#she just always dodged every romance in every game no matter how much i tried and simply bestfriended Varric xdddd so yeah

[iijadraws]

This is so quickly drawn but hey, look, wip DA fanfics! In a way. Sofie and Fenris trying to talk things through near the end of the second act.

(Click the image for good enough quality to read my handwriting)

[angelofthequeers]

I’ll Always Come Back

Rating: G

Summary: No matter what happens, no matter what pulls them apart, Alya and Nino always find their way back to each other.

We're finally able to share our pieces for @thedjwifizine and I had the privilege of being able to participate! Please go check it out and give all the other creators massive love!

1. Welcome home

“Are we sure you’re not one of the planes?” Adrien teases. Nino flushes and forces himself to stop jumping from foot to foot on the rich red carpet, although he finds himself still bouncing on the spot in anticipation.

“Dude, I haven’t seen Alya in like two weeks!” He’s expecting Adrien to tease him again but instead, Adrien just sighs and smiles.

“I know the feeling,” he says. “Two weeks without Marinette is a drag. Not that I don’t like hanging out with you, of course.”

“Thanks, bro,” Nino says dryly. Adrien rolls his eyes and opens his mouth to respond, except that the doors to the airport gate open and the shadows of the first few people off the plane loom against the corridor wall. Their banter is instantly forgotten as both men jitter on the spot and stand on their tiptoes to look out for their girlfriends.

“Did they get off last or something?” Adrien grumbles. “Hey, you think it’d be legal if I sat on your shoulders?”

“Dude, I’d totally sit on yours,” Nino says. “You’re heavy.”

Adrien raises his eyebrows. “Wow. Thanks. And here I thought we had something special.”

Nino maturely ignores his best friend in favour of continuing to search for Alya in the crowd. His heart leaps into his throat at the sight of a familiar reddish-brown bun, just behind a middle-aged white man with greying hair, and then the crowd parts and there she is, like a ray of sunshine.

“Alya!” Nino frantically waves his hands above his head, sparing only a fleeting thought for the people giving him strange looks as they walk past. Alya looks around at the sound of her name, and then she spots him and her face breaks into the most radiant smile that Nino’s ever seen, only making her look even more like a goddess from above.

“Nino!” Alya dodges around a young couple with all the grace of her superhero alter-ego, and Nino eagerly holds his arms open to catch her, but he’s still unprepared for the force that cannons into him and nearly bowls him over into Adrien.

“I missed you so much, babe,” Nino says into Alya’s hair. Alya just laughs and squeezes him tighter.

“Same. I even missed your snoring.”

“Wow. Thanks.” But Nino still holds her tight and relishes in her warm coconut smell, despite her super mean comments just seconds into their reunion.

2. Brainwashed

“Snap out of it!” Rena Rouge yells, despite the futility of trying to break through an akuma’s influence. Carapace just grins at her, but it’s all…wrong. It’s twisted, black-lipped, showing too much teeth, like he’s a shark rather than the turtle hero he’s supposed to be. 

Out of the corner of her eye, there’s a flash of red as Ladybug summons a Lucky Charm, but Rena can’t make out what it is and she’s too focused on her brainwashed boyfriend to look away for even a second.

 “Dammit!” Ladybug curses and grabs Rena’s arm to yank her out of the way of Gamer’s vivid green beam. “I need Carapace to make this plan work!”

“Well, he’s a little occupied!” Rena dodges one of Dark Cupid’s arrows, but then Carapace dives at her and she’s forced to jump away and duck under him to avoid the next one. It strikes him in the back harmlessly just as Rena swipes his legs out from underneath him, sending him crashing to the ground with a loud wheeze. Before he can bound back into the battle, Rena plants her knee on his chest and pins his wrists to the ground on either side of his head.

“Aww, how cute,” Carapace mocks. “Do you want a mid-battle cuddle, babe?”

“How d’you like that, huh?” Dark Cupid cackles. “Sucks to have your heart broken!”

“And to see your best friend in such pain!” Gamer chimes in. He fires at Chat Noir right as Dark Cupid shoots another arrow, which forces Ladybug to abandon her brainstorming to jump to Chat’s aid. Rena just groans and hangs her head, still keeping Carapace pinned to the ground. If only they had his Shellter – if only she could free him, bring him back –

“True love is a scam!” Dark Cupid howls distantly. With a sharp intake of breath, the most desperate of ideas slams into Rena’s brain and then, before she can second-guess herself and end up incapacitated, she leans down and presses her lips to Carapace’s with a silent plea.

For a moment, nothing happens. The battle between superheroes and akumas rages on in the background, but Rena’s vision has tunnelled to the boy beneath her, staring up at her with such hate in his eyes that’s the complete opposite of everything that Nino Lahiffe is and that she loves about him. And then the black fades from Carapace’s lips – he stares up with clouded, confused eyes, and Rena lets out a choked sob –

“Uh, babe?” Carapace says as she rains kisses all over his face. “Not that I’m complaining, but I don’t think this is the time.”

“You’re an idiot,” Rena splutters. “I hate you. Hurry up and get your lazy butt back into action before I run you through with my flute.”

3. Making up

“I’ll call you back, girl,” Alya says into her phone when the sound of the front door opening reaches her ears. There’s the dim sound of Marinette saying her goodbyes, but all Alya can focus on is the stiff-shouldered silhouette of her boyfriend standing in the living room doorway with a scowl on his face. But two can play the stubborn game, so Alya crosses her arms and glowers right back at him.

Neither of them says anything. The atmosphere thickens, until it’s so stifling that it could be popped with a pin like the massive superhero balloons paraded around Paris every year on Heroes’ Day. Alya toys with the idea of just getting it over with and swallowing her pride and caving first, except for the fact that she’s so not at fault here and why should she have to give in?

Except…it’s awful, this hostile air between them. And Nino had walked out but…he’d also come back. He came back. Just like he always does, whether it’s an argument about stealing the blankets or getting disintegrated by a smoke akuma just hours ago while Rena Rouge had been forced to watch helplessly. And if she has to swallow her pride and poke at this wound so that it can start to heal…is it worth throwing away what she’s got with him, everything they’ve been through together, just to be right?

“I’m sorry,” Alya blurts out just as Nino does. They pause, blink, and then laugh in unison, and Nino’s shoulders slump.

“I was way outta line,” he says. “And I shouldn’t’ve run away. I don’t want to lose you over some dumb argument.”

“I said some things I shouldn’t have as well,” Alya says. She holds out her arms. “Get over here, shellhead. You’re not getting rid of me that easily after everything we’ve been through.”

Nino moves so fast that he seems to materialise on the couch next to Alya, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. She hums and buries her nose in the crook of his neck, nuzzling to drink in his sweet smell of cinnamon and vanilla, surrounding herself in the warmth of being cherished and cared for by the most amazing man she’s had the fortune of meeting.

“Not even a whole horde of zombies could keep me from you, babe,” Nino says. Alya laughs softly.

“You’re still an idiot for just sitting there and letting the kissing zombies get you for no reason,” she says. “But I appreciate you staying with me, even if I don’t remember it.”

Nino squeezes her. “Always.”

4. Lost

“Nino!” Alya’s shriek echoes off the dark, glistening walls around her. But there’s no response, so she desperately tries again. “Nino!”

Nothing. She turns a corner and is greeted with an identical dark wall, which seems to have looped behind her and cut off where she’d just come from. Seems to have, because Alya doesn’t even know what’s going on with this constantly shifting maze, unable to even trust her own senses to truthfully inform her of where she is.

“Ladybug! Chat Noir!” Alya pounds on the wall in front of her. “Someone! Anyone!”

“Alya!” echoes faintly in response; so faint that Alya barely makes it out. But it’s there. She takes off running, losing any semblance of spatial awareness as she hurtles down identical dark corridor after dark corridor in this damn akuma maze, because someone (i.e., Jalil) had decided to get akumatised into a Greek minotaur complete with a labyrinth.

“Nino?” she calls.

“Alya!” comes back after a second, much closer than it had been last time. Alya takes a deep breath, closes her eyes for a moment to compose herself, and starts running again. Wherever Nino is in this labyrinth, she’s going to find him, because they haven’t gone through years of both superhero and mundane drama to be separated by a maze.

5. Down the aisle

“Will you settle down?” Adrien hisses. “You’re putting me on edge!”

“You’re always on edge, catboy,” Nino mutters in response, because if Adrien’s gonna act like he doesn’t wake up screaming half the time from the horrors he’s seen as Chat Noir then Nino’s damn well gonna call him out for it. He groans and tugs at his stiff white collar, wishing he could just tear it off already…but no, he can’t do that to Alya. Speaking of Alya, where is she?

“Rude,” Adrien says. “See if I make you my best man.”

“Go on, then,” Nino says. “Give it to Kim. I dare you.”

Adrien pauses, then shudders. “No way. I love Kim – I really do – but Marinette and I want everyone to walk away in one piece.”

“Chloé, then.”

“She’s already leaving super pointed voicemails about breaking gender stereotypes and appointing a best woman instead. I don’t need to encourage that drama.” Adrien pauses. “Why are you even trying to get out of it when I’m here for you?”

Nino rolls his eyes and prepares to fire off a witty retort, except for the fact that the guitarist starts to play the song he’s heard hundreds of times in Alya’s cheesy romance movies and Adrien immediately stands up straight, as does Marinette on the bride’s side. Nino turns and…oh. Oh.

“Oh my god,” he whispers. With the sun behind her to make her glow like an angel from the heavens, Alya glides down the grassy aisle they’ve set up in the Place des Vosges, her pure white dress hugging the curves of her hips and falling in layers of tulle around and behind her. Nino’s never been more grateful to Marinette than he is now for designing Alya’s dress as a wedding gift because…wow. Wow. Words? What?

“Hey,” Alya says softly when she reaches Nino and releases her father’s arm. Nino’s attempt to say anything even remotely intelligent results in a strangled, garbled mess that resembles no human language in existence.

“I can’t marry you,” Nino finally manages to coax himself to say. “You’re way outta my league. Holy –”

Good thing that Alya’s giggle interrupts him, or many children might have learned a very inappropriate lesson that day. He reaches out to thread his fingers through hers, transfixed by the loose curls falling around her face, the light dusting of makeup that frames her eyes and glistens her lips, and he must have managed to say his vows through his hypnosis at some point because the next words he’s able to comprehend are, “You may now kiss the bride,” and he’s never been happier to do as he’s told.

“I love you,” he croaks once he finally manages to pull away from Alya’s divine lips. Alya grins.

“I love you too, dork.”

[willow-tree-writes]

✾Almost Lover✾

JJ Maybank x Reader

Summary: Y/N and JJ had a beautiful summer romance, but once the summer is over, so are they.

Request: N/A

Author’s Note: This is my first song fic. I cut out some lyrics, just so it fit better with the writing. It’s based off the song ‘Almost Lover’ by A Fine Frenzy, and I 100% recommend listening to it. It’s really good. Also, I have to admit, I like writing angst a little too much.

Word Count: 1.7k

Warnings: Angst, Cursing, Little Fluff

!I don’t own this gif!

Your fingertips across my skin The palm trees swayin' in the wind Images

The sound of waves crashing against the shore was a sound you became familiar with as you had grown up around it. The smell of the saltwater was a fragrance you held dear as it seemed like your permanent perfume. The light wind that rustled everything, including your hair and the many trees surrounding you, was a nice cool down from the heat of the North Carolinian sun. 

JJ made a game in his mind to catch every little hair that blew away from your face as you were hypnotized by all your senses.

You were none the wiser as to what was going on in the blond's mind. He noticed your lack of swatting his hands away, something you would normally do after you had done your hair, specifically for a date with him. 

He stopped his game, now just watching you. You looked so peaceful, the sun shining and making your H/C hair glow.

He admired your beauty all the time. He just couldn’t ever get enough of you. He never would get enough of you.

You glanced over at him, blushing when you noticed he was staring. “What?”

He smiled cheekily, loving it when you blush. “You’re beautiful.” He said, wrapping an arm around your shoulder and letting his fingertips trail over your skin.

You shivered at his touch, but snuggled into it.

We walked along a crowded street You took my hand and danced with me

JJ was practically racing down the street, dodging Pogues and Tourons left and right, dragging you right behind him.

You couldn't help the giggle that erupted from your throat at the blonde's eagerness. "JJ, if you aren't careful, we're gonna trample someone." She wasn't even sure if he had heard her, as the area they were in was loud at this time of day.

"You're so slow, Y/N!" JJ called out behind him, pulling you more.

A man sat on the sidewalk, crisscross, playing guitar, and singing. His guitar case was open and there were some coins and cash strewed around it. 

Something about the tune he perfectly strummed and vocalized felt familiar to you. 

You paused, almost jerking JJ back with you. "Hey, listen to him!" You were giddy, bouncing up and down a little. 

"Babe," he started to whine a little, "come on we're already late."

You slipped your hand out of his hold and made your way in front of the musician. Digging into your pocket, you pulled out a couple of dollars and put them in his case.

JJ sighed in slight frustration as he pushed some people out of his way to see what you were doing. He couldn't help the smirk forming on his face as you started to sway back and forth. 

You spotted him watching you and smiled, reaching out your hand to him. Without hesitation he grabbed it and pulled you close to him, wrapping an arm around your waist and swaying with you.

You two did that for the rest of the song before JJ pulled you back through the crowd of people. You wished you didn’t stop, but you had that memory to hold on to.

And when you left you kissed my lips You told me you'd never ever forget these Images No...

Your hands quivered as his lips left yours, the warmth leaving with him. You knew that would be the last time you felt it.

HE spoke as his lips were inches from yours. “I’m sorry, Y/N…” His voice was quiet and soft like he was talking to an upset child. Which you probably looked like.

You could only shake your head, not trusting any words to leave your mouth. You knew if you so much as opened it, the tears you tried so hard to hide would flow like a river.

He still had his hands resting on your hips, not yet wanting to let go. “We both knew this was coming.” He sighs, knowing you wouldn’t speak. “We’re from different sides of the island, and-”

You cut him off. “That shouldn’t matter.” You muttered, a bit angrily, not caring anymore about the tears that started to spill. “If you really loved me, you wouldn’t give a fuck about what others thought.”

It was true you were from two completely different lifestyles. You were a Kook who grew up on Figure Eight, childhood best friends with none other than the Kook Princess, Sarah Cameron. You were given everything from birth. JJ was a Pogue that grew up on the Cut, hanging out only with his crowd. He had to work for everything he had.

When you two first got together, you made a stupid decision to split after the summer was over. That way you both could go to your normal lives without repercussions. You thought you’d just have a summer fling. Something different from what you’re used to.

You didn’t think you’d end up falling for the boy right before you.

Except a broken heart was a worse fate than having your parents disappointed in you.

JJ sighed, slowly letting his hands drop to his side. “Babe…”

“Don’t ‘Babe’ me.” You snapped, taking a step back.

He tried to take a step closer. “Please, I’m doing this for you cause I love you.”

“No, you’re not!” You practically yelled. Tears were streaming down and onto your lips. “If you really loved me you would stay by me. You wouldn’t leave me. Not like this.” Your voice quieted down, choking back sobs.

He wouldn’t, couldn’t fight with you. Everything he did this past summer was for you. “I’m sorry, Y/N.” He shook his head and looked down. He couldn’t cry. Not in front of you. Not now.

You let out a quiet sob. “Just go…” You said, barely above a whisper.

He looked up at you. “I’ll never forget any of this, Y/N. I won’t forget us.”

Your lip quivered as you squeezed your eyes shut. “Leave, JJ!” You couldn’t even bear looking at him.

Goodbye my Almost Lover Goodbye my Hopeless Dream

You opened your eyes and only watched as he walked away. He was so close, yet so far.

You wanted desperately to call out for him. To run up to him and hug him. To say sorry. To beg for him to take you back. But you couldn’t. You made a stupid agreement, and it came time to pay up to it.

He didn’t look back at you as he got on his motorbike and rode off. He didn’t look back at you as he felt you standing at the gate of your house. He didn’t look back at you as he threw your heart on the ground and stomped on it until it was beaten beyond recognition.

The sound of his bike triggered your relationship to flash before your eyes. The months you spent walking the beach together, driving around the island, and waking up next to him.

It was as if it all was just fake.

I cannot go to the ocean

Sarah had forced you to go swimming with her the day before school starts. It was your last day of freedom, she called it. You lost your freedom when he left.

She didn’t have trouble taking off her cover and running into the water. 

As soon as your feet hit the water, tears threatened to spill. The water that looked so much like his stunning eyes.

JJ always ran ahead of you into the water, diving in to wet his hair. Then, when he noticed you were far away, he would come back to you and pull you in. He’d force you under the water with him, even when you didn’t want to ruin your hair.

Without a word to Sarah, you turned and rushed out of the water. You heard her call out to you, but you didn’t turn around.

She didn’t know. She didn’t know that your heart was taken by JJ. She wouldn’t understand what you were going through.

I cannot drive the streets at night

You had just spent the weekend on the mainland. Your dad had some business there and your mom made you go. She figured it would be good for you to get out of the OBX for a little while.

It was probably close to 1 am. You were driving home so late so you could get home in time for school on Monday. Lucky you.

You rested your head against the cold window, letting your eyes close.

You and JJ always went on midnight drives when one of you couldn’t sleep. He usually was the one driving, and you’d always fall asleep next to him.

Fall asleep, like you were about to do now.

You jolted yourself up. Rubbing your eyes, you felt wetness on your hand. You ignored it and stared out the windshield, trying to push off any thoughts of JJ. In a quiet car, it was hard.

You didn’t want your dad to see you in such a state over a boy he never liked in the first place.

I cannot wake up in the morning Without you on my mind

The alarm echoed throughout the large room. It was a Saturday morning, but your parents insisted you keep a regular waking up schedule.

With your eyes closed, you grabbed your phone and turned the ringing off. You dropped your phone next to you and laid on your side.

Slowly opening your eyes, there was a split second where you saw him. He was on his back, eyes closed and breathing lightly. Then he was on his side, facing you, eyes open a crack. The blue of his eyes were more of a grey without any light streaming in.

“Morning…” He would say just loud enough for you to hear him. His voice, laced with sleep, was enough to allure you back to sleep.

You blinked, and he was gone. You blinked, and your pillow had little wet spots. You blinked, and you crumbled into a mess of sheets and blankets.

How did he expect you to act like nothing happened? How did he expect you to act like the love you two shared was just a dream?

He might have been fine with the idea, but you were breaking. And you knew you wouldn’t be able to be fixed so easily, if at all.

Should've known you'd bring me heartache Almost Lovers always do...

[yellowpeonies26]

RowanxAelin Hogwarts au oneshot

Flashes of crimson red and emerald green shot through the sky at lightning speeds and burst through the rain plummeting down upon the many heads gathered in the stands of the school's Quidditch stadium. It was the biggest match of the season and it would determine who would go through to get a shot at winning the house cup.

"Just a bit further...yes. Yes! And she scores, ten points to Slytherin!" The commentator- Vaughan, a Hufflepuff in their year who always seems to disappear and only reappear at Quidditch games- yelled.

Aelin tried her best to scan her surroundings but the rain kept obscuring her vision. From what she see, Lorcan was batting a bludger with his full strength towards Chaol, her fellow chaser, who just managed to dodge it but in his efforts, went careening into Ansel, sending her scarlet robes billowing and the quaffle flying out of her hands directly into the open arms of the Slytherin chaser, Asterin, who was shooting erratically through the air as usual. The Gryffindor Quidditch team really needed to practice more in this type of weather.

Aelin and Ansel managed to cage her in between them and Chaol came to block her in from the rear. After a few chaotic turns to attempt to escape using the free spaces above and below her to no avail, Asterin continued to roam the air like a wild animal in an enclosure and eventually resigned to tossing the quaffle to Manon but before the white-haired witch could reach far enough, Aelin intercepted and made towards the Slytherin goalposts.

Weaving in and out of players, her eyes remained on the golden rings she was speeding towards. She made the shot. Gasps filled the stadium. Were Gryffindor going to make a comeback in this game?

The answer was no. Rowan Whitethorn, the best keeper to grace this pitch rumours claimed, had the quaffle shooting back towards his teammate, Sorrel, before she had time to register the disappointment that settled in her stomach.

Again and again, the red and gold robed chasers aimed for the goalposts and again and again, their shot was ricocheted back into the game without getting past Rowan's smug countenance.

They were lucky that they had the best seeker in their team: Nesryn Faliq. This however, no-body could deny as Nesryn Faliq had broken the record for the amount of snitches caught in a season by a single seeker. Slytherin's seeker was Lysandra Ennar who she was actually good friends with but that didn't mean that she wished her any luck in catching the snitch. Aelin had just enough time to wonder what in the gods' name she was doing right now before she had her chance at a goal again.

Ducking and diving, relaying the quaffle between herself, Ansel and Chaol, she reached the three rings, aimed perfectly at an angle which was meant to deceive Rowan and...... he caught it. No surprise there, just disappointment.

"Ooh so close maybe next time Galathinius, and the quaffle is in the hands of Slytherin yet again, back and forth it goes and Asterin Blackbeak is going for it. And that's another ten points to Slytherin!"

Aelin had been using the time to glare at Rowan while he glared back, the only difference was that his was hinted with a touch of amusement. She wiped at her face and had just started heading away from the Slytherin goals when she felt a tug on the back of her broom that had her being pulled backwards as a bludger whizzed past the space where her head had been only moments ago.

She looked over her shoulder and saw Rowan retreating away from her, back to his position, she gave him a grateful smile. If that had been any-one of her teammates, he wouldn't have attempted what he just did for her, albeit discreetly. That's how the game was; you look after yourself and your team and no-one else, especially if it was a high-stakes games like this one. The thought made her smile wider.

"The weather is so bad I can barely see the Slytherin goalposts anymore- not that it matters if I'm honest, Gryffindor are getting a real beating!"

Ansel had the quaffle in her possession again and went on to repeatedly volleying between herself and fellow chaser. Sorrel had blocked her path to the golden rings and Manon was becoming visibly frustrated at the epic game of piggy in the middle. Choal came, sweeping the quaffle out of the air and catching Rowan off guard.

Cheers and screams reverberated throughout the stadium but out of the corner of her eye she could see Rowan’s smug face still smirking and when she looked in the direction he was staring at, her cheers died off. The scoreboard was a complete shambles form whichever way she looked at it. She glared at Rowan and he just gave her a grin in return.

A bat came swinging in Aelin's direction and she ducked to avoid the blow. Aedion had come to save her from another bludger heading her way, seconds away from colliding with her skull.

She really needed to stop getting distracted, especially by him! And Gods, these bludgers really loved her head today.

She didn’t miss the parting glare Aedion served Rowan, they were sworn enemies both off and on the pitch for multiple reasons; they were in rival houses (Aelin had never particularly cared about this fact because the sorting hat had almost placed her in Slytherin herself but she convinced it to put her in Gryffindor to save her family the heartbreak), they were rival Quidditch teams and lastly, Aedion was bitter because of how good he was on the pitch. Aelin also liked to think that he was jealous of his good looks but that might just be her reading too far into her cousin’s sensitive ego.

Focus.

They went around and around in the same cycle for what felt like hours. The rain had let up a bit and now there was only a slight drizzle that left Aelin feeling even more despondent than before because of the slower pace everything had seemed to have taken.

"Faliq has captured the golden snitch, 150 points to Gryffindor!” She stifled her excitement at the lack of enthusiasm in Vaughan's voice, “however, because of the points Slytherin already have, Gryffindor loses and Slytherin have won their way into the finals!”

The stands that housed Slytherins erupted into shouts and screeches of exhilaration. Manon, Asterin and Sorrel were darting around the air in celebration, Lorcan, Cairn and Rowan preferred to stew in their happiness in solitude while Lysandra congratulated Nesryn on catching the snitch in a way that held no sense of superiority or condescension.

Everyone landed on the field and Aelin didn’t even try to hide her disappointment and glared pointedly at every Slytherin team member, especially Rowan, except from Lysandra who she gave a long pout since she, after all hadn’t outwardly stopped Aelin’s efforts to better her team’s score and then smirked right at her, unlike someone.

Dorian was giving his commiserations to Chaol some distance away and Terrin was no doubt stoking his ego about how good he was despite them losing.

She just wanted to go to the Gryffindor common and drown in her sorrows with a ridiculously trashy romance novel and the chocolates she had stashed under her bed. She only hoped that Ansel hadn’t already gorged on them without her.

A hand on her own tugged her back and pulled her though he flaps and into the stands where there is a stairwell leading up to where the game is watched. She already knew that it was Rowan due to the pungent smell of pine and snow and she was glad to be relieved of the continuous fall of rain for the last few hours. That reminded her of how much she wanted to curl up in front of the hearth in warm, dry pyjamas.

“Do we have to do this now? I’m soaking wet and freezing.”

"I thought we agreed that whatever happened in the game, neither of us would take it personally?”

"I haven’t.”

"Tell your face that.”

Aelin let out a huff and despite herself, the pout dissolved into a grin that she had to bite her lip against as Rowan stroked the damp strands of hair that had escaped her ponytail out of her face.

"That's better," Rowan stated.

She rolled her eyes and repeated the gesture when he said, "I still haven't heard you say thank you for saving you from that bludger." A smile accompanied his words.

"A gentleman wouldn't expect a thank you, never mind ask for one. Anyway at least if I had gotten hit, I wouldn't have been able to watch the rest of the game and then I might have actually had some dignity left."

“I knew you were bitter.”

“Shut up, buzzard.”

Rowan’s only response was the kiss that he gently planted on her lips.

Aelin heard Aedion calling her name, probably so they could both complain about how much they hated the Slytherin team.

"I suppose I'll forgive you... if you meet me at the room of requirements later."

His mouth moved to the shell of her ear and a chill ran down her spine to accompany the cold that had settled in her bones due to her soaked clothes when he said, "deal."

[himbowelsh]

Psst...if you’re still doing the Valentine meme, can I have one for Eugene Sledge? I am So Soft for him. (Also, I wanna thank you for doing so many of these! You always put such thought and care into each boy, and you’re doing it for free!! We don’t deserve you).

valentines day alphabet  ( no longer accepting )

A   :   AFFECTION.   how does your muse show affection?

Softly. Eugene’s affection is a tender thing, never performative, very private. When he cares for someone, he shows it in little smiles and private jokes; letting his guard down in their presence, able to lean back and read a book or doze off without an ounce of self-consciousness; sharing things with them, like interesting book passages or science facts, and trusting that they’ll care. His affection is understated, but it’s very comfortable, very peaceful.

B   :   BOUQUET.   does your muse like flowers? which ones are their favourite?

Gardening was one of his mother’s pet hobbies, and Eugene took a special interest when he was little. He always loved flowers, all those bright colors and blooming life that rang in the springtime...  while he’s no expert in gardening himself, he learned enough from his mother that he could raise a potted plant easily, and has a special fondness for them. He’ll show up with a carefully curated bouquet to any event, or surprise his mother with them just because he was passing by the flower shop  ---  and you bet he helped the florist pick them out.

C   :   CHOCOLATE.   does your muse like chocolate? which one is their favourite?

He’s not a big fan... but he’ll never say no to Hersheys kisses.

D   :   DATE.   what is your muse’s ideal date? where / who with / etc?

Not for a first date, because he wouldn’t want his love interest to think he’s a nerd...  but somewhere further along in the relationship, he’d love to go to a science museum. Maybe the best one in Alabama, which would require a bit of a trip  ---  another thing he’d like, Eugene really enjoys car rides, especially when he’s the one driving  ---  but he’d have an amazing time. His partner might have to work to keep his attention on them instead of the exhibits, but seeing Eugene enthusiastic and in his element is a treat. He’s more interested in biology, but he’d also like to go to a planetarium; how often does a date take you across the universe?

E   :   EMBRACE.   does your muse like hugs? what are their hugs like?

He’s so weird. Even when prepared for a hug, he’s never quite ready, so he tenses up for the first few seconds before kind of melting into it. He doesn’t give out hugs that often, but they’re very soft, almost like he isn’t sure of himself and doesn’t want to impose; he’s self-conscious about his own hugs, but lowkey likes them from others if he’s in the right mood. (If he’s in the wrong mood...  he will fall out of his chair to dodge a hug.)

F   :   FLIRT.   is your muse good at flirting? how do they flirt?

Oh, don’t worry, he doesn’t! Ever. Like, he might physically hurt himself if he really tried to get a date. Eugene...  isn’t smooth, and he’s aware of it. He’d choke on a pick-up line before it could leave his mouth. Instead, he’s just...  himself around people, maybe a bit nervous and flushed around someone he finds attractive. Please don’t assume this man has game.

G   :   GIFT.   is your muse good at gift - giving or do they struggle to get it right?

He’s a perfectionist about giving gifts. Lots of thought goes into them, and he’s very determined to get the right thing. He’s been this way ever since he was little (it was torment for his parents, trying to find gifts for Sid’s birthday every year when Eugene just didn’t approve of anything); gifts matter, and the right one goes a long way. He’ll spend an hour just brainstorming the perfect gift, and then a whole afternoon hunting it down, if the person means enough to him. Usually he gets it right.

H   :   HEART.   is your muse quick or slow to give their heart away?

Slow. Regardless of any past traumas, Eugene has always been cautious giving his heart away. What else could be more personal, more meaningful, than loving someone? It’s never quick for Eugene; he needs to see a lot of them, to truly get to know them, before he can trust his heart to love.

I    :   I LOVE YOU.   does your muse find ‘i love you’ easy or hard to say?

It doesn’t come easily to him. He prefers to whisper it, tender and genuine, in intimate moments; he utters it like a prayer against his partner’s lips, or while gazing into their eyes. Eugene will never shout it for the world to hear, but he’s always so effortlessly comfortable and affectionate with his partner in public that, to anyone paying attention, his body language practically screams it.

J   :   JEALOUSY.   does your muse get jealous in a relationship?

He...  would deny it. He’s not the jealous type, he’d claim, and he isn’t  ---  except for the occasional pangs if he sees someone lavishing a bit too much affection on his partner. He won’t make a big deal out of it, but he might invent a reason to insert himself into the situation or wrap an arm around his partner’s waist and steal them away, while casting a not-as-subtle-as-he-thinks glower at the offending person. Jealous!Sledge is a cryptid, and very amusing.

K   :   KISS.   is your muse a good kisser? why / why not?

Eugene kisses like he’s drowning. It’s very intimate, almost ravenous in his earnestness; he needs from his partner immediately, needs the reassurance and affection only their lips can provide, and he’s willing to sacrifice his self-control in search of it. His hands don’t tend to stray from their back, but he’s not above cupping their face, simply holding them close to him. He gasps against their lips in between kisses, allowing only a breath before going back for more. While he can be a soft kisser in the right mood, the majority of his kisses tend to be intense and earnest.

L   :   LOVE.   who does your muse love?

Eugene cares deeply for his family, even if their relationship isn’t always easy; he recognizes how fortunate he was to grow up in a home knowing he was deeply, unconditionally loved. He’ll also always have a special place in his heart for Sid, his oldest and truest friend; he loves his dog; he loves some long-dead authors, just because he admires their work so much. Eugene doesn’t naturally open himself up to loving many people, because it’s a very personal thing for him. Love grows within him slowly.

M   :   MOONLIGHT.   is morning or night a more romantic setting?

He’s got a special fondness for moonlight; it always leaves him in a more thoughtful, more sensual frame of mind. That said, he’s painfully not a night owl, and anytime around midnight he starts getting very sleepy, so he’s got a short window to get that romancing done.

N   :   NAUGHTY.   what is your muse like in bed?

...  not very naughty. He isn’t adventurous, is the thing, and would probably need some convincing before trying out anything wild with his partner. Eugene isn’t a prude, but he also isn’t experienced, and has no confidence in what he’s doing. He’s going completely off instinct, and would need some encouragement (possibly some guidance) from his partner before finding in rhythm. Once he does, that same heated fervor from his kisses takes over. He’s driven by instinct, touching and exploring wherever he dares, almost enjoying the liberty of bushing respectable boundaries. He’s most sensitive at his thighs and hips; when his partner touches there, he shivers, and should their mouth stray there, he’d moan like a harlot.

O   :   ODE.   does your muse have a way with words?

He’s a reader. A writer. A thinker. Words have always been something he dealt in easily  ---  never to the point of being pretentious, but the ability to express himself through speech and pen has always been something he valued.

P   :   PARTNER.   what does your muse look for in a partner? looks / personality?

Eugene would prefer someone intellectual, or at least someone smart; he’d like it if they had a passion for classics, for old places and things. Sharing interests is something he thinks is necessary in a relationship, but honestly, it really isn’t. Eugene needs (even if he won’t admit it): a partner capable of being strong when he isn’t, someone who’ll look after him without leaving him feeling condescended to, someone interested in him and willing to share parts of themselves with him. Someone dependable, who’s willing to take things slow. Someone with light in their eyes, and a smile that lights up the room. Someone intuitive, who understands what he means even if he doesn’t say it outright. Ideally, someone who likes music, but also doesn’t mind the quiet.

Q   :   QUESTION.   would your muse ask the big question or expect their partner to?

He’d ask under the right circumstances, when the moment felt absolutely right  ---  for both of them, his partner especially. Eugene would probably feel around his partner for a few months, dropping hints and testing the waters to discern if they’re in a place to get married as well. Only when he feels truly sure does he pull out a ring over dinner, a sweet  (thought out for hours, twelve previous drafts thrown away) speech on his lips and hope in his eyes.

R   :   ROMANCE.   is your muse a romantic or a cynic?

He’s a cynic who’d enjoy the change to be romantic if it ever came his way. Sledge has a very strong capacity for romance  ---  he could be an absolute dream date  ---  but it needs to be tapped into. He’s not wide-eyed and idealistic naturally.

S   :   SWEETHEART.   did your muse have a childhood sweetheart?

...  we’re not going to say Sid, because he swears to this day that he never had a crush on Sid, they were just friends, he never had a hero-worshipping thing for Sid, really  ---  let’s say Mary. Everyone in their school was a little in love with Mary Houston, but she never had eyes for Eugene.

T   :   TRUE LOVE.   does your muse believe in true love?

...  no. He doesn’t. Maybe at one point, before he truly understood what love is, and how easily it can be snuffed out...  but now, he just believes you’re lucky if you’re able to love one person in your lifetime. It’s not “true”; nothing is that permanent, nothing can be trusted that much.  (lol rip sledge’s innocence)

U   :   UNREQUITED.   has your muse had their heart broken?

By life? Yeah. It’s being held together with superglue and duct tape at this point.

V   :   VALENTINE.   how does your muse feel about valentine’s day?

His parents always plan a big date every year, so Eugene’s had a good example. Given the opportunity, he’d like to romance a partner on the Day of Love, instead of sitting home alone eating cookies in the parlor. 

W  :   WEDDING.   would your muse get married? why / why not?

...  well, he figures, at some point, if only to set his parents’ minds at ease. It’s not something Eugene particularly looks forward to until it happens; he doesn’t feel the urge to get married, nor that he’d be an exceptional husband. When he finds the right person, though, his mind starts to change. It would take a while before he’s ready to commit thoroughly, ready to trust in the possibility of a happy ending...  but he’d like to.

X   :   XOXO.   does your muse use / like pet names?

He sometimes does, just to be cheeky. They’re mostly ones he grew up hearing from his parents, like “darling” or “dearest”; he steals “my angel” from his father and adopts it for himself, just because he always loved how romantic it sounded as a child.

Y   :   YOURS.   does your muse get protective easily?

If someone is threatening someone he cares about, Eugene takes a turn very quickly; he goes from friendly and unassuming to steely-eyed killer without missing a beat. You would not look at him and think “this man could kick someone’s ass”; you’d be wrong. If the situation calls for it, and he’s got the incentive  ---  i.e. people he loves in danger  ---  Eugene does not come to play around. He will diffuse the situation with a few very calm, very scary words...  and hopefully it won’t need to escalate further.

Z   :   ZZZ.   how many people has your muse slept with?

Hah! Oh my god, don’t ask him that, he doesn’t like it. (This V-Card is in no hurry to get punched. God help him.)

[howrry]

swing for the fences

a/n: “i’m writing a 5/1 story!” five seconds later: here’s a piece that has nothing to do with that!! not even sorry, one direction never kept their promises so why should i ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ besides i like this work way more than the 5/1 tbh, so here’s a fwb piece i’ve had unfinished for weeks now, pls enjoy

w/c: 3.0k

warnings: smutsmutsmut bitch

***

Harry figured out he really liked Y/N while standing in line at a sandwich shop.

It was sudden and unceremonial, compared to the cute stories that go like "oh I fell in love with my husband when we stared deeply into each other's eyes" or "I realized I loved her when she helped me in my time of need" that you can find on Reddit. No, Harry had to have his epiphany while staring at sliced banana peppers.

While the young boy behind the counter was loading his sandwich into the toaster, Harry peered over the glass and thought about what veggies he wanted. Spinach and tomatoes, of course, maybe some jalapeños, and so on. He remembered that he'd be seeing his friend Y/N later that day and knew that if she saw his food, she'd want a bite. While he was an avid hater of the aforementioned banana peppers, they were Y/N's favorite, and he pondered over getting some so that she'd enjoy her bite out of his sandwich more.

You like her. The thought hit him like a train. Normally he wouldn't let anybody else so much as breathe towards his food, yet he was considering ruining his entire sandwich just so that Y/N could enjoy a single bite out of it. Because he liked her.

The realization knocked the wind out of him. When the employee asked what he wanted on his sub, he stumbled over his words and by the time he paid and left the store, he doesn't even remember if he got the damn peppers or not.

This was a problem. See, Harry and Y/N had a great thing going on—what one would call friends with benefits. They hung out together, saw movies, ate breakfast and other friendly activities by day, and by night he was guaranteed to be burying himself in her. No romance, no attachments, nothing. Perfect!

Except, well, not anymore. What was he going to do? The two of them had always prided themselves on being able to separate feelings from sex; sometimes you just needed to get your rocks off, and having that option always at arm's length was incredibly convenient. Now that he'd discovered he might have more feelings than he thought he did, there was no foreseeable way for this to be resolved without at least one of them getting hurt.

So he tried to ignore it.

***

Y/N knocked on his door later that day, despite having a key to his house and using it to let herself in. “Haz!” she called, and he emerged from the kitchen, wiping the avocado ranch from the corner of his mouth. He stiffened a bit when she gave him a chaste hug, but she didn’t seem to notice.

They went to the kitchen together, where she noted the remains of the sandwich on his table. “Thanks for getting me something, cuck,” she whined, gesturing towards his leftovers.

“You can have the rest, yeh big baby!” he said as if he hadn’t intended to give it to her the whole time.

She squealed in delight, taking a massive bite and then talking without swallowing first. “Hey, I love banana peppers! Thanks!”

“Don’t talk with your food in your mouth,” he chastised, ignoring her comment.

The remainder of the evening went like it normally would. They chatted about their days (Harry leaving out his big discovery, of course), started their journey catching up on Stranger Things, and ended up necking on his couch. When she ghosted her lips across his skin to go for a real kiss, though, he dove to avoid it and bit at her earlobe instead. He whispered that the two of them should go to his room and, as far as he knew, she didn’t even notice he’d avoided one of the simplest parts of sex.

When they didend up sleeping together, he tried to make it as distant and impersonal as possible. He didn’t attach his mouth to hers even once and skipped out on foreplay once he’d undressed her, merely checking if she was wet enough with his fingers (she was, always so damn pliant) before stuffing his cock into her from behind. He ended up having a below-average orgasm way too quickly and even felt guilty enough to work backwards and get her off with his hands.

Once they were done, she made a lighthearted joke about him being in a rush judging by the mediocre sex. Harry didn’t really react to this, and she was so uncomfortable she let herself out. She normally spent the night.

So there Harry was, lying in his cold bed by himself, arms tucked behind his head and staring at the ceiling. He felt awful. His new tactic clearly didn’t work and it’d unsettled the one girl he liked.

Time to switch game plans, he guessed.

***

That morning, the first thing he did was shoot Y/N an apologetic text saying he’d felt tired and wasn’t able to give a grade-A performance (even though, uh, hello, he was the one who initiated sex, but whatever). She forgave him instantly, which made his stomach knot. Why did she have to be so compassionate and forgiving? Why was she such a great person?

Throughout the next few weeks, he decided to change up his attitude in the bedroom. Being her friend wouldn’t change regardless of how he felt about her, so he acted the complete same from day to day, but things were different at night.

It was a complete 180 from what he'd tried before. He originally attempted to dodge kissing, now he pressed his lips to hers with a fervor that he hadn't felt in years. He used to like taking her from behind and pushing her head down into the pillows, now he was fucking her missionary, snaking an arm around the small of her back so that as much of her skin was against his as possible. Now he was letting her sit in his lap, his cock nestled in her and nails dragging down the soft skin of her back. Now he was going down on her for hours, licking and eating like she was an oasis in a desert. He used to pull out before he came and paint either her ass or her face, now he chose to finish inside of her, marking her as his from the inside. He fucked her, well, like he loved her.

Y/N didn't seem to catch onto this rollercoaster of changes that Harry was putting her through, or if she did, she didn't mention it. She was always good at matching his energy in the bedroom, no matter how rough or how tender (which didn’t bode well for his soft heart). It’d be one thing if she questioned this new behavior, but everything he gave her, she gave right back. Every burning kiss, every hair pull, every bite and thrust and moan was reciprocated—if not topped in intensity. Again, not so good for his already-growing feelings.

After one particularly long and hot-blooded round, Harry decided to ask how she really felt. He lay in bed, panting from his orgasm just moments before, when Y/N returned from a quick bathroom break. Now or never, he thought.

"Hey, Y/N?" he asked, voice cracking at the dehydration. He sat up in bed, sheets bunching up around his lap.

She waved a hand at him, picking up her pants and forcing her legs into them. "I know, I know, I'm leaving. I don't wanna run into your round two on my way out," she winked, continuing to pull her jeans up her thighs.

"No!" he blurted. Round two? What the hell was she talking about? Did she really think that he had someone elsecoming over after that mind-blowing, passionate sex? "What? No. I just—"

"I'm kidding, Harry," she deadpanned, stopping him. "But seriously, I do have to go. I'll catch you tomorrow?" The tail end of her sentence kicked up, even though both of them knew she'd be back. "Text you when I get home!" She slammed the door behind her, and Harry sat with his jaw in his lap.

He didn't even get a text.

***

Harry hated bars.

He didn’t even know why he went. Well, that was a lie. Any chance to spend time with Y/N he jumped on, even if it was with their mutual friends at a dingy club.

At this point in the evening, he was pretty sauced. He’d long since lost track of the whole friend group, and chose to relax at the bar where even the bartender lost track of how many pints he’d had in the evening.

He spotted her on the other side of the U-shaped bar, chatting up a strikingly attractive fella with loose blonde hair and beaming white teeth. You know, nothing like Harry.

He felt sick. There was no stated monogamy between them and she owed him no loyalty, but for the past few months they’d damn near spent every waking moment together. There wasn’t even any time for her to be with someone else. But now, everything was fair game and she was clearly taking the chance presented to her.

Fuck it. He downed what was left in his glass, threw enough money on the bar to cover his drinks and a tip, and marched over to the duo.

“Oh hi!” Y/N gushed when she made eye contact. “Caleb, this is my friend Harry. Harry, this is Caleb.”

So. His name was Caleb. Up close, he was even more immaculate. His skin was as clear as the sky, he had the bone structure of a sculpture, and despite his blonde hair, his eyelashes were thick and dark. His manners were clearly up to par as well, since he politely extended a hand and flashed a smile at Harry. When he merely stared down at his hand, Caleb awkwardly pulled back.

“Nice to meet you, Harry. Y/N was just telling me about her recent trip to the Grand Canyon. I can’t imagine hiking in that weather, you’re quite brave.” That last part was more directed at her, and the attention made her giggle.

“Actually, I went with her on that trip,” Harry noted, both of their gazes snapping to him. “The weather was quite pleasant given the time of year. We didn’t even mind the heat when we fucked in the tent two nights in.”

“What the fuck?” Y/N blurted. Her face turned bright red, showing through even under her makeup, and his comment even got the attention of nearby patrons. “I’m so sorry,” she muttered to a shocked Caleb before grabbing Harry’s hand and yanking him to the back hallway of the bar.

Once out of the range of the booming music, she stopped and attempted to push him against the brick wall behind him, failing due to his size. “Harry, you need tostop,” she reprimanded.

“Stop wha’?” he slurred, genuinely curious about what she meant. Stop drinking, stop feeling so sorry for himself, stop loving her?

“Stop making a scene. What’s the matterwith you?” Her arms folded over her chest, enhancing her rack in her dress but Harry was too far gone to appreciate it.

“I don’ like him,” he huffed.

“That’s ridiculous,” her eyes cut into slits. “You met him 45 seconds ago, and I don’t get uppity about your bitches!”

“Haven’t slept with someone else since you,” he confessed. “Haven’ even looked at anyone else the same since I first touched you,” he purred, taking a step towards her.

She stepped back, hitting the wall behind her. “What?”

Fuck it, he was drunk. He wouldn’t even remember this in the morning. “The second I put my hands on your body, and tasted you, and saw what you look like when I make you cum on my cock, I saw the whole world differently. Reckon I love yeh,” he finished his dirty secret with a nervous laugh, somewhat cutting the meaning of his words.

For a few moments of heavy silence, he thought she was going to reciprocate his admission. There was a tiny glint in her eyes that made him think she felt the same and he opened his mouth to dig himself deeper into his hole but she stopped him.

Something washed over her face and she suddenly looked very uncomfortable. Y/N pursed her lips and brought a hand up to awkwardly scratch at her elbow. “I shouldn’t have let you have that last beer.” It was a joke, obviously, since she hadn’t been around him since his first drink of the night, but he didn’t laugh. “Let’s get you a water and take you home so you can get some sleep.” Harry couldn’t even protest before she grabbed his arm and tugged him back through the bustling dance floor and out the front door. He never even got his water.

To say that Harry was devastated was the understatement of the millennia. He’d just poured his heart out to the girl who had occupied his every thought for the past few weeks and she breezed over it like it was nothing. He didn’t speak another word to her for the rest of the night, barring a dazed “thank you” when she helped him up the stairs in his home and got him into bed. Once he was relatively comfortable, she let herself out without saying anything.

Well, that was it. He shot his shot, swung for the fences, and missed. If a truth bomb like that wasn’t enough for Y/N, nothing would be. As he laid in bed, head swimming and the stationary fan seemingly spinning above him, he knew his relationship with her was over.

He had to drag himself out of bed and into the bathroom to throw up, and he knew full heartedly that it had nothing to do with the alcohol.

***

Harry had never been a “show up at a girl’s door” kind of guy, especially if he was about to break up with her. Or, whatever he was about to do. Can you break up with someone you never dated?

However, he knew this was something that had to be done in person. His stomach was in a painful knot from the moment he woke up and didn’t subside during the drive to her apartment nor while walking up to her door or rapping it with his knuckles. It especially didn’t get any better when she swung the door open and was clearly happy to see him, smiling bigger than the sun. Clearly, she was ready to forget about last night and move the fuck on.

She let him in and briefly apologized for still being in pajamas, blaming it on laundry day. “When I have a coherent outfit that’s clean, wanna go see the new Spider-man movie?” she asked, leading him to her living room.

Her question was so innocuous, his stomach got even worse. “Actually, there’s something I wanna talk to you about.”

This made her stop in her tracks, her bubbly persona fading away. He knew damn well she hated those kind of ominous sentences, that they gave her anxiety. “Is everything okay, H?”

He inhaled through his nose sharply, blinking to make sure he wasn't tearing up. "I think we need t'stop seeing each other. Like, even as friends." It came out in one breath, like if he didn't, he knows he would've stumbled over it.

To his shock, Y/N's face paled. "W-what? H... why?" she was starting to even tremble.

"I'm gettin' too fuckin' attached, okay?" he blurted. No going back now, he guessed. "Whatever's going on between us clearly means nothing to you and I can't keep pretending like I'm fine with it. I can’t keep acting like everything is okay when it’s not.

His explanation made her jaw pop open. "Wait, you were serious? When you confessed your feelings?"

Harry's head reared back. "What? Of course I was serious! Why wouldn't I have been?"

She shrugged, choosing to stare at the floor rather than make eye contact. "I don’t know. You were drunk, I-I thought it was some kind of ploy. You've been acting kind of weird lately and I didn't know what you were planning. I got scared so I tried to be more chill about... us."

He blinked. “Well, now yeh know. It wasn’t a ploy, or a drunken mistake. I’m serious when I say that I love yeh, and if yeh don’t feel the same way, tell me now so I can walk the fuck out.” His head dropped down to his folded hands, staring down at the cross tattoo.

Her face turned pink at his profanity. He very rarely swore around her except in the bedroom, so the severity of the situation weighed on her. “Of course I love you,” she admitted, just barely over a whisper.

His head snapped up. “What?”

“Harry, you’re one of the best guys I’ve ever met. You treat me so well, I don’t even understand it myself. I mean, you hatebanana peppers, for God’s sake!” She laughed, and Harry’s stomach unknotted for the first time in 48 hours.

“What?” he repeated, her confession not quite sinking in.

“Are you a broken record? I said I love you! Is that not what you want?”

“I—no, it is! I’m just in shock! I’ve been through a lot since last night, okay?”

She dropped down on the couch next to him and threw her arms around him, and he instinctively wrapped his hands around her biceps. “So, what now?” she asked, pulling away and looking at him with doe eyes.

“Well, you’re m’girlfriend now, I reckon,” he smirked. “Is that alright with you?”

“Yes! Of course, you dummy.” The seemingly unwaivering smile on her face was replaced with a mischievous look. “Now that we’re dating, you have to help me with stuff that you didn’t before.”

He raised an eyebrow. “What do y’mean?”

She stood up from the couch and grabbed his arm, dragging him down the hallway. “I have laundry to fold, and the faster it’s done, the sooner we can see Jake Gyllenhaal kicking Spider-man’s ass!”

And to be honest? He couldn’t complain, not one bit.

[santoteez]

The Dormant Beast - Jongho (1)

Part: 1 of ?

Idol: Jongho of ATEEZ

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Friends to Lovers

Word Count: 2,071

Warnings: Slight prejudice and bullying (non-racial and it’s not bodyshame either) MC is Black Female, Mentions of murder

Crescent walked through the halls, ignoring the snickers and looks of disgust from the other students. It wasn’t because of the curves of her body. It wasn’t even her melanin-rich skin that caused this reaction. No, this world wasn’t plagued with body shaming or racism. But, there was prejudice. And it was due to a lack of aura.

Where Crescent lives, each and every person has their aura. An animalistic force that overtakes the body on command. Humanity was supposed to devolve from humanoids back into apes, in reverse of how we allegedly came to be. Whether or not that’s true is up for debate. What is for sure, is that somewhere along the line, technology and science mixed into the biological DNA of the human race, and rather than reverting into animals, they became animalistic humans. The closest thing to a hybrid, but not quite centaurs or mermaids.

Everyone has their aura develop sometime in elementary or middle school, and most have perfected it by senior year. Crescent’s sister, Eclipse, had the aura of a cheetah. It allowed her to move faster than any land animal aura, and gave her bright, gold eyes and a slender frame. Her parents were both hyenas, making them manipulative and, contrary to popular belief, rather violent and predatory towards others. They were very boisterous; their voices sometimes being heard from miles away. Even Jongho, Crescent’s best friend, had an aura. He was a gorilla, making him incredibly strong and highly intelligent. His incredible strength and broad build made him the most popular in the school, as well as the strongest. Just like real gorillas, though, Jongho was a big softie and rarely showed his true strength. Sometimes you would forget he had the ability to rip you limb from limb and destroy the entire school without breaking a sweat.

Then, there was Crescent. From the beginning, Crescent knew something was wrong. When all her friends were running and flying to school, she was taking the bus. When there were battles for dominance during recess, she cowered in the library. It all came down to one day, she was challenged by Desire, the strongest girl in school, to a battle.

“Come on, Crescent. Everyone knows you’re just hiding your aura. You never want to show it. You probably think you’re too good for battle. Show us what you got.”

“Desire. I already told you I FORFEIT my battle. You already won. Why do you keep seeking me out?”

“Because I know you’re just mocking me by not fighting me. You probably think I won’t win because of whatever aura you have. In order to win, I must assert dominance. So get in position.” She said, channeling her aura. The astral projection of a howling wolf appeared in the air, and she adopted a dominant stance.

Crescent, on the other hand, just stood there. What was she to do?

“If you won’t power up willingly, I’ll have to beat it out of you.” Desire ran, pouncing on Crescent. She pinned her down, bearing her sharp teeth.

Crescent, aware of how damaging a wolf bite can be, shut her eyes tightly and braced herself for the pain.

It never came, though. Crescent opened her eyes to see Jongho with Desire in hand. He was holding her up off the ground by her neck, but not in a chokehold way. The group that had formed to view the fight between the girls had dispersed into the corners, scared of what Jongho might do, but still nosey enough to watch.

“She said she didn’t want to fight you three times, didn’t she? That’s surely going against the rules if you attack her anyway, right Crescent?” He smiled at the much shorter girl, who had yet to get up.

Jongho set Desire down, reaching out a hand to help Crescent up. Once Crescent was on her feet, Jongho spoke. “Crescent, maybe it would help if you just showed your aura? You already forfeited, so it wouldn’t lead to a battle, but it might help to ease some of the ambiguity.” He shrugged.

For the first time since realizing it, Crescent burst into tears. “I don’t show my aura…because I don’t have one!”

Gasps were heard all up and down the corridor.

“That’s impossible!” Desire shouted. “If you’re something weak, like a mouse or something, just say it. But don’t say you have no aura.”

Crescent sighed. “I’m telling the truth. I’m not a mouse, or a cheetah, or even a hyena. I’m just human. No aura.” She said, sobbing harder.

Jongho embraced her, pulling her close and rubbing her back. “What are you all still staring at? There’s no fight. Get to class!” His voice boomed against the walls, causing the crowd to scurry, even Desire.

“Hey, it’s okay. Maybe you’re just a late bloomer? I know some people that didn’t get their aura until high school! Or maybe it’s a medical thing! Whatever it is, I’ll help you figure it out. We’ll find your aura, together.”

That was four years ago. They were best friends ever since. No matter what rituals or remedies Jongho and Crescent tried, they couldn’t figure out what was up with her aura. Doctor after doctor told her there was nothing wrong with her, she was just auraless. There were cases of something hindering an aura, such as a lean animal in a curvy body, or vice versa. But none of that applied to Crescent. They tried potions made by the black cat auras, but after a food poisoning scare, they decided not to continue down that path.

Now in junior year, Crescent and Jongho decided to put their aura search on hold as they prepared for college applications and senior year.

Crescent opened her locker, sliding out the way immediately as a bucket of water fell out, which would’ve drenched her if it wasn’t for her quick reflexes. Chuckles and snickers were heard around her as she stepped into the water to stand in front of her locker.

Grabbing her books, she paused to look at the picture in her locker. It was her and Jongho from the previous Valentine’s Day. Every girl in the school was asked out to the town fair that day, except Crescent. Despite her reputation, she was still hopeful someone would be nice to her, just for that day. She was laying in bed, tears seeping into her pillow when there was a knock at the door. She opened it to find Jongho with a bouquet of sunflowers, knowing she hated roses.

“Were you seriously crying? Geez, didn’t think I had to formally ask you to the fair. Thought it was obvious I’d take you.” He said, stepping into the house. “I’ll wait for you in the living room. There’s no way you’d want to go out looking like that.” He said, referring to her pajamas and puffy eyes. They headed for the fair after Crescent changed, getting on the rides and playing the games. Jongho beat the ball toss, despite the glass bottles being glued together (because of obvious reasons) and won Crescent a huge teddy bear with a red ribbon. He asked the booth owner to take their picture with the prize and, lo and behold, that’s how the picture came to exist. Crescent cuddling into Jongho’s arm with the teddy bear in between and the two of them with bright smiles.

It was that night that Crescent realized her feelings for Jongho. At first, she thought it was hero worship, a feeling caused by Jongho saving her from Desire. But that night, under the city lights, spending the entire evening together, she realized it was something deeper.

She sighed. It’s not like it could ever happen. Someone with such a powerful aura as Jongho’s wouldn’t be caught with someone of a low aura, let alone someone as auraless as Crescent. Jongho had proven to her time and time again that he didn’t really care for the hierarchy, but Crescent knew better than to hope that high.

Suddenly, her locker was slammed closed by Desire and her minions.

“Crescent! Good morning!” She said in an overly sweet tone that was anything but.

“No aura, still. No fashion sense either.” She said, glancing down at the girl’s sneakers and overalls. “With no aura, you’re not much of a looker, you know.”

“Even with all the Chanel and Prada in the world, you’d look down on me.” Crescent said, matter of factly.

“That’s a fact!” Desire said, bumping shoulders with Crescent just as Jongho turned the corner.

“Jongho, my love! How are you? I missed you all weekend!” She said, draping her arm over Jongho’s pathetically.

“Missed me enough to come harass Crescent again?” He asked.

“What? No, no, no! I just came to tell her that her overalls are so chic! 90s are in right now, you know. I should get myself a pair!”

“Maybe you should, I get them from Levi’s.” Crescent smiled.

“Maybe I will.” Desire said, clenching her teeth.

“I’ll be looking forward to seeing you in them. They’d suit you.” Jongho lied.

“Really? I’ll look into it!” Desire said, walking away. “Great now I have to wear those things? Do you think they would go with my heels? Why does he always hang out with the challenged one anyway?” She asked her minions as they walked away.

Jongho and Crescent burst into laughter when she turned the corner.

“Like she’d ever wear overalls,” Crescent said.

“I hope she does, it’d be funny to see her pretend to be comfortable,” Jongho replied. “How was the weekend, Cres?”

“Pretty good, I sparred with Eclipse again. I was sore yesterday but I’m feeling better.”

Ever since they realized she was auraless, Eclipse took it upon herself to train Crescent in hand to hand combat, teaching her how to block and dodge hits as well as serve them. Crescent hated it at first, but it turned out to be beneficial at times when people turned to her as a punching bag. They never expected her to fight back.

Jongho nodded. “That’s good. It’s important you can defend yourself, especially when I’m not around. I don’t want anyone messing with you.”

“I’m fine, Jongho. I can handle myself.”

“I know, doesn’t mean I’m not gonna have your back.” He said, swinging his arm around her shoulders as they walked into class.

“Good Morning Strongville Campus! This is Desire with your morning announcements.” The girl screeched through the P.A. system, causing Crescent to roll her eyes.

“Crescent, I know you’re rolling your eyes. Don’t.” Crescent looked up at the speaker, mouthing ‘How?’ “Anyways, I’d like to start off with a moment of silence for Strongville High alum Hyunjae Kim, who was brutally murdered by The Void, making him the 7th victim to succumb to the unknown assailant. The moment of silence will start now, please refrain from speaking until you hear my voice.”

Crescent’s mind wandered to the victims of The Void. Those with strong auras have been slain one by one over the course of three months. Those who were in the area of the murder have reported a lightless darkness around the time of death, causing the media to aptly name the faceless suspect ‘The Void.’

“Thank you for participating. In other news-”

“Hyunjae might’ve moved out of town, but he still lived pretty close. Do you think The Void will pop up here?” Crescent asked Jongho.

“No idea. Some say he’s looking for the OmniAura. The one that possesses the aura of the entire animal kingdom. The One True Ruler.”

“Do you really think someone that possesses that much power exists?” She asked incredulously.

“No one really thought someone who possessed NO power existed, and yet here you are. I say anything’s possible.” Jongho shrugged.” Hey, did you hear back from those colleges? What did they say?”

She sighed. “The same as the rest. That they’ve never encountered a spiritually challenged person, meaning auraless. They thanked me for applying and said they’d keep in touch when they researched how to better accommodate the auraless.”

Jongho squeezed her hand. “Don’t worry. We’ll figure it out.”

Crescent smiled, despite being worried about something entirely different. She stared out the window. What did The Void want? Is there really an OmniAura? If he was seeking out all the strong auras, how long would it be until he came for Jongho?

Stephie back at it again with the fanfics! I posted earlier today too, I’m on a ROLL. I took a mini and unannounced hiatus, but I’m back to stay! I realized how much it was stressing me out not to write, but ya girl got a new job and was finding it hard to adjust and time manage. So bear with me while I get back into the groove.

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

One Punch Man 13 (S2 Ep 1) | Afterlost 1 | RobiHachi 1 | Kimetsu no Yaiba 2 - 3 | BSD 25 - 26 (S3 Eps 1 - 2) | King of Prism - Shiny 7 Stars 1 | Shield Hero 14 - 16 | Double Decker! EX 3 | Sarazanmai 2

The shows that have made it this season will be getting their tags...soon. Because I fell behind early in the season, trying to read ahead is nastier than it really should be...

Update: I forgot to roll out the tags...! Sorry about that.

One Punch Man 2 1

This season’s name…sounds counterintuitive, to say the least.

I love how Genos is carrying a box of hijiki (which looks like hair) and Saitama’s wearing a shirt that says “hair” (in kanji) all over it. It’s funny for a bald man and his “work of modern art”.

I never knew Genos was so blunt. Maybe because the last season was a good 2 – 3 years ago…and was by Madhouse and Shingo Natsume, and so this feels slightly different.

Oh, Sonic…! I didn’t realise how much I missed you! (Not to mention, you look hot with the off-the-shoulder shirt, y’know?)

“Enoki” is a type of mushroom.

Oh, Garou!...Oh wait, there isn’t much more of the episode left, is there…?

Afterlost 1

Oh great…this is the second time the subs don’t work on my device of choice. Then again, it seems to be a problem with the ad blocker and not the video…Okay, fiddling with the ad blocker worked.

Let’s play Spot the Main Character Amongst All the CGI Guys! Yay! (obviously sarcastic)

Without the volume…this OP is, to not put it lightly, s***.

Shoumetsu means “extinction”, not “lost”.

And the reward for Jankiest CGI this season belongs to…

Okay…this is stupid…if it f**ks up even more, I’m out of here!

I know the horned owl is your mascot, but that doesn’t mean you needed a real owl.

Waittttttttt…how did the scientists know Yuki’s father was responsible for this stuff anyway?

I feel like Takuya was shoehorned in. I mean, there’s a better example of this character type in Naofumi (Shield Hero).

This guy’s name, as we know it, is Geek. Wow (sarcastic). Also, I find it funny Takuya has a “ta” on his licence plate.

“…she’s just a package.” - Welp, you don’t get any more blatant than that for female denigration! I think Anime Feminist had a field day with this one.

Come to think of it, I saw some helmets back at Geek’s place but Takuya never seems to use one…

You had one job, Takuya…*sigh*

I swear I said a few previews ago I don’t like 1st person cam…no one ever listens to me, do they???

Not dis shitto agen!

Okay, enough complaining. It seems Yu-no wasn’t bad enough, so they had to produce something like the Chaos Dragon and Seisen Cerberus of old…

RobiHachi 1

It’s Takamatsu being Takamatsu again. Also… I forgot to mention this earlier, but…Taiga Umatani seems to be related to Kurari Umatani (who is credited for Boueibu), so…I wonder if it’s a collective writer’s name for Studio Comet, like Izumi Todo for Toei? The only thing that goes against that is the fact “Kurari” existed during the Diomedea days of Boueibu. Also Isekandar seems to be related to Yamato’s Iscandar (which Takamatsu seems to like, based on the fact he once used Matsumoto metres as a shorthand for being in space). If you don’t understand, Yamato’s endgoal contains a place called Iscandar and that’s by Leiji Matsumoto.

Okayyyyy…what are these rabbit creatures…? But yes, it does smack of Boueibu simply because the episode layout’s the same.

Hmm…? So Robby seems be En (the do-nothing life) in spirit, but Kinshiro in background, but also he runs away from his fortune. “Hmm” indeed.

Oh! That’s what this string of misfortunes reminds me of! The monsters of the day from Boueibu.

Acrymalide.

Hatchi is a Kinshiro in looks but an Atsushi by being a goody-goody.

Hmm…they actually bother to show girls now…apparently Takamatsu went to a boys-only school, which is why his original works focus on dudes (as in, you can pick out when Takamatsu is adapting someone else’s work because it has a heavier focus on girls as supporting characters).

Mechs and spaceships are probably two of the only ways I accept CGI…and you, Takamatsu sir, have just done it (the latter)!

Aw! Lookit his (Hatchi’s) face light up like a Beppu’s! It’s cute!

Hatchi getting out the hatch…lame, but still somewhat effectve on me (because that’s my wordplay game you’re playing, Takamatsu…!).

LOL, it’s a transforming mech. It seems my words from a few comments earlier were basically foretelling the future.

Kimetsu no Yaiba 2

Yikes, “Sakonji Urokodaki” has a lot of strokes…

My Little Sister Lives For Headpats…hey wait, don’t all anime kid sisters do that(?)

For some reason, I know the “Don’t Lose Your Way” meme from Kill la Kill and yet I’ve never…watched KlK…?(!)

I swore that was Giyu (it’s the haircut, I swear), but it’s a random demon…

When all you have is a hatchet…use your head. (LOL)

Ooh, nice eyecatch!

This is really black comedy, in a sense. (I remember this demon fight from the manga which is why I say that.)

Hmm…this wispy stuff wasn’t in the manga.

Come to think of it, I don’t know how Tanjiro got his scar…

If you squint really hard, you can see CGI Urokodaki and Tanjiro…

He probably has no footsteps because of his shoes. Or the fact he’s a ninja. Were there ninja in the Taisho era…? Update: Tanjiro has the same kind of shoes…oops.

Come to think of it, Daisuke from DN Angel had to dodge traps every day before he became Dark…(thinking of this because I reread the first volume of DN Angel recently)

Oh! Manga panel preview! That’s quite fun, really.

Kimetsu no Yaiba 3

I just really like how Tanjiro’s eyes grew larger with what was clearly resolution before he closed the door.

Why do the non-descript hunters look like Giyu too…?

I’ve never seen KnY so comedic…and that’s coming from someone who thought the Head Demon fight from last episode was funny.

Welp, this is…kinda interesting (<- says a fan of Touken Ranbu).

This letter writing…it reminds me of Kekkai Sensen somewhat.

This realistic water…it’s beautiful, but it looks like it came straight out of Niagara Falls. Is that…too realistic for anime?

“No matter…”

It’s a fox version of Speed of Sound Sonic! Then again, the real Sonic is around this season and probably won’t be happy about that comparison…

Is “that guy”…Giyu? Or the demon who slaughtered Tanjiro’s family?

Spider lilies! I didn’t mention it last time, but the symbolism of the spider lily makes the ED real cool.

Bungou Stray Dogs 26

I’v read the wiki page for Chuuya enough to know the next few eps involve the LN Fifteen, so even though I haven’t read a translation of the source material, I know some of the ins and outs of it already.

Ooh! Kitty! (If you’re a manga reader, you’ll know the cat’s significance.)

I think at this point in time, all viewers are used to Dazai’s bulls*** by now.

Is it just me…or did Bones use CGI for the city? It actually looks kind of good…! Sasuga Bones!

I have a fic that predates Fifteen and could be set in the same period (the fic’s vague enough that it could’ve been them at 15, 18 or even 12)…and basically the only thing I got wrong was the fact Chuuya doesn’t have his hat (because I wrote Chuuya as having his hat in the fic). Also, the banter is tenser than I imagined it, but that’s subjective and something only I, the fic writer, can compare.

I wonder who the yellow-tinted Ability holder is…? Update: That’s Randou. Spoke too soon.

There was a box in the subs…I wonder what symbol that might’ve been.

“…closest to the explosion.”

BSD 3 2

Oh, so that’s what Randou was for! I see now.

Chuuya may be OP, but he’s one heck of a fun character…also, he’s not as OP as Saitama, so…yeah.

Oh, the ED from last time is the OP. I should’ve known.

I like the almost storybook-style of this episode!

I thought Dazai was faking releasing the hostages…I was wrong.

Face-stealing aliens return! (They were around last ep too, I think, but they were harder to see then.)

Again, watch for the cat!

Well, with only one suspect (or 3, if you count the Sheep kids), it was quite easy to figure out one of them was behind it. I kind of suspected Randou, anyway, considering what I’ve learnt from all the mysteries I’ve read.

Because I was watching this episode with the volume down low (so I could hear the OP and ED), the volume really did work wonders for the plot this ep…!

King of Prism – Shiny 7 Stars 1

This is the final debut of the season, so basically how this and Shield Hero perform will decide what will stay and what will go. Oh, yeah…apparently this is the companion to a movie, but the movie and TV series have slightly different content.

This dude’s (the one at the very start’s) so grumpy.

…welp, I didn’t expect it to be that much CGI.

This chunk of exposition…makes me feel like I missed something. It was probably in the previous movies, come to think of it…

Basically, this is…uh, Makura no Danshi or Room Mate all over again??? I’m noping out of here…! Bye!

Shield Hero 14

I’m putting this on the chopping block…just so you know.

…uh, age gap romance? It’s hard to tell at this stage, but they (Filo and Melty) sure act like it is romance.

Welp, this survived the chopping block. “Raphtalia backstory” is a good enough reason to stick around for, isn’t it?

Double Decker! EX 3 (FINAL)

I always miss the OP when I’m not watching Double Decker, but I miss the ED even more…

I can’t believe they tried to get away with a Spirited Away parody…!

I can’t believe I get to see Dr Apple all buttered up like this…

I love how Kirill is censoring himself. (At least he can prove he’s not a girl, unlike Valery/Milla, whose entire shtick is the confusion between genders.)

Oh! I think I know the answer to the case already! It was Kirill’s soap, so Doug is the “killer”. But then…why is it Derick, of all people???

LOL, the angles were so reminiscent of Detective Conan…

Underwear-stealing sextuplets…? Why does that kind of sound like Osomatsu-san…?

Ahh…I really am going to miss this ED. See you next time!

Shield Hero 15

I never thought Raphtalia would be so angry…that’s Naofumi’s job.

Okay…it’s the age-old question: do demis listen with their animal ears or their human ears? Do they even have human ears??? (That’s 2 questions, isn’t it…?)

Uh…CGI dinosaur, much?

Shield Hero 16

…and of course, the Queen is a loli. Of course (<-sarcastic).

“Why’d I even have to feed this KFC farm?” – LOL, but I wonder what it sounded like in Japanese…? (i.e. I didn’t listen to it and when I try to do that, there’s always something over the top of it…)

Sarazanmai 2

I wonder if I’ll ever get used to watching Ikuhara on a weekly basis…?

Kappamaki…geddit?

Wait…y’mean, Keppi’s breath smells like cucumbers? Uh…okay, TMI.

Enta’s Japanese house kind of looks like the one in Mawaru Penguindrum.

Wait…why does the Japanese word for “Fish Buffet” (Osakanazanmai) end in –zanmai? Does that mean Sarazanmai is…Dish Buffet?! (LOL)

Notably, one of the signs said “Union” in katakana. It must be an English play on words…y’know, trade union and union = connecting with each other? I’m surprisingly enjoying myself a lot with Sarazanmai, by the way. I didn’t think I would, but I am!

I think that might be Irohassu water. Or Dasani. I saw both those brands in Japan, but I don’t remember which had the green flowers.

Oh…my goodness! Nekoyama (Cat Mountain) Mokichi (written with kanji for “hair” and “luck”). It’s a Boueibu monster! Frick, I’m laughing too hard!

It’s very small and very thin, but the word next to the cat in the eyecatch is neko.

“…Meow God!” – It’s a pun on “Oh, My God!” but with a “meow” in it. It’s pretty forced, but it does get the nuance of the joke across…

Why the heck did the subbers choose “herb” as the word for weed in this? “Weed” is sufficient, right? Right…?

Well…if that spurt of water wasn’t symbolic…I don’t know what is.

The title translates better as “…but I want to steal”. Y’know, add a little force into it.

The two As and the “sara” below it seem to make a zombie face, huh?

Ooh, that ending…

[ghostandblog]

Talking about Movies

FF / AO3

Summary: Bored in the library, Hannah and Barbara play a small game thinking about their friends.

Pairing: Sucy/Akko, Hannah/Amanda, Barbara/Lotte ( all characters are mentioned but not all appear, this is mostly about H&B talking).

Word count: 1,890

“Alright, let’s start with…Diana.”

Hannah’s tone is low, almost like a whisper, despite the library being pretty much empty. She looks at her friend with an inquisitive look.

Barbara rests her hand on her chin, with a concentrated expression as she thinks of their overachieving roommate. She considers her proper body posture, aristocrat upbringing, and the way she always goes for the most complex words at the moment of talking, which Barbara was sure it was a conscious decision on her part. It reminds her of black and white films, stories of powerful yet vulnerable heroes, beautifully designed yet simple dresses, and a sense of elegance that is just absent in most modern movies. With a clear answer on her mind, she looks back at Hannah.

“Diana would be… Classic Hollywood.”

Hannah raises her eyebrow a little bit. “That’s an odd connection.”

“Not at all, it makes perfect sense. Think of her as…Gone with the Wind or Citizen Kane”. Once she figures that her redheaded friend is convinced, she clasps her fingers together with a small smirk. “Alright, my turn. Give me a movie genre for… Amanda.”

Hannah narrows her eyes for a moment. “Amanda…Amanda would be adventure films. Movies that provide an… exciting sense of wonder. Purposely throwing yourself to danger in order to find new experiences, marvelously choreographed action scenes. You know, stories about the discoveries of ancient secrets and hidden treasures that also would lead to the discovery of…new aspects of yourself.” Hannah feels her lips forming a smile, then looks at Barbara’s grinning expression and worries that she may have flattered their american classmate a bit too much. “B-but there would not be, like, anything meaningful in them! always B-rated flicks with zero substance, yeah! That’s Amanda.”

She looks around them, worried that maybe she spoke a little too loud, but finds the library as empty as it was when they came for their now-paused study session. Hoping that her blush isn’t too noticeable, Hannah points at Barbara.

“Your turn now! Constanze?”

Barbara giggles a little bit, this was definitely a no-brainer. “Well duh, science fiction movies!” Giant robots, scientists working on their laboratories creating complex machines. Barbara entertains the idea that the short girl’s birthplace and silent nature is reminiscent of german expressionism cinema, but she knows she may be reaching with that one. “Jasminka?”

Hannah lets out a mocking chuckle. “I dunno. The cooking channel?”. After both share a small laugh, she tries to give a more thoughtful response. “But like, seriously, there is a sort of…warmth in her, you know? Always offering a tiny bit of what she’s eating, always with that calm smile of hers, it kind of reminds me of those feel-good movies that you watch as a kid with your parents, the ones with happy endings no matter what, or no matter how cheesy. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, if you will.”

Barbara nods, not really having anything to add.

Hannah raises her eyebrow again, this time placing a hand under her chin. “Now what would Lotte be?”

Barbara’s mind goes back to the finnish girl and remembers how she got to know her better thanks to their shared interest in Nightfall. She thinks of impossible love stories, star-crossed lovers, and above all, stories of girls that at some point may have been perceived as plain-looking or invisible, but later prove themselves beautifully unique and irreplaceable to the eyes of the previously dismissive hero. Unlike Hannah, she is not ashamed of her blushing face neither tries to hide it. She lets out a sigh before speaking.

“Lotte would be romance. Definitely.”

“Hehe. Of course she would.”

“You now. How about…Kagari?”

Hannah blinks, not really sure what to say at first, then finds a clear answer just by looking at Barbara’s smirk, knowing for sure that she is thinking the same thing as her.

“Comedy!”, they both say almost in unison, covering the giggling with their hands, more like a habit than a genuine attempt at keeping it quiet.

Atsuko Kagari. Always tripping over something, always making a mistake in her potions that resulted in some kind of explosion and her face covered in ashes. It’s like she was born to make every situation around her funny, and her almost negative intellect didn’t help, either. Everything she did was a source of laughs. Comedy certainly suited her alright.

Hannah wipes a small tear from her eye after laughing maybe a little too much, remembering it was her turn to ask.

“Okay Barb, what about creepy Susie?”

“Yeah. What about me?”

The monotone tone of voice is familiar, but the surprise is still there when they turn around and see the figure of a pale girl with long purple hair, her only visible eye looking directly at them with a tired expression, bangs covering the other one.

Hannah tries to stand back almost instinctively, accidentally tripping with one of her feet and falling out of her chair in a very unflattering manner, not unlike the way of the clumsy girl they were laughing at recently.

Barbara remains sitting where she is, petrified, with her hands placed in front of her as if she were trying to stop a sudden attack coming from Sucy. She attempts to keep her cool, but still can feel the sweat on the back of her neck.

Sucy just stands there, her expression unfazed. Is only the slow, uninterested way she blinks that reminds Hannah and Barbara that the girl standing before them is still alive (as far as they know).

“S-sucy! Hannah and I were just, we-” Still doing her best to keep whatever remains of her composure, Barbara hopes that she can get them out of there alive by sweet-talking somehow.

“How long have you been just STANDING there!?” Hannah’s usual temper doesn’t make it easy for Barbara, though.

Sucy just gives her a quick, dismissive glance, before looking directly at Barbara, who is now wishing that her sweating isn’t as noticeable as she thinks it is.

“So? What movie genre I am?”

“Ah! Well, we- uhm, we thought that you, erm, obviously-”

As Barbara attempts to form a coherent lie, Sucy just gets closer to the point that their faces are mere inches to each other, as if to remind her that there would not be a way out of this unless she tells her what she wants to know.

“Answer the question. Which one I am?”

Barbara lets out a loud gulp. She can’t really think of a convincing lie, so she decides to just answer honestly, ready to face the lavender witch’s wrath.

“Horror. I…i was gonna say that you would be a horror movie.”

Her expression doesn’t change for the next seconds that to Barbara, felt like hours. Then a smile seems to form on her lips, just enough to let Barbara know that she was amused by her answer.

“Haha. Neat.”

“Yo, Sucy! Hurry up! I already found the book that Lotte asked us to get!”

Hearing the familiar, loud voice that doesn’t even try to pretend to be in a place meant for silence and studying, the three girls look at the other end of the library, where Akko is waving at them while holding an old, dusty book on her other hand. Sucy looks back at Hannah and Barbara, wearing the same uninterested expression as before.

“Gotta go now”.

Feeling like she dodged a mushroom-shaped bullet, Barbara tries to keep the tiny bit of composedness that she barely had, but lets out a deep breath the very moment Sucy turns back and goes to where Akko is. She keeps looking at their direction, though, if only to make sure that the creepy girl actually leaves and doesn’t have any kind of last card, snake or potion under her sleeve. While hearing them chat as they walk, Barbara can notice, once again, how Sucy’s body language changes just a little bit when walking alongside Akko.

“Hey Suz, what were you doing with Hannah and Barbara just now?”

“Eh. We were just talking.”

“About what?”

As they leave the library, the two blue team members can’t hear their conversation anymore. Hannah, still shaking due to their near-Sucy experience, tries to regain her collectedness and opens her books again without saying anything, willing to forget anything related to the game they were playing to slack off studying. Barbara’s attention is somewhere else, still looking at the door even after the two girls are no longer there.

If Barbara had to be honest, she didn’t particularly care for either of them… even if Lotte was still trying to get her to know them better. But despite her own indifference, she couldn’t deny that there was something…charming in how the weird, creepy, and off-putting girl with lavender hair managed to develop a soft spot for the clumsiest girl in school, and how it was hard to ignore given that she herself managed to notice certain patterns as she was looking for stuff to make fun of them. Back when she still found enjoyment in bullying the three red team members, she considered the idea to tease Sucy about her potential feelings towards her roommate, but even then her own sense of survival knew better than that.

The expression on her face softens up just a tiny bit, enough for Hannah to notice when she turns to talk to her again.

“Did you know, that despite how different and irreconcilable they may seem, the horror and comedy genres have a lot in common? Many film and literally critics agree on that.”

Hannah just looks at her with a confounded expression.

“Huh?”

“If you pay attention, you would notice how many of the most acclaimed horror movies have a little bit of comedy in them. Not even as a foil, mostly as…a small piece that you didn’t know it would be missing. Something that you never thought would fit, but it does amazingly so. Yes, comedy and horror movies can exist on their own and work perfectly fine alone…”, pausing her words for a moment, she looks for her notes scrapped on the table to resume her studies, “…But is only when placed alongside with comedy that the horror genre gets to truly shine to its full potential.”

“What the heck are you going on about now?”

As if taken back from a trance, Barbara blinks a little, then just shrugs.

“I guess I just thought it was interesting.” She says almost instantly forgetting why that particular comparison came to her mind. “What about us though?”

“Ah?”

“Yeah, what movie genre would we be?”

Hannah scratches her head. She considers the options left, even if at this point she is not really interested to keep playing the little game they both made up. “I dunno. Animation?”

Seemingly considering the answer for a moment, Barbara lets out a dismissive laugh while opening one of her books. “Ha! As if.”

“Yeah, you are right. I’m not a big fan of cartoons, in all honesty.” Hannah says as she thinks of repetitive Saturday-morning animated shows, the ones with talking animals wearing funny clothes, stock sound effects, and the same background scene over and over. “Is just stuff for little kids anyway. Like, who has time for that kind of crap?”

A/N:

Hannah and Barbara being named after Hanna-Barbera will never not be funny to me.

Has something like this been done before? at first i wanted to compare the characters to music genres and bands but besides picking Kraftwerk for Constanze i've got nothing. Kinda not very really convinced how this one turned out, but still, i think is better to just publish it instead of letting it accumulate metaphorical dust in my drafts forever lol. I think I also better look for some beta readers for my next fic, i have a couple of other unfinished ideas even if I am not really sure what do…writing-wise? Guess we’ll see.

Amanda being Hannah’s gay awakening is a really cute concept. Is really growing on me!

Still, thank you for reading! Hope you all enjoyed this.

[lupizora]

Castaways On A Foreign Planet (1/5)

It's already the ninth in my timezone so I went ahead and posted this. This was written back in July but with everything that happened RL wise since then and the launch of The Better Hero, I procrastinated into publishing it. But hey, it's the @kacchakobittersweetweek and I'm going to upload the two chapters I've written so far of this Space Pilots AU for it. This chapter is for the theme of Fall.

Genre: Sci-Fi/Romance

Pairing: Bakugou x Uraraka

Rating: T

Summary: Ochako thought she had settled into her job as a mercenary. Katsuki thought there was only one reason to fly. Together they thought they knew their place in this war. But all it took to question everything was find each other again.

Ochako resisted the urge to puke.

Her stomach still couldn't handle returning from stasis to full function after Light Road travel. She swallowed the bile. Tapping her fingers around the controllers, she waited until the wave of nausea passed. Outside of her Orca's windscreen, a vast asteroid field spread around the reddish-green planet like an impregnable wall. Ochako noticed little sparks of light glinting between the huge space rocks seconds before a shrill noise echoed through the intercom.

"Welcome, Fighter 2-7-3," The unemotional, computer-like voice said. It used to give Ochako the chills but the feeling had died down over time. "Are you in position?"

"Yeah," she said. "What's the plan?"

"Eliminate all targets."

Even if Ochako had never met the person talking to her face to face, she could swear they always smiled when they gave orders like this. It was a gut feeling she couldn't shake no matter how hard she tried.

"Roger that."

Her spaceship glided between the suspended space rocks, looking for a secluded spot. Head-on attacks weren’t Ochako's style. She preferred ambushing the unlucky fellows who would cross her path. When the field covered the spaceship from every side, she halted the engine and leaned back in her seat.

The hunt had just begun.  

"Where are you?!" Kaminari cried out.

The Marlins swarmed around Katsuki like a school of hungry piranhas. His shields were keeping him safe for now as he flew through the asteroid field.

"Don't know. Can't see a thing with those fuckers on my tail."

"I'm barely getting your signal, dude. You have to get back here!"

Katsuki took a sharp turn around a big asteroid. Some of the Marlins crashed on it. He grinned despite anger burning hot in his chest. How these douches had lured him so deep into the asteroid field still escaped his understanding. The Peregrine's radar was going bananas the closer he got to the planet. Katsuki couldn't pinpoint where the fuck he was or how many enemies were out there. Such a classic move from the Alliance to set the game on their own terms. It pissed him off to no end.  

"Bakugou!" Kaminari shouted through heavy static.

"Quit yapping, Drooly! I'll be there in a few."

He just had to make them lose him first.

Katsuki turned right, heading straight for where the concentration of the field was thickest. The Marlins followed; their iridescent wings shining under the light of the closest star. Two of them were orbiting the planet, which was twice the size of Earth as much Katsuki could tell. He had seen simulations of the Union's first home-planet, but never the actual thing. It was several light years away from this war to be concerned with it.

A blast ricocheted on his right wing, pulling Katsuki back to the fight. His shields were down. The Peregrine flew over and under asteroids, his pursuers always a step behind. Katsuki clenched his teeth as he avoided laser shot after laser shot. Ahead, two space rocks were on a collision course with each other. Katsuki zoomed between them but the smaller ships didn't follow. The other side appeared quiet. He slowed down the engines just a click, trying to catch his breath. His radar continued showing gibberish. The ship tilted left due to a strong pull from the planet's direction.

Damn the Alliance and its fucking ambushes, Katsuki thought, hardening his hold around the controls.  

The intercom was dead. If someone decided to strike, this was the perfect opportunity. A sense of foreboding dropped on Katsuki like a bucket of ice-cold water. He spotted the irregular shadows on the nearby asteroids seconds before the other spaceship attacked.

Ochako ignored the feeling of blood rushing to her head. The Orca flew towards the Peregrine like a killer whale rising to catch an unsuspecting bird flying too close to the sea's surface. The pilot of this ‘bird' dodged just in time. The Orca's bottom scrapped the other ship's hull. Ochako turned her spaceship around, activating her guns; their barrels pointing at the Peregrine.

The onslaught started with the flick of a switch. Ochako heard and felt nothing more than a low rumble under her feet as the shots were fired. This distance made things less personal. It was just a job, and all she had to do for this to count was destroy the ship. With the signal gone, the Alliance thought they had one less pilot to worry about. But these pilots could survive for an hour in outer space and the Union never left soldiers behind. Ochako always counted on that fact. Killing former comrades was a line she would never cross; no matter how much was the payment.

Something glinted outside. Instead of avoiding her firing shots, the Peregrine flew towards the Orca.

Are they insane? She thought, horrified.

Her hands danced animated over the controls. The asteroids were packed closely together and the navigator was out of commission. It'd be hard to maneuver with her bigger ship. But she wasn't going to fall victim to a suicidal pilot. Not when she hadn't reached her goal yet.

Pulling at the controls, Ochako forced the Orca to retreat. Bullets ricocheted against the golden surface of the Peregrine as it filled her entire windscreen. She tried to dodge. Her body lurched forward from an impact. Lists of data started overflowing her side screen, indicating that half of the ship had been destroyed. The oxygen levels dropped rapidly. Ochako didn't want to leave the ship. It had served her like the best of comrades. But with a heavy heart and out of breath, she activated the emergency protocol. The pilot's seat tilted into horizontal position. Ochako pressed her arms on her sides as the seat dropped under the cockpit. Fluorescent bulbs flickered alive, illuminating the walls surrounding her with a purple light. The protective glass slid into place and the escape pod was launched into the void.

Katsuki's sole objective had been to scare off the other pilot so they'd crash. He hadn't expected getting caught in the explosion or the Orca’s remains to clog his engine. Without a way to battle the pull, the Peregrine started plummeting to the planet. The alarm screeched. Every light bulb inside the cockpit blinked red. Katsuki’s fingers around the controls were going numb. But the controls didn't budge.

Blue, so bright it hurt his eyes, replaced the darkness of space as he passed through the stratosphere. The cockpit was overheating and his spacesuit clung on his body like second skin. Pressure glued Katsuki to his seat. The wings had bent in front of him as if the ship was a real bird free falling. He had to open them. Katsuki steeled his feet against the front of the cockpit and pulled. The spaceship twisted like a spindle. When he faced the ground below, Katsuki pressed the buttons on his controls. The wings unfolded like a real falcon's followed by a loud groan. The ship started leaning more to the right. Despite his attempts to fix this, the Peregrine continued to balance like a seesaw in the air.  

For an instant, he looked up from the control panel. Some sort of red area spread over the horizon. Katsuki darted past its border without problems, but he kept losing altitude. The ship dropped under the plates beneath him, revealing them to be trees. Branches and trunks pounded on the hull like it was raining stones. Something struck the ship from below and Katsuki's head crashed on the control panel. It left him in a daze, the rows of trees before him blurring the more he stared at them. The view cleared and the ship nose-dived. Metal screeched as the ‘beak' dug a line into the ground. Vibrations shook the cockpit like an earthquake until the stern settled down with a thud several meters later. Dust covered the windscreen, harsh light obscuring the view outside. His helmet's filters picked up a foul smell but Katsuki's body felt too heavy to move. A monotonous tune ringed in his ears. Black spots danced in front of his eyes. They covered his entire vision, and he was falling all over again.  

 Stars twinkled at the sky above when Katsuki woke up. He lay on his back, something soft supporting his head. The stench of smoke filled the air along with sounds of burning wood softly crumbling. Heat washed over him from the left. He turned his head. Someone had kneeled next to a small fire. It spurted flaming specks when the other person threw one more log inside, illuminating briefly their exposed arms and their bulky metallic boots.

Anti-gravity boots, Katsuki's tired brain concluded. Thieves and mercenaries were fond of these; a crowd he was better off dead than get caught mingling with it.

Whomever that person was, they hadn't noticed Katsuki was awake yet. It gave him the advantage of a surprise attack. He only needed a weapon. At an arm's length lay a belt like a dormant snake, the handle of a gun peeking from one of the pouches. Katsuki dragged the belt silently towards him. The Alliance's open palm insignia adorned the clasp. Propping himself on his elbow, he pointed the gun at the enemy's head. His entire body was shaking from the effort, but Katsuki clenched his teeth and cocked the safety.

The stranger turned abruptly. It was a woman. After the initial shock, her dark eyes zeroed on his face; her chest rising and falling in controlled breaths. Strands of hair from her side bangs clung on her round face like vines. Producing a knife out of nowhere in her hand, she raised it to defend.

A weird feeling rushed through Katsuki's chest, and for a moment he thought he'd pass out again. But he didn't break eye contact. It wasn't just her appearance. The way she was ready to strike without the slightest hesitation brought something from the depths of his mind; the memory of a girl who didn't back out from any challenge, and who had almost killed him once already.  

"Uraraka?"

She furrowed her brows for a moment before recognition flashed in her eyes too. "Bakugou?"

He steadied the hand holding the gun. "Just my luck. Of all the assholes in the universe, it had to be you."

"Glad to see you too," she mumbled.

"So, you're making deals with those Alliance dicks now? What an upgrade."

"Oh, really? How many people you had to threaten to make it into the fleet?"

Katsuki gritted his teeth. "For your information, I landed this spot with my skills alone. Which is more than you can ever hope to land. Say, what's the score now? I bet it's at least ten ships you've crashed so far."

"You're one to talk.” Uraraka scoffed. “Did you forget how you tried to ram into me just a few hours ago?"

"That was an evasive maneuver. Did you forget how you crash-landed a Sparrow right into of the Academy's freaking entrance?!”

"I had it under control! It barely reached the front steps anyway."

Katsuki still had a hard time believing this. No one amongst the crowd had noticed the spaceship emitted a trail of smoke until it started falling. Trained pilots or not, they all scattered like frightened children. The Sparrow's turbines raised every blade of grass and stone in its vicinity as the ship skidded on the courtyard. When the terrible whine stopped and the dust cloud cleared, Katsuki had found the wing a breath away from his neck. He backtracked; glaring daggers at the cockpit as the Sparrow's pilot unfastened their seatbelts. After they had scrambled down from the ship, he approached them to demand an apology. But Katsuki had never expected Uraraka's defiant stare when she took off her helmet. His heart, already beating wildly from the near-death experience, skipped a beat. The effect only lasted a moment because she melted into a mess of apologies right after.

The present Uraraka sighed. "Can we forget about this for now? You shouldn’t be moving. Your wounds haven't healed yet."

Despite every joint of his body protesting in the process, Katsuki managed to stand. His head felt woozy, but his grip on the gun remained steady.

"I'm fine," he said.

Uraraka carefully stood up, keeping her hands visible. "You busted your head hard. The control panel of your ship had a decent dent on it." She paused. Her eyes flickered to the gun for a second, seemingly contemplating over her next words. "From what I managed to see in the smoke."

"Smoke?"

"Fortunately, the cooling system put the fire under control before anything exploded."

"Exploded?!"

Uraraka pointed somewhere behind him. Katsuki looked over his shoulder. His spacecraft lay like the carcass of a sea creature washed-up on an Earth's shore. The flames barely cast a light on it, but the charred front of the ‘beak' was visible.

Katsuki glared back at her, rage beating in his veins. "My ship."  

"What about mine?" After thrusting her knife back to her boot, Uraraka placed her fists on her waist. "The remains are still floating up there."

"Not my fault you can't fly straight to save your life. No wonder they kicked you out."

She gasped. "I saved you and that's all you have to say?!"

"It’s your fault I was about to die in the first place. That doesn't make us even."

"Ugh… You're impossible!" Uraraka marched past him and scooped up the thing Katsuki's head had been resting. Flapping her jacket like freshly washed laundry, she put it on and stomped back to the fire.

"What do you think you're doing?" Katsuki asked.

"Leaving." Uraraka picked up a box from the ground. "I've had enough. Find someone else to blame for your shortcomings."

"Don't go playing the victim," he said. "Traitor."

"You don't know anything," she said. Her eyes were rimmed with tears when she looked up again.

The sight unnerved him, but his expression didn't falter. "I know enough to not wanna see your face ever again."

"Fine! Rot in your misery for all I care."

"Don't threaten me, you third-rate pilot!"  

Uraraka held her head high, not bothering to give him another reply. She walked away until the darkness around them swallowed her form.

The minutes came and passed, but she didn't come back. All the rage and adrenaline Katsuki felt evaporated from his body, leaving behind a hollow husk that ached everywhere. He holstered the gun.

The waning moon rose from behind a rock complex on his right, shedding light into the hollow he had landed. Lanky trees grew out of the harsh ground behind the Peregrine, which was revealed in all of its destroyed glory. Scratches and bents marred the ship's golden surface; some of the hull's guiding panels were gone, exposing the mechanism underneath. The right wing was tilted in a weird angle too. Katsuki climbed on the ‘beak'. His muscles screamed in protest, but he balanced on the smooth surface without fail. Inside the broken windscreen, the cockpit was a mess of melted polymer. Sparks flew when Katsuki probed the control panel with his foot.  

It could be worse, he thought.

The main engine was located in the middle of the ship, so it should have been out of harm's way. If it was still operational, at least he would have a slightly bigger chance of getting off this planet. But a closer inspection could wait.

Exhaustion dropped on his shoulders like a heavy blanket. Katsuki grabbed one of the windscreen's exposed bars, ready to slide down. But he caught sight of his reflection on the remaining glass. A rectangle shape was shimmering on his forehead. He leaned closer and poked the edges of it. Pain stung him like millions of needles.

"You busted your head hard."

Apparently, Uraraka had patched up his wounds along with getting him out of the ship. And what Katsuki had done in return? Called her names, demeaned her and stole her gun. He didn't like owning people, especially someone who had seen him vulnerable like this. Still, he didn't know where all this anger had come from. Was it because she was with the Alliance or because she had disappeared without even a goodbye? Words had always come out wrong when Uraraka was involved even in their Academy days. Whenever she was around, Katsuki would get this restless energy he didn't know how to handle. As if she lightened up a fuse inside him and if he didn't release it in some way, he would explode.

He dropped his hand. Next to the fire, his cracked helmet stood glinting like a lonely star.

[kitsumiekat]

For Kingdom, For Her - Liam x OC, Maxwell x MC (TRR Fanfic) (5/?)

 Book: The Royal Romance

Pairing: Liam x Kina (OC), Maxwell x Riley

Rating: PG (NSFW for certain chapters?)

Summary: In the aftermath of the attack, the Unity Tour starts of at Fydelia. But Madeleine still nurses a deep grudge not only to the royal family, but to the new Duchess Riley, and point blank refuses to step in to help. Help comes in a different form… and one that absolutely distracts Liam in ways he never expected.

A/N:

Tags: @decisso​

---

“Being here for only an hour may give the wrong impression, that even you don’t think its safe to stay.”

“So you’re saying we have the rest of the day free?” Maxwell asked. Kina almost laughed at the sudden jubilant tone that the fun-loving lord tried and failed to keep hidden. Instead, she just nodded.

“Eyes are on all of you, but yes, you can do what you like with the day before we depart for Castelsarreillan tomorrow.”

Riley saluted Kina, and the rest attempted to keep their cool, but it was obvious they were happy by the sudden day off as everyone made the trek back to Applewood Manor. Amongst the trek back to the manor however, Riley was stopped by two children who were apparent fans of her, but it didn't take long for the group to see that the two young children had bigger problems that they were worried about. 

Watching Riley's interaction and Maxwell's obvious empathy he felt for the two children, Kina was once again reminded that the two of them were a perfect match, a pair who were sure to earn the love of many in Cordonia with their kind and generous hearts. 

"Why don't we open up the courtyard at the manor? That sounds a little more practical." Liam suggested when their friends attempted to figure out how the orchard can be used for a soccer game.

"We get to go to Applewood Manor?" young Jiro gasped, obviously a little awed by the idea.

"Yes we do!" Laughing, Riley took the lead and everyone entered the manor, and even Kina found herself smiling fondly at the awestruck expressions on both the children as they entered the finely pruned and kept gardens of the Applewood manor.

"So this is what it feels like to be royalty." Jiro murmured softly, his eyes wandering.

Camellia and Jiro sprinted to the courtyard the moment they saw it, and Kina found her eyes drifting to Liam, who waved his hands at a couple of staffers to bring out two goals, laughing as Jiro and Camellia eagerly started picking out their teams.

Automatically, Kina took a step back, intending to back off into her alotted room in the manor, when a hand caught her upper arm, and she looked up, her eyes widening in surprise when she saw Drake's dark eyes looking at her. He didn't smile, something Kina was beginning to realize was common with Drake Walker, but his eyes held a hint of mischief. 

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Back to my room, Mr. Walker." Kina replied. "I don't see why-"

"Let's all be on a team together and be co-captains!” Riley claimed loud, grinning as she turned to her fiance. “And... Maxwell!"

"Yay we get both the Duke and Duchess of Valtoria!" Jiro jumped excitedly. Maxwell flushed, and quickly shook his head and reminding Jiro he was yet to be the duke, but easily slipped towards their side of the field.

"We're uneven. C'mon Miss Press Secretary, we're going to need one more to even up the score." Drake urged.

Hana and Riley nodded as they heard Drake's words. Kina bit her lip, uncertainty warring in her head, especially when her eyes fell on Liam's shuttered look, but Drake and the rest were not given her a chance to say no.The next thing she knew, she was in the middle of the field, as they called out strategies in front of the there, and Riley kicked off the game. Left with no choice, Kina did her best to keep up, dodging and dribbling as best as she could for someone who had little experience in team games. 

It was more a game for fun then anything, laughter mingling with shouts as they played. Good natured bantering was passed between each other as they played, with Kina narrowly avoiding tripping herself and a few others along the way.As the game dragged on, Kina got more and more into the game, aggressively dodging and passing each time the ball came into her possession. 

At some point, she faintly heard Drake and Hana cheering her on as she got the ball, but not noticing when their shouts turned to warnings, Kina was determined to get the ball into the goal she didn't even notice Maxwell standing in her way until she barreled into him.The force of running at full speed into a solid body knocked her backwards, the ball flying out of her possession as Kina fell and rolled, swallowing a gasp when she felt something go the wrong way.

When the momentum slowed down, Kina remained curled up on the field, the faint sound of her friends running up to her piercing through the haze of the sudden throbbing pain around her shoulder and her knee, that she hugged to her chest.

It wasn't till a soft hand turned her upwards, did she finally open her eyes, to be greeted with the face of a very worried-looking Liam, whose fingers were ghosting over every surface area he could see of the girl, assessing the extent of her injuries. In a corner, she could see Maxwell profusely apologizing, along with Riley and Hana's worried faces, but she barely noticed, her peripheral vision taken up by a fussing King.

The next thing she knew, Liam was hoisting her up in his arms, bridal style, clutching her tightly to his chest, continuously asking her if she was alright with each move, afraid to jostle something he wasn't sure was injured or not. Only managing a small nod when he asked if she was fine, Kina heard him asking Drake to run for the royal physician, before he began making his way back to the manor.

---

Liam could've sworn his heart had stopped when Kina had rolled back and remained in a fetal position from knocking full force into Maxwell. As someone who always got cut, scrapes and bruises from his various games he played with Drake and Maxwell as a boy, Liam knew the game would inevitably come with injuries, but Kina was someone who did not play them as she grew up, so she was probably alot more fragile versus the rest of them.

When Drake had dragged her in the game, Liam had been hesitant about joining. Things were still strained after their unfinished argument in the Portavira library the other day, and he wasn't even sure what direction he wanted to explore this attraction they had to each other, especially considering the girl herself was hesitant. Liam was reluctant to explore something that both parties were not invested in, yet when she took her tumble, Liam had been the first to run to her side, ignoring his expensive tailored suit as he skidded on the grass the last few feet to get to her side as fast as possible.

No doubt the suit would have to be replaced, but as he placed her gingerly down on the room the staff at Applewood had directed him to, Liam knew he wouldn't have done it any other way.

Leaning back after ensuring she was safely on the bed, his brows furrowed when he saw her still curled up, as if attempting to protect herself from more pain.

"Kina? Sweetheart, tell me what's wrong. I can't help you if you don't. Come on, turn over." Liam coaxed, his voice gentle as he turned her to the side she had fallen on.

Almost immediately, he could see why she was curled up in the way she was. Her right shoulder was already beginning to bruise, likely from the impact of falling, and her knee still remained in a curled position. She had gasped when he tried to straighten it, and Liam was unwilling to try again before the physician arrived.

"Does it hurt to move your shoulder?" he asked, holding her arm and gingerly moving it.

Kina shook her head, but her eyes were kept tightly squeezed shut.With a sigh of relief, he lay her arm down again, taking a seat by the side of her. "At least your arms fine, the doctor will be here to check on your knee. C'mon, here." Liam murmured, holding her neck up, he adjusted her so her head lay on his lap, just as the door opened to admit the physician, Drake trailing behind the doctor.

 "Maxwell feels like crap, so he and Riley are sending Camellia and Jiro back."

Liam frowned, brushing his fingers against Kina's furrowed brow as the doctor got to work on her knee. She had tensed the moment he began bustling over her sore and bruised knees, and Liam felt extremely reluctant to leave her even if he knew his duties. 

As they had played, he had seen a crowd gathering to watch their game, and the press probably had a million questions when they got an eyeful of him carrying Riley's press secretary off the field, but he didn't feel like dealing with them at this point.

"The orchard will probably closed as they regrow the trees." he muttered, rubbing his thumb soothingly hoping he could distract Kina from the pain as the doctor straightened her knee. He could hear the muffled squeak of pain she tried to keep quiet, and couldn't help but wonder how much more does the silly girl keep to herself.

"Drake, could you go be me for a bit?"

"What?" his best friend said, quite sure he had heard wrongly. 

"Go to the crowd, tell them anyone who used to play in the orchard is welcome to play at Applewood Manor for the time being, until the orchard is tended to. Reassure them as well, that Lady Kina is safe and sound, and please invite them back when Applewood has been restored."

Drake frowned, but when Liam shot an imploring look at him, he sighed and nodded, exiting the room. As the door clicked to a shut, the doctor straightened up with a sigh and a worried look.

"What's the matter?" Liam immediately asked.

"I suspect the ACL is either overstretched or a partial tear, especially since Lady Makeena isn't someone used to exercise. Likely a grade 1 or 2 sprain." Stepping back, the aged doctor pulled out some bandages and an ointment, before bending and getting to work again. "This should reduce the swelling and hold the knee joints together as the muscles heals, but if it doesn't... well, people often opt for surgery as a way to fix this. But it's also treatable with physiotherapy."

"No knives." Kina muttered, and Liam looked down with surprise to find her eyes opened, albeit scared and watery. His heart clenched at her determined look, and looked to the doctor.

"What exercises does she have to do?"

---

After the doctor had left after bandaging her knee and leaving the ointment, Kina had eventually decided to sit up, watching as Liam finished up typing the instructions for the physiotherapy exercises the physician had recommended into his phone, talking to her as he typed.

"Twice a day, alright? He said you should be able to walk fine, just don't put too much pressure on it. Do you want a walking stick? We should probably get you one, and -"

"Thank you, You- Liam." Kina cut in, her voice soft but audible to Liam, who paused in surprise.Watching her hesitant look, the way she averted her eyes from him, Liam sighed and put his phone away, before going to take a seat next to her again. She tensed up as he did so, but this time, Liam bit the bullet and took a hand in his, squeezing it tightly.

"Last I checked, I had no checklist to fill out the moment I was born, Kina." his voice was soft as he spoke, rubbing circles on the back of her hand. "I am a King to everyone else, my greatest ambition is to be the leader everyone needs for this small country. But... I am not born purely to marry that perfect woman who will be the Queen, Kina. My bride of choice was Riley, a New York girl who didn't even know Cordonia existed." he wryly laughed, and Kina chuckled along with him.

"But my point here is this: When I speak to you like this, I do not see you as Riley's press secretary, nor do I view you as Madeleine's younger sister. You are Lady Makeena of Fydelia, a girl who puts her 101% into everything she does, who strives to keep her family together even if they do not do the same for her, the one who sees the good in everyone. I... I really want to get to know her more. If she'd let me. And I hope she'd get to know me too. Not as King Liam, not as Crown Prince Liam, but as regular Liam Rys."

Every word made Kina's heart swell, and by his last few words, Kina bit her lips in her efforts to stop the emotion she felt welling up in her throat, unable to answer without sobbing, she conceded with a nod and a smile, laughing when Liam grinned giddily just as someone knocked on the door.

"Kina?" Riley and Hana's head popped in just as Liam released her hand and jumped up from the bed. Luckily for them, neither girl saw them, and they simply focused on Kina. 

"Are you feeling better?"

"Much. Although this knee is going to need some time, apparently." Kina replied wryly, grinning.

"Aw man!" Maxwell popped up, looking apologetic. "We thought we wanted to bring you to that spa that we visited the last time during... well, yeah, its awesome!"

"It's alright, I'll pass this time. Promise me you'll bring me back next time?" she cheekily challenged.

"Of course!" Maxwell exclaimed excitedly, before waving a hand at Liam. 

"C'mon, let's go!"

"I..." he paused, hesitating as he glanced over at Kina, who shyly averted her eyes and grew a sudden interest in the sheets. Liam hid a laugh, reading Kina too well. "You know what guys, I think I'll stay in for the night. We've got a long ride to Kiara's duchy tomorrow."

Surprise was reflected in everyone's eyes as they blinked, but Drake appeared just at the right time, grinning. "Well are we going or what?"

"It's just... Well, Liam says he's staying in?" Maxwell murmured, confused.

Drake looked over, and grinned when Liam nodded at him, before starting to herd the rest of them. "Ah well let him do what he wants, he's the bloody King anymore. We, have got a spa reservation waiting for us guys, c'mon!"

As the door closed, Kina raised a skeptical eyebrow at Liam, having caught the look which passed between the two. The King flashed her an innocently questioning look. "What?"

"You and Drake have a lot of explaining to do."

[angstymarshmallow]

By Chance, Part  2 - Drake x MC (A Royal Romance Mini-Fanfic Series)

[A little note: Took me a little time but here’s another piece of the Drake x MC AU I’ve been working on. I don’t know how well this is going to go since it’s setting up into a sort of slow burn romance. This was originally more than twice as long but then I realized it was better to divide it instead of posting something over 8 pages single spaced so without further ado...here’s part 2! And if you haven’t read part 1 - here’s a link to it.]

[Summary: Drake knew he should have probably gotten rid of her phone the moment he found it. Between Liam’s impending bachelor party and what awaited them back in Cordonia, he didn’t have time to track her down. But something kept stopping him.]

Trouvaille; something lovely discovered by chance.

Drake glanced at the phone with passing fascination. Resting above the coffee table, his eyes were inadvertently drawn to it. It’s dark purple casing, its flashing blue light every so often; both were testing his curiosity as well as his patience.

After retrieving the phone and dropping it by the end table of his room; he had forgotten its existence until Saturday evening. While he was waiting for his friends to get dressed for Liam’s bachelor party; he had simply ran out of things to occupy his time. 

He paced around the room, trying to decide what to do with it. On one hand he figured he should probably toss it, and probably forget about it. It was the easiest solution and required the least amount of effort. It didn’t matter to him but as he reached for it, he sighed. It might not mean anything to him but it would certainly mean a whole lot more to the woman that had lost it. 

He dropped it back onto the table, and walked in circles.

He wondered if he should use this time to take a look. Only a look, he told himself strictly. He didn’t fancy intruding in other people’s business, let alone cared to. 

Torn between forgetting the phone entirely, and finding its owner; he ran his fingers through his hair in exasperation. 

What was the harm in peeking? His conscience reasoned and if he had any intention of finding the American woman, he had to at least know a few things about her. 

He was surprised by the lack of lock as he swiped to the screen. Immediately he was bombarded by a selfie with what looked like; as he squinted - a picture of her and her cat.

Now that he had a better look of her, she was pretty. The dark hair that cascaded across slender shoulders and mocha skin that belonged in the sun, the expressive dark eyes – she was pretty but nothing more. Definitely not the worldly pretty he was accustomed to seeing in Cordonia. She had striking features though, that could make any man look twice.

He studied her carefree expression, the smile in her eyes a little longer than he probably should have before sifting through her apps. A person could tell a lot about someone by the type of things they downloaded. Most of them were unrecognizable to him as he never understood the fascination with social networks, or visual novels. His eyes paused by a particular application choices stories you play – before a number lit the screen.

It was marked as “Mom” and he had almost answered out of reflex. He waited until the number disappeared to utter a sigh of relief. He would have had a hard time explaining to the woman’s mother why a stranger had this phone.

A knock on the door broke his focus. He dropped the phone by the table again and went to answer it. 

He knew exactly who it was before he saw him. His best friend Liam beamed a smile before giving him a shoulder hug. “Hey, you’re the one celebrating tonight not me.” But Liam’s enthusiasm was infectious.

After he releasing him, Liam stepped aside to let the others in, Tariq and Maxwell the rest of their party. They were both dressed in suits except Maxwell had tucked his blazer under his arm.

Drake glanced self-consciously at his own clothes thinking he might have under dressed for whatever night they had planned. He hadn’t really asked.

Liam didn’t seem to mind or noticed as he leaned comfortably by the kitchen counter. Maxwell had flopped into one of the sofas and Tariq remained standing, awkwardly by the door.

“We going out or what?” Tariq asked, eyeing his watch.

“That’s not how we greet friends.” Liam chided, before Drake had the chance to answer. He turned to Drake, “What he meant to say is – good evening Drake, are you ready to get going?”

Maxwell laughed a little and Tariq rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t necessarily associate Tariq with that kind of thing.” Actually, he wasn’t sure what to associate the man with, Drake had never known much about him. He only knew Tariq and Liam had become fast friends over the course of single summer.

“Whose phone’s this?” Maxwell asked curiously, and Drake glanced behind him in time to see the man flipping through the phone with keen interest.

He bit back his instinct to snatch the phone away. “No one’s.” He tried to act casual but every second Maxwell spent browsing through the phone, the more compelled he felt to take it away from him. It was one thing for him to invade her privacy but another for a complete stranger to.

He walked briskly over. “It’s just something someone left behind and I ah – ” he hesitated, “have to give it back.”

Maxwell danced out of his way. “Left behind?” He echoed, grinning mischievously at Drake. “Did someone actually spend the night? Here? With you?”

A stab of irritation made Drake’s jaw clench. The way he said it made it sound as if the chances of that happening were highly unlikely. Drake happened to think differently; for the right person. “That’s not what I meant. Just give it back.”

Except Maxwell didn’t look as if he had any intention in handing it back. Instead his attention shifted to Drake and he narrowed his eyes at the man’s reaction. “Why? What’re you hiding?”

When Drake didn’t answer, Maxwell seemed more determined to keep the device away from him. He dodged Drake’s incessant attempts to wrestle it away, until Drake had to wonder how exactly the man had learned to dodge quite as effortlessly as he was right now.

“Seriously, who’s this hot girl on the screen? And with a cat?” Maxwell gave him a look. “Don’t you know I have a serious weakness for women with cats?”

“It’s no one.” Drake said between clenched teeth. He didn’t know why the idea of Maxwell finding her attractive bothered him, but it did. When he tried to swipe the phone again Maxwell merely chuckled and danced out of his way until he was nearly across the room. “Maxwell seriously? How old are you? Twelve?”

Maxwell stuck his tongue out at him before addressing Tariq and Liam. “This whole time Drake’s been disappearing off on his own – he’s just been visiting his secret lover here in New York.” He winked. “Damn, I never pegged you for the type.”

“Is that why you left us in such a hurry last night?” Tariq asked, eyebrows shooting up and grinning cheekily at Drake.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Drake mumbled stiffly, and refused to make eye contact with Liam. His cheeks lightly flushed at their teasing.

“Catch!” Maxwell yelled a split second later before tossing the phone high into the air for Tariq, just as Drake leapt at him.

“Dammit Beaumont.” Drake swore. He shoved Maxwell away and ignored his laughter to run after the phone in the same moment that Tariq had reached for it.

Neither of them caught it however, they had been far too slow. Liam was faster and plucked it right from in between them.

“I don’t think we have the right to pry into Drake’s personal business.” Liam said disapprovingly, frowning at Maxwell and Tariq’s little game.

Drake shot him a grateful look before stretching out his hand. “Thanks.”

“But, I’m also curious to know who this mysterious woman is that’s left behind such a private thing.” Liam added, checking the screen briefly. His eyes lit up at the sight of her. “You never told us you were looking for anything romantic during our trip.”

Drake felt a stab of strange jealously by the simple glance of appreciation. He quickly grabbed it out of Liam’s outstretched hand. That’s because I’m not.” He sighed. “Really, it’s a -” he hesitated, “- long story.” 

Liam’s expression brightened in recognition.

Saying it was a ‘long story’ had always been Drake’s and Liam’s unspoken rule to leave something for later. A moment later where they could discuss whatever was troubling them in private.

Liam nodded. “Very well, suit yourself. We should probably get going anyway if we’re going to make our reservations.”

“Reservations?” Drake echoed, quirking one brow at him.

“Yeah, we’ve got a fancy dinner planned for Liam’s bachelor party.”

Drake sighed as he grabbed his jacket. He was definitely under dressed after all.

-

The reservations hadn’t panned out. New York traffic flowed far differently than it did in Cordonia and they had overestimated how long it would take them to reach downtown. 

There was a lot of oncoming traffic that had made their google application re-route several times as they sat inside of a cab. They were nearly over half an hour late when they finally decided to find food somewhere else. Well, they didn’t as much decide to - their stomachs had kept grumbling until Drake suggested it.

The taxi had dropped them by the most popular district and told them that some of the best downtown bars served decent food. Although Drake was sure his version of decent was probably different than what the most of what they thought.

Nevertheless, Drake didn’t mind the bustling city. Though the boisterous noises were too loud and the streets a little too busy; he found himself studying everything he could. He was trying to take it all as a native instead of a tourist. He was trying to picture what it was probably like for his mother to live here.

A younger version of her before she had met his father. He wanted to know about his non-Greek heritage, his mysterious roots he traveled across the world to figure out. His intentions weren’t pure when he accepted to be apart of Liam’s trip overseas and although he would never tell him, he was planning to find out more about his past.

“I don’t recognize any of these restaurant names.” Tariq said stiffly from beside them and Maxwell nodded.

“That’s because we aren’t in Cordonia, of course you won’t.” Drake reminded them. They had all been on edge from not eating for most of the night; except Drake didn’t care to hold pretenses when it came to anyone that wasn’t his best friend.

“And what’s the harm in trying something new?” Liam spoke up to defuse the increasing tension between them.

“What about here?”

He stopped in front of the diner on instinct. Drake didn’t usually trust his gut, preferred to think things through with his head rather than jumping into something. Except he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the diner in front of them.

There was nothing particularly different about it. For all intensive purposes – it looked identical to nearly every diner on this side of the street and yet something about it kept his attention.

He glanced at the rest of them before inclining his head. They were all seizing the place up with varying degrees of interest. 

Liam spoke first. “Alright, let’s see what kind of a place this is.”

The interiors weren’t as boring as the outside. In fact, it felt kind of homey – different from some of the other places he had been. It was busy but not too busy to deter him from wanting to try. Most of the patrons were a younger crowd though, and that nearly made him want to change his mind.

The more they looked around inspecting and considering their options, the more the urge to change his mind grew. It was busy, overcrowded and he didn’t want to wait longer than necessary for his food. 

As his eyes skimmed once again, he froze when he saw her.

The American woman.

And then he had forgotten the words he wanted to say.

[wordsonpages1-blog]

Admiration to Love

Another from my Perfect Enigma series on ff.net to celebrate 500! This one is really special to me and I hope you like it xx

Love.

One word. Four letters.

It seemed simple enough. However, Jughead Jones quickly learnt that this was false. Love was by no means simple. It was complex and intricate and strange and to an extent incomprehensible.

As a young boy he was enthralled by the concept of love. He would find himself captivated by the way his parents could forget about their woes for a few glorious minutes and dance around the kitchen with huge smiles on their faces and full hearts. It was that along with the classic films their family would watch at the drive in that had awoken the romantic in him.

The one that would blush when he thought about holding hands with the pretty blonde girl that lived next door to his best friend. He was five years old when he met Betty Cooper. She came over to play with Archie one afternoon while Jughead was staying with the Andrew’s. At first he had been apprehensive about sharing time with his red-headed pal, afraid this bright bubbly girl would steal all the attention, but he quickly learned he had nothing to worry about, instead finding himself amazed by her easy integration into their game of pirates. The next time he went over to Archie’s he was the one who suggested asking her over to play, fighting red cheeks and sweaty palms the whole time. Back then he was blissfully unware of what that all meant, unaware of the reality of feelings, all he knew was that he was going to marry Betty Cooper.

When he was ten he had moved past his childhood crush and could barely remember it existing at all. His mother found great joy in merciless teasing with respect to the subject matter, but Jughead was already developing a cool apathetic nature as a result of constant yelling and tears at home, and was mostly unfazed by her light hearted jabs. He would spend nights with his sister holding her close and playing her classic rock albums to drown out the noise, meanwhile fighting off his queries regarding when it was that mum and dad stopped liking each other? They still danced though. And Betty was still one of his best friends, their little trio- the red-headed golden boy, the classic girl next door and the boy from the wrong side of the tracks- solidified. He remembered one day in fourth grade Archie had been sick and Jughead was suddenly an easy target for Reggie Mantel. The burly boy had strode up to him with a mean grin in place stealing his beanie off his head and dropping it in the mud, stomping all over it and laughing as the scrawnier boy’s face twisted in anger and anguish. Suddenly a blur of blonde hair and pastel pink barrelled toward them, shoving the bully hard, surprising them all with her strength before starting on a lecture about manners, picking up the beanie and dragging Jughead off somewhere to rinse it off.

That was the first and last fight Betty would ever be in. It was also the first day Jughead realised how strong, determined and loyal Betty was; his eyes glowing in admiration as she stood by him and made it all better for a second. When he recounted the story to Archie the next day upon his return to school, he noticed Betty shying away from the attention and blushing; he didn’t know if it was because he was telling Archie or the heroic implication of his words and the picture of her they painted that caused such a reaction.

By the time they were thirteen Jughead was regularly sneaking out of his house at night, once he was sure Jellybean was asleep, because he couldn’t take the sounds of hushed arguments, tired sighs and slamming doors. So he would crawl out the window of his tiny house and walk around town, revelling in the sense of adventure and mystique his escapes held as he dodged street lights and passing cars. Sometimes he would retreat to the tree house hidden in the woods surrounding Sweetwater River he had built with his dad when he was a kid. Archie, Betty and himself used to spend hours amongst the greenery, imaging great nothings and grand somethings, telling secrets and sharing jokes. The memories were engrained in the wood and it calmed him. One night he snuck up into the little hut having left behind a heated argument about money and shady business deals- at this point he began to wonder what made love die- only to be greeted by his female best friend.  She appeared as shocked to see him as he did her and an awkward silence had ensued. The dark haired boy recovered first from his surprise moving to sit next to her where she was leant against the wall. He studied her, trying to conjure up some logical reason as to why she could possibly have needed to sneak out of her house at this hour. Her usually bright eyes seemed dull and red rimmed, her shoulders were slumped and she kept sniffling every few seconds.

“Needed an escape?” he asked instead of pointing out the painfully obvious fact that she had been crying. Betty nodded, offering him a small smile that was so far from the beaming ones he was used. Jughead sighed, unsure of how to proceed.

“What are you doing here?” she asked in a tone that was merely curious. Jughead shrugged his lanky limbs drowning in his dad’s old flannel shirt. “Couldn’t sleep, too much noise in my house.” He was never able to lie to her, he tried it once in sixth grade and the guilt he had carried around for weeks afterward just about killed him. He couldn’t bring himself to tell her the whole truth though either, so he went with ambiguity, the most objective choice he could make.

“They want me to be perfect Jug and I can’t be that,” she finally whispered after another period of silence. In that moment Jughead realised how exhausted and insecure Betty was. Memories of her fiddling with her clothes anxiously and freaking out when her hair would fall out at school and stressing over a B+ collided as he felt an odd ache in his chest. He knew Betty’s parents could be intense but he had never realised the toll it had taken on her until that moment. She was so good at keeping it together and giving her all to everything. He had always admired her resilience, but never as much as he admired it right then.

“You don’t need to worry about that Betts,” he replied casually, scooting slightly closer to nudge her shoulder with his own.

“You’re perfect just the way you are.”

And from that night onwards Jughead noticed when Betty’s smiles were genuine and when they were strained, when she was stressed because of her own concerns and when she was stressed because of the parental pressure to be perfect. He noticed when she was pushing herself too hard but assured everyone she was fine and when she actually was fine. It was like her admission that night had awoken clarity in him, as if she had left a window into her soul slightly ajar for him and he couldn’t resist taking a peek.

His admiration for her only grew with each observation he made.

He didn’t know it then, but that night was the night his “crush” on Elizabeth Cooper had resurfaced. He was thirteen and still mostly unsure of the female species so his inclination toward her was undefinable. He was unaware that what he felt wasn’t merely friendly, but rather adoration. She was a constant and he hadn’t yet ventured into enough endeavours with other girls to realise they didn’t all make him see things the way she did. And so to his ignorance, on the very night Jughead Jones began to believe that love was extinguishable, finite and only burned within certain limits, began to question what it was that people did to cause such a tragic death, he had begun to fall in love, to discover its essence first hand.

When Jughead was fifteen everything began to change. It was at this stage he realised that love didn’t always die. But even in these circumstances, it wasn’t always enough. He thought maybe that was worse. Romanticised gestures and everlasting romance was a falsity people found comfort in to distract themselves from the tragedy unfolding before them. He would see the pained look on his mother’s face every time his father came through their front door wreaking of liquor and cigarettes; it was a look of pure betrayal only someone in love could possess. Her blue orbs were haunted by ghosts of the man she once knew, juxtaposed by the stranger before her. Her heart was breaking as she began to realise she couldn’t fix this, couldn’t do anything to get back to the way things were. And Jughead felt his own heart break a little as he felt the sting of betrayal two fold- for his mother and for himself.

And at fifteen Jughead began to despise his own weakness. He did his best to ignore the way she would steal his breath when she laughed at one of his jokes. He did his best to convince himself that she was not by any means cute when she rolled her eyes at him and Archie’s play fighting and brotherly banter. And he tried his damn best not to notice how much more gorgeous she was getting with age- beauty engulfing her further with each year, maturity bathing her in an even greater glow. But as much as tried to resist, he could not deny the fact that Betty held a special place in his life. He liked her. He wanted to resent her for it, but every time she smiled or hell even looked at him he just found himself falling deeper down the rabbit hole of attraction.

It was on a particularly hot day at the beginning of summer, just before school let out that Jughead found himself letting go of all pretences and admitting that maybe she wasn’t just his friend. Their little friendship group had been hanging out at their usual lunch table when Cheryl Demon Spawn Blossom and her little posse approached. A smirk laced with mirth poisoning her features as her eyes gunned down Betty. Jughead felt a sickening wave of nausea overcome him, wishing with all he had that whatever was about to happen wouldn’t.

“Betty,” Cheryl spat as she arrived at the table, causing the blonde to turn toward her question dying on her lips as she too became aware of the fiery girl’s purely sinister gaze. “I just wanted to do my good deed for the day and remind you how many calories are in those fries your about to eat, I’m sure you don’t want to make that dress even more ill fitted than it already is? I’m surprised your mother hasn’t already picked up on the extra pounds, very unlike her.” Cheryl’s tone was biting and dripping with a sickly sweet residue- her own personal venom.

Jughead watched Betty carefully, eyes hard and muscles alert as he fought every urge he had to literally force an apology out of Cheryl. Although he was acutely aware of the way the toxic words had stung the girl across from him, he found himself once again astounded by her bravery and strength, looking Cheryl directly in the eyes, and holding her gaze for a moment before shaking her head continuing the conversation she was having with Kevin. He wanted to congratulate her for not stooping to the devil incarnates level, wanted to let her know how amazing and kind and wonderful and how much bigger of a person she was than her opposition. He wanted to tell her that her response had been the classiest, and most reserved action anyone could have taken which he greatly admired. But those words didn’t flow out of his mouth. Instead he found himself shooting a, “You’re such a fucking bitch,” to the red-headed girl who was beginning to re-treat from their table, scowl set in place.

All eyes locked on him, his three friends and Cheryl gaping at him in shock.

“What did you just say,” the Blossom princess sputtered. Jughead raised his brows coolly.

“I said you’re a bitch. Betty is amazing the way she is and there is definitely nothing wrong with the way she looks, so can you just drop it?” Cheryl turned in a huff, stomping away in a dramatic scene only she could cause. Archie turned to him with surprise still evident on his face, before shaking his head and returning to his lunch. Kevin patted his shoulder from his spot next to him, “That was incredible,” he gasped completely encapsulated by the theatrics and commotion. Jughead just shrugged, taking a sip of his water trying to disengage from the event. He was struck by a pair of gracious blue eyes staring at him intently though. Betty reached across the table to place her hands atop his free one, “Thank you,” was all she said, but that one word was laced with so much sincerity and genuine admiration Jughead was incapable of stopping the intense pounding of his heart, the male pride that swelled within him and the affection blooming in his chest.

In that moment he was torn. Conflicted between being transfixed by her purity and the revelling in these wonderful sensations she created in him and despising it all, building up walls so that he could remain immune to the effects of this affection and the disaster he knew would follow.

By the time he was sixteen Jughead’s family had fallen completely apart. He finally understood the expression of a broken heart with full clarity. He watched as his mother drove away, Jellybean in the back seat, face pressed against the window, summer rain pouring down and casting  an even more morbid atmosphere around the event. No matter how many times he showered he could still feel his mother’s tears on his skin. No matter how much he pictured happy memories from what felt like a life time ago, he couldn’t shake the image of his father, chest wracked with sobs, as his eyes exposed the utter devastation he was feeling. After that they had become empty, all light leaving his persona and yet to make a reappearance. He knew then that love had the ability to bring you to a loss. His father loved his mother but he had lost her because that wasn’t enough. His father had lost his ability to love properly. Every time he looked at him all Jughead could see was bloodshot eyes and hardened features, stumbling limbs and stained clothes. All he could smell was alcohol and misgivings, all he could hear were slurs and angry musings. He felt the whole in his chest expand with each glace, each whiff. At sixteen he learnt the true pain love could bring. He learnt that you could love someone and despise them simultaneously.

He packed up his limited things and moved out after that realisation, further solidifying the concept that you had to lose to love and that you lost when you loved, in his mind.

But then after a summer away, she returned. Their town was forever changed that summer and Jughead knows he was too. But as Elizabeth Cooper waltzed back into town on a seemingly calm afternoon he understood that not everything had changed. He didn’t know how it was possible to miss her so much that summer. Maybe it was the fact that Archie had disappeared, that his family was no longer a static concept but he missed her so much it hurt. And when he saw her the afternoon of her arrival, the pair crossing paths in the small bookshop on the edge of town and she smiled at him and embraced him in a tight hug, that only Betty Cooper could carrel him into, the brooding teen felt all the darkness fall away for a few glorious moments, the world fading to white noise. He revelled in her presence feeling his heart contract as he realised just how much had changed since he had last seen her and how positively relieved and elated he was that she hadn’t been one of those things. She was still Betty and he was still Jughead and despite the death of Jason Blossom and the falling out of old friends, the mysterious absence of family members they were as easy and innate as they had always been.

And of course it was when she had recruited him to work on the Blue and Gold with her, when they began solving the murder, spending almost all their time together, further capitalising on how well they knew each other, lending emotional support unrivalled by anyone else to one another, sharing secrets and sacred information, forging a trust that went beyond years of close friendship and uncovering each other’s layers one at a time, to leave them bare souled and raw in front of each other that he realised he had been falling in love all this time. It was then that he understood no matter how hard he fought against the up until now dreaded emotion due to fears indoctrinated into him from a young age-fears of intimacy and letting people in- it was redundant. Because he was in love with Elizabeth Cooper and he was fairly certain there was little he could do to change that fact. And it was when he kissed her and she kissed him back and they fell together, fell into this relationship, bred this relationship and nurtured it until it developed into a grand entity that he realised she loved him back; she had fallen in love too.

And it was then that Jughead thought maybe he understood love after all. Because there was a reason they called it “falling in love”. Because it could happen quickly before you even have the chance to register what’s happening. Or it could happen slowly- prolonged. Because it can make you feel weightless and free. Because it’s terrifying and exhilarating. Because it’s clumsy and liberating and exciting and wild. Because it’s not pretty and it can throw you around in every direction and slam you into the ground. Because it can hurt when you come down from the high and the impact can be painful and it can break you.

But sometimes when you fall you fly. And he was willing to take the risk of falling if it meant he got to fly with her.

[sleepymarmot]

MEA liveblog #4

Spoilers!

Voeld

Why am I asking a person I've never met before about "Ice talkers" which I've never heard before but she apparently has mentioned?

Okay, I took two steps back and the banter that mentions the ice talkers triggered.

Don't you love the conversation angles where the person talking to your hero is not in the frame at all?

Liam: "Seriously, Ryder, you didn't bring any music?" Ryder: "I swear, I will turn this car around" Um? Why is she snapping so viciously? There's absolutely no reason, it was very jarring. Is it because I almost never use casual options?

Vetra and Liam are so chatty?? I don't think I've ever heard a single conversation from Peebee and Liam on Havarl, but these two talk regularly.

Will I have to kill people over these whales? :/

Bought a weapon for the first time -- the Isharay, because everyone's praising it.

Damn, Isharay really does feel nice!!

After like an hour of driving, climbing and fighting, I finally found the kett base and established a forward station near it.

Well the kett base was ridiculously easy as a vanguard... I had much more difficult fights on the way here!! Is this really all?

A Dhan? Nice, I've been meaning to try it out.

I really don't understand what and where I'm supposed to find in this base...

Of course I had to climb the mountain on foot and deplete all of my life support just in time to reach the kett camp and be shot down.

For fuck's sake, they respawned in the lower base I just cleared. Well at least I'll get extra xp?

Why is the UI so dumb? I have my three powers and profile active; I assign them to a favorite slot; the powers are saved but the profile is empty, when I go to the profile screen it's unchecked, I have to re-check it and assign the favorite again.

Finally, another forward station!

Gosh, this entire questline is so dull and frustrating. I only do it because people asked. (And because I want 100%.)

Holy shit, a kett carfalon! I gotta go back to the forward station and equip it immediately.

And here's the medicine cache I've been searching!!

The carfalon has higher base damage than the omniblade, but feels weaker/slower.

Dancing among enemies with full shield and health is fun. Not as fluid and quick as the ME3 novaguard though, but everything has a downside.

Just as I said that, got shot down and now I have to redo the last five minutes.

Charge to restore shields + melee to restore heath is great

Look game, I know I'm strong, but why don't you let me fucking save. It's been like 15 minutes!

OH SHIT AN ASCENDANT

PLEASE DONT KILL ME NOW!!!!!

Where's the elevator?? Do I have to defeat the Prefect to get to it?

Turned the difficulty down to easy to kill him. I've had enough.

Oh god, I can save! It's over!!

Shout out to that person who wrote somewhere either on BSN or Reddit that the kett corfalan restores health on hit. I literally owe them my Ryder's life.

I'm level 21 now btw, thanks to all this fighting.

This wasn't enjoyable, Bioware. This was frustrating and dull and then frustrating and stressful. I'm getting off this goddamn planet. Oh wait, gotta do Cora and Peebee's quests, too.

"You made it look so easy" IT WASN'T, BELIEVE ME.

No you know what, I'll at least go back to the Tempest and buy some consumables. I used my last shield right before the Prefect appeared.

Tempest

Aw, Peebee and Lexi!

Oh, a strike team brought me a Disciple! And a Reegar! And a Sandstorm, whatever that is. Btw I don't see that last thing in my inventory -- does that mean all rewards that go over the limit are lost? Wait, there's no Reegar too. The inventory officially crossed the line from Evil to Irredeemably Evil. :(

Voeld

It looks like the quality of planets goes downhill with every new one. Eos was intriguing. Havarl was a bit too DAI-like, but still had the original spirit of exploration. Voeld is just a brutal grind.

Oh shit, that's Peebee's LM! Looks like an ordinary Remnant site, so it's probably safe to do something here without triggering the entire mission. I was trying to avoid it, but it's right in the way to the ancient city, and obviously I can't not take her there.

BTW I'm really tired of bringing Jaal everywhere just because it's all about his people.

Is it my imagination, or did my adept profile dodge become faster after I reached a new level of this profile?

Stop! Telling! Me! About! Temperature!

I know it's cold, SAM. Tell it to the designers who make Peebee run around in -40C wearing one layer of clothing with a belly window.

Of course I can't save again. But now the game finally autosaved, so I can call it a day.

Wait, I'm not getting this choice. So the AI wants to die? And she holds the angara hostage so that I'd kill it? And if I kill the AI the hostage will be free? And both will get what they want -- AI wants to die and the man wants to live? If so, that seems like a vastly better option.

Alright, tried the other option. The AI kills the hostage, Ryder makes a renegade speech. Peebee disapproves because the AI is untrustworthy and the Nexus already distrusts AI in general. Jaal approves -- for some reason through a radio despite standing right here. The AI asks to work with SAM instead of the angara, and you can make a choice. So this is a more interesting decision for the story... But it doesn't feel right. For my pure paragon character, at least.

Yay, a forward station! I think I have all of them unlocked now. It's time for The Only Fetch Quest That Matters aka dad's memories.

And an outpost! I feel really productive. "They invited us here," though? When?? But at least I had the option to talk about cooperation with the angara. Also Addison's textures glitched like hell here.

Shit, shouldn't have talked to the outpost leader, she acts like it's been a month and gives me a rescue mission immediately. But I could say that I was surprised that the Angara had let us put an outpost here. You and me, Ryder...

Aw, the name of the outpost is "Forward together" in shelesh(?)! She made a nice speech here.

Okay, I'm going to just pretend all of the outpost stuff takes place in the future. I'll go to Cora's LM and then proceed with the main story.

Cora why do you have a boring fetch quest for a LM?

Wait, the Perifona is only one ship, right? Not the entire asari arc?

Ah, okay, it's a scout ship.

This was one of the few instances I chose all casual options and they were fine. Ryder sounds realistically upset. Usually casual options are awkward unfunny jokes...

And finally, I'm free to move on!!!

Tempest

Flirted with Peebee, not the biggest fan of the acting but w/e

Whoa, I have two cryo pod points!! Bonus xp and caches on maps, here we go. It's funny that my pacifistic nerd has most points poured into military and none in science.

"But we are outsiders"

Liam, you're a sweetheart, but please get dressed

Redid the conversation with Vetra without the flirting. First, unless Peebee suddenly makes me hate her, then I'm romancing her; second, Vetra is a great person with great looks, but she's such a Mom Friend(tm).

Hold on, I've already asked Jaal all these questions, why are they not greyed out??

Why is "I wasn't close to my father" on the left and "I'm sorry, I lost my father too" on the right?

Why is Jaal speaking so slowly

Whoa, Voeld is 71% already? And I haven't even touched the monoliths!

Aya

Alright, I'm going to headcanon that establising the Voeld outpost happens after this scene. Now that would make a lot of sense!

Why did Ryder fricking yell at this person for being "hearless" when he asked if the supplies are safe?? I'm too lazy to reload, but it was stupid. 

Aya feels really peaceful.

It sounds like the same actress voices half of the NPCs in this game and DAI. I constantly get a feeling I'm still in the Hinterlands...

Vanadium is too expensive to buy... I get shield boosters every time I see them, though.

It's a good idea to let me have an opinion on the exaltation, but it's hard to predict from the wheel what these opinions really are. And the emotional one is kinda stupid. The kett weaponise their victims to make you hesitate? Nobody knew that until last week! (As implausible as that is.)

The sound quality in this location is pretty terrible. Different layers of sound don't blend together but abruptly switch on an off as I walk around.

For fuck's sake. Tried "friendship" option with Jaal again, and it was actually flirting again. What's the fucking point???

Logical: "The more we know about kett, the easier it will be to hurt them" Uh, nope. Let's go with my heart this time. Though I don't want to hear another stupid "Oh no, how shocking and horrible", it'd be still more in character.

"City planners don't walk around in battle armor with rifles on their shoulder" Thank you! Though it would work better in a conversation where I'm actually wearing armor...

"We traveled to build a new life here" "That's what invaders always say"

Casual Ryder asks Cora for advice for living among aliens, her answer: "Be polite about scanning your food"

"Don't take this the wrong way, but this isn't your only city, right" BHAHAHA BEST LINE IN THE GAME

"I noticed that you, Efra and Jaal all speak with different accents" Well I didn't...

Ryder, you already know angara have big families, why do you sound so surprised?

What the fuck, did I just hit on the governor? I thought it was another question!!!

A task to relay letters from angara to the Nexus sounded nice already. I thought it'd be just a fetch quest and didn't expect to see actual letters! It's a very effective way to represent a realistic range of opinions. More than I expected from the game. And I have to choose whether to edit them or not! That's original. I don't understand how exactly I'm supposed to edit them -- tried in an alternate save, and nothing new happened.

Oh look, I discovered a new spot on the way to the terminal! Which I guess is the main purpose of this quest, except I only talked to the governor after exploring almost everything else. It's nice that the game helps you explore and force you to read the codex.

Alright, I think I've done everything here, let's proceed. Who do I take with Peebee? Let's take Vetra.

Oh, it's not a mission? Just a cutscene with me and Moshae? Alright.

I don't like where this is going. So now instead of exploring I'll have to build an army to take the Meridian? How boring.

And the codex says that this makes the mission more urgent... ugh.

Wait, the Archont wants to destroy all non-kett life in the cluster? I thought his goal was to improve the kett by assimilating others...

So that's what I need on Kadara.

I still find the angara pretty dull, but as a hub Aya is very well built.

Tempest/Aya/Tempest

Gil's poker notes! :D

Peebee and Vetra are standing next to each other: :) They're not talking: :(

I just left Aya and wanted to go to the Nexus, but w/e, if Liam wants I'll pretend we haven't taken off and go meet him in that bar. Again.

Lexi... has eyebrows?

Tann appreciated the uncensored letters! See, he's good.

Sorry Kallo, but talking about "respect" is pretty dumb in this situation

Got a Hornet as a strike team reward. 

I don't get it. How is scanning food is going to help us grow it? Liam says he "stopped the operation" but he not only continues it himself but makes me do it -- for no reason? What the hell was that.

It gets worse. He gave out some classified and Nexus data?? In exchange for fixing something? What. the. fuck.

Liam's LM

I had to make that Star Wars reference, of course.

The bad guy apparently plays threatening music over the comms in-universe lol

Of course Ryder had to make a joke with Liam! She is a kid like him after all. And Vetra was like "I wish I could punch both of you"

The designers sure had fun with vertical mobility huh :D

Wait, it's been on easy all this time? Since when? I only noticed when an armored target went down too fast...

Had to melee the Hydras. Thanks to the MP community for explaining that they don't have a sync-kill...

Bradley & co are so competent!

"What's he complaining about? Put him right side up, didn't we?"

Oh fuck, a fiend! Good thing I have a flamethrower, and brought incendiary ammo.

Look, a hacking objective. Had an extraction on Voeld, now this. I hope we won't have to do the new ABC upload at some point...

"We need to bring everyone back home safely" vs "We need her to saty while we replace the codes" um, both?

I picked the latter. Liam got mad. Um, why? I'm not trying to blame Verand, it's just a safety precaution. I used the interrupt. Then, to soften the blow, told him he was right. He was so shocked! :D And the line was pretty nice too, not "I take everything back, I'll kiss everyone's ass to get their approval" but "We're in over our heads"

Good mission! Very cinematic, nice humor. I don't get Liam's logic at all very often (and now am relieved I didn't go for the romance) but he had some nice warm character moments here. 

The next step in Liam's story is to do Jaal's mission! I'm loving this. Just before thiggering this conversation I overheard the two of them and thought how nicely their friendship is established. But this level of connection between companions is completely new!

Tempest

Before the game's release, people were talking about Kallo as a young person. I didn't expect him to have such an old man story.

Why doesn't the ship's database have its own schematics in the first place?!

"Just think: while we're poking around in kett's genetics, they're probably doing the same with ours" "Wonderful. That's me never sleeping again"

I've complained about the galaxy map, a lot of people did, but let's take a moment to appreciate the fact that we don't have to spend fuel!

Nexus

"Lexi: Bottom of the Bottle" Hmm, I wonder where I could find her... :D

This woman is worried whether we should welcome angara as if it weren't us who are alien visitors here... Good thing I had the option to tell her exactly that! Even though it wasn't labeled clearly enough.

I had a feeling when I saw the name of Lexi's quest that Peebee's bullying got to her!

"Every one of my exes said that"

Whoa, the game rememebered that I flirted with her! That's a nice bit of continuity. "Yes! I mean no! Don't change the subject!" Btw "Don't change the subject" not only works here emotionally, but is also a smooth way to bring you back from an investigation dialogue option to the main conversation.

All casual options with Gil hell yeah

I refused to cheat initially. Then did it in another save. Ryder comment on Jill changes! And when she wins we get all four options. Seems like only one of them confesses to cheating. I picked that one. Hmm, not sure which one I like better... Btw it's really nice how Ryder replies to SAM but makes it sound she's replying to Gil.

Oh, Peebee's in the starting area too? I was expecting to search for her everywhere...

Aaaand I got stuck in some plant. Reload!

Whoa! So that's how Remnant VI is unlocked!! That's so cool. I sort of assumed I'd just pick it up somewhere. Now I've got to learn it!!! Using a power personally designed by your crush for you is amazing!!

What is this Leliana-Marjolain shit

At least she has a classic asari face texture :D

The translations are getting weirder and weirder. "Glad to see you moving on" -> "Glad to see you move to a new place"

Oh, it's even unlocked by default! Nice!

And now I'm finally free to deal with my own personal story! Btw I didn't realize until this second, but it's great that in this game the protagonist *has* their own personal quest. 

Let me guess, Alex's "fix" will backfire and kill Ellen faster?

"My education on human mortality began that day" -- the translators misread "mortality" as "morality"!! Argh!

Recordings of a quarian historian and the Shadow Broker!

I have two unlocked memories today (from Havarl and Voeld). There's only one remaining. It makes me sad... Does this mean that after Kadara we'll move onto the endgame already?

Family flashback!! There's no reason to have this specific memory blocked, it doesn't reveal anything, and it kind of restricts roleplaying possibilities... But it was amazing to see everyone in a cinematic! And the Ryders were very defined characters already anyway.

Oh, so this doesn't count for unlocking dad's restricted logs! This is good news.

I knew the spoiler that the attempted murderer goes back to cryo... I won't call a suicidal guy a coward.

Tann: "Stay away from Kadara. I cannot stress this enough" Ryder: "Lol"

Don't spring life-and-death decisions on me like that! Told the turian to stay on the Nexus just to be safe. Though this might mean he'll be killed when trouble inevitably comes here...

Baby krogan engineer Kesh!! How cute.

You know what I don't like? When the game greys out the questions I've already asked before, but have new answers now. Like when you talk to SAM about the unlocked memories, or to Addison about viability. Meanwhile, Peebee's "Flirting" is still open...

Oh, there's a viability chart in Pathfinder HQ! There's one more planet after Kadara. This is a bit spoilery if you ask me.

Aw, poor Tann is out of his depth!

Alright, I think I've done everything here.

"Our leaders have discussed whether we should send colonists there" FUCK NO!!! Are you serious?? Angara themselves have to rotate because that one planet can't support them all at once, and you're talking about burdening it with aliens?? You know, I like being a hero in this game just to prevent bullshit like this!!

Tempest

Peebee... I've already met you in Aya museum...

Multiplayer

I lost connection to a session so hard it threw me out of multiplayer into the starting screen...

Extracted from a Bronze Apex mission with bonus to combos as an asari adept. Everyone else played ranged characters and stayed close together on a roof or something -- sorry I ran off and died several times, I need to be in melee range!

Wait, it's not marked as completed -- what?

This mission has a bonus to explosions, and I still can't kill a mook 

This game on wave 3 is already longer than the previous game on 6...

God, this was the laggies, glitchiest match ever. 20+ minutes Powers took a second to process. Couldn't refresh shield in cover or use ops packs. I got shot down on 00:00. And nothing registered: APEX mission not completed, no credits, no xp.

Nobody joined my own lobby, let's try again

Finally! A normal full extraction, and mission finally complete. But when I tried to disable a device I couldn't progress more than halfway

I increased the range of Annihilation, but can't feel or see the change :(