality, you decided to vlog your entire adventure.

"Good morning, beautiful people!" you addressed the camera with a radiant smile, your free hand gesturing towards the bustling streets behind you. "Today, we're exploring the enchanting city of Barcelona, and I've got the best companion with me." You turned the camera to Jimin, who responded with a playful wave.

Jimin chuckled, "She dragged me into this, but I'm ready for whatever chaos she has planned."

“Oh please, you wouldn’t last a day without me” you teased your manager.

“It’s literally my job to make sure you don’t get into trouble or cause a scandal” Jimin smirked at the camera before walking ahead of you.

Your first stop was a bustling market, where vibrant stalls displayed an array of colorful fruits, handmade crafts, and local delicacies. You couldn't contain your excitement, pointing the camera towards a particularly enticing food stand.

"Look at this, everyone! We've got Barcelona's specialty right here. Jimin, are you ready to try some?"

Jimin, eyeing the unfamiliar dish with a mix of curiosity and caution, nodded. "Alright, let's do it. But if I regret this, it's on you, y/n."

You shared a few laughs and exchanged playful banter as you sampled the local cuisine. The camera captured Jimin's genuine reactions, from the hesitant first bite to the delighted surprise after realizing how delicious it was.

The vlog continued as you kept wandering through vibrant markets, sampled local delicacies, and marveled at architectural wonders. Your commentary provided a blend of information and humor, making the audience feel like they were right there with the two of you.

"Okay, everyone, we just stumbled upon the most charming little café," you exclaimed, the camera now focused on a quaint establishment. "Let's go in and try some authentic Barcelona coffee!"

As you sat in the cozy café, sipping on rich coffee, you couldn't help but capture the candid moments between you and your manager. The laughter, the shared glances, and the easy camaraderie spoke volumes about your connection. Even though you hadn’t explicitly said you were in a relationship with Jimin, it was obvious to anyone who looked at you for more than two seconds. You weren’t going to hide how much you loved the other girl, it was just a bonus that your fans were always pushing you for more romantic content.

"Isn't this place just magical?" you asked, turning the camera towards the decor. "And speaking of magic, let me introduce you to my favorite travel companion, Jimin!"

Jimin chuckled, playing along with your enthusiasm. "Hello, world! I'm just here for the coffee and the chaotic vlogging sessions."

The day unfolded with visits to historical landmarks, encounters with friendly locals, and impromptu dance-offs in the city squares. Your vlog showcased not only the beauty of the destination but also the genuine bond between you and your manager.

As you strolled through narrow streets lined with historic buildings, you couldn't help but marvel at the architecture. The camera, now capturing the surroundings, shifted to Jimin.

"Jimin, what do you think of this place?"

Jimin looked around, taking in the sights. "It's amazing. I never thought I'd get to see such beautiful places. Thanks for bringing me along, Y/N."

You smiled, "Anytime, Jimin. This is as much your adventure as it is mine." Jimin returned your warm smile and quickly turned the other way; however, you didn’t miss the way a blush spread across her cheeks.

_-_-_-_-_-_

As the day transitioned into the enchanting hues of the evening, you found yourselves on a charming rooftop overlooking the city. The soft glow of city lights illuminated the skyline, creating a magical atmosphere.

As you were setting up the camera for another shot, you couldn't help but steal a glance at Jimin. "You know, Jimin, this view is breathtaking, but I think there's something even more beautiful right here." You turned the camera towards Jimin, who raised an eyebrow in playful skepticism.

"Are you getting cheesy on your vlog, y/n?"

You chuckled, lowering the camera. "Maybe a little. But seriously, Jimin, this city is incredible, and sharing it with you makes it even more special."

Jimin's gaze softened, the city lights reflecting in her eyes. "I feel the same way, y/n. This trip... it's been amazing. And being with you, exploring all these places, it's like a dream."

Seizing the moment, you set the camera aside and stepped closer to Jimin. "You know, there's something I haven't vlogged about yet." You reached into your bag and pulled out a small, intricately wrapped box.

Jimin's eyes widened with curiosity. "What's this?"

"A little something I got for you," you said in a sing-song tone, handing the box to Jimin.

Jimin carefully unwrapped the box, revealing a delicate necklace with a pendant shaped like a compass. You smiled softly at her, "It's a reminder that no matter where we go, as long as we're together, we'll find our way."

Jimin's eyes sparkled with gratitude as she examined the gift. "y/n, it's beautiful. Thank you."

You took the necklace and gently placed it around Jimin's neck. Your fingers brushed against each other, sending a subtle electric pulse through both of you. Your gaze lingered on Jimin's eyes, a silent acknowledgment of the unspoken emotions that had grown between the two of you.

Jimin, her fingers tracing the pendant, met your gaze. "This is perfect, y/n. I... I never want this trip to end."

Feeling a surge of warmth, you cupped Jimin's face with your hands, softly caressing her cheek with your thumb. "It doesn't have to. Every day with you feels like an adventure, Jimin."

And in that rooftop sanctuary, surrounded by the city's whispers and the promise of countless tomorrows, you and your girlfriend shared a quiet moment that spoke volumes. The city below faded into the background as you leaned in, your lips meeting in a soft, tender kiss—a kiss that held the essence of the love that had blossomed amidst the exploration of new places and shared dreams.

_____________________

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow across the cityscape, you took a moment to reflect on the day's adventures. You turned the camera towards yourself, the city lights shimmering in the background.

"Alright, everyone, it's been an incredible day exploring Barcelona with my favorite person in the world. I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings! Until then, sending you lots of love and positive vibes. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit that notification bell for more adventures!" you smiled brightly at the camera, Jimin simply waving goodbye with a soft grin.

The vlog concluded with a montage of your day, set to a cheerful soundtrack. You turned off the camera, feeling a sense of fulfillment in capturing these precious moments. Jimin leaned over, planting a sweet kiss on your cheek.

Jimin grinned. "No, thank you for bringing me along on this crazy adventure. I wouldn't want to explore the world with anyone else."

"Thanks for making today unforgettable," you whispered, the warmth of the moment lingering in the air.

And as you stepped into the night, hand in hand, the city continued to unfold its wonders, echoing the magic of your journey together.

_____________________

A/N: Yours Truly is probably my favorite work I've done, so I decided to explore it a bit more. I might end up doing this again some other time. Thank you for reading!

#aespa imagines #aespa scenarios #aespa x fem reader #karina imagines #aespa #karina scenarios #yu jimin #yu jimin scenarios #yu jimin x reader #karina x reader #yu jimin imagines #aespa fanfic #karina aespa #aespa karina #aespa fluff #aespa fic

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mci-writing · 7 months

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Hi I saw that your requests are open. Can I request a senku x female reader where he has a crush on an older tattooed foreigner who was on vacation in Japan when the world was petrified

I've had this sitting for a minute tbh, but mostly bc I didn't want there to be too many spoilers for anime-onlys 😭😭 mostly for how tattoos work,,, Don’t be surprised if there’s a heavy focus on language plot wise, I’ve been working on a lot of linguistics homework 😞

Anyways, hope you enjoy

Science Makes Age Complicated (Ishigami Senku x Reader):

Warnings: technically an age gap but also not (reader was once 2 years older than Senkuu, but now they're the same age due to time shenanigans), fem!reader, some language use (a few swears here and there), reader is American (RIP but it’s plot relevant), reader is implied to know an insane amount of languages (bc this is Dr Stone and it’s relevant to world-building)

"Think you can scrounge something up for her, Yuzuriha?" Senku parts the lush shrubbery for his friend, unresponsive to her obvious surprise at the sight before her. He figured it would go that way, considering how kept away the whole area is, but he'd rather start the spectacle with her big reactions instead of the loud and boisterous version involving the rest of their crew, "I'm more than sure you'll manage to make her something she's 1 billion percent comfortable in."

He'd considered this statue his secret weapon for the next part of their excursion. Well, that would be his explanation as to why he'd waited so long to unveil her and finally free her from her encasement. Really, he could never find the proper time to finally revive her, especially when every time it would feel right to, something else would arise that would require them to use the revival fluid for someone else.

When talks of traveling to the Americas came up, he knew it'd be the perfect time to properly reveal her and, hopefully, ease her into their current predicament. While Gen is a great diplomat, thew mentalist isn't exactly fluent in as many languages as the girl in the statue before them. Even more, if they are to run into more people (which they very likely are), it's better to have at least two representatives to talk things over. That's going to be his reasoning, anyway.

Deep down, he's a little nervous to finally see her again, especially now that he's technically older than her by a few months at least. The last time they'd seen each other had been the day before the petrification light, the two decided to spend time with each other before he went back to school. She was visiting Japan for a bit, a trip she'd planned to make at least once a year since the two had officially met in person while he had been in America. Back then, she'd been 17 to his 15, owning an American driver's license and a tattoo sleeve that left many of the older members of society scandalized.

"I don't think she's going to take being younger than us well," Yuzuriha mentions as she finishes up sewing the outfit she'd made for (Y/n). She worked fast, wiping the sweat that had accumulated on her forehead once she finished. She takes a step back once she's finished, watching as Senku steps forward, "Especially when she finds out how long it took for you to bring her back."

"She'll be fine. I'm 1 billion percent sure she's going to be grateful for it," He responds, popping the top off the tiny vial between his fingers. He doesn't stop the grin from spreading across his face as he lets the contents of the vial drip from the top of her head. The two watch expectedly as it eases its way down her body, stone cracking and parting in its wake, “She’s going to get to visit home, after all.”

The stone falls from her body, the life slowly coming back into her (e/c) orbs as more of her skin is revealed. Her tattooed sleeve remains, now accompanied by the petrification markings on her face and other parts of her body. A wave of confusion hits her as she takes in the unfamiliar surroundings, but her shoulders relax a little as she takes in the two familiar figures next to her, "Senku...? Yuzuriha...?" "Hey, (Y/n)," He immediately greets in response, an excited light coming to his eyes as ruby meets (e/c), "Looks like we're the same age now."

Yuzuriha flinches at his greeting, sighing with a shake of her head as she takes a small step closer to their friend. A nervous smile forms on her lips as she takes (Y/n) hands into her own, leading her out of the hidden away area into the light of the new world. She feels the grip tighten as (e/c) eyes dart around the surrounding forestry in an attempt to better understand the circumstances and environment, "We have a lot to catch you up on, but I'm sure if we ease you in slowly it won't cause you too much whiplash-"

"We don't have time for that, Yuzuriha. We still have to load the ship back up and travel to America," Senku waves the notion off, walking past the two of them and leading them back into the village. Neither of the girls miss the smirk on his face as he continues, unmoving as they gape at him like fish, "(Y/n) will catch up along the way."

He's bluffing, which they realize a little later when Ryusui recounts the plan to spend the next few days loading the ship and replacing the items they used on their last voyage. (Y/n) is assimilated faster into their new society than she can process, the rest of their group taking the basic information they're fed and working with it. Yuzuriha is eventually forced to leave her to fend for her own after a bit to attend to her own assignments and Taiju only stops to catch up for a bit (which is mostly him speed talking and making assumptions about how much she's been made aware of) before continuing to move along.

Senku doubts he'll ever admit it out loud, but he is grateful that they're the same age, even if he's technically older by a few months now. Standing next to (Y/n), who hadn't aged a day past the last time he'd seen her, was the reassurance he secretly needed about his own development. While his growth spurt, a result of the final pushes of puberty during the Stone Wars and roughing it during the New Stone Age, was the only difference he could notice next to her, (Y/n) had been hit with the whiplash of every other development.

To her, it felt like both a lifetime and a long night since she had seen Senku, yet he looked almost completely different and exactly the same. The remainder of his baby fat had rounded out of his cheeks, his face maturing nicely into that of a young adult, and he'd sprung up quite a bit in height. He was still lithe in comparison to Taiju, till thin and very much not built for too much physical labor, but he'd gotten a bit of meat on his bones to fill his arms out a little more. Despite that, he still looked like him, like the jerky boy she'd met by chance in middle school who would be the first person she'd show her newest tattoos to when she was 16 to get some kind of rise out of him.

Taiju and Yuzuriha were a further reminder of the weird passage of time, the two more developed in their own rights. He was beefier, still ever-muscular in a more defined way. His hands seemed rougher, but she didn't know if that had been due to the rougher circumstances or if they were always meant to get so rough with all the handy work Senku would put him up to. Yuzuriha had filled out a little, a few scars littering her hands from what (Y/n) could only assume was from her thread work she'd seem to consistently be working on since they'd gotten back to their stronghold. Her silky brown hair, which had once reached her waist and made a few of the girls from their school envious of its length, now barely reached past her shoulders in its bobbed shape.

She feels so out of place...

~~~~

The rush of information coming to people’s senses is always amusing to watch, but (Y/n) is taking a little more time to process than usual. Even now, a few days into her now being free from the stone prison, she still has more questions. They aren’t particularly scientific, more so just random observations that she really wants the answers to. She’s also hyper-analyzed the villagers' speech patterns, having them repeat their newer slang and pronounce random words in Japanese, English, and German (something they did not realize they were fluent in until she came around). In return, they ask her questions about the past (mostly Senku, Yuzuriha, and Taiju), the sleeve on her arm, and why the hell she knows so many languages already.

Senku can’t really be mad about it slowly down progress, he’s sure he’d slack off a little too if they didn’t have so little time to prepare for their trip across the sea. Neither of them miss the way their eyes longingly stare at one another, meeting a few times before either is dragged away by the others they’re surrounded by. It’s even worse that (Y/n) feels she hasn’t been able to get any time alone with him since they made it to the village. She’d been made aware of their plans once her confusion died down a little, even taking the time to freshen up on the main languages she’d be focused on for their trip and doing what she can to pitch in. Unfortunately, their different preparations would barely, if ever, cross over. Lowkey, it had been killing both of them inside, but they kept up appearances for the sake of getting things done.

She’d learned from Gen, who gave her brain a break by speaking in English with her, that Senku had kept her relatively well hidden. He’d visit her often, but no one had put together that’s what he’d been doing until now. Yuzuriha made it clear she’d only learned of (Y/n)’s whereabouts a little before they’d revived her. However, the brown-haired girl did mention that a few passing statements he’d made in the past were starting to make sense.

It took the last night before the Kingdom of Science would set sail again for (Y/n) to find time away from the others. Despite the various discussions scratching her brain in the best way possible in a new world, the dark blue of the night accompanied by the low noises of crickets and crashing waves gives her the solace she needs. While everything has mostly settled, or settled as much as it can, it's still moving so fast. To her, everything was normal yesterday and then dark for longer than she thinks possible to comprehend, "Maybe this is how Sleeping Beauty felt..."

"I doubt that," A familiar voice speaks up from behind her, the heels of his shoes clopping along the ground as he approaches. The gravel scrunches as he shifts to sit next to her, deep zircon-colored eyes staring out towards the ocean's expanse. He scoots a little closer to her, his head tilting as his pinky reflexively reaches to dig out of his ear, "Considering she typically is depicted to have been a young preteen when she first fell asleep and an older teenager when she wakes, I doubt there were many technological changes to throw her for such a loop, especially if the story takes place in a fictional version of the middle ages."

His eyes shift to peak at her instead, his typical grin filing onto his face. Somehow, they're one of his few features to remain the same despite his growing age. He's one of the reasons she's out here tonight, gathering her thoughts privately one last time so she can tuck them away to focus her attention more on to returning civilization.

Of course, she always thought he was good-looking, most people did. However, where they were turned off by his passion for science and technical engineering, she found it to be all the more endearing for his character. He had his pesty moments, but so did everyone else in some way. It added to his charm, "Didn't see you as the fables type, Senku."

"Had a friend who was super into literature. She read it in different languages to challenge herself," He teases in response, his gaze turning back to the sight before them, "Wonder where she is now..."

(Y/n) tugs her knees up to her chest, the irony of the comparison not lost on her, though made completely on accident. She pulls them closer, resting her cheek on them as she takes in the boy next to her, "Maybe she's trapped somewhere in a stone prison back in the woods."

She watches his chest rumble with his chuckle, a soft breeze picking up and spreading the smell of salt water. He's closer now, the smaller changes staring her in the face and taunting her. She'd wanted him this close to her again, just for the reassurance, but now... She kind of regrets it.

"I would've found her by now," He mumbles, the sound just barely reaching her ears. A fond smile slowly eases across his mouth as he returns his gaze to her, "Would've taken me a while to finally see her like this again, but I think it'd finally be worth seeing her again. Even with the circumstances."

"I'm sure she'd be grateful to see you again too, even with the circumstances."

#ishigami senku #ishigami senku x reader #ishigami senkuu #ishigami senkuu x reader #senku ishigami x reader #dr stone x reader #senkuu ishigami x reader #did not think it would get so sentimental in the end I'm so sorry #I tussled with how to write this for a year and still feel there's further ways I could've taken it but it already feels pretty long so #I may revisit this again later but I won't hold my breath either 🤧#also had this idea that reader was Senku's interpreter in America but I didn't want to get into too much spoiler territory with that idea #she totally teaches him some silly phrases in the different languages she speaks and does mix languages up to mess with people #he doesn't realize he's into her until she goes back home one year and they fight on her way out #I imagine her tattoos are different phrases that she really enjoys and maybe a few doodles here and there #also wanted to wait until Matsukaze was introduced so ppl knew how tattoos work post petrification bc I kinda didn't wanna spoil it

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deliciousangelfestival · 8 months

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Cozy Secrets || Chp 3

Character: Spy!Bucky x Roommate!Reader

Summary: Y/N found herself at her high school reunion, accompanied by her unexpected fake boyfriend, who also happened to be a spy.

Chp 1 , Chp 2, Chp 3, -

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Thank you to anyone who gave a like, reblog, and left a comment. It motivated me to write more.

The days turned into weeks, and there was still no sign of Bucky returning home. Y/N continued with her life, focusing on her work as an interior designer. Today's agenda involved meeting a new client, Mr. Kensington, an eccentric aristocrat who had recently acquired a house in New York.

Y/N arrived at the grand mansion, its façade oozing opulence and mystery. The butler led her through the elaborate corridors adorned with priceless artifacts until she reached Mr. Kensington's study. The room was filled with antique furniture, rare paintings, and an air of sophistication.

"Ah, Ms. Y/N, delighted to meet you," Mr. Kensington greeted with a flourish. He was a distinguished man, dressed in impeccable attire that matched the grandeur of his surroundings.

"The pleasure is mine, Mr. Kensington," Y/N replied, taking a seat.

Mr. Kensington wasted no time in getting to the point. "I've heard of your extraordinary skills in interior design, particularly your ability to keep matters discreet. I have a rather unique project for you."

Y/N nodded, intrigued. "I'm all ears. What do you have in mind?"

Mr. Kensington leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with a spark of excitement. "I need a secret vault hidden in my study. A concealed door, perhaps behind a bookshelf or a portrait. I trust you can handle such a task?"

A secret vault, Y/N thought, the intrigue deepening. She had designed various rooms and hidden spaces in the past, but this request added a layer of mystery she found intriguing.

"Of course, Mr. Kensington. Creating concealed spaces is my specialty. Do you have any specific preferences or themes for the hidden door?"

Mr. Kensington stroked his chin, contemplating. "I fancy the idea of a bookshelf that reveals the entrance when a particular book is pulled. As for the theme, surprise me. I enjoy the unexpected."

Y/N nodded, mentally noting down the details. "Very well. I'll start working on the design, and we can discuss any adjustments or additions as the project progresses."

"Excellent, Ms. Y/N. Money is no object, so spare no expense in ensuring the utmost secrecy and sophistication," Mr. Kensington declared with a sly smile.

As Y/N delved into the intricacies of the project, discussing potential materials, hidden mechanisms, and the overall aesthetic, she couldn't help but be drawn into Mr. Kensington's eccentric world.

Days turned into weeks as Y/N meticulously planned and executed the design for the hidden vault. Mr. Kensington, appreciating her dedication and creativity, granted her access to the entire mansion, including rooms filled with his vast collection of artifacts.

One day, while working in the study, Y/N felt a subtle change in the atmosphere. The workers seemed unfamiliar, and a hushed voice whispered, "Psst, it's me."

Startled, Y/N turned to see Bucky disguised as one of the workers. The realization dawned on her – Bucky had been undercover in Mr. Kensington's mansion all along.

"Y/N," Bucky greeted with a smirk, "Surprised to see me?"

A mixture of relief and curiosity washed over her. "Bucky, what on earth are you doing here?"

Bucky chuckled. "Let's just say, your client and I have a mutual interest in keeping things hidden."

Y/N's surprise at seeing Bucky in disguise quickly transformed into a mix of confusion and intrigue. As she absorbed the revelation that Bucky had been undercover, she couldn't help but wonder about the true nature of Mr. Kensington's secrets.

Bucky, maintaining his cover among the workers, approached Y/N with a conspiratorial glint in his eye. "Fancy meeting you here, Y/N. Turns out, our dear client has more than just a penchant for eccentric designs."

Y/N, still processing the information, replied with a subtle nod. She had become accustomed to the unexpected twists in her life, but this one took the cake.

Bucky leaned in, speaking in a low voice. "There's a nuclear code hidden within Mr. Kensington's vault. My mission is to retrieve it, but the security here is tighter than I anticipated."

Y/N raised an eyebrow, realizing the gravity of the situation. A nuclear code – a high-stakes game that transcended the realm of her usual discreet designs. She glanced at the intricately designed vault, wondering how it concealed such a dangerous secret.

"So, what's the plan?" Y/N asked, her words measured and composed.

Bucky explained the intricacies of the security systems and the need for Y/N's expertise. Her task was to create a diversion, something significant enough to draw attention away from the vault, while Bucky maneuvered through the mansion in pursuit of the elusive nuclear code.

As Y/N immersed herself in planning the diversion, she couldn't shake the feeling of being caught in a web of espionage and secrecy. The mansion, once a canvas for her creative designs, had transformed into a labyrinth of hidden agendas and dangerous secrets.

The night of the operation arrived, cloaked in shadows and suspense. Y/N, clad in dark attire, executed the diversion with precision. A well-timed malfunction in the mansion's power grid created chaos, diverting attention and leaving the security team scrambling to restore order.

In the midst of the commotion, Bucky, still disguised as a worker, stealthily navigated through the mansion. His every move calculated, blending seamlessly with the chaos Y/N had orchestrated.

As Bucky approached the vault, the tension escalated. The intricate mechanisms of Y/N's diversion worked their magic, creating a window of opportunity for Bucky to access the vault without raising suspicions.

However, just as Bucky reached for the vault's hidden entrance, an unexpected voice echoed through the study. "What's going on here?"

Y/N, stationed strategically to monitor the situation, recognized the voice – Mr. Kensington himself, drawn to the scene of the disturbance.

Bucky froze, his disguise momentarily at risk. Y/N, acting on instinct, stepped forward, her voice calm and authoritative. "Mr. Kensington, there's been a technical glitch. We're working to resolve it. Please return to a secure area."

Mr. Kensington scrutinized Y/N for a moment, his gaze piercing. Yet, something in her demeanor convinced him to heed her instructions. With a reluctant nod, he retreated from the study, leaving Y/N and Bucky in the tense aftermath.

As the seconds ticked away, Bucky resumed his mission. The hidden door creaked open, revealing the vault's mysterious contents. The nuclear code, concealed within a secure compartment, awaited extraction.

With the mission accomplished, Bucky discreetly exited the study, merging back into the chaos of the diversion. Y/N, maintaining her composed exterior, discreetly observed his retreat.

Once the mansion returned to a semblance of normalcy, Y/N and Bucky reconvened in a discreet location. The weight of the mission lingered between them, unspoken words echoing in the air.

"Thanks for the assist, Y/N," Bucky acknowledged, his gaze a mix of gratitude and an unspoken understanding.

As he prepared to depart, a sincere expression of gratitude painted his face. Bucky enveloped Y/N in a heartfelt hug.

"Y/N, you're a lifesaver," he whispered, the weight of unspoken appreciation hanging in the air. With a nod and a final glance, Bucky disappeared into the night, leaving Y/N to navigate the aftermath of espionage and the echoes of a world she had unexpectedly become a part of.

Y/N returned home, the events of the covert operation still playing in her mind like a suspenseful movie. The intricacies of espionage and the clandestine world were not something she had ever imagined becoming a part of, yet here she was, entangled in the mysteries that unfolded beyond her interior design projects.

The next day brought an unexpected visitor to her doorstep. A woman dressed in black, exuding an air of mystery, stood on her porch. She introduced herself as Natasha, a member of the same agency as Bucky.

"Y/N," Natasha began, her gaze sharp and assessing, "you handled the situation with Mr. Kensington admirably. You have a knack for navigating high-stakes scenarios. We could use someone like you."

Y/N, still processing the surreal turn of events, regarded Natasha with a mixture of curiosity and uncertainty. The agency, with its covert operations and hidden agendas, seemed like a world far removed from her artistic endeavors.

Natasha continued, "You've proven yourself resourceful and discreet. We have a proposal for you – join our ranks. Work with us, and your skills won't be limited to interior design."

Y/N hesitated, the weight of the decision hanging in the air. The quiet life she had known, filled with designs and creative projects, now stood at a crossroads. The allure of the unknown, coupled with the desire to unravel the mysteries that had become intertwined with her life, tugged at her curiosity.

"What do you say, Y/N?" Natasha inquired, her expression unreadable.

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Chp 1 , Chp 2 , Chp 3 ,-

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#bucky x reader #bucky x y/n #james bucky buchanan barnes #bucky barnes au #james bucky barnes #bucky barnes #bucky barnes x y/n #bucky barnes x reader #bucky x you #buckybarnes #bucky #bucky fanfic #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes x you #winter soldier #sebastian stan characters

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satansapostle6 · 9 months

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The Man Who Sold The World | Luke Castellan

Spotify Playlist Link

Katherine. She was the one who started it all for Luke Castellan, the reason he did what he did.

Warnings: Mature themes/language. Violence. Sexual content.

Chapter One: Out of the Woods

It was dark, and he was running, but Luke Castellan knew what he saw. He was weak and weary, having been running from a vengeful flock of Stymphilian birds and their venomous droppings. He’d since lost track of exactly how long he’d been running through the woods for, but the sky told him it had been little more than three days.

His legs had gone numb long ago; his only options were simply to keep running, or die. Luke had no choice but to keep running. He would’ve been able to kill the birds days ago, but he’d been left nearly defenseless after a long quest in the midwest.

He’d lost everything but a jagged and cracked Celestial bronze dagger, along with a backpack that was empty except for an empty bottle of water and only half of a granola bar. Luke had nothing to save him, except for his training.

He’d had no time to stop and fashion something to save him. He was without recourse, and completely alone. Or so he thought, until he reached a dead end. Luke was running furiously through the trees in the dead of night, delirious with fatigue and starvation. It had been hours since he’d last had water, and days since he’d eaten. He was finally beginning to fall victim to his exhaustion after three days of fighting for survival.

His feet dragged in the woods, and he feared his body was beginning to shut down. His vision, in the darkness, was next to nothing. He knew that, with his succumbing to fatigue, the birds would be closing in soon, which meant death. He tripped on a rock as he ran, falling to the ground.

“You must go on, my child,” a voice said in his head. “Come to your sovereign, and claim eternal glory.”

Even in his state, Luke was aware the voice wasn’t his father’s. He had fallen onto his stomach, his arms not strong enough to prop him up as he stared at the darkness of the ground, surrounded by sticks, leaves, and rocks. As his eyes slowly fell closed and claws dug into his back, he saw a pair of black boots hit the ground next to him before everything quickly faded away.

*****

Luke woke to sunlight softly shining through a veil of trees in the woods. He slowly sat up, not recalling falling asleep on his back. He was also surprised to wake up not alone, to another face hovering somewhere not too far above his own.

“There he is,” a deep, resonant voice cut through the silence.

Luke frowned, feeling oddly well-rested as he sat up. He was startled to see a young, completely unfamiliar girl sitting across from him. She was the one who had spoken, and immediately, Luke was alerted by her presence.

“You can relax. I’m not gonna kill you,” the girl said calmly, which he found both comforting and off-putting at the same time. “If I wanted to do that, I could’ve done it whenever I wanted within the past two days.”

“Two days?” Luke demanded, refusing to believe that he’d spent two days in the presence of this strange girl.

“Yeah. I found you a couple days ago, about to get pulled apart by a flock of Stymphilian birds,” she said. “You’re welcome for that, by the way.”

“What—Who are you?” Luke questioned, “How did you—How am I alive right now?”

He knew absolutely nothing about her, but purely based on the fact that she had saved him, he figured he could safely assume that she was a demigod.

“One question at a time,” she said flatly.

“Okay, what happened?” Luke asked her.

“I was hunting those birds. I knew they were somewhere around these woods, so I’d been hiding out here for the past four days,” she explained.

It hurt Luke a bit that this girl had not only meant to find the birds he’d been trying to escape from, but she had also taken less time to find and track them than he’d taken to evade them.

“I found them chasing you, so I killed them,” she stated, tossing what looked like a bronze feather at him. “That’s yours, by the way.”

“Okay…” Luke nodded, slowly pocketing the feather. “And, who are you?”

“Katherine ,” she supplied.

“Katherine. Alright,” he adjusted gradually. “And… how did you kill an entire pack of Stymphilian birds?”

“Celestial bronze crossbow bolts,” Katherine stated, as if it were obvious.

“So, you’re a demigod,” he deduced.

She nodded. “I am.”

“Who’s… who’s your godly parent?” Luke wondered.

“Nemesis,” she said softly.

And suddenly, her demeanor made sense. Just meeting Katherine, Luke sensed that her every movement was calculated and precise. She clearly hadn’t saved him from the birds out of pure altruism or kindness; it was some sort of act of survival. How, he didn’t know, but he knew she’d seen something useful in him.

Luke also saw Katherine’s value, and not just because he was aware she’d saved his life. Katherine was clearly a survivor, with a small but efficient utility belt around her waist. The only way Luke Castellan could’ve described her was ‘ready’. She was clearly dressed for her hunt, in clothes that looked like she’d bought them at some sort of army surplus store.

Katherine was an interesting-looking person, with a soft, beautiful face that didn’t necessarily match her clothes. Despite wearing a heavy brown jacket and a thin black tank top, accompanied by a durable pair of jeans and black combat boots Luke had seen when he passed out, he couldn’t deny the beauty of her features.

Katherine had long, straight back hair that she wore down, and wide, almost-black eyes framed by long lashes. She had fair skin and bony features that reflected years of athleticism, which could be found in most demigods.

“Who’s yours?” she wondered. “Apollo? Hermes? Athena, maybe?”

“Uh, Hermes,” Luke replied, not quite proudly. “Hey, Katherine, do you know the way out of these woods?” he asked her.

“Yeah, past the sign, and onto the road,” she said as she opened a crumpled piece of paper he assumed was some sort of map.

“What?”

“I spent the past couple of days getting us through the woods and to the nearest rest stops.”

“How?” Luke exclaimed, not understanding what had even happened.

“I carried you on my back,” she responded nonchalantly.

“Seriously? Like one long piggy back ride?” he asked.

“Yeah,” she said as he realized she also had some sort of training as a demigod. “I considered hiking us up to that motel up the road, but I figured it wouldn’t be such a great look trying to check into a motel with an unconscious guy.”

“Yeah, that makes sense,” he agreed. “Thank you. For that,” he said awkwardly.

Luke stopped for a moment, processing everything he’d just heard.

“I’ve really been out for two days?”

“Yeah. Like I said, if I wanted to kill you, you’d have been dead two days ago,” she frowned.

“Right. How long have we been here?” Luke asked her.

“About a day and a half,” Katherine provided. “I thought I’d let you sleep before we get moving again.”

“‘Get moving’?” he thought aloud.

“Yeah. That’s what I was gonna talk to you about,” she began. “I’m on a new hunt. And, I could… use a spare,” she shrugged.

“A ‘spare’?” Luke echoed. “No, I can’t, I have to get back to Camp.”

“Oh, yeah. I almost forgot most kids end up at that place,” Katherine remarked.

“You’re obviously not a camper,” Luke pointed out, “So… What’s your story?”

“I don’t have one,” Katherine said as she started walking toward the road, not waiting as Luke struggled to throw his backpack over his shoulder and follow along.

“What do you mean, you don’t have one?” Luke persisted. “Everyone has a story.”

“You want my story?” she sighed. “My mother is Nemesis. My father was my nemesis. Now I hunt monsters. There, now come help me find the biggest monster either of us have ever faced.”

“What monster are you trying to hunt that you can’t kill yourself?” he asked. “A dragon? Hydra?”

“No, I’ve killed three,” she said dismissively.

“Then what are you hunting?” he stared at her.

“That’s something between me, and whoever’s gonna help me hunt it.”

“Look,” Luke began, “I probably would, if I didn’t have to get back to Camp…”

“Why? You have a curfew?” she scoffed.

“Well, no,” he considered.

“What, you have to get back? Someone’s gonna die?” Katherine suggested mockingly.

“No.”

“Then what’s the issue?” she stopped, crossing her arms.

“Well,” he contemplated, finding himself more curious about Katherine and her quest than anything. “I guess you can tell me what you’re hunting, and I can see what I can do.”

“So, what,” she challenged him, her alluring eyes locked on his as she looked up at him, “You’re in?”

“Yeah,” Luke decided confidently, accepting the challenge, “Hit me.”

The girl led him down the side of the road to the nearest motel, sparingly offering details.

“A group of demigods I met down south told me about something in the Underworld. Something valuable,” she explained. “And we’re gonna go looking for it.”

“Yeah, I’m gonna need a little more than that,” Luke told her as they trudged down the road.

“Like what?” Katherine asked in turn.

“Um, your last name, maybe,” he proposed.

“Montalvo,” she responded.

“Okay, we’re getting somewhere,” Luke nodded approvingly. “Now, what city are we in?” he asked in confusion.

“Sand Springs,” she supplied.

Luke was quiet throughout the rest of the walk to the motel listed on the road signs, needing an hour or so of silence to process everything that had happened in the past few days. After he and Katherine had checked into a motel room together, he sat down on one of the beds.

“Do you care which bed you take?” he asked politely.

“No. You can have that one,” she said indifferently.

“Alright,” Luke remarked, sitting down comfortably as he thought for a moment. “Hey, I know you saved my life and all, and I’m grateful, but before we get into the whole quest thing, I just have some questions…”

“You didn’t snore, and I’m not a creep.”

“Uh, no, that’s not what I meant,” Luke promised her.

“Then, what do you wanna know?” she asked, sitting down across from him on her bed.

“How, uh… How’d you end up on your own?” he wondered.

“Why do you care?” she asked, her question coming off more genuine than sarcastic.

“I just met you,” he reasoned, “I don’t know anything about you.”

“Okay, fine,” she sighed, thinking for a moment. “I ran away from home when I was twelve.”

“I ran away when I was nine,” Luke said sympathetically.

“Why?” she wondered.

“You first,” he stated.

“My dad… He was an asshole. So, when I was twelve, I left. And like any demigod, monsters started chasing me. They didn’t stop, and I was on my own. So I started finding them first.”

“I’m sorry,” Luke said softly. “That must’ve hard, living on your own all this time.”

“It’s fine. My car’s outside. I get by,” she shrugged.

“You have a car?” he asked.

“Yeah. It’s not far from here, I gotta go get it,” she told him.

“Okay. I’ll come with you.”

“Alright,” she decided, walking out the door as he followed.

“What do you drive?”

“‘67 Camaro,” she responded.

“How old are you?” he asked to clarify.

“Eighteen.”

“Oh. We’re the same age,” he realized.

“Mazel tov,” Katherine said icily.

“How long has it been since you’ve had human contact?” Luke frowned.

“Not long enough,” Katherine sighed, pointedly walking ahead of him.

They walked down the street, not far from a nearby gas station, where the white Camaro was parked.

“The keys are in the car,” she told him, looking through the small crack in the car window that had been left open.

“Oh, shit,” Luke reacted.

“Can you reach your arm through the window?”

“Why?” he questioned, “Your arms are smaller than mine.”

“Are they?” she raised an eyebrow teasingly.

“God, you could use some human interaction,” Luke muttered, “Just get the keys.”

Katherine sighed, carefully sticking her hand through the car window.

“Fuck,” she grunted, unable to reach the car keys on the seat.

Luke looked around for help, trying to find someone who might be able to help them, only seeing a police car down the street.

“Oh, maybe those cops can help.”

“Quick,” Katherine hissed, “Follow my lead.”

“Follow your lead for what?”

Before Luke could think, she leaned in towards him, pulling him in by his shirt. Luke gasped into the sudden kiss, his lips pressed against hers in urgency as the police car passed them by. After a moment, fighting most of his instincts, he pulled away from her in shock, studying her for a moment.

“This car,” Luke exclaimed breathlessly, “It’s not yours. Is it?”

Katherine just shrugged, turning the key in the ignition as they both quickly climbed into the car.

“It is now.”

Chapter Two

#luke castellan #percy jackson #percy jackon and the olympians #pjo #pjo hoo toa #pjo fandom #rick riordan #riordan universe #riordanverse #luke castellan x reader #luke castellan imagine #jake abel #pjo luke #pjo series #adam milligan

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fanhackers · 10 months

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I interviewed the organizers of the Media Fandom Oral History Project, and they shared about the project and what makes it important! The project collects oral histories (interviews) from fans about their fannish experiences. Oral histories help fans define for ourselves what it means to a fan, and they help preserve our histories for future generations.

The project needs volunteers! Email oralhistoryfandom (at) gmail (dot) com if you want to get involved.

The full interview can be found under the cut.

-Lianne, Fanhackers volunteer

Q: Can you briefly introduce yourself, the project, and its purpose?

Morgan Dawn: I am Morgan Dawn and have been a slash fanfiction fan since the 1990s. I entered fandom during the last years of paper fanfiction and the beginning era of online fandom.

The Media Fandom Oral History Project’s goal is to capture our history in our own words and with our own voices. The idea came when I was sitting at our kitchen table with my friend Sandy Herrold. We realized that fans talking to other fans in informal settings was the perfect way to showcase our community and our connections. What could be more fannish than talking about and sharing the things we love? We started interviewing fans at conventions, then moved to phone interviews and have finally switched the project into a Do-It-Yourself Mode with fans taking the lead interviewing their friends and choosing what they want to preserve.

The recordings are submitted to the University of Iowa's oral history collection and are available online. We are hoping to provide transcripts for all of the interviews. The University of Iowa has one of the world's largest fanfiction fanzine collections. You can see the list of interviews at Fanlore, one of the OTW’s projects.

Franzeska Dickson: I am Franzeska Dickson and have also been a slash fan since the 90s. In my case, I started as a 13-year-old screaming about Scully on alt.tv.x-files during the first season. (I was a NoRomo, as I recall, mostly because I thought Mulder wasn't nearly good enough for her.) I remember being floored when I was told about fanfic. I have no memory of being told that slash existed. I guess it didn't seem like a big deal. I spent the late 90s and early 00s in anime fandom before swinging back to oldschool Media Fandom and later to other Asian fandoms.

I ran into Morgan at a con and informed her that her recording plans were all wrong and she needed the type of voice recorder that linguists use in the field… I ended up with the recorder and the bulk of the early interviewing work.

Q: Speaking as if to someone unfamiliar with oral history and your project, why is the Media Fandom Oral History Project important?

MD: The recordings allow us to speak directly to future generations of fans and control the discussion of what it means to be a ‘fan.’ By having fans talk to other fans we bypass the dominant narrative of how fans interact with the TV, movies, books and comics. It is also an opportunity for marginalized members of our community to talk about their experiences. There has been much scholarship surrounding live action and anime fandoms. Some of it has been done by academics who are fans themselves and it has been wonderful to see the growth of Fandom Studies. But oral history offers every fan the ability to use their own words to talk about the things they remember and what matters to them.

FD: The early zine generation is rapidly dropping dead, and even when they aren't, I'm always running into younger fans trying to do research who have zero clue who's still alive or where to find them. If we wait for people to do their secondary academic research, it will be too late. Primary sources now or we won't have them!

The scope of fans who are interested in fandom history is much wider than the people who can make the right connections to talk to someone older. It's particularly true for early zines, but it's even true for something like Livejournal: I could rustle up thirty people in five minutes who'd be able to speak cogently on that fandom history. A lot of would-be history researchers currently in undergrad would not. For the future academics, the meta writers, or merely our curious fellow fans, it behooves us to record our history in our own words.

Q: What has the Media Fandom Oral History Project accomplished so far?

MD: We have completed 57 interviews. The first few years we went to in-person conventions and used a digital recorder to interview anyone who was interested. In 2017, a graduate student named Megan Genovese obtained funding and did 24 interviews over the phone in a single summer. During the pandemic, we moved into a DIY (do it yourself) phase - instead of a single person doing the interviewing, we now invite fans to contact their friends and spend an hour chatting about their fandom history. They can use their smartphones, Zoom/video conference recording or reserve a time slot on our international audio conference system.

We have recorded the history of some of the earliest slash writers, publishers and artists. We have preserved the memories of the first fan who created the first fanvid using a slide project and cassette audio tape. We have heard from fans who organized conventions and started letter writing campaigns to save shows. The interviews include filk singers, fans whose passion is meta, and fans who created and ran some of the first fiction archives. These fans are creators, organizers, supporters, and devotees and have so many stories to tell.

Q: In what ways do you hope the project will grow in the coming years? Or, what are your hopes for the project's future?

MD: We’re a small project and it is difficult to scale with our current resources. By shifting to the DIY phase we’re hoping to encourage fans to take the reins of their fandom history and never stop telling their personal fannish stories. The DIY project also allows fandom communities to leverage off our existing “infrastructure” - we can offer permission forms, an international recording platform (if needed), and a place to archive the interviews.

FD: All fandom history resources suffer from a strong predilection for the researcher's friends or their part of fandom to be the main focus. I hope people from very different parts of fandom will interview their friends about areas other people haven't found important or accessible enough to record.

Q: What help is needed, and how can people get involved?

MD: We need 2 intake coordinators to answer questions, e-mail and collect permission forms (Participants must sign a permission form allowing their recordings to be archived at the University of Iowa). We also need help with outreach to communities that may not be aware of the project - anime, BL fans, cosplayers, filkers, fans in other countries. This is not just a historical project looking backwards. We want to capture our community as it is today and hear from fans whose experiences differ. The central focus has not changed - fans participating in transformative fandom - reading, writing, creating fanfiction, fanvids, podfic, art, managing discord communities. But it all starts with intake coordinators who can keep track of participants and follow up to get the recordings. Each oral history also has a written transcription, as we want this project to be as accessible to as many people as possible. We’ve tried some automated transcription services, and the results are very uneven. This means there’s another opportunity for volunteers, people to listen to the recordings and to help transcribe the contents.

Q: Is there anything else you'd like people to know about the Media Fandom Oral History Project?

MD: It's a way for fans to be heard. They can describe their experiences on their own terms, in their own words, and take back some of the power of storytelling, rather than having others tell their stories for them.

It's a way to help preserve and honor fan experiences and fan history.

Envision you and your friends, talking about the things you love, your community, and what they mean to you, and describing and preserving these things for history.

Plus, it's really fun!

FD: If you don't want 'fandom history' to mean just one kind of fandom history, speak up while you can, whether that's here or in essays or in your own projects!

#oral history #fan project #author: Lianne

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lowkeiloki · 21 days

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Could there be a good minecraft movie?

From the look of the trailer, it seems like the movie is gonna get every single thing it could possibly get wrong. They dont have faith in their audience to understand a plot taking place in a world so different from our own, so they go with the isekai plot, the single laziest direction they couldve taken.

But what would a good minecraft movie look like? It would be hard to pull off, but not impossible.

Firstly, most of us can all agree that a minecraft movie should not be live action, its a heavily stylized game and the real people in it look ridiculously out of place. the movie should stay fully animated and not overly detailed. Personally, i think the movie could look great in stop motion. Stop motion can really bring out the combination of cozy and spooky feeling that minecraft has.

what about the plot?

Minecraft is a very quiet and atmospheric game, there is no dialogue, everybody communicates, but nobody talks including steve. It's a sandbox game, because it lets you build and terraform and shape the world as you want and move towards the end goal at your own pace (if youre interested in completing the end goal at all). But also because throughout the game you're given bits and pieces of lore and you're the one to put them together to how you see them. Why are endermen hurt by water? What are creepers? Why are piglins so stingy about gold? Who built the pyramids and monuments? You don't get the answer, it's up to your own interpretation. Going back to the movie, it really should be low on dialogue. Steve could narrate the movie, but he never talks (like Spirit from "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron). He sees an enderman and makes eye contact qith it which aggrevates it, he doesnt know why it aggrevated it, but from that experience he learns not to do that anymore and manages to co exist peacefully with them. If anyone talked in that movie, it should be alex (if shes even in the movie), but she doesnt talk a lot and nobody understands her language but steve who cant talk back. Communication is done through body language and actions, the visuals and the music (and i mean minecraft music) primarely tell the story.

What would it be about tho?

When we begin to play minecraft, we're thrown into the world with no manual or instructions, we're on our own empty handed, we go through the world learning how to craft, what to do with new items we find, which mobs are our allies and which our foes. I remember playing minecraft for the first time (actually quite recently, sometime after the nether update) and i was so confused and stressed because i had no idea what i was supposed to be doing, everything was strange and foregin and there was no guide on what to do. But as i got the hang ot it, as i started exploring and gathering materials and building my base it soon became fun and relaxing. The further i went, the more confident i felt. This is what the movie should be about. Being in this unknown world without anyone to guide you and the only way forward is to try and fail and try again and face the unfamiliar and get to know your surroundings. It should be about facing the fear of unknown, letting yourself fail, breaching out of the comfort zone, not finding your place in the world, but building it. It doesn't have to end with slaying the dragon, it can end with steve realizing he is not afraid anymore, that he has what he needs to feel comfortable and all the confidence to go forward. I feel like a lot of people that grew up with minecraft as kids are now young adults and a movie about being placed in a new environmemt where you're the one to take care of yourself and nobody guides you by hand would reasonate with them quite a lot

but, you know, i'm sure another jumanji clone with jack black starring as jack black in blue shirt will do the trick just as well.

#minecraft

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flickering-nightfall · 1 year

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So, your Infinity Train crossover got me to watch the show, and... woah. Woah. I would love to know if you had any more ideas, blurbs, thoughts, anything about that crossover, because now I can't get enough of imagining the viciously murderous cat and accidentally-fratricidal robot on the train.

I'm glad you liked Infinity Train too! (and thank you!) More on the crossover... I gotta admit I haven't thought of much other than the initial "haha what if" idea. Maybe I can speculate though:

Spoilers ahead!

There were many hilarious and thoughtful takes on how Pebbles could possibly end up on the train, in the notes of the initial post. I joked that it'd just tear a hole through his structure, but there are more (and less) sane options than that.

Since we only see human passengers on the train, a lot of people would probably mistake Pebbles and Arti as denizens. Simon and Grace would probably not take to them having numbers well. I feel like they'd most likely think it was a trick, but it could shake up their perspective too.

Man humans look kind of similar to ancients maybe. That doesn't mean much to Arti - and I think humans look dissimilar enough from scavs to be spared by her wrath. But to Pebbles...

Also, iterators haven't communicated with another civilization-era sapient species in a quite a while probably. Some interesting stuff can come out of that.

How many migraines do you think Pebbles gets from trying to figure out what the hell is up with denizens? Or the train itself? I feel like he'd have an aneurysm if he had to interact with Alan Dracula. If he goes home and tries to tell the others what happened without any proof, they'd think he'd had a rot-induced fever dream.

Numbers are dependent on how close a passenger is to solving their problem. Arti, having already killed the scav chieftain, according to Rain World has hit the point of no return. So her body is completely wrapped up in numbers. But like Amelia, with enough time and determination it might be possible. The main problem is... Arti has to want to fix her problem first. The setup for her to do that is there. She's with Pebbles, so she has less of a reason to go off on a rampage unless she's being threatened. The lack of scavs wouldn't stop her from resorting to violence at this point, but the pure strangeness and unfamiliarity of her surroundings should at least baffle her into a different mental state.

I think in order to get an exit, Arti needs to make peace with herself. She must acknowledge what she has become, and to truly believe that she needs to change. It has little to do with the death of her children at that point. She needs to escape the self-perpetuating circle of violence.

Pebbles' number is much smaller (but still huge) because he's entrenched in rage and isolation and frustration on a massive timescale, but we see him eventually come to a resolution in Rivulet's campaign. How would the train define his problem though? It could be his anger at Moon and Suns, blaming them for his current state (even if Suns is partially at fault). It could be his tendency to close himself off, his refusal to talk to others or accept help. It could be his denial, believing he can handle and fix everything by himself. It could be his overall arrogance or ego. There's a lot of options there. Ultimately I think whatever brings him to think similarly to how he does in Rivulet's campaign would do the trick.

The sad thing is that Pebbles would probably be better off staying on the train too. I'm not sure if he'd be affected by the rot there, but he'd at least he could (literally) get out of his own head. And he has no choice but to touch grass interact with new people and situations. But to deny his exit would be to deny responsibility for what he's done. If he's really gotten better, that means he knows he can't run away anymore.

If Pebbles went to the train without Arti there's a chance he'd get killed or ghom'd two days into the trip. We are assuming his puppet is capable of walking for this AU, but also I do not think he knows how to walk. Good luck pink guy!

On the flipside. Pebbles could... probably take over the train even more than Amelia ever did, especially as a (bio)mechanical being himself. The only thing that could limit him are taboos maybe. Any iterator could do this, really. Lots of potential paths with that one.

Something something, One-One and iterators both solving people's big problems with varying amounts of success, and both engineering weird organisms...

...does a RW character that gets ghom'd return to the great cycle? Their soul gets devoured, or their life essence, it's not clear. I guess which one could determine what happens. But also they are in another universe where there is probably no cycle. Are ghoms a triple affirmative? Is crossdimensional travel? The latter wouldn't fit the "portable and generally applicable" part but still. This is a whole rabbit hole and a half, isn't it!

The train is dangerous and all, but that just makes Rain World characters a hilarious fit for it. Like this is just their daily life. Honestly I think their home world is more dangerous than the train, just in less wacky ways.

Lastly: I haven't even touched upon what introducing other characters could do for this narrative, or how they would react. So many possibilities!

If anyone wants to do more with this, please feel free!

#rw spoilers #dp spoilers #infinity train spoilers #text #ask #thetroupemaster #anon #rambles #long post

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nanamisflowerfield · 7 months

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The Bird Who Fell In Love With A Spider – Alternative Universe (Dick Grayson x f!Spiderwoman!Reader)

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(Y/N) (L/N), known as the Spiderwoman from another universe, found herself in an unexpected adventure yet again. A dimensional mishap during a fierce battle transported her into an unfamiliar world – a world where she crossed paths with the masked vigilante, Nightwing.

Slowly, she starts to like this universe, even though she has to find a way back to her universe. But will she go back or stay in Blüdhaven at the side of her new friend, Dick Grayson, who she has a crush on? Idea/request: ao3: Iauny_poppies: "I would love to see vigilante reader x Nightwing heheheheheeh"

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They thought that it would be a normal day…

The vigilante named Nightwing, fought in a dark alley against a few criminals. Punches and kicks were thrown and bullets being dodged. His mind focused on the fight, not noticing a strange orange colored portal appearing nearby and through this portal jumped out the one and only friendly neighborhood Spiderwoman.

With a small gasp, she landed safely on her feet, surprised by what just has happened. Just a few seconds ago, (Y/N), also known as Spiderwoman, swung through the bustling streets of her own universe, engaging in a fierce battle against a strange bearded wizard. But now, disoriented and surrounded by unfamiliar surroundings, she found herself standing on a dimly lit alleyway. “Why does this day get weirder and weirder?” She huffed to herself, before she heard a scream.

The masked Spider ducked, walking sneakily towards the corner and watched a masked vigilante kicking another guy so hard, that the guy fell into a trash bin, making her chuckle at the criminal that lied there unconscious and banana peel on his face.

The small noise of the stranger startled Nightwing and when he turned his head to the direction, he heard it coming from, his eyes met hers.

Two butt-kicking vigilantes stared at each other, until Spiderwoman saw one of the criminals raise his hand, holding a dark gun in it. She stepped closer, shooting her web to the old criminal and catching his gun. With it, she threw it at the head of another one, before she gracefully swung to the crowd and defeated them with ease.

Nightwing couldn't resist throwing in a few cheeky lines amid the chaos, while he punched another guy in the face. “Web-slinging into my city, huh? Hope you have a permit for that.” He quipped, a smirk playing on his lips.

(Y/N) snorted, holding the fist of the criminal in front of her, who gasped in shock at her strength. “I left it in my place, sorry. Hope you don't mind the visit.”

They continued their fight and banter, until the last one fell and the vigilantes hearted the sirens of the police cars getting closer. Spiderwoman swung up on a rooftop, escaping the sight of the police and behind her was the tall man, she had talked with.

“Thanks.” He said and nodded towards the direction of the police cars. “No big deal. It’s part of the job. Uhh… And… It's not every day I get to crash a superhero party.” She shrugged her shoulders and leaned towards the fence of the large rooftop they were standing on. It was a beautiful sight and it felt… nostalgic? As if she has seen this sight before. But she never has been here. This city was unknown. It was different and mysterious.

It felt like… yeah, maybe she really was in another universe, just like that crazy wizard wanted to teleport her to.

A playful smile played on Nightwing’s lips. “So, what do we have here now? A spider spinning her webs in my city?”

“Looks like your city just got a little more exciting… Uhm…” She looked down on his chest to see a blue emblem, but not figuring out how she could call him.

He chuckled. “Nightwing. And you must be…?” – “Spiderwoman.”

The dark-haired man laughed loudly at the name. “Very creative.” You shrugged your shoulders, grinning under your mask.

“Hey, that’s how many people call me.” Spiderwoman laughed as well, glancing from Nightwing up to the bright shining stars at the sky.

Nightwing tried to calm himself and cleared his throat. “So, where are you from?”

The (h/c) woman smiled at him, knowing that he couldn’t read her facial expressions due to her mask. "From another universe." His eyebrows shot up in shock and he couldn’t form out any words, but she ignored it. “Yeah… A crazy wizard used a spell and now I’m stuck here. I should be in my universe and fight crime there… But now I’m here…” The young vigilante whispered under her breath, eyeing her own hands.

“Well…” She finally heard the man speak up after a couple of awkward minutes of silent. “… Blüdhaven is quite a great place. We have a great coffee shop around the corner, great rooftops. A few criminals that need their asses getting kicked and also…” He points at himself, smirking at the lovely woman.

Her cheeks turned red, burning at his charming expression before Spiderwoman let out a small giggle and bumped into him lightly with her shoulder.

“Yeah… Maybe it won’t be that bad.”

As they stood there, leaned against the rooftop ledge, their bodies almost touching, sharing stories of their respective universes and some other ones, they started to enjoy their time together. They find common ground in the struggles of maintaining a double life.

Minutes and hours have passed. The sun rose and they parted their ways.

Nightwing had to go back to his place and live his life. A life that Spiderwoman haven’t known, as they haven’t shared any personal information and (Y/N), she found later on an apartment and a job. A job as a journalist for Blüdhaven Bulletin. Thanks to her powers, her job was quite easy.

Time flew so fast and only one thing has changed for Nightwing and Spiderwoman. Their feelings for each other. Every night, he had met her and they fought against some criminals together, spending time at rooftops and even drank some drinks, having banters, laugher and even a few pickup lines thrown around.

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Nightwing swung from rooftop to rooftop at night. His eyes scanned the city, trying to find any signs of trouble. Meanwhile, (Y/N), moved through the streets of Blüdhaven with her camera, full of hopes to find something for her job.

But suddenly (Y/N)'s heightened senses tingled. Danger was nearby, and her instincts guided her toward an alley. She ran towards it, no plan in head. To her surprise, Nightwing found himself outnumbered, facing a threat stronger than himself.

(Y/N) clenched her teeth and jumped into action without a second thought. She pulled her hood up, hiding her face. If only she hasn’t forgotten her mask on this day!

Her agile movements and web-slinging skills became useful. Punches, webs and a few amazing kicks were thrown until (Y/N) turned around. She tried to hide her face, but Nightwing was faster. He saw a glimpse of her face and grabbed her by the wrist. She suddenly felt herself being pulled up onto a rooftop.

“Thanks.” He mumbled, standing next to her. “No problem.” She whispered, her back facing him.

Nightwing grabbed her wrist again, turning her around so she will face him and with his other hand, he took of his mask, as a sign of gratitude and trust, exposing his face. She gasped, not knowing what to do and closed her eyes. “You don’t have to do it, Nightwing.”

He slowly touched her cheek, a smile on his lips. “I know. But I want to.”

And that’s how the vigilantes have finally seen the others face, before they revealed their identities and phone numbers.

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Days turned into nights, and their connection deepened. Coffee shops became heaven for Dick and (Y/N) during their off-duty hours. The masks were set aside, allowing them to normal conversations.

They loved spending their days together at different places like coffee shops or even the carnival and amusement park. Having fun at so many civilian activities, while they held each other’s hands, pulling the other one to get cotton candy and hotdogs. They even went to a circus show. It was one of Dick’s favorite days, as he watched the elephants and laughed with (Y/N) at the antics of the clowns. The black-haired man had a feeling that his heart stopped beating, when he saw her grinning oh so brightly at the show. Something that he always has loved. It was always lovely to see ones past intertwine with their present and seeing (Y/N) in his present, made him happier than he already was. The thrill of rides created wonderful memories, that the two vigilantes still love to think about.

However, the week took an unexpected turn.

(Y/N) has waited on a rooftop, phone in hand and pacing around impatiently. She was waiting for Nightwing the whole day and he still hasn’t shown up. Usually, he would text her, but no text message has reached her.

But this couldn’t stop her. She worried about him a bit too much, so she did what any Spider-person would do and hacked into his phone to track down the place he currently was and it was… A warehouse? “What the hell are you doing there, Dick?”

…

“He knew that it was stupid to do this alone and now no one can reach out to him.” A fist collided onto a table. “Master Bruce, please calm down. Nothing bad will happen. Oracle is tracking them down and Red Hood and Red Robin are on their way to Master Dick.”

Bruce shook his head. If only he could go with them, but Gotham needed Batman and Robin. They couldn’t leave the city right now. “Father, don’t worry. Grayson might be an idiot, but he will survive it.” Said a familiar voice. Damian Wayne. His son.

“You are hurt, so lean down, Father.” He pointed at Bruce’s broken leg and then at the lonely chair that stood there in the Batcave. His father nodded, sighing before he sat down, still angry at the whole situation.

And in the meantime, Red Hood kicked a man down, chuckling at his brother. “Sooo, Dick. You looking good there.”

He crossed his arm, smirking under his mask at his brother, who sat on a chair, tied with handcuffs and chains on a chair. “I’m sure that I look better with these things off of me.” He scoffed, making Red Hood laugh louder, while Red Robin defeated a few other criminals.

“Hey, I need some help here, Red Hood. Take care of him later. He is probably safer there on his throne.” The younger brother yelled towards them, making Dick roll his blue eyes and Red Hood nearly rolling on the ground and wheezing at them.

A man suddenly fell and before his back could touch the ground, a web spined around him and he was glued to the wall upside-down. “Don’t worry, I’m there.” All three brothers turned their heads up, seeing a masked woman.

With elegance and finesse, she jumped down, stopping a few men, while the two younger brothers stood there in shock. Who was that woman?

“Hey, Spiderwoman.” They heard Dick say, a grin plastered on his lips and eyes twinkling in adoration at the vigilante.

All the criminals were either lying on the ground or webbed on walls. Red Robin walked to Spiderwoman, thanking her and even shaking her hand, before he introduced himself, while Red Hood crossed his arms over his chest, standing next to the tied-up Dick. “Damn… She’s cool.” Dick’s gaze moved from the little scene of his brother and crush to his other one. Jealous, he muttered. “She’s taken.”

It wasn’t true, but Jason shouldn’t know that…

“Fuck… Really?” He grumbled to himself and walking away, leaving Dick on the chair, as he yelled at them for being idiots and not helping him out of there, but thank goodness that Spiderwoman was there, because she helped him out. Well… After she let out a few jokes and teasing comments at his situation.

Dick cleared his throat, glancing at Spiderwoman. “You know, Spiderwoman, I think I owe you one.”

The vigilante smirked. “Oh, I can think of a few ways you could repay me.”

Their playful banter was interrupted by two men coughing. Dick and (Y/N) looked at the younger men. “Sorry.” They both apologized. They shared a knowing glance, their unspoken desires hanging in the air. It was like a dance. A dance they knew all too well - one of flirtation, attraction, and a shared understanding.

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Nightwing and Spiderwoman sat in comfortable silence on a ledge of a rooftop. The city's heartbeat echoed in the distance.

“Have you ever wondered...” Dick began, his voice thoughtful, “about the other universes? The ones where we might not be vigilantes and live different lives.”

Her (e/c) eyes moved to him. “Yeah, sometimes. It's strange to think about all the possibilities. I bet there's a universe out there where I'm a circus performer, and you're a renowned journalist.”

Dick laughed. “Shouldn’t I be the circus performer?” She chuckled, “Hey, we were talking about other universes, right? There could be a chance of me being one!”

Her friend and crush, glanced between you and the street lights. “Or maybe, where I’m the vigilante and you an investigative journalist. Writing thousands of amazing headlines, while I’m beating up some people.”

“Sounds like one amazing universe…” She whispered, leaning her head on his shoulder, watching the stars now.

“I think, in every universe, I'd still find you. You'd still be the one who catches my eye in a crowded room. The one who I feel so connected with. It's like... fate.”

(Y/N)'s expression mirrored his seriousness. “Maybe it is. Maybe we're destined to find each other.”

“Destined or not,” Dick whispered, “I'm glad we found each other in this universe. I wouldn't want it any other way.”

She leaned back, eyes meeting his ocean blue orbs. “Me too.”

Their hands slowly moved, touching each other, just like their lips. A soft kiss, shared by two star-crossed lovers on a rooftop. And their love story…? Well…

Their love story echoed across universes, as the two were indeed lovers in so many universes.

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