#they could always start with why they were yelling about someone oddly specific on different occasions bc you know

[trashycosmos]

can we talk about the funniest thing of the whole experience was someome who sb me for almost 10 months straight saying they were upset i wasn't nice/distant/cold and didn't apologize for it and when i called out their behavior there was no apology from them they just didn't want to talk anymore lol

[askthechronoverse]

Chapter Two: Nightmare Intrusion

Last Chapter •||• Next Chapter

The skies of the kingdom darkened as the ground around Unikitty and her four friends opened up around them. This all came so suddenly, there was barely time to react. She barely even knew what was going on around her.

"Richard! Get the princess and prince to the castle! We'll take care of this!"

She couldn't tell who shouted this, but she knew who they were shouting to: the brick who was assigned as her advisor. He seemed different somehow. The brick held himself with more confidence and seemed to be more willing to take charge of the situation.

"Princess, we need to go now. There's no time to help them." The monotone of her advisor was gone, replaced with a frantic panic she never thought she'd hear from the brick. A large hole opened in the ground behind the three of them as they headed for the Unikingdom castle.

With a yell, the royal cat sat up in her bed. She looked out the window at the fall leaves gathered in a neat pile under a tree in the dark of the late night. What was that horrible dream? She glanced at her bed and frowned. This was the third time this week she had that dream. It scared her to her core because, if she was still having this dream, something had to be wrong. It was time to ask for help. She thought for a moment about who to ask, someone with experience in scary dreams like this. A lightbulb came on over her head. She headed down to the basement, to a computer in Doctor Fox's lab. She connected to a chat window and hoped the person on the other line answered.

There was a reply, from a woman with pink and blue hair. Good enough for now.

"Unikitty? It's late for you, isn't it? Is something wrong?" The woman held a bowl of cereal in one hand, the spoon in her mouth and muffling her speech.

"Is Emmet home, Wyldstyle? I need someone to talk to about something." Unikitty shuffled her paws from where she stood, hoping her sinking feeling was wrong.

“He just left for work, Unikitty. You look scared. Is there something I can do?” Wyldstyle frowned sharply, concerned for her old friend.

“I don’t know if you can. See, I keep seeing things in my dreams. Things that I don’t remember seeing before. I’m not going to lie, Wyldstyle: I am scared.” Unikitty’s voice was soft and quiet, shaking as she spoke.

“What are you seeing? This could be something big.” She listened as the royal cat described her dreams, eyes widening as she spoke. “I’ll have Emmet call you back as soon as possible.That could be a real problem for everybody. It may take a while to reach him since he's making contact with some new alien species out in the middle of the Wurk-Bentch Nebula.” The cat nodded and the call disconnected, leaving Unikitty in total darkness.

She slowly walked up the stairs, trying to suppress the dream as much as possible for the time being. Put the scary thing somewhere she could never find it… until it needed to be found again, anyway.

The morning soon came and the dream was forgotten with a decent night’s sleep. She looked out the window again to greet the day, seeing that her brother and Richard were already outside. Puppycorn was jumping into the leaf pile while Richard was raking the pile back up again. As she watched the two, she blinked for a second. When she looked at the puppy from this far away, her mind became disjointed and confused. Brother. The word was starting to sound weird to her. She had accepted the fact she was provided a brother before, but why? The thought never occurred to her. She was too busy having fun, then getting attacked by the Doom Lords, to worry about the whole disconnect. Why would she get a brother as part of the gift the Queen gave her? That’s oddly specific… and vaguely familiar.

She headed outside and to the tree. She stopped at a short distance, just far enough to observe. Her eyes drifted to Richard. Did the brick always look so worn and melancholic, like he was going to break at any time from some unknown weight? She couldn't recall. Puppycorn had told her he was always like this when they first met, so she accepted it. But, in the early morning light, she could see a look of mourning in his eyes that she couldn't ignore anymore. She wanted to say something, but the brick had floated off to do some other chore while she was thinking about all this.

She turned her attention to the puppy. How was her brother a puppy? She was a cat. If the Queen wanted her to have a friend that could be *like* a brother to her, that made sense. But this wasn't how the puppy put it when he introduced himself to her when she moved to the Unikingdom.

"Hey, big sis! You're up really early today!" Puppycorn bounced a little as he spoke. There it was. "Big sis". The puppy called her that when they first met, too. "Good morning!"

"Oh, hey, Puppycorn. Good morning." Unikitty flashed a friendly smile, hiding her slowly rising feeling of confusion. "So, were you giving Richard a hard time?"

"I guess. I see a pile of leaves, I gotta jump in 'em! Ya know how it is, right?" He looked over at the neat pile of leaves Richard had left, the temptation to ruin the brick's diligent work painted on his furry face, but his attention went back to his sister.

"Can I ask you something, little bro?" Unikitty gave her brother a soft smile. There was something about the pup that made her want to be gentle, but she had to go for it. She had to ask the dog something to see why she was feeling so weird about the nature of their relationship.

"I probably won't know the answer, but sure!" His little ball tail wagged. He was so eager, so willing to help.

"Do you remember what I was like when I was younger?" The question was asked like it was a normal question to ask at that time. What she didn't expect was the reaction to such a simple question.

The puppy stared at her blankly, still as a statue. His face held no expression, all light in his eyes vanishing. It didn't last long, maybe around a millisecond or two. When his expression returned, he instantly gave his sister a hug.

"Oops! Spaced out there! I did say I probably couldn't answer your question! Sorry about that…" The puppy shrugged, but his expression gave Unikitty the distinct impression that he was worried he'd said something wrong. "Anything else, sis? I wanna help more but… The pile is just calling my name! I have to jump in it!"

"Go and jump on in, Puppycorn. Be careful you don't get bugs in the castle, OK? Richard'll probably have a heart attack or something." She gave the puppy a pat on the head and he bolted off to play.

Speaking of Richard, maybe she needed to talk to him about all this. It was just so hard to find him, sometimes. It was almost like…

Unikitty was alone. Behind her, the setting felt out of focus and nebulous. In front of her was a coffin, a wreath made of roses and daisies and a framed photo of Richard rested at the side pointing to the cemetery. She was saying something but she couldn't understand most of it, the words coming out almost like a radio stuck between two active stations.

"...And I lost my friend, Richard… I'm so sorry, Richard!"

She blinked a moment, backing away from the tree. What was that? That never happened before! Richard was clearly alive! She ran to the castle like a bolt, trying to find the one common thread in her visions so far.

After hours of searching, she couldn't find him. Whenever she thought she saw him, he was gone as quickly. It was almost like he didn't want to be found or something. She frowned, looking up at the clock. It was almost lunchtime now. She could corner him in the kitchen, because he was always cooking for the castle. She rushed through the door to find…

No Richard. All that was in the room were some pizza boxes. It looked like the castle caretaker may have been too busy to cook today. She guessed it didn't matter for right now. It was lunchtime and she had to assume Richard was nice enough to buy lunch. Push it down, push it down, until she needed it later.

The rest of the day was like a game of hide and seek with her advisor. He seemed to have vanished, which scared her all the more. By the time evening came, she was getting worried.

She almost jumped when the phone rang. She snatched it up and almost whispered a hello.

"Hello? Did someone pick this up? If ya said somethin', speak up." She sighed at the voice. It was Rex.

"RJ. Hey." Unikitty's voice gained a small amount of lost enthusiasm.

"Well now. That's a warm greeting if I ever hear one." The man laughed and Unikitty smiled. That laugh made her feel better deep inside, it was just that warm. "I've got some weird news from the mainland. Apparently, Emmet's takin' some time off to come see us. He called me and asked if I had room at the cabin for him to crash for a few days." Emmet was coming here? She thought he was just calling her. Was the dream that important? "I asked him if he'd rather stay at a hotel, but he insisted on stayin' with me. Ya want me ta tell ya when he lands?"

"Yes. Please. I have something I want to talk to him about."

"Hey, is everything OK, Princess? Ya seem a little… what's the word… stressed?" Rex was concerned and that was very clear by his tone.

"I'm fine. I'm glad you asked, but I'm fine. I just have some questions for him."

"Anything I can help with? I was… y'know…"

"No, RJ. I'm fine. Really. It's just… some dreams I've been having. That's all." She didn't know what she was seeing anymore, let alone how to describe all this to her friend over the phone. "If Emmet can't help, I'll ask you about it, OK?"

"Yeah, I get it. He should be here in a few days, so hang in there."

"Thank you, RJ. See you tomorrow?"

"Of course. I still gotta bring ya those pumpkins." The two friends disconnected and Unikitty floated off to get ready for bed. Richard has to show up eventually, right?

From the shadows, a pair of large, half closed eyes narrowed at Unikitty's retreating form. This situation would need to be monitored.

[lancermylove]

Oh No, He Didn’t! (Oneshot)

Fandom: Twisted Wonderland

Pairing: Leona x fem!Reader x Malleus

Warning: None

Requested by: Anon

Prompt: Can I request a oneshot where Leona has a crush on the reader and the reader has a crush on Leona and they are in a kind of weird situation because it is starting to get obvious, then bam! Malleus confesses to the reader and who sees? Of course the lazy lion. Happy ending with Leona please. I had to request this after you said love triangles were okay as long as the reader ends up with one. Feel free to ignore this if this is so specific and sorry. I am the one that requested malleus Leona love triangle, I forgot to specify the gender of the reader, so it could be female or gn I don’t mind. Sorry for saying it separately.

A/N: Anon, I love specific requests! Don’t worry about sending the messages separately. As long as I’m not finished with the request, I don’t mind anyone sending in any changes or additions. Also, I had fun writing this request! Thank you for sending it in. 😊

Word Count: 2,368

———————————————

When you first met him, you thought he was too aloof for his own good. Every meeting after that usually resulted in the two of you arguing to the point where even Ruggie got used to it. So, how did you end up developing a crush on him? You couldn't deny he was attractive, but his lazy, callous, and straightforward personality? You never once saw him as a potential candidate to add to your “I wouldn’t mind dating him” list. So, how? 

One day while sitting in the NRC courtyard, you were talking to Lilia about movie clichés. "Oh, and let's not forget the romantic movie clichés. The moment where the female lead can't decide which guy she likes and one of her friends asks which man she likes, and supposedly, she sees the image of the guy she loves once she closes her eyes. That man is the one her heart truly desires." 

"Hey, (y/n), if you close your eyes, do you see the image of any man?" Lilia asked curiously, turning his head to glance at you. 

"What? Lilia, why would you even ask me that?" You blinked rapidly and giggled, "I don't believe in such cliché things." 

"Try it. Who knows, maybe your heart likes someone without your mind realizing it," the Fae let out a laugh and beckoned you to try. 

"Fine," you sighed and closed your eyes as you laughed internally at the thought of your heart liking someone. Suddenly, you opened your eyes and stared at the ground, paralyzed. 

Lilia quietly watched you with a smirk and pressed the side of his index finger to his lips. "So, who did you see?" 

"W-What? I didn't see a-anyone," you quickly averted your eyes and stuttered, not wanting the Fae to know the truth. 

"Are you certain?" He teased.

"Of course!" You nearly yelled, causing Lilia to laugh. 

That night your eyes refused to shut as your mind kept wondering how in the world did Leona's face flash behind your closed eyelids? You weren't sure if your heart desired to be with him, or if your mind was playing tricks on you. 

"I am going crazy..."

----

Oddly enough, after that incident, you started to notice the changes in Leona's behavior. Was it just your imagination or was he being nicer to you? He didn't make rude remarks or laugh at unfortunate events that happened throughout your day. Leona even listened to your long speeches and stayed awake to talk to you. Not to mention, he invited you to take a nap with him whenever you looked upset. You weren't sure if he was always like this and you didn't notice, or if your mind was messing with you again.

Leona also took note of the changes in your behavior towards him. For some reason, you blushed a lot and acted more girly than usual. Did you just giggle at his words? Why does your giggle sound so sweet to him? Why is your smile making his heart race? Did you always look this beautiful? What is going on? Leona felt like he was losing his mind.

Even Ruggie picked up on your unusual interactions, but unlike the two of you, the hyena figured out the reason behind the sudden change. He even made a bet with Jack, saying the two of you are going to end up dating. Jack, on the other hand, thought his senpai was being delusional or must've eaten something odd. Though both the Savanaclaw members could agree that when you and Leona were together, the atmosphere around you two was very awkward.  

----

Not wanting to spend time with Leona, you decided to spend a few hours with Silver and his animal friends in the nearby forest. You watched Silver interacting with a grey-furred squirrel with a wide smile. Out of nowhere, you noticed firefly-like specks floating in the air, and a few seconds after, Malleus appeared without Lilia or Sebek by his side. 

"Hello, Silver. Hello, (y/n)." The tall dragon politely greeted with a kind smile.

"Hi, Malleus, what brings you here?" You rose to your feet and fixed your dress as you waited for his reply. 

The leader of Diasomnia turned to his dormmate and said, "I would like to speak to her alone." 

Silver nodded and took a few steps away before turning his back to the two of you. Malleus chuckled and shook his head, "No, Silver, return to the dorm. Also, be sure to keep my location a secret from Sebek." 

Reluctantly, the silver-haired man excused himself and followed the prince's order, taking his animal friends with him. After he left, you turned your attention to the dragon and asked, "How do you manage to sneak away from Sebek?" 

"With Lilia's help," he replied, "Would you join me for a stroll?"

"Sure." 

The two of you quietly walked around the forest, enjoying the occasional chirping of the birds and humming of the insects. The sun shone high in the sky, but the dense vegetation provided sufficient shade. The gentle breeze caused the leaves to rustle every so often. Out of the corner of your eyes, you noticed Malleus looking straight ahead with a serene smile. As if he noticed you staring at him, his smile grew wider. 

"(Y/N), I would like to tell you a secret, but could you make a promise to me?" He asked, breaking the silence, "No matter your answer, promise me that we will continue to be as we are now." 

You found his request strange but nodded, "S-Sure...what would you like to tell me?" 

Malleus stopped under a large tree decorated with tiny blue flowers and turned to face you. "When I first met you, I found you to be intriguing. I always wished to spend time with a human, but most feared and still fear my presence. You, though, are different..." 

He studied your expression for a moment before continuing, "I would like to thank you for accepting me as a friend, but if you would consider accepting me as more than a friend, I would be even more grateful." 

"A-As...more than...a friend?" You tilted your head and stared at him with your lips parted. Not sure what he meant by those words, you waited for him to explain. 

"I feel a strange attraction to you, and I, myself, did not understand what it meant. When I told Lilia of this, he said the strange attraction is called love. Seems like I have developed feeling for you, child of man," Malleus chuckled. 

For a moment, you gaped at him with your mouth ajar, repeating his words in your mind over and over. Once you realized that he was confessing to you, you averted your eyes and covered your burning cheeks with your hands. Never once did you expect the Malleus Draconia to confess his love to you, and here he was, in front of you admitting his feelings for you. As you reveled in his confession, a face suddenly flashed before your eyes - the face of the same lazy lion you were trying to avoid. 

"I...," you lowered your gaze in utter confusion. You couldn't deny that you liked Malleus, but was he really the man you wanted to be with? 

Sensing your hesitation and uncertainty, Malleus rested his hand on the top of your head. "You needn't reply to me at this moment. Take your time." 

"Please don't get me wrong, Malleus, I like you a lot," you looked at him through your lashes and whispered, "but thank you for giving me time to think over it." 

Unbeknownst to you, Leona was napping under a tree nearby when he thought he heard your voice. His eyes shot open when he heard Malleus, and he immediately sat up as soon as he heard the dragon confess his feelings to you. Leona growled under his breath as he rose to his feet. He was going to give that pestering dragon a piece of his mind, or so he thought until he heard you say you like him a lot. The lion squeezed his eyes shut, bared his fangs, and tightly curled his hands into fists. He turned on his heels and stormed away not wanting to hear anything more. 

----

"What is his problem?" You sighed and sunk into the bench. For the past few days, you couldn't find Leona anywhere, not his usual spots, not new spots, not even in his dorm. He didn't even reply to your messages or calls. 

"Is he trying to avoid me?" You mumbled, getting up and heading towards the cafeteria. Your heart felt heavy, but you couldn't understand why. "Someone take this twisted feeling away..."

Right then you noticed the familiar golden-yellow uniforms and hurried towards the group of three. Sensing your presence, Leona began to walk away from Ruggie and Jack. 

"Hey!" You latched onto his arm and jumped in front of him, "Why are you avoiding my calls and messages? Where have you been?" 

He looked at you with an icy stare and spoke in a flat voice, "Why do you care?" 

"W-What? Leona, what do you mean?" You asked, taken aback by his crude reply. " What...what is your problem?"

"You are," he answered bluntly. 

You winced at his words and lowered your gaze, blinking away the saline liquid filling your eyes. 

"What are you doing here with me? Go to your dear dragon." He growled and stomped away, not waiting for your reaction. 

"Dear...dragon?" You mumbled under your breath while slowly lifting your head to look at Leona's back. Then, it hit you. He started to avoid you since the day Malleus confessed to you. Leona heard what Malleus said to you? Is he upset because of that?

Feeling your head spinning, you found a quiet place away from everyone. No matter how many times you tried, you couldn't calm your racing heart and restless mind. 

"What...do I do?" 

Tears clouded your vision and landed on your lap, leaving stains on your blue dress. Out of your peripheral vision, you noticed Lilia appearing out of thin air and taking a seat next to you. 

"Are you confused?" He asked knowingly while gently stroking your head. 

"I don't know what to do..."

"Then why not ask your heart?" He chuckled slightly. 

"My...heart?" You gazed at him baffled. 

"You know, like in the cliché movies," the Fae laughed and wiped your tears with his back of his fingers. 

"But Lilia-"

He shook his head and interrupted before you could finish your sentence, "Don't worry, my dear. Regardless of your decision, neither Malleus nor I will stop talking to you." 

"P-Promise?" You asked, innocently holding out your pinky finger for him. 

"Promise," Lilia chortled, linking his slim pinky finger with yours, "Now...(y/n), who do you like - Leona or Malleus?" 

You took in a deep breath and hesitantly closed your eyes. Much to your shock, Leona's face instantly glowed in the darkness. You began to recall certain moments with him. The time the two of you argued over who gets the last sandwich, the lazy day you spent with him in the botanical garden, the time where you napped with him, using his muscular arm as a pillow, and the time where you opened your eyes after a nap to find his face only a few inches away from yours. 

As you slowly opened your eyes and blinked a few times to adjust your vision to the sunlight, Lilia studied your face intensely. 

"So, who did you see?" 

Without thinking once, you replied, "Leona..." 

The Fae let out a hearty laugh and patted your back, "Well, what are you waiting for? Go tell him." 

"Will...Malleus be okay?" 

"Yeah, he will sulk a bit and lock himself in his room, but then he will realize he doesn't want to lose you a friend, and in no time, he will be back to his old self." 

You giggled as you watched him mimicking Malleus's expressions. "Thanks, Lilia. You're the best!"

After hugging him, you ran from one place to another in an attempt to locate Leona. You finally found him in the forest, standing in front of a pond. Running up to him, you threw your arms around him and buried your face in his back. 

"O-Oi, Herbivore, what do you think you're doing?" He asked, startled. Even though you could tell he didn't want to talk to you, even though he tried to wiggle out of your grip, even though he may reject you, you decided to tell him how you feel. 

"I choose you." 

"What?" Leona asked as he turned his head back to glance at you.

"I choose you. I love you, and only you, Leona." 

Feeling his body stiffen, you tightened your grip around him. The lion stared at a lotus floating in the pond, his eyebrows raised, and eyes widened as if he was a deer caught in the headlights. 

"You w-what?" He asked in a breathless voice, wanting to make sure he heard you correctly. 

"I choose you! You. You. You!" 

Leona parted your arms and turned towards you, still in shock. Seeing his expression, you giggled for a bit, but quickly avert your eyes from him. "Actually, Lilia helped me realize that I like you..." 

"Lilia? How exactly did he help you?" Leona asked in a voice much softer than his usual stern tone. 

"He asked me who I liked and told me to close my eyes. The man whose face I see is the one I love...you know, like in the romance movies...," you bit the corner of your bottom lip and blushed, "I saw your face." 

Within seconds, Leona's laughter echoed throughout the forest, "That's how you decided who you like? Seriously, Herbivore?" 

"Hey!" You pouted and crossed your arms, "My heart showed me the path, okay? If you don't want me to choose you, then I can always go to Malle-"

Before you could finish the sentence, Leona grabbed your jaw, tilted it up, and smashed his lips against yours. 

"Don't you dare finish that sentence. You are mine and only mine, Herbivore," he whispered against your lips and deepened his kiss. 

———————————————

➣ Twisted Wonderland Masterlist ➣ Buy me a Ko-fi or Commission?

[edasnest]

Might you have any Raeda headcanons you'd be willing to share?

Oh shit I didn’t see that you sent this to me until now oh man.

But you better believe I’ve got some Raeda headcanons >:D

[Spoilers for Eda’s Requiem and Knock Knock Knockin on Hooty’s Door! Also a little bit of a character study regarding those eps lol]

Raine is constantly in awe of Eda. Eda’s desire to learn every kind of magic and buck tradition and societal norms sometimes leaves them breathless. When they were young, Raine always admired Eda for the clever pranks she’d pull using different kinds of magic despite being in the potions track. They also admired Eda’s boldness when it came to standing up for herself and her sister.

Eda found Raine to be interesting considering they were in the bard track despite their stage fright, but once Eda watched them perform and saw how they’d lose themself in the music was, no pun intended, magical. They had a fierce grip on Eda’s heart and she didn’t know why; she was fascinated by Raine and made it her goal to be best friends with this oddly shy bard (which she achieved pretty quickly).

After Eda’s curse caused her to unintentionally disable her dad, she was terrified of what it would mean if she was caught off guard like that again. So she started putting up walls. No stressful situations, no hard conversations, no sudden bright lights or loud sounds that she wasn’t the cause of. If she could be in control of her surroundings, she could control the Owl Beast. The elixir she’d discovered that could keep the curse’s side effects at bay helped maintain her sanity and her chill demeanor, but Raine was able to tell she was always slightly on edge. Raine knew about the curse; after Eda had transformed on the Grudgby field the first time everyone had been talking about it, but they didn’t know the extent of it. Everyone just said she’d turned into a monster and then fled; but what kind of monster?? But every time Raine tried to get more information about it, Eda would brush it off and change the subject. It broke their heart watching Eda brush off something that was clearly bothering her, and eventually it all came to a head. She was lying more and more often to Raine and they just couldn’t take it anymore. What happened to their best friend??? Why would she lie to them????? It was maddening and all the frustration and aching in their heart became too much. They needed to focus on something other than Eda. They weren’t nearly as bold as Eda, even after all these years, so they joined the Bard Coven in order to start teaching and building a career for themself. They’d happily welcome Eda back if she’d just tell them what was going on. But it never happened. Burying themself into their work and then, eventually, into the BAtTs helped keep the heartache at bay, but only sometimes.

Eda and Raine caught glimpses of each other as the years passed. They’d spot one another in the market or Raine would see a flash of unmistakable ginger hair dashing around a corner; sometimes they’d hear Eda yelling at some Coven guards and quietly hope she’d make her escape. Eda would occasionally see posters advertising a performance starring Raine; she’d either buy a ticket or sneak in just to listen to them play again. She could never stay for very long though because listening to them play made her heart hurt so much she’d be at risk of turning into the Owl Beast. Raine grabbed one of Eda’s wanted posters and keeps it hidden under some other paperwork in their desk, pulling it out sometimes and going over every detail of the artist’s rendition of her. One day, a new wanted poster came out - this one with a weird skull dog now part of the image and the bounty having increased significantly. Raine would always smirk whenever they saw the new version, although they were alarmed the first time they saw her drawn with all-grey hair. When had that happened? They weren’t that old yet, right??

The day Eda saved the BAtTs and figured out Raine’s secret was maybe the best day Raine had had in years. Their best friend was talking to them again, helping them with their plot. Raine didn’t bother pushing Eda about the last 20 years; their last conversation proved enough that Eda didn’t like it when people pried. But Eda had become not just older, but so much more kind and open. To a degree that sort of shocked Raine. When they asked Eda if she had nothing to lose and Eda took their hand, it was like they’d gone back in time. As if they were both 20 again and daydreaming about a world they’d create for themselves where covens weren’t there to shackle witches down and stage fright didn’t exist; where Eda’s curse never happened and they could stay there on that hill forever.

Eda of course was warring with her own emotions during all of this; she was under the impression that everyone in her life was leaving her again. And not because she was pushing them away this time, but of their own volition. She got her big sister back only for her to go back home to their parents after just a few weeks. She overheard King talk about leaving to find his dad and her apprentice - the first person to ever break down all of Eda’s defenses and show her how to love again - was constantly working on ways to go back to her own home. Eda would be left with Hooty and Owlbert and absolutely nobody else and that hurt so much more than she cared to admit. So when Raine showed up in the town square with their BAtT mask on, using their magic to turn some coven guards into bumbling fools, Eda was a little shell-shocked. The first person to leave her of their own volition was right there in front of her and needed help. So she helped them. And when she became invested in their plots to free wild witches, she felt like she was a teenager again, plotting out pranks with Raine in her secret shortcuts room at Hexside, blushing at every interaction they had because even after all this time, Raine was still Raine. Her Rainstorm. It was like she was starting over, like the last 20 years had faded away, except they hadn’t. Because Luz and King were competing in a race that she needed to be there for. Her past and her present were all different types of painful but finding Raine like this again gave her so much hope! Until she realized she wouldn’t see the end of that race, not if it meant stopping Belos. And she was ready for that, ready for the pain to just stop already, but Raine wouldn’t let her.

Losing Raine again was so much worse the second time. But what they said stayed with her and Eda needed to get back to King and Luz. So when she got back and discovered they’d lost, of course her first thought was to help them. Anything to take her mind off of what she’d just lost. And when King announced that he wasn’t leaving at all, he was legally changing his name? She was “stuck” with him forever? That was too much and she just couldn’t hold it in anymore. Someone wasn’t leaving her. In fact he was legally binding himself to her. No one was leaving, at least not any time soon. Eda definitely still cried more that night after King and Luz had gone to bed.

In the future, Eda and Raine agree to start from scratch: Eda explains the curse to them in detail, all the things she’s learned about it over the years and specifically with Luz and King and Hooty’s help. She explains that Lilith was the one that gave it to her to begin with and why (Raine is appalled like???? Raine specifically worked with Lilith in that last year before they had been made head of the Bard Coven?? And Lilith showed maybe irritation at best at the mention of Eda, so like?? What the fuck???). Eda also explains how she’s come to accept the curse as something that’s part of her and the history the Owl Beast has that she got a glimpse of which is super intriguing to Raine. Also Harpy Eda was a thing which was maybe the most surprising part of it all.

Raine in the meantime tells Eda about their time working their way up the ranks of the Bard Coven, how they met each of the BAtTs and recruited them, the façade they had to maintain to stay on track to become the head of the Bard Coven (something that greatly impressed Eda given Raine’s history with being an awkward actor).

Eda introduces Raine to Luz and King to which both of them start shooting rapidfire questions at them and overwhelm them pretty quickly. Eda has to shoo the two away before Raine just bursts out laughing, saying something about how they’re definitely Eda’s kids (all of them blush while Raine is laughing). Luz is just as fascinated with Raine’s Bard magic as Eda was when they first met and the similarities between the two are striking. Raine tells Eda as much later on and Eda begins gushing about what a great apprentice Luz is and everything she’s done during her time on the Boiling Isles.

They fall easily back into dating once they reconnect properly and everything’s calmed down a little - Raine will still be humming a piece they’re working on and suddenly grab Eda and begin dancing to the tune, Eda laughing the whole time and making their heart soar. Eda will still play with Raine’s earring when they’re cuddled up together just chatting. Raine will start asking Eda again for her opinion on musical pieces they’re working on and Eda will make suggestions along with some jokes or snide commentary. They both still love watching the clouds overhead on their hill, sometimes playing music, sometimes just holding hands.

Raine loves watching Eda interact with Luz and King. They love watching how easily Eda loves them and how much she’s changed since they first broke up. Once they’re alone together, in a moment total admiration for how far they’ve come, Raine tells Eda they love her. Eda immediately kisses them and starts crying, repeating Raine’s words back to them and mumbling about how she’ll never let Raine leave ever again.

A canon Non-binary love interest to a main character that uses They/Them pronouns??? In my kids cartoon???? It’s more likely than you think.

Anyways I fucking love Raine and I love how much Eda and Raine love each other and I can’t wait to see what ends up happening with Them™️

[laskyy]

Hey guys! So today (October 6th) is my bestie's (@newkyumilk) bday! And since it's already the 7th of October (Jiung's bday) in korea I decided to post this imagine as a present for my bestie and as a birthday special to Jiung! I really hope you enjoy this 💖💖💖

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Memories

Tw: Kissing, crying, mentions of trains (let me know if I missed something)

Genre: fluff

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Friends come and go, was what everyone always said and you didn't really believe them until you completely lost touch with your childhood best friend, Jiung.

You and Jiung had met when you were both only 5, your parents were good friends so it was only natural for you two to hang out when they hung out.

Jiung had seen all of your awkward phases, and he stuck with you through all of them, well that is until he moved cities without even telling you and that always made you think if you did something wrong or if he didn't want to hurt you.

That was 3 years ago, now you were a college student and you were very focused on your future, wanting to excell so you could have the life you always wanted.

You were very tired from all of the assignements, but you could finally rest as your college would give students a small two week break, and honestly it was just what you needed to relax.

You and your parents had planned to visit some friends in another city, but you didn't bother asking who they were, you just wanted a little get away.

"Honey, do you have everything packed?" Your mom asked as you went down the stairs of your house into the living room where your parents were waiting.

"Yes, I double checked everything!" You said as you reached the living room and sighed.

"You're gonna love these few days I promise!" Your dad said as opened the door for you and your mom.

"I'm sure I will, I really need to rest! I hope your friends are calm people!" But instead of answering, your parents just stared at each other with knowing smiles as they exited your house and locked the door.

You guys headed for the train station and in your mind was only the thought of how th house was gonna be and who were the friends you were gonna be visiting.

All those thought came to a halt when your mom called you to get on the train as it had already arrived.

You got on the train and let your mind run wild. Train rides brought you a certain nostalgia, because you used to ride the train with your childhood bestriend Jiung all the time.

But well, now that he wasn't here you couldn't hope for it to happen again. And besides that he just left you with no trace.

"Honey, hey, sorry to interrupt your thought, but I just wanted to tell you that we're almost there!" Your dad said as he gave you a small smile.

"Ok dad, thanks for telling me." You answered as you looked out the window and saw a field of flower. More specifically one that reminded you of your childhood with Jiung.

Flashback

You and Jiung were 10 years old and were just playing hide and seek in a field of flowers, somewhere you'd go to after school every friday.

"I'm coming!" Jiung said as he tried to look for you as you were hidden behind a bush. You were hoping he'd take longer finding you but he found you with no time.

"Got you!" He said as he laughed cutely and you looked at him laughing as well. "How are you so good at this?" You asked as you both sat down in the grass.

"I played a lot with my cousin last summer, so you better watch out." He said as he tried to look scary, but you just laughed.

You stood there looking at the field when you spotted a beautiful sunflower. "Look Jiung, how beautiful is that?" "It's very pretty! Wait a little bit!" He said as he stood up and disappeared for a few minutes, and when you were about to look for him he appeared with a flower crown made of sunflower and put it on top of your head. "There, now the flower is wearing flowers!" Jiung said as he giggled and booped your nose.

End of flashback

You were already tearing up at the sweet memory when you mom tapped your shoulder for you to exit the train with your parents.

This place looked oddly familiar, but you couldn't wrap your head around where you've seen it, so you decided to wait until you reached the house you were staying at to try and ask someone.

You arrived at the house and as soon as your parents knocked the door opened revealing a couple around your parents' age who welcomed you sweetly.

"And you must be their Child! You're so pretty!" The lady said as she pulled you in a hug.

"I'm sure you'd love to meet my son! He's around your age! TAEYANG!" She yelled with full force. And Taeyang? You were sure you knew someone named like that, but who?

The boy came down stairs and immediately recognized you as he hugged you and told his and your parents that he was going with you to his room.

"Hey! You remember me right? I'm Taeyang, Jiung's cousin!" So that's why you knew him.

"Oh! I do remember you! How are you? I haven't seen you in so long!" You said as you tried to get the conversation going.

"I'm great! Even better now that I'm seeing you! You've grown!" He said with a smile. You both kept talking for a while until he mention Jiung.

"So you're probably wondering why Jiung hasn't beeb talking to you or why he didn't tell you anything about the reason he was moving right?" He asked as he looked at you with his doe eyes.

"Well, yeah, but he probably wanted to cut me off no?" You asked as if it was obvious.

"Do you really think he'd do that? No, he's not like that, he didn't tell you anything, because he knew he wouldn't be strong enough to not break down when he saw you! It wasn't his best decision, but well it's done right?" He said with a conforting smile.

"I appreciate the information Tae, but why are you telling me all of this?" You asked as you were genuinely curious about this random outburst about his cousin.

"Well, I knew you were coming and I also knew about his situation, so I may or may not have invited him over for you guys to talk." He said so fast that if you weren't so invested in this you wouldn't have caught a word he said.

"You what? I haven't talked to him in over 3 years! Tae it's going to be awkward!" You said sounding desperate.

"Calm down! Everything is going to go well! And he hasn't changed! He's still the same as he was when he lived near you! The only difference is that he lives near me now!" Taeyang said in hopes to comfort you.

A few hours had passed and you heard the doorbell ring.

"Oh my god, Tae it's him!" You said as you nervously paced around the room.

"Calm down things are going to go well I promise! And he's gonna come up stairs. If you need anything shout, I'm going to be in the living room!" Tae said as he exited the room to invite Jiung inside.

You were a nervous wreck, but you were still curious about how Jiung would look now, probably more mature was your guess, and as he entered the room you realized your guess was absolutely right.

"Y/n" Jiung said as he ran in your direction and picked you up in his arms. You were so overwhelmed you started crying and you didn't miss the fact that Jiung also shed a few tears of his own.

"I missed you so much!" Jiung said as he let you down on the floor to look at you.

"I missed you too, but why did you avoid me? Why did you hide everything from me?" Although Taeyang had already given you the answer you still wanted to hear the answer from him.

"I was stupid and I didn't tell you because I knew that if I told you I wouldn't be strong enough to actually move, it would be harder so I thought it would be the best for the both of us, But I was so wrong! I missed you everyday!" He said with glossy eyes.

"Oh Jiung I missed you too!" You said as you teared up again and wrapped you arms around him.

When you guys both calmed down you went to the living room where Taeyang was staying.

"So are you guys ok? Are you friends again? Something more?" Taeyang asked as he said the last part softly so only Jiung would hear.

"Yes we're good now! But Me and Y/n are going for a walk, we'll be back before dinner." Jiung announced as you both went out of the door.

You were just catching up while walking until Jiung stopped at the flower field you'd seen while in the train.

"Wanna know something? I came here everytime I missed you badly, because this flower field really looks like the one next to your house!" Jiung admitted as he mitioned for you to come with him.

"Actually, when I was in train I saw this field through the window and I thought back to us playing hide and seek and that one time you made that flower crown for me." You said shyly as you weren't playing attention to Jiung's actions, but when you saw him again you noticed him walking towards you with a sunflower crown.

"Jiung, that's so cute!" You said as he put it on your head the same way he did when you were kids.

"Now the flower is wearing flowers!" He said just like before as he booped you nose.

"Oh my god, I miss when we were kids!" You said as Jiung sat down next to you.

"Yeah, I also miss living next to you! I was so sad my mom got a promotion, I just wanted to live near you!" He said as he scooted closer to you.

"Maybe in the future we'll be able to live close!" You said as the both of you moved backwards to rest your backs against a tree.

"Yeah maybe!" Jiung said as he gave you a knowing smile.

"Ok, I've been keeping this in for like 5 years so I need to let it out!" Jiung exclaimed.

"Go ahead Ji!" You said calmly.

"I like you, well, that's a lie. I love you in a romantic way. And honestly it's okay if you don't feel the same I just needed to tell you!" Jiung said as he was now blushing furiously and you think you were too.

"I actually love you too Jiung. I have since a few years now. And when you left I was so heartbroken, because I thought I'd never see you again." You confessed while looking straight in his eyes.

"But now I'm here and we could do something about these feelings, that is if you want to of course." He said shyly.

"I'd love to, but we're gonna have to do a long distance relationship." You said sadly.

"And what if I tell you we don't?" He said in a questioning way.

"What do you mean? We live quite far from each other." You said while confusion was written all over your face.

"I'm moving again! My mom found a stable job back in your city! We're gonna be able to meet everyday almost all the time!" He said and as he finished his sentence you threw yourself in his arms.

"Jiung that's literally the best thing you could've told me! I love you so much!" You said as you hugged him tighter and felt him kiss your head gently.

"I love you too, so much, you have no idea." He said as he looked deep in your eyes, grabbed your cheek gently and leaned in to kiss you, but before he could reach your lips he lifted his eyebrows as a way to ask for permission to which you granted by nodding and Jiung then kissed you softly.

You guys broke apart after a few seconds to make eye contact and you smiled sweetly at each other, a smile that showed your feelings for one another completely.

"I love you." You said as you smiled at Jiung.

"I love you too." Jiung said as he smiled and leaned in to kiss you again.

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I hope you guys enjoyed it! Specially my bestie, my first Tumblr friend @newkyumilk! Everyone go wish her a happy birthday! And In Korea it's already Jiung day, so happy birthday to our hardworking Jiung 💖💖💖

Have a great day/afternoon/night! I love you 💖💖💖

[keullaesigbeogeo]

My Empress- Min Yoongi

Type: Fluff

Word Count: 1.8k +

Summary: Suga and you are together as boyfriend and girlfriend, but you don’t know about him being the Emperor.

He pushed you against the ground, slightly hovering over you.

“Don’t make a sound.” he whispered as the door suddenly opened. Guards started storming in, yelling words in a different language, everything sounding like gibberish to you. A guard slowly started walking up to where both of you were laying.

Your eyes started moving around quickly before you started moaning out loud, jabbing him in the stomach to make him do the same. He caught on and did the same. The guard opened the door to the room you guys were in before immediately closing it with a blushing face and walking away. You quickly pushed him off of you before glaring at him.

His body was propped up, looking oddly relaxed. “Do you wanna tell me why there were palace guards chasing you?”

“Suga! Can you get the laundry?” You yelled as you hung up the laundry. He walked up behind you with the big brown basket. He placed it on the ground before helping you hang everything up, finishing half of it before hugging you from the back.

“How about we have some fun after this?” He whispered into your ear.

You snorted before flicking him on his forehead. “Are you stupid? The guards are scheduled to do their yearly inspection today.”

His face turned pale, almost becoming white. “T-Today?” 

You nodded your head. “Yeah… what’s wrong?” He shook his head, his breaths slowly starting to get shaky.

“It’s nothing.” He continued hugging you, nestling his head in your shoulder. You lightly shrugged before continuing to hand up your clothes, not noticing his uneasy eyes.

Later:

“See you later!” Suga yelled at you while walking off. You smiled before waving your hand. He was heading home. You always wondered where he lived, but whenever you asked him, he avoided the question. So you just go with it now. Just as he left, some palace guards walked up to her.

“Hello Miss. I’m Seokjin, and his is Hoseok.” Seokjin formally told her while bowing.

“Hey!” Hoseok yelled while bowing down energetically. “You can call us Jin and J-Hope though!” He seemed like a little ball of sunshine, making you immediately like him. You smiled at both of them.

“Hello Jin and J-Hope. Would you like to come in?” You asked.

They nodded their heads. “If you don’t mind, yes. We need to check around.” You nodded your head, allowing them inside. They looked around for sometime, looking underneath the couch, and even in the pantry. Once they finished, they walked towards you and bowed before Jin handed you a slip of paper from his pocket. 

“Thank you Miss. You’ve passed the annual inspection.” You took the paper from him. “Please hand this to the guards coming over here later.” They both left, leaving you with the slip of paper.

“Are they gone?” You jumped, your heart not beating.

“What the fuck Suga! You almost gave me a heart attack!”

He laughed before pulling you closer, kissing you. “I think you mean it the other way…” You started at him in confusion. “Nothing… Did you by any chance get a slip of paper from the two guards who came here?”

You nodded your head. “Yeah, it’s weird though. They usually don’t give these.”

“Can I see the slip?” You gave him the slip, watching him read it. He whistled. “Damn… a slip to see the King himself.” Your eyes widened.

“Fucking hell! Let me see that!” You grabbed that, wondering if he was telling the truth.

“It’s not very lady-like to cuss ya-know.” You stuck your tongue out at him before reading the paper.  “Oh my god, Suga!” You started freaking out. “What the heck does someone wear to see the King?”

He smiled before pulling out something wrapped in brown paper from his robe. “Wear this.” You opened the bag to see the prettiest dress you’ve ever seen. It was a black and white dress, very rare to come by in your kingdom.

You gasped in surprise. “Where did you get this, Suga? It’s beautiful!”

“I have my ways.” He kissed your on your cheek before walking away. You stared at his figure. Why was he being so mysterious today? You heard a knock on the door before you opened it to see two different palace guards.

“Hello Ma’am. I’m Jungkook and this is Jimin. We’re here to see your paper.” You handed them the slip of paper that Suga gave back to you before leaving. Jimin took your paper before reading it and handing it back to you, nodding his head at Jungkook.

“Would you be fine with us escorting you, Miss?” Jimin questioned. 

“Sure, just give me a minute to get changed.” You quickly ran to your room before changing into the dress Suga gave you, wearing your white diamond clip in your hair. You walked out and stood in front of them. “I’m ready.” All of you started walking, Jungkook taking you onto his horse behind him.

The wind felt good as it blew through your hair, making your dress blow behind you beautifully. The ride ended as soon as it started, Jungkook helping your off of his horse. “This is where we leave you.” Jungkook bowed down, Jimin following him.

“See you later Miss!” Jimin yelled while he and Jungkook walked off with their horses in tow. You watched them before taking a quick breath and walking into the palace, looking around, taking everything in. The palace was beautiful, everything clean and shining brightly.

“Hey!” They was a whisper-shout come from behind you. You turned around to see Suga crouching down behind a pillar.

“Suga? What are you doing here?” He ignore your question, pulling you towards him, behind the pillar. He made a shushing motion, pointing at some of the guards. They seemed to be looking for someone. 

“Over there!” A guard pointed at us behind the pillar. “Taehyung, go take your group to get them. I’ll take my group through the back.” The man yelled while running the opposite way, Taehyung and his group running towards us.

“Shit… run!” Suga yelled while running away, pulling you with him. He easily maneuvered through the palace before stopping at a little house-like structure in the garden. He pulled your in there before pushing you into a room, following you. 

“Where did they go?” You heard the Taehyung man ask. 

“I don’t know.” The other man from earlier replied to his question.

“Namjoon, can you check here? We’ll go back to the front.”

“Sure.” You could hear multiple footsteps run away while others came towards your hiding spot.

Suga quickly moved further back into the room. He pushed you against the ground, slightly hovering over you.

“Don’t make a sound.” he whispered as the door suddenly opened. Guards started storming in, yelling words in a different language, everything sounding like gibberish to you. A guard slowly started walking up to where both of you were laying.

Your eyes started moving around quickly before you started moaning out loud, jabbing him in the stomach to make him do the same. He caught on and did the same. The guard opened the door to the room you guys were in before immediately closing it with a blushing face and walking away. You quickly pushed him off of you before glaring at him.

His body was propped up, looking oddly relaxed. “Do you wanna tell me why there were palace guards chasing you?”

“You’ll see later, let’s first get you to the ceremony.” You sighed before nodding your head.

“But you better tell me later.” You threatened. He grinned at your tiny body.

“Got it.” He quickly gave you directions to where to go before disappearing. You groaned. Why does he keep on doing that? You walked to the place he told you to go to, people staring at you and whispering.

“Where do you think she got those clothes?”

“Aish, she’s so pretty…”

“If she’s here for the Emperor, we’re all going to lose.”

You were puzzled at what they were talking about but walked up to where your name was on the ground. You stood there, blocking out the occasional whisper about you.

There was a loud bell ringing before someone took the stage. “Hello everyone. Today we will be concluding the tryouts for Empress.” Your eyes enlarged. Empress? But I already like someone. “All of you here today have either from a good background or were chosen directly by his Highness.” There was a soft reaction from the crowd at this.

“His Highness choose someone specifically?” Everyone got silent as the announcer continued speaking. “The following women, please step forward.” He started calling names, you started playing with your fingers before he called you out. Your body shook ever so slightly as you walked up towards the podium.

A total of seven girls were called, including you. Another bell rang before everyone started bowing, you following them, acting like you knew what to do. A figure walked out of a shaded area surrounded by guards. He was wearing black and white just like you, making it seem like you were matching. He walked up towards the seven of you standing in a line before lightly pulling you towards him and kissing you.

The crowd gasped as he pulled away, taking your dumbfounded self towards the palace.

As he pulled you into a bedroom, you let him drag you to the bed before sitting down, patting the bed next to him. You sat down, shocked but understanding what was happening.

“Suga… are you…. the Emperor?” His eyes looked into yours before he nodded his head. 

“Yeah… I'm sorry for not telling you earlier… I was just scared. I thought that’d you leave me. I know that you might not like me because of what happened to your family and-” You cut him off by swiftly pecking his lips.

“Suga… I’d never be mad at you or anything. What happened to my family isn’t your fault. But I that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t tell me things like this.” You were sad, yes. But you accepted the fact that he was doing this all for you.

He beamed at you, giving you one of his biggest smiled you’ve ever seen before it slowly turned into a smirk. He moved closer before moving his hands up and down you waist, placing his forehead on yours, connecting your lips.

“Will you do the honor of being my queen?” You blushed before looking down and nodding. He pulled your body closer before kissing you, his mouth molding with yours. Your mouth immediately opened in a moan, his tongue quickly filling up the gap. You moved your tongue against his, slowly moving your body against his.

You heard him let out what sounded like growl before he not-so-lightly pushed you onto the bed. Your eyes looked around uneasily, scared of what might happen.

He seemed to understand what was going on in your head before he started speaking. “Don’t worry My Empress. I’ll take responsibility.” You felt your face get red again as your body started to feel hot, he slowly pulled off your robe, his following right behind yours. “Tonight you are all mine.”

[soulwillower]

boyfriend stuff • richie tozier

(richie tozier x reader)      

requested: PLEASE FAKE DATING TO LOVERS WITH RICHIE PLEASE A WHOLE FIC PLEASE MORE

warnings: swearing, fluff, mentions of sex, a bit of drinking, family members, richie has a little sis!! and i believe that is it but as always its unedited

[losers + reader are in college]

sorry i haven’t been posting much but i have this fic for u guys, hope u like it!

6k words yowza

♡

"you said what?!" you hiss, your stomach swirling, jaw dropped as the wind whips your hair around. richie's grinning, but it's not his usual up-to-something grin. much more of an i'm-sorry-i-ran-my-mouth-again  kind of smile, but it's still richie's, so it's impossible to stay annoyed.  

"well shit, doll. you know how i am! and it was my grandma, i couldn't let her down. she is crazy." he says with a shrug, his hand pushing back his wild curls as you glare up at him in his stupid striped shirt and awful, annoying, angelic face.

you scoff, crossing your arms as your eyes flick to behind richie, taking in the law library and some kids playing hackey-sack on the quad. birds chirp in the distance. "c'mon, toots. you can play my girlfriend for a few days, right?" he asks gently, making you look back to him, gazing into his hopeful expression.

you're silent as a warm breeze flutters around you and you weigh your options - honestly, what could go wrong by going to your friend's grandma's house and pretending to be his girlfriend for a bit?

"how far is the drive?" you ask sharply.

"yes, baby! i knew i could count on you." he yelps, scooping you in his arms and making you yelp, rolling your eyes. "i didn't actually commit to fake-dating you yet, richie. unless you pay me."

"100 bucks, kid." he says, holding your shoulders. you gape at him, "what? do you seriously need to convince your grandma and the rest of your family that you're dating someone that much?" you ask, eyes wide and a smile curling onto your lips.

this boy was ridiculous.

he launches into a story about how his grandma is super weird - nice, but oddly suspicious; like (as he puts it) red-scare mccarthy type suspicious, which doesn't do much to help his case with you.

he then lists on his fingers the reasons he needed a girlfriend and continued to insist, "y/n/n, look at me. nobody's going to believe that i'm single. i'm way too gorgeous." you roll your eyes so hard it hurts. 

"-plus, you're the only friend i have that is hot enough and tolerant enough to pass as my girl for a whole weekend. i would ask stan the man, but i already mentioned that it was specifically a lady-lover of mine, and i can't put stan through a weekend of bra stuffing on top of faking' it with me."

you scoff at his absurdity, following him as he walks towards his dorm and weighing your options. "we have to stay with your batshit grandma, tozier? and you're really gonna do all that boyfriend stuff?"

he just laughs, tilting his head up so the sun glints on his forehead and you have to tear your eyes away before you get too attached to the sight of him.

"oh, of course i am toots. i can't wait to treat you like you deserve, babe. plus, it's a small house. we'll be sharing a room, though." he mutters, slinging a heavy arm around you and giving you icy butterflies that thrash in your ribcage. you groan, "come on, richie. i'm only doing this out of the goodness of my heart." you mutter, shaking your head as he sweeps the door to his building open and wiggles his brows. "and i have to share a bed with you?"

"you can curse my momma for bein' so liberal."  he says with a shake of his head, "you'll love her, though. she's excited to meet my girlfriend."

you fake a gag.

x

somehow, a week later, you're pulling yourself out of richie's beat up cherokee and sighing at the heat outside, watching as richie unfolds his body to his full height and sweeps an arm towards the quaint house across the street.  you walk to his side of the car and shake your head, trying not to think of the pressure of acting like a good girlfriend for the next two and a half days.

the drive back to richie's hometown was just as you'd expected a road trip with richie would be - cherry cola, loud music, a/c on blast as the summer warmth whips around his car on the outside, and a briefly awkward lay out of rules for the two of you to follow.

"well what about, like, rules?" you ask, feet balanced on the dashboard. he looks over to you, smirking as he hums along to the radio as it plays quietly. "well, like, what about them?" he asks, smacking his mouth and fake twirling his hair like a valley girl. you hide a giggle behind a glare.

"i'm serious, rich." but your smile gives way to your playful manner as you toss a chip at him. it hits his shoulder and he smirks - you're distracted, then, by how the faint morning glow hits his eyelashes, how his side-profile is sharp and angular but somehow also soft and subdued.

his hair is scruffy and placed perfectly as if he'd just rolled out of bed - though you know it took him a few minutes to make it look that way. he's wearing his stupid black corduroy pants and a long sleeve shirt that looks so soft you might melt and his lips are quirked into a wry smile.

richie's eyes are bright and teasing as ever, even on this early morning, and his teeth toy with his pink lips as he grins. you smile to yourself as you stare, because richie tozier is an artwork.

"y/n/n?" he asks softly, shooting you a soft look that really makes your fingertips tingle as you reach for your coffee. had he been speaking to you? you clear your throat, "richie, eyes on the road."

he chuckles but obeys, turning to look forwards, and you feel your heartbeat relax slightly. "okay. what about touching?" you reiterate as he keeps glancing at you, making you flush and your stomach thrash in tickle.

"you know i'm all for it." he wiggles his eyebrows and you scoff, shaking your head and pressing your lips together to keep down a smile. he's too much."-for real, though. what are you comfortable with? i can do any of that boyfriend stuff." he says, mimicking your words from the week before when you'd agreed to come, and you turn red again for nearly no reason.

you shrug. "well, touching is fine...but don't you think.... er- i mean, maybe kissing is just... a little weird? i don’t know." you ask, your stomach fluttering. you're not totally sure why, or you just don't want to address it, but you think that kissing richie might make things... different for you.

you ignore the feeling as richie nods. "yeah, i mean it’s not like my parents are gonna try and make us lock lips in front of them anyways." he mutters, making you roll your eyes, smiling out the window as the countryside flashes by in splashes of green and yellow.

"right, kid. you ready?" richie's voice calls you to look at him with a smile. "guess so." you shrug, your breath mixing with the warm afternoon air. the front door of the house creaks open from across the yard and richie turns to you, smiling devilishly and holding your bag in his hand.

"quick, they're coming. kiss me." he says with a lopsided grin. your stomach dips and you huff, "ew, no!"

he looks at you with a grin as you continue, "-you just had funyuns! that's so gross." you say, shoving his face as he tries to lean closer to you, making kissy faces. you can't help yourself from giggling as he smiles, "do it! c'mon, toots. plant one on me." "no, rich!" you squeal with another laugh, shoving him as he beams down at you. slowly, he pulls you into his chest and you lay your head, wrapping your arms around him. the proximity of your bodies takes your breath away as you breathe in the faint scent of mint, strawberry and cigarettes. it makes you relax almost completely and you're unsure when these feelings with richie started, but you're suddenly hyperaware of them and you think you might be in some real trouble.

"let's do this, y/n/n."

x

you'd expected meeting richie's family to be the most stressful part of your day, but it went so smoothly you were almost concerned.

his mom was taller than you but still shorter than him, and when he lifted her up in greeting it made your heart swell. next was his grandma, who was quite short and had curly gray hair. she hugged you and kissed your cheek and you immediately felt welcome as you met them.

then not shortly after, a fiery bullet with a black dress and light - up sneakers came barreling full speed at richie, making you blink as he yelled, "munch!" and lifted the girl up.

you met his little sister, who he insisted you call "munch," through a shy wave and a grin as she had her arms looped and face buried in his neck.

and then you smiled and pretended not to feel anything as you watched him tickle her and kiss her forehead.

throughout the day, it is physically painful for you to watch richie with his family. really, it is.

you know richie tozier. the boy who falls asleep at the library and drools on his textbook, the boy who ties people's shoelaces together at parties when he's just entered that drunken stage of "pranky richie." he's the dumbass who fell out the window of bill's dorm and into the bushes, the kid who was a huge nerd yet incessantly boasted about his 'very high' body count (which, by the way, you did not believe). he was the loud person at every party, the kind who drew people in out of admiration, fascination or loathing, he was the boy who got the highest gpa and also the highest amount of parking violations and speeding tickets.

but here, at home...

god, richie was incredible. he had a whole other side to him that fit in perfectly, like a missing piece to a puzzle that you didn't even know was incomplete. he spent as much time with his sister, munch, as he could - singing to her, brushing and braiding her hair, teasing her relentlessly, and making snacks for the three of you.

he even wore a tiara and a tutu when munch insisted you have a tea party - and he steeped real tea (which tasted like shit because he did not know how to steep tea), even getting out his grandma's fancy cups.

the way he treated munch was honestly the nail in the coffin for you, because the one thing you expected richie to be bad at was interacting with young kids. like, he swears like a sailor, is always bouncing around, rarely goes a day without a cigarette, and just all around seems like he'd prefer the company of an average-aged joe. but he is full of surprises, as you've learned.

x

it took almost six hours of driving to get to his grandma's house, none of which richie allowed you to drive, despite your insistence. so after a quick catnap, you'd spent the entire day exploring the house, playing games, and getting to know munch and the rest of his family. and so now, before bed, richie was upstairs showering while you were sitting downstairs at the kitchen table with his grandma and his sister.

you were left to your own wits with his family, which wasn't too bad, but you're nervous you're going to slip up.

"you are just such a lovely young woman, aren't you?" his grandma asks, sipping on her bailey's. you laugh, shrugging your shoulders. "you're too kind, really. you guys are just easy to be around." you say with a smile.

"now i just wonder, what made you settle with richie?" she asks, lifting a brow. you choke on the last gulp of your own bailey's, the warmth going straight to your stomach and the alcohol right to the head. you decide to go the joke route.

"i have no idea, i mean. have you seen those awful shirts?" you say with a snort. his grandma laughs sweetly, sipping again and seemingly forgetting the problem so you pull at your collar, willing for richie to come rescue you.

speak of the devil and he shall appear.

"-hey, you can't judge my life choices, y/n/n, because you are one of them." he says with a grin, drawing you into the crook of his shoulder. "the best one, might i add."

you flush but just roll your eyes, knowing that it's just for show, but secretly yearning for that to be true.

he groans."can you at least pretend you think i'm charming?" richie whines,  "that costs extra." you say, then suddenly your eyes snap to richie's as you realize what you've said.

"costs?" his grandma asks, looking confused. you clear your throat, "o-oh, i..."

"she owes me gas money." "he owes me money for food."

you stare at each other - fuck. that's kind of awkward. richie's grandma hums in suspicion and your mouth feels dry.

richie suddenly guffaws loudly, shaking your shoulders as he nods. "well aren't we the cutest, y/n/n? okay, let's get you off to bed now." he rushes, shitty excuse doing nothing to fix the situation as he tugs your arm so you rise from the stool, then places your empty mug in the sink. he kisses his grandma on the cheek and hurries you upstairs, towards the guest bedroom where you're both staying.

x

the next day was when you really realized that richie tozier never stopped fidgeting. he was an anxious person inherently, so you understood this mixed with his adhd led him to tapping fingers, humming and bouncing his legs.

earlier, he'd had his arm secured around your waist (a foreign yet welcoming sensation) as you'd eaten dinner with his family. he was shaking his leg so aggressively that the table was vibrating and you loved it - you loved the uncomfortable but understanding looks on everyone's faces. you loved that they loved richie just as you did, you loved that they accepted him and teased him and hugged him and joked with him and listened to him like you did.

"what're you thinking' about?" he'd asked into your ear, loud enough that the others had definitely heard. his grin was nearly audible and you smile, looking into his warm eyes, "just you." you'd said simply, with a shrug. and as the words left your mouth, you realized you weren't even putting on a show, or ‘faking it' for his family.

you just really, really liked richie.

shit.

so now, it was well after richie's sister had gone to sleep and the rest of the family was up drinking, listening to music and telling stories. you really were enjoying all the embarrassing stories that fell from maggie's lips, her brain and body being well into a bottle of chardonnay and being more and more humiliating as the clock ticked on.

"-and he was- what was he, dear, seven?" she asks, hand falling onto wentworth's thigh. richie groans, "mom, stop. this isn't even funny."

you nudge him, "speak for yourself."

richie scowls then, leaning back against the awful floral pattern of the couch and pulling you into his side. you smile as you nuzzle into his chest, listening to his wild heartbeat as maggie laughs, "oh, rich. we're just teasing you because we love you."

you nod and giggle as he sticks his tongue out at her. his grandma speaks up, "how did you two kids meet?"

she sounds almost angry, and you're not sure why, so you laugh a little into your sleeve as richie leans up a bit as if preparing for a bullshit speech.

"well y/n was friends with bill first, you know. bill, mike, and her had a class together, and i always heard about y/n this, oh y/n that." richie starts. you smile as you watch him talk, recognizing that it really is the way you met. you'd figured he would just make something up.

"-but anyways, this one time, she came into the dorm because she thought bill would be there. it was just me, though. i was working on some homework or something, and she-she just looked amazing. seriously, i sounded like bill when i introduced myself because i stuttered so much." maggie shakes her head at that, but richie plows through, "and god, ma, she's so smart, she was so sweet i swear i almost got cavities just from talkin' to her for ten minutes. i have never been more star struck in my life, dad. i swear." he says, shaking his head. "later, after y/n left, bill told me he did it intentionally. the little wingman he is, tried to get us to hang out because he knew i'd fall head over heels in love. who couldn't?" he ends, smiling gently at you and brushing his hand on your cheek.

oh.

you feel yourself flush and then you smile at the carpet, your hand rising to grab richie's and lace them together.  you didn't know how damn thick tozier could lay it on - boy did he know how to woo a girl. even if it's all fake.

"meant to be, huh?" wentworth says, and you look from him to richie's grandma, then to richie. "guess so." you say quietly, leaning up to quickly peck richie's cheek and then telling yourself it's just for show in front of his family. it isn't.

it was only 15 minutes later that richie decided it was time to retire to the bed, insisting you come with him - but you know it’s because he’s getting very embarrassed. it was cute to see him flustered for a change. 

"goodnight!" you call, waving to maggie and went as they raise their glasses at the two of you, maggie with a knowing glint in her eye.

you both walk in content silence until you get into your bedroom. 

the music still plays downstairs, a melody of piano and guitar and maybe a quartet wafting up through the vents and creating an eerily romantic ambiance. slowly and wordlessly, richie puts his hands on your waist and hums nonsense as he sways the two of you.

without thinking, you melt into his touch and smile.

you wind your arms around his neck as you move with him, his meaningless humming setting your heart into overdrive - or, perhaps, it's because of the proximity to the boy in front of you.

"rich, nobody's here to see us." it's whispered, because you really don't want to pull away or to have him realize that this isn't what friends do, because you like it. a lot. 

"i know." he says it so softly, you barely hear it. but it's there, the words are out in the open, and you like the way they fall over the air in the room like they're meant to be there. the soft light of the single lamp, the ugly floral wallpaper, the smell of richie.

"isn't it nice, though?" he adds, almost like an afterthought. you grin down at the carpet below you, your eyes taking in his striped socks, his feet absolutely dwarfing yours as you move back and forth gently.

"yeah, it really is." you whisper back, lifting your head up to watch his owl-eyes as they stare back at you, his chewed lips parted as small puffs of breath fall out, his nose splattered with freckles that you can make out from the proximity. he smells like chocolate and that damn mint smell again

"richie..." you start, your eyes trained on his lips as you slowly feel yourself leaning closer to him. he looks frozen, his eyes now changing from wide to almost hooded as he stares down at you. 

you wonder if he's afraid to move, because he's stopped swaying you and now his thumbs are rubbing circles into your side, slipping under your top and yeah, that's definitely new but it's amazing and you wonder if it's such a bad thing for you to want all this stuff with richie.

and to want more.

"yeah babe?" he asks and your brain marvels at how natural and unceremoniously the pet word falls from his lips, as if that really was your name.

but then - be it fear, shame, or anxiety - you mumble out the words, shaking your head. "did bill really try to set us up? l-like, was that all true?" you say with an awkward smile. you just clear your throat, eyes not focusing on richie as if you're looking for something, anything to occupy your mind because you can physically feel the tension and it's suffocating you.

"yeah." he says simply after a couple moments, arms still wrapped around you. you're now too nervous to look at him because he'll see how pleased you are, how happy it makes you that people want you and richie to be together. "all of it was real." he says and his voice sounds so honest, so genuine and so raw that you smile bashfully, looking at him shyly.

"oh, cool." you mutter quietly, fingers playing with the fabric on his chest. he chuckles and his chest shakes with the noise as he pulls you even closer to him. his fingers rise softly to cup your chin and he tilts your head so you're looking in to each other's eyes.

richie is staring at you with a sincerity that you swear you've never seen before; his gaze on yours makes you hear a soft guitar melody, makes you feel weightless and completely full at the same time, makes you taste adventure and strawberries. 

his lips are parting and if he were to speak to you right now, you're completely confident that you would not comprehend a single one of his words because you're too caught up in him. he's making you see pale pinks and blues and lilac and you swear you want to stay the subject of his gaze forever and ever, just you and him and the world outside this room. 

"cool, hm? cool is all i get, baby?" he asks softly, and the only reason you hear it at all is because you feel his breath on your lips and even though you said 'no kissing,' that was a lie - you think you might want to feel his lips on yours forever. your eyes fall shut as you grip his shirt collar, smelling his stupid strawberry 3-in-1 wash as you lean in closer.

and his lips brush yours so faintly that you swear it's like a kiss from a fairy; there and gone so quickly you aren't sure if it ever happened in the first place-

"-jesus, munch!" richie suddenly yelps, scaring you and himself as he jumps slightly, leaning away from you.

you look down, eyes opening to see richie's sleepy sister staring up at you two with wide eyes, her hand clutching richie's leg. "why are you up, kid?" he asks softly, kneeling to her height, hands leaving you. your heart pounds wildly in your chest and you try to catch your breathing, your fingers brushing your lips as you watch richie. did that just happen?

munch whispers into richie's ear, looking to the floor afterwards and you smile, loving how different the siblings are in personality and how sweetly richie treats her. 

richie looks to you with a bashful grin of his own, his cheeks glowing pink and making your heart flutter because at least he felt slightly the same way you felt right now.

"munch wants you to read her a story." he says, shrugging lightly, "you don't have to if you don't want to." he adds, his hand rubbing her head as she hugs his leg. you smile, "n-no, i'd love to."

richie rubs munch's cheek, "lead the way, kiddo." richie loops his arm around your waist softly as you follow her to her room, and you are pretty damn sure it's not just for show.

it took about ten minutes for her to fall back asleep, nestled in a mound of stuffed animals, blankets, and an old shirt of richie's that he'd left behind when he went to school. 

your own eyes droop as you lean your head onto richie's shoulder from where the two of you rest against the wall, stretched on the edge of her bed, and the last thing you remember is smiling at munch's sleeping figure before it's all blank.

you wake up again with a start as you hear a thudding noise - your eyes are bleary and dry, your back and neck kinked in the worst way and you groan a bit as you stir and lift your head. you look around and richie is standing in front of you, arm outstretched. wordlessly, you grab his hand and pull yourself to your wobbly legs as you look at his sister's sleeping body.

you're so exhausted and thrown off that you just follow richie wordlessly into your room and pull off your jeans, putting on shorts before flopping onto the bed next to richie in the dark. 

"g'night." he mumbles sleepily as he wraps a heavy arm around your waist, pulling you closer so he can reach over you to put his glasses on the nightstand. he falls back onto the pillow with a tired huff and you're already half asleep but you can't help your heart from picking up speed as a pair of lips press softly to your hairline.

you fall asleep this time feeling warm and comfortable, the feeling of his lips burning on your forehead sweetly. 

x

when you wake the next day richie’s already gone, the space next to you cold and empty.

 after getting ready, you pad down to the main floor to find everyone outside, munch and richie splashing around in the pool in the backyard. you're excited to see they've set up a lunch outside in the shade under the tree and you decide to go put on your swimsuit just as richie walks in.

"mornin' sugar." he grins, walking over to the kitchen sink. you snort, looking at the clock on the oven: 11:18.

"hey, sorry i slept so late." you mumble, your stomach filling with butterflies as he smiles genuinely at you. your eyes trail over his bare chest, dripping with water droplets as he breathes slowly. your mind flashes back to last night, and you shake your head, jabbing your thumb behind you. "um, i should go put on my suit." you feel awkward. 

he hums, pushing off the counter, "i'll walk with you."

you frown as he does, nervous about being alone with him again. you're being a fucking dumbass, sure, but he makes you nervous in the most delicious way and you can't help but picture his lips fully on yours. it's a terrifying thought, honestly.

"my grandma is being weird today, i think she's onto it because she said we were just really good frien-" richie mutters as you walk the hall and you cut him off, frustrated with his paranoia for no reason.

"rich, why does it even matter if she suspects us? it's not like she knows for sure." you try to reason, your hands falling on to his arms to halt his stride.

he’d just mentioned his grandma’s offhand comment about how close of friends you seem to be. maybe it was nothing, or maybe she didn't believe you. why did it even matter?

he shakes his head, eyes wide. "because that's fucking embarrassing for me! i have feelings, you know." he defends.  

you roll your eyes - you knew damn well richie had feelings. this was getting to be so stupid, this whole thing was pointless - because you know that you've just fallen in love with richie for real and made things ten times harder for the two of you.

"of course you do, rich, but we-"

the noise of footfall in the hallway to your left sends you both into a panic for no entirely good reason, so you tug him closer towards you with wide eyes. his hands catch himself on the wall on either side of you, his breath fanning on your face.

why are you so panicky and jumpy? "did they hear us?" richie whispers frantically, head turning to look and see who was coming towards you.

so instead of responding, for some reason your brain insists you act like a fool and draw his lips to yours. your hands cup his jaw as you press your lips to his, the feeling sending your stomach through loops and your brain fuzzy.

holy shit, this was exactly what you told yourself not to do. shit.

just as you pull back slightly, intending only for the kiss to be a chaste peck, richie's hands are on your body and he's pressing you against the wall, deepening the kiss as he tilts your head to deepen it. 

you're caught off guard, eyes wide as you throw your hands around his neck, kissing him fervently. your eyes close and his tongue prods your lip, taking your fucking breath away.

he tastes like sugary lemonade and you think you're melting, spiraling and falling deeper as you open your mouth. you almost moan out at the feeling of his tongue in your mouth, sliding your tongue against him just as a throat clears.  

you both pull back, alarmed even though you knew this was going to happen - but you're more alarmed at what the fuck richie just did than at his grandma staring at you. 

yeah, his grandma catching you kissing was sort of a huge victory in the 'selling the fake relationship' department, but it’s also a huge bummer for your 'pride and self-confidence' department.

“shouldn't you two be outside?” she says, a small smile on her lips. you let out a quick breath, unable to fucking speak after what just happened. you faintly think you can hear richie saying something to her and then she’s shaking her head with a smile and walking towards the backyard. you blink,  your fingers still hovering over your tingling lips. then, you snap out of it and turn to richie.  as you shove him up the stairs, you yelp, "if you ever kiss me like that again-"

"oh, shut up, you liked it!" he fights back as he turns toward the room you're sharing and lifts a brow, "you opened your mouth for tongue-" he starts but you screech, rushing through the doorframe and shutting the door a little to loudly, "i did not!" you hiss, shoving his shoulders and hiding your smile.  

he stares at you, a grin on his face and eyes teasing. "-then why'd you lick mine when i stuck it in your mouth?" he’s shrugging. you want to punch him in embarrassment because holy shit, is this not a big deal to him?

your eyes widen and you scrunch your face, "god, you're disgusting, just-" you sigh, shaking your head.

your heart is thumping wildly in your chest and you have to physically hold your hands down by your sides so you don't reach up and tug at the stray curl on richie's forehead.

"doll, all i'm sayin' is that was a good practice kiss." he shrugs again.

right. it was for practice.

he speaks up again and you swear he’s giving you a headache. "hey, i mean...since we're here, should we practice sleeping together too?" you turn bright at his words. "richard!" he giggles as you slap his shoulders and he mutters, "-yeah, no, i was kidding, sugar. damn, baby." he mutters, shaking his head with a grin so bright you can't help but share it. “i mean, technically we already did, last night and the night before. but that’s not the kind of sleepin’ i was talking about-“

you cut him off with a stern look and an elbow to the gut and he has the audacity to fucking giggle. 

your stomach tosses and flips itself sick inside of you at the sound and you sigh, giving him a look as he grins. you hope he doesn't notice the absolute heart-eyes you have for him at every given moment.

"cross my heart, sugar. totally kidding." he says, eyes closing as his fingers lazily trace an 'x' over his chest. "i'll wait out here for ya, toots." he says as he walks out of the room, leaving you to change into your suit quickly.

when you open the door back up for him, he whistles. "damn, y/n/n, you look fuckin' sexy."

you stare at him with a blank expression. "richie i'm wearing the same clothes as earlier." you deadpan, gesturing to yourself, having put your clothes back on top of your suit. he grins cheekily as he walks down the stairs, flashing you a wink, "i know that."

he rocks back on his heels. 

"so what can i do to show my love for you since i can't kiss you?" he asks, smirking. you roll your eyes, "shut up, richie. we're by ourselves right now, you don't have to do anything." you insist, pulling your hair back from your face. he sighs, groaning as if in pain. "but what if i just want to?"

you freeze, looking to him with wide eyes as your stomach drops. "do you really just want to?" you ask, mostly joking as your heart beat picks up. he takes a few steps towards you, shirt now on as his curls drip slightly. you watch a drop roll down his jaw and you swallow.

"yeah, i really do." he says simply, shrugging. "i’ve realized that i really do want to do all the boyfriend stuff for you."

you let out a shaky laugh, a smile falling onto your face as you raise your eyebrows. "for show?" you ask, and he shakes his head with a small laugh. "no." he says and you stare at him, unmoving. 

"so you’re gonna make me say it, huh?" he says with a smile that gives you full-blown butterflies as he pulls you to him. you smile back at him, heart melting into mush at the thought of richie being your real boyfriend.

"i think you should, just to be safe." you say with a grin. he smiles brightly, hand coming up to your cheek. his thumb rubs over your face.

"i love you, y/n." he says softly, looking into your eyes. "i want to be your boyfriend, and i want you to be my girl and i want to do stupid shit with you and have tea parties with munch, and for you to listen to my parent's embarrass me, and to spend all my time with you. i want all the boyfriend stuff, y/n."

you shake your head, "we already do that, rich. i've been yours this whole time." his cheeks turn pink and you love the way he looks so you add, "i love you too, richie. i really do. please be my boyfriend."

he kisses you, then.

it's soft, his lips like rose petals and his kiss like honey and it's quite different from your other kiss - both incredible, but this one with much more intention and love. it melts you completely as richie pulls you closer to him, his lips parting from yours slowly, a smile falling onto his face.

"what do you say then, want to go for a swim?" he asks softly, sending you a smile that is blushy and beautiful. you smile, pecking his lips. "sure, rich."

"c'mon, girlfriend." he says happily, tugging you down the stairs and making you grin stupidly, knowing this time for sure that it's not just for show.

//tag list:  @gabiatthedisco @blisshemmings​ @toziershmozier @simplesammyx @dickology64 @clownsloveyou @moon-shine-baby​ @daughter-of-the-stars11  @lets-vibe-bro @trashedfortozier @oceandog13 @finnskindofwoman​ @diorbubs @kait-tozier​ @upamongthestarss​ @fiantomartell @beverlyparkerr @beauregard-s @baby-yoda-a \\

[ary-se]

Mankai with a roach

some of these are based on irl experiences so i hope y'all enjoy reading this as much as i did writing it LMAO no braincells were involved in doing this i am so sorry.. also tagging @tsum-uwu-gi for some of the totally whack ideas, tysm 🥰

🐪 the mankai dorm never really experienced having a roach flying all over the place that much, and even if it did, they're immediately dealt with by the moms of the dorm

🐪 that was mostly the case until that one specific day arrived, when the reliable people were gone for different reasons. tsuzuru was in his part-time job, omi was getting groceries, tasuku was a guest actor for another troupe, and no one knows what in the world sakyo was up to

🐪 anyways the first one to notice was azuma, he walked in the bathroom probably to take a dump or something - who knows really lol - when he found himself staring at a roach that was literally on the toilet.

🐪 azuma literally has no idea how or when it got there, but the fact remains that there is no freaking way he is going to use the toilet unless he wants a death sentence. the logical choice was to close the toilet and flush it, but at that moment he kinda lost his shit, both literally and figuratively, and so all he did was act composed as he quickly left the bathroom

🐪 "azu-nee, why do you look so pale?" yuki asked him out of curiosity in the dining room, but azuma is hella smooth so he just laughs it off and acts as if he totally wasn't horrified at all, "it's nothing, you're probably imagining things."

🐪 after that incident, nothing happens for at least an hour. unfortunately, a roach doesn't simply disappear just because you want them to, which was why azuma's efforts of not letting the roach escape from the bathroom were in vain...

🐪 for some apparent reason taichi sometimes has this tendency of holding his own pee before he sprints to the toilet and just bursts in there, so when he ran to the bathroom and immediately let out an ungodly screech, it's all fucking over

🐪 did taichi piss himself? who the hell freaking knows. if he did, mankai would normally either laugh or feel bad for him or both, but at that moment nobody cared about that. what actually mattered was that taichi left the fucking door open so the moment he screamed, the roach already started flying EVERYWHERE

🐪 the one who was nearby the bathroom that time was kazunari. even if kazunari acts like he is scared of roaches, he actually isn't and he is capable of killing a roach in sight. would he help taichi, who has his fly almost open, by killing the roach and call it a day?

🐪 the answer is hell no. killing it doesn't even cross his mind. kazunari thinks this is really hilarious, and if he finds something funny he doesn't do anything to solve the problem. kazunari would basically make things worse by going live on his instablam to record what is happening. in this case, it is all about the unwanted creature and where in the actual world it is gonna land

🐪 gladly, kazu's sanity is still intact that he didn't include taichi in his live for the first few minutes. if kazu did, taichi better say bye bye to his remaining dignity and write his last will so he can finally dig his own grave. people will forever know him as the ugly sobbing, screaming dude in the bathroom with his fly open, and that is honestly the last thing taichi wants to be known for

🐪 sakuya goes to where the chaos is, poor boy was legitimately confused as to why two people are yelling and laughing at the same time. it is normal in mankai but every time it happens, somewhing whack is happening. unfortunately for sakuya, he was completely unaware of the roach flying behind him

🐪 "hi kazunari!" sakuya greets, and the roach lands on the sleeve of his hoodie. sakuya is a pure little bean, he is ALWAYS a pure bean but if kazu was being honest, the current image of sakuya smiling widely while a roach is chilling on his sleeve was really unnerving in its own way

🐪 kazu started to laugh so hard that he is physically unable to explain to sakuya what was happening, and he felt so bad about it. sadly, kazu doesn't have the capability to stop laughing by force, does he? because of the lack of explanation, it took sakuya approximately 7 seconds of obliviousness before he notices

🐪 tenma arrived right after that, and the roach flies off sakuya's hoodie after he jumps from surprise. high and mighty carrot boy is now in for a storm cause the moment he appeared, the roach lands on top of tenma's freaking head out of all places

🐪 "hey guys, what's happening?"

🐪 "there's a flying roach. and it is now on your head." kazunari deadpans. he always tricked tenma when it comes to these kinds of things, but he is serious this time

🐪 tenma literally HUFFS as if he doesn't believe kazunari in the slightest, and tbh you can't blame him cause summer troupe gave him trust issues from their pranks. sorry mister. unlike their old pranks, it is actually real right now... kazu ain't joking, please believe him now

🐪 tenma shrugs and places a hand on his head nonchalantly to ~prove his point~, "you won't fool me again-" he froze the moment he actually felt something moist moving under his hand

🐪 at that moment tenma screamed one hundred fucking times louder than the entire mankai company could, the entire neighborhood would learn their lesson to bring earplugs wherever they go cause his screams are literally ear-splitting

🐪 tenma should say goodbye to his reputation as a k00L b0y 4ct0R😎 that he has maintained for so long cause a lot of people are already watching the live. also rip to the people who were using earphones... at least you have witnessed tenma's most unglorious moment on public. from that moment he is already and permanently a meme and there is no going back

🐪 "STOP SCREAMING HACK!!" yuki yells at him with all of his might, but it was super inaudible because his scream still reigns. the roach lands on the wall, so yuki grabs whatever was on the table. it was banri's fashion magazine, which is fucking useless by the way, because he still can't dress himself up no matter how many fashion magazines he purchases. good job yuki for using it as a sacrifice

🐪 yuki rolled the magazine and repeatedly whacked it to the wall out of pure annoyance so he can kill the roach. in all honesty, the roach would've been dead by now from yuki's wrath, but curse his height cause he can't reach the freaking roach no matter how hard he tried. sorry yuki, your courage and bravery were all in vain

🐪 amidst all the chaos, nobody freaking noticed muku, who was deadass in the living room the whole time. question is, how is muku not aware of what was happening? how did he manage not to hear taichi's and even the mighty tenma's screams? the answer is simple. HE WAS TOO ENGROSSED IN HIS SHOUJO MANGA.

🐪 when yuki was about to finally hit the roach, it flew to the cover of muku's shoujo freaking manga. for an unknown reason, muku doesn't even flinch. HE JUST KEPT ON READING. muku, everyone adores you especially with your love for romance but the kissing scene isn't important right now, PLEASE STOP READING THIS INSTANT

🐪 everyone literally went silent, nobody had the heart to tell muku. they just watched the roach crawl slowly to muku's fingers in suspense. after what seemed like forever, muku closed his book while giggling, but that didn't last forever cause he saw the roach and in a split second he dropped his book without any hesitation

🐪 muku got so freaked out they all felt sorry to the poor boy. he just stared at the shoujo manga that is now on the floor, endlessly mumbling about having to buy a new one because the roach already cursed his book and he will become unlucky and he might pass on the curse to everybody else and they will fail all their upcoming shows and---

🐪 anyways. the roach lands on citron's palms, and citron... surprisingly doesn't freak out. he doesn't care. actually, CITRON'S HAPPY??? he just looks at the roach in fascination and if it were any other creature it would look so adorable. but no, it had to be a ROACH and it's absolutely whack and disgusting. please remember that it is the same roach that came from the freaking toilet. citron, please wash your hands RIGHT NOW.

🐪 "CITRON KILL IT!!"

🐪 "NO, NO! POOR COACH!" citron shakes his head, reluctant to kill it. he kept the roach in his hands so nobody would be able to kill it... he was oddly protective of it and NOBODY KNOWS WHY. THEY ALL DO NOT WANT TO KNOW WHY EITHER. citron please stop, what you're doing is making everything way worse. let go of that roach this instant and be hygienic just PLEASE oh my god

🐪 everybody already lost hope on trying to kill the roach, citron and his questionable logic is beyond their comprehension. but they refuse to waste their time fighting him about it because it will fly everywhere and no one wants that... lucky for them, tsuzuru finally arrives the dorms. HE IS EVERYONE'S SALVATION! SOMEONE WHO CAN FINALLY KILL THE ROACH! FREAKING FINALLY,,

🐪 yeah no, nevermind that. tsuzuru was so fucking tired from his part-time job that he just collapses right after he closed the door. please let the poor man sleep, don't even bother on trying to wake him up to kill the roach cause there's no way he is gonna wake up any time soon. cut him some slack. they felt bad for him but it happens way too often so they just left him on the doorway and that's it.

🐪 a few minutes after tsuzuru passed out, banri got back from no one knows where, probably shopping for more animal print clothes... who the hell knows. unlike the others, banri already knew what was happening without asking cause he has been watching kazu's live for like ten minutes already. if he was being honest, the whole thing was making him lose his shit so he tried to go back to the dorms asap to not miss out on anything good

🐪 coincidentally, juza also left their room from his long ass nap to see wtf was happening cause they were being hella noisy. after some explaining, when juza already fully figured out what was going on, he was aboutta kill it, ACTUALLY KILL IT, when banri stopped him. "you get out of this. i am the one killing it."

🐪 "get your own roach for you to kill, settsu"

🐪 curse their competitive asses cause it has reached to the point where they're already starting to beat each other up to death. the goal here is to kill the roach, not each other you dumbasses, get your brains straight please that's not helping anything don't be stupid for once

🐪 the roach flew from citron's hands and everybody screeched but finally, FINALLY AN ADULT walks in. tsumugi went in the dorm from the garden with a bottle of pesticide in his hand. once everybody noticed what he was holding, they were all getting panicky so they angrily screamed at him to spray it to the roach, it was too chaotic

🐪 tsumugi was so confused??? why was everybody angry at him?? what did he do to deserve this?? he doesn't actually think his pesticide works on roaches, but it was probably better if he stays silent about it since everyone will not listen and would force him to spray it on the roach anyways, what's the point

🐪 and so he did. at first, the roach stopped moving, so they assumed it was already dead. tsumugi then sprayed a lot more to make sure it actually was dead and everybody collectively sighed in relief. finally the fiasco is over. everyome can go back to their normal lives before this fucking happened

🐪 or not. the ROACH DEADASS FLEW AGAIN AND THEY ALL PANICKED. funny enough tsumugi calmly explained amidst all that, and it turns out tsumugi's pesticide was weak, and to top it all off it was water-based so it had no freaking effect on the roach whatsoever. too bad, so much for everybody getting false hope, huh. they wanna blame tsumugi for not saying anything before spraying but it is also their fault for getting worked up so whatever

🐪 itaru arrives from work, and one quick glance on what everyone was yelling about tells him that he refuses to participate in this crap. give him a freaking break please. he was dealing with work and you're telling him that he has to put up with this, too? hell fuckin no. he manages to quickly escape to his room to catch up on his games and it is a good thing that no one really noticed. they're too busy screeching every time the roach just flies outta nowhere.

🐪 masumi was deadass watching them from the sidelines. he could tell them to open the windows and just wait for the roach to fly outside so they can get it over with and call it a day. what a joke though, masumi giving helpful tips so everyone can calm down? yeah right haha no. he doesn't want to waste his energy on doing that even if their noise was actually getting into his nerves, so the whole duration he stays silent while he watches them lose their shit

🐪 this is one of the moments where they all legitimately wished misumi was here right now. him blabbing about triangles every second made them think that the roach kind of looks like a triangle when its wings are out. misumi what did you do to them to make them think this way?? did you make them do the triangle calisthenics or cathletics or whatever the heck that is??

🐪 knowing misumi, he can catch the roach in a matter of seconds. so where in the world is misumi? he is out again for his daily triangle hunting, obviously. come back, misumi... literally everything would be over in a flash if misumi decided to stay in the dorms today

🐪 despite this, for some apparent reason homare manages to find inspiration in all this. look, mister. the dorm is a fucking chaos. actual chaos. kazunari is somehow still live on instablam, wheezing so hard like he is gonna die any second now. the scene is literally just teenage boys screaming and running all over the place. two of said teenage boys are beating each other up... and one (1), ONE roach flies on top of everything, still fucking alive. EXACTLY WHAT PART OF THAT MAKES YOU FEEL INSPIRED HUH HOMARE!!! SPEAK UP!!!

🐪 the noise levels of mankai dorm is practically a headache at this point, if sakyo was here his boomer brain would be having a migraine that would be worth a week of pure pain and agony. for some reason, hisoka, who is on the sofa in the living room, literally in the MIDDLE OF THE CHAOS, just sleeps through it all.

🐪 how does he do that? just what kind of marshmallows does he eat?? do they permanently damage a person's hearing?? no matter how many times they woke hisoka up, he doesn't budge. what the actual fuck. and tsuzuru is still sleeping in the freaking doorway. at this point they could cuddle each other for all they want until they fucking die cause no amount of noise is gonna wake them up from their eternal slumber

🐪 after what seemed like forever, sakyo arrived and everybody immediately went silent. they stopped what they were doing except kazu, who was either incredibly stupid or incredibly brave, nobody wants to answer that right now. he is still live on instablam. even the live chat went silent.

🐪 sakyo still doesn't know what was happening but he knows it is BAD news, so he glared right at kazunari's camera and the last moments before the live ended was sakyo angrily stomping his way to kazunari and the screen blacked out

🐪 after learning that everything was only caused by a roach, sakyo got so mad that he managed to snatch a flip flop out of nowhere and killed the roach until it was completely crushed. it was safe to say everybody felt bad to the roach despite being the cause of everything. by the way, whose flip flop was that? nobody knows.

🐪 tasuku, misumi and omi arrived in the dorms while sakyo was lecturing everyone, and they still got dragged in without knowing what in the world happened. please pray for these poor souls they have to deal with his yelling without even being a part of it.

🐪 omi just bought groceries for dinner, he didn't waste his time to do that just to have no dinner tonight oh my god please give this man a break from everyone's bullcrap. tasuku's role in the other company's play was some random teen whose parents were mad at him for doing shit. he doesn't have to deal with sakyo actually getting mad too please let this man live in peace. and misumi? he isn't happy that he got dragged in, too. this is not very sankaku of you, sakyo

🐪 "MIYOSHI, WHY DID YOU HAVE TO RECORD THE WHOLE THING? YOU'RE RUINING THE COMPANY'S IMAGE. ALSO THE BOTH OF YOU FIGHTING YADDA YADDA YADDA"

🐪 the lecture lasted for 5 hours and nobody ate dinner that night. everybody was so tired after that. nobody was allowed to speak and if someone mutters, sakyo will yell at them next. can sakyo still lecture you for another 5 hours even after that long ass session? unfortunately yes.

🐪 everybody was banned from eating meals the next day. the resident moms reached an agreement that at least one of them always stays in the mankai dorm so this never EVER happens again. once is enough, they do not need another fiasco like this one.

🐪 oh and was it mentioned that kazunari doesn't have a phone for a solid month? cause that happened, sakyo banned him. you bet he managed to live a phoneless life by logging on his social media platforms on other people's phones without sakyo knowing,, not really the definition of "phoneless" if you ask him..

[dessarious]

Guilt and Consequences Pt2

So yeah, one shots are apparently not possible for me. Here we go again, no idea where this is headed so your guess is as good as mine.

AO3   Beginning   Next

This had to be the most uncomfortable thing Lila had ever experienced. And that included all the times creeps had yelled at or propositioned her at the events her mother insisted on taking her to. Sitting next to Marinette while she explained everything to her parents was torture. Lila did her best to stay silent, but she couldn’t help but break in when Marinette went too easy on people. She absolutely refused to make eye contact though.

“So you managed to turn the entire class on my daughter in an attempt to get expelled?”

“Yes Ma’am.” She was pretty sure the woman wouldn’t want her calling her by her name anymore. Honestly she was surprised she hadn’t been thrown out yet. Marinette was currently in her father’s arms, trying to keep him calm so she was feeling the full brunt of Madam Cheng’s attention. It honestly felt worse than her mother’s constant disappointment but that was probably because she wasn’t used to it from anyone else.

“And at what point did you decide that you needed to target my daughter specifically?” Well that sounded like a trap but it wouldn’t do any good to lie at this point.

“After the napkin incident.” Her tone was dry and Marinette actually giggled. Lila could only shoot her a confused look. Nothing about this was funny.

“Napkin incident?” Madam Cheng just looked confused and Lila sighed. There had been so many lies and issues that Marinette had left a few out. This was going to be interesting.

“I said I sprained my wrist in another attempt to get the teacher to ask for a doctor's note. She didn’t. Marinette threw a balled up napkin at me and I caught it as a reflex. I made sure there was a large gap between me actually using my wrist and pretending to be in pain. Knowing that wouldn’t be enough I made up some ridiculous garbage about seeing someone lose an eye to a napkin. The class ate it up. I still can’t process that kind of stupidity.” The boy was wearing glasses for fuck's sake! What kind of moron wouldn’t question that?

“You’re kidding.” The woman’s tone was flat and Lila could only shake her head. She wished she were making this stuff up. She wished she’d never set foot in that school. She wished for a lot of things that were completely beyond her reach unfortunately. “You were out of school for a period of time weren’t you?”

“Umm… yes.” What did that have to do with anything? She shifted uncomfortably and waited for whatever was next. She hoped there wouldn’t be follow up questions but she knew she wasn’t that lucky.

“Obviously you weren’t traveling, so why were you out of school and why did you go back?” Lila hunched in on herself and tried to keep her emotions in check. When Marinette hadn’t asked about it she’d hoped that meant she wouldn’t have to deal with it. She could feel everyone’s eyes on her and just kept staring at the table. She counted the lines in the wood to try and keep calm for a moment before answering.

“After I was Akumatized my mother pulled me out of school to send me to a therapist so I wouldn’t embarrass her again.” Yet another lecture that had repeated over and over for months. “The first one told her that school was a major problem for me and that it would be beneficial for me to go back to homeschooling and use extracurricular activities to interact with other kids to ease me into it. She didn’t like that, so she fired them and hired another.” Her mother really hated being told she was wrong. “Once that happened is when I started video calling into the class and pretending to be traveling. I put minimal effort into making it look like I was in different locations and thought someone would pick up on it. I didn’t know they hadn’t until I got back.”

“So the second therapist said it was okay for you to go to school?” LIla shook her head. Madam Cheng’s voice was oddly devoid of emotion and that worried her.

“No they said the same as the first. So did the third one. She finally found one to agree with her without actually seeing me.” She still hadn’t seen him actually. There were days she wondered if her mother had made him up, but she was getting prescriptions from somewhere so there had to be someone.

“I’m sorry what?” Lila cringed at the disbelief in her voice. She’d just admitted to lying about pretty much everything, so it only made sense they would question her about something like this.

“It was on Heroes day. She sat me down and said she found a doctor that said my problems had nothing to do with school and with the proper medication I would be fine. I tried to argue with her but it did just as much good as every other time I’ve tried. I was so mad and worried and… I remember locking myself in my room and then the next thing I knew I was in an alley near the Eiffel Tower watching an Akuma fly away from me.” She’d seen the footage later and had actually thrown up. When her mother yelled at her for sneaking out she didn’t correct her. It would have just led to another rant about how she should be able to control herself better. She didn’t need another reason for the woman to be disappointed in her.

“Are you telling me that some random doctor is prescribing you medication solely because your mother told him to?” The repressed fury in those words was enough to make Lila start counting again.

“Yes. I don’t even know who it is.” The words were mumbled but they did actually make it out so she was happy about that. Madam Cheng reached forward and forced her chin up so Lila had to look her in the eyes. She expected anger but what she saw seemed more like pity, or maybe concern. That didn’t seem right.

“I think I need to have a chat with your mother.” Lila just blinked at her in confusion for a moment.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, at least not until you decide what you want to do about the school. She’s not going to care about the effects of what I’ve done, she’ll just try to make it go away.” She’d seen it enough times to know exactly how things would go. Normally it didn’t worry her but given the principal’s current track record, her mother could probably get him to agree to anything. Madam Cheng’s expression softened further. That really didn’t seem right.

“Why don’t you call your mother and ask if it’s alright for you to spend the night here?”

“I’m sorry, what?” If the change of topic wasn’t enough to throw her having Marinette’s mother, who should hate her, suggest she stay under their roof would have done the trick. “She doesn’t like it when I disturb her at work.”

“Won’t she want to know where you are?” She hadn’t even agreed to stay. She was so confused.

“I can text her, but she is too busy to actually talk to me.” Wait, did she just agree to stay? The feeling of being in an alternate reality came up suddenly again. Nothing about this place made sense. Maybe Hawkmoth had something to do with it.

“I’d still like you to try.” Why was she pushing this? Lila looked down at her hands trying to figure out what was happening. Was the woman trying to catch her in a lie? That seemed the most likely. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and fiddled with it for a moment before pulling up the contact for her mother’s office. She definitely wouldn’t answer her personal phone while working. Probably didn’t even have it turned on. She set the phone on the table as she hit call and put it on speaker. It would just make things go faster.

“Ambassador Rossi’s office.” A professional voice answered and Sabine raised an eyebrow at her.

“Hello David, it’s Lila.” Silence. She sighed. “Ambassador Rossi’s daughter.”

“Your mother is very busy young lady. Unless this is an emergency you’ll need to wait.” Yep this was going to go exactly as she thought it would.

“I just have a quick question for her. If she can’t come to the phone perhaps you could relay it to her?” Silence, followed by an annoyed breath.

“One moment.” He put her on hold and she just waited. She knew the others were all looking at her but she kept her head lowered. She didn’t know why but seeing people’s reactions just made everything worse.

“This had better be important.” Her mother’s stern, annoyed voice broke into her thoughts and she had to swallow before she could talk.

“I’m sorry to disturb you but a classmate’s parents invited me to stay over and they want to make sure I have your permission. So can I?” She could practically feel her mother’s annoyance through the phone.

“Lila, I’ve been in back to back meetings all day and you just interrupted a call with a very important government official for something you could have handled yourself. You need to grow up and start taking responsibility for your life. I won’t always be here to hold your hand.” The click as she hung up seemed to echo in the complete silence that followed.

AO3   Beginning    Next

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[rhaenyraisadyke]

Fundys Stream My Nightmare (5/24)

(stuff transcribed live so. it might be wrong but I tried)

F: Remember the times when… when.. when… I.. remember the times when I couldn’t stop a nation from blowing up.. remember the times when I helped the guy who killed tubbo….

You know what bothers me the most? I have been having nightmares with crazy visual stuff happening and I don’t know how to explain it.. I I just.. my memory goes back to.. to those days.. I had the chance that I was always there. I was the helping of will and schlatt and the butters army….

And I.. I couldn’t do anything.. and it leads me to believe it was always my fault.. it makes me think it was always my fault.. and everytime I was apart of something it fucked up.. everything something messes up I’m part of it.. its always been that way.

A day ago.. quackity showed up at my doorstep.. and told me a few things. He told me.. ya know, the things I was part of and the a few things that made sense and a few things that weren’t.. weren’t great to hear, but he was right.

Me and quackity.. had a long talk, it was me thinking he came over to see me. I isolated myself from the world, tried to save everyone from having crazy shit happening, because every time Im part of something everything seems to break down no matter what it is. So I tried to isolate myself from only specific dreams.

And I thought he was going to see me but he had oddly specific business requests. He’s made some mistakes but he’s a nice guy. He told me about my history and made me aware of what happened… well… time for a new chapter maybe. I don’t know.. I don’t know, but its, lets hear him out. I think that’s the least we can do. I mean the place does seem impressive.

Q: I wasn’t here for business I was here for you

F: Do you really mean that?

Q: Why were you in the butcher army?

Q: Work in the cabinet?

Q: You have always had the same interests as me

Q: Because of those past experiences is why I went to see you.

F: You’re. ..Making me smile..

Q:And im not saying it to make you smile.. im saying it to make you think

Q: This is not las Nevadas… this is home. If you decide to join the country.. this simply will be home.

Q:For the longest time I didn’t have a home.. I had two houses in my lifetime, one was in the lmanburg house. Infant we had a dispute as neighbors… and another house underneath Karls house.. but I never intend to go back

F:You literally can’t go back there right?

Q:Do you want me to be honest fundy?

Q:As much as I love to see this as a new beginning… for me it was a necessity.. it was either starting a new chapter or rotting away in self pity.

F:Quackity I don’t really know if this stage is good…

Q:Fundy, you are more then happy to offer your contributions..

F:You’d allow me to do that?

Q:Fundy look at me and listen to me carefully.. I own this place, this place is mine and I am under rule of nobody, no Tommy, Tubbo, Schlatt, Fundy we can do whatever we want under any means, we don’t have to worry about going to war every single week..

Fundy we can finally go everything we want to. And that freedom means more to me then this SMP could ever offer.. We are FREE here.. .this is HOME fundy..

Its home.. this entire place is home, its ours… just like that I have been working on this for a long time just so someone to say you can’t do this you can’t do that you can’t express yourself

Im so tired of people telling me my entire fucking life that I can’t do something. And this is why this place- this is home fundy, this is HOME

I get it Fundy I get it, and we both have been in this situation quackity, we both know what its like to be put down, and to be written on paper and work for months and we know how that feels

And you and me unlike most people

I wish we could include tubbo on that but Tommy Wilbur had that share of power for awhile..

But you and I quackity we had so many ideas but we were pushed aside with our ideas and now all of thats changed and we can do something about it

F: Did you know I visited Paris eeveryyear as a kid?

Q: It wasnt a coincidence fundy…

F: It feels like home.. fundy it feels like home

Q: I don’t think there’s been amount in my life where I’ve been this happy.. And we offer all sorts of entertainment if someone wants

Q: Fundy you gotta chose the people you trust wisely, and Fundy I’ve put trust and hope more trust then hope . I gave too much benefit of the doubt when we were in the lmanburg cabinet, I used to think that somehow which the people we ruled over would someday strive for peace and love and maybe… but thats bullshit fundy… thats bullshit of what people want.. and that breaks my heart fundy.. but you know what? We are here now.. and all this.. you’re gonna see fundy..

F: But what if. What if it happens again Quackity? Quackity I’ve been thinking I told you about the nightmares and stuff quackity.. .once the nightmares finally end and the continuous loop finally escapes and want to know what I see I just see myself. And it tells me that you know.. that every single time.. it always leads me to believe that its always me… and that its crazy.. thats crazy..

Q: Fundy? Don’t talk nonsense… don’t talk nonsense on las Nevadas

F: sorry. Im sorry

Q: No fundy don’t apologies, you and I have been kicked in the ground and you and I have been undermined for so long,, and it doesn’t matter.. where are they?

Q: Wilbur as far as I am aware is dead..

Q: Tommy.. I haven’t even heard of Tommy in so long for all we know hes still chasing that disk

At one point of all of these friends I considered friends they are all still chasing the same thing over and over again and they think thats going to change… but thats the thing you have to create the change yourself.

But until you finally realize your own self worth as a warrior and an excellent member I don’t want you in las nevadas.. I care for you as a person, you’re not a business partner you’re not some asset some pawn, you’re my friend and I rather you work on yourself and realize your self worth.

And that point I don’t want you to be far away from me

You know what fundy? I still want you to find yourself….. Theres so much unused land here.. how about you take this plot here fundy and how about you build yourself a place you call home. Build whatever you want.. build your home’

F: Whatever I want? Actually? Like if I go back and find myself… if that ever were to happen.. this is the place I can call home? Right here?

Q: Build your legacy…. Fundy is big fundy is powerful fundy is smart… and translate all of those things into a nice big building…

F: Right now it doesnt strike me as the right thing to do.. well you know me better.

Q: Fundy.. you have to let go.. YOU HAVE TO LET GO..

F: I can do that.. I can do that.. .. its my choice its my decision

Q: Fundy.. pretend lmanburg never happened, pretend all of the wars never happened.. yell to the sky I am born again say I am born again I am no longer the old version of me.. it will take some time but I’m sure one day you will understand.. fundy im sure you will understand

Fundy I just have one last thing to say to you.. just follow me.. Look at this sign… Fundy… Welcome home fundy…

Welcome home..

F: You know at the end of the day.. he is actually nice..

Thats was friends do.. thats what friends do… good day actually good day.. my good friend.. who’s very busy lately… so what if he couldn’t visit me for three months.. and so a friend like me I can understand that people can be busy for three months like quackity or ever since I left… and im a good friend.. a bro.. you know what? You know what lil guy? I think I think… Im gonna have a good night… I think tonight might be different.. I think tonight im gonna have a good night…

[weirdthinkingdragon]

Pushed Temptations

Yandere Western Shouta x reader

Warnings of blood, guns, character death, uh… intended weapon harm to reader? Should that be a warning? Quirkless AU

IDEK if you can really call this a yandere. More like highly protective, which is kinda yandere I guess? All I know is I was in a really soft mood when writing the ending. Oops… 

It was rather quiet today at the bar. The only thing being the pianist playing their good old favorite tunes. No one seems to mind, and he offers to do the piano at a rather small price. Because of that, my boss decided to let him have a few drinks a day free. He was thankful but oddly declined. He’s definitely an older man, maybe in his 50s. I can’t for the life of me remember his name, but I do remember it starts with a T. He’s definitely an incredibly kind man though. 

I clean the glass of the customer that just left incredibly drunk. I don’t care much about doing this job, but I have to because the boss told me I could live here if I do. He knew my family and wanted to help me out after they were killed by bandits on their way home. He’s also worried about me being alone in case that happens to me as well. I don’t really care. We all die at some point anyway. I am rather angry with the bandits though. He wouldn’t let me decline. Seriously, he made two of his strongest bouncers come get me to bring me to him. I’m starting to think he only wanted me for his benefit. 

There was a rowdy few in the corner playing poker at the corner. I try to ignore them and stare at the doors to the entrance. One of the men at the table suddenly stands up, and storms out. He yells in fear after exiting. No one bats an eye since yelling is pretty normal around here. From fear? Not really, but it’s not my problem as long as it’s not in here.

It doesn’t take long to know why the man yelled in fear. A very feared outlaw enters through the doors. Shouta, the man feared by all. The only man that wears black everything, including his stetson. Well, the only thing not black was his bandana. That was a medium gray. He’s taken down multiple people at once, and so many Sheriffs and Bounty Hunters have been after him, which lead to their deaths. Only one person has ever been close to doing serious damage to him. From what I heard, they tried to become friends with him over a few days, got close enough, and tried to stab his eye with a knife. The swing hit, but not the way they hoped. The man was found dead a few days later with a bullet hole in his pants. He was shot in his thigh and left for dead overnight. The wolves got to him before he was found. 

A chill goes through the place as everyone goes silent and stares at him. They know to not bring their guns out. They stare in fear at him as he saunters up to the booth right in front of me. “Howdy stranger, what can I get ya?” 

“Whiskey.” Geez, even his voice is something to send chills down someone’s spine. I grab one of the glasses, fill it, and pass it to him. He goes to pass the money for it to me. I push it back towards him, leading him to have surprise on his face. 

“It’s on me. It’s a thank you for getting rid of that group of damn bandits that called themselves the “Iron Will”. It’s nothing to you, but they were a royal thorn in my side. I wanted revenge on myself for something they did.”

His face went back to being stoic, but he did grab the glass. I look at the entrance to see if anyone else entered. No. In fact, the ones at the table playing Poker booked it out of here, so it’s now just him, the pianist, and I. 

It stayed quiet between us for a bit. “You know, I don’t think you’re as bad as people say,” He raises the brow with the obvious scar under his eye, but says nothing. “From what I’ve heard, most, if not all, of the people you have killed have deserved it. Yes, even the Sheriffs. They’re usually corrupt themselves anyway.”  

“...You talk a lot.” He’s too hard to read to know what he’s truly thinking. 

I shrug. “It ain’t much. It just gets pretty boring around here, especially since I’d honestly rather be doing anything else.  Kinda forced to be here,” I glare off to the side. “Thank the damn bandits for that one,” I lock eyes with him again. “Uh… nevermind. Enjoy the rest of your whiskey.” I say and go over to the table the rowdy people were t and grabbed their glasses. It might be best to not bother him much more. Maybe I’d be next. 

The blond stops playing the piano for now, and he locks eyes with Shouta. Shouta… Gives him a small nod?  They must know each other. That would just be further proof he doesn’t kill for no reason. 

He asked for another, which I gave him. The blond didn’t continue playing yet. He must be giving his fingers a break. Honestly? About time. That man’s been playing for the past three hours without a break. 

At least, it was peaceful until someone slammed the doors open in an obvious frantic state. It was my boss. He has a revolver… It was easy to tell what he wanted to do with it from the way he glares at Shouta. I don’t let worry show, even though I’m worried about him being shot by Shouta, which could easily happen. That and the blood would be hard to clean up. It always is on wooden floors, as well as I don’t have anywhere to go after since my home was already taken from being forced to be here.  “Ren, please put the gun away. We ain’t got time for blood to be spilled here.”

That got Shouta to turn around and notice the man. His hand hovers over the pistol in his belt. 

“You don’t tell me what to do! This man doesn’t belong here! I want him out! If the bouncers won’t, I’ll do it myself!”

I sigh. “Ren, please. The bouncers left an hour ago. You know you don’t stand a chance, and I really don’t want to clean blood off the floor tonight,” He’s still frantically waving the gun around like a child proud of a new toy. “He also hasn’t done anything.”

“Hasn’t done anything!? He killed Mizuki!” Mizuki? Where have I- oh. That wretched man.

“Isn’t he that man that kept forcing himself on women?” 

“That doesn’t matter! He was still a great person!” … Is this man serious!? 

If I’m reading Shouta right, he wasn’t too happy about hearing that either. “Why the fuck am I stuck working for you?” I whisper to myself. It’s not loud enough for Ren to hear thankfully. He would have blown his mind if he heard me. In speaking of a blown mind, he’s about to get his mind blown to bits for real. “I’m sorry for his actions. I'm also sorry, but would you mind leaving without spilling blood? I know it's stupid to ask, but I'm sure you know just how hard blood is to get off of things." I lean a bit over the counter. 

"Stop being a pathetic bootlicker! He ain't deserving of it! Get. Out!" 

"You're always welcome here otherwise." I whisper. Ren didn’t hear it, but I’m pretty sure Shouta did as he turned to lock eyes with me for a second before slamming the glass down and turns to glare hard at Ren. I don't even need to see his face to know. The fearful shaking of my boss shows. He stands up, and heads towards the door. He shakily points the gun at Shouta, but he doesn't even bother grabbing his pistol, just keeps his eyes on Ren. Ren is angering me right now, disturbing the peace between the three of us here. Also for being a darn hypocrite of sorts for not being able to be brave for pointing a gun at Shouta, even though he’d make others do it if they were around. 

Ren steps away from the door as Shouta exits. It doesn't take long for the loud pounding of horse hooves to drift away until they’re no longer heard. 

Ren puts his gun away, but glares at me. "Why did you not tell him to leave when he entered!? Men like that ain't welcome around here.”

I look at him like he's stupid, probably because he is. "What in tarnation did you want me to do about it? Money is money, ain't it? Even then, a simple person such as I had no chance against a man such as that. Do you even see a gun around me!?”

He swears under his breath. “Close up early.” He leaves. ??? What? Just comes in here to disturb us for that? It’s confirmed, he’s not stable. 

Despite everything I could do, I decided to just listen and close it early. I grabbed the glass Shouta used, and started to clean it. 

“You’re right you know,” I stop cleaning the glass and look at the blond. “About Shouta. He’s a kind man, just given odd cards for his life. All it takes is one bad doing to make someone thrown in the dark. He’s saved me more than once before. Unfortunately, one time he did accidentally kill a good man. Hizashi was his name. At least, that’s what everyone believes. Someone else shot him, but pinned the blame on Shouta. Everyone believed the other man before they believed him. There’s no way he’d purposefully kill his friend though. Sure, Hizashi was a troublemaker at times, but he had a heart of gold. Friendly to all.”

My brows crease. “Why have I never heard about this?” This seems like something that really should be known.” 

He grows a saddened expression. “Many have simply chosen to forget or listen to him. Shouta gave up trying to convince people and just accepted his new way he has to live.” 

I’m angry at people for doing this to him, and also sad for him. Just thinking about how bad and painful it would to be not be listened to when telling the truth and no one believes me would be devastating. 

He leaves, and I leave a bit after finishing cleaning up.

----------------------------

For the past few months, Shouta has visited a few times. Luckily, Ren never came around, so he must be rather stealthy coming here now. I’m sure he comes for the free drinks. Who wouldn’t use that offer? I also started staying open a bit later than normal just for him. Still pretty sure he doesn’t like me too much from constantly trying to talk to him more with no success. Only a few nods or shakes of his head as replies. 

Tonight was no different. I kept it open late on the twelfth day of the month. He’s had a pattern of coming on this specific day. Toshinori, the man I finally remember the name of, left not too long ago. I’m all alone now. The eerie silence is rather unnerving when being so used to hearing the piano playing so often. 

Sadly, he doesn’t enter the saloon after a while of waiting. Maybe he’s busy tonight? Or maybe he got injured? There’s no way he could have been caught, right? I really hope not. I close the saloon and start to head home. It’s really late at night with the moon at its highest point in the  sky. It’s a full one tonight, showing everything around me rather brightly.  I pass a house on my way to mine, only to be suddenly slammed into the wall of it. 

There was a familiar face to the body. Ren!? He holds a gun right up to my neck. His breath is shaky and obviously full of anger. “You… Stupid… Did you really think you could keep going against my back without me finding out!?” He pushes the gun harder on my neck. “I really hoped to be wrong that you were helping that.. Filth of a man. Oh no. No, no, no, no! You’ve not only kept serving him, you’ve been doing it free. You deserve to be fucking executed for that!” 

He wasn’t alone. There were three other silhouettes that revealed themselves as men in the shadow of the building next to this one. They were close friends of his, and I’m pretty sure I remember the one farthest from me being rather close to Mizuki. The situation started to show, and fear quickly started rising. I’m going to die. “No, you deserve to be killed now for stealing from me! I give you a place to stay, and you steal! I should have left you to the bandits.” He seethes. 

“Heh, I reckon we use ‘em as bait. We could pin the blame on them instead, and maybe their new “friend” will be angry enough to kill them. He’s had no problem killin’ people close to him before”  Ren grows a sadistic smile. “You know? That’s the best idea!” He leans dangerously close to my face. My body recoils at the stench of his breath. It’s foul enough for my stomach to want to release everything in it. 

The sound of two guns being cocked brought my attention to behind the man farthest from me. It’s Shouta. “There’s one problem with that plan.” He says. His tone seems a bit sharper than what I’ve heard though. 

All the men sharply turn around with their guns held, pointing at Shouta. 

“Oh, hey, Shouta. Sorry for-” Ren pushes the gun hard enough on my neck that it cuts me off from talking. “Shut it.” 

I’ve never seen Shouta’s face so angry before. “Let them go, and maybe you’ll be spared.” He nearly hisses, but is trying to stay level-headed. 

Ren suddenly starts laughing. “Aw, does the murderous outlaw have a big ol’ soft spot for this pathetic thing? How touching!” His finger on the trigger twitches. “Just makes me want to kill them more!” 

Gunfire rang out. Something warm hits my face. I cringe at the quick realization it’s Ren’s blood. Ren’s body collapses to the ground. The others try to shoot at Shouta, but he dodges them all and shoots all of them through their heads. People’s lights started to turn on and others were coming out of their houses to see the commotion. 

Shouta holsters his guns and whistles for his horse. A black Arabian runs up right next to him. “Thanks for saving me. You might want to leave though before you get more involved.” I try to walk away, but he grabs onto my arm, pulling me towards his horse. “What are you doing!?” I ask as he pushes me towards his horse. 

“Something I should have done months ago. Get on.” What is he making me do? People will get the wrong idea if they see me with him.

“But-” 

He nudges me by the horse again. “Get on.” I comply with a bit of difficulty from not used to being on a horse. He then gets on the saddle in one quick movement. The horse takes off as bullets from others whiz by us. I hug his rather well-toned torso to hold on. Luckily, none of them hit as we got far enough away.

It doesn’t take long for us to get to a house that looks abandoned. It was a rather small house with only a window on the front right next to the door. It’s hidden incredibly well by a few large hills. 

He gets off the horse, ties the reins up, and nudges me towards the small house. "Why did you make me come with you? Now people will get the wrong idea." 

He opens the door and allows me in first. Moonlight sone through the window enough to make the inside visible. On the left is a decent sized bed that seems a bit worse for wear, but still sturdy with rather clean looking sheets. The only other things in here was a wardrobe against the wall farthest from the door, and a chest under the window on the right side. “They would have gotten the wrong idea anyways. It wouldn’t have been the first time.” He ends up saying with his voice a bit strained. No doubt he’s remembering his friend. 

He closes the door, and surprisingly, hugs me from behind. “Not again. I’ll make sure of it.”

I quirk a brow. The attention isn’t unwelcomed, but quite a surprise.. “You DO know I could have been shot as we left, right?” I ask. Wrong thing to say. His arms tightened substantially as he buried his head in my neck. 

“They’d all be dead.” 

“Wait, but they wouldn’t have done anything.” A bit of fear laced through me. Not for me, but for the others. 

“Someone injuring or threatening you deserves death.” 

“You’re supposed to be a good outlaw, what happened?” I ask, already kind of knowing the answer, and angry with myself for being so nice in the first place. 

“Today happened. Those… things that nearly harmed you were right with their thoughts. No matter what I do, everyone is going to think I’m bad. It’s time for me to be a bit selfish for once. That selfish want is wanting you close to me.” 

My heart is torn between melting at how cute that kind of is to still being fearful for others. 

“That’s sweet and all, but you and I both know this isn’t gonna work for many reasons. One being we both can’t keep riding the same horse. It ain’t fair to the poor thing.” I felt him smile on my neck. 

“We’ll get you one at some point. Judging from your struggling earlier, we have a ways to go first.”

I smile. This could be fun. What’s not fun is the mostly dry blood cracking on my face. “Sounds like fun, but uh… Got anything to clean this blood off?” 

He tenses. “Blood?” The way he said it made me wish I didn’t say anything about it. He stops hugging me and turns me around, closely examining my face. 

“Don’t worry, it’s not mine. It does feel gross though.” 

Within a blink of an eye, he pulls out a rag and goes over to the chest to see a rather large jug of water. He dips it in the jug and comes back to wipe it off my face with a deep frown on his face. 

In an odd form of suddenly feeling silly, I poke his nose with my right pointer finger. He blinked in surprise at me. He grows a soft smile that almost doesn’t seem suiting of him. It makes me chuckle. 

“You know, It’s surprising to me you actually care. Or uh… Love me? Or whatever it really is. For the longest time I could swear you hated me.”

“I did at first,” Okay, points for honesty. “I expected you to be like an earlier nuisance I had to take care of. That changed especially after my third visit. I noticed you weren’t acting like it just to me. You were genuine with everyone. Toshinori helped by informing me more of your... issue that you told e a bit about,” He leans in close, fully cutting the conversation. “I think this is long overdue.” His lips touch mine. It was a really quick kiss that I barely had time to register. 

I smirk. “So you DO love me, or am I looking too much into it?” 

He’s not amused. “You already know the answer to that.”

Now I know I have a deadly outlaw that loves me. I guess in a way I should thank Ren. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[bangtanislife-0612]

Impulse~ Part 13

Group: BTS

Au: Superhero

Pairing: Jeon Jungkook x OC

Summary: Main Character has lost their job and needed money to pay for college, so they become a villain because it pays really well. The boys are a superhero group named Bangtan under organization named The Elite. The evil organization is called The Organization because I'm super original. Jungkook and OC are freshman  in second semester of college. Jimin and Taehyung are sophomores in college. Namjoon and Hoseok are juniors in college. Yoongi is a senior and Jin is graduated and working at The Elite. Basically Jungkook has a crush on OC in college, but doesn't know she's a super villain working against him so it's that kind of story.

                                               Impulse Masterlist 

I know I never wanted to become a villain, but I honestly kind of miss it. After The Organization was informed of everything that happened with the kidnapping situation(excluding Pyro’s involvement of course) I was told to take the next two weeks off. Unfortunately with Sunny taking the first week to stay home and recover I’ve had to go to school without her, and would likely be bored out of my mind if it weren’t for the boys. 

“Mina?”

I turn to the sound of my name to see Taehyung looking at me expectantly.

“Oh shoot I must have spaced out. What was that?”

I see most of the boys looking over with playful exasperated looks and can’t help but laugh at how quickly they’ve adapted to my spaciness. 

“I asked which superhero do you think is cooler. Phase or Riptide?”

I scrunch my eyebrows at the oddly specific choice and tilt my head up to the sky thinking my options over. Finally coming to a conclusion I look down to see Taehyung and Jimin waiting in anticipation for my answer. I can’t but giggle at their odd behavior; however, to give them credit it’s not too odd. These two are always asking me weird questions about superheroes. 

“It’s a pretty close call, but I would have to say Phase. My love for animals is too strong!”

Taehyung yells out in joy while Jimin falls back in fake anguish and the whole group can’t help but laugh at the two boys. 

“It’s your turn now! Ask us a question!”

We’ve been playing extended twenty questions for so long now I’m a little stumped for a good question. Deciding to stick with the super category we’ve stumbled upon I realize the perfect question to ask them.

“Who’s your favorite supervillain?”

It seems the question has thrown everyone off because all of the boys begin to look extremely uncomfortable.

“Why are you guys looking at me like that it’s just a question!”

Nobody looks willing to answer the question even after my statement and I almost decide to change the subject until Yoongi pipes in.

“I’d have to say Voltage, she’s pretty cool.”

I look up in surprise at his answer, and see his cheeks turn a little red at my facial expression. Then a flashback of the first time I talked to the whole group where they were teasing him for his crush on my alter ego pops into my had and I understand. I give him a tiny smile as the other boys give him teasing looks and nudges. He brushes it all off before continuing.

“Well since I answered you guys all have to come up with one!”

That seemed to have stumped the group and they each take a second the think over their options. Hoseok is the first to come up with an answer.

“Penumbra is pretty cool! It would be awesome to have a teammate like that for quick getaways.”

I can’t help but beam with pride from someone finally acknowledging how cool Jay is and his power. Most people overlook him since he’s usually a villain’s getaway plan like Hoseok mentioned.

Jimin voices his agreement and gives Hoseok a quick high-five. Jungkook follows up with a basic well-known villain who has a strength quirk like him, and Jin mentions a female villain that funny enough I’ve shared coffee with in the break room.

Last but not least we all turn to Taehyung, who has a thoughtful look on his face.

“I think I would have to agree with Yoongi and say Voltage is my favorite.”

I blink in surprise wondering how my villain persona has won over these boys. The boys tease him like they did with Yoongi; however, unlike Yoongi he doesn’t act embarrassed. I can’t help but notice the stare he seems to have leveled at Yoongi almost as if he’s trying to say something.

I turn to see whatever Yoongi is doing and I’m just as surprised as I was with Taehyung.

He looks scared.

Like the kind of scared when your parents catch you in a lie and you just know you’re in for it.

Feeling uncomfortable with the tension this stare off is causing I pull my gaze away and focus on the other boys who haven’t noticed whatever is going on between the two.

I turn my head to the side where Namjoon is sitting beside me, just now realizing he never answered the question. Part of me is curious about what his answer may be but something about the look on his face stops me. He looks concerned, but not at the boys like I was just seconds ago. 

I follow his eyeline down to where his phone was placed in his hands. I lean over just slightly to see if I can read anything but before I can my phone goes off suddenly.

I look away quickly as Namjoon, as well as the rest of the boys, looks over to my phone ringing. I quickly check the contact and feel happiness and just a tinge of worry bubble to the surface as I quickly answer the phone.

“Sunny! How are you doing, is everything okay?”

Out of the corner of my eye I see the boys begin to pay more attention to my conversation, probably wondering the same after listening to me worry about her condition for so long.

“I’m doing good, should be back to classes in a few days. Although, that’s not the reason behind my call.”

My eyebrows involuntarily crease in confusion and I quickly excuse myself from the boys. After walking a couple feet away I ask her what’s going on.

“There’s been a bit of a situation at work and Jay asked if I could call you to see how soon you could come by.”

My confusion and concern somehow increases at her words, and I quickly go over my schedule in my head before explaining I could come by after my next class. Sunny thanks me for the information and we exchange goodbyes. 

I walk back over to the boys and they quickly stop their conversation and look up to me, clearly waiting for an explanation of what the call was about.

“Uh that was Sunny, and before any of you ask she says she’s doing good and will be back in a couple days.”

A couple of the guys give encouraging smiles and surprisingly enough I see a few gives little sighs of relief. Honestly, I swear the more time I spend with these boys I realize how unbelievably kind they all are.

“Unfortunately she did mention that a friend of ours needs my help so I won’t be able to hang around after class today.”

The next reaction from the boys brought a smile to my face. Half of them were giving very exaggerated sad faces and Hoseok may have even been fake crying? I giggle a little in response until Taehyung pipes up with a question.

“Do you know what he might need help with?”

I open my mouth to answer, but stop myself once the words actually register.

“How did you know it was a him?”

I meant to ask it in a bit of a joking way, considering the likely explanation is he just assumed. However, I got a completely different reaction this time around. 

Taehyung stops still and almost looks like he did something he shouldn’t have, and weirdly enough all the other boys are looking at him the same way.

“Geez Tae just because she’s a cute girl doesn’t mean she has boys constantly asking for her.”

It’s an odd statement; however, it’s even more odd when it’s coming from Yoongi. My sentiment seems to be shared considering all the boys are looking at him like he’s crazy. Oddness aside I still feel my cheeks heating up in response to his words and I can feel myself smiling.

The boys notice my reaction and seem to find it perfect ammunition to tease Yoongi.

“What do you think you’re doing trying to flirt with Mina? You already have Voltage, don’t be so greedy!”

I can’t help but laugh at the boys as they begin to wrestle around before realizing class will be starting soon. I yell out a quick goodbye and begin walking off with a wave over my shoulder. Just missing the moment Jungkook joined the pile and Yoongi’s screech of pain. 

Hello! I know it’s been awhile but I’m hoping to start posting more now that I have some time to do so. Also be ready because next chapter I will be introducing a possible rival love interest??? 

[feminaexlux]

Stronger

Hey hey hey welcome to Part 3 of Miraculous Leap (Part 1). Part 2 is 5 Minutes

Ending this year with Lukanette again! Hoping it brings good tidings for 2021 (better than 2020 that's for sure)! Happy New Year!

FYI: Dewey = Dominic :)

AO3 link!

⁂

Ladybug brushed away her tears and smiled back up at Viperion. "Okay," she said shakily, nodding to indicate that she understood. "Okay."

They were in the past, or at least they were currently occupying their past selves. Hmm, how long ago was this? Ladybug looked back down at her suit and it was that ridiculous basic-ass red and black polka dot version. She didn't even have her wings. Okay, that narrowed it down to… younger than 16?

Ugh, that sucked. No one in their right mind would ever want to repeat their awkward teenage years over again, but… as much as she loved Dewey and wanted him with her at least right now she wasn't feeling like she'd swallowed a basketball. And she currently didn't have any back pain, which was a bonus.

Tikki, I need my wings, Ladybug thought at Tikki.

Tikki sounded a little startled to be pinged directly like she just was. Oh… um… Okay, Marinette!

She suddenly felt herself being wrenched away from Luka by another person before her wings fully manifested. "H-Hey!" She yelled out.

Chat had pulled her behind him and was aiming his baton at Viperion. "Don't touch her, you jerk! What did you do?! Why'd you make her cry?!"

"Chat… wh-what?" Ladybug sputtered. She heard Viperion growling under his breath.

"Are you okay, Milady?" Chat called out over his shoulder. Oh God, not this phase. She saw Luka clench his jaw and fold his arms but otherwise he was remaining still. Luka was pissed at the way she was being handled but he knew better than to step in and make things worse… Though Marinette knew he had a limit.

Ladybug sighed. "Chat, I'm fine!" Of course Chat wasn't standing down.

"Here's what's going on," Viperion said, sounding clipped. "This akuma controls time. Its power is to swap someone from a different time period in their life to here. Long story short the Ladybug and Viperion here now are from the future. I'm from the future. She's from the future. We're from the same future, since your LB and Viperion got hit with the same blast. We'd both been… taking care of someone, and it was terrifying that he wasn't here with us."

Chat was taken aback and reacted like he'd just been slapped. "Who… Both of…? No, nevermind. You guys… don't look like you're from the future," he said suspiciously.

Viperion took a deep inhale and long exhale in annoyance. "It was a mental swap. Sorry. Should have clarified." Thank God her husband had the patience he did. But oh shit--

"V! 7 o'clock!" Ladybug yelled out, pushing Chat out of her way. Ladybug wasn't 100% certain Viperion had access to all of his abilities so she had started to get her yoyo shield ready. Viperion turned in the direction she specified and caught the blast before it landed, reversing time itself and pushing the blast back to its origin. Okay, that question answered. Viperion had what he needed.

"Wow! What was that?!" Chat cried out in astonishment. "Oh holy crud, Ladybug, you--you can fly?!"

"Chat! Focus! We need to take care of this akuma!" Ladybug called out. The sooner they finish, the sooner she and Luka can get back to… She snorted to herself. What an awkward time for her past self to end up in.

⁂

(Back in the future…)

"I can't believe we have 5 kids," Marinette started laughing. It… oddly didn't bother her all that much. After all, with a certain someone she had imagined having up to 3. 5… was… well, definitely way less believable, but it didn't bother her.

Luka looked a little embarrassed and took a drink of his water. He just shrugged and sat down on the floor next to Marinette, pressing his back up against the edge of the bed. "I didn't have a plan for anything," he said sheepishly. "Just me and my guitar for… ever, I guess."

Marinette blinked in surprise. "You never planned to ask me out?"

"Didn't seem like you'd be interested," he said, raising an eyebrow at her question. "I don't mean for this to sound bad but… I don't know how we got…" He gestured at the room. "Here."

It's 'cause he thinks you're in love with Adrien, duh, Marinette chided herself. But… but was she… really?

"Wait… where are… the kids?" Luka asked.

"With my parents," Marinette answered. "Seems like they all go over pretty regularly," she said, showing Luka her calendar. Every 2 weekends she had an event called "Kids @ T/S," with the alternate weekends being labeled "Kids w/Granarka." Well, that was extremely nice of their parents to take on… "We must like these kids if we wanted 5 of them," Marinette mumbled to herself. She opened up her phone's photos and looked through the albums.

She noticed that Luka had leaned in a little to look over her shoulder. "Sorry," he said, pulling back.

"No, they're… yours too," she laughed. She angled the phone so the both of them could see.

"Harmony" was the oldest at 9, the most recent video had her playing a yellow electric guitar and singing on stage by herself at what looked like a small café. There were so many pictures and videos of her at these showings, and in a number of them it looked like future Luka was just offstage cheering her on.

"Melody" was second oldest at 6, and it seemed like she was a little copy of Marinette herself. Marinette couldn't help but smile down at the photos of her future second daughter dressing up and posing in various costumes and placing scrap fabric pieces together on the floor in make-believe designs. Apparently Marinette would have a protégé to call her own.

"Hugo & Louis" were the twin boys, still toddlers at 3. They always had silly faces on in all the pictures Marinette and Luka scanned. She had a video of future Luka tossing both boys into a ball pit and them giggling like maniacs, enjoying the airtime and landing in an explosion of brightly colored plastic balls.

And finally, "Dominic" was an album full of sonograms. Marinette patted her stomach. "Well, hello Dominic," she said. "I wish we met under better circumstances. I hope you're alright."

There had been another album labeled "Us" that Marinette scrolled through. Stills of future Marinette and future Luka together at award shows or at fashion events. Selfie videos of them sending jokes to one another. Pictures of future Luka working in his studio or playing his guitar or hanging out with friends.

Future Marinette adored him. Every picture had him smiling back or pleasantly surprised.

One selfie from several months ago had him with his arms wrapped around her from behind, leaning down to kiss her shoulder as she held up 3 different positive pregnancy test results in front of the bathroom mirror. Future them looked so happy.

Suddenly an awful, sinking feeling hit Marinette.

"We're not going to remember this," she said to Luka, and it was something like anguish that made her voice sound so raw. "Probably? Sometimes no one remembers what happened when the Miraculous Ladybugs reset everything…" She saw his eyes widen. "I don't… This… I-I… I want to remember this!"

His eyes widened further in surprise as both eyebrows went up. "You do?"

"Yeah! I mean, look at us! We're so… so… Wait… do you want… all this?"

Luka looked somewhat incredulous. "You remember I had zero plans, right? I didn't think about dating or marriage or kids." Marinette felt like a balloon (pregnancy aside) that just got punctured. For some reason her heart ached. "I mean… I never figured I'd get anywhere with you past being your friend. I didn't think you liked me that way at all. This? All this," he pointed at the pictures, "wasn't even a possibility." He closed his eyes.

Marinette wasn't sure what to say.

"Wasn't before," he said quietly, after a few moments. He started staring off into the distance. "Now? Do I want this?" He dropped his gaze to his left ring finger, then back up at her. "Yeah. Yes. But I don't want you to start liking me because of this. Futures aren't ever set in stone." He stared back off into space. "Honestly I want us to forget this. It's nice. Really nice. And maybe it won't happen. It'd hurt a lot to know what I missed out on."

Oh. Oh no. She'd been doing the Chat thing where she was barreling toward a specific outcome without thinking about the process or journey. Luka was right. Maybe it wouldn't happen. Not without her taking honest stock of her feelings first.

Did she want… him?

"It's supposed to lift you up and make you feel stronger." Chat had done that for her once. Then recently it'd been more like "Don't focus on the bad stuff." That didn't stop the bad stuff from existing.

Adrien had done that for her when he said she was the "Everyday Ladybug." And then it felt that no matter what she did he kept getting further and further away. And Adrien hadn't reached back out for her to help close the distance.

"Sorry," Luka said, breaking her out of her thoughts. "Guess I'm just… worried."

Marinette looked at him. "No, you're right. It would be unfair if all I wanted was the result." She paused for a few seconds to think her words through.

"I'm not going to start liking you because we got to experience this future," Marinette began again. "I don't even know when it really started. I just know I already do. You've never made me feel like I was wrong. You've never made me doubt myself. You've never made me think for one second I'd have to watch the things I say and the things I do or pretend to be friends with the people who've hurt me. You've always let me be who I am."

He had turned to look at her, worry and concern etched in the furrows of his brows. But the edges had softened as she talked.

Marinette smiled shyly. "I know it's not going to be easy… and it's something we'll have to keep working on… but I'd like to find out how far we can go together." She held out her hand to him, palm up. "I want… us. An us… whatever it looks like in the end."

Luka searched her face for a few heartbeats and took a breath, seemingly content with whatever he found. He gave her a lopsided smile. "I want that too." He reached out and took her hand.

⁂

(The "past")

"Miracu--!" Ladybug was getting ready to launch her Lucky Charm up in the air when Chat stopped her.

"Wait! Wait wait wait. Please. Can… can I talk with you… in private? For a little bit, Milady?" Chat looked down at her pleading with his most pathetic looking kitten eyes and Ladybug sighed. She glanced back at Viperion, who cocked his head a tiny bit to the side and smiled.

Like Luka was shrugging a What can you do?

Marinette winked back a Won't take long, handed Viperion the Lucky Charm, and turned back to Chat. "Alright. The rules are I'm not going to tell you any details but we can talk."

Chat jumped over to another rooftop and down into the alley below, putting a few buildings between him and Viperion. Ladybug followed behind him, floating down with her wings. Chat leaned his back against the brick wall and folded his arms. "Did… I ever have a chance with you?"

Huh. Okay. Chat was more observant than she remembered him being at 15. "Hmm, yes," Ladybug answered. She knew who he was, after all.

"Then… I guess I screwed up," Chat said miserably. "I always thought we were made for each other, you know?"

"We might have been once," Ladybug said gently. "But we both grew up, Chat. Neither of us screwed up at all."

Chat furrowed his brows at that. "Is there anything I can do now to change?"

"You wouldn't be you, Chat." She walked over to him and pulled him into a hug, leaving a hand on his shoulder after stepping back. "I know it's not what you thought you wanted, but your future will still be amazing."

"Are… you happy?"

Ladybug had a serene smile, glancing back in Viperion's general direction with her hands now over her heart. "I am."

Chat stared at her for a bit. Something about the quiet conviction she had was more… meaningful than if she'd been animated about saying it.

There was nothing to prove to anyone. It was just the truth.

Chat sighed audibly. "Okay, Ladybug. Thanks," he gave her a small smile. "Sorry. You need to get back home, right?" Ladybug nodded. "Then let's get going!"

Moments later Ladybug and Chat Noir landed together in front of Viperion, who handed the Lucky Charm back to her. She threw it high into the sky and said "Miraculous Ladybugs!"

Ladybug reached out her hand and Viperion took it in his. They smiled at each other when the waves of ladybugs passed over them.

⁂

Ladybug blinked a few times, her brain a little foggy after being hit with that blast. She'd been trying to save Viperion from the akuma's attack… She must have been a little too slow. Wait, where were they? And Viperion was in front of her now, and he looked… okay?

He was staring down at something. When she looked in the same direction she saw that they were holding hands. A small part of her panicked and wanted to pull away, but… an overwhelmingly larger part of her… liked it? Viperion hadn't pulled away either. So she… didn't pull away.

"Welcome back, Viperbug," Chat laughed, his baton across his shoulders with his hands on either end.

"What… happened?" Ladybug asked, her cheeks slightly pinking as she kept a hold of Viperion. It just felt… kinda nice.

"There was something about the future," Viperion said, still staring down at their linked hands. "I feel like there was something important, but… I can't seem to remember."

"Yeah, you guys got hit by the akuma but we still managed to take care of it. Paris is safe again," Chat smiled. "I'm heading out. See you guys later!" he yelled out, leaping away after saluting.

Huh. It felt like Chat wanted to leave faster than usual. He didn't even stop for their typical "Bien Joué!"

"… I guess we're done here? Alright, I'll drop you back off at home," Ladybug said to Viperion.

⁂

(One day later)

"Hey Marinette," Luka said from behind her. Marinette yelped and windmilled forward, nearly falling over but quickly got back to her feet and spun on her heels to face him. "… Are you looking for Juleka?" He had a smile on his face… one part amusement by her antics and another part joy in seeing her.

She'd come onboard the Liberty and stood on the deck… there wasn't any real reason why, she just kinda… showed up. "Ah haha, um, no, no I a-actually… I was just um! Looking around! Yeah! The-The stage!" Oh God why did she say that.

Luka rolled with it, even though Marinette was certain he knew she just made that up. "Sure, feel free. It's good to see you."

"Too! It's you! I mean it's good to you! See you. Too," she laughed nervously. He moved around her and set his backpack down against the atrium couch. She slapped both hands to her face and cringed when she thought he wasn't looking at her. Auuugh.

"I'm gonna get a snack. Do you want anything?"

She jumped again, hiding her hands behind her back. "Oh! S-sure, thanks, that's great."

"Cool, do you want to follow me down and let me know what you'd like?" She nodded and went to the main cabin with him. She sat down at the kitchen counter bar and asked for juice, sipping it nervously when he sat in the seat next to her.

"I… I actually just wanted to talk with you," she said. "You… said I can just be myself around you." It had been hard to look at him so she just stared at her glass, feeling self conscious.

"Yeah, always," he said easily. He'd gotten some yogurt for himself, but he hadn't opened it up yet. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I… There was… You know…" she started, sighing when she couldn't get the words she wanted out. "I'm not sure how to say it but… have you ever gotten the sense that you… missed something really important? Like you got caught up in something… silly and there was this really cool person you passed by 'cause you were distracted." She finally looked up at him.

"If they're still around you still have a chance to say hi," he smiled at her. "People are pretty chill, and I'm sure they'd love to talk with you." He opened up his yogurt and took a spoonful.

Marinette was pretty sure she was blushing. "Y-Yeah, he's pretty chill. Soooo. Hah, um. Hi."

With the spoon in his mouth he got out a "Hmm?"

"Wanna… see a movie?" She should clarify. "J-Just us! No group!" She should further clarify. "A date! It's a date! I'm asking!"

He swallowed too fast and started coughing. At least he hadn't swallowed the spoon. "Ah," he laughed after recovering. "That sounds great, but…" Marinette's heart jumped into her throat. "I wanna make sure you're… sure," he said awkwardly. "Sure you're not… missing out on what you really want," he added, blushing a bit himself.

"Th-That's why… I'm asking," she said shyly. "I-I think… What I really want is… something new. Someone that helps make me better, you know? Makes me happy too. And… I've been thinking about you."

"Me," he said, sounding a little surprised.

Marinette nodded. "Are… are you… interested?"

He took her hand in his. "Yeah. Definitely."

[emerald-amidst-gold]

17, 21, and 24 for the OTP ask? 😁

Well, hello, friend! I shall answer for that is DUTY! >:D

17. What senses (sights, smells, feelings, etc). remind them of each other?

I did answer this one in another ask, but I can think of a few more to share! (I got so much for these two, don't worry~)

So, another thing that reminds Fane of Solas is any kind of painting, namely frescos. Surprise, surprise! But the reasoning is mainly because Fane used to dream of frescos painted in a temple, one he always finds himself traversing in his dreams in the earlier years of his life. The style was nostalgic, impeccable, as if the hand that had held the brush was fixated on getting every line, every detail, every color, and every proportion just right. The paintings were like little anecdotes, way points trying to guide him in a direction with paint and plaster, but the story was always left unfinished, and it isn't until all the memories flood back that Fane realizes who was the artist of his dreams. *winks*

Now, I'm not usually one for 'smell' references, but oddly enough, Solas is reminded of Fane through one. Namely, chamomile. This was something I thought of one day when I was fighting with a headache and I was just watching a Twitch stream, and I was like, "Chamomile is a natural stress reliever. Fane doesn't like tea, but there are bath oils and incenses infused with chamomile, right? He would definitely be given that by someone or maybe even takes initiative to get it himself." Thus, the headcanon was established! Fane smells like chamomile, and Solas can't help but smile when he smells it from another source, knowing that his dragon is trying to help himself in some way.

21. How have they changed each other for the better/for the worse?

So, there's a little bit of A and little bit of B for this question. There has indelibly been a positive influence on both Fane and Solas due to each other. Basically, it all stems from pre-Inquisition, aka Elvhenan/Arlathan.

Fane, as a dragon, was inherently tasked with observing elvenkind, watching the flow of which they progressed and if their machinations benefited the world in which they lived. Each dragon had this inherent task, albeit in different ways. Dragons that lived in arid regions were tasked with controlling the sandscape, preserving the ancient temples by covering them with said sand, making inaccessible areas accessible for wildlife, so on, so forth.

Fane, and the others of his specific kin, not only watched the Elvhen, they guided them, but only if it was deemed necessary. White dragons could not want for anything beyond what the world needed, and their powers of absorbing, reflecting, and understanding emotions was what made them highly sought after by the Evanuris. When the Evanuris began enslaving elves, they began enslaving dragons, too. And this is around the time Solas and Fane met; when Fane was the last of his white kin. Fane had gone into recluse, hiding; he turned his back on those who were suffering because he couldn't bear to see them be subjected to magic bending and breaking their minds, turning their eyes grey where they were otherwise a multitude of colors. Solas found him through a curious venture as we all know the dear wolf is prone to curiosity.

Their beginnings were rough. Fane tried multiple, multiple times to kill Solas. He saw him as no different than those who had thus far enslaved his kin. He held anger, rage, resentment, and pride, which warped his nature of calm observation and cool acceptance to preemptive prejudice and scornful indifference. Fane stopped caring; about everything. Solas reached out to him, wanted to help him, and for the sake of keeping things somewhat short, they grew close after constant revisits and...silence. Solas allowed Fane to watch him, learn about him, read his eyes, and in turn, Fane began to open up, rediscover his original nature, and learn about another side from a more personal view. Solas taught Fane that nothing can change or return to what they had been unless he tried, and he did, even though it ended poorly. And even though it takes him twenty-four years and a lot of hardship, Fane finally remembers that important lesson and he's forever grateful, even as they walk onto the same stage that burned before.

Now, Fane has helped Solas do something we all know the dear wolf is a bit hesitant to do, and that's show his emotions. I stated once upon a time that my interpretation of Solas a little more...personal. Basically, I'm exploring a side of Solas that we don't really get to see, and that's an emotional one. My stories encompass a lot of emotion, a lot of grey morality, so I try to do that while keeping Solas in character with how we know him. However, with this AU of mine, Solas is more in touch with his emotions when with Fane. Why? Because Fane did what he was tasked with from birth; he guided. Through silent looks and seemingly disgruntled huffs, Fane allowed Solas to open up, to feel safe when every corner held a knife.

He let him be him. Not the Dread Wolf. Not the Rebel God. Not anything more than what he was naturally, and that was a being who needed to let their emotions go as freely as the magic so intertwined with their nature. They were friends, companions, even though they were two completely different species, and for all intents and purposes, enemies. They loved each other, but couldn't say it. After Fane died, Solas locked up again, kept his emotions sealed away, but when Fane reappeared in his life, both unknowing of who the other was, it all came back so easily, so fluidly. And what you'll see in a lot of my stories of Solas and Fane's early acquaintanceship in Inquisition is that they flow, they let the other be weak even though they don't want to be weak.

As for how they change each other for the worse...well, that ties into a lot of what I have planned during Post-Trespasser arcs. My stories are 'fix-its', but again, grey morality. There's a happy ending, but not without opposition first and a lot of hard lessons. Solas and Fane will do shit that makes people go, "Why?!", but aren't we already saying that with what Solas canon-wise is doing? Why not add an Inquisitor into the mix and live the fantasy we weren't allowed to choose?

24. What is something they have each had to forgive the other for?

Okay, so Fane's isn't what you'd think it is. You all know me, I like to go, 'You thought not! AHA! >:D'. Most people who've read my stories might think, "Oh, Fane has to forgive Solas for erecting the Veil because it's driving his kin insane." That makes sense, but it's not what Fane has had to forgive Solas for. Fane has had to forgive Solas for doubting him.

What I mean by this is that Solas tries to steer Fane away from helping him (Look! It's canon after all! XD). And mainly it's because Solas sees Fane thriving in this new life, connecting with people, seeing the world from a different perspective, and so he starts to think that Fane wouldn't want to help him. Which is complete bullshit because Fane, even when Solas tries to gently steer him away, is like, "I'm here. I'm not going to abandon you again." But typical Solas is typical Solas and is weighed down with grief and his doubts, but eventually he relents after a dragon fight. I won't say when this will occur, but...yeah. It's a bad time, and it shows Solas that Fane wasn't thriving as well as he'd thought. It takes a bit, but Fane comes to understand why Solas was trying to guide him away, and it helps when you're a stubborn dragon in love with a stubborn wolf! :D

Now for Solas, I have a little excerpt from a short story (the one I've been sharing a lot in tag games!). It kind of gives a basis of what Fane can sometimes do when he's not thinking or if he doesn't talk to Solas.

***

“F..Fane..!”, Solas growled out, a surge of heat invading his head as he felt his dragon’s dormant fury within his soul. It was thrashing, knocking, pounding against the confines of their link, wishing to be set free through him and his actions.

“This is..ugh..important, dammit!”, Fane grunted out as Solas was finally starting to push back, as well as his own minor discomfort with the magic that was slowly building around them.

“Then..ngh..speak of it!”, Solas snapped, feeling something like a pinch against his mind before that sensation ricoheted outwards, a lesser burst of magic managing to separate their bodies, but not their tethered souls. “Hiding in your mind only inflicts more harm!”, he almost yelled, his mind clouding with unusual rage. He was never ruffled this easily, but this wasn’t him, was it?

No, this was Fane, or more accurately, Fane’s mind. And it was red hot with fury.

He watched with slightly haggard breathing as Fane slid back a few feet, a grimace on his face from the smell of ozone, but shook it off easily. Now fully golden eyes glared with steamy ferocity upon him, a broad chest heaving with Veil born ire and excitement at finally having a challenge. Solas straightened himself a bit, clearing his throat as the distance between their bodies allowed him to think a bit more clearly, but he could still feel the thread that connected them intensely.

“Ma’isenatha, please--”, Solas attempted to reach the unhinged being before him, even as he could feel his own mind beginning to cloud again as Fane stalked towards him. They needed to cease this dance before one of them got hurt or insanely ill!

“Quit…”, the fuming dragon began before whipping the staff in his hand around in a near perfect arc towards him. “..talking!”, he snarled furiously, deftly hitting the other end of the staff with his wrist to cut off its intended path for a shorter route.

Solas was a bit curious by the adept usage, but shuffled that thought away quickly to block the blow that was inevitably aimed for his jaw. Now wasn’t the time to ruminate! As much as he loathed to admit it, and encourage it, there was only one way out of this foolish scenario!

“Enough!”, a cry harboring necessary command releasing from his lips, making the link between them snap like a bowstring. “Ngh..!” The heady, harsh sensation had the air leaving his lungs before he swept one end of his staff upwards without volition, missing his mark by a hair. He blinked when the sensation eased off, grimacing as he stared at the staff poised just next to Fane’s face, precisely at the point where his scar was. How ironic, but he knew what was happening now with that.

The involuntary reaction had been too planned, too memory bound. It was like when they had viciously fought as Haven burned with fire and corruption, and he had had no choice but to wound the otherwise perfect face before him - a deep scar left on his left cheek from his staff blade. His arms had been wrapped, then strung up in invisible bonds that radiated desperate heat and furious rage, guiding them to repeat the action due to a desire for something unsaid.

In simple terms, he was being controlled by emotions alone - emotions that were not his own.

“Interesting.”, Solas said, but narrowed his eyes upon the fierce man. “Emotions are your strings.”, he pointed out, more realization dawning on him as to where all these minor outbursts, sudden movements, and disorienting sensations were coming from. Fane..

...was manipulating emotions, guiding them to the destination he desired.

Fane’s eyes narrowed, emerald reappearing to deepen with rage as tufts of his hair fluttered from the air behind his swipe. “I’m intervening.”, the draconic side of his love coming out in full bloom now.

“Why?” He issued it as more a command than a true question. He was mildly miffed by this usage of abilities, but he needed context to decipher why Fane had thought this was necessary. It was unusual and worrying for him to use them like this.

“It’s necessary.”, Fane said with a flat tone, but there was fire crackling beneath its supposed embers, as well as the deep emerald gaze bearing down upon him before he twisted his staff upwards to once again aim under his chin. Solas dodged the movement by an inch, feeling the amount of force behind it with air alone.

His dragon was steadily losing his control, and it wouldn’t be long until he was truly unhinged.

“Fane!”, Solas met the glare with one that felt just as furious as he called out, but finally began to retaliate, no longer wishing to play on the defensive and draw this out longer. “Very well..”, he said lowly, gripping the staff tightly as he pressed in harder, matching Fane’s footwork step for step as their blows connected with near splintering cracks. “...if you are so..”, a harsh crack of their staves reverberating through the air. “...intent on not speaking of what troubles you, then I will make it so you have no choice but to!”

A long, muscled leg nearly knocked into one of his knees as it swept under him, its pace incredibly fast for something intended to withstand punishment. It was like a dragon’s tail as it swept aside massive boulders, and uprooted century old trees.

Fane let out a gasping laugh. “You’re still..ngh..t..talking?!”, he roared, snowy brows furrowed in growing pain as sweat began to form along a lightly flushed temple, hand trembling where it nearly snapped his staff in half.

“I am doing what you refuse to do!” A jab with his staff nearly connected with a muscled arm, but it went through the gap between itself and the toned body it was attached to. “Gh..!”, he winced as he felt a sharp yank on his mind, as well as the staff in his hands as Fane grabbed a hold of it to pull him forward harshly.

The world halted suddenly, its furious, heated pace slightly cooled as their gazes connected, all sound flushing out to where the only sound was their combined, harsh breathing. Emerald and gold swam, ebbed around each other like a phylactery did with its magical blood as the face that bore them was lax in stunned silence, sweat trickling down flush cheeks before it would disappear along a strong neck. Solas felt his face was no better, feeling how droplets of sweat rolled down the sides of his face and how his mouth was slightly agape as he fought for a shred of breath.

What was...going on? This feeling, like their desires were coalescing, taking shape before them like spirits shaped the Fade around them...it was intoxicating, comforting, and serene amid the furious battle they had been engaged in moments before. Their link was still there, but it was soft, velvet against his mind as the gentle essence wrapped around it in an embrace.

It was no longer painted...red.

“Hnn..”, Solas let out a quiet sigh, breath hitching after as the blanket around him became warmer, silken. When had it shifted? He hadn’t been aware because of rage painting the world before him in crimson..

“Too...much..”, he heard Fane whisper out between pants, but it was more to himself than to Solas. “...You shouldn’t feel that like I do.. Shit..”

Solas blinked a bit to reorient himself, the softness of his mind making it hard to think before he saw Fane’s face near inches from his, the hand that had grabbed his staff now making itself known upon the back of his neck, steadying him. When had that gotten there?

“What..”, Solas started, closing his eyes for a moment as the world spun for a second before reopening to try again. “What..was that?”

“My mind.”, Fane muttered, eyes flitting across his face worriedly. “I didn’t think..”, he trailed off with a light growl as brilliant eyes turned downcast. “I fucked up… I’m sorry...”

***

So, yeah. It doesn't take Solas long to forgive Fane, but when he first demonstrates just how dangerous his abilities can be and actively uses them to manipulate our wolf gets a little miffed. Solas wants Fane to use his voice more, and these are moments in which Fane doesn't and taps into that warped perception of himself; the one that got him killed.

[urdearestmom]

brain damage

i’m back again y’all and just wrote this piece... a bit of a scene study from that scene in 3x06. basically what i wish mike had said 

also the middle part is mostly conjecture but some of it is bits that you can hear in the actual scene if you strain your ears and ignore nancy and jonathan talking over it

also DISCLAIMER i do not hate max!! i really like her actually but she was really pissing me off with this whole bit because she just does not have any basis for understanding mileven's relationship and so her advice doesn't always directly apply. she had good intentions but BRUH. anyways i could go on a whole rant about max vs mike in season 3 but i'm not gonna do that right now lmao

It’s pretty silent in here, El thinks. It always is, but tonight it’s… strange. Almost as though it’s empty. Why can’t she find them? She’s been sitting in her room for the last half hour trying to locate any of the flayed and although she can’t see it, she knows there’s a growing mountain of bloody tissues next to her on the floor. She’s starting to think that she might need to give herself a break for a little bit.

Her friends are in the living room waiting for her, and she knows they’re all anxious to find out what she might see. So far, absolutely nothing. The only thing that happens is that every so often she hears a bit of a voice. It’s just there, tickling the edges of her consciousness, and she could tune into it if she wanted to… but she’s already identified it by the cadence of the noise as Mike’s voice, and she’d said she wouldn’t spy on him. She’d done it once and he was clearly upset by it. Although they aren’t really back to how they were before, El misses him more than she lets on, and she doesn’t want to make things worse by spying again.

Outside, Mike is getting close to yelling. He sincerely hopes El can’t hear him because he is once again fighting with her new best friend.

“It can’t be good for her to be in there for this long,” he exclaims, pacing in front of her door.

“Mike, you need to relax,” says Max, looking disdainfully at him.

“What if she gets brain damage or something?!”

“Oh shit,” interrupts Lucas, looking between them. “Is that like, a real thing?”

Max scoffs. “No, it’s not. He made it up. Mike doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about,” she adds, raising her eyebrows defiantly as if daring him to refute her.

“Oh, and you do?! ” He retorts. Her facial expression alone is pissing him off. It’s so self-righteous, as if she knows anything at all about him or how he thinks and feels.

“No,” she says quickly. “But I think El does. See, that’s the difference between you and me. You think you know everything!”

“I don’t know everything,” he fires back. His hands are balled into fists and he’s starting to shake. “But I know her.”

Max snorts. “You’re just mad she wants to be her own person. You can’t deal with other people not doing what you tell them to.”

“What do you think this is, Russia? I’m not some dictator, okay? I’m just trying to protect El!” He says angrily. This is getting more and more ridiculous by the second. Max doesn’t know the first thing about what he can or can’t deal with and acting like she does is striking his last nerve. Mike can feel the familiar boil of rage deep within him coming to a rise.

“The only person who knows anything about El’s powers is El,” says Max, with an air of finality.

Mike crosses his arms in an attempt to get himself in control of his emotions. “So if that’s true, what makes you think you have any more of a say than I do?”

She splutters for a moment and it’s so satisfying that Mike almost smirks, but it drops quickly when Max rises from her seat and stalks over to him.

“I don’t,” she seethes, poking him forcefully in the chest. “But she does, and you need to back off .”

“I’m not even on! ” He yells, throwing his arms up and pushing her away. He realizes his statement doesn’t actually make any sense but… whatever. At this point, it’s not like it matters. “She won’t listen to me! Because you put ideas in her head! You know she absorbs every new thing people tell her and you pressured her into dumping me!”

There it is. It’s out. It’s what he’s been thinking since it happened. He knew he’d messed up big-time by lying to El, but he never would have expected her to dump him over it. And the look on Max’s face as she stood by and watched had said everything he needed to know.

Max’s face is turning an alarming shade of pink and Mike thinks that he probably matches her. “I didn’t pressure her into anything, she decided! What is your problem with letting El decide things for herself?!”

“I don’t have a problem! At least I didn’t before you inserted yourself where you didn’t need to be!”

“All I did was give her choices!”

Mike takes a deep breath to retaliate, but then lets it go and turns away. “You don’t understand. Just- fucking leave me alone.”

Lucas is still staring at them; Mike can feel his friend’s eyes on his back. Why isn’t he agreeing? He was there when El- he knows what she can push herself to.

Max makes an angry noise. “Fine! It’s not my fault you can’t be wrong!” She walks toward Nancy and Jonathan and Mike follows, preparing to convince everyone else that this is a stupid idea. “Okay, can you guys settle an argument for us?”

Nancy looks hard at them, her eyes searching Mike quickly before flicking back to the girl next to him.

“Who do you think should decide El’s limits… Mike, or Eleven?”

He sees red. “The way that you framed that is such bullshit. ” Why is he the villain here?!

Her braids whip around her face as she turns to him. “It’s not bullshit, Mike, this is your whole problem! And it’s also precisely the reason why she dumped your ass!”

“El dumped you?” Nancy asks incredulously.

Mike throws his arms up again. “Yeah, because she’s conspiring against me! She’s corrupting her!”

“N- enlightening her!” Max throws back. “The fact is, she’s not yours. She’s her own person, fully capable of making her own decisions.”

“She’s risking her life for no reason!” He shouts.

“No reason?” Says Nancy. “Mike, the flayed are out there doing god knows what-”

“Killing, flaying,” interjects Lucas.

“Transforming into monsters,” adds Will.

Mike glares at them. Not helping.

“And El’s not stupid,” Nancy continues, shaking her head. “She knows her abilities better than any of us.”

“Exactly, thank you,” Max says victoriously. Mike closes his eyes. He cannot believe this is how this is going.

“And she is her own person-”

“Exactly!”

“With her own free will-”

“Exactly! El has saved the world twice and Mike still doesn’t trust her-”

At that he has to interrupt. There’s no way he’s letting Max flip this around. “You wanna talk about trust, really? After you made Eleven spy on us?!”

Max looks down, giving herself away.

Lucas stands up behind him. “Wait, what?”

Mike whirls to face him. “Oh, she didn’t tell you this?” He says sarcastically.

“No!”

“Your girlfriend used El’s powers to spy on us ,” he spits.

“No, no, no,” Max interjects. “I did not make her, it was her idea. And why are we even talking about this, seriously?”

“Yeah,” says Will. “Who cares?”

And now Mike’s annoyed at Will too. Will has no idea what is going on in Mike’s head and he’s not ever going to understand why he feels the way he does. Just the same as the rest of the Party will never really relate to Will’s struggles because they weren’t there, Will wasn’t there for theirs either. He didn’t see what she did-

“I care!” Says Lucas, and finally Mike is glad someone seems to be on his side. Thank God for small blessings.

“Yeah, I guess girlfriends don’t lie, they spy,” he says, turning back to Max at the last moment so she can truly see his ire.

“We were just joking around,” she defends.

“Would it have been so funny if I was taking a massive shit or something?” He asks.

She wrinkles her nose. “You weren’t!”

“But what if I was?!”

“Then gross!”

“Seriously, Mike?” Interrupts Nancy, and all of a sudden this has become like one of those moments where he just wants to strangle her for talking before he’s done. She does it all the fucking time and like, he guesses it’s probably part of being siblings but it leaves him fuming more often than not.

“I’m just trying to demonstrate how careless Max is with Eleven’s powers,” he says carefully. This is where he needs to get his point across. He desperately needs someone to understand that he’s not trying to be controlling or police what El does or doesn’t do, he’s just trying to save her from herself. He couldn’t do it the first time, but by God if he isn’t going to try now.

“Have any of you noticed Lucas is the only one not disagreeing with me?” He asks.

Max huffs. “Lucas doesn’t have anything to do with this. This is your prob-”

“Lucas has everything to do with this!” He roars. Mike has absolutely had it up to here with her and turns on her a final time, shaking again. “You weren’t there, Max! None of you were. Except Lucas. You don’t know what she’ll do..” His voice trembles.

Lucas seems to understand what he’s getting at and lays a hand on his shoulder. Mike flashes him a grateful look. He still has a hard time thinking about that night, much less talking about it. “She vaporized herself in front of us. I tried to stop her and she did it anyway.”

The room is silent now, the only sound being the TV static from El’s bedroom where she’s still holed up. Mike takes a breath.

“It’s not that I think El doesn’t know her limits,” he says. “I just know that she doesn’t care about them. She’ll die overexerting herself before she lets something hurt one of us.”

He looks up at everyone, Jonathan and Will looking oddly similarly out of place and Nancy with her eyes trained on his face as she listens. Max isn’t looking at him. Good , he thinks. Maybe that made her feel guilty.

“How would you feel if you knew firsthand El didn’t care about dying to save her friends, huh? Wouldn’t you be worried about her?” He directs this at Max specifically, but she doesn’t seem to notice. “You guys are treating her like some kind of machine, and she’s not a machine. I still have nightmares about that day all the time.”

The room stays silent, almost as though everyone is holding a breath and waiting for him to start yelling again, but he’s not going to. He doesn’t have any energy left to expound on this topic. If Max wants to keep making him the bad guy, then whatever. He has more important things to worry about.

“I just-” He starts and stops, wondering if this is the right thing to say. “I don’t want her to die looking for the flayed when they’ve obviously vanished off the face of the Earth, so we can we please just come up with another plan because I love her and I can’t lose her again.”

Now it’s almost as though all the air has actually been sucked out of the room. Maybe this wasn’t the right time to reveal the depth of his feelings, but Mike really didn’t know what else he could say that could possibly make them understand his position. Lucas’ hand on his shoulder squeezes for a quick second and then lightly taps him as Lucas moves his arm back.

Nancy shakes her head. “I get that you don’t want her to hurt herself, Mike, but she’s already in there. There’s not much else we can do.”

“What’s going on?”

Everyone whips around to face El coming out of her bedroom doorway. Holy shit, did she hear what he said? Holyshitholyshitholyshitholyshit-

“Nothing. Nothing!” He says quickly.

“Just… family discussion,” adds Lucas from behind him. Mike can feel the smirk in his voice without even having to look at him.

“Oh,” says El, and suddenly Mike really wants to hug her. But this isn’t the time. He looks away.

“I found him,” she continues.

“Found… who?” Nancy asks.

“Billy.”

[glacecakes]

Alchemy Lullaby (15/?)

Of all the changes that came with living in the castle, becoming a father was not one he anticipated. When Eugene encounters a small child suffering like he did, he gives them the opportunity to grow up the way he never did… helping them both heal. (AU where Varian is 4 and gets adopted by Eugene)

Experiments, imprisonment, and introspection.

Read the rest on AO3

woop woop  Once again thanks to Finn, space, and AJ for all the help they've given me on this fic, and to all of you for your kind words! We're in the endgame now! 2 or 3 more chapters! I'm starting finals week which is no fun, but im also starting to work on the next chapter right now, so hopefully it'll be out soon! But who knows! I sure as hell don't!

The dungeons hadn’t changed since last time. 

Eugene laid on his cot, staring up at the ceiling without much of a thought. How long has he been in here? He wasn’t sure. Nor did he really care. The only way he could tell time was the light in his window, and Lance. 

“Hey bud, how are you doing?” speaking of, there he was again. Lance stopped by at least twice a day to update him. It was pretty much the same conversation every time.

“So… the princess is still locked in her room,” The bald man said, twiddling his thumbs. “Her dad is sticking to his guns. You know. His kid was kidnapped, so he can’t exactly let her kidnap someone’s kid, it’s about the principle, yknow? Even though the kidnapping was justified…” he trailed off awkwardly. 

Eugene is silent. He doesn’t even blink. 

“Apparently the King figured out that Cass took the princess to the rocks, yknow, where she got her hair back. And he wasn’t thrilled. I think she’s going to a convent.” Oh, that was new. “She’s not thrilled about it for obvious reasons, I think even the queen is trying to talk him down.” Oh finally, someone is actually fighting back? He sighed through his nose. 

It was wrong of him to assume the others weren’t just as upset as him, but he couldn’t help but feel… betrayed? Furious? The feeling is unclear. It’s similar to how he felt when the Stabbingtons tried to kidnap Varian, but more urgent. It felt as if an alarm was constantly going off, sending his emotions into overdrive at all times, draining him of all energy. 

Eugene asked the same question he always did. “...Varian?” 

Lance sighed, and that was all he needed to know. 

-

“Good morning, Varian,” Quirin hummed, gently shaking the boy. “I brought you some breakfast.” 

The little lump shifted, and Varian peeked out from a messy bed head. Oh, it was so cute! Quirin once again kicked himself for letting his son go unnoticed by him for five years. He chuckled at how Varian pouted, but Varian didn’t seem to understand what was so funny. He took the banana offered to him and crammed his face like it was his last meal on earth. 

Though, knowing Ulla, it may be. 

He sighed as he helped get Varian ready for the day. Ulla, though she raised Varian, was oddly absent now that Quirin was here. She focused all her time on research, spending the day in her lab with Varian and the night in her room pouring over notes. What was their life like before? Did she ignore him often? 

Back at the castle Varian was quite a dramatic kid, always wanting to be the center of his dad’s attention. It was that desire for love that caused all this, after all. Was this where it stemmed from? 

It was with some reluctance that he handed Varian over to Ulla once the boy was dressed. She nodded at Quirin, but then gazed eagerly at her son. It wasn’t a loving look, not like how Rapunzel would excitedly grin at Varian. It was that same mischievous look she gave to her specimen on the road, and it sent shivers up Quirin’s spine now. To think he used to find it endearing. 

“Good morning, Varian,” She said. “We’re going to do some tests this morning, see how well you can control the rocks, ok?”

Varian whimpered at that. Now that Ulla seemed to think he could control them, she was determined to get him to harness it. Create specific patterns, cause them to retract, et cetera. He’d only ever gotten them to obey him exactly once before, back at the castle. 

Back when he wanted to use them for love, to fight for his family. 

Quirin gave him an encouraging smile. “I’ll make you ham sandwiches for dinner, ok? Just behave for your mother.” He’d go with, but discovered quickly he couldn’t stomach it. Seeing Varian so upset, seeing Ulla yell at him, it hurt too much. He’d nearly stopped the experiments, much to Ulla’s displeasure. They needed to do this, she said. They had to figure out how the moondrop manifested, how it worked, in order to get the moonstone out of him safely. 

He told himself this, and yet the screams from her lab still haunted him. 

-

Rapunzel paced around her room, frustrated. Every second she stayed here, safe and sound, was another second Eugene suffered, Cass suffered, Varian suffered. Her window was gated so she couldn’t climb down, and guards were stationed outside the door. She couldn’t even go to the bathroom alone! Pascal occasionally snuck out but he couldn’t exactly talk or help her breakout. 

She had her mom for that, thank god. Arianna currently sat on her bed, flipping through her daughter’s journal. While the pages were filled with her daily adventures, and occasionally a desire to explore, the longer the journal went, the more it focused on Varian. His quirks, his misadventures, his powers… 

She shut the journal. “Rapunzel, sweetie, I know you’re upset.” She said. “But you said you knew Varian was kidnapped? The whole time?”

“Not the whole time, just… most of it.” She admitted. “I knew it was going to come back and bite us, but not… not like this.” 

“Well, your father sure is a stickler for his laws. You should’ve seen him when Varian tried to take over,” She laughed slightly at the memory, but stopped when Rapunzel only became more miserable. No doubt her daughter blamed herself for the current situation. “I can’t say this isn’t your fault, because in a way it is. But you’re not alone in blame.” She walked over to rub her daughter’s shoulders. 

“No, but it’s not right!” The queen’s hands were shrugged off. “Varian was taken because his mom wanted to harness his powers and hog them all to herself. The only difference between her and Gothel is that she’s his birth mom! That’s it! He’s just a kid!” Rapunzel blinked, wiping away stray tears. “He’s just a kid, my kid…” 

Arianna was silent. Then, she sighed. Rapunzel was right after all. Her methods may have been wrong, but she was right. Sometimes, the law needs to be broken in order to do the right thing. After all, Rapunzel was brought home by the man who stole her crown. 

-

Well. Another day, another failure.

Ulla swirled the solution, staring at it idly. Varian had been fussy all day, crying and screaming whenever Ulla so much as raised her voice. That thief spoiled him, didn’t he? Stupid brat. She never wanted kids, not like Donella. Children would only slow her down, and the better she is, the better the world is. 

Right now, Varian was being tucked into bed by her partner. Quirin was great, truly, don’t get her wrong. He was soft, he was kind. But that softness would be his undoing. They’d always joked about the moonstone, what would happen if she harnessed it, what would happen if he destroyed it. 

A shame it turned out this way. In another life, perhaps they could’ve been a happy family.

They both knew what would happen here. One way or another, Ulla was going to extract the moonstone. Quirin would try and get his hands on it in order to destroy it, while Ulla would try to grab and absorb it for real this time. None of that womb gets first dibs bullshit. 

Come on, Quirin, she thought, you know what happened last time someone tried to destroy it! What’s so special about this time? She never did figure out how to destroy it, after all. She’d just convinced him that they could take it and experiment. He’d thought they’d work together on the moonstone in order to destroy it. But she’d never wanted to destroy it! Unbreakable houses, bridges defying physics, unrippable stitches, the ideas were endless! Why destroy knowledge? 

Why worry about the health of the parasite attached to it?

She’d been messing with an idea for the past few days: if a chemical reacted to the rocks, maybe it would react to the moondrop. The concoction in front of her turned a golden color, glowing faintly in the light. The bubbles trapped air like flies in amber. Carefully, with a small pipette, a single drop of solution was placed on obsidian. 

For a moment, nothing happened. She groaned.

Then a tendril of amber began to grow. And grow. 

She backed up quickly, just in time, as the whole rock suddenly groaned in protest. Amber tentacles wrapped and squeezed the rocks tighter and tighter until-

Snap!

Ulla stood, dumbfounded, as the broken piece of rock clattered to the ground at her feet. 

-

Quirin sighed, placing a plate full of food in front of Varian. The little boy was so tired he couldn’t keep his head upright without support. Drowsy eyes flickered over the sandwich before slowly raising it to eat. It was good that he was eating, right? Eating meant not sick. It would be adorable if it wasn’t so distressing. 

He couldn’t help but lament his past self. Foolish, lovestruck Quirin had been so willing to overlook Ulla’s flaws, her red flags. He’d convinced himself love had changed her, that taking her to the moonstone would convince her it needed to be destroyed. And when that didn’t happen, he’d blamed himself. How could he not? 

He spent five years chasing down the only woman he ever loved, fully prepared to forgive her. And when she’d told him the moonstone wasn’t with her, he had let himself hope. Maybe she had destroyed it, after all! Only to realize the moonstone survived… in his son. Their son. The son Ulla didn’t love, just like she didn’t love him…

Did she ever love him?

Varian’s head drooped, and would’ve dropped onto his plate without Quirin’s hands. He smiled despite the circumstances. Varian was definitely the one good thing to come out of this mess. 

“Come on, son. It seems it’s bedtime.” He lifted Varian effortlessly, and he laid his head on Quirin’s shoulder. 

Varian sighed sleepily. “Daddy…” 

The knight’s heart plummeted. It wasn’t him Varian was calling for.

He was going to put Varian to bed, when he had a bright idea. 

“Varian, son, can you wake up for a little bit? I want to show you something.” He carried him to the study, where the graphtyc sat unassumingly. He took it with him after the whole debacle in the castle. Varian groaned, rubbing his eyes, but glanced curiously down at the sheet of paper in front of him. He remembered it from the castle, this was what caused him to run away… this is what said he could hurt people.

“As my son, you have a birthright to the secrets of the Brotherhood,” Quirin said, stretching the paper out so Varian could read the translation. “This is one of them.” 

Baby blue eyes read over the paper. “Whatsit mean?”

“Well the first one I’m sure Rapunzel has sung to you. It’s a song to make you feel better.” 

“Oh!” Varian’s eyes lit up at the mention of the princess. “One time, my head hurt, and she said her song had magic healing powers!” 

Quirin chuckled. “Did it work?”

“Not really.” Varian reached out to brush his fingers against the black rock drawing, a frown etched onto his face. His hands shook almost imperceptibly as he read the other incantation. 

“That one is yours,” Quirin whispered.

“Mine?”

“You have the moondrop, you can use that one.” 

He could see the cogs turning in Varian’s brain; like mother, like son. “Does it actually work?”

The knight laughed a bit harder. “Yes, it does. But you shouldn’t use it unless you’re in danger, ok?”

Varian bit his lip. “Ok,” He whispered. Did momma count as danger? Is it ok to hurt people if he’s in danger? Is that what Quirin was saying?

His head spun. He wanted Eugene. Eugene made sense. Quirin didn’t. He was full of contradictions; the man wanted to keep people safe and yet he was keeping Varian from his family. Rapunzel said your real family loved you no matter what, and this wasn’t his real family. 

Sadly, Varian buried his head into Quirin’s shoulder. For a brief moment, he could pretend it was Eugene. 

Quirin sighed as he carried Varian to bed. 

“Goodnight, son,” he whispered, stroking Varian’s hair away from his face.

Varian whined. “Not your son.” 

The knight said nothing. He left the small room with his head lowered. As the door shut, he could faintly hear the beginnings of tears as Varian sobbed for Eugene.

Denial had blinded Quirin for too long. He’d never love Varian as unconditionally as Eugene does, he’s already proved it. His love for Ulla and dedication to the moonstone caused him to hurt the boy. There was no way Varian would forgive him, even if this all does work out.

He’d messed up big time, hadn’t he?

He had to talk to Ulla. 

-

Sometime around midnight, Eugene awoke to someone at his cell door, jostling with the keys. He swung upright, ready to yell at Lance about waking him up, but faltered. 

“Cassandra?” He asked, dumbfounded. Black hair bounced as its owner looked up. 

“Yo,” She simply said as his jail swung open. “Let’s go.” She walked away, but Eugene didn’t follow at first, too shocked. Her annoyance was clear in her voice. “Hurry up, daddy-o, we don’t have all night.”

“First of all, never call me that again,” Eugene complained as he followed her. “Second, I thought you were being shipped to a convent?”

“Yea, that was a lie,” she said as they snuck past several guards. “My dad made it up so we could plan this without suspicion.”

“Plan what?”

She looked at him like he had grown an extra head. “Your escape, dumbass. Me, Lance, and the queen.” Eugene choked on that last name. The queen? Breaking the law? It was hard enough to accept Cassandra deliberately breaking the law, but her? 

They snuck down large, moonlit hallways silently. Finally at Rapunzel’s doors, she and Arianna stood waiting for them. 

“Eugene!” Rapunzel gasped, racing towards her boyfriend. He easily lifted her into his arms, spinning around in the embrace. For a moment, they just stood there, taking in each other’s scent after so long apart.

Arianna cleared her throat, and they separated. “The guards have been relieved. We have 10 minutes till the next shift comes in.” She said. Her eyes were glittering like diamonds, full of mischief and determination. 

“Your majesty, I-I… what is going on?” Eugene gasped, struggling to find the words. “I mean, I can probably guess what’s going on, clearly you guys are breaking us out, but why?”

The queen’s eyes softened. She placed an arm on Eugene’s shoulder. “We spent too long trying to reason with my husband. He’s a man of the law, even if the law is unfair. For every minute we let him have his way… Varian has been gone.” She gripped his shoulder. “I know how painful that is, to know someone else has your baby, and you don’t know if they’re safe.” Her words shook so painfully Eugene wanted to hug her, but he wasn’t sure that was allowed. “Do what I was never able to do, but you did for me. Save your child. Bring him home.” 

Eh, fuck it; Eugene wrapped the queen in a quick, grateful embrace. She returned it. 

“We’re going out the same way me and Raps snuck out,” Cassandra said. “Lance and her majesty will keep the king and my dad occupied.”

“But there’s no telling for how long,” Rapunzel summarized. “So we have to hurry.” With that, they raced down the corridor, leaving Arianna alone.

“Hang on, Varian,” She whispered, glancing up at the moon. “Your parents are coming.”

-

Max rode straight into Old Corona, never stopping for a second. Each second they waited was another second Varian was in danger, or maybe worse. 

“He’s gotta be ok, right?” Rapunzel rambled as they rode. “Quirin is there, and he’s a good guy! He wouldn’t let Ulla hurt him… right?”

“Didn’t he betray us and hand Varian back over to his mom?” Eugene replied, getting an elbow from Cassandra. “Look, I’m just saying. We gotta be ready for a fight.” 

“He’s right, I doubt Ulla will give up so easily.” Cassandra said, brows furrowing. “Why exactly did they take Varian?”

“Varian is the moondrop, and apparently that makes him dangerous,” Eugene’s fists clenched at the thought. Sure he may have crazy rock powers, but dangerous? His boy? The kid befriended a raccoon and brought it to a fancy dinner party! He was just that, a kid! 

Cassandra shook her head to indicate it wasn’t what she meant. “Right, I got that. But why does he even have those powers? Quirin said it was an accident.” 

“It doesn’t matter,” Eugene butt in before Rapunzel could respond. “What matters is that Ulla hurt him for having the powers, and we need to stop her.”

“Right.” As the conversation ended, they entered Old Corona… or rather, tried to. Max couldn’t even enter the city, it was so covered in rocks. 

“It’s worse than before,” Rapunzel hissed. “We’re going in on foot.” As they entered the village, her hair began to glow, reflecting off the rocks in tandem. 

In his room, Varian shot upright. A warmth radiated in his chest, spreading throughout his body and filling him with a sense of peace. “Punzel?” He whispered. He could feel it, but he wasn’t sure how. Tiny feet padded out of his door and downstairs. She was headed towards the lab entrance, he could feel her movements! And if Rapunzel was here, so was Eugene! He excitedly raced into the lab, only to stop at the scene in front of him.

Quirin and Ulla, glaring one another down.

A flask in Ulla’s hands, a sword in Quirin’s. 

The door to the lab burst open.