#that sentiment gives me a lot of curiosity interest and regret but

[shinagawa-division]

Night had long fallen on the division of Shinagawa, and Ritsuko Okada was glad for it as it meant that she wouldn’t have to deal with the disturbances of people trying to give her presents for her birthday. As if she cared for things of that sort of sentiment nature. When all of a sudden Ritsuko heard a knock at her door. It was a rare occurrence for the scientist as very few had the courage to encroach on her territory. Deciding to see who was foolish brave enough to stand at her door, Ritsuko walked from her office to the front door. However, when she opened the door, not even Ritsuko was expecting the person in front of her. Kanra Akemi was standing in front of her and, judging by the gift in her hand, had come to deliver it to her for her birthday. 

“...Happy Birthday Ritsuko-san….I know it’s really late, but I wanted to give you this in person…” Kanra gently shoved the gift into Ritsuko’s hands and took a deep breath as if to prepare herself. “....You feel important to me…and yet I feel so angry at you…I know you have the answers as to who I am…and maybe one day you’ll tell me…but not now…I’m not ready to hear anything…or if I ever will be. So…I’ll see you soon, hopefully...” 

Then, before the raven haired woman could open her mouth to say something, Kanra had begun to run away from the residence. Leaving Ritsuko to watch the pink haired girl as she disappeared from view. Gazing down at the gift in her hands, Ritsuko wasn't entirely sure what to feel. Happiness that Kanra had given her a gift or sorrow that even now Kanra could not fully remember her. Deciding to settle on, neither Ritsuko closed the door behind her. Now, back in her office, the scientist sat down in her chair and began to open the gift. 

Inside the gift box were 2 items. The first was a spider brooch with several green agates embedded into it. The other item was something that immediately grabbed Ritsuko’s attention. It was a vial filled with a poisonous purple colored gas. It was nothing that Ritsuko was familiar with, and she had to wonder where Kanra had gotten her hands on it. Seeing a note inside the box, Ritsuko picked it up and began to read.

Dear Mama Ritsuko-san,

I hope you enjoy the gifts I got you. I saw the brooch at a store, and you popped into my mind. Spiders and green are very you, ya know? The vial, however, I think you’ll find…interesting. It’s something I managed to take from Kaoru’s more dangerous collection. She says it enters the brain and immediately begins to attacking it, rapidly rotting it from the inside out. A horribly agonizing way to die is how Kaoru puts it. I would question why she made something like that, but I’ve learned it’s better not to ask. Maybe you can get some sort of use out of it. I’m sure you’ve made plenty of enemies in your lifetime. 

– Kanra A.

Ritsuko held the spider brooch in her hand, her thumb gently brushing over the smooth gems. Despite her blank expression, the scientist was in deep thought, even after everything, it seemed like Kanra had a habit of taking after her brother because she did not expect her to send something much less actually show up on her doorstep.

A part of her, albeit a very small one, wanted to call out to her, invite her in, God knows that there was a lot that needed to be said but another part of her, a much larger and logical one, agreed with Kanra that now was not the time or place. It would come soon though, she was sure of it, no one can resist the call of curiosity, especially with answers so close you can just reach out and grab it.

Her daughter creation had grown so much and Ritsuko wanted to see if all that work would pay off, for her to realize her true potential, for her to earn the answers she seeks, the ravenette does not believe in foolish concepts like “regret” but even she cannot deny that there was still so much more she wanted to teach and show her. She closed her eyes and let out a sigh before standing up and walking over to the coat rack on the wall where her infamous white lab coat sat hanging, she grabbed hold of it and removed the old brooch that was clipped onto her breast pocket and replaced it with the new one.

“Theta, my dear. For your sake and mine, I hope you’ll find the answers you seek and that you don’t let it change you.”

Thank you for the gift!

[richardsondavis]

I want to go back to Reddit. I want to see what they are saying, if what they're saying is true.

Why change your opinion? No, you won't change your opinion. Best case is you'll feel like shit.

Hmmm, I guess so. It's the curiosity.

Yes, I understand yet we both know that they will not be giving you any favors. Glad that one person there said that Viz isn't localization cause it is just the in-house version of Shueisha. I believe we call that confirmation bias.

Hence why I want to go back!!!

You deleted your account. Most likely that post got deleted as well.

I see. I'd like to believe that.

Please do, Richardson. Your peace of mind is important. You are insignificant in this world.

...

Hmmm?

Just checked my post, it's still up. Most of my replies get downvoted. One of the things I got was that you have to just leave the official translation world. But these fuck still call officials localization and the unofficials translation. What did I expect?

Told you. Great question I have though is what is the matter? Now that these ideas are gonna live rent free in your head. No, how presumptuous of me. Please explain to me how the entire post makes you feel.

Thank you. So I made my reddit post with no ill-intent, just good natured questions.

So I got my replies and they all start how I imagined it. Localization is a disease, learn Japanese. That it exists and the only way to avoid it is to get off the grid. To not give these companies money, if it is my will. That one feels like a "If you don't follow us, we'll berate you" kind of thing.

That just really fucks with me. Perhaps it is all in my noggin.

So I'd like to break down the various comments I got.

First comment talks about how localization is now embedded in Western society, and that the best way to combat this is to raise awareness using social media and that money talks no matter what. In hindsight, I should've done something of the sort when I was reading Machimaho. Missed opportunity. I made a reply to that raise awareness using social media comment. I pointed out that Kimetsu no Yaiba made a lot of sales for it's final volume. Which I believe insinuates that what Viz is doing and by contrast, the "localizers" is okay. I don't agree with that sentiment, not one bit. Later on there's something that I like that I'd like to address.

Next comment is a guy that says that all official translations are localizations, without a doubt. That the best way to live is not give them money and get off the grid and purchase the Japanese ones and learn Japanese, cut out the middle man and told me to laugh at the faces of the "scanlators". I somewhat agree with this one save for the laugh at scanlators part cause that's just rude and I don't really want to be rude. In hindsight, Chainsaw Man, Dandadan and Call of the Night are all series I can get digitally and pirate it. It does hurt my eyes at times cause you know, screens and all that but I really feel quite regretful for purchasing the series. The folks at r/MangaCollectors do feel the same, I will reckon. Even Tumblr has beef with official translations every now and then.

I didn't really agree fully with the guy but he had an interesting take that I will want to take it into consideration. It's a bit strong yet tame.

Some guy replied that machine translations are what he prefers unironically and that he claims that the official translators are using machine translation as well to make their work. Might as well cut the middle man. Said like an asshole, I'll admit. I don't like this comment. It's the "I will leave official translations and I'll probably judge you if you avail them in my presence" crowd. They also call all official translations unironically "localization". Truly appalling, in my honest opinion.

My reply is if there is a way we can find a compromise. I didn't really want to leave official translations fully cause I know full well I will gravitate towards that thing back and then again. Of course, in r/KotakuinAction fashion, I got downvoted and the reply to that is that if I really wanted to make a difference then I should stop giving them money. I'm not gonna give Seven Seas a single centavo, that's for sure. The only ones I'll truly avail is Viz and Kodansha and Yen Press. That is still giving money to the evil English localizers but it's a sacrifice I am willing to make. Pretty sure the latest Viz series hasn't seen any of these mistranslations or open interpretations. Well, the latest that I know of being Dandadan so I have yet to see it.

IT'S SETTLED!!! I'M GONNA KEEP COLLECTING MANGA!!! FUCK WHAT THEY SAY!!! I LOVE READING AND I WILL JUST DO WHAT WORKS FOR ME!!!

Next comment makes a distinction between the good faith localization, where translating idioms to the nearest possible language (in this case English) and still makes sense and be accurate and bad localization where there's an idiom that has no equal translation to English then they initiate this bad faith injection of their own personal views. Seven Seas has lost me, to be honest. I wholeheartedly refuse to even get their series, pirate it even. Waste of space and time.

Next comment says that they wouldn't blame me for doing so. Made a claim that fan translations are superior and will always be. Got 8 upvotes. Of course they would prefer the fan translations, as predicted by that particular dude's blog I read a while back. Basically, the modern otaku should remember their roots. Roots being fan translations and scanlations and all that. Very inflammatory, I will say.

Made a reply to the reddit comment. Asked if it would be disingenuous. And I got 0 upvotes. Not negative though so that's a plus.

Next one asks if the one talking to him is the author or someone else? He would like the someone else to be as far away as possible.

I then asked him if he would consider that translated works as someone just telling you about the thing in general as disingenuous.

He said two things, first an analogy about pizza in a Chinese buffet. The "localizers" are looking to make a Chinese buffet with only pizza. I am most certain, that to this person, the Chinese buffet will always be the scanlation and fan translations. He will never call these localizations cause they're not shit, according to him. Very reductive.

But a good analogy. I find Seven Seas to be the pizza here. The Chinese buffet being the three I avail, Kodansha, Yen Press and Viz. Of course, if I say this then I'll be labeled and downvoted. Thankfully, I wouldn't have to handle that baggage.

Then the second thing is that he finds that translation is just how someone else would tell the thing to you as extremely disingenuous and to be honest I kinda agree with him. I would presume that this person would avail scanlations yet they are also a way for how the ideas are conveyed, that another person is going to be translating it and will be presented to the world. I just find that that is someone else telling me what the work in general. What I take from this comment is that we would both agree on the idea that learning Japanese is the best way to go here.

Alright, next comment is a dude saying that current translations are the only ones he refers to as "localization." He talks about games translation next and frankly I couldn't care less. I don't like JRPGs.

Next is the best two replies I agree with and is really very open. I'll just post them both here to preserve the context.

The first one is basically similar to my case-by-case basis approach. I have the time to read and will decide for myself.

The second dude says it all. Hoo-fucking-rah!

Then the last comment is talking about how localization is necessary to some degree. The kind of thing that gets you upvotes on r/animecirclejerk or something. Some dude replies that Japanese can't be translated one-on-one but that got replied with it can be. The last comment thread is a doozy.

So there's my thoughts on these ones.

Very fine.

Of course these are all sorted by best so the first ones are the most upvoted. Place is an echo chamber but has great takes. I wouldn't consider this a loss but thankfully I've gotten myself out before I fucking oof myself. Heh.

Interesting take my friend. Glad you got it all out.

Thanks.

Now, rest and be an individual. Make your own decisions. Besides, you aren't harming anyone.

I would like to get Lore Olympus.

Goddamnit!

[cadaverkeys]

Your OCs all are very interesting and seem to have a lot of depth! I was wondering; do you have any tips for how I could give my characters more personality? Thank you! 💗

FIRST OF ALL- thank u so much, im happy to hear tht!! but ALSO I had a wee think about this and I kinda think my character building in particular comes down to three traits that I don't see people ask a lot when making an OC!

[IMAGE TRANSCRIPT: "Parenting Style", "Who do you pretend you are?" and "Do something bad (really)"

I didn't want to make a whole post stretcher so these are the basic traits- but I will go in a bit more depth below the cut!

How did your characters guardian(s) parent them? How did this affect their personality? It's important to think of a characters guardian as a real person- even if the character themselves has a flat view of their parents. Parents that lie to their kids produce kids that don't understand the weight of lying, parents that give their kids everything often produce kids who don't understand the true value of things, parents that rely on materialism produce kids who do not understand the importance or idea of sentimentality. And so on. It's a common trope to give a character an orphaned childhood- this shouldn't X this trait, a mentor, a close friend, a surrogate parent, these people can all influence a characters ideas of wealth, human connection, morality, friendship, etc.

How does your character want to be perceived? Why do they feel it is so important to become that person? Many people give their character a "role model"- an idol that they build themselves off of, but I feel what's more important is what kind of person do they think they OUGHT to be? If a character wanted to be perceived as a cool loner type person it might mean that they feel that they are fundamentally unlikable personality wise so they rely on people to be intrigued by their mysterious energy, is this persona a way to encourage people to ask them about themselves first? So that they don't feel that they've "trapped" a person into a friendship?

Doing something bad is maybe the most important character trait for me. Everyone has done something horrible in their life. Something they regret- or maybe don't. But almost everyone has something reprehensible. And this is the thing- many people include something that their character feels is their fault but really isn't (like an accidental death or a family separation). Which is fine but in character building it's really just angst without any substance. If you wanna make something REALLY interesting- a character should do something (really) bad. This doesn't mean they are a bad person now- absolutely not- a good character will grow from a mistake and will live to repent it. But it means that their company might not feel the same. Did your character kill a family pet out of curiosity? Did your character bully someone for social status? Did your character destroy something important for attention? It can be any number of things- but it's gotta be something that they genuinely shouldn't have done. It means that their guilt is REAL, their morality IS a question. No matter how many years go by- your character may wonder "why did i do that? am i still that person?"

You don't need to do all these things to make a character have depth obviously! But these are things that I've thought about in reference to my characters and I think it makes them stronger for it.

[ryosmne]

Tattoo artist! Sukuna x reader part 4

Hello, it's me your friendly neighborhood Sukuna simp, I don't have much to ramble about today, I hope you have fun reading this part :)

Series masterlist here

Warnings: Language, alcohol consumption, implied smut that I'm too shy to write.

The café was unusually quiet today, maybe it's because the other days y/n found herself sitting at that exact spot by the window, Mai was the one sitting across from her. Today was different, Nobara took Mai's place for brunch after class, to be fair she hadn't showed up in some time so both Nobara and y/n jumped at the opportunity to spend some time together.

"So, does it feel lonely now that Yuuji and Mai spend so much time together?" Nobara asked, evidently trying to make y/n admit to some form of jealousy she was sure she had. "Not really, I'm happy she's finally with someone so good for her and she's finally off my back about hooking me up with random dudes" y/n said and she was honestly happy for her best friend, Yuuji was a very nice guy and in the past few weeks he's been seeing Mai, he's nothing less of a sweetheart and y/n saw him a as a little sibling even though they were roughly the same age.

"Of course, why would you be lonely, Sukuna's been keeping you company too." Nobara's eyes had a glimmer in them, not because she wanted to tease y/n, but she was very invested in the girls business with the oh so attractive tattoo artist.

Nobara did her homework on the guy, he certainly wasn't as polite or well mannered as he came across the night they met. He did seem like trouble at first glance, but the way he looked at y/n that night, or the times he waited for her to get off class to have some time together, Nobara would say that even a blind man could see that y/n had been tugging on Sukuna's heartstrings.

"It's not like that" y/n was once again flustered. What was she to the pink haired man, who missed no chance to be around her? "You're making out in his car in broad daylight, what is it like?" the brown haired girl chuckled, her friend was an idiot if she worried for a second about the man who looked at her like she would disappear at any second. "I don't know, but we aren't together like that, he's an interesting guy" y/n longed to be with him, she had a faint memory about him talking about something like that the time he spend the night with her, but then again, she was drunk and that could be her mind playing cruel tricks on her.

"Ok then whatever you say, I really hope you're not doubting the dude that cooked you ten different options for breakfast, after he took your drunk ass home."

"Wait how do you know about that- did Mai? Oh I'm gonna kill her."

Despite the tiny voice asking 'what are we?' in y/n's head, her days with Sukuna have been some of the best she's had. Granted they couldn't see each other that often, whenever they did, it was always better than the time before.

Sukuna had taken her to all the restaurants he knew were good, cafes with the best tiramisu she had ever tasted, taking an hour and a half to get to the next place he'd see her smile listening to her excitement filled voice as she told him how delicious the food was, then giving him some attitude mumbling about how she didn't expect him to have such nice taste, was the easiest victory to him, the highlight of his day.

He hadn't managed to get her back to his chair like he needed to yet, he had been so busy finding the best places to take her to that it seemed like it completely slipped his mind. It hasn't slipped Sukuna's mind though, he's just been nervous to bring it up again, what if she doesn't want to do that anymore? What if she changed her mind? What if she just agreed because she felt compelled to do so? Sukuna didn't know which one was worse.

Even on the days they couldn't see each other they were in touch, texting silly things or messing with each other. If a day was anything other good Sukuna could vent and let out his frustrations talking to y/n and she often did the same. Sukuna preferred calling her for that, not only to get things off his chest but because her voice was so calming to him, the need to hear it grew stronger each day he wasn't able to see her.

Afternoon classes were always adding to her demise, y/n even accepted Mai's gossiping over paying attention. Yuuji as she expected was as sweet as he looked, Mai was once again gushing over him and his adorable nature. Y/n just smiled at her friend who rumbled about the boy who, by now had a very firm hold of her heart. "You and Sukuna?" She asked, prying for any information she didn't already know from Yuuji. "Me and Sukuna" y/n stated back, shit eating grin on her face, knowing how not entertaining Mai and not feeding her what she wanted completely pissed her off. Y/n's phone buzzed from her pocket, giving her a little break from her friends curiosity.

Can I take you out after class?

Y/n's lips tagged into a small smile. "Speak of the devil" Mai teased looking over y/n's phone.

Hmm depends. Where to?

Its a surprise, doll

You know I hate surprises, but I can make an exception for you.

Mai pretend to gag next to her, but y/n payed her no mind. She had already seen enough from her and Yuuji to do the same.

You won't regret it, I'll be outside when you're done.

"Just don't make out in the parking lot again, being in his car doesn't mean that we don't see you." Mai was being Mai again. Y/n shoved her arm lightly and told her that they all knew how her and Yuuji sneaked around the bathrooms, laughing as her face flushed red.

Sukuna entered her field of view leaning against his car, finishing up a cigarette, looking too good for anyone not to stare at him. The total black outfit he had on did wonders for him, even if it was the simplest of crew cut shirts and sweatpants, every piece of clothing complimented him. Waving at Mai, y/n walked towards him noticing he's cocky expression. "Feels like you're eating me up with those eyes" he laughed, why must the sound of his voice be this melodic at all times. "Don't worry I missed you too" Sukuna said laying a soft kiss on y/n's lips as a greeting. If her fellow students weren't staring already, now they surely were .

" Where are we headed tonight?" Y/n asked fastening her seatbelt, she still kind of thought of Sukuna as clumsy, even though he's driven her many places, it's not that she didn't trust him, he was a very good driver. Hey safety comes first.

"You'll find out" he spoke with a little grin, before starting his engine and driving off.

Unlocking his door, he let y/n step inside first. Sukuna's house was surprisingly neat, everything looked to be in place, the décor was minimalistic. It felt like Sukuna very home-y, but then it didn't. It was too tidy, y/n didn't really think of him as a tidy person. The place also had his scent of sandalwood so y/n easily relaxed into the new space taking some more steps forward to look around.

"Bringing me to your house like this without taking me to dinner first, tsk should've known you were that type 'kuna." Y/n said in a mockingly disapproving tone "Who said that, I'm cooking dinner for you." Sukuna said draping his arm around her shoulders guiding her to his kitchen.

Whatever Sukuna had on his stove smelled scrumptious, making y/n's mouth water, maybe how pretty Sukuna looked with an apron on and a little sweat forming on his forehead from the heat of the stove helped too.

"You know, I would have never guessed you knew how to cook." Y/n let some of her assumptions fly in the room, she was the only one with a pass to talk about whatever she wanted with him. Sukuna wasn't going to shut her down. Y/n had leaned back on his table, her eyes roamed his figure freely. Sukuna would look over his shoulder smiling to himself every time he caught her in the act.

"I had to learn, Yuuji and I lived with our Grandpa, when he passed, it was just me and him." Y/n's heart clenched in her chest, Sukuna sounded different saying that. The truth is, Sukuna had never talked about that with anyone, he never made word of his grandfather's passing or the hardships him and his brother went through when they were left alone. He had mentioned to y/n that his and Yuuji's grandfather raised them, but from the way he spoke about him y/n was sure his Grandfather was doing well. "I'm sorry for your loss" was all she could muster at that moment, the pain in his voice was much too real for her. "Thank you, at least my brother turned out pretty good" he quickly changed the subject to something ligter, surprised at his self for opening up to her so easily. "You didn't turn out that bad either" y/n let the words spill, she had spent the past half hour blatantly checking out his back, she had nothing to get shy about. Sukuna let out a laugh, gripping his wooden spoon a little tighter throwing a glance over his shoulder. "Is that what you think?" Y/n shifted in her seat, how could this guy go from sentimental to laughing about his brother and to whatever this dark seductive tone was, she had no idea.

"Come on don't get shy on me, you were having fun checking me out just a minute ago, see anything you like" in the blink of an eye, Sukuna was slightly bent down facing her. Even after all the makeout sessions they've had that usually ended with y/n slapping his arm worrying that someone saw them and Sukuna looking at her with a cocky grin reassuring her that they gave a good show to whoever was watching, he could still make her all flustered, and she looked adorable like this, a deer caught in headlights. Sukuna kissed the tip of her nose, telling her she looked cute before turning his attention back on the food.

"Did you find that movie?" Sukuna's voice came from the kitchen, y/n was fumbling with the remote on his couch. Sukuna insisted on eating in his living room, he didn't want this to feel too formal, he still had whine out with fancy plates and everything, but he only wanted to cook for his girl and see her eyes light up eating his food, like they always did when she tried the food on the restaurants he took her.

"Yeah, here let me help with that." She said getting of the couch to help him set everything. "No no no, you go sit down, I'll do the work." Sukuna insisted, y/n only raised a brow at him and complied.

"Okay, you have to teach me, this tastes so good 'kuna" that nickname stuck, not that Sukuna complained, his stomach still did flips every time y/n called him that. She was looking at him just the way he hoped she would. The dish was quite simple, chicken with some red salsa and vegetables, but it was better than anything she'd ever tasted.

"I can give you a little cooking class, as long as you go grocery shopping" He offered her a little smile and y/n rolled her eyes playfully.

Y/n was leaning on Sukuna's chest with her arm hooked around his waist, he had a firm hold of her too, mindlessly looking at the screen but not paying enough attention to it. The movie y/n chose turned out to be a barely watchable C grade thriller and the two glasses of wine they had didn't make it tolerable either. Bad movie or not, having her under his arm like this was all he needed to feel calmer. Sukuna was so calm that he forgot why he brought y/n over.

"Can I show you something?" Sukuna spoke softly, looking down at her, y/n nodded in reply and groaned loudly at the loss of his warmth when he got up from the couch, Sukuna could only chuckle at her .

"Just two drinks and you're already a brat."

"Shut up."

Sukuna came back holding a big folder and some sketch books, y/n's curiosity picked and she found herself straightening up a bit.

"I've been dying to show you these." Sukuna stated as he flipped through the pages. Y/n's eyes danced all over the various shapes and designs he had came up with. Her eyes traced a particular three headed fox, she had never seen anything like that before, she reached out her hand to feel his drawing on her fingertips.

Sukuna's heart picked up its pace, she was currently in aww at his favourite piece for her. "Are those what you told me you came up with form me?" She was amused, she stared at him wide eyed not believing that anyone would ever do something like that for her, "Yeah, every design here is meant for you, you can pick whichever you like, but if you don't want me to tattoo you, I'll understand, you don't have to let me if you don't want to." Y/n couldn't believe it, there were enough drawings in here to fill her entire body in ink. She had hardly believed him when he said he had a vision for her sleeve, but this, this was out of this world.

"I don't even know what to say, these are so beautiful, but why did you go through all this trouble?" She still couldn't see a reason for it. "You've given me so much inspiration from the first time you visited, I can't get your skin out of my head, seeing you in my work is just surreal. I would do anything to do it again" Sukuna's words had not yet sunken in properly, y/n was still in disbelief.

Sukuna placed his sketchbooks on the coffee table, his hand prompting y/n's chin up so he can look at her face in the dim lights of his living room. "I will decorate any part of your skin you're willing to give to me, I'll give you the best work I can, please let me do this much." Sukuna almost sounded desperate, his face was once more too close and his wine scented breath tickled her lips, he had almost gone mad drawing in most his free time, and every time he saw her, a new idea of what would fit her popped into his head.

"You can do that" the moment these words rolled out of y/n's tongue, Sukuna had heard all he needed, and latched his mouth on hers, allowing his hands to explore more of her body. Between heavy breaths, Sukuna whispered about the softness of her skin, how he couldn't wait to mark her again, how he wanted her to be his canvas, his and only his. Diving in her neck once more, littering her sensitive skin with bruises she'd have to cover up tomorrow and her hands tangled up in his hair. "Just be good for me and I'll be gentle" His words only made her anticipate more.

The next day Sukuna was walking like the happiest man on earth, he woke up and had breakfast with his beloved doll, he had a smile on his face you couldn't miss. His co-workers didn't miss it either nor did they miss the huge forder he had under his arm when he came in, but they didn't question it.

Gojo spent his time teasing him about his unusual demeanor while Geto laughed to himself assuming what everyone else did.

Teasing him and prying about Sukuna's previous day didn't really work in Gojo's favour, Sukuna would simply ignore him and his smile still hadn't fadded. Gojo took it as his personal mission to piss him off when he had a lightbulb moment.

"Come on man, you talk about her all the time and when she comes over we're all working, when are we gonna get to meet her?" Gojo pushed, for the third time today, he finally found a weak spot.

The entire crew was curious meet y/n, properly this time at least, but Gojo was the only one who could confidently voice that. "Tell you what, go one month without fucking someone in here, and we can all go for some drinks tonight." Sukuna said in a joking manner, there was no way Gojo Satoru would agree to something like that, the man couldn't last two days on that deal, he was not about to give his word to Sukuna and take one for the team.

Gojo stood before the pink haired man, his glasses low on the bridge of his nose "Then, it's a deal" he said, obnoxious as ever with his hand extended for Sukuna to take. Sukuna knew Gojo was a man of his word, and if he shook on something, he would no doubt keep his end. Now Sukuna had to keep his as well.

Hey doll, I was wondering if you'd like to go grab a few drinks with me and the rest of the guys after closing?

Sure, I'll be there before nine, what's the occasion?

No need, I'll pick you up, they just really want to meet you, you don't have to come if you don't want to though.

Don't be stupid, I won't pass the opportunity of collecting blackmail on you.

Sukuna was smiling at his phone, that was so typical of y/n, his grin quickly faded once his eyes met the idiots standing before him with hopeful eyes. "Just don't do anything stupid" he sighed defeated before getting back to work, this was going to be a long night.

Y/n easily spotted Sukuna's car, he was parked just further down her street. Carefully swinging the passenger door open, she expected at least extra someone inside, but it was just Sukuna.

"Hey 'kuna." y/n greeted stepping inside, Sukuna faced her with a half smile, lazily bringing his hand on her jawline, pulling her in for a short kiss. "You're looking very pretty today, dollface." he spoke, still inches from her face, as his eyes traced her figure. Every inch of exposed skin begging him to mark it. Sukuna halted his wandering thoughts when y/n spoke again. "Everyone ended up ditching you in the end? cause you could've taken me out without an excuse like that."

"I wish they did, but unfortunately for both of us we'll have to suffer through it, I know you'd rather have me all to yourself." The mare glance he gave her from the corner of his eye as he put the car on speed was enough to have y/n's hear thumping in her chest. "Speak for yourself, airhead." Y/n's tone didn't lack at all in sarcasm. She did want him all to herself but she also was very intrigued by the rest of his crew, Sukuna always spoke about them. Whether it was stories from his childhood, college or everyday work things, y/n kept hearing about Nanami, Geto, Gojo and Megumi so she looked forward to getting to know them for herself. She had only seen Gojo and Nanami. Megumi and Geto had always been occupied when she dropped by the shop she would catch a glimpse of them tonight.

Sukuna's hand had taken a grip of her thigh, making y/n not so focused in their conversation. Sukuna was mindlessly squeezing while warning y/n about his friends.

The bar looked more like a museum in her opinion, still a very beautiful, elegant place. Y/n expected no less from Sukuna, he's already accompanied her to the best small restaurants and patisseries, sometimes she wondered how he came to know this many perfect date spots.

Sukuna had managed to slip his hand in her's the moment he noticed eyes on his precious doll and guided her to the table his co-workers were sat.

"You owe me 50 Nanami, they did show up."

"You're making me regret this already." Sukuna said, his head dipping slightly

"Come on 'kuna don't be such a grump" had that been y/n's voice Sukuna would've smiled down at her and his demeanor would instantly change, Gojo's voice only offered him annoyance.

Y/n took notice and softly brushed his hand with her thumb, Sukuna let a little laugh and proceeded to introduce the girl under his arm to everyone. "Y/n this is Geto, Megumi and you already know Nanami and Gojo here" Sukuna spoke pulling out y/n's seat as she shook hands with everyone. Gojo took the chance to piss his friend off, after all he would have to strictly work for the next month, he brought y/n's hand to his lips, giving her a compliment on her dress, making Sukuna red in the face.

Everyone took a liking to her very quickly, seeing exactly why Sukuna was so taken by her, she was witty and smart with a silver tongue that was also very sharp. Geto begun telling her about Sukuna's embarrassing drunk nights in college while Gojo laughed and even Nanami snickered. Megumi made Sukuna regret the day he considered taking him in his shop when he told y/n how he always cried as a kid if he didn't have a cookie after his meal. "That's why you always grumble about dessert?" Y/n asked him choking in laughter, Sukuna mumbled a reply and went back to looking annoyed, he was really happy to see y/n interact with his friends so effortlessly. This girl was constantly giving him more reasons to be around her.

Y/n was in the middle of a deep conversation with Nanami about philosophy, her eyes gleaming when he mentioned Plato's allegory of the cave. Geto subtly tapped Megumi's leg to get him to notice how Sukuna was resting his chin on his hand staring at y/n, who was blabbering about Greek philosophers, with the most sweet expression on his face any of them had seen. Gojo also took notice of that and an unspoken pact of 'annoy the fuck out of Sukuna' was made then and there.

"Have you thought about the next thing you want done or did you just want one tattoo?" Gojo asked the girl, breaking her conversation with Nanami a little too early for her liking.

"Yeah, I'll be getting some more work from Sukuna pretty soon" y/n replied proudly, her mind wandering to the night before to Sukuna and the beautiful pieces he came up with just for her. Sukuna perked up, his heart thumping by how happy y/n sounded with these words rolling out her lips.

"You sure you want him to do it though? You know I'm free if you need." Gojo's voice was condescending like always. Sukuna tensed up, jaw clenching at the thought of anyone laying a finger on y/n's skin. "Are you crazy? with work like this, I wouldn't let anyone else do it." Y/n laughed, Gojo must've been joking anyway.

Sukuna found so much comfort in her reply, she loved his artistry and never hesitated to show it, no matter how much of a brat she could be with him. Geto butted in the conversation too "y/n is right, look at how beautiful Sukuna's work looks on her, there's no way she'd change him." Y/n nodded at his words. "But I also do black and gray, I'm sure I could come up with something for you" Sukuna's eyes were glaring daggers at the raven haired man next to him, he remained oblivious to it laughing on the inside, Sukuna was so predictable.

"Thanks, but you said it yourself, there's no way I'd change him." Y/n spoke confidently, taking a sip of her vodka, knowing that at this point she was stroking Sukuna's ego and it would only grow bigger. Sukuna had no idea what everyone was onto trying to tattoo y/n, probably piss him off. From the looks of it, y/n wasn't going to let that happen. Nanami was observing quietly exchanging a few more words with y/n, he was right about her not taking other people's bullshit, Gojo couldn't pull anything with her, Nanami could see what Sukuna saw in her.

"Y/n, when you first came you were going to get tattooed by Megumi right?" Nanami spoke, Sukuna never expected him to join the others in their stupidity. "Yeah, he takes the walk ins right?" Y/n said casually, paying no mind to what Nanami was trying to do, the rest of them were also shocked that he decided to join in on making Sukuna's night a little hellish. Oh the betrayal.

"Did you want to get tattooed by Megumi?" Such a simple question, but Sukuna was at the edge of his seat "Yeah, I did, he was the reason I chose Domain in the first place, everyone loves this guy's work, I was pretty excited." Sukuna's face dropped, it's not like he didn't expect that, of course y/n came based on the reviews, he couldn't be mad at her for not booking him, she didn't even know him. He was pretty happy that he ended up taking her in that day, even if his insides boiled with jealousy at this very moment "Sorry for ruining your plans doll" the same smugness echoed in his voice "I can only stay mad at you for so long." Meeting his enlarged pupils and darker eyes, she could tell Sukuna was indeed, jealous. He had nothing to be jealous of, she didn't plan on leaving his side anytime soon, but when Megumi took his turn in the game everyone seemed to play, y/n found it hard not to join them. "If you still want to I can tattoo you since I never got to" Megumi knew he was walking on thin ice when Sukuna gave him a look that made him wish he was dead, these two got in fights all the time as kids and ended up with bruises all over them, if Megumi didn't ease up Sukuna would gladly remind him of the past.

"Uh, yeah, if you've got a design" y/n said with a bit of hesitation, Sukuna was seathin next to her, his hand aggressively palming her leg just above the knee. The rest of the night Sukuna didn't really speak, only leaned in y/n's ear to tell her to slow down on the vodka, the rest of the guys continued to talk amongst themselves as if nothing had happened.

Exiting the bar, y/n was walking- trying to keep up with Sukuna who walked fast to his car after mumbling a goodnight to everyone. Y/n regretted playing along, she'd never seen Sukuna this quiet. " 'kuna, I'm sorry I really didn't want to upset you" she said her eyes on the ground, gently tagging at his jacket, how could he ever get annoyed with her when she looked like that. Sukuna wasted no time swiftly taking a hold of her, his lips ghosting her's "I'm not that upset, only a little" his voice barely above a whisper, lips grazed over hers briefly. Sukuna didn't know if that was his heart or hers thumping so hard "I'm tired of dancing around it" his breath was hot, warming up her face making y/n's face impossibly hotter. "Dancing around what?" She asked with visible hesitation. Sukuna dipped down once more, not so softly this take taking her soft lips into his own, gently tugging on her bottom lip with his teeth, letting one of his palms to rest on her cheek and the other taking a loose hold of the back of her neck. Her arms naturally found their way around his neck. "I told you I want you all to myself" . Did he mean what y/n was thinking? Did y/n want him to call her his? Sukuna almost crackled at her puzzled expression. Sukuna wasn't one to express things this openly, y/n was a bit dense in that department so he had to, at least he told himself that.

"I'm starting to get a bit disappointed, I clearly remember you saying 'i would say yes' with some romantic mumbling" Sukuna said, stroking her cheek ever so slightly.

Her breath was striped from her lungs, it wasn't from the kiss this time. So that did happen, y/n's mind was not playing tricks on her, Sukuna had in fact asked. Her eyes once again gleamed looking straight to his crimson irises. "So will you be mine?" He was more confident this time, they had grown closer, laughed more, shared more, Sukuna wanted this from the very first session they had together and the more time he spend around her, the more he couldn't bare the thought of anyone laying their fingers on her. Perhaps Nanami's little show got under his skin way more than he could ever admit, but there was no way he's letting anyone mark her. Y/n was his personal artwork, only the finest of pieces shall taint her skin. "Yes, airhead" y/n said, finally having enough air to form words, still in his arm with a smile on her face, indulging him on another deep kiss. "Let's seal the deal then."

Sukuna finally got to fulfill his need, y/n was back on his chair late in the afterhours of the night. He finished free handing another of his designs he showed her the night before, the outline of her sleeve, with the Cerberus foxes he created just for her.

Y/n was standing in front of his full body mirror, examining the very delicate lines of his marker. His arms snaked around her waist, Sukuna could watch her admire his art for eternity.

"You look so beautiful in it" he simply stated, looking at their reflection he could only note her beauty. Y/n looked beautiful, beautiful on her own, beautiful in his tattoos, beautiful in his arms.

"Your art is probably the most beautiful thing I've seen, but you too are a close competitor" her voice crystal clear, she managed to make a faint pink dust his cheeks. Sukuna wasn't one to take compliments, but from her? He could listen to her little praises all day. "Now, now get your ass back on this chair, you're not getting out of this"

"I didn't plan to anyway."

Bonus Domain shenanigans: Megumi had the pleasure of opening up the very next morning, what the hell happened here, he was about to call the cops when he saw Sukuna looking scruffy and sleep deprived, emerge from the back room, same pants and undone dress shirt as the night before. "What the hell" was all that he could say. Sukuna was thankful he let y/n out the back just so they could both avoid the embarrassment that was to come.

"What happened here?" Geto asked the moment he came through the door, although he already knew, Sukuna was predictable. "Nothing happened" Sukuna groaned trying to get them to shut up, he just needed some coffee. He disappeared in the back again.

"yeah sure, 'nothing happened' does he think we're stupid or something" Gojo said to Nanami, who already had a headache and he hasn't been in for 15 minutes yet. "Stop it already nothing happened" Sukuna said, coming out in the front to order a coffee. Gojo stared at him, walked closer to him and began laughing straight to his face, "fuck you're laughing at?" Sukuna was confused

"Next time, clean the lipstick off your face and neck." Nanami chuckled while Gojo continued to laugh at Sukuna's frustration.

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[incorrect-ikevamp-quotes]

Comte’s 4th Birthday Story Event: Before the Clock Strikes Midnight

REEEEEEEE Ik it was a long time ago but life has been a [redacted], so I figured better late than never HAHA

So without further ado, anybody who’s curious feel free to click for more--I’ll put it under a cut for spoilers as per usual~

So in this story it’s the usual, a few days before his birthday, and they’re discussing a bump in the road. Essentially, it appears a friend of Comte’s is going to be celebrating a wedding, and as such he’s going into the suburbs/affluent part of the region to be able to attend. It’s only a few hours away from the mansion, but he will be gone for a few days with the arrangements made for his stay. 

While this wouldn’t typically be an issue, MC has some things to take care of and opts out of attending with him (preparing for his bday probably LMAO) and Comte is immediately big sad. My favorite dramatic fool is already pouting, though he fully accepts and respects her decision. Besides which, he fully intends to be back in time to celebrate his birthday as well. He notes that he’s always admired how driven and independent she is, and has no intention of getting in the way of that. He’s just going to miss her, is all.

He says as much, figuring there’s no point in hiding it: “I really wanted to bring you with me to attend…but I suppose it simply can’t be helped” … “That’s not it…I guess I’m just wondering if you’ll miss me as much as I’ll miss you while I’m away.” 

And MC’s just like “Aw, it’s okay it’ll only be a few days.” While Comte’s response is a very mature, high-pitched whining sound at a frequency only King (Theo’s dog) and Theo himself can hear. When MC tries to reassure him once more, his Hamlet impression continues: “Even the prospect of a few days away from you feels unbearable.” 

Naturally, as any man do that loves his wife, he draws her close and proceeds to bang the living daylights out of her. I would offer details, but I have no deets to give beyond: [Well MC, it appears I won’t be letting you get much sleep tonight.] 

Brief intermission for the vague sounds of fangirl cardiac arrest. 

The scene opens again to him doing his walk of shame (the slut) down the walkway and into the carriage that will take him to his friend’s house. His thoughts carry the regret of burdening her with his desire, though MC is pretty much on cloud nine and unable to stop thinking about the heady night they shared in a good way. Bruh and the sly look when he figures out why she looks like that--I’m boutta call the police, he is going to make women and men alike act up. 

MC scrambles to cool his already returning desire by insisting he will be late if he indulges any further, and he laughs and agrees easily–albeit with the slightest hint of reluctance. My favorite part in this exchange is that he kisses her forehead, adding that it’s because she’s the most adorable person in the world to him (a moment of silence for our uwus). 

Fast forward to Comte trying to get home after the festivities are over. Problem is, it’s been raining like a mOTHERBLEEPER, and as such carriages have no safe way to traverse the roads at the moment. He waited out the first day as patiently as possible, but after the second–and no sign of stopping–his Leeroy Jenkins instincts kick in. He notes to the coachman that he’s aware he’s asking a lot, but they fully intend to take the long way which invites the least risk–and the rain is ebbing, even if the progress is slow. 

It’s interesting because there’s another echo of his main story in this moment. He essentially showcases a desperation to return before the day ends, though without context it’ll probably seem a little strange, so I’ll do my best to explain. Basically, in his main story, MC notes that she doesn’t really care how different they are. Different time, different species, different experiences, so on and so forth. She hammers home that what matters is that the present is something that they actively share. It’s theirs. And no amount of divisions he desperately tries to draw will change that fundamental reality. 

And it’s a little moving to see how deeply he takes it to heart? I think it’s one of those wonderful phenomena, personally–the way a person can influence how you think and act with their sentiments. Sometimes someone says precisely what it is we need to hear, and it changes us–while it can be for the worse, it can also be for the better. He notes that he spent so many birthdays; among the people serving his house when he was little, raising hell with his friends in his younger days, so on and so forth. Not unlike Leonardo, he says that after so many “special” days the faces become a blur, the festivities lose their luster. It’s just another day, at this point. 

Note, one interesting thing here that stands out to me is that I feel like this is a reflection of both of their larger struggles. Where Comte can’t stand the relentless flow of time rendering him the only constant (and something of a ghost, never fully present), Leonardo can’t bear birthdays because it means remembering people who still mean the world to him, but are long gone. People he can never see again, never laugh with again, never share his life with again. And I think that’s a very profound pain, an anguish that just keeps on settling its weight. (Oh, Sisyphus…)

Comte’s is similar, but different. He actively works to keep his distance-- unlike Leonardo, he approaches immortality in the pragmatic way. He knows getting close will hurt, so he opts out of that–keeps a step behind, an easy smile on his face. Betrays only fragments to anyone, always has his guard up. But the downside of being so guarded means you eventually feel hollowed out and alone; nobody truly knows or understands you. There is a distinct loneliness in that approach, where memories only become reminders of how nothing ever improves and how bereft you are of warmth. 

Leonardo, at least, gets to have the joy of being known from time to time. But loss and estrangement from those people means double the pain in the long run, because he loved them fully. Comte chooses to live in the cold to protect himself, but ends up in a kind of catch-22; the cost of forgoing loss means a constant deadening of his own feelings. It means living in a kind of fog, where there is a distinct discomfort in the silent obscurity of your own heart. 

There’s something I’ve come to believe in my short course of living, so I guess I still need time to determine how true it is. But…I feel like, when people live this way, where who they are is a lie or it’s at the very least carefully concealed, we in part start to become that lie. I think it’s fascinating because Comte seems to have so much personality to him. He’s dramatic, he’s thoughtful, he has a sense of mischief about him, he has strong ideals, and he has an even more ironclad moral grounding. And yet, when he talks about himself, he always uses descriptions that hinge on emptiness. Like he’s worth so little, worth nothing. And that’s what I mean–he’s been trying so hard to glide on the surface that he has come to believe he really is equivalent to something that ephemeral. Like there’s nothing more inside him, or if there is, that it will never be worthy of much. I think it really speaks to the ways behavior impacts the psyche, even though the opposite tends to be considered the only possible cause and effect relationship. 

He’s so determined to live for and in the future while he’s in the present, that he forgets to enjoy himself and really live. And while that approach is certainly understandable, I do think he loses parts of himself along the way. Only to be rediscovered and placed back into his hands by MC: [Today–this moment–our now, I don’t want to miss it for anything.] And that's not even touching on how quick she is to make them a we; she's not letting him keep that distance. It’s not “you have the ability to share this day with me” it’s “we’re here and in this together.”

I feel like what I love about this is that it’s not only about how sweet he is on MC, but also about how much he’s truly living again for the first time. His defenses are slowly inching their way down, he’s letting himself hope and want things and look forward to things again. The thing about being a responsible person is that–while responsibility is all well and good–sometimes you become so mired in doing the right thing and planning the most optimal outcomes that you just aren’t thinking of yourself anymore. That is, if you ever were to begin with. He went from the careful cultivation of a life as an aristocrat, to a life that spoke of more freedom and fun beyond those iron wrought gates, before he returned to the structure of what he knew. Freedom speaks to him I’m sure–we all need it in some measure to survive. But I do think a good portion of that was unfulfilling for him after a point. It was only feeding the void that was beginning to form inside him. He was instinctively retreating into himself to avoid pain, and in doing that the only result was feeling like a coward and a fake. He wasn’t happy, he wasn’t able to be himself, and nothing was fulfilling–every single day just another forward march. 

I think it comes as no surprise he took up Vlad’s initial invitation so willingly. 

But then I digress, back to the story. There’s another timeskip and it finds him racing down the hall of the mansion. He’s hoping to make it in time but knows he’s racing against the clock, and fully expects MC to be asleep by this point in the night. Midway along his path he thinks he spots MC and falters in his step, blinking. He decides to hang back, watching the figure enter his room with a great deal of curiosity and resists every urge to burst in after her. He hears MC speak into his pillow, her voice muffled but clearly despondent: “I miss you, Comte. I hope you get back home soon…” 

Comte pretty much dies right there. I literally have no better explanation for it. He freezes, his heart sputters and stops. He’s just completely taken aback. 

And then, naturally, he goes about feral with desire as is his modus operandi: “Oho, I heard something incredibly cute just now. Were you also having a hard time spending so long apart?”

MC: “…!”

[Startled, she turns around and her eyes widen and widen.]

MC: “Comte, how...”

Comte: “Took a detour in areas with less rain.”

MC: “?? Wouldn’t that still be hard in weather like this?”

Comte: “I told the coachman I wanted to see you as soon as possible. Even if it was only for a second, I wanted to spend today with you…”

[Everything I was thinking while in the carriage spills out of me long before I can help it. I am reminded again of just how utterly irreplaceable an existence MC is in my life.]

Comte: “Even so, it seems interesting that I would find you in my bed”

MC: “...! A--Ah, I’m so sorry for entering without permission!”

[I quickly grab hold of her before she can scramble out of my bed, coaxing her to sink back into the sheets.]

In between a lot of intense making out and [redacted], the larger overtone is that her reciprocated ardor just destroys him inside:

MC: “It was...because I couldn’t stop thinking about you, about wanting to see you…”

Comte: “!”

[You know just how to drive me mad with desire.]

Comte: “I’m the same...the first thing I did was look for you. Even though it was only a few days, your voice, your body, everything...I missed you”

[Because today, our ‘now’--I never want to lose a single moment with you as long as you’re by my side...]

Comte: “I’m so happy to be able to be with you, right here and right now.”

It gets funny too because Comte is trying to take it slow, but when she tells him “Happy birthday” and goes on to say she was so glad to greet the day he was brought into the world by his side, he just loses all control LMFAO. It ends with them getting more heated and [redacted], to the point where he doesn’t even hear the clock strike midnight. 

And if him being the cutest and sexiest romantic wasn’t obvious enough, he spends the next morning just sighing blissfully with her in his arms:

[The next morning, when I wake up, MC is still fast asleep. I mean, given she only fell asleep a few hours ago. I’m still reveling in the afterglow of a sweet night filled with her cries, the way she looked at me and held me. MC...]

[I relax to the sound of her breathing steady with sleep, stroking gently at her hair as I hug her from behind.]

Comte: “I’ve had countless birthdays. In an endless life, I was convinced it was just a day that would come and go every time.”

Comte: “It was only after meeting you that I could understand there was no such thing as an overlapping or identical moment. I don’t want to miss a single second by your side...that’s what I think now.”

[I admit the truth of my heart, brushing a kiss against her cheek. Over and over and over again, showering her in my affection--]

But dun dun dun!!! MC was awake the whole time, so when she fidgets a little at how ticklish his kisses are, he 👁

[Oh, I see. Well then, two can play at that game...]

Comte: “Your punishment is to stay in my arms just as we are...how’s that?”

He gets his mischievous (and hilarious) revenge for being revealed (HORNY TIME), though it’s so suffused with love it’s hard to call it revenge hahaha. She reminds him to go easy on her because they have his birthday party to attend later, and he agrees~

Honestly after such killer hurt/comfort spice fluff, I can only tremble at the thought of what his 5th year bday story will be

It’s either going to be Some Angst^TM or even more killer fluff, and either way that means my days are numbered

[reawritesthings]

Rooftop | JJ. Maybank

gif by @rudypankows​

Summary: When Sarah forces the pogues to go to a Kook party, JJ dips early and notices you on the roof, reading peacefully.

Words: 2.6K

A/N: Thank you all for the support on my other fics, it really means a lot to see the love you give me. If you like me to write for anyone, please send me an ask! thank you all again🦆

                      ☼☼☼☼

"WHY are we even here?" JJ's exasperated tone of words sent the Pogue's including Sarah to eye roll.

"I would much rather be on my couch watching Monster Inc." JJ's childish tone evaporated around the North Carolina frightful breeze that lure them further into the land of predators.

Sarah huffed not wanting to row with the blonde beauty. She frankly understood his anti's of not wanting to prey on the sharks or even share the same air with them, but, Sarah was still a Kook and JJ needed to accept that.

"J, we can just head in there for an hour... drink their alcohol and leave." John B proposed letting his athletic, sternly hands fumble his way into Sarah's palm gifting her with a reassuring squeeze.

JJ's mind was like a cymbal-banging monkey toy that only worked when the indigo eye boy was frustrated and needed leverage, "We are about to attend John B's girlfriend ex-boyfriend's house party because Sarah's ex-boyfriend invited her, and only her." JJ dramatically paused to reminded everyone how fucked up this particular mission is.

"And, here we are, the pogues forcefully dragged by Topper's ex-girlfriend to attend this disgraceful party that could end in two possible ways.."

"Enlighten us." Pope's static tone of sarcasm intrigued JJ to finish his perfectly thought out rant.

"A fight breaks out, or Rafe loses his shit." JJ's arm folded whilst a devilish smile grew onto his bruised porcelain face that everyone admired about the surfer.

"I hate to agree with Scobby but he has a point." Pope's loyalty to JJ never failed him.

Kie and Sarah kept moving forward, dragging their danity flipflops through the frozen golden grains of the earth that held the rich side in place. Being the only two girls of the group they were used to the constant complaints from the men.

"Next time, I'll just invite you Kie." Sarah muttered under her minty breathe. Kiara only nodded in agreement reaching for the handle to enter the shark's den.

"Best behaviour," Kie announced immediately locking eyes with JJ who was infatuated with the silhouette of another human.

"Can't make any promises, Kie." He winked as his eyes were still glued to the frame of darkness that interlocked with his mind that he should be up there and not here.

"Here we go..." Sarah murmured under her breath. "What could possibly go wrong?" Kie shot her eyes back to Sarah who only swung the door opened to be slammed with harsh tones coming from the stereo.

Topper was known for throwing the most extravagant house parties. The music was as loud as thunder; it made the empty beer bottle rattle. Neon lights that were glued to the white walls flashed everywhere like police sirens, but with much more inviting colours.

Over the roar of music, a distant, hazy chatter could be heard. Topper, Rafe and Kelce were chatting up some ladies as there vision was blinded by a bunch of Pogues roaming around like cockroaches.

"What are they doing here?" Kelce mumbled against the illuminated ruby plastic cup that Rafe already broke through his rage.

"Topper is still whipped for my sister." Rafe truthfully announce, causing the blonde short skirted girl to loose interest in his friend.

"Thanks man." Topper's eye rolled extended further as he noticed John B clutching his arm around Sarah's frame, like he used too.

"Anytime." Rafe smirked pulling Kelce's bright yellow polo shirt towards him to confront the intruders. Topper soon joined, staying behind Rafe as he didn't want his perfectly structured face to be bruised.

"What are you rugrats doing here? You aren't allow to be on our turf." Rafe spat not even making eye contact with his younger sister whose frame was hidden behind John B's and JJ.

"We got invited. We just came here to get a little drunk and we will be on our way." JJ broke the silence, squaring up to Rafe's face.

"Don't make me bust your other eye, Maybank." Rafe threatened, clenching his palms ready for another battle.

"Wouldn't dream of it." JJ took Kelce's red cup from his hand drowning the stinging sensation that drew him away from the crowd.

"Where you going?" Pope shrieked as he didn't feel comfortable being left with John B, he wasn't exactly scary like JJ.

"Washroom. I'll be back." JJ reassured his best friend, whose hand was tightly gripped to Kiara's whose face wasn't enjoying the sensation sound of Topper's music taste.

JJ's curiosity always managed to get himself into trouble, whether he was looking for it or not. His mind was reverted back to the shadow of a young female who was on the roof. He knew he shouldn't be preying around Topper's house but, he would of regretted not knowing who that girl was.

His tiny frame ran smoothly around the second floor, each creak that he created with his ripped combat boots made him squint, he noticed a slight acute door open slightly with a streak of light hitting the wooden floors.

The bedroom was furnished on a expensive budget according to the serval layers of blankets that were freshly pressed on the double bed. A messy pile of book were scattered across the white carpet that was caressed with a circular rug that was neatly combed.

He looked up at the walls, admiring the pictures that were taken on a film camera.

"Whose's this girl?" JJ thought as he circled the room, slowly resting his palm on the slik sheets wishing he could have a room like this.

Since JJ was in a trance of what his life was like if he was Kook, he was startled by a soft tune of a sneeze coming from the windowsill. His intrigue body motioned away from the bed, heading towards the half adjecent window that his mysterious girl was resident.

JJ's instincts were never wrong when he assumed the shadow of a girl on the high roof. His head turned towards you, your fully eclipsed body was tainted with a summer dress that fit well on your skin. Under his brief gaze on your exposed skin, you didn't flinch or withdraw from your book. Your shape was already forming into womanhood, yet you were roughly the same age as Sarah: Your twin brother's ex-girlfriend. You revert your attention out of the flood of flowing words and focused them on him, he was something out of a novel you read once.

Dashing, adventurous and fearless. You were polite and offered him a seat next to you, letting the moon expose your vulnerable side which JJ instantly stole as he gently brushes his shoulder against your own.

JJ eccentric side was displayed out in the open and didn't hesitate to make the first move. "What's a pretty girl like you doing on a roof?"

You sauntered in, feeling provocative whilst you brushed your hair from your dainty shoulders, letting his kindly eager cornflower eyes follow your movement.

"I'm not really into the whole drinking vibe... My brother on the other hand is." JJ's pupils grew larger as he pieced the puzzle together, he knew he wasn't the smartest earthling on the island but he just couldn't see the resemblance between you and your brother.

"How is that possible?... Topper has a sister?... Why didn't Sarah mention anything?"

You personally thought his reaction wouldn't be inviting but, his reaction to the news lured you in more like he was siren calling for you. "Well, when my parents had Topper... they decided to conceive again, making me."

JJ nudged you chuckling at your comeback, "I know how sex works. I'm a Maybank."

"Noted." You candid staring at the apex of the deep sliver circle that brought the both of you together.

A heavy silence evaporated over them, thicker than the mucky air making the tension more uncomfortable. Both of your eyes glanced unceremoniously around turning to avoid catching each other glances that happened in the space of a minute.

"What you reading?" JJ noticed an earthy hued of brown colours stuck to her embrace which JJ gazed forced him to stare to create a new conversation.

"Charles Dickens, Great Expectations." He noticed your awkward zoned face shape into a curious, cheeky smile that he first noticed when he intruded.

"Cool. I don't read but Charles Dickens is a great man. One of the best lads out there, wonder what he is doing now?" JJ wondered having no idea that he is in fact six feet under.

You burst out a giggle with a sentiment rosy colour appeared on your cheeks, "Hate to break it to you but the lad is dead. He has been dead for centuries."

JJ was perplexed by your statement. He generally thought he was still alive due to Pope always speaking about him as if he was a local. "I knew that. I was testing your knowledge on Charlie."

You chuckled playing along with his shenanigans but you would be lying to yourself that you weren't intrigued in the fact that he was sitting here when he was supposed to be downstairs. "How comes you are up here? I thought Pogues loved a good party, especially if there's alcohol."

JJ shrugged darting his eyes to meet yours, "Don't take it personally but I'm not a fan of Kooks, especially Topper and his gang."

And this, you thought was going to be the end of your story with the blonde boy. You weren't shocked that he degraded your brother and his friends, you understood the reason.

"I get that. If it makes you feel better, I don't exactly agree with their rules and how they treat you guys. You deserve the same respect we get because one day, Shakesphere's novel of Romeo and Juliet might come true and, I personally don't want to kill myself..." You flirted in a way which the boy would probably take days, in fact, months to work out the metaphor.

"Does that make me Remi?" JJ joked as he kind of liked the way your nose scrunched when he didn't understand literature.

"It's Romeo..." You corrected him again.

"I know. I just wanted to see that little nose scrunch you do when I mess up."

You were stunned that he paid attention to little things about you. It wasn't every day that someone would paid attention to Topper's sister, especially a Pogue. You could sense that he was actually interested in you, and even the novel you were reading.

"Whatcha thinking about, Juliet?" JJ teased letting his hand move the strand of hair from your face, tucking it safely behind your acute ears.

You shrugged, "I just..." You paused, you didn't want to pride your thoughts on the Pogue as you didn't want to scare him away.

"C'mon, pretty girl. What is it?" He interrogated you. He looked down at your fingertips, loosely fighting with each other as you were struggling to form words. He initially engulfed his hands into yours brushing your soft skin to ease your mind.

"You are kind of the first guy to ever notice me, or even pay attention to me... I'm just don't want this night to end." You stutter but with every stroke, he did made your nerves drift away.

JJ instantly brought his broad arms over your waist, pulling your body against his. In seconds your bodies moulded into one. JJ never let another human be so close to him like this, not even Kie. You were different, you weren't like what he thought you would be. There was a purity to you, naivety perhaps, but with a scent of innocent that JJ wanted to protect from the creatures of the night.

You, on the other hand, felt something inside you ignite as his arms firmly were wrapped around your frame. His embrace was like a welcoming invitation to his life, which you would accept in a heartbeat. You didn't really want the party to end nor wanting the moon to disappear as that meant your story was ending.

"You see those two stars that are moulded into one... that's you and i. Whether you feel lost or feel alone, look up into the starry night and call me." JJ managed to sound romantic for a slight second which only made you blush more.

"Poetic... I like it Maybank." You winked whilst your hands fiddled around with his countless threaded bracelets. "I like this one the most... the colours match your eyes."

JJ immediately took the bracelet off, offering your hand. "You can have it. I've seen you admire it since I got here. I have plenty back at home, so this is my peace offering."

You silently accepted the gift, watching the bracelet fit perfectly onto your bony wrist. "It's beautiful." You muttered to yourself.

JJ curved his lips as he slowly lifted your chin up, to get a good view of your face. He admired every little detail but concentrated on your lips. His head was angled slightly to the side as his lips went closer to yours, lighting pressing a small kiss to your rosebud shaped lips. When he kissed her, her identity fell away. It was slow and soft, comforting for the both of you as your tribes rival melted away. JJ's hand rested below his ear, his thumb caressing her cheek as he kept the flow of their lips going neither of them wanting to stop but, the calls from his friends parted them away.

"I better go... they are probably worried that I've got into a fight or something." JJ's face frowned watching your own do the same. "I'll see you tomorrow night, here."

"Are you sure? I don't want you getting into trouble..." You felt your walls began to build, each brick that layered made it harder for you to think that he would ever get into trouble for her, a heartless Kook.

JJ hooked his arms to your neck, "Don't worry about a thing, pretty girl."

You nodded, letting him steal another kiss from you as you watched his frame leave yours. A gush of emptiness flooded your body, as it called for him but he was already gone, vanished into the mucky air of North Carolina. You rallied back to your book, looking down at the texture smiling down as you saw him leave with his friends.

"JJ, where did you go? We were looking all over for you?" Sarah was the one who instigated the conversation since the rest were zoned out.

JJ kept it at a minimal, he didn't want his juliet to be known especially not to Sarah, "around."

Sarah hummed not believing anything JJ was saying. As they entered the van, Sarah noticed a small figure exiting from the roof, "Is that Y/N?"

JJ looked up, watching as you were clenching onto your book rather than watching your balance. "So that's her name.." He muttered to himself giving his face a warm smile.

Sarah turned hearing JJ's comment but decided to play along, "I wonder what she is holding?"

Without even realising JJ answered, "Charles Dickens. Great Expectations."

Sarah only smirked leaving JJ to slam his palm onto his mouth, feeling the metal sting his bruised chapped lips.

"We're you macking on with my ex-boyfriend's sister?" Sarah interrogated the blonde beauty.

"Let's just say that you need to tell me all the ways to sneak into his house." JJ blushed, letting his left foot bring his body up into the van.

Sarah followed behind, looking up one more time to see you peeping, "You got it, lover boy."

masterlist TAGLIST

tags: @outrbanks, @honestlyimstilllivinginthe90s, @jjjmaybank, @rudyypankow, @prejudic3, @afterglowsb-tch13, @summerintheobx and @void-maybank

[k-s-morgan]

Hi! This isn’t an ask, but more of a rambling that I deemed too long for the comments, that stems from your post claiming Book of Circus as your favourite Black Butler episodes. and to that I say - YES. Book of Murder is a masterpiece. It houses one of my favourite scenes - the one where Sebastian says: "This wasn't a scenario decided by God or fate, but one decided on by my master, with timing decided by my master. I was killed by the criminal expected by my master, by the Hione who came to torment my master", which really captures the essence of whole 'Ciel vs God' dynamic that's woven into the duration of the show.

Throughout the plot, there are three major instances in which an offering is made to Ciel - offerings of redemption. The first is from Angela - a chance to purify himself and have an afterlife - which he so vehemently rejects in the knowledge that he quite literally *is* his darkness, and therefore refuses to rid himself of it.

The second is comes from Abberline in his death, where in his final words he tells Ciel he has a chance to take back his future. And Ciel has to watch him die with the knowledge that he has already made up his mind about his fate. I don't think he's so affected because he regrets selling his soul. I don't think he suddenly wants to live, or no longer wishes for revenge. But I believe the reason he is so affected by Abberline's death is because he holds a sentimentality for him that is not dissimilar to the one he feels for Elizabeth. Ciel is cruel, I don't think he regrets the steps he has taken to get to this point, nor the ones he knows he must take in the future. But though he is cruel, I believe he has a sort of fond curiosity for the untainted goodness that characterises those like Abberline and Elizabeth. Like you said before, he feels condescension towards the man perhaps due to the naivety his blind heroism implies, but I think his attachments to him come from an underlying curiosity to see if such goodness can exist in such a corrupted world - a silent hope to be proven wrong in his cynicism. When Abberline dies, that very hope he didn't even know he had gets shattered. It brings about a sort of forced perspective that makes Ciel question himself in ways we haven't seen before.

Abberline's death had been avoidable and it was certainly in vain. Abberline had died for someone who had already made up his mind - someone who had rejected God once before and would do it time and time again as proven in the anime. Ciel is such an interesting character because, although he is dark, he still values the light and makes some sort of effort to preserve it in spite of the contempt he feels for them. It is the thought of dying in vain that seems to bother him so greatly, not death itself. No, Abberline dying isn't enough for him to want to live again, or to even think about throwing away his revenge - that was never in question. But it is enough to extinguish the lingering flicker of hope he had for humanity (despite being so distanced from term himself).

This, combined with the disappointment he feels at Sebastian's actions, causes the existential haze of uncertainty that leads to the third and final offering. And the most surprising thing is that this offering comes from Sebastian himself. He senses the doubt in Ciel and, like every thought the boy experiences, fails to understand it. He mistakes it for him second-guessing his revenge and decides to discontinue their contract. But he isn't angry - that much is clear. Instead, he wishes him to "forget everything and have pleasant dreams", with a rather wistful expression on his face. What this line ends up reading as is a bittersweet  goodbye from the demon - an offering for Ciel to let go of his revenge and find happiness in the afterlife with his now soon approaching death.  There is almost a strong disappointment in him, but is not resentful of it - Ciel is human and he can't keep expecting him not to be. His offering almost acts as a thank you for the moments of excitement their contract had given his monotone life and I believe that is why he makes it.

He sticks around to see if Ciel accepts his offer, though already expecting him to, and is there to witness the very moment the boy rejects it. Gone is the uncertainty of Abberline's death and the Paris crisis, and Ciel, the Earl of Phantomhive, returns to him - sharper, colder, more ruthless than ever. Sebastian realises his misjudgement and returns to his side, ready for the final battle. Killing an angel. It's laughably symbolic.

The rejections of God, the evasion of the Hope Diamond's curse (where he even wore two rings as if to taunt the fates), the references in Book of Murder - they all depict this metaphorical sort of battle between Ciel and God. And the ending of Kuroshitsuji II is the depicts how he triumphs over fate, claiming his rightful place as an immortalised creature of Hell.

I know I've gone on a bit of a tangent here in your inbox, but that one quote from Book of Murder is so symbolic to me in the way it sets up the comparison between Ciel and God (in which 'God' represents power over fate).

Before I sign off, though, I just want to make light of the existence of the show's final offering, occurring in the last few minutes of the series. This last offering has nothing too do with God, nothing to do with any complex battle between the Phantomhive and fate, but is much simpler than that. In fact, the final offering of the show comes from Ciel, and he gives it to Sebastian - it's almost poetic, is it not?

"Are you sure you don't want to pull it any tighter?"

In this single, unassuming line, Ciel is asking Sebastian if he wants to kill him, and release himself from the eternal contract they've found themselves in. Such a noble and dignified soul as Ciel would always be sure to make through on his word and, despite the loophole that now extends their contract, he would still be willing to let Sebastian kill him should he wish to do so. The man may no longer be able to take his soul, but the boy can still give the order to kill him and free himself. Ciel's respect for Sebastian is complex and contradictory at times, but what never changes is his willingness to die by his hands and see through to his side of the contract.

“Is it over? The one who plunged me into bottomless darkness… I don’t even know why she did it.”

In the episode where Angela is crushed by the Church, Ciel offers his soul to Sebastian. Even when unsatisfied with the result, his unwavering nobility led him to make good on their deal and fulfil his end of the contract. The earl faced the demon, his expression calm, and with a steady voice said “A promise is a promise. Take it.”

This unwavering dignity and nobility he holds in himself I believe is the reason for this offering and Sebastian's turn to reject it is almost a 'love confession' (as you have brought me to see it) in itself.

As a final sort of note - I just wanted to let you know that, since reading your reply to my comment on TGSTLTH (from a while ago), I brought myself to rewatch Kuroshitsuji II with your interpretation in mind and ended up really enjoying it. You've singlehandedly made me do a complete 180 on a season I previously hated - looks like I had just watched it from the wrong perspective. So, for that, I thank you

Hey! Sorry for getting to your ask just now. I absolutely loved it :D And yes, Book of Murder is a masterpiece - I still remember watching it for the first time. It was late at night, I had to go to bed, everyone was sleeping, but I kept watching because stopping just wasn't an option, I had to know what happened next.

Ciel vs God is such an interesting topic. In some ways, Ciel and Sebastian exist in their own universe where there is no place for anyone else. There is a God aka Ciel and a demon aka Sebastian. And they are both allies and adversaries at the same time - they are tormenting each other and uniting to torment others.

I agree absolutely that Ciel holds a fondness for certain people, with Lizzy and Abberline being a good example. He has a degree of contempt and irritation for them, but they do mean something to him. Ciel's curiosity is a big and detached thing, and this places him on Sebastian's level in such an interesting way because sometimes it's almost like Ciel isn't human himself - humanity intrigues him as if he doesn't belong to it. His fascination with the light just underlines his affinity with the darkness.

I have many thoughts about Ciel's behavior during the days following Abberline's death, and you certainly introduced many excellent points! My general opinion on Ciel's motives is... complicated. I agree that he never felt like really giving up his revenge and trying to live a 'happy' life - he knew it's not for him at that stage already. However, I feel like Abberline's parting words affected him a lot, even if briefly. When Abberline tells him that he can start everything from the beginning, Ciel sounds absolutely heartbroken when he confesses, "I don't have a future." The way he acts later, telling Sebastian to stop and not kill the angel, hesitating, reinforces this idea to me. I think you described it best - Ciel is having an existential crisis. It's not like he suddenly regrets his decisions, but he's temporary unanchored and unsure what he wants and what he should do. Having a dream where Abberline urges him to give up his hatred also seems to affect Ciel, but it's so telling that he wakes up and immediately says, "Sebastian." It's a fascinating arc and I can't wait to explore it.

I love your words about three offerings - so true. And I'm so happy you liked S2 when watching it from a new perspective! I used to be so confused as to why people hated it: it's not perfect, but I thought it was amazing in many ways, especially its bittersweet ending.

[rhaenyratargeryn]

A Series of Firsts, pt. I (Crow x f!guardian)

Rating: T

Summary: First confessions, first drink, first kiss. All in one.

It was hard to pinpoint the exact moment her perspective shifted. It was one thing to say, when you awake as a guardian, whomever you were in your past life is gone, and another to put it into practice.

Especially when you knew the person that guardian had been in the very recent past.

Especially when you were the reason that person had died.

Of all the things Crow had learned (mostly against his will) about who he was before he awoke to the Light, that was one thing she was glad he had not discovered.

Which was a whole other mess for her mind and her heart to work out. It was hard enough at the start seeing the face of the man who she had hunted, had chased over the stars with hatred in her heart and revenge in her hands. Hands that had fired the Ace of Spades into Uldren Sov until he breathed no more.

Uldren had been proud. Haughty. A prince in his status and his manner.

And now this man who wore his face was hissing at having scorched his fingertips on the crackling campfire after adding a log. He sheepishly blew on them as Glint shook his small chassis with a chiding air.

“I told you to use a smaller log.”

“By all means, show me how it is done, Sparky.”

Glint couldn’t scowl, but the way his edges tightened and he groaned said well enough that he hated the endearment.

“That’s what I thought.” Crow said with a grin, catching her eye as she watched him. The expression softened, his voice lowering, “How’s it coming?”

Right. She was supposed to be mixing up the stew. Pulled from her thoughts, she returned to stirring, mixing packets of dried vegetable and meat rations into the stock that was, in truth, mostly water. It was a typical meal for guardians on the ground. And… well, despite Zavala having learned of Crow’s real identity, it was too risky still to have him walking around the tower.

He’d needed to “get out and stretch his wings” as he called it, and so here she was. Camped out in the EDZ with the Lightbringer formerly known as Uldren Sov. The man she had killed. And now the man she was stupidly, and irreversibly already half in love with.

There had been moments. Lots of moments. Too many moments.

First she’d thought the affection stemmed from the fact he looked up to her. Just another new Lightbearer with an awed respect for the Young Wolf, Hero of the Red War, the “Chosen One”… it wasn’t like she had set out to be any of those things. She had just done what needed to be done. She recalled she told him that once and he had chuckled with such… fondness. His voice pitching low then as it did now or whenever they were alone.

Like their conversations were a secret. His words for her ears alone.

She set the pot over the flame on it’s hanger, noting that despite Glint’s criticisms, the flame was high enough and hot enough to use.

“You seem distracted tonight.” Crow said, letting his hood fall back. Even in the dark his eyes glowed faintly, the color of a sunrise.

She told herself the shiver that ran up and down her arms was from the chill in the air.

“I’ve never been a talker.” She said and settled back down next to him. It was near enough that one of them only had to reach out to touch the other. It would be too obvious to move now, she thought with a silent curse, frowning to herself.

“Is that so?” Crow said, his voice so earnest that for a moment she didn’t realize he was teasing her until she looked up and saw the faint smile on his lips.

Her traitorous heart skipped. Where was her Ghost? For that matter, where was Glint? They had both been here a moment ago.

“I thought… well… I thought maybe you were regretting bringing me along. I can’t say that last shot at the Fallen was my best moment.”

She had nearly forgotten. It was a small skirmish, something she could have easily taken solo. A Captain had swiped in close, nearly taking her arm off with his sword. Crow’s shot had missed, but it had forced the Captain back, giving her enough time to dispatch the Fallen herself. She had been surprised, but hadn’t given it more thought than that.

But now, in the dim light, she could see the same expression on Crow’s face he had worn when he came down from his perch and helped her bandage the shallow wound. It hadn’t been embarrassment, or even quite disappointment… but something else. Something deeper.

“It still saved me a very uncomfortable rez.” She said and the Crow just nodded, his brow pinched slightly as he cast his eyes aside. She turned, tilting her head to try to get back into his line of sight.

“Hey, I mean it. I would have regretted not bringing you along. This is so much better than being off on my own.”

Surprise flashed over his features, a deeper shade of indigo spreading across his cheeks. She suddenly found herself wishing a Taken portal would open up and swallow her whole. She turned away before he could see the same flush spread over her own face.

“… I agree.” Crow said and she risked another look over at him. He was smiling.

“One nice thing about being out of Spider’s lair— well, one of the nice things— I get to see you more often.”

She didn’t know what to say. The silence between them was only broken by the faint chirping of insects, the crackle of the fire and the faint bubbling sound of their dinner. Crow was looking at his hands, fidgeting with his gloves and picking at the fabric.

“Anyway. I appreciate that you humor a kinderguardian like me.” Crow began, his voice tinged with forced humor to hide the deprecation, “Letting me tag along—“

“I like it too.” She said, the words coming out so fast it came out more as “liketoo” than a comprehensive sentence.

The Crow had stopped fidgeting. The insects and the fire were overloading her senses again.

“… I really respect you. As a guardian, as a comrade. And… And I like to think of you as a friend.” Crow continued, “…and I like to think of you.”

He stopped.

“You like to think of me as—?” She prompted, breath held in her lungs.

He smiled, “That’s all. I like to think of you.”

Oh.

Oh.

Crow’s confession had brought a permanent heat to his cheeks, his expression softening as if he were marveling that he managed to even get the words out. She was marveling them too. Or more like, feeling her thoughts collapse inward on themselves like a black hole.

“What... um. What does that mean?” She said, feeling dumb and fumbling and definitely not like someone with the title of “Godslayer”.

“I… “ he began, but whatever it was that had slipped forward was beginning to retreat once more, “…well, I… it’s… just a sentiment I suppose.”

It was now or never.

“I think about you too. Often. A lot. I think about you a lot. And… I know I’m this ‘role model’ and thought of as this untouchable big damn hero and everyone— no. Look. The point is, me too.”

To his credit, the Crow listened to her outburst with quiet attentiveness, even nodding once or twice in understanding.

“It just seems impossible.” He said at last, shrugging slightly, “I can’t imagine why someone like you—”

“Don’t look at the pedestal.” She said, her voice firm, “Just look at me. C’mon, you’ve seen how I eat. I talk in my sleep too, I know I do. I never clean my guns right and I’ve had half a dozen sparrow related rezes because I’m a shitty driver.”

That last one got a laugh.

“So let’s just focus on the win here, yeah? You like me.” She waited until the Crow picked up on the prompt and he nodded, confirming it, “And I like you. Now it’s out there.”

Crow let out a breath that turned into a nervous laugh, “It’s definitely out there.”

When it became apparent neither one of them knew how to go on, there was a soft sigh from somewhere nearby. Glint and her own Ghost glided out from the trees, coming to perch near their guardians.

“And what were you two doing?” Crow said, clearly relieved for a subject change.

“Oh, just— just patrolling.” Glint said hurriedly, earning what could be imagined was a wry look from her own Ghost. He turned that look on her then as if he were exasperated with her for something.

She had a funny feeling why the pair had left them alone.

—-

A day had become a week and then a week had easily fallen into the next. Devrim had even radioed in at one point to tell them to “leave some for the rest of us” after the fourth Fallen patrol they had decimated.

They worked well together, the awkwardness of the night before fading into routine. It surprised her how natural such a foreign concept like touch was to them. A bump on the shoulder with a closed fist, a silent congratulations for a good shot. The brush of their hands when they passed ammo or a water canteen. The touch of his arm, brushing against her own perhaps every thirteenth of a second when they walked too close together.

Even at the campfire they slowly had begun to draw nearer and nearer, their orbit closing in on the other. His, with an innocent like curiosity. Her own interest decidedly less innocent, but also still— cautious. She felt the pull of his light, new and bright. Her own had not shimmered so in a long time… he was naive, young and rash. He needed looking after, not another responsibility. The point driven even further home now by the way he teetered unsteadily even sitting.

Devrim had sent a patrol over to meet them with fresh supplies. One of them being a bottle of something he called “Gulchshine” which, judging by the smell, was maybe only one molecule away from pure ethanol. Crow hadn’t drank since he was revived. Which was the same as saying he’d never drank before at all.

“This is disgusting. I can’t stop drinking it.” Crow said, his voice not so much slurred as it was relaxed. Open and unguarded.

“What is that? Is that lemon? Or is it just my taste buds dying?”

“It… definitely seems like lemon.” She said, giving a tiny sip to the cup in her own hand. There was a citrus like bite beneath the taste of rubbing alcohol, but it was not near sweet or sour enough to mask the bitterness of the clear liquid.

“Like someone whispering the word ‘lemon’ from another room.” Crow murmured and took another sip, a shudder going over him as he swallowed. He brought the bottle to his lips again and with a chuckle, she leaned nearer and said in a soft voice,

“Lemon."

Crow nearly choked on his laugh. It was a nice sound, one she didn’t hear often enough from him.

“That exactly.” He said after he’d caught his breath, turning towards her with a grin. The smile faded at the realization of how close they were. His eyes half-closed and dreamy in their regard as he lifted a hand up to brush back a strand of hair from her face.

She could smell the alcohol on his warm breath, the moss of the greenery around them, the fresh air… could feel the warmth from the Earth beneath them and from his hand on her cheek. She reached out, holding him by the chin to keep him in place as she leaned forward and pressed a kiss, as faint as the sweet taste of citrus, on his lips.

She had not expected to do that. She equally did not expect him to curl his hand behind her head and pull her in, his mouth already open for another kiss which she happily provided. Crow groaned, an involuntary and needful sound.

Desperation. She could taste it in his kiss, in the way he tentatively returned the soft touch of her tongue, inexperienced but so eager to learn. To feel. He craved it in every gasp, every pull of his fingers through her hair. He wanted to be touched— with tenderness, with kindness. His body lit with it, his breathing fast and quick and his touch edging towards rough in its eagerness. Like he couldn’t get close enough. A wanting so strong and so foreign and yet familiar. She felt him struggle with it— with his body knowing vaguely what it wanted but his mind struggling to keep up.

So she guided him. Over and over. Kissing not just his lips but the highpoint of his cheek and the juncture where his jaw met his neck. She let her teeth rasp over his pulse, thready and rapid at his throat and relished in the way he shivered. She wasn’t sure when she had been settled into his lap, only that she enjoyed the way it made her just a fraction taller.

They were wearing too many clothes. She wanted to touch him, to run her hands over every expanse of his skin until he remembered her touch more than he remembered any bullet or beam or weapon that had ever struck him. The sudden movement of her hands to the hem of his shirt had an immediate sobering effect, his body going rigid beneath her.

“… too fast.” She said, nodding half at her self. She let her hands slide back up, resting her arms around his shoulders. Crow swallowed thickly and she repressed the urge to kiss his neck all over again.

“I’ve never— I mean, not that I remember…”

It made perfect sense. His uncertainty mixed with certainty. Moments of lucidness where he no doubt remembered past lovers, past kisses, and then for them to fade like starlight from his grasp. Despite the confession, the Crow didn’t look daunted, his hands still clutching to her waist.

“Do you want to stop?” She asked, shifting her weight back.

“I…“ Crow paused, his pupils blown wide, an eclipse on a sunset sky, “… I just want to touch you. Is… is that okay?”

“That’s okay.” She said, pressing a kiss to his jaw and relishing in the way he relaxed beneath her hands. His arms held her so tightly, their ribs pressed together hard enough for there to be a faint spark of pain. She didn’t care.

His fingers had found a spot beneath her collar, seeking out the soft skin at the nape of her neck. She turned her cheek against his, pressing and rubbing her lips against him more than actually kissing. Crow seemed dazed, a soft hum coming from his throat as she felt his eyelashes brush against her skin, his eyes closing.

“Is everyone this warm?” He asked, unthinking, “Sorry— weird question.”

“Probably has something to do with the Gulchshine.”

She pulled back, placing her hands on either side of his face and noting the warmth radiating from his skin.

“You’re flushed down your neck.” She said, observing the darker blue color that bloomed out over his skin.

“I’m not that drunk.”

She rose an eyebrow.

“I didn’t say I wasn’t drunk, just not that drunk.”

“So is this for me then?”

He didn’t answer, a sputter dying in his throat as he shook his head.

“I lied. I’m drunk.”

She laughed and kissed him again, just to be sure and he breathed into it like she was the very air he needed. An arm around her waist, his hand tangled in her hair, he followed her kiss by kiss, learning his own rhythm and occasionally trying something new. Discovering how he liked to kiss her. How he liked to be kissed back. It felt important. It felt special. These things only heightening the very intimacy of the act.

She’d never felt this way just from kissing someone before. Something she imagined they had in common.

“... if I knew it felt this good, I would have done it a long time ago.”

“You really are drunk.”

He made a questioning noise, his mouth too busy testing out the way she has kissed his neck on her own. He licked a long line up to her jaw. She had definitely not shown him that.

“People are more honest when they are drunk.” She clarified, her words veering towards breathless

“Glitch might have mentioned it.”

At the mention of the ghosts, both guardians froze, eyes drifting to where the two lights were perched, watchful but silent nearby.

They had forgotten they were there.

Oh god they had forgotten they were there.

“Don’t mind us.” Her own Ghost said, voice filled with dry amusement.

[stargazer-balladeer]

Christmas Greetings from Them 2 [Genshin Impact]

Characters Included: Jean, Kaeya Alberich, Keqing, Klee, La Signora, Lisa & Lumine.

Jean

With Diluc

“You’re still working at this late of an hour?”

“! Master Diluc! What a surprise-“

“I told you to not call me that. Before you ask how I come in here, I knocked several times but didn’t receive an answer. So I decided to let myself in.”

“Ah.. I must’ve doze off. No matter, what can I help you with?”

“It’s not me that needs help actually. I’m here for you.”

“.. me? Care to elaborate, sir Diluc?”

“I’ve been informed that you’ve been working non-stop this past few days. Tell me, is this your way of getting your mind off of [Y/N]?”

“! O-Of course not! It just happens that there’s been lots of duties to be done all at once-!”

“-and all of it is a coincidence? The sudden attack of a peaceful Hilichurl in the east side of Mondstadt, Margaret’s stray cat gone missing, Taxes, Patrolling the city more often than usual, is there a need for me to go on?”

“...”

“You look tired than usual. Tell me, how many hours have you been sleeping lately?”

“... 2-3 hours.”

“*sigh* I knew it.”

“But your wrong! It’s not because of [Y/N] at all! It’s just a coincidence that there’s a lot of duties to be fulfilled when they left-!”

“Look. Do you honestly think [Y/N] would appreciate it if they find their girlfriend passed out, almost half-dead because she isn’t taking care of herself properly?”

“...”

“*sigh* I didn’t come here to lecture you. I came here to invite you to a party that the Dawn Winery is hosting.”

“A party? What for?”

“Don’t tell me you didn’t realize what day it is today?”

“...”

“It’s already December 24. It’s almost Christmas Eve actually.”

“Oh..”

“That’s all. I better take my leave.”

“I’ll show up later. I’ll just.. finish some paperworks.”

“.. get some rest, Jean. You got everyone worried for you.”

“.. *sigh*”

“Stars up above the sky, ones that’s shining brilliantly like the moon, so many and so small, won’t you grant this tired woman a wish? Perhaps, a letter for my beloved? How are you faring, [Y/N]? It seems like I’ve been neglecting myself with my many duties again. If you can see me right now, I know you’ll be disappointed in me. Perhaps, master Diluc is right, maybe I was trying to find excuses. Trying to get my mind off the loneliness I feel whenever you’re not around. It’s once again the season of Christmas, and yet, you aren’t here with me. This is suppose to be a festive of love and happiness, yet all I feel is nothing. I’ll try to have some fun in master Diluc’s party tonight, but I make no promises that I’ll not force a fake smile. I miss you dearly, [Y/N]. Come back and warm me up again. Smile again for me and take my worries away. Merry Christmas, wherever you are. Forever yours, Jean.”

Kaeya Alberich

With Amber

“Sir Kaeya! Sir Kaeya!”

“...”

“Sir Kaeya! It’s about the report for Acting Grandmaster Jean-!”

“Oh? Then why didn’t you say so sooner?”

“I was trying to but you keep ignoring me-!”

“What is needed in the report? Don’t waste my time.”

“Ah.. well.. all she wanted was that you bring in your report tomorrow morning because she needs it immediately-“

“Oh. Is that it? Then consider it done. Farewell, have a nice evening, Amber.”

“H-Hey! Wait!”

“*sigh* what is it now?”

“Why’re you so cold to me? Did I do something to anger you?”

“I can reassure you that it isn’t that. You’re just.. too energetic for my taste.”

“Too energetic? What’s that suppose to mean?”

“That. You’re always curious. Always willing to help someone. You must’ve had a great life when you were a kid..”

“.. well, I would be lying if I say I didn’t.”

“See? You’re practically a normal girl. And that’s boring.”

“I-! That’s just rude, sir Kaeya!”

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t know that that was rude.”

“Hmph.. say, sir Kaeya. Do you know of the legend of the Wishing Stars?”

“That was a smooth shift of conversation, I would give you that. But to answer your question, doesn’t everyone know of it?”

“I guess.. so are you going to make a wish?”

“If I was going to make a wish, why would I tell you that?”

“I’m just curious. *pouts*”

“Well, there’s a infamous saying that goes, ‘curiosity kills the cat’.”

“You know what? I’m just gonna go and patrol now. Have a nice evening, sir Kaeya!”

“Annddd off she goes. *sigh* what a waste of time..”

“Hm.. o wishing stars, hear my wish. Do you mind if you can deliver this makeshift letter to my beloved? Hello darling, how are you doing? Hope you’re still alive. You better didn’t leave me by dying. Afterall, you’re the only thing that’s keeping me sane. After all that I’ve lost, you wouldn’t go disappearing too, right? Anyways, I’m getting too sentimental there. Hope you haven’t found another man to pleasure you while you’re out and about. If I ever find out that you’re cheating, there’ll be consequence.. Hahaha.. of course I know that you wouldn’t do that. I trust you that you wouldn’t do that to me. Though I do admit I miss the embarrassed, red face you always have whenever I tease you. I also miss your sharp tongue, always managing to keep me at my wit’s end by bantering with me. I would love to do all those moments again. Merriest of Christmas, [Y/N]. Bon voyage~”

Keqing

With Beidou

“... oh, miss Beidou. What a surprise to see you here.”

“... who are you again?”

“Keqing.”

“Oh.. Keqing. That girl who helped protecting Liyue from danger, right?”

“I suppose so.”

“Aren’t you a workaholic though? What’re you doing here?”

“I was forced to relax.”

“Ah. Shouldn’t that be a good thing?”

“Not to me. There’s so many things that needs to be done on time-!”

“Ah.. I understand now.”

“But what’re you doing here, miss Beidou? Not to be rude or anything.”

“Hm.. I don’t really now. Sudden urge, I guess.”

“Oh.. would you like to accompany me then? Since you’re here already. It’ll be a waste if you don’t enjoy the scenery.”

“I thought you wouldn’t ask. Sure.”

“...”

“...”

“...”

“So.. how’s life for ya?”

“Alright. It’s been getting chaotic though, ever since the incident.”

“Ah.. right. Well, I’m not really surprised. Liyue Harbor was almost destroyed afterall.”

“I suppose. Say, miss Beidou.”

“Hm?”

“Do you know of the legend of the Wishing Stars?”

“Ah, I heard it from one of the crew. But what’s got you interested in it?”

“Well.. it just sounds fascinating.”

“Fascinating? First time I heard someone say that to a legend.”

“Think about it. How does it work? Why did people start talking about it in the first place? If this legend exists till this day, then it must’ve worked before, right? Won’t it work now?”

“Ah, I’ve found myself a curious one.”

“Hehe.. sorry. I guess I rambled a bit there.”

“Not at all. All of us have a interests in different things. Yours just happen to be the legend.”

“Yes.. I believe that too..”

“Why not give it a try then?”

“What?”

“Since you’re interested in it, why not try it? No harm in trying, right?”

“Hrm.. I suppose not but.. isn’t that.. albeit childish..?”

“Childish? Bah! Nonsense. Nothing is childish, especially on things you’re passionate about.”

“.. thank you, miss Beidou.”

“My pleasure. Afterall, we gals stick together, right?”

“Right!”

“Go on then. No one’s here to judge you.”

“O shining, wishing stars. Would you hear me and my wish? Please send this wish to my beloved. How have you been, my beloved? Has life been easy on you? I’m glad that you’re finally searching for your calling but I didn’t think of the setbacks it has. Selfish I may seem, I’m starting to regret sending you off on your way. It’s been almost a torture without you here by my side. I can still feel the pressure of the people behind my back. I wish you were here with your reassuring words. I would love to hear your voice, and possibly your singing as well. Even if you’re embarrassed by it, I still think it’s the most beautiful sound I’ve heard. Please return immediately, my beloved. Let’s celebrate the last few days before New Year. Merry Christmas, my beloved. May more years come and meet us. Let us face the upcoming challenges head-on.”

Klee

With Albedo

“Klee? What are you doing still up at this hour? It’s way past your bedtime.”

“Oh.. mr Albedo.”

“? What’s gotten you so sad, Klee? Tell me so that I know who I should beat up.”

“It’s nothing like that. I just.. miss [Y/N].”

“Ah, your playmate. Don’t worry, Klee, I’m sure that they miss you too.”

“Hrm..”

“.. do you really miss them?”

“*nods*”

“*sigh* well, I cannot exactly bring them to you..”

“Oh..”

“Hm.. how about making a wish to the stars?”

“Make a wish? To the stars?”

“Have you heard of the legend of the Wishing Stars?”

“Ah! Grandmaster Jean told me about that! If we wish from the bottom of our hearts, then the stars will hear it!”

“*chuckles* I guess that’s one way to sum it up. How about we make a wish?”

“But what would I wish for, mr Albedo?”

“How about you wish for your friend’s safety?”

“Eh? I thought you can only wish for yourself? You can wish for other people as well?”

“There’s a million ways to wish, Klee. One way is for yourself, the other is for someone else, and the rest is something else entirely. So, c’mon, let’s wish from our hearts.”

“Hmm.. okay! Klee would do it! For [Y/N]!”

“*chuckle* yes, for [Y/N].”

“Shining wishing star, can you hear my wish pretty please? This is for my friend, [Y/N]. I wish them the best! I hope they find what their looking for and they return safely! So that we can still play hide and seek, and dolls, oh! And tag! I recently made a game that I’m sure that both of us will enjoy very much! Though, for now, Klee would stay patient and wait for [Y/N]. Just like Grandmaster Jean, sir Kaeya and everyone said. I just need to be patient. But, I don’t know how long I can be patient for.. oh! I also recently gotten some new toys from everyone! I want to share them with [Y/N]! Hehe. Happy Christmas, [Y/N]! Oh! And happy Christmas, wishing stars! I’m gonna continue to hope that [Y/N] will return so that we can play again!”

La Signora

With Scaramouche

“...”

“.. well, isn’t this a surprise.”

“Tsk. What’re you doing here?”

“Now now.. is that a way to greet a fellow Harbinger?”

“I’m going now.”

“Hold on. Why don’t we chat? It’s been a while since I’ve last seen you and I’m getting lonely with no one to talk to here.”

“Why not talk to yourself? Why drag me to your ‘chat’?”

“Do you think you have a choice?”

“..tsk.”

“Good. Now, come, join me outside.”

“Why go outside when its freezing as hell out there?”

“Did I stutter?”

“To the outside it is.”

**

“I still wonder why you decided to drag me out of here when we could’ve had our ‘chat’ indoors.”

“If we had our chat indoors, then we won’t have a view of the stars.”

“Stars? Since when were you interested in astrology?”

“I’m still not interested in astrology. The legend behind them though is what interest me.”

“Oh? Do tell.”

“Have you heard of the legend of the Wishing Stars?”

“Who hasn’t? Everyone’s been talking about it that it makes me sick.”

“It would be wonderful if it was true though..”

“Ha? You do know it’s nothing more than a legend right?”

“Well, it does have the ‘legend’ part in its name.”

“Oh, so you are aware of it. Now, c’mon, let’s head inside before we get frostbite out here-“

“Just because it’s a legend doesn’t mean that I don’t believe in them.”

“... are you serious?”

“Hmhmm.”

“I still don’t get why I’m here in the first place.”

“Call it a moral support.”

“How is this moral support-??”

“Quiet. I must say my wish now.”

“*sigh* does it look like I have a choice-?”

“Shining Wishing Stars. Even if I am a Fatui Harbinger, would you still grant me a wish? I would like to wish from you the safety of my beloved. Let no harm befall for them because of my status as the 8th Harbinger in the rankings. I truly wish I could spend this Christmas season with them but duty calls. I wonder how they are right now. Are they happy? Or are they miserable? I really want to go home to them and spend the rest of my life with them. But alas, the Tsaritsa goes first.. as usual. I miss pressing my body against theirs while cuddling with them. I miss the affections they shower me with constantly.. maybe I’ve taken that for granted, now that I’m seeking it constantly. I should probably stop now, I’m already rambling.. Merry Christmas, [Y/N]. I promise we’ll be together soon. Just continue to wait for me, my love.”

Lisa

With Razor

“Hm? Oh my, Razor. Is there anything I can do for you?”

“Happy.. Christmas, miss Lisa.”

“*chuckles* Happy Christmas too, Razor.”

“.. are you okay?”

“Oh? Of course I am! Why wouldn’t I be anything but okay?”

“You look.. sad. Are you.. missing someone?”

“Ohh you’re good~! Why yes, perhaps I do miss someone..”

“Where are they now? Why they not with you?”

“I’m afraid their on a adventure of their own. As much as I want to accompany them on it, I’m afraid that I can’t. I can’t abandon my position as a librarian afterall.”

“Oh.. I see.”

“Now, why don’t I tell you a legend? It’s quite fitting for the seasonal festivity right now.”

“A.. legend? Similar to me?”

“Yes! It’s the legend of the Wishing Stars. Have you heard of it?”

“Red.. bunny girl mention about it.”

“.. oh, you mean Klee. I suppose that either Albedo or Jean must’ve told her about it. Though I’m quite surprised you were able to understand it given her unique wording.”

“You just wish.. from the heart.. and the stars.. will make it true. That’s what red bunny girl said.”

“Hmm.. I supposed that’s one way to word it. You just basically wish for something and, if you really mean it, it will be granted by the stars above. Though there’s no evidence that its actually true.”

“So.. it’s fake?”

“Not at all. If its truly a fake one, then people would soon forget about it and it’ll be lost in history. But the fact that it was able to reach to our time means it must’ve been atleast real to make it this far.”

“Oh.. then why don’t miss Lisa make a wish?”

“.. me? Making a wish?”

“The legend.. is for everyone right? So, why don’t miss Lisa make one?”

“.. I suppose that is correct.”

“So? Is miss Lisa making a wish?”

“Hmm.. I think you’ve convinced me enough. Fine, I’ll make a wish of my own.”

“Hehe.”

“Wishing stars, hear my wish. I wish the best for everyone around me. I hope that Jean wouldn’t continue to overwork herself and actually learn to take some rest. For Kaeya to stop leaving and letting the other Knights of Favonius behind to do whatever he’s doing. For Razor to continue being my cute student and find a place for himself in this world. I also hope to see my darling once more. It’s quite lonely without them, not being able to see them is quite a nightmare actually. It’s worse than having a book overdue- Wherever they are now, I hope their okay and safe from harm. I better not see any scratches on them, but if there is scars, I would just kiss them and love them~ they are a part of them afterall. I wouldn’t change it for the world~ Merry Christmas, everyone. May tomorrow shine even brighter than today.”

Lumine

With Aether 👀

“Now that we’re together again, dear sister. Shouldn’t you atleast be happy? Why the frown?”

“It’s just that.. we’ll be leaving soon.”

“Yeah.. you know that we aren’t welcome in this world.”

“I know-! But.. what will happen to everyone- what will happen to [Y/N]?”

“... and this is why I told you to not get attached to anyone.”

“.. I can’t help it brother. I love them with all of my heart. Leaving them so suddenly, without a goodbye will haunt me for the rest of my life.”

“So, if you’ll say goodbye to [Y/N], that’s okay for you?”

“...”

“You want to stay, don’t you?”

“I learned to love this world, brother. I can’t just get up and leave so suddenly. I’ve met so many wonderful people while searching for you. Meeting [Y/N] was honestly the best thing that could happen to me, besides finding you of course.”

“.. I don’t want you to suffer in this world, dear sister. We don’t belong anywhere. That’s why we travel from world to world.”

“How about we settle in this world instead? Besides the goddess who put us here, we’re at peace-! For the longest time, ever since I can remember, we’ve been running and running. We’re never truly at peace!”

“If we stay here, then this world will be in-danger.”

“!”

“Do you want this world to suffer because of our selfishness?”

“I-..”

“I’ve also come to love this world, sister. But danger always follows us wherever we are. If we stay here, then this world would be in danger because of us.”

“... hey brother.. do you know of the legend of the Wishing Stars?”

“.. the others were talking about it. It’s about wishing something from your heart and then the stars will grant it, right?”

“Hmhmm.. that’s the summary.”

“Are you gonna make a wish?”

“Yes. If we’re truly going to leave this world behind, then I’ll just leave behind a wish.”

“.. alright.”

“Shining stars, won’t you grant my wish? I won’t be here for long, and I’m honestly scared of what’ll happen from now on. Especially to everyone here in Teyvat, to [Y/N]. Please protect them when I can no longer. When I’m no longer here to protect them, please don’t bring them any harm. I wish the best for them. Please don’t let their smile vanish. Don’t let them lose their light, their happiness and their love. Even if it pains me, I wish them the happiness if ever they find someone else to love. Please don’t let them forget about me. Atleast keep me in their heart. And in return, they shall remain in mine. Happy Holidays, my love. Though many seasons will pass, I know you’ll remain strong throughout it all. You are afterall my love.”

[agntofhydra]

Sawbones // THREE

(gif credit)

summary: Red String of Fate Soulmate AU

Soul mates have a red thread tied to each others pinkies that only one of them can see.

You’re the Resistance’s head medic. You can see the red thread of fate that leads you to your soulmate. Poe doesn’t believe in the soulmate / thread theory. You don’t agree with his tactics, nor does he approve of yours. Leia and Holdo just really want a win.

pairing: poe dameron x reader

rating: mature for later chapters

read me on ao3!

part one. part two. 

read on till the end for notes!

SAWBONES

THREE // WRONG

Poe had worked his ass off for every title, credential, award, or accolade that he received. He earned Commander. He earned Black Leader. He was so good at what he did, at being a pilot. His skills, his fervor, his determination are why Leia got the heat off his back after the stint he pulled in recovering information from the Yissira Zyde.

His latest title differed only from the others in the fact that he gave it to himself.

Biggest jackass in the galaxy.  

If Poe had to admit he had a flaw, it would probably be that he was so fucking stubborn. He could get so focused that anything in the peripheral of his latest fixation was blurred. He wasn’t concerned with collateral damage, not if it got the job done. But in this case, when it was actually him in the wrong, when his inability to compromise not only hurt him but hurt you, he knew he had messed up.

Nobody told him this, of course. Poe had to come to terms with it on his own accord. Retiring to his quarters after his failed operation, dodging hands that were grabbing at his shoulders, his biceps, his wrists. He wasn’t interested in having a warm body next to him that night. He deserved to lay in his cot and deal with the chill his bones felt under the too-thin sheets. He deserved to lay in the darkness and finally come to terms with the thoughts that swam in his head, the ones he was getting really good at ignoring.

The way your forehead creased, face twisted and lips pursed as he said what he did to you were crystal clear. The way he referred to you as a ‘fucking medic’, completely undermining and disregarding your intelligence which you most definitely possessed in order to get to the position you currently held. But most of all, Poe couldn’t stop replaying how your face distorted when you’d gotten the last word, and the immediate sharp pain that radiated up his arm from his smallest digit that followed.

Poe’s reflexes were quick, though his mental acuity was not. It felt like someone had paused time on him while you were in fast forward.

He still wasn’t really sure what that whole ordeal was about. He had a small feeling tugging in his gut, and his gut was always right.

It wasn’t today, he told himself. Eventually, he knew he was going to be wrong. He’d ignored that fact for a while and was even starting to think he was the exception until a few hours ago.  But a few hours ago he was wrong, and you were right and you both were rubbing your hands at the same time and he didn’t want to think too hard on why that was.

But he was lying in his cot, almost shivering beneath the too-thin sheets and he had nothing but time to think about it. His Grandfather’s words echoed in his head about what he called the ‘Red Thread of Fate’. He couldn’t get his Grandfather to talk about it enough. Besides wanting to follow in his mother’s footsteps, the other reason for Poe wanting to become a pilot was to travel the galaxy in search of whomever was tied to the other end. He’d been to countless planets in hopes that he would come near enough to them to be found. He couldn’t see the damn thing, and he spent every day until he was sixteen lamenting on that fact.

When he was sixteen, he joined the Spice Runners of Kijimi. Once he was finally out, finally traipsing the galaxy, the soulmate tether was exploited and ruined for him. Countless people had tried to fool him into thinking they were his soulmate, and sometimes he believed them. But slowly, he became desensitized and forced himself to stop thinking about the situation all together.

So a few weeks ago, when that cute holographer he was warming his bed with tried to tell him that they were soulmates, he shut down. It had been so long since he had acknowledged it, but the wound still felt fresh and raw.

Anyways, to Poe, it was coincidence you both were rubbing your hands at the same time.

So convinced of this, in fact, that he was already leaving his quarters and trekking quietly to the place he knew he could find you. It was dark out, and as he crossed the runway to streamline his path right to the med bay, he had to stop to look up.

D’Qar wasn’t a small planet, but it always felt as though the stars were within reach at night. They felt so close, so visible in the atmosphere that Poe could hop in his x-wing and grab one. Maybe he’d give it to you. Maker knows you wouldn’t waste any time before taking it into a lab to analyze it. He quickly shook the thought of giving you a fucking star from his head and continued his path.

He had only made it a few steps before noticing a dark figure sat above one of the massive hills the Resistance had carved into for their base. If not for the direct illumination from the stars and D’Qar’s two moons, he might’ve missed your silhouette completely. He began his slow trek up the side of the mound, approaching you cautiously.

If you knew he was there, you didn’t react. You leaned back on your hands, legs crossed at the ankles as you gazed at the constellations above. It made Poe stutter in his stride.

“Leave if you’re gonna talk, Dameron,” you said as he opened his mouth.

For once in his life, Poe Dameron stayed quiet.

He sat next to you, carefully easing himself back on his elbows. As much as he wanted to turn his head and commit how the starlight reflected on your features to memory, his head tilted up like yours.

So there the two of you sat, watching all the stars and all the nebulas and all the supernovas blink back. The galaxy was swirling tonight, and it felt like you and Poe were at the epicenter of it all. Maybe the galaxy did this when someone found their soulmate, Poe didn’t know. He scolded himself in his head for using the s-word.

“You can apologize now,” you broke the silence.

Poe kept himself from chuckling. “I don’t think there’s any apology I could use that would have you forgive me.”

He didn’t see it, but you rolled your eyes. “Ever the dramatic. You were just an ass. I’m sure it isn’t the first, nor the last time this will happen.”

He closed his eyes, biting the insides of his cheeks. He finally turned his head towards you and instant regret flushed his features.

“I’m sorry,” he said as sincerely as someone like Poe could. “It will probably happen again.”

You suppressed a small smile, meeting his gaze. “Accepted. Until next time.”

He nodded. “Fair.”

Another moment of silence passed as you held gazes until you turned your head back towards the atmosphere. Poe wanted to talk, wanted you to help him through the meteor field that was inside his brain, to sift through every thought. But nothing he could say right now would be worth breaking the peace right now.

So, once again, Poe Dameron stayed quiet.

You could basically hear him thinking, his face pinched deep in thought as he stared up with unseeing eyes. Was he thinking about that moment on the runway? The one where the both of you had acted in unison, only for Poe to realize too late? Maybe he hadn’t caught it, just thought your retreat was due to his spiteful words. You both knew that wasn’t true.

Whether or not either of you would bring it up was the true question.

“Is there a lot of talk about me around the base?” Poe asked, tone exposing his curiosity. He knew that you already had an opinion on him, felt that you had already made up your mind on what kind of man Poe was. What kinds of things you had heard, from engineers, holographers or even his own pilots was a constant..worry? Not knowing kept him up at night. You didn’t know him, not really. And for some reason, that bothered him. He wanted to change that. 

At his words, your thoughts drifted back to that day in the medbay when Ziff had told you about Poe’s sentiments on soulmates. You swallowed thickly.

“Nothing that reaches the medbay,” you lied. Poe didn’t buy it for a second.

“Sure, doc. You definitely don’t have one ear attuned to whatever whispers filter in from the hallway.”

Though you’d never admit it, you did feel isolated in your corner of the base. It often felt as though people would sooner gossip with Leia before you. You did engross yourself in your work, only leaving the medbay to sleep or to grab a meal. You didn’t make much of an effort, and you couldn’t blame anyone for not making one either.

“What have you heard about me?” Poe interrupted your thoughts, pressing. 

“Just that you don’t tend to be alone most of the time.” You desperately wanted to change the subject.

“Does that make you think less of me, Doctor?” Poe’s voice was suddenly soft and your pinky throbbed. You knew better than to draw attention to it as Poe continued, “You mentioned my character, my reputation earlier. What do you think of me?”

Poe didn’t really want to confirm what he already knew in his head. He ignored the throbbing in his left and his finger.

“We’re..uh,” you stumbled, “part of the Resistance. Both people of rank. It doesn’t matter what I think of you outside of your role as Commander.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“We don’t have to be friends, Dameron. All that matters is that we do our jobs.”

That was cold.

Poe let the words dissolve into his skin, ride through his veins and drain right into his chest, constricting it. He cleared his throat as he stood, brushing off anything that may linger from what he thought was a night, or at the very least a conversation that would end in a truce.

“Sorry for imposing on your night, Doctor,” Poe said. “I’ll see you around.”

Poe had built a mountain out of the hope he had left his quarters with. As he trudged back to his quarters for the second time that night, he felt it all crashing on top of him as if he were planted at the base. He was sixteen again, sitting in the grass next to you as he brought up running spice - cracking open the door for you in hopes that you would enter.

Maybe the trip to Kessel had skewed his brain, the jump to and from hyperspace leaving him scrambled. Maybe it actually was a coincidence that the two of you had rubbed your hands at the same time. If he couldn’t see it, that meant that you could. And if you didn’t mention it, well.

Poe Dameron was wrong. Twice.

✗ ✗ ✗

Leia had taken Poe off world to rub elbows with a couple of diplomats in Coruscant. It was much needed, seeing as there was no new First Order intel or any reason for him to fly his x-wing into oblivion.

She’d noticed he had been...off as of recent. He was highly aware of his surroundings, mostly just aware of who he was around. Poe usually cracked his knuckles on a frequent basis, but she’d noticed he’d been providing more care to the smallest finger on his left hand.

Leia couldn’t see the red, but being force sensitive allowed her to see how a fraction of the air surrounding his hand seemed to almost blur. Not unlike how heat distorted the horizon on a particularly hot day in D’Qar. She knew what it meant though, saw the very same distortion around not only her right hand, but Han’s left.

She really wasn’t expecting to see it besiege the smallest finger on your right hand when she’d woken you in your office a few days prior.

She didn’t need much more than that and the inability for the two of you to have a civil conversation to connect the dots.

He stood at the wall to wall window that opened the ship to the galaxy outside, absentmindedly worrying that same finger Leia had been looking at. It was the newest addition of his little idiosyncrasies, not unlike how he rubbed his hand over his stubble, or extended his hand beside his hip to make sure BB-8 was within reach. Maybe it was him feeling a tendon in the right spot or his mind playing tricks on him, but sometimes he swore he could feel something cut through the skin.

Leia approached him until they stood side by side, looking out.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of seeing this,” she began. “Reminds me what we’re fighting for.”

“If I could, I’d take off in my ship and never land,” Poe said quietly, finally dropping his hands to his side.

“Does your finger hurt?” Leia asked.

“Jammed it on the cargo ship when we went to Kessel. It’s fine.”

Leia nodded. “Unfortunate, nonetheless.”

Poe cleared his throat, eyes never straying from the scene before him.

“Can you see yours?”

Leia smiled softly. “No,” she answered. “Not in the way I’d like to.”

Poe was going through the five stages. He had been firmly set in denial following the time he spent with you on the hill. He’d psyched himself out, doubted his eyesight (which was hard, because..y’know. He was a pilot.) and reprimanded his brain for even coming up with such an unbelievable explanation.

Now?  His jaw was set in anger. Angry at himself, at you, at whatever joke the galaxy thought it was making. He was bitter at the universe for constantly building him up, creating another possibility for Poe just to end up decimated. Every single time. Ultimately, Poe let it happen. Every single time.

But why was he mad at you?

That old part of himself that Poe held on to -  the starry eyed, illusory kid he used to be - wanted it to be you. Wanted you to be the one to break the cycle. But it wasn’t you. You barely considered him a friend. He should’ve asked you if you could see yours before leaving the conversation so dejected. He could’ve saved himself from spending the rest of that night sulking in his quarters, throwing himself deeper into despair when he got under those fucking sheets.

He needed more blankets. Maybe he could steal some from the medbay.

But that was almost a guarantee he’d run into you, and his pride was still recovering. He’d probably end up doing it anyway, mourning from a distance the best almost-soulmate he’d run into.

“What’s got Poe Dameron so quiet?” Leia asked, she couldn’t take his lamenting any longer. She didn’t need to be a jedi to hear Poe’s thoughts.

“I want to find them, Leia,” he began. “Whoever they are. So bad. I think the galaxy knows that I want it more than anything, and it’s purposely keeping them away.”

She watched him and from her initial lack of response, Poe backpedaled.

“Not more than defeating the First Order, of course. Finding them comes after.”

Leia rolled her eyes, knocking her shoulder against the side of his arm fondly. “You remind me of my brother.”

Poe laughed. “Good or bad?”

“It changes,” she shrugged. “But overall? Good. What makes you think you haven’t met them yet?”

Poe puckered his lips in thought. “If I had, why wouldn’t they have come forward?”

“Han didn’t tell me until we were married.”

“You married someone you knew wasn’t your soulmate?” Poe tried to hide his shock.

“I knew,” she answered. “Everything told me it was him. But he was Han, and thought it was funny to wait. Overall, Poe. I think you know.”

Poe closed his eyes, muttering to himself that “if it was that holographer from a few weeks ago, I’m fucked.”

Leia turned around, leaving Poe by himself to stand by the window.

“Don’t overthink it,” she threw over her shoulder before disappearing into another part of the ship.

Poe was self-assured in every other aspect of his life except for this sliver, which at times seemed all encompassing. At Leia’s words, that small flicker of heat that he recognized as hope burned in his chest, and as much as he tried to extinguish it, it remained. Nestled itself in the lowest chamber of his heart where it would wait until he knew, just like Leia said.

- 

a lot of you were begging for poe's pov so i really hoped this lived up to your expectations! a little shorter of an update, but there will be more plot in the next chapter. this was just some nice fluffy angsty filler. as always, feedback and love is encouraged and appreciated! xoxox

TAGLIST (message me to be added!) 

@yayrainday​ @samhollandssweaters​ @softly-sad​

[quillsandcassettes]

Crowtober Day 2: Tea

Summary: A fluffy Sharpshooter oneshot

Wordcount: 1,201

Warnings: None

A/N: Number 2 of my Crowtober oneshots! If you've got a prompt you'd like me to take a crack at, feel free to send it my way! The Image each prompt is being taken from will be at the bottom. (The art below is not mine, I just thought it was cute and absolutely fit the theme!)

He loved to watch her in moments like this. They could almost pretend they lived normal lives, that they lived the white picket fence kind of life somewhere much nicer than here. Novyi Zem maybe, or even Lij. Of course, if that were the case, would they really be happy? Could he ever live that kind of life after the fast paced nature of Ketterdam.

Jesper wasn’t sure why he even entertained the idea. Inej would never leave Kaz to run the club alone and he wasn’t sure he could do that either. Still, it was nice to pretend as she made them tea. He stepped forward to help her, reaching for a mug that was just that little bit too high to reach. He stretched over her head and brought it down to the counter for her, the softest of smiles anyone would ever get to see rested on his features.

She smiled back, she often thought the boys kept things up high so they had an excuse to help her, their own way of either feeling needed or just reminding her she was shorter than they were. Either way, today she didn’t mind. His smile was sweet and it had a bad habit of being able to disarm her before she could even reach for her knives.

“Thanks… You know you wouldn’t need to help me so often if you two just agreed to lower the mugs, right?” They’d had this conversation quite a few times, either this exactly or a variation on it. Each time she was met with the same answer.

“There’s not much else you let us help you with, Inej. The mugs stay.” Jesper’s response was short and simple and left her no room for argument. Sometimes she argued anyway, just to see how far she could get but today she just wanted the tea, and he was looking both awfully cute and extremely certain about that sentiment.

She only offered him an eye roll in response, turning her attention back to the now boiled kettle that housed part of the makings to her sweet serenity. As she reached for the kettle, she was trapped in the arms of what was quickly becoming her nuisance for the day.

Had anyone else wrapped her up like this they would’ve been met with an elbow to the ribs and a knife to the sternum, but she knew in her heart that Jesper was only playing. He wouldn’t hurt her like the others had set out to do. “Jesper Fahey, you let me go so I can make this tea!”

His breath of a laugh swept across her neck as he just held her closer to his chest. “Apologize for the eye roll first and then it’s all yours.” That forced another roll of her eyes and a soft huff.

“I’m not apologizing for treating your answer with the response it deserved.” She stated, standing firm. They were both as stubborn as each other, it might be a while yet before she got the tea she’d been longing for since their job ended.

“Come on, Inej. Say it…” He murmured against her ear, pressing a soft kiss right at the base. Dirty sneak, he knew that was one of her weak spots.

She was melting in his touch, damnit now she wanted tea and more kisses. This was just unfair. She leant into him a little, they didn’t get to enjoy moments like this often, it was far too dangerous, so she reveled in them when they happened.

“If I apologize, will I get more kisses too?” She asked, eyes slipping closed as every point of contact with his skin sent little jolts of electricity through her.

“Of course, my darling. I’m feeling generous so it’s a two for one deal.” He assured, lips only just skating across the skin at the base of her neck. Saints, this was one argument she’d have to concede.

“F-fine. Fine, I’m sorry…” She murmured, she moved to turn and kiss him properly and he loosened up his grip to allow for the change. He kissed her briefly before moving around her to finish the tea making venture.

“Hey!” Inej protested, that had been her job. Jesper’s sweet laughter filled her ears and her annoyance dissipated almost instantly, damn that man and his charming laugh.

“You, my dear, were taking far too long!” He said it like he’d played no part in that delay, a lazy smirk on his face. The sly bastard. She really, really wanted to be annoyed but then a warm mug was carefully placed in her hands and his face softened and she didn’t have the heart to be.

“You’re a bastard sometimes, you know that?” There was no malice in her tone as she sipped from her mug, amusement sparkling behind her eyes.

“Careful, don’t let Kaz hear you say that that’s his title.” That pulled a soft laugh from Inej, her eyes crinkling at the corners. Jesper liked to make her laugh, he liked it quite a lot. It was his favourite sound these days.

He bent a little to press the gentlest kiss to her cheek, smiling as her nose scrunched the slightest at the action. “Jes…” Her statement was open ended, like she wasn’t sure she should even finish it, almost afraid that saying the next words would make everything they had fall to pieces just as fast.

“Yes, Inej?” His eyes held that curiosity and attention that made her heart flip, like he was really listening, really interested. She took another sip from the mug, the warm liquid seemingly giving her the courage she was seeking, that, along with a quick prayer to her Saints and the words tumbled out of her.

“I love you.” Three simple words that held so much weight, especially for them. The silence that followed was deafening and Inej regretted them almost as soon as they were uttered. She searched his face for some kind of answer, anything at all. Instead, she was met with his soft lips against hers.

The kiss didn’t last very long but it certainly did a brilliant job conveying how Jesper felt. As he pulled away, he let his forehead fall against hers. “I never thought I’d hear you utter those words, not in this lifetime.” He whispered. “For the record, I love you too…”

A laugh bubbled past Inej’s lips as she cupped his cheek with her free hand, both their teas nestled between them. This was far more domestic than they would usually have the luxury of being. It wasn’t often either of them were like this, allowing the other to truly see them. This moment right here, admitting their love for each other was the highest form of trust either of them could place in each other. Inej knew there was no one else she’d rather place that trust in.

She never thought she’d have the courage to share her true feelings but here they were. Wrapped in each other’s arms having just spilled the feelings tucked away in their hearts, feelings neither of them anticipated would ever see the light of day. All thanks to a mug of tea.

[mintyfrosty]

Love Without Words

DID I HEAR DETECTIVE AU FLUFF!?! WELL GUESS WHAT YA GOT IT!!!

Hope you enjoy this!

Tick. Tick. Ti-- SMASH

It was a wonder how the Hell Reginald put up with that pocket watch ticking in his pocket all the damn time.

Especially in a time like this; when it was just Reginald and papers. Papers upon Papers upon Papers.

Same old bullshit, he had known.

Of course, every one of them was important, but you learned that your eyes got tired of the same black lettering that came from the typewriter. The same pattern over and over and over. It made his mind go insane. Since, well, this job had a lot of this. Just had a different flavour of spice with every new case you received. Some horrific murders, others manslaughter, others just self-defence. And everyone falling under the bracket he worked under. Homicide.

Well, him and his 'partner.'

It was no secret to The Toppat Detective Agency that the two despised one another. At least, Lieutenant Copperbottom seemed to think so. Detective Right treated him like garbage; the only REAL explanation was that he hated the lieutenant.

And dear God, Reginald wished he shared that sentiment. He didn't.

Letting out a grievous sigh, the lieutenant leaned back in his chair, letting his aching shoulders stretch out from being hunched. Overworking yourself came with many pitfalls, but pained muscles had to be the worse of it. At least in his opinion. Besides, sleepness nights and empty stomachs had become the regular for him. This was homicide they were dealing with; not a joke. He could miss some of that out for his work; this was serious. Deathly so. Yet, his tired bones did make him regret somedays. This was one of those days.

Feeling his eyes look forward, a scoff came to his lips, seeing the lack of his partner across the desk. Must've gotten up when he was deep in thought; obvious because of how scattered the papers were (Reginald wished he would clean up one day). Mumbling to himself, the lieutenant rose out of his seat, neatly tucking it in as the bones in his lanky frame popped. Wasn't long before quiet footsteps echoed through the silent agency leading towards the balcony that had a door half-open. Exactly what he expected to see; Right looking out to the city with a cigar in his hand.

Of course.

"Thought I told you to stop smoking." Grumbled Reginald, having his arms folded, soon being by Right's side within a couple of steps. The detective gave some sort of a grunt for an answer, taking in a long inhale of smoke and blowing it out to the wind.

People did what they could to get by with the stress of the 1920s. Liquor was one of them, which Reginald dabbled in slightly. Smoking was the other; Right seemed to be on that lead.

...

"Want one? A smoke gets yer mind 'f t'ings, ya know."

"Pass, thank you."

...

"Wot's 'at? On yer wrist t' ere?"

Oh.

At the comment, Lieutenant Copperbottom looked down, eyes brushing over the dollar chain bracelet that ran over his gloved wrist. Feeling his heart brighten at the sight, Reginald leaned an elbow against the railing of the balcony, resting his chin in his hand, feeling the wind flow through his hair. A million lights greeted his eyes as they fell to the sea of bustling activity within the streets of the city. Huh. He'd never taken the time to look at the view before. With his gaze out in the distance, the answer formed.

"Oh. Recently, I've been receiving these notes on my desk. Someone's got an attraction towards me in the agency, I believe. Small things, like a cup of coffee and a note wishing I had a good day. Or, oh, finding my papers stacked up neatly, just the way I liked it when I fall asleep at my desk."

Loosely, he jingled the jewellery with a flick of his wrist. "Found this today on my desk with 'from the one who loves you most.' written on a napkin."

Judging by the other's movement, Reginald assumed the other looked down to observe it. 

Right had seen it before, he realised. On one of their first cases, Reginald had spotted the sight of it in the window of a jewellery shop. Immediately, he fell in love, telling himself to save up for it (even though he'd much rather steal it but that didn't look good for his reputation). Yet now, someone had heard of that interest and bought or stole it for him, leaving it anonymously on his desk. Which, to be fair, was flattering. Money didn't come easy nowadays; always a struggle to get by with the growing popularity in Moonshine. The question was; who had the money AND the dedication to Reginald to spend so much on him? Well, his partner had probably spread the word of it around the agency, he concluded; since why the Hell would Right buy such a gift for him and leave it anonymously on his desk? And well, the detective had a distaste for the lieutenant. No way he would do such a thing if he hated him.

"Yeah, right. So someone's got a big ol' crush on ye?" Mumbled the detective, taking another intake of smoke.

Well. Yes. Seemed to point toward that conclusion.

"Suppose you're right. Didn't think you'd have an interest in it." The lieutenant's ears caught the sound of the detective scoffing.

"Don't. Just find it funny someone's got the hots f' ya. Can ya blame me? Who'd wanna go pinning after you?"

... Well. ... Hm.

It...wasn't a secret that Reginald had quite the ego and took a lot of pride in his work. And so, it made a brief amount of sense why Right was so abrasive with his banter. Thought he could take it. And he could! He most certainly could; Reginald always spitting back something to amend to his comments. Curiously, however, the same rule didn't apply to this, the lieutenant's voice feeling dry as he mumbled something underneath his breath, the reflection of the night's lights in his eyes.

Heh. Who WOULD want to go pinning after him? "I don't know. I don't know."

...wasn't expecting his voice to break. Nor the tear that fell from the balcony to clash with the concrete ground after a long fall. A gloved hand brushed by his left eye, straightening himself up from the balcony. The small-dollar, gold bracelet on his arm twinked back at him, the lieutenant letting his voice give out a sigh. "I dunno. Probably an idiot."

"Ye know I'm only jokin', yah?" ...eh?

Curiosity filling his torn spirit, the shorter male turned his eyes up to his partner, who had his gaze somewhere out in the distance. Cigar twisting in his finger, the detective let out a grunt. "'m sure ye gonna find love."

... "...what?"

Well, that was... ...certainly unexpected. Yet welcomely unexpected. Just 2 minutes, Right said something that completely contradicted his statement, yet that was 'joking' as he phrased it. No way he was being genuine about Reginald having someone who was in love with him? That was almost perfect teasing material. Feeling conflicted, the lieutenant raised an eyebrow at hm. "Since when do you...not joke about things like this?"

"'til now, s'ppose." Alright then, be vague. Wasn't like that was the most out of character thing the detective had ever said to him.

Keeping a curious eye on him, Reginald reached down to grab a cigar from the pack that Right had left carelessly on a bench out on the balcony. And whilst he discouraged smoking, it was probably important to take a moment to ground himself, even if that was through Tabacco. Already heard Right scoff out a smile. "Thought ya said smokin''s bad for ya."

"It is. But do as I say, not as I do."

... Sure he was going to find love? Reginald's eyes fell to the pendant along his wrist, letting out a breath of smoke of his own.

If he was a fool, he might've thought that Right was trying to comfort him from the statement he made. Despite being a lieutenant and a master of handling evidence, he hadn't a clue to why he made such a statement when Right was usually coarse with his language. Whatever the reason, it was a mystery to him. The least he could do was to say: "Thank you..."

The other's eyes turned up from the city, body turning in his direction. "F' wot?"

"Figure it out; you're a detective." Without another sigh of smoke, Reginald dropped his cigar to the floor, stamping on it before making a walk back inside. The break was over. Had to return to work.

Blinking curiously at the door, the detective slowly turned himself back to the city, carelessly letting the cigar fall from his fingers down to the bustling city below. Someone else could deal with it. Finding himself to be very much along, Right planted both of elbows against the railing holding his face in both of his hands.

"'I dunno. Prob'bly an idiot.'" Quoted the detective, shaking his head to himself. "Ya know this idiot ain't good with 'is words."

[bonemarroww]

Something Else - Trans!(O) Amajiki Tamaki x (A) F!Reader

Summary: “You’ll get there someday!” Mirio always says. “You’ll do bette next time.” Tamaki doesn’t want to get there someday. And if every Alpha always does, well, maybe he’s something else then.

Warnings: None.

Feedback is welcome!

(I do not own the picture)

AO3

Prologue | Chap 1 | Chap 2 | Chap 3 | Chap 4 | Chap 5

————————— Epilogue

“Cheers!”  

The loud sound of glass clinking against glass made Tamaki flinch, but to see Mirio and Nejire’s bright expressions, and his mate’s proud look, it was worth the slight discomfort.  

Tonight was his leaving do from Fat gum’s agency. After four years of loyal service, he was finally creating his own agency with Mirio and Nejire. The thought was as exciting as it was frightening. He had gotten used to working with the Pro Hero, as the specifics of their quirks made them a nice pair. Still, the thought of working with his best friends was appealing, and when a few months ago, Mirio had brought up their childhood dream of becoming Pro Heroes working together... He had accepted.  

Nejire had joined in their project with her usual enthusiasm, as her contract with the agency she worked at was coming to an end anyway. Tamaki knew his mate would have joined too, but she couldn’t for the time being, her work with Gang Orca slowly but surely coming to fruition . In a year or two, maybe .  

The Omega had been a bit disappointed to hear that, but after a few days of sulking and a calm discussion, he had come around it. It was hard sometimes working with people you loved, and as long as she came back to him every night, he would be happy.  

Tonight’s gathering was also the occasion to celebrate with his friends the three-year landmark since the beginning of his transition. By now, he no longer felt any of the after-effects that had plagued him for a year and a half after the treatment. His scent was now clear as that of any Omega, sweet enough for his mate to get drunk on it. Hearing people refer to him as an Alpha in the present tense had gotten rarer and rarer; and now that he was bonded to his ever-loving mate, and had a job he liked with his best friends as colleagues, it seemed nothing could get more perfect.  

Being able to be true to himself had been a real awakening for Tamaki, who had gone a long way since his high school days in matters of self-esteem. While he was not the most assertive hero, and he still got shy around people he did not know, Tamaki was a whole lot more confident now than he had been as an Alpha. Confident in himself, in his abilities. Every time he looked at his mate, as she was engaging in a lively conversation with one of Fatgum’s Beta sidekicks, he saw the flash of purple, gold and white around her neck, and he was reminded of it.  

As he had been injured and on medical leave for a while about a year ago, he had reluctantly tried crocheting again, hoping to kill some time until his Alpha could come home to him. Much to his surprise, now that he was free of the pressure and expectancy of him to craft a courting gift, he had found the activity much more enjoyable. After a few tries, he had been able to gift his Alpha a present he was actually proud of; a new scarf in his colors, that he had scented at her request –to motivate her to come back earlier, she had joked, but he knew it was because of how much his Omega’s scent calmed her whenever her Alpha went in a frenzy.  

He had complied, secretly happy to have her wear his scent. Though much of her Alpha’s overzealousness was now channeled towards him, she was still known to show a lot of care towards any Omega she might find, fussing particularly over the civilians she was rescuing. Tamaki knew it to be her nature, and he loved her for it, but sometimes, he was a bit afraid these Omegas would get ideas and get attached to his mate. She was aware of his sentiments on the matter, of course, and often asked him to thoroughly scent her before she left for work, if only to bring peace to his mind.  

“Excuse me, Suneater?”  

Tamaki startled, looking away from his mate and to a girl wearing UA’s uniform. She looked young enough, probably in second year. Tamaki didn’t seek to breathe in her scent, a habit he found distasteful as he knew full well one’s identity was not dictated by their scent, but as he took an inspiration to calm his anxiety, it was the absence of any particular smell that made him tick. She was using scent blockers.  

“Y-yes?”  

In the background, Tamaki heard his mate end her conversation with the sidekick, and he felt her move closer to him. It comforted him slightly, as the bubbly student introduced herself.  

“I am sorry to bother you, but I have something pretty important to ask you.” She didn’t beat around the bush, displaying an engaging grin. “I’m a second-year in UA, and I am j ust like you .”  

In the way she emphasized the words, and coupled with the eerie lack scent emanating from her, the Pro Hero immediately understood what she meant.  

While the shy boy didn’t go out of his way to let it know that he hadn’t always been an Omega, he hadn’t done anything to hide it either, and with some researches online, any fan could come across this information. Fans ; he had not always expected to have them. He didn’t shine by his personality like Lemillion , or by his feats like All Might. Still, he had been proven wrong when Fatgum’s agency had started receiving fan mail about him as well; a lot of praise, of thanks, some gifts –some of them profoundly inappropriate.    

He had received some heartfelt letters, about how knowing he was one of ‘them’ had inspired a few into transitioning as well; or about how they dealt with their assigned second gender, not wanting the treatment. All of them moved to learn there was a Hero somewhat like them in the noticeable rankings.  

“I am hosting an awareness event at the school in two weeks. You have been a huge inspiration to me, you’re a Pro Hero a lot of us can relate to, and seeing you being well on your way to the top makes me feel like maybe I have a chance too.”  

Tamaki looked down in embarrassment, flattered yet nervous. One thing caught his attention, though, below the student’s neck. There, hooked to the strap of her bag, a vibrantly colored pin with the symbols of the Alpha, the Beta and the Omega artistically intertwined.  

“I want to make it so that students like us in the Hero course, and all other classes, know they are not alone and that they are not freaks. I want all the others to listen too. We can’t have allies if they’re not even aware we exist!” She chuckled, Tamaki’s silence seemingly making her a bit unsure.  

He felt his Alpha link her fingers with his, and caught her look of fond encouragement. She squeezed his hand, looking pointedly over to the teen and then at him again.  

The shy young man cleared his throat, shaking slightly his head to try to stop his anxiety from taking over.  

“It-it’s a great project.” He finally answered, his free hand fiddling with the fabric of his cape. “I hope many will come to listen. D-did principal Nezu give you access to the main lecture theater?”  

The student smiled; her cheeks ever so tinted from joy to hear her idol approved of her initiative.  

“He did. I hope it will be filled with fellow students. I have invited several Pro Heroes, whom I found to be overtly trans, to come share their story and point of view. So, I guess a number of students will come, if only out of curiosity.”  

Tamaki nodded; it did not really matter the motivations that brought the students at this conference, so long as they stayed to hear the point of the meeting.  

The student seemed to hesitate a bit, as if suddenly overcome with some shyness.  

“It would mean a lot to me if you could come and share your experience too.”  

She must have felt how much he tensed at the prospect, for she immediately looked to regret the anxiousness she had projected upon him.  

“Your mate could come too, as an ally, of course!” She assured him, which only seemed to relax him a tiny bit.  

Tamaki’s hand was so tight against his mate’s, he was surprised the Alpha didn’t pull from him. Instead, she let out a low purr, her other hand coming to rub his arm in slow movements of comfort. The Pro Hero closed his eyes for a moment, breathing deeply, focusing on the agreeable sensation of her purrs vibrating through him.  

When he opened his eyelids again, he exhaled and smiled hesitantly, gathering all of his courage.  

“I’ll come.” He affirmed, not as loudly as he would have liked, but he had put the words out there and that was the only thing that mattered.  

He knew he would not regret his decision until the moment he would have to speak in front of these students; but the knowledge that his past self would have most probably missed this opportunity out of shyness cemented his decision. He was sincerely interested in this event, felt honored and timidly pleased to have been invited. He would be afraid, but he would not regret.  

The student’s face broke into a relieved grin.  

“Thank you so much!” She opened her bag and rummaged through it for a few seconds, before coming up with a pastel colored paper. “Here’s a flyer for you. I won’t bother you any more than that. I’ll see you then!”  

She bowed slightly to them, fully intent on leaving them to enjoy their night. Still, as she was closing her bag and turning away, Tamaki caught sight of something shiny in her bag, and yelped out a ‘wait!’.  

By now, his hand was crushing his mate’s, but he timidly looked up at the younger girl. When he spoke, his tried to keep nervous stutter at bay; in vain.  

“I-if you n-need an internship, o-or an agency to work with for Hero studies... F-feel free to c-contact me.” He felt his mate purr just a little louder in surprise, and in the way she squeezed his arm quickly, he knew he had her approbation. “Also...”  

His trembling free hand left the abused fabric of his costume to shakily point at the pin on her bag’s strap.  

“D-do you have more?” His cheeks set ablaze, and he immediately looked down, hoping his hair might hide his flaming cheeks.  

There was a moment of silence, before the Alpha chuckled and nosed his shoulder tenderly, breaking the student’s shock. The younger girl opened her bag again with colored cheeks as she bashfully explained she made them herself; eyeing carefully the Alpha to know if it was okay for her to give it to the Omega.  

When the young woman nodded with peaceful eyes, the student was extending one to Tamaki, visibly flattered.  

The Hero slowly released his mate’s hand, and gingerly took the little object in both his hands.  

“Thank you.” He whispered, still too embarrassed to properly face the creative student.  

After a few words of goodbye and promise of seeing each other at the awareness event in UA, to which Tamaki knew his mate wouldn’t mind going, he sighed in relief.  

Without a word, the Alpha led him to a quieter part of the hall, letting him rest from the social exhaustion.  

“I’m proud of you.” She whispered in his ear as she treaded her hands through his hair while she leaned to kiss his cheek softly.  

Tamaki purred contentedly, taking deep inhales of her scent. He was proud of himself, too.  

Her hands trailed down to his, and she seized the little pin. It was similar to that the girl wore, in different colors, less vibrant, more appeasing. It suited him.  

“Help me put it on?” He quietly asked.  

His Alpha’s nimble fingers hooked the pin to the fabric of his cape, just above his heart. The colors fit nicely with the rest of his hero costume; discreet but present.  

“There.”  

She leaned back; eyes squinted ever so slightly in admiration, a fond smile on her lips, and a tender purr in the air.  

“You’re perfect.”  

——————

That’s it folks ! The epilogue to Something Else. 

I hope you all liked it, if you did, feel free to leave a comment !

[twoidiotwriters1]

Written In The Stars CXXVII (Harry Potter xF!Oc)

A/N: This is one of my favourite chapters uwu -Danny

Words: 4,172

Series’ Masterlist

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Listen to: ‘I Wanna Be OK’ -by Caleb James

Chapter Twenty-Five: Reaching Out.

She never would've thought that one of Pansy's friends was... decent. 

Yes, Erick had some pretty nasty friends, but he was lovely, however, he'd never considered them close. Daphne was different, she didn't have a problem with her friends, but she had a restless curiosity and a set of very good eyes, same eyes that helped her realize Erick was acting strange.

"She's been following me for months," Erick scowled at the girl. "I didn't know it was her, but I was careful not to do anything suspicious as soon as I felt it... I'm used to being alone, Daphne, which means I can tell when I'm not."

"Didn't hurt to try," Daphne shrugged, sitting down. "You can stop staring at me like that, I'm not here to kill you."

"What do you want?"

"I already asked her," Erick sat down next to the girl and gestured for Mel to sit in front of them. "I know you don't like her, but if you trust me then you'll listen to what she has to say."

Mel hesitated, if this would've happened a year ago she would've agreed right away, there was nothing to lose and one more friend to gain, but now it wasn't just some silly study sessions to learn about the muggle world, it was the Order, secrets plans to win a war that was yet to start...

"Erick has explained to me that you and Granger taught him a lot about the muggle world and that you've also done a few things off-record... I want to learn, I don't care whether if You-Know-Who's back or not, but I care about myself and my sister. I want to be prepared if it turns out you're not crazy."

"I don't understand," Mel sat down. "You believe us?"

"I don't know what to believe," Daphne made a face. "I know that if the Ministry sent Umbridge here they must see Dumbledore as a real threat, and that's something."

"Why asking me, though?"

"I would rather get my information from someone who's lived around muggles instead of that nonsense pureblood families say all the time. They heard it from their parents, and the parents heard it from their parents... I'm not excited about spending time with you and Granger," She sneered. "But I don't have a choice."

"How do I know you're not trying to trick us?"

Daphne raised a brow in amusement. 

"Why do you need to trust me to have a silly study session from time to time?"

"Answer the question, Daphne," Erick pressed.

The girl turned to look at him, she examined his and Mel's face and her interest increased.

"What are really doing here?"

"Listen, you either answer me, or we're done," Mel insisted. "I have things to—"

"Umbridge wants to make her own little team of rats," Daphne said. "Pansy was telling us about it yesterday, she said Umbridge was writing to the Minister the other day after class, and that she managed to read a bit — said it was something about recruiting students to be her eyes and ears."

"So?" 

"I could join along with Erick and we could help you. I know you and your friends are up to something, you've been too friendly with students from other houses and that didn't use to happen, we can trick Umbridge so she follows the wrong clues."

Mel couldn't help but think about Kingsley and Tonks helping the Order by lying about Sirius' whereabouts, it was tempting. Hadn't she promised to find a way to beat Umbridge in her own game? Maybe this was it. Umbridge would never suspect two of the best Slytherins being the ones passing information to Mel. 

"If that's true," She started carefully. "Then I'd consider teaching you, if you promise to keep your mouth shut."

"Okay," Daphne stood up. "We have a deal?"

Mel faced the girl in front of her, she still couldn't believe this was happening.

"Greengrass, if this is a trick... you'll regret it."

"I know."

She told Hermione about it because throwing Daphne into the mix was a dangerous move. She figured Harry would be okay since it really didn't have to do with him and what they were doing, he would get anxious no doubt, but he would understand. 

Since she had promised to help him with Occlumency, Mel decided to inform him about it during their first study session. Harry was just as confused as her.

"What is it about you," He asked in incredulity, "that attracts Slytherins so much?"

"Dunno," Mel smiled. "Maybe it's, you know, that I don't judge the book by its cover?"

"Shut up," Harry snorted. "I've never seen you pick a book with an ugly cover. Don't lie to me."

"Are you admitting that I was right, though? Slytherins and Gryffindors can get along."

"Have your first meeting with two Slytherins at once," He raised a brow. "Then we'll talk."

It was a known fact that Umbridge was starting to lose it, with every new decree she was stepping further into a higher position, making her even more dislikeable than before. It was also known, that there was a war going on between the woman and Mel Dumbledore.

She was, to say it simply, mayhem. Mel hung a target on those bullies that would openly talk against the muggle-borns, making their lives a living hell -with the twins' help, obviously- and the best part was that Umbridge was unable to catch her every single time.

Umbridge was a threat to the school, she could feel her breathing on her neck. The funny thing was that even though Umbridge considered her the biggest issue on her list, she was underestimating Mel at an abysmal level.

For instance, the woman couldn't phantom the plausibility of Mel doing wandless magic, even knowing she was a Dumbledore, a gifted one at that, Umbridge's blind trust in Fudge seemed to weigh more on her mind than anything else.

Being the student defending the muggle-borns honour regardless of their house gave her the protection she'd been lacking for years. The witnesses would blatantly deny her participation in any incidents, it didn't matter if Umbridge threatened them with detention, Mel had created such a strong community that it was now acting without her having to move a finger. 

While Harry was doing everything in his power to teach what the woman was censoring in her classes, Mel kept destroying every false fear Umbridge had been placing inside the students' heads; but the work wasn't done after the first week, it had to be constant and she had to be careful about the battles she'd pick. 

Her lessons with Dumbledore were a great help for that, learning how to clear her mind and compartmentalize her emotions turned out to be brilliant for her plans. She was unstoppable.

Unfortunately, there was a consequence to this: Mel was turning into a prepotent git. She'd started to publicly mess with the bullies, and in some cases, students that were younger than her. One afternoon, Erick caught her while hexing a thirteen-year-old.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" He hissed at her. "You have no right to punish him — You can't allow this to get over your head!"

"Oh, it's way over my head by now," Mel snorted. "I spent four years trying to convince everyone that I was worthy — four bloody years where I got nothing in return. I'm done with that, I'll let it get over my head as much as I want. I deserve it. I deserve the attention and I deserve the bloody power. Umbridge is nothing compared to me."

"You forget you're not the ruler of the school — Even if others treat you like it," He warned her.

"Then stop me," She smiled innocently, though her tone was definitely mocking. "You'll have a hard time trying, Prince."

Erick straightened in his place and spoke out loud:

"Detention, Miss Dumbledore. You'll report to Professor McGonagall tonight — Oh! And thirty points from Gryffindor will be taken away."

Mel's eyes flashed dangerously. "You can't do that."

Erick leaned closer. 

"Then stop me," He looked around the hall and yelled. "What are you looking at? Go to class!"

Most of the students glared at the boy and mumbled about taking care of him later, but Erick didn't care, after all, he'd never been afraid of her, let alone of her admirers.

Neville had found his motivation in the shape of Bellatrix Lestrange. There was something dark but certain in the way he would practice, and there was something pleasant but worrying about the fact that he'd become the best student.

By the end of January, after a long talk with Erick, Harry, Hermione and Ron, Mel decided to mention the D.A. to Daphne. It wasn't surprising at all when she decided to join.

Mel was working at the speed of light: Quidditch practice, O.W.L.s lessons and Dumbledore's along with her little vigilante acts. She was missing meals several times a week, something that her friends were noticing, which caused the sudden appearance of snacks in her bag and pockets.

She was so enraptured on herself that she couldn't even feel Harry's discomfort. She knew he was having a hard time thanks to their weekly Occlumency sessions, he still couldn't clear his head, and although she would try her best she would stop at the slightest hint of an argument about to burst between them. She didn't have the time to fight.

The day finally arrived when Daphne would have her very first D.A. meeting. She was welcomed with open arms, and it wasn't because of Mel's warnings, the students were genuinely excited about having a Slytherin there, and Mel couldn't help but share their sentiment.

She woke up on the morning of Valentine's day having no clue that it was Valentine's day. She had fallen asleep right after a soothing warm bath, her hair turned all frizzy overnight and it hadn't dried completely, so she was sort of grumpy.

An owl landed in front of Hermione during breakfast, holding out a letter for her. Thinking it was maybe Krum's reply Mel didn't give much thought to it while she ate, Ron sat down beside her and nudge her side.

"You're okay?"

"Hmm?" Mel asked, shoving a spoonful of cereal in her mouth. 

"I thought you'd be bouncing off the walls today, aren't you excited?" 

Mel blinked, swallowing her food and frowning slightly. 

"About what?"

Ron stared at her. 

"Your date?"

The girl dropped her spoon.

"It's Valentine's day?!"

"Are you sure you're sleeping enough?" He asked worryingly. 

"Mum's birthday!" She said in horror. "I have to send her a present — I have to hurry —"

"About time!" Hermione said abruptly. "If it hadn't come today..." 

"What's that?" asked Mel anxiously. 

"Listen, guys," Hermione looked up at her and Harry. "This is really important... Do you think you could meet me in the Three Broomsticks around midday?"

"Well... I dunno," Harry shrugged. "Cho might be expecting me to spend the whole day with her. We never said what we were going to do." 

"Fred wouldn't mind about me leaving early," Mel responded. "Why?"

"Well, Harry, bring her along if you must," said Hermione with impatience. "But will you come?"

"Well... all right, but why?"

"I haven't got time to tell you now, I've got to answer this quickly —" Hermione left right away.

 "You know what? I reckon I hate it when she does that too," Mel groaned.

"Are you coming?" Harry asked Ron, he shook his head miserably.

"I can't come into Hogsmeade at all, Angelina wants a full day's training. Like it's going to help — we're the worst team I've ever seen." 

"How come you're not staying?" Harry asked her.

"I trained yesterday with Jack so I could go to Hogsmeade with Fred," Mel said, suddenly remembering why she was so tired. "I can't believe I woke up and didn't remember! I've been planning this for days..."

"Mel's alright," Ron sulked. "She's got a good broom and her aim is decent, but we're still struggling... I dunno why Angelina won't just let me resign..."

"It's because you're good when you're on form, that's why," said Harry with exasperation, then he turned to Mel. "And you should consider taking a time off, you can go a week without being Umbridge's nightmare."

"You're sounding like Hermione," Mel said, gathering her hair in a ponytail to get it out of the way. "I got this, okay?"

"Lady!" Fred happily approached. "Ready for the best day of your life?"

"You really need to be humbled," Mel replied, pushing her hair back and standing up, waving goodbye to the boys as she left the Great Hall with Fred. 

"You're one to talk, your majesty," Fred mocked.

"Can we go to the owlery first? I forgot to send Mum's present..."

"George and I sent it last Wednesday!" 

"Why are you sending presents to my mum?" She frowned

"Because we like her," Fred raised a brow, "And I should be nice to my mother-in-law, shouldn't I? — Oof!"

"You're coming, or not?" Mel said.   

"Yeah, sure — Merlin, you're getting stronger..." He rubbed his arm. "All that practice is paying off..."

"Hermione wants to meet in the three broomsticks later on the day," She ignored his comment. "You could come with me but you don't have to..."

Fred shrugged. 

"George, Lee and I were planning to buy stuff anyway," He smirked. "We've run out of almost everything. You really are taking this war against Umbridge quite seriously, aren't you?"

"Well, Sirius did ask me to have fun," She grinned.

"You think it's a good idea to visit Madam Puddifoot's shop?" He asked loudly as they ran away from the rain.

"Oh god, no," Mel grimaced. "That place reminds me of Umbridge's office, so cheesy..."

"You used to like cheesy!" He shook his head. "Just thought I should mention it, that's where the couples go..."

"We shouldn't go anywhere we don't like," Mel responded. "I mean, not that we're following rules anyway..."

"Not that we're a real couple either," Fred snorted.

The whole day had been like any other, the only difference being that it was just the two of them, and they were having fun. Although maybe there was one thing she'd been trying to ignore for a while.

Things were moving forward at an alarming speed in other aspects of her life: Harry and she still weren't the friends they used to be and she certainly didn't feel comfortable enough to talk about her love life in front of him, but it was time to talk about it with someone, it was driving her mad.

Fred was extrovert and funny, but he knew when Mel needed to have a serious conversation and how to support her. Mel could stop him from doing really wild things, she was still the only girl the twins listened to. They had lots of fun together... but they weren't in love.

She'd expected to fall for Fred, even if she was the first to claim it was out of the question. Part of her secretly hoped for the day when she would look into his eyes and realize she was head over heels, but that moment was yet to arrive. 

Maybe she could talk about it with Erick, though they had promised not to bring up the romantic side of their lives during their study sessions because it was making Erick rather grumpy lately, and she didn't want to fight with him. Either way, Mel needed to talk about her situation with Fred soon. She knew this whole thing didn't have a future, and she was done pretending.

"You're awfully quiet," Fred mentioned as they walked into the three broomsticks, emptying his pockets of the wrappers of sweets they had shared during the day. "Something on your mind?"

"No," She lied. "Just... I'm comfortable with my life right now, you know?"

If she could, she'd keep this situation going for the rest of her school years, but it wasn't fair to Fred and it wasn't fair to her either. Nevertheless, there would be better days to bring that up than on Valentine's day.

"Glad to hear you're the happiest girl on earth since you kissed me," He joked.

"That's debatable."

"Don't ruin our moment, Lady."

"Anyway..." She grinned. "Thank you for the date, I'll see you around..."

"No problem," Fred winked. "If you end your thing with Hermione before it's time to go back, feel free to join us."

"Alright," She nodded. 

When Fred left, she ran into the strangest scene she'd ever seen in her life: 

Hermione, Luna, Harry and Rita Skeeter, all seated at the same table. Mel wondered if maybe she was dreaming, but once she was standing right in front of the group, she realized not even her could come up with such a strange thing.

"This is by far the weirdest view of the day, and I walked past Madam Puddifoot's a few minutes ago," She said jokingly. 

"Where's Fred?" Hermione asked her. 

"Had plans with George and Lee, didn't want to hold him back since I didn't know how long this would take... And it looks like it's going to take a while."

"I'm sorry," Harry said, but he didn't sound sorry at all. 

"Doesn't matter," Mel shrugged, untying her hair and feeling it splash freezing cold water on her back. "Merlin, I need a haircut..."

She sat down between Harry and Hermione and smiled at the woman in front of her. 

"Rita," She greeted. "You look awful."

"Dumbledore girl," Skeeter said in the same tone. "Are those dark circles under your eyes meant to match your mental state?"

"Nah, I wear them for fun," Mel raised her eyebrows. "Whenever I feel like looking crazy I hex people, would you like to be my victim for the day?"

"That's enough," Hermione scolded them. "We're not here to have a go at each other."

"Why are we here, then?"

"Little Miss Perfect was just about to tell me when you arrived," said Rita. "I suppose I'm allowed to talk to them, am I?" 

"Yes, I suppose you are," said Hermione. "But don't call Mel crazy again, you know that's not true."

"Where's Cho?" Mel asked, noticing Harry was alone.

"I... er— She didn't want to come," He replied awkwardly.

"Pretty girl, is she, Harry?" Rita questioned, then she added. "And you're dating some Fred, are you, Mel? Weren't you two together?"

"One more word about their love life and the deal's off and that's a promise," Hermione snapped.

"What deal? You haven't mentioned a deal yet, Miss Prissy, you just told me to turn up. Oh, one of these days..." 

"Yes, yes, one of these days you'll write more horrible stories about Harry and Mel, and me. Find someone who cares, why don't you?" 

"They've run plenty of horrible stories about these two this year without my help— How has that made you feel, Harry? Betrayed? Distraught? Misunderstood? What about you, Mel?" 

"They feel angry, of course. Because Harry's told the Minister of Magic the truth and the Minister's too much of an idiot to believe him, and Mel has done nothing to gain that awful reputation," Hermione replied.

"Well, dunno 'Mione, some classmates might disagree," Mel said in a low, playful tone.

"So you actually stick to it, do you, that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is back? You stand by all this garbage Dumbledore's been telling everybody about You-Know-Who returning and you being the sole witness — ?"

"What my uncle said isn't garbage," The girl argued. "It's the truth."

"And I wasn't the sole witness," Harry said roughly. "There were a dozen-odd Death Eaters there as well. Want their names?"

"I'd love them," Rita opened her bag once more and this time Hermione didn't stop her. "A great bold headline: 'Potter Accuses...' A subheading: 'Harry Potter Names Death Eaters Still Among Us.' And then, beneath a nice big photograph of you: 'Disturbed teenage survivor of You-Know- Who's attack, Harry Potter, 15, caused outrage yesterday by accusing respectable and prominent members of the Wizarding community of being Death Eaters...' "

"I doubt any of them will be respectable after this," Mel muttered.

Rita stopped abruptly, her smile fading.

"Of course... Little Miss Perfect wouldn't want that story out there, would she?"

"As a matter of fact," said Hermione, smiling at Rita, "that's exactly what Little Miss Perfect does want."

Rita, Mel and Harry stared at her. Luna hummed quietly without caring about the little discussion happening, her eyes glued to her drink.

"You want me to report what he says about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?" Rita breathed.

"Yes, I do. The true story. All the facts. Exactly as Harry reports them. He'll give you all the details, he'll tell you the names of the undiscovered Death Eaters he saw there, he'll tell you what Voldemort looks like now — oh, get a grip on yourself!" The girl exclaimed after Rita accidentally spilt firewhiskey on her lap at the mention of the wizard. "Mel will tell you all about Barty Crouch Jr. and how Fudge ruined any chances of being a decent Minister, and how Umbridge is doing awful things to the school."

"The Prophet wouldn't print it. In case you haven't noticed, nobody believes their cock-and-bull story. Everyone thinks they're delusional," Skeeter pointed out. "Now, if you let me write the story from that angle —"

"We don't need another story about how Harry and Mel lost their marbles! We've had plenty of those already, thank you! I want them given the opportunity to tell the truth!"

"There's no market for a story like that."

"You mean the Prophet won't print it because Fudge won't let them."

"All right, Fudge is leaning on the Prophet, but it comes to the same thing. They won't print a story that shows Harry and the Dumbledores in a good light. Nobody wants to read it. It's against the public mood. This last Azkaban breakout has got people quite worried enough. People just don't want to believe You-Know-Who's back."

"So the Daily Prophet exists to tell people what they want to hear, does it?" 

"The Prophet exists to sell itself, you silly girl."

"My dad thinks it's an awful paper," Luna finally intervened. "He publishes important stories that he thinks the public needs to know. He doesn't care about making money."

"I'm guessing your father runs some stupid little village newsletter? 'Twenty-five Ways to Mingle with Muggles' and the dates of the next Bring-and-Fly Sale?"

"No, he's the editor of The Quibbler."

Rita snorted. 

"Important stories he thinks the public needs to know'? I could manure my garden with the contents of that rag!" 

"Well, this is your chance to raise the tone of it a bit, isn't it?" said Hermione. "Luna says her father's quite happy to take Harry's interview. That's who'll be publishing it."

"The Quibbler!" Rita chortled. "You think people will take them seriously if they're published in The Quibbler?"

"Some people won't, but the Daily Prophet's version of the Azkaban breakout had some gaping holes in it. I think a lot of people will be wondering whether there isn't a better explanation of what happened, and if there's an alternative story available, even if it is published in a... in a — well, an unusual magazine — I think they might be rather keen to read it."

"Can't say it's not a good idea," Mel shrugged. "The Ministry'll be stuck. If they act against it people will notice it, if they ignore it people will read it anyway. They don't get to win."

"All right, let's say for a moment I'll do it," Rita said. "What kind of fee am I going to get?" 

"I don't think Daddy exactly pays people to write for the magazine," said Luna. "They do it because it's an honor, and, of course, to see their names in print."

"I'm supposed to do this for free?" Rita asked in outrage.

"Well, yes. Otherwise, as you very well know, I will inform the authorities that you are an unregistered Animagus. Of course, the Prophet might give you rather a lot for an insider's account of life in Azkaban..."

"And you kind of owe it to us, Rita," Mel smiled sweetly. "After all the shit you pulled last year."

"I don't suppose I've got any choice, have I?" She spat, leaving her parchment on the table and preparing her quill. 

"Daddy will be pleased," said Luna happily.

"Okay, guys?" said Hermione, turning to them. "Ready to tell the public the truth?"

Mel and Harry looked at each other.

"My uncle will be pissed," She said. 

But after a second, they realized they didn't care what Dumbledore had to say. They had been acting in the shadows for far too long, it was time to reach out. Harry smiled a little, looking back at Hermione.

"We're ready," said Harry.

Next Chapter —>

Taglist.

@dee123ksha @vampiregirl1797 @siriuslysirius1107 @stardusthigh @mikariell95 @vernon-dursley @thesuitelifeofafangirl @tomshollandz @kylosleftbuttcheek @reverse-hxlland @bloodorangemoonlight @omiwashere @t-rexs-world​ @just-here-to-escape-from-reality​ @21bruhs @i-am-scared-and-useless-bisexual @dielgonacoffee

[missmeltycat]

i see u have an oc for the real ghostbusters!!! i dunno if u already paired them or anything but can u do some pairing headcanons for each guy and janine maybe too??

Ohhh wow. OK. This is definitely an interesting challenge. Amusingly, waaaaay back when (We are talking a long time ago) she was paired with Egon, but I have made a number of changes since then and she’s not now.

OK, let’s do this! *Cracks knuckles*

Egon Spengler

Probably takes a LOT of time to actually get anywhere because... Well... It’s Egon!

Either happens as a moment of experimentation seeing if there’s anything between them worth pursuing or not, or part of an adrenaline rush moment.

GUILT. REGRET. “OH GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE! I’M NORMALLY SO LOGICAL!”

Sex? What’s that? Oh, that thing that only happens once in a blue moon?

Nights spent reading together. Egon tries to teach her things since she’s not a scientist like he is.

Kisses are quick and fleeting. Pecks and nips, rarely deeper unless adrenaline or hormones play a part.

Equipment experimentation made purely for Rae’s build and work method.

Love language of reminding the other to eat/drink/sleep. Cleaning of glasses. Maintaining fitness equipment.

Night’s out at the opera/theatre.

Dates at the museum. Egon explaining in great depth about everything.

Rae dragging him to the gym. He doesn’t enjoy it until she gets him to think about it from a scientific and biological standpoint. (He wears a sweatband.)

Yes. Problems with Janine. Oh boy.

Arguments are quick, never long-lasting. Usually a sudden explosion of irrational anger, followed by parting ways in different rooms and coming together with apologies laced with tremendous guilt.

Rae’s family are pretty pleased with Rae’s choice.

Pros:

Sweet and considerate pairing

Comfortable silences and just existing in each other’s spaces

Mutual respect

Maturity

Dependability

Cons:

Janine conflict

Occasional fights due to differences in interests and intellect

Late nights make for cranky people

Egon is all logic, Rae is all muscle - Technically opposites

Egon’s attitude could rub Rae the wrong way, as it can come off as slightly big-headed

Rae can be a bit rough. Egon not so much - Ouch!

Peter Venkman

Probably happens after a fight. Sudden!

Lots of angry, make up sex

Huge amount of flirting

Dates to fast food joints, pizza parlours and ice-cream shops. Possibly music venues

Fights over expenses. Let’s face it. If Peter can get out of paying, he will

Playful punch-u-punch-me matches that usually end up with Peter with bruised arms

“Goals? How many places we can do it in. The storage locker is next!”

Bets. Lots of bets. “Ten bucks says Ray can’t X.” “Ten bucks says Egon messes up.” “Ten bucks says Slimer eats X.” Occasionally “Ten bucks and I’ll eat X” and “Ten bucks says you can’t lift X, Rae!”

Gaming. Competitive gaming. Peter will sulk if he loses.

Evenings spent sleeping happily

Table hockey with utensils and condiments

Kisses are passionate, dirty, messy, lots of tongue

Love language? You mean making out lots? Yeah, that...

No shame in PDA, but not sentimental in nature. More like copping feels

No pressure. More like friends with benefits.

Arguments are usually about Peter’s flirting, or immaturity. They last a while and always end as if they never happened.

Rae is active, Peter prefers slobbing when he can. Rae tries to get him active, he tries to get her to chill more.

Creativity in the form of music. When people say they’ll make sweet music together? They were wrong in this case. Terrible music is more like it. But it’s all good fun.

Rae’s family are charmed by Peter. Wary, but charmed nonetheless.

Pros:

Fun and humour

Amazing physical encounters

No pressure or expectations

Passion

Creativity

Cons:

Immaturity

Overly flirtatious with others (Peter)

Lazy and active don’t mix all that well

Hot tempers

Trust issues

Ray Stantz

Known as ‘The Rays’

Lots of shy glances (Ray)

Self-confidence issues and inadequacy worries (Ray) because Rae works out and he’s... Ray

Anxious confessions

Sweetness, consideration, caring words and actions

Absolutely 100% serious. No room for messing about when it starts

Love language of soft touches, fingers over the hair, face cupping and cheek stroking... Oh and FOOD!

Nights spent on the sofa in blankets and PJs with popcorn

Sex? “Oh boy, are you sure? I mean, are you a hundred percent sure you wanna? I’m not hurting you am I? Am I squishing you too much? Sorry, was that right?”

Cook together a lot. Ray isn’t quite as good, so Rae (Who is knowledgeable on nutrition since she works out etc) often finishes off the dishes and lets him take credit

Dates could be anything. It doesn’t need to be fancy, as long as they’re together.

Kisses are sweet, tender, passionate without being over the top and usually combine with fingers in hair

Mutual respect and love/fascination of the paranormal, ghosts and creatures

Alternating big spoon, little spoon and always very comfortable

Fights? Not very often, but usually doesn’t last long and ends in flowers, chocolates and lots of snuggles

Soft neck kisses, breathless terms of endearment, wandering hands, confidence boosting body worship

Rae lifting Ray with one arm for training, resulting in gushing

Fawning, doodling, love-sick teen type behaviour

Comfortably discuss the future together without awkwardness

Rae’s family are surprised by Rae’s choice, but are absolutely happy with him

Pros:

Sweet and caring

Dependable and loyal

Kind to animals, ghosts and other such creatures

Willingness to always be better

Cons:

Self-confidence issues

Sometimes naive

Occasional know-it-all behaviour

Curiosity that almost kills the cat

Can’t cook so well and has questionable ingredient choices that border on imminent food poisoning danger (Ray)

Winston Zeddemore

Happens smoothly, gradually over time as the pair gain the bond naturally through companionship

Chill as fuck, but absolutely committed and serious

Love language of gifts and showing off in public

Dates at ball games and other sporting events, sometimes at sports bars showing various games

Clubs and music venues until extremely late

Workout buddies

Love to tease Peter together

Will chill out to horror movies together on the couch

Sex is passionate, but considerate, full of respect but occasionally borders on kinky. Sometimes in the shower. Did that door get locked? Oops!

Will discuss relationship stuff anywhere, no shame

Kisses are deep, long-lasting, skin-tinglingly good

Sports in the park on afternoons off

Will gladly spot Rae when she lifts weights

Games of catch with equipment and contests with how far or how high things can be thrown

Rae cooks his favourite meal every month just because

He will give her full body massage after her workouts

Arguments are strong, as they are both strong willed people. They last a little longer than they probably should, with lots of huffing and passing messages through other people. Making up, though, always the best part

Mutual enjoyment of harder music genres

Rae tries to encourage him to be more active in the group, as he’s sometimes overshadowed by the others

Always help each other out and share chores equally

Nudes exchanged. Absolutely

Rae’s family take to him quite quickly and are absolutely pleased

Pros:

Active

Mutual respect

Openly proud and shows off the other

Responsible 

Loving and passionate

Open to new ideas

Cons:

Strong personalities, so sometimes clash

Sometimes shies away from challenges

Some PTSD issues (From the canonical military experience)

His passion for things sometimes trump other things, such as date nights or other promises

Janine Melnitz

This one was a random one and happened as a result of harmless flirting at the reception desk, probably as an assurance that Rae wasn’t after Egon, but it ended in something surprising for both

Bitching to each other about the guys a lot, a little club of two

Janine drags Rae shopping a lot, mostly to spend time together, but also because Rae can actually carry the shopping with no problem with her muscles

Dates at fancy restaurants and wine bars where Janine gets dressed up and Rae feels uncomfortable in a dress

Janine will offer to give her make overs, which always amuses the guys

Love language of comforting hugs, washing each others hair, giving each other shoulder massages, doing small things such as put incense on when the other is feeling stressed out and little notes left around for each other to find

Mail order flowers

Both of their apartments become used equally as bases and it’s never known which they will be at at any given point

Arguments are loud and sometimes vicious in nature, which prompts the guys to demand they make up. Usually ends with crying and hugging and huge apologies

Nights binging series or movies with pizza, ice-cream and soda

Will both kick Peter’s ass if he’s not careful

Intimacy is usually sweet and loving, but with a spark of passion. And, yes, absolutely open to others to join... By others Janine means Egon

Kisses are sudden and big smooches, or quick pecks on the fly

Janine will phone to make sure Rae is OK when out on assignment, sometimes becoming a nuisance. She will also threaten everyone to look after her, or she’ll kick the crap out of them

Rae’s family are a little shocked over her choice, but completely pleased with Janine.

Pros:

Playful banter

Reliable, responsible and loyal

Conscious of feelings

Pretty badass, let’s face it

Cons:

Cranky and overly emotional 

Jealous

Sometimes clumsy to the point of endangerment

[princessizumi]

Prompt Fic

This was written for the prompts "Look at me okay, breathe" and "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere" that @unlimitedelations and @headcanonsandcupcakes requested. Thank you for the requests and please let me know what you think!

Izumi was eager to get back to the palace when her school let out. Her grandpa was visiting Caldera city and she was impatient to meet up with him. This morning over breakfast he had promised her that he would finally teach her the dragon’s breath technique, something she had been dying to learn for years.

The young princess nearly dragged her bodyguard the entire way back, urging him to pick up the pace. Once they arrived home, she unceremoniously dropped her things in her room and raced to the courtyard to meet her grandfather, only it was empty.

Disappointed that he had forgotten his promise, she set out to look for him in the large palace. Izumi asked the attendants if they knew where he was, but no one had seen him. She checked any and everywhere he could be. She looked in the dining room, his room, and even peeked into her father’s meeting to see if he was in there but she couldn’t find him.

The girl huffed as she sat down in the courtyard to practice her breathing like her father had taught her. Deep breath in, deep breath out. She tried clearing her mind but couldn’t help it, she was so looking forward to practicing with her grandpa.

“That is a good breathing technique you have there.” A voice interrupted. “As you know, the power of firebending comes from the breath.” Standing behind her was her Grandpa Iroh.

“I was trying to find you.” Izumi took another deep breath, “I looked everywhere.”

“Obviously you did not look everywhere my little Tea Leaf, because then you would have found me.” Iroh chuckled as he sat down in front of his granddaughter. “My apologies, I was busy and lost track of time.”

“Where were you?” Izumi pouted, her curiosity getting the better of her.

Iroh was quiet for moment before saying, “I was visiting an old friend.”

The girl scrunched her nose, “Who?”

Iroh considered his words before he spoke. The princess was 13 now, hardly a little girl anymore. As much as his nephew tried to shield her from the horrible parts of their family, Iroh didn’t see any good reason to lie to the girl. “Well, you don’t know him personally, but you do know about him. I was visiting my brother, Ozai.”

“Ozai?” She was taken aback, “But I thought he was in jail, why would you want to see him?”

Iroh stroked his beard. “Yes, he is in prison and for very good reasons. You can call me a sentimental old fool, but he’s my brother. There is no harm in sharing a cup of tea or playing a game of Pai Sho with him.”

Izumi pondered her grandfather’s words before asking “What’s he like? Is he nice to you?”

“I believe he looks forward to my visits. I’m think he gets lonely in there without anyone to see him so he’s a nice as he can be.” Iroh could see the girl turning that over in her head. “Now if I remember correctly you were very eager to learn the Dragon’s breath technique this morning, huh?”

Izumi forgot all about Ozai at the prospect of learning about the new technique. She spent the rest of the afternoon practicing her bending with her grandpa.

It wasn’t until much later when her, her father, and grandfather were eating dinner together and catching each other up on their days when Izumi remembered what her grandfather said earlier.

Izumi set her chopsticks down and announced, “I was thinking… I think I want to meet Ozai.”

Both men froze. There was a long moment of silence before Izumi said. “I’ve never met him before, and I think I should.” She looked between them, waiting for a response.

The old man looked to his nephew whose shocked expression hadn’t changed. He cleared his throat, breaking the awkward silence that had come over the dinner table. “Well… I think that’s something for the Fire Lord to decide. Zuko?”

“Dad?” Izumi looked concerned at her father who hadn’t said a word.

Zuko broke out of his shock and addressed his daughter. “Let me think about it, ok, Turtleduck?” The topic was dropped for the remainder of their dinner.

-

“Absolutely not! I won’t allow it!” Zuko exclaimed as he paced back in forth in the sitting room while his Uncle drank tea on the couch.

Iroh sighed. He felt personally responsible for the princess’ interest in his brother. He was the one who brought up the former Fire Lord to her, thinking it would open up a line of communication between them. He thought she would ask him questions about the man, not want to outright meet him. And this whole ordeal was clearly causing his nephew a lot of stress.

“I don’t like this, Uncle. I don’t like this at all. Why on earth would she want to meet him?”

“The girl is curious, there is nothing wrong with that.”

“Nothing wrong? The thought of her even being in the same room as him is just- it makes me sick.” Zuko continued ranting. “I don’t want him even a hundred yards near her.”

“Zuko, you are overreacting. Nothing would happen if she were to see him.” Iroh took a sip of the hot tea. “The worst that could occur would be a few harsh words and we can easily put a stop to them.”

Zuko sat down with his head in his hands. “I can’t, Uncle. He’s so cruel and malicious and… she’s my baby. I won’t let her go through even an ounce of what he put me through.”

“And she won’t.” Iroh placed a hand on his nephew’s shoulder. “You raised a strong young woman, she’s hardly a baby anymore.”

“I know but she’s still just a child. She’s so good and innocent.” His voice sounded desperate. The thought of Ozai hurting Izumi the way he used hurt him made Zuko’s blood run cold. “He can’t have her.”

“And he won’t. He cannot change your daughter’s good heart, just like he didn’t change yours.” Iroh handed the Fire Lord a fresh cup of tea, which he took, thanking his uncle.

Zuko glowered into the hot beverage. “He doesn’t deserve her.”

“Yes, you’re right. But he is not the one making demands. This is what Izumi has requested. So, you must decide if you want to be there for her or shut her out.”

Zuko stayed silent, staring into his reflection in the cup.

-

“You have to promise me that the second you feel uncomfortable you’ll let me know.”

“Yes, Dad.”

“And don’t be afraid, ok. I’ll be right there the whole time.”

“I know.” Izumi tried to swallow down her anxiety as they walked the path up towards the prison.

“And you don’t owe him anything. If he asks you something you don’t like, you don’t have to answer.”

“Ok.”

“And remember, he can’t hurt you.”

“I know.” She repeated.

Iroh smiled at the Fire Lord. “You worry too much my nephew. Your daughter is a strong little firecracker.” Iroh winked at Izumi and she felt her anxiety lessen.

The princess was flanked on each side by her father and grandfather as they made their way inside the prison. Zuko nodded at the guards as they stood at attention for him. They stopped in front of a metal door she assumed belonged to Ozai.

“Last chance. You sure you want to do this?” Iroh wasn’t sure if Zuko was asking his daughter or himself. Izumi nodded, the anticipation rising high in her stomach.

The cell was dark, the only strip of light illuminating the lone figure inside. The Fire Lord stepped in first and Izumi followed in behind him, practically hiding behind his larger frame.

“To what do I owe this pleasant visit?” His voice made it clear that the visit was anything but pleasant. Izumi peeked from behind her father to get a good look at the infamous Fire Lord Ozai she heard all about. He was old with long, graying hair and a shaggy appearance.

Zuko looked as if he wanted to speak but just stood with his fists at his side, frowning at his father.

“We brought some tea.” Iroh set down the tray, “And a new visitor.”

“Ah, so you finally decided to introduce me to my granddaughter, Zuko.” Ozai stood up, his eyes shining with interest.

“She already has a grandfather. She doesn’t need-” Zuko stopped himself from speaking. He promised himself he would try to make this as smooth as possible for his daughter’s sake.

Ozai ignored his son. “Come forward.” The way he said it made it seem like he was used to giving orders.

Izumi hesitated, unsure.

“It’s alright, Zooms. I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.” Her dad whispered over his shoulder, his face a lot softer than it was a second ago.

The princess stepped forward and faced the man in the cell. “Hello.”

Ozai didn’t speak at first. He looked her over with an intense gaze for a long moment. She made eye contact with him for a second but quickly broke it. He looked so much like her father, but his expression was all wrong. Her father never looked at her like that.

“Yes, I have been waiting to meet you, Princess Izumi.” Her name rolled off his tongue, smooth as silk.

Izumi stayed silent, completely forgetting what she was planning on saying when she met Ozai. He was a very intimidating man. His voice, his posture, his demeanor. His eyes. Everything about him commanded submission.

“You remind me of my daughter. How is your fire bending? Not like your father’s I hope.” He said with a condescending smile.

“That’s not- I-” Izumi looked back at her father who was scowling. “It’s good.” She said.

“Good?” Ozai frowned, raising an eyebrow. He made her feel so small.

“Yes, good. Can’t you hear?” Zuko interjected, stepping up behind his daughter.

Ozai sneered. “That answers my question then, you’re nothing like my daughter.” He looked down at her disapprovingly.

Izumi regretted coming here. Looking at this man before her she can see that he had no remorse. For all the evil things that he’d done, and she’d heard of a lot, it was clear he didn’t regret a single one.

The girl watched as her grandpa served the tea. Ozai picked up his cup without even a glance to his brother, as if he were a lowly servant. She watched him take a sip of the tea that her grandfather carefully brewed back at the palace specifically for him. She watched him place his cup down with his right hand. The same hand that he used to burn her father’s face. She is the same age her father was when it happened. She wondered if Ozai could still firebend, would he try doing it to her too?

Izumi didn’t realize that she was being spoken to until she was outside of the prison cell, her father’s face in front of hers.

“Izumi, look at me, ok? Breathe.” He instructed holding her face in his hands. He took deep breaths and she followed along with him, until she felt calm enough to speak.

“I’m sorry.” She whispered.

“Please don’t apologize.” Her father hugged her, “Are you ok?”

She nodded. “Can we go please?”

“Of course.” Zuko kept his arm around her as he told his uncle they were leaving. Iroh stayed behind, saying he had a few words he wanted to share with his brother.

The duo walked in silence on the way back to the palace. Zuko looked down at her, trying to think of the right thing to say.

“I’m sorry. He’s not a nice person.” That was an understatement.

“I’m sorry Dad, for making you go all the way over there.” Izumi didn’t look up, clearly ashamed.

“Hey.” He stopped walking and turned her to face him. “None of this is your fault, ok. It’s his. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Neither did you.” Izumi’s lip quivered as she reached up to lightly touch his scar.

Zuko took a deep breath, blinking away tears. “I love you.” He hugged her tightly, pressing a kiss to the side of her face. “I love you more than anything.”

“I love you too, Dad.” Izumi cried into his shoulder.

They stayed like that for a while, just holding each other. When they finally broke apart Izumi looked up at her father.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For being the best dad in the whole world.” She sniffled, smiling.

Zuko felt the swell of love in his chest grow a million times bigger, a large smile spreading on his face.

They never felt the need to think about Ozai again. He was insignificant.