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razzle-zazzle · 3 years

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Whumptober Day 01: All trussed up & still nowhere to go

Bound + Barbed Wire

2338 Words; Sanctuary Island

TW for blood, mentions of slavery, and mild violence

This was not an ideal situation.

Not that Cole had really been in any ideal situations since being brought to this island, but this was more of a relative case. At least having allies nearby was better than being tied to a chair.

But, ideal or not, Cole was here, heavy metal collar held close to the back of the chair by a chain, and escape was not going to come as easily as the last time. The overseers were doing their best to make sure of that.

Really, all Cole had to do was stay alive and hope Artura didn’t attempt anything too reckless in his absence. All of the others had managed to disappear into the woods safely, and it’d be a while yet before their little makeshift fortress could be taken. He’d probably faced much worse odds on the mainland.

His restraints weren’t exactly uncomfortable, per se—he could do without having his arms pulled behind the chair over the back of it, elbows lashed tightly together with what had to be rope chosen deliberately for how rough and scratchy it was, his wrists similarly bound—his legs were tightly tied to the front legs of the chair, but the fabric of his pants prevented most of the friction currently chafing his arms.

He could definitely do without the ropes over his chest, and it would be very nice to get the metal collar off. But Cole refused to focus on the negatives here. He had to stay positive, and keep his eyes open for the opportunity to escape and rejoin the revolution.

So Cole waited, doing his level best to ignore the discomfort, flexing his arms to test the strength of the ropes.

He could snap them with his earth punch easily. That wouldn’t handle any of the other ropes, and he’d have to disconnect the metal collar from the chair if he wanted to lean down to pull the ropes on his legs apart, but it shouldn’t take too long to undo the lock fastening the chain to his collar.

The problem, however, was the collar. Cole wasn’t sure if it was intentional or not, but there were traces of vengestone in the metal—just enough to cut his strength in half, preventing him from actually snapping the rope.

Cole was stuck waiting until an actual opportunity presented itself, and the longer he waited, the more uncomfortable his position became.

First Master, his arms were aching. The back of the chair was digging into his back, and he couldn’t pull his arms up to alleviate the situation. His elbows being lashed so tightly together was starting to become a problem for his shoulders, too.

But Cole was tougher than that. He had to be. He was the rock of the ninja, so he could be the rock here, too. It was just like Jay said: the power of positive thinking.

Time passed. It probably felt longer than it was—Cole couldn't exactly tell; there wasn’t any way to tell the time. Just a small, windowless room dimly lit by an oil lamp on a table in the corner.

Honestly, the room felt more like a shed than anything. Maybe Cole was locked up in some kind of fortress, and maybe he wasn’t. It was hard to tell, but Cole was leaning towards torture room based on the tools hanging on the wall to his right.

Fuck, now his back was starting to ache, and he was losing feeling in his fingers. Grunting a little, Cole shifted as much as his restraints would allow—not much, but it’d have to do—in an effort to alleviate some of the pain.

Fortunately—or unfortunately, it depended on how one looked at it—the door opened at that moment, heralding the arrival of one of the overseers.

Cole recognized this man. The shiny badge on his top hat gave him away as one of the people enforcing the messed-up system on the island, but Cole recognized the man’s face from the few weeks Cole had been put to work in the fields.

The man opened his mouth to say something, but Cole cut him off.

“Oh good,” he snarked, “I was starting to think I’d been forgotten here.”

The man’s expression changed immediately, shifting from merely dismissive contempt to fury. He crossed the room in two steps and slapped Cole, hard. His head jolted to the side from the force of it.

“Hold your tongue, boy.” Venom dripped from the overseer’s voice, enough to kill a man. “Do not speak unless spoken to.”

Cole grinned. “So I can speak now that you’ve said something to me?” He got another smack in return, his head jolting to the other side this time. Cole tasted copper—he’d bit his tongue twice now.

"You have caused more than enough trouble here, on our fair island.” The overseer stated, adjusting his gloves.

Cole shrugged as much as his restraints would allow, swallowing the blood in his mouth. “Yeah, I kinda specialize in that.” He only got a sharp look at that remark, thankfully enough.

“And what, pray tell," the overseer snarled, reaching back to grip Cole’s hair harshly, "Makes you so special, dirt boy?"

"I'm a ninja." Cole said tersely. He flexed against the restraints. "Protecting people is what I do." Just grin and bear it. That should be easy enough.

He grinned again, past the taste of copper in his mouth, making sure to bare his teeth. "Of course, you wouldn't understand that, would you, slave-driver?"

He got a third smack for his sass. The overseer’s grip on his hair kept Cole’s head from jolting to the side again, but the tradeoff was a harsh yank on his hair.

The overseer huffed, letting go of Cole’s hair. “Well then.” He hissed, walking over to open one of the drawers to Cole’s left. “We’ll see about correcting this little… discipline issue. This little ‘revolution’ of yours ends here, boy.” The overseer held up a spool of barbed wire, face oddly impassive for such a pompous man.

Cole stilled. This was not something he’d seen before.

The overseer opened another drawer, digging through it before pulling out some cloth.

Cole wasn’t sure where this was going, but he was pretty sure it was going to hurt.

“I was going to ask if you’d learned your lesson,” the overseer began, closing the drawers. “But clearly you haven’t.”

“You say that like there’s a lesson to be learned, here.” Cole shot back as the overseer approached. Any further retort was cut off as—rather predictably, Cole would later reflect—the overseer shoved the cloth in his mouth.

It wasn’t a lot, certainly not enough to make his jaw ache any time soon, but it did muffle and garble his words.

Before Cole could spit the cloth out, the overseer was there, securing it in place with a length of barbed wire. Cole glared as the overseer looped the wire twice more around his head before calmly fastening it behind Cole’s head with a metal clip.

None of the spikes were directly digging into Cole’s flesh, but he could feel the edges of the points threateningly close to his skin, close enough to cut into it if he moved too much.

Cole growled through the cloth. He couldn’t actually reduce the man to ash with just a look, but damn if he wasn’t trying.

“Since you fail to understand simple instructions,” The overseer hissed, beginning to wrap more barbed wire around Cole’s chest and arms, “You will have to be educated in proper behavior.” The wire was dangerously tight around Cole, to the point where he could feel some of the spikes through his shirt. His bare arms were spared slightly by the width of the chair, but that didn’t mean much when what was touching his arms was forcing them tighter against the back of the chair.

“You refuse to hold your tongue,” the overseer continued, “so you will not be allowed to speak for the time being. He pulled the wires tighter, cinching the two ends together behind Cole… somehow. It wasn’t like Cole could really see behind himself. “And since you continue to be bullheaded,” the overseer spat the word bullheaded like a curse, “some long-term negative reinforcement is in order.”

Cole huffed, the sound muffled by the gag. Unlike the wire used to gag him, the wire looping around him was digging into his flesh at several points. He couldn’t feel any blood, though, so he supposed there were still small mercies.

Not that those small mercies really made the situation ideal.

The overseer, satisfied with his work—and with the way Cole was glaring at him, curses muffled by the gag—nodded, and then left, the click of a lock finalizing his departure.

Cole groaned. If it had just been some light torture or the whip again, Cole could have handled that. But barbed wire? Being left alone with the barbed wire to suffer for a while? In what basically amounted to solitary confinement?

You can bear this, Cole. Cole reminded himself, staring at the small crack where the door met the floor. You’re too tough to be broken by something so small as this. It didn’t make the situation less painful, but it did give Cole some confidence.

He was going to be aching for weeks after this, he just knew it.

There was something weird about the barbed wire, though. It felt like the spikes all had sharp edges along their lengths, instead of just a sharp point at the end. It was like being held in place by a bunch of tiny little knives—

Cole’s eyes widened. Of course! He’d have grinned were it not for the barbed wire against his cheek. The overseer had left him with exactly what he needed to get free.

Carefully, trying not to cut into himself further, Cole shifted so the ropes around his elbows and wrists were as close to the spikes as he could manage. He couldn’t see what he was doing, having to feel it out, and he could definitely feel one or two of the barbs digging in deeper, but he could also, if he strained his ears enough, hear the faint sound of metal cutting through fiber.

It took some more experimenting before Cole could build up a proper rhythm, but eventually he’d managed to free his elbows, with a lot of little cuts up and down his arms for his efforts. The wire was still pinning his arms against the chair, but it wasn’t holding his arms together.

A little more wriggling—there was definitely blood starting to bead up on his arms now—and Cole’s wrists were free of the rope, allowing Cole to separate his arms. It took some shimmying, and the barbs sliced through his flesh as he did so, but he managed to get his arms to the sides of his chest. This gave the wire enough slack for it to start to fall a bit, and a little more shaking and wiggling got it all the way down, the wire lying in several loops at his waist.

Carefully, avoiding the barbs, Cole twisted the coils around until he could get at whatever was fastening the ends. A little jiggling, and the metal clip came loose, allowing Cole to move the wire where he pleased.

Carefully, trying not to cut up his wrists, Cole lifted his arms out of the wire, freeing them up. Immediately, he used that newfound freedom to fiddle with the clip fastening the wire behind his head.

Cole spat out the cloth, tossing the wire that had held it in place to the side.

Of course, that still left the ropes around his chest and legs, and the collar—

The next step was the collar. Cole wasn’t strong enough to break it without his powers, but he couldn’t access his powers with it on. So he reached back, feeling around the collar for where the chain fastened to it for a weak point.

Blood had dripped down onto his hands while he’d been working his arms free, though, and it was making fiddling with the lock difficult. But dammit, Cole was not sticking around long enough to find out what else the overseer had in store for him, so he grabbed one of the ends of the wire in his lap and jammed it into the lock.

A click signaled the chain was detached from the collar, even if it was still on. Whatever. Cole would deal with that later. Preferably far away from this place.

Of course, he wasn’t home free just yet. There was still the matter of the ropes around his legs.

But Cole also had several coils of barbed wire.

After that, it was a simple matter to cut through the rest of the ropes. Cole was still bleeding, but he’d handle that once he could stand.

Finally free, Cole stood up. His joints creaked in protest after spending so long so tightly bound, but Cole pushed on anyway. He went to the drawers first—he’d need to grab a few things before he could make his daring escape.

First step: the cuts on his arms. They were starting to scab over, not that they’d been that big in the first place, but there was still blood dripping languidly down his arms. So he dug through the drawers for some bandages, and, failing that, some cloth that would serve the same purpose. There wasn’t really anything in the room Cole could use to clean the wounds, so he’d worry about that once he got back to Artura and Laina and the others.

Arms now wrapped with something resembling bandages, Cole moved on to the tool board on the wall, searching for a weapon. His hand-to-hand was usually good, but “usually” didn’t apply to arms covered in cuts and still aching from his bonds. So really, it was a question of which “tool” would serve him best here.

Cole grabbed a knife, examining the blade.

Yeah, this would do.

#whumptober2021 #no.1 #bound #barbed wire #ninjago #lego ninjago #zaz writes #blood #mild violence #slavery mention #cole ninjago #sanctuary island #the overseer #there's not enough cole whump in this sad sad world #kicking off whumptober with a bang!#and a 2000+ word piece #also; for organization within my blog:#tw blood #tw mild violence #tw slavery #yeah that's why i've been putting off doing anything substantial with sanctuary island #the fact that the plot is ''cole arrives on island at just the right time to spark the kindling for a slave revolution''#but hey i might as well just write the damn thing #as long as i tag it all thoroughly i should be fine #also damn cole's so sassy here #gotta get all that vitriol out while he can ig #this would be about midway through the story i think?#it's late enough that there's an actual revolution going on but early enough that the villains aren't taking it seriously just yet #the overseer doesn't get a name bc i refuse to give him one 😊

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rmg91 · 4 years

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It Shouldn’t Be This Hard

(To Propose To Your Girlfriend)

LOOK! I WROTE SOMETHING! I AM NOT DEAD! Just still distracted by the RP with Autumn. It's too fun, can you blame me? We have such a cute universe happening. Anyway, the muses finally spoke to me and I've been wanting to do a 5+1 for a while now and the right idea came to me. And while this may be a little late it's also my Broppy Day submission. Although when you ship Broppy, everyday is Broppy Day XD

So without future ado, enjoy!

AO3/FF.net

~*~*~*~*~RMG~*~*~*~*~

This was it. This was the night Branch Hawthorn was finally going to propose to his girlfriend of two years, Poppy Meadows. Everything was going to plan and for that Branch was grateful for as he was nervous enough as it was. Both he and Poppy had been able to leave their respective works early to get ready, although Poppy just believed tonight was a fairly normal date night. Then, looking their best and with clear starry night above them, they gotten to Trollington's best restaurant, Chez L'amour, with minimal traffic interference and their reservation had not been lost or given away, things Branch had worried about. Now, with their belly's full of warm delicious food and wine -though Poppy was always quick to assure Branch his cooking was still her very favorite- and dessert on the horizon, Branch was ready to take the plunge.

The mood was perfect, candlelight gleamed and a soft melody was echoing around them and Poppy was looking so beautiful with her bright pink hair pulled up with some strands framing her heart-shaped face and her freckles lit up by the flickering candles and her own bright smile. And her eyes, those beautiful, amber eyes that he just loved to get lost in, were shining with warmth and love just for him. And that was something he still couldn't get over, after all those years of pining and yet so sure he didn't deserve her, he had gotten the girl of his dreams and she loved him. And he hoped she accepted what he was about to ask.

Reaching out across the table, Branch took her hand in his as he returned her smile and hoped the nervousness he felt wasn't obvious. He must have been doing a good job of hiding it so far but he didn't want her to notice now before he had a chance to ask. And maybe it was a little cliché to ask in a romantic restaurant setting but he had spent weeks thinking about this and building up his confidence and he wasn't about to chicken out now. Given her hand a squeeze, he took a sip of his water to wet his throat before speaking, “Enjoy your dinner?” Start small, don't jump into it. All part of the plan.

His gorgeous pinkette grinned and nodded, “Yup! And I can't wait for dessert! I have been dreaming about their triple layer strawberry chiffon cake all week!” She took a sip of her wine before returning his squeeze of their hands before a playful smirk overcame her face and she cupped her chin in her head as she leaned over the table, “You know...You never did tell me why you decided this would be our date destination~ What made you choose the fancy place?”

Branch chuckled and hoped it sounded normal, it sounded off to him, but he simple shrugged and tried not to look away from those wonderful and curious eyes, “What? Can't a boyfriend treat his girlfriend to a fancy dinner once in a while? Plus I know how much you love to dress up, thought it be nice.” And he had a small square box burning a hole in his pocket, just waiting to be pulled out. Absolutely nothing unusual going on. Nope. “And have I mentioned just how beautiful you look tonight? Because you do, absolutely stunning~” He even raised her hand to his lips to kiss her knuckles softly to complete his statement.

“Stooop~” She giggled, that perfect sound the best kind of music to his ears as a light blush dusted her cheeks, “Keep talking like that and you might get lucky tonight~”

“I'm already lucky~” And he was. So, so lucky that this brilliantly bright and bubbly woman had not only healed his torn soul and made him want to live rather than just survive but had given her heart fully to him to hold and cherish. Something he did every day so thankfully and would hopefully get to do well into the future together with matching rings on their fingers. Taking what he hoped was a subtle deep breath, for this was it, he wouldn't get a better time to, Branch opened him mouth to begin his speech, something he had been working painstakingly on for months, pretty much since he decided he was going to propose, but was interrupted by the sound of applause.

He and Poppy, who took her hand back to turn around, looked at the reason for it at another table where another couple sat. A brunette man down on one knee was slipping a ring on the happily crying blonde woman's finger as the other patrons clapped for them. Poppy bounced in her seat, adding to the applause, cooing before she spun back around, “Isn't that sweet?! I'm so happy Oak finally proposed! Oh, Daffodil must be so happy! Isn't that great, Branch? Our friends are gonna get married!”

“Y-yeah..Super great.” Branch hoped beyond hope he wasn't being obvious on how he really felt. Of course! Of course the universe would do this to him! It was all going so well! But then of course something had to happen to ruin his plans! Yes, he could still ask Poppy. No, it wasn't Oak's fault for asking his own girlfriend just before he could but he didn't dare take the spotlight away from the other couple. Poppy was right, they were their friends, and while he was sure neither would mind it still felt wrong to Branch to ask Poppy now after somebody else had beaten him to the punch. Sighing, confidence now deflating as he slumped slightly in his chair, Branch decided he'd just have to try another time. It was fine. Completely fine! That decision made, not that it made him happy, the blue-haired survivalist resolved himself to finish off the rest of this night as best he could. Not that Poppy had any idea, she was far too excited to think anything was wrong with him as she pulled him over to congratulate their friends.

And maybe this was for the best, maybe his second attempt would go better?

A few weeks later, some more planning, a few personal pep-talks and Branch was ready to try again. They were currently in her father's backyard, surrounded by all their closest friends, even Gristle and Bridget who managed to make it down from Bergenville, having a simple summer barbecue. Branch was manning the grill, keeping half an eye on the food and the other half on Poppy as she fluttered around their friends, having fun playing games and jamming out to the music Suki had brought along. And perhaps this would be a better proposal anyway. While Branch would have must prefer to propose in a more private setting, which made him wonder why he even thought of the restaurant version in the first place, Poppy would probably enjoy it more if it happened surrounded by the people she loved most. And she deserved everything that made her happy.

Adjusting a few hot dogs so they wouldn't burn, he closed the grill just as his barefooted beauty came skipping over, a cheery smile gracing her lips. Setting down his tongs, Branch easily and happily welcomed her into his arms as she wrapped hers around his neck and gave his nose a fond nuzzle, “Mmm~ Everything smells amazing! Can't wait to eat!”

Branch chuckled warmly, nuzzling her back as he rubbed circles with his thumbs over her hips, leaning closer to her, “Should be ready soon. I know everyone's getting hungry. But first...” He then closed the minimal gap between them, giving her a soft kiss that had her sighing and relaxing in his arms. Sharing a few more soft kisses, and ignoring the wolf whistles from Guy and Smidge, Branch subtly glanced at the grill and decided the food would be okay for a moment. Because he figured now was a good time to pop the question to the queen of his heart as he had her undivided attention. Subtly guiding her away from the barbecue, he distracted her with words and some more gentle meetings of their lips, “Having fun, I take it?”

She giggled, that wonderful, tinkling sound that always spread warmth through him and nodded, “You know it~! I'm so glad everyone was able to make it! It feels like forever since we last did something!” It really hadn't, the Snack Pack was still just as close as they'd always been but Poppy was always one for exaggerating when she could. And well...maybe it had been a few weeks since they'd gotten a chance to just relax and hang out without work or other engagements in the way.

Speaking of engagements....

Branch stopped the careful migration a few feet from the hot grill, in a good spot where everyone would be able to see what was about to happen and carefully nuzzled his and Poppy's noses together, hoping she couldn't feel the sudden rapid beating of his heart, “So I wanted to ask you something..”

“Hmm? Yeeess~?” She hummed, watching him with those sparkling eyes he really did drown in every time he looked into them.

“Well I-”

And for the second time his very important question was interrupted, this time by the back gate slamming open and a familiar voice shouting, “Sup, Losers!!! The party's just arrived!”

“Barb!!!” Poppy screeched happily, tearing herself away from Branch to run and jump into her cousins hold with a very enthusiastic hug. One the punk-rock queen caught easily before swinging the bubblegum princess around, laughing loudly.

“Sup, Popsqueak?! Came to see if I couldn't liven you and your sugary-sweet friends up a little!” The red-pink mo-hawked band leader said, finally putting the other woman down as her right-hand band mate and drummer came up beside her, in a much more subdued manner. “Yo! Boy-Toy! Add a few extra burgers cause I'm starvin'!”

“There's plenty!” Branch cried back as Poppy and the Pack swarmed Barb for greetings and playful jabs. He then sighed roughly, ran a hand through his hair and returned to make sure nothing had burned. It was fine. No big deal. There was still plenty of day left for him to try again. There was just an extra few people around to watch now. As he checked on the food on the grill, moving a few things around and taking the vegetable skewers off, Riff came over after getting his own excited hug from Poppy.

“Sup, man. Everything okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, everything's fine.” Okay, mostly fine. But having been around Poppy since they were kids, Branch knew to try to look for the silver living. He'd get another chance later that evening, he was sure. “Just weren't expecting you guys. Little surprised.” More like a little annoyed at the interruption but he'd get over it.

The dark hair drummer chuckled softly, “Yeah...but you know the boss lady. Loves to make a entrance. But hey! We brought beer!” He lifted up a large case of beer as a peace offering. Branch gestured to the cooler behind him, telling him to add some to it and thanked him, mind half on the cooking, half on thinking about when he'd get that second chance to talk to Poppy.

...Sadly for poor Branch, that chance never came.

Having spent the rest of his time at the grill, catching up with Riff, he had soon let everyone know food was ready and the group swarmed up for the delicious smelling entrees. Then as everyone are and laughed and enjoyed, Barb and Riff regaled everyone with tales of shenanigans and adventures of their world tour. Describing the pounding energy of their concert in Brazil to their little hot spring mishap in Japan after a show. Poppy was thoroughly entranced by her cousins tales and completely distracted from Branch's attempts to gain a little attention long enough for him to get the question burning in his throat out. Then of course the pop/rock duo started the karaoke with a bang, which as fun as it was, just distracted Poppy more and didn't give Branch a chance to regain any sort of romantic mood. By the time the sun was long set but the energy of everyone was still high, Branch had given up for the night. There was no way he going to propose tonight, especially after Barb convinced everyone to go clubbing.

They say third times the charm, right?

A week and some brooding later and Branch was ready to start planning again. He needed to come up with a good one too this time, something where they'd be alone, without anyone around and where he'd have Poppy's undivided attention. However he, himself, was slightly distracted and prevented from doing any sort of real planning as he and Poppy were currently passing Saturday night as they were prone to do. Snuggled up on the couch, lights dimmed and watching movies. There was even a light pattering of rain outside to add the cozy atmosphere they found themselves in.

A Rom-com Poppy had been wanting to see was currently playing, the screen flickering image's by as the main character's flubbed another love confession and Poppy snuggled up close to his chest. Branch's head rested on the arm rest, arms wrapped snugly around his girlfriend, rubbing mindless shapes where his hands rested on her waist. He knew as soon as the movie was over they would probably have to move to bed, sleeping on the couch was not that comfortable nor good for them after all, but right now he was in no position to move either of them. Bending his neck, he buried his nose in her pink locks and inhaled the fresh strawberry scent of her favorite shampoo, nuzzling gently. That was when it hit him, they were alone, there was no one or anything to interrupt him and he'd have Poppy's full attention. Yes, his inner romantic cried at the lack of romance but he had learned from Poppy to take the opportunity when it was presented to you, not to shy away. So, taking a subtle breath to calm his suddenly beating heart, Branch got ready to take the plunge.

Starting simple, he murmured softly, “I love you~”

“Mmm~ Love you too~” The pinkette responded in a light and airy voice, settling as deep as she could into his embrace.

Taking a moment to rub her shoulder and place a gentle kiss on the top if her head, Branch began a speech that he'd crafted and re-crafted hundreds of times already it felt like and it never felt perfect. Hopefully though now, he'd find the right words. “I...can't tell you just how lucky I am to have you in my life. You are...the greatest thing to ever happen to me and I am so, so grateful you took the chance on this ragged, broken and gray soul and made life bright again. You...Heh, you are my sunshine, making my days brighter and fuller and more fun than ever before. And yeah, you're crazy with your scheme's and your scrapbooking and leaving glitter everywhere but I wouldn't trade that for the world. Bring on the cupcakes and rainbows because I'm ready...ready to spend the rest of my life with you beside me. Call me selfish but I...I don't ever want to go back to the dark and dull existence. I want you and your sunshine to wake up next to until we're old and bent over and you're still rocking that pink hair. Poppy...I love you so much and if you'll have me, it would make me the happiness man in the entire universe if you agreed to be mine forever. So...I ask you, Poppy Meadows, will...” Deep breath, “Will you marry me?”

There, he'd done it, he finally asked Poppy to marry him and now all that was left was for her to answer and then he could go get the ring from it's place and he could finally see it on her finger. But as the minutes ticked by and he got no answer, Branch was beginning to worry. Had he fucked up? Did he say something wrong? Did she not want to? Was she in shock? Was she trying to find a way to turn him down gently?! Trying not to panic, and failing just a bit, Branch carefully turned his head to look at the woman in his arms, “Poppy?”

And found she was asleep, breath's even and deep and completely dead to the world and the proposal he had just cited.

Biting back a silent groan, Branch tilted his head over the arm rest and stared at the ceiling. Of course, why wouldn't this happen?! The universe truly must hate him if it had allowed him to finally ask Poppy only for her to be asleep and having missed the entire thing. Great, just effing great, now he would have to get up the confidence to try again and after three failed attempts he was starting to think maybe he shouldn't. But, as the beautiful girl in arms would tell him, he needed to get back up again and not give up. And it said something about her impact on him when he knew after a little time moping about the newest failed attempt he would do just that.

Besides, he couldn't fail four times in a row, right?

Another few weeks later and Branch was in the midst of planning something the would surely be his best plan yet when Poppy had decided a spontaneous camping trip up in the mountains would be fun. Unable to deny her but secretly lamenting the lost chance of being able to ask her under the fireworks display that was happening that weekend, Branch had agreed. So they packed up the car and drove off for a weekend spent in nature. Which normally would have thrilled Branch but he was still sort of disappointed in the loss of another romantic plan.

However, even though she had no idea she had off railed another proposal attempt, Poppy still managed to cheer him up with her natural exuberance and joy. And the more he thought about, a proposal under the stars with nothing but the quiet sounds of nature around them would be better anyway. He wouldn't have to compete with the sounds of the fireworks and worry about whether Poppy would hear him correctly or not. Yeah, this would be far better and far more romantic. So by the time they reached the campsite, Branch was in a higher mood then when they left, plans already formed around what he'd cook and how he would go about creating the perfect mood.

Arriving at the campsite in the late evening, Branch decided he'd wait until the following night to enact his grand plan, he'd waited this long after all. So he and Poppy went about building their campsite, throwing up the tent and while she piled the sleeping bags, blankets and pillows they had brought into a proper nest, he went to find them some firewood. Soon they had a nice cozy fire to sit by and after a quick meal of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, they were cuddled up in Branch's chair, Poppy having abandoned hers in favor of his lap. And having his loving, cheerful, kind girlfriend snuggled up in his lap had almost made Branch abandon all plans and just propose right there, he stopped himself. Waiting one more day wouldn't kill him, plus Poppy was already half asleep and he didn't want a repeat of his attempt on the couch. So, picking her up and carting her off to get settled in the tent, he quickly doused the flames before joining her, falling asleep with her in his arms and images of tomorrow night dancing in his head.

Too bad he hadn't foreseen the incident that had occurred the next day.

After a morning spent cuddling, flirting and in all good mood, something Poppy made sure to tease him about saying she had been right that the trip would be a good thing, his pink whirlwind had suggested a little hike after lunch. The day was perfect for it, sunny, a little breezy with fluffy white clouds drifting by in the sky, so Branch had agreed. Never mind that he was looking forward to the evening once the stars came out. So packing up some water bottles, trail mix, a few energy bars and gummy candies, they had set off on the local hiking trail.

Poppy of course either filmed or took pictures of anything she saw that she liked, which was almost any flower or butterfly that passed by and Branch was content to just let her be herself, in far too good a mood to be his usual sarcastic self. Well, almost, he did try to act normal as to not tip Poppy off. But she had still noticed something and when she asked him what had in such a good mood, he simply replied with why wouldn't he be with her by his side? Which had earned him a giggle and few kisses as she called him a flirt. Which, really, he wasn't going to deny that because he was flirting, the thought of finally, finally asking her to marry him making him almost giddy. Yes, he was still nervous as hell but this was the forth time he was trying and he'd be damned if he was going to let that stop him again.

Eventually they had arrived on top of a cliff overlooking the forest, the sight rather breathtaking. After a moment of admiration, Poppy was back to taking pictures and talking about nice everything was and Branch nodded and smiled back at her but his mind was elsewhere. He couldn't help as he watched Poppy gush as she was prone to do but to imagine the future, with her walking down the aisle in a gorgeous dress made by the twins, veil fluttering behind her as all their friends and family watched. And then she'd step up to him and exchange vows before they were dubbed husband and wife and he just knew she'd jump into his arms for that kiss as everyone cheered for them. Of course that little daydream soon came to a bursting stop with the next following of events.

There had been a rustling of bushes and before they knew it a deer was jumping out and running off, making both of them jump. Poppy had let out a little squeak and unfortunately for Branch, as he jumped back shocked out of his fantasy, he had gone a little too far and part of the cliff broke from under him, making him off balance and tumbling down to a lower ledge.

“Braaaaanch!!!” Poppy's scream echoed in his ears as he groaned, trying to regain his bearings.

“Branch, are you alright?!” Poppy cried down at him, worry clear in her voice.

“Y-yeah..I'm fi-Aaagggh!!!” Branch groaned, barely having sat up before having to clutch at his arm. Carefully pushing himself up, he pulled his hand away to find it covered in blood and groaned again as he covered his wound back up to stem the bleeding. Great, just fucking great. He was injured. And all because of a stupid deer. At least Poppy was okay. Looking up to check on her, his vision swam briefly and another moan of pain escaped him. Great, he probably had a concussion too.

“Branch! Branch, are you okay?!” Poppy was asking again, having wiggled her way down the steep incline to kneel beside him. She made a noise of distress of seeing him hurt and carefully cupped his jaw in her hands, “Hey. Hey, what can I do to help? Are you hurt anywhere else?!”

“I-I don't...” He hissed as pain pulsed through him, “Don't think so...Might have a concussion though...” He cursed under his breath before telling her to look in his bag for bandages, taking that brief moment of distraction to pat the inside pocket of his vest to make sure the ring was still safe. Which it was, so at least there was that.

Poppy quickly dug into his backpack, finding his first aid kit and pulling out the gauze roll. “Can you move your hand?” She asked softly, cringing at the sight as he did so, “Oh dear...That-That looks really bad....” She sniffed and Branch was about to start comforting her, telling her it probably looked worse than it was but she began to carefully move his sleeve away, causing another hiss to escape him. “Sorry...” She mumbled, wrapping his arm as quickly and gently as she could, sniffing and blinking back tears.

“Hey...” He said, squinting at her because damn his head really hurt, “It's gonna be fine. Please don't cry, Sunshine..”

“I know, I know...I just....that was so scary.” She wiped at her eyes and sniffed again, making Branch want to hold her and comfort her until she calmed down but it hurt to move just about everything. So he did the only thing he could at the moment and carefully brushed his knuckle over her knee, murmuring it was going to okay.

It was about then that someone was calling down to them and they looked up to see a forest ranger had found them. After Poppy explained what happened and that they could use a little help, she quickly finished wrapping his arm up. The next series of events happened rather quickly, at least they did for Branch who's consciousness was starting to go in and out a little and he struggled to stay awake. The ranger had help them off the ledge before helping Poppy carry him back to their camp, where she quickly began to pack everything up. The ranger assured her that he'd keep anything that was left behind and they could come get it later and that getting Branch to a hospital was most important. So then began Poppy's slightly frantic drive to the nearest hospital as Branch had continued his battle with staying awake.

In the end, everything was indeed alright. Branch had to have a good fifteen stitches in his arm and had to stay over night for observation because of the concussion but other than a few other scrapes and bruises, he was fine. But the incident had once again derailed any proposal plans that once he was patched up and allowed a moment alone, Branch had cursed the universe for. Couldn't he have one attempt not go awry?! Yes, sure, there had been other times he could have asked but damn it all, he wanted to do it right! He wanted a romantic scene to ask the love of his life to be his wife and not have it be an off hand mention or after a serious injury!! Was that too much to ask for?! Apparently it was.

So, slumping back into his pillows, Branch stewed and cursed the universe. And eventually started planning attempt number five.

And it had to work, it just had too!

Once it was apparent that Branch was fully healed and recovered about a month later, Poppy suggested another weekend trip to celebrate, though this time it was to the beach. Branch wasn't completely set on the idea, worries of how another proposal attempt could be ruined swarming his head, but once again he really couldn't deny Poppy anything. And she was so excited to go see the sea and enjoy the scenery, ever after he pointed out that the weather wouldn't really be right for any swimming. But ever the optimist, Poppy had said there was lots more to do than just swim and so they made reservations at a hotel and went off for a weekend by the sea.

And as he predicted, the weather had been on the cooler side and slightly overcast but that hadn't stopped Poppy from convincing him to travel around all the shops the little ocean town had to offer. And he had to admit, once again, that she was right. It hadn't been all bad walking along the boardwalk and stopping by whatever little shop or stand caught her attention. Plus her excitement was so genuine and true, Branch couldn't help but eventually relax and have fun too. So they spent the afternoon slipping in and out of various stores, some with pointless, cute nick-knacks, some with clothes and accessories that he and Poppy threw on for selfies or she modeled for him, other with oddities such as seaside myths. They had enjoyed some sea-salt ice-cream at some point before dipping into a little hidden book store and then they stopped for a dinner of fish and chips.

Now they were walking down the beach, hand in hand with Poppy happily swinging their arms between them as the sun sank slowly over the horizon. And Branch had to admit, now would be a pretty good time to try again. They were alone, the few other people on the beach far enough way that they wouldn't somehow get in the way, the setting was calm and relaxing with the sounds of waves gently lapping at the shore as the setting sun painting the sky beautiful pinks and oranges, and Poppy was none the wiser to burning the question that had been lodged in his throat for months now. And nothing was going to stop him now. So, stopping and playfully swinging her around so he could pull her into an embrace, Branch pulled her close for a soft kiss.

When they parted, Poppy giggling lightly as her eyes shone with love, Branch calmly stated, “I love you~”

“Heehee~ I love you too~” Poppy giggled, leaning in for another kiss that Branch was happy to return before the slowly parted once more.

“So there's...something I wanna say...” And ask but he didn't want to give it away just yet. And boy did he hope she didn't notice how his heart had started pumping in his chest. This was it, he finally going to ask Poppy to spend the rest of their lives together and even though this was his fifth attempt, the nerves had returned like it was that first try again.

“I'm all ears, My man~” The pinkette said with a grin, nuzzling her nose against his as she settled her arms around his neck.

Deep breath and ignore the flush that came anytime she called him 'her man', “Well...you see..” Please don't let her notice just how stuttering he was becoming, “You are...the greatest gift I could ask for and I-” And before any more could be said a loud, long horn of a boat sounded, causing both to jump and to look toward the ocean where in the distance a ship could be seen. Huffing, and not about to let one measly horn blast stop him, not this time, Branch tried to continue as Poppy giggled lightly, “Right. As I was saying...” Another deep breath, he could do this, “I love you so much and-” Another three blasts of the horn stopped him again and he glared at the ship as Poppy started to laugh quietly. “Anyway. What I'm trying to say, Poppy, is-” And another long, drawn out horn had him groaning before calling out toward the sea, “Oh come on!!!”

Poppy was now full on laughing, laying her head on his chest as he stewed about the stupid boat, before getting a slight grip on herself. Reaching up, she cupped his face and ran her thumbs over his cheeks, “Branch. Hee~ Branch, it's okay! Let me guess, you have a new poem for me?”

He did but that wasn't what he had been about to say. Still he grumbled, looking off to the side, “Maybe...” He also had a proposal he just couldn't seem to get out before something went wrong.

“Then...~” Poppy started, bringing his face back towards her so she could nuzzle their noses together again, “Why don't we go back to our hotel so you can tell it to me where we won't be interrupted? And then you can tell me all my favorites as you...do other things to me~” She then sealed her offer with a deep kiss. One Branch sank into with a sigh but not without lamenting silently the derailment of yet another proposal. Sure, he supposed he could always try again later that night but something in his gut told him it wouldn't be the right time. He just wanted to propose to Poppy in a romantic setting without anything stopping him! Was that too much to ask for?! Apparently...

“Come on,” Poppy murmured, eyes glazed with want as she pulled away, “We can go take a nice warm bubble bath as you recite your newest piece to me~”

Branch hummed and let her take the lead back to their hotel, still brooding over his latest failure. This was five times now he had been stopped and it was starting to wear down his confidence that he'd ever be able to ask her. Which meant it was probably time to ask for help from her dad and possibly Suki and Smidge if he actually wanted to succeed. Sighing quietly to himself, he squeezed Poppy's hand and hoped that the next attempt would finally be the one.

He could only hope, right?

+1.

Poppy hummed a joyful tune as she walked down the hallway to her apartment, another day of party planning behind her. She still couldn't believe some days that she got to do one of the things she loved most for a living! And she was her own boss! Well...sort of...Sky Toronto was still sort of her boss, sort of her partner but that didn't matter! She got to help people plan out their very best parties! And it was soooo satisfying! Especially after long days like today when her clients had a specific vision they wanted done. Which was fine because everyone deserved to have whatever they wanted to be happy with the party they were throwing but boooy, did it tired her out! But that was fine too because she was now home where her wonderful boyfriend hopefully had dinner waiting for them.

Coming up to their door, and smiling as she always did when she caught sight of their door plaque she'd made, she opened it up, singing proudly, “I'm hooooome~!” Before a fantastically delicious scent hit her nose and she groaned. “Ooooh my goooosh~!” She quickly dropped her purse and came around to the kitchen as her stomach gave a rumble, “That smells amazing! Did you make enchiladas?!”

Branch chuckled, that warm, fond sound that always melted her insides a little as he finished pulling the dish out of the oven, “I did. I even made them...chicken enchiladas like you said you wanted.”

“Yeeeessss~!” Poppy hissed happily, “Yes, yes, yes! I am starving!” She excitedly through her arms around him once his hands were free in a tight hug, “You are the best boyfriend ever!” After pulling him down for a quick, grateful kiss, the pinkette pulled away for a little happy dance. “Oooh, I can't wait to dig in! What else did you make?!”

Another one of those warm, fond chuckles came from the blue-haired hottie she had a claim on and he gestured to the stove, “Some Mexican Rice and..” He led her gaze to the table where some different dips and chips sat, “Some sides.”

“Aaaah~! Yes! Your guacamole is the best!!!” Poppy scurried over and took a chip full of green dip, humming in delight at the tangy taste and did another little happy dance as she stuffed another chip into her mouth. “Gosh! D'ish ish shooo goood~!”

“Do you maybe want a plate full or do you wanna continue dancing in place as you eat over the table?” Branch asked, amusement ringing through his tone.

“Oh, haha!” Poppy responded, hands on her hips, “I can't help it! I told you I am staving! Mrs. Sparks ran me all over town looking for just the right party venue and I barely had time to eat lunch. But I did!” She added quickly knowing he would scold her for not eating lunch. “Anyway, once we finally found the right place, I started throwing out ideas for decorations and food and I think we've got a nice solid base now!”

“Sounds like you a had a busy day.” He grinned as she nodded, stuffing another chip into her mouth, “Also sounds like you might need a margarita.”

“You made margaritas?!” Poppy cried, excitedly, looking at him with wide, happy eyes. Oh, she officially loved this man!!! “Can we have them blended?!” She asked, bouncing happily when he nodded and turned to get the pitcher out of the fridge, telling her to get the blender out. “Yeessss~!” She cheered, already halfway to the cabinet to pull out of the appliance. As she set it out on the counter and watched him place the pitcher on the table before getting in the freezer for ice, the thought that this was her life, that she had such a wonderful, thoughtful and sweet boyfriend by her side made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. And that she wanted this for the rest of her life. She wanted to come home after a long day to dinner or even surprise him in return with the same, she wanted long, cuddly movies nights and lazy mornings in spent in bed. She wanted picnics and romantic date nights, days spent at home filled with laughter and singing or the occasional quiet as they both worked on their respective hobbies. Games nights with friends and maybe, just maybe...one day an adorable child that looked like the two of them. Poppy wanted it all with Branch right by her side in every way possible. So without really thinking about she suddenly said, “Marry me.”

“WHAT?!?!” Branch sputtered, pulling out of the freezer with a wide eyed, shocked expression, staring at her like she had lost her mind.

It took a moment for her to actually realize what she'd said but then she was beaming and nodding, bouncing over next to him, because yes, she very much wanted to marry this man, “You heard me! Marry me!!”

Branch stared and kept staring and eventually he hid his face in a hand as the freezer door closed and Poppy was beginning to worry when his shoulders began to shake. At first she thought maybe he was crying but then the quiet chuckling came which soon turned into full blown laughter and he was leaning against the fridge to support himself. Poppy pouted at him and crossed her arms, “I'm serious, Branch! Don't laugh at me!”

He tried and failed to say something a few times, each times getting cut off by more guffaws then before, before he gestured for her to stay where she was and turned to go down the hallway. Poppy was very confused, and a little hurt, that he was laughing because she meant what she'd said but she didn't have time to think much more on it as he came back, still chuckling. Standing in front of her, he finally got a grip on himself and grinned at her, stray snickers still coming and going as he reached out to cup her cheek, “I'm not laughing at you, Sunshine. Promise. I'm laughing because...” He took a deep breath before cupping his hands around something and bringing it into her view, “Because I've been trying to ask you the same thing for months.”

Poppy gasped, hands flying to her mouth, as she saw the small velvet box opened on his palm containing the prettiest ring she'd ever seen. A golden band that held a round, sparkling blue topaz in it's center, flanked by two smaller pink gems, the metal band twisted around them to hold them in place. “Oh Branch...” She sniffed, grinning behind her hands, because of course that was the reasoning behind his sort of off behavior the last few months, before crying, “Yes!”

He smirked at her, blue eyes twinkling, “Pretty sure that's suppose to be my line. You did ask first.”

“Oooooh!!!” She growled, well and truly starting to cry now as she grinned winder than ever before, “Just-Just shut up and put that ring on my finger!!”

“So demanding.” He cooed, smile just as wide and eyes damp as he did just that. Giving her hand a look that said he was finally happy to see that ring on her finger before he brought it up to lay a kiss on it.

Then they were both laughing and Branch was scooping her up and twirling her around, hugging her close. Poppy cried as she laughed, burying her face in his shoulder, the unbelievable feeling that she was engaged coursing through her as Branch spun them around. Soon he stopped and she lifted her face to see he was crying and grinning she as she was and she felt another giggle come before they both leaned in for a kiss. Kissing him with all that she had, they stood there, her in his arms as they moved their mouths against one another's as their tears mingled. Pulling back, both breathless and smiling and so, so happy, Poppy looked into Branch's eyes and chirped, “I love you~!”

“I love you too, Sunshine.” He grinned, the expression lighting up his face like she loved to see, “And I will for the rest of our lives.”

“Good~ Because so will I~” And she pulled him for another celebratory kiss and another and another before they were both laughing and twirling again. And eventually they got to that dinner, now a celebratory one, and made plans to tell everyone the following day but for now...for now they were just going to bask in the haze of excitement and happiness that surrounded them as they looked toward a very happy and bright future together.

~*~*~*~*~RMG*~*~*~*~

Always gotta go full cheese at the ending right? Anyway, this was obviously done a tad differently than I normally do just because I tried to keep within Branch's perspective and then Poppy's when I normally write both in conjecture to each other and it was a bit of a challenge but I'm really happy with how this came out! And I hope you all enjoyed it too!

Until next time!

#Dreamworks Trolls #Branch #Poppy #Broppy #Fanfiction #Trolls #Fluff #Five plus one #Human AU #I WROTE SOMETHING

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raendown · 4 years

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Last couple days were posted one a sideblog but we’re back to main for day 5 of @narutorarepairweek. Today’s prompt is arranged marriage.

Pairing: ShinoKarin Word count 3359 Rated: G Summary: The war left them all tired and she was far from the only one who had no other place to go. When offered a second chance Karin takes it. It's not the life she asked for, not the life she wanted, but time marches on and the places we stay have a way of becoming home when we least expect it.

Follow the link or read it under the cut!

KO-FI and commission info in the header!

The After Wife

Karin had never given much thought to her wedding day. Even in the sad year she had spent following Sasuke around and mooning over his every word there had been a voice in the back of her mind that knew it would never happen, never let her fantasies go beyond the now. If she had ever given the occasion any thought she liked to think that this was not what she would have imagined.

The little girl deep in her heart cried out that she deserved better than a perfunctory informal ceremony alone in the Hokage’s office, no uchikake but the white dust of travel staining her clothing and no attendants but the two council members standing witness. She deserved more than marrying a man she barely knew the name of to secure herself a home in a place that didn’t want her. And yet here she stood while the Godaime Hokage spoke the bare minimum phrases needed to bind her future to another.

What else was new?

As shitty as the situation was, however, there were several different points which stayed her tongue and stiffened her muscles against the urge to flee. Naruto was the first and biggest reason. The only person who had ever looked at her and truly wanted to know her. He was family, distant and far removed, but a blood relation. She hadn’t known any family since the last of her own gave their life to save another in the depths of Kusagakure. From that day on she had been nothing but an asset, an advantage. Yet Naruto looked at her and saw only the bond he hoped might someday grow between them. The siren call of affection given so freely was embarrassingly difficult to resist after the life she had led.

The second reason that held back the barbs at the edge of her tongue was the idea of rest. Simple and plain, Karin was tired of running. Tired of living her life uncertain of where her steps would take her next and tired of fighting for her right to stay in one place long enough to put down even the weakest of roots. Working for that snake Orochimaru hadn’t been pleasant but it had been the closest thing she could remember to having a place to go back to. Konohagakure had offered her a home and Karin, reluctant and full of pride, wanted so badly to open her hand and accept that offer. Wanted it to be possible more than she was willing to let any of these people know.

Her third reason was much less optimistic than the other two. Her actions during the fourth shinobi war and in the years leading up to it had branded her a criminal. By all rights she should have been left to rot in the jail of whichever village won the right to punish her first. Instead Naruto had campaigned for her release along with several others on the condition they be rehabilitated. This was far and away the best possible option, the road which led to the least misery in her future. So while she was of the private opinion that whoever decided her rehabilitation should include being married off to a clan head was losing their marbles Karin had decided, after much thought, that resistance could only hurt her now.

She didn’t really have many expectations for what married life would be like, not having known her husband until they were corralled in to a room together and legally bound, yet Aburame Shino somehow managed to subvert them anyway. Right from the start she was handed surprises as she learned that not only was Shino unperturbed to be married away to a stranger, he had actually volunteered.

“I find this to be a good solution,” he’d told her. Then he must have seen her naked confusion as he quickly added, “Why? Because my elders had been asking me to find a wife for years now and you need a home. This is a good thing for both of us.”

Karin honestly hadn’t known what to say to that but she was grateful not to deal with someone angry at the very sight of her. His honesty had set the tone for a surprisingly harmonious coexistence. Although they did sleep in the same room Shino easily agreed to separate futons and never once asked more from her than she was willing to give, not even so much as a kiss. They ate their meals together and he complimented her cooking when it was her turn to do so but for the most part they spent their days entirely separate as he went about his business and left Karin to hers.

That wasn’t to say they never spent any time together, although it took the better part of a year for her to even realize that he was doing so. Shino was an unassuming man. Enough so that it was all too easy to underestimate just how subtle and sneaky he could be. It never occurred to her to question the nights he chose to stay in at home, choosing a book and settling in the library where she also spent most of her evenings. She thought little of the absent questions that more often than not drew her in to long conversations before one or both of them yawned their way to bed. Nothing about their situation seemed out of the ordinary until she ran in to Sakura while working at the hospital as part of the mandatory community service that was a condition of being allowed to stay in the village, greeting her one time rival for an undeserving man’s love with a cautious hello. Sakura’s smile for her was surprisingly warm.

“How’s married life been?” the other woman asked. “I don’t see Shino around much these days. Or anyone, really. I’m so busy here!”

“Life’s fine.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth Karin realized that she meant them and that was enough of a shock that Sakura was able to chatter over her for several minutes, going on about a bunch of people she honestly didn’t care about. Just because they were Shino’s friends didn’t mean they were hers. He was smart enough not to force her to socialize when she didn’t want to – and since she knew the general opinion most people had of her here she really didn’t want to socialize with most of them.

When Sakura started bemoaning how their busy lives kept her and Naruto apart most days and how they didn’t get to spend much time together Karin rolled her eyes.

“Seriously? The two of you married for love and I see more of my husband than you do yours?”

The other woman looked at her strangely. “Really? The last I heard of him Shino was screaming busy helping Iruka-sensei overhaul the academy curriculum. Oh but that’s so sweet that he still makes time for you! I’m ashamed to say I never expected he would make such a good husband.”

“A-ah…”

“Sakura-sensei! Come quick! It’s Yuzuki-san!”

“Oh! I have to run!” Sakura turned on her heel and dashed off towards wherever that voice had called from. “Let’s talk again soon!”

Karin didn’t even bother to wave. Her head was spinning, hands lifting on muscle memory as she went back to her own work scrubbing floors in a daze. It wasn’t like she ignored Shino when he spoke to her. She listened very carefully. But she’d never realized that he was quite so busy, enough so that he needed to consciously make the time to come and sit with her in the quiet library where sometimes she didn’t even bother to engage his attempts at conversation.

Community service brought her all over the village doing all sorts of different jobs so there was really no telling what time she would be heading home on any given day. By some kindness of fate it just so happened that she finished today a little before the academy would be letting their students go from final classes. With shame and embarrassment roiling together until she was able to translate them in to indignation, Karin set her feet marching along a path she had only ever walked the one time she was asked to clean out some old classrooms. The closer she got the easier it became to ignore the thousands of chakra signatures around her and focus in on the one she had come to associate with calm and safety without even knowing she was doing so.

She didn’t really have a plan. Karin had always been a woman of emotion and right now her emotions were telling her to go confront her husband. She would figure out what exactly she was confronting him about when she got there. Or that was her line of thinking until she paused halfway across the grassy yard, catching sight of him through an open window and drifting over like a magnet to a lodestone.

Despite the utter chaos of children up and moving about the room seemingly without order Shino stood by the front with a contented smile underneath the visor he wore to protect his eyes from bright lights. With both arms in the air he directed his students like a conductor, voice ringing out his instructions with confidence.

It was a side of him that she had never seen before – or rather that she had never taken the time to see. Shino had taken her in and given her a home, played the part of accommodating husband more perfectly than she could have ever hoped for, and Karin could only think that all she’d given him in return was a few measly conversations whenever she felt like making the effort. Not once had she ever considered whether he might just want to talk after a stressful day. Sure there were other people he could have gone to and she’d assumed all along that’s what he would do but if he chose to seek comfort in her, the wife who was meant to share his life and home? He deserved better than she gave him. He'd certainly given her better in turn.

Whatever energy had brought her marching across the village drained away as she watched her husband at work for the first time. She was almost disappointed when the bell rang and he began to herd the children towards their cubby holes at the back of the room for boots and coats, calling instructions for the night’s homework over the noise. His gaze hadn’t even once strayed towards the window and for a few moments she wondered which exit she would have to meet him at as he left for home. Following his chakra wouldn’t exactly be hard. Then his head turned sideways to look directly at her without warning and Karin was ashamed of the squeak that slipped out between her lips.

Beetles. She’d forgotten about the beetles, thousands of eyes watching the world on his behalf.

He tilted his head but without being able to see the eyes behind his visor Karin was left with nothing but the flavor of curiosity in his warm signature, rooted to the spot while he picked his way across the room to stand on the other side of the open window with hands folded behind his back.

“What brings you here?” he asked in his quiet, unassuming voice.

“I…oh. Should I not have? Do you have work left?” Not having been granted the honor of actually attending the academy in her own home village, she realized suddenly that she had very little idea of what a typical day’s schedule might include for either the students or the teachers. Thankfully Shino looked anything but irritated. It took quite a bit to irritate him, actually, something she had appreciated from the very beginning.

“Yes I have much left to do. Why? Because the children handed in two different assignments today that require marking.” His head tilted ever so slightly again before going on. “If you would prefer, I can finish such work at home.”

Karin shifted her weight and looked away, uncomfortable. What right did she have to ask anything of him? Yet still she heard her own voice answering as quietly as she hadn’t heard herself in years. “Yes. I would prefer you to come home. Please.”

Obviously both of them knew that she had tacked on that last bit as no more than an afterthought. Manners were hardly second nature to her. The last thing she had worried about growing up was learning how to be proper and polite, not when she’d been taught that the way to get something out of life was to be tough and strong, to demand whatever attention and respect she felt she deserved. Life in Konoha hadn’t exactly gained her much respect and the last thing she usually wanted these days was anyone’s attention.

With Shino that was different. Feeling his eyes on her was not a weight she needed to bear up under but a blanket of warmth against the often cold realities that had been her life so far. He was a break against the wind, a mercy, a place to rest. Until that moment staring at him through an open window Karin hadn’t truly understood how much she’d come to think of him as home. Not just that he had given her one but that he, the man, the husband, had become the home she wanted to come back to. It was not a revelation she was prepared to confront. Thankfully he didn’t seem as though he required any explanations at the moment. Even as her thoughts spun and the earth seemed to tilt beneath her feet Shino was nodding and turning to gather the piles of messy assignment papers from his desk, sealing them all in to a single scroll before heading back towards the window.

“May I walk with you?” he asked.

“I…yes?” It seemed a silly question. They were going to the same place, after all. Refusing him would mean walking along the same path anyway but keeping a few paces between them and the very idea of it was ridiculous.

Still, her answer seemed to please him. The smile that curled his lips this time was the sort of soft contentment he usually wore in the evenings as they whiled away the evening shadows in light conversation. Karin was ashamed to admit that it took until they were halfway home, turning from one deserted pathway down another, that she understood his question.

“Were you flirting with me!?” she demanded, almost proud that he didn’t so much as flinch at her sudden outburst. Of course she was also immediately infuriated that he didn’t have the decency to blush along with his simple nod.

“I was.”

“Have you done that before!?”

“I have.”

“When!?”

Shino hummed like he was counting the moments she had inexplicably missed. “Often.”

It was almost offensive how calm he remained while she spluttered and choked on her own surprise. The rest of the walk home was stiflingly quiet. A truly staggering amount of thoughts chased each other through her mind but none of them were able to stick for very long before getting chased away by several more. Karin’s emotions were in a right mess when they made it home, confused and muddled and twisted in a way unlike anything she’d ever felt before. Shino led them in to the library and paused next to his usual seat with a serene air. It wasn’t until he reached up to remove the visor shielding his eyes from the outside world that finally words began to tumble over each other past her lips.

“You flirt with me?” Her tone was a question but she had barely let him nod before she was going on. “I don’t get it. Why? You didn’t want to marry me, you just wanted someone to make your clan elders shut up and leave you alone and I just wanted a–” A home. The word stuck in her throat but he seemed to understand.

“Does it bother you?”

“N-no, don’t be stupid. Why would it bother me? It’s just…flirting.” Never in her life had she heard her own voice sound quite so unsteady.

Shino’s dark, multi-faceted eyes blinked slowly. “Why? Because we are married and I have come to enjoy your company. Because you are my wife and you deserve to be cherished as a wife should be. Because your laughter is hard to earn and all the more precious for it. That is why.”

“Oh,” Karin breathed. “Oh.”

In the time since she had come to this place she had felt like many things. A pretender, unwanted, unneeded, bored, caged, yet despite all those content was much more frequent as of late. Shino’s quiet words rocked her as for the first time she felt something she hadn’t before, not in all the years she spent clawing and scratching out a place for herself in the cruel uncaring world. She felt like a woman. Desired. Wanted for no reason other than her own merits as a human being.

“Do it again,” she demanded softly and it made Shino smile.

“You wish for me to flirt with you?” When she nodded stiffly he echoed the gesture with a serious air. “Very well. Shall I tell you how beautiful I find you? How the scent of you fills our home and eases away all worries of the world outside? Should I tell you that this life we have together is a happy one that I am grateful to have been gifted with?”

“By the kami, I didn’t expect you to lay it on so thick!” Karin covered her face with both hands, mortified to realize her cheeks were warm.

“Ah, my apologies. I sought only to fulfil my wife’s request.”

It took a minute or two before she had collected herself enough to peek out between her fingers but when she did her gaze was as contemplative as his was amused. The shock that had flavored every emotion since her conversation with Sakura faded enough at last that she was able to think past it to possibilities that she could have never imagined before.

“Fulfill my request huh?” Slowly letting her arms fall to her sides, Karin took a deep breath and steeled her nerves. “Well then I have an actual request for you. Um…dinner. If- if you’re going to do this backwards and court me after we’re already married then you should at least do it right. Taking me out to dinner would be a good start.” Though her cheeks felt like they had caught fire Karin stubbornly kept her chin up to watch the curl of Shino’s lips, something deeply content settling in the eyes he showed to so few people. How long had he been falling in love without her noticing?

“Dinner would be my pleasure,” he replied simply.

It would also be hers, she was startled to realize. This wasn’t the fairy tale most girls dreamed of but Karin wasn’t quite as surprised as she should be finally coming to terms with the fact that perhaps this life wasn’t really so bad. Perhaps her husband wasn’t the only one that she hadn’t noticed getting attached.

When she pulled her chair over to sit a little closer that night Shino said nothing about it. And when they went to bed and he held out a hand she laid down to sleep on the same futon as her husband for the very first time without saying a word herself. Their marriage might have been arranged but it was odd to think that the relationship between themselves was only theirs to define. Karin couldn’t remember the last time she’d been handed such control over her own future.

She’d never given much thought to her wedding day but maybe it was time she started thinking about how she wanted to love the rest of her life. If she was allowed her say then it was going to be happy.

#narutorarepairweek2020 #rae writes #shikarin #shinokarin #shino #karin #sakura #fanfiction

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sinnhelmingr · 3 years

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What is Hel’s relationship like with her siblings? What does she miss most about them? What does she dislike? // @eynsavalow

For the most part I would say Hel’s relationship among her brothers is... good? Good. There’s no interpersonal problems, even if she does struggle with the circumstances surrounding her relationships with them. Hel is her own worst enemy, and the impediment between herself and bonding with others, after all.

Also for the sake of this ask I’m just covering the myth-canonical, usually panfandom brothers rather than any oc or setting-specific siblings. I adore all the fankids, ocs, and fandom-specific children of Loki, but I am also terrified of forgetting anyone and making people feel bad so I’m just covering the main squad of Sleipnir, Fenrir, Jormungandr, Vali, and Nar(v/f)i. Just assume Hel loves any siblings outside of these five even if she’s an awkward sort of reserved sibling at times.

(This is so long. This is so very long. Abandon hope all ye who click read more.)

In my lore, Hel is the youngest of Loki’s children with Angrboda, the baby of the bunch and only daughter. First was Fenrir, and then Jormungandr, and Hel grew up as their little tagalong and pestilence depending on the situation.

Her relationship with Fenrir was always especially layered, fraught with sibling rivalry spiraling out of proud eldest son vs spoiled only daughter discord. They butted heads often once their personalities really took shape. They easily forgot how baby Hel had been rather attached to her oldest brother, and Fenrir in turn patient with ‘the baby,’ despite how she pulled his fur a little when toddling alongside him. Hel would spite Fenrir, or he would tease her, and within minutes their parents often had to pull the two apart before it turned into a brawl. The pair warmed to one another slightly upon moving to Asgard in their youth, united as outsiders against the majority, but still had a certain antagonism towards one another. Over time, the pair showed signs of getting over it and instead using their barbs more softly, evolving into a form of affection than actual meanness.

This development was blighted, however, upon their casting out and separation. Hel never knew what became of Fenrir until adulthood, and found him bound and mad. She’s not sought him out since, unable to face what he became. She’s long since learned to miss that however much her brother teased her, he was always looking out for her, always protecting her from others. She doesn’t, however, miss the antagonism they unleashed upon one another just for something to do, even if she laments never knowing how they might have gotten over it.

Jormungandr is the full sibling that Hel was closest to in her childhood, as both were more mild-mannered compared to the boisterous wolf cub. Their relationship is encapsulated by the image of a young Hel sitting with a borrowed book, ‘Jori’ twining around her and following along as she sounded out the words for him. He was a constant companion, confidant, and best friend in her youth. The two especially came to rely upon one another in Asgard, where the two would find quiet places for cuddling and comfort. The thoughtful Jori often proved a voice of reason for his more rambunctious kid sister, and Hel in turn proved capable of calming the serpent during bouts of anxiety. The two were as close as siblings could be, and many of Hel’s happiest memories involve her older brother.

It’s facts like that which make Jormungandr’s loss cut Hel so deeply. Jormungandr was the first cast out, and Hel had to watch his final descent, unable to move or even react in the moment. Despite repeat attempts to call out to him, standing along coastlines and seeking some clue as to where she might find him in the depths, he appears either incapable or unwilling to have a reunion throughout most of history. She misses the easy affinity she had with him, how they simply clicked, and knows if they had maintained contact then their burdens might have been easier to bear. She’s reluctant to admit it, but she’s somewhat grateful she doesn’t have to be a personal heater half the year these days.

Now we get into the matter of her half-siblings: Sleipnir, an older brother, and Vali and Narvi, her younger brothers. Hel has regular contact with all of them, some more closely than others, but she still clings to them and would protect them from anything -- a task she already ‘failed at’ in her own mind in two cases.

Sleipnir was a later development of Hel’s youth. She always knew Loki had another child somewhere, but never had a chance to meet him until the move. As a horse girl and a baby sister, she was positively thrilled to meet her brother the horse. She would fritter away hours in the stables, chatting to the steed and tending to his hair, sneaking him snacks that he enjoyed while he offered affectionate nuzzles and a sympathetic ear. He was the first sibling she reunited with after her exile, and on her first return visit to Asgard found herself sobbing and clinging to his neck, ashamed at her own weakness but desperately needing to hold on to the one family she had left. While both are chained to Odin, they are both alive and able to traverse realms, which puts them in a better situation than their brothers. Hel often sneaks away from events in her uncle’s hall to spend time with Sleipnir, who does not mind the company and makes a perfect excuse to dip out of such events. He loves enabling these moments where his sister is more a person than a queen, to be honest.

Their relationship is great, and unburdened by Hel’s crushing sense of guilt about the rest of her family. They simply hang out from time to time and have maintained a healthy, mutual love and respect for one another. Hel admires Sleipnir’s resilience and mischievous streak, which has been apparent since the day she met him. She just wishes he wouldn’t still treat her like a delicate child now that she’s a grown woman, but he’s still just as tender and gentle as he was at the start.

Vali and Narvi probably have the most complicated dynamic with Hel, and that’s coming from her end rather than theirs. It’s very hard to talk about the two as anything but a single entity given Hel’s role in their lives and eventual afterlives. Hel had precious little opportunity (in my personal, non-partner driven lore) to meet the two growing up, and only knew of their existence through Odin’s manipulations. Her uncle presented it as Loki having moved on and had non-monstrous children with his second wife, a fact that Hel rejoiced in. If Sigyn’s sons were not monsters, she thought they could not be hurt as Angrboda’s children had been.

She was wrong, of course, as the Aesir’s revenge against Loki proved. One brother died that day, and the agent of such tragedy followed soon after. Both boys passsed into Hel’s hall, dying vaingloriously or as a kinslayer respectively, and she mourned them. More than that, she has always considered it her fault the boys died, reasoning if she had put aside her own need for revenge and spared Baldr that Odin might have spared Loki’s sons in turn. Still, she took the pair in, made them princes of her realm, raised and loved them as she thought Sigyn might. Her relationship with them is somewhat detached given her own guilt, but they want for nothing and the boys know if they need her, Hel will always there for them. Even if she can’t understand it herself, they love her deeply, and she’s named them her heirs in the event anything should prevent her from ruling her realm. They are her brothers, true, but she’s brought them up as her own, seen them grow into fine men who are far better adjusted to their tragedy than Hel is with her own. In turn, they bring some brightness to her life, trying to win smiles from their dour, reserved sister.

#ask #he opened his mouth on judgment day [FENRIR]#no hope in the water [JORMUNGANDR]#every little boy is so naive [VALI]#calling for you into the black [NARVI]#sleipnirtbt #they can't get into my head [HEADCANON]#we need never feel alone [QUEUE]#eynsavalow

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screensirenfic · 5 years

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Black Leather - Chapter 8

I’d had to wait an additional twenty minutes at Steve’s house, because despite his near fanatical dedication to Farah Faucett; his hair had continued to fall flat.

Lucky for him, Nancy was there, otherwise I would’ve broken down the damn bathroom door and shaved the birds nest off myself.

Eventually; he’d managed to get his hair to a reasonable level of poofiness, and we’d gotten to Tina’s just an hour after the start time on the flyer; fashionably late without it being too busy to make an entrance.

Sitting in the backseat of Steve’s thankfully spacious BMW gave me front row seats to the newfound awkwardness between Hawkins most beloved royal couple.

Despite Steve’s insistence that everything was fine between the pair and that Nancy was just still upset about Barb; I couldn’t help but feel there was a bigger void between them than that. One that was gradually getting bigger by the day, judging by the near complete lack of conversation for the entire car ride over.

He wouldn’t even let me talk to her for him; insisting he could handle it himself, but Steve really didn’t know girls like I did.

There was something big on Nancy’s mind; something that parties and corny jokes alone wasn’t gonna fix.

“That is a lot of carnage...” Steve remarked, drawing my eyes from the world’s slowest relationship train wreck, to the much more literal train wreck outside my window.

The word “carnage” was putting it lightly.

The party had already spilled out onto the street; bodies in varying stages on unconsciousness littering the front lawn like the vast amount of beer cans and bottles surrounding them. Those that were conscious were reveling in a variety of vices, from cigarettes to cheap booze to near all out sex on the AstroTurf. High school partying at its finest.

“Half the school must be here!” Remarked Nancy; eyes wide at the near renaissance painting of absolute debauchery outside.

“You got that right...” Agreed Steve as he slowed his car to park; and if Hawkins High’s keg king said that it was a rager, then she must be right.

Steve eventually found a space just outside Tina’s house; surprising considering the sheer amount of people present, however I guess most people considered a night in Hawkins PD’s cells too steep a price to pay for one night of drinking and dancing.

We got out of the car, and already the music hit our ears at full blast; someone’s parents were gonna get a lot of noise complaints in the morning.

“We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off” was the song of choice, but clearly the song’s message fell on deaf ears, as most of the boys were down to shorts and skins, and the girls in even less.

Steve led the way through the highway to hell, ringing the doorbell to Tina’s, which chimed out in an almost comedic rendition of “Messiah” considering the situation.

Moments later, the door swung open to a smiling Tina, dressed in a skimpy leotard and fishnets, in what must’ve been a cat costume considering the black velvet ears in her perm.

“Steve! Nancy! Love the costumes!” She exclaimed with such enthusiasm; it must’ve been partially forced.

“Risky Business; right?” She asked, taking note on the pair’s cute matching black and white combo.

“And Lola! You’re..?” Her ever expanding smile faltered as she struggled to work out what exactly a tartan miniskirt and a Bon Jovi tank top had to do with Halloween.

“A vampire.” I replied with a fake smile, showing off the plastic fangs glued to my canines. She wasn’t the only one who could feign enthusiasm.

“Well; you all look so great...” She spieled; that plastic smile returning even quicker than it fell.

“Why don’t you come on in and get a drink...” She beckoned us in as she led us further into her temporary den of teenage rebellion.

Costume party could be used very loosely to describe what Tina’s Halloween party was.

People wore costumes alright; ones that made them look sexier, less restrained, more depraved. Anything from a pair of sunglasses, to an oversized bedsheet counted here; and trust me, someone had tried them all. My outfit honestly looked like a nun’s in comparison to some of the other girls.

Since when did lingerie count as a Halloween costume?

“Looks like a good party.” Steve remarked, though I wondered if it was only for our host’s sake.

“Yeah. If you like cheap liquor and herpes...” I muttered, earning myself a chuckle from him; so we were on the same page.

I glanced around the room, unable to believe people had managed to get this fucked up in an hour. There had to be some pregaming, or a high amount of class C drugs involved; definitely drugs, judging by the smoke in the air.

I was definitely gonna have to do the laundry before dad got home.

My eyes glanced over to the living room where some jock was spread out on the coffee table, whilst a line of cheerleaders did body shots off his chest.

I was definitely gonna need a drink to get through tonight.

“I’m gonna go grab a drink...” I told Steve, not waiting for a response as I slipped through the crowd towards the kitchen and what would hopefully be semi drinkable booze.

—————————————————

The liquor was shitty; the punch wasn’t much better, but still better to suffer the taste and be drunk, than suffer the company sober.

God knew there was nothing worse than being the only sober one in a crowd of drunks.

Steve had long abandoned me for his princess, in yet another attempt to drown an underlying uneasiness with cheap alcohol and fake happiness. Jonathan was a no show, but there was no surprises there, and I was kinda wishing I’d done the same, even if it’d cost me my left ear to Steve’s nagging.

The only consolation was that Billy Hargrove hadn’t spoken to me once. It was quite possible he hadn’t even noticed me; he was so sucked into the superficial cloud of party popularity that seemed to circle him like a storm.

Every girl in their fake leather biker boots and discount rack leather jackets was hanging off him, in a poor attempt to act as my replacement; as if being the resident basket case was as simple as smudging on a bit of eyeliner and smoking more Camels than usual.

I don’t think Billy was convinced; his mind so preoccupied with stealing Steve’s crown that he didn’t have time to think about getting laid.

No doubt when he came back down to earth; I’d be the first person he’d have in mind to help with that little problem.

But for now; my night looked relatively sleaze free. No one had tried to hit on me since Billy had taken an interest; probably valued their molars too much for that.

It’s strange to think that despite my total disdain for Billy and the clear message that I’d rather eat my own fingernails than date him; people still acted like he had some sort of “reservation” over me, as if I was unofficially “his girl”.

Right now, the man in question was challenging the royal reign of keg king; a position previously held by Steve, before Nancy had him saddled and bridled.

Even I had to admit; Billy Hargrove made quite the Lancelot to Steve’s Arthur. Billy had Steve in term of upper body strength; his keg stand lasting twice as long as Steve’s had, without any of the signature unsteadiness.

The keg court already loved him, counting down with unrivalled enthusiasm and chanting Billy’s name as if he’d just won a championship belt.

He’d even managed to steal Steve’s right hand man; Tommy H naturally taking his place behind the new alpha male, reminding me of a snappy hyena at his heels.

Billy’s keg stand finished on a impressive count of forty two; him touching ground soon after and spraying the crowd with lukewarm beer.

“That’s how you do it; Hawkins! That’s how you do it!” He yelled triumphantly, in that moment seeming more of a celebrity than the cocky asshole with a Camaro.

Even I had to admit that Billy seemed different tonight.

Maybe it was the punch talking, or the overall excitement of the crowd as they practically worshipped him like a god, but he just seemed larger than life.

He’d styled his hair different; his curls actually holding shape, rather than just falling into a dirty blonde mess. He also followed the crowd in terms of forgoing a shirt; just a leather jacket draped over his impressively built torso.

I could see why the other girls went crazy over him. Everything about him screamed dominance and raw testosterone.

Now Billy was walking my direction and I was running low on punch and confidence.

Yes; originally I’d planned to play the role of tease tonight, and drive Billy crazy with what he could see, but couldn’t touch. But he was forty two seconds of beer down and pumped up on the adoration of half the school, so I was having second thoughts.

Sober Billy was fun to tease, if not a little over persistent; drunk Billy was an unfamiliar entity that could turn out to be downright dangerous.

So I made my exit, slipping back into the crowd and relative anonymity.

—————————————

The kitchen looked like it had become the first fatality of what was sure to be a deadly night of binge drinking and bad decisions.

The tile floor now closely resembled a a swimming pool, complete with indeterminate objects that I had no intention of inspecting swimming on the surface.

The kitchen counters looked like the world’s largest game of beer pong, cups of various colours and fullness on every available inch of clear space. I didn’t even want to know what was in some of them; the smell of them strong enough to hit you from across the room.

I’d managed to find Steve and Nancy again earlier, though it was clear Nancy was well in her cups, and Steve was trying desperately to stop her from becoming any deeper.

I’d managed to convince her into trying something that didn’t have enough of an alcohol content to sedate a horse, but it seemed Tina had stockpiled just as many mixers as booze; though the former seemed vastly less popular.

I made my way back through the thick of the crowd, wanting to make sure I got Nancy something that’d actually stay down, rather than end up painted across the front of her sweater. I could already see the top of Steve’s hair, rising high above the crowd like a homing beacon; at least it wasn’t completely useless.

“Hey Nance; do you want soda or...” I began, threading through the crowd towards them, when I suddenly realised they weren’t alone.

I felt like I’d walked on set in the middle of one of those Wild West movies my dad liked to watch; the sheriff facing off against the stranger in black.

Billy stood nearly chest to chest with Steve, looking as if he was moments away from flooring him, but at the sound of my voice his focus shifted; his demeanour no less predatory.

“Lola...” He purred, with a smirk that made me feel like he was undressing me with words alone. Up close I could see the evidence of his keg stand running down his tanned chest; slick trails threading between his taught abs.

Still; I kept stony, not trusting Billy in the slightest.

“Hargrove.” I spat; arms crossed over my chest in a way hoped said back off, but may have came across as nervous.

His smirk spread across his face; eyes falling to trail over my body, stopping at all the strategic points along the way.

”Like the costume...” He commented, wetting his lips as if I was desert on a platter. “Just like I imagined.”

I could already figure out exactly what he’d imagined, and I’m pretty sure it didn’t include clothes.

“Thanks.” I forced a smile faker than Tina’s attitude; dry and bitter just like half the booze on offer at this shithole of a party.

Still; Steve wasn’t gonna just stand around whilst Billy stared at me as if I was something from his private Playboy collection; the usurped king was instead experiencing a serious case of white knight syndrome.

“Hey; why don’t you back the hell off...” Steve warned, stepping forwards between me and Billy, so Billy could no longer blatantly leer at me.

It didn’t put his successor off in the slightest; Billy stepping past Steve as if he was an inanimate object to continue to proposition me.

“Why don’t you come and have a dance with me?” He asked with one of those smiles that made Tina turn into a shivering puddle of hormones.

“I’ll pass.” I replied with another dry smile, then turned to make a swift exit before he could come up with another bullshit reason to waste my time and my patience.

“Come on; sweetheart...” He purred, and I felt his hand lock around my wrist; not painfully so, but just firm enough to tell me that I’d leave when he let me, and not a moment sooner.

I gave him a dark look, because really? He was gonna try this with me?

But before I could give him the verbal lashing of a lifetime; Steve beat me to it, ripping Billy’s hand from my wrist with more force than I thought was possible for the doe eyed brunette.

“Dude; she said no!” Steve said, and despite his gentle chastisement; his face and tone told him that he wasn’t messing around.

But neither was Billy. He turned to Steve; his former aggression returning as quickly as it left.

“I’m sorry; I wasn’t aware you were her boyfriend...” Spat Billy; already ready to open an entire new can of worms and with it, let out a whole lot of alcohol infused testosterone.

Steve wasn’t gonna take it; though sometimes I really wish he would.

I really didn’t need saving; I’m goddamn Lola Hopper. Boys like Billy Hargrove should shit themselves when I approached.

But Steve; always the hero, came at him with all the verbal reasoning that Billy had no patience for.

“Just because she’s not my girlfriend; doesn’t mean I’m gonna let you drag her around like-“

But Billy truly didn’t have the patience or the mental capacity. He was half a keg in and looking for a fight.

Steve never got to finish his argument; Billy slamming him hard against the wall like some freshman, and not the previous reigning keg king.

“Excuse me?” Billy growled; his voice low and threatening, and really doing more for me than his sleazy flirting, but I had more important things to worry about than how Billy’s temper was a turn on!

My best friend was about to become an interestingly shaped stain on Tina’s parents’ wallpaper.

“Who the fuck do you think you are, Harrington?” Billy’s voice dropped another octave; his body inches away from Steve’s and although he didn’t touch him,

I knew he was seconds away from knocking the noble idiot unconscious.

Even then, Steve couldn’t take a hint. Always honourable; he was prepared to go down fighting, but I wasn’t ready to see him become a martyr.

“Billy; I’ve changed my mind...” I quickly thought on my feet, slipping between the two of them in the vain hope that the possibility of physical contact on the table was enough to shake Billy out of his rage.

“I think I want that dance...” I forced a pretty smile, grabbing his wrist softly in the hope he might unclench his fists in favour of touching me again.

It wasn’t working. Billy was far too worked up; it was if I was invisible. So I moved a bit closer; letting my body brush up against his as I slipped my hand down to grab his.

“Come on; Billy. He’s not worth it...” I whispered; my voice just husky enough to hold a little promise.

“But I might be...” I gave him an impish smile; all raw sexuality and desire, one that I’d of previously thrown up at the prospect of exchanging with Billy Hargrove.

To my great relief; he relaxed, his shoulders lowering and his jaw unclenching. His hand wrapped around my own, squeezing with just a little bit of pressure; a reluctant retreat on the condition that I upheld my end of the bargain.

I took him by the hand and pulled him away from Steve, heading towards the dance floor and hopefully putting as much distance between the two alphas as possible.

But even now; Steve wouldn’t relent, stepping forward ready to defend my honour.

“Lola; you don’t have to...” He petitioned, as if I wasn’t doing this to protect him.

“It’s fine, Steve.” I reassured him, making the words more forceful than necessary in case his dumb overprotective brain continued to reject self preservation.

But of course; my pushy prospective dance partner couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

“Yeah, Steve; it’s fine.” He mimicked; his smirk so full of venom, I’m surprised it didn’t melt his pretty face off.

At last, Steve relented, letting me lead my volatile pretty boy onto the dance floor without blood on his knuckles.

————————————

Surprisingly; Billy was actually a semi decent dance partner. He kept rhythm well enough and gave me enough room that I didn’t feel he was trying to hump me in front of the whole school.

We were two songs down; “Dancing With Myself” pumping through the overdriven sound system, and I hadn’t once accidentally-on-purpose tried to step on Billy’s toes.

If I was to be painfully honest, and believe me; admitting this was painful, I was actually enjoying dancing with Billy.

When he wasn’t so heavily focused on appearing the bad boy, he was actually pretty cool. He smiled more often; a genuine warm smile that was nothing like that sleazy grin he used on me all the time. He was actually cute.

“Are you feeling alright?” He asked after spinning me under his arm for the third time tonight; and I’m not sure if it was the dizziness or the alcohol, but I was actually beginning to feel giddy.

“Yeah; why?” I replied with a smile; my gaze getting lost in those bright baby blues that were staring at me with something other than lust.

“It’s just; it’s been half an hour and you haven’t threatened to shiv me with a beer bottle...” He joked; yeah, actually joked, with a wide smile on his face.

And God! His face just lit up when he was being genuinely funny and not an ass; and for a split second I was hit with the almost uncontrollable urge to kiss him.

Almost uncontrollable. I reigned it in at the last minute; not trusting my tipsy brain to have that much control, at least not when it came to Billy Hargrove.

I bit my lip instead; feeling an honest to God blush spread across my cheeks.

“Shut up once in a while and it might happen more often...” I retorted, lowering my voice just enough that he could tell his joke hit right.

He just smiled, and my pulse just skipped another beat as he swept me into another spin; happy just to keep his body close to mine for the remainder of the night.

#stranger things #stranger things 2 #stranger things fandom #stranger things2 #fanfiction #fanfic #strangerthingsfanfiction #strangerthingsfanfic #original character #stranger things oc #strangerthings oc #jim hopper daughter #hopper daughter #Billy Hargrove #billy hargove x reader #billy hargrove fanfiction #steve harrington #steve harrington x reader #Nancy Wheeler

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greenninjagal-blog · 5 years

Text

Weightless (pt2)

Summary: Virgil still hates the human world and humans in particular. But maybe not his strange (definitely not) human housemates

Words: 4297

Pairings: Platonic LAMP

Part One

Read on AO3

“--a week or two. I don’t know I gave him a lot.” Roman’s voice says weakly. Virgil is rather annoyed it’s the first thing he hears when he wakes up. On a good day he hates hearing Roman’s condescending tone, on a bad day Virgil contemplates adding him to the list of humans he wants to kill.

What was Roman doing in his room?

No, wait he wasn’t in his room. Damn, he needed to stop falling asleep couch.

Really, it’s been a month since he’s moved into the building and he has his own room, with a door that locks, the windows that shut all the way, and headphones that blare the sound of the ocean waves as loud as he wanted. He doesn’t need to be out in the common area, taking up the entire couch, headphones on and buried under as many blankets as he can get away with.

He’s sure he’s annoying his housemates with it too. Every once in a while he picks up on the presence of one or two of them skirting through the area---

Wait a second.

“Don’t give me that look! You saw him!”

Virgil’s had that thought before. He knows he’s had that thought before.

“I didn’t see anything.” Logan’s voice replies tersely with an edge that is unlike him. Logan doesn’t rise to emotion, ever. But here he was talking like he ever word was meant to be a barbed attack.

“Oh yeah I forgot, specs!” Even when he sounds like he’s still recovering from being hit by an eighteen wheeler, he manages to sound like the sarcastic asshole he was. “And when were you going to tell the rest of us about the stone eyes ability you suddenly possess?”

Virgil’s missing something. There’s an important bit of information, and it feels like its just on the tip off his tongue, on the brink of his consciousness.

“Guys,” Patton’s voices is strained, but he sounds more worried than anything else. “Let’s not fight.”

Whatever, he’s never cared about his housemates before. Where are his headphones? He wants to crank up the sound of the ocean and pretend it’s dragging Roman under its unforgiving surface again and again and again.

He wants to pretend nothing is wrong.

-ongwroNGWRONG WRONG WRONG

It feels like an alarm that had been going on in his head for years that Virgil hadn’t even noticed until that moment. All at once his brain is screaming, crying, wailing for him to listen. The noise, his noise, the familiar noise of his thoughts comes roaring back and it drowns the dull sleepiness on his brain.

Virgil reacts like someone stuck jumper cables to his temples. The blind panic of it jolts down his spine awakening every limb with a flood of shaky Adrenalin. He’s sitting up before his eyes have even opened. (Granted his vision blurs and waves together and the blood behind his eyes pounds so hard he has to hold back a scream, but he’s sitting up. Ready to defend himself.)

He knows someone else screams. By the time his vision clears enough for him to make sense of his surroundings (common room couch, blankets folded, coffee table cleared and cleaned and his reflection bouncing off the glass window barrier from the peaceful night) Roman, Logan, and Patton are all looking at him with varying degrees of horror. Virgil’s body sways but he’s determined not to fall back down, not to fall back unconscious no matter how loudly it beacons him.

“How the fuck are you awake?” Roman rasps from the opposite end of the couch, his skin pale, and his body tense. There are scratch marks on his arm wrapped tightly with gauze, and a tiny bit of fear in his expression that Virgil’s mind struggles to explain.

“Language!” Patton scolds, but even he looks a breath away from a heart attack, a step away from Logan wearing different dark tinted glasses than normal. Why? Why why why why-

“I gave you enough to kill an elephant!” Roman yells, pressing himself as far away from Virgil as he can get.

Virgil doesn’t know what he’s saying, doesn’t know what is going on. Fuck, fuck, fuck. His brain can’t focus on anything, and his vision keeping dancing between hyperfocus and unrecognizable blur. His chest heaves but every inhale is a fight. He’s panicking. He knows he’s panicking. Something foreign is in his body and it’s trying to smother his awareness.

“What…” Virgil’s words come out slurred, every push of his tongue is a battle, “What did you... do to me?”

A shooting pain in his neck. His fingers feel like led dragging over the spot with absolute horror. There’s indents there-- why are there indents? Virgil’s never had indents there.

“Is this... a bite mark?”

Virgil’s head pounds, that alarm in his head screams so loud he can’t hear any other thought. What happened what did he do what did the human do to him--

He nearly misses Logan straightening in his seat and shifting his glasses ever so slightly. “Interesting, Roman,” he says in the calmest monotone Virgil has ever heard, “I was not informed that one or two weeks now meant roughly an hour.”

“Logan!” Patton throws a hand over his mouth, but Virgil’s certain it’s hiding a smile.

Roman’s head swivels to face to other with a partial snarl on it, “Hey you don’t have room to talk! You weren’t going to tell us that you can transform people to stone with a glance!”

Virgil’s stomach drops out, “What?”

Logan turns that stare on him, the dark lenses of his glasses pulling like a shadow over the other others eyes but Virgil is acutely aware of his iris movement behind them. “You don’t remember?” He doesn’t wait for Virgil to ask what he doesn’t remember; Logan turns accusingly towards Roman, “He doesn’t remember?”

Roman’s nose scrunches up, half a sneer on his face. Virgil’s head pounds and he wonders ideally if this was his time to die. Could he just drop dead right here on the sofa? With his body aching in every sense of the word, his mind stuffed with cotton, and surrounded by people he doesn’t trust?

“It happens sometimes!” Roman says unapologetically, “A side effect! He’s not even supposed to be awake! No human wakes up that fast! I--”

“Human?” Virgil repeats, before he can stop himself.

“Virgil, kiddo,” Patton says soothingly, “why don’t you lie back down--”

“You think I--me-- am a human?” Virgil repeats.

It takes him a moment to remember that fuck, that was not information he was supposed to be sharing. His tongue felt like lead, fumbling over his his teeth as if he could take the words out of the air before any of them heard them.

“You’re no--” Patton blinks

“Of course!” Roman shouts with his booming boastful voice that Virgil hates more than anything else about him. The other flings himself off the couch hands dancing in the air as if he were composing some sort of ballad. “It makes sense!”

Virgil presses his back into the sofa, hands so tight that his knuckles are turning white. He thinks that if Roman has any good sense he’ll keep out of kicking range, because Virgil doesn’t do well being cornered and human kneecaps are very vulnerable.

Except that when Roman twists around to face him again he’s grinning brightly-- too brightly, too charismatically, his lips shining, twisting in that ever appealing way that Virgil still hasn’t figured out how to ignore. There’s sparkles on him again, shimmering on his hair like tiny glittering water droplets. His stance is overtly confident, as he smiles, and his eyes are undoubtedly, unabashedly, red.

“You’re not human!” Roman says gleefully, showing off this pointed teeth. “That’s how you wore off my venom so fast!”

“Venom?” Virgil repeats, a dash of anger breaking through the cotton in his mind. “What venom?!”

“You’re also not human,” Logan notes. Virgil steals a glance at him, as he carefully takes off his glasses with eyes firmly closed and proceeds to clean them. There’s pale green skin around his eyes and eyelids that look like eyeshadow, but with a swoop of his stomach Virgil remembers exactly what Roman had said about Logan turning someone to stone.

Logan’s not human. Roman’s not human. Virgil’s not human.

“Oh dear,” Patton whispers.

From where he’s standing Virgil is acutely aware that Patton could go screaming to the entire city block. Every person who had ever come in contact with the supernatural world would be flooding their little beach hovel and Virgil wasn’t sure he could survive being thrown off a cliff again. It’s what any sane normal human would do.

Virgil feels the water in the house, and he feels it the moment it bursts (all too easily, as if it had done it before). The kitchen sink explodes, the piping in the walls ruptures, a flood of water shoots in the room without a direction.

Logan’s eyes flicker open and shut before Virgil has any sense to blink, and the other man shoves his glasses back on so forcibly they nearly break in his hands. Roman splutters as he gets a face full of the cold liquid, tripping backwards over the coffee table. Virgil dives to the floor, nearly biting off his tongue when his chin his the hardwood floor. The liquid rains, and for a second Virgil is filled with an impossible bliss at just seeing it he can’t force himself to move before he’s also soaked.

(It’s wrong! It’s not salty! It’s not the ocean, ocean, ocean.)

((The ocean will kill him if he touches it without his skin.))

Then as suddenly as it had begun, as suddenly as Virgil had recognized he had done it, it’s gone again. Virgil stares as the room is flooded with the scent of sugar and blue raspberry clouds. The world seems to stop, pause, breathe. The pressure that forced the water to break froze and Virgil can feel it instantly retreat.

Then the water rises up from the floor, pulls back from Roman, draws out of his Virgil’s owe clothes and returns to the pipes it broke out of. The pipe mends itself, the sink fits back in place, and the wall folds back into place until it looks like it never happened before.

Across the room, Patton stands lock in half concentration, half happiness with one hand outstretched, his fingers and the tips of his ears an icy, vibrant, and totally-not-human blue. Unearthly matching blue smoke dances at his feet until the job is complete, then when he lowers his hand it fades like an illusion, leaving him appearing every bit of the human he wasn’t.

Virgil can’t breathe and it has nothing to do with the venom Roman may or may not have injected him with.

There's a silence in the house that none of them can break. Not even Roman, whose voice had annoyingly persisted throughout the house for the past week every time that Virgil had tried to find quiet time. Not even Patton who had been an unending well of happiness and conversation, even when Virgil refused to acknowledge him. Not even Logan’s whose simple side comments made being in the same room as him not suck. The silence stuck in the air as heavy as oil until Virgil couldn’t stand it.

“What are you?”

“What are you?” Roman shoots back, “You’re the one who keeps doing that! The water! Do you know how much time goes into getting my hair--”

“You bit me!”

“You scratched me!”

Virgil hisses, “I probably had a good reason!”

“Yeah, because you’re psychotic!”

“STOP!” Patton yells over whatever Virgil is replying. Virgil tenses, at the sharpness of his voice, instinctively curling away and glaring at Roman. Roman dismisses him shortly.

“I’m not stopping! He’s a menace! Nine months of living in the house with him and he has done nothing but be an ass to all of us! Ignoring us, disregarding us, stealing our blankets--” Roman grabs one from the couch shaking it at Virgil like that could make him regret it. All is does is make Virgil’s shoulders ache again.

“Then he just goes berserk in one night?!” Roman says hotly, “You’re the reason why humans hunt us down and kill us.”

Virgil recoils like he’s been hit-- and really he has been. Every bit of anger in him stirs at Roman’s words, stirs and sizzles and bubbles. What does Roman know about being hunted and killed? What gives him the right to say anything about this? He might not be human but he was close enough: self absorbed and toxic and--

“I’m not the one who brought home a fucking hunter!”

Virgil freezes at his own words. He tries to find the proof in his memory, sifting through the cotton trying to pick out exactly why he’s sure without a doubt that Roman had done something so stupid. He scratches on it, a vague shapeless thing that fills him with terror.

“You brought home a hunter,” He repeats.

“What?” Roman laughs, “No? I--no!”

Virgil throws a hand over his mouth to keep himself from vomiting. Vertigo hits him hard, like it had when he had first woken up and found them all sitting there staring at him.

“I didn’t!” Roman tugs his collar, “He would have told me! They always tell me!”

Silver lip piercing, the curly hair, the ripped vest, and the red bandanna tied around his upper arm, Virgil remembers. He bites into his hand, trying to muffle the scream. He had been right there, Virgil had been standing right in front of one of the men who had ruined his life.

Coldness floods over him.

“Where is he?” Virgil demands hoarsely, “What happened to him?”

Logan makes an uncomfortable sound that has no place coming from his general direction.

“Logan turned him to stone,” Roman says, “So problem solved! No more hunter! No one saw us so no one will be coming here--”

“Roman!” Patton wrings the hem of his shirt, in distress, “Killing people is not the answer!”

“Hunters do it to people like us everyday!”

Virgil barely hears them, “Where is he?”

“There’s nothing to worry about--”

“Where the fucking hell is he!” Virgil shouts.

Roman and Logan both make a point not to look towards the kitchen. Virgil scrambles to his feet nearly toppling over yet again. Blood rushes in his ears, his too-light shoulders make him feel off balanced. He trips into the kitchen area.

There’s a statue there, standing with a face of repulsion on its face. It’s lifelike. Virgil wants to cry, because it’s standing right there and in the darkness of the early morning Virgil can almost convince himself that it’s still living.

“Virgil,” Patton’s voice says quietly.

“Fix it,” Virgil pleads. “Please, fix it like you fixed the wall or whatever, please just--”

“I can’t.” Patton said eyes too big to be lying, “Djinn can’t interfere with life and death. I tried, but he’s gone.”

“He can’t be!” Virgil shudders wrapping his arms around his stomach, “He can’t be dead. I need him to not be dead!” Part of him realizes it’s completely unfair that this is the most he’s ever talked to any of them and here he is asking them to bring a known hunter back to life with the chance that they’ll escape and bring the entire town down on them.

“Virgil,” Patton says again and it horribly sad.

Oh fuck he’s pretty sure he’s crying.

“He can’t be dead,” Virgil says stubbornly. He feels like a little kid again, curled up on the sandy beach to look at the stars in the sky that he couldn’t see from the ocean, and wish, wish, wishing all the bad things away from himself.

And suddenly the ache for that stupid kid is so strong Virgil can’t inhale again. The kid who effortlessly jumped from the cliffs with blackflips and breathed in the salty water, the kid who hoarded shiny pebbles and went to the surface to star at the stars, the kid who thought aimlessly, naively, that the humans weren’t nearly as bad as everyone had always said they were. He wants to go back to that kid and shake him hard, because seeing the stars had not been worth it that night or any of the ones after it.

“What are you crying for?” Roman demands, but Patton shushes him quickly. He kneels next to Virgil--when did Virgil get on the floor?

“Virgil, I don’t know what’s going on in that pretty little head of yours,” he says, “But I promise everything is going to be okay. We’re safe and we’re home--”

Virgil shakes his head, harsher than he means to. Because this place is not his home, because he can’t find the words to explain this, can’t figure out why any of them should care.

Virgil hates the human world. It’s stupid, terrible, and frustrating. Everything he does feels wrong: the air is too thin and their no current in it, the sun is too bright and blistering hot, the people are strange and foreign. Virgil thinks as he sits on the ground in front of a statue probably sobbing, that he hates this world more now than he did before.

Distantly he’s aware of the waves rolling over the shore with malicious sorrow, washing the sand again and again, as Patton reaches out and cups his upper arm in what he supposes must be a comforting gesture. The skin on skin contact feel dry and brittle and Virgil wishes hates it as much as he loves it.

“Virgil,” Logan’s tone cuts through his thoughts like a knife, piercing in to the dull throb of his head, “What did he take from you?”

Virgil hiccups so hard his stomach rolls over. He has a million lies ready and on his tongue waiting to be delivered but none of them come out.

“My s-skin,” He chokes.

“Your what-now?” Roman echoes sounding offended.

Logan nods solemnly like that was expected, “His skin. He’s a selkie.”

“A what?”

Virgil wonders if he can convince Patton that killing people is alright if the only person he kills is Roman. His exhale shudders his entire body, and he leans into the touch of the-- Djinn? Is that what he called himself?

Logan twists his watch around his wrist, “A selkie. They are a water race that primarily tend to stay towards the bottom of the ocean and not cause trouble. Unlike mermaids.” He clicks his tongue distastefully which against all odds makes Virgil want to laugh. “If I remember correctly they have skins that act much like the human form of a jacket. Taking it off allows them to walk on land.”

Roman makes a face. “So you just…” He mimes unzipping a jacket from his forehead. “That’s pretty creepy.” Patton shoots him a glare that Virgil gladly doubles.

“What! Objectively! You’re a creepy cookie!” Roman shakes his arms out and then wraps them around himself.

“I do not think you have room to talk, Roman. You create a narcotic from your salivary glands that can instantly put any creature into a coma, so you can do what exactly?” Logan asks. “I’m surprised humans are not more fearful of your kind than they are of anything else.”

Roman’s smile turns a little to sharp, “Low blows coming from someone with Gorgon blood in them.” He shakes out his arms again, “Besides it’s for emergencies only.”

“And what counts as an emergency to an incubus?” Logan counters.

“I’m not about to explain that in a room that has Patton in it!”

“Patton’s a grown Djinn. He is most likely older than even you.”

Patton made a sound in the back of his throat, “Please don’t fight guys! I hate fighting!”

“Very well,” Logan turned back to Virgil, “Apologies Virgil.” He shifts his glasses and Virgil starts to think that it might me a nervous tick for him, constantly making sure that his glasses were covering his line of vision completely.

“I do not understand why you neglected to tell any of us about this.” He says, “If my research is correct, without a skin a selkie cannot return to life in the ocean.”

“Whoa, wait hold on!” Roman throws up a time out sign, “Why do people care so much about this- ugh- skin? So what, if he doesn’t have one! There’s got to be plenty of other selkies out there without one!”

“It’s not--” Virgil takes a shuddering breath, “Selkies can’t survive without their skins. Salt water literally dissolves us in this form.”

Roman stares at him for a second. “Then why the hell do you people live in the ocean?!”

“Language,” Patton wrings the hem of his shirt with his delicate fingers again, “What would humans want with a selkie skin?”

“What wouldn’t they want?” Virgil snorts, miserably “They're soft, heavy, and virtually indestructible. Humans love that shit.”

Patton taps him on the arm twice, a warning smile on his face, “I know you kiddos are having a rough time right this second, but the next one who uses one of those bad words I’m going to have to wash your mouth with soap!”

“That’s quite unnecessary Patton,” Logan says, “While I agree that the usage of such profanity could be better regulated, we are all adults here and there is no need for such a childish tech--”

“You’re not my mom!” Roman yells gleefully over him, as if he was looking to challenge Patton’s power. “I can say whatever I want! Fuck! Hell! Da--”

In a second Virgil’s senses are bombarded with that blue raspberry sugar smell that’s so strong he can taste it. Patton’s body doesn’t move but he tenses ever so slightly. Virgil watches in amazing meant as Roman face screws up and his tirade is cut short with gagging. The incubus doubles over and spits out half a bar of soap on the ground.

Logan makes a face at the cleaner and then at Roman, “I stand corrected.”

“Fu--” Roman spits bubbles out of his mouth, and frantically wipes his tongue on his sleeve, “Fudge! I said Fudge! What was that?! Cucumber?! I hate cucumber!”

Patton nudges Virgil with a wink, “Oh sorry, RoRo! I had absolutely no idea about that!”

Virgil can’t help but smile. For a moment he forgets about everything bad that was going on. It just the four of them camping out in between the rooms in various states of ease.

As suddenly as all their smiles come, they melt off again and Virgil is left staring at a stone statue and dead end. His shoulders hunch with an ache he can’t fix and he still hasn’t eaten for the day. Logan turned a man to stone, Roman can tranquilize people with a bite (ew), and Patton--Patton just gives him a squeeze.

“I can’t…” the Djinn says, “I can’t conjure things I don’t know the exact location of. But if there’s anything else I can do to help you, Virgil, I will.”

And for some reason the sentence makes Virgil want to cry some more. “W-what?”

His shoulders tense as Patton removes his arm and undoes his cardigan cape. In a smooth movement he plops it over Virgil’s shoulders and smiles that blinding smile of his. “I live to help people kiddo! And I’d say you need some helping right about now!”

Logan clears his throat, and leans casually, deceptively dismissively against the wall. “I, too, would like to offer my services in your aid, Virgil.” He says, “Perhaps in return you might further enlighten me on the habits of selkies. There’s barely any knowledge about your customs anywhere.”

“You don’t--”

Roman groans loudly, “Stormy Weather! Just accept it! We’re going to help you get your weird swimsuit back.”

“It’s a skin.”

“Whatever!”

Virgil frowns up at him, “why would you want to help me?”

He has the gall to look offended again. “Because I’m a nice person!” He runs a hand through his hair, sparkles dancing in the dim light around them. “Also I want my blanket back.”

Patton claps his hands, far too happy for anyone at the late hour, “Oh! It can be like a family adventure!”

“Family?” Logan repeats incredulously.

Patton motions to the four of them, “Family! Us! Inhumans have to stick together!”

“You do realize that once Virgil gets his skin back he will not be returning correct? That’s how selkies work.”

Virgil blinks surprised. Logan’s right, of course. Even if Virgil hadn’t hated this stupid world, he’d never want to come back. He misses the ocean, he misses the darkness, the coolness of the waters welcoming him home. But even knowing this, he can’t figure out why there’s a bit of guilt in his stomach when Patton’s face falls.

“Oh, well,” Patton brightens just as easily again, “Then I’ll make sure to treasure all the time we have together while we have it!” He stands up and offers Virgil a hand. “What do you say, kiddo? Let’s get your skin!”

Virgil flits between the three of them. He knows humans suck, he’s experienced his fair share of their suckiness. But beyond that he’s never...hung out with other inhumans. He doesn’t know anything about Gorgon’s gazes or incubi or djinn. He doesn’t know where they would start trying to help him, if they could even help him. His head still hurts and his limbs are sore.

But the cardigan around his shoulders means something. It’s a weight, not a perfect weight of his skin, but it's something.

He takes Patton’s hand.

For the first time in nine months he doesn’t feel completely weightless.

#Monster AU #sanders sides #virgil sanders #logan sanders #patton sanders #roman sanders #LAMP #drabble #selkies #incubi #gorgons #djinn #I hated writing every part of this #But I needed to finish it

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briangroth27 · 5 years

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Pokémon: Detective Pikachu Review

Pokémon: Detective Pikachu was a fantastic surprise! I’ve only seen a handful of episodes of the show and never got into the video or card games—Pokémon got big when I thought I was too old for it; basically a too cool for school teenager—but if this movie's any indication of this world, I've missed out. I absolutely loved this!

Full Spoilers...

Detective Pikachu takes a healthy sampling of Film Noir tropes and tones, infusing the Pokémon world with mystery and intrigue. The murder mystery at play ties into Tim's (Justice Smith) search to reconnect with his father after it's too late and his first steps into both a more dangerous world and a more daring expression of himself perfectly. I really liked the added layer that despite once wanting to be a trainer, Tim had never successfully partnered with a Pokémon. Forcing him to do so upon meeting his father Harry's partner Pikachu (Ryan Reynolds) tied that dashed childhood dream and his regrets about not going with his father to Ryme City or spending more time with him in general perfectly. Tim and Detective Pikachu's relationship was really well-crafted and endearing: it’s obvious they care about each other and their partnership growing pains hit classic buddy cop beats while feeling fresh and being genuinely funny. Both Smith and Reynolds were great, infusing their relationship with just the right mix of comedy, benign-yet-pointed antagonism, and true affection for one another. Smith's extremely talented and does a great job of balancing the sadder parts of Tim's story with his drive to find out what happened to his father, his initial annoyance at Pikachu, his awkwardness around the reporter, and ultimately his discovered confidence and heroism. Similarly, Reynolds hits all the right notes as a Pikachu without a memory saddled with the son of his dead partner, and the fact that he's a CGI creation doesn't prevent Reynolds from fully emoting or feeling completely real (much like his Deadpool mask disproved the "you have to see the actors' face to feel their emotions" theory about superhero films). These two were a great match and I hope we get many more mysteries with this duo!

The reveal at the end, that thanks to one of Mewtwo's (Rina Hoshino and Kotaro Watanabe) abilities Harry was not dead but had been stashed in his partner Pikachu, was a twist I didn't see coming at all! I totally bought that he had died, but the reveal that his disappearance was actually an attempt to save him didn't change the really solid drama his "death" provoked in Tim and Pikachu, nor did it ever feel like a cheap reversal. Tim and Harry still had a lot of issues to work out even after he was brought back, and it was a refreshing change of pace that even Tim's quest to get to know his father didn't change the facts of their estranged relationship. Even after everything they went through, Tim still had to make the choice to stay in Ryme City with Harry instead of going back home to his insurance job. It's not apparent the first time through the film, but Tim using his trainer knowledge to try and help Pikachu in battle was a nice role reversal putting him in the "dad" role for the father who wasn’t in his life. Pikachu's quips and barbs about Tim's lack of experience talking to women, being a detective, etc. also felt appropriately sardonic, but knowing the twist they also come off as an irreverent take on a dad trying to (embarrassingly) help his son out, which is a fun layer. Their familial relationship was very well done in general (even if we actually see very little of them interacting when Harry is fully himself). I also liked the simple fact that they were an interracial family; it's nice to see that without it being a big deal.

The third investigator in the film, Lucy Stevens (Kathryn Newton) was another great addition to the cast. I loved that she was totally competent as a reporter, which complimented both the Film Noir vibe really well (right down to the lighting and camera angles on her introduction) and made her an integral member of Tim and Pikachu's investigation. The fact that she was a low-level blogger at Howard Clifford’s (Bill Nighy) television news empire rather than the reporter she wanted to be added a socially relevant touch to the world in terms of how little a young professional actually makes and how they're treated. It also makes for a light shot at fake news being spouted by broadcast news, since she's the only one who wants to investigate the real issues. Maybe more than any other character, Lucy also feels like a Pokémon animated series character come to life (without ever feeling cartoonish), which makes her integral to bridging the world of the show and games and the live-action format here. She had good chemistry with Smith and I hope she gets to return in any future installments too.

I initially and briefly thought Howard Clifford might be secretly evil, but the movie did a great job of convincing me I was wrong. I believed in his attempts to create a harmonious relationship between humans and Pokémon and totally thought his son Roger (Chris Geere) was undermining his utopia plans for some nefarious purpose. So, I was taken by surprise by the twist that Roger was just a jerk, not evil. The presence of a well-placed Ditto (Suki Waterhouse) also took me completely by surprise! I remembered that Pokémon from the cartoon, but the film cleverly and briefly includes one early on to prep everyone in the audience for their existence and powers so the climactic reveal is set up and earned rather than feeling like it’s completely from left-field. Ditto using its mimicry powers to act as Howard’s human assistant Ms. Norman is not just a great way to misdirect the audience, but also a smart, subtle reflection of both the truth about Tim's dad and Pikachu and of Howard’s ultimate plan to hijack Pokémon bodies to forcibly evolve humanity.

Howard's evolution plan to use the Pokémon to enhance himself and everyone else at the expense of the animals' autonomy was a solid evil plan. I loved that it stemmed from (and his evil was concealed by) his attempt to save himself from a degenerative disease: they cloaked his intentions in altruistic dreams of living in harmony with Pokémon really well! In fact, the only note I had about the movie was that they could've made this plan a more pointed effort to only evolve the rich or "desired" humans rather than everyone in scattershot fashion. Only wanting to steal the Pokémon's bodies and use them to enhance the prospects of the people he deemed worthy (old white wealthy people, probably) would've been a great comment on current race and class divisions in our society, but trying to forcibly evolve everyone drove the plan into more generic "crazy" territory. It still totally works, but they could've made a statement on top of their already very-entertaining plot. That’s a really minor note, though! I also initially thought it was a little convenient that Howard was not absorbed into Mewtwo like everyone else was pulled into their Pokémon (allowing Tim to get the neural interface off him and reverse the body-snatching), but that could very easily be chalked up to the mechanics of the interface and/or the Howard/Mewtwo psychic connection or the fact that Mewtwo is not a naturally-occurring Pokémon, so this plot convenience ultimately doesn't bother me.

Ryme City was very cool and, like all the best fictional worlds, was a place I’d like to visit. As a newcomer to the franchise, the Pokémon initially feel somewhat like everyday animals so the idea of living with them in a cooperative fashion seemed like kind of a weird idea, but they really sold it and how it would work. The comparisons I saw online to Who Framed Roger Rabbit were well-earned, through the mystery vibe, the lost family member aspect, and the idea of humans coexisting with animated characters (not to mention the overall quality!). The CGI was great and the interactions between humans and Pokémon felt totally natural (and for the vast majority of the time, they looked that way too; there were only one or two moments where the CGI bent the illusion a bit).

Like me, you don’t need to be well-versed in the world of Pokémon to understand or enjoy what’s going on. I'm sure you'd get more out of the film and you'd probably catch references they included if you were a fan, but the film is plenty enjoyable and engaging even if you've never seen or played Pokémon before. Tim's introductory scene of trying to capture a Pokémon was a nice introduction to his trainer aspirations and inclusion of the central conceit of the show (and universe in general): capturing Pokémon to partner with, train, and battle. The importance of human/Pokémon connection also showed through in that scene beyond illustrating the norms of this society by making it clear that this world hinges on working together rather than going it alone (which ties into Tim and Harry’s fractured family perfectly). Despite Ryme City being a place where battles are outlawed so everyone can live in a more evolved harmony (though I wonder if that's secretly a measure to lure Pokémon there and keep them in pristine health), the film also includes an iconic battle in the underground Pokémon duels. That was a clever way to tie into the seedy Noir vibe while also giving us the first taste of live action Poké-battles from the animated series. The parade balloons were also a fun way to homage the classic, iconic look of the characters.

The writing is clever and funny, the acting is great all around, and the pacing is brisk but they know when to take a moment and let dramatic moments breathe. The music is fun and Pikachu despondently singing the show's theme song was a nice touch, but it would've been cool to hear an orchestral version of that over the climax (or the credits) too. Again, the nods to and touches of Film Noir angles and lighting were really well-done, but the movie is also completely unafraid of breaking that generally more grounded world to be big and bombastic: the film's tone is flexible enough to seamlessly accommodate both styles. I also loved how colorful the world was! The various Pokémon (and the experiments conducted on them) generated a huge variety of challenges for our trio of heroes without feeling like this was all the universe has to offer, so I'm definitely looking forward to further adventures! At the same time, I loved that this has a conclusion and could have totally worked as a solo movie.

Without a doubt, Pokémon: Detective Pikachu is one of my favorite movies of the year so far! I'm glad I caught it in theaters (even after it having been out for a while) and I can't wait to see it again on home video. If you can still find it in theaters it's definitely worth the trip, but either way you should absolutely check this out!

Check out more of my reviews, opinions, and original short stories here!

#pokémon #detective pikachu #tim goodman #harry goodman #justice smith #ryan reynolds #lucy stevens #kathryn newton #pikachu

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mystisnykoto · 6 years

Text

The Outsiders - Epilogue

A Tout le Monde

*click*

If... if you are hearing this, then hopefully my plan worked. B-but... gods this never gets easier... it also means that I'm... gone... It hurt and pained me to see moth-... Ruri, locked into The Net. I felt like I was the one to have truly failed her. It became my mission, and passion, that I would find a way to get the both of you back home safely.

Ruri sat outside of the workshop, watching over a group of children playing in the yard. She smiled as the children chased each other in a game of tag, giggling softly as one of them stumbled into a small pond. A small girl stopped and trotted back to check on her friend.

“A-are you okay?” the girl asked, reaching out a hand to help her friend out of the water. Her friend took her hand, standing up and tapping her on the head.

“You're it!” the boy giggled, leaping out from the pond and splashing water onto the girl. “No tag-backs!”

“H-hey!” the girl protested, letting out a huff as she chased after another of her friends.

“Be careful kids, don't want you to hurt yourselves,” Ruri spoke, as the blonde girl tagged a friend and bounded off towards the chocobo stable in the corner. The workshop door opened as Trix stepped outside, jumping back slightly as a small crowd rushed by.

“Wah! Careful kids!” Trix called at the children. Trix stepped back outside and closed the door. She flexed her hand, fluttering and rolling the fingers on her new mechanical hand.

“Yes Miss Trix!” the children called out in unison. Trix rolled her eyes as she stepped over and sat next to Ruri.

“How does it feel?” asked Ruri, looking over her friend's hand.

“It... feels strange...” Trix replied, quickly doing a few dexterity exercises, tapping the the tip of each finger to her thumb. “It's good that Iris had this just laying around, even if she didn't ever need it.”

“She had all sorts of random things from old allagan ruins,” Ruri spoke, looking over Trix's new hand. “Good thing the both of you were close to the same size, seems the arm fits you pretty well.”

“Definitely! Good thing she brought home a set of arms, rather than just the one she needed.” Trix wiggled her fingers a bit, laughing as it was able to transfer some amount of feeling back to her. “How is little Gabby getting along with the others?”

“She's doing well! It helps that several of the others were her friends when they were first put into The Net, but she is getting along with several of Iris' students, so that is good.”

“What about the others? You know, the ones that are not children again,” Trix asked, relaxing back onto the bench.

"Some of them chose to leave 'The Net' with us, and are trying to find their own place in their new world. Most decided to stay inside, which I can't blame them too much for wanting to stay.”

“Mommy!” Gabrielle called out as she ran up to Ruri. “Where is my other mommy?”

“She's...” started Ruri, as a look of sadness washed over her face. “She... she'll b-be back soon, I-I promise...” Ruri finished, as Gabrielle nodded and rejoined the other children.

“Do you ever plan on telling her?” asked Trix, looking over to Ruri.

“I... maybe... I'm not quite sure how to... or even what to tell her...” Ruri spoke.

I'm... still not quite sure what to say in this log, so... this will probably end up becoming an extended goodbye. You both treated me like a part of your family, despite being what I am. It gave me a sense of belonging and I was eternally grateful for it. I... I don't know what will happen when the terminal is used, but it requires a sort of sacrifice in order to clean and scrub someone's data. So... I'm going to give up myself so that... s-so that Ruri can go home. I don't know what will remain of me once this all happens, I don't know if I'll even have a body of my own, but regardless of it all, I do this willingly...

“Great, now get back over to the camp, the stew is ready,” spoke a woman clad in black leather, beckoning Leo back toward her and the rest of the Brigade. Leo followed after the woman, glancing back to the direction that Iris had taken off toward as meeting with a group inside of a small cavern, gathered around a campfire. A gray-skinned roegadyn spooned some stew into a bowl and held it out towards Leo, a soft smile crossing his face.

“So what is your determination?” the roe asked. “You know her better than most anyone; did your initial thoughts ring true and the android is the real girl?” Leo took the bowl from the roe, finding a seat atop a log.

“Thanks Rad, and yes they held true,” spoke Leo, eating a spoonful of stew. “But she's not soo much the real Iris, since they are both the real Iris.”

“What do you mean?” asked Vai, leaning against the wall of the cavern as she ate her stew.

“She's somehow split off from her original self, and created a second version of her,” replied Leo. “The true version of her is held within the android, whereas the original is corrupted by this other spirit or whatever is inside her, somewhat similar to those with some types of void corruption.”

“So... there are two of her?” asked a blue-haired lalafell.

“No, more like... more that there is Iris, which is the android, and then... well... Other Iris, which is the aether vacuum.”

“So... do they share memories? What makes them different?” asked Rad, eating a few more spoonfuls of stew.

“Well, it's... imagine if...” started Leo, looking over to a male midlander meditating away from the group. “Okay, imagine Stone over there, and now imagine that you magically have two of him.”

“Oh gods! Two of Stone!?” the lalafell laughed out. “One of him is bad enough!”

“N-no, we aren't actually making two, just... pretend. So, you take the second Stone, and make him an android, and put the other in some sort of hibernation. Then the android goes on living as if nothing changed-” started Leo pausing slightly, as Vai cut in.

“Except that he's now a robot, that's a bit of a change,” spoke Vai with a chuckle.

“Well, yes, but that's not the point I'm getting to. So, android Stone thinks he's the only one, but then the original Stone wakes up and comes back. But, now the original Stone lacks all these extra experiences that Android Stone has had. They are both real, but it becomes quite subjective whom you consider to be the true version of the pair, as they both see themselves as real.”

“So, what if you made a copy of the android version?” asked the roe. “Can this true-ness follow over to the new copy?”

“Well it could but it's not a thing that can transfer from one person to-” started Leo as the midlander shuffled a bit and stood up to his feet.

“The matter isn't as complex as you make it out to be,” spoke the midlander. “The Mother has asked us to destroy these two, and return these built-up aether stores back to Hydaelyn, and that is what we are to do.”

“I have confidence that Iris will take care of the issue on her own,” spoke Leo. “No need for us to intervene when we don't ultimately need to do so.”

“What makes you think that?” asked Vai.

“Iris has a knack for getting in and out of trouble,” Leo spoke with a laugh. “Out-classed or out-matched, she'll think of something to given her the advantage...”

A soft wind blew through the Shroud, a silence falling over the otherwise lively forest. A lone figure stood within the Hanging Barbs, standing before a small stone monument formed around a thin-bladed sword, marking the site of a grave.

'It's... strange...' spoke a robotic voice inside of the figure's head.

“Hmph,” Iris chuckled. She smiled, admiring the headstone as she placed a small bundle of purple flowers before it. “What makes you say that?” she asked aloud.

'Well mostly the part that we are looking over our own grave.'

“I don't think it is,” Iris spoke again, replying to her new system voice, having been replaced by her former self. “It's a grave, but not for Iris. This... this is for Aeslyn.” Iris let out a soft sigh, touching lightly over the top of the marker. “Aeslyn... who we used to be, has passed. But, Iris, whom we truly are, is still alive and well.”

'It's a wonder the elementals even allowed the burial here.'

“Probably because of the aether held inside our old body. All that aether filtering out will help the forest to flourish, and is the closest path for the aether to return to the planet.”

'And it's Ruri's favorite place.'

“Well, yeah. That was originally why I chose to bury us... h-her in this place.” Several minutes passed and Iris stood back to her feet.

'We should head back home.'

“Definitely, I miss Ruri and Gabby.”

'It makes me happy to see that Omi was able to find some peace, finally. Seeing all of her diary logs... she had been through so much more than I ever imagined...'

“We could all use some peace, for once...” Iris giggled, touching lightly over her cheek. “So much has been happening lately that... I just want some quiet time at home, to be able to live out the rest of my life with my family in peace.”

'Hopefully that is what will happen, although trouble does seem to revolve around us wherever we go.'

“Yeah... There are times why I wonder why that is so much the case. Whatever the true cause of it all, hopefully the fates allow us some respite from... well, everything.”

'Maybe, but the only way to find out if that is the case will be to keep moving forward...'

In the end, no matter what happens, I want you to know that I'll miss you both, and Trix as well. Please give her my regards if you would. If something of me remains, please take care of me. I kind of hope I get reset back to how I entered The Net, let me have a chance at a real childhood. To everyone, all my friends. I love you all, I have to go...

(First Chapter) (Previous Chapter)

(Other Tales)

#ffxiv #rp #short story #outsiders #ending #epilogue #ruri #trix #iris #gabrielle #leo #robot #android #au ra #miqo'te #lalafell

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empressxmachina · 6 years

Link

by Imperial-Radiance (aka me)

"Damn, I can't believe I haven't been ambushed, yet. It's a good thing I planned ahead because, whew, that's rough."

The day had finally come for one of the biggest games of the year - not the Championship and not Nationals, but the rivalry gridiron game of the season. Of course, it was all in fun, but the heat and intensity of all the fans were always at their peaks during these games, especially since the two schools were relatively close to each other.

Madeline, or Madi as her friends and family referred to her as such, had already had the experience of what these games were like, but she and the rest of the people there representing her Kingston University Royals were even more happily hyped as they demolished their rivals in score, and she wasn't even on the sidelines to see it.

Madi and her twin sister Caroline had been the best of friends since birth, and the only time they had ever separated in their lives was their choice of schools. Once diverged, their number of similarities decreased from there, but despite being away from each other, they maintained to share a few commonalities like major choice, clubs, GPA, and more. However, the one main difference that had resulted in Madi running in a panic right to her sister in the middle of the game was Cari's sudden relapse.

Read more on DA, or...

She was so relieved that her coach was so understanding to let her go and care for her, but the time it took for Cari to return to some sort of stability using her specialized health kit was a lot more than she wanted.

"The things I do for my sister," Madi sighed, trying to hustle back to her team's temporary locker room to change back into her cheerleading uniform before getting back on the bus to return to her own school. "I'm glad that I got it to her in time. But, God, I am not living for this insanity!"

While the cheers of the Royals could've been heard from Cari's dorm room as they won and Madi tended to Cari's needs, the groans and yells from the Nash U. Knights' majority surrounding her on all sides and the reputation they had whenever they lost were things that she didn't want to experience firsthand, especially after barely making it out alive after their last clash on her own campus. As soon as Cari kicked her out to care for herself rather than call for help - the immense pride the sisters had was always their downfall - Madi found herself in the eye of an accumulating storm of brawling and spats.

Only by the grace of God, her sport-influenced speed, and her non-school-affiliated sweats worn over her uniform, she made it back to the stadium's public but reserved, empty, co-ed locker room unscathed, practically collapsing on a bench in exhaustion.

"Oh, thank God!" she panted, setting a hand on her side and the other over her heart, slipping her backpack off herself onto the floor. "I, uh, better get out of here before some nasty Nashers barge in on me or something. But, why did Coach have to make that cursed policy of having to be in full uniform during all parts of travel? Is she trying to kill me!?"

With a groan, she stood up, getting ready to disrobe her casual wear until she suddenly felt how dry her throat had become and how tired she was. She was about to go look for a water fountain until she remembered the unopened can of soda she had grabbed from the squad's cooler while they were taking a cheer break. Unfortunately, the jostling of the bag as she ran to and from her sister didn't come to mind, resulting in it exploding upon opening.

"Oh. Oh, God!" Madi exclaimed, stammering from the flow of carbonation shooting onto her face, the rest of her body, and the floor. "St-Stop! Jeez!" The amount of liquid in and on her person eventually built up to the point where she was coughing some of it out and her hand was too slippery to maintain a grip on the can, causing her to drop it. The spray of soda spread to lower levels of her clothes and doused her backpack before crashing and fizzling out on the floor where the can broke in two on impact. "Shoot, I need to get this mess up, or the school's going to get charged. Wait, my uniform!"

Trying to juggle two problems at once, Madi took off her sweatshirt and pants as quickly as possible and threw them onto the elongating puddle on the floor before running to a sink to dab the not-as-large stains on her uniform with water. As she focused on her clothing, she was unaware of the growing stickiness and hardening of the soda on her exposed skin and hair. Taking a shower occurred nearly every night, anyway, but having to go into the strenuous and lengthy routine that was treating, washing, and drying her uniform was something that she hoped wouldn't have to happen.

She had gotten to the point where visible stains on her clothes had faded to half of their previous intensity when the familiar sound of a notification chirping from her phone reached her ears. Knowing how late she was and figuring that her team was probably worried about her, she cut off the sink faucet and ran for it. When she returned to her stuff, she was happy that her clothes were doing what she had wanted - absorb as much of the spilled drink as they could. Much of the liquid mess had retreated into the fabric. Still, seeing how the list of fabrics also included her bag wasn't relieving, bringing another sigh out of her as she grabbed and shook her phone that was poking out of a shallow, brown pool like a rock in a mud puddle.

Remembering how the captain of the team tended to snap at some of the smallest issues, Madi hesitated at unlocking her phone to see her new message. But, she was a big girl, and if she wanted any chance at possibly being a leader next year or a front-row starter at Nationals, then she was going to have to answer, and so she did. However, the message she read had only little to do with her as it had been sent to the entire team.

"Huh? A recall?" she read, confused and worried. "'Due to adverse effects in direct correlation to being exposed to the following drinks, DO NOT CONSUME THEM.' Well, that's not ominous at all. Another health scare, oh boy!" Madi started simply going back to cleaning herself until she thought about the drink company and expiration dates in the text. "Wait, my drink doesn't apply to that, right? I didn't drink my soda since it fucking-erupted on me, but it said just 'being exposed' was an issue. Hmm."

She turned back to the mess on the floor, and after looking at the can fragments, she felt that something was off. Nevertheless, she went for the bottom half of the can to check its information. Its size seemed much larger than what she remembered when opening it – looking more like the 12-ounce size rather than the 7.5 fluid ounce type that she could've sworn she picked up – but the labeling was a greater concern because it fit right into the drink batches in question. However, as soon as Madi made her realization, she found herself on the floor, putting all her hard stain removal work in the trash as she fell face first into a soda stream and darkness.

When Madeline and Caroline were younger, they and their family would frequent to the lake that a family friend of theirs had property on. Each visit was lovely, except for the one where the twins were a bit too confident in their swimming skills and drifted too long and far into the lake. Madi couldn't forget the feeling of water filling every orifice more and more as her appendages gave out over time and the heavy coughing that tested her lungs as their father swooped them back up above the surface to receive air once again. She imagined that Cari had similar experiences, but they had never discussed it - the memories were too bad.

So, why was she thinking of them now?

Madi's vision faded in from black as light reached her eyes once again, but in conjunction with the light, a sensation of liquid also came to her, flowing into her slightly open mouth, a nostril, and an ear as a surprise, forcing herself to pop out of lethargy and raise up to breathe. As her sights cleared, she could feel wetness falling from her head, down her curves, and into what felt like a sticky lake around and beneath her. Gumminess and saturation in all her orifices were two feelings that she never wanted to have, and her outfit now being painted in a shade like the fluid surrounding her and stuck to her skin like latex, along with almost drowning, only made it worse.

"What the hell is this?" Madi screamed, throwing her hands up and down, rippling the aqua around her upon impact. By doing so, she became aware of how heavy all her muscles felt - each one needing more force than usual to move - as if she had been in a twenty-four practice... or trying to keep from drowning. "Where even am I!?"

To figure out her location, she looked around, only to find blurry white as far as her eyes could see, except for the dirty collection in which she sat. This was something she only saw in movies and creepypastas, and it got her terrified, not knowing where to go or what to do - sitting in a blank, unknown, quiet room alone, almost. It was almost quiet, except for the sloshing noises that her movements made and a faint bubbling that couldn't have been too far from her.

Madi searched for its source, running her hands through the dark goop and feeling around or anything out of the ordinary. When she detected nothing, she decided to trudge toward the sound, not bothering to stand up as he figured that she would just fall back down. So, she got on all fours and began to crawl.

With each movement, she could see her optics slowly improve, introducing more and more colors and shapes into view. However, her good news was countered by the difficulty of dragging through the murky goop, comparable to those barbed wire mud crawls she saw soldiers do in a documentary once. As much as she wanted to quit, she knew that locating the sounds were more important, and so she persevered. In not too long of a lumber, she found the origin of the bubbling - her submerged phone vibrating and blinking below the brown surface.

"What the-? This still works?" she questioned in utter shock.

Pulling her cellular device out into open air, through the strain it took to do so, Madi saw that the waterproof case she had on it stood up to its claims, along with the tens of messages from her coaches and squad family asking where she was and if she was okay. It devastated her to know how so many people were worried about her, but she was even broken by the fact that her hands were so gluey that she couldn't make precise movements on its screen to respond to them that she was at least alive. Each touch appeared to open every app she wasn't trying to interact with, thus frustrating her to no end. She only had a brief calm when the camera application open, and only a brief calm it was.

The back camera was on, and through it, she saw that her eyesight had returned to normalcy, seeing her pile of sweats and bag in the distance as she had left them. She sighed in bittersweet relief, understanding that she was still in a Nash University locker room like before. However, she noticed how they appeared to be farther away from both herself and each other than what she last remembered as well as the lockers, floor tiles, and bench being much wider and/or taller, almost comedically large. Intrigued, Madi turned off the camera and chose to look at the bench at her side for herself, just to then find herself awestruck and lock-jawed at not only a wooden bench that seemed to tower over and overshadow her like a building but also a not-as-high yet still twice her sitting height, sliced, metal, hollow cylinder in front of her with jagged edges that could make her bleed infinitely and the same brown slop streaming from it into the pool around her.

It didn't take long for her to realize the truth, looking back and forth to other spectacles of the room - the other half of the cylinder behind her also pouring liquid, the skyscraping and never-ending lines of lockers, the heavenly white lights way up high, and the walls that seemed impossible to reach no matter how far or quickly she ran - but she just didn't want to believe it.

"This is some sci-fi shit," Madi mumbled to herself. "There's no way I've... freaking shrunk. How in the-?" She paused her questioning when she remembered the one cryptic message she had received earlier that evening and looked at its reference - the colossal can, taunting her with its girth. "Youdid this!" she yelled at the metal container with a shaken voice, frightened at how in this wide, empty room, her voice neither carried nor echoed at her dimensions. "No wonder there's a fucking recall! This is literal chemical warfare! What the hell!?"

With the recall in mind, she could only hope that no one else had been affected by it, especially with a whole school full of enraged Knights stomping around. After all, how else would they have known about it, in the first place? But, Madi tried to keep a relatively cool head, hoping by the grace of God that she was the only one, even though there was much greater chance that anyone else would've had someone nearby to care for them in her scenario. Would she ever be that lucky?

"What do I do?" she wondered, analyzing the situation. "I can't move. My everything hurts. I barely know my way out of here, if I can even get there without passing out, getting lost, or worse."

Her sentence nearly faltered as she started visualizing the most terrible scenarios, all of which a Nash Knight of any age finding her, a cup-sized K.U. cheerleader, or them coming across her unknowingly, perhaps even literally. Each idea brought its own chills down her spine.

“I'm totally screwed!" she continued. "The only things I can do are speak and hear, I guess, but who knows how well those would do against a 'normal-sized' person."

Though, after saying her somewhat positive qualities aloud, she gained a bit of hope and curiosity, looking down at the phone in her hand.

"Yet, this thing is small as hell, and it still works," she regarded, rubbing a syrupy finger across the screen and seeing how it was more responsive than before, perhaps calibrating to her new touch and feel. "There is no logical reason, I think, that this thing should still have a signal or a working battery, and yet it does! It can't hurt to call for help, but if I can even get through, who do I call?"

Looking at her contacts, scrolling down the page to the best of her ability, Madi juggled who would be the best choice. Her ICE numbers were her parents and Cari, but with Cari needing to heal on her own and their parents being far away, none of them would be able to get to her before it got dangerous. Her next choices were anyone on her squad and the coaches. They had already shown their unease toward her absence, so it would make sense for them to want to help her in her time of need. However, as she only listed full names of people in the list without prefixes, titles, or grouping, she would have to go at least halfway through before reaching one of them.

"Jeez, did every single cheerleader this year have to have a name that starts after M!?" she moaned, failing time and time again to use the letter quick scroll on the side of the screen, eventually resorting to flicking her thumbs and indexes to go down the hundreds of numbers, email addresses, and names.

As the list grew longer, her fingers became pained, and her head starting to go dizzy, not able to take in so much changing information and action at once as well as her viscid finger pads only allowing bits of movement at a time. So, she had to stop at some point to work out the kinks in her hands. However, when she did, she wasn't aware of where her fingers landed and how they had started a dial tone. It was only when a familiar voice broke the silence did she comprehend that her prospects had come true, even if the way of doing so was unexpected.

"H-Hello?" a disembodied male voice called out through what sounded like a party. Madi gasped, knowing only a few people that could be that orotund in a crowd but only one with a voice like that. She looked down at her cell and thanked God at the name on its screen. "Madi, are you there?"

"Yes? Yes, I'm here!" Madi tried to answer back through tears, nearly dropping the phone in anticipation and excitement. "P-Please tell me you can hear me. Please."

"Uh, yeah. You're coming in fine on my end, even through the craziness on this bus." Madi had to hold back crying out loud from happiness, even though she wanted to express it.

"Oh, thank God! I honestly can't believe I reached you. Are you nearby?"

She figured that with nearly a hundred players on the team, including him, and them constantly giving their hardest and being switched in and out during the game for as much as she could remember and hear from Cari's room, that it would take a lot of time for them and the squad to reenergize, grab food, and re-board the buses to go back to the Kingdom aka K.U.'s main campus.

However, her interlocutor then lowered her sentiments when he continued, "Uh, I'd say 'close' is pretty dependent on where you are. I mean, the team and I are still in the parking lot, but we're going to be heading off soon. Why do you ask? We're all going to end up back at K.U., right? Did something happen to y'all or the bus?"

Madi realized that the squad's coach bus must've already left. It was the tradition for the cheerleaders to return first to join the JV and smaller squads that were already on campus to support the team, win or lose, but she didn't think they'd just leave without her.

"Uh, I don't think so?" That was all she could say about them, considering that she wasn't there to know for sure. "I hope not, or do I? I don't know."

"What's with the lack of clarity? That's not like you." Madi couldn't help but agree. However, it was all that she could be. Nothing was going right or making sense. "What's wrong?"

There was so much that Madi could say, and she knew that explaining her body issue would've probably been the most logical thing to describe, but there was no way that he would believe her. So, she went on a just-as-true but somewhat indirect route.

"I-I'm not on the bus?" she admitted lowly.

"What!?" her friend yelled, most likely being the cause of the quieting background noise. In a more hushed tone, he resumed, "Why? Where are you, then?"

"I'm in the NU locker room, and I can't move."

"You can't? They're not keeping you hostage over one loss out of, like, eight games so far, are they?" he asked in a whisper-shout. "No one hurt you, right?"

"No," Madi replied bluntly. "No one's here, but there's nothing to stop them from doing so if someone does show up. I came in here a while ago, but I passed out, and I'm just coming to." Explaining the horrific doings and possibilities raised Madi's already-high stress levels even higher, and she had to pause to compose herself. "No one touched me, but it sure feels like someone did."

After saying that, the other side of the call went coldly silent. Madi prayed that the call didn't drop, and she was too scared to look on the phone and check for herself.

"Jake? You're still there, right?” she tried worriedly.

A few seconds passed before the man, Jake, answered back,

“Yeah, I'm here. I'm just moving stuff out of my way. I didn't think I'd have to go back to the front of the bus until we got back, but here I am doing just that. I’ve got to let the coaches know about you, girly - mine and yours. We may need some backup going back on that cursed ground."

"Wait, what?" Madi cried, not expecting Jake to tell someone. "No, no! Don't tell anyone about this! That's just asking for trouble!"

"How is a search party for you more dangerous than me going in alone? Sure, a coach makes the plays, but the players do them, and I don't think the one player that scored the turning point of the game that led to their ultimate demise should go in alone on rival turf."

On one hand, Madi felt that his thought was selfish, but she also understood what he was saying on the other. She hadn’t thought about what would happen after Jake or someone else found her as she was, but having more people dealing with her, especially those she didn't know or trust, was just something that she didn't want.

"Plus, you know there are, like, five locker rooms in the proximity of the stadium, right?" Jake continued. "You never said which one you were in, so more people looking would make finding you a lot easier."

"Don't sass me with your valid logic! Jake, I'm having a crisis right now!" Madi shut him down before breaking down herself. "Jackson, please. With everyone I know, and everyone that must deal with me, why would I call you of all people first if I didn't need you and only you?" Of course, she knew him being her callee was a lucky coincidence, but she would never admit that. Her argument was too good.

It proved to be true as Madi was met with another silence before sighing broke through the phone,

“Madi, you better be in some deep shit, because I'm not going to risk myself getting suspended for basic pettiness."

"I swear that this is as real as it gets, as much as I don't want to believe it, myself," she promised tautly. "I can't do this on my own. I'm scared."

"Don't be. I'm coming for you," Jake assured with a smoky tinge. "Just sit tight unless you have no other choice, and I'll find you."

"Please do."

And then, the call ended, leaving Madi alone to collect her thoughts and wait on the sidelines of a soda can for whatever or whoever was going to come with nowhere to turn and nowhere to run.

#g/t #my writing #sideline #sw #shrunken woman #aka the smut fic #contains smut and small girls and sports and stuff

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lsgingasblog · 6 years

Text

Of Transfer Student and Fierce Rivalry

This work I ended up combining 3 days. So spoiling Diana, Anniversary and Free day, of which I went unoriginal with Harry Potter AU.

Again sorry for the length on this one and being so late.

To read in AO3:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15380559/chapters/35694663

Atsuko Kagari, muggle born witch. Gryffindor seeker. Infamous troublemaker. Unconventional duelist. Entertainer extraordinaire. Loyal Friend. Infectious smile and energy. Girlfriend to part veela Ravenclaw seeker Diana Cavendish.

And this particular Ravenclaw seeker felt pretty bad right now to call herself girlfriend to such an amazing individual as Akko.

Both Frank and I were fulfilling an errand for school, promotion for the tri-wizard tournament that was going on.

It would’ve made more sense if Miss O’Neil, one of the competitors where present, but I suppose the headmistress was aware how unruly she could be. Also O’Neil did crudely blurt out ‘Miss me with the politics, I just wanna beat the other schools’. Miss O’neil once again callously misses the main intent of the tri-wizard tournament, but she’s not the main troublemaker I care to often keep in line if things go too out of control.

I stare at the slumbering brunette in my immediate view and I feel the corners of my lips tugging upwards. Despite my sheer exhaustion, I crouch down to akko, passed out on the biggest couch in the head common room.

She is the epitome of calm and pleasant when like this, although I don’t particularly mind her various facets including her more rambunctious side.

It would seem I really did muck something up here. Glancing around I see streamers, balloons, plastic cups and cake. Lotte, Sucy, Amanda, constanze, jasminke, barbs and Hannah seem to be spread about on head common room floor. Akko wanted to throw me a surprise party no doubt.

I take a gander at Frank for his reaction of our messy shared common room but he seemed to only chuckle and shake his head while heading to his room.

He sends a wave my way mumbled a ‘night’, which I returned and he closed the door behind him. Leaving me with sounds of snoring, breathing and turning around of the various guests.

I can’t blame him. I’m exhausted as well, it’s nearly 4 am after all.

I’m touched by Akko’s efforts though, not only in instances like this but also for the little things she does.

For example how she knows I hate it when it hails, because it reminds me of the weather the day my mom passed away and she always does something silly or brings my favorite dessert to cheer me up. Or even that I only ever drink up to half of the butter beer and she usually ends up being the one to drink the rest. Or even how I always have a hair tie that I play with after something snide or callous gets directed towards me about my part veela heritage or past and she promptly intervenes by either cutting the person off or changing the course of the conversation.

I feel so utterly pampered by this lovely individual, yet she also brings a sort of fire out of me and not just the kind of sexual attraction, no, the kind that keeps me on my toes, makes me feel conflicted because I want to outrival her yet also support her.

A competitive energy not only present in Quidditch or defense against the dark arts or even dueling.

No, we even make each other better in areas we aren’t too confident and we dare to explore various facets of our self because our lives have been so involved with one another the last few years.

I crawl next to Akko on the couch and she instinctively moves over and hugs me while mumbling some incoherent words. I could go to my room, but there’s no place I’d rather be right now to be honest.

I will properly thank all of them later today, but now I just want to drift back to sleep and thank the lucky stars the day this girl barreled into my life.

Actually it’s been exactly 4 years from today, that Akko and I became friends.

Our initial relationship was definitely more civility than friendliness and more an intense competitive nature above all else, but looking back I don’t think I would change it for the world, after all it’s the initial skepticism of each other that makes the eventual transition to a more friendly rivalry and irreplaceable friend/ individual in each other’s life that much more poignant.

I had transferred in the middle of my 3rd year at Hogwarts.

I was originally at bauxbottons. Due to various circumstances I found myself at Hogwarts instead.

I got sorted into Ravenclaw. The transition period of starting in the middle of the year wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be.

Strangely enough I felt more at home at Hogwarts the first week even, despite all the conflicting emotions, more so than Baux ever gave me in the years I went there.

The many surprises were the likes of Andrew, Hannah and Barbara being at Hogwarts.

Andrew’s mother and my mother were close and therefore we used to be close friends too in our early childhood, but due to being shipped to boarding schools abroad shortly after our mothers died and just trying to cope with everything around us, we drifted apart and there was a lot of bad air that needed to be cleared up. Besides, last I heard Andrew was attending Durmstung.

Even Hannah and Barbara that went to preparatory baux with me I didn’t seek to contact them after we separated because I assumed the same loss of contact with Andrew would occur again with them and seeing as they didn’t sent any letter my way, I figured I was right.

Making lasting friends or friends in general was never my forte and due to being ¼ veela I’m also weary of people approaching me because they genuinely like me or for my looks or accuse my supposed veela powe to having manipulated them, or worse even because of being connected to Cavendish Medic Association.

Although fat lot of good that will do them, if the association continues the way it is going Cavendish MA will go bankrupt thanks to my aunt’s insistence on lavish living and cutting corners in all the wrong areas.

These past months was busy getting the handle on the school grounds, where the classes were, the library, and the various nook and crannies of the place and I have to admit, Hogwarts is utterly enchanting, not only because of all the incantations done on it, but just everything about it.

I can see why my mother fell in love with it, the year she stayed here for the tri-wizard tournament as a Buax student in her last year.

Coincidentally this is where she met my dad, but I have yet to stumble on any school pictures of my dad. I remember being told he was Gryffindor Quidditch captain, so it’s unusual I have yet to see it.

Perhaps Gryffindor common room? But who can I possibly….? Ooh….of course. I feel a headache come on as soon as those amber eyes and mischievous smile pop up.

Atsuko Kagari. The hyper-active, brazen, incomprehensible muggle born witch.

My complex feelings regarding Kagari were frustrating to say the least.

My first impression of her was that she was juvenile and reckless. Sending paper birds around class and disrupting it. My second impression of her is that she is too fidgety for her own good and lastly she always mettles in places and people that do not directly concern her and its downright infuriating.

Don’t believe me?

Exhibit A.

I knew I had to eventually try to make peace with Andrew, but it’s been over 2 month since that first awkward exchange andrew initiated my first day here with a simple ‘It’s nice to see you again’ passed through means of a note.

I was thoroughly confused because just over 2 years ago at a Christmas function Andrew purposely shut down any conversation I attempted to start with him, worst of all we were sitting at the same table due to my aunt wanting to suck up to Andrew’s dad, possible for more investment capital in Cavendish MA, but with the results of most investment in the last few years not being visible, this whole attempt is rather in vain.

That Christmas dinner solidified my views on the impossibility of anything amicable being had between Andrew and me.

‘It’s nice to see you again’ is definitely not what I was expecting.

However I would quickly find out Atsuko Kagari was the center of this transformation, as she is for most of the eventful occurrences in my life ever since I came to Hogwarts.

Before this I had already gotten declarations from Akko calling me her rival.

This all started in a particular Defense against the dark arts class where it was the monthly dueling class.

Atsuko Kagari is not the most studious alumni, but she’s exceptional in 2 academic disciplines in particular defense against the dark arts and linguistics. Of which despite her more dismal or passable grades for some of the other courses she is top of the class in both of those.

Being used to topping pretty much all classes for as long as I’ve been in school, it was surprising to not be at the top. At first I was annoyed, not because of some arrogance or anything thinking I was owed the spot, because mother told me to never believe the world owes you anything, but rather to work for what you want, no it came from a chilling realization that all I’ve truly had ever since my mother passed away are my academics.

With a family that treats me either like a stranger or a nuisance and my less than stellar track record with making lasting friends I have buried myself in knowledge, because that is something no one can take away from me.

Unlike that dark hailing day my mother was taken from me or the hailing morning 1 week after my Aunt told me ‘Beauxbottons is the alma matar of Cavendish so pack up’. I had to leave the one place I call home in less than 24 hours to boarding school in France. Or even my disappointment when andrew didn’t respond to any of the letter I sent him up to 2 months after he left for Bulgaria.

After the 3rd week at Hogwarts I starting tying for first spot in DADA class alongside Akko and this did not sit well with her. DADA, linguistics and Quiddtich are after all things she feels quite strongly for by how much she talks about each of those topics, mind you this is only from stray conversation from where I sit at the Raven claw table.

Of which she sometimes sits at next to Andrew, but that girl cares little for house separation seeing her group of friends.

This mousy girl Lotte Yanson from Hufflepuff, the robust and kind Jasminka Antonellie and Andrew’s best friend Frank also in Hufflepuf. Then we have her rowdy best friend and fellow Gryffindor Amanda O’Neil that is exasperatingly more of a handful than Kagari. She has Slytherin friend in Sucy Manbavaran as well, at least I think they are. And Ravenclaw with Andrew and this one tiny girl that has a habit of writing what she wants said or having a tiny robot of sorts say it for her, Constanze I believe her name was. For the life of me I can’t seem to remember the rest of her names.

Coincidentally Constanze noticed my sightline one morning while we were both eating breakfast on the Ravenclaw table.

Kagari was surrounded by that big group of friends, she and O’Neil were the loudest of the group and so early in the morning too….

I turn to regard Constanze, this was not my first encounter with her, as I have sat next to her in some classes in the few weeks I’ve been here.

That said she never registered more than fleeting acknowledgment or a nod at best.

She starts writing on the portable board she carries around at times. ‘Akko is special’.

Well yes I was beginning to understand that as well. It’s even more amazing because she only knew of the world famous magician Shiny Chariot, but none of the tradition, basics or anything natural to magic born community and yet she’s so free and doing so well.

I imagine her adaption period must have been stressful, but I admire and respect how utterly her home she has made Hogwarts and building up her unusual, diverse yet sizable group of friends.

Just then Kagari approaches the table and ask Constanze if she wants to join them she merely responds with a nod and walks over to the Gryffindor table where the whole group was bunched up.

Akko walks along but not before shooting me a frown and particular hostile look my way.

And it just makes me annoyed. I did nothing to provoke her and yet she’s behaving like this.

The only words I addressed to her were particular outstanding moments she was disrupting the class for too long and she always sent a glare my way, but I haven’t done so in close to 2 weeks so I fail to understand what warranted that reaction.

Fast-forward to a week later and we have the monthly duel class for DADA.

Kagari challenged me to a duel and in all honesty the less than amicable looks my way were not appreciated, especially since I have no idea what set them off. I admit it was extra irksome because Akko never shows prolonged annoyance to anyone, partly due to her attention span not allowing that, but also she’s been known to get along with everyone, so not only was I miffed but a bit hurt and confused as well why this particular negative attention was directed at me.

I ended up beating her best 2 out of 3, but the various things she throws at you from flying squirrels to jack and marbles was frustrating, especially since I did fall during the marbles one which is why she soundly won one of the rounds, despite my embarrassment I have to admit her reflex and quick-thinking is admirable although she gets too full of herself easy which ended up being her downfall.

I tried commenting this for a point of improvement and she gets angrier and declares she doesn’t want pity from her rival and she will beat me next time. I was left perplexed and annoyed. This girl is incomprehensible.

However this was not all.

Shortly after this, Andrew and I were bizarrely put in situations where we were stuck in various places together for a prolonged amount of time.

I was furious because I know it was her doing after the first two.

However as much as I disliked being misled one of those sessions did end up with Andrew and I both apologizing and starting bit by bit to rebuild a friendship.

The issue with Hannah and Barbara got resolved with almost the same methods, although the relationship with those two is still a bit sore, but it’s making baby steps progress, so that’s the best I can hope for.

Also Barbara seems to have made fast friends with Lotte. I don’t think a Slytherin and Hufflepuf such fast and close friends is something that is seen often. Although I suppose that vapid book series is partially to thank for that. Leave it to akko, even if it was an indirect effect.

Andrew told me to hang out with them, but despite Akko’s many help she still glares or frowns at me, and I do quite understand where I stand with her and part of me feels annoyed to be so indebted to the girl.

She makes tons of messes that I sometimes get asked to clean up due the teacher’s knowing my role as a prefect of sorts in beaux, since they start at an earlier year than Hogwarts.

And yet she cleans up the messes I’ve made that I was either to afraid or incapable of doing so, until she forced me to face them.

Actually another thing that probably made me hesitant to join Andrew and the others was Exhibit B, Quidditch.

While the ravenclaw seeker was already chosen since I came in the middle of the 3rd year, sometime in March the seeker stepped down because of wanting to focus on his NEWTS, since it was his last year.

The backup Ravenclaw seeker had dragon pox and since professor nelson has seen me in a baux quidditch match last year when she came to visit a friend, she knows I play.

And so I got roped in to play my first game as a Ravenclaw seeker against Gryffindor.

At this point I was half tempted to let Akko win, a part of me wanted to join that colorful group of friends without having to feel bad about it, because the one they all appreciate, Akko, isn’t too keen on me.

However Akko got angrier when she called me out on not trying hard enough. I realize after her outburst that I wanted to fight her earnestly as well.

We were neck and neck but at the very last moment I won out and ravenclaw beat Gryffindor that match.

I was half expecting Akko to be angrier but she burst out laughing and then become serious.

“As your rival I swear I’ll beat you next time Diana!” all the while pointing her finger at me and proceeded to storm off.

Well actually I suppose that one wasn’t too bad in hindsight.

Actually I’m just searching for excuses to not get sucked into Akko’s pacing, but everything she does is both heartfelt at times and/or utterly nerve-wrecking and she thrives on a chaos that I am wholly unfamiliar with.

My last point of this, exhibit C if you will, although at this point I’m unsure what I’m even trying to convince myself off any more….

A few days before today Slytherin and Ravenclaw Quidditch teams were getting ready for the match today.

Some slytherins though weren’t happy with me playing, saying my veela powers would be used to distract them and therefore I wasn’t allowed to play, which was absurd, although this is sadly not the first time I heard such asinine excuses or snide remarks being made in regards to my progeny.

The Slytherin that were angry tried ambushing me and I was managing fine on my own but they became 5 against one. Just when I was being pushed to a corner then Andrew and Akko showed up too and fended them off alongside me. They heard wind of this from talks at the common room area. So they decided to come find me.

Akko mentions jokingly she does get the whole “Cavendish is distracting part”. I get annoyed and flustered. I start playing with my hair tie around my hand and decide to dismiss myself after thanking them.

Akko is an enigma. She claims to be my rival and while I enjoy the thrill and excitement of our duels and fighting on the pitch, more than anything I wanted to get closer to her. To be part of her inner circle. That very desire though scares more than anything else.

I came to Hogwarts partially hoping for a transformative change for me, and Akko is about as literal as a personification of one if I ever saw it. And yet part of me was resisting this. Telling myself it’s fleeting or it’s all happening so fast. I was scared what a Diana that actually lets go of parts of herself she has clung on to would even look like.

However right now where I’m at, with a bruised ankle, possibly sprained hiding behind a big tree while having an invisibility and magic cloaking spell in effect. All of my earlier notions of fear of change seems rather silly.

How exactly did I end up here?

Short story some Slytherins weren’t happy I didn’t get replaced or taken out of the game, so they came up with a plan to teach me a lesson.

The morning of the game I looked outside and it was dark and hailing. The one weather I absolutely loathe because of how all my most misfortunate moments happened in that weather.

Akko came to do her usual rival declaration and saying don’t let anyone else but her beat me, I unreasonably snapped at her and for probably the first time I didn’t get an indignant response back but she looked hurt said ‘fine’ and just walked off.

I was starting this game in the worst frame of mind already. It is for that reason that after repeatedly having to dodge the bludgers sent my way by the beaters when someone from the crowd threw something at me when I was nearby when I just swerved to miss the bludger, I caught it.

I noticed too late one of the boys yesterday I was fending off threw me the item. I feel the tug of teleportation and as I crash on the foreign ground I notice the sky even more impossibly dark, even more hail and in the darkness of the sky moving figures. Dementors. It was a portkey.

I’ve been running and fending them off but patronus charm is something I’m no good at, can’t seem to make a strong enough one to create a corporal animal.

Maybe that’s why I’m here right now thinking back to scattered moments in my short 4 months in Hogwarts.

I heard getting your soul sucked out by dementors is immensely painful.

I already feel weak because by pure luck I managed to escape when 5 ambushed me.

I think back to my mom and I can’t imagine she would ever wanted to be reunited with me quite so soon.

Or how I failed to verify the legend of the 7 words of Arcturus she confessed to me a few months before passing is a key to something greater and might not only help Cavendish MA, but both the muggle and magical world.

And yet despite all of this my thoughts come back to Atsuko Kagari.

She, who has managed to change to indifferent Andrew. She, who has managed to make the mean spirited and at times haughty Hannah and Barbs friends or at very least civil towards people in different houses.

They who were stuck with class segregation, sure they are still a bit snooty, but the progress they have made is noticeable.

Akko is utterly vibrant and I can’t deny she has begun to change me too and despite being constantly out of my comfort zone around her I’m not upset, rather she excites me and makes me feel lighter.

Actually, earlier I said pure luck that I escaped the dementors earlier but that isn’t true, it was brief but the moment her face and wide teasing infuriating smile popped into my head I made a corporal patronus. It seemed like a horse, but I didn’t stick around to watch and took the opportunity to make a mad dash to possible safety.

I’m not sure if I can do the same though, because my one regret is that we never stated we were friends.

Sure we were rivals, but I would never admit that to Akko’s face. More than anything I want to be considered among the people she treasures the most, it’s silly given how I tended to react around her, especially at the start.

Additionally I had shot her down before the match today when she just wanted to give the usual rival speech of only her being able to beat me, But given the weather and where my thoughts were going back to I snapped at her and I didn’t apologize because the match was starting.

My power is waning, the invisibility and suppression spells are gone. I close my eyes. I couldn’t ever imagine this would be my end. I don’t want this to be it for me, but I hear something approaching. I decide to fight one last time, at least I will go out having tried my hardest. I open my eyes.

“Diana!” I am onslaught by an exuberant embrace. It’s Akko. She seems to be crying and holds me even tighter.

I am unable to form words. Akko pulls me away to inspect and I already miss the warmth she provided after all the dark clouds and hail provide little as means to keep warm.

“Diana….listen I went ahead but professor Ursula and headmistress Holbrooke should be heading here, we’re going to get out here, promise” Akko gave me a worried look while she was holding both my shoulders.

“I’m sorry I snapped at you akko” my exhaustion is starting to catch up with me.

“What? Ooh don’t worry about that. Come on Diana I’ll help you up and lean on me, one of you ankles seems pretty bruised, I’ll help you walk.”

I accept her help but I’m confused “Why did you come here?”

She sighs and looks at me from our position of having my arm draped over her shoulder.

“What kind of question is that even Diana, you’re my friend so of course I would come for you.”

My throat feels like it has something stuck in it, because I’m overcome with a feeling of relief and gratitude right then. I don’t trust my usual tone, but I respond anyway.

“I thought we were rivals” I croaked out, barely holding back being a crying mess.

Akko sends a beaming smile my way. “So you do admit we’re rivals!”

“No, I’m merely using the words you frequently and enthusiastically direct towards me” I look away from her gaze. I’m unsure why exactly I’m getting flustered at this.

“We can be both!” I glance back at her and she gives me a soft smile.

I chuckle wholeheartedly.

We continue walking a bit more, it’s going slower than I would like, because of my ankle.

We hear rustling again it’s a hoard of dementors, 10 maybe, not at least 20 or 30 even approaching from a distance.

Akko pulls me close by the waist as a response for having held on tighter to her shoulders. We both have our wands at hand.

I’m beyond exhausted, but I refuse to die here. Not after the elation I felt when finding out I’m one of Akko’s treasure people or finally warming up to the idea of accepting change in my life.

I think I have a moment that might finally be strong enough for a patronus charm.

So I close my eyes and we both yelled out at the same time. “Expecto patronum!”

A majestic bird came out of the tip of akko’s wand and I notice mine wasn’t a horse, but rather a unicorn.

We keep at it for a while and driving away some, but more keep heading towards us.

We keep at this for quite a bit and I have sadly reached my limit. My knees buckle next to akko and I see her crouch down next to me while still holding out her wand hand with the activated patronus charm. My eye lids are growing heavy and the last thing I see are the beads of sweat on her face and the tired look as she finally stops the patronus charm, with a hoard of dementors still storming towards us.

I wake up and I’m staring at a white ceiling. It smells of antiseptic and fresh linen.

I turn around to see akko with her head resting on the side of my bed in a chair.

“Her neck is going to wake up stiff”

I’m startled by the voice that just came from the opposite side of me.

“Andrew” I announce hoarsely. I shift myself to a more upright position and notice how sore I am.

“I’m glad you are awake and looking better Diana” Andrew regarded me with a smile. I return the gesture.

“Miss Kagari is truly an indomitable force, wouldn’t you agree Diana?” as I was about to respond we both turn our attention to stirring.

Akko rubs her eyes and sports a wide smile once she notices I’m awake. “Diana!” and she proceeds to enthusiastically hug me. I inwardly groan from the soreness, but a hug from Akko is totally worth it, even if I’m not used to such affectionate and frequent displays of appreciation and care.

Andrew sends a knowing smile my way almost as if to say ‘See, did we ever stand a chance against her?’

I’m inclined to agree, with such an indomitable force as Akko Kagari it’s near impossible to remain completely unaffected by her mere presence and I can’t say I mind it too much.

I wake up in a wonderful mood. Akko has drooled on my neck again and her leg is completely draped over my legs, with her one hand pressing me lightly against her and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I decide to get up however, because unfortunately Holbrooke asked me to report to her how the tri-wizard event went.

I try to slip away but Akko merely holds on tighter. “Don’t go”

I could remind her of how headmistress is expecting me, but seeing as Frank’s door is still closed, I relented and decide to relax again in the hug.

Akko opens her eyes and lifts her face from my neck to look at me “I missed you”

“I missed you too, sorry about not making it back in time” I respond softly and apologetically back. Akko smiles and shakes her head.

“Don’t worry I had a back-up plan all along. You’ve had the crown for throwing the most extravagant and thoughtful parties for you girlfriend for too long. I will usurp you today!”

I chuckle. It’s ridiculous how we still compete with each other. Stronger even instead of being less, like one would expect we found new silly, creative, exciting and adventurous ways to find something to challenge each other with. It’s never a dull moment with my lovely girlfriend.

To be fair she already did an amazing job. While I was away on the tri-wizard trip to 2 different place, of which Akko knew some people there and asked for their help.

She managed to do an elaborate scavenger hunt of which she knows I’m weak for and if that wasn’t enough on the trip back home I had people, some I knew some I didn’t hand me various kind of flowers with a lovely note written on each one.

Who knew Akko would be such a romantic, then again we’re both fairly hopeless for each other in all honesty.

“I think you already won love, with the scavenger hunt and the flowers you outdid yourself. Shall I hand the crown now? Or would a later time be preferable?”

Akko grins and buries he head back on the crook of my neck. Her muffled reply sounds out “Not until after later today”

I’m left curious what else she has in mind, but before I could ask I notice her breathing has changed.

Ooh well. I will give her the win this time she’s more than earned it, but I already started planning her upcoming birthday since last year, so I will get the crown back soon enough.

Its Sunday luckily enough so no classes. On top of that we already had a testing period just now. So nothing urgent at hand.

For now though I let out one more content sigh as I drift into a blissful slumber once again.

#diakko #dianakkoweek #dianakkoweek 2018 #I'm late as usual for this week

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spinach-productions · 7 years

Text

Overwatch: do u want 2 join Talon?

The goal here was to a.) take the idea of Reaper being terrifying and pitch it out the window, and b.) take characters who don’t interact and put them together to see what happens. I really enjoyed this.

Might continue if I get more ideas. No promises.

Wordcount: 2019

Summary: Hanzo has no interest in joining Talon. No, really. Reaper, stop asking.

A small hand mirror (extracted from a circular hand compact because its round edges are pleasing to nervous fingers) reflects Dorado’s center square, its string lights illuminating the messy space and showing it to still be empty. Hanzo tucks the mirror into his pocket. His communicator reads quarter-to-eleven. He turns the display off and folds his arms. Someone is wasting his time, and if there’s one thing Hanzo can’t abide, it’s someone who wastes his time.

He begins to dial Overwatch HQ’s main line.

“I said don’t call anyone.”

By the time the speaker his finished, Hanzo is already on the adjacent rooftop, arrow nocked and aimed into the smoky, billowing mass coiling up over the gutters of his original vantage point.

“You’re late,” he says, bow still at the ready.

“You’re not where we agreed to meet.”

“You didn’t really expect me to stand in the middle of the square.”

The mass begins to fold in on itself, trading volume for density as it builds up into a human shape. “I don’t care what you think I expect. I’m here to make an offer. Put that down.”

“I will not,” Hanzo says. “What is your offer.”

“You’ve just watched me turn into mist and ooze up the side of a building. Do you honestly believe that sharpened stick is any kind of dissuasion?”

“If it’s no dissuasion, then you won’t mind if don’t put it away.”

The particles coalesce into a figure, roughly six feet tall by Hanzo’s estimate. A man, if the voice isn’t modulated. He’s wearing a hooded coat, under which is a mask that is shaped either like a skull or a barn owl. The ensemble is black with fasteners that seem to be made of ammunition holders. His gauntlets are large, his shoulder pads are huge, and his boots are the most enormous of all. The entire thing, Hanzo decides, is utterly tacky.

“Fine,” Reaper says, folding his arms, “If it makes you feel better. Did you come to hear my offer, or would you rather trade barbs over your toothpick all night?”

“I’m listening.”

“I represent an organization called Talon—”

Hanzo has already released the tension in his bowstring. “No.”

“You don’t know what I was going to say.”

“I’m well aware of your organization,” he says, storing the arrow back in its quiver, “You believe that humanity is strengthened through conflict. To this end, you stir up chaos wherever you go, although why you wish to force growth on humanity is a mystery to me.” Hanzo swings himself off the roof to a drainpipe, “I do not share your ideology, I do not care for the means through which you pursue your goals, and I am not interested in aiding or joining your cause.”

Reaper watches him. The mask doesn’t articulate emotions, but he has an air of inhuman patience about him. “I have ways of making you change your mind.”

“I will not,” Hanzo says as he scales down the building’s façade.

“You will,” Reaper calls from the roof.

“I will not!” Hanzo rebuts as he exits the square.

As he selects Overwatch, Gibraltar from his list of contacts, he hears a faint noise through the cracks in Dorado’s historic architecture, like a man-sized pile of autumn leaves burning to ash and scattering across the ground. The wind carries a faint whisper that sounds eerily like You will.

Hanzo allows himself an eye roll as he keys in his location for extraction.

“There’s no need to debase yourself,” Winston says when Hanzo’s report strays into reassurances about his allegiance, “I had full confidence in you. If there were doubts about your loyalty, I wouldn’t have invited you to Overwatch.”

“Thank you,” Hanzo replies. He clears his throat to cover the gratitude that must show in his voice. “Do you believe Talon’s interest was based on my abilities, or my place in the organization?”

Winston skims the last of Hanzo’s written files before uploading them into one of Athena’s many databases. “Both make you a prime target. I’m grounding you for a few days to see if I can find where they the intel. Most likely they caught you during their surveillance of Overwatch, but I want to be sure they haven’t breached our security. I’d like your eyes on it after I’ve done the first sweep.”

“Of course,” Hanzo says.

Winston sends him off with two days off and strict instructions to schedule a full physical sometime during them. Hanzo makes a reluctant appointment with Doctor Ziegler for the next morning. Having completed his return-to-base duties, he showers off the post-mission stink and settles at his desk with a cup of tea and the latest piece of Helix security coding queued up on his tablet.

He’s just begun testing for standard weaknesses (which Helix usually covers beautifully, but it’s always good to try the basics first) when there’s a knock at the door.

“One moment,” he calls, saving his progress and locking the tablet before he opens the door.

“I want you to reconsider— now stop that.”

Hanzo, who has already grabbed his bow and quiver and thrown himself out the window, rolls to his feet at the edge of the cliff and slams the red Intruder Alert button on his communicator. The base’s windows turn red as the lights switch to emergency mode, and a klaxon begins sounding the alarm that means a hostile agent has breached Overwatch’s defenses. Hanzo slings the quiver over his shoulder and sprints along the path leading towards the control room in hope of getting some part of the base on lockdown.

The ground ahead of him begins to crackle and smoke, and Reaper rises up out of the grass with his arms crossed like this encounter isn’t meeting his expectations.

“You’re not listening to me,” he says.

Hanzo dodges around him, desperately trying to remember if there are any shortcuts to the main hall that connects with Winston’s meeting room. If not, he’ll have to run the full perimeter and scale the barriers that have surely descended around the front door by now, which isn’t impossible but will slow him down considerably.

“Who threw the alarm?” Someone barks into the main communications channel.

“I did,” Hanzo replies, “Gabriel Reyes just knocked on my door.”

“What? Are you sure?”

“Unless someone here has taken to wearing black cloaks with an owl mask. Then it would be a problem of taste rather than security,” Hanzo deadpans. He recognizes this as his tendency to shut down his emotions in the face of danger.

The ground ahead regurgitates Reaper again. “My taste is impeccable.”

Hanzo fire off an arrow. It passes through Reaper’s wraith form and soars into the distance.

The smoky human shape slithers through the air and places itself directly on the path, cutting off Hanzo’s only escape route. Reaper materializes and has the gall to look annoyed. “I said stop that.”

Hanzo lets loose a volley of arrows. Each finds its mark in Reaper’s torso, knees, head, and each continues through until the ground is peppered with failed homicide attempts.

“Stop shooting me,” Reaper snaps, “I want to make another offer.”

“There is nothing you can offer me,” Hanzo snarls, bow drawn as he tries to edge between Reaper and the building.

Reaper matches his movements. “The Shimada Clan is in shambles. Talon could pull them together under your leadership.”

“I will do no such thing,” Hanzo spits. Over the communication chatter coming from his wrist, he can hear the intruder alarm spilling out of an open window behind him and halfway up the wall.

Reaper holds his ground. “You could rebuild it, better, strong. In your own image instead of your father’s.”

Hanzo stashes Stormbow on his back and scales the wall, vaulting back into the cacophonous base without answering. Reaper’s sigh carries on the wind again as Hanzo pings his location and runs for the control room.

It takes several hours for the various members stations at Gibraltar to turn the base upside-down. Unsurprisingly, they find nothing. Hanzo gives his second report of the night. With little doubt that Reaper’s second visit means there will be a third, Winston creates a buddy-system schedule to ensure Hanzo’s safety while on base.

“This is humiliating,” he tells Orisa as she finishes sweeping his room.

“It is logical,” she disagrees, carefully pushing his chair back under the desk. “The hour is late; a human guard would be affected if they were to guard you at this hour, but I am able to recharge at any time.”

“I meant it’s humiliating that Winston thinks I need a guard at all,” he snaps.

“That is also logical. If there are two people, no one can be taken unaware.”

“I have trained since childhood to prepare for an assassin’s life. There is no need for anyone to babysit me,” Hanzo snarls.

Orisa pauses. Hanzo has seen this behavior when she is researching vocabulary. “I do not believe Winston believes you incapable,” she says a moment later.

The pause has given him a moment to collect himself, and for that, he is grateful. Hanzo takes a slow breath and mirrors her calm. “You are probably correct,” he says in a smoothed-out voice, “It would be foolish to leave a target unguarded, no matter what their skill level. There is no reason to sacrifice safety for my pride.”

“Your pride is important, but in this case, there are other things to be considered,” Orisa says agreeably. “I will take up a position outside to ensure the hallway is clear. Please summon me if you have any need.”

Hanzo thanks her and bids her goodnight. His ego stings, but Orisa has given him space to see the necessity behind Winston’s plan.

He sighs, toeing off his shoes and opening the closet to retrieve a robe.

“Don’t shoot me this time.”

Hanzo slams the door shut.

“Rude,” Reaper says from the other side.

He leaves one shaky hand planted against the closet door. It will do little good if Reaper decides to ooze between the cracks in the frame, but it makes Hanzo feel better. “Why are you in my room?”

“Well I came to make an offer, but I guess what I really wanted was to sit in your clothes hamper and chat through a door all night.”

“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t call the OR-15 unit standing outside.”

“Because you haven’t been able to catch me so far and you want to gather intelligence. It’s what you do in the face of uncertainty.”

He isn’t wrong. Hanzo glares at the door. “Alright. What is your offer?”

Something makes a noise like someone moving several coat hangers to one side and then shifting to lean against a wall. “Your clan, your power, and your family. All of it, up to and including the latest research in human genetic regeneration for your brother.”

“Is that what happened to you? Regeneration?”

“Don’t interrupt, but yes, something like that. The technology has advanced since I… happened, and there have been multiple cases where over 70% of the body was restored. So what I’m really offering is redemption. You like redemption, don’t you?”

“You’re absurd,” Hanzo mutters.

“And you murdered your brother. Wouldn’t it be nice to make up for that?”

“You don’t know anything,” Hanzo hisses.

“Of course, what would I know about death? Aside from that fact that it turns up in the least expected places and doesn’t appreciate the smell of lilac detergent.”

“I did not choose the soap--” Hanzo uses his free hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. “I am going to call the guard in a moment. Please leave by whatever means you entered.”

“Think about the offer,” Reaper says, followed by the same burning/scattering noise from Dorado.

Hanzo wrenches open the door to find his closet predictably empty. He stomps to the door, informs Orisa of his visitor, and allows himself to be relocated to an empty set of quarters while his room is systematically taken apart because someone decided to make a house call.

#Overwatch #overwatch Hanzo #overwatch Reaper #overwatch Winston #overwatch Orisa #fanfiction #fanfics #Yoo writes!

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mistymoonstorm · 7 years

Text

GMS Fanfiction - Sherlock/MC - Meeting

Partly due to a spell of writer’s block - and partly because I wanted to XD - I took a story prompt from @jane-runs-fast, so this is for you! The prompt is Sherlock meeting the MC from his point of view.

Sorry for the wait, and sorry for the fact that it might be a little boring. As this is a rewrite, I had to borrow a bunch of dialogue from the prologue to keep it consistent, so none of the dialogue here is mine, even if I may have tweaked a little bit. Enjoy!

Sherlock didn’t hear the door start to open, nor Mikah’s excited greeting in return to whomever had come to visit. He was lost in his mind, the conversation between John and Lestrade as they droned on about some boring, uninteresting case merely white noise in the backdrop. Easily ignored.

The most recent episode of ‘The Midfall Murders’ was flashing through his thoughts, tiny scenes and details picked clean of all they could offer him. He often did this while waiting for the next plotline to analyze, lest he be driven to other, less harmless activities to keep him occupied.

Such as firing rounds at the wall, even if Mikah had turned a rather peculiar shade of red the last time he’d done so.

A soft feminine voice sounded over the banister near the entrance to the hall, drawing him from his reverie. Sherlock turned his head slowly. Something was familiar.

“He’s just in here-” Mikah was saying, as the boy’s golden head came into view.

“Stop right there,” said Sherlock, glancing at him sharply. There was a woman behind him, her face mostly concealed by shadows cast from the window. From her posture, he would guess she was- “A flight attendant? No. An actress, since childhood.”

“Don’t change the subject, Sherlock!” growled Lestrade. “John, this is your fault. You’re supposed to keep an eye on him, aren’t you?”

“George,” began John coolly. He sighed. “I’m not Sherlock’s mother. Or his father, obviously. And even if I did keep an eye on him, Sherlock will always be Sherlock. Even the Queen herself couldn’t control him.”

As they were speaking, Irene leaped down from where she’d been lying in Mikah’s arms, darting across the rug. Her tail flicked, irritable from the commotion.

The mystery woman cleared her throat. “Um, they look kind of busy. Maybe I’d better come back another time..“

Mikah half-turned to smile at her. “Don’t worry. They’re always like this.” After he was finished speaking, he moved further into the room. “Alright, guys. No more arguing. We have a guest.” He made a motion to the woman, who hesitated for only a moment before stepping into the light.

Sherlock felt his mind come to a screeching halt, leaving him with a jarring moment of silence where nothing was thought or deduced. Flaxen hair. Amber eyes. Features he recognized even now that his brilliance was failing him.

Guinevere Stark stood in his apartment, lingering somewhat awkwardly near the door even if her squared shoulders warned of confident determination. She wore a faint, nervous smile as she looked briefly over them, as if she’d come here without prior knowledge of what to expect.

“Hello,” she said. Her voice, clear and unobstructed by walls, sent Sherlock further into his spiral.

John held his hand out to her, smiling calmly. “Nice to meet you. I’m John H Watson. Feel free to call me John.” Judging by the look on his face, John already liked what he saw. A muscle in Sherlock’s jaw ticked, but try as he may, he couldn’t manage to do anything but stare.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you John. I believe I’ve read that you’re Mr. Holmes’ assistant?” she asked, shaking his hand.

John’s answering smile was wry. “I suppose so. I’m actually a doctor, but no one seems to know me as that anymore.”

Lestrade offered his hand next. “George Lestrade.”

“He doesn’t look it, but he’s actually a police inspector at Scotland Yard,” said John amusedly.

Lestrade eyed him grumpily, too used to the barbs to get truly angry. “You could have left that part out.”

Guinevere just smiled, shaking his hand as well. “It’s nice to meet you, Inspector Lestrade.”

Her eyes flicked to Sherlock. Almost unconsciously, he sat up a little straighter, his heart squeezing. He was largely unfamiliar with the emotions that ran through him as their gazes met, but they were not unpleasant by any definition of the word.

“By the way,” said Lestrade thoughtfully, breaking their stare. Annoyance washed through Sherlock, his eyes narrowing imperceptibly. “Pardon my asking, but have we met before?”

John shook his head, exasperated. “George. That’s a little rude. Honestly, everyone sees where you’re trying to take this.”

Mikah was quick to nod his agreement. “Yeah. That’s a pretty old pick-up line, huh?”

Lestrade floundered, ears reddening. “W-wait! No! I wasn’t trying to come on to her! I really have seen her somewhere before!”

John glanced back to Guinevere. Comprehension lit his eyes. “..Hold on. Now that you mention it, I think I have seen her somewhere.”

Guinevere’s lips twitched. She was obviously used to this. “That’s probably because I’m-”

Sherlock’s brain finally snapped back to life, running a million miles a minute. He had so much he wanted to say, to ask. Before his conscious could catch up, his mouth was already moving. “So you’ve come to hire me? If it turns out to be a boring assignment, I’ll be quite upset.” His tone was frosty, his words biting.

He immediately wanted to take it back, but could not. So he continued.

Sherlock rose from his chair, striding briskly to where Guinevere stood, stiff with shock. “Let us review. You’re an actress. You started acting as a child, and now you’re preparing for your first lead role. You don’t have any fans who present you with money or gifts.”

Lestrade watched them quietly. “An actress? You were saying something about that before she showed up here, weren’t you?”

But Sherlock wasn’t listening. His focus was on Guinevere, on the shifting emotions she was displaying.

He saw her surprise fade into confusion, then understanding. She had clearly settled on the fact that he must know her purely from the television. She was wrong.

“After rehearsal, you came straight here-” He cut himself off, cocking his head. “No. You stopped by a cafe.”

“Aha!” exclaimed John from the other side of the room. “I’m sure I’ve seen her before. She’s-”

“You had cinnamon tea at Lucci & Mason,” said Sherlock. The scent of the spice clung to her, however indistinct. “And you’re also the one who figured out the answer to that quiz I gave Mikah, aren’t you?”

It was a rhetorical question. He knew the answer.

“Aww.” Mikah sighed. “So you figured out I wasn’t the one who solved it. I knew you would.“

Sherlock continued to observe Guinevere’s changing expressions, unconcerned by the growing chaos from the others. She was staring at him, eyes wide.

Then she was beaming up at him, brighter than the sun. “Amazing! You’re just as good as they say in the newspapers, Mr. Sherlock Holmes.”

Heat rose in Sherlock’s chest and drifted up his throat towards his ears. “Better, actually,” he said, using his most indifferent tone in an attempt to combat the flush he felt creeping on him from her praise.

John was still excited about his ‘discovery’ behind them, trying to catch Sherlock’s attention. “Listen, Sherlock! She was in-”

“Mikah,” said Sherlock, his eyes still on Guinevere. “Get Ms. Stark some tea.”

Mikah frowned hard at him. “I don’t mind getting tea, Sherlock. But how many times do I have to tell you to not shoot your gun at the wall?” He gestured pointedly to the pattern of holes in question. “If the wall ends up crumbling, I’m not going to just send you a repair bill. I’m going to have you build me an entirely new house.”

Sherlock didn’t spare him a glance. “I’m always careful to not let that happen when I shoot.”

John was already shaking his head. “You have the patience of a saint, Mikah.”

“You’re too patient!” protested Lestrade. “Every time he’s bored, he shoots off that gun, and guess who has to respond to the calls? Think about what that’s like for me!”

This time, Sherlock did look at them, though there was no apology for them on his tongue. “All I’m doing is having a little fun to stave off the boredom, yet every time I do you come barging in here. Think about what that’s like for me, Lestrade.”

Lestrade’s mouth fell open. “Excuse me?!”

Guinevere just stared, unsure what to say.

John took pity on her, touching her arm lightly and leading her towards the couch. “Don’t worry. They’ll stop soon. Just have a seat over here, Guinevere.”

She smiled, though her eyes were still troubled. “Thank you.”

Mikah was already disappearing into the kitchen. “I’ll get some tea!”

“Just how many shots have you fired into this wall? The holes seem to spell out letters,” Lestrade was saying, squinting at the pattern.

Sherlock regarded him with disdain. “They’re initials. H.L.”

Lestrade blinked. “Whose initials?”

“Yours. Harold Lestrade.”

Lestrade’s face went crimson. “My name is GEORGE! You should know that by now!”

Sherlock waved him off, apathy returning now that his moment of weakness was cooling. “I use every last bit of my brain’s processing power, so I always delete unnecessary information from my internal memory.”

It made perfect sense to him, but Lestrade apparently thought otherwise. “Are you saying my name is unnecessary information?!”

Sherlock ignored his outrage, sitting back down in his chair just as Irene hopped onto the arm. He stroked her absentmindedly beneath the chin.

“This is a surprise,” John said to Guinevere, smiling. “I never expected you to show up here. To tell you the truth, Sherlock is a big fan of ‘The Mid-’”

“She has good posture, and from her movements, the way she walks and the clarity of her voice, I can tell she’s had formal training in each,” interrupted Sherlock, as he returned to studying her.

“Hey, Sherlock.” John frowned at him. “I’m talking to her right-”

“She’s with three men she’s never met before, and yet the smile on her face is very natural, not timid or nervous. She’s used to having all sorts of people she doesn’t know look at her.”

“So you’re telling me to shut up then? Alright. I’ll shut up.”

“When she breathes, she doesn’t raise her shoulders or chest. That’s because she learned to breathe from the abdomen when she was a child. In other words, she’s been acting since she was a child. For the most part, she’s not wearing brand-name clothing, and her jewelry has been passed down from her mother. So she doesn’t have any fans giving her money or gifts.” He paused as understanding dawned on her face. She’d figured out that he was explaining for her benefit. “A script is visible within her bag. It’s too early for her to be coming back from a performance. She’s on her way back from a rehearsal. Judging by how worn out that script is, and the number of pages you have labeled as well as their distribution throughout the book, you’re playing a major role. The title of your play is written on the spine of the script. In that particular play, the only major role played by a young woman is the female lead - the heroine. So you’re new to major roles, and they have high hopes for you.”

“A moment ago you were saying that I drank cinnamon tea at Lucci & Mason’s,” said Guinevere. She gazed at him curiously. “Could you tell that just by looking at me?”

“No,” replied Sherlock evenly. “Your fingertips give off a faint aroma of cinnamon. That’s because just earlier you were stirring tea with a cinnamon stick. The only place in London that serves Ceylon cinnamon from Sri Lanka is Lucci & Mason.”

Though he did not usually feel pride from his deductions, he felt it now, blossoming in his chest as Guinevere smiled.

“Okay then. How did you know I solved that quiz you gave Mikah?”

“Mikah always passes by Lucci & Mason when he takes his walk, and rushes when presented with a deadline, so his judgement is not always what it would otherwise be. It was a simple quiz, but I did not expect him to bring me the solution before time was up. And yet he did. Mikah is friendly by nature, but the tone he used with you showed that he liked and felt gratitude towards you. This is because he met you on the road, and you told him the answer to his quiz. And there you have it.”

“I guess I did make the right choice in coming to you for this, Mr. Holmes.” She was still smiling, but unlike those she had shared earlier, this one was tinged with relief.

Though his mind was quickly processing this new development, Sherlock’s face did not change. “And you’re just now realizing that?”

John quickly stepped in, grinning. “What he means to say is that he’s glad you think so.”

Guinevere laughed. “It’s okay, John. It doesn’t bother me.”

“So she’s a saint, then,” said Lestrade, blinking. “She’s too good to be your client, Sherlock.”

“Quiet.”

“Yes, sir,” he muttered sarcastically.

“I’m done with my little show,” Sherlock said, once again addressing Guinevere. “I’ve shown you what I can do, now it’s your turn to talk, Ms. Stark. I hope your request won’t be one I find boring.”

It was a bluff, of course, even if he refused to actually admit it. He would take any case that came from her, regardless of its actual level of mystery.

End

#guard me sherlock #fanfic #sherlock holmes #first meeting #rewrite #writing prompt

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thesnootyushers · 7 years

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As season 11 of Trailer Park Boys lands on Netflix, here’s my attempt at launching at a British version.

Trailer Park Boys returns for it’s 11th season today on Netflix. It is hugely popular around the world despite its very humble beginnings. It starts out as a documentary following Julian and Ricky as they get out of prison and attempt to go straight. They move back to the trailer park they have lived their whole lives, and the wacky characters of the park have made for a great comedy series eer since. After coming to an end on traditional TV, the three main actors (JP Tremblay, Robb Wells, and Mike Smith) kept the show going through a series of films, before launching Swearnet, their own produciton company and online network. They bought the rights to the Trailer Park Boys and have gone about making the franchise bigger than ever, having teamed up with Netflix to produce live specials, and even recently did a series with their characters touring Europe, which featured Noel Fielding in the first episode. They also regularly appear in character on chat shows, and there is a whole bunch of content on Swearnet featuring various cast members of TPB.

And with their international success, why not try to produce a British version?

Bear with me Bubbles, I think it would look a little something like this…

Julian (John Paul Tremblay ) to be played by …. ANDREW LINCOLN

Julian takes the lead in most of the boys schemes, and at times he is even moderately successful, before his loyalty to his friends and trailer park, the law, or sheer bad luck usually end up with him back at square one. He has gone legit a few times, running a bar/club/casino, and also various illegal plans such as a clean urine business. He is also the one who invited the cameras into the trailer park for the first time. As nominally the straight man in the trio, there were a few names that came to mind in a British version, including Martin Freeman, Ben Miller, and of course Idris Elba, because he should be in everything. None of them had the greasy edge that Julian has, until I thought of Andrew Lincoln. Although now a superstar due to The Walking Dead, his role in Teachers showed that he can do comedy drama, and obviously Egg in This Life wasn’t a totally straight role. And look at that picture of him in a black T-short and jeans – a bit more tricep meat and he’s perfect!

Ricky (Robb Wells) to be played by …. NICK FROST

Ricky is, simply put, an idiot. Rickyisms are one of the highlights of the show (“Make like a tree and f*** off”, “Looks like we need two turnips and heat” and “Don’t judge a cover of a book by its look” are some of my favourites), and I just think Nick Frost would be great at delivering them. He would also be brilliant with the physical comedy, as Ricky is constantly falling over:

A natural Ricky!

Bubbles (Mike Smith) to be played by …. MACKENZIE CROOK

And so onto the breakout, and most difficult to cast, character. Bubbles started out as an odd neighbour, but over time has grown into being the heart of the show. He lives in a small shed and is devoted to his kitties, as well as being a budding singer. In turn, actor Mike Smith seems to be the most natural performer when it comes to the live shows. Although I toyed with the idea of Peter Kay or Steve Coogan doing a comedy character similar to a young Leonard the paper boy or Duncan Thickett. Or Marek Larwood from We Are Klang, to try and match Bubbles heer weirdness. But when it comes to oddball characters, giving it a British twist is what we do best, and I can’t think of anyone who would capture Bubbles’ nervous, naive nature than Mackenzie Crook. And in the same way that Gareth Keenan was originally a totally different character before Crook auditioned and won the role, Bubbles would be slightly tweaked by retain the spirit of the original character. Plus Crook is sublime in BBC Four’s The Detectorists, alongside the great Toby Jones.

Jim Lahey (John Dunsworth) to be played by …. JIM BROADBENT

The supporting characters in Trailer Park Boys are much more complex than in most comedy shows. Jim Fahey is the Trailer Park supervisor, an ex-police officer, with a serious drink problem. At the beginning of the series he is a comedic foil for the boys, almost like Officer Dibble in Top Cat, but later he goes on the offensive to try and get rid of Julian, Ricky, and Bubbles. He has season long arcs, and a love story for the ages with Randy. There were a whole bunch of slightly older British actors I considered. Paul Whitehous, Timothy Spall or Mark Heap. But there’s a underlying tragedy to Mr Lahey, and I think that Jim Broadbent would be fantastic in this role. He has a background in comedy, and one of his most recent roles, as James McAvoy’s therapist in Filth, shows that he isn’t afraid to get weird when required.

Randy (Patrick Roach) to be played by …. JOHNNY VEGAS

Randy is the Assistant Supervisor at the Trailer Park for most of the show, occasionally holding different positions depending on the whims of the owners. At one time in their younger days he was friendly with Julian, Bubbles, and especially Ricky, but now he is on the side of law and order, helping Lahey to thwart the boys. He is also truly in love with Mr Lahey. There was only really one choice for the role of the shirtless, cheeseburger-eating, rotund Randy – Johnny Vegas.

Sarah (Sarah Dunsmore) to be played by… JESSICA HYNES

Onto the female characters. Sarah has got the measure of the boys, never taking any of their nonsense and with almost no romantic entanglement to cloud her judgement. She is also far more successful than Julian when it comes to planning and executing schemes – Trailer Park Girls would be a much different show! Jessica Hynes is a comedy great – she was one of the highlights of my Christmas countdown with her star turn in Nativity 2 – and as a smart woman trapped by her circumstances, she would be perfect. She’s also grown beyond her role as Daisy in Spaced, but I reckon we could work in one reference with her and Nick Frost, and someone else later on…

Lucy (Lucy Decoutere) to be played by… SHARON HORGAN

Another smart, confident woman who is held back by one thing – although with Lucy it is her love of Ricky that keeps dragging her back to him. She knows that she deserves better than him, but she loves him so they always end up back together. Although Horgan has made her name with starring roles in comedies like BBC Three’s Pulling and more recently Catastrophe which has been picked up by Netflix. This has led to her new show Divorce getting picked up on HBO, starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Thomas Haden Church. This would be a great role for her to just be a comedy actor though, a bit like when Chris Morris was in the first series of The IT Crowd.

Barb Lahey (Shelley Thompson) to be played by… JULIA DAVIS

Barb is the owner of the Trailer Park, and the wife of Jim. She also has a bit of a dark edge to her, being ready to act in her own self-interest and sell the park to anyone with the money. Julia Davis would be great to be involved, stuff like Nighty Night and Hunterby more than shows her comedy chops. I also see Barb as a young woman being impressed by dashing police officer Jim Lahey before he lost his job and fell into his spiral of self destruction, so that is why she is so much younger than Jim Broadbent. This would also help her bond with Lucy and Sarah, who I’ve always thought more of as an older sister rather than a mother figure.

J-Roc (Jonathan Torrens) to be played by …. SIMON PEGG

J Roc is the trailer parks’ resident wannabe rapper. He has a million and one catchphrases that have evolved over the course of the show,“maafk”. For the equivalent version in Britain I needed a very British comedian with a love of hip hop – so why not Simon Pegg? I reckon we could shoehorn in ONE Spaced reference with the Tim, Daisy, and Mike reunion.

Cyrus (Bernard Robichaud) to be played by …. JASON STATHAM

You didn’t think I could get through this without The Stath, did you? Cyrus is the inept faux gangster/pimp/tough guy who is the Boys main criminal antagonist. I’ve not recast everyone in the series, but Cyrus would be the big bad over the course of the first season of my British version of Trailer Park Boys.

Sebastian Bach (Sebastian Bach) to be played by …. BRUCE DICKINSON

Rockstar Sebastian Bach plays a recurring role in Trailer Park Boys, and a British reboot would need someone of a similar stature. Iron Maiden front man Bruce Dickinson could get involved with a drug distribution scheme either with his band on tour or with his own jet (he’s got a pilot’s licence).

Cory and Trevor (Cory Bowles and Michael Jackson) to be played by… DANIEL RADCLIFFE and RUPERT GRINT

Cory and Trevor are basically used by Ricky and Julian as a supply of cheap labour and free cigarettes. They are basically included in the plans to be ready-made scapegoats and take the rap when things naturally go wrong. So why not get the boys from Harry Potter back together?

But where is it set?

Sunnyvale, Nova Scotia to be replace by… BRIDLINGTON, YORKSHIRE!

In this country, we don’t really have “trailer parks” on the same scale of North America, so it has to be a seaside resort. Bridlington it is!

And that’s it for my British version of Trailer Park Boys. I’d like to thank our Senior Wrestling Correspondent Jonny Hogarth for his help as a sounding board to bounce my ideas off with this article, as I mentioned throughout there really were a a lot of names in the mix. What other shows would you like to see remade in a British setting?

So, what do you think now, Bubbles?

That’s all I ever wanted to hear.

Until next time, stay gold Ponyboy, stay gold. See you soonish.

Like what you’ve read? LIKE us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and look us up on Instagram!

Fan Cast – Trailer Park Boys: The British Version As season 11 of Trailer Park Boys lands on Netflix, here's my attempt at launching at a British version.

#british netflix #canada #Netflix #tpb #trailer park boys #trailer park boys britain #trailer park boys uk #uk netflix

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famedubaitravl · 4 years

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Eerie silence and hot chip wars as Adelaide Oval swings back into action

FIRST CROWDS IN

In his 35 years as a passionate Port Adelaide fan, Brad Chilcott has witnessed some remarkable feats at the Adelaide Oval, but nothing quite like what he saw transpire on Saturday (June 13). And it didn’t happen on the Oval outfield where his beloved Aussie rules football club handed local rivals Adelaide Crows their worst defeat ever on their shared home-ground. Instead, it took place in the western stand, where he sat three seats and two rows apart from the 699 others who occupied that section of the Oval for Showdown 48, the AFL local derby. The deed itself: a Port fan flinging a hot chip at a Crows fan seated 15 rows below him and “clocking him on the head” with it.

According to Chilcott, the rival supporter had it coming. He’d spent minutes leading up to the chip attack hurling abuse at the Port players. And his reaction was to turn around with a stern gaze before getting back to feeling upset with his own team’s performance. For Chilcott, the unprecedented incident summed up an unprecedented night where a live crowd watched live sport inside an Australian stadium for the first time in three months. In an ideal scenario after all, with a packed house, the Port fan would never have managed to hear what his counterpart was screaming. Neither would he, despite his evidently good arm, have had a clear shot at the Crows supporter like he did with only 2240 “fans” allowed to attend the Showdown.

It was an incident that gave some insight into what the cricket experience might offer in a post-lockdown COVID world.

“One thing different here was that the banter between spectators was much more amplified. You could hear everyone in your section, including someone abusing your favourite player right down the front. So, there was a lot of yelling back and forth between Port and Crows,” Chilcott, the founder of Welcoming Australia which works towards promoting multiculturalism and social cohesion, tells Fame Dubai.

Though the Crows fans might not agree, the eventual outcome of the Showdown was a success. For the prospect of crowds returning for good to sporting venues around Australia anyway. The number is only expected to go up owing to the “respectful” Showdown crowd who according to the South Australian government officials followed all protocols to the hilt. And with six months still to go for the scheduled first-ever Australia v India pink-ball Test, it looks very likely that a sizable crowd might end up yelling back and forth with Virat Kohli & Co at the Adelaide Oval come December.

In less than two weeks will come the second stage of the crowd experiment in Adelaide when close to 5000 fans will be allowed for the start of the SANFL (South Australian National Football League) season. There’s also been talk from Prime Minister Scott Morrison about letting close to 10,000 fans into venues with limited seating as early as next month. And Chilcott, who tries to get in two days of the annual Test every year, is confident of being there to see the much-awaited slugfest go ahead.

International cricket is set to make its own return in less than a month’s time when the West Indies, currently quarantining in Manchester, take on England in the first-ever bio-secure Test series in history. There’ll be no crowds in Southampton or Manchester though unlike here. And the sound of bat on ball will be the only factor contributing to the ambience.

“A country cricket match with a few parents yelling at their kids,” is what the Showdown with a handful of spectators around felt like for Barb and Andrew Staniford. The couple were among the additional 240 guests allowed in the corporate suites at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday. Though originally Crows fans, they were there like they have been for the last 10 years representing one of the lead sponsors of Port Adelaide. And their “weird” experience commenced from the time they hailed a cab to get to the venue a bit earlier than the rest.

“Generally, there are a lot of roadblocks. You’ll find a portion of King William Road being blocked and the War Memorial Drive completely barricaded. But this time, there was none of that. We actually got dropped off comfortably right outside the Oval and walked in without a hassle,” reveals Barb.

It is expected that by the end of the year there will be a lot more people, in the thousands even, lining up outside the Members Entrance at the River End. And so too the road blockades that Mrs Staniford didn’t encounter last weekend.

She adds that once they were in their suite, the alcohol and other refreshments had to be self-served while only around 15 people occupied a room that generally sees up to 40-50 guests. They were also asked to stay indoors and not venture out to the balcony while at one point the staff also shut the glass windows. The Stanifords’ evening started with a customary meal, where again they had to maintain social-distancing. That is before they received a surprise visitor, Professor Nicola Spurrier, SA’s chief public health officer, and the woman who has led the state’s battle against the virus.

“She just walked in as part of the checks she was conducting around the stadium. Some of the people in the room started cheering for her and telling her what a good job she’s been doing. She looked a little shy then and then just said ‘may the best team win’ and left,” Barb says.

“There were 22,000 members who decided to continue paying their fees and only 1475 tickets up for grabs. I happened to be one of the lucky ones.” ©Fame Dubai

The Oval itself before the players ran out carried an eerie feel, she adds, despite the presence of the smattering of people in the stands. There was an explosion of noise, however, when the Port Adelaide players ran on to the field in their legendary yet contentious prison-bar guernseys in what is the 150th anniversary of the club. Chilcott, donning his Port Adelaide ‘Power’ scarf, was among those creating a din around the Oval. He had come to the stadium by himself, having left his son to “hang out” with the puppy they’d bought earlier in the day. The western stand, he reveals, were mainly individuals like him who’d come there by themselves and the lack of “mates in groups” meant there wasn’t the kind of buzz you’d generally expect at such a high-profile event.

The ability to “identify individual voices” in the crowd though was just one of the many unique experiences on Saturday for Chilcott, who’s been a Port supporter since the age of 7. It started with how he even managed to procure a ticket for the big game. Chilcott and his family had been gifted club memberships on his 40th birthday. He decided to renew it this year despite the potential threat of the pandemic completely wiping out the football season. And when South Australian police commissioner Grant Stevens announced last week that the Adelaide Oval will be the first to experiment with permitting a sparse crowd for AFL matches, Chilcott decided to put his membership number in the ballot organised by his club for tickets.

“There were 22,000 members who decided to continue paying their fees and only 1475 tickets up for grabs. I happened to be one of the lucky ones,” he says.

The Crows, for the record, were limited to only 475 tickets as this was deemed as a “home” game for Port in a curtailed AFL season which has been reduced to 17 rounds from the original 23 owing to the Covid-19 outbreak. And for good measure, considering the rather hapless show their team put on during their 75-point loss.

“Funnily, people spoke more with each other than they would when there’s a packed crowd. But as I walked around to my allocated seat after entering through the North Gate, I could sense the lack of buzz, the strangeness of the dispersed crowd,” says Chilcott.

Chilcott and the other members had received an email from the club with some specific instructions, which included “carrying your membership card” and “downloading the Covid Safe government app”. He reveals though that his phone wasn’t scanned and there weren’t any excessively stringent security protocols in place.

“The only time I was actually asked to sanitise my hands was when I went to the Kiosk to get some food and drinks. And they were being strict on social distancing in the lines at the Kiosk too,” he adds. For the Stanifords’, the only aspect that stood out in terms of health policing was how only one person was allowed to be on the escalator at any given time with a security staff actually standing guard at the top of the steps.

The NRL and the AFL have been trying to enhance the atmosphere around their games by adding ambient crowd noises to their coverage. And there was talk of the real crowd noise at the Oval being amplified further by placing microphones at strategic locations. Chilcott doesn’t recall seeing any near where he was sat but did have some of his friends watching on TV wondering how the 2000-odd could have generated such a racket, even if the ratio of Port fans to Crows fans was somewhat similar to the final scoreline.

“Once the game started, the crowd was actually louder than I expected them to be. But on the flip side, there were also periods of dead silence, which you never see in a full stadium. The loudest was at the start and also at the end when they played the team song,” he explains.

There has been a sense of irony on the field ever since the AFL has restarted with regards to how the players aren’t wary of grabbing and jumping over their opponents in an attempt to secure the sherrin (the footy ball) but make sure that they celebrate goals only with elbow bumps. And Chilcott admits that it wasn’t easy for the Port fans to express their unbridled joy at the result as they would normally with hugs and high-fives to anyone else in Power colours. For good measure, he did make his way later to the bar in the city, where Port fans generally meet-up following a home game, and he jokes about how there were “hugs and high-fives” with nobody watching. It was a fitting end to a night where normalcy, even if only a tinge, returned to the Adelaide Oval and sport around Australia. As Chilcott puts it, “Just being in a public venue with a number of people felt like such a foreign concept. So even though it was a sparse crowd, it felt good to do something normal.”

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furryarbiterangel · 4 years

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The way the darlin’s flirt <3

There’s a lot to be said about how to write flirting, especially for people who feel like they don’t know how to flirt LET ALONE WRITE flirting. And there’s a ton of great posts out there about this but I feel like it doesn’t always address different personalities flirting in different ways. What one person might consider creepy is another person’s go to! Ever been talking to someone where it’s so damn subtle that you want to shake them and ask if they like you or if you’re reading WAYYYY too much into it? Been taken aback by how bold someone was? Or been approached/catcalled by someone who made you SUPER uncomfortable and all you wanted to do was escape? The thing is, that’s what that person has learned works.

Things like personal space, body language, the way someone talks, what they say, how blunt they are vary from person to person.

I’m not an advice blog so! This all being said I decided that one of the best ways to get my mind back on the writing train and show this is to make an example post about ftts! Descriptions and quotes below the cut! (Long post warning)

Meili: This girl is BLUNT. She’s the type who has the confidence to approach anyone anywhere anytime. She’s a fan of using light physical touch, typically along the arm or sitting in a way that the legs are slightly touching. Because she’s so expressive you never doubt her intentions. Everything from body language to eye contact, when she’s flirting you have her full attention.

Quote Meili & target of the day:

“The young man turned to see what was happening when the Elder smiled. His dark hair fell into his eyes and he brushed it away impatiently. He was tall and although at first glance he seemed scrawny it was obvious that he was all muscle. Meili sighed happily. He’s absolutely gorgeous. Aurora elbowed her in the side. Meili shrugged it off, there weren’t many cute guys to be seen traveling so she took advantage of when there were.

He was also returning her stare. Her eyes rose to meet his. They were startlingly dark and the light reflected strangely in them. She blushed slightly at his scrutiny and he smiled. It started slow and lazy but gradually grew to take up most of his face. I’m in love, she sighed again.

This time Aurora elbowed her harder. “Knock it off.” She muttered. “We’re here for business.”

“Oh come on. I never get to have any fun. Checking him out won’t hurt us any.” Meili returned, equally as quiet.”

**five minutes later**/**Change of perspective**

“Aurora sat down a short while later in the large dining hall. Meili was flirting with the server and had succeeded in reducing him to a blushing stammering idiot, leaning closer to him and glancing up through her long lashes before looking away as if through modesty, although Aurora knew better. An idiot who was so lost in her presence ho nearly dropped the plate he was holding when Aurora cleared her throat.”

...

Draga: It’s all about the words. He’s actually slightly uncomfortable with physical contact (emotionally intimate not physical) he’s all about that physical touch if it’s sexual. But you’ll never find him hugging or cuddling. He’s a flowery prose type of guy and would probably approach you to compare you to “a midsummer’s night”.

Quote Draga & Meili:

“You didn’t sleep much last night.”

It wasn’t a question.

“No, I didn’t.” Meili agreed, wondering how he knew.

“You have some pretty impressive circles under your eyes.”

Meili groaned, “Oh no! Don’t look!” She covered her eyes with her hands.

He reached over and gently pulled them away from her eyes. “Don’t hide.” His hands lingered on hers for a second, before he pulled away.

She flushed. The faint warmth from his hands remained for a few seconds after he released her.

Draga stared intently at her. He hesitantly reached out and brushed a stray hair out of her face. “You shouldn’t hide your eyes. They’re so cute.”

Meili stuttered “I… thank you…”

Their eyes stayed locked for a few moments more. Suddenly, Draga turned away from her and began walking again. “We should keep going or we’ll end up behind schedule. Don’t fall behind, now.”

Meili speed up to catch up with him. She could feel that her face was still bright red. They walked in silence for a while. After some time he spoke again.

“I hope I didn’t offend you…” He trailed off.

“How would you have offended me?”

“I fear that I have may have made you uncomfortable by commenting on your eyes.” Draga said, sounding more formal than usual.

“Oh! You didn’t! I’m just flustered.” Meili could feel her blush growing again.

Draga looked at her in surprise, “But surely you must be used to compliments. A girl like you, with a body and face like that.”

Meili was sure that her face was crimson by now. “I… I do get compliments often but they’re usually empty flatteries from shallow men.”

He took a step closer to her. “That’s unfortunate. Every girl needs a sincere man in her life. One who can tell her just how lovely she is.”

Meili looked down briefly. How do I respond to that? She wondered. When she looked up, he had taken another step towards her. He cupped her chin in a hand and tilted her face up. “And you, my Meili, are incredibly lovely.”

She waited. Draga slowly leaned in. “Would you permit me to be the one to tell you…”

Before he could finish Aurora came crashing in between them. “We need to go!”

...

Aurora: Most of the time she is in denial of flirting at all let alone doing it on purpose. As such her style is very subtle. Most of the time it includes barbed wit intended to push the person away. Her acceptance of physical distance is LIMITED to say the least. Stay at least 4 feet away from her at all times unless she’s the one to break the distance or you’re Meili or Darkuti. If you break that space or get obnoxious she will literally walk away from you.

Konakaz: He’s pretty variable honestly, I think it’s due to the confidence that he has that leads to him feeling comfortable approaching others in any way he sees fit. Primarily what we see in ftts is witty exchanges and. Just. Being. Obnoxious. He shows up unexpectedly (have I mentioned this boy interrupted ME and my plan for him to put himself into chapter 2???) to harass our MCs before vanishing again with the satisfaction that he’s on their minds.

Quote Aurora & Konakaz:

Aurora walked over to where Konakaz lay and offered him a hand.

A startled expression crossed his face before he reached up and took her hand, allowing her to help him up. He held onto her hand for a few extra seconds., smiling sheepishly when she firmly pulled her hand away.

Aurora watched as he stretched out the arm that he had landed on. “What are you doing?”

He grinned. “It’s called stretching lil’ lady.” He had suddenly dropped his fake accent.

Aurora rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean.”

His expression became a little more serious, but he was still smiling at her. “Well lil’ lady, I’m losing.”

She put her hands on her hips and waited.

Konakaz chuckled. “I can’t beat him right now. If I do Mr. Lutpamerrrnerrmerr,” His purposeful mangling of the title showed what he thought of it, “will make sure that they kick me out. And I’m not quite ready to leave yet.”

She met his gaze fully for the first time since the practice room. “Lutpamerrrnerrmerr, huh?”

Konakaz smirked. “It’s a stupid title. So you’re the best in your village. How do you measure up to anyone else? If you never leave then you’ll never know.”

He has a point. Aurora waited to see if any more information would be forthcoming. When it became clear that it wouldn’t she changed the topic. “You’re going to have so many bruises.”

He laughed again. “I was planning on losing. I wasn’t planning on falling on my face.”

She returned his smile, she couldn’t help it. He’s funny when he’s not being an inconsiderate prick.

“Why did you challenge him then?”

“Because he knows I’m holding back, and that’s almost as good as defeating him.”

Aurora nodded. Beat them mentally and the next time you fight you’re almost sure to win.

“You didn’t land on your face,” she pointed out instead, “you landed on your arm. That’s why,” she wrinkled nose at him, “you’re ‘stretching’. Personally, I think you’re using it as an excuse not to keep going.”

“Of course! I wouldn’t want to actually ruin this perfect face.” Although the words were haughty his tone was teasing.

“I think it’s too late for that.” Aurora shot back.

“Ouch. Lil’ lady’s got a harsh bite.” He pretended to look wounded.

She grinned. “So I’ve been told. Rather often.”

Konakaz was still smiling at her. I’ve never noticed his smile before. I don’t think I’ve seen his real smile… only the arrogant mask he wears.

“No wonder.” He broke the silence between them. “I’m not really worried about my face,” he continued, “I was using this whole thing as an excuse to talk to a pretty lady.”

With that Konakaz bowed to her and walked over to where Trav and Draga waited.

Aurora flushed slightly. Just how much of that did he have planned? She tried to shake the encounter off. Stop it. He was only messing with you. Still flustered, she went back to where Meili was still sitting. Noticing the calculating expression on her friends face, she sat down and before Meili could say anything turned to her and said, “Don’t you dare.”

Meili shrugged. “I wasn’t going to say anything.”

“I could hear you thinking it.”

Meili smiled slightly. “Whatever you say Love.”

Aurora scowled, “I can still hear you thinking it.”

Meili giggled “You can’t prove anything.” She pointed, “Look, they’re starting up again.”

Sure enough, Konakaz and Trav stood face to face. Draga’s hand was on the starting bell. Konakaz seemed deeply focused on his opponent, but the occasional glace towards them gave away his thoughts.

Draga rang the bell again.

Aurora sighed and tried to watch the fight. But she couldn’t focus. She was thinking of a smile.

And how it seemed to briefly make the world a brighter place.

#ftts #the bbys flirting #how to write flirting #Aurora and Kinakaz make me happy #these idiots #Draga mildly infuriates me even when he's not doing anything #mildly lol that's a lie

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