#I’ve also made a few more but post the second batch later because two of the characters I did for my boyfriends birthday ^_^ | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

crashingmeteorz · 4 years

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post-war ba sing se bimbo headcanons

so zuko becomes the firelord, and jin and jet think it’s hilarious. he’s so good at it. he’s so charismatic. they’re like “who the hell is this guy? when did he get mature and responsible???” and song’s like “when zuko wasn’t doing stupid shit, he was stopping you two from doing stupid shit, i saw this coming a mile away.”

jin joins the kyoshi warriors, and is overwhelmed by all the pretty girls she’s working with, but for the most part it becomes a sisterhood. she will forever and always have a severe crush on suki, however, and really, can you blame her? so when suki reciprocates, jin writes song a four-page essay about it.

anyway, when zuko asks the warriors to come to the capital, obviously jin’s there, too. jet and song show up almost immediately after jin does.

“what, you two are hanging out without us now?” song asks them accusatorily. “it’s not fair that only you get to see jin, zuko.”

“yeah,” jet says. “and i used to see zuko shirtless a few times a week. and i thought i was lucky! now jin’s a kyoshi warrior and she gets to see it every day?”

“she does not!” says zuko. “yeah,” says jin, while shaking her head the opposite.

attempts on zuko’s life are about as common as rain showers, so song starts testing basically everything he eats with some of her chemicals. every time she finds something insidious, she tracks down every link in the chain that got the food to him, and finds a way to rectify the situation. she doesn’t trouble zuko with this, because he’s got enough going on. also, he probably maybe wouldn’t approve of her methods.

(song is not inherently violent, but when it comes to her family, she’s downright vicious).

jet wants to get in on the action, but between song’s disarming sweetness and the kyoshi warrior’s intimidation, zuko’s basically protected. what he isn’t, is good with people.

zuko can make grand dramatic speeches all day long, but when it comes to the council, or local government officials, or merchants, or literally even jet, he’s the same awkward kid jet met on the boat to ba sing se.

“you are never going to make it as firelord.” jet tells him from the couch he’s lounging on while he watches zuko practice a very basic interaction in the mirror.

“okay, fuck you, too.” zuko says miserably.

“sorry, i wasn’t clear,” jet says, standing beside zuko. “you are never going to make it as firelord without me.”

jet tries in vain to get zuko to lie better, to present himself differently, to deceive just a little bit, but it just isn’t happening. zuko doesn’t even want to lie, he doesn’t want to be like his father and azula, so they take a different approach.

instead, jet teaches him how to spot liars, and how to play the game. it’s basic stuff, like let silence linger because they’ll want to fill it if they’re afraid you don’t believe them. ask them bizarre questions so they overcorrect. if they’re complimenting you too much, they’re trying to deceive you.

to jet, it’s survival. to zuko, it’s like a whole world has opened up he never knew about. he hangs on to jet’s every word, and at the end, he asks that jet join him in council meetings, naming him an ambassador from the earth kingdom.

this is how jet discovers that he’s AMAZING at politics. he can’t believe how easy it is. he considers taking it up as a hobby when he gets back to the earth kingdom.

“you can’t do politics as a hobby,” zuko says.

“why not?” jet says. “it’s just fun. it’s not what i’m meant to be doing forever though.”

“do you have a mysterious job back in the earth kingdom none of us know about?” asks jin.

“yes,” says song, irritable from today’s batch of poison discoveries, “he’s working full-time as a little bitch.”

the more meetings jet attends, the more he wonders if politics really is for what he’s meant. arguing and debating delights him and, unlike the exhausted zuko, he leaves the debates feeling energized. but it just feels so bureaucratic, so useless compared to what he did during the war.

he’s so torn about it that he finally asks song for advice.

“i don’t know anything about politics,” she says tiredly. he’s playing idly with her hair after she’s had a long day of Keeping Zuko Alive. “why are you asking me?”

“because you don’t hold back,” jet tells her. “because you let me know when i’ve gone too far.”

song’s glad it’s dark in the lounge, because she can’t believe she’s blushing.

“well,” she says finally. “what would you be in it for?”

“what do you mean?” he says. “i just like it.”

“do you like the attention?” song asks. “are you just interested in the drama of it all? or do you want to make a difference?”

“i want to make a difference,” he says confidently. “i want to help the earth kingdom.”

“well, then, there’s your answer,” song says.

“yeah,” jet agrees. “no politics for me.”

“wait, what?” song asks him, because how did he reach that conclusion?

“it’s just smooth talking and paperwork. it’s not gonna help the earth kingdom,” jet tells her. “i’m not selling out.”

“is that what you think zuko’s doing?” she asks.

“of course not,” jet says, rolling his eyes. “but he’s also the firelord. that’s different.”

“and he’s your best friend,” she reminds him. “and you also happen to be on good terms with the avatar and the leaders of the southern water tribe, so you know you have influential people who will hear you out. if you want to make a difference, this is probably the best way.”

he’s quiet for a while. he almost looks disappointed.

“not every battle is on the battlefield, jet,” song says gently. “it’s not as glamorous, or as dangerous. it’s tedious and difficult and boring. but it’s what’s left, after the war.”

“i guess that’s the thing,” jet says sadly. “i don’t know who i am without the war.”

“i do,” song says with so much sincerity jet almost blushes. almost. he’s still, like, cool.

if they fall into a routine where song fixes his hair into something presentable for council meetings and jet forces her to take a break and enjoy the sunshine once in a while, zuko and jin don’t feel it’s necessary to comment.

for like three days.

“you stole my boyfriend,” zuko accuses song after catching her and jet kissing. the fact that sokka’s napping with his head in zuko’s lap as he says so doesn’t seem to faze him.

“you stole my ostrich horse,” she says, for the last time ever, “so now we’re even.”

“what’s with you and guys with weird facial hair?” jin asks as she stuffs her face with fire flakes, her new favorite treat. “first haru and now jet?”

“haru?” jet squeaks.

“i liked haru’s moustache,” song says thoughtfully. “i thought it made him look mature.”

“at least if jet grew a moustache i’d understand what everyone sees in him,” sokka says sleepily. “no offense.”

“you’re just mad i kissed zuko first,” huffs jet.

jet stops shaving that week. everyone notices.

when song and jet finally prepare to go back to the earth kingdom, jet privately asks zuko if it’s true that he and aang are considering founding a city that unites the nations. zuko tells him it is.

“well, i want in. whenever that is,” he says, and jet and zuko hug.

song and her mother open up a hospital and sanctuary that specifically caters to displaced families. jet reunites with longshot and smellerbee, and they drift around but tend to come back to the sanctuary. they often go out on missions to try and reunite families. it’s not quite fighting, and it’s not quite peace, so it’s a good transition for jet and his freedom fighters.

eventually, things slow down and so does jet. he starts walking around the village they’re located in without his weapons. a child asks song where she got the scars on her leg, and when she explains it was a firebender, the child says “oh, did he get in trouble?” song laughs and laughs, because for the first time in years, there are children who don’t know war.

jin doesn’t stay as a kyoshi warrior forever, but she does decide to settle down on kyoshi. she never really wanted the dangerous life, she just wanted some adventure and sort of stumbled into the chaos of jet and song and zuko. the quiet island is perfect for her. she still stirs up trouble once in a while though.

“COME GET YOUR IDIOT SHE TRIED TO RIDE THE UNAGI.” suki writes in two identical letters, one to jet and song and one to zuko.

“okay, whatever suki tells you, i want you to know she’s lying. i DID ride the unagi and it was SICK. sokka was here recently and said someone invented an image-capture thing is that true? because if it is i want you to bring one and come here ASAP so i can do it AGAIN.” says the fervent letter from jin that arrived three days after suki’s.

jet and song arrive promptly, song laden with medical supplies and a sternly-worded letter from her mother to jin. jet brings a camera.

zuko shows up a few days later with the latest in camera technology and a photographer, as well as his one-year-old daughter. he goes all-out because this is his and izumi’s first trip together. jet grumbles about being one-upped.

“you’re the firelord, you’re gonna encourage this?” song asks him, eyes furious but voice sweet as she plays with izumi. “excuse me, song, but the war is over, i have no jurisdiction here. if an earth kingdom citizen wants to exercise her right to be a dumbass she’s more than welcome to,” says zuko in his most diplomatic voice.

“and,” he adds more gently, “i missed you guys.” song still thinks he’s being ridiculous, but she gives him a big hug anyway.

zuko has to firebend at the unagi to stop it from eating jin and song is left to mend jin’s broken arm. jet takes pictures throughout the entire thing, from her climbing onto the creature, to getting thrown, to being bandaged up and laughs the whole time. song produces a second letter written by her mother which she was instructed only to give to jin in the event she rode the unagi.

all it says in neat hand-writing is, “i told you so. now come home so i can feed you, you ridiculous child.”

“i’m 24,” pouts jin, but since she’s the youngest, the group agrees heartily with song’s mother.

the five of them go to the sanctuary, where iroh is drinking tea with song’s mother and trading stories about their new respective lives.

zuko has to return to the capital in three days, iroh’s got his tea shop to run, and jin isn’t planning on staying long because her “super hot girlfriend is doing something extremely sexy” and she has to get back soon.

“jin, please, just talk normal for once in your life,” zuko begs her, bouncing izumi on his lap. “fine,” she says, “she’s being voted in as the leader of the island and i want to be there for the ceremony.”

jet realizes it’s not often he’ll have all the people he loves in one place, and quietly asks song something important.

they get married the night before zuko and jin leave, in front of jet’s freedom fighters and song’s mother and iroh. jin and zuko stand as their maid of honor and best man. zuko cries.

for the first time in almost two decades, all of them start to feel at peace.

ty so much for this au @azenkii writing about it is one of the most enjoyable experiences haha. is this update softer than usual? yes, of course, it’s what they deserve.

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btsmosphere · 3 years

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Sweet Surprises | KTH

~summary: The story of how Taehyung’s fridge filled up with fruitcake. Taehyung x reader ~word count: 2.8k ~neighbour au, strangers to lovers, fluff Rating: pg ~warnings: I don’t think there are any :) ~a/n: Happy birthday Taehyung!! Here is my offering for the bingo square ‘fruitcake’! Wasn’t sure I was even going to write for this square since I don’t personally like fruitcake, but that itself inspired this one hehe.. I have so enjoyed all my xmas projects (and I managed to do 8 bingo squares!) but I am also excited to start posting different things in the new year! I have some new series in the making so stay tuned...

In the quiet corridor, your tentative knock rang out clearly.

Shifting between your feet, you stared at the unbudging door, on the verge of dashing straight back home.

But before you could give the idea any more thought, the click of the handle turning from the other side made you freeze. Glancing down, you reassured yourself with the sight of the plate in your hands.

And then you were face to face with your most gorgeous neighbour, a fruitcake the only barrier between you two.

“Hello!” the guy greeted, surprising you with a smile. You would have expected him to be at least a little annoyed at being interrupted by a neighbour at the door. Relaxing a little, you offered a smile too.

“Hi, I’m Y/N. I, er, made some fruitcake, but I have way too much so I, er, thought you might like some?”

The man’s eyes dropped to the plate you extended to him after getting through your little speech. Meeting your eyes again, his smile returned.

“Wow, thanks!”

He plucked it from your hands, leaving them with nothing to do.

Awkwardly fiddling with the hem of your shirt, you nodded.

“Okay, well, er, I hope you enjoy, and I should probably-“

“Wait, Y/N!”

As bidden, you stopped, waiting for his next words.

“Tell me,” he grinned, taking a step out of his apartment, “how come you have too much fruitcake? Of all things?”

“Oh,” you chuckled lightly, “well, every year my mum picks a load of fruit from a local farm, and she makes fruitcake for all the family at Christmas, and she sent me some of the fruit this year now I’m living alone, but she hasn’t really got the memo that I don’t have a family to feed, so now I have all this fruit and- sorry, I’m rambling,” you cut yourself off, one hand tangling in your hair.

Nonetheless, your neighbour’s smile had stayed in place.

“No, no,” he assured you, “don’t worry. You should come by again if you have more to get rid of!”

“Oh,” you said, taken by surprise, “okay, great!”

“Thanks,” he smiled, “oh, and I’m Taehyung, by the way.”

“Good to meet you, Taehyung.”

When you closed the door behind you, safely back home, you let out a heavy breath, smile taking its place on your face.

You definitely had more to get rid of. After your brief interaction with Taehyung, you had to restrain yourself from making another batch of cake right away. The man needed some time to eat it!

About a week later, you had deemed it time.

So here you stood, two cooked and two uncooked fruitcakes spread in front of you, one more in the oven, all before noon had even come. Unfortunately, you knew you would have to give some to your other neighbours too: Taehyung couldn’t possibly eat five fruitcakes even if they were his favourite food on earth. Well, perhaps he could, but it would take him a while, and you would like to have the excuse to go back and deliver another in another week’s time.

Undoubtedly, it was silly, but you couldn’t help but be drawn to your handsome neighbour. Prior to last week, you had only ever seen him in passing on the staircase, but now you were dying to talk to him again, if only for a minute.

This time around, your rap at the door was a little more confident.

“Hi again!” you smiled when his head poked around the door.

“Y/N! Hi,” he beamed, letting his door fall open and leaning against the door frame, revealing he was still dressed in his pyjamas, though he still seemed perfectly at ease, “you brought more!”

“Presuming you’re still hungry,” you chuckled.

“Ah, always,” he affirmed, leaning forward to take your latest offering, “the last one… it was really great. Can’t wait for this one!”

“I’m glad,” you said, “you’ll have to let me know when you get sick of them.”

“If,” he corrected, laughing, “and why’s that? Still got your fruit problem?”

Grimacing, you nodded.

“There is just so. much!” you let out an exasperated laugh, “I’m not even sure if I can use it up by Christmas.”

“Well, I’m always here for that,” Taehyung sent you a winning grin. “So, this is a Christmas tradition for your family?”

Nodding, you explained, “definitely, and the recipe I use has been passed down from my great grandmother. And there’s always one on the table on Christmas day. My mum taught me to bake it ever since I was four.”

“Wow,” Taehyung raised his eyebrows, “that’s impressive. No wonder they taste so good!”

“Thank you,” you smiled, looking down at your feet.

“Listen, I should go and get ready, but I’ll pop round and bring back your plates at some point, yeah?”

“Sounds great, thanks,” you smiled before bidding him farewell and returning to your other fruitcakes.

Another week, another fruitcake plated up and waiting on your counter as you dashed around the apartment like a mad woman. You had completely forgotten your promise to meet with some old friends in town, having remembered mid-shower, and now you were doing your hair, brushing your teeth and picking an outfit that might make you look like a functioning person, all at once.

So a knock on the door was not what you needed.

With every intention of not answering, you poked your head around the curtain just to see who it was.

And just like that, you were dashing down the stairs to let in Kim Taehyung.

“Hi!” you greeted breathlessly.

“Oh, hi,” he smiled, “am I… interrupting?”

“Don’t worry, it’s fine!” you stepped back, one hand holding onto the hair you were plaiting, “I was going to come round later anyway.”

“Nice,” he held up the two plates you had given him, now spotlessly clean, “I was just bringing these back.”

Though you made to take them from him, you soon thought better of it.

“Sorry, if you could just-“

“Through there-?”

“Yeah.”

“Thanks,” you laughed nervously, following him through to your kitchen. Of course, it wasn’t as clean as you would have liked him to see, but he didn’t take any notice.

“Since you’re here, you could just take it now,” you nodded towards the latest fruitcake as he set down the plates.

“Ah, yes, great, thank you,” he shot you a smile, “I look forward to it.”

“No problem!” you grinned, finally finishing up your plait and freed your hand.

“I should probably get going,” he said, then grimaced. “Christmas shopping awaits.”

“Good luck to you then,” you laughed, “I’m just about to head into town too.”

“Oh! Walk with me?” he asked, “I’ll just go and put this inside…”

“See you in a moment!” you called as he headed back out the door with your cake.

Walking into town was a lot nicer with Taehyung at your side, you noticed. You two chatted more about your Christmas traditions and families, and how much of a nightmare they were to buy presents for. It seemed your mothers were very similar, always asking for things only to never use them, or worse, send them back.

“Why ask for it then?” you threw your hands out in exasperation, both of you laughing little clouds into the air.

Not long later, Taehyung pointed out that you had reached the café you were heading to. You were definitely late for your friends, but that didn’t matter at all when he gave you a quick parting hug.

Waving at him, you wished him luck with the shopping, ignoring the way your heart fluttered more after that one hug than it had during the entire walk here.

Inside, you were pleasantly surprised as your friends didn’t care at all about you being late, instead inundating you with questions about who you were with. You did your best to wave them off with just a friend, just my neighbour, but you couldn’t help the pang in your heart.

If only you could call him more than that…

Fortunately, he really seemed to like your baking.

“I’ve never known anyone who eats so much fruitcake,” you laughed one day, the second time he had turned up that week.

“Oh, you know me,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck, “can’t have too much fruitcake…”

“Coffee?” you asked.

“Go on then,” he smiled, following you inside, “but it’s definitely my turn next time.”

Rolling your eyes, you placed his fruitcake on the table and started on the coffee. It had been a week after your walk into town that you had turned up with the next cake and he had invited you in for tea. Incredibly excited about this development, you returned the favour the next time he came around.

Now it was approaching Christmas and he was eating your cakes quicker than ever.

Just two days before the big day, or Christmas eve eve as you liked to call it, a knock at the door.

Smiling to yourself, you abandoned the suitcase you were packing and rushed to open it.

“Happy Christmas eve eve!” you greeted Taehyung.

Instead of returning the enthusiastic greeting, he looked stumped.

“Happy what?”

“Christmas eve eve,” you repeated.

He burst out laughing.

“Um, sure, I guess.”

“I promise it’s a thing!” you insisted, “well, with me anyway… sorry, would you like a drink?”

“Actually, I was coming to invite you for a drink at mine,” he said, “I told you it was my turn next, right?”

Considering you could use a break (and not at all because you would never turn down an offer to spend time with Tae), you hurriedly agreed. Slipping on your shoes only to take them back off a few seconds later across the threshold of Tae’s house, you followed him through.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got it!” he smiled brightly, “you can wait in here.”

As he disappeared into the kitchen, you made yourself at home in his sitting room, noting, as you did every time you had been here, his immaculate taste in decor. Soft sounds of mugs and teaspoons clinking came from the kitchen, and soon you found yourself with a hot drink between your hands.

“Oh no!” you exclaimed as he set down a slice of cake too, “can we share it? You didn’t bring one for yourself.”

“Uh, sure,” he sat heavily, “thanks.”

Taking your first forkful, you sat back.

“I never said it before, but your house is really nice.”

“Thanks, I’m glad you think so,” he blushed, hiding his face with a sip of his drink.

“Especially the artwork… will you tell me about that one?”

“Oh, that’s actually one of mine.”

“What?” you gaped, “No way! That’s incredible!”

To your dismay, a phone call soon interrupted your… thing. Whatever it was you were having. Tea, you supposed. Certainly not a date.

Quickly apologising, Tae peeked at the screen before excusing himself.

“My mother,” he said, “probably panicking about Christmas plans. I’ll be right back.”

With a laugh, you nodded to show you understood. The moment he left, you let out a sigh. Your mothers should meet each other, it sounded like they would really get along. But perhaps meeting family was going a bit far.

You had to control yourself. Nothing had ever happened, nor would ever happen with Tae. This whole perfect boy-next-door thing was reserved for movies. Not for someone like you.

A few minutes of you twirling your fork around a now empty plate, and Tae was still talking in the hallway. Deciding to make yourself useful, you heaved yourself up from his sofa with your empty dishes in hand.

Leaving what must be the softest, squishiest sofa in the land was a tragedy you didn’t enjoy, but you were only going to pop into the kitchen and ditch the plate.

Right?

But when you did step into the kitchen, you stopped in the doorway.

“What the…” you breathed, venturing one more step in.

Spread across half the counter were your fruitcakes. All of them were still wrapped up, except one that you presumed he had just served to you. Still staring at the stack, you set your things down as softly as possible.

Spinning, slowly, silently, on your heels, you cast your eyes over the rest of the kitchen. Though the counter had a tower of cake on it, you were sure it wasn’t every one you had given to Tae. Then a crack of light caught your attention.

The fridge was open, just a crack, but you walked towards it, eyebrows creasing together. Reaching your hand forwards, you pulled.

A loud thud sounded as a fruitcake launched from the fridge, landing with a slight splat at your feet. And what’s more, the fridge itself was equally stuffed with your fruitcakes.

An instant hush fell outside. Tae had heard.

Spinning around, eyes wide like a child caught breaking into the cookie jar, you were just in time to see Taehyung come to the doorway. When his eyes met yours, you found much the same expression there as you wore yourself.

“I’ll call you back,” he mumbled into the phone, lowering it slowly without taking his eyes off you.

“…sorry,” was the first word to fall from your mouth, “I was just putting back the mug and-“

“Let me explain?” he cut in, “I- I do want them, I swear, and thank you- “

“You clearly don’t want them,” you spoke, confusion lacing your voice, “What are you going to do with all these?”

Following your gesture, he cringed as he took in all the fruitcakes he had amassed.

“I was hoping my friends might like some,” he muttered sheepishly, now looking resolutely at his shoes, “and- and my mum really wants to try some…”

“You don’t like fruitcake?” you whispered.

Finally, Tae looked up.

“No…”

“But- why did you keep asking for more?”

“I… I…”

Watching him closely, you waited. He was so endearing, all flustered like this, but you were honestly perplexed.

“How else was I meant to keep seeing you without seeming weird?”

Your eyebrows raised.

“No offense… but this also seems pretty weird.”

“Yeah, point taken,” he sighed, rubbing at the back of his neck, “but it was a good excuse. And look how much fruit you used up!”

In the face of his hopeful grin, you could only laugh.

“You… you wanted to see me?”

“Yes! I did try the first cake, I promise, I tried so hard to like it, but I just-“

“Taehyung!”

Snapping his mouth shut, he looked up at you with big eyes.

“You could have just said so! Do you not know why I kept coming here with those cakes?”

The expression that met you was blank, only a blink coming in answer.

“Taehyung, I wanted to see you too. I like you.”

For a moment, you were afraid he wouldn’t respond. That perhaps you had got the wrong idea, that this silence was his way of rejection. But then he sighed, a laugh hidden within it, and finally spoke.

“Well that makes things simple,” a small smile spread onto his face, “because I like you too. And I would eat every fruitcake in this room if you let me take you out on a date.”

“That won’t be necessary,” you returned the smile, “I would love to go out with you.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

The boxy smile that lit up his face found its way quickly to your own as well when he stepped towards you. Reaching out his hand, he gently took your own and tugged you closer. Before you knew it, his lips were on yours, his other hand at your jaw, barely grazing the skin as if he would wake up and find it all to be a dream if he held you too tightly.

Eyes closed in bliss, you covered the hand with your own, assuring you both. Yes, this was real.

Pulling back, all either of you could do was stare into each other’s eyes as they creased with the smiles you wore.

“I guess all those fruitcakes were a good thing after all?” Taehyung whispered.

Looking over your shoulder at your baking, piled up around his kitchen, a laugh bubbled slowly from your throat. Head falling onto his shoulder, you closed your eyes as his own laughter rumbled through you.

“What are we going to do with them?”

There was more than one fruitcake on your Christmas table that year. But an extra seat at the table was definitely worth it.

Thank you for reading and reblogging!!

Taglist: @aianloveseven @preciouschimine

Main masterlist here

#thebtswritersclub #btsholidaybingo #purplearmynet #bangtanuniversity #kim taehyung neighbour au #taehyung neighbour au #kim taehyung fluff #bts v fluff #bts v neighbour au #bts v neighbour #neighbour taehyung #strangers to lovers taehyung #taehyung strangers to lovers #taehyung friends to lovers #kim taehyung imagine #kim taehyung scenario #taehyung imagine #taehyung scenario #taehyung fluff

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imjeralee · 4 years

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Wallflower: Chapter 13 - #raihansqueen

Raihan x F!Reader

Disclaimer: Do not own Pokemon

Note: This is my first Pokemon fanfic. I hope you enjoy it :) Originally posted on Archive of Our Own.

Summary: You’re an unassuming Pokemon breeder who works at the nursery in the Wild Area and he’s Raihan, the fearsome gym leader of Hammerlocke who has more than a million followers. You don’t want anything to do with him but he’s…persistent.

Rating: Mature/Explicit

Warnings: Lemon, smut, violence, language

#raihansqueen

...

It's been a while, but you wake up feeling like Lotad shit. You're pretty sure it's from the Death in the Morning.

Holy crap, they weren't kidding. You feel like death, with legs like jelly and your head threatening to explode. You don't remember much about last night after you left the club...

Groaning loudly, you let your eyes adjust to the minuscule morning light that's seeping into the room through the slits of the blinds just as Raihan gives you a tight squeeze, grunting audibly under his breath. Whoops, looks like you've woken him up by accident. It dawns to you that you're both in bed and naked as the day you were born and he's spooning you from behind with one arm wrapped around your waist, your back pressed firmly against his bare chest.

"Morning already...?" He mutters, his eyes closed.

"Yeah..." You croak out, reaching for his clock blindly and accidentally knocking over last night's used condom off the bedside table and onto the floor.

You finally grab the clock and once your vision clears up, you squint your eyes for a closer look: it's a few minutes past seven and it's a Saturday, so you can afford to sleep in with him. Yawning, you move to lie on your back but you do so as quietly as possible and in a manner which hopefully doesn't disturb Raihan too much.

As you shift around, he lets go of your waist before he climbs on top, resting his head over your chest and wrapping his arms under your back, holding you tightly and rubbing his cheek against your breasts. You settle your arms over the back of his neck as he clutches you tightly, snuggling into you - but not before quickly pressing a chaste kiss over your breast, and another. And another.

"Do you have any matches today?" You ask, exhausted and he presses one final kiss before stopping to rest.

"...No..." Raihan mumbles under his breath; you feel the sides of his shaved head prickling your skin and you squirm somewhat.

"...Should we get up?"

"...No."

"Okay..."

He sounds sleepier than you so you let him sleep and you do the same, closing your eyes again and the next time you wake up, you do so because something weighty slams down on your ribcage and effectively squashes the air out of your lungs and your eyes jerk open. Swerving your glance down, you see Axew.

"What the - "

Axew growls lightly, happy to see you're awake and affectionately paws at your face before he presses down on your ribs, causing your eyes to bulge. Oof, the little guy is seriously packing some strength in that tiny body. You realise he's your wake-up call and you lift him off you and carefully settle him back on the ground. Glancing around, you notice Raihan is missing from the bed. Checking the clock again, it's now two in the afternoon.

Holy crap! This is the latest you've ever woken up! Half your day is gone. Axew scurries out of the bedroom as you sit up and you can hear him rampaging through the hallway and down the stairs.

You can also finally feel your legs so you hastily leave bed albeit wobbling slightly as you stand, then you tidy the sheets and pillows and promptly notice the stain on Raihan's sheet and curse at the mess you both made last night - you end up pulling the sheet from the mattress to be washed for later - then you scour his room for your clothes, locating your bra and panties which you quickly put on. The rest of your clothes seem to be missing so you rub the back of your ankle with one foot, biting down on your lip as you head to the hallway in your underwear.

"Rai, where are you?" You call out, leaning over the banister. There's no response, so you head downstairs with your Rotom in hand and the living room door is closed - you push it open and say, "Raihan?"

You see your boyfriend in the living room, lifting weights whilst lying on his back over the bench. He's in a black vest and shorts with his headband missing. The TV's on but the volume is low, showing a sappy soap drama featuring an Electabuzz and a Wigglytuff - Applin, Torkoal and Bagon sit on their haunches, watching, whilst Axew plays with a poketoy in one corner.

But then you see that his Rotom phone is hovering in mid-air and the little red light is on, and it occurs to you that he's filming one of his workout videos. Rotom turns to you upon your arrival and you're now on screen, all in your underwear glory.

Eyes wide, you quickly wave your hands frantically in the air before you attempt to cover your body and face. "Rotom, no!"

Raihan sits up at once; you can see the muscles in his arms and shoulders bulging each time he moves, a thin sheen of sweat lining his skin. "Rotom, stop recording."

"Bzzt, sorry..."

"Not your fault." Raihan says, grinning; his Rotom flies over and hugs his calf whilst Raihan smiles at him assuringly and puts down the weights.

Meanwhile, you stand limply in the open doorway and gesture flimsily to the phone. "Um, were you recording just there?"

"Yep." Raihan nods, stretching his shoulders, "It was a live feed - one of my workouts."

"Motherfurret!!!" You exclaim in horror, mouth hanging open.

He laughs jovially, then he glances at you up and down as he shifts over the bench. Ah, cripes...you're still in your underwear. Aghast, the gravity of it all is sinking in...you have accidentally walked in on his videos. Casting a meek glance to him, he says, "Relax, I'm sure no-one saw you."

In a split second, your Rotom goes off and you glance at the lit-up screen. Swiping it, you see one of the social media pages you follow being updated with a blurry photo of you in Raihan's living room as per his feed with the caption "When your mom comes home from shopping and you forgot to take the chicken out from the freezer".

There's already a few comments from some users, mostly from those who were watching Raihan's video before he closed it, speculating who you are (Raihan's girlfriend - obviously) and your identity (luckily, nothing yet).

"No-one saw me, huh? Look, I've already become a meme." You moan as you show your phone screen to him.

Raihan chuckles again whilst you sigh heavily, "Don't worry about it, you'll be fine." He says coolly, "Are you feeling better?"

You place Rotom on the sofa, tucking some hair behind your ear before you hug yourself, rubbing your elbows. "Yeah, I'm okay now."

"You're gonna catch a cold. Here, put this on." Raihan adds. As you step around the Pokemon, careful not to disturb them, he grabs his hoodie that he's kept folded beside him and hands it to you; you proceed to slot your arms through and zip it up.

"Thanks. Have you had anything to eat yet?"

"Just something light."

"I'll make us some lunch." You mutter under your breath; before you leave the living room, you notice Raihan's pretty sweaty so you help him wipe his forehead with the towel that he's left by his side. "Sorry I interrupted your live broadcast."

Raihan regards you for a few intense moments before he reaches over, grabs you by the arm with sturdy but gentle strength and he pulls you into his lap. You find yourself wrapped up in his arms at once, before he gives you a tight squeeze. His warmth seeps into you from all four corners and you can't help but chuckle and close your eyes as he confines you in his hold, keeping you balanced in his lap. "You're freezing."

"I couldn't find my clothes."

"Did you check the bathroom?"

"Ah, not yet. I'll look for them later."

He chuckles, scooping your hand into his and rubbing his thumbs over your knuckles before he leans over, pressing his lips against the side of your cheek over and over again. “You don't have to apologise." He murmurs next, moving his lips to your ear. As you squirm in his arms, he lets go of you after planting one final kiss on your temple. "I’ll finish up in a few minutes. I’ll help you.”

”It’s fine, just take your time. It’ll be ready when you’re done.” You say; with that, you wriggle free from his grip and move to stand whilst Raihan finishes the rest of his workout, picking up his discarded weights off the floor; he watches you with a grin as you head into the kitchen, his hoodie reaching your thighs.

In the kitchen, the Pokemon's bowls are filled with food and water so you don't have to worry about them - and you open the fridge, checking the contents. Since you live on your own, you don't bother making dazzling meals for yourself....but since you're at Raihan's, you should really make more of an effort. You bite your lip when it occurs to you - this is the second time you have stayed at Raihan's house now, and it gets better and more exciting each time. You're wearing his hoodie again! You carefully take a whiff, inhaling his scent. Right, onto more serious matters now...you should really cook your man a good meal. Your mum always said to get through to a man's heart is through his stomach. So you should show off your culinary skills, show that you can be a good wife...or maybe you're thinking too far ahead? Nah.

It doesn't look like Raihan has stocked up on food since your last visit though so you can only make do with a simple but healthy pasta and a salad, along with a batch of tea and coffee and some fruit. You hope he doesn’t mind the simplicity of it all...but what if he's used to Michelin meals?

Time to get to work anyway - you roll up the sleeves of the hoodie and start grabbing ingredients out of the fridge. As you prepare, you put the water to boil in the kettle and slice some pieces of fruit, laying them on a plate as aesthetically as possible.

When you're finished cooking, you set his two seater dining table in his kitchen and line the cutlery and cups and although you're not sure if Raihan will be willing to eat your food considering it's not anything spectacular whatsoever, you see him slipping inside the kitchen with the Pokemon following.

"How are you getting on?" He asks, as you empty some of the food off the bowl and onto the plates.

"All done now. You can grab a seat." You say with a wide smile as you tidy the bowls and spare cutlery away.

Raihan plops himself down in an empty chair but before you can take the seat opposite him, he reaches for you yet again and pulls you into his lap. Before you can protest, he snakes an arm around your waist quickly to silence you before pushing you further into his chest with his other hand under your butt, clutching you tightly to him as he drinks in the sight of the fruit pieces, the coffee and tea and the plate which is brimming with food before he instructs Rotom over to take a few snaps of your cooking. He doesn't move his hand off your ass, deciding to keep his hand there.

"This looks great." He murmurs under his breath; your faces are near and this close proximity is enough to make your heart pound as you swerve your glance to him.

“Thanks, I wasn't sure if you'd like it or not.” You utter, slipping a hand to rest on his shoulder just as he props you up properly on his lap and you're pressed up even tighter against him.

"No, I like this." He mutters as he lets go of your waist to grab the fork, stabs it into the salad and puts it into his mouth, chewing. "Mm, this is good."

Your cheeks go pink in response. Raihan grabs another forkful, this time, prodding the fork for you so you open your mouth and you only nibble on a few pieces of lettuce before he scoops the fork into his own mouth and eats the rest. You chew silently as he looks at you, then presses the fork for your taking. You want to try the steamed vegetables you made, so you prod at a few carrots and broccoli and lift the fork to him. He opens his mouth and eats one piece only, leaving the rest to you.

You both do this a few more times, taking turns, then he silently lets go of you so you finally weave your way to the seat opposite him.

You chat through the meal and pour yourselves cups of tea and coffee and occasionally Axew will tug on Raihan's socks for scraps and Raihan will toss a piece of bacon for him. Rose's party is approaching soon and you don't have anything to wear so you will go shopping at Hammerlocke boutique later.

Raihan finishes the meal before you and it grows silent between you two but it's not unpleasant or uncomfortable at all, and as you casually flick your glance up, Raihan is on his phone again - maybe he's uploading the picture of the meal you cooked for him onto his social media account. You continue eating, prodding at a penne pasta when you feel something rubbing along the length of your calf and you pause at once.

It's probably one of the Pokemon - which is the first thought that comes to mind - but when you throw your glance over to where they are, none of them are nearby, not even Axew. They’re all at their bowls, drinking their water and eating their own grub. You glance at Raihan next but he wordlessly sips his coffee whilst casually staring off at the calendar on the wall until he flicks his gaze to you - and you lock eyes.

The sensual rubbing continues, running up the side of your leg before sliding back down. You clear your throat absent-mindedly, chewing your food and swallowing. Two can play at this game. You begin retreating your leg from his and carefully manoeuvre your leg around - and the small table means you are close enough to nudge your foot against the material of his shorts, purposely rubbing his crotch.

Taken off guard, he coughs slightly, lowering his mug before he turns to you, the corner of his lips tugging upwards into a visible smirk. You smile at him in response as you eat your meal and continue to rub his bulge and you feel him growing hard.

This continues for a while or so until you're onto your last shred of pasta and in a split second, he grabs your foot from under the table, his strong hand gripping your heel and your breath gets caught in your throat before he slides his hand over your calf and the side of your thigh, caressing you gently. He doesn't hurt you but it's enough to send your pulse racing.

"The pokemon are watching." He mutters, and you look to the left where you see Torkoal and Applin blinking blankly at your display.

“You started it.” You point out, pouting.

Chuckling, Raihan gulps down the rest of his coffee before he lets go of your leg. He moves to stand, flexing his shoulders and cracking his neck by tilting his head side to side gently before he promptly wanders to your seat; as you look up at him, he scoops you up and off your chair, forcing you to let a squeak of surprise as he settles you over his shoulder.

”Alright then, let’s take this upstairs, shall we?”

...

After having sex, you both begin to get ready to go out. You grab your clothes and put them on whilst Raihan dons a pair of loose black joggers, a white t-shirt and a light blue oversized denim jacket with a Borg collar lined with white fur. You both get dressed silently albeit mindful of each other and occasionally, you'll spot him glancing at you every now and then before grinning. You can't help but feel closer to Raihan than ever before.

"Ready?" He asks, and you nod as he ties his hair up messily; he leaves the headband, choosing to reach for a pair of glasses that he's left folded over his desk, propping them on.

You're pretty sure he doesn't need glasses but it's a refreshing look and it's enough to steal your breath away. Raihan continues to surprise you in so many ways. You both leave the bedroom, heading downstairs and into the landing; Bagon will be your companion so he eagerly waits for you both by the door whilst you put on your shoes. Once you're ready, Raihan opens the door but you hesitate at once, glancing up at him.

"Is this really okay?" You ask. You've lost your nerve, worried and anxious about going out with Raihan in public.

"Of course." He scoops your hand with his and threads his long fingers with yours, clutching your hand firmly. "Let's go. C'mon, Bagon, you too."

Holding your hand tightly, Raihan leads you outside. He locks the door behind him whilst Bagon hops down the steps and waddles to the gate, biting down on the lever and tugging it, easing the gate open for you both before he joins your side. Swallowing down the lump in your throat, the stroll from Raihan's home to the boutique begins. It's only a few minutes away but you can't help but wonder what might happen. More photos... and maybe more memes will definitely be uploaded onto the internet, that's for sure.

Oddly enough, you find that you no longer give a Rattata's ass about that. It's your life and you're with Raihan. Life is short and you should cherish what you have, especially with the dragon tamer. However, the moment you begin to walk down Raihan's street and you find it unnerving although you're not even at main street yet...for whenever you pass someone, you feel their eyes on you. Raihan chats to you, oblivious, but you're unable to concentrate properly.

Finally, you reach the main street and it's a wholly different experience. People begin to stare with remote abandon. You swallow down, your heart beginning to beat even faster and your palms becoming sweaty. Deep inside, you know sooner or later, you will need to be seen with Raihan in public. You can't keep it a secret and he once said it's not fair on you if he dismisses the rumours of him dating you. And it's not fair on him if you refuse to be seen with him. You should be confident then, hold your head high, smile and look happy.

Raihan squeezes your hand firmly, glancing at you from the corner of his eyes. "You okay?"

"Everyone's staring at us."

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it and - "

"Mum, dad, look; it's the Great Raihan!"

You both avert your gazes to a small family who are staring at your direction. Their little boy waves energetically to Raihan and hooks his fingers into claws.

"Mr Raihan, look!!! Grrrroooowl!!!" The little boy roars, and the couple smile and wave at you and Raihan. Raihan waves back in response with a cool grin whilst you gawk awkwardly. The couple quickly usher their child away, thank Raihan and quietly depart.

Unsure if you will ever get used to this, the rest of the journey is thankfully uneventful which you are grateful for. People stare but do not call out to Raihan. And as you make your way further down the streets, you pass a shifty-looking man dressed in black, leaning against the wall of the barbers, reading a paper. Just a few steps away, a group of men huddled by a lamppost - also clad in black - converse in hushed tones. Further down, two men in black can be seen standing outside a shop, staring at the window display.

"What is it?" Raihan asks, noticing you're distracted as you throw quick glances over your shoulder every now and then.

"Um...is it just me or are there a lot of weird men about, all dressed in black?"

"Really?" He glances around as inconspicuously as possible.

It dawns to you how paranoid you may have come across and you hastily brush off the notion. "Never mind, I'm probably thinking too much." Coupled with a weak laugh, you hope Raihan won't think too much about your perhaps bizarre comment.

The boutique sign finally looms into view and you are so darned relieved to see it; Raihan pushes open the door for you and you step inside. It's not busy; there are only three customers perusing the racks and Raihan strolls in leisurely whilst you and Bagon trail after him, looking around the fancy decor and the numerous clothes on display. He approaches the counter where the sales assistant beams widely at him.

"Hello there, Mr Raihan! Good to see you! How can we help you today?"

Raihan leans on the counter with a grin and you observe them engaging in some small talk before finally, he reaches for you, introduces you to the assistant and adds, "My girlfriend and I have been invited to a party."

The assistant averts her glance from Raihan to you, smiling. "Understood! Follow me."

She promptly leaves the counter and Raihan motions for Bagon to follow. The assistant leads your group down the corridor and to the back of the shop away from the other customers and stops at a thick, red velvet curtain which she pulls back for the two of you. Raihan prompts you to enter first before he steps in after you with Bagon waddling by his heels.

You've been brought to a room that only contains a few items on display. There are only a few dresses hanging off black hangers. The shoe and handbag selection is even smaller and it occurs to you that it's the VIP section and you turn round to Raihan who sits himself down on the plush red couch provided, balancing Bagon on his lap.

"I'm fine with the selection outside." You mutter, but Raihan and the assistant merely smile at you.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll like these even better, miss. Everything we have in this room is in season." The assistant says with a broad smile before she turns to leave, "I'll be outside if you need anything."

"Thanks, Mary." Raihan replies, before turning to you.

"Are you gonna buy anything?" You ask.

"Nope, I'm good. Go ahead and choose what you like, I'll pay."

You bite your lip in response. You're pretty sure everything costs you at least two to three months of your pay check; you cannot afford anything in this room and you glance around a little helplessly. "Rai, I can't."

"Why not? I get discounts anyway."

"...But this is too much."

"Just think of it as a gift." He says jovially, lifting Bagon's paw and making him wave at you.

Your parents have always taught you to accept gifts with kindness but this might possibly be too much...but rejecting might be worse. With much reluctance, you croak out, "Thanks."

"My pleasure, princess."

With Raihan's blessing, you head over to the aisle with dresses and begin going through them whilst Raihan plays with Bagon, lifting him up and down in the air until Bagon attempts to bite his fingers and bash his rock-solid head against Raihan's chest.

This is identical to that movie you saw on Snomflix the other day called Pretty Froslass, about a down-on-her-luck Froslass who is hired to be the escort of a very wealthy Magmortar and end up falling in love with despite the Froslass' sketchy occupation.

You proceed to inspect each dress even though there's only several to choose from but they are all incredibly beautiful and well-made; a few minutes in, Raihan leaves the VIP section to return to the main area of the boutique with Bagon - maybe to calm the pokemon down or whatnot, leaving you alone to your own devices for a brief moment until Mary the sales assistant returns.

You pick out a decent, sleeveless black dress and she helps bring you one in your size and shows you the changing room - it's separated by another red curtain which she holds open for you. You thank her, step inside with the hanger in hands, glancing around. The dressing room is as luscious as the room outside. There's another couch, a bench with folded hand towels and large mirrors stuck on all three walls, lit up by little spotlights. It's so...extra. Swallowing down, you quickly shrug yourself out of your daily, bland, cheap, everyday, supermarket-branded clothes and put on the expensive shiny dress, unzipping it carefully at the back and slipping it on.

It's a perfect fit, stopping just a few inches above your knees - the perfect length. All that's missing is a matching pair of heels and a handbag - you can just use the ones you have at home, no need to buy it from here, of course. As you stare at your reflection, patting down the dress and smoothing down the impressive fabric over your belly, you can't help but feel awkward - you look like a little girl in big shoes.

The dress is clearly too expensive and it shows, because you feel out of your depth. Of course, you're just wearing minimal, if none, makeup and once you put some more effort into the makeup and hair department, there'll be bound to be a change but right now, you feel odd and...undeserving of such a nice garment.

Suddenly, you hear footsteps approaching from outside, bringing you out of your thoughts. It's Raihan. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah."

The curtain pulls to one side and Raihan enters with his hands behind his back just as Mary steps away to give you two some privacy. Raihan looks surprised at the sight of you, eyes widening for a split second before he flashes you a huge, heart-wrenching smile. "It suits you." He stops by your side, glancing at you from head to toe.

"You think so?" Your cheeks grow red in response as you throw your gaze to yourself.

"Yep." He says, grinning. "But it's missing something."

"What?"

"Turn round for a second." He says, and you do as you're told, turning to face your reflection and Raihan moves to stand behind you; he proceeds to bring out a beautiful silver necklace with a diamond and fix it around your neck. Eyes bulging, your jaw drops as he lets go after he's fastened the clasps together and takes a step back. "What do you think?"

"Uwoo..." You croak like a dried-out Palpitoad. Discovering words cannot leave your throat, your only means of expressing gratitude is by throwing your arms around him.

Raihan embraces you in response, pulling you closer to him before you feel a weight pressing against your legs; glimpsing down, you and Raihan spot Bagon attempting to join the hug, looking up at the two of you wistfully. You smile at the pokemon, before shifting your glance up at Raihan. His grin widens as he leans towards you, pressing his lips gently over yours.

"Have you decided on what dress you want?" He murmurs against your lips.

"Yep, I'll take this one."

"Great."

Pulling away, he leaves with Bagon again so you can get changed; you shrug yourself out of the dress carefully and bundle it up into your arms. You make a move to remove the necklace and hesitate, staring at your reflection. Raihan has given you an extremely expensive gift...

Your heart pounds frantically as you carefully remove it, slipping it into your bag, ensuring it's safe. He must've bought it when he left you alone briefly. You leave the changing room and VIP section, joining Raihan and Bagon outside in the main area.

It’s then you notice that Bagon has been fixed up with a black bowtie and you squat to his level, cooing at him. "Oh! Don't you look so adorable...so dapper and chic."

Bagon growls lightly in response as you pet his head. You hope Raihan has gotten bowties for the other Pokemon too. The shop is even emptier than before, partially due to how late it's become. As the sales assistant wraps the dress into a fancy black box tied with white ribbon, you wander to a random aisle whilst Raihan realises you've only picked out a dress and raises a brow.

"Mary, I think you've forgotten something." He points out.

You turn round as Raihan glances at the sales assistant expectantly who seems to understand his plight. "Yes, Mr Raihan, right away, sir."

You watch as she scurries away and back into the VIP section, disappearing behind the curtain before she re-emerges with a matching black handbag which she begins to wrap also. You watch with widened eyes once she's finished and Raihan returns to the counter, fumbling around in his pockets. He pulls out a credit card and promptly pays for everything.

You watch silently, holding your breath. Raihan returns to your side with a cheerful smile as he slips his card back into his pockets and you both leave the store with bags in hand, the sales assistant escorting you out and bowing as you leave, thanking you for the patronage.

Raihan takes your hand again as you head back. On the way, you notice the number of men clad in black on the streets seems to have doubled.

...

It's finally the day of Rose's party, you'll be meeting Raihan at the venue - the Rose of the Rondelands. You manage to leave work on time and head home to quickly get ready. With less than three hours to get prepared, you wash your hair, do your makeup and put on the dress and necklace Raihan has treated you to, put on a bracelet and ring just to match, slip on your heels and grab the bag.

"How do I look?" You ask your pokemon as they crowd round, looking up at you. Your pokemon displays their signs of approval by purring or chirping and you grin at them. "I'll be off now. And don't open the door to strangers."

With that, you head out and your Pokemon send you off; you've called a Corviknight taxi in advance and it's waiting for you patiently in your front yard. Stepping inside the tiny cubicle, you tell the cabbie your destination and you're off.

You haven't heard from your friend since so you don't know if she ever met up with Leon - either way, you're curious who his plus one will be. When you're at the hotel, you're stunned to see how busy it is and now you're blending in with your expensive dress yet anxiety begins to bite at you from all four corners as you hesitantly make your way inside.

Huh...I feel like a fake. A fraudster. You think nervously to yourself, This isn't me. This isn't me at all - I don't belong in this world, no siree.

The exhibition will be held in the Grand ballroom. The concierge directs you there even though there's a big fancy sign in the lobby that indicates where one should go. Also, it denotes that not only is it an exhibition but it's actually a small opening ceremony that offers a sneak preview of some of next year's sponsorships allowing investors and stakeholders to endorse their money and resources accordingly.

You gawk at your surroundings as you're led further inside. This is extremely confidential...only the most VIP of VIPs get to attend this. Okay, that's perhaps a crappy way to put it, but it's true. Is this even allowed? Nothing illegal is happening here, right?

Feeling way out of your league and definitely out of place, you wonder if you really should be here. On your way, you see Ball Guy in one corner, waving to guests but no-one bothers to pay him attention. He looks out of place here anyway...The majority of guests are rich gentlemen, socialites and rich boys and girls (literally, as per their trainer class).

Most of them are talking to each other and don't seem concerned with you as you head in on your own. They're all accompanied with pokemon, which makes you realise you should've brought some of your house'mon with you.

"Oh my, did you hear? Gordie's brought his mother as his plus one." snickers a rich-looking guest. Her accent is thick Galarian, and dare you say it, snobbish.

"Well, in his defence, I suppose she can still be accounted for as a gym leader and all the gym leaders are invited to participate," murmurs an equally, uptight young man, "Even sweet Bea is here, filling in for that poor excuse for a boy, Allister."

Now, your mother would tell you this is a good opportunity to network but your networking skills are chickenshit and you don't want to talk to these snotty folk so you decide to find Raihan. He's messaged you anyway, indicating that he's waiting for you outside the grand ballroom, somewhere in the hall.

You glance around and it doesn't take you long to find the gym leader at all - he's so tall he sticks out amongst the crowd - and he's talking to someone but when he spots you from the corner of his eye, he pauses, stops talking altogether and excuses himself. You pull down on the hem of the dress slightly, adjusting the straps and tucking loose hair behind your ear as he makes his way towards you.

You're used to his swagger, but you find yourself blushing profusely when you realise he hasn't taken his eyes off you not once and you swallow down the thick lump in your throat when he stops in front of you. He lets his eyes wander, gazing at you from head to toe and your cheeks grow even warmer when he reaches for your hand and lifts your knuckles to his lips, pressing a quick kiss over the back of your palm which makes you smile.

"Uh...h-how do I look?" You ask nervously, "D-do I look okay? Or weird? 'Cos I feel weird."

"You look like a princess. My princess."

Your breath catches in your throat at once and you stare wide-eyed at Raihan, before you quickly turn away, your cheeks going pink. "...W-well, now I look weird because I thought you'd be wearing a suit or something but you're not. Why are you in your gym uniform?"

"All gym leaders are to wear their uniforms for events like these." He replies with a grin, "C'mon, I'll introduce you to Kabu. He's already inside."

"H-huh? Oh, okay..." You nervously stutter as he offers you his hand; you slip your hand into his and next, he places his other behind your back, gently guiding you with him through the crowd. "Now I am even walking like a princess."

"Yep." He chuckles, and you cringe again, "Were you okay coming here?"

"Yeah." You say, as you navigate the hall with him. He's so tall, and it's hard not to notice Raihan so everyone makes room for the both of you as you walk. As you pass the guests, you notice everyone's staring...

The two of you head inside the grand ballroom, and you try not to gape at the luxurious interior. This cannot be happening to you right now...this must be a dream... never in your life did you ever imagine you would be able to have the chance or opportunity to step foot in a place as wondrous as this. You can't help but gawk as you stare at the beautiful painted walls and ceiling, the glittering golden chandelier and the huge, numerous tables. The room seems to stretch on and on.

"Chairman Rose handpicked the interior decor and design of this room himself." Raihan adds.

You gulp. "...He's got good taste."

At the door and a member of the events staff hands you a leaflet. You scan the brochure quickly: it's a breakdown of tonight's programme - Rose will make an opening statement, followed by some networking. Then it will be Eli's brief but 'special announcement'.

After that, there will be the dinner... the first exhibition battle will begin between Milo and Piers, and then there will be a fifteen minute break before another networking event...and a second battle begins between Nessa and Melony. As you scour the rest of the booklet, you begin to really wish you weren't here...

Waiters and waitresses weave in and out of your path, balancing tall flute glasses filled with glistening champagne. Along the way, you spot Oleana in a dark red gown, standing in one corner silently on her own. You also see the Galar gym leaders - indeed, as Raihan said, they're dressed in their gym uniforms...except Nessa, who is wearing an elegant blue and white dress.

You even catch glimpse of Eli who is discussing with a group of men clad in black, holding black briefcases. You quickly look away, hoping not to have been caught staring. There's something off about Eli but you really don't know what, and the fact that he's talking to another group of men in black is awfully peculiar. Soon, the group dissipates again. Two of the men disappears into the fire exit and another leaves the room. Meanwhile, Eli turns and spots yourself and Raihan - and promptly stalks towards your direction.

"Trouble at twelve o'clock..." You utter to Raihan, and he nods briefly just as Eli calmly strolls in front of you both, balancing a glass of champagne in hand, stopping you in your paths.

"Good evening, Raihan." Eli mutters with a smirk. He's missing his bruised jaw and you think he's covered it up. Makeup or something, whatever.

"Eli." Raihan acknowledges with a gentle smile. You cannot fathom how Raihan can still be so courteous around him. You would not be so courteous, no. Hell, you may strangle the man if you were provided the chance.

Eli turns to you next, looking at you up and down with a slender brow raised. "Well...who would have thought...your girlfriend sure cleans up well. From Pokemon Breeder to Raihan's Princess...now I get it. That's quite the transformation."

You feel a shiver run down your spine; Eli's double-edged compliment sends chills all over. You have Raihan with you this time so you should not be afraid. However, you feel your knees quake relentlessly. And you are getting annoyed with the pet name now unless Raihan is using it.

If Raihan is using it, you know it's an endearing, affectionate term for you. But when Eli uses it, it is sullied and an insult. To your utmost surprise, however, Eli gives you both one last sparing, if not tired, glance and merely wanders off without a further word. It's his special night apparently, perhaps he's determined not to ruin it...

"That reminds me." You say, "What exactly is his 'special announcement'?"

"Nobody knows." Raihan laments under his breath.

"Maybe he will announce that he's quitting his job and decided that he's going to leave Galar for good."

Raihan turns to you and chuckles.

"Too hopeful?"

"Perhaps." He leans down and pecks you on the cheek. "Are you okay? Did he scare you?"

"It was better because you were with me this time."

As you both grin at each other, you continue making your way into the ballroom - Raihan spots Kabu at a buffet table and points you to a stern-faced man with greying hair and you both head over. "Kabu."

The man turns round with a flat red bug perched on his shoulder. It's his Sizzlipede. "Ah, hello Raihan, it's good to see you."

Raihan steers you in front of the Motostoke gym leader, hands on your shoulder. "Good to see you too. Kabu, this is my girlfriend."

"Nice to meet you." Kabu replies, and you both shake hands.

"Nice to meet you too."

"Raihan told me the other day you were interested in secret bases in Hoenn."

"Yes, that's right."

"I can recommend the area near route one hundred and seventeen."

"Oh, thank you."

You continue chatting to the stoic man; he reminds you of someone but you're not entirely sure until you remember Pryce, the gym leader of Mahogany Town back in Johto.

They both have the same calm but wise, stoic demeanour. You find that you enjoy your conversation with Kabu as you talk about fire-type pokemon, duties as a gym leader, his life in Hoenn and what he gets up to in the weekends.

You were networking! And it wasn't as bad as you thought! Or maybe it's because Kabu is easy to talk to and he's a gym leader?

Soon, the lights in the room begin to go dim and a spotlight appears on stage and the entire room descends into silence. Everyone averts their focus to the stage as Chairman Rose appears, and you're surprised you didn't see him earlier but you guess he was busy entertaining the vast majority of guests considering it's his exhibition event.

Donned in a smart black tuxedo and a single red rose fixed to his pocket, Rose smiles at the audience as he steps up and stops behind the microphone. Raihan has been standing by your side the entire time, his hand entwined with your own. He gives you a tight squeeze and when you glance up at him, he grins widely.

"Good evening and thank you for coming today." Rose says, "We are gathered here to formally celebrate the upcoming gym challenge of Galar."

He goes on about the history of the Pokemon League briefly but you cease to listen, choosing to look around the room. Everyone is engrossed with Rose's speech.

All the gym leaders listen intently - and you spot Leon standing beside Opal. Leon's not with anyone, much to your surprise. Eli is also nowhere to be seen. You do however, notice several men clad in black amongst the crowd whom you didn't notice before.

Once the speech is over, the lights return and everyone begins the actual networking event which you're dreading. Kabu was an exception - you really despise networking and you want to merely grab a glass of champagne and find the nearest exit but Raihan seems adamant in introducing you to his fellow gym leaders. He's a natural at this, being extroverted since birth possibly...and he introduces you to Milo and Nessa, until Leon, his Charizard and Opal wander over and you breathe a sigh of relief since you're familiar with them already.

Everyone greets each other and whilst Raihan and Leon talk, Opal turns to you and says, "Dear, whatever happened to your friend? Poor Leon is here without a plus one. She never responded to my messages. Is she alright?"

"Huh? Oh, I don't know. I'll find out." You utter, confused. Turning to Leon, you say apologetically, "Sorry, Leon."

The Champion grins at you regardless, "Oh, it's fine, I have my good buddy Charizard with me anyway." Leon says, and Charizard beside him nods and lets out a snort of breath from its nostrils.

This is awkward; you decide to head to the ladies to powder your nose - or at least, that's what you told them anyway. You leave the suffocating atmosphere of the ballroom and slip into the quiet and empty hallway, locating the signs that point you to the female lavatory. Once you arrive, you open the door to see two women inside already, chatting and giggling to each other as they check their reflections - and your blood goes cold, your eyes growing wide.

It's Alicia, and...

Raihan's ex-girlfriend.

Alicia spots you first; you're frozen up all over like a statue, gawking at them in shock until she nudges the girl beside her with her elbow and murmurs in her ear. "That's the one I was telling you about."

There's not one attempt to be discreet. You heard everything loud and clear. Raihan's ex-girlfriend subsequently turns to you next - and promptly looks at you from head to toe. "Oh?"

You can't help but stare. She's fair-skinned, has rosy pink cheeks and lips, high cheekbones and perfect jaw and side profile. Her hair is parted to the side, tied into a loose bun with a silver clasp. Donned in an elegant, black silk dress, you cannot help but wilt like a flower in her presence...... Raihan's ex-girlfriend is simply the epitome of what it means to be beautiful, the absolute embodiment of a perfect human being. It's as though you're looking at a flawless portrait of a person.

You don't fail to notice her huge diamond ring either. Holy crap, you didn't think it was possible, but it is... She's even prettier in real life and your friend's words echo in your mind: she said you shouldn't compare yourself to her, how you shouldn't feel bad about yourself for not being as pretty as her....those words vanish in an instant and you find your well-being and entire self-worth crushed and torn into little, itty bitty bitesize pieces in a span of a second.

Strangely enough, she introduces herself to you. "I'm Raihan's ex-girlfriend." She adds. "How is he?"

You're stunned, your throat is hoarse and you cannot find your voice. After a prolonged silence however, and she eventually casts you an impatient look at your lack of response, and you finally jitter into action and stammer out, "O-oh, yes, I know, and he-he's fine. He's totally fine."

The corner of her lips curls into a smile at your uncontrollable warbling. "That's good to know. I'm glad he's doing well." She turns to Alicia, "Let's go." And Alicia nods wordlessly and the two women pass you; you step aside, allowing them passage. However, Raihan's ex-girlfriend pauses briefly before she's out of the door. "Ah. So...they're calling you Raihan's Princess, right...? Do you know what they called me when there were rumours that we were dating?"

You merely blink at her blankly then slowly shake your head.

She smiles at you warmly, glancing at you with half-lidded eyes. "I was Raihan's Queen."

...

You stomp towards the direction of the ballroom.

Raihan lingers in the hallway near the closed doors, waiting for you. You spot him and his mouth moves - he's about to say something - but ultimately drops the attempt when he notices your troubled expression. "What's wrong?"

What's wrong? What's wrong? How could Raihan have dated that girl? That type of girl. She is cruel. In a way, she's worse than Alicia. How could Raihan have once loved her? Was it because of her unearthly beauty? Because they are both perfect, attractive individuals? Maybe your friend is right - popular kids go with the popular kids.

You grit your teeth, shaking your head inwardly to rid of those thoughts. How juvenile; you are an adult now! But still, it cannot be helped. Your stomach churns with unquenchable rage, your knuckles clench at the infuriating frustration you feel...this overwhelming feeling of jealousy, the envy and the resentment, all of this boils and bubbles deep inside you and you cannot stop it, you can feel no relief...that is what's wrong.

You growl out, "I saw your ex-girlfriend in the bathroom. Out of all the people I had to see tonight, I had to see her. She asked how you were doing. I told her you were doing well. Then she told me that she used to be called Raihan's Queen."

He doesn't look surprised and his reaction unsettles you; it means he knows she gets invited to these parties, too.

"I'm going home." You add; you take a deep breath but find nothing is really helping.

This is not Raihan's fault, of course, but you don't particularly feel welcome here anymore and some individuals had made it quite clear that you don't belong in their world - Eli, Alicia, the ex-girlfriend...and maybe you will do them a favour and get out of their hair - you do not want to stay any longer. Every fibre, every nerve in your body is screaming warning signals, telling you to go, that this place and these people are toxic. Removing your bracelet, removing your ring, you stuff it into your bag.

"This. This. This isn't me. None of this is me," You say, "I don't fit in with any of these people and I can't pretend; I hate the people you're associated with - Alicia, for example - and it's quite clear she hates me too for reasons I don't know. But what I do know is that I'd rather be on my own at home, watching TV, reading my book and being with my pokemon, than spend one more minute here. I'm so uncomfortable and anxious, and I don't want to be here. I'm sorry, but I don't."

It simmers into silence following your outburst. Again, you have said something you probably shouldn't have said... maybe not here, not now. It's your honest feelings and thoughts...but why did this happen again? However, Raihan moves towards you and pulls you into his chest, holding you against him tightly and your tense shoulders droop at once.

"Okay. I'll go home with you." He murmurs, "Let's go home."

"...You can't. This is Rose's party and you - "

You're interrupted when your Rotom rings and he flies out of your handbag. "Bzzz, emergency incoming call from Allister!"

"Emergency?" You utter as Raihan lets go of you, "H-hello, Allister. What's up?"

"....We have the dental record results from the police...I need to talk to you; is...is it possible if we meet up?"

"Right now?"

"Yes...I think you need to see this and....can you get Leon and Chairman Rose to come too? Please...?"

"What's going on? Are you okay???"

"Yes, but...please come over as soon as possible."

You hesitate, before nodding, "Okay, I'll go get them. Where should we meet?"

"...Meet me at the Pokemon Nursery... Bridge Field, the Wild Area. Bye..."

"Huh?" You squawk, but he's hung up already.

"What's wrong?" Raihan asks as Rotom returns to your bag.

"He wants to meet at the Pokemon Nursery right now. He wants Leon and Chairman Rose to come too...something to do with the dental records." You reply, "It sounds serious. I'm gonna go. Sorry."

"Alright, then I'll come too."

You nod, "Right, let's grab Leon and Chairman Rose."

...

You wonder what Allister has discovered. It was virtually impossible to get Chairman Rose to leave his party which was to be expected, but you manage to grab Leon - therefore yourself, Raihan and the Champion head to the Wild Area at once. You push the encounter with Alicia and Raihan's ex to the back of your mind. It's no longer important. When the taxi drops your group off, you head over to the Pokemon Nursery, ie, your workplace, where you see Allister waiting patiently outside and once he spots your group, he moves up to stand.

"Hello...thanks for coming." He murmurs quietly.

"No problem. What's wrong, Allister?" Leon asks, and the little boy points to the door.

"Let's go inside...you'll find out for yourself..."

You and Raihan exchange a quick glance before trailing after Allister and Leon, opening the door and entering the Pokemon Nursery. The light is on and you're wondering why it's still open at this time. Your stomach becomes twisted with nausea as you see your boss sitting on the sofa in tears, clutching her two Houndoom whilst a Policeman is taking down some notes.

"Boss?" You rush over to her, seating yourself down by her side, "What happened? Are you okay?"

She turns to you, her face streaked with tears before she lets go of Fluffy and Scruffy, and throws her arms around you tightly, sobbing into your shoulder. She's trying to speak but every noise that escapes her mouth is garbled nonsense. You can't make out what she's trying to say at all; all you can do is pat her on the back.

As you try to calm her down, the policeman turns to the group. "Mr Champion, Mr Raihan, Allister, thank you for coming.... We've got the results of the dental records. The body you found in the woods belongs to a six year old little boy - her son, Eli." says the policeman and there's a brief silence following that revelation. "I know how this sounds but it's the truth. The body in the woods is her son."

Your group glance at each other in befuddlement. You suppose everyone is thinking the same thing - if the body in the woods is your boss' son... "Then who's the Eli working for Chairman Rose?" You blurt out.

The policeman says, "Now, I've already gathered some testimony - "

"It's okay, I can tell them." Your boss finally speaks up, hiccuping slightly. She looks at you, your group then shakily says, "....My son ran away from home once..."

Yes, you remember she told you that.

"...And he was found by the police and because it'd been some time, we didn't quite recognise him, but the police were adamant and said he was my Eli at that time and they stopped the search, closed the case... I...I guess I always knew deep inside something was wrong, but...he was a little boy. He needed a home. All the...the DNA tests, the matching, the lie detector tests...my husband and I went through a lot already so we didn't...we didn't..." Your boss sighs, but you can tell she's struggling as she begins to sob again, "He was just a boy..."

A deathly silence fills the room until -

"Emergency message from Oleana!!!"

It's Leon's Rotom. He checks his phone and everyone waits. He scrutinises the screen before he abruptly spins on his heel to leave. "Chairman Rose is in trouble! I'm heading back to Wyndon!"

"Leon - " Raihan shouts after him, but he's already rushed out of the Pokemon Nursery.

What the hell is going on tonight?

...

#raihan #kibana #archiveofmyown #jeralee #wallflower #fanfic #fic #reader insert #raihan x reader #Raihan x you #pokemon #pkmn #pokemonshield #pokemonsword #pokemon shield and sword

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tirorah · 3 years

Text

’Minna’s Sky’ is Road to Berlin’s Crowning Achievement

A long time ago, in a universe far, far away, three young girls met each other during a war: Minna, the caring leader; Gertrud, the stalwart defender; and Erica, the lazy prodigy who kept them smiling.

As the fighting continued, a friendship began to form. And now, years later, that friendship lies at the heart of something truly exceptional.

Minna’s Sky is the culmination of twelve-and-a-half years of relationship development, and it gives this special trio the sendoff it deserves. I was overcome with conflicting emotions while I watched this episode; when it finished, I was left shaken and almost lost for words.

…Which is why I wrote an essay on it! And that entire essay is contained under the cut, so you’d best buckle up and hold onto something, because today we’re diving into what I believe to be the pièce de résistance of Strike Witches.

In a previous post speculating on what Minna’s Sky could hold—which, by the way, was thoroughly proven wrong—I took a moment to outline my love for Minna and my frustration with her neglect. Initially, this trend continued in Road to Berlin: in episodes 6 and 8, the characters were faced with circumstances that would’ve been greatly helped by a Witch with Space Understanding magic. Of course, I understand why the writers chose to exclude Minna from these events; having Minna there would’ve negated the drama of Trude thinking Erica was dead, and of Sanya and Eila clashing over conflicting sensory reports.

But Minna’s episode hit back hard. If RtB is Strike Witches’ magnum opus, then Minna’s Sky may well be RtB’s masterpiece among masterpieces. It combines the intensity and raw emotion of Hounds of Vengeance with a ticking time bomb that ratchets up the tension all the way through, finishing with a series of events that makes you feel like anything can happen.

Role Reversal

Minna’s Sky starts with a surprise right away. In episode 8, Minna and Trude expressed anxiety over losing their magic. At this point they’re just under three months removed from their 20th birthdays, where decay will certainly start to set in. But in this episode, we learn Minna’s already feelings the effects. At first this confused me, as their birthdays are only nine days apart, but I do recall seeing something about how Trude’s magical reserves are pretty large, second only to Yoshika’s. I can’t find my source for that, but this could be an explanation for Minna’s earlier decline.

Trude notices Minna’s flagging strength, and at that point, a switching of roles takes place.

Minna, who once held Mio at gunpoint for refusing to give up on flight, is now doing the same thing. She’s still herself, but she essentially slips into Mio’s previous role. She takes this burden upon herself and stops communicating with the others over it, even avoiding them during mealtime.

Last episode, we could see her mask starting to slip, and here, all her logic and serenity fades, replaced with a wholly emotional desire. She and her girls have worked so hard to get here, and she wants to uphold her vow of retaking Berlin, so she makes the decision to give this fight everything she has, despite the danger involved.

This puts her at odds with Trude, who slides into the calm and perceptive role Minna used to fill.

You know, Trude may be my favorite character of all time, but she hasn’t always been handled well. In Season 1, she was a great balance of the calm and quiet supporter, and the stern disciplinarian who thought yelling at Erica would make her get up earlier. In Season 2, this equilibrium was lost; it leaned much more into her anger, and there were precious few moments of Trude being the gentle and tender woman I know she can be. The movie had the same problem, as it had to reintroduce eleven characters in one sitting. Operation Victory Arrow worked hard to remedy this problem, focusing on smaller casts which gave them time to show different sides of themselves—like Minna and Trude having breakfast like a married couple. Ahem.

This is one reason why RtB has been so gratifying for me. It knows what it’s doing with Trude and while she’s certainly had some angry moments, RtB has built her up as a more mature, level-headed executive officer. Consequently, it feels natural for her to take up the position Minna would usually hold in this type of situation.

Even when she privately confronts Minna over her magic, there is no anger, only attempts to reason her friend out of her decision. But Minna doesn’t want Kiel to be lost, and at that moment, it’s made clear that she prioritizes Operation Southwind over her own well-being.

And this is entirely contradictory with what she usually tells her girls! Like I said before, the 501st is a circle of love, and while that love motivates them to fight for one another’s sakes, as Sanya did, it now leads Minna down a path of self-sacrifice that would’ve absolutely killed her if it was one of her girls doing it. Moreover, with Trude now filling Minna’s role, she’s the one pleading with Minna not to go, and like Minna once failed to stop Mio, Trude now fails to stop Minna.

This causes inner turmoil. Trude doesn’t want to lose Kiel, but if Minna perishes, she’d never forgive herself. Like she said in Hounds of Vengeance, when she thought Erica was dead, retaking Berlin would have no point if Minna wasn’t there to celebrate it with them.

It says something, then, that Trude chooses to go along with Minna’s wishes, and even keeps her waning magic a secret from the others. Instead of declaring Minna unfit for battle—which I imagine she has every right to do—she instead becomes Minna’s most ardent protector, immediately volunteering for the high-risk operation. When Minna becomes anxious and nearly makes a mistake, Trude is there to rein her in and calm her down. Minna even comments on how this would usually be the other way around.

Fortunately, Minna is better at this self-sacrificing stuff than Mio is. While she initially uses her desire to protect Kiel to justify her actions, a heartfelt campfire scene shows us that she’s aware of the ramifications her death would have. As Erica complains about their fake coffee, Minna promises to make her a proper batch when they return; Trude tells her not to make such promises, but Minna reassures her she’ll come back safe, and even proposes they go to a café together once Berlin is retaken. On the surface, they’re making plans for the future; but underneath, it’s an implied message to Trude: I understand. I’m not going out to die. I’ll come back.

Isn’t that first pic just the cutest Trude shot ever, by the way?

And Trude is pacified. She places her trust in Minna and continues to support her as best she can.

Of course, things are never that simple. Minna succeeds at her objective, and just when the episode seems to be steering to a happy conclusion, the Hive screeches and loads up all its rockets at the same time. As Trude once again begs her to stop, she does the unthinkable: she cuts the line and dives into a suicide run, breaking one promise to keep another.

The facial expressions and body language have been god-tier in RtB.

I must commend Tanaka Rie here. I’ve often complimented Sonozaki Mie (who voices Trude) for her impeccable delivery, but Tanaka Rie is equally excellent, possibly better in some departments (like range, just hear her role in Mai Otome for example). Here, as Negai no Tomoshibi starts playing in the background, the gravity of the scene rests entirely on Tanaka’s voice work. And boy, does she nail it! The exhaustion, the desperation, the sheer will, it’s all there. Her desperate pants and cries at the end are especially powerful, and they make this scene even more dramatic when she faints right after.

Trude manages to catch her—and only Trude was there, because 1: we only saw Trude catching her; 2: the hand we see is Minna’s left, and in the next shot, Trude is carrying her right arm instead; and 3: we only saw one blue dot in the Hive, and the episode previously established one dot was one Witch.

Ahem! Trude catches her and brings her back, and she…breaks down.

Wow. Trude doesn’t cry easily, you know. We’ve seen her depressed, despondent, even heard her sob as she told Yoshika to leave her behind, but until Hounds of Vengeance, we’d never seen Trude cry. While that one ended in a victorious moment, here the emotion is allowed to run its course, and it’s heartbreaking. Trude doesn’t just cry, she weeps, and as she yells and screams at Minna that she could never follow an order that would involve leaving Minna behind, her facial expressions convey just how terrified she truly was.

I said earlier that Minna switched to Mio’s role, and while that’s true, there’s something even more poetic at work here: this episode mirrors Season 1’s Episode 4 in some places, to the point that I feel like it has to be on purpose. That’s one reason why I made this photoset. Just look at this:

Oh look, more apologizing! These two are so emotionally responsible to one another. It’s always good to see.

The roles are shown as reversed, with Trude crying and reprimanding Minna, and Minna apologizing for her actions and agreeing on a better path forward.

Sexy Gal

I also need to devote some space to Erica here. She wasn’t as prominent—Minna and Trude’s bond took center stage—but this episode is probably the best showcase of Erica’s qualities. We already saw her surviving in the woods and rationing her chocolate three episodes prior, but here, it’s clear more than ever what her role is in the Karlsland Trio’s support structure: the morale boost.

In the “Erica Hartmann 1941” manga, we’re shown how Erica becomes a ray of hope for everyone, and especially Minna and Trude, whom she begins to develop a friendship with at that time. It’s this aspect which is finally on full display here: while she’s not as overt with her support as Trude is, she helps in her own way, and her easy-going personality consistently puts a smile on her friends’ faces. That’s why it’s so important that it’s Erica who makes Minna laugh—not once, but twice. In a group where the other two members have their fair share of baggage, Erica is a breath of fresh air and equally important.

Rising Tension

Okay, with the character work out of the way, let’s look at the episode’s story. Because holy crap, I felt like I was watching a movie! At first, I was a little annoyed by some of the stiff animation (especially for RtB’s standards). I was afraid they were going to half-ass Minna’s episode. But as the episode proceeded and absolutely everything got better and better, I realized I was in for a very special ride.

I’ve always had the opinion that Strike Witches is at its best when it plays its war drama straight, but it’s not as simple as striking the serious tone and having the characters fight for their lives. Strike Witches isn’t a pure action show; the stakes in battle often revolve around the characters overcoming their flaws, struggling to protect the world and those they hold dear. Thus, Strike Witches relies on its lighter moments to develop the cast so that when danger comes to them, your emotional investment in the characters helps to create additional tension.

In general, RtB has been great at this, but for me personally, the most emotionally intense episode prior to Minna’s Sky was Episode 6: Hounds of Vengeance.

But that one was different. It started off with relatively low tension, then brought it up to full when Erica was left behind and Trude had a meltdown over it. But when it’s revealed that Trude isn’t just moping around, and that she’s working on a plan, the tension evens out. The central question goes from ‘Will Erica survive?’ to ‘How awesome will Trude be in this episode?’ The climactic action is triumphant, and although Trude’s reaction to Erica’s ‘body’ is heartbreakingly real, we as viewers know that Erica is fine; in fact, she hasn’t seemed that down at all, obviously having faith in her rescue.

Episode 9 doesn’t do that. It immediately confronts you with Minna’s magic issue and her hiding it from her friends, then pretends to be innocent for a while, with Patton being an idiot and Ursula introducing her helmet gun. (“It’s a helmet, with a gun on it.” NO, REALLY?) But as soon as the Komet is introduced, the pressure builds and it never lets up.

It all comes to a head when the trio (plus Ursula) reaches the launch point. Minna’s been dropping death flags all episode, and now things go haywire over and over. An hour left? Nope, the Neuroi spotted you and moved up the rocket’s launch. Barely enough time to intercept the rocket? Hey, there’s that Neuroi that beat the two top aces of the world in single combat, and it’s coming to stop you. Thirty seconds to go for the fuel? The Neuroi gets past Trude and Erica and nearly destroys the Komet, hurts Ursula and blows up one of their trucks. Trude and Erica get it away from there? Oh look, the Hive’s about to launch!

We then get an epic scene where Minna takes off, uses her magic, and destroys the rocket. Speaking of which, I didn’t say anything about this when I talked about episode 8, but I’m so happy we finally get to see some of the Witches’ magic from their point of view! Seeing Eila’s future sight was haunting, and Minna’s is awesome to see as well. Erica and Trude manage to finish off their quarry, showing their skill and adaptability; it seems their prior experience means they’re better prepared to deal with its unique movements this time around.

Erica asks for chocolate and grumbles when Trude tells her she’ll get some later. Minna laughs, but there’s still that tension because Minna’s fuel is almost up, and she’s hanging around that damn Hive.

And then the Hive loads up all its rockets at once, and all hell breaks loose. Trude loses control of the situation as Minna goes on a suicide run, and then the insert song starts playing. It’s difficult to explain the impact of that song without simply showing you the episode. The moment that piano hits, it feels as though a veneer of tragedy descends upon the scene. The Komet nearly stops working, and Minna is on her last legs, and she’s reduced to nothing but cries and gasps. She faints moments after she destroys the last rocket.

And then the music gets louder as Minna plummets into the Hive, red slowly filling the screen. We’re treated to a long shot of Minna falling into the swirling, angry clouds, her tiny form fading into its mass. And at that point I freaked the fuck out.

It was somewhere around Season 2’s finale and watching the movie that I realized Strike Witches doesn’t kill off characters. Let’s just say killing a beloved character probably wouldn’t work too well for future sales. (“Hey, look at this awesome figure of the girl who died! Don’t you just love her? We’ll accept your tears as interest.”) If Mio of all people can have plot armor rivaling the size of the planet, then Minna sure as hell won’t perish here.

And yet, for a fleeting moment, I was absolutely terrified she would. All because of the masterful tension of this episode, and this entire fight scene in particular.

Fortunately, Trude manages to locate Minna in the clouds and brings her back, and the viewer can finally breathe easier as we head to the happy ending they deserve.

…Oh right, the ending.

Yuri alert

Let me start off by saying this ending is complete bullshit. It feels shoehorned in—no, I don’t care what historical event it’s referencing—and it doesn’t fit the tone of the episode at all.

Having said that, as much as this made me laugh (even more than Trude’s literal asspull in Hounds of Vengeance) it did get one thing completely right: yes, Ursula, it IS very beautiful. The love between these three is great. What kind of love that exactly is, I’m not entirely sure anymore.

Yes, you’re going to roll your eyes at this—oh no, she’s going to rant about Minna x Trude again—but…I was watching this ending, right, and I could almost hear the gears in my brain turn as I tried to process this image. Emotionally, I felt like this ending was communicating love of a different sort.

Look, for all I know they’re just best buds who’ve come to deeply rely on one another for emotional and psychological stability, but my god, this ending definitely felt like a ‘oh by the way, the three of them are married to each other’ signal to me. I’m not joking!

Does that make Minna x Trude canon, even as part of an OT3? No. In fact, for all the delightful Minna x Trude subtext this episode had…

Deflection by way of flirtation. Oh là là~!

…Trude did all but confess to Erica in episode 6, and later this week, Mio might finally return in a big way and might have screen time with Minna. But my point is, in that moment, my ship felt realer than ever. In that respect, this episode gave me more than I ever thought I’d receive.

Insert clever ending header here

Right, so that’s my ramble on Minna’s Sky. I hope I’ve managed to get across why I believe it’s the best episode of the entire series. The character writing was top-notch, the tension was through the roof, the music was evocative and the animation was beautiful. Barring an absolutely spectacular final three episodes (and I wouldn’t put it past RtB to deliver that), I think this is as good as it gets. It’s not easy to beat emotional stakes that were established twelve years ago, after all.

Minna’s Sky was absolutely the episode Minna deserved, and I was very happy to see the Karlsland Trio getting its spot in the limelight as we gradually draw closer to the ending. It’s their home they’re trying to take back, after all. And while I have no doubt Minna will continue to fly until the end of the season (she seems to be fine in the preview), Operation Southwind will most likely be the bookend to Minna and Trude’s careers.

I can only hope this won’t be the last we see of Minna and Trude. I’d love it if we got to see their lives after Karlsland’s liberation, either as supporting members of the Wing or trying to live normal lives after fighting a war for nearly a decade. (Shameless plug: I have a Minna x Trude fanfic which explores the latter.)

But most of all, I don’t want Road to Berlin to end.

#strike witches #road to berlin #minna-dietlinde wilcke #gertrud barkhorn #erica hartmann #minna x trude #minna x trude x erica?#anime

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detroitbydark · 4 years

Text

Crossed Connections: Interlude VI

Pairing: Tech x Togruta!Reader, Wrecker/OC

Characters: Wrecker, Ik'aad, Kellye

Warnings: None

Summary: Someone's in for a bigger surprise than expected

Previous Parts and Extended Universe can be found here

“Got a surprise for you Wrecker.” Y/N says. The little medic bounces on the toes of her boots, hands clasped together and grin from ear to ear. “But you gotta come back to my room to get it.”

Wrecker’s brows skim his nonexistent hairline. If he didn’t know any better he’d say the little Torgruta was flirting with him. While it was flattering she wasn’t really-

“Oh, Maker!” She snorts out a laugh, shaking her head from side to side with such force that her Lekku bounce merrily, “Really? Not that!”

She laughs as he hoists another crate onto the high shelf in the supply room. She's wrangled him into helping her store the latest shipment from Coruscant. Really though it hadn't taken much, he liked spending time with her.

He shoots her a shit eating grin, “Oh, come on! We’d be good together. I’m quite the catch…”

Y/N gives an exaggerated roll of her eyes, hands falling to her hips, “so I’ve heard”. Wrecker had a reputation that preceded him. She’d heard… things whispered between women who worked in store keeping and logistics. She’d seen the way he drew more than a few female gazes as he walked through the mess. He wasn’t her cup of tea but he certainly had his own fan base. She could- appreciate what she saw.

Wrecker gives her a wink of his good eye as he turns and hoists the last of the supplies. The crate would have been a struggle for her to lift, let alone stow on the high shelf but the clone moved it as if it were nothing. He hadn't broken a sweat once since he's arrived.

“Is that everything? I can do more.”

That’s what she loved about him. Yes, he was exuberant- sometimes to his own detriment, but with that came the urge to be helpful. The little downtime he seemed to have he spent split between his vode and the medbay.

Because of the extra muscle he offered, she’d been able to reconcile and store away the newest shipment of supplies as well ration off some extra time studying for her FAS later.

She was nervous for the first aid specialist test. You could only take it once a year and she needed to pass it. If she passed it would look good on her application for school late. More importantly, right now, it would allow her access to the small medical encampments at the rear of the front (and away from managing the supply room and boo-boo duty).

Wrecker had even tried his best to be helpful with her studying, reading over the studyguide Tech had given her and quizzing her at random while they'd worked. He may not have always pronounced things correctly but she was able to get the just of it. It was good practice.

She was anxious to pass. She was growing bored stuck on base while the more experienced (already certified) medics got to spend time in the field. Sure she wouldn't be right at the front like the clone medics but any little bit of action had to be better than what she was doing now.

Just the thought of what was riding on the test had her distracted. Luckily, Wrecker didn’t seem to mind repeating himself.

“-Is that everything?”

Y/N gives a short, flustered laugh waving him off, “sorry, I’m in another world today.”

Wrecker shrugs it off, “It happens. Do I get my surprise now?”

Y/N flashes a toothy grin as she flips the lights off and the pair head toward the door. “Do you ever!”

——

Wrecker likes spending time with Ik’aad.

She didn’t shy away from him or the others because they were different. She treated his squad mates like she would any other clone. She didn’t care that Crosshair was a dick, that Hunter had no sense of humor, or that Tech could barely look her in the eye. She spent nearly as much time with Echo as she did with all of them combined and he'd walker in on the two sitting quietly, drinking caf more than once. She never pushed, simply say quietly until their newest addition felt like talking.

She just went with it.

She was warm, welcoming, always with a friendly word when able but also ready to switch into work mode when the situation called for it.

And damn if she didn’t get things done when she was in work mode. That’s what impressed him the most the first time they’d met.

He knew he wasn’t the easiest to deal with when it came to medical. He didn’t like needles and he didn’t like being prodded at. None of the Bad Batch really did. That didn’t phase Ik’aad though.

She’d looked him over for a minute, like she was looking for the chink in his armor and after she found it she worked it til she got what she needed. In his case, it was plying him with lollies til she was done doing his post mission physical. At the time he hadn’t even realized what she was doing.

It was impressive.

And delicious.

The walk from medbay to her room was a short one and she chatters to him as she goes. He smiles and nods, interjects a funny story about one of the guys that makes her laugh. She’s got a nice laugh. In another world he might try to pursue her but he saw the looks she gave Tech when his vod’ika wasn’t looking.

Even if he wanted to, he didn’t think he had it in him to break up whatever it was the two had started. Which reminded him. He needed to give Tech the talk. Again.

As far as Wrecker knew, he still hadn’t come clean with the medic and if he kept it up something bad was going to come of it. She deserved better then that.

“-and then I said “you know, statistically 9 out of 10 injections are in vein...’”

She pauses glancing at him with an anxious smile, “you get it? In vein. It’s a medical joke” she explains. He does get it after a minute and laughs. She had all sorts of jokes like that once she warmed up to you.

“You should tell that one to Tech” he can’t help but try to push the two together. She was cute and Tech already had an in if he just came clean with her. They could be good together. It seemed straightforward enough. Why guys like Tech and Cross liked to complicate things just never made sense with him.

Straightforward was the way to be.

She shrugs, “I’m sure Tech has more important things to do than listen to my stupids jokes.”

“And I don’t?” He asks coming to a stop in front of her door. She flashes an impish grin as she punches in her code. “Besides Tech loves jokes!”

He’s not entirely sure that’s true but he says it anyway.

The Togruta wastes no time in moving into the tiny room she shared with her new roommate and opening closet. He laughs as she pushes up onto the balls of her feet to grab a box. She holds it close to her chest as she beams proudly.

“I got some new contraband ” her voice sing-songs.

Ik'aad had a sweet tooth that rivaled his own he wondered sometimes if she ran on the stuff like others did caf. She was an absolute addict but who was he to judge? She shared and she had the best stuff. He didn’t know how she managed to get her hands on the sheer amount and variety but he didn’t care to look a gift fathier in the mouth.

The sound of the ‘fresher door opening has his little vod'ikas smile faltering, her bright eyes shifting behind him.

“Kel-“

“Wrecker?”

That voice...

He barely has time to turn before he’s collecting an armful of woman. His hands fall to her hips steadying her as her arms go around his neck. The hug gives her away and Wrecker goes from confused to delighted in a split second.

“I didn’t know you were here! When did you get here?! How long have you been here?!” The questions spill from him as she finally loosens her grip around his neck and steps back.

Kellye. His Kellye- well not his but...

It’s then he realizes the state she’s in, her hair is damp and a towel lays on the floor behind her where she must have dropped it in her excitement. A tiny drops of water drips from the loose tendrils. He really does try to keep his eyes up but the glimpse of her bare shoulder drags them down. She in a sports bra and the deep grey utility trousers the civvie mechanics favored. There’s miles of soft skin between the two and he can’t help the way his eyes go wide trying to take it all in.

“Eyes up here big guy.”

They snap up and he catches the easy smile that graces her rounded face, dark eyes sparkle with laughter.

“You guys know each other?”

Wrecker had forgotten Ik’aad was in the room.

“Kellye-“

“Wrecker-“

They both try to speak at once and break off with a laugh together.

“I took care of the Marauder back on Felucia” Kellye explains. “We got to know each other really well, didn’t we big guy?”

Wrecker wiggles a brow, “not good enough.”

She shoots him a wink that has him grinning from ear to ear. Kriff, he’s missed her. Kellye was, without a doubt, the best mechanic the Havoc Marauder ever had but she was so much more. She was a warm face to greet them post mission. She was a drinking buddy in the hangar when he needed to blow off some steam. She was… She was probably just about his favorite person outside his vode.

“Stars! This is so crazy! Who would have known? Small galaxy, right?” Ik'aad's usual perk on full display.

Kellye laughs “Small army is more like it.”

Wrecker watches her turn and scoop up her towel off the ground. She uses it to squeeze at her damp hair. He can’t help but watch her as she grabs a shirt laying across her bunk and pulls it over her head. She’d gotten a new bit of ornamentation since Felucia, the little metallic ring peeking out of her septum flashes in the light. It looked good on her. The tank top she’d pulled on looked good on her too. Frag it everything did and there wasn’t one person on this base that could tell him otherwise.

“You know” Ik’aad says pulling his attention back. Her box of candy sits on her hip as she cocks her head to the side “she wasn’t the surprise.”

Wrecker catches her knowing look as it darts from him to her roommate.

“No?” he says closing the distancing and grabbing a star cherry chew sticking from the corner of the box. “She was the better one.” He clarifies taking a bite while the two women laugh

Taglist: @skdubbs @pastelbunny1501 @my-own-oracle @underworldqueen13 @obiorbenkenobi @adritozier @dafodddil @daniellajocelyn

#Wrecker/oc #wrecker x OC #the bad batch #crossed connections #tcw

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dreams-of-kalopsia · 4 years

Text

The Logic of Them

Summary: On Pidge’s graduation day, Lance hands her a tablet with a video that would change her life.

A @plancesecretsanta 2019 fic for @ursamiiinor. Merry Christmas, Dia! Sorry for the delay. Here’s your college AU gift fic! ^u^

Read it on AO3.

----

Lance handed Pidge a tablet, and she stared blankly at the device. “What do I do with this?”

He arched his brows at her. “What do you usually do with tablets, Pidge?”

“A lot, so just tell me which one I should do.”

“Everyone wanted to congratulate you,” he finally explained, securing a pair of earbuds in her ears before taking the seat beside her. “I compiled their greetings into one video since most of them can’t make it today.”

“Oh.” Pidge edged closer to Lance and gave him her other earbud so they could watch the video together. She was excited to hear from everybody again.

Two years ago, Shiro had qualified as an astronaut candidate and had left to train for space travel. While she heard from him regularly, and while she also got updates on his training from Matt, who’d become an astronaut before Shiro, she still looked forward to seeing how he’d been.

Meanwhile, Hunk had returned to his hometown last year to apply everything he’d learned about green engineering. Same for Keith and Allura. Only Lance had stayed from their batch, and only Pidge, a year younger than them, was left to graduate a year later.

The video started with everyone—from friends to family—in their video squares, congratulating her for graduating. She beamed instantly. All the people she loved, close at hand despite being far away.

Keith’s square zoomed in to its full size.

He frowned at the camera. Or the one behind it, most likely. “I go first?"

Pidge heard Lance’s hushed “Yeah. Just go say something.”

Keith huffed, crossed his arms, then began: “Pidge and Lance aren’t the typical couple. They don’t hold hands. They don’t go on dates. They’re literally best friends who label themselves as a couple. Their announcement was so sudden it didn’t even sink in for five minutes.” He glared. “Who announces something like that as if they’re just going out to get food, anyway?”

“Did it seem like that?” Lance asked from behind the camera. She had the same question in mind, so she tried to remember that moment.

* * *

Even though she was focused on editing a code due in fifteen minutes, Pidge could feel Lance’s nervousness rolling off of him from the couch across from her. She couldn’t understand why he was so tense; she was pretty sure they’d been obvious with their feelings these past few months that the others wouldn’t really be surprised. Still, she shot him a reassuring look, knowing that that would calm him down. It did, as always. It practically worked like a charm.

He called everyone’s attention with a “Hey, guys?” She felt him falter. She glanced at him and met his questioning eyes. “Let’s tell them, Pidge?”

“Sure.” Another reassuring look his way, and she was lost in her code again, typing at full speed to meet her deadline.

“Tell us what?” Hunk asked absently between chewing noises.

“We’re in a relationship now. Well, have been for two months.”

Pidge didn’t notice the complete silence until she’d pressed the enter key to send in her work. She looked up then, finding astonished, dumbfounded expressions on everyone’s faces and utter confusion on Lance’s—an expression that no doubt matched hers.

“What?” she asked, her question reverberating in the still silent living room of Shiro and Keith’s shared apartment.

“What?” Allura asked back.

“What ‘what’?” Lance asked back, too.

And they all stared at each other in more confusion.

* * *

“And yet,” Keith continued, recalling Pidge from her recollection, “somehow, they made sense.” He smiled, and the video switched to Hunk.

“I introduced them,” Hunk said smugly, making her chuckle. His grin was as bright and warm as the summer view behind him, if not more. “Pidge and I were classmates in this course that required a thesis-level project—I mean, who does that?! Our university, apparently, but I digress.”

He shifted in his seat, his eyes twinkling with excitement. “So. Eve of our deadline and we’re stressed out of our minds. Local pizza shack about to close. What did I do? I snuck her into our dorm. My best mate and roommate Lance—bless you—”

“Thank you,” came Lance’s distant voice.

“—opened the doors from inside after curfew, quick introduction, then Pidge and I were back at work. Aaand…” he drawled. “I don’t know if she’d ever realized, but the nickname ‘Pidge’ wasn’t actually ‘Pidge’.”

“Oh no. No no no no. Hunk, don’t say another word,” Lance’s disembodied voice had taken on a warning tone that Hunk, as his best friend, easily disregarded.

“Pidge, you hearing this? That night you met each other and you had your full snark on? He called you a bi—” A hand, obviously Lance’s, clamped over Hunk’s mouth before he could finish.

The video switched again, showing a slightly disheveled, post-laughter, but more formal Hunk. “I’ve been informed that some very important people might be viewing this. I apologize for the rowdiness you witnessed a few seconds prior.”

Pidge paused the video to smirk at the not-camera Lance by her side. “You dared call me something remotely derogatory, Lance?”

His face paled a bit before darkening with a blush. “W-We didn’t have the best first impressions of each other, Pidge.”

When he avoided all her efforts to establish eye contact, she burst out laughing. “Don’t worry, I knew from the start.”

“Wh-Really?”

“Anyone with clean ears will pick up on your noisy grumbling, you know?”

“Oh. Sorry for calling you that, Pidge.”

She shrugged. “It’s fine. The nickname that came from it stuck, anyway.”

He grinned at her, then motioned for her to continue watching.

“For people as dramatic as Lance and as explosive as Pidge, they sure are quiet as a couple. They’re honestly the most boring couple out there.”

“Hey!”

Hunk’s hands went up in a placating gesture. “Hey, don’t get me wrong, man. You guys are two of the coolest people I know. But nothing ever happens with you two! Remember that time Pidge got her appendix removed and she was coming out of her anesthesia-induced coma?”

Pidge tried to recall it. There wasn’t much that happened; the surgery was a success, and Hunk was the first person she found upon waking up, watching over her from a bedside chair.

“Pidge asked where you were, and I thought she was still loopy from the anesthesia so I said, ‘Who do you think gave you your heart?’ And she just stared at me blankly in her trademark way that told you she can’t comprehend what you’re saying, so if you can please say something with a minimum IQ level of one hundred. Then she said with perfect articulation, ‘I had an appendectomy, Hunk, not a heart surgery.’” Hunk looked at the camera, at her. “You could be in the middle of a brain surgery and still hack into the national security systems.”

Laughter bubbled right from her belly. She missed Hunk and his humor so much.

“Anyway, so I told Pidge the truth that Lance was out getting food for her visitors, and then she fell asleep on me. Hence my point stands: boring couple.” He sighed and shook his head in mock disappointment.

What he didn’t know was that his joke had a delayed effect on Pidge, because she could remember bawling when she saw Lance for the first time after her surgery.

“But if boring means no drama means stable, then it’s a blessing that my best buds have the most boring relationship ever.”

With one last salute from Hunk, the video showed Shiro next. Pidge’s chest swelled with pride upon seeing him in a NASA shirt. Like her father and brother, he wore the brand well.

“Lance and Pidge argue often, but rarely do they fight. When they do, strange things happen. Trees in the College of Engineering would seem less vibrant, and the fountain near the College of Letters and Science would stop spouting water. Thanks to Hunk’s talent for goss—” Shiro caught himself, smiled sheepishly, and corrected, “—storytelling, it has since become an urban legend that when the fountain suddenly dries up and the trees along the path to Engineering look like they’re wilting, a student from either college got into a fight with someone they really love from the other college.

“The simple and logical explanations for these rare phenomena are that tired students have altered perceptions of their surroundings, and that the malfunction in the fountain’s pipes just happens to coincide with the equally rare times that Pidge and Lance fight.” He leaned in towards the camera with a conspiratorial smirk. “Here’s my secret though…” He paused, and Pidge held her breath in anticipation. “I don’t think the real explanation is as simple or logical as that.”

The next person to appear caught her off-guard. He wasn’t in the opening greeting, so she figured he was a last-minute addition. It didn’t keep the smile from tugging at the corners of her lips, though.

It was Dr. Smythe, her thesis adviser.

“Pidge—no, Katie Holt, or as I prefer to call her, Number Five, as my fifth consecutive award-winning undergraduate thesis advisee,” he said as a long preamble, stroking his mustache in his own way of preening, “elevates everything she does to unprecedented levels: her classes, her thesis, her contributions to our academic research, her overthinking, and her neglect of herself when in pursuit of something that piques her interest—unintentional, I’m sure, but neglect nonetheless.” Even though she’d just shaken her adviser’s hand as his friend instead of his student not three hours ago, Pidge felt scolded like a kid.

“Worried as I was for her well-being her whole thesis process, I did something unforgivable for an adviser to do!” Dr. Smythe took a dramatic breath that had Pidge’s heart stopping in shock. “I withheld information from my protégée!”

He did what?! Would it affect her thesis, her graduation, her future prospects?!

“I told her there was no way to cut the runtime for one of our computers, when in fact she could have cut it down by a third, or even half! Ah, forgive me, Number Five!” He grabbed the camera by the sides and cried into it in all his genius eccentricity. “I did it for your sake! You never take breaks outside of that waiting time; it was the only time your lover could help calm your nerves!”

Pidge felt her face heat up.

“‘L-Lover’?!” Lance sputtered. The camera’s angle straightened; Dr. Smythe must’ve let go of it now.

Her adviser leveled an odd look where Lance was off-cam. “Yes! Aren’t you her lover? You’ve been lurking outside the labs the whole year.”

“Ye—I mean—To call me that so directly…”

Dr. Smythe pulled on his mustache once. “Get used to it, young man.” And then the video switched again.

It was an abrupt ending for her thesis adviser’s part, but Pidge all but forgot about him when she saw Allura beaming at her.

“Hi, Pidge,” Pidge’s best friend and only childhood friend greeted with a wave. “Congratulations again on graduating. Oh, I miss you so much!” Pidge’s fingers traced Allura’s face ever so lightly on the tablet. She missed her friends—her family outside of her family—so much it almost hurt. “I’ve been asked to say something about you and Lance as a couple.”

“Something good, preferably,” video-Lance quipped, earning a laugh from Allura. She glanced somewhere off-center, probably at where Lance had been filming.

“Alright. Something good, then. Some thoughts I’ve kept in my heart for as long as I’ve known you both.

“You couldn’t be more opposite to each other—gods know how you damage our ears with your bickering. And yet you work perfectly together when it mattered most. You balance each other out. Lance, you lift Pidge up whenever her realism bordered on pessimism. Pidge, you tether Lance whenever his head starts floating to the clouds with his easygoing optimism. Lance is the people-person—I’m sure we all agree on that?” Allura confirmed, teasing eyes looking straight at the camera. Pidge giggled and nodded. “While Pidge understands the world, and perhaps even the universe, at its core.

“Pidge learned from a young age how to build walls to defend herself from envious people who want to drag her down. But Lance, with your big family, you’ve learned how to deconstruct them in order to connect with others.” Allura’s eyes welled with tears, and Pidge’s mirrored them. “You’ve met and challenged Pidge on all levels, Lance. I’m so happy she’s finally found her match in you.”

The camera caught a sniffling sound. “Thanks, Allura.”

Allura’s video cut off with her smiling and dabbing her cheeks with tissue.

Lance’s parents came next, congratulating Pidge enthusiastically and inviting her to their home for a graduation feast.

“Our son brags about his many former girlfriends, but… you are the only one he has ever taken home,” his mother said, the gleam of mischief in her eyes.

“Mom!” Lance whispered harshly. “You gotta give a better message!”

“Let me try.” The camera shifted a bit to focus on Lance’s father. “Our son has had trouble finding his place, being the youngest among his siblings. He told us that you put him in his place, when you met. He said because of that, he found his place and could finally move forward.” The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepened as he smiled. “Thank you, Katie.

“Is that good, son?”

“Yeah… Yeah. Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Dad.”

Pidge could see where this was going—or at least, where it could possibly go. The montage of everyone congratulating her at the start may just be a façade. But since Lance was still in his seat, not fumbling for a tiny box or kneeling on the ground, she couldn’t be sure.

That was until Matt’s face appeared. Then her tears started falling. Because this was her family next. Whatever they had to say about her and Lance would greatly affect their relationship. This was their time to frankly voice out their issues with either of them, and yet Matt was grinning.

“You got me at a good time,” he told the off-cam Lance, who chuckled.

“Three days before launch. I’d say I’m still great at crunch time one year after graduating.”

Matt laughed before turning to the camera. “Hey, Pidge! Congrats on graduating!” His smile turned apologetic. “Sorry I can’t be there to watch you walk on stage and shake hands with people you’ve probably never met your entire college life.” He stopped and waggled his eyebrows expectantly; he knew she’d laugh at his joke. The apologetic smile returned. “And sorry for taking Dad here with me. We need his supervision for the new docking procedure we’ll be trying out. Give Mom some space hugs for me, will you? And if you ever need advice… you can consult Dad’s favorite book any time.” He winked, and she received his secret message successfully.

“Okay. On to matters I’d rather not talk about.”

“Matt!”

Matt’s carefree guffaw made Pidge’s heart ache for her brother’s presence. She mentally calculated the time elapsed since his crew’s launch. Their rocket should be orbiting Earth right about now, preparing to align with the International Space Station.

“I would never forget your first dinner with us. I can tell you really wanted to impress us with your research in the fields we specialize in. But that wasn’t what ended up impressing us. It was how you managed to hit on Mom after you ran out of things to talk about regarding our specialties.”

“It wasn’t on purpose!” Lance protested, and though Pidge couldn’t see him, she knew that the Lance behind the camera was blushing hard. She glanced at the Lance sitting next to her, sending him an amused—albeit tearful—smirk. He returned a sheepish grin.

* * *

“You’ve gone silent, Lance,” Mom said as she sliced her steak.

Lance stiffened. Pidge knew how much he wanted to leave a good impression on her family. So far, so good. Everything they’d rehearsed, as well as the crash course she’d given him, was paying off. But for some reason, he didn’t seem to think so and had stopped participating in conversations.

“Oh, um…” He swallowed, drank water, then swallowed again. “M-Must be in my genes to be speechless in the face of beauty,” he blurted out in one breath.

The whole table went silent. Awkwardly silent for a full ten seconds. Lance’s face was dark with mortification, Pidge’s family was sitting thunderstruck by his response, and Pidge was starting to wonder if organizing this dinner had been a mistake.

But then Mom and Matt burst into laughter, Dad following suit.

“Sorry, son,” Dad said, regarding Lance a little more warmly than a few seconds ago. “Colleen is spoken for. May I introduce you to my daughter Katie instead?”

The wide smile that spread across Lance’s lips seemed to chase away his embarrassment. He looked at Pidge with bright eyes, and her heart temporarily forgot its rhythm. “I’d love that, Sir.”

* * *

“I know,” Matt assured with a chuckle. “But that accidental thing showed us that you specialized in your own field, too. In building connections with people.

“Pidge—Katie has never been good at making friends. I think only Allura was stubborn enough to get through to her, and it took years. You changed that. You helped my sister expand her world. Now, you mean the world to her.” He directed a kind smile slightly to the left. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you are her world.”

His eyes softened, then he stood from his seat, opening his arms. After a few moments, Lance appeared on-screen to return the hug. The sight brought fresh tears to Pidge’s eyes.

“I leave her in your care, brother,” Matt said. “She’ll probably argue that she can take care of herself. She’s right about that, but it’s still reassuring to know she’s in good hands either way.”

Lance sniffled twice before replying, “Thank you, brother.”

Matt clapped Lance’s back. “No problem. Now let’s look for tissues before the staff suspect you’re infecting me with colds.”

They both snickered.

When the video switched to her parents’ smiling faces, Pidge’s hands became damp with sweat and her heart began to pound. She knew they’d already given Lance their blessing, seeing as this video existed, but this would be the first time she’d be hearing what they thought about her relationship with Lance.

The first thing she noticed was their clothes. They were wearing the unexpectedly awesome sweaters Lance’s grandmother had knitted for them last Christmas. A lump formed in her throat at the realization; she had to lower her voice so she could still speak with words instead of inarticulate sobs.

“How long have you been planning this?” she asked, eyes not straying from the screen.

“A while,” Lance answered just as quietly.

“Congratulations on your graduation, Katie,” Mom greeted.

“We’re so proud of you, Katie. So proud,” Dad added.

“You must have figured out what this video is really for by now,” Mom continued, to which Dad nodded.

“You must have deduced that we’ve given our blessing as well.”

“All that’s left for us to do is endorse this young man…” At Mom’s cue, Lance peeked from the corner of the screen and waved. “…to you.” Pidge glimpsed the obvious signs of nervousness on his face. It carried over to her as she waited for her parents’ “endorsement” of Lance.

“Lance came from a completely different background from us. He didn’t know anything about astrophysics, molecular biology, or computer engineering more than any other layperson did.” Pidge winced at Mom’s knowing smirk. “Don’t try to deny it, young lady; we know you two planned out what he would be talking about with us the first time he came over.”

Dad chuckled. “Lance hadn’t always been able to keep up with our discussions, but he was always willing to learn. He strived to see things from your perspective and understand you better. I’ve never seen you more patient than when you would explain a concept to him, Katie.” He glanced at Lance. “I’ve never seen a more receptive student, either.”

He redirected his gaze to the camera, smiling gently at Pidge. “You told him about the universe, showed how galaxies worked, demonstrated gravitational forces, and explained why the sun, moon, and stars existed. I hope you wouldn’t wonder too much how he realized he has fallen into orbit around you.”

Lance’s hand slipped into hers as the video faded out. Pidge felt something press onto her palm. She felt a ring press onto her palm, and she almost started crying again. Instead, she took a deep, shaky breath to calm the tumult of emotions within her. Lance remained patiently quiet by her side. They watched the flock of graduates and guests in front of them in the meantime, the cacophony of congratulations and goodbyes and promises to keep in touch filling the silence between them.

“You’re not getting down on one knee?” she teased eventually, once she was confident enough to speak.

“I could,” he replied, “but do you want me to?”

“No, actually.”

“Thought so.” She could hear the mirth in his voice. The sound calmed her down further.

“Everybody won’t be satisfied with anything less than showy, though.”

He hummed in thought. “I’ll consider it.”

“Maybe they’ll even make you do something Matt and Shiro will see from space.”

“Maybe.” He shrugged. “It all depends on your answer.”

She turned towards him, willing him to meet her eyes. “You already know my answer.”

When he did, she was struck anew by how his eyes shone with everything he didn’t need to tell her out loud, and how they regarded her with understanding, and how absolutely, breathlessly beautiful they were. “I want to hear it anyway.” Like the hue of a clear day. Like the shade of a calm sea. Like the color of love. “Will you marry me, Pidge?”

Pidge twined her fingers around Lance’s, beaming up at him. “You know I will, Lance.”

#PlancesecretSanta2019 #plance secret santa #ursamiiinor #plance #hope you like it!#writings

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hollyand-writes · 4 years

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5 Questions (fic meme)

I was tagged all the way back in December 2019 by the lovely @kagetsukai – thanks so much! ❤️ Sorry that it’s taken me, um, 7 months to get around to doing this! I think at the time I was feeling a bit too low about my writing (and, frankly, fandom) back then to be able to answer any writing memes, but I’m back on my bullshit now so LET’S DO THIS! 💪🏾

I tag whoever wants to do this! 😃

Let’s talk about “A Chance Engagement”, my Regency AU Carver/Merrill multi-chaptered longfic!

1) What was the idea that started the story?

Two things: The first thing was this post that made me wonder what Carver would look like marching around in tight Regency breeches, and that got me thinking of all kinds of scenarios where he’d be marching around in them (also please have my bad Photoshop art. Thanks @fragilespark for enabling me, haha!).

The second thing was that not long after, @lucyrne was one of the randomly-selected prizewinners for the @carvermerrill blog giveaway when it reached 250 followers (random fun fact: it now has 366 followers; not bad for a rare-pairing!) and she gave me the following prompt:

...I think what I'd really love is a prompt that involves them dressing up for some reason. Like going to a ball and actually getting to enjoy it instead of thwarting assassinations or fighting dragons ...

After I asked her if a Regency AU would be OK with her, she replied:

I was thinking something canonverse, but if an AU inspired you go for it.

And, um, three years later, here we are. (I’m so sorry your blog giveaway prize has taken this long, Lucyrne!)

2) Did you make an outline? Did you stick to it?

Kind of? I mean, I’m following the plot of Pride & Prejudice (the novel version, and maybe sort of the 1995 BBC adaptation) for the most part, especially with the main pairing (Carver/Merrill) and one of the other side-pairings (the Wickham/Lydia equivalent), but there is another subplot going on with F!Hawke/Isabela (i.e. Marian Hawke) and their secret romance which is very loosely based on their Dragon Age 2 romance arc, although it won’t exactly follow that arc.

I tend to make a very loose and subject-to-change outline for my longfic after pantsing a few paragraphs/pages to get some thoughts down and some scenes out of my head, but then I start to string things together by coming up with some sort of plot to include the scenes in, and that’s what I’ve done here. I’ve got a list of bullet points of plot points I need to cover overall, and then I drill down deeper into each chapter and what they will cover every batch of several chapters. I haven’t always stuck to those more detailed chapter-by-chapter outlines, but I have stuck to the overall plot outline.

3) What’s the favourite part of your story?

A certain rejected proposal that happened in Chapter 41. I was laughing about that for at least a year before I was finally able to release the chapter – it was so hard sitting on that plot twist for so long!

4) Who is your favourite character and why?

Probably the Arishok. His sole purpose in the fic is to just turn up and ruin everything, LOL. I’ve also really enjoyed writing the De Launcets, as well – writing the bitchy sisters Babette and Fifi and their brother Emile with his shit chat-up lines has been great, they’re just my favourite disaster family and writing their meanness has been fun.

5) Did anything happen that surprised you as you were writing?

I was actually surprised that the de Launcet sisters ended up having as big a role as they did, and that there was so little of Emile. I was also surprised at just how long it would take me to get from one plot point to another, that getting from plot point A to plot point B in my rough outline would take several chapters and a bunch of exposition and worldbuilding in order to build and complete the path there.

I am also surprised that I’m still going. I thought this would be done in like 15 chapters and 20,000 words?!? AHAHAHAHAHA I WAS SO WRONG but I’m also surprised that I’ve got a fic past the 60,000-word mark and that I haven’t flagged and that I’m still interested in writing and finishing it, even if I am slow!

The other reason I’m surprised I’m still going is actually because trying to write in a Regency style of English is really, really, really hard for me, and I don’t always enjoy doing it, even though (paradoxically) I really enjoy writing this fic???? despite my feelings about the style I write it in??? I can’t really explain it. It kind of feels like I was meant to write this fic, somehow, and I think so far it’s the most “me” out of all multi-chaptered fics I’ve publicly released to AO3.

The BIGGEST surprise I got, however, was that this longfic would be as loved as it was/is, and that I’d have so many lovely, awesome, wonderful people reaching out to tell me how much they love my fic and look forward to each update ❤️ Back when I started, I only had like 3 readers, and out of those, only Lucyrne was a regular commenter of mine – I remembered being disappointed at first, but then I thought “eh, this is the story I want to write, and I love diving into this world and this AU so I’m going to finish it even if Lucyrne ends up being my only reader”. So I stopped worrying about my lack of audience and just... carried on writing it, just for the sheer fun of writing it.

I was genuinely not prepared at all for so many readers to discover my longfic somewhere around Chapters 9 to 15, and to come along for the ride with me. But I appreciate it and love you all. Thank you all so, so much. 😘❤️

#5 questions #five questions #tag meme #thanks for tagging me!#long post #also #tagging this as #carver x merrill #merrill x carver #hollyand writes #carrill #a chance engagement #for blacklisting purposes

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iwantthedean · 5 years

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A New Fall

Graphic courtesy of @atc74.

Part Four: Jonagold. Honey-tart.

Summary: With Ms. Kitty’s encouragement, Y/N attempts to make peace with Jensen. Pairing: None … yet. (But I think we all know where this is going.) Word Count: 2303 Warnings: Set post-Season 15, which I know makes a lot of people sad to think about. Square Filled: This entire series will fill my proposal square for BTZ Bingo.

A/N: Thank you for the continued support! I am loving writing this series :)

Masterlist

The next time you brought baked goods to The Farmer’s Stand, Ms. Kitty greeted you with a big smile. She took the box from you and set it back, until it could be added into the inventory.

“Good thing you brought in more -- we’ve got a visitor in town who has been coming in regularly. It’s a wonder he hasn’t turned into an apple.” She chuckled at her own joke.

You gave a polite smile. “A visitor? Well, I’ll take whatever I can earn at this point.”

Ms. Kitty’s son, Stephen, came out from the office. “Y/N, good afternoon. I thought I heard your voice. Brought some more goods for us?”

“I did,” you sighed. “Thanks.”

He took the box from behind the counter and brought it into the office. The sooner it got into inventory, the sooner it would sell, so you didn’t mention much else about it. Instead, you stayed to visit a little longer with Ms. Kitty. Before you could leave, she asked how things were at the farm.

With a sigh, you shook your head. “I’m going to have to call Dad next week, I think -- I mean, I know. It’s time. The bank denied me, and I don’t know what else to do. I don’t know why I’m putting it off at this point, since there’s nothing else I can do, and they’ve already got someone visiting who wants to buy the place.”

For the first time in this visit, Ms. Kitty’s smile changed to a concerned frown. “A handsome young man? Jensen?”

The thing about living in a small town was that if there was a visitor, and he was showing interest in baked goods from a specific farm that was also up for sale, and there was also a visitor interested in buying the farm … chances were, it was the same visitor. In this case, that was absolutely true.

“That’s the one,” you nodded. “I know he feels bad, but it’s hard to like him. When he came to see the farm the first time, he didn’t tell me why he was there. Now he’s made an offer. He even brought me flowers at the school to apologize. But I can’t get past any of the rest of it enough to care.”

The older woman thought for a moment, then went to the office where her son was working. She came back with one of the foil pans of apple-cinnamon rolls you had brought in.

“I don’t think he’s had these yet,” Ms. Kitty said, handing the pan over to you. “Take him these -- as a peace offering. You may figure out something, yet.”

A peace offering hadn’t crossed your mind before, but once she mentioned it -- this woman who had known you and your family all your life -- it suddenly seemed like the thing to do. She knew where he was staying, so you took the cinnamon rolls, thanked her for everything, and went to make an apology.

* * * * *

The last thing Jensen expected was a visitor. Except for Ms. Kitty, maybe, he hadn’t really made any friends in this town, and he didn’t expect her to be knocking on his hotel room door. He checked around to make sure the room wasn’t disastrously messy, then went to answer the door.

“Hi. These are for you.” Y/N stood in the hallway, looking more nervous than he had ever seen anyone before. “Um, I was dropping stuff off to the The Farmer’s Stand and Kitty said you’ve been buying a lot of it. She said you hadn’t tried these yet, and I mentioned -- anyway. That’s all more than you need to know, I suppose. I’m bringing these as a peace offering.”

“Peace offering?”

Y/N nodded. Now that he was holding the cinnamon rolls, she couldn’t seem to figure out what to do with her hands. “I was a jerk. I mean, well, you were a jerk because you lied, but then you brought the flowers and you were honest. I could have been more appreciative of that. My problems are not your problems. So, I’m sorry.”

Jensen wasn’t sure what to say. Y/N waited for about thirty seconds before giving him one last look and turning on her heel. Quickly, he set the rolls down in his room and jogged after her. He slipped around her and into her path, causing her to take a startled step backwards.

“Sorry about that,” Jensen chuckled, “didn’t mean to spook you. I wasn’t expecting anyone, let alone you, so it took a second to process that you were actually here and saying stuff -- I figured you’d hate me forever. Maybe you still will.”

Y/N was the one who had to process this time. “Um, no, I don’t -- I don’t hate you. Like I said, my problems are not your problems. I know you made an offer on the place, but it’s only fair for me to tell you, I’m not done fighting to keep my home.”

“I wouldn’t want you to stop fighting. I could tell right away how much the place means to you. Just consider me a last resort.”

A look crossed her face that Jensen couldn’t quite identify. She shook her head and put her hands in her back pockets.

“I can’t believe I’m even saying this, but do you want to come by for dinner? I have a crockpot of chili on that I definitely won’t finish on my own, and maybe we can keep talking about this, or other stuff. I did enjoy your company last week.” She was quick to add, “Unless that’s too weird, or I’m coming off as interested, because I’m not. And I don’t want it to be weird.”

He almost couldn’t believe this was the same woman he had spent an afternoon in the orchard with just days before. Of course, their interactions since then hadn’t exactly been easy.

“No, dinner would be great.”

She nodded. “Great. See you around six?”

Jensen nodded, too. “Six is perfect. I’ll see you then.”

She gave a tight smile and sidestepped him, hurrying out of the elevator without even looking back. Jensen made way back to his hotel room, hoping that she would be more at ease by the time he arrived that evening.

* * * * *

You whined into the phone, hoping Taylor would give you some idea of how to get out of the dinner invitation you had extended before you could even think about what a horrible idea it was to have Jensen Ackles over for dinner.

“I mean, what in the hell was I thinking? That I’ll have him over for dinner and he’ll eat the chili I made and suddenly not want to buy the place and I’ll be able to buy it? It’s not going to fix anything. In fact, it will probably make it worse.”

Taylor took her time in replying. “You did say that you two got along really well before you found out why he’s really here. Maybe it won’t be so bad -- you know, if you can take a deep breath and act like yourself.”

“Taylor, whose side are you on?”

“Yours, obviously,” Taylor laughed, “but it seems like you’re overthinking all of this. You were interested before you knew that he was potentially buying your place, right?”

“Right. My place. My beloved, cherished, beautiful family home.”

“All right, all right. Freak out if you want to, but I’m not going to give you a reason not to have him over.”

You groaned. “Some friend you are. I’ll call you when he leaves.”

“Have fun,” Taylor replied in a singsong voice before disconnecting the call. You set the phone on the counter and sighed.

Everything was ready. The house was spotless, the chili and a fresh batch of cinnamon rolls had filled the place with the wonderful smell of spices and apples. It was only a few minutes before six, which meant you still have several minutes to --

Before you could finish the thought, the doorbell rang. He was early. Crap.

You smoothed out your clothes and your hair and went to answer the door. With your hand on the knob, you took a deep breath and decided Taylor was right. You just needed to calm down and act like yourself.

* * * * *

“It smells amazing in here.”

Jensen had practiced his opening line over and over, and that wasn’t it -- although that one was probably better than the lame ‘hello’ he had settled on during the drive over.

Y/N smiled and motioned for him to come into the house. “Thanks. Chili’s ready and I made another batch of cinnamon rolls to go with it.”

He stopped in his tracks for a moment, then continued on to the kitchen behind her. “The apple ones?”

She nodded, raising her brow. “Um, yes? Is that okay?”

“Yeah, it’s okay! I had one after you left earlier. I heard you’re a really good teacher, Y/N, but I think you might have missed a baking calling, too.”

She laughed as she pulled two glasses down from the cupboard. “My grandmother taught me a lot, and I’ve done these recipes about a hundred times, is all. What are you thirsty for? I’ve got water, lemonade, beer …”

“Apple ale?”

She laughed and shook her head. “Nope.”

“Hard cider?”

Her laugh grew in intensity, pulling a smile to Jensen’s lips. “Yes, I do a lot with apples around here but not in the way of hard beverages. No pumpkin beer, either, before you ask.”

“I’ll start with water, thanks.”

She pulled a filtered pitcher from the fridge and filled both glasses. After she put the pitcher back, she came back with two longnecks.

“Figured we’ll be into those sooner rather than later. Chili and water just … let’s be real.”

Jensen chuckled and helped her carry the drinks to the table. He noted the bouquet he had brought her settled in a goldenrod-colored vase in the middle of the table. He wanted to mention it, but maybe bringing attention to one of their negative interactions wasn’t the best idea.

Y/N told Jensen to have a seat. She went into the kitchen and came back with a tray of fixings, and two full bowls of chili. One more trip to the kitchen and back completed the array on the table with the cinnamon rolls.

She didn’t take long after starting her own bowl of chili to pop open her beer, so Jensen followed suit.

“So, I think you’ve really charmed Ms. Kitty,” she commented, biting into a roll.

Jensen chuckled. “She’s sweet. Probably the only person in this town who likes me at the moment.”

“I don’t know. Mr. Kemp says you’re all right.”

“I’m not sure he really believes that though, it might be more for your benefit. If he didn’t have to do business with me, he probably wouldn’t like me, either.”

She smiled big enough to show her dimples. “He’s a good man. You wanna know something?”

Jensen shrugged. “Sure.”

Y/N set her spoon in the bowl and sat back in her chair. “I think you’re probably a good man, too, but I haven’t given you a fair chance. This place means everything to me, but it’s just -- it’s just a place, right? It’s the memories that are important. Maybe it’s time for me to bow out, and more gracefully than I have up to now. Once I talk to my dad on Monday, make sure I really have run through all my options, then I’ll sign the offer and the place is yours. Will you just do me one favor?”

Jensen took swig from the bottle in front of him. “I’m sure whatever you can ask for, I owe you at least that.”

“Will you let me stay until after the New Year? So I can have one more Christmas here?”

He smiled. “Of course. That’s perfectly fine. Maybe you can teach me a thing or two about the farm in the meantime.”

She raised her brow. “You want to stick around?”

“I mean, I like it here,” he said, raising one shoulder. “And if I’m gonna buy this place, I’ll be around more. I should work on getting people to like me more.”

He was happy to see that her joke had succeeded in making her laugh, and chased away the glaze of potential tears that had formed when she asked him to extend the closing date into the new year.

They packaged up the leftovers and loaded the dishwasher together. While Y/N wiped down the counters, Jensen finished off his beer -- and another cinnamon roll. She took the plate he had practically licked clean, along with his fork, and loaded that into the dishwasher before starting the machine. She picked up her own beer and leaned across the counter from him.

“Can I show you something before you go?”

“Yeah, of course.”

They bundled up in jackets and scarves, and jensen pulled a beanie over his head. Y/N led him back out to the farm truck, and drove them over to the orchard.

Every row of trees was lit up with white twinkle lights. He looked over at Y/N, who was grinning from ear to ear, and looking between him and the trees, waiting for his response. Jensen realized it had been a long time since he had indulged himself on the more simple pleasures in life.

“This is really great,” he finally ceded.

“Isn’t it?” she sighed. “The foreman set them up the other day. After Thanksgiving, they’ll do every other row with multi-colored lights. It’s silly, but we’ve just always done it that way.”

Jensen mingled his fingers with hers. Her hands were just as cold as his, but all he felt was warmth.

* * * * * * * * * *

The Whole Shebang: @illisea @ashleymalfoy @busybee612 @mrswhozeewhatsis @sherlock44 @ravenesque @feelmyroarrrr @atc74 @theplaidshirtmadness @blacktithe7 @moonlessnight14 @kitchenwitchsuperwhovian @smoothdogsgirl @melbrandes @xtina2191 @spnbaby-67 @emoryhemsworth @goldenolaf25 @gabriels-trix @applesugar88 @rainflowermoon @deansgirl215 @thisismysecrethappyplace @calaofnoldor @jerkbitchidjitassbutt @sleepylunarwolf @chances-and-miracles

Jack Attack: @tiffanycaruso @girl-with-a-fandom-fettish @mrsambroserollinsacklesmgk

Two for the Money: @jayankles @akshi8278 @jensensjaredsandmishaslover @supernatural-jackles @adoptdontshoppets

A New Fall: @marilynnlew @backseat-of-deans-67chevy @traceyaudette @ellen-reincarnated1967 @maddiepants @littlewhiterose @tftumblin @monkeymcpoopoo @pinknerdpanda @thatgirl1456 @deangirl7695 @foxyjwls007 @woodworthti666 @writtingrose

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taehyungiestummy · 4 years

Text

Stuck -- Chapter Fifteen

Masterlist Previous Next

Word Count: 3243

“This game is awesome,” I squeal as Jungkook, Jimin, Taehyung, and I win yet another game of Overwatch with two random players. “We are the best!”

“You are just saying that because we are on a winning streak,” Jungkook laughs.

A few hours ago we made it home, and everything has been going great. Namjoon and Emily are hanging out at the dorms doing who know what. Seokjin and Nari went out grocery shopping, and should now be back at their apartment relaxing. Yoongi and Hoseok are at Yoongi’s place probably writing music. The four of us left over are at Taehyung and my place getting our fill of a new video game.

“Jagi, how do you have such good skills?” Taehyung looks over at me from the other end of the couch.

“Don’t you play video games all the time, cutie?” Jimin looks up at me from the floor.

As always, Jungkook and Jimin are sitting on the floor, but Jimin is near me while Jungkook is by Taehyung.

“Just Pokémon, Animal Crossing, Harvest Moon, Mario, and some small random Nintendo games,” I pet Haipeo’s head as she is lying next to me. “Tae plays all the games like this. I’m more of a handheld and computer girl.”

“Princess, you are such a geek,” Taehyung giggles. “I love it so much.”

“I love you,” I coo, sitting up and fixing my glasses. “And I think I love two other boys in this room too.”

“I think Keyowo loves me,” Jungkook is overly cocky with the dog sleeping in his lap.

“You forced her to sit in your lap,” Jimin shakes his head. “I don’t think that’s love.”

“She didn’t run away,” I stick up for the youngest boy. “That must mean something.”

“Thank you, adorable, for sticking up for me,” Jungkook looks over at me. “You are the sweetest.”

I smile, “That’s how I am. Just wanting to be as nice as possible to every single person.”

“And that’s how we got together,” Taehyung boxy smiles. “Because I am the same way.”

“She also accepted your weirdness,” Jimin says. “Which we were seriously interested to know if she would.”

“Hey,” I pout. “What’s that supposed to mean about me?”

“That you are a lovely girl who knows her soulmate when she found him,” Jungkook gives a forced smile, batting his eyelashes. “You also proved us boys wrong because you two make each other so happy.”

“It was still hell hearing Tae-Tae talk our ears off about you,” Jimin groans. “It’s like he loved you right after the first meeting.”

I look over at my boyfriend, his cheeks reddening at the comment. “Can I let you in on a little secret, babe?”

Taehyung looks over at me, a small smile on his face. “Is it bad?”

I chuckle, “No, not at all. It’s cute, and a bit weird, but you’ll like it.”

“Go for it,” he winks.

I feel my cheeks heating up, but I don’t shy away. “After I met you, I went back to Nari’s and looked up pictures of you the second I could. I had to check if you were the real deal, and put a picture for your contact.”

“That’s unfair,” Taehyung pouts.

“What?” Jungkook, Jimin, and I look at the boy in shock.

“You could look up pictures of me, set pictures up, and remember exactly what I looked like,” Taehyung explains. “I had to remember what you looked like by memory. And I only saw you for ten minutes!”

Jungkook, Jimin, and I burst into giggles. Haipeo even lets out a small bark.

“Aw, Tae babe,” I resist the urge to crawl over and sit in his lap. “You could have just asked for a picture.”

“That would have been creepy, and you know it,” Taehyung sits up on his knees and points at me. “Jagi, I could have drawn your face after that first meeting. I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

I look away, waving him off. “Whatever Tae. You’re too cute.”

“I agree,” Jungkook says. “I mean, he’s known as one of the cute ones.”

“I love how close you seven are,” I get comfortable on the couch again. “Now, can we get another game started?”

“You used to be cute, Kookie,” Jimin chuckles. “Then you hit puberty.”

“I am just able to be cute and sexy at the same time,” Taehyung boasts.

“I trump all of you in cuteness,” I giggle, looking down at my laptop. “Just deal with it, and let’s move on.”

“You are also super sexy baby,” Taehyung says. “Hot, beautiful, stunning, all those words.”

“Stop,” I wave him off, feeling my cheeks and ears heating up. “Let’s just get back to Overwatch. We can talk more after a few more rounds.”

********

A warm bath is always nice to have at the beginning of my period. It helps soothe my cramps as the painkillers take their time to kick in. Taehyung was actually the one to wake me up and tell me that I had blood on my pants. He was so sweet about the issue, kissing me all over my face to make me feel better. He carried me to the bathroom, and got me new shorts and underwear. He’s the best boyfriend I could have asked for.

I sigh as a new slow song I’ve never heard before starts up. It’s on playlist called Bubble Bath Time that Taehyung made for me in times like this. “If only I wasn’t alone,” I mumble, beginning to feel like a prune.

The song moves on, and not even a minute into ‘Butterfly’ does my phone begin to ring.

“What the fuck?” I groan, sitting up to look at my phone.

Taehyung’s dorky face is now taking over my screen as his voice telling me to pick up in many different voices fills my ears.

“What is he doing?” I giggle, drying my hand to answer the phone and put it on speaker. “Yes Tae bae?”

“Bae?” Taehyung’s deep laughter fills the air. “Was that a slip up?”

I giggle, “Did I not say babe?”

“No, you didn’t. I guess you are just too relaxed to think straight.”

“Tae bae slides right off the tongue. I like it.”

“So do I, so keep saying it.”

“Okay, now that that is out of the way. Why did you call me?”

“To check in on you, of course. How is my wifey?”

I chuckle, “That is going to be so hard to get used to.”

“Call me hubby.”

“In due time, maybe,” I sigh. “I’m doing fine, Tae. I’m in the bath right now, and my cramps are way better. It’s a good thing it happened this morning and you were there to take care of me.”

“I knew you were going to start because of last month, and because of the random stomachache. Wait, how are you taking a bath? Isn’t it getting everywhere?”

I burst into laughter, unplugging the drain so I can calm myself down. “Oh, you innocent child in some aspects of this big world.”

“The fuck was that?” Taehyung is holding in his laughs.

“Tae! I rarely hear you curse.”

“You liked it didn’t you? You curse all the time!”

I giggle, “Yeah, I do say some bad words more often then most. It’s how I let off steam. But I will admit it was hot. Don’t go crazy, though.”

“So, what am I so innocent about, hm?”

“Tampons, babe. That’s how I am able to take baths,” I stand up, grabbing a towel to wrap around my body.

“Oh,” he breaths out. “I saw those at the store.”

“Yes, that’s where they sell them.”

“I’ll Google them later. Now, what are your plans after the bath?”

“Well, I’m done with it now, so Ill get dressed and then make lunch. Oh, and let the dogs out. Then write, and maybe color to destress.”

“Are you stressed, jagiya? Do I need to come home?”

I chuckle, picking up my phone to set in on the sink counter. “No, Tae, I can take care of myself. I’ll be fine until you come home. Plus, you can’t just drop everything to come to my side when I feel bad. You have a job.”

“That I work hard at every single day. I can get a few hours off to come help you. If you are really in pain or something.”

“I a fine. Plus, you called me. It’s one thing if I called you.”

“True,” he chuckles. “I should let you go then. To get dressed and go do all the things you need to get done.”

“I love you, Taehyung. Work hard and let’s make dinner together tonight.”

“Sounds perfect, baby,” he hums. “See you later. I love you too.”

“Bye babe.”

He makes kissing noises before the line goes dead.

The slow music starts back up again. ‘Butterfly’ giving me a weird calm.

“That boy, too sweet to me. Fate is a crazy thing.” I quickly get dressed, deciding on some sweat shorts and a tight t-shirt with ‘BTS’ on the front and the boy’s names on the back. My hair ends up in a tiny bun as I exit the bathroom.

I leash Haipeo and Keyowo up to take them out for a bathroom break and a walk. The action making me feel like a grown-up, and proud of how far I have come as a person. Once back in the apartment, I fill their food and water bowls, and get to making my own lunch. The only thing I feel well enough to make is a cheesy toasty and a tall glass of milk.

“Social media time, I guess,” I take a bite of my sandwich, opening up Instagram. All kinds of pictures fill my feed, looking for something out of the ordinary. I don’t spot anything, and check my latest post. It’s a picture of the tub full, bubbles almost overflowing, and a caption are positive, asking if I am doing okay. Twitter is where I see hate almost instantly. It’s hard to just skip over it, and I close out of the app within minutes of opening it. “I think I’m going to clean,” I smile, placing my dirty dishes in the sink and turning on the faucet. “And I am going to blast music because I am a bigger person than those haters. And I always will be.”

********

“It smells so good, doesn’t it babies?” I smile as Haipeo and Keyowo play tug-of-war with a rope toy.

I’ve been quite productive on my day off, cleaning the whole apartment so I broadened my music horizon. Now getting to know so many different groups. When I had the cleaning done, I decided to rest and color for a bit. The weight of the harsh words drifting way. The dogs let me know when they needed to go out for a bathroom break and another walk. I will always be grateful that they love taking the elevator.

“Chocolate chip cookies are always good,” I slip off the barstool, walking over to the oven to check the progress of my last two batches. “And with everyone who will want some, it’s a good thing I doubled the recipe.” Cookies upon cookies on paper towels take up the counters. There has to be at least seventy cookies out right now, with around twenty ready to come out of the oven. “Too bad I didn’t plan dinner,” I turn off the oven, putting oven mitts on to take the two cookie sheets out.

Haipeo and Keyowo rush to the front door, signaling Taehyung’s return. The dogs being able to hear the key in the lock will always make me smile.

“Welcome home, Tae bae!” I shout as I hear the door close. I turn down the music, grabbing the little spatula to move the cookies.

“Princess, it smells so good,” Taehyung’s voice fills my ears. “So many cookies!”

I giggle, doing my best to transfer the cookies faster. “We have so many friends, so I had to make a lot of cookies.”

“What’s for dinner?” Taehyung wraps his arms around my middles, pressing kisses to my neck.

Haipeo lets out a bark, causing a giggle to fill the room that isn’t Taehyung or myself.

“Jimin,” I peal Taehyung’s arms off of me, turning to see Jimin on the living room floor with Haipeo and Keyowo.

“Hi cutie,” Jimin waves at me. His smile so big his face squishes up.

“What’s going on?” I walk over to the sink, getting to the dishes right away.

“Well, Seokjin is with Nari,” Taehyung picks up a dry dish towel. “And Namjoon is with Emily. Jungkook went out with some friends, and Yoongi and Hoseok stayed to do some song writing.”

“So, Chim-Chim had no where to go,” I hand a bowl to Taehyung. “Are you going to help with dinner, Chim?”

“Of course,” Jimin nods. “I will prove my worth.”

“Good,” I shuffle around on my toes, slowly feeling insecure in my outfit. “That means you two boys will start the meal and I can change.”

“What?” Taehyung pouts. “Jagi, don’t do that,” he whines. “You look so hot,” he taps my butt a few times.

“Do I make you uncomfortable, Amber?” Jimin seriously asks.

“No, no,” I shake my head. “I’m just underdressed and feel out of place.”

“You look fine. Don’t worry about it. Perfect in everything you do.”

“And I won’t let you change,” Taehyung kisses my cheek. “My beautiful princess.”

I feel the heat spread across my cheeks. “What are you going to make for dinner?”

The boys chuckle at my quick change of subject.

“Well, Tae here doesn’t cook much,” Jimin replies. “So it ahs to be a simple meal.”

“Ramen,” Taehyung cutely looks around at the both of us.

“Aw, that’s perfect,” I pat my boyfriend’s cheek. “Can we take a picture for my Instagram?”

“I want to be in the picture too!” Jimin shouts.

“Of course, Jiminie,” I giggle. “I would never leave you out.”

“Why the need for the picture?” Taehyung whispers as we begin to pack away the cookies.

“Just, reasons,” I shrug. “Nothing to worry about, I promise.”

“It was hate, wasn’t it?”

I sigh, “I’m fine now, Tae. I did a lot today, and the comments have left my mind.”

“But you want to show them wrong, right?”

“I guess.”

“What’s all the whispering about?” Jimin asks as he steps into the kitchen.

“Just, stuff,” I turn and hand the boy a cookie. “Now, are you ready to make dinner?”

********

Taehyung’s hands are on my hips as he stands behind me, chin resting on the top of my head. “So, did someone take the picture yet?”

I giggle, reaching my hands back to place them on Taehyung’s shoulders. “Namjoon does outfit posts, Tae and I can do couple posts.”

“I know ARMY will go crazy,” Hoseok laughs.

“I got some good pictures,” Yoongi grins. “So you can stop now.”

Taehyung kisses the top of my head before pulling away from me. “Break time will always be fun with you here.”

“Any time is fun with Amber,” Jungkook skips over to me. “You just bring something that no one else can.”

“Yeah, it’s because she’s a girl,” Yoongi shakes his head. “You perverts.”

I chuckle, “So that’s it, hm?”

“We just think she’s cute,” Jimin rushes up to me, tickling my sides before picking me up like a bride. “She’s so much fun to be around, and always makes us smile.”

“She’s sweet like that,” Seokjin smiles. “Always wanting the best for others, and then thinking of herself.”

“Give her to me, hyung,” Taehyung pouts, holding out his arms for me.

“As you wish,” Jimin taps his nose to my forehead before handing me over to Taehyung.

“What is she, a doll?” Namjoon rolls his eyes. “Put her down.”

“She’s a princess,” Taehyung rubs his nose across mine. “Do you want down, jagi?”

“Well, breaks almost over, and I need to do something with those pictures,” I run my hand over his cheek.

“Oh yeah, we took pictures for a reason,” he giggles, placing my feet on the ground. “A kiss?”

I press my lips to his, smiling as his fingers sneak under my shirt to pinch my sides. “Okay, don’t go too crazy, Tae.”

“No bae?” Jimin teases.

“But you’re my bae, Chim,” I smirk.

“Ah, well, you little,” Jimin pokes my cheek. “Cute.”

“All of you guys are my before anyone else. I love all of you!” I skip over to Yoongi, sitting down as close to him as possible. “Thanks for taking pictures.”

“My sister asked, so I delivered,” Yoongi places his arm around my shoulders. “I’m not always a cold hard ass.” He hands me my phone.

“Thank you,” I rest my head on his shoulder. “You like taking pictures, don’t you?”

“I do. It’s a bit of a hobby.”

“Like Emily, but not as deep into it. So, do you ever snap pictures of me when I’m not looking? Moments where I look cute, or you just have to take a picture to remember the moment.”

“As does Tae. We can’t help but want to take pictures of you.”

I have a tight lipped grin as I select a picture to post on Instagram. “Is it my looks? My cheeks?”

“Your puffy cheeks?” Yoongi gently pinches my cheek. “Maybe that’s what it is.”

“Maybe it’s the hair,” I sigh, posting the picture. “Or the eyes.”

“It’s just you.”

I look up, catching Taehyung on his phone as his thumbs type away. Jimin is next to him, watching over whatever he is doing on his phone.

“Okay, is everyone ready?” Mr. Son asks as he enters the room, a group of back-up dancers behind him.

“Are we practicing ‘Fire’ now?” Seokjin asks.

“Yes, for Amber’s sake. She has only done it a few times with the whole group.”

I place my phone down next to my jacket and water bottle. “I was actually going to ask if we could do a few run throughs for myself.” I slowly stand up, giving a few quick stretches. “Okay, I am ready to do some dancing.”

For the song ‘Fire’ I am placed in the middle so no one can spot me and cause a shit storm. When the boys walk through the middle at the end, I am able to reach out and high-five them. Though I would never do that in front of hundreds of ARMYs.

“It’s so cool to have you here with us,” a girl next to me pats my shoulder. “A great dancer, dating Taehyung, and such a kind soul.”

I giggle, “Thank you. I’m just doing the best I can.”

“Some of us talk about inviting you to hang out, but know you are busy with so much. Probably school, and then being a girlfriend.”

“Well, I have no school, so I don’t have to study. Being a girlfriend and taking care of two dogs takes a lot. I do have friends, and go out. I’m still kind of a kind.”

“Well, next time we go out to lunch, we might invite you.”

I give a small smile to the girl, “I’d like that. Can’t say I would go, but I would always give it thought. You guys are more than co-workers. You are a family, and I want to be a good member.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hope you enjoyed reading! About 2/3′s of the way through now! :D

#BTS #BTS fan fiction #BTS x OC #BTS imagine #Jungkook x OC #Jungkook imagine #Taehyung x OC #Taehyung imagine #Jimin x OC #Jimin imagine #Namjoon x OC #Namjoon imagine #Hoseok x OC #Hoseok imagine #Yoongi x OC #Yoongi imagine #Seokjin x OC #Seokjin imagine #My OCs

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euphoria-svt · 5 years

Text

[1] Introduction

part 1 to idiotsinlove (do let me know what you guys think of this concept!!)

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Word count: 1.7k -ish

“Wait,” Connor cuts you off mid-sentence “You want to do a what now?”

“A YouTube channel!” You exclaimed “You know; where we do those couple challenges, vlog exciting things and stuff. Like Jess and Gabriel, remember?”

“Yeah, I know. I always see you watching their videos, honey” He chuckles in reply, slamming his laptop shut “But why do you want to do it?”

You shrugged your shoulders, “I don’t really know why but it just came to my mind and I just thought how cool it would be if we started doing those kinds of things, you know?”

“And we don’t have to post every week if we’re not up for it” You continued “It’s kind of just a fun thing to have now and look back on when we’re old and feeling nostalgic”

Connor furrowed his eyebrows “What makes you think people are going to want to watch us?” He asked.

You rolled your eyes, snickering a little “Babe, do you not realize that you have a fanbase now after that entire tour with Shawn? I’m not surprised that they love you as much as they love him so of course they’d click on any video that involves you”

“Yeah well….” Connor dragged out, reaching for your hand so your fingers were laced together “That doesn’t matter to me because the only person I love is you hooooney”

Shaking your head, you tried to hide your smile but failed “Cheeky” You noted “So, is that a go on the whole YouTube channel thing?”

You saw the smile plastered on his face and even though he hesitated for a moment, you knew he was on board with it.

xxx

“Okay, it’s set” Connor announced as he steps back from the tripod about an hour later since you proposed the idea “Baby, can you turn on the ring light so I can see if the brightness is okay?”

“Yeah, hang on!” You reached for the remote control, pressing the button to turn on the lights “How’s it looking from the camera, bubs?”

Connor takes a look at the little screen on his camera, then nodded “Brightness level looks good from the here so we’re good to go!” He commented.

He walks forward to the set and joins you at the front of the camera, taking his seat at the empty stool next to yours.

“You good?” Connor asks with concern, tilting his head to your direction.

“Yeah I’m all good, bubs” You smiled “Our first video together! This is so exciting!”

“You know I’m barely standing in front of the camera, right?” So, you’re lucky I love you” He said teasingly.

“And I love you moooore!” You chirped, holding the remote control up “Are we good? Can we start?”

Connor nods so you pressed the record button on the remote. When you see the little red light blinking on the camera, it meant the recording has already started.

“Hello and welcome to our channel!” You greeted, although your pitch came out higher than usual and that alone had Connor bursting into laughter.

“What the heck was that, babe?” Connor asks in between laughs “Why’s your voice all high and squeaky?”

“Connor!”

“You sound like a mouse, honey”

You pouted, swatting his shoulder playfully “Stop laughing at me, bubs!” You whined “I’ve never done this before! ‘M just nervous! We’re definitely cutting this out later”

“Oh, no way” He shakes his head, his laughter starts to die down “I’m leaving everything in as bloopers!”

“Okay, okay, this is take 2!”

You clear your throat before opening your mouth to do the greeting once again.

“Hello everyone and welcome to our channel!” You said excitingly with a smile on your face “We’re the idiotsinlove!”

“I thought of the name, by the way!” Connor said proudly as he briefly waved to the camera “It took me forever to come up with it and I take full credit for it”

You turn your head towards him and mockingly said “Yes bubs, the name is very original. Thank you for coming up with it, I don’t know what I’d do without you”

Connor knew you were joking but he smugly said “Your life would be super dull, that’s for sure and you’re welcome, babe”

You rolled your eyes and snickered a little.

“Anyways, I’m y/n y/ln” You said then leaning closer to Connor, wrapping your arms around his neck; pressing your cheek against his “And this guy right here is my lovely boyfriend; Connor Brashier!”

Connor smiles cheekily to the camera and wraps an arm around your waist “Hello there! I should tell you that this is kind of weird for me” He said “I’m so used to standing behind the camera and filming other people instead”

You pulled your arms back but Connor refused to let go of the grip he has around your waist, wanting to keep you close to him, as you spoke “This is our first ever video and we basically wanted to do like a mini introduction about ourselves before posting anything else”

“We’re going to tell you some facts about ourselves and if you’re interested in getting to know us a little better, then please continue watching this video!” Connor said “We’ll love you even more if you stay throughout the entire thing… Ladies first, baby”

“Okay so, I turned 21 in August and I was born and raised in LA. I’m currently in my second year of uni; majoring in Management and Accounting at UCLA… Which is pretty stressful if I’m being completely honest” You told the camera in a disgusted voice “Uni is hell and I completely don’t know why I signed up for it”

“Despite all her complains, my girl is a smart cookie” Connor said proudly “Literally the smartest person I know. She’s thriving in her degree, no kidding”

“Connorrrr” You whined, feeling your cheeks starting to turn rosy-pink “’M not smart, babe”

“Pfft, sure you’re not”

“Anyways, there’s not much interesting things about myself. I bake and cook a little, play the guitar and just bury myself with a lot of books” You continued “Which is basically like any other women, I guess”

“That’s another lie” Connor chirped “She bakes the best cookies I’ve ever tasted and I’m not just saying that because she’s my girlfriend. That’s straight up facts. She baked 2 full containers of them for me when I left for tour then Shawn and Brian stole one of them from me. I was pissed at them for an entire week”

You burst into a laughter, feeling your whole body vibrate as you leaned on Connor’s shoulder for support.

You remembered this day so clearly. He called you on Facetime while you were in the middle of a movie; complaining that the boys took his cookies without asking him. And part of you wanted to feel bad for him but seeing that pout on his face and the tone he was speaking in made you giggle for 5 minutes straight.

“Babe, it’s not funny!” He whined, poking your side playfully “I was really upset! I had to survive with only one container for like 2 months”

Your laughter finally dies down as you wiped a tear from your eye and straighten your body position “Okay and I made it up to you didn’t I, bubs? I welcomed you home with a new batch of it so you gotta stop holding it against them, Con”

“I guess” He grumbled “Can we bake some after this?” He added hopefully.

“Yeah we can make some after this”

“Pinky promise?” Connor held his pinky out to you.

You tried to hide the smile on your face but failed miserably, nodding as you interlocked your pinkies together “Pinky promise, Con”

Your pinkies remained laced together on Connor’s lap, something you two did very often. It was just an intimate affection that grew on you ever since the beginning “Wanna tell the world about yourself now, bubs?”

“Right, well, I turned 20 in July and I was also born and raised in LA. I’ve been surfing since I was a little kid so it’s something I really love to do whenever I’ve got the time and then I got into photography later on when I was about 15-16. I was in UCLA for a bit, majoring in psychology and economics. It only lasted for a few months because then I got an email from Andrew Gertler, which was freakishly cool”

“Apparently Andrew and Shawn had seen some of my work and Shawn wanted to hire me as his videographer” Connor continued “Which was obviously an amazing opportunity to take on”

As Connor was explaining everything, you could hear the excitement lingering in his voice. He was always this way whenever he talks about it because being able to be a videographer for Shawn has been one of the best accomplishments for him so far.

And you loved how excited he gets whenever anyone asks him about it. You’d always be by his side, smiling as you listen to him; you were just so proud of him.

“And I’m so proud of you, bubs” You cooed then looked at the camera “Seriously you guys, check out his work because this man right here does magic with his work. He used to send me little previous of the documentary he filmed and I was always so blown away by them. You’re amazing, babe”

Connor blushed, leaning forward to press a kiss to your cheek “Thanks, baby and thank you for always being my number 1 supporter”

“I’m always your number 1 supporter!” You exclaim “Sorry, you can’t get rid of me any time soon” You added, poking your tongue out at him.

He smiled “Fine by me. I wasn’t planning on doing that”

“I guess this is it for today’s video!” You then said “If you’ve made it this far in this video, thank you for letting us entertain you for the past few minutes”

“And if there’s anything you would like to see us do, leave a comment down below!” Connor added.

“Aw, look at you already being a pro at this whole YouTuber thing, bubs” You said teasingly.

“You know it” He said smugly.

“Thank you and we’ll see you next time on idiotsinlove!”

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Reblog, like or leave a comment; always appreciated! ❤️

x rina

TAG LIST:

@hurts-like-hell-xx @connordavidscamera @r3ader @tinycertain @green-lxght @queenmxndes @turtoix

#connor brashier #connor brashier x reader #IIL✨

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violethowler · 5 years

Text

This Isn’t A Zero Sum Game: An Analysis of Lotor’s Interactions With The Paladins as a Whole Across Seasons 5 and 6

Every once in a while I’ll think about some “hot take” I saw in the VLD fandom more than a year ago and just think about how canon... just did not support those conclusions... And since that’s how most of my meta get started, I churned out a new one:

In the wake of Seasons 5 and 6 dropping I saw a lot of posts, particularly from Lotor stans, bashing the Paladins for the way they treated him in the first two episodes of Season 5, how cruel they were to just give him over to his father without a second thought. I even saw a few arguing over how humane his treatment was in S5E1.

While I do believe that Lotor’s desire for peace was genuine (as we would have seen in Season 8 before the executive meddling cut the payoff), I think that it’s a little extreme to argue that the Paladins treatment of him in S5E1 The Prisoner was unethical, or that they were just throwing him to the wolves in S5E2.

To quote one of my favorite video game characters, “Let’s hit these plot points in order.”

What exactly were people expecting the Paladins to do after Lotor saved the day in “A New Defender”? Immediately welcome him into the fold with open arms and a fresh batch of cookies that Hunk made just for the occasion? They’re forgetting that just a few episodes ago, Lotor was still in charge of the Galra Empire. He wasn’t a fringe third party with a checkered past who showed up to help when the chips were down like Rolo and Nyma. For all of Season 3 and most of Season 4, he’s been an enemy combatant, and they treated him as such. While he may currently be at odds with his father after S4E3, the Paladins have no way to know whether he genuinely wants peace or is just telling them what they want to here so he can take advantage of them. Because he’s done it before.

In S3E2 Red Paladin, Lotor has Narti use her mind control powers to have the leader of Puig send a distress signal asking Voltron for help. When they arrive, he ambushes them and sends multiple waves of fighters to gauge their skill and whether they would be able to retrieve the trans reality comet. When he gets what he wants, he leaves.

Two episodes later, in S3E4 Hole in the Sky, Lotor attaches a distress beacon to the ship with the comet inside that mimics an Altean distress signal. When Voltron arrives, he waits for them to retrieve the comet, then attacks them, steals the comet for himself, and flies off.

That’s two times now that Lotor has faked a distress signal and then used Voltron’s desire to help to further his own agenda before flying off with the fruits of his labor. He may not have done anything to them since then, but they are understandably wary of being used like that a third time. You know how the old saying goes. “Fooled me once, shame on you. Fooled me twice, shame on me.”

So, when he slides up to the Coalition saying “hey, I know we’ve fought in the past but let’s see if we can come to an agreement”, he’s looked at with suspicion, and understandably so. The Paladins aren’t going to just give free reign of the Castle of Lions to someone they know very little about, who was an enemy combatant less than a month ago (by all indications S4E2-6 take place within a very short period of time), and who has a history of using their desire to help people to advance his own agenda. So, they put him in the cell as a probationary measure. If he proves trustworthy, they give him access to more of the castle. If it turns out that he’s using them for his own ends like they fear, well, they’ve already locked him up, and at least he wouldn’t have been able to access any sensitive information. We see that bear out in S5E3 Postmortem. The Paladins aren’t bothered that Lotor’s out of his cell. He’s proven his intentions by killing his father. Their main reaction is surprise that they’re giving him access to the bridge already.

[EDIT]: Some posts following the release of Season 5 pointed out that if the lights on Lotor’s prison deck were kept on 24/7, it would constitute a form of torture. While that is a valid point to make, I saw quite a few blogs that took that possibility and exaggerated it, not even considering the “if” part of the original discussion, declaring it as fact, and rushing to label the Paladins’ actions as war crimes because we never saw Lotor’s cell with the lights off. It should be noted that all of these scenes took place in the daytime, and while we never see that specific room at night, Season 2 already showed that the castle’s lights are turned off during the night cycle, and there’s nothing to suggest they didn’t do the same with Lotor’s cell.

And there’s also another angle that isn’t really talked about – that not everyone we saw in the Coalition in previous seasons was willing to work alongside Galra like the Blade of Marmora. While the rebels we see in Begin the Blitz and A New Defender are just fine working with the Blades, it’s not out of the question that some Coalition members might resent the Coalition’s Galra allies. And if Lotor’s on the Castle of Lions, that would make him a target. The cell could also have been just as much to keep trigger happy Coalition members out as it was to keep him in.

Then I hear people arguing that they were just going to hand him over to Zarkon with no strings attached, that they were just going to give Lotor up and trust that Zarkon would stay true to his word. It sometimes sounded like some people want so badly for Lotor to be a bigger victim than he already is that they twisted canon to make the Paladins out to be thoughtless jerks. Because S5E2 Blood Duel shows us that everything that happened was all according to plan.

For those who are unfamiliar, the Unspoken Plan Guarantee trope refers to the pattern that the more the audience knows the details of the plan beforehand, the greater the chances the plan will fail, and the fewer details the audience knows in advance, the greater the chances the plan will succeed. Explaining the details of the plan after it’s been successfully carried out is optional.

After Zarkon pulls the hologram trick, the phrase “Hold our position until the time is right.” Is repeated by both Shiro and Lance (albeit without the “until the time is right” part for Lance). And the show tells us that the moment when “the time is right” is when Lotor attacks Zarkon and leads him away from the shuttle.

When the Paladins are arguing with Shiro in S5E3 Postmortem, they don’t say anything to the effect of “why did you give Lotor a weapon?” They had no problem with him being armed. The issue they had was that Lotor was given the Black Bayard, his father’s signature weapon they had only just gotten back from Zarkon 14 episodes ago. One wrong move in Blood Duel, and that weapon would have been back in Zarkon’s hands. And for a moment in that episode, it was. Zarkon did get his hands on the Black Bayard and if Lotor had been a second too slow, Zarkon would have killed all five Paladins, plus Matt and Sam in a single strike.

I’ve mentioned before that VLD prefers to show things to the audience rather than explain them out loud. Sometimes it’s to the show’s detriment because the answer to viewers’ questions aren’t immediately obvious. But watching Blood Duel again, it’s clear that plan was always “make the hostage exchange. Wait for Zarkon to double cross us. Lotor attacks Zarkon and leads him on a chase across the desert. Shiro, Matt, and Pidge storm the shuttle to free Sam.” The Paladins were always going to ensure that Lotor was armed during the fight with his father. The only issue they had was Shiro’s choice of what weapon to give him.

So now that Lotor has proven they can trust him, they start to drop their guard and be more casual and friendly around him. And according to Matt during the flashbacks in S7E7 “The Last Stand: Part”, by the time Sam Holt has been on Earth for just over a year, Voltron had been missing for six months. That means that between S5E5 Bloodlines and S6E4 The Colony, Voltron and Lotor had been working together for just over six months. That’s six months of the Paladins slowly growing to trust and befriend the new Galra Emperor. But the little embers of doubt about his intentions were still there in the back of each of their minds.

That’s why it’s so easy for the Paladins to believe Keith and Romelle when they show up accusing him of murdering Alteans with no concrete evidence other than their own assumptions. Because given his behavior before Naxzela, an apparent reveal that he had been playing the long game manipulating them all along rekindled those embers of suspicion. It’s easy for them to conclude that Lotor was playing a long con since it would fit with his behavior towards them prior to Season 4. Because what non-nefarious reason could Lotor possibly have for not telling Allura and Coran that he had been sheltering the surviving Alteans after working together for six months?

We know why Lotor didn’t say anything. Because he refused to risk Haggar discovering the Colony’s existence and scouring the universe until she found it. But the Paladins have never experienced the level of privacy invasion and subsequently justified paranoia that Lotor has. So, they do not have the experience to understand that he refused to risk the security of the colony by revealing its existence where Haggar might have spies or listening devices or cloned sleeper agents to overhear.

I agree with the theory that Lotor was telling the truth about the Altean Colony and that what was happening there was not what Keith and Romelle believed it was. I absolutely believe that the Paladins leaving Lotor in the rift was a mistake. But the attempts by certain Lotor stans to water this down to a black and white scenario of Paladins Evil, Lotor Good are not supported by canon. Canon shows us that the falling out between Lotor and the Paladins was a messy situation where everyone had understandable reasons for reacting to the reveal of the colony as they did. That doesn’t make any one person’s reactions right or justified, only that if you put the pieces together it’s understandable how they reached the conclusions they did.

TL;DR: There is no evidence in the show that suggests Lotor was treated inhumanely, the Paladins were never going to just hand him to Zarkon unarmed and hope for the best, and Lotor's paranoid refusal to tell them about the Colony gave Keith's accusations greater weight because it was in line with his behavior towards the Paladins in Season 3 enough for them to believe that he had been pulling a long con all along.

#voltron meta #vld lotor #voltron legendary defender #character analysis #vld paladins #vld season 5 #voltron season 5 #voltron season 6 #vld season 6

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emu-lumberjack · 4 years

Text

A Text, A Mess, and Some Cookies

Newt wasn’t expecting to hear From April today, or really ever. so when he gets a text from her obviously he’ll help. plus he’ll do a little extra.

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Ok so this has been bugging me for about a week, and I decided to finally write it out, it’s just OC work so not any fandom stuff. I feel like this comes in the middle of the characters development so yeah. I want to post it because why not, also just as backround April only likes being called Ril by close friends or family. which is also explained in my head earlier in the story. oh yeah did I mention that this is like the middle of it in my head. anyway here y’all are.

I wasn’t expecting to get the text from April, but sure enough there was her contact picture. It was one she had taken herself when they first met, she had one eye closed was holding up a peace sign and her tongue was sticking out. I loved it, it was so her and not that facade she puts up around other people where she was perfectly polite and kind.

Hey, you wouldn’t by chance be at your house? And have Advil present would you?

Strange request but you’re in luck I’m both home and have advil present

Thank you! Would you mind bringing it over? You can come through the deck and my room, I’m kinda currently couch ridden.

I’ll be over in 2

I went to the kitchen and grabbed the Advil, at this point, I trusted her enough that she legitimately needed it and she wasn’t just trying to annoy the crap out of me.

Once I got through the door I noticed her room was really messy When was the last time she cleaned? I thought to myself, walking through the hallway to the living room wasn’t much better. There were laundry baskets all around with stacks of books and papers thrown in periodically. Walking into the living room I noticed the smell coming from the garbage, not pleasant. The kitchen was right next door and even from a brief glance, I could tell the dishes were piled up high.

“Hey” a smaller voice than I was used to came from the couch. I walked around to see April with a heating pad pressed to her stomach and a blanket covering her legs, it was then that I realized how cold it was in here.

“Sorry for the mess, I haven’t exactly been feeling great the last few days.”

I handed her the Advil and said, “this isn’t exactly a few days worth of mess.”

“Yeah I know, it’s been a harder few weeks, it’s just most people buy the few days act.”

“Too bad for you I’m not most people, do you want water for the Advil?”

“That would actually be awesome.” I walked into the kitchen and my initial feeling about the it was correct, it was a total mess. How she lived like this I had no idea. Fast as I could I grabbed the last clean glass from the cabinet and got some water into it. Walking back I noticed the stains on the counter.

“Here you go April.”

“Have I mentioned your a lifesaver?” she cracked a small smile and downed the Advil.

“So you want to tell me what’s up with the getup?” I motioned to the sweats plus heating pad plus blanket combo.

“Well uh… let’s just say having two X-chromosomes sucks ass, and this time is particularly bad. I forgot to start taking Advil when I initially felt the symptoms and by the time I really needed it, I couldn’t find any. I was actually looking for a solid half hour before I texted you. Thanks again by the way, sorry I had to text you in the first place.” She looked up at me, and I swear I had never seen her that tired.

“Hey it’s completely fine I had nothing to do today anyway, you know me the most exciting thing I was planning today was sorting out my colored pens for the fourteenth time today.” we both chuckled at that.

“Well if you don’t have anything to do want to come to watch the new episode of Doctor Who with me? I recorded it last night I hear that the new fan theory is the Master coming back.”

“Scooch over you’ve got me invested now.” She sat up and motioned for me to sit where her head had been lying seconds before.

“I bet you a batch of cookies the Master doesn’t actually show up.”

“Oh, I’ll take that bet. Chocolate chip is my favorite by the way.” She was looking better but she still looked absolutely exhausted. Over the episode, I guess we must have drifted closer because at about 20 minutes in I felt a small weight on my shoulder. When I looked over I saw April sleeping softly with her head resting right where the small weight was I think that was the first time I’d ever seen her truely asleep. I moved a strand of blonde hair out of her face, she looked so much younger sleeping. I never really noticed before how much stress she carried with her until it was gone. That’s when I got the idea to help ease her stress, if just for a little.

Careful not to wake her up I gently laid her back down on the couch, before I did anything I turned off the heating pad and moved it to the table. I started by taking out the trash, then I worked through the kitchen doing the dishes and cleaning the stained countertop. I quickly realized I’d probably have to bring cleaning supplies from my house but that wouldn’t be too much of an issue. I listened to the episode as I worked, and it was on one of my supply runs that I added to my mental checklist to see what she had here for baking and what I needed to bring over. Quickly the kitchen looked less and less like a tornado had just ripped through it, and more like someone just needed to vacuum, which I would do once, she got up. Once most of the kitchen was done I started on the cookies. She had most of the stuff for the recipe so I only had to bring over chocolate chips and brown sugar. While they were in the oven I started tackling the hallway.

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Why does it smell like heaven was my first thought upon waking up, then I remembered. Newt, Advil, Doctor Who. Wait did I fall asleep? Shit! I hated falling asleep in front of people, but I guess the 4 closing shifts combined with the 2 doubles I’d done finally caught up with me. I went to stand up thankful to notice the cramp was finally done, those are probably in my top ten painful experiences and this was definitely one of the worst ones.

I followed my nose to the kitchen where I saw Newt of all people scrubbing at a mixing bowl, chocolate chip cookies stood on a cooling rack a pleasant vanilla scent rang through the kitchen. In my groginess it took me a moment but I finally noticed that the counter was, clean? When did that happen? I must have made a noise because Newt turned around from his cleaning.

“Look whose finally awake, have a nice nap?” He tried to put in our usual sarcasm but I could tell it was really just a joke rather than our normal banter.

“Uh.. yeah. I actually really needed that. One question though, when did this,” I motioned to the clean kitchen, “happen. Because the last thing I remember the Doctor Who theme was playing and it smelled like someone just died in here.”

“Yeah, so you fell asleep about a third of the way through the episode. I personally wanted to keep watching but the smell was just so bad so I took out the trash, then I realized if you were right I was gonna need space to bake cookies, so I started doing the dishes.” It sounded true enough, but I still smelled something funny, something he wasn’t telling me about. “Then well I couldn’t really walk through the hallway when I came in so I just tidied that up a little, and I needed a place to sit on the couch, so I also put that stuff up and cleaned that a little. I didn’t want to wake you up so I left the vacuuming up to you.”

“And the cookies?” “Oh you were right, it was such a twist ending.” there was a twinkle in his eyes and he smiled at me. I gave him one right back.

“See I told you, anyway I’m sad I missed it.”

“Ya know I was busy doing this I was only able to listen to the episode, I didn’t get to watch. How bout we rewind it and watch it together? This time both of us staying awake.”

“Sounds like a plan. How bout you go get it set up, and bring the cookies out and I’ll finish cleaning up. You’ve already done so much.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah tho I think you should take the cookies out of the oven, I have a bad habit of over baking them.”

“That I remember.” we both gave a shudder of the burned cookie fiasco of October. He produced a cookie platter where he got it I have no idea and started putting cookies on it, I finished up with the mixing bowl and cleaned the electric mixer, there really wasn’t a lot to do after all Newt had done a lot.”

“Hey Ril which remote is it?” He called from the living room

“The silver one.” I hollered back. A second later I realized what he called me, and I think he did too because I swear there was complete silence even from the birds outside.

“Uh… Sorry I didn’t realize if----” he began from the other room.

“It’s fine don’t worry bout it Newt.” A breath and we were all back to normal or at least our version of normal.

Newt came back in a few minutes later, the timer on his phone must’ve gone off because he was getting the cookies out of the oven. I’m not too proud to admit that when he did I followed the cookies with my nose, they smelled amazing.

“Careful, these are still really hot.” So he did see me eyeing the cookies.

“There are cooler ones out on the living room table.”

“Yeah, but they aren’t as gooey.” I tried to sneak my arm past him to grab one, but hegrabbed my wrist and directed me away from the too hot tray.

“You’re no fun.”

“And you’re gonna get burned. At least let me move them to the cooling tray first.”

“Fine.” I sighed heavily. Once he did I grabbed the cookie sheet and dumped it in the sink to clean it, when that was done I looked over to see the still cooling cookies. Newt had his back turned, so I obviously did the only reasonable thing. I grabbed a cookie and started eating it. “Mhmmm. That is the best cookie I’ve ever had.”

“High praise coming from the picky eater herself.” back to our usual sarcasm, I could work with this.

“Well you see, there are slight imbalances with the salt to sugar ratio. I feel as though it’s a little too sweet.”

“Oh, you’re so full of shit.” We looked at each other and broke out laughing.

“Come on let’s go finish the show. I’ve got to know how right I was about the Master.”

“Oh like only nine percent.”

“Nine?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Ty.”

“That sounds more like it.” he gave a laugh, one I don’t usually hear on it’s own. It was quick but real, one that’s hard to place but will infect anyone around them with happiness. I like seeing that laugh.

#my writing #oc writing #original content #original character #Emu writes #here y'all are #I know I should be updating my fics #but I haven't been able to get this out of my head #for a WEEK #also this is definitely #not me procrastinating my final #which is a big ass project #also in my head #this is the middle of the story #so I might update it #and put stuff before it #or after it #but I just needed to write this out

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ladyluck852 · 5 years

Text

Mon Chérie (Seonghwa x Reader)

A/N: I love this boy with my entire heart and soul, one day friends, one day 🤧💕also I used my old banner just because the colors looked nicer with the gif...

Word Count: 3.8k (I think)

Genre: long distance, YouTuber au, fluff

Warnings: none?

Summary: Y/n’s YouTube viewers won’t stop shipping her with the mysterious chocolate connoisseur Hwaseong, maybe it’s meant to be?

Y/n sighed as she read through the YouTube comments on her latest video, her usual 12AM hobby before bed on the days she released one, liking and replying back to her viewers made her feel nice. She’d been on youtube for close to three years, making cooking videos and daily food videos every once in a while, and she’d gathered quite a following since then with close to 800k subscribers. She was happy and content baking for fun, and even if her job kept her inside most of the time she wasn’t complaining, she had plenty of time to do things later on.

Lately her comments and mentions were full of people telling her she should watch another youtuber, or people saying they shipped her with him, which she found odd since she’d never shown her face on the channel. She was flattered, the youtuber who went by the name Hwaseong was famous for his chocolate recipes and nice asmr videos, she often found herself watching them when she couldn’t sleep at night. She couldn’t remember ever seeing his face though, she just liked the whole vibe and aesthetic he had going on, and he always had a cute plush or cat appearing somewhere in his videos.

“You’re awfully spaced out” y/n’s friend said over FaceTime the next morning, y/n’s laptop set up on her counter as she tested out a recipe for her latest video. Cat shaped macarons, they were a pain in the ass but so satisfying if they came out well, this was her second batch so far.

“I’m daydreaming” y/n mumbled, checking her batter and making sure the consistency was perfect before filling her piping bag. She’d slept well the night before, she just found it weird that she’d dreamt of the mysterious chocolate youtuber, in her head he was so handsome and sweet. It was weird considering she didn’t know anything about him, and she really didn’t want to have a weird crush on someone she had never seen, but here she was thinking about him while she baked.

Halfway across the world, Seonghwa was uploading a video while eating cereal on his couch, checking his recent Instagram notifications and seeing that his followers were still talking about y/n from YouTube. She went by Mon Chérie on YouTube and y/n on her other social media’s, he knew about her and actually found her videos pleasant. He didn’t really watch too many cooking videos because he didn’t want to be influenced by others, but he quite liked how soothing her videos were. He wasn’t sure what it was about her that made his followers put them together, but he didn’t mind.

“Oh my gosh” y/n said, dropping everything she was holding when she saw the notification on her phone, one of many in the sea of instagram notifications, her heart raced as she clicked on it.

“What?” Her friend asked, bothered by her sudden outburst that had her worried. Y/n was always a go getter, she moved far away from her whole family as soon as she turned 18 and was still gone, she hadn’t stepped foot on u.s soil in a few years because her family usually flew in to visit on holidays. Everyone worried about her since she was so young, she didn’t have any family there whatsoever, but she was happy where she was even if it was lonely.

“He followed me on Instagram!” y/n shrieked, immediately following the chocolate connoisseur back and not being able to contain her excitement, “oh my gosh, oh my gosh- OH!”

“What?!”

“He messaged me!!”

Seonghwa now started and ended his days thinking about y/n, eager to talk to the girl everyone said he’d like, after talking for two weeks he really saw why everyone said so. She’d given him her number last night, an international area code because she’d been living in Korea for nearly four years now. He always teased her, it was an inside joke now between them that they’d both gone to each other’s countries and didn’t plan on coming back.

seonghwa[8:30pm]: it’s raining again :( it never stops raining

Y/n[8:31pm]: no one told you to move to Seattle

seonghwa[8:32pm]: the view from my apartment is the reason why I will never leave...

seonghwa[8:32pm]: the state, not my house. I leave my house

Y/n tried to keep from laughing as she read her messages, attempting to focus on her recipe but not being able to, she was enjoying herself too much. She did find the time difference to be a bit weird but they made it work, neither of them were ever really busy unless they were recording a video, so they spent a lot of free time messaging.

Y/n[8:40pm]: it’s nice and sunny here

seonghwa[8:41pm]: wow aren’t you lucky. I haven’t seen the sun in years!

Y/n[8:43pm]: meanwhile I’d love to see some rain

Seonghwa bit his lip, his balcony door open to let in the cool night air and so he could hear the rain, he turned on his lamp and messed with his hair before sending her a quick text.

seonghwa[8:45pm]: Can I FaceTime you?

Y/n was nervous, her heart racing and her ches tightening just at the thought of seeing him. They’d gone a whole two weeks without showing their faces, she knew eventually it would happen unless they stopped talking, but she didn’t ever want to stop talking to him. She was scared when she said yes, but she didn’t have much time to think about it because he was calling her soon after.

“Hi” y/n said nervously, her stomach tightening and her jaw nearly dropping when she saw him, she almost threw her phone in shock. She always pictured him as being handsome but she wasn’t expecting him to be even more handsome than she’d previously thought, he was staring at the screen with wide eyes and she felt so weird.

“You are so beautiful, why didn’t you tell me?!” He asked, sounding offended, y/n just covered her mouth while her cheeks went red and her eyes watered slightly.

“Stop it’s not funny. Show me the rain or hang up...” y/n mumbled teasingly, feeling her stomach erupt into butterflies when he laughed. He had the sweetest cutest laugh, she hated it, she didn’t know why he had to be so handsome and cute because now it was going to be all she thought of.

“No I think I’ve ceased to function, who is this radiant beauty and where did y/n go? This can’t be the same person who doesn’t change out of her pajamas until 2pm” Seonghwa teased, his mind blown to bits just looking at her. Maybe he liked her too much and his expectations were now shattered, it felt so strange to be seeing her face but he was so glad to be.

“Why did I tell you that?” Y/n laughed, embarrassed, switching the camera so it was pointing out of her window, “there’s your sunshine”

Seonghwa did the same, his view of the city probably the most attractive thing about him, at least that’s what he thought, “there’s your rain”

They sat in silence for a little bit just admiring the views from across the ocean, not really knowing what to say to each other now that they could hear and see each other, “I’m sorry I’m awkward”

Seonghwa felt breathless every time he saw her face, the type of pretty that radiated from within and made her look radiant, “awkward? If anyone’s awkward here it’s me, I’m blushing”

“You’re handsome”

Seonghwa groaned, his cheeks feeling hotter and hotter by the second, “it’s refreshing to hear your voice, it’s kind of everything I imagined it to be”

“Oh gosh, you’re making me blush now, I think the only time I’ve heard your voice was in that one video you posted where you spilled flour everywhere and left that in, when you cussed on family friendly YouTube” y/n teased, almost dropping her phone from laughing, glad she didn’t hang up on him by accident.

“Oh so you’re a fan girl, I knew it, I just knew it. You fangirls are crazy” it was his turn to tease her, watching her cheeks get red while she covered her face.

“Go to bed, you sound crazy now”

“I’ll sleep well after talking to you, I’m making a matcha dessert tomorrow, I’ll call you then? If you’re awake...” seonghwa suggested, smiling softly when she nodded, glad he got to see her before bed.

“Of course. Goodnight Seonghwa”

His heart clenched in his chest, the sound of his name sounding so nice coming from her he could pass out right there, “goodnight y/n”

“What time is it?” Y/n asked, rubbing her tired eyes after she’d spent some time editing a video and replying to comments, she was ready for bed and seonghwa had just FaceTimed her looking sleepy and messy.

“Around 6am, I woke up so I could tell you goodnight”

Y/n sighed, her heart aching, she was tired and stressed and even though she was glad to have him it got tiring. They’d been talking for months now, every day they got closer and they always joked about dropping everything and running to each other, both of them too scared to even suggest being with each other but wanting it badly.

“Seonghwa...” y/n mumbled, rubbing her face, wishing he hadn’t called while she was sleepy and emotional.

“I know that things are tough sometimes, but we have each other, and that’s why I call you before bed so that you can get your mind off of things” seonghwa said softly, trying to encourage her not to be sad despite not knowing why. He just thought it was because she was stressed from work, their jobs required all of their time, he really wanted to ask her to visit him for the holidays but he knew that she would be too busy to consider it.

“I should go, I think I’m gonna go okay?” Y/n mumbled, wanting to get off of the call already just so that she could cry in peace. On top of missing someone she hadn’t met yet, her family wasn’t going to be visit her for Christmas, which normally wouldn’t be a problem but she had felt so lonely lately she couldn’t afford to spend much more time alone.

“What’s wrong? You know I’m here for you, you know you can talk to me y/n, I’d do anything to help you feel better, are you okay?” He asked, feeling anxious that there was nothing he could do, he lived so far but all he wanted to do was wrap her in his arms and tell her that things would be okay. That he would take care of her, that they could make each other even happier.

“It’s just not fair okay? Why are you there, and why am I here? I just want to be next to you Seonghwa” y/n breathed, setting her phone down so she didn’t have to see the expression on his face, feeling like he wasn’t going to feel the same way at all. Sometimes she felt like she was making up the feelings, like he didn’t really like her as much as she could feel herself liking him.

“Y/n, can you look at me...or the phone screen, I want to tell you something, please” Seonghwa said, messing with his already messy black hair, turning on his lamp to combat the gloomy morning outside. Y/n finally picked up her phone, staring back at him from across the screen and wiping her red eyes, “can I do something for you for the holidays?”

“No..” she swallowed, his question only making her eyes water even more.

“Yes, please, I want to do it for you. I’m gonna buy you a plane ticket okay? I want to see you, I want you to come visit me and see your family” he smiled, wishing he could hold her hand, tell her in person, but that wouldn’t make any sense. He just wanted to be there with her.

“No seonghwa, why would you do that? You don’t have to do that for me,” y/n shook her head, feeling guilty already and for no good reason, “I could get my own ticket but even then what’s the point?”

Seonghwa sighed, pushing his fingers through his hair while his whole chest felt like someone was sitting on it, “because I want to be with you, and if you don’t feel the same way then it’s fine, but one day I want us to meet in person and I’d love for it to happen soon”

“Well I...I feel the same way, I really do, but it just-“

“Y/n...”

“Seonghwa” y/n whined, covering her face again.

“If you say yes, you won’t have to worry about anything being enough when you’re with me, I’ll give you enough kisses and hugs to last forever”

Y/n fell asleep with the slightest reassurance that everything would be okay, that she was loved and she could make it through it all, she just needed a little faith and patience. Having patience was hard though, it was hard when all she wanted was to be there already, they’d agreed she’d take a sooner flight to make it all better. She didn’t know what to expect because truthfully she was still trying to wrap her head around things, she couldn’t believe that they’d gone from being paired together by their subscribers to actually going to meet each other. To maybe even being in love with each other..

“You are so much taller than I thought you were!” y/n gasped, the crowded airport doing little to distract the couple who were utterly taken by each other, her chin softly hitting Seonghwa’s chest when he pulled her into a hug. His free hand played with her hair, never wanting to let her go, but he wanted to look at her.

“You are even more beautiful in person, look at this beautiful face, here I thought it wouldn’t get better,” seonghwa mumbled, holding her face in his hand while y/n softly touched the fingers on his right hand, “how was your flight?”

“Worth it. Ask me if I remember anything and I’d be at a loss, the whole world is disappearing right now” she laughed, wincing at all of the emotions she was feeling. When she got to the airport back at home she felt confident, ready, she was going to see Seonghwa and she was going to love him and vice versa. She just didn’t think he’d turn her to mush the minute they locked eyes and she saw his smile, she finally got to find out what he smelled like and how he felt, it was so strange but so comforting.

“You’re so beautiful. I keep saying it but it’s true, I can’t get over you” Seonghwa whispered, his heart finally steady just having her here, he smiled softly when she closed her eyes and leaned into him.

“You feel like home Seonghwa”

“I’m sorry I can’t be more romantic and you’re probably exhausted, but I just want to know, can I-“

“Yes. You can, please” y/n laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck when he pressed his lips against hers, she fit so snugly against him and she had to compensate for their height difference by getting on her toes but it was worth it. Kissing him felt like a dream, like everything she could hope for and more in a single kiss, her heart ached for him even though he was right there.

“You stole my heart just now, please don’t give it back y/n” Seonghwa whispered, giving her one last lingering kiss before pulling away from her.

“I’ll take care of it, will you take care of mine?”

He didn’t even need to answer, because how could he say no?

Y/n hadn’t even been in Seattle for a full 24 hours before everyone started to freak out over her whereabouts, nothing was sacred when it came to her fans who wanted to know where she’d gone and if she was visiting family. Some people joked that she was visiting Seonghwa and asked for a collaboration video, which of course they’d never pass up, ever.

“You’re tickling me” y/n laughed against Seonghwa’s back, her hands feeling around the table in front of her for the proper ingredients they needed to even begin making anything. Seonghwa had a good idea after watching baking videos all night with y/n who used them to help fall asleep, the interesting concepts and challenges were something he never would have thought to do on his own but now he didn’t have to.

“Baby if you move your right hand just two inches to the left you’ll find the whisk you’ve been looking for this whole time” Seonghwa said quietly, his hands slipping into the pockets of her sweatshirt to occupy the time.

“You’ll edit this out right?”

“You’re doing a great job, are you sure you’ll be able to separate the egg yolks?” Seonghwa asked, staring down at her work and feeling proud that his girlfriend really knew her way around a kitchen. I mean why wouldn’t she? But without being able to see properly, he’d never be able to do it.

“Don’t worry your pretty little head, just watch me work, I got this,” she mumbled, kissing his back before searching for the eggs, “you’ll let me know when the yolks are fully separated right?”

“Of course love, you trust me?”

“Yes, among other things...” y/n said, finding the eggs before finding the kitchen towel and placing them on top. Seonghwa was good at giving her directions when she couldn’t see, and luckily she was good at listening. They made it through the easy parts, greasing and lining molds, pre melting chocolate so no one got burnt, whisking the egg yolks into the chocolate, without a doubt the hardest part was now when she had to whisk egg whites.

“Are you sure? I can help you know” Seonghwa laughed, he was pretty certain his camera’s were positioned low enough anyways that if he ever felt like moving and helping y/n no one would be able to see her face. They quite liked the mystery surrounding them, everyone wondered what they looked like, at this point it was more routine than actively wanting to hide their faces though.

“Maybe you can pour the sugar. But then it wouldn’t be just my hands and I’d lose the challenge” y/n laughed, wrapping her arms around his waist while he finally brought his hands back around.

“But we want a good soufflé, and I’ll just hold the mixer, you pour the sugar. And I set aside a couple different measuring spoon sizes so it’s up to you to find the tablespoon,” Seonghwa teased, his eyes widening when it was the first thing she touched, “can you see?!”

Y/n blushed, peeking around his side to give him a cheeky grin, earning a kiss from Seonghwa who moved to stand a bit behind her, “Challenge failed. Now we bake like the professionals we are”

The souffle’s came out better than expected, both of them certain at least one thing would come out wrong or maybe the souffles wouldn’t rise but they were so good it had them stuck on the video as they edited and again when they uploaded it the next morning.

“You’re so handsome when you sleep. But like, you’re also handsome all the time. I don’t get it, how are you so amazing?” Y/n asked, poking Seonghwa’s nose as they cat napped after breakfast. A literal cat nap, Seonghwa’s cat had taken a liking to y/n and just wanted to be curled up in her lap as big as he was. Seonghwa felt left out, wanting to be cuddled by y/n instead, but he couldn’t help but feel lots of love for a potential little family as he hugged y/n against his chest and she hugged the cat.

“If you’re any nicer to me I’m going to follow you everywhere, next plane to Seoul I’m out, I’ll see you there” Seonghwa teased, kissing the top of her head, noticing she had pulled her phone out to take photos of the cat who was now stretching across her legs. He seriously did take up a lot of room, taking up most of her legs and covering her in his gorgeous amber fur.

“Don’t tempt me, I might just do it,” y/n mumbled, attempting to get a candid photo of Seonghwa but failing when he noticed and winked at the camera, “ah, so handsome, you give me butterflies”

“If you post me on social media the world will never know” seonghwa teased, the new joke between them was that they just wanted the fame that followed a face reveal, that after they got got new subscribers they’d just ghost each other and that would be it. Admittedly it was fun to joke around, but both of them had no intentions of actually doing that, in fact they wanted to spend as much time together as possible.

“Not a chance, you’re too special, too handsome, too sweet, I’m too lucky”

Seonghwa bit his lip, holding back a shy laugh while his entire face flushed, “I love you y/n”

Y/n titled her head back, her eyes wide and full of emotions as seonghwa held her face and kissed her, the sudden movements making the cat scurry off of her lap, “I love you too seonghwa, so much”

“That’s it, I’m buying my plane tickets, when can I visit you?” He asked, taking his phone out while hugging her a bit tighter, kissing the top of her head because he couldn’t ever get enough.

“What? You’re going to leave your house and take an airplane to visit me? Have I done something correctly?” Y/n teased, raising her eyebrows playfully while seonghwa just shook his head.

“You’ve already told me yourself, now it’s my turn. My home is wherever you are, comfort zones are obliviated in the face of true love” he mumbled, checking for flights within the next couple of months and sighing at the thought of spending time with y/n in her country. His country...? It had been a while since he’d been back but it would all be a dream once he did.

“So cheesy, so romantic, I’m already full stop feeding me!”

“No I refuse, I’m gonna love you forever, I’ve just decided that right this instant. Let’s get married” he joked, making y/n roll her eyes, seonghwa just smiled because he knew he was being dramatic but she loved it.

“This is all a publicity scam, I can’t believe you” y/n groaned, her face warming as she tried to hold in her laughter while grasping his hands that tickled at her sides. In the end he hugged her close, kissing the side of her face while they looked through the comments on their latest YouTube video together.

“Well my publicity scam seems to be working? But my cat likes you too much for me to get rid of you now, I guess I’ll have to endure it. I just bought my plane ticket, wanna go out? I want to hold your hand”

“When?!”

“Right now, or not...” seonghwa trailed off, playing dumb as he avoided her eyes, “just kidding, around your birthday”

“Oh my gosh,” y/n groaned, hugging him tightly, “you’re staying until your birthday though...right?”

Seonghwa was glad their birthdays weren’t far apart, although he wouldn’t mind staying with her longer, “of course, if Mon Chérie would allow it”

She blushed, covering her cheeks and just thinking about how amazing it was to be with him, how great it was gonna be spending time with him, “I think my bed is big enough for you”

“You take up virtually no space in my bed, yet all the space in my heart. Too cheesy? I love you...”

#park seonghwa #seonghwa x reader #seonghwa fluff #ateez seonghwa #ateez scenarios #ateez imagines #kpop scenarios #kpop imagines #seonghwa #the apple of my eye

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