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gemissleeping · 8 months

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Velveteen|Theodore Nott

"He knew that they were only toys, and would never turn into anything else."

Theodore Nott x Reader

Summary: As the last surviving witch with ties to an ancient form of magic, Dumbledore has you tracking down horcrux hotspots.

Length: 2.2k

Notes: Angst mostly, some fluff. Blood, swearing, smoking. Percy Weasley hate (valid). This is just a little something I had the urge to write. May or may not continue as a series at this stage.

Fuck trees, fuck trolls, and fuck that smug little Weasley auror from the Ministry. He was a rat in y/n's eyes. A scheming, conniving rodent of a man. How he had even tracked her out there was beyond her. She'd made sure to take all of the precautions Snape had given her.

She'd apparated out with Professor Dumbledore. A good fifty kilometres from the point of interest too, might she add. Fifty kilometres she'd had to trek over two days to remain undetected. On foot. All for nothing in the end thanks to Percy.

Bootlicker.

There was no worse feeling than a failed task. Especially when it was one of her most important to date. The map was atrocious really, they clearly had no idea what they were looking for. Just that y/n should be able to sense it. Sniff it out as though she were some kind of blood hound.

Percy she had sensed. Thankfully she had gotten out before he'd seen her face, or the sea cave entrance she'd been eyeing on the cliffs below. She'd have to go back now. Which was absolutely wonderful and definitely did not make her want to tear her hair out.

Merlin, she thought she might hit the next Weasley she came across just for looking like him if she didn't calm down soon. Not Ginny of course, Ginny was lovely. Ronald was fair game though. Fred she would also be impartial to.

To top things off, y/n now found herself fleeing from the edge of the Forbidden Forest towards the castle. She'd missed the welcome dinner, which was a shame. But in all honesty, may have been a small mercy at this point. At least this way most of the students would be asleep, and she could get into the castle undetected.

It wasn't Dumbledore's fault that the end location of the Portkey had seemingly been inhabited by a troll since he had selected it. But how hard was it to check up on, really? Especially knowing she was wandless and unable to cast any regular spells. She'd blasted it to bits, of course. Not before it had gotten one good shot at her though, flinging her into the nearest pine tree.

It was just rather inconsiderate she thought.

The dizziness was setting in as she entered the castle via the Viaduct Bridge, snaking her way down to the dungeons. Making sure to grip every railing or wall available to her. Merlin was on her side that night, not one Professor crossed her path while she had floated through the dim halls. Once the concrete snake had appeared, revealing the door, she almost fell over with relief

The stairs felt so horrifically long, but finally she reached the dim, candle-lit depths of the Slytherin common room. Keeling forward for a moment, y/n placed her hands on her knees as she tried to calm her breathing. Her left palm came away bloodied. There was a tear in her stockings, and a huge gash across her knee.

y/n groaned, making her way around the corner to the couches her friends had claimed in third year. She couldn't wait to fall into one, maybe never wake if she had her way. And she did fall, only into Theodore Nott's eyeline. He looked as though he'd been waiting there for hours from the sweltering anger on his face. She took a deep breath, knowing she was about to get her ass handed to her for a second time that night.

"Nice of you to notify me of your delay."

"Does it look as though I planned on it?" y/n mumbled, sinking into the green velvet couch across from him. She sighed as her tension eased for the first time in days. Head lolling against the couch's back. Her hands shielding her eyes as a headache set in. While Theodore sat deathly still, awaiting further explanation with a burdened gaze. Something told y/n the burden was her.

"Mind if I borrow your wand?" y/n groaned from behind her palms.

There was only silence for a moment, before she heard him shift across from her. When she lifted her head his wand was resting on the table between them. He was pissed, beyond apprehension. But he had softened at her shattered appearance, the blood on her knee. Which she had now unknowingly painted on her cheek.

"Thank you," y/n sighed in relief, half expecting to have to fight for it. She worked quickly, sealing up the gash and cleansing the blood, pine needles, and dirt from her skin. Finishing by stitching her stockings together again. When she finally glanced back up, Theodore was frowning. His eyes sweeping her body up and down as she finished her work. He looked up from the closing threads of her stockings as they meshed around her knee, one eyebrow raised.

"Have something you'd like to say?" y/n grumbled, holding his wand out for him to take. He wasn't a fan of that question, or her attitude. His expression soured once again, all past concern pushed away. y/n brushed more pine needles off of her skirt, too tired and sore to care. She was spent, so completely crushed from the past two days. The knowledge that she had no choice but to continue until she succeeded wasn't helping.

"Have you always behaved like this, or do you just enjoying making me worry insufferably?" Theo leaned forward, and took the wand from her outstretched hand. His fingertips gently brushing her grazed knuckles.

"It's nice to see you too, Teddy," y/n laughed tiredly, shedding more pine needles as she picked them from her stockings. If she shut her eyes now, she worried they were so heavy she might fall asleep sitting up.

"Where have you been? I searched the whole train up and down for you. You missed the Sorting Ceremony," Theo hissed.

"It's a good thing we already know what house I'm in then, isn't it?"

"That's not funny y/n." He scolded, the concern in his voice thinly veiled by the frown he was wearing. She had no idea what it had been like for him, these past few hours especially.

"I need a cigarette before we get into it," y/n sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. Everything was aching, she would find solace in a smoke or two. He didn't move. "Please?"

"It's late."

"You're awake," she countered, a hopeful look on her face that he knew he wouldn't be able to dissapoint.

"Because of you," he grumbled, running his hands through his messy curls.

"I'll take that as a yes, be right back," and she was off, disappearing into the dormitories.

"Do as you please, you always do," Theodore huffed under his breath.

He needed one too if he was honest. He felt as though he'd aged a few decades from the fear he'd been wearing all evening while he fretted over her disappearance.

She reappeared a minute or so later, the heavy overcoat he'd brought her for her birthday last year hanging off of her shoulders. The pair took their usual route until they found themselves at the top of the hill just outside the grounds, overlooking Hagrid's hut. y/n stood, overlooking the moonlit valley beneath them. The peace quickly disintegrating into swearing as the wind prevented her from sparking up. Theo had been hanging behind slightly, still not having forgiven her. But upon hearing the quiet curses falling from her lips, he couldn't help but walk over.

"You shield, I'll light it," he instructed, y/n doing as she was told and holding the sides of her coat up.

He closed the open space with his chest in two gentle steps. His thumb running over the flint of the lighter as the wind went quiet and y/n's face grew warm. He brought it to her lips, unable to keep himself from looking as he lit the cigarette between them. She took a relieved drag as the flame took. Theo got out his own cigarette, leaning down to press its tip to hers. He inhaled, spreading the flame between them. The grass was dewey beneath them as they smoked. Theo looked over to y/n, trailing over her body just to make sure.

"You've got pine needles in your hair, by the way," Theo murmured as he took another drag. His eyes flickering from hers, to the ground as he tapped his cigarette.

"Oh for fuck's sake," y/n heaved, tilting her head back in exasperation. She began ripping the hair ties from her two braids and brushing her fingers through them to shake the needles loose. Balancing her cigarette between her lips as she did.

"Still there," Theo mused, studying her with an amused expression as her frustration grew.

She passed him her cigarette wordlessly, which he took. She'd have rather not set herself alight on top of everything today. Then tipped her head forward, carelessly dragging her fingertips through it to rid herself of them. Once she was done, she flung her hair back. Raising an eyebrow in Theo's direction. He only gave her a saccharine smile as he took a drag from her cigarette, keeping it lit.

"Still?" y/n asked in disbelief, taking her cigarette from his lips and placing it between her own.

"Come here, sit," He shook his head, as though she was the most useless creature he'd ever seen. Theo walked over to the steps nearby, sitting on the top one. She followed suit, tucking her coat beneath her and taking a seat two steps down. She dipped her head back, leaning on her elbows. Her head resting between his knees. Theo couldn't help but admire the way her hair fell, even in its current mess.

Pressing the nub of his cigarette into the grass after one final drag, Theo brushed his hands off. His fingers quickly lacing through her hair in gentle streams as he dragged out the remaining pine needles. Christ there were a lot of them. He ran his fingers through it again, carefully to ensure he didn't snag anything. He did it again, and again. The pine needles were long gone. But her breathing had grown steady, and her shoulders relaxed. And that mattered far more to him than some pine needles.

"All clear?" She whispered sleepily, her head falling all the way back to meet his eyes.

"All clear," Theo echoed, the dried blood beneath her eye making him wince. "You missed this though," he reached out, pressing his thumb to his tongue and running it under her eye to brush the blood away.

"Ew," y/n gasped, but if she was honest, she was too tired to care. She swatted his hand away gently. Taking another drag from her cigarette which had been resting beneath her knuckles.

"Need I remind you that you once sneezed in my mouth?" Theo chimed, knowing it was his trump card, and likely would be for eternity.

"That was literally in First Year and it was an accident," she mumbled.

"Still stands." He shrugged.

"You loved it, don't lie." That got a smile out of him, however unwillingly.

"You're foul. Now tell me why you came in several hours late, looking like a troll dragged you through a bush backwards."

y/n's eyes widened slightly at his statement, choking on the dregs of her cigarette in disbelief. His smile vanished, eyes flickering between her own as he gauged her reaction. His jaw clenched as she sat up swiftly.

"Tell me you're joking."

"I think it's bedtime," y/n breathed, going to push herself up and off of the steps. But Theo's hand found her wrist like a vice, pulling her back down before she had a chance. He leant forward as she stumbled closer to him from the force. She just managed to catch herself from falling straight into him.

"I don't think so. What was that?" He said lowly, staring into her eyes. She was eternally fucked now. He could always tell when she lied, and he never tolerated it.

"Just leave it Theo, please," she pleaded, not having the energy.

"I left it all Summer. All of your disappearances, all of your little quests. You promised me it would be done by the end of the Summer. I have it in fucking writing, so don't tell me to leave it. What is going on?" He seethed, and y/n found herself unable to meet his eyes.

"Teddy, you know I can't-"

"God I'm so sick of hearing that." He laughed, a cruel sound, not his usual light-hearted teasing. "The Professors have you off, running around like some toy soldier, but you're not allowed to tell me what for. Then they're not even there to help you when things go wrong?"

"It's-"

"Despicable is what it is."

"Would you listen to me?"

"I would, but it's not like you'd be able to tell me anything, is it?"

The words left y/n silent, because they were true. She wished so terribly that they weren't. That she hadn't done it.

"I've always told you everything, y/n. I don't understand why-"

"I made the unbreakable vow."

The words rushed out of her as though she were going to be sick. The silence that followed her confession only made it more probable. Theo's features had darkened as her confession sunk in. He let go of her wrist, his hand wound into a fist as he looked out at the treeline of the forbidden forest. He stayed that way for a few moments as y/n stood before him, silently begging him to say something.

"Dumbledore," he breathed out finally, his voice straining with the effort of evenness, "you made the unbreakable vow, with Dumbledore?"

"I had to Theo, it was too important. They can't take any risks. Not until everything is done. I wanted to tell you, more than anything. I still want to-"

"Do you suppose he's ever made Potter make one?" Theo turned to her, looking as though he was about to set them both alight.

Her explanations fell dead on her tongue. They both knew he hadn't. Both knew what Dumbledore was scared of when it came to her.

"I didn't think so either," Theo conceded to her silence, his voice turning hollow. y/n felt something within her crack at the truth of his words. He was wrong, or at least she wanted him to be.

"It's different."

"I'm not sure it is," Theo countered, and he knew he was right in saying it.

Because it wasn't any different. The difference was trust. They were using her up and once they were done they would spit her out, or worse. He wasn't going to be able to sleep easily now.

"You should get to bed, I'll see you at practice tomorrow," he huffed, staring out to the forest again.

y/n stood there for a moment, hoping she could think of something to make it better. But as Theo lit another cigarette, the only thing she felt was tired.

#theodore nott #theo nott #theodore nott x reader #theodore nott x you #theodore nott x y/n #theodore nott fluff #theodore nott angst #theodore nott fanfiction #theodore nott fic #theodore nott imagine #slytherin boys

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opennwindows · 1 year

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If you can, could I request BEN Drowned fluff / smut headcanons like about himself, with his headcanon age, hobbies, facts, what he is into or would like & want in a relationship, and what he would be like with a gamer girlfriend/ s/o?

If ya taking requests rn still?✨😇😊💖

Ben Drowned general + NSFW hcs

A/N: yes!! absolutely. i love getting to talk about how the pastas do their pastaing in my mind. i have so many headcanons for everyone that im excited to share!! also sorry i forgot to include the gamer gf part but i don't think it would change a lot of what i wrote!!

btw sorry for fucking dying i have been busy 😭😭 but no one worry i will still continue to work on requests!! if anyone has any marble hornets stuff they wanna request i will zoom you to the front of the queue so fucking quick. anyways enough of me yapping.

cw: 18+ nsfw, toxic relationships, crying kink,

GENERAL

ben is mentally and physically 22, but he can be quite emotionally immature at times. when he died he never stopped growing and maturing, his soul was just stuck in limbo. think like the worst waiting room ever.

he's surprisingly tall, standing at about 5'9. he's lanky but not bone thin. could easily get pretty far in a fight without his ghost powers.

the link costume only appears when he’s in his ghost form. so for example, when he’s messing with someone on their computer he’ll appear as the canon BEN we’re most familiar with. when he’s just chilling in his physical body, he mostly wears beat up hoodies and sweatpants.

contrary to popular belief, ben's not the hardcore gamer everyone thinks he is. sure, he'll play some overwatch or whatever when he's bored but he honestly just prefers to watch tv and browse the internet. understandably REFUSES to play any zelda games. if you were trapped in a video game for decades would you ever wanna touch it again? exactly.

ben loves to draw little comics and troll (see: horrifically traumatize) people online. god forbid you get into twitter beef with this man because he will crawl through your monitor at 3am and leave you with a crippling fear of technology. dude thinks it's absolutely hilarious. a true knee slapper.

lowkey has a sugar addiction. will slam down 4 cans of pepsi in one sitting. he's very lucky that he's basically a ghost because the kidney stones would be plentiful.

ROMANTIC

you know that guy with the blown out speakers in his car, lives off of energy drinks and burnt blue razz ice elfbars, swears aphex twin is the modern mozart and works on the grill at your local wendy’s? yeah thats ben. or at least would be him if he was still human.

“why would you need a chair, my lap is literally right here babe.”

would absolutely wear your skin if given the opportunity. not in a weird way. he’s just EXTREMELY touchy.

he needs someone who is significantly more organized and motivated than him. he can go almost a week without showering and it should honestly be considered biological warfare when he tries to smother you with affection during these episodes.

after awhile of you guys dating he LOVES the idea of y’all showering together. he has a fear of water and while showers aren’t too much of a trigger, your presence helps ease his anxiety.

favorite pet names: bro, dude, dawg, babe, bitch (non derogatory)

not really a romantic but he tries his best. a perfect date for him is just getting some takeout, watching youtube, talking about stupid shit and play fighting. if you want something more traditional or extravagant then he’ll oblige to make you happy but those types of dates make him feel quite suffocated and nervous. try to save those for special occasions.

now let’s talk about his problems because just like the other creeps he is ANGSTY.

he’s probably the most emotionally stable and healthiest of the group but he definitely still has his toxic traits, after all this man is a ghost that mentally tortures and kills his victims through manipulation.

ben would never ever get physical with his partner no matter how enraged he is but he absolutely is the type to do some mental damage when he gets carried away. ben drowned? more like ben gaslighted.

the type to say some shit that would keep you up for years and then kiss you the next morning like the argument never happened. he finds it easier to ignore problems than to actively talk and fix them. you’re gonna have to teach him some important communication skills or else you’ll grow to resent him after all the bottled up rage.

a bit too brutally honest and blunt for his own good so if you have thin skin the relationship would fall apart pretty quickly. he wants someone who can drag him twice as hard as he dragged you. bonus points if your insults are consistently funny as hell.

please watch anime with him and discuss it. he would propose on the spot, especially if you play with his hair.

pro player tip: if you want him to clean his disgusting room, help him and make it fun! he just needs a little push and motivation at times. and being around you makes him want to get his shit together.

big fan of late night make-out sessions. i’m talking like 45 minutes straight of just slobbering on each other’s faces with tongues down throats. if you don’t want his hands running over every inch of your body then you’ll probably have to chain him to the wall.

NSFW

okay. so he’s a little inexperienced with his hands. he’s just a slow learner. be vocal with him about what you like!!

ben's about 7inches and slightly skinnier than average but he will have you seeing stars in record time. the dick game is no joke. he tends to go fast and deep most times.

i can see him being a switch in the idgaf-as-long-as-i’m-fucking way. dude will go with the flow and will try mostly anything.

definitely one of the least aggressive pastas during sex. he has sadistic tendencies but he’s more of a edge/overstimulate you until you cry versus a beat the shit out of you and rip hair out of your scalp type. he’s pretty vanilla given his occupation.

despite his love of roasting the fuck out of you on a daily basis, the only words that come out of this man’s mouth is heavenly praise. he looks at you like you’re the most gorgeous being on the planet and he’ll let you know it.

he loves to whisper praises into your ear while you ride him.

he's more of a receiver than a giver when it comes to oral. he'll absolutely spend hours between your legs if given the chance but nothing beats the sight of you on your knees and teary eyed with his length in your mouth.

he can be a bit of a head pusher but just let him face-fuck you every now and then, hearing his loud moans will be worth it.

did i mention how much of a crying kink this man has? you guys could be on round three and if he stares at your teary eyed fucked-out face for longer than 10 seconds he'll immediately get hard again. you'll have to beg him to give your poor body a break.

he's also into choking but only if he's the one doing it. if you try to restrict his breathing he'll panic and the mood would get ruined.

#creepypasta #creepypasta smut #celia reqs #creepypasta x reader #ben drowned #ben drowned x reader #ben drowned smut #ben drowned x y/n #ben drowned x you #ben drowned headcanons #ben drowned hcs #creepypasta headcanon

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leclerc-s · 4 months

Text

the blue - part ten

series masterlist // previous

LAS VEGAS 2023

ameliaholland posted new stories

ivy is adjusting well to the travel life well. pov: you've just had a rundown by lando norris on how charles is slowly losing his mental stability. don't worry! he's fine! still mentally stable but on his last limb polite cat oscaroo strikes again! photo from this morning's travels

tom holland okay, you guys can't be mad at me..

max verstappen thomas i swear to god- logan sargeant if this spider-bitch says harrison tagged along, we are not responsible for yuki. tom holland okay, well, i guess i'll die.

yuki tsunoda YOUR SISTER CRIED ON STAGED BECAUSE OF HIM! AND YOU JUST BROUGHT HIM ALONG??

sam holland i told him not too but he said, and i quote, "he's my best friend. i can't just not bring him." lando norris YOU COULD NOT BRING HIM?

george russell he's going to get killed.

charles leclerc we won't be responsible for yuki or max.

max verstappen i can take him

zendaya there is too much testosterone here

amelia holland OH I HAVE A SOLUTION!

amelia holland added 4 people

lily muni he why?

amelia holland you try saying anything against the zendaya alexandra saint mleux valid. very valid.

george russell how did you get my girlfriend's number?

carmen mundt someone was very drunk after her show in london that he forgot i was with him

pierre gasly you fucking idiot

kika gomes said the idiot to the other idiot

pierre gasly how am i an idiot?

esteban ocon you tried to "out spider-man" tom last week when you were drunk. charles leclerc and you almost ran into oncoming traffic. daniel ricciardo if it weren't for me you'd be dead.

lily muni he why were we added?

alex albon TOM INVITED HARRISON TO VEGAS!

kika gomes well that's stupid.

alexandra saint mleux your sister cried because of him?

tom holland you don't get it! he was sad and i can't say no to him! he's my best friend! i will get him to apologize to amelia.

amelia holland i'm not talking to him. i have nothing to talk to him about.

oscar piastri he's a dickhead. he's never going to apologize.

lando norris oscar jack piastri, cursing? that's a new one. someone call sky sports!

logan sargeant you're talking about the guy who grew up with mark webber. he's said worse. trust me.

oscar piastri shut up?

harry holland YOU INVITED THE SECOND STRING LOSER?

kika gomes fitting name. lily muni he it's what she called him in a song. i guess it stuck. zendaya he deserves it

harry holland thomas, we are having words.

sam holland and i'm calling paddy.

tuwaine oh shit just got real.

ameliaholland vegas, baby!

tagged: oscarpiastri, landonorris, mclaren

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landonorris when will i get a post for myself? i'm the best friend?

↳ ameliaholland when you finally get a race win...

↳ landonorris i hate you

username amelia holland, certified oscar piastri simp

tomholland2013 can't believe you ditched us to hang out with oscar

↳ ameliaholland can't believe you invited apple.

↳ lilymhe she's right thomas. how could you.

↳ maxverstappen1 can't believe spider-man would betray us this way

↳ charles_leclerc traitor

↳ yukitsunoda0511 liar.

↳ tomholland2013 I GET IT!

↳ ameliaholland but do you?

↳ francesca.cgomes clearly he doesn't.

username what on earth is happening in the comments?

username i don't know but they're all upset with tom

username amelia instagram is all just pictures of oscar

↳ username she's in love! let's leave her alone!

↳ username oh don't get me wrong. i love it. it's adorable

amelia holland max invited us out before free practice tomorrow and after the opening ceremony

tom holland I'M GAME!

zendaya sounds like fun.

sam holland count me in!

tuwaine a chance to party with the max verstappen and daniel ricciardo, count me in!

harry holland i'm in

harrison osterfield i don't think your friends like me very much

amelia holland they don't but max said to invite you anyways. something about water under the troll?

amelia holland i think he meant water under the bridge?

amelia holland pierre also said something about second string loser buying the first round of drinks.

harrison osterfield alright. i'll go

amelia holland you can leave if you feel uncomfortable at any point

harrison osterfield okay

ABU DHABI 2023

ameliaholland in honor of the end of the 2023 season, i give you one final photo dump.

tagged: oscarpiastri, landonorris, mclaren, tomholland2013

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oscarpiastri 🧡🧡

↳ ameliaholland 🧡🧡

username mama y papa!!

charles_leclerc this is charles leclerc erasure!

↳ alex_albon i agree this is erasure of the most important people in her life!

↳ ameliawinters as opposed to my boyfriend and brother?

↳ georgerussell63 of course!

username i need to find someone who looks at me the way oscar looks at amelia.

lilymhe not enough amelia content. 3/10.

↳ ameliaholland i'm sorry love, i'll do better next time.

yukitsunoda0511 0/10 no yuki content. every photo dump must include a picture of me.

↳ ameliaholland apologizes yuki. i'll include one next time.

harrisonosterfield where is the cat's seatbelt??

↳ oscarpiastri she said she didn't need one.

↳ harrisonosterfield you're being a very irresponsible father mr.piastri

↳ oscarpiastri i am simply listening to what my daughter wants mr.osterfield

↳ username talk about a friendship i never saw coming

username and to think we started the season with single oscar and we're ending it with oscar dating THE amelia holland!!

username ivy lives a better life than me.

username they're giving high school sweethearts.

username your honor, i love them

taglist: @six-call @1nt3rnetgf @fernandoswarcrimes @skynel09 @arieltwvdtohamflash @Mimolovescookies @brekkers-whore @natcha888 @camdensreg @mycenterfold @woozartss @dear-fifi @tygecjjd @cataf1 @nothaqks @caipng @nataliambc @formulaal @lichterfee @prongsvault @kaa212 @anxxiousaries @julesbabey1 @julesbabey @georgeparisole @hobiismyhopeu @melissayalene @nikfigueiredo @bella-1 @nichmeddar @namgification @anniemae299 @octopussesarecool @jensonsonlybutton @ragioniera @anytimeanywherebitch-blog @trouble-sistar @hwalllllllelujah

strikethrough means i couldn't tag you

¡leclerc-s speaks! in case you couldn't tell, i don't how to end stories, so this is my attempt at one. i definitely didn't procrastinate this because i didn't want to be finished with this story. not at all. but stick around and wait for the bonus chapters because this story isn't quite over yet.

¡disclaimer! this is in no way making assumptions about the people involved in this story, this is all fake. it is a fanfiction please don't take any of what is said seriously. this is all for entertainment purposes and as a creative outlet for me. enjoy!

#leclerc-s #the blue series #formula 1 #oscar piastri #oscar piastri x female oc #formula 1 fic #fanfic #fanfiction #f1 #f1 smau #f1 fic #f1 social media au #f1 instagram au

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therentyoupay · 1 month

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How would you write Elsa falling first? I absolutely adore your loser Jack pining after put together Elsa, but how would you reverse their roles?

i promise i promise i did not mean to write a one-shot for this. and i SWEAR it is ACTUALLY a one-shot. it is the OLD-SCHOOL definition of a one-shot, because i opened this ask and thought, aw, wouldn't it be cute if i just wrote a little tiny ficlet to illustrate an example of this scenario instead? and then out came 5,297 words. in one sitting. in ONE SHOT.

i would also like the record to show that i LOVED this challenge, i love trying out new scenarios or styles that subvert all the habits i've gotten myself into over the past decade or so!! thank you for this ask!! and, also, let the record show, that even as i wrote a full 5k+ of fic leading up to a "she falls first, he falls harder" scenario, i still couldn't quite hit the mark... in this case, i think it's open to interpretation as to whether she falls first, or they fall at the same time. 🤣 ENJOY. p.s. LOSER JACK?? LMAO WHAT IS THIS

“Watch your head—“

She ducked just in time, narrowly avoiding the churning of what appeared to be a factory conveyor belt gone awry. A tiny creature smaller than even a Norwegian Mountain Troll cried out in dismay as a cascade of nutcrackers fell into a sorting bin meant for what appeared to be that latest handheld gaming device—the Swap, or something.

Elsa grinned at the chaos surrounding her—little elves scolding one another, scurrying about—and wasn’t the slightest bit embarrassed to see the Pooka—Bunnymund—grinning in delight at her delight.

(I told you, his eyes seemed to say, as he gestured for her to continue ahead of him through the vast workshop chamber toward the office tucked away in the back. You wouldn’t regret it, if you came with me.)

Without giving him the satisfaction—yet—Elsa merely took in all the productivity around them, and let her gaze sparkle with the Wonder she knew was in them; dryly, she marveled, “It’s July.”

“Christmas doesn’t take holidays, mate,” Bunny winked. “Especially not here.”

Elsa stuck her courage to the sticking place as they approached the office—the door was slightly ajar. No matter what happens, Elsa inhaled and exhaled; you can always go back to Ahtohallan, to Antarctica.

You don’t have to stay here—with them.

Strengthened by this truth, Elsa squared her shoulders and softened her face into something curious and approachable as Bunny opened the door, not bothering to knock.

“OI.” Bunny stepped through the office, holding the door wide, which allowed Elsa to wait at the threshold—suspended between two worlds, two moments, two paths… perhaps two different lives.

“WHAT—Bunny, how many times I say, KNOCK, this program, it is DELICATE—“

“I got a delivery,” Bunny interrupted, and his whole body flinched at the look she gave him, “Er. I mean. I got someone here who you might wanna meet.”

And if Elsa had known then what she knew now, she would have realized in that moment (when North laid eyes on her that July evening in the middle of his work on the newest rollout of the popular role-playing video game—the Sums, or something) that, truly, the future was always in motion, her path already treaded, and—despite all her beliefs, her past, her heartbroken memories—her heart was already preparing to have two homes.

Elsa had visited plenty of warm—tropical, arid, sweltering—and chaotic, sprawling places in her travels, but none quite compared to the utter bustle of the Workshop.

Over the next three weeks of her stay, Elsa grew accustomed to the factory’s noises, to the bickering between the elves and their strange adoration for her, to the yeti’s curious questions about her years at the south pole. They asked relentless questions about the melting ice caps, the fierce predators, and the tiny human-made stations; she answered them as best she could, having wandered Antarctica for only half a decade before Bunnymund happened to find her at the tip of Cape Adare. When she tried to explain that she was much more familiar with the Arctic, they listened politely, but they were clearly much less interested in land so close to home. They also had the strangest custom of bringing her icicles when they returned from their perimeter patrols; she was growing quite a large collection of them in the guest room in the Main House.

The others—called Guardians, she learned—flitted in and out of this headquarters at seemingly all times of day.

Sandy was shocked and delighted to see her again; they’d run into each other just once during the late 1940s, and only when Elsa was passing through a city—Barcelona, if Memory served—to familiarize herself with the changing of the times as quickly as possible.

Sandy made no delay in giving her a much more insightful tour of the Workshop than North’s exuberant one had been, which had focused rather on not-so-subtle hints at how wonderful a life it was to be a Guardian, and such wonderful news it was to hear that Elsa was intrigued by Bunnymund’s offer to meet them, and so wonderful that Elsa had been spending all these years doing all that she could to explore the wonders of the world.

(North was lovely, and welcoming, and fierce—and so boisterous!

And not subtle at all.)

After a few days of visiting the Workshop, Elsa grew comfortable enough to truly relax as she roamed its halls, visited the various stages of production, and occasionally caught up with Bunny as he flitted in and out of the Shop (“Easter is on Holiday!” he’d said, with another wink). She dined with North and his team of merry workers, often with Bunny, who, she learned, was rather too fond of eggnog, and sometimes with Sandy as well.

After only a few hours into Sandy’s first visit, Elsa allowed herself to laugh with her whole chest at the ridiculous antics, the absurdity of it all, the bickering among Sandy, and North, and Bunny—and allowed herself to be endeared by the clear respect they held for one another, by the lightness in the air, the distinct sensation of family. That night, Elsa didn’t immediately retreat to her room after dinner, as she normally would have.

The Memories were not so painful, here.

And their stories!

They regaled her each night over (and after) dessert—about this horrid creature named Pitch Black, about the Moon, about the Battle of Burgess—they all sounded like fairytales to Elsa, even if she, herself, had practically been living in one for nearly two hundred odd years.

The others told her of two other coalition members who fought beside them—both of whom were exceptionally busy, and who would not be journeying to the North Pole again until it was time to celebrate the Equinox.

Elsa was curious about Toothiana—and anxious, about the Memories she protected—and especially curious about the Guardian named Jack…

Frost.

She did not shy away from asking more about him—Elsa had far too little time to worry about such silly fears like embarrassment; immortality was funny like that—and her curiosity grew with each tale she heard. The Guardians spoke of Jack with a mix of fondness and exasperation—his mischievous nature, his loyalty, how bloody annoying he is, I tell ya, that’s what I say.

Elsa could not help but laugh at Bunny’s pervasive frustration with his teammate; his respect for Jack was clear, even if his patience was not.

Still… she had been wandering the world for over 200 years, and in all that time, she had never encountered any others like her, and certainly not anyone especially like her.

The thought of meeting someone who might understand, who might have powers like hers, stirred something deep within her— something she hadn’t felt in a long time.

She caught Bunny staring at her in the midst of a reverie by the fire during an after-dinner coffee, so she crisply declared, “Don’t say it.”

“What’s that, Ice-pop? Sorry, couldn’t quite hear you over all of that Hope in your heart.”

Bunny, Elsa learned, was used to ducking snowballs.

Later that evening, as she stood by one of the desperately-tall windows in the corridor leading to her guest quarters—watching the snowflakes drift lazily from the sky—Elsa couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to actually meet him.

The thought of Jack—a potential ally? a friend? a teammate?—occupied her mind more and more as the days passed, and with each story the Guardians told, Elsa found herself hoping that this Jack Frost—a teacher? a guide? a confidant?—would be looking forward to meeting her, too.

Sometimes, late at night, she would lie awake and wonder what it would be like to have someone in her life who understood her powers as deeply as she did. She imagined his face, always in motion, always just out of reach, and felt a strange sense of—Hope? Elsa rolled her eyes at the ceiling. Anticipation? Perhaps.

Fear?

In these quiet moments, she found her spirit reaching out, as if she could almost call to him—but of course, he was completely out of reach, never having met her before, and likely, perhaps, not even knowing that she existed until only recently... But her heart would quicken at the idea of meeting this person like her, of seeing his eyes—what color?—filled with the same understanding, the same longing for connection that she felt.

What would he think of her? Would he see the strength she had built over centuries? Or would he only see the loneliness that still clung to her, despite all her efforts to cast it aside?

The questions swirled in her mind, mingling with a strange sense of exhilaration that made her feel both alive and vulnerable.

She could almost hear the laughter they might share, the way their powers could dance together in the air, creating something beautiful, something new.

And in those moments, she couldn’t help but smile, imagining a world where she wasn’t alone, where someone else could stand beside her in the snow, not as an adversary—

But as an equal.

“And did he wield ice magic as a human, as well?” Elsa pressed over after-dinner coffee in the drawing room, leaning forward in her chair near the fireplace. North’s giant hands were absurdly large compared to his delicate teacup. “Before he became a Guardian?”

“As a matter of fact—no. The power came later, AFTER Turning.”

Elsa considered his words carefully. Something about his expression seemed rather cagey; centuries of reading strangers’ faces had only honed her political prowess, which had been born out of survival as much as any sense of duty.

“North, tell me: why do you want me to join the Guardians?”

“I—ah! ELSA—

“Because ya’d be mighty good at it!” Bunny blurted, calling over from his newspaper reading on the other side of the drawing room, to North’s indignant sputtering, “if you wisened up and stopped hiding all Hope and Wonder!” And then, as an afterthought, “And it’ll keep Jack humble, I reckon!”

“ASTER!” North scolded fiercely, but he set the tiniest teacup down with the tiniest clink and placed the saucer on the coffee table with such deliberate care, even in his fit of anger, that Elsa couldn’t hold back a small, genuine smile.

“Dont’cha worry, Ice-Pop,” Bunny told her later, as they stood in the wide, cold corridor leading into the main entry chamber of the Workshop, where Bunny preferred to open his portals. Elsa quirked a brow at him, and he chuckled. “We’re not here to actually convince ya. We just want you to see that there’s another option. This Choice… well. Guardians gotta make it for themselves.”

She still had too many questions. How is it that I had never crossed paths with any of you but Sandy, before?

How is it that I have managed to avoid Pitch for all these years?

Why me? What can I really offer—when you already have someone who can already do what I do?

“You still have time before you have to decide. And you need to meet the rest, anyway. Just think about it, is all,” he said, all his wisdom seeping into the very air around them. He cracked open a portal and, a moment later, he was gone.

“Oh!” said an utterly beautiful creature, her wings fluttering with so much excitement and delight that she was practically vibrating. “You must be Elsa!”

Elsa and Toothiana took to one another with surprising ease; time had steadied Elsa’s heart, had taught her the patience and endurance and the strength of a glacier; time had energized Toothiana, who took charge of the world with her vast army and a wide smile. But it had been so long since Elsa had even felt anything remotely similar to the feel of holding onto her sister—and Toothiana understood, completely.

Toothiana shared stories of her own—a whirlwind of adventures collecting memories and moments, each one a treasure she held dear.

(Toothiana's eyes softened as she took Elsa's hands in her own, her understanding gentle yet firm. "I know what it’s like to carry the weight of Memories, Elsa," Toothiana whispered, her voice a comforting balm. "But here, with us, you don’t have to carry them alone. We’re all in this together, and we’ll help you find your way.”)

And Elsa found herself starting to believe her.

To Believe in them.

When the Guardians gathered around the fire—taking time, they said, to ensure that past mistakes were never repeated, that they carved out time for themselves the way they never used to—the conversation inevitably turned to their adventures, to answering Elsa's questions. Somehow, Jack always seemed to be at the center of their tales.

She was rather alarmed to realize the extent to which she had begun to wait for these moments, eager to hear more about Jack, piecing together an image of him in her mind that was as elusive as snowflakes on the wind. Why on earth does not a single Guardian commission a portrait, for goodness’ sake? But Elsa dared not ask for a Memory; apparently, there were still some things left worth being too embarrassed to ask for, after all.

So she contented herself with the way Sandy would add details to the story that the others had forgotten, conjuring up glowing scenes of Jack’s playful antics in vague, golden sand—flurries of snowflakes, intricate frost patterns on windows, and the gleeful laughter of children echoing through the air.

She would find all their efforts rather suspicious… if they weren’t all being so utterly obvious about their Hopes.

Thus, one evening, as they were all gathered around the fire, Elsa couldn’t help but ask, “How did Jack become a Guardian?”

Bunny’s keen eye sharpened upon her cheek; she withstood the scrutiny, allowing him no further entry to her mind, as he added, “Jack was chosen by the Moon, like the rest of us.”

“But Jack…” Toothiana’s voice was soft and somber and unusually serious; the atmosphere in the room shifted, its axis tilting ever so slightly. “He had a harder time accepting it. At first! That is.”

“Took him a while to figure out, is all,” Bunny held his boomerang up to the light, checking the polish. “He came around, eventually.”

“Why?” Elsa asked, genuinely curious.

Sandy floated closer, his golden sand forming an image of a young boy standing alone in the snow, his face a mixture of confusion and sorrow. The image flickered, and the boy’s expression shifted to one of determination and hope.

“Not easy for Jack, his Turning was,” North said, his voice softening. “Not easy for any of us… But Jack had no Memories of his past, no knowledge why he was Chosen. It wasn’t until centuries after his Turning that he found his center.”

“His center?” Elsa echoed, intrigued.

“FUN!” North boomed, smiling, and sending teacups clattering everywhere. Elsa clutched her saucer with both hands. “But not just ANY fun—bringing joy and wonder to children, making them BELIEVE in magic and in themselves. THAT is Jack’s true power!”

Elsa considered this as Bunny complained about dropping his boomerang polish and spilling it all over the carpet. Toothiana was laughing at him and offering to help in equal turns, as Elsa’s mind turned over the implications of centers—and Jack’s in particular. She had spent so long searching for her own purpose, her own… center? Do I have one? As well? Is that why Bunny had found her, out alone at the edge of the iceberg, at the exact moment when she had let it all go, had accepted that she may never find her purpose, that perhaps she did not have one—was that the moment that they had been waiting for?

And now, here in this team, Elsa might soon meet someone who had also once struggled with the same questions, who had found his answers in the most unexpected ways… It makes me, dare I say it… Wonder...

She glanced at the Guardians, each of them so sure of their place, their role in the world, with all their quirks and their trust and their happiness. They had found their centers, their reasons for being. And Jack—this mysterious figure who was off wreaking havoc in some apparently historic winter season in New England—had somehow found the same. She wanted to know more about this spirit who had lived in solitude for so long, who had found a family among these remarkable beings, and who wielded the same icy power she did, yet in a way so different from her own—or, at least, so they thought. Nobody could quite seem to explain to her the exact mechanics of it all.

The more she heard about him, the more she felt a growing need to meet him. She caught herself imagining what their first meeting might be like—whether he would be as mischievous as they said, or if they would take a liking to one another right away, bonded by their similar powers, their similar stories… Perhaps he might help her make sense of… all this? Maybe there was something in him that could help her understand herself better. Maybe he could be… another friend? An ally. A partner. Elsa did not care about the name; what mattered was only that they could learn from each other.

But still. She could not quite deny that her excitement at the chance of meeting him was, perhaps, a bit more complicated than all that.

“I still don't understand. You already have someone whose powers are like mine,” Elsa pointed out reasonably, just when the others had started to turn the conversation to simpler matters. “How could I possibly contribute?”

Bunny barked with laughter from the other side of the circle, over the recipe book he was now reading, preparing for their grand dinner to celebrate the Autumnal Equinox. Sandy giggled in golden, sparkling shimmers. North’s laughter was as reassuring as it was alarming.

“ELSIE, my dear,” North boomed as he strode closer to the wing-backed chairs that Toothiana and Elsa were hoarding by the fire, just under the wide window of the central tower, which overlooked the northern tundra. “It is not about powers alone! It is CENTERS.”

“And besides!” Bunny called out over his recipe book, adjusting his reading glasses over the bridge of his twitching nose. She could feel his cheekiness from the other side of the room, but Elsa was particularly amused by the way Toothiana’s whole body tensed up in preparation for Bunny’s antics. “You’re the better deal on both fronts, anyway!”

Toothiana scolded him for the next five minutes but hardly put any real fire into it, and North’s voice echoed throughout the study (“Now, now, Bunny—Jack has only been with us for two years now—and he has done SPLENDID job—“), and Sandy had already fallen asleep in his preferred winged-back chair by the fire, lulled into a nap by the comforting sound of his fellow Guardians arguing over something utterly ridiculous.

Late that night, as Toothiana hastily prepared for departure and her return to her endless work, she caught Elsa by surprise.

“We’ll understand if you would rather return,” Toothiana was gracious, so considerate in her efforts to not step on painful Memories, to not push Elsa too hard or too fast, too soon. “We recognize that this choice, this Oath, is not for everyone. But we hope you’ll consider it.”

Elsa nodded, appreciating the understanding in Tooth's eyes, though she couldn’t quite find the words to express it. The kindness and patience offered—by all of them—made her feel both comforted and conflicted; this was a choice she had to make for herself, but knowing she wouldn’t be judged either way brought a small measure of peace.

Toothiana let out a knowing smile that Elsa didn’t quite understand.

Two days before the Autumnal Equinox, the North Pole was strangely quiet; all others were out and about and attending to their centers, preparing their final tasks before they would all meet for the celebration, here in North’s home.

She thus found herself wandering the hallways alone, her footsteps echoing softly against the stone floor, thinking of the word home, and how it had changed for her over the years—first, her kingdom; then, her sister; then, the secrets that lay in the depths of Ahtohallan, and then nowhere at all.

What was home?

She paused in front of a large, intricately carved door she hadn’t noticed before. There was something inviting about it, something that called to her curiosity. Without thinking, she reached out and pushed it open, stepping into a room bathed in a soft, ethereal glow.

The room was a gallery of sorts, filled with shelves upon shelves of intricate snow globes, each one containing a different scene—some of them cheerful, others serene, and a few that looked like they were mid-snowstorm. Elsa moved closer, her breath catching as she realized what she was seeing. Each snow globe was a memory—not one of Toothiana’s collections of course, but rather, a moving picture—a small clip of some film, captured in glass and suspended in time.

She reached out to touch one that was particularly beautiful—a snow globe depicting a small village blanketed in fresh snow, children playing and laughing as they built snowmen and threw snowballs. The scene was so vivid, so real, that she could almost hear their laughter.

“Beautiful, no?” a voice said softly from behind her.

Elsa turned to see North standing in the doorway, a fond smile on his face as he watched her.

“They’re not Memories,” Elsa whispered, more to herself than to him. “They’re… Reminders.”

“Yes. They help with the Wonder, of course.”

Elsa couldn’t move her gaze away from the glass again. “Whose are they?”

North stepped into the room, his presence filling the space with genuine warmth, with joy. “They belong to all of us. The children, the Guardians… and a few others.”

He gestured to a shelf on the far wall, where a single snow globe sat, slightly larger than the others. It depicted a lone figure standing in the middle of a frozen lake, surrounded by a dense forest. Snowflakes danced around him, but there was a sadness to the scene, a loneliness that tugged at Elsa’s heart. Her fingers itched to reach out and touch the glass.

“That one,” North said softly, “also belongs to Jack.”

Elsa’s breath caught. She had heard so much about him, yet she still knew so little. The thought of him, alone in this beautiful but desolate scene, stirred something deep within her.

Are you someone out there who's a little bit like me?

Who knows deep down I'm not where I'm meant to be?

“Yes, he’s been through much,” North continued, his voice gentle, washing over Elsa’s rapidly-blinking thoughts, through the strange swell of sadness that swam through her chest. “But he IS strong, and has found his place among us. Still, there are parts of him that are… sometimes, difficult to reach. Things that… perhaps… someone may help… heal?”

Elsa side-eyed him, beneath her lashes. “You are growing less subtle each day, I fear.”

His boisterous laugh told her he wasn’t deterred in the slightest.

“Elsa, when few more centuries you have, you too shall learn when to drop SUBTLETY. No?”

Haven’t I already? But she humored him with a smile instead.

“Whatever you decide—we will support you, your Majesty.”

Elsa’s smile slipped, without her meaning to. Throat thick, she whispered, “No one has called me by that title for a very long time.”

Her eyes pricked with tears as North stepped closer to her, looking down at her—the way her father used to. The way her father might have, had he lived long enough to see her step into her own power, at last.

“I do not call you Majesty because you were Queen, or Snow Queen; I say because I remind you that what you have, and what you are, at your center, is FULL of that which makes living so majestic. It is my sincere wish that—“ and Elsa inhaled at the strange expression that passed his face, the soft mix of hope and resignation all at once— “You will choose the Oath with your full heart.”

Elsa wanted to thank him, but she didn’t want to lie; before she could settle on the perfect breath of diplomacy, North patted her shoulder in reassurance, and left the gallery, leaving Elsa with all the Reminders that were not hers, but insisted she be strong, anyway.

She gazed into the large snow globe, at the figure standing alone on the frozen lake in the deep forest, and Wondered, truly, for the first time, This was also my past…

Will I also find my future here, too?

The Equinox arrived, at last. Elsa had fashioned herself a dress for the occasion, and the excitement buzzing through the Workshop was palpable—everywhere she turned, there were smiles and knowing glances exchanged between the elves and the yetis, as if they all shared a secret that she was just on the cusp of understanding, but not quite privy to.

Elsa did not startle at Bunny’s sudden entrance behind her, but it was a near thing.

“Stop twitching,” Bunny muttered as he sidled up beside her, at the window, where she was watching the horizon and waiting for the other Guardians to arrive. When she glanced up at him, she found his nose twitching in nervous anticipation. “Don’t overthink it, Ice-pop. Jack’s a handful, but he’s got a good heart.”

“Oh? No further jabs at your friendly foe?”

“Nah,” Bunny grinned. “Today, I’m on my best behavior. Scout’s honor.”

“You mean ‘Toothy’s honor’.”

“Aye, that too.”

She considered pointing out that his nose was equally twitchy, but she let it slide.

Elsa understood.

And that understanding grew as some of the Guardians started to all trickle in at once; Toothiana sent wide glances about and around the room upon her arrival, and later, as she fussed with the elves’ itineraries, kept catching Bunny’s eye when they thought Elsa was not looking; Sandy checked his watch repeatedly after greeting them all with warm, sandy hugs; perhaps he was conscientious of the time… and yet… North’s laughter was too loud to be completely genuine. Elsa was beginning to understand the true purpose of tonight, swiftly and deeply; this night was no mere dinner, and no simple introduction. Tonight was an audition. An interview.

A trial.

At this point, Elsa didn’t even mind the inquisition; she just wanted it to start.

The storm outside had been raging for over an hour, and yet there was still no sign of Jack. The wind howled, whipping snow into frenzied swirls that danced and spun against the windows of North’s Workshop. The Guardians stood by the large bay window, watching the tempest with a mixture of awe and concern. Elsa had seen far fiercer storms before… but seeing this storm here, now…?

Elsa didn’t know what to think.

“Where do you suppose he is?” Toothiana murmured, her wings fluttering nervously as she peered out at the swirling snow. “When I got off the globe with him a few hours ago, he’d been in a good mood! Do you think he got distracted along the way?”

Sandy nodded, his golden sand forming an image of a snowflake, delicate and intricate, before it dispersed into the air. North stroked his beard thoughtfully, his gaze never leaving the storm.

“Such a nuisance,” Bunny agreed, his ears twitching as he squinted into the whiteout. “But he’ll wear himself out soon enough. Let’s get started, shall we?”

“Perhaps we might,” North rumbled, his voice filled with a deep, resonant certainty. “Jack may wish to make GRAND entrance—”

Elsa stood slightly apart from the others while they discussed, her eyes fixed on the tempest outside. The storm’s power called to something deep within her, something she recognized and understood. She had created countless storms like this, back in her darker days, when her emotions had been a force she couldn’t control. Here, she’d wanted to be a good guest, so it had been a month since she’d truly put her powers to proper use, out in the relative safety of the deep Antarctic deserts. But this…

There was a wildness to it, a reckless abandon. This storm wasn’t about emotion. It was—it’s—

He’s playing!

Just as the words passed through her mind, a voice suddenly piped up behind them, casual and completely out of place in the loud, bustling, tense atmosphere.

“What are y’all looking at?”

The Guardians turned as one, startled by the unexpected intrusion. There, leaning against a large shepherd’s crook, was someone who could be none other than Jack Frost—his expression one of casual amusement as he took in the scene before him. He had somehow appeared without a sound.

The room, which had been brimming with anticipation, fell into a moment of stunned silence, then burst back into noise and life in the very next breath.

Elsa blinked, her heart still racing from the intensity of the storm and the weight of her expectations. But now, seeing Jack standing there, looking so nonchalant and distant, she didn’t know whether to laugh or feel disappointed. He was lean, with his staff slung over his shoulder, and there was an air of mischief about him, tempered by something darker, something cautious.

North was the first to fully recover, letting out a booming laugh that overpowered the other surprised voices in the room. “Jack, you never fail to surprise us! We were just admiring your WORK outside, no?”

Jack grinned, clearly pleased with himself. “Oh, that? Yeah, just setting the mood.”

Bunny rolled his eyes, though there was a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “You’re a menace, Frostbite. You know that?”

Jack shrugged, his grin widening. “Just doing my job.”

Elsa felt a strange mix of emotions as she watched the easy banter between Jack and the other Guardians. She realized, perhaps too late, that she had built up this moment in her mind, imagining a dramatic, powerful entrance that would define their first meeting. Instead, she was faced with the reality of Jack Frost: a mischievous, irreverent spirit who seemed to take very little seriously, including the storm he had unleashed.

It was at that moment—in her quiet evaluation, her unexplained disappointment, her curious, lingering hope—that Jack caught her gaze.

Blue.

The playful expression slipped away, just for a flash; his blue eyes met hers, and she saw something there amidst the lingering laughter—something raw and guarded, something that told her that, like her, he was grappling with his own mixed expectations.

For a fleeting moment, Elsa’s breath caught in her throat, not just from the intensity of his gaze, but from the unexpected warmth that spread through her, as if she’d been touched by a sudden gust of spring wind.

“Jack, Jack, my boy, come—meet Elsa! Our dear Elsa—this is Jack, our newest Guardian.”

Elsa’s heart leapt into her throat. The room seemed to hold its breath as Jack hesitated—and then he stepped forward, approaching them at the window; Elsa stood patiently at Bunny’s side, watching Jack’s tousled white hair catch the light of the whiteout outside, watching as his blue eyes deliberately scanned the decorations around the room.

Jack Frost… ?

Elsa waited, patient as a glacier as Jack’s smirking gaze flickered over the gathered Guardians as he reached them, and he saluted North with a deliberately careless air. His smirking gaze lingered on each of them before finally landing on hers.

“Yeah, I’ve heard a lot about you,” he replied. His tone was not unkind, but deliberately casual. “New Guardian, right? They’ve been talking about you non-stop.”

There was a hint of something sharp in his voice, and Elsa felt a pang of anxiety, which she pushed down; Bunny was covering his muttering face with his hand, and Toothiana was rolling her eyes to the ceiling in dismay—or perhaps prayer. Elsa quickly assessed the crisp stare and the hard line of his jaw; she’d been hoping for warmth, for understanding, but what she found in Jack’s gaze was something closer to suspicion.

Keeping her gaze on his, trying to ease the tension she could feel coiling between them, she softly corrected, “I’m not a Guardian.”

At least, not yet…

Or so I…

Elsa felt her chin raise; old habits falling back into place; perfect and pretty and polite, all smooth ice underneath; an effective mask for a Queen.

“I’m here on an invitation,” she said softly, and knew that he would not see the ice daggers in her eyes; not yet, although she was certain he was looking for them. “I’m very grateful to North and all of you for hosting me in honor of this autumnal celebration.”

His eyes narrowed slightly.

That is suspicion there, isn’t it? And guardedness… He was trying hard to hide something behind a facade of coolness—some debonair indifference. Elsa recognized the act immediately but played along because there was something else there, too, something that made her heart ache with a familiar loneliness. I’m an ally, she tried to impress upon him through nothing more than the thought. Enough of this!

I could be a friend!

But then, Toothiana swooped in, her wings fluttering with a cheerful energy that instantly distracted them—if not immediately lifting the mood.

“Well! Isn’t this just the perfect way to spend the Equinox?” she exclaimed, clapping her hands together, drawing their attention away from one another; Elsa was grateful for Toothiana’s quick thinking, her impressive tact. “Jack, I’m sure you’re energized and starving for a glass of eggnog after all that storm-making. Let’s not waste any more time!”

“Uh, did Bunny make it?”

“What’s it to ya, you little twerp?” Bunny shot back, narrowing his eyes with mock suspicion.

Jack grinned, the tension easing slightly as he fell into what must have been familiar banter. “Just making sure it’s safe, is all. Wouldn’t want our guest of honor to get sick on her first night here.”

“Actually, she’s been here for over a month now—“

Elsa watched the exchange (Jack was rolling his eyes) with a mixture of amusement and relief and… unease. (Toothiana’s interruption had indeed worked wonders, shifting the focus away from the awkwardness of their initial encounter and giving everyone, including herself, a chance to breathe.)

(And yet… the warmth of the room contrasted sharply with the chill still clinging to her thoughts.)

As they all moved toward the dining room, Elsa fell in step beside Toothiana, grateful for the other Guardians’ subtle (for once!) alliance and support. She marveled at how, even two centuries since her last political summit, Elsa still remembered every step of walking into a political negotiation; Elsa knew how to navigate delicate situations, how to read the subtlest shifts in tone, how to win.

Elsa had always been a fine Reader of the Room; centuries of invisibility had only strengthened her skills.

And so the Trial begins…

This first impression was a test—one she intended to pass.

And although Jack started to relax once they were all seated and well into the evening—his guarded expression giving way to something more genuine as he bantered with Bunny and teased North about his over-the-top decorations—the knots in Elsa’s stomach remained.

How could she make him see that she wasn’t here to replace him—but to find her own place among them?

The Guardians fell into their usual rhythm as they ate and laughed together, the conversation flowing (mostly) easily between them. Elsa, too, had found her own rhythm with the Guardians during her month-long stay, understanding certain inside jokes and the fascinating nuances of their personalities. But even as she joined in their laughter, the tension between her and Jack was palpable, thicker than the winter storm raging outside.

She observed how Jack's eyes flicked between her and the other Guardians, his smile not quite reaching his eyes as he noted instances of the easy familiarity she had developed with them over the previous weeks. He joked along with everyone else, but there was a sharpness to his tone, occasionally—and it seemed that all the other Guardians could clearly tell, even if they were choosing to ignore it with varying degrees of patience… and understanding.

Elsa could feel him measuring every word she said, every laugh she shared with the others. It wasn’t just that she was new or unfamiliar—it was that she had quickly become a part of something that Jack had spent years, perhaps centuries, building with them.

All of the Guardians’ assurances and encouragement over the past month had not hinted at the true nature of their concern; Elsa realized quite quickly that this rift wasn’t something that could be resolved with pleasantries or polite conversation.

Winning his trust wouldn’t come easily—it would demand more than just time; it would require something deeper.

Later that night, after everyone had retired to their quarters or gone out for their evenings of work, Elsa found herself wandering the halls of North’s Workshop, her mind a whirl of thoughts and emotions, as was her wont.

The evening had not exactly gone to plan, but she supposed it could have been worse. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Jack still viewed her as a threat. It bothered her more than she cared to admit. She’d need to discuss it with Toothiana tomorrow. Perhaps they might lend me a snow globe?

As she rounded a corner, headed toward the snow globe Reminder gallery, she nearly collided with Jack himself—who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. He was leaning casually against the wall, his staff resting on his shoulder, but there was a tension in his posture that belied his relaxed demeanor.

He’d been waiting for her.

“Jack,” she said, startled but keeping her voice steady; once more, familiar, old-fashioned patterns of politeness resurfaced in her moment of uncertainty. “I beg your pardon. I didn’t expect to see you here.”

He didn’t respond immediately, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied her. “Could say the same about you. Can’t sleep?”

Elsa hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. “Just... thinking. It’s been a lot to take in.”

Jack nodded, though he didn’t seem entirely convinced. He pushed himself off the wall and took a step closer, his expression unreadable. “You know, everyone seems pretty excited about you joining us. North, Bunny, even Tooth—they all think you’d be a great addition.”

She could hear the ‘but’ hanging in the air, unspoken but heavy between them; the way addition sounded like replacement.

Elsa squared her shoulders, meeting his gaze head-on. There was an intensity in his eyes, a challenge that sent a shiver down her spine, though she quickly attributed it to the cold. “Jack, I’m not here to replace you.”

The words hung in the air, sharp and clear. For a moment, Jack’s expression flickered, something vulnerable and upset flashing in his eyes before he quickly masked it with a smirk. “Who said anything about that?”

“No one—listen to me, I know you’re worried,” Elsa continued, refusing to let him deflect. “But you have no need to be. I’m not here to take your place. I’m here because…” Why am I here? “I was invited. I am simply getting to know you all better. I’ve been alone for some time.”

“Spare me the politicking,” Jack huffed, which, indeed, Elsa did take offense to. Especially since she genuinely had not been trying to be diplomatic; just careful.

Perhaps he didn’t believe her story… about being alone?

The idea was more painful than she expected.

Elsa’s eyes narrowed slightly, holding Jack’s gaze. “I’m not here to play games, Jack. I’m just looking for where I might belong—that is all.”

“Will you take the Oath, then? What’s your center?”

Elsa couldn’t explain it, but this struck her as an absurdly personal question. Still. She could recognize a caged animal when she saw one. So, Elsa took a deep breath, feeling the weight of his question press down on her. The idea of the Oath, of finding her center, had been something she had pondered endlessly since she’d learned of its existence—perhaps since her arrival, if she was being honest. But to be confronted with it so directly by Jack, someone who still seemed to see her as a rival, made it all the more daunting.

“I’m not sure,” she finally admitted, her voice quiet but steady. “I’ve been... trying to understand what it would mean for me to take the Oath, to become a Guardian.” She willed him to understand, at last. “It’s not something I want to rush into without being certain.”

Jack’s gaze remained fixed on her, his blue eyes sharp, but there was a flicker of something softer there—a recognition, perhaps, of the honesty in her words. “And your center?” he pressed. “Do you even know what it is yet?”

Elsa hesitated again, her thoughts swirling. A long time ago, she had known who she was, what she was meant to do. She’d thought so.

But after everything she had been through, all the loss, the isolation, and the rediscovery, she wasn’t sure if her center was what it once had been.

“Perhaps I might have, once,” she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. “But now... Regardless of whether or not I join you, I’d like to think that there is something at the core of why I am still here.”

“In the Workshop?”

“No, I mean… I mean here.”

Jack tilted his head, studying her with a mix of curiosity and caution. Something told her that she finally got through to him, just a little. Elsa felt herself feeling sympathy for him; even after becoming a Guardian, he was still filled with such…

Fear.

Doubt.

He didn’t respond immediately, his expression unreadable. For a brief, startling moment, she wondered what it would be like to stand by his side, to take the Oath together—as allies, as... something more?

She brushed the thought aside, but the idea lingered, persistent.

Then, finally, he let out a small, almost reluctant sigh. “It’s not easy, you know. Being a Guardian. Finding your center. It’s... it’s not something you just, like, stumble upon.”

“I understand,” Elsa said, her tone sincere. “But if there’s a chance that this is where I’m meant to be—then I’m willing to take that risk. I’m not interested in taking that away from you. You—you haven’t even seen what I can do yet! We don’t even know how much overlap we’d find in our powers, anyway!”

“You impressed Bunny in Antartica,” he practically accused. “That’s enough to say something, isn’t it?”

Elsa was trying her very best to remain steady and calm. “And what about you? What did it take for you to find your center?”

His eyes snapped back to hers, and for a moment, she saw something raw and unguarded in his gaze. “So they didn’t tell you everything, huh?”

She gaped at him. Honestly!

Elsa took a deep breath, steadying herself as she met Jack's gaze. "Jack, you’re being ridiculous. I’m not here to steal anything from you—certainly not your place among the Guardians. I haven’t even decided if—I don’t know if—“

“I already know you’re gonna join us,” he said, almost in a whisper, as if admitting something he hadn’t wanted to face.

“Oh?” Elsa raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious. “And what makes you so sure?”

Jack hesitated for a moment, his eyes searching hers, and then, with a passion she hadn’t expected, he replied, “Because there’s nothing better. There’s nothing like it. It’s everything.”

Elsa was stunned by the raw intensity of his words, the conviction in his voice. She could see it in his eyes—this was more than just a responsibility, more than just a role for him. It was his purpose, his identity—his life, or whatever this agelessness was. For a moment, the air between them seemed to crackle with something unspoken, a deep understanding that went beyond words.

She felt her heart skip a beat, a strange mixture of emotions swirling within her—curiosity, admiration, and something else, something unfamiliar. Her pulse quickened.

Jack seemed to realize the weight of his words, and he quickly looked away, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “Wait. I... I’m sorry for how I’ve been acting,” he said, his voice softer now, more hesitant. “I guess I’ve been... on edge, and I took it out on you. That wasn’t fair.”

Still shocked by how deeply his declaration affected her, how his passion stirred something within her that she hadn’t felt in a long time, Elsa softened at his apology, nodding slightly. “I… understand. And I accept your apology. I appreciate… you saying that. I’m sure it wasn’t easy to come home and see someone new in the middle of it all.”

Elsa thought she heard him laugh under his breath, mouthing the word Home—

Jack nodded, his shoulders relaxing just a bit. “Yeah... it is. Anyway. I’m tired. I think I’m gonna call it a night.”

Elsa watched him start to turn away, a sudden sense of urgency bubbling up inside her. “Jack, wait—”

He paused, glancing back at her, a hint of curiosity in his eyes. They were so wide, when they weren’t glaring!

“Shouldn’t we start over?” she asked, her voice gentler, almost tentative in her rush. She extended her hand toward him. “My name is Elsa. I happen to wield ice magic. E. Aster Bunnymund found me on an iceberg a few weeks ago as I was in the middle of creating a particularly notable blizzard, and he invited me to meet his friends, whom he loves and respects very much.”

Jack looked at her hand, then back at her face, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. Slowly, a smirk crawled over his face.

“Alright, I’ll bite,” Jack floated closer, and Elsa held steady—stories or no stories, she had not been prepared to see him fly! “I’m Jack. I also happen to ‘wield’ ice and frost magic. Bunny did not find me on an iceberg, but I’m pretty sure he’d love to stick me in one. Nice to meet you, Elsa, who promises not to steal my spot on the A-team. Welcome to the madness,” and he reached out and took her hand in his, giving it a firm shake.

The moment their hands touched, a strange, electric current seemed to pass between them, and Elsa felt her breath hitch in her throat.

Oh—

He’s—he’s rather handsome, she realized with a start.

They held each other’s gaze for a moment longer than necessary, the air between them thick with something she could not, would not name.

Jack was the first to break the silence, his voice a little rougher than before. “Yeah... maybe we should—”

They let go of each other’s hands, but the sensation of his touch lingered, warm and unsettling. Elsa felt a flush creep up her cheeks, unsure of what to make of the emotions swirling inside her.

“Uh—goodnight, Elsa."

“Goodnight, Jack,” she replied, her voice steadier than she felt.

And with that, he turned and disappeared back into the shadows of the corridor, leaving Elsa standing alone in the soft glow of the snow globe gallery. She watched him go, a mix of hope and uncertainty swirling in her chest. The conversation had been difficult, but it had also been a step forward—a tentative, fragile step toward something more. Right?

As she turned back to her quarters, Elsa found herself tracing the line of his smirk in her mind, the curve of his jaw, the sharpness of his eyes—after weeks of wondering about what he might look like, might be like, she finally had the vision, the Memory of his face.

She rushed with the ornate door handle of her guest room, eager to be inside her room, alone, in the peace and quiet, and finally process the events of the evening, to reflect on all that she'd learned, she'd accomplished, she'd proved.

Exhausted by the sheer weight of so many careful decisions in so short a time, Elsa closed the door behind her with a deep sigh. Exhausted, yes, but also satisfied. She shut her eyes as she leaned against the back of the door and allowed herself a small, tentatively victorious grin, content in the knowledge that when she drifted off to sleep that night, the echoes of their meeting, their tentative truce would fill her mind; this moment gave her, indeed, a sense of Hope that she hadn’t felt in years...

But, in her mind, the Memory that lingered most vividly, as she tossed and turned—was his face.

ao3 ✨

#08192024 update #fixed some typos!!! some missing italics representing thoughts which i think tumblr ate!!!#jelsa #sanfangirl-cynicalromantic #I LOVE YOU LADY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPER THOUGHTFUL ASKS #therentyoupay two homes #therentyoupay fic #therentyoupay fic prompts #therentyoupay ask #ngl it's also so good for me to just write one-offs and ficlets and prompts every once in a while!!#A PALLTETTE CLEANSERRR #also spoiler alert if jack is not pining then ELSA IS THE ONE PINING LMAO

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accio-victuuri · 4 months

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5/16/24 LRLG post + interpretations ❤️💛💚

so it’s not enough that we’ve been struggling for the past days, they really put meaning to the saying of “when it rains it pours”. at least they let people sleep and then released this in the morning. it is an unusual posting time cause it’s usually evening or even late like 1:00 AM but not this early.

original link from the rumor house is here. i will omit some parts and just explain what happens but i tried to preserve the integrity of the post. all of this is fake. if i missed some cpn related to this, feel free to comment or just reblog and add on. enjoy ^^

XZ: "Do I have to buy the flowers myself? I can't spend hundreds of dollars."

WYB: “You don’t need to buy it and use it at home. The bottle is also pretty.”

XZ: 🙄

WYB: “Your skills are really top-notch now.”

XZ: "Why don't you try to be more yin and yang?"

WYB: "Well done. Well done."

XZ: “Don’t let me go if you don’t have any symptoms”

WYB: "You know if I have a fart or not, I'm so awesome."

XZ: "gun"

WYB: 😘

XZ: "There is also gas in the mouth"

WYB: 🙄

XZ: "Hey, your skills are also top-notch."

WYB: “I can’t compare to you, but practice makes perfect”

XZ: “It’s boring.

WYB: “Come and play”

XZ: "If you don't want to play, you won't come from xx"

👧: "Looking for me, I won't delay the fun of you two"

WYB: "Then shall we leave?"

👧: “I also know that practice makes perfect”

WYB: “Excuse me”

XZ: "Whose number should I use?"

WYB: "I'll log in for you

Yibo really be buying useless stuff again. lol. I can only imagine him scrolling through shopping apps in between takes and ordering everything. Thank you ZZ for being the voice of reason. LOL. and them complementing each other’s skills in gaming, even the log-in, we think is for the game. && how they are trolling each other talking about gas/fart, it’s so them 😂😂😂😂

the part about the kiss emoji makes us think that wyb kissed xz but then xz had to comment like that lol and be a gremlin 😂😂😂

i saw one guess that the bottle/vase he is talking about where you can put flowers may be a souvenir from abroad that wyb gave him

WYB: XZ believes in Buddhism and doesn’t believe in anything.”

XZ: “Watch me assist”

WYB: "You are not playing support role."

XZ: "Okay, I won't go even if you call me daddy."

WYB: “Don’t help, you still have to help”

No but seriously i will pay good money to watch them livestream a game lol. to those who are not familiar of why XZ was saying “call me daddy”, it’s a common quip among people. kinda like saying “im your father” cause i’m helping you and more superior than you— nothing kinky okay?

WYB: “Where did the cat come from?”

WYB: "Can I not hear it when it’s meowing at me? "

WYB: "What to record"

WYB: “So where did the cat come from?”

WYB: “Questioning you on behalf of 🌰🌰”

WYB: “Oh, great shooting”

people are thinking it’s this chonky cat that xz got attached to

and all of us are cackling at how wyb is “asking for 🌰🌰” because his dad is being a traitor and looking at other cats! 😤😤😤 yibo is so loyal to their daughter lol

WYB : super cold, i’ll eat a fried egg for you in awhile

WYB: look closely, i’m going to eat one for you (fried egg = sun that just appeared ☀️)

WYB: i ate it too early, it’s not fully cooked yet

WYB: sure, i’ll wait for you to eat a cooked one

i swear their conversations don’t make sense unless you have some background. cpfs are saying here that it means, wyb gave xz a fried egg ☀️ and then xz ate a cooked egg, the way he did it in that milan vlog

and like, if we are talking about a literal egg, that was featured as well in the Milan vlog 🍳 so could that be a bit for bobo? a literal easter egg? lol.

next part is bobo asking xz why doesn’t it look the same to him and how xz hasn’t responded to the group chat. and how he will call him later 📲

them having a gc is not even a secret but just 🥹🥹 that must be one hell of a group chat to be in.

WYB: “How was the restaurant you ate at last time? Let's go there when Zhan ge comes."

🧔‍♂️: "Their ribs are amazing, but the chops are not as good as they should be. Why don't we order one for you tonight and try it?"

i won’t include this part anymore but it’s a conversation between yibo and members of his staff about food and what to eat. i love how wyb is always thinking about xz when he sees something that is good to eat. feeding xz is really his love language. i’m cackling how they are conscious about the carbs to eat. planning what and where to eat with your loved one seems so simple but really special too. there were talks about fruits, which we know what xz is fond of eating in CQL BTS. ( sorry for the screenshot lol xiao zhan i love youuuu. you have no bad angle! )

there was also a part that wyb was telling them to buy blueberries and the staff is like: "Just tell me what you want to eat and I'll give you whatever you want" but yibo was all "Let's see what he wants to eat" 🥹🥹🥹 it all depends on XZ.

and then this scene in the wedgwood ad. which is most likely a coincidence. but still 👀

WYB: “Look at this big pot”

XZ: Saw it

WYB: "I won't let you try the dishes in advance."

XZ: "If you want to eat, just say so and don't take the blame."

👧: Boss Xiao, we have already eaten it.”

XZ: "Grateful and thankful"

WYB: "Why are you so happy?"

XZ: You guys are going to have another meal in two days.

WYB: ☺️☺️🤭☺️🥰🥰🥰😍😍😍

XZ: "Eat quickly and fight again when you get back."

WYB: “🫡Received”

XZ: "Idiot, hang up, bye"

WYB: "Bye"

with this fake rumor i feel so soft cause having a meal together is something they look forward to. i especially loved this comment from a cpf which u think perfectly explain why this romantic: But I especially understand how dad feels. . . When you are in a long-distance relationship, if you already have a date for your next meeting, you will really feel like you don’t want to taste the delicious food you want to eat with you before meeting! Just like "I want to share the surprise of the first bite with you" is the real thing. I only want to taste one-fifth of the taste. I want to wrap this little bit of deliciousness with the anticipation of seeing you soon. I want to see you soon. I have been stuffed to the brim these last few days, so that the day I see you I will explode with happiness!” 🥹🥹🥹

next part is wyb talking to a staff about eating and then this one, yibo! give your assistant a vacation! and well the boss is not taking a vacation too sooooo….

👧: “When can I take a vacation?”

WYB: "Anytime, if you have anything to do, just take a break."

👧: “Want to take a big vacation”

WYB: “It’s early then”

👧: “This year’s Qingming Festival and May Day are all in vain”

WYB: "Have arrangements been made for May Day?"

and the final part of the rumor contribution:

WYB: "Where"

WYB: “Okay, be safe.”

WYB: "I don't have time to ask you to keep the fake house.

WYB: "good"

-END

#bjyx #yizhan #there is no science here i’m just clowning like i always do #eversince i joined this pit i have never known peace 😌😌😌#is it over yet or are they gonna hammer us again??? 🔨🔨🔨

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vintagerpg · 5 months

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Gamesmen of Kasar (1982) is a gamebook for Tunnels & Trolls. I swear, when I picked these, I was just picking cool covers, I wasn’t like “here, let me pick all the weirdest, most artificial T&T gamebooks I can.” Yet, here we are.

This one is perhaps the strangest T&T gamebook I have delved into. There is a mysterious compound where adventurous sorts can go in and play the Game, sans any equipment (SEE? Always with the taking away of my sweet stuff, what’s the point of having it?). Inside is a gauntlet of deadly challenges. If you survive, you get your weight in gold as a prize. Hooray!

It gets stranger. This is sort of like Fritz Leiber’s Bazaar of the Bizarre meets Phantasm. The encounters inside are primarily with automatons. By which I mean robots rather than golems. There is a vague sense of the X-men villain Arcade in the proceedings. The oddest bit is the real reason for the Game. The place is run by aliens. Their civilization runs on a material that is incredibly radioactive, which is most effectively mined by magically animated zombies. However, their moral code prevents them from killing people to make into zombies, so they devised the Game to kill people and provide a steady stream of hearty zombie-ready corpses. Hell of a loophole. Once you get out, the local Duke cuts a deal to send the local prisoner population into the Game. Very civilized.

James Talbot on the cover. I really like it, it feels suitably pulpy and dangerous. Mixed on Douglas Herring’s cartoony interiors. When they hit, they hit! When they miss, they really miss.

#roleplaying game #dungeons & dragons #tabletop rpg #rpg #d&d #ttrpg #Tunnels And Trolls #Gamesmen of Kasar #noimport

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kangshxrtie · 5 months

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ch. 17 ⤍ best gamer

"i'm so stressed! neither wony nor kkura are texting me back! my two most famous friends ditched me" you ranted to your chat as soon as you started stream.

"so i am still playing with kazuha, eunchae, and yujin today no matter what. we might just end up playing a different game than planned"

you were about to say more but your phone lit up indicating you had a message, "wait they both texted me back"

"okay, i was stressed for no reason; they're both on their way now," you informed your chat, setting your phone down before joining the discord call, where kazuha, eunchae, and yujin were already waiting.

"wony and kkura will be a little late, but we can play something while we wait," you suggested to the group.

"fall guys?" yujin proposed. you immediately agreed, recalling the fun you used to have playing together. but during the first game, you quickly remembered just how much of a troll yujin could be.

"ok, the three of us are here, just need one more," you announced as i crossed the finish line with kazuha and eunchae.

"yujin, get up!" you yelled after seeing her rolling around on the ground when you switched to spectator mode.

"too easy," yujin said when she finally finished.

"was it?" eunchae chuckled.

"i was just letting other people get spots," yujin explained.

"i'm first; we're winning this!" yujin cheered as she went up the course.

"no, i'm winning the crown," kazuha declared from behind her.

"honestly, zooming," yujin remarked.

"this shit's mine; i'm the rightful heir to the throne."

"no, wait, kazuha, let me!"

"you're not getting it!"

"no! i'm right here!"

they both missed the jump and grab for the crown.

"how were both of y'all there, and we still lose!" eunchae exclaimed.

"listen, we both tried our best," kazuha replied.

"sometimes you just get unlucky," yujin added.

"i swear i pressed the button though," kazuha said.

"that was so sad," eunchae commented.

"it's fine; it was the first game, and we got to the finale. that means we win the next one," you reassured the group.

in the next game, a part of your group actually made it to the finals.

only you and eunchae were left; the goal was to be the last one with the tail.

"eunchae, i'll hold them back; you just run," you instructed the younger girl.

"okay, i trust you," eunchae replied.

yujin and kazuha guided her chaotically throughout the whole thing, providing tips on which way to go and how to dodge the other players.

she was getting crowded towards the end, but she jumped at the last second, keeping her tail and winning the crown.

we all excitedly cheered for the younger girl, knowing that a win for her was a win for the rest of the group.

"we can't just end on a win; we have to keep going," eunchae spoke up.

"we'll stop when sakura and wonyoung join," you said.

"let's just stay on this side and play offense," kazuha suggested as the round started.

"i'm going for their ball!" kazuha bumped the other ball, keeping it on the other team's side.

"pass me the ball!" eunchae yelled at kazuha when she was wide open and practically inside the goal.

"defense!"

"intercept!"

"counter attack!"

"put it in the hole!"

"kazuha, you can't just be yelling out random soccer terms," you teased.

"but it's working," eunchae mentioned.

eunchae headbutted a ball into the goal, scoring another point for our team.

"cleanest head bump i've ever seen," yujin said.

kazuha waited in the middle of the court for the next ball to spawn and hit it at the right angle, bumping it right into the goal. "long shot!"

"another one!" kazuha yelled, doing the exact same thing.

"yellow's getting so fucked right now," yujin observed.

"i got more!" kazuha jumped again, but this time, it went a little more to the right when the other team blocked it. you quickly moved your character to bump the ball into the goal, scoring a point for our team.

"they're not getting a single point off of us," you declared.

"no points," eunchae repeated.

"the best thing to do here is to stay relaxed and don't panic—bruh, get a fucking life, you degenerate motherfucker!"

"what did you just say about staying calm?" eunchae laughed.

"what did i just join into?" wonyoung asked as she finally joined the call.

"finally, we've been waiting for hours!" you exclaimed.

"sorry, my shoot was so long, and they would not let me leave until everybody on the staff team made sure it looked good," wonyoung apologized.

"i'm in!" kazuha cheered.

"i'm almost there if these people would stop grabbing me," yujin groaned.

"these are definitely wonyoung fans griefing us right now," you remarked to the group as a random person grabbed you.

"oh yeah, for sure," yujin agreed.

"i'm not even playing right now. don't blame my fans because y'all can't win," wonyoung teased.

"because it's my go-to whenever i'm losing," you told her.

"i got hit," yujin said.

"wait, i fell," kazuha said.

"can y'all please get it together?" you playfully scolded.

"where even are you?" yujin retorted.

"i'm in front of all of you; that's why you can't see me."

"i really don't remember how to play this," eunchae admitted. "okay, i lied. i finished."

"oh my god, i just threw," kazuha said.

"kazuha threw. kazuha threw," you repeated.

"we should just back out at this point," kazuha suggested after another failed attempt.

"i'm in!" yujin exclaimed.

"now let's leave" kazuha suggested again.

"no stop we can win this," eunchae declared, determination ringing in her voice.

"are you guys winning?" sakura's voice echoed through the call as she finally joined.

"nice of you to grace us with your presence," you teased sakura.

"i've been watching them lose for the past 20 minutes," wonyoung chimed in.

"well if both of y'all would have gotten here on time this wouldn't be an issue," you pointed out.

"why are you flying backward, y/n?" yujin's puzzled voice broke through the chatter.

"alright, let's leave!" you announced, not keen on the group witnessing your struggle against the wind any longer. "let's switch now that sakura and wonyoung are here."

you closed out of the game, swiftly changing the title on your stream. opening up the next game, you sent invites to everyone in the group. once they all joined, you all decided to do introductions so everyone's chat knew who was who.

"i'm pink," sakura announced, moving her character.

"i'm orange," kazuha declared, making her character jump.

"i'm blue," yujin chimed in, her character bouncing around.

"i'm red," wonyoung said, moving her character from left and right.

"i'm yellow," eunchae introduced.

"and i'm grey," you finished.

the initial part of the level was spent trying to figure out the game's mechanics.

wonyoung managed to grab the key and hopped onto the moving platform.

"who just went through the goddamn door?" sakura exclaimed.

"wait, i'm sorry, i didn't mean to," wonyoung apologized.

"do we just lose there?" yujin questioned.

wonyoung quickly exited the door and returned to the platform.

"ahh, so everybody has to be on," sakura realized.

kazuha and yujin kept jumping off the platform, you were definitely regretting inviting them to the same lobby. of course, the people who loved to troll you the most would get along.

eventually, we all managed to regroup and proceed to the next level.

as soon as the new level popped up, you knew you all were fucked. our characters were tied together by a string, forcing us to move together to avoid getting tangled.

"this is gonna be a disaster," wonyoung remarked.

at one point, eunchae found herself on top of sakura, hindering her from opening the door.

"wait, move so i can put the key in," sakura pleaded.

"just open the door," eunchae teased keeping her character still.

frustration bubbled up as sakura tried to maneuver her character, but eventually, eunchae relented, allowing us to progress to the next level.

you all continued up the stairs and the first person in line, kazuha happened to miscalculate the jump and went straight down the hole.

"ah, help! pull me back up!" kazuha screamed while laughing.

the group held down the backward key to pull her back up, and kazuha eventually got over the hole.

"everybody just walk my way, i can hold you all up," kazuha suggested, brimming with newfound confidence.

following kazuha's lead, spamming the jump and forward keys making your way across the hole.

"everyone just walk to me, and i'll pull," sakura chimed in, her voice a beacon of hope amidst the chaos.

"one person is supposed to dangle," sakura reminded the group, her words lost amidst the frantic jumping and scrambling.

as sakura leaped onto the top platform, the rest of us dropped down below, much to her confusion. "why are you all down there?"

sakura tried to pull the group back up with some desperate attempts of button mashing. but in the end, despite her best efforts, she ended up falling down too, forcing the level to restart.

"just press all the buttons," sakura instructed the group, noticing that every time a button was pressed, time was added.

"yujin, i saw you going the wrong way," you pointed out as she veered off course from her designated path.

"you saw nothing," yujin retorted.

"why's this level lowkey easy?" kazuha remarked just as the group approached the door.

"get in! get in!" everybody rushed toward the door, but you accidentally pressed the wrong button, moving to the left instead of entering, eliciting a chorus of groans from your teammates.

"who is grey? what the fuck were you doing?" you asked, hoping nobody noticed your mistake.

you tried to move up but got blocked by yujin, causing the round to be lost.

"y/n?" yujin questioned.

"you literally body-blocked me."

user1 this game is gonna end friendships

"wait, who's yellow?" you asked.

"me, why?" eunchae answered.

"oh, never mind, it's okay," you said, making everybody laugh.

"if it was kazuha or yujin, there would have been some problems," you joked.

sakura was still laughing at the previous comment as the next round started but ended up running into a wall. "who's pink?" she immediately stopped laughing to ask.

"kkura... i hate to break it to you," wonyoung said with a chuckle.

wonyoung, sakura, and kazuha executed their jumps flawlessly, and it was your turn next. as you jumped kazuha unexpectedly blocked your path, causing you to fall into the lasers.

user2 such a great team with great chemistry 💀

"i'm actually about to cancel our plans, kazuha," you said.

"wait, i'm sorry," kazuha apologized between fits of laughter.

"i feel like you don't actually mean that," you replied.

a few levels later, you found yourselves on the famous "don't push!" button section, and you were currently ten attempts in.

"i have yet to push a button," wonyoung boasted as she made it over two buttons before accidentally pressing one.

"where's the yelling now, y/n?" yujin teased immediately after.

"wonyoung is fine; she can do no wrong," you said with a hint of sarcasm.

"i didn't even really press it; it was like a small tap. that shouldn't have counted," wonyoung defended as the level started over.

"my record is still clean," eunchae chimed in once the group hit the halfway point in the level.

"you're definitely pressing one now," kazuha predicted.

just as predicted, eunchae was the next person to press a button.

"honestly, everybody just needs to stop talking," you said, feeling the frustration mounting.

"why the fuck did you jump on my head!" you exclaimed at yujin.

"you were in the way!" yujin retorted.

yujin then accidentally jumped on sakura, causing her to be unable to jump. "yujin!" sakura yelled.

"there is actually no way," eunchae laughed, shaking her head.

"yujin is inting as always! who invited her?" you exclaimed, half-jokingly.

"you did!" yujin responded with a playful grin.

"did i?" you asked, genuinely confused.

"do you actually not remember?" yujin laughed, amused by your forgetfulness.

"alright, that's it. i'm gonna stay next to yujin to make sure she doesn't jump on any buttons," wonyoung declared, taking charge of the situation.

the group was once again in sight of the door, and sakura, who had the key, went to open it. once the door was open, kazuha was next in line and undershot the jump, accidentally pressing the button.

"who did it, for the love of fucking god?" wonyoung sighed in frustration.

"zuha!" eunchae yelled out, pointing an accusing finger.

"somebody in my chat said i should've just stayed at my shoot when they saw the game we were playing, and i brushed it off thinking it couldn't be that hard. i was wrong," wonyoung grumbled.

"honestly, it's not that hard," kazuha insisted.

"it's not, just annoying," wonyoung agreed.

just as wonyoung replied, eunchae accidentally stepped on a button.

"eunchae!" kazuha yelled out, shaking her head in disbelief.

"i don't wanna hear shit from you, zuha," eunchae said, feeling a bit defensive.

finally, the end of the round was in sight, and almost everybody had made it in except for you and yujin.

"yujin, i'm not doing a fucking stand-off with you," you said, feeling exasperated.

yujin stood in front of the button, blocking your path. "what? i'm just reminiscing on all of our past attempts," she teased.

"we live in the same house; if you wanna hang out so bad, just come into my room," you told her.

"yujin, please move out of the way," wonyoung pleaded.

"if you don't move, i'll just press it," you warned her.

"if you don't move, and y/n presses that button, i'm never talking to you again," wonyoung threatened.

"please, end the suffering," eunchae begged.

with a final push from wonyoung, yujin reluctantly stepped aside, allowing you to make it through the level.

user5 button push counter kz - 35 yj - 33 yn - 7 wy - 5 sk - 4 ec - 3

"seriously, it's like they were in a contest to see who can press the most buttons," you remarked, rolling your eyes at kazuha and yujin's antics.

a couple of levels later, kazuha spits eunchae out onto the disappearing box, causing her to fall onto the lasers.

"i just watched a murder happen," wonyoung commented.

"kazuha just killed me!" eunchae exclaimed between fits of laughter.

in the next round, your character was just standing by the wall when kazuha sucked them up.

"kazuha just sucked me!" you announced before muting yourself in the call to talk to your stream and, add, "not in front of the child.

"i got it," kazuha assured, picking up the box.

"yeah, let kazuha do the drop. i trust her," i said.

"oh—" kazuha's voice trailed off after dropping the box way too early.

"i was let down,"

kazuha tried for three more rounds, each ending in failure, although she was getting closer each time. eventually, you decided it might be better if someone else took over.

"that's it. let sakura do it," you suggested.

"no! let me, i swear i know the timing now," kazuha pleaded.

we all agreed to let her try again, and this time actually she dropped the box on time. however, we all made the mistake of getting off when the slider reached the end, even though there was no key.

"oh, we messed up," yujin groaned.

we redid the round, and this time kazuha dropped the box with perfect timing. we made sure to stay put so the slider could go back for the key.

"my brain is so fried right now," eunchae muttered.

"i need both yujin and kazuha to pay for my therapy after this," wonyoung agreed.

"so, we're done?" sakura asked, hoping she could finally be free.

as soon as everybody agreed, you closed the game, went to your steam library, and clicked the uninstall button.

user2 THE QUICK UNINSTALL

user3 i don't wanna say who the worst players were but why was it yujin & kazuha

"it was definitely yujin and kazuha, but not because they're bad. it's because these motherfuckers are the biggest trolls i've ever played with," i chuckled.

"eunchae's not even that much of a troll!" you exclaimed.

_yujin_an blue was pretty good

"of course you think you were good"

zuhazana i think we were both pretty good. we made the game fun

_yujin_an they just don't get it

"no. you two are not doing this in my chat right now. i will ban the both of you," you threatened.

zuhazana nooo babe zuhazana pls don't revoke my chat privileges 🥺

"i might actually do it because of that" you joked.

_yujin_an not again. i just got unbanned

"and you need to be mindful as to why you were unbanned"

_yujin_an YOO GAEUL MADE FOOD COME DOWN HERE

"so looks like that's the end of the stream. i'll probably be back tomorrow or the day after that, just depends on how i feel," you said the rest of your goodbyes before clicking the end stream button and heading downstairs.

ALL CHAPTERS !!! | NEXT CH !!!

this chapter is dedicated to my roommate who took me to vegas for the twice concert even though she doesn't listen to k-pop 🥹🥹 (she does now, i recruited her). love her frfr 🫶🏽!

#kazuha x reader #le sserafim x reader #kazuha #nakamura kazuha #nakamura kazuha x reader #gxg #ive #kpop #jang wonyoung #miyawaki sakura #ahn yujin #hong eunchae

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ideasarestuckinmyhead · 25 days

Note

Faust with a Star who's an artist and asks him to pose for drawings (HCs/Short Story, whichever works for you!!)

Draw me like one of your French girls!

Bc of how cute this idea was I made it both <33

Loves being your model, doing poses you need with ease as you sketch it quickly

Honestly if you called him your muse he's giggling while telling you to stop (continue doing it he loves it so much)

If you need a specific pose he let's you move his body as you want it

Also 100% down changing outfits if you need to use them as a reference as well, he's basically Barbie with how many outfits he'll change in to

Makes silly jokes about the titanic how he's the Rose to your Jack.

When you finish the work he asks if he could post and brag about his awesome artist partner!

If you posted it already he's sharing it to all his social media platforms. Giggling as everyone complements how amazing it is

During streams he always talks about how you drew him again saying how loved he is by a artist.

"Like this?" Asking as he posed in front of Star. Looking at them with a soft smile, relaxing into the couch he lounged on. Faust's partner turned their head and smiled at the pose.

"Perfect! Your such an amazing poser! My muse!" Praising him, Star grabbed their pencil and started to sketch the base of how his body in on the couch. Preening Faust giggles hearing the nickname he loved so much.

"Is this for another commission?" Questioning, Faust watched as his artist's hand flys across the canvas. Quickly capturing how the pose is, he always loved seeing them work. It was like magic how they formed a blank surface into art.

"Yep! Red, is what he said to call him wanted an exact picture to that of Rose from the titanic. But it would be his partner." Mumbling Star's eyes shifted back and forth. From to canvas at their side to Faust posing in front of them so perfectly.

"Oh? Even naked? How scandalous~" Giggling as he wiggled his eye brows. Causing Star to snort at him, but then nodded as they recall the commission agreement.

"I know right? He got consent from his partner to send me a nude picture. Hopefully I do it justice!" Sighing out, Star remembered the first commission they did with a naked model. "I swear if I butcher it I'll quit art."

Faust pouted at that, but then remembered how distraught Star was when the commission was turned down. They tried redoing it multiple times but the commissioner just didn't like it. Huffing out Faust turned his head to them and spoke.

"Well if that person wasn't sooo picky! You wouldn't have felt bad. You redid it like....a thousand times! Honestly I wonder if they were just trolling you...." Mumbling out the last part, Faust saw Star shaking their head. Causing him to roll his eyes, Faust wishes they could see how their art was perfect and amazing.

"But still, I only need the pose then I can work from there. You wanna watch me work again? Might take longer than expected." Whispering as they focused on the canvas. Letting Faust think it over then sighing at them, shaking his head slightly.

"Can't there's this new game out I got sponsored for to play and I gotta do that before it'd deadline. Maybe when your done with this commission we can play together?" Asking hopefully, Star was on a break from gaming. To focus on finishing the few commissions they landed. Once again his partner shook their head, giving him a sad smile.

"I'm sorry muse, but I'll make it up by playing with you on Friday. I wanna focus on this commission. Don't worry I won't push myself that far." Giggling out the last bit. However Faust gave them a look, to be serious about the breaks and not pushing too far.

"I swear if you accidently don't eat for a day like last time and get sick. I'm killing you. With love of course." Smiling innocently as he batted his lashes. Star nodded at their partner, better to agree or it'll be a long conversation.

"Of course my muse, my moon, love of my life-" Babbling nicknames for him, Faust gave them another look to stop talking or they'll focus on praising him.

"Oops! Well, I'll sing your praises another day. Now, let me fix your pose real quick I think you moved a bit too much." Mumbling out as Star got up and tweaked with the pose a bit.

#red rants #yuurivoice #red answers #yuurivoice faust #red writes

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solarwoniii · 1 year

Text

PLAYING ROBLOX WITH THEM ! zb1

fluff, crack, :D

★ my perm taglist ; @hunbun07 @metalchick529 @chewryy @haesunflower @iraa567 !

⋆ -- jiwoong ; natural disaster survival

hes a big big big boomer so hes just confused the whole time

so ofc because youre such a kind s/o you choose a game where random things happen every two seconds and dont tell him at all how it works

POOR BABIE HES SO CONFUSED THE WHOLE TIME

tries following you around so he can survive the disasters but every time you purposely lead him to inevitable death

gets all mad and sulky bc ure 'being mean😠😠😠' so u eventually feel bad and help him get a win and hes so excited

every time u guys play roblox together after that he asks to play 'that one game with the tornados and the hurricanes'

AWWWJDIJNJXXNJJXSSI HES SO CUTE

⋆ -- zhanghao ; adopt me

scams little kids and refuses to share the pets he gets from it

runs away from u and locks you out of his house 😠😠

finally agrees to give you one of the pets if you give him something else in return

ENDS UP SCAMMING YOU AS WELL

you start a petition on the server and everyone starts reporting him

he gets his account banned for two weeks but he still claims it was worth it

⋆ -- hanbin ; work at a pizza place

awwww what a cute little wholesome couple activity aww

no. absolutely not.

the ENTIRE TIME you both are competing over who is better at each job.

'oh u delivered to that house? well guess what, i delivered to THREE in the time u did one'

'oh u boxed a few pizzas? well guess what, i boxed SIX in the time u did that.'

'oh u served a customer at the drive thru? well guess what, i served THAT ENTIRE LINE in the time u did that.'

he always somehow wins the little competitions and will not refrain from bragging in your face.

⋆ -- matthew ; fashion famous

touched on this here (nsfw post ! minors dont click)

its just the both of you bullying each other and competing like its the hunger games

'YOU COPIED ME!!' 'WHAT ARE YOU ON ABOUT I HAD THIS FIRST!!'

u guys get so mad when the other person wins

'I DESERVED THAT MORE THAN YOU DID!!!' 'WELL WHO WON LOSER?? WHO WON??/? THATS RIGHT I WON'

i swear it would be so fun playing together

probably your favourite way to spend time w each other

⋆ -- taerae ; royale high

hes classy what can i say yall

dresses up as an expensive prince and forces you to be his princess

he is somehow so crazy advanced at this game its scary

ofc he does share his riches with you 😍😍 gives you free stuff all the time

the two of you troll people tgt

but hes too nice so he ends up apologising for all the chaos that his s/o caused after a while (yes he blames it all on u)

⋆ -- ricky ; bloxburg

when he asked you to play bloxburg with him, you were excited to show off all your cool houses and how rich you were

. . . and then you saw his houses and his riches

IS SO ANNOYING will not stop flexing to you

takes u on a cute little date to pizza planet . . . and then leaves before paying 🙄

but ofc he was stupid and gave u builder perms on his house

so as payback you hung up photo frames everywhere with this photo

when he finds your damage he screams. literally screams the loudest scream you have ever heard him scream.

changes the double bed he placed in the bedroom for the both of you into two single beds placed on completely opposite sides of the room 😔😔😔 refuses to sleep beside you until u write him a formal apology

⋆ -- gyuvin ; zombie attack

U DO THAT THING WHERE WHEN YOU DIE YOU TURN INTO A ZOMBIE AND GO OVER AND ATTACK HIM TO FUCK W HIM

AND HE'S SO CONFUSED LMFAOAOOA

'WHY IS THIS ONE JUMPING !?!?!??!?!'

'ITS KILLING ME AAA'

'Y/N WHERE ARE U WHY ARENT U HELPING MEEEEEE'

when he finally looks on ur screen and realises YOU'RE the jumpy one hes so mad

the next round he purposely collects each and every zombie and then he goes and makes them all follow you LMFAOOO and then he gets himself killed so he can give you a little taste of your own medicine.

⋆ -- gunwook ; copyrighted artists

HELP MEE HIS DRAWINGS WLD BE SO FUNNY

also the type to cover your eyes if u guys come across one of those pp drawings..

and yet he always somehow tricks you into voting for his drawings

'oooohh that one is so nice i think it's the original' 'omg the others look so dumb i'm gonna pick to one in the middle' 'the other ones didn't even try this ones clearly the original'

LMFAOOO and he is so good at guessing which ones are yours

the trickster cannot be tricked

when you try and lie he catches it right away

'you always smile like that when you lie' 'i know how you draw stupid'

he knows u a lil too well 🙄🙄

⋆ -- yujin ; arsenal

BEATS UR ASS 💀💀 MULTIPLE TIMES 💀💀💀💀

has u begging for mercy (holds that shit over your head for the rest of your life)

'y/n ure so bad at this' 'SHUT UP I DONT WANNA TALK ABOUT IT'

he literally does not even try and you're dead.

his team is thriving because of him whilst your team is dying because of you . . . polar opposites

sometimes when you're sad or you're not feeing well he'll let you win on purpose tho :(( and he'll pretend to be all bummed for u when u rub it into his face AAAA

280 notes · View notes

nekropsii · 9 months

Note

🔥 <- Beta trolls as a friendgroup

[For the Unpopular Opinion Ask Game!!]

Okay, this isn't an opinion, this is a cry for help. No one talks about the Beta Trolls as a friend group and it makes me mad. Forcing everyone to stop talking about 13 year old children kissing for five seconds. Think about the friendships. No, Meowrails does not count, that's a Romantic Relationship. Think about Vriska and Equius. Think about Kanaya and Feferi. Think about Karkat and Eridan. Do not romantically entangle them when thinking about these friendships, I swear to god. Just consider the relationships they have with each other in canon. Think about friendship. Please. It is not lesser to romance. For the love of god.

The friendships are literally what make Homestuck Homestuck, and yet they're so deeply, deeply neglected by the fandom. Just stab me in the eye already.

#homestuck #beta trolls #nekro.sms

100 notes · View notes

sliced-peaches · 2 months

Text

starry 🌠

hwang hyunjin | 2.4k

lil drabble (?) bc I love hyun and I love love. funny love languages and confessions. that’s it

barely proofread, no warnings, just a couple of besties to lovers

pls enjoy 💕

There’s a buzz running through your body, a pleasant one, as you walk towards the car. As you approach the passenger side door, Hyunjin rolls the window down and smiles in a way that has your heart clenching. Full of warmth, a hint of mischief. Just how you like it.

“You wear that skirt just for me?” He attempts to wriggle his eyebrows for extra flair.

You try your best to curtsy, both of you snorting at how ridiculous it looks in a mini skirt. “Mostly for me, but I’m glad you’re enjoying.”

He throws his head back and laughs.

“Get in, loser.”

Once the door closes, he’s reaching into his backseat, fumbling through various items that should probably be in his apartment (or in the trash!) but will probably remain in the car for another month or so. And you’ll complain at least three more times before he finally does anything about it. “Okay, I got you something.”

A giant smile is already forming on your face, expecting a gag gift or some strange souvenir from a museum or vintage shop he’s visited recently. You’ve dedicated a shelf (or two) on the bookshelf in your apartment to the collection of random oddities. From small trolls and rubber ducks, clown salt shakers to a giant drinking glass shaped like the leg lamp from “A Christmas Story”.

You can never truly be prepared for what Hyunjin decides is worth the purchase. The collection goes beyond the shelf though; you have beautiful vases on end tables, old postcards from places that might not even exist anymore taped onto the wall, a few teacups in the cupboard (he has the matching cups in his own). Pieces of wood carved into various animals, like the screaming squirrel he said reminded him of Jisung. He got a good deal on an extinct pinned beetle that’s hanging in your bedroom.

(“Hyun, this must have been expensive!”

“I haggled with the owner for a bit, it helps when they don’t know shit about bugs.”)

It’s hard not having the eyes of your artist friend, you could never curate anything half as insane as Hyunjin. So you try to pay him back by getting his coffee often, being a really good photographer (not like it’s hard, look at him), babysitting Kkami when he’s out of town, making baked good that he swears could rival Felix’s. Anything to make life easier on him, even when he says he doesn’t need you to.

He says he just thinks of you when he finds these gifts, thinks you’d like them or “appreciate the humor”. He doesn’t tell you he also just loves to see you smile at weird things with him. You don’t tell him how your heart almost beats out of your chest thinking about how sweet it is that he wants to share them with you.

It’s like a little game, a willed secret between the two of you, that you’ll harbor as long as you have to, to be able to share these fleeting moments of pure love. He can’t lose your smile, you can’t lose his warmth. So he continues to place strange tokens of love into your hands like a penguin sharing a pebble.

But today, he pulls a rectangular shaped gift wrapped in brown paper. It’s so tame in comparison to everything else, you’re scanning his face to see if it’s a joke. All you find is a small smile, almost shy. A shy Hyunjin is a rare occurrence.

It’s surprisingly light once he places it in your hands. “This one is special. You have to open it in front of me.”

You tsk. “Right now?”

“Yeah, why not?” He adjusts in the seat so he’s facing you, one foot on the seat and his knee pressed to his chest.

You look around and out the back window. “You’re parked illegally too-“

“Hurry up and we can leave!” He hurries your hesitancy along with his hands, practically bouncing in his seat. He’s unbelievably cute like this: nervous, excited and a little pushy. So you indulge him.

Running your hands along the front, your finger stops where he’s written something: to my special friend

“Aw, I’m your special friend?”

He looks away, but can’t hide the way the tips of his ears start to tint red.

“Shut up, hurry up,” He whines while you giggle and you snap a photo of his handwritten note with your phone.

“Okay! Okay.”

You carefully start to unwrap your gift, starting with the small pieces of tape on the backside. Careful not to ruin what’s inside, you pull the paper back slowly (agonizingly so, he thinks). His full attention is on you when you finally pull the paper away, anticipating your reaction.

At first, you’re silent as you stare at what is actually a small canvas in your hands. It’s not hard to make out. Two people sit side by side on a couch, no clear faces. There aren’t many details but the colors.

“Did- did you paint this?”

He nods. “I did.”

“I had to make sure, this would’ve been a crazy find out in the wild.”

He’s chewing on his bottom lip while you continue to study his painting. What if she hates it? “…do you like it?”

“Yes, I love it!” You carefully drag a finger across the picture, feeling the dried texture of oil paint. “It’s beautiful, Hyunjin. I’m sorry, I just can’t get over the colors. The couch is pretty, and the people don’t bleed into it at all. I feel like I’ve seen this before. How did you-“ You cock your head to the side, something about this scene so familiar to you. The slope of shoulders, positioning of bodies. “Is this us?”

“It is.” He slightly adjusts in his seat. He doesn’t know why he’s so nervous, it’s just you, but he feels like maybe he crossed some imaginary line for whatever reason. That he probably drew himself.

“You let Jeongin borrow your Polaroid one of the first few times we all hung out. He took a picture of us on some strangers couch. I can’t even tell you who’s, I got so drunk that night.”

“Dude I remember now because that’s the same night we made a drinking game out of how many times drunk Felix told someone he loved them, that’s why you were so fucked up.” He groans thinking about the hangover the next day. “My bad.”

It was mostly your idea, already three drinks in to Felix’s six or seven when he started to drunkenly tell every single one of his friends how much they meant to him, teary eyed and sniffling. Hyunjin was curled into your side cackling, a weepy Felix curled into the other before Chan had enough and hauled him over his shoulder to get some food in him. You vaguely recall stumbling out of said strangers house, the both of you clinging to each other and laughing because you couldn’t stand or see straight.

That was the first night of many outings with dear friends, but the first night you looked at Hyunjin and realized how bright of a star he was. From his laugh to his smile, to the little sticky note drawings he’d leave for you during classes, the way he cried when he saw monkeys fighting in a documentary, the cute jingles he’d make off the top of his head when you shared a treat. You would never ask the star to come any closer, content with just being able to witness. But you also hoped it would shine in your sky for a long, long time.

“Anyway, Jeongin found the photos from that night, I’ll have to show you the rest later because they’re fucking insane. But the one he took of us was… honestly the best photo of us ever. And I didn’t even know it existed until about two weeks ago.”

“What a find. That’s from, like, two years ago.”

He’s fiddling with the ring on his hand. Placing yours on his shoulder, you squeeze and he looks at you. Just takes a good look at you, eyes full of sincerity when he speaks again.

“A good two years it’s been.”

He begins to unfold and sit in the drivers seat like a normal person, taking the paper from you and haphazardly throwing it into the backseat.

“This is such a special gift, Hyun. Really. Thank you.”

As he brings his arm forward, he ruffles your hair. “For a special lady.”

“Ugh we’re getting sappy today, this is so cute.” You wipe a fake tear from your eye. But your words are honest. “You’re just so talented. I’m honored you gave me this. What a testament to our friendship. I don’t even know if I can match this.”

“Don’t even think about that. You mean so much to me.” He remembers the invisible line. He decides since he might have already crossed it anyway, with no complaints, he might as well just be honest. “More than you know.”

“You mean a lot to me, too.”

Pausing to look at each other, you fall into habit.

“I love you.”

Said a thousand times.

“I love you, too.”

This time it’s a little different.

Something shifts between you two, something like your definitions of love finally lining up to mean the same thing. There’s an unstoppable force causing you both to lean in closer to each other only to stop with tour noses mere centimeters away. Almost as if you’re synced you give each other a three second long opportunity for an out, eyes meeting and looking for any sign of uncertainty, but then simultaneously leaning forward to close the gap. You were both certain, you both wanted this.

Your lips press into his gently, and he smiles into yours, a hand coming up to cup your face. There’s a shared warmth in split into each chest, over bloomed and ready to spill out. Hyunjin’s chest almost bursts open when you lay your hand over his, so he deepens the kiss, hoping you can feel all the love he’s been storing away for you. Love he was uncertain he’d ever be able to expel. Your chest is so full it feels like you can’t breathe, full of love for this beautiful, strange man, that it almost pains you to part from him to catch your breath.

He rests his forehead against yours, the most beautiful smile plastered onto his face. He smiles so big his eyes are crescents, and the brightest laugh erupts from his chest. You can’t help but laugh with him, at him, at yourself, at this. It’s a pleasant surprise, and yet you’re not surprised one bit. Of course this is how it goes.

You kiss his cheek. “I know you know this but you’re gorgeous.”

“It has taken on such a different meaning hearing you say it to me like that.”

“And I’ll say it again.” You kiss him once. “And again.” Twice. “I always meant it before.”

“I know but I wasn’t sure if you ever saw me like that.“ The corner of his mouth twists up, thinking back on how his heart would race when you’d simply compliment him, at the time knowing it was just what good friends do. But from you, it meant everything. “It’s one thing to gas up a friend, it’s another to tell them how truly fucking beautiful you think they are.”

You falter. His gaze is something you’ve seen him give you before, but this time you aren’t trying to convince yourself that it doesn’t mean what you truly wish it did. “You think I’m beautiful?”

With a chuckle, he tucks a loose strand of hair behind your ear.

“You’ve always been the brightest star in my sky.”

It’s like hearing your soulmate saying the magic words. Of course these two stars would end up in the same constellation. You should’ve known sooner.

“Ugh, shut up.” And you kiss him again.

“You’ve always been the only star in my sky.”

Pulling away, he feigns offense. “This is not an opportunity to one up my compliments.”

“Get used to it, loser.” You sit back and settle into your seat. “And let’s go. You’ve had the hazards on for like fifteen minutes.”

#stray kids #skz #hwang hyunjin #hwang hyunjin x reader #hyunjin x reader #skz x reader #just wanted to feel something warm in my chest too!!#skz fic #stray kids fic

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