#what can i say mermaid AUs are FUN and last week was... stressful...

[lavendelhummel]

20 Questions about writing 2.0

One year ago @lilolilyr tagged me in this ask game and I answered it. I thought it might be fun to take the questions again and see what has changed and what hasn’t (probably most of it), since this past year I have actually interacted with fandom and not just been shy in my corner. Here is what I said last year (it was a year and a week ago, okay, but this last week was interesting because I had something huge that kept me from writing the past few months happen the week before and I am now trying to recover and wrap my head about the fact that my life changed quite drastically), let’s see what I’m saying now:

1. How many works do you have on ao3?

16 ;) quite a few more than last years 7, but most of the new ones are one-shots, only one finished multichapter and one multichaptered WIP (Jump).

2. What’s your total ao3 word count?

209,412 words. Last year it was 125k and seeing as there are quite a few WIPs waiting in my folders for a while I thought I’d actually end up writing 100k words of fic this year, but seeing as I moved 4 times during that time and kind of finished a degree (hi I am a doctor now, someone remind me to delete this, I don’t want to doxx myself but need to repeat it so I can actually believe it), I think it’s kind of okay to only have written what I have and I am a it vexed that I did let this self-set number stress me in addition to the pretty big stress I had anyway. I think I wrote some nice things and certainly developed as a writer! (As well as as a… ah best not say it twice in one paragraph)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Last year I said Moiraine and Siuan from The Wheel of time here, which I wrote less for this past year but I’d still count, I have 1 1/2 wips for them and updated one of my fics in that fandom last spring. I also have one fic in the WoT verse with different characters (exciting)! I also said that I once wrote for I Care A Lot, and well, it’s still true that that was my entry to posting fic, but also I’m not going back (nope, not happening). This past year I wrote mostly Bering and Wells from Warehouse 13! That was great fun! I am also playing with a few ideas for Star Trek: deep space 9 at the moment, but haven’t yet written anything. 

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

 The first three are the same as last year (the I care a lot - one shot collection, Siuaraine medical school AU, other AU for them). The other two are the the first door for last years B&W advent calendar (coolest project ever, see below), and my coolest fic: mermaid B&W AU (only Helena is a mermaid. She arrives in Myka’s apartment above her bookstore via her old-new washing machine from Pete’s laundromat. Bathtubes are not very comfortable to live in.)

I should add that neither of these two has many kudos, none of my fics apart from hat ical one has, which shows that it’s extremely fandom dependent because that one is by far worse than my newer ones - just in a fandom with very little fic. 

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

YES! Why?! Because I like talking to people! And getting a comment is the best so I want to tell people that they are the best! Also I like talking and talking and try to make me shut up, it’s harder than you think! (Last year I had a screenshot for the weirdest comment I ever got here, from a guest who named themself „weird ass“ and said nothing but „tea snob“, I still don’t know if they meant me or Moiraine, so I asked them. So yeah I reply. Even to the weird asses)

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Most of what I write has a happy ending, yeah I am boring like that. But for Laundry Day, afore mentioned Mermaid AU, I left two possible endings, one in which Helena learns to live with what she’s lost, but it is clear that there is grief, that she is still a fish out of water and that while they make it work, it is not easy going. And then, because I wanted to wrap the mystery fantasy part up and needed the satisfaction of bundling up all loose threads I added an epilogue, a sugary, ‚happiest ending of them all’ epilogue… so yeah. Other than that I only have the one I mentioned last year about Helena dealing with her grief by reading Jacques Prévert’s poetry, which also ends on a soothing note but, I mean it’s Helena, and it’s Prévert. Let’s be honest, we all know why I absolutely adore Prévert, oh god, make me shut up now before I start (do you want to know which cool rare books of his I found?)

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Well. Happ*iest*. I did just mention that the epilogue of Laundry Day is the happiest ending of them all, right? I also think Pretty Picture has a pretty fluffy cozy ending (winter, go read it now ;)) ending. Flower crowns is just pure fluff, so that doesn’t count as *ending*, it’s just happy in its entirety. 

The medical school AU: would have been nice to get them all the way through it so they could celebrate at the end right? Though I had plans to make it go on after the ending of uni so Lan could come in and after a time jump the ef5 as well, so not the actual ending but a *moment*. Anyway that didn’t work out, and the ending they have is very nice and rather happy as well. Think about it, that is a much happier ending than I am feeling having actually finished medical school now (but let’s not talk about my inability to celebrate myself, nor my exhaustion). 

8. Do you get hate on fic?

I did already mention "weird ass", right? Yeah also mentioned last year how the very first comment I got was pretty discouraging. But I wouldn’t call it hate, no. I mostly get very, very, little reaction to my fics anyway, so missing the positive kind but not the negative kind. 

9. Do you write smut?

No. Not because I don’t like reading it, but because I am incapable of it. Sad, but it is what it is. I did get closer than ever, in Fly Me To The Moon! Everyone gasping, yes scandalous look how close I am alluding to it!!! But yeah, still nothing happening, if anyone ever wants to pick up where I left off, feel free, that’d be fun! (I also have a few other fade to black scenes, but this is *different*… kinkier? in a not on page happing way?) 

10. Do you write crossovers?

Nope, also don’t read them. It’s simply something that doesn’t interest me. 

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

No. Or at least, not as far as I know. 

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No. My fics are not very well known, so someone wanting to base a work on it/translate would be surprising. 

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes! One with @lilolilyr , which was super cool, but mostly we did the advent calendar last year!!!! That was super duper duper duper fun! Seriously guys, I enjoyed it so much and wish it had worked out again (I did have a cool idea for it, as I laid out on discord, but in the end it was simply not possible for me to do anything writing/fandom related (or basically anything but survive) in November and even now in December I do not know yet if I’ll be able to. Depends on how well this resting thing I’m trying out works, because at the moment my brain is still fried. Even writing this is giving me a headache right *sad emoji*)

But yes, writing that together was amazing.

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

I’ll just name the same ones, Moiraine/Siuan, Myka/Helena and recently I’ve come to like Kiradax, but that’s obviously not all-time material yet, since, well 'recently'. 

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but probably won’t?

Hmm, I do hope (and think!) I’ll finish all those that I once worked on seriously. Wait, the Helena reads Astrid Lindgren one, I’m not sure… There is also one super short Siuaine one, but that was never serious. 

Hm, maybe I also won’t make the Nyneave&Semirhage one??! I do hope so, but it is a bit out of my league… HMMM

Mostly there are some fun ideas that I thought I’d write, a lot actually, but what I seriously wanted to do was Siuraine Mermaid AU, and B&W MRI AU, and I don’t think they’ll happen, alongside a few others. But that’s life! 

Last year I mentioned the Uni-AU here, and I do consider that one finished now, not as I envisioned originally but it has an ending that makes sense and is an ending and I probably won’t write more (never say never). 

16. What are your writing strengths?

Urghh that question. Someone important (professionally, not personally to me) said „Why not simply believe in yourself?“ To me the other day. Well I couldn’t very well tell him about my incessant selfdoubt across a conference table with 3 other very important, and three somewhat less important people, watching, could I? So I will try this again and also try to say something else here than last year. 

…

@rinari7 said my dialogue feels alive! I think I am also able to get into the heads of people and write thought-strands pretty realistically. 

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I think those thought-strands sometimes can get too much, and I loose myself in them. In general my sentences are way too long, for that I blame Cicero, who was a very forming influence to twelve year old wannabe-writer me. 

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

 Haha. Yeah. Yeah. It’s good. We are talking other language than English right? I love making my characters speak French. I also love adding German puns. It’s what’s happening in my head! I’ve been thinking disturbingly much in English last year, but at the core that’s it, my brain is wired in Frallemand (Freutsch just doesn’t work, we all agree, right?) and I cut most of it out because I want other people to be able to read it but, speaking multiple languages is very normal for me. I have friends with whom I speak certain languages and others others, and who have yet others with each other. I am rather limited with only my three fluent ones, but only one? Yeah, no, that’s very unnatural to me. So I won’t overuse it in fic for the sake of readability but I do appreciate it when it comes my way.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

As I said I care a lot. You will notice that it was my first right away and… don’t maybe. I have nicer newer ones. 

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

Ouhhhhh. Pretty picture? One of my most recent ones, so maybe I’m biased. 

Laundry day!!! Yes, that was incredible fun! 

I also want to mention the Prévert fic (The earth that spins and spins and spins) again because I still like it and not a lot of people did. 

And I also have a Siuaraine Mermaid fic and it’s fun and weird and thus my fav for that fandom (not even AU, somehow?!)  

I am just gonna go ahead and tag people even though I took this ask game out of its original setting: @lilolilyr if you want to reflect on the past year as well, @trollocks-in-my-bollocks @lakeofsilverpike @purlturtle @cozcat @onaperduamedee @anandabrat @thatordinaryoddity maybe you have fun with this, if not there obviously is no pressure to do it!

[tobyduck]

Look it’s Mermay I keep seeing beautiful mermaids all over my dash and my favourite character is a duck who spends so much time at sea he gets sick whenever he sets foot on land, I had to get this out of my system somehow

[royallyprincesslilly]

Title: Hibiscus Kisses {1}

Chris Evans x OFC Ajali Rambaue AU {Ah-Jah-Lee, Ram-Bow}

Warning: Plot Heavy, Cursing, 

Words: 6.1k

Summary: Ajali decides on a rash decision to go on a Disney cruise, not for her love of Disney, but because she needs time to figure things out after things get even more complicated in her complicated life. She only expected peace, quiet, tropical drinks, and an overabundance of Disney songs. What she got was more than she bargained for when the cruise of a lifetime on the brand new ship Enchantment turned into a nightmare. The only saving grace is that she’s not the only one living through the nightmare. Can Ajali survive the test of a lifetime and the dangers ahead of her, and better yet, will she finally be able to live a little?

Note: Hey, hey, hey, guys! So here we are trying something different/new. I hope you enjoy this. 🤞🏽 Please feel free to tell me what you think. I’m super excited to explore this one with you all. 🤗 Also, what do you guys think of the title? What does it make you think of?

As always, thank you so much for reading! If you enjoyed this, please LIKE, COMMENT, REBLOG! ❤️❤️

I appreciate each and every one of your guys’ support and love!

***Loosely Edited/Proofread***

**Very Interactive**

***French Language Incorporated w/translations according to Google***

“Yes, mom, I packed my charger and my vitamins. Oh my god, of course, I have my scarf. Mom!”

 Your mother continued to press you about things any woman would never forget packing. This was how she was normally. Almost morning, she would make her routine calls. First to your sister Atali, then to you. When she made it to you, she’d ask if you ate, and of course, by the time she called you, you were usually at work or on your way to it, and you wouldn’t have eaten. Then she’d ask you why you hadn’t eaten, to which she’d go back and forth with you about the importance of eating a well-balanced meal. Somehow that would lead to her asking how you expected to find the one when you didn’t eat enough. It was a never-ending thing with her. She was obsessed with you and your sister finding the one.

You understood. Your parents had been married for well over two decades, and they were still disgustingly in love. There was also no one like your dad, so you understood. They both saw what a catch they both were. After she told you the story of how she finessed your dad and got married in record time, it always turned into focus on you finding someone to marry. No matter how many times you told her that even though marriage was great and all, you weren’t in any hurry, it never registered.

 “Mom, I have everything I need. It is just supposed to be a two-week cruise.”

 “You’d be surprised the things you realize you left once you’re at sea. Then it will be too late,” Cynthia, your mother warned.

 “Then I’ll just buy it. Mom, I’m not going to the middle of nowhere. I am going on a huge ship from one of the world’s most reputable companies. I am positive they have every possible thing I could want to buy onboard. Plus, when we dock at ports, I’ll be able to buy much more.”

 “You’re always buying. Gah, I blame your father. He spoiled you and your sister rotten.”

 “I am not spoiled. It’s not like I haven’t worked for my money. Yes, daddy helped me set up my company, but I got where I am today because of me,” you professed.

 “I know, sweetheart, you don’t have to preach to the choir. All I’m saying is your daddy’s wealth only helped spoil you and Lali more. I saw it in you at the playground the most. You always wanted what the other kids were playing with. If it was a ball, you tried to take it. If it were the swings, you’d overtake it, toys in the sandbox my goodness those kids would end up with sand in their eyes and you alone with the toys.”

 “Some would call that persistence, hardworking, and assertive.”

 Your mother laughed then tsked.

 “I’m surprised that when you were in high school, I never got a call about you getting into a fight because you stole some girl’s boyfriend.”

 You pursed your lips, but as you were going to open your mouth to respond, your phone vibrated, signaling a notification.

 “Hang on, mom.”

 You thanked the Lyft driver for helping with your bags then checked your phone.

 MSG Javii: I’ve been calling you all night. Come on, Chaton (kitten). You have to talk to me at some point. Tu me manques (I miss you).

 You sighed and rolled your eyes. He had some nerve, you thought.

 “Ajali, hello!”

 “Yes, mom, I’m here. Sorry. I was getting my bags together.”

 “So, you’re really doing this?”

 “Yes, mom. Why wouldn’t I?”

 “Who goes on a cruise alone? What about the man I heard in the background of our call a few weeks ago? Why not go with him?”

 You rolled your eyes again, thinking about that man in the background a few weeks ago who was on your shit list.

 “I don’t know what you’re talking about. It was the tv,” you lied.

 “Ajali--,” your mother began before you cut her off.

 “—Plus, mom, it’s a Disney cruise,” you stressed.

 “Exactly. The people who go on Disney cruises are families, wives, husbands, kids. You are neither of them and have nether of them.”

 You balanced your phone on your shoulder and rolled your luggage toward the designated pier.

 “I just need some time to myself to clear my head and destress. Two weeks.”

 “Ignore your mother, my petal. You take the time you need. I’ve told you, and your sister working is important, but living is just as important. You don’t live to work; you work to live,” your father said.

 “Thank you, daddy.”

 “Plus, maybe you will find a worthy man on this cruise while you’re living,” your father slid in.

 “Oh god, not you too, daddy.”

 “We are unified in this, Lulu. He may wear the pants, but I control the buttons and the zipper if you know what I mean.”

 You tasted vomit in your mouth.

 “Eck! That is disgusting, mother. On that note, I gotta go.”

 “Wait, wait, enjoy yourself, my petal. We love you.”

 “Love you too, daddy, love you, mom.”

 With that, you ended the call and continued to walk toward Pier eighty-one. You passed families with rowdy children who looked like they couldn’t wait to get ice cream wasted, couples who looked as if they couldn’t wait to get to their suites and even elderly couples who were dressed to the nines for vacation, including already applied sunscreen and sunhats. Despite what your mother thought, Disney cruises were for everyone.

 You’d purposely chosen Disney because you didn’t want to be around other couples who were loved up and nauseatingly adorable, spewing love in the air. You wanted to be as far from that as possible. Love was the last thing on your mind. You were going on this cruise to get away from it. Your phone vibrated and went off twice.

 MSG Atali: Have you made your getaway yet?

 You stopped rolling and went to reply.

 MSG: Almost. I’m walking to the boarding line now.

MSG Atali: I think you’re doing the right thing. Space and time. In two weeks you’ll know what you want to do. I hope it’s what we talked about.

MSG: I know, Lali, I know.

MSG Atali: Have some fun too. It’s Disney.

 You could picture her face as you read it. She was probably cheesing at this very minute.

 MSG: Thank you for looking after the company while I’m gone.

MSG Atali: Boo, you know it’s my company too, right. Don’t worry; our clients will be taken care of. I’ve got it covered.

 You knew she did. Atali was the older one and had always acted like it, even though she was only nine months older. You knew she could take care of things on her own while you were away.

 MSG: I know, still. Thank you.

MSG Atali: You’re welcome, Lulu. Call me later. Margaret Bailey’s appointment is next. Apparently, she’s throwing some party, and she wants to be the envy of everyone.

MSG: Eck, you have your work cut out for you. Bye.

 As you were putting your phone away, another message came in.

 MSG Javii: Chaton (kitten), call me, please. Don’t you think you’re dragging this out a little?

 You almost said, “are you stupid” out loud. The man had some nerve. Dragging it out? You rolled your eyes as another message came in.

 MSG Javii: Je t’aime (I love you).

 Just like that, you melted. He was playing on the fact that your father was French, and the language itself was a favorite of yours. He was not a stupid man; he was a smart businessman.

 MSG Javii: I’m sorry. I know we’ve talked about it, but you have to give me more time. Please.

Unbelievable, you thought as you exited your messages and stuck your phone into your back pocket. You turned and ran smack dab into someone’s hard body.

 “Shit. I’m so sorry,” you rushed out even as you were falling back.

 A pair of strong arms grabbed you and firmly held you, preventing your fall.

“It’s okay, you’re lucky I don’t mind beautiful women bumping into me,” a deep masculine voice said. You knew it was a man, but you couldn’t see his face even though he looked to be well over six feet. His head was dipped low, and the hat he wore over hair that fell to his neck was so low you couldn’t see anything but the full beard that showed off a chiseled jawline.

 He set you right side up and slowly brought his hands from your arms back to his side. “Stay safe out there,” he said before he walked off.

 You stood there for a few moments, then looked back to where he’d walked and watched him saunter away. He had a slight dip to the way he walked that could either be seen as a happy go lucky type of thing or something that said he had some sort of swagger. Before you stared any longer, you sprang into motion with wheeling your luggage to the growing line to board the ship. Thankfully the line went quickly thanks to the ten different lanes that had ship staffers ready and eager to help guests.

 When it was your turn, a friendly-looking woman with a trendy bob cut explained what to do. While she talked, her smile never fell, but you didn’t really pay attention because her uniform was so distracting. She had on a purple and green hat that had mermaid scales and Ariel printed all over it. This hat matched the shirt and skirt combo she wore. Her shirt was two-toned, on one side was Ariel’s face, and on the other was mermaid scales while her skirt was plain white. It looked like The Little Mermaid threw up all over her. You didn’t expect anything else; it was a Disney cruise after all.

 After doing all the check-in steps, such as handing off your rolling luggage to the ship porters and taking a photo for your provided identification wrist band that the crew will use to identify you and your indicated needs, you boarded the ship. All the friendly faces you passed all looked happy to welcome you to Disney Cruises and to direct you to where you wanted to go. The noise inside was much louder inside than it was out. The kids that looked excited outside looked downright jubilant inside as they posed for pictures with life-sized Disney characters and got welcome ice cream treats.

 You were even tempted to take a picture or two, but you decided against it. What you did not decide against was ice cream. You took an offered vanilla cone and kept on your way, looking around the ship as the other guests did. From your research, this was the best-rated cruise this year. It was a newer Disney ship and one that cost over ten million dollars to design and build. Everyone said it was the Rolls Royce of Disney cruises.

From what you saw with the décor looked to have cost a fortune. There was glass, fancy lights, and marble everywhere. It was clear they didn’t skimp on funding and clear that they had the comfort and luxury in mind. There were plants around the central atrium that gave off that tropical vacation vibe and even paintings and pictures hanging on the walls that further pushed the agenda that this was supposed to be a fun time for all.

 The more you walked around looking at different areas, the more you were impressed. If the gathering areas looked this upscale, you were even more excited to see your suite.

 “Can I help you with anything, ma’am?”

 You shook your head and smiled at the man wearing Hans all over him. “I’m all right, thank you.”

 The next thirty minutes or so were spent walking around while following the map in your hand. You found and noted where the spa, library, on-ship garden, movie theater, bowling alley, tropical setting wave pool, and best restaurants and bars were. You had every intention of soaking up all the luxury that you’d paid top dollar for. When you saw a few amenities that you hadn’t expected, your jaw dropped. You had no idea why there was an ice skating rink or an indoor sky flying dome that had the tallest clear tube you’d ever seen. You didn’t know who’d designed this cruise, but you knew it must have cost millions. You were sure you wouldn’t be getting in that sky flying dome.

 When you finally got the alert that your suite was ready, it was well after one in the afternoon. The walk among the crowds was noisy. Everyone was either talking about what they wanted to do first, how enormous and beautiful the ship was, or making a plan for the cruise duration. In between all the chatter, there of course, were the screams and cries of babies and toddlers who were already losing their shit.

 This is what you’d expected when you decided on this Disney cruise over another like Carnival or Norwegian. You knew that the other passengers would be of a specific age range leaning on the younger and family-oriented side, which meant you wouldn’t have to fight off unwanted suitors who tried to shoot their shot. It also meant that you wouldn’t have to deal with any sort of drama that usually happened on a cruise with young adults all looking to hook up. That was not what you needed right now. You wanted to stay as far away from hooking up or eligible men that had blue eyes or a perfect head of hair, or abs that were chiseled by Michelangelo himself, or an ass that would make a mannequin jealous.

 On the elevator ride to your floor, you caught the eye of an adorable little boy with a complete head of luscious dark locks and doe eyes with an unmeasurable depth. His smile was innocent. Every time your eyes met his, he hid behind his mother. When you looked away, he looked back at you. After two or three playful back and forth glances, which had him becoming more adorable, you surprised him by not looking away. When he realized it, his squeal was so childlike and filled with so much glee that everyone on the elevator had to giggle. Over the next several minutes, the passengers on the elevator got off group by group until it was just a few people remaining.

 “Sixth floor,” the elevator attendant announced.

 You made your way through the door but gave the adorable boy a look. “Have a fun cruise, cutie,” you said with a wink before the doors closed with the sound of his giggles. You looked at your phone to remind yourself which room was yours, then glanced at the numbers on the wall that directed you where to go. The dinging sound of an elevator brought your attention down the hall to your right to see one man walk off. His hat was dipped down low, but you noticed his face was buried in his phone before he turned and walked in the opposite direction of you.

 Focusing on the signs on the door, you walked down the left side of the aisle. It didn’t take you long to realize your room was at the end of the hall. Once you reached it, you glanced back to see the same man with his tipped low hat. It looked like the same man from before outside the ship. It couldn’t be, you thought. The odds were not that small. As you opened your door, you saw him disappear into the room at the opposite end of the hall.

 Once you walked inside, you immediately thought that this was what you got when you had Atali handle the arrangements. The theme of the room was clearly sky blue. The couch in the living area was a satin, silky sky blue that looked as if it was plush and comfortable. It matched the blue and grain colored carpet before it perfectly, and the abstract blown glass art on the wall. The colors all worked together to give you a sense of peace. It wouldn't have been something you’d chosen because, unlike Atali, you liked to keep things as low maintenance as possible. Just because your family had money doesn’t mean you had to look or behave as if you did.

 When you walked into the bedroom portion of the stateroom, you saw your suitcases waiting for you in the far left corner of the room. The sunlight pouring in from the screened balcony bathed the room in a beautiful, cheerful yellow that was so inviting that once you kicked off your shoes, you had to step out into it. The temperature was not blazing hot because it was just the middle of April in New York, and that meant a mix of chilly and warm days with the occasional possible snow shower. The salty air of the sea was one of your favorite smells. You remembered when your father took your family to France on your yearly family vacation. As a child, you loved the beach and the salt of the sea. When you became an adult, nothing had changed.

 Not realizing how long you remained on the balcony, an intercom announcement came on.

 “Attention passengers, this is Lucas Albright, one of your captains. It is with great pleasure that I welcome you aboard this Disney Enchantment Cruise.”

 He paused, and you could hear the uproar of cheers and claps from over the intercom as well as in the halls and neighboring staterooms.

 “We are all excited to host you on this two and a half week christening journey from New York. I say christening because you lot are the first to travel on this brand new ship. This is her maiden voyage.”

 More cheers and applause came for what felt like forever.

 “We will be on this beautiful vessel for two days, at which time we dock in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic at approximately eleven o’clock in the morning, where you can enjoy plenty of the excursions and activities for the day.”

 Again applause followed. Everyone was undoubtedly excited about this cruise. You tried to get out of your funk and onboard the excitement train.

 “We will then set sail again, leaving port at ten o’clock that evening and moving on to two days at sea until we reach our second destination of Port of Grand Turk in beautiful Turks & Caicos. At that time, we dock at eleven 0’clock and lift anchors at ten o’clock. From the beautiful Turks & Caicos, we will be at sea for two days until we reach the tropical breezes of the British Virgin Islands!”

 You were already making some mental plans for everything you wanted to do at each port.

 “After spending out eleven o’clock to ten o’clock time there. We set sail to the glorious white sandy beaches of—Arrrruuuba!”

 At that time, the classic Beach Boys song Kokomo came on at the Aruba part. It was so corny, but everyone seemed to love it. You shook your head as the short clip of the song played loudly until it was lowered to play in the background.

 “Again, we’re docking at eleven o’clock to set sail again at ten o’clock. We are then at sea for three more days until we get to Ocho Rios, Jamaaaaica!”

 As he spoke, you went around the room, placing things you’d need and freshening yourself up. When he finally finished giving the itinerary, you were situated and checking the schedule of events for the day. All in all, it was set to be an action packed seventeen days at sea. Atali must have chosen this length because she knew seven or ten days would not be enough time.

 “All right, ladies, gentlemen, kids, and big kids, I hope to see you all at the welcome mingle we’ve scheduled to begin within the next twenty minutes or so, at which time we will lift anchors and say sayonara to New York and aloha to the seven seas.”

 He had a voice for radio or a game show. It was velvety deep, just what many women seemed to like these days. You grabbed your phone and crossbody bag and walked out of your room. You had a mission before you lifted anchor. Everyone was still abuzz with talk of the itinerary as more of the beach boys played over the ship speaker system. Vacation vibes were in full effect. Once you got to the media area, you promptly purchased your airtime so your cell would be able to work while at sea. You knew your mother would have a heart attack if you went two days without checking in with her. You didn’t think it was because she was that attached to her children though, you knew it was her motherly duty to remain up in the tea, so she felt continuously connected. As she got older and older, you realized it more and more.

 As soon as that mission was completed, you made your way to the top deck where the mingle was being held. As you stepped out into the sun, you marveled at just how extravagant Disney had chosen to go with this ship. Several feet before you stretching obscenely high into the air, you saw something that looked like a rollercoaster. There were plenty of other passengers pointing to it and excitedly chattering about it. You made a mental note to stay as far away from it as possible. Who would think to ride an insanely high rollercoaster on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean?

 Slowly you walked around the deck, cordially smiling at those you passed. You passed a bar area and took one of the prepared cocktails, and proceeded to find a good spot at the side of the ship to watch them lift anchor. After several minutes of searching and bumping into all the excited kids and passengers who were posing for pictures with friends, family, and Disney staff, you found an excellent spot to press your back against.

 Across the way, a familiar hat caught your eye. It was him, you thought. He always kept his head low and tried to steer away from big crowds. It was strange to you considering he’d chosen to get on a cruise ship filled with hundreds of people. He wouldn’t be able to escape the crowds. Your eyes followed him as he walked to another bar to grab one of the drinks there. As he did, he joked with the bartender, and it was then you saw a flash of his pearly smile. You couldn’t tell if he was attractive or not, mostly since all you’d gotten were glimpses of pieces of his face. Part of you wanted him to take off the stupid hat so you could be sure, but the other part—the sensible part that remembered why you’d chosen a Disney cruise slapped your ass back into focus.

 “Welcome, Disney guests!”

 In response, everyone around you screamed, clapped, cheered, and stomped so loudly the sound could have rivaled that of a rave.

 “We are pleased to welcome you once again!”

 As one of the staff members continued to speak about the ship procedures, expectations, highlights, amenities, and more, you continued to look around the deck, taking in all the grandeur before you. It didn’t take long to get lost in the directory you held. Again you took note of where everything was that you wanted to experience and even went as far as to make a plan of what you wanted to eat each night. Between you and Atali, you were the planner. You liked things to make sense and liked them to be stable and constantly reliable. You hated the erraticness of people and impulsivity. You always tried to steer as far from it as possible.

 By the time the speeches were finished, you’d had three drinks and were working on your fourth. The vibration of your phone brought your attention to it.

 MSG Javii: Chaton?

 You rolled your eyes and sighed out a little louder than you intended. What attracted you to him in the first place was what was annoying you right now. His persistence. You sat in a nearby seat and stared at the text exchange and thought of what you wanted to reply. Five minutes passed with you not typing one word. The truth was you didn’t know what to say. You were that jumbled up. The stress of it all was making your head hurt. You rubbed your brow and began your message.

 MSG: I need some time away.

 Instantly a message came back.

 MSG Javii: From me?

 Bobbing your head from side to side, you tried to make a quick decision.

 MSG: From this—us.

 MSG Javii: Chaton, say what you mean. You know I prefer directness. Do you mean from me?

 MSG: Yes.

 A few minutes passed before he sent another message. You wondered if you’d hurt him. Part of you didn’t want to hurt him, but the other part wanted him to suffer and see what it was like to be without you. Maybe then he’d start appreciating what he had.

 MSG: I just need to figure some things out.

MSG Javii: Are you breaking up with me, Chaton?

 The name was killing you, and you were sure he knew it. Every time he called you “chaton,” it made your belly flutter.

 MSG: I just need time and space, Javii.

MSG Javii: I love you. You know that, right? I love you more than anything.

MSG: If that were true, I’d be there right now instead of where I am. I have to go.

 You closed your messages and sighed out again.

 “Mm, I can easily read that expression, and if any man causes brow or forehead wrinkles, he isn’t the one.”

 Your head snapped to your right to see an older woman sitting there. She wore a straw hat atop her long red hair that looked close to that of Lucille Ball’s. The hue of her hair complimented her bronze and gold complexion. Her makeup was expertly done, as was her purple painted nails that pinched the straw that was at the corner of her mouth, a mouth that was painted perfectly accentuating her cupid’s bow lips. She was gorgeous.

 “Uh--,” you began as she continued.

 “The only one who is worth it is the one who gives you cheek wrinkles and smile creases.”

You grinned to yourself and took a sip from your glass that was resting on the table between you.

 “Trust me. I’ve dated plenty of men, ones who cause both, ones who cause one more than the other and ones who only cause one—the bad ones.” She motioned to the space between her eyebrows, symbolizing stress wrinkles from furrowing your brows.

 “I have yet to meet one who only causes smile creases,” she finished.

 You shrugged and looked glanced back to your phone before you put it on the table face down.

 “Maybe that one doesn’t exist on this Earth,” you countered.

 “A skeptic, I see. You’re one of those women who don’t believe in the one, right?”

 After scoffing, you looked at her. “I don’t know what I believe. Once upon a time, I did then---things got complicated.”

 The woman placed her drink down and nudged her fist underneath her chin, giving you her complete attention.

 “Oh, complications are the joys of life, darling. Nothing is ever cut and dry or so simple and steady. I say go for the ride but make sure you hand on for the bumps.”

 You contemplated her words. There was some logic there, but once she said nothing was simple or steady, you had to admit your heart skipped a beat. You hated when things weren’t simple. You took your glass again and finished its contents. At the same time, your eye found the man who’d caught you maybe an hour ago. You watched as he walked closer to where you were seated and caught another glimpse of his face before he passed you.

 From beside you, you heard the woman whistle.

 “I wouldn’t mind going for a ride with that one.”

 Your laugh was loud and couldn’t be stopped. You shook your head at her, but she didn’t look one bit embarrassed or remorseful.

 “It’s a cruse darling, a vacation. Now’s the time to live a little—or a lot,” she said, finishing with an exaggerated wink.

 This woman was inadvertently suggesting you let your hoe flag fly for the duration of the cruise. She reminded you of your aunt Josephine from your father’s side. As a French woman, she definitely embodied the French lifestyle of only living once and to live life right the first time. You’d spent countless hours with her listening to her stories of her travels, boyfriends, escapades. You and Atali always loved to live vicariously through her. That was until Atali came of age and decided to live just like her.

 You sat with this woman who introduced herself as Genevieve and listened to her stories of life and love. Usually, you hated speaking to strangers, but she didn’t feel like one. She felt like a kindred spirit, a much more carefree spirit but still kindred the same. You didn’t realize that two hours had almost passed with the two of you sipping cocktails and giggling. When you said your goodbyes, you wandered around the ship, taking in all it had to offer. You peeked in on activities that were already underway and scoped out other places you could disappear in.

 You made it back to your room in time to shower, change, and put on a lite layer of makeup before you made it to dinner at one of the forty restaurants. Once you walked into the restaurant, the atmosphere screamed luxury though it was not opulently done. It still looked family-friendly, but it was done in a way that let you know that you were meant to feel important by the décor alone.

 At the bottom of the long stairs, you quickly looked around, trying to find an empty table. When you’d zeroed in on one, you saw a hand waving you down—the hand of the same woman from before, Genevieve. Why not, you thought to yourself before you began to cross the dining area toward her. Within a few steps, you ran right into a body that felt like a brick wall. You could feel your body falling backward, but in the nick of time, a pair of strong, muscular arms wrapped around your back, holding you in place.

If his face had been eluding you all day, it was not anymore. The eyes you stared into were blue enough that the sea you sailed would be envious. His lips were so red that an apple would want a rematch for bragging rights and his face so symmetrical that even the perfect line of symmetry didn’t seem perfect enough when next to him. The man was gorgeous. You watched his eyes roam your face as if he was in no rush, wanting to take in every detail. What felt like minutes was probably only seconds before he set you upright. As you were prepared to speak, he smiled, and the action had you feeling like you’d been hit in the head at the same time as your gut.

 “Twice in one day. What’re the odds? Are you okay?”

 Rather than speaking, you nodded.

 “Are you sure?”

 “Yes, thank you. I’m—I’m sorry,” you stuttered.

 “Nah, forget about it. No harm, no foul.”

 From behind him, you could see Genevie giving you a look that said she wanted to know what was being said and who he was.

 “I uh—I was going that way,” you said, nodding your head to behind him.

 “And me that way.” He nodded behind you. “Stay safe out there,” he uttered before he walked off in the direction you’d just come from, giving you the opportunity to walk to Genevieve.

 The look on her face needed no words to along with it, but she still spoke.

 “Is that the same snack from before?”

 You nodded and nearly snorted out, hearing her use the word.

 “What’s his name?”

 “No idea, but I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before. I just—can’t place it.”

 “I don’t know how. I’d never forget a face like that.”

 She had a point; he had an unforgettable face, one that stayed with you and possibly could haunt your nights. You bet he got whatever he wanted and whoever he wanted. As dinner progressed, you had your choice of different appetizers, entrees, drinks, and desserts. If one wanted Scandinavian food, they could get it, or southern food it was within reach. As you ate, you listened to more of Genevieve’s stories. She told you about the men she’d dated, the things she’d seen in her years, and lessons she’d learned from those men. The moral you learned from her stories was love often, love hard, and love entirely because while you’d remember the pain, you’d remember the love more.

 As you ate and listened to her, you couldn’t help but think of the reason you were on this cruise in the first place. You were not running to love but from it. If you were to listen to Genevieve, you should have stayed your ass in New York and gone to Javii. If you listened to her, you’d probably spend another year living in sin. By the end of dinner, you’d met three other women all within the same age range as you, but they all were in different times of their lives. One was newlywed, and on her honeymoon, the second married a year and expecting her first child and the third long married with three children.

 It was an interesting look at alternate timelines for you. Any of them could have ended up being you if you’d only made different choices. Part of you wondered which one you wanted to be more, your natural self, or one of the three possibilities.

 After dinner, you made your way to one of the theaters to watch the planned show for the night. It was a re-enactment of The Little Mermaid, and the audience was filled with little ones who clapped and cheered throughout. You were surprised at how well the staff performed. They could have easily been true broadway stars. A little more than halfway through the show, you found the stranger with the deep eyes across the room. He was sitting alone, just watching the show with a relaxed look on his face. He looked as if he were genuinely enjoying it. Your curiosity was piqued as to why he was sitting alone watching The Little Mermaid on a ship full of people and why he didn’t seem to be bothered to make acquaintances. Who came on a cruise alone? Once you thought it, you wanted to laugh at yourself. You were the one to come on a cruise alone.

 As you were about to look away, his eyes found yours. At first, they looked empty as if he were looking right through you. Then after a few moments, there was a spark in them. You watched him raise his glass to you with a soft smile teasing his lips. Realizing you’d been caught looking, you curtly nodded back then looked to the stage to focus on the show.

 Two in the morning. That was the time when you finally made it back to your room. Festivities were going on all around the ship. No one seemed as if they wanted to go back to their rooms. There was something for everyone. The little ones had endless activities, including a sleepover with their favorite Disney characters, where they were set to have plenty of fun for the night. There was a mixer set up like a rave on the opposite side of the ship for the adults. From the things you saw when you scoped it out, you were sure a few siblings were going to be conceived tonight.

 As you scanned your bracelet and opened your door, you looked back to see the stranger again. He was looking directly down at you. You gave him a head salute and disappeared inside your room. After a quick shower, you found your way to your balcony to watch the waves roll by with a glass of wine. It was the perfect end to the night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[elejahfanfic]

And so it is Christmas

AU Fanfic/ part 1

Elijah Mikaelson x reader

ft. Klaroline and tvd lot

_human_no vampires

a/n:There  will be great mad Mikaelson chaos and lots of love...   ho-ho-ho

tag_ @eternityunicorn​ @njeancastro316​

****

Mystic Falls, a week later

Y/LN Family House

"Knock, knock"  Stefan said as he got in the kitchen through the back door that was ajar.

"Hey" Y/N said as she turned around having put some of the groceries in the fridge,"Coffee?"

"Yeah, thanks."

"What's up?" Y/N asked.

"Why would anything be up?"

"I know that face. And it says - something is up."

"It's the whole wedding preparations." Stefan admitted.

"Ah, I can imagine that she has huge plans. And you want something small?!"  Y/N said.

"Well not necessarily. It's not the wedding - big or small-  it's - she wants me to be part of the planning - and I -"

"I know - you will be happy with anything. The only thing is you want her there on the day."

"Yes." Stefan said. "And I don't know how to tell her - that I am ok with everything she picks. It also it doesn't matter what it will cost, as long as - I don't have to go to all the cake sampling things, buying wedding china, etc. "

"I really can't help you there. Unfortunatelly this is one you will have to go through even if it - gets too much."

"No help from you, then?" Stefan shrugged.

"Nope." Y/N replied.

"So, how did the date with Klaus go?"

"It was no date. We just had a cup of coffee and that was it."

"Rebekah said that you are helping him with the fundraiser at the school?!"

"I am on the school board, and he is on the school board." Y/N said,"that's all. I said that I am not ready to date anyone just yet. But he is fun to be around."

"So- it's one of those non-exclusive things.

"We hooked up just once - just one time! We both had a bit too much to drink. And it's not happening again!" Y/N stressed out now quite annoyed.

"Right," Stefan said, "you don't have to bite my head off."

"This is Rebekah, isn't it? She had you fishing for info!?"

Stefan tilted his head a bit and Y/N knew it was so.

"Sorry - I was also curious myself."

"I am fine, Stefan. I am. I really am. Damon and I - we have always had our differences, we never really saw eye to eye. I was just me, who didn't want to see that. I was so consumed by him that I didn't see straight, always believing that we would have the same goals. It took me forever to realize that you can't change someone."

"No. You can't. Ok. But - I will say this - Klaus is a good guy. He really is and if you -"

"Stop it now!" Y/N turned to her best friend with a warning blaze.

"Yeah, ok. Anyway, there is this Thanksgiving dinner they are hosting at the Historical Society House. You will get an invitation, too."

"Already got it. It came this morning. I am now the only representative of my family for the Founding families board." Y/N said.

"I don't get why you accepted to be at the school board?”

"Jo is pregnant and can't attend anymore. It's too many responsibilities, with Josie and Lizzy and Alaric now working in Whitmore." Y/N explained.

"You've been back a month and it's - all go for you."

"Strangely it feels like I've not been gone at all. And then it feels like I've been gone forever. You and Bonnie are like the only friends I got left. I wonder what happened to Caroline."

"Don't you know that she lives and works in New York?"  Stefan said.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I met her. She's been in New York for a year or so now."

"She finished law, right?"

"Yeah, Yale." Stefan said.

"I so would like to see her. Last time we saw eachother was just after graduation when her sad came and - we had that huge fight - and - she left"

"She is doing great. We didn't talk much as she had to rush to court." Stefan said.

"So, you didn't get her number?" Y/N inquired.

"No, I am sorry."  

His phone now went. Seeing it was Rebekah, he now took the call waving bye to Y/N as he exited the house.

Y/N grabbed her phone from the table and went through her messages. 

'it's kind of short notice, and not conventional, but would you accompany me to the Thanksgiving Ball  my family is hosting at the Historical Society' Y/N read Klaus’ message

'Thank you for the invitation, but I’ve already agreed to go with Kai.' Y/N wrote back.

It was not the truth- well it was a half truth actually. Dr Kai Parker asked her jokingly if she had a +1 for the Ball.

Now, Y/N pressed the speed-dial as she scrolled her contacts to Kai's name. As he answered, she said, "I will be your +1"

Putting the phone in her pocket, she now took off to meet Bonnie.

👑

Later that afternoon

Elijah stopped at the railway stop. He now called his mother.

"I have just arrived. Is there anything you need picking up from town?"

"Oh, yes, darling. The gowns for the Ball have arrived. Can you please pick them up. I will give you the address. Oh, I am so happy that you took days off. Klaus mentioned that you will come with your new girlfriend?"

"She had to stay. She is working on a big case with other associates. But she will be down on Saturday." Elijah replied.

"Can't wait to meet her. All right, darling. I will see you in a little while." Esther said and then hung up.

As the train passed, Elijah, having received the directions of the Boutique now went to pick up the gowns.

Entering the shop a while later, his heart stopped a beat as he saw this woman  in the red dress. She looked exquisite. He couldn't take his eyes off her. The glamorous red satin strapless sweetheart floor length ruffled mermaid dress fit her like a glove.         

"This dress is made for you, Dr Y/LN" the shop-assistant said.

"It is beautiful." Y/N said,"but I think it is a bit too much for a Thanksgiving Ball."

"You are right. This is more for the Christmas Ball." the shop-assistant now remarked.

"Ok. I will try another one." Y/N said and as she moved to go to the changing room, her eyes caught this man still staring.

Having been caught staring, Elijah now, snapping out of his daydream, said, "It is an exquisite dress. And if I may say  - I agree - it is perfect for the Christmas Ball."

Y/N shot a little smile at the man and nodding a little agreed. She then walked away to the changing rooms.

"May I help you?" the shop-assistant now turned to Elijah.

"Yes. I am here to collect two gowns. Mikaelson." Elijah said.

"Ah, yes. They arrived today. I am so sorry that we have not been able to deliver it just yet. It has been a mad day, and my boss is down with the flu." the woman said.

"It is all right. There is no worries." Elijah said to the shop-assisstant who went to the back room to get the gowns.

This being a small specialized shop, Y/N, who was in the changing rooms, could hear everything, and now curled a little smile, her heart kicking a beat. “This is Elijah Mikaelson?!"

*

_to be continued

[toogayforthistoday]

mermaid AU, roaring 20s AU, and fake dating AU with Hiei and Dabi too plz? ~nikkzships

@nikkzships sdgsdrhdfgjghjk!!! AHHHHHH!! NIKKI!! I love you so much oml

As a note, I apparently do not know how to ‘just write headcanons’ for these two, and I just straight up started writing bLURBS AHH-

Mermaid AU: Who is the adventurous mermaid who swims a little too close to the shore? Who is the curious human who finds them? Give one headcanon about you and your f/o’s relationship in this AU!

It goes without saying that for this AU, their first meeting(s) would be as wee beans. For those that don’t know what I mean by wee beans, they’re all children. Cause it’s adorable, and that’s how my brain thought these up.

For Hiei, he’d be the mermaid (merman?) and Gabe would be the Human.

Just Hiei being a tsundere little shit, like “No, I’m not getting too close to the Humans! I’m just making sure they won’t find us...” but the section of shore line that Hiei likes to hang out and sunbathe in, also happens to be Gabe’s little hiding spot away from everyone. So one day while Hiei’s laid back on a rock, almost asleep, Gabe stumbles down, rubbing at their eyes, so they don’t see him. As they settle against Hiei’s rock, still not having noticed him, Hiei had noticed them, and the fact that they were upset.

“Why are you crying?”

The question makes Gabe jump, and they start rubbing harder at their face as they stand back up. “I’m sorry, I didn’t think anyone would be here. I’ll leave...” They lower their hands to look at him, and finally notice he’s a merman.

“You don’t have to leave yet. Not til you answer my question first, at least...”

Gabe eventually manages to calm down enough to answer him, “My family don’t like me, and keep calling me a monster...”

“Hn. A Human as pretty as you can’t possibly be a monster.” At Gabe’s smile, Hiei smiles a little too. “I’m Hiei.”

“My name’s Gabe. Will you... be my friend?”

Hiei nods, smiling more.

@junkratsloverat also asked for Mermaid!AU with Dabi, so here you go, Hannah!!

For Dabi, Gabe’s the mermaid.

Touya had been going to that section of beach almost every day for a month, now; It seemed to be ignored by most of the locals, with tall grass and weeds growing right up to the waters edge. He thought he’d heard singing coming from there one day while walking by, and he’d hoped to find the source. Touya had tripped, crying out in surprise as his face met sand, before hearing a splashing sound and silence. Today, he was hoping his luck would change.

As he walked closer, he thought he could hear a melody over the wind. Touya had to force himself to be careful this time, didn’t need to trip and scare them away again. As he crept close, the song got louder and louder, and he could start making out the words the person sung. Passing a large driftwood log, a figure came into view, leaning over a large rock to look down into a tide pool. Their blonde hair gently swayed back and forth as continued their song, watching as a small crab scuttled by a starfish. The red-head leaned forward, putting more of his weight on the log, hoping to get a better look at the singer.

The driftwood let out a creaky groan before moving under Touya, frightening both him and the blonde. The figures head shot up, looking straight at him before pushing themself away from the rock and into the water.

“Wait!” Touya cried out, running towards the rock. The crab had the good sense to scuttle under the crags of the rock, before the human accidentally stepped on him. He jumped up onto it, where the figure had been resting, looking over to try and find them, but there was no sign of them. He sighed, and sat down, catching his breath.

“I just wanted to tell you that I liked your song...”

Hearing nothing but the waves lapping against the rock in response, Touya stood back up and turned to hop off the rock.

“...You liked it?”

The question made Touya jump and whip back around to the water, quickly loosing his balance and falling back into ocean. He felt the burn of the frigged water, followed by arms around him, pulling him back up. He’s set down on the rock, just out of the water.

“Are all humans this accident prone, or is it just you?” the voice joked. Touya opened his eyes, and saw the blonde figure in front of him, still half in the water.

“...Aren’t you cold?” He asked, noticing they weren’t wearing a shirt of any kind.

“Why would I get cold? Do humans not have good circulation? Is that why you wear those fabrics?”

“Huh? What do you mean?” Touya stared at them, confused by their questions. He looked down at the water again, and noticed something shimmering at their waist. “...Are you not human?”

The blonde shook their head. “I’m a mermaid!” A look of guilt shot across their face and they ducked down slightly. “We’re not supposed to let humans know we exist... You promise not to tell anyone, yeah?”

Touya quickly nodded as he grinned. “I promise!”

The blonde grinned back. “I’m ᎶᏗᏰᏒᎥᏋᏝ.” At the sight of Touya’s confused face, they slowly nodded, “You probably can’t pronounce that... Uhhh, you can call me Gabe?”

“And you can call me Touya!”

Roaring 20s AU: Who is new to the city or visiting family in the city? Who’s the wealthy bachelor who notices them at a party? Give one headcanon about you and your f/o’s relationship in this AU! 

Dabi would the wealthy bachelor? With Gabe being new to the city.

Touya had been dragged to the party by Natsuo, who just wanted him to have some fun without their father constantly breathing down his neck. Gabe had also been dragged to the party, by Atsuhiro, so they could make some new friends. So Gabe’s off being a social butterfly with Atsu, and Touya notices them flitting around, and their joy is almost infectious, and he can’t help but go and say hello.

Now for Hiei... He’d be visiting Kurama for one reason or another, and Kurama convinced him to go to the party to loosen up a bit. Hiei’s always constantly stressed, and maybe a bit of light-hearted shenanigans would do him some good. Gabe’s been too busy lately to just relax, and let’s their brother Yusuke convince them to come to the party as well. Yusuke and Kurama are old friends, so of course they introduce the two, and the enjoy the party together.

Fake dating AU: Who has a plan and needs a fake partner to show to their parents or ex? Who begrudgingly agrees? Give one headcanon about you and your f/o’s relationship in this AU! 

In both cases, it’ll be Gabe who needs a partner, cause we already have Hero!Dabi needing the fake partner for that wedding.

Hiei doesn’t understand why the witch would need him to pretend to be their date, Kurama would do a much more convincing job of it. But the longer he thinks about that, the more upset the thought makes him, so he stops thinking about it, and agrees to parade around for their family. The sight of Gabe relaxing in relief has him feeling a certain way, and now he’s confused and slightly worried there’s something wrong with him.

Hiei hasn’t experienced these feelings before, so he goes to talk to Kurama, who would surely know the answer.

“Hiei, you like them.”

“I tolerate their existence.”

“I think you love them.”

“What? No, that’s ridiculous.”

Well, Kurama didn’t have the right answer.

So Hiei goes through the week of Gabe’s family visiting, holding their hand, constantly being near them, and letting Gabe do all the talk as he watched them. On the last day of the visit, it finally clicks that he actually enjoyed being that close to them, and after today, he wouldn’t be able to do that anymore.

And fuck, Kurama was right.

So he goes and tracks them down. Luckily, Gabe’s just chilling in their room, as it’s still early, and they didn’t want to talk with anyone yet. So, true to Hiei fashion, he’s terrible with words, and just goes in for a kiss, hoping that would get his point across.

It does.

For Dabi... Hmm...

Gabe and Dabi would be chilling in a random bar, when in walks a rather attractive looking woman, who smirks when she sees Gabe and starts walking over.

“Ahh, fuck it’s my ex... Uhh... Can you make out with me?”

Dabi almost spits out his drink, “What?”

“Make out with me! I don’t want to deal with her manipulative ass tonight. I will cook you dinner for a month-” Their offer was cut off as Dabi’s fingers lifted their chin towards him, and he moved in to kiss them. Just as Gabe started to kiss back, Dabi felt a tap on his shoulder. He slowly pulled away slightly, just enough to glance at the woman, who was now sporting an offended look on her face.

“Excuse me, can you stop making out with my boyfriend?”

Dabi slowly looked her up and down, before smirking, and pulling Gabe over to straddle his lap. “Sorry, sweetheart, but I think you mean my boyfriend. They broke up with your terrible sense of style ages ago,” and pulled Gabe’s face down to connect with his again. The woman’s best impression of a fish did nothing to break their kiss a second time, leaving her to storm off, spouting off obscenities and threats.

After a minute, and neither could hear her screaming anymore, they parted again, their breathing heavier than expected. “Thanks Dabi. I... Really appreciate that.” Gabe smiled as a tint of red started to creep onto their face.

“Don’t worry about it,” Dabi smiled back, rubbing his thumbs gently on Gabe’s hips where he’d rested them. “I... Uh... wouldn’t mind skipping out on those dinners, if... you wanted to keep making out on a more... romantic basis...?”

Gabe’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah...” and they leaned in to continue their make out session.

Oops, I got carried away again!!

~ Gabe

[deadanddeactivated]

Land-o-tized

Fandom: Sanders Sides, Mermaid AU Pairing:  Intrulogical Characters: Logan, Remus, Virgil Notes: Day 13 of the fluffuary event being hosted by @tsshipmonth2020​​ - Intrulogical Summary:  Logan wants to help Virgil, instead he's stuck on land with Remus. Maybe that's not a bad thing.

AO3

--

“I’m coming with you.”  Logan argues for what feels the thousandth time.  And for the thousandth time, Virgil sighs.

“It’s too dangerous.”  He claims.

“I know it’s dangerous!”  Logan snaps before forcing himself to take a deep breath of air he’s still not quite used to.  Throwing a tantrum isn’t going to convince Virgil he can handle this.  “I have been fighting Uncle longer than you.”  He points out, hoping he sounds calmer and not bitter.  Because he’s not bitter.  Except that he’s just spent weeks getting his brother back and now virgil wants to swim off and leave him once more.

“You’ve been fighting him on land,” Virgil argues, “and without him really being aware.”

“He has his suspicions.”  Logan mumbles.

“All the more reason you shouldn’t come with me.”  Virgil says.  “If you’re there, I’ll lose the element of surprise.”

“And if I’m not there, you could get hurt!”  Logan snaps.  Shit, he’d lost his cool again.  And now Virgil is giving him that smile, the smile that means Logan has already lost.

“Hey, who’s the older brother here?”  Virgil asks.  “You’ve done enough looking after me Logan, let me take care of you.”

“That’s not fair.”  Logan mutters.  

“Besides,” Virgil adds, nodding towards something behind them, “you have a wish to grant.”

“Pardon?”  Logan frowns.  Looking back he sees a figure fumbling in the sand towards them, a figure that’s grown very familiar in the past few weeks.

“I thought you two left without me.”  Remus pants when he reaches them.  “That’s rude.”

“Sorry, I was trying to leave before Logan got up.”  Virgil chuckles.

“I would have just followed you.”  Logan claims.

“I’d have stopped you.”  Remus says, wrapping an arm around Logan’s shoulders.  “I can’t lose my wish before I make it Logan, I need to abuse cosmic power.”

“It’s not cosmic power.”  Logan sighs, even though he knows the words are falling on deaf ears.

“I’m glad I can trust you to keep Logan safe.  And dry.”  Virgil says, very pointedly.

“Can do chief!”  Remus assures, giving Virgil a salute.  

“It’s my kingdom too.”  Logan huffs.  He knows he isn’t going with Virgil, he knows he’s lost the argument.  That doesn’t mean he can’t protest.  

“I know.  And assuming all goes well, you’ll help me rule it.  But it’s my job to reclaim it.”  Virgil says.  “So just, stay safe, okay?”

“Fine.”  Logan begrudgingly agrees.  “But only if you do too.”

“I promise to try.”  Virgil says.  He leans over and kisses Logan’s forehead, then turns to Remus who opened his free arm for a hug.  Laughing to himself, Virgil gives it.  “Thanks for being the best fake childhood friend a mermaid could ask for.”  He jokes.

“Thanks for being a mermaid.”  Remus grins back.

“When everything’s sorted I’ll come meet you here, or I’ll send Patton.”  Virgil says, taking a step back.

“Don’t take too long.”  Logan says, hoping it sounds more like an order and less like the plea it is.  Virgil gives him one last kiss to the forehead before walking into the waves.  He dives below and he doesn’t resurface, returning to the oceans people that thought him a runaway and the false king that banished him.

Returned to fight a war, and he wouldn’t even let Logan come with him.

“Well that was dramatic.”  Remus announces, pulling Logan from his thoughts and almost making them stumble in the sand as Remus leans his full weight on the shorter Logan.

“I suppose you could call it that.”  Logan sighs, ducking out of Remus’ hold.  “This won’t get you a second wish, you know.”  He says, starting back towards the apartment in hope he won’t turn and run into the waves.  

“I don’t know, maybe Virgil’ll give me one.”  Remus shrugs, following after.  “But I don’t really need it, I have one from you.”

“You do.”  Logan confirms.  Not sounding bitter.  Because he’s not bitter.  He asked for Remus’ help in exchange for a wish, as is mermaid tradition.  Why would it hurt that Remus is asking for his wish?  It doesn’t.  “So, what do you wish for?”

“Hmmm,” Remus seems to think for a moment, his foot falls heavy and dramatic in the sand.  “I’m not sure yet.”

“You’ve had a thousand thoughts since we met.”  Logan points out.

“Yes, a thousand.  But I only get one wish.  Oh!  Can I wish for more wishes?”  Remus asks.

“No.”  Logan refuses, rolling his eyes.

“Dang, is this Robin Williams, best genie there ever was, rules?”  Remus asks.  

“Pardon?”  Logan frowns.  The wrong answer, apparently, as Remus gasps in horror.

“That’s it, we’re doing a disney marathon!”  He decides.

“What is Disney?”  Logan dares to ask and then immediately regrets it.  He definitely regrets it.

--

Virgil doesn’t come back the next morning.  Patton doesn’t stop by either.

Which Logan wasn’t expecting.  Because it takes more than a night to overthrow a want-to-be King.  

He’s still a little disappointed.

“I’m sure he’s fine.”  Remus doesn’t bother to greet him, he rarely does.  Simply plops down next to Logan in the sand.

“Of course he is.”  Logan claims, as though he has no doubt.  “Virgil is heir to the sea, there’s no doubt he’ll defeat our uncle.  Do you know what you want to wish for?”  He asks, wanting to change the topic even if he wouldn’t admit it.  Remus is quiet for longer than Logan has even known him to be, making Logan slightly concerned he’s vanished.  When he looks over Remus is still there, staring at Logan with concern.

“Can I wish that Virgil wins?”  He asks.

For a moment Logan is taken back, then he’s hopefully but… no, he can feel in his soul that that won’t work.  Which makes sense, even magic can set the future in stone.

“No.”  He says, sighing.  “Besides, you’d be wasting your wish.”

“I don’t know.  Virgil’s my friend, even if most of that was just like a magical memory spell or whatever.  I want him to come back.”  Remus says.

“He won’t come back to land, he has a kingdom to rule.”  Logan points out.  Again, Remus pauses for a bit too long before he continues.

“I know.”

--

A week passes and Virgil still hasn’t come back.  Logan waits at the ocean every morning, just in case.  He’d wait there all day but Remus always comes to pull him away.  They stay in the apartment, despite Remus’ attempts to pull him away from it.  Logan will have none of it.  With the balcony door open, he can still hear the ocean from Remus’ apartment.  He’ll be able to hear if Virgil or Patton come by.  

“At least I’ll get to show you all the Disney then.”  Remus sighs, then grins.  “Even the ones Disney doesn’t want you to watch!”

Remus doesn’t make his wish the first week.

--

The next week, Logan begrudgingly leaves the apartment for reasons other than the ocean.  

“I’ve already been through town.”  He claims as Remus leds him on, intent on showing him ‘all the great things about land’.

“You were too worried about Virgil last time.”  Remus argues.  “You didn’t get to have fun.”

“I’m still worried about Virgil.”  Logan mumbles.  Except for a moment, as Remus shows him around, he forgets that.  Just a little.

Logan doesn’t think of Remus’ wish.

--

The third week, Logan… Logan forgets to walk to the beach in the morning.

It’s not that he’s not worried anymore.  He’s still worried about Virgil, he’s still keeping an ear out for his brothers call.

Rather, waiting by the water is not his first thought of the day.  His first thought of the day is about the little cafe he and Remus went to a few days, and the fact that it would be nice to have breakfast there.

When he realizes that, Logan immediately panics.  Is this what happened when Virgil was cursed?  Did he just stop thinking of home?  But no, Logan studied Virgil’s curse.  It wasn’t nearly so slow.  Then what?  There were legends of mermaids getting hypnotized by the land, is that it?  

“Logan?”  Remus calls, only in his pjs as he joins Logan this time.  “You look more stressed than usual, somethin’ happen?”

“I’m becoming land-o-tized!”  Logan announces.  That’s what it was called in the stories, right?

“Huh?”  Remus asks, frowning.

“My first thought this morning was of the land, not home!”  Logan claims.

“And that’s… a bad thing?”  Remus confirms.

“Yes!”  Logan claims.  “What if I’m forgetting home?!”

“Or…” Remus starts, taking a step closer and grabbing Logan’s arms to stop his pacing, “maybe you’re enjoying it up here?”

“Enjoying it up here?”  Logan repeats, frowning.  “Why would I be enjoying it up here?  Nothing about my being up here has been on good terms.”  He argues.

“Well yeah but…” Remus trails off again, like he’s waiting for Logan to fill in the blank.  Logan can’t.  He finds it impossible to fill in the blanks with Remus.  “Maybe you enjoy spending time with me.”  Remus finally finishes.  Logan frowns a little deeper.  Of course he was enjoying spending time with Remus.

Wait, he was enjoying spending time with Remus?

Before he can think further on the thought, there’s a splash.

“Logan!”  Virgil’s voice calls out and Logan turns, feeling a weight lift off his shoulder when he sees his brother in the waves, tail and scales back.  “Please tell you haven’t been waiting here the whole time.”

“He hasn’t been!”  Remus assures, his hands gone from Logan’s sides.  “We watched Disney!”

“Oh sweet.”  Virgil says.  

“Is everything back home alright?”  Logan asks.

“If by ‘alright’ you mean I’m officially King now then, yes.”  Virgil nods.  “It’s safe to come home.”

“So… you’re leaving then, right?”  Remus fills the sudden silence.  “Both of you.”

“Sorry Remus.”  Virgil manages, and he does really sound sorry.  “I want to say I’ll visit, but I don’t know if I’ll have the time.”  He admits.

“Nah, that’s cool.  You’re a king now.”  Remus shrugs.  “That’s like, two full time jobs right?”

“And then some.”  Virgil says.

“Will you have time to visit?”  Remus asks Logan.  Although he isn’t good at social interactions, Logan gets the sense that this answer is going to mean a lot more than the question suggests.  With that in mind, he gives himself a minute before he answers.

“You haven’t made your wish yet.”  Logan points out.  “I’ll have to visit.”

“Unless I make my wish right now.”  Remus elbroates.  “What if I wish to stay with you forever?”  

“You’d wish for that?”  Is all Logan can manage, face flushing against his will.

“It’s the only thing I want to wish for.”  Remus nods.

“You don’t have to wish for that.”  Logan says.  “You could just… ask.”

“Would you say yes?”  Remus asks.  Logan thinks he should take a minute, thinks he should need to consider his answer.

Instead it comes to him instinctually.

“Yes.”

The kiss that follows is interrupted by Virgil clearing his throat.  Oh my gods, Logan thinks as his cheeks flush darker.

“So,” Virgil says, “Are you coming back Logan or are you staying up here?”

“Pardon?”  Logan asks.  

“But I can’t come with if you go.”  Remus pouts.  He wraps his arms around Logan like he has a thousand times.  Somehow it feels… different now.

“Sure you can.”  Virgil says.  “Just wish to become a mermaid, Logan can do that.”  

“Oh!  Yeah, I want to wish for that!”  Remus jumps on board immediantly.

“Remus, you have a life up here!”  Logan argues.  “Gaining legs isn’t as easy as Virgil and I make it seem.”

“My life up here was largely tied to mermaid I hadn’t actually meet, and then you.”  Remus argues. 

“Still, what if you regret it.”  Logan frets.  What if you hate it, and end up hating me?

“Okay, I wish to be able to turn into a mermaid at will.  My will.  And to be able to turn back.”  Remus says.  “Does that work better babe?”  Logan almost forgets to check, caught up in that babe.  He manages to collect himself enough to feel the wish settle in his chest, to feel his magic wrap around it and accept it.  So long as he accepts it.

“Yes.”  He says.  “Wish granted.”

Swimming home, getting to watch Remus marvel at the water like a gubby - only pausing to kiss Logan every so often, it’s… well, it’s worth all the teasing Virgil can give.

[that-wimpy-cowboy-doll]

Because Why Not?

@idontgettechnology​ tagged me because she knows that I fall more in love with her and our friendship every day  🥰

👽 Do you believe in aliens? Yes’m

👽👽   If so, what do you think they look like? Depends on the environment of whatever planet or system they’re in.  It also depends on whether or not they’re carbon-based or something else.  There are theories that ghosts in our world are actually interdimensional beings/aliens that we physically can’t perceive because we can only understand the world around us in a certain amount of dimensions.  tldr; I don’t know that we could know what aliens look like, depending on where they’re from

🤡 Do you have any phobias? Skunks, failure, being forgotten

💀   What is your favorite thing to do? Read, sleep, spend time with loved ones

☕ Name the tastiest hot beverage. There’s a sexy sweet citrus mocha at my new favorite coffee shop that I love

🥛 Name the tastiest cold beverage. Something fruity but not too sweet

😇 What do you believe is your most angelic quality? Compassion

👹 What do you believe is your most devilish quality? Dark humor

🧜‍♀️   If you could be any mythical creature, what would you be and why? Look, bud, probably the root reason of why I love redheads is 1000% due to The Little Mermaid (1989)

😻   Describe the sweetest moment you have had with a pet. Anytime a cat comes to sit on me and does that slow blink thing, and anytime a dog rests their big goofy head in my lap

🌎 What is your most far-fetched ‘bucket list’ item? As I get older, fighting someone

🤔 Describe the most influential person in your life. My dad

🤯 Do you have a mental illness? Hahahahahaha YES

🦄 If you could shape-shift into an animal at any time, what would it be and why? Anything that hibernates through the winter, so I could live out my dream of eating anything and everything and then immediately going to sleep for a few months

🍣 Are you a sushi connoisseur? Nope.

🤓 Do you consider yourself a nerd? Yup.

📆 Have you set goals for your life? To not die unfulfilled.

📆📆 If you have made goals, name a few. Become a full-time professor.  Publish a book.

📆📆📆 If you’re living life in the moment, explain away. We live in the worst possible timeline, my profession is notorious for not making a ton of money, and the area I live in is one of the most expensive places to live in the world.

🤩 Name a famous celebrity you dream of meeting. Abbi Jacobson

🌙 Are you a moon or sun person? Moon

🚀 If you could travel back in time to any era, where would it be? If I could pass as a very tan Eastern European, maybe the 20s or 40s.  Just to visit and enjoy the music

🚀🚀 What kind of life would you want in this era? A brief one.

🦕 Do you wish dinosaurs existed in our modern world? Not now, thanks.  That just adds an extra layer of stress.

🦕🦕 If so, would you want a dino pet? Name the kind. Stegosaurus

🎃 Name your favorite holiday. Chrimmas and 4th of July (say what you will about the second one, it reminds me of barbecues and fireworks with my dad).

😊 What do you believe is your most redeeming quality? Fucking compassion, I hope.

😴 Do you get enough sleep? Noooope

🏈 Are you a sport enthusiast? SF Giants, baybee

🦂 Describe your best friend. Goofy, funny, intelligent, loving, sweet, and the absolute love of my life.

🥑 Fruits or veggies? Porque no los dos?

🤞 If you could snap your fingers like Thanos from The Avengers, what would you make happen? I’m gonna have to side with Emily and make Bernie have won the 2016 election

😎 Do you consider yourself a cool kid or a total square? In no lifetime have I EVER been a cool kid

🍭 Do you have a sweet tooth? Of course not, she says, as she finishes the last pieces of chocolate orange in the house

🏥 Do hospitals freak you out? Not really.  I know they should, because body fluids freak me out, but not really.

🍕 What’s the best pizza topping? Sausage and olive

🧘‍♀️ When was the last time you did something just for you? Couple weeks ago, I stayed at a hotel by myself, got naked and ate my weight in pesto pasta in bed while I watched Captain America flex his muscles trying to keep his best friend (boyfriend) from fleeing the country

🎣 Have you ever been fishing? Yes

👶 Do you want to have children someday? Someday

🥔 Name your favorite form of the potato. Au gratin

🌵 Do you have a green thumb? Not at all

🐩 If you have one, name your dream dog(s). A pibble

🍂 Winter, spring, summer or fall? Summer

🐳 Does the ocean freak you out or entice you? Mama ocean calls to me every time I see her

🐚 Ever been scuba-diving or deep-sea fishing? Nope

📸 Do you take a lot of photos? Not really

🎵 Name your three favorite artists/bands. ABBA, The Beatles, and Louis Armstrong

🎵🎵 What about your three favorite genres? Alternative, big band swing, and R&B

🎸 Can you play an instrument(s)? Just the throat and the lungs

🔬 What was the best class in high school? English

🔬🔬 What about the worst class? Math

🕹 Name the video game you have wasted the most time playing. The Inside Out game on my phone

🕹🕹 Name your favorite video game. *swoons* RDR2

🔪 Do you have an interest in serial killers or do they just freak you out? Depends on the serial killer.  I have more interest in Martinis and Murder than any serial killer in particular.

🦗 Do bugs give you the heebie-jeebies? They’re fine as long as they’re not on my face or body without consent

🎱 Confess the last wish you made on a magic 8 ball. I do not remember.

😑 Describe the most annoying thing ever. Willful ignorance.

☺ Describe the greatest thing ever. Falling asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow.

🏠 Growing up, how was your home life? Taken for granted

😜 Are you silly or serious? Silly, for the most part

🥩 Steaks: Well-done, medium-rare, or still mooing? Medium-medium

🍄 In your opinion, are mushrooms tasty little morsels or just a dirty fungus? Gross, unless they’re the fun kind mixed with sour candy

🥑 Best way to eat an avocado? Made into guac with lots of citrus and black pepper

⛪ Are you spiritual? In a way, I guess.

⛪🕌 If so, describe your beliefs. Make the world a better place, do what you can for the people who can’t do for themselves, and occasionally reach into chance and/or tarot cards for insight.

🍔 Burgers or dogs? Either, as long as I can have cheese on it.

😤 Describe something that gets under your skin. Looking stupid.

🧟‍♀️ Do you think the world will end in zombies? At this point, I wouldn’t be that surprised.

🐉 Is there a dragon you chase? Acceptance and legacy.

🥞 In your personal opinion, should food be free to everyone? Yes, because unlike Mitch McConnell I’m not a fucking monster.

🐍 What animal are you scared of, if any? Skunks, as stated above

Tagging @ibelieveinturtles @iamartemisday @dresupi @snailsarecute @wheresarizona @hollandeiram and anyone who wants to play <3

[lavieendonna]

Brushwork || ArtMajor!Calum AU (Chapter 20)

Summary: An Art Major AU where Dallas - third year gawky art student at VCA -  makes a deal with Calum - her cute new neighbour and project partner - and they spend the entire year learning that the perfect masterpiece takes a whole lot of brushwork.

Date: 22 February 2018 Requested: i think so? idk. probably not.    Pairing: Calum + Dallas Words: 3.5K Warnings: DATE NIGHT.......... PART 1   A/N: look okay. this is about ooh idk 2 months late. and all i have to say is i apologise. i hope you like it. or at least, don’t hate it. Big love xo 

Ask | Masterlist | ‘Brushwork’ Spotify Playlist | Next Chapter | ‘Brushwork’ News

Chapter 20: Dallas James. 21. Cause of Death: Literal Ray of Sunshine Piercing Her in Her Fucking Heart.

I don’t think I’d seen my hair look like this ever in my life. Like, Polly had done my hair plenty of times in the years we’d been friends. But it was like she was secretly on my side and really wanted me to blow Calum’s mind when he saw me tonight, but also didn’t want to say that in words so she just translated it into the language of hair.

I couldn’t stop touching it. She’d really worked some kind of dark magic to make this shit possible. It looked like silver-screen movie-star type hair – big, round, soft waves that even kind of shimmered in the shitty lighting of my studio bathroom. If I put on a tiara I could even look like some kind of gawky princess. One that wouldn’t fall over in heels to my imminent death.

I thanked Polly a million times before she claimed she needed to hit the gym and left (even though her gym nights were usually Monday’s and it was currently Friday night), and even though her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes, I let myself imagine that she was happy to help. Because despite how radiant I looked, I still felt rather sick and pretending things between Polly and I were better than they were kind of helped with that.

What also helped was sitting up all night stressing about what I was going to wear. I mean, I was also stressing about Polly being mad and my sister not answering the phone, but I managed to get some productivity out of the whole thing around 3 am and I was even still pretty in love with the outfit all these hours later. I looked at the high-waisted ripped jeans and pastel pink off-shoulder shirt lying across my (unmade) bed and decided it was The One. If I wasn’t going to end up with Calum, then at least I had this outfit to fall back on.

By the time I’d pulled the clothes on and rushed through my make-up I had 5 minutes to meet Calum downstairs. I still felt like I was going to throw up but I was wearing converse and knowing I wasn’t going to struggle in heels made me confident I wouldn’t fall over in the process. It took many, many deep breaths for me to gather my things and make it out of the apartment door, but I got there and there was no going back.

As I descended down the stairs, my heart racing in my throat, I spotted Calum leaning against the wall right across from the base of the stairs. He was in black jeans (that, by some miracle, didn’t have any rips in them) and Vans, as usual, but instead of a plaid shirt he was donning a sunflower yellow dress shirt unbuttoned over a black v-neck t-shirt. And if he didn’t look handsome enough, his hair was tousled to perfection just the way I liked it, the tattoos painted up his arms on full display and a thick silver ring circling his right index finger.

He looked like some kind of Adonis and I really wanted to throw up.

“Dallas!” His face lit up so much and I thought that might have been how this ended. I was going to die in the lobby of my student apartment building and my autopsy was going to read, Dallas James. 21. Cause of death: literal ray of sunshine pierced through her fucking heart.

“Dallas!” His smile dropped in a second flat as I stumbled on the last steps, naturally falling flat on my face. It surprised me how much it didn’t hurt, hitting my nose on the hardwood floors. But I think I was more worried about where this moment would fall on the dreaded List. Because falling down the stairs in a lecture hall was pretty bad, but falling down the stairs in front of Calum was probably worse.

“Are you okay?!” Calum scrambled to help me up, hands reaching under my arms to hoist me back up to my feet before they cupped my face and checked for bumps and bruises.

“Uhh… I think so?” I found myself mumbling. For the first time in a while I couldn’t bring myself to look Calum in the eye for longer than a couple of seconds. I cleared my throat and pulled away, trying to smile – but we all know that doesn’t work well on a squeamish stomach. “Why? Am I bleeding?” I watched Calum shrug, trying not to get lost in the way his hand immediately found mine, the concern in his face unfaltering as his fingers intertwined with mine.

“No, no. You just look kind of pale.” He said. His eyes softened up a little now, brows unfurrowing slightly, one giving a gentle arch. “Are you feeling alright?”

My eyes went wide, mouth pursed together as I stood there shaking much like a deer caught in the headlights of an 18-Wheeler ready to squish me into the pavement. But I just offered a tight-lip smile and nodded as enthusiastically as I could.

“Yeah!” I squeaked out, my voice jumping up to an octave I barely realised existed. “Yeah, I uh. Yep, I’m fine. Totally.” Calum narrowed his eyes at me.

“Are you sure?” I pressed and I let out a long breath, caught in a lie (like that was so surprising).

“I…” I closed my eyes for a moment and when I opened them, Calum was still there and waiting. The smile I offered was small and scared, and I was kind of feeling the way I did back when we first met.

“Dallas?”

I nodded slower this time, swallowing the nervous sitting on my tongue that seemed to be weighing down my words.

“I’m okay.” I said without stammering. “I just, um. I feel slightly sick?” I watched Calum’s plump lips twitch in the corners. It was like he was trying not to laugh, or trying to decide if I meant it. Which I did, one hundred per cent, but not in the way it sounded.

“Not about tonight, I hope.” Calum just said carefully and I offered a bigger smile and ever-so-slightly sidelong look.

“No.” I said very matter-of-factly. “I… It’s a good sick.” Calum cracked another smile, the same one he had when I’d come downstairs.

“There’s a good way to feel sick?” He joked and I shot him a playful glare.

“Do you want me to go back upstairs?” I threatened. “‘Cause I can go back upstairs and put my pyjamas back on…?” I made a move and stepped backward toward the stairs, only to have Calum pull me right back.

“No!” Calum laughed, pulling me close so he could engulf me in his arms. “No, okay, I’m sorry.” He was looking down on me with such fondness that my heart really kind of felt like it was going to explode; and if that weren’t enough he took it that step further, his nose brushing against the length of my own before he pressed warm lips to mine. The kiss was soft and slow and I could feel where he’d licked his lips before he leant in, and it was almost enough to make me forget all of my nerves. Almost. I was pretty sure he could still feel me shaking.

“Relax.” He told me after he pulled away and grinned lazily at me. “It’s gonna be fun.”

“You say that, but there’s still time for multiple near-death experiences.” I said with a straight face (though the corners of my mouth twitched in betrayal). “Does that sound fun to you?”

“With you? Always.” Calum didn’t miss a beat in response, and all I could do was laugh and shove him lightly, all while blushing furiously and trying to remember my senses. “And besides, you’ve just had one. I want to start a tally.” I promptly hit him in the bicep for that one, but laughed along anyway.

We made small talk in the Uber, and the trip to Docklands only took about 15 minutes. By the time we got there the sun was setting over water in the docks and city seemed to be engulfed in a cold, but beautiful, red and golden hug. Though the air was cold, the breeze was light – just enough to tussle the curls of my hair and re-ruffle the curls of Calum’s. But I shivered lightly as Calum touched the small of my back, gesturing me towards the row of restaurants alongside the docks.

We didn’t say much for a while, we just walked and shivered and wandered why it took 6 months for this to happen. At least, that’s what I did. Although the more I thought about it the more I realised that I wasn’t shivering because of the cold and instead it had more to do with Calum and how he seemed to be attached to my hand (in the best way possible). Every now and then he squeezed my hand reassuringly, and I looked back up to him and, as always, he was already looking at me with soft brown eyes and a crooked smile. I just shivered again and hid behind my hair, waiting for a wave to get too high and wash me away into the sea. Maybe then I’d become a mermaid and this whole dating thing wouldn’t be so hard.

Eventually, Calum led me into a restaurant (and I tried not to fall the ground and kiss the floor when the smell and promise of food made me realise how hungry I was), and once we’d been seated and had successfully ordered something to drink and some starters, things started to feel a little bit more normal. Not completely, because I was still a shaking mess on a date with Calum Hood. But he started talking and something seemed to click that maybe, just maybe, the whole night didn’t need to go this way.

“I can’t remember the last time I had a decent meal.” Calum seemed to chuckle as we demolished a plate of garlic bread.

“Oh, dude, same.” I breathed out a laugh of relief that I wasn’t the only one really looking forward to the food. “I’m pretty sure the last time I had something freshly made…” I paused to think about it, and my cheeks flushed a little when I realised that I’d gone out for lunch with Isabelle not even a week ago. I remembered because I could distinctly recall wanting to drown myself in soup when she was making a big deal out of Calum and me having a date. “Ah. Wednesday.” I confessed and Calum spluttered out a laugh.

“Yeah, ‘cause that was so long ago, Dallas.” His eyes crinkled in the corner and I couldn’t help but laugh too.

“When you live off of Maggi noodles and dollar loaves of bread from Coles, yeah, Wednesday was pretty freaking long ago, Calum.” I defended myself. Calum laughed but nodded, palms up in surrender.

“Alright, alright!” He agreed. “Fair point. Did you want another drink?” He asked and it wasn’t until then that I realised that I had finished my wine.

“Oh, um.” I stared at the empty glass for a moment, trying to decide if that was a good idea. “I, uh. Yeah,” I decided before I started reaching for my wallet. “But I can get it, don’t –hey!”

Calum grabbed my wallet straight out of my hands before I had a chance to even finish my sentence.

“You’re not paying for a thing.” He said, and I shrank in my seat feeling very scolded. His eyes were pointed and almost dark, and if I didn’t like him so much I would have been terrified for my life. But then his lips twitched and his eyes crinkled again and my heart kind of just fluttered away from me. “I’ll be right back.” I almost didn’t realise that he’d taken my wallet hostage, either.

I wished to God, while I waited for Calum to return from the bar, that I could pin-point the moment things started working out. Because as far as I knew I was still dorky as hell and unlikeable to mankind. But for some reason, Calum liked me. Like, he like-liked me. And although that was such a surreal thing to believe, it was true – this far. And I felt like if I could pin-point that moment when things started working in my favour, then maybe I could keep it up for as long as I possibly could.

When he came back he set a new wine glass in front of me, filled with the same sweet berry goodness that had filled it before, a new tall pint of whatever sitting in front of him too.

“You really didn’t have to you, know.” I said very matter-of-factly, and it surprised me a little bit, how cool and casual I was being. Calum just shrugged as he sat back down in his seat across from me.

“Yeah I did.” He said simply. “It’s a date; my treat.” I rolled my eyes, though internally I was gushing at his chivalry.

“It’s a mutual date,” I reminded him. “I agreed to this, remember? I should be allowed to pay for some things.” He shook his head, a flirtatious, cheeky smile spreading across his lips.

“Not this time.” He said just as simply as before. I raised my brows at him.

“Next time?” I offered. He paused, thought, and then shook his head with a playful expression glistening in brown eyes.

“Nah, probably not.” He said and I really wanted to slap him again for that.

“You know, sometimes chivalry should stay dead.”

I laughed at him and Calum laughed back the way only he could. It was the magical kind of laugh; the kind of laugh that made me forget that there could have been real problems in the world. The kind of laugh that made everything kind of okay for a while. Polly didn’t matter and Ashton didn’t matter – hell my own family didn’t even matter because Calum was laughing at something I said and I didn’t immediately want to neck myself for it. Everything was okay – there was a chance of Happily Ever After here, I could feel it.

“Can I ask you something?” Calum asked me a few minutes after our main courses had arrived. My pasta was smelling like the greatest thing on the planet and I really wanted to scoff it down – but I couldn’t, because Calum was asking me a serious-sounding question.

“Uh, yeah.” Mumbled out, a little hesitant but the sound was involuntary. “’Course, go for it.” Calum took a bite of his steak quickly and chewed while deep in thought. It was a little unnerving, but for some God-known reason I trusted him.

“Do you know why I want to paint you as our ballerina?” He asked me. And I was a little taken back because, as always, I wasn’t really expecting that kind of question. We’d spoken about this before and how I was really against the idea of me being the face of our project. I wasn’t up to such standards, but Calum really seemed to think so. It made me uneasy thinking about how this could have been another conversation about him trying to change my mind about that. Because as far as I could tell, I never would. Unless I woke up looking like Cara Delavigne or some other equally, ridiculously attractive supermodel, my face wasn’t coming anywhere near that wall (at least, not in paint form).

“Um.” I cleared my throat a little, took a sip of wine and a bit of food before I attempted to answer that. “I, uh. I guess not, no.”

For a couple of moments, Calum wasn’t looking at me and I wondered what that could have meant. But then his eyes turned upward toward me again and he seemed… not desperate, but insisting. He chewed with intent, like he was about to mean every word he said in the next few minutes. Knowing him, that’s exactly what was about to happen. He was an honest man, especially when it came to me. I got the feeling whatever was about to come next, it wasn’t going to be a string of random ramblings.

“You don’t…” He started, and then stopped. I put down my cutlery as he did and watched his face for any hint as to what he was going to say. Calum was so hard to read. I couldn’t tell if the slight furrow in his brow was good or bad, and I couldn’t tell if it was a good thing that he didn’t look away from me, not once.

“I don’t what?” I prompted, the sound kind of squeaking out. “What don’t I do?” My mouth twitched nervously, though I was lucky that the curiosity of whatever Calum was trying to say was greater than the return of the feeling that I needed to throw up.

“You don’t seem to have a clue how… amazing you are.” Okay, of all of the things Calum could have said, of all the adjectives he could have used, amazing was not the one I was expecting. I just stared blankly at the brunet, unsure what to say.

“I, um.” I wanted to cough and splutter and clear my throat and deny it. But I couldn’t. “I don’t, uh. I don’t think I am.”

“I know.” Calum just said flatly. “That’s what I mean. You don’t think you’re good enough, you never see yourself the way that everybody else does. You’re beautiful, Dal. And you’re smart and funny and soulful and caring. And naïve.”

“Naïve?” I cocked a fearful eyebrow. I still didn’t really know if Calum was angry or not. I don’t think he was, but he still intimidated the shit out of me.

“You don’t see any of that. You don’t hold yourself to those standards. And I wish to God that you would, Dal. If we paint you as the ballerina, Dallas… I figured that there was a chance that maybe you would finally see yourself the way everyone else does. The way I do.”

I had no idea what to say. What was I supposed to say? Thank you? Not likely. It was all so much to take in, I almost couldn’t do it all at once. I felt warm and giddy at the fact that Calum saw me in this light that I’d never once thought I would ever be in, but I was almost more confused than ever. All I could think of was, ‘why me? Of everybody in this universe, why me?’

“Can I ask you a question?” I mimicked Calum’s earlier request, watching the way his brow furrowed considering I didn’t respond to his bold and loving statements. But he nodded anyway, when he smoothened his expression and offered a small smile.

“Anything you want.” He said softly. I think he was trying to make me feel better, like he could sense the anxiety wavering off of my shoulders. If he could, it probably wasn’t a new thing. I just hoped I could stomach my words enough to get them out in real words.

“Why?” I brought my inner monologue to life.

“Why, what?” He asked and I gave a shrug, trying to find the right way to ask what was going through my head.

“Why… why did you decide to like me?”

Calum scoffed and I couldn't help the small giggle that bubbled from my lips in response.

“What?!” I chuckled.

“Seriously?” He laughed. “That’s your question?!”

“Yes, that’s my question!” I said. “Seriously, why me?”

“I don’t know, Dallas!” He laughed again, shaking his head as he took a drink. I watched in total awe of the human in front of me and the way his smile was just something else entirely. “Why did you decide to phrase your question like that?” I snorted too, when he put it like that.

“Because…!” I buried my face in my hands, I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks. This was not how I envisioned this conversation going. When I peeked through my fingers he was looking back, the same admiration in his eyes that I had just moments before.

“Exactly.” He nearly whispered back. “I like you because I like you. Is that not enough?”

My smile was starting to hurt my cheeks, it was so wide. I nodded as I brought my hands away from my face. I took the first move this time and I reached for him, taking his hand in mine and caressing the back of it gently with my thumb. I almost felt like I wanted to cry, this didn’t seem real. But I smiled and I nodded and I looked into eyes and probably fell, maybe, a little bit in love.

“Yeah.” I said, almost mumbling. “I um. I like you too.”

[evakteket]

Watchlist update!

Hello lovely evak shippers ♥  

It’s more or less a week since the last WIP watchlist update, so here we go again.

When it’s been more than three weeks since a fic was updated we consider it as on hiatus and remove it from the watchlist. This is the first watchlist update where we’ve had to take some off :(

However, we don’t cancel our subscriptions on AO3, so there will be cheering and re-listing when (hopefully not if) removed fics are updated again. We really like every fic we put on the watchlist and would love to see the hiatus fics continued and completed.

Update summary: Completed: 0 Added: 5 Removed: 3

News:

Are You Lost? by @nnooorraa

This Amsterdam AU is clearly written by someone who knows and loves their city, and we are so hooked on touristy Isak and urbane Even in this, as they manage to miss each other and lose each other and find each other. Of course Isak isn’t on his own here: the entire Boy Squad is on holiday together, and you can probably imagine how that rowdy group comports themselves in Amsterdam. - kit and immy

Scene Three, Take Two by @folerdetdufoler

This is a future-ish fic that deals with Even and Isak meeting and discovering their feelings again when they’re a bit older, post-breakup and Isak is a vet student. There’s a slight non-Norwegian issue here, and I’m not quite sure I buy Isak’s reasoning for their breakup, but this fic is very promising nonetheless–and all the more exciting for being the writer’s first in the fandom. Go show them some love! - kit

A Transference of Feeling by @rumpelsnorcack

This is a very well-written what if AU, with the premise that Isak transferred to Bakka instead of Even going to Nissen. Even is repeating his third year and Isak’s a transfer who knows nobody there. This fic has a few issues in terms of getting Norway right, but makes up for those problems with very intriguing relationship-building between Isak and Even. Switching up the setting really highlights how much the two of them actually needed to find each other. We’re definitely liking it so far. - kit and immy

The Weight of Us by verlore_poplap (@mimi-fics)

This is a very interesting fic, in part because it’s so different to a lot of the stuff in the fandom so far. Isak and Even meet when they’re older, and in serious relationships with Emma and Sonja–in case alarm bells are ringing, yes, Isak and Emma are together, but the author uses the context of their relationship to explore what would have happened if he’d repressed his sexuality, which I think is very cool. The author also treats Emma very fairly. The fic has a few minor niggles–Isak, for example, at one point performs a super rare kind of heart surgery–but overall this fic has me really intrigued, and I can’t wait to read the rest. - kit

hot like fire, take you higher by birthmarks (@fyfaenjonas)

Rating: mature. This is kink exploration. The author takes it slowly and gently up from Isak finding out what a kink is, through Isak and Even finding out what their kinks are, and well. Hot. There’s also well-written dialogue, there’s the boy squad and fluff and stressing the importance of communication with your partner, so it’s not just a PWP (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Get your cold flannel and go read. - immy

Still on the watchlist from last update:

Life Is Now. (and now, and now) by @flybynightgirl

This is an incredibly intense fic, written by an author who is intimately familiar with bipolar disorder. It’s hands down one of the best portrayals of an episode and its buildup/aftermath in the fandom so far. It’s post season 3, and has timestamps just like the show does – basically it’s a continuation of the season, and the conflict is far from over. Although there are a couple of moments when supporting characters make choices that seem ooc, the massive emotional pull of this fic is not to be underestimated. Not to mention that this fic also has humour and very lovely portrayal of friendships in abundance. - kit and immy

Falling (The World is Yours) by chips2

This is basically “what if Even was the main character of season 3?” It’s first person, present tense, so beware if that’s not your thing, but I love how it fleshes out Even’s backstory and thoughts and imagines a world for him beyond his relationship with Isak. An obligatory warning for people with experience of BPD–this fic does portray therapy sessions, and ymmv on how realistic they are. - kit

A Collection of Even & Isak’s First Kiss AU Shorts by @fandomlimb

Just what it says on the tin: first kisses, a different AU in each chapter. Adorable and fluffy so far. - immy

How In My Silence I Adored You by @dahlstrom

This lovely slow burn started as a oneshot but is now chaptered. It’s canon divergent, basically ‘the kosegruppe meeting takes off in a different direction,’ and it’s both well written and realistic. Very funny and sweet - and sometimes not so sweet or funny, as things aren’t easy for Isak. The interaction between the characters is wonderful in this, and the dialogue is great. - kit and immy

Spacewalker by evenvaltersen

How the hell you can make a Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo AU work with SKAM characters is beyond me, but evenvaltersen manages just that, in my opinion. This may be my obsession with Christiane F talking, but give it a go. Be warned: it’s every bit as gritty and sad as you can expect something based on a mostly true story about teen drug addicts in Berlin in the 70s to be, no fluff here. - immy

Lost Boys (Not Ready To Be Found) by kittpurrson (@towonderland72)

Yes, this is by one of the librarians of this blog. She’ll just have to deal with it being on the WIP watchlist, although she’d rather not have it mentioned, because the other librarian adores it. It’s a university AU from Even’s POV and every bit of this feels real. The characters do all those sort of awkward little things we all do, which really adds to a fic for me. Great interaction, and a great take on what life might be like for the characters if they hadn’t met in Nissen. - immy

making new clichés by strangetowns (@douchenuts)

This is in its early days, but oh-so promising! It’s another Evak as best friends AU, but it’s incredibly well-written thus far and it has a very realistic, nuanced portrayal of their relationship, which is already just close enough that it has us absolutely stoked for the moment it tips over into feelings too big to ignore. - kit and immy

Those, who could not hear the music by UniversalParadox_13

This is also pretty new, but again shows a lot of potential to be one of the fandom’s most interesting AUs–this one has Even and Isak as ballet dancers. Although it can go a little overboard with the italics, this fic is already super interesting, has a well-done portrayal of the ballet world, and promises to eventually venture into *drumroll* smut territory. Yep. That got your attention, didn’t it? - kit

it comes in waves by @moonlitbird 

Also known as the mermaid AU. Yes, you read that right: MERMAID AU. This mermaid tale (!) is beautifully written, and is probably the best fantasy AU this fandom has, with a perfect twist on Even’s disorder and how it wreaks havoc on the relationship. The entire premise is fascinating, and flawlessly executed, and Kit is basically obsessed with this right now, so you should check it out and head on over to fangirl it with her literally ASAP. OMG. - kit

with love, from anonymous by cosetties (@adamparishe) and iriswests (@westiris) 

Fuck yeah well-written slow burn coffee shop AU! It’s also a secret admirer fic, and to be honest that sets off my skepticism, but this is such great fun and the fuckups and misunderstandings and coffee spills abound. It’s not entirely light-hearted; it comes with a dose of angst and frustration and the problems you can expect from life as well. - immy

[fallsintograce]

As My City Fades and Is Swallowed By His Sea (Chapter 1)

Title: As My City Fades and Is Swallowed By His Sea

Fandom: Yuri On Ice

Pairings: Victuri, Otayuri, Leoji, JJBella, Phichimetti, and maybe more! Cast includes the entire YOI ensemble

Rating/Warnings: Currently T, may go to M depending on where the muse takes me. I don’t think there’s anything too dangerous here. This is mostly fluff though. If something changes, I will let you know!  

Summary:  Yuuri lives deep in the ocean where he is surrounded by his loving family and friends. He spends his days playing with Vicchan, swimming around, and eating bowls of kelpsudon. The only rule he was ever given was never to interact with any humans. He's been told they are dangerous and will cause nothing but harm to the ocean. So what happens when he finds famous treasure hunter Victor Nikiforov lurking around his home? More importantly, why is he drawn to him? (Multiple ships/Merman AU)  

Note: Yes, this is another merman AU. Just Chapter 1 for now. Based off @artofmarylarson‘s little doodles. I’m going to start posting on Tumblr as well as AO3. If you want to read on AO3, it’s over here. https://archiveofourown.org/works/12327063/chapters/28028097

It was a balmy day at the beach yet not very people were walking down the shore. Since summer was almost over, things were very quiet. Not even the lighthouse, a popular sight on the beach, was getting many tourists. It was too eerie. The area was well known for ghosts and other supernatural phenomenons but that wasn't enough to bring anyone here.

Mila Babicheva worked at the lighthouse and even she was surprised by the lack of people. In the past, living on the beach was a fun thing. She loved interacting with everyone that came around. She loved waking up to glorious sunrises and watching as the waves rolled in and out. The lighthouse belonged to Mila's family and now she was in charge of it. She rarely went down to the beach these days but she heard plenty of stories from it. Some people even claimed that they had seen mermaids although she didn't know how true those were. Still, she would have preferred to hear stories than the silence she was dealing with. It was lonely up here and that was why she was looking forward to the next few days. Things were going to change soon.

The top of the lighthouse was rather lonely. Very few people usually went up there and they only stayed for a short amount of time. The bottom of the lighthouse had a gift shop that sold the usual trinkets; T-shirts, mugs, magnets, and everything else in between. On a shelf in the corner were some books about the lighthouse and the ocean. Some of them were children's books that taught about the sea but a lot were books about shipwrecks and ruins. One of the most popular books that got sold was of pictures taken in the ocean. A lot of people liked the photographers but she figured the main reason it was popular was because of the cover. It was a picture of Victor Nikiforov, famous treasure hunter, showing off a bunch of gold coins he had discovered on the bottom of the ocean floor. Underneath his mask, everyone could see that he was excited. There were a few fish swimming around him but he was the main focus.

However, things were going to get more exciting now. Victor was coming back here because he was hungry for a new adventure. He heard about some ruins deep in the ocean and he wanted to get whatever he could from it. Mila had no idea how long he intended to stay but she had rooms ready for him and his crew. Now it was just a waiting game. Maybe Victor's arrival would bring some life back to this empty beach. A few people that came around asked when he was showing up.

After an hour, the first guest to the lighthouse arrived. She ran outside to see Yakov Feltsman, retired treasure hunter and Victor's mentor, walking up to her. Excited, she held out her arms. "Yakov! I'm so glad you made it!"

"Ah, Mila! It is so good to see you!" Yakov greeted her.

"How are you?" Mila gave him a hug and lifted him off the ground. "You are so skinny now!"

"Let me down, let me down! I know you're strong! You don't have to prove it every single time!" Yakov insisted. She laughed and put him back on the ground. "Ah, that's much better. I must admit that I've missed you. Being around Victor can be nothing short of stressful."

"Well, he learned everything from the very best. You think anyone has forgotten about the adventures of famed treasure hunter, Yakov Feltsman? People still ask me about you now and then."

"I'm sorry to disappoint them but there's nothing interesting happening with me. Not unless you want me to talk about chasing after Victor."

Mila understood what he meant and felt some pity. Yakov had long since retired from the treasure hunting scene but he was always concerned about the ones who followed him. Out of everyone, Victor was his most prized pupil. Everyone knew about the legendary treasure hunter Victor Nikiforov and all his adventures. His face was plastered on plenty of books, magazines, and online articles. There he was, grinning widely and showing off what he had found at the bottom of the ocean. In his hands would be some kind of sea creature or some trinket that had been buried deep in sand. He was always very careful with the sea creatures. He'd play with them underwater, get a quick photo, and then leave them alone. He never wanted to hurt them. If he saw them in caught in nets or cages, he would release them much to the annoyance of others. Yakov had to tell him not to do that so much but Victor wouldn't listen.

"I understand you are concerned about them but these people are doing their job as well. You cannot save every fish in the world, Vitya." He would point out. He had gotten enough complaints that he needed to sit down for a talk. "It's one thing to save a fish from a plastic ring around its neck. Destroying nets and releasing fish that fishermen have caught is another thing. They have been telling me that you are hurting their business so you need to stop."

"Yakov, you don't understand." Victor would wave this off. "They're doing more harm than good to the environment!"

"I understand but this isn't your job! Stick to what you know. Search shipwrecks and ruins. Let the people who protect the environment do their job, all right?"

Yakov had his best interests at heart but Victor cared too much about the creatures in the ocean. At twenty-seven, he had seen everything down there but there was still so much more to explore. The ocean was deep and vast and there were probably creatures out there that no one had seen. He wished to see those creatures but so far he had no luck.

Mila saw that Yakov's good mood was starting to disappear. He had a rolled up magazine in one hand, which seemed to be the latest cause of his annoyance. "You look a little stressed, Yakov. Is something wrong?"

"I need to have a talk with Yuri." Yakov grumbled, holding up the magazine. Yuri Plisetsky and his grandfather lived near the beach as well and worked for Yakov in an office. Yuri was an impatient young teen who didn't care too much for reading anything so the magazine was a surprise. The pages were filled with women who were far too old for Yuri. "I found this European Bombshells magazine on his desk! Last week, I found a From Russia With Love XXX magazine! Is this what he's wasting his time on these days?!"

Mila almost burst out laughing. "Those are not Yura's magazines. They belong to his grandfather."

"Of course they do." Yakov closed the magazine. "How are things at the lighthouse?"

"They are the same as usual. I keep hearing stories from people saying they saw mermaids or sirens. I'm still telling them stories about the sea. I don't know how many of them believe me. Other than that, it's all right. Boring but all right." Mila looked at the group. "I'm glad you are all here. It was getting lonely."

"I had to see how you were doing. Anyway, Victor and Chris are supposed to be here too. Have you seen them?"

She shook her head. Christophe Giacometti was Victor's friend and partner at work. The two of them had working together for years and had discovered a lot of things in the ocean. "I haven't heard from them since morning. They were on the road still."

"Well, let's wait for them. Hopefully, they aren't stuck in the traffic."

After five minutes, Christophe Giacometti showed up but he was alone. Victor's beloved poodle, Makkachin, was trotting beside him. Her master was nowhere to be found. Yakov felt a headache coming on. He didn't know what had happened yet he had a good feeling why Chris was by himself right now.

"Where is Victor? Isn't he supposed to be with you?" Yakov wanted to know.

"Oh, he went diving just an hour ago." Chris shrugged. "He said he had go back to those ruins because he thinks he missed something."

"You let him go alone?!" The vein in Yakov's forehead was about to burst. "How many times have I told you both?! You never go into the ocean alone! You are supposed to be his partner!"

"I told him the same thing. I promised to go with him the next time but...he didn't want to wait for me. I came back and found a note. And he...well, you should read it." He handed Yakov the note.

Going treasure hunting! Don't wait up! ' ♡ '

Yakov crumpled the note. "I don't even know why I bother with rules anymore! Ever since he was a child, he's never listened to me! He only thinks about himself!"

"I'm sure he's going to be all right." Mila assured him. "The ruins he was exploring aren't too far from here. He won't be gone for long. Victor may run off but he always comes back."

"I know he comes back but I'm worried. He told me that this time was going to be different. He was searching for something that he hasn't found yet." Yakov shook his head. "I asked him a million times what that was and he always has the same answer; love and life. I wanted to know what that meant to him. He said he wasn't sure but that's what he needs."

"Well, I sincerely hope he finds it one day. He came to the lighthouse earlier and asked me if I saw anything new. I told him that the ocean is the same as it's always been. I get visitors telling me stories and buying souvenirs. No one has seen anything new."

"That might change soon." Chris said. "Victor thinks he saw something in the ruins yesterday. That's why he went down now."

"Of course. I don't even know why I bother telling him anything anymore." Yakov rubbed his forehead. "If either of you see him, tell him to come and see me. In the meantime, I'm going to talk to talk to Yura's grandfather and ask him what these magazines are all about!"

Mila laughed and waved him off before looking out at the ocean. Chris followed her gaze, knowing exactly what she was thinking. "He'll be back soon but not until he finds what he's looking for."

"Which is?"

"Victor thinks he's being watched when he's in the ocean. Every time he goes down to those ruins, he thinks he's being followed. Yet when he looks around, there's nothing but fish. He searches the area but finds nothing. I told him he's being paranoid but he insists that someone is watching his every move."

"How about you? Have you noticed anything strange?"

"Not really. I want to believe him but I think he's imagining things now. The sooner we leave this place, the better I'm going to feel."

Mila nodded but she had a good feeling they weren't leaving any time soon. There was something out in that ocean. The waves rolling in and out told her that things were going to change in this sleepy little town very soon.

Something was on the horizon.

~ ~ ~

Four days later...

The ocean was vast with many unexplored areas. For years, people went down there and hoped to find something new. Most of them ended up unsuccessful. All they had were stories to tell about things they might have seen and maybe the occasional trinket from the ground. People did love to drop things here and there. If they do go back to get them, they never found them. That's because something was always taking those items away. It wasn't the fish or any of the other sea creatures gobbling them up.

It was down in this ocean where Yuuri was born and raised. It was here that he was living with his family and friends. For the most part, he enjoyed it. It was a hidden area that humans couldn't find on their own. They were all very safe down here and were free to live the way they wanted to. This was their home. No one could hurt them. Well, at least no human could hurt Yuuri. The merfolk were another story.

The teasing had nothing to do with his personality. Everyone liked him and didn't mind spending time with him. It was just that Yuuri didn't look like a typical merman and it was all because of his tail. He looked fine from the waist up. Below, he had the same manatee shape that the rest of his family had. He didn't have a gorgeous golden tail like the one that Phichit had. He didn't have the beautiful light green tail that Guang-Hong had, the blue and white one that Otabek had, or even the gorgeous dark green one that JJ had. No, his tail was dull and gray. He got made fun of when he was younger. He was a fat little mer-manatee to everyone. They told him to stop eating so much kelpsudon but he couldn't help it. He knew it wasn't good for him but he ate it anyway.

"Watch where you're swimming, fatso!" Takeshi Nishigori, a neighbor and husband to Yuuri's friend Yuuko, would call out to him. "You're taking up the entire ocean!"

"Takeshi, stop!" Yuuko would hiss, pulling her husband away and looking apologetically at Yuuri. "I'm sorry! He doesn't mean that! Don't listen to him!"

Yuuri had spent years not listening to the taunts. Fortunately, he didn't get that many of them to begin with. He had many friends down here and was grateful for their company. His best friend, Phichit, lived nearby and loved to take Yuuri exploring everywhere in the ocean. He knew where all the best areas in the ocean were and the places where humans swam around. These places were both beautiful and terrifying. Out of everyone living here, Phichit was the most interested in humans. He had a collection of trinkets that humans had thrown away that included something called glasses. Yuuri had a hard time seeing as it was but when he put 'glasses' on his face, he saw everything better. He didn't know how or why but he didn't squint as much now. He wanted to wear 'glasses' everywhere he went but he realized this belonged to a human. However, he didn't know how to approach any humans. He tried to get Phichit to return them but Phichit insisted that he do this on his own.

"They can't be that bad, Yuuri." He would say. "They're like us, only they have legs and feet. If we're nice to them, they'll be nice to us. If you're afraid of talking to them, just leave them on the shore and someone will find them."

That's what they ended up doing and the humans ended up finding them. Phichit still insisted that they should have handed them over. People weren't evil. They were merfolk with feet. That was all. It was a nice concept but Yuuri didn't care too much about them until recently. Yuuri had been playing with pet puffer fish, Vicchan, when he saw him. He got close to some ruins and was shocked to find a human nearby it. Lots of divers came down here and he admired how graceful they were. He didn't have that grace. His tail just flopped around and he looked clumsy. That was why he went to his teacher, Minako, so he could learn how to move gracefully. He was getting better at but he wasn't like the human divers out. He would watch them all the time but now there was one that caught his eye. Vicchan also noticed the human and was intrigued. He kept puffing up but Yuuri had to keep a hold on his pet.

"Don't bother him." He scolded Vicchan who tried to swim away. "That's a human! We're not supposed to get anywhere near them!"

That was what he told Vicchan but Yuuri himself was curious too. He couldn't get close but he could observe from a distance. At first, he thought that the human would only be here for one day. Then that human kept coming back. For four straight days, Yuuri went back to the same spot just to see what was going on.

Normally, the human came with other humans and they explored those remains together. For that reason, Yuuri was always scared to approach them. Phichit almost got close enough but they swam away before he could say anything. JJ always tried to get their attention but no one looked in his direction. The rest of the merfolk were just too scared to get close or they didn't like humans. They did everything they could to scare them away. They would swim closely to them, play around, make sounds, and just try to be a big nuisance. They never wanted to hurt anyone; they just wanted the humans to go away. Humans did not belong to the ocean. They needed to stay on the land that they were born on. If they got too close, they could cause more harm than good. For everyone's sake, they had to stay away from each other.

There was a good reason everyone was scared of humans. Over the years, humans had done a lot of damage to the ocean. They were leaving their garbage everywhere and it was starting to harm the other creatures. Vicchan had almost gotten caught in some plastic rings once. If it weren't for Mari being able to tear those rings apart, Yuuri's beloved pet would have probably died. Another time, Vicchan had choked on a plastic piece. He was able to spit it out but he wasn't feeling well for the rest of the day. Yuuri knew where all that junk had come from. Some careless human had been throwing it into the water. Vicchan was one of the luckier ones. Other fish didn't get that luck.

"Be careful around them." Yuuri's father warned everyone. "Those humans do not care about us. They do not care about keeping the ocean safe. It is up to us to do that. As for all of you, steer clear of them. Don't speak to them. Don't look at them. The only thing you should do is chase them away. You are safer down here than you would be with them."

For his part, Yuuri followed his parents' rules. They didn't fear humans but they were not fond of them either. It wasn't a huge problem in the past. Most humans didn't even bother getting near their home. They just puttered around, dug through the sand, and then went to the surface. At most, they might have taken something from the ocean floor but it usually something that didn't belong. It could be something shiny or hard that was stuck in the sand. No one seemed to mind that because those shiny things belonged to humans anyway. They were doing everyone a favor by removing all the metal parts.

Yuuri didn't care to get close to humans until the one day he saw one. He didn't know what it was about this human but he was intrigued. The human was searching around some remains that had been there for many years. Other humans had come down here before but they never caught Yuuri's eye. They were just too focused on their own work. Vicchan tried to go after them but he always pulled his pet back. No one ever saw him while he spied on them. However, they never did anything interesting. He never wanted to approach them.

This human was different. He was digging through the sand like many others but Yuuri couldn't stop staring. One day, the human was alone and Yuuri thought about getting closer. His heart was pounding as he tried to control Vicchan. His pet was ready to swim out to the human and play with him. He had to keep Vicchan still because he didn't want to make a sound.

"Shh, Vicchan! Don't bother him! He doesn't need to know we're here!" He whispered, peering at the human. "Isn't he beautiful?"

The human's hair was silver like the color of the moon and he looked like he was a trusting person. He seemed very respectful of the fish that were swimming around him. He didn't bother them as they passed him by. A few times, he would look up and wave at them. It was so hard to tell what color eyes he had since the mask covered most of his face. Despite all the diving equipment, Yuuri could tell he was a handsome human. One day, he wanted to get close enough to talk to the human. He was still very scared but he didn't see any harm in watching.

"I wonder what he's thinking." Yuuri murmured, barely able to hold onto Vicchan. "What do you think he sounds like, Vicchan? What is his name? Where does he live? I have to know?"

Vicchan could not longer stay still despite his master's warnings. He got away from Yuuri and swam over to the human. Yuuri almost screamed when that happened.

"Vicchan, no!" He hissed. "Come back! You can't bother him!"

It was too late. Vicchan was close to the human and swimming around him. Yuuri felt like sinking into the sand. He just hoped that the human didn't pay attention to Vicchan. After all, he ignored a lot of the other fish. If Vicchan just swam around and didn't try to play, there was no harm done. Yuuri hid behind a giant rock and tried to beckon his pet back to him. He didn't want to yell because then he would give himself away. He tried softly whispering to him and waving his hands. Vicchan completely ignored him and tried to get the human's attention.

Please don't do anything to him, Vicchan. He's a human! You aren't supposed to play with humans! I told you never to play with them!

The human looked up while Vicchan was hovering right over his shoulder. He didn't notice the little puffer fish but he did sense that he was being watched. He looked behind him and Yuuri ducked down. He hoped that he didn't make sound when he did that. The human finally took notice of Vicchan and stared at him for a second. Yuuri watched them carefully.

Please don't hurt Vicchan. He silently pleaded. He didn't mean to bother you. He just wanted to play. I hope you understand! Just leave him alone and everything will be fine!

Vicchan tried to nudge the human who waved at him. Yuuri held his breath and watched as his pet played around. Vicchan zipped back and forth, trying to confuse the human. So far, everything seemed good. The human seemed amused by this and tried to chase Vicchan around. Vicchan was a lot faster but he was having fun. This was the closest he had gotten to a human before. Despite humans throwing their garbage around in the ocean, he didn't fear them. He just saw them as merfolk who didn't have tails but legs to move around with. Yuuri just wished he felt confident enough to approach the human like Vicchan did.

Okay, Vicchan, that's enough playing around. He thought, peeking up from the rock and trying to motion Vicchan to come back. It was getting late and he was getting hungry. He wanted some kelpsudon to help calm his nerves. However, he couldn't get that until Vicchan stopped bothering the human. Finally, he said something.

"Vicchan!" He whispered loud enough for his pet to hear. Vicchan finally noticed him and turned around. Unfortunately, the human turned around at the same time and Yuuri sunk behind the rock again. He hoped that the human didn't think to come over here. He wanted to look up but he was scared. He had been warned many times never to be spotted by humans. He could watch them from a distance but he couldn't interact with them.

To his relief, Vicchan was the one who came to his side and not the human. His secret was safe for now. He held Vicchan in his hands and scolded him. "Don't ever leave me like that again! What if that human hurt you?"

Vicchan gave him look to say that the human was harmless. All he did was play around with him. Yuuri knew the human wouldn't hurt his beloved pet but he was still scared. He didn't want a human to find him. Then that would mean the human would want to meet everyone else. That human would find out the truth about their world and that wouldn't make the other merfolk happy. Most of them hated humans so he didn't dare to introduce one to them.

"Let's go home." He whispered, gently petting Vicchan. "Next time, don't get close to that human. You know the rules. They're not supposed to see us. They're not one of us."

Vicchan seemed to understand that and Yuuri swam away, hoping that the human would not follow him. He had to remind himself that they came from two different worlds. Humans did not belong in the ocean. Merfolk did not belong on land. Even if they did speak to each other, they couldn't do much together. It would be hard to be friends with a human. He had to pull away from him.

Somehow, something told him he had to return to that spot. Human or not, he had to see him again. He had to go back. 

And so he did. 

[evakteket]

Watchlist update!

Halla, lovely evak shippers ♥  We hope you’re all enjoying season 4 so far, and are being kind to yourselves and each other. Alt er love.

It’s about a week since the last WIP watchlist update, so here we go again!

We’re always on the lookout for new fics, so let us know in our ask box if you have any suggestions--there’s a lot out there to get through and we don’t want to miss the best of it!

Update summary:

Completed: 2 Added: 5 Removed: 0

News:

i guess that’s destiny doing it right by allyasavedtheday (@littlespooneven) NEW

Rating: mature. In this AU Even and Isak didn’t get together while they’re in school, but they meet in Barcelona the summer before Isak goes to uni. It’s a sweet and gorgeously detailed and extremely satisfying reunion fic so far, with the guys’ interaction being every bit as lovely and natural as in canon. We love the more confident Isak in this, and the Spanish summertime vibe. Don’t forget to get your Ed Sheeran on while reading. - kit and immy

Vi trenger ikke verden by Kudzibisa (Norwegian) NEW

Wrong number AU, coffee shop AU, Norwegian fic that flows like the show itself with beautiful interaction, hilarious turns of phrases and the clipped slang-y language of SKAM; this is a fic that hits pretty much all my buttons. If you can read Norwegian, don’t miss out on this. - immy

Straight Up (series) by @nofeartina NEW

From the second work in the series, this is rated explicit… and rightfully so, omg. It’s nearly impossible to say anything useful about this because we’re (hopefully temporarily) not very capable of expressing ourselves beyond vague rambling about “fluffy smut” and “hot” and “holy shit this is hot” and “have we mentioned yet that this is hot”.  We’ll let you know when we pick our jaws up off the floor.- kit and immy

Checking from Behind by DickAnderton (@wecanjustbreathe) NEW

A slight disclaimer is probably in order here, because I (Kit) am betaing this fic, but I’m too obsessed with it not to rec it. This is a hate-to-love AU, set in my absolute favourite of AU universes–college ice hockey! You don’t need to know anything about the sport to be intrigued by this fic, which definitely isn’t your standard Evak storyline. Warning: Isak and Even both explore relationships with women in this one, so see the author’s notes. -kit

Head Over Heels by LostInAdmiration (@call-this-a-mask) NEW

I’ll confess I have a soft spot for skateboarding AU. In this Jonas is the skateboarder, Isak is his friend filming and taking pictures. Of course, there’s also the handsome rival skateboarder… There’s attention to details and the guys feel real, it’s charming and angsty and well worth subscribing to. - immy

How In My Silence I Adored You by @dahlstrom COMPLETE

Completed, rec here.

Lost Boys (Not Ready To Be Found) by kittpurrson (@towonderland72) COMPLETE

Completed, rec here.

Still on the watchlist from last update:

Life Is Now. (and now, and now) by @flybynightgirl

This is an incredibly intense fic, written by an author who is intimately familiar with bipolar disorder. It’s hands down one of the best portrayals of an episode and its buildup/aftermath in the fandom so far. It’s post season 3, and has timestamps just like the show does – basically it’s a continuation of the season, and the conflict is far from over. Although there are a couple of moments when supporting characters make choices that seem ooc, the massive emotional pull of this fic is not to be underestimated. Not to mention that this fic also has humour and very lovely portrayal of friendships in abundance. - kit and immy

Falling (The World is Yours) by chips2

This is basically “what if Even was the main character of season 3?” It’s first person, present tense, so beware if that’s not your thing, but I love how it fleshes out Even’s backstory and thoughts and imagines a world for him beyond his relationship with Isak. An obligatory warning for people with experience of BPD–this fic does portray therapy sessions, and ymmv on how realistic they are. - kit

A Collection of Even & Isak’s First Kiss AU Shorts by @fandomlimb

Just what it says on the tin: first kisses, a different AU in each chapter. Adorable and fluffy so far. - immy

Spacewalker by evenvaltersen

How the hell you can make a Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo AU work with SKAM characters is beyond me, but evenvaltersen manages just that, in my opinion. This may be my obsession with Christiane F talking, but give it a go. Be warned: it’s every bit as gritty and sad as you can expect something based on a mostly true story about teen drug addicts in Berlin in the 70s to be, no fluff here. - immy

making new clichés by strangetowns (@douchenuts)

This is in its early days, but oh-so promising! It’s another Evak as best friends AU, but it’s incredibly well-written thus far and it has a very realistic, nuanced portrayal of their relationship, which is already just close enough that it has us absolutely stoked for the moment it tips over into feelings too big to ignore. - kit and immy

Those, who could not hear the music by UniversalParadox_13

This is also pretty new, but again shows a lot of potential to be one of the fandom’s most interesting AUs–this one has Even and Isak as ballet dancers. Although it can go a little overboard with the italics, this fic is already super interesting, has a well-done portrayal of the ballet world, and promises to eventually venture into *drumroll* smut territory. Yep. That got your attention, didn’t it? - kit

it comes in waves by @moonlitbird

Also known as the mermaid AU. Yes, you read that right: MERMAID AU. This mermaid tale (!) is beautifully written, and is probably the best fantasy AU this fandom has, with a perfect twist on Even’s disorder and how it wreaks havoc on the relationship. The entire premise is fascinating, and flawlessly executed, and Kit is basically obsessed with this right now, so you should check it out and head on over to fangirl it with her literally ASAP. OMG. - kit

with love, from anonymous by cosetties (@adamparishe) and iriswests (@westiris)

Fuck yeah well-written slow burn coffee shop AU! It’s also a secret admirer fic, and to be honest that sets off my skepticism, but this is such great fun and the fuckups and misunderstandings and coffee spills abound. It’s not entirely light-hearted; it comes with a dose of angst and frustration and the problems you can expect from life as well. - immy

Are You Lost? by @noorasevas

This Amsterdam AU is clearly written by someone who knows and loves their city, and we are so hooked on touristy Isak and urbane Even in this, as they manage to miss each other and lose each other and find each other. Of course Isak isn’t on his own here: the entire Boy Squad is on holiday together, and you can probably imagine how that rowdy group comports themselves in Amsterdam.

Scene Three, Take Two by @folerdetdufoler

This is a future-ish fic that deals with Even and Isak meeting and discovering their feelings again when they’re a bit older, post-breakup and Isak is a vet student. There’s a slight non-Norwegian issue here, and I’m not quite sure I buy Isak’s reasoning for their breakup, but this fic is very promising nonetheless–and all the more exciting for being the writer’s first in the fandom. Go show them some love.- kit

A Transference of Feeling by @rumpelsnorcack

This is a very well-written what if AU, with the premise that Isak transferred to Bakka instead of Even going to Nissen. Even is repeating his third year and Isak’s a transfer who knows nobody there. This fic has a few issues in terms of getting Norway right, but makes up for those problems with very intriguing relationship-building between Isak and Even. Switching up the setting really highlights how much the two of them actually needed to find each other. We’re definitely liking it so far. - kit and immy

The Weight of Us by verlore_poplap (@mimi-fics)

This is a very interesting fic, in part because it’s so different to a lot of the stuff in the fandom so far. Isak and Even meet when they’re older, and in serious relationships with Emma and Sonja–in case alarm bells are ringing, yes, Isak and Emma are together, but the author uses the context of their relationship to explore what would have happened if he’d repressed his sexuality, which I think is very cool. The author also treats Emma very fairly. The fic has a few minor niggles–Isak, for example, at one point performs a super rare kind of heart surgery–but overall this fic has me really intrigued, and I can’t wait to read the rest. - kit

hot like fire, take you higher by birthmarks (@fyfaenjonas)

Rating: mature. This is kink exploration. The author takes it slowly and gently up from Isak finding out what a kink is, through Isak and Even finding out what their kinks are, and well. Hot. There’s also well-written dialogue, there’s the boy squad and fluff and stressing the importance of communication with your partner, so it’s not just a PWP (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Get your cold flannel and go read. - immy