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joshstambourine · 3 years

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A Seconds Glance

"Hi I have a request for either Josh or Jake 💛 can I get a story where they see a girl, either at school or they can already be famous in this, and is instantly enamored. I don't know if you've seen The Virgin Suicides, but if you have then something similar to when Trip sees Lux for the first time. I'm interested in how those two would go about getting a girl's attention when they have a crush.💕💕💕" - Anonymous

//Hi Doll! I can’t say I have seen that--- but I will try my best to write something that I feel matches the idea you had.

I’m gonna be repeating this forever--- but again, I’m so sorry it took me so long to get this request out for you! I decided to go with Josh being in school for this one.//

Warnings: Cursing, awkward beans

Word Count: 1969

Synopsis: Josh had never really believed in love at first sight... but yet....

Josh Kiszka x Fem!Reader

The first day of sophomore year. For most this was just the start of another school year; a sudden reminder that a new binder or fun pencil case is exciting for all of 10 minutes when it comes to actual classes and work. But for Josh… this year felt like it was filled with possibilities. It sounds like some sort of stupid thing you'd see on a motivational calendar, but it really truly did.

Josh hadn't imagined for a second that he actually would have a chance in making music his career; and yet, he had spent all summer with his band mates playing for different occasions and pubs. All the while they were working, working hard on writing songs that they could be proud to play for others.

All of that said, Josh was returning to high-school this year with a new found amount of confidence and excitement; it showed in every step Josh took. His one hand held loosely on to the arm of his backpack, walking in time with Jake.

"But what do you think? Would it look good on me?" Jake inquired, fingers lightly playing with the mid-length pieces of hair on his head.

"I mean… I don't know…" Josh lightly starts, glancing at his twin and begins to take a good long look at him.

Jake's eyes widened just a touch, his expression becoming one that said, 'Well…?'

"Uh… honestly I don't really know Jake. I've never seen you with anything else than this." Josh admits, then snickers a little, "Except for that one time when we decided it'd be fun to take those scissors and---"

"No, that's fine, I didn't need to think about that." Jake immediately stopped him, his hand going to take a full dive into his mess of dark brown hair.

"Cmon, it was really funny though. Ma really lost her shit when she saw your head like that." Josh continued to muse, hands folding into his pockets with the utmost of ease.

Jake shook his head in a mournful way, "I can say I will never go back to a buzz-cut again… not without a fight."

Josh's smile never faltered, it was his laughter that changed, softening into a bit of a sigh as they reached the double doors at the front of the school. With a swing of the doors they both were making their way down the hallway to their lockers.

"Meet by Mr.Shapiro's class before lunch?" Jake questioned, to which Josh nodded. No matter which school the twins went to the teachers seemed to know that the best course of action was to keep them separated. That said Josh and Jake always had separate homerooms at least, through most of their time in school.

"See ya in a bit." Josh waved, taking a few steps back before turning on his heels and heading to his own locker.

Josh's excitement to be back in class showed on his face more than he probably would have wanted. A few pencils in his hand along with a binder filled with blank paper and tucked away dividers.

As soon as Josh stepped into the class room his eyes were met with many familiar faces. Some of these people he had been in school with since kindergarten; like Meg, a rather tall blunt faced girl with long kinky black hair. She simply threw a peace sign Josh's way as he stepped through the doors; he eagerly returned it, bringing a small smile to Meg's lips.

With some brisk steps Josh moved to place himself at the back of the classroom, just behind Meg. He threw his things on his desk without much thought. Despite there being a good number of kids he knew... there seemed to be equally just as many new kids.

Leaning on his desk Josh moved closer to Meg, "Where the hell did these guys come from?"

Meg's brow lifted as she leaned back a little, "Know the high-school on the east side?"

"The one where you can get crack for super cheap?" Josh inquired,

Meg's head bobbed, "They closed it down, so now we get half the kids that went there." She explains with her head resting on her hand in a bored way.

"Oh shit really? That's a lot of kids---" Josh was quick to respond, glancing around the room.

"Oh yeah... way too many in my personal opinion --- not that anyone cares." Meg mutters, beginning to click her mechanical pencil.

Josh's eyes were still taking in all the new faces as he started to respond, "Wow aren't we positive today."

Meg sighed, "Eh.... I'm just not excited, Justin and I broke up over the summer and I'll have to see him in history." She began to explain, "Things are just really tense, yknow?"

She waited a moment for him to give some comforting... but still idiotic response, however none came. It finally got Meg to turn and look at him, as she did she immediately noticed that Josh's eyes had widened just a touch, cheeks dusted a light pink.

Meg followed the line of his eyes to a beautiful young woman. The expression he wore was more than enough to tell Meg that she should move.

Josh was so busy just... taking the new girl in that he didn't even notice Meg slip to the free desk to the side of the one she was previously sat in. Josh just couldn't put his finger on it, there was something... something so breathtaking about her. Was it her eyes? Or maybe how her hair fell around her face? He couldn't be sure. What he was absolutely sure of was that he had never had a moment in his life where he could hear music just by looking at someone.

"Hey... do you know if this desk is free?" A new voice shook Josh. It was her. She was standing at a desk to his left with a bit of an awkward air.

He was just so shaken. What did she say again? Something about a desk? Josh's lips parted, "Uh--- I uh, what did you--?"

"No that one isn't open, but the one just in front of my dude Josh is, right Josh?" Meg interrupted, pointing to the desk ahead of him.

"Oh y-yeah, that one's open! Definitely 100% open! It couldn't be more open even if it tried!" Josh started spouting, he really wasn't even aware that his mouth had moved, and that was clear in the fact that it just kept moving when she had come to sit down. "Do you need any pencils at all?? I have like 20!" He continued, though his hand held one full sized pencil and one shorter than the average person's pinkie... both chewed on. "I mean not on me but--- who needs a pencil right?"

The girl laughed a little awkwardly, her gaze moving from Josh to Meg and then to the desk. "No, no I'm okay thank you though." She slipped into the chair, keeping her gaze frontwards.

Meg looks to Josh with a shocked look, 'What was that??' She mouthed,

Josh responded with an absolutely mortified expression. He would never say he was the smoothest guy on the planet, but he had never been that awkward in his life.

Meg shook her head before reaching out to tap the girl's shoulder, "I'm Meg!" She introduces, "And that goober is Josh."

The girl lightly moved to glance over her shoulder at Josh in a shy way. "It's nice to meet you both. I'm (Y/N)." She hummed with a sweet smile.

"That's a pretty name, isn't it Josh??" Meg quickly said, trying to get him to continue the conversation in a less awkward way.

Josh nodded very enthusiastically, "The prettiest name I've heard in a long time!" He said with a smile,

(Y/N)'s cheeks began to hold a flush of their own. "Oh! Uh... th-thank you!" She sputtered out.

'OH FUCK. She's so cute.' Josh thought to himself, Adam's apple bobbing in his throat with a shaky swallow.

Little did Josh know that (Y/N) was thinking something very similar. She might not make it as obvious as he was, but being so much closer now... being able to see the warmth in his brown eyes, seeing how his wavy brown hair came to cup his cheeks --- she couldn't help but continue to stare back at him.

The only thing that could pull them both out of the little trance they had fallen into was the bell. Both of them quickly looked toward it, followed by a man's voice at the front of the class.

"Alright everyone, take your seats!"

(Y/N) was reluctant but she turned herself to look toward the front of the class. A little bit nervous, but mustering an ounce of courage she tore a piece of paper from her notebook quietly and began to scribble something down.

Josh hardly got anything out of that language arts class, he was way too busy trying to figure out what excuse he could make to talk with (Y/N) again. He was just rattling through every little conversation starter he had ever heard in his life... but none of them felt like they would work.

Before long the bell had rung overhead once more and everyone was shuffling to grab their things and head to all of their next classes.

Biting his lip, Josh was determined to catch (Y/N) before she could head off to her own next class. Luckily for him she had a similar idea. Both turning to each other as they stepped out of the classroom, it was painfully quiet at first. It seemed as if they were trying to get their thoughts together really.

Finally they spoke,

"Hey would you---" "I was wondering if you'd---"

At once.

A small awkward laugh left their lips, "Please, go ahead I was going to say something dumb---" Josh quickly said moving to rub the back of his neck.

(Y/N)'s lips parted as she let out and unsure chuckle, eyes moving downwards for a moment. "I was just going to ask if you would mind if I joined you for lunch? I just am new and don't really have any---"

"Yes!" Josh quickly said, "Yes absolutely. You didn't even have to ask, you could have just showed up if you wanted to!" He quickly says to her.

The speed he seemed to talk at entertained (Y/N) a heck of a lot. A smile creeping across her face, "Okay! Thank you!" She responded.

"Do you know where the cafeteria is? I can show ya if you want??" Josh quickly continued, "I mean I'm sure you could find it on you're own, you seem very smart and capable. Most women are to be honest; I remember reading an article about how men need to---"

"That would be really great actually." (Y/N) smiled in a gentle way. 'He's even more nervous than I am.' She thought to herself.

"Oh-oh! Okay cool! Uh, do you know where Mr.Shapiro's class is?" He asks,

(Y/N) seemed to think for a minute, "113... right? I have him for chemistry this afternoon I think." She mutters.

Josh swiftly nods his head, "That's the one!! Meet me there okay?" He says.

(Y/N) nodded back, understanding the little plan they now had. "I'll see you in a little bit then?" She lightly asks.

"Yeah absolutely." Josh began to grin, suddenly beyond excited. Even as she began to walk off to her class all he could think about was how sure he was now that this year was going to be fantastic.

That was until a warning bell played overhead, "Oh shit--" Josh jumped in shock, immediately beginning to run to his next class.

//That's all for now lovely! I do actually have an idea on how to continue this one if anyone would like! Pretty please let me know in the comments if that's something you guys would like 💜//

#greta van fleet #josh kiszka #josh gvf #greta van fleet fan fiction #jake gvf #jake kiszka #awkward beans #greta van fic #greta van fleet imagines #greta van fleet imagine #greta van fleet fluff

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cocosstories · 3 years

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Henry Cavill One Shot

Hey! I had a request for henry cavill if that’s possible for you. I thought about something where reader is famous too and they are doing the game spill your guts together. They don’t really know each other but they kinda have a crush on each other. Can the reader be also younger than him like in her 20’s or something?

You were in the guest dressing room, getting ready for your appearance on James Corden.

Despite your better judgement, you had agreed to play his infamous game of 'Spill Your Guts Or Fill Your Guts', regretting the decision almost immediately when you hear that Henry Cavill will be playing with you.

For the last couple of years, you and Henry had crossed paths a few times, never really getting the chance to actually spend any sort of time together with your busy schedules.

If you had to be honest though, you always had somewhat of a crush on him and were a little bummed that you have never actually got the chance to meet him.

As the show began, more nerves crept up and before you knew it, you were being warned that it was almost time to join Henry and James on stage for the game.

"Welcome back everyone. Now Henry we are going to play a game but I think we need to bring a special guest out to make it a little more fun so ladies and gentlemen please welcome Y/F/N Y/L/N!"

James introduces you and you walk out, joining the two men at the table that has an interesting odor coming from it.

You give James a quick hug before turning to Henry who is smiling brightly at you.

He goes in for a hug as well and you take in his cologne for a second before you remember you are on national TV and back away a bit.

"So Henry you will ask me questions, Y/N will ask Henry and I will ask Y/N. Lets see what foods we will have to eat if we choose not to answer."

James explains the rules as you stare down at the extremely unsatisfying looking 'food' in front of you.

"We have bird saliva, cow tongue, bull penis, grasshoppers, salmon smoothie, 1000 year old egg, calf's brain and cod sperm."

You, Henry and the audience let out a collective, disgusted groan with each new food he says.

"Alright, Y/N, I am going to ask you the first question. So I am going to give you the bull penis."

James says, turning the table so the dish was in front of you.

"I mean you could have given me worse I guess."

You say looking down at the bowl in front of you.

"Y/N, out of all of the movies you've done, which one was the worst?"

Laughs come from James as he asks the question while the audience lets out a chorus of 'oohhs'

You think about the question for a moment, trying to decide if it is worth risking your career to answer it so you don't have to chew on bull penis.

"I have an answer but I don't want to ruin any chances of working with certain people again so..."

You pick up a piece of the bull penis and take a deep breath before taking a bite.

"Oh my god."

You say, quickly grabbing the spit bucket.

"Its so chewy."

After taking a sip of water, you compose yourself and look at the table trying to decide what to give to Henry.

"So, Y/N, what will you be giving to Superman?"

James asks with a smirk.

"Be nice, please."

Henry chuckles.

"Well, I've seen your Instagram and you seem to like to eat healthy so you know what? I'm going to give you the Salmon smoothie."

The audience laughs as you turn the table so the pink sludge is in front of Henry who looks like he might want to kill you for it.

You pick up the card and giggle a little bit.

"Henry, rate your last three girlfriends from best to worst."

The audience laughs as Henry looks at you with a slight but joking glare.

"Hey, this is James' show! I didn't write the questions!"

You say looking to James.

Henry takes the glass and closes his eyes before taking a big drink then almost immediately spits it into the bucket.

After taking a few seconds to recover, Henry looks at James before choosing the worst possible choice on the table for him, finally deciding on the bird saliva.

"James, what celebrity have you turned down for carpool karaoke and why?"

Without even a thought, James picks up the martini glass and takes a swig of the cloudy liquid as you and Henry both gag for him.

James regains his composure once he spits into the bucket and takes multiple drinks of water and picks your next food.

"Cod sperm, I think."

The grin on his face was almost devilish.

"I mean you already gave me bull penis so why not keep the theme alive."

You shrug trying to play off how grossed out you were.

"Ooohhh, Y/N, would you rather score a date with Captain America or Superman?"

He asks and you look at him shocked.

"You're really going to out me on the spot like that, James? I feel like since I am a part of Marvel, I have to pick Cap but I mean Henry is right here so that would be rude not to pick him."

You say, trying to figure out what to say.

"It's ok love, you can pick Captain America. No hard feelings."

Henry says sweetly trying to help you make the choice as the audience swoons.

"Well alright then. Cap is my man."

You laugh then begin looking at what was left on the table.

"Ok Henry, I'm going to be nice and give you the crickets. I hear they are a delicacy in some parts of the world."

You give him a cute wink as you spin the table then pick up the next card.

"Would you like to go on a da-"

You stop as you read the last part of the question to yourself then look up to James and shake your head.

"What? What does it say? Read the question."

James asks with a knowing smirk.

"No, I can't read this!"

You refuse.

"It's ok, you can read it. I don't mind."

Henry says, urging you on and you shake your head again.

James finally reaches over and takes the card from you.

"I'll read it. Henry, would you like to go out on a date with Y/N?"

The audience gasps as you look down at your hands.

Henry blushes a bit and smiles.

"I would love to."

You look up at him quickly, almost in shock at his answer.

"Well, that was our first ever love connection on Spill Your Guts Or Fill Your Guts! Stick around and we will be right back with Y/F/N Y/L/N after the break!"

The show goes to commercial and the stage hands begin to clear the set.

"Why did you say yes?"

You ask Henry, thinking he was just trying to be a good sport for the game and play along with James' crazy antics.

"Because, I've been wanting to ask you out for the longest time and never had the chance before."

He admits and you feel your heart begin to pound.

"Really?"

Was all you could manage to get out and Henry chuckles.

"Really. So, after the show? Maybe we can grab a late dinner?"

Henry takes your hand in his with a hopeful smile.

"That sounds great."

You reply just as you are told the commercial break was about to end and are led up on stage to join James for your segment while Henry heads backstage to figure out where to take you on your first date.

#Henry Cavill One Shot #Henry Cavill x reader #Henry Cavill #Cocos stories

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chim-chimchii · 3 years

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Encaptured (Jungkook)

Genre: Fluff

Note: A little fuckboy Jungkook for you all! I’m currently working on a social media au and I might just post the profiles so I can give you guys a sneak peek and to also motivate myself to work on it more! Let me know what you guys think! I also didn’t know how to end this so I apologize if it’s a crappy ending.

. . . . . . .

On Thursdays, the literary class met in the college library, and that was when Jungkook always had you look over his essays. Not only did he use that time to get his papers edited, but he also took this time to prod you about your weekend plans.

"So, are you going to accept my offer to take you to the movies this weekend?" Jungkook asked, resting his chin on his palm.

You glanced up from his essay. "Hm, not this week. I think I'm all booked." With a smirk directed towards him, you continued marking his paper.

"You said that last week." He mumbled with a playful pout.

"And last week, when I rejected you, you ended up taking that girl from your math class." You stated with a challenging stare.

Tongue in cheek, Jungkook chuckled, "Well, I couldn't let those tickets go to waste! I thought for sure you would have agreed." He continued trying to justify his playboy ways.

You scoffed and slid his paper over to him; red pen marks were scattered all over it. You thought that the edits you made to his essay would distract him from the current topic, but he pushed the assignment to the side.

"Y/n, when will you let me take you on a date?" Jungkook leaned in ever so slightly and smiled sweetly.

Your heart rate increased. His whole appearance changed with that one smile, and it was hard for you to hide the fact that it made you feel some way. Maybe it was time to give him a chance, and if it didn't work out, then he would finally stop bugging you.

"Okay." You finally answered after thinking it through. That one word took Jungkook by surprise.

"Okay? Are you saying, yes?"

Without making eye contact, you nodded and closed your notebook with a gentle smile.

"I'll pick you up at seven." Jungkook bit his lip to hide his smile and watched you leave the library.

. . . .

The sun was setting, and seven o clock was right around the corner. You gave yourself one last look in the mirror that hung by the door and nodded in approval of your outfit. You tried to remember the last time you got all dressed up for a date, and as you tried to place a moment, there was a knock at the door.

As you reached for the door, you hesitated. What if this was a one-time thing? What if he never spoke to you after tonight? Just because you turned his offers for a date down multiple times, it wasn't as if you didn't like Jungkook. You appreciated his presence in your boring literary class; you appreciated his jokes and stories. What if all he wanted was to add you to the list of girls he won over with his charms?

Your thoughts were interrupted again by a knock, but this time it was a lot softer. You took a deep breath and twisted the doorknob. Whatever his intentions were, you decided to accept this date, so you had to deal with the consequences.

Jungkook stood in the doorway with his hands buried in his pockets. His head was hung low as if he was half expecting you not to answer, but when you opened the door wider, he looked up.

You forgot to breathe upon seeing him. Instead of the cliche leather jacket he always wore, he wore a grey flannel over a white shirt. It wasn't THAT different from what he always wore but seeing him wear light-colored clothing suits him well. His demeanor was different, as well. A timid smile replaced the cocky smirk he always had on his face.

"Are you ready?" His voice came out lighter than usual; it took you a moment to remember this was Jungkook and not someone else.

"Yeah, let me just grab my bad." You left him by the door as you dashed back to your room to grab your purse.

. . . .

It was the little things that Jungkook did that made you weak in the knees. As the two of you walked to the theater, Jungkook rested his hand on the small of your back. He maneuvered you to the other side of him; it wasn't until his warmth left that you realized he was making sure you were closest to the buildings and away from the busy street.

Your eyes fixated on him, and it felt like the world was in slow motion, and you saw Junkook in a new light. You wanted nothing more, but to have this moment last forever. Forever didn't come because he glanced at you with that beautiful smile of his.

"Would you be upset if I told you I don't want to go to the movies anymore?"

The world resumed at its original speed, and your excitement disappeared.

"Oh? Did you want to take a rain check or something?" You tried not to sound too disappointed.

"No, no. I just don't think I can handle sitting next to you for two and a half hours and not talk to you."

You sighed in relief, which made Jungkook chuckle.

"I don't know what you've been told or what you heard about me, but I'm not cruel.

You raised your eyebrow at him and smirked. "I don't know, I've heard some pretty interesting things about you, Jungkook."

You gave him one last teasing look before walking ahead of him. Jungkook tsked before jogging to catch up to you.

"So, are you going to tell me what you heard so I can prove those accusations wrong?"

Together you waded through the crowded street, careful not to lost one another. If he took your hand, would you pull away or let him have that small victory?

"You haven't said what we're going to do now that we're not going to the movies."

His hand grazed yours. "You're changing the topic."

Seconds later, his hand rested on your shoulder to guide you towards the entrance of an arcade. It was full of other couples, groups of friends, and people wanting to have fun. The atmosphere brought a smile to your face. You didn't even realize Jungkook had left until he returned with a bag full of tokens.

"I'll let you choose the first game."

Dramatically, you rested your hand on your heart. "What a gentleman."

Jungkook threw his head back in defeat. "Whoever told you that I wasn't a gentleman needs to stop feeding you lies."

"I'm sorry to tell you this, but you don't really have the best reputation." You explained as you made your way over to the basketball game.

You glanced back at him to make sure he was following and found him chewing on his lip. Your statement bothered him. The two of you exchanged no other words until he was standing next to you.

"Is that why you always rejected me?" His eyes locked with yours, and you didn't dare look away.

Rather than lying, you nodded. "Yeah."

Jungkook was the one to break eye contact; it was clear he was upset. He fished for a token and inserted it into the machine to start the game.

As you watched him, you inhaled deeply and thought about everything. You didn't want to be the reason the date ended in ruins. You were honest about why you declined his offers, but now that you were here with him, you kept thinking how different things could have been if you had just agreed to date him the first time he asked.

Without thinking further, when Jungkook reached for another ball, you took it from him and aimed for the moving hoop.

"You can't blame me for being scared."

Jungkook opened his mouth to say something but stopped as he watched you throw the ball straight into the hoop. Another ball rolled towards you, but Jungkook grabbed it before you could.

"I wasn't blaming you. I was blaming myself." He missed the hoop and ticked his head to the side, slightly annoyed that he didn't score, but as the game ended, he had one of the highest scores.

Together you moved in the direction of another game.

"Why are you blaming yourself?"

He didn't say anything, and you were afraid he didn't hear you due to the increasing volume of everyone around you.

"Because I got careless with relationships and dating, and now that I want something serious, my reputation is ruining my chances.

The corners of your mouth twitched into a tiny smile. "It's your turn to pick a game."

You weren't ignoring what he had said; you just wanted to think about it for a moment longer.

The two of you wandered around the arcade and tried not to lose each other with the growing amount of people entering the building. Jungkook stopped in front of a photo booth and let out a small laugh.

"It isn't a game, but it seems like this is the only thing unoccupied."

"I think it'll be fun!" You linked his arm with yours and entered the small booth.

Jungkook sat silently next to you as you messed around with the photo settings. As you sat back, your shoulder brushed against his, and it made it obvious how close the two of you were. You couldn't help but think back to his previous comment about wanting to be in a serious relationship. Did he mean that he wanted to try and be in a serious relationship with you? You'd be lying if you said you didn't have feelings for him. The truth was, you had liked him all along, but you let the rumors about him cloud your judgment of his character.

The beeping of the timer caused you to snap out of your thoughts.

"Are you ready?" You glanced over at Jungkook, and to your surprise, he was already staring at you. The flash went off, signaling that the first picture was taken. Then the timer reset.

"Your chances aren't completely ruined, by the way."

The two of you looked away and to the camera, where you opted for a funny face. The camera went off.

"What do you mean?" Jungkook turned to you again.

"If you were this version of yourself all the time, you wouldn't have any trouble getting into a serious relationship, and any girl would be happy to be with you."

You stuck your tongue out at him as the camera snapped another picture.

"I don't want just any girl though--" He faced forward and held up a peace sign. "--I want you."

Your expression changed in an instant, and it was captured as the shutter sounded. "Jungkook."

He hesitated but looked your way as the last seconds of the timer counted down. You took his face into your hands and pressed your lips to his. The moment captured forever as the final flash of the camera washed over the two of you.

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ladykatakuri · 3 years

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Layers

Pairing: Wrecker x Reader

Word Count: 2221

Warnings: Just fluffy and a kiss! Wrecker is not just the hug-a-bear we all love, he is more !

Song Lyrics: Faith of the Heart performed by : Russel Watson

Summary: People always judge you by your so-called defects, but Wreck…” Carefully you place a finger under his chin and lift it. “You are a man with so many layers to discover. Beside your sweet and gentle nature, your love of explosions and bets with Cross on who can destroy the most clankers and your deep affection for your family, there is so much more.

So a Wrecker one shot i made. I think there is far more to the man then has been shown until now and i hope that we will get to see more in depth about all of our sweet Batch in season 2 ( and yes I mean all of them when i say Batch! Crosshair included! )

The Havoc Marauder always seemed as a small home to you all. There was enough space to sit and relax, sleep after a mission or work while underway to whatever planet it was the lot of you would go to, to earn some credits. It was a home away from home, even though you also had a new home base on Ord Mantel. The Marauder was that bit more special because it was the last part of home that the guys had left after defecting from the Empire. Today it seemed to be a refuge for one of the guys and you were glad it was parked on Ord Mantel. Now at the very least, you could spend some time with him, without having to worry that one of the others would walk in on the two of you, without having to worry that he would shut you out again.

“Wrecker….” You walk up to the man currently sitting with his back against the wall of the Marauder. It took you a minute to realise he had taken refuge in the hull and you would not let him get away with withdrawing himself from you again.

“Wrecker, you know you can talk to me right? If not me, then you should find someone to talk to. Please Wreck, don't shut me out.” You slide down next to him on the floor and put a hand on his arm.

When he turns his head to you, you see his watery smile. As much as he is always the cheery and positive man around his family, he now seems to have withdrawn from it all to suffer alone. “I… I don't know where to even start Mini.”

Mini, the name he has given you when you first met and it never left. It became his sweet nickname for you, knowing that you never felt secure about yourself. You had always been well aware you were more weighty then most of the women crowding around the troopers at 79s and all the women flocking towards the men of the Bad Batch whenever they showed up in a bar. The clones who were the majority of the visitors to 79s never looked at you as someone different because of looks though and Wrecker and his brothers were very quick to point out how sweet they found you and how special you had become to them when you joined their little family. To Wrecker you were the most beautiful person in the galaxy as well. He named you Mini, because compared to him, almost everyone was small and you were no different in that. Softly patting his arm you tell him to start where he wants to start.

It's been a long road

Getting from there to here

It's been a long time

But my time is finally near

“I guess, I just wonder where it all will end, or when it all will end. Omega is still just a kid ya know? She is growing up fast, but she is supposed to be a kid. She should be playing with other kids and having fun, bringing home stray animals as pets and kiss a special someone…. Well not kiss, that would not be alright with me and the guys, but when she is older…. But she is learning how to fight and kill now and she is a fugitive with us. It ain't right.” He almost shouts out the words, as if it was blocking his every thought and had to be thrown out there. “I know it wouldn't be much of a life on Kamino for her and all, but still… Is this the right thing to do for her? To keep her with us where she is always in danger?”

You know it is a sentiment that all of the men have had at one point, but Wrecker who bonded strongly with the young girl, as the older brother, felt strongly protective of his little sibling and feared greatly for her safety. With what you hoped to be a reassuring smile you look at him. “Wreck, I know you worry. But this is also Omega`s choice. You all wanted to give her a chance at a more normal life with Cut and Suu. She chose to be with you and live her life with you. You are her family and family is all that matters to her and to you.”

For the first time he grins. “Yeah, she is stubborn ey? Guess she has that in common with us.” Reaching to his side, he grabs a bag of his favorite snack, most times shared with the young girl after a mission. “Want some Mantel Mix too? “ He offers you the bag and you grab a handful of the mix. Popping some in his mouth he chews while staring at the wall opposing you. “Remember how we first got to talk? It was in the hull of the Marauder as well.”

And I can feel the change in the wind right now

Nothings in my way

And they're not gonna hold me down no more

No they're not gonna hold me down

You had been travelling with the guys for a while now, getting used to the day to day business and to being somewhat of a sister figure to Omega. You were no warrior, no clone and no mechanic or medic. You were just the person who was easy in making connections with people when you decided to give it a real try and you knew how to prepare meals from whatever was lying around that was edible. And even more important, you befriended the Bad Batch and covered for them when it was first announced they had defected from the Empire. Knowing how close you had grown to the men, you were under investigation and the guys quickly decided to get you away from the Empire's clutches as fast as they could.

Each of the Batch had grown rather attached to you and Omega clung to you, especially when it came to doing the girly stuff. You enjoyed it immensely but it was Wrecker who surprised you the most. The man had always been considered a simple person that loved explosions and fighting and having his sweet snacks. He could party like the best of them and that was all there was to him. Boy, did he surprise you when you walked in on him one night.

You had been on the way to some remote planet in the Outer Rim. The possibility of finding an ally or foe was small and you needed supplies. Tech and Echo were in the cockpit as usual while Crosshair and Hunter were sound asleep. Omega shared her private sleeping space with you and after a long talk and reading a fantasy story she finally fell asleep. Lula was tucked snugly in with her after which you softly stepped down a ladder and moved to grab something to drink. You stumbled in on Wrecker, concentrated on something on a pad and not hearing you enter the hull. “What ya doing Wreck?” Carefully moving around a crate, you stand beside him and look down.

“Y/N ! You surprised me!.” He quickly puts the pad beside him and looks up to where you stand. I was, well… I was reading something.” He scratches his neck and a slight blush creeps up on his cheeks as he looks at you.

Tilting your head you slide down beside him. “What are you reading?”

For a moment he seems to be debating whether or not he should let you know. Then, he grabs the pad and hands it over to you. When you look at the text displayed you look up. “Wreck, I didn`t know you were interested in this.”

He shyly smiles at you as he takes the pad back. “I like to read about things… Do you know about this man? Asimov? He is really smart. I thought maybe… There is something we can use from what he writes when we face clankers and all.” The sincerity in his voice surprises you a bit.

“I won't say I understand everything this man writes, but it is very interesting. Honestly, I prefer reading different kinds of stories. Romantic novels, historic stories or thrillers and all that. Biographies can be very interesting too and sometimes it can still teach us still I guess.”

Wrecker nods at your every word and a smile beams at you. “You love reading too! Why didn't you tell me? We could share favorites and talk about them if you want? I mean, if that's something you'd like?”

From that moment on, the two of you would share time together whenever you could to talk about the latest story you discovered, about the things either of you did not understand and the other could explain or just reading the same book. More than once it happened that the others would walk in on the two of you, you with your head against him, him with his head in your lap or the other way around, just enjoying the stories you were reading or discussing the stories. Those moments were also the start of Wrecker opening up even more to you about the past and sometimes about his deepest feelings and fears.

Cause I've got faith of the heart

I'm going where my heart will take me

I've got faith to believe

I can do anything

I've got strength of the soul

And no one's gonna bend or break me

I can reach any star

I've got faith

Faith of the heart

Now right here in the present, you realise that the man you came to love for his love of life and his hidden, deeper layers of personality is severely struggling with everything that has happened up until now. And he needed to work through it, alone and with you. Carefully you lay your head against him. “What else is wrong Wreck? I know it is not only Omega you worry about. You always shut people out when things bother you and you retreat to wherever you can go to vent.”

Wrecker inhales deeply and shifts to wrap his arm around you. “You know Mini, there is so much that happened. Omega is young and a fugitive with us, my chip activated and I almost killed them! Crosshair…. well you know his chip also activated and we lost him for a little while. I`m just happy we got him back again, but he has a lot to work through and he still blames us sometimes. And you….. Mini, you are not safe with us either. They will hurt you if they ever get you. I don't want you to get hurt Mini. I mean, we all have been injured on jobs and stuff, but you and Omega? I would die if something happened to either of you!”

You can hear his heart race as he speaks and feel his body shudder at the thought of you and Omega getting hurt somehow. But, you let him vent every bit of emotion, every bit of anger and fear he has deep inside of himself. He finally decided to open up and let this out. He decided to let you be the one to hear every thought and every struggle he has been fighting with on his own. To so many people he appeared to be a simple man, but you knew better. You knew all too well how many layers there were to this gentle giant.

Pulling away from his body you sit up on your knees in front of him. “Wrecker. You are the most gentle man I have met. You care so deeply for your own and you would sacrifice all that you have and all that you are to ensure their safety. People always judge you by your so-called defects, but Wreck…” Carefully you place a finger under his chin and lift it. “You are a man with so many layers to discover. Beside your sweet and gentle nature, your love of explosions and bets with Cross on who can destroy the most clankers and your deep affection for your family, there is so much more. You are smart, Wrecker. You have an intelligence that defies the understanding of those who always considered you only by your CT number and purpose. And Wreck? You are also the only man I truly, deeply, love.” You place a gentle kiss on his lips as you look him in the eyes.

As you pull back from him, a grin forms around his lips. Without any warning he embraces you and then stands up and slings you over his shoulder. With a high pitched yelp from you, he walks out of the Marauder and into the streets of Ord Mantel. “Time to treat you to some proper dinner, my sweet Mini!”

Before he lowers you back to your feet, he kisses you with a smile.

Out in the back, a man grins and turns around. You only see a glimpse of a red bandana, as Wrecker walks off with his arm wrapped tightly around you. Your Wrecker, a man of deep devotion and many layers to him.

@loth-wolffe@hellothere-generalangsty@chaoticvampirejedi@nahoney22@reluctant-mandalore@kin-rokku@cyroku@m-o-o-n-s-g-o-o-n-s@catbustours@uponrightful

I have tagged people I think might like this, if you want to be tagged in future works or do not want to be tagged anymore, please let me know in a messege <3

#wrecker #Wrecker The Bad Batch #Layers #Wrecker x Reader #The Bad Batch #TBB

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act-addict-actors-matchups · 4 years

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@ne-nene-ne said,

[1/2] Hi~ May I pls have a matchup? I'm a ♏, ISFP, 5'0 fem w/ medium length dark hair & eyes. I like wearing sweaters/sweatpants a lot! I love to draw & sing especially! I'd sing softly to my s/o if we're close & alone together. I often take endless pics of the sunset bc it's so pretty! Tbh I'm a loner. I'm shy, quiet, awkward and I like my alone time. I'm friendly and good-willing towards others nonetheless! I've been told I have a positive aura. I'm more chill, silly & playful w/ family!

[2/2] I can joke around w/ them! I have a short temper but I forgive just as quickly. I can be hard on myself bc I feel it's necessary to improve. I'm an appreciative person so I'll say "thank you" like 1000 times lol! I highly value family & honesty! My ideal s/o is someone family-oriented, devoted, and genuine. Bonus points if they're funny too! I'd like someone who I can slowdance to soft, jazz music w/. My love language is Acts of Service! Tysm! Take your time, stay healthy & stay safe! ❤

✧ Thank you so much for requesting a matchup love. Tumblr is not letting me tag you so hopefully you’ll see this. 😔 I wish you well during this challenging time. Hope you keep safe as well! 😷

I’d match you with: . . .

➜ HOW YOU TWO FIRST MET ; Juza Hyodo is that typical cold guy in school that everyone is lowkey scared of. That’s how he seems from outside anyway. You were asked by your biology teacher to borrow the books for the class’s current lesson from the library on the spot so you took a beeline for the shelves as fast as you could. But for god’s sake all the books were placed at the topmost part of the science shelves. You stood there for a good minute while glaring at the books overhead. You knew you were damned for good since there were no chairs nearby that were available and the librarian was nowhere to be seen. You stomped you feet in annoyance until you felt a looming presence behind you. A tall one. When you turned around, you saw Juza grabbing the books at ease and handing it to you. You thanked him quietly which surprised him because you actually didn’t quiver with fear or panic in his presence??? and you genuinely thanked him?? It was not usual for him to hear someone express their gratitude towards him. Even the cashiers from sweet shops he’d like to visit secretly we’re scared of him for heaven’s sake. After murmuring a little “‘S nothing.” he walked away. And that was the end of it. Or so you thought. The second time you met the purple haired boy was in a cafe. You were patiently waiting in the line for this so called Peanut Butter Pound Cake S'mores. According to your friends, it was one of the best desserts the cafe ever had. To test that theory, you decided to check the dessert yourself. Everything was perfectly normal until a young teenage boy of average height with fluffy pink hair and light blue eyes bumped into you, spilling a little of his drink on you. Yes, I’m talking about Muku. Baby boy was so scared and flustered, he apologized to you multiple times like crazy. Luckily it wasn’t anything hot so you didn’t burn yourself. Giving the boy a soft smile, you said it was fine and he shouldn’t worry about it. But he is a kind-hearted and modest boy with the motto "doing one good deed each day" so of course he offered you to give some of the Chocolate-Caramel Sandwich Cookies he had ordered before to apologize properly. Normally you would’ve reject the offer but with the way he was looking at you, you couldn’t find the heart to do so. While waiting for your order together, you learned what the boy’s name was and that he came here with his cousin. When you heard that the first image that popped into your mind was a soft looking person just like him you. After you got your order, the two of you made your way towards their table. And with that, your previous thought was thrown out of the window just like that. There he was, one and only Juza Hyodo, the person who helped you in the library, was sitting in a chair, quietly munching on one of the many sweets in front of him. When Muku announced that he was back, his eyes shot up to him and then shifted towards you. Yeah, it was awkward. Nevertheless, you tried to offer the tall boy a smile, which he just nodded his head, cheeks tilted pink to get his sweet tooth exposed to someone from school. After you sat down, Muku began to explain how he accidentally bumped into you and spilled some of his drink on you. Juza got the picture and said nothing. Though, gradually he started to become more comfortable. Before you knew it, you befriend the young teenage boy with fluffy hair. You told Muku how you two first met, which he only exclaimed how cool his cousin was and how the scene was just like from a shoujo manga. So yeah, your friendship with Juza started that day and slowly but steadily developed into something more. You would see him at school and chat with him, give him snacks to eat together on the rooftop etc.

➜ PERSONALITY COMPATIBILITY ; Let me just start of by saying that you two are really similar in terms of personality. A loner who is shy, quiet, awkward, likes alone time yet still friendly and good-willing towards others? Yeah, you get to point. When you're dating someone who has almost identical personality traits as you, reading them becomes easier. Juza is honest and critical of himself but is more than willing to work hard on it to improve himself and so are you. You two motive each other become better versions of yourselves, constantly pushing forward hand in hand ad I think that’s a beautiful thing in a relationship. You two have the same values. He deeply values his comrades and family so he would love it whenever he saw you getting along with Muku or Kumon. He’s very protective of those he holds dear, so watching you interact with them and care for them as if they were your own family would make him fall for you even more. The same goes for him as well. He’ d try his utmost best to get along with your family. Physical affection is OUT the window in the first start of your guys' relationship though. And when you guys DO start attempting physical contact, he'd be so stiff. Baby boy really hasn’t had a lot of experience in regards to how to treat others with affection outside of his family. 🥺 but deep down, Juza has a soft side. He’s a bit shy with showing his affections, but he tries his utmost best to convey his love to you― one of them being if you ever needed him support with ANYTHING honestly, he’ll always make it known to you that you have his full support and that he’s always right beside you through everything.

➜ SHARED ACTIVITIES ; With an delinquent-like appearance that often gives people a "scary" impression of him, I feel like Juza would rather spend time inside rather than outside. For those with a serious sweet tooth, baking, especially with a lover has a double benefit: It engages the two of you in an activity you probably don't do often, and you get to enjoy something delicious afterward. You two make an especially decadent dessert when you're feeling ambitious, or simply break out a boxed mix if you're short on time — or baking skills. At first times, there is a lot of trial and error and you guys end up getting covered in flour and such, a cheeky smile present on your face. These are usually the times where you get to hear Juza’s rare laughs as he joined in your joy. Feeling too lazy to bake something? Have a candy tasting. Satisfying your sweet tooth is a foolproof way to survive. Stock up on different colors of Starbursts, Gummi Bears or Worms, Sour Straws, Hi-Chews, and whatever else you are craving— and then eat your way through the rainbow together. Bonus points if you’re lounging off your sugar coma with a movie on the couch afterwards, he doesn’t particularly mind what kind so it’s totally up to you which genre you want to watch. This one is technically not a date but sometimes you, Juza, Muku and Kumon play board games. Depending on how competitive you are, this idea can be a little dangerous. (looking at you monopoly.) But it’s always a blast to spend time with people you love and cherish.

➜ ZODIAC COMPATIBILITY ; Juza’s birthday is on September 27, which makes him a Libra. When Libra and Scorpio come together in a love match, they tend to make a very emotionally connected and mutually satisfying union. Though Scorpio is a brooder who can get lost in the confusing welter of their own emotions, Libra’s proclivity for balance and harmony helps keep Scorpio even. Scorpio can return the favor to Libra with their characteristic powers of focus, a trait that Libra usually lacks. These two are very compatible due to their similar needs in a love relationship: Libra is the Sign of Partnership, and Libra is happiest when in a well-balanced and intimate relationship, while Scorpio thrives on emotional and sexual intimacy with their mate. These two Signs can make a very loyal, close and satisfying partnership. What’s the best aspect of the Libra-Scorpio relationship? The power they find in unity. They can accomplish a lot, whether they come together for a cause in the business or romantic sphere. They are both winners and they won’t give up, making theirs a relationship that takes care of business.

#act! addict! actors!#a3! matchup #juza hyodo

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littlemessyjessi · 4 years

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“Carnivore”: A Dracula Story: Plus Size Reader: Chapter 2

BBC/ Netflix Dracula Imagine

Warning: Mentions of cannibalism, violence kink and taxidermy. Just a warning. Enjoy.

I had never been what I would call a morning person.

Unless by morning you meant 12 a.m.

If you meant being active when everyone else was asleep in bed then yeah, sure- I was a morning person.

But when the birds started to chirp and the people began to busy about... I. Was. Out.

Which was exactly why I was so extremely grateful to my butcher who stayed open to the wonderfully spry hour of eleven at night.

Bless his soul.

Joe was honestly a saint at times and I had no problem giving him my business.

I always peeled some off the top of our kills to bring home to my meat freezers but for my main diet...I needed a butcher and that was just that.

I arrived there at precisely 9 pm and I was greeted with a smile as I came through the door.

"Ah, my favorite creature of the night!" came the rather chipper voice of Joe.

I glanced up at him, "Evening, Joe."

"I have your usual ready." he said. "It's just in the back."

"Sounds wonderful." I said dragging the large rolling cooler I'd brought with me to the front and wheeling it over to him.

"You're the only woman I know who actually comes in here with an ice chest. Weekly. Sometimes twice a week." he teased.

"Yeah, well, I'm a special breed." I said taking out the cash and handing it to him.

It was always the same and I paid him in cash...with a good tip.

Say what you will but tipping well made all the difference with people.

"I have some exotic game for you as well." I said. "It's in there before you fill it up."

"Keep your money then." he said with a smile. "We'll call it a deal."

"Joe." I said with a pointed look. "I bring you my business because I want to and I bring the exotic meat because A.) I know you can appreciate such a thing and B.) I adore the service. So please don't insult me and just accept the gift and keep the money. Besides, last I heard you had a new baby on the way."

"For a vampire, you're awfully nice." he winked.

"What makes you think I'm a vampire?" I asked lifting a brow at him in question.

He just winked, "Oh, that's right it's werewolves that consume human flesh."

I stared at him and for a moment I had a mild panic attack.

Did he know?

How did he know?

He burst into laughter a second laughter, "I'm only joking! Or was a spot on about your extracurricular activites?"

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"According to Marcus, you seemed to have quite the fondness for biting." he said speaking of a mutual friend that I may or may not have toyed with a few times.

Purely sexual of course.

Although, the man was a fine specimen and should I ever choose to murder him...he would make excellent steaks amongst other things.

"And how would you know such things?" I asked.

"He and Dylan are close." he said with a knowing smirk.

"Yes, well perhaps you and your husband should stay out of my 'extracurriculars' as you call them." I said, half joking, half dead serious.

Though in truth, Joe never took anything I said like that to heart.

I was what he like to call "Dangerously Adorable".

I abhored the term but it was endearing affectionate in a way, I suppose.

"Just fetch my meat, butcher boy." I said. "Before I decided to eat you."

"Ooooh, kinky." he teased. "I could probably convince Dylan to threeway. Neither of us have been with a woman in a long time."

I threw my pen at him to make him move and the sound of his laughter could be heard as he ventured into the back.

Moments later he emerged with my cooler and a basket on top.

"What's this?" I asked lifting a brow at the little brown thing. "Do I look like Little Red Riding Hood to you?"

"Yes sometimes you do give me that vibe." he laughed. "But in that basket are two special things for you. One is a considerable amount of duck eggs and a jar of duck fat. They're from my mother. She really appreciated the package you sent her when she was sick. I know you like to pretend you a cold heartless-"

"Stop talking, you'll ruin my reputation." I said with an unconvincing glare.

"Anyway, she wanted to say thank you." he said.

I made quick work of bidding him goodbye and got out of there.

He was one of the humans that I could tolerate being around for more than a little while...even if he was insufferable at times.

As I walked the streets with the basket on my arm and the cooler rolling behind me I thought of how conflicted I was with the nightlife of the city.

On the one hand, the convenience of having some establishments staying open all hours of the night was incredibly useful.

On the other, it usually meant conversation and I just had no patience for it sometimes.

Which is why it's so ironically cruel that the universe would put me in the path of someone who loved company.

"Hey, what's up, mami?"

I cut my eyes to the left to glare at the little heathen who looked me up and down.

Probably no older than twenty five.

A little younger than I would've liked and not really my type but attractive enough for me to toy with and end my boredom.

And certainly enough to make a meal out of it.

But was he awful enough to eat?

Was he some punk who just like to catcall?

As disgusting as it was .... did he have other motives?

"Darling, there you are!" entered a new, richly accented voice that I was unaccustomed to. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

I turned in time to see a man who was every BIT my type.

Older and classically handsome.

Like an old Hollywood movie star.

Tall and strong with years of aged muscle.

Not the roid rage muscles that the youth were so fascinated with today.

I likened that to the sensation of chewing tire threads.

No...this man...

This man was nothing short of delectable.

And damn him for being a knight in shining armor.

I so would have enjoyed feasting on his flesh.

"Hello, Darling..." I said slowly as he came closer to me and wrapped me in his embraced.

He unusually cool to the touch, not that I minded since I absolutely detested the sensation of being hot and sweaty.

He offered the young man a 'friendly' smile that seemed to say 'back off' behind the mask of politeness and the kid ran off.

"Thank you..." I said pulling away from the man. "That was very kind of you."

"No problem." he said. "I fear the boy might not have had the purest plans for you in mind."

"And you would know this how?" I asked curiously.

"Because I have been a young man near a beautiful woman before." he smirked.

"So lust justifies rape to you then?" I countered.

"No." he said. "But it can cloud the mind and produce a level of stupidity. He might not have attempted to force himself upon you but he definitely would've touched without your permission."

"As you did when you took me in your arms?" I asked pointedly.

"That's different." he laughed a bit, seemingly shocked by the cheek of it all.

"How? Because you chose to play the Knight in Shining Armor?" I challenged. "Perhaps I was playing Little Red and I was looking for a Big Bad Wolf to eat me up after all."

"Well you would fit the bill. A tantalizing tart with a basket and all." he said, a slight air of irritation oozing from him beneath the mask of charm. "I'm sorry if I have offended you. I only meant-."

"I'm not offended." I cut him off. "I'm just a massive bitch and not much of a people person."

His handsome face pulled up into a grin and he laughed heartily.

"You are a refreshing creature aren't you?" he said.

"You have no idea." I said. "Good night, sir."

"Dracula." he said extending his hand.

I lifted an eyebrow at him momentarily before leaning forward and whispering my name into his ear before placing a small kiss to his cheek.

"Good night, Dracula." I said. "Now I must be off before the Big Bad Wolf comes back."

"Perhaps it's the wolf that chased the young pup away." he challenged.

I smirked, "Well, then, Mr. Wolf. If you're clever and hungry enough, you shouldn't have a problem tracking me down then."

I realized that those words were dangerous.

They were provacative and even luring to a stalker.

He could've easily been a psychopath.

But what did I care?

I could either have some fun with him and if he bid me harm....I'd simply have him for breakfast in the morning.

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

Hello, darlings!

@frankie2902

@pleasantdreamqueen @becrazy–beyou

@littledeadrottinghood @blackirisposts

@therealmrshale @woodworthti666 @thegreatirene@fanfictionandjunk

@angelus320

@alanlizzingtonshore@buriednurbckyrd@disneymarina@@tubbypeachwriting

@sullybot @georgiagrl1990 @whenallsaidanddone

@mischiefnevermanaged94 @inumorph

@congurl

@centerhabit

@bubblymusiclover13

@qtmeryr

@thisismysecrethappyplace

@tnupsweetpie

@alisoncdariel

@hannahloveslife

@wormyboi

@blackirisposts

@maggyme13

@amethyst09

@ibenkastberg

@fanfics1717

@mrscasnovak

@thickemadame

Love, Kenny

#dracula #bbc dracula #netflix dracula #dracula x ps reader #dracula x plus size reader #ps reader #plus size reader

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doodlelolly0910 · 6 years

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Close Encounters of the Spiritual Kind

Summary: Emma Nolan spent a lot of time alone, and that was fine by her. Because one is never truly alone. She should know. She can talk to dead people. What she didn’t expect was one of these spiritual encounters to hang around, taking her down a rabbit hole of missing women, revenge, and, least expected, love. Can she save the day and Killian Jones? Is there even another choice?

Read it from the beginning on AO3 and FFN!

A/N: Sorry this is updating so late in the evening! I've had a super busy day! I'm not going to say much about this chapter, just that it's another turning point :P As always, thank you to @kmomof4 for her fabulous beta skills and for generally being an awesome person, and to @courtorderedcake for making the AMAZING artwork for this fic. Also thanks to you, lovely readers! I appreciate and adore you all! Hope you like the new chapter!

Chapter 15

Water sluiced over Emma's body in hot rivulets, working the weariness from her muscles and bones. The water had finally stopped pooling a brownish red at her feet as it washed away the blood on her skin and hair, now running clear. Milah's presence had died down after the discussion earlier. It must have been exhausting to remain at that level of contact for so long. Most encounters didn't even last a fraction of that time. And frankly, Emma was quite ready for a break. It was nice to have some privacy, especially since she wasn't even safe from Milah inside her head, although it seemed she only picked up on thoughts that she intended to speak but didn't.

Emma wasn't sure how long she'd been standing under the stream of seemingly unending hot water, but she was fully intent on taking advantage of the moment before she had to dive headfirst back into the craziness that had become her life.

Jefferson had heard about the explosion and connected the dots. He had been furious, demanding that Emma return to base, threatening to call Regina and pull the plug, but she had begged a week out of him. A week with Hook, working the angle they'd come up with. He was adamant that this was the worst idea she'd ever come up with, especially since Emma refused to provide him with Hook's identity (in the poorly concealed guise that she simply did not know it), but at least she didn't have to hide her new alliance from him.

Well, she may not have told him that her cover was blown where Hook was concerned, but what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him. This was about Gold. Taking him down, once and for all. Both of them understood what calling off this op meant.

This was their Hail Mary.

She cranked the water off when her legs grew tired of standing, drying herself with a scratchy terry cloth towel, and moving to stand in front of the sink. There was a dingy mirror there and she wiped the steam from it to survey her appearance. She looked like shit.

Bruises mottled her skin, concentrated especially where she had collided full force with the earth on her hip and shoulder. Her head still felt like her heart was pounding directly inside it, but at least the nausea and blurred vision had died down. The ringing in her ears remained, though, a result of being so close to the explosion. Dark circles ringed her eyes, betraying exactly how much sleep she'd gotten in the last two weeks since this all started.

A soft knock sounded at the door.

“Swan?” Killian's voice asked gently through the thin particle board. “I have some clothes for you.”

Emma wrapped the towel around her, covering herself, and cracked the door. Hook's grin immediately widened at the sight of her, his eyes unabashedly raking over her barely concealed form and she rolled her eyes, snatching the bundle of fabric from his arm and slamming the door in his face again.

“No need for hostility, love,” his muffled voice teased. “Just appreciating the view.”

“You're about to appreciate my foot right up your ass,” she shot back, dropping the towel and aggressively yanking on the over large sweats he had given her, her muscles protesting the movement, and rolled them at the waist as they were about two sizes too big for her. She put her bra back on and pulled the (also too big) gray t-shirt over her head, hearing him chuckle on the other side of the thin barrier between them.

“If you say so, Swan,” he patronized, sounding slightly further away than before. Emma bristled at that, gathering her ruined clothes and flinging the door open with force, making it rattle on its hinges. She stomped her way into the small bedroom like room until she was standing in front of where he'd moved next to the queen sized bed.

“Let's get one thing straight, buddy,” she said, pointing a vicious finger in his amused face. “I'm here to do a job. Nothing else. So you can keep on looking, but this,” she motioned between them with her finger, “not gonna happen. Okay?”

Hook's expression didn't waver for a moment, holding her gaze so she could see the laughter dancing within the blue depths of his eyes.

“You're rather fetching when you're angry, has anyone ever told you that?”

Emma let out a noise that was half growl, half screech in exasperation and pushed past him, dropping her clothes with the rest of her things. She glanced at her gun and wondered briefly exactly how terrible it would be if it accidentally went off in the direction of his foot before retrieving the comb he'd set out for her and gingerly pulling the snarls from her towel dried hair. She braided her hair and tied it off with a rubber band she'd found sitting on the table next to the bed and sat on the mattress with a bounce, Killian's eyes on her the whole time.

“Okay, when I said you could keep looking, I didn't expect you to take it literally,” she said, not even turning to look at him.

“I'm a very literal person, Swan,” he replied lightly, moving towards her. “Are you almost ready to go? We'll stop by a shop I know and get you some clothes that fit, not that it doesn't speak to the primal male in me to see you in mine, and then we will get some supplies together.”

Emma stiffened and fought the urge to tilt her chin down to sniff the fabric covering her body to see if it smelled like him. Of course it would. She was in his damn clothes. He did this on purpose. She just knew he did.

“Yup,” she said, popping the ‘p’ at the end of the word. “Let's go.”

Emma was grateful that either Will or Killian had had the foresight to drive her car back to the compound. She needed to be the one that drove, needed to feel a little more in control. Less than an hour later, they were in a consignment shop in a quaint little part of the city that Emma had rarely been to. Of course it would be a second hand shop. Two spirits on the regular weren't enough to deal with.

“Time to make it a party, I guess,” Emma muttered under her breath and got out of the car. Killian was already waiting for her on the curb, his blue eyes watching her as she struggled not to wince getting out of her seat. She adjusted her oversized clothing and made her way towards him. She really needed to tell him what to expect in a place like this.

“Ready, Swan?” His voice interrupted her nervous thoughts and she blinked up at him, fighting the urge to chew on her nail.

“Uh, in just a minute. Before we go in there, this is a second hand shop, right?” she asked.

“Aye,” he replied, his brow furrowing as he tried to follow her train of thought. Emma bobbed her head once and looked down to her feet.

“Do you remember how I said Milah found me?”

“Something about a shirt? Wasn't it?”

“Ah, yes. Yep. See, I kinda have a thing about places like this. Sometimes the clothes that are donated belonged to people… well, people only I can talk to anymore…” she trailed off.

“Oh,” Killian replied, slightly surprised as he put the pieces of the puzzle together. “And these things are like a… trigger? When you're near them?”

Emma shook her head. “It isn't usually enough to be near them. I have to touch it. And suddenly I can see and hear things that no one else can. It's a little unsettling. And I've never experienced it with someone who, uh, knows about it.”

Hook seemed to weigh her words in his head, as if he were plotting the best course of action here. A slow, easy smile slipped onto his lips and he reached for her hand, tucking it into the crook of his bad arm and taking Emma completely by surprise.

“Well, I'll just have to touch the clothes first until you find something you like. We are shopping for knickers, aye?”

Emma snatched her arm back and slapped his shoulder, although it didn't come off nearly as aggressive as she wanted it to. She knew he was teasing and the thought of him handling her underwear… well, it was time to change the subject.

She marched past him, chin tilted up, and swung the door to the shop open. She gestured inside, allowing him to enter first with a mocking bow, mimicking his previous gesture from the compound.

Clothes shopping was a lot more fun with Hook than it was with Ruby, she found. He had made some genuinely helpful selections for her perusal, making it so she didn't even need to touch anything until she was sure she liked it. She didn't know how much she appreciated the gesture until it was actually happening.

It was a little strange how quickly Hook had flipped from staunch skeptic to making adjustments in his own behavior to accommodate for her “gift”, but it touched her in a way that no one else had been able to. She watched him as he jokingly held up items against his own chest on hangers, his tongue poking teasingly out of the corner of his mouth and laughed along with his jokes (even if her laughter was accompanied by a patented eye roll). She felt an overwhelming sense of comfort as they shopped and she was surprised to find the walls she had carefully constructed around her heart over the years slipping just the slightest bit. Killian Jones was unlike any man she had ever met, and, at least in this moment, she was glad to have him with her.

In the end, Emma ended up picking out two tank tops, a t-shirt, a sweater, and a pair of jeans and leggings, none of which (thankfully) sparked an encounter. Much to Killian's dismay, she did not get any underwear, but then she reminded him that they were in a second hand shop and, while they only accepted new in package items on that front, it was just a little much for her to consider.

“Does this mean you'll be going commando, then, Swan?” he murmured in her ear as they approached the cash register, his hand finding the small of her back with ease.

“Wouldn't you like to know,” she said with a bat of her eyelashes and she smirked as Killian's Adam's apple bobbed in his throat.

“Perhaps I would.” She heard him murmur as she approached the smiling red headed girl behind the counter. She flushed, her steady gait faltering for a moment, but she recovered herself quickly and smiled back at the cashier, loading her items on the counter.

“That'll be $38.57,” she said, packing the items into a bag for her. Emma dug in the pocket of her borrowed sweats for the money she had put there, extending the cash over the counter. The clerk's fingers swept over Emma's, the silver ring on her middle finger swiping over the flesh of her palm and Emma knew it was coming before it even happened.

Suddenly, she smelled fresh gingerbread and heard a voice she didn't recognize humming a song.

I love you, Addie, the voice said and Emma froze, her eyes blowing wide and she fought back the sudden shaking in her palm as she reached for her change.

“Have a good day!” the girl chirped, completely clueless to the inner turmoil Emma was having. Emma gave her a tight smile and said nothing, snatching the bag off the counter and bolting for the door as quickly as she could without looking completely mental.

She burst from the door and the encounter had all but faded away, the last remnants of baked goods still lingering in her sinuses, but she knew it, too, would be gone soon. She took several deep, calming breaths in the fresh air and let her heart rate return to normal.

“Swan?”

Killian. Shit.

She'd forgotten he was with her for a moment in her panic and she felt her heartbeat kick back up at the thought of having to explain her behavior to him.

Best to get it over with.

“Yeah?” she asked, turning to face him, her hands balled into fists at her side, making the plastic of the bag in her left hand crinkle.

“Are you alright, love? Did one of your… er… moments happen?” His voice was truly concerned and, instead of calming her, it only freaked her out more.

She nodded sharply, not meeting his eyes. “I think it was the clerk's grandmother maybe? I touched her ring,” she explained.

“That's…” here it comes, Emma thought, “amazing, love. Why didn't you tell her?”

If Emma's jaw could physically touch the pavement, she was positive it would have been scraping the concrete right about then. Killian was looking at her with such curiosity and fascination that it sent a thread of panic straight through her.

“Why didn't I tell her? Are you serious right now? What happened to ‘not this bit again’?” she snapped. Hook sighed.

“Look, Swan, I know I haven't been the most supportive of your… talents, and I won't deny that it is quite a shock to hear that someone you loved very much is still trying to reach you from the other side, but I…” he tapered off, stepping slightly closer to her and Emma held her breath. “If I can start to believe, anyone can. You can't expect people to believe you if you never tell anyone. You should tell her.” His eyes blazed into hers, willing her to take a leap of faith in herself, as he was with her.

Emma was sure she was going mad. Or he was. Maybe both of them.

"I am not a walking freak show! I'm not Sylvia fucking Browne, I'm not some foofy bullshit psychic bitch, and I just want to be left alone,” she ranted, flapping her arms at her sides. “I never asked to be this person. I just want to live my life! You have no idea what it’s like to feel crazy day in and day out, never knowing who you can trust enough to tell and I-"

Emma's mouth was still trying to move, spill over with reasons why, but it was hard to do with Killian's lips sealed against hers. She was shocked still, arms suspended mid air, interrupted in their wild gesturing, her mind overwhelmed with the thought of how perfect, how right this felt, and that was absolutely besides the point because Killian fucking Jones was kissing her. Her body finally caught up with what was happening and she pulled back, but his hooked arm had looped itself around her waist and held her fast to him.

"Please, darling, do shut up," he murmured only mere centimeters from her lips before her stunned psyche could formulate a response to the kiss at all. She felt anger boil in the pit of her stomach as she registered what he'd said, the sensation mixing with the fear and attraction already simmering there.

"You shut up," she growled, then fisted her hand in his shirt and slammed her lips back into his.

Kissing Killian Jones was unlike any other experience she had ever had in her life. His lips were softer than she expected, moving with expert precision over hers, his hand wrapping around the nape of her neck as his thumb stroked over her jawline. He nipped at her bottom lip and she opened for him on instinct, gasping at the first touch of his tongue to hers. He let out a soft little sound in the back of his throat that she might have missed, had they not been pressed so tightly together, and he tilted her head with a firm but gentle press of his fingers at her neck to kiss her more deeply. He kissed her like he would never get enough, stealing the very breath from her lungs until she felt like they were going to burst.

She pulled back when the need for oxygen became too much, still clinging to his collar like it was the only thing keeping her upright. Based on the slight sway in her balance when she broke away, it probably was. They stayed in each other's space in silence, save for the sound of their panting breaths intermingling in the air.

"That was..." Killian began, sounding completely wrecked. Emma released his collar and stepped back, blinking up at him and hopefully clearing some of the haze from her eyes. He looked just as wrecked as he sounded, his hooded eyes simmering with a dark heat, and she was sure she wasn't hiding her reaction all that well either. She needed to shut this down.

"Me shutting you up,” she filled in for him. He appeared confused for a moment and then a look of understanding swept over his features that made her heart clench tighter than it already was. “Let's get back."

She turned and began a stiff walk back to her car before she heard his soft murmur towards her retreating form.

“As you wish, Swan.”

#captain swan #cs ff au #cs ff #csff #cssns #close encounters of the spiritual kind #emma swan #captain hook #captain swan supernatural summer #killian jones #monday update #captain swan ff #chapter 15

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vexkader · 4 years

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Solis Part 5

An orange and yellow glow of an eastward sunset, shone over the sandy beach. A large hideaway full of lights blasted music. The synthetic sounds moved through my ears. The feeling of slightly sandy bamboo under my paws as I looked under this hideout, on the far side a full bar serving glowing drinks.

I looked around to see familiar yet aging faces, a few with their spouses as well. I wanted to try to talk to someone, but I felt so out-of-place here. This gut feeling that I'd rather be back at my ship. All other parties I've been to have been full of CEOs looking to talk business with me, not people catching up with their lives.

I moved carefully and quickly across the floor, making my way to the bar. Away from the humans and anthros dancing, talking, and laughing. Drinks, food, phones, all of them in their hands and paws. Groaning, I set myself at the bar, small blue and orange flames coming out around it.

"Anything you want?" The human bartender asked me, wiping the counter down from the last set of drinks served. The flames reflecting in its shine.

"Umm yeah, just give me a mountain jungle." I ask him quietly, looking around seeing who I could approach. My tail flicking gently behind me.

"Mhmm alright, don't do anything stupid now."

"I can handle my drink." He starts to mix liquids, pouring this glowing brown and purple drink. Honestly hated how this thing looked, but the deep fruity flavors from Venus just hit everything right. Along with a hit of alcohol. Downing it, I could feel the burn in my throat. Putting the shot down I shake my face a bit.

As the shock of the drink wore off, I heard a voice at the other end of the bar. "Vex? That you? Where have you been all these years?" The booming voice startled me as I turn around to see a beastly sized human. Tanned skin and a dark blonde hair, he sets a beer down on the counter as he looked to me.

"Mhnn.. Kenneth right?" I asked, as I wasnt to sure on who this person was. To my surprise his eyes lit up, lifting his bear up in almost a celebration. "You remember! I'm kinda surprised to see you in a joint like this, how the hell did you get here?" He asks me, acting like we were longtime friends. Truthfully I only knew him from being occasional partners in group work.

"Well, the promise of free alcohol is usually a good way to get me out." I say with a half-joking laugh, even though that really was the reason I was out here.

"Cant argue with that I guess, what have you been up to man!" He takes a sip, turning the chair toward me as I prepared for an uncomfortable conversation. And as I tried to think of a convenient lie to tell him, as most of my work wasnt exactly legal.

"I uh, do mostly free-lance retrieval. Ship goes down in the jungle, or some other place say on Earth or Mars I retrieve the data and whatever valuables I can find for the client."

He nodded his head, at least pretending to be interested in what I was saying. "Mhmm okay, can seen a bit dangerous. You go into those jungles often?"

"I can yeah, was just in there the other day. Ran into slashers." His eye widened as he drank, looking like he was going to spit. "Salshers?! The hell kinda items are you retrieving?"

"Special ones, good pay though."

"I bet, I'm finishing up a degree in engineering. Not a masters or anything, but its gonna get me a good job on a few cargo ships. Already a job lined up for when I'm out on an Earth bound freighter."

I nod, listening to his plans for life. Even if I was going to find someone to help me, it wasnt gonna be him.

"Nice seein ya Vex!" He gives me a pat on the shoulder, taking another drink. "You take care out in those jungles!"

"I'll try my best."

As he left to mingle with others, I kept an eye out. Others coming to say hello to me, and wanting to see what I've been up to. No one heard from me after graduation, one even thought I died. Which I can thankfully say I havent. However, one did catch my eye.

A brown and cinnamon furred coyote, almond-shaped icy eyes. Short not quite petite build. She strutted over in some casual clothing, over to the bar asking for a normal drink. Her name.. what was her name?

"Just have a cola please." She asked in a softer voice to the bartender, as he poured her a fuzzy drink. "Dont have a ride home?" He asks her as she shakes her head, sipping the drink.

She looked to me, a bit of shock in her eyes. "Vex?" She asks, setting down the drink. "That you? I never expected-"

"Yes, it's me surprisingly." I interrupted, I was honestly getting tired of the question. "I didn't expect to be here either, yet I am!"

She smiles a bit, taking another drink. "It's good to see you though, highschool wasnt easy on you so it's good to see you here and looking decent."

I felt awkward from the compliment, I was far from decent really. This old clothing I had was well below what most people were wearing, stained and muddied up from exploring planets. "Thanks I guess." I look away shyly, I wasnt here for this small talk. I hated this small talk shite!

"Oh jeez, you don't remember who I am do you?" She cocks her head, a sly smile almost laughing as she lifts her drink. "Friday remember? Friday Tisek?"

The name rushed back as I raised a finger, waving it a bit. "That's right, shite what did your parents do?"

"Own a ship building company, BlueStar?" It all started coming back. While everyone was rich in my school, it was private after all, she was the rich of the rich. I mean hell, her parents sold ships and tech to the government and military sometimes. They had money, and of course that came with the thought of her being above everyone else. Come to think of it.. this may be what I need.

"Right right, been on a few I believe, umm." I snap my fingers, thinking of the class of ship I was on. "Nova liners? They're a subsection right?" I ask her, my face puzzled.

She shakes her head, paws facing me as I had her interest. "Not really, they're more in good faith with mine. We occasionally share details, but that's about it really."

I nod, pretending I understood the business jargon of it all. "Ah, because I was on a cruise liner once for a trip around Mars. Very formal business you see."

Scoffing, she takes a moment to chew on some ice, swirling the rest around in her glass. The little spheres dancing about in the fizzy soda. "What kind of business do you run to take a line around Mars?" I told her it was mostly retrieval, leaving out my activities beyond the asteroid belt.

"Interesting, maybe you'd be up for some work for my father?" My ears perked, a job opportunity with some powerful friends with even more powerful friends? I'm all paws in.

"What kind of work is it?" I ask, leaning forward.

"You said retrieval right?"

"I did."

"My father is holding a party for business associates and the like, seeing how you're a fan of them why don't you swing by. This weekend, I can forward you the details."

I groan, not another party. I'd prefer she just give me his details, and not dance around the point.

"Any more information you can give me?" I tried to pry from her, hoping shed give.

"Hmm," She looked around the room, making sure no one was listening in. "Since you said retrieval, my father has bugged about something. Under Iceland."

"Iceland?" My ears perk, whatever what could be so important in Earth's frozen north. Especially some island no one has lived on in centuries.

"Yes Iceland, I can't talk about it too much in the open." She tells me, looking around the patio to all the faces.

"Care to come back to my ship after this? I'd like to know a bit more before committing."

Groaning, she reluctantly agrees to come with me back to my ship. Honestly I wasnt a fan either, but a job is a job no matter who it's from.

We ordered a few more drinks, her another soda me some more alcohol. She tried small talk again, but honestly once business was over I had a hard time feeling it.

"No idea how you're able to handle drinks like that." She starts. "Last time I had alcohol I nearly threw it up."

"Well, I mean I guess I'm just used to it. Always mixed the stuff myself."

"Might've been the problem, I just had straight whatever it was. Burned the whole way, tasted terrible." She waves a paw, drinking from the soda.

I gave a slight chuckle, sipping on my drink. "Drinking straight was your first problem, gotta ease into it. Youd probably like something that has more taste to it than alcohol. Let's try something more customizable, and good for this beach."

I order her a margarita, an old drink from Earth. Making sure the bar tender only put in a hint of alcohol. Trying it her eyes lit up, maybe not from taste however. "Well it's not terrible, kinda salty though." She licks her lips, her canine tongue trying to get the salty taste out of her mouth.

"That's cause they salt the rim, after this one you want another without the salt?" She stops to think about my question, swirling the drink in her paws. Occasionally tapping a claw. "Sure why not, can't go that bad could it?" Taking another sip, she agreed to it. Leading to a long night ahead of us.

Unsurprisingly a lightweight, me and Friday probably drank for another hour. Or two. Getting a bit heavier and heavier, making the rest of the night an uneasy blur.

The things I do remember, I remember walking or more practically stumbling along the beach. As the sun set over the mountains beyond, the only light coming from the city and the party itself. Mine and Friday's paws sinking into the damp sand as we walked along.

Occasionally she touched a paw against mine, laughing at the smallest of things. One thing I'll give alcohol is I feel dumb enough to talk openly to people. A real confidence booster that one, although it very well leads to trouble for me.

As we stumbled back to the ship, I let her in. Making sure BB kept his AI mouth shut. From here things got really blurry, and I certainly don't remember talking about a job opportunity with her father.

#furry #furry fandom #scifi #fiction #space #story #SolisPart5

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fly-pow-bye · 7 years

Text

Powerpuff Girls 2016 - “Mini Golf Madness“

Written by: Haley Mancini

Written & Storyboarded by: Alicia Chan, Grace Kraft

Directed by: Nick Jennings, Bob Boyle

Mulligans are not necessary here.

The episode starts with an establishing shot of Wooly’s Ragtime Mini Golf, the Wooly’s clearly being a replaced word. Totally Not Old Man McGucket, or Wooly for short, tells everyone to have a “golf-tastic time”. Then he gets hit by the Wooly’s sign, revealing that it used to be owned by Rico. Is there a point to this? There might be, but it's never outright stated.

The golf course is filled with animatronics of 1930′s cartoon characters...and Top Cat! A very rare appearance of a Hanna-Barbera character not named Scooby Doo on modern Cartoon Network. I wish it was less rare. Unforunately, these robots are breaking down too easy, which could be our first hint that’s something is not quite right about this place. Bubbles doesn’t seem to mind, though. It’s still cute to her.

Buttercup plays a round of mini-golf, with her sisters helping out. Bubbles is the wind checker, checking the wind using her pigtails. Blossom is keeping score, and because she’s a nerd, she also suddenly talks about the history of the golf course. It was based on the characters from an old 1930′s cartoon called Owly Boop, an obvious parody of Betty Boop. Before Blossom can talk more exposition than necessary, Buttercup shoos her away while she readies her shot.

It lands in in animatronic’s trumpet, which then breaks down, dropping the ball right into the hole. Blossom tells Buttercup that her score is a -7. Buttercup scoffs that her score is a negative number because she’s doing so great, but Blossom reminds her that negative scores in golf are a good thing.

Buttercup: Well, it’s time for Buttercup to do terrible!

Too easy. Also, running gag.

After a montage of Buttercup “doing terrible“, Buttercup faces a giant animatronic Owly Boop at the “Final Hole“. Buttercup has gained enough of a crowd to get the janitor to act as a commentator, because she’s the first person at this mini-golf place to ace every hole so far. Judging by, this is her first try, too.

She swings super hard at the golf ball, making it fly. It hits the animatronic’s ear, an airplane, and a generic sign that says “Generic Sign“. The animators couldn’t get rid of the placeholders in time. It lands right between Owly Boops’ legs, rolling right into the hole.

Bubbles, now acting like the reporter as the janitor is busy with this episode’s poop joke, congratulates Buttercup on her first time perfect game, and asks her what she’s going to do next. Unfortunately, since this is Cartoon Network and not something that owns world famous theme parks, they can’t complete the obvious reference. Instead, Buttercup says she’s going to take her game-winning lucky ball back home.

Wooly isn’t too fond of that plan, as this golf place was built before the concept of having a final hole that is essentially a glorified ball return place. He menacingly tells the girls that all balls must be returned...OR ELSE! Buttercup asks, but he’d rather keep it a secret. He then does a villain laugh, because he's the suspicious guy!

Buttercup goes up to the ball return place, assuring Blossom that she’s a good girl and that she’ll return it like the man says. Of course, Buttercup has a diffterent plan. She just happens to have a gumball in the same shape as one of the mini-golf balls...which she then starts chewing so she can think harder. I’ll admit, that’s an okay joke.

Buttercup’s actual plan is to steal one of Bubbles’ reboot pigtail beads and use one of the blue balls as the replacement. Hey, they finally made Bubbles’ new design useful! We get an ominous shot of the Owly Boop robot opening its eyes while the Powerpuff Girls talk about how creepy Wooly and his course is, making it a bit too obvious what’s going to happen next.

Buttercup cherishes her lucky golf ball, as she and her sisters go to bed. While sleeping, Blossom hears a big explosion. Apparently, even Blossom has gotten used to the lack of crimefighting in this series, as she thinks the explosion was Bubbles farting. Bubbles says it wasn’t her, and then she actually farts. Because this is a piece of children’s media in 2017. I’m surprised there isn’t a pee joke to complete the trifecta.

Blossom tells Buttercup to get out of bed, and she wakes up the other two to show them what she’s seeing:

A shadowy giant singing robot that looks oddly familiar destroying the city. The Powerpuff Girls get out of bed and tear off their pajamas, revealing their usual clothes. Yes, they do apparently shed off their bare feet to reveal their shoes. Don’t even ask how.

It turns out, it’s the giant robot Owly Boop that guarded the last hole on the golf course, tearing apart the city in search for something missing. In her words, which she sings in the style of Betty Boop:

Owly Boop: Hooty-hoot, who’s got it? Hooty-hoot, who’s got it?

She dances around, sings in a jazzy style, and there’s shots like the one above, which fits with the Betty Boop theme of the character. Mostly, she just lifts buildings, leading to jokes like comforting a man who felt his room was too stuffy with that pesky ceiling, and the classic “reveal a woman bathing, causing her to scream“ joke. This is a throwback episode, so it fits.

Highlighting one scene in particular, the robot lifts City Hall like one of those step-on garbage cans to find what she’s looking for, grabbing the Mayor. This leads to The Mayor commenting that she looks just like Ms. Bellum except for her face. I’m glad that Ms. Bellum isn’t completely forgotten, though comparing her to a Betty Boop parody tells me they still don't see her for her personality.

He then cries, because he misses her, with Bubbles having to comfort him. Later on, there’s a cutaway where Bubbles reads him a bedtime story in the same way Ms. Bellum did in one of the flashbacks in Bye Bye Bellum. A more obvious callback to a previous episode? Who would have thought that would happen?

Blossom immediately knows what’s going on, and tells Buttercup that this is happening because she stole the golf ball. Buttercup tells Blossom that she earned it by being "terrible", and says she would do the same thing in her position. To Blossom, she's the epitome of morality, and she would never steal a thing. Guess she forgot about those golf clubs.

Buttercup, not willing to give up her lucky golf ball, decides to do what she actually does worst: actually beating up monsters in this reboot. To be fair, even in the original, if it would break the story, the Powerpuff Girls could, and should, not defeat the Monster of the Week. Catastrophe? The slime monster keeps reforming. Uh Oh Dynamo? Better have that monster be suddenly invincible so they can get in the robot!

The main issue, and I've written this before, is the lack of contrast. There's very little Girls Punch, Monster Down to establish the Powerpuff Girl's powers in the reboot, unlike the original where episodes often open with Townsville under attack and the Powerpuff Girls saving the day. It's a good thing Cartoon Network's website has original episodes as well, or we might forget that the Powerpuff Girls are supposed to be ultra-super-powerful.

Of course, robot kick, girl down. Womp womp, hooty-hoot-hoo. The way she does it isn’t too bad, though: she telescopes her legs to the sky, and then while Buttercup is confused, she kicks him in a way resembling Betty Boop’s dance moves. I like the way the robot is animated in this episode; I wish I made more GIFs.

Wooly shows up, not really concerned that one of his animatronics is destroying the town, but is concerned that whippersnapper is a thief. He tells Buttercup robot will not stop until what she has stolen returns. Huh, he sure seems to know a lot for being an innocent golf guy. He does a lot of evil laughs, too.

Despite everything, Buttercup still feels that she doesn’t need to give up that golf ball that she earned. Besides, it’s not like the city is totally destroyed! Cue the ironic panorama shot!

Wah, wah, wah, waaah.

Buttercup, having no choice, goes on top of a ceiling. She asks Bubbles to check the wind speed, and it’s apparently so strong that it blows Bubbles away. I guess the Powerpuff Girls are now weaker than wind. Buttercup repeats the same golf ball bounces everywhere gag from before, and the ball lands right into her mouth, shutting her down.

They all get ready for the once-an-episode apology scene, until the robot comes back to life with the startling twist! I won't entirely spoil it here, but you can add this episode to the massive pile of episodes that make Blossom look foolish.

Foolish enough for a wah-wah trumpet!

I will give this episode credit: despite consantly making him seem that way, they never really out Wooly as the villain that's the cause of all of this. This episode actually leaves an interpretation to the viewer, and that’s actually nice in a reboot not familiar with the word “subtlety“.

Does the title fit?

Madness is caused by a stolen mini-golf ball.

How does it stack up?

I didn't come to this episode expecting much, but I left rather surprised. The Owly Boop robot is charming, some of the jokes actually work, and it's great to see an episode involving superheroics. In Buttercup's way of thinking, this episode is "terrible". In other words, it's good. Wrap your head around that one.

Next week, the Bro Sharks. Oh, (Man)boy.

← A Star Is Blossom ☆ Summer Bummer →

#fpb ppg 2016 #fpb reviews #powerpuff girls #ppg 2016 #cartoon network

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hiraeth-doux · 7 years

Note

I've got a prompt :) Claire and owen kissed and owen asks her to be in a relationship with him but Claire says it's "against the workplace rules" despite the fact that she wants to SO he continues to try and convince her to be with him :) (very sorry for sending so many prompts!!)

I butchered this idea quite a bit because I love drama, but hopefully it’s still fun! Also combining it with @cali-forniacationn‘s other request - this prompt from @dialouge-prompts:

“Look I’m gonna ask you a question, and you have to promise you won’t lie to me. Did it mean anything to you ?”“Please don’t-”“Did it mean anything?”“…yes.”

AO3

“I can’tbelieve you don’t like Die Hard!”Owen gaped at her like she’d just admitted to national treason.

He hoppedoff the couch, collecting their empty Bud bottles from the coffee table, andClaire uncurled from her spot and followed him to his nook of a kitchen.

“I neversaid I didn’t like it,” she protested. “I just don’t think it’s a Christmasmovie.”

Owen huffedand dove into a fridge. “Of course, it is. The story is set on Christmas. Ergo,it’s a Christmas movie.”

She snortedand leaned against the counter, watching him pull out a handful of sandwichingredients. He cocked an eyebrow at her in a silent question, but Claire onlywrinkled her nose and shook her head, well familiar and not impressed with hisculinary talents. Unlike him, Claire actually cared about her cholesterollevels and wasn’t planning to die from a heart attack at the ripe age of 32.

“By thatlogic, Gremlins is also a Christmasmovie, but would you honestly call it a feel-good holiday film?” She scoffed.

“Oh, baby,you and I have a very different idea of what’s supposed to feel good,” hegrinned at her and waggled his eyebrows suggestively for good measure, makingher roll her eyes but not really mean it.

Quitefrankly, she still had no idea how exactly they ended up where they were rightnow – it seemed like one moment they were annoyed by one another to no end,irked by just about everything that the other was, and then suddenly Owen wasfixing her car when it was misbehaving and emptying her fridge with afrightening regularity, and she was listening to his rants about Hoskins beingan asshole and spending more time at his bungalow than in her own suite, farless concerned about the lack of air-conditioning than she ever thought shecould be. Theirs was an odd friendship, to put it mildly. At first sight, itseemed like they had little to nothing in common, and had anyone told Clairethat she would be craving to spend every free moment of her life with the manwho tamed raptors for a living, she’d probably laugh them in the face.

Owensurprised her, though. They did have the same outlook on quite a few things,from politics to environment to music, shockingly. Granted, Owen’s idea ofhaving fun differed drastically from hers, but in the grand scheme of things,it was none of her concern, and if he wanted to spend his Friday nights in abar in the staff village while she sipped expensive wine and flipped through abook that she started a year ago but didn’t have time to finish – so be it. Sheliked him in a way she never expected she would – beneath the mask of anobnoxious jerk that Owen never shied away from demonstrating rather freely, hewas smart and funny, and Claire felt more than a little ashamed of initiallyjudging him based on solely the first impression that wasn’t all thefavourable.

She lovedit that he kept her on her toes and never tried too hard to impress her, whichwas impressive in an of itself. And the most important thing was that hetreated her like his equal, despite her status on the island – something thatshe found surprisingly refreshing after dealing with the people who literallyscattered away from her in trepidation. With him, she felt human rather than arobot that half of the employees of the park took her for. He could listen, too.And give good advice, for that matter. True, he might not have been deeplyfamiliar with the technicalities of her job or the inner workings of the park –and, boy, did he have issues with exploiting the dinosaurs for commercial gain!– but he managed to help her look at certain issues from a different angle thathelped Claire more times than she was willing to admit.

Spendingthe time with Owen – be it watching him reorganize his work bench outside ormarathoning something ridiculous on Netflix – was perhaps the closest she’dfelt to being her real self in quite a while, which was both exhilarating andsomewhat disconcerting in its unfamiliarity. She wondered sometimes if he knewhow much it meant to her, their relationship that started out of nowhere andturned her whole world upside down, but this was a dangerous territory Clairedidn’t want to venture into. Didn’t want to think about it, either.

“Charming,”she scoffed, eyeing his sandwich that did actually look better than she anticipated.Granted, anything would look mouthwatering if you stuffed roughly $50 worth ofcheese and ham between two pieces of bread, and she was quite hungry…

Clairesnatched it from the plate and took a generous bite while Owen was putting thebags and packages away. Tipped her chin up when he turned, daring him to say aword, but he only smirked and cut the whole thing in half without a comment.God, she was picking up his habits. Soon, she would be sitting on a dock with afishing rod for fun and chug canafter can of lukewarm beer. He already got her to drink scotch after a particularlystressful day.

“Well,that’s what you come here for.” Owen leaned against the counter next to her.“Charm and class.” He toasted her with his half of their snack.

“To charmand class,” Claire agreed, touching her half to his and biting into it again,nearly moaning with pleasure as a kaleidoscope for flavours exploded on hertongue. So much different from her low-fat-no-carb life.

She couldfeel his warmth close to her, suddenly very aware of his proximity, theirelbows almost touching, and smell cedar and eucalyptus on his skin, the scent ofhis shoulder gel mixed with soil and something that was just Owen, somethingthat made her want to press her face into his neck and breathe him in until shewas drunk and dizzy. The thought caught her momentarily off guard. He was nother type, and as far as she was aware, Owen saw her as nothing but a sparringbuddy for their verbal duels, which she was fine with, at least most of thetime.

She shiftedever so slightly, moving half an inch away from him, and then half an inchmore, trying to make it look like she was merely adjusting her posture and nottrying to put as much distance between them as possible, all because the finehairs on her arms were standing on end like he was electrifying.

“Wanna tellme what’s up?” Owen asked a minute later, giving her a start, and for a moment,Claire wondered if he had read her mind.

She clearedher throat. “What do you mean?”

Heshrugged. “You only nitpick on the movies when you’re bothered by something.”

He shoved achunk of sandwich into his mouth, watching her as he chewed, and Claire’s firstinstinct was to object because who the hell did he think he was to assume thathe knew her better than she knew herself?! The problem was that he was right,and since there was nothing Claire could take her frustration out on, BruceWillis had to become a designated collateral damage.

“It’snothing,” she grimaced. “Mr. Masrani wants to launch a new project.”

“And theproblem is?”

The problemwas that even though all dinosaurs at the park were, technically, hybrids, Dr.Wu still did his best to recreate them as close to the original species as hecould. Sure, they had no choice but to add the missing genome, but these piecesof DNA were usually taken from the similar species, or the direct descendantsof the extinct animals. God only knew how much they lucked out with theMosasaurus and an abundance of amphibians they could use.

Clairedidn’t know all the details – in part because she wasn’t a biologist, and inpart because her job was to memorize a different kind of data, and there wasonly so much she could jam into her memory before her brain would go into anoverload mode. Still, it seemed pretty safe. But now that the sales were goingdown, Simon wanted to create a new animal. He wanted to mix and match thegenome of several species and come up with something brand new, something thatwas meant to blow away the minds of the audience that no longer found theregular dinosaurs entertaining.

From thebusiness standpoint, she could see where he was coming from, and if they werebreeding pandas, she’d be all for it. However, the way he presented it to her –more deadly, more terrifying – didn’t sit right with Claire, making her chestconstrict uncomfortably. She’d seen the raptors up close when she’d swung bythe paddock before, their eyes focused on her making her skin crawl. She’dstood on the other side of the glass from the T-Rex, not even twenty feet awayfrom it while it watched her back, and she’d seen her death in the animal’seyes. What could be more deadly than that? There was a reason they kept thenumber of the carnivores to a minimum – just enough to make the placeattractive to the thrill-seekers, choosing to focus on the timid herbivoreswho, while still dangerous due to their size, weren’t looking at the guests ofthe park as a meal.

“I don’tthink he understands the potential consequences of his idea,” Claire respondeddiplomatically, careful not to spill too much since the project was supposed tostay secret at least until Wu made progress with the actual cloning. Not thatletting Owen in on the whole idea would’ve much difference, Claire mused.

“Just tell’imwhat they are and let’im think he figured it out by himself,” he offered.

“So this ishow it works with you, huh?” She hummed, unimpressed.

“We’re notthat complicated,” he let out a short laugh. “Wait, you have something…”

He reachedover and brushed his thumb to the corner of her mouth, wiping something off,and Claire’s pulse tripped over itself, his impossibly blue eyes boring intohers and rendering her numb. He swallowed audibly, his easy smile slipping.Claire expected him to drop his hand, pulled back, but his fingers lingered onher cheek, making her skin burn and her heart leap up into her throat. His gazedropped to her lips. A part of her was still waiting for him to laugh it off,tell her he was messing with her (because she’d long lost the count of hisridiculous innuendos that he kept bringing up just for the sake of ruffling herfeathers) when Owen suddenly leaned in, tilting her face up, and pressed hismouth to hers.

His lipswere soft and warm, and he tasted of the salad dressing and beer, and beforeClaire knew it, she was stretching up against him, pressing closer to hischest, her hands gripping his shirt, his shoulders, carding through his hair.She heard a quiet grunt of appreciation, realizing if a little belatedly thatit came from her when Owen’s hands slid around her and up her back, tangling inher hair, and all she could think was – finally.

The reliefand excitement were short-lived though, and when the reality of what was happeningdawned on her, it felt like an ice-cold shower that made Claire jolt away fromhim, both of them panting, their cheeks flushed and hair mussed, and her palmsitching to smooth down his curls.

“We can’t,”she muttered and pressed a hand to her lips that felt tender and almostbruised.

“Mixedsignals here, Claire,” Owen breathed out, standing a good five feet away fromher, unmoving. Like he was scared of spooking her, and not without reason, perhaps.She wasn’t sure. His house suddenly felt the size of a matchbox, and she couldbarely breathe.

“There’rerules,” she stuttered, the words sounding ridiculous even to her own ears.

Owenblinked in confusion and ran his hand through his hair, making it stick out inevery direction even more. “And?”

“And… Whatdo you mean – and?” Oh god…

“Screw therules,” he blurted out, watching her pace between the table and the sink. “Whocares? What are they gonna do? Send us to the principle?”

The bloodrush in her ears was making it hard to think. “How about fire us?”

He laughed– a humourless sharp bark of a sound that sliced through her like a knife. “Areyou serious now? No one’s ever gonna fire you.There’s no one in the world who’s qualified to run this place.”

She paused,her hands on her hips and the frustration inside her rising with an alarmingspeed, although at what or who exactly, Claire couldn’t quite tell because hewas right, just like he was right in probably knowing full well that there wasno one else to run the raptors’ program, either. Which still didn’t mean theywere invincible.

“You knowit’s not the issue,” she retorted. Rubbed her forehead, conflicted. The airaround them felt charged, making her skin tingle. “Relationships betweenemployees are not encouraged in general, but relationships between executivesand subordinates are strictly against the policy, and technically–”

“Technically,you’re not my supervisor, Claire,” he interjected. “Technically, we don’t evenwork in the same company.” His voice grew edgy and bitter. “So what you’resaying is that I’m not good enough for you.”

“You don’thave to twist my words!” She snapped.

He sneered.“I’m not, I’m just putting them in simple terms.”

Clairefolded her arms over her chest and scowled at him. “Why do you even care? Fiveminutes ago you weren’t even interested!”

He gaped ather. “You picked up this place from the ground and turned it into a multi-milliondollar machine, and yet half the timeyou can’t see what’s right in front of you.”

Her jawdropped. “What’s the supposed to mean?”

“I thinkyou know.”

“I think Ishould go.”

“Surprisedyou’re still here,” he huffed.

She brushedpast him and slammed the door on the way out, making the windows of thebungalow rattle, feeling a smug satisfaction from knowing that he probablyflinched.

—

He didn’tmean it like that, and the fact that Claire stormed out clearly insulted left anasty aftertaste in Owen’s mouth. He felt like a jerk, and yet her words feltlike a slap in the face, making his cheeks burn with fury.

This wasbullshit, and the both knew, but if she needed an excuse to run away, well shewas very welcome to stick to a fucking rule no one in a hundred mile radius wasadhering to. They were bending the nature and playing God, but heaven forbid ifthey got involved with one another. Blasphemy!

“Noworkplace relationships, my ass,” he muttered, waiting for the coffee machinein the cramped container that served as the InGen office – which was a joke,really, because they barely managed to squeeze a desk, a couch and a filecabinet inside, with just enough space left for one person to get to the fridgetucked in the corner – to go off.

It had beena few days and the frustration that he half-heartedly expected to simmer downonly grew stronger, almost going through the roof every time he’d habituallyreach for his phone. Like some lovesick teenager, for crying out loud! Shedidn’t call, and why the hell would she? Not that he expected her to, and yet,the black screen was a reminder of their ugly fight, making him want to chuck hisphone against the wall and be done with it. At least then he’d stop waiting, orworse yet – thinking about calling her.

AlthoughOwen had to admit that the worst thing was not knowing who exactly he was madat – Claire with her desperate need to follow every stupid regulation to theletter even when they made no sense whatsoever, or himself for probably, maybeblowing the whole thing out of proportion for no reason. Except there was a reason, of course. He’d been crazyabout her for as long as he knew her. From the first day they met, the firsttime they spoke, his palms sweaty and his heart beating out of his chest beforeshe so much as opened her mouth to say hello as she brushed past him on herway… well, wherever she was headed while he stood there and watched her go, herhips swaying gently with every step and her phone glued to her ear.

Like amoron, he was thinking now, glaring at the coffee maker.

He’d neverhad any illusions about them, and if friendship was all she as willing tooffer, he was happy to take it and be grateful for it. The truth was, he wasscared of pushing her away if he made a move. The truth was, he was missing herso badly now it was ripping him apart because she was all he had – well, theraptors, too, but they proved being a lousy company for beer nights and evenlousier listeners, disappearing into the bushes the moment they knew there’d beno treats from him, their interests lying elsewhere.

The airaround him was stuffy and stale, clouds of dust dancing in the sunlight thatstreamed through the blinds. The place smelled of mold and paper and burnedcoffee and the dirt brought in on the soles of their boots. There were dirtycoffee mugs sitting on the fridge, but thank god, everyone knew not to leaveany food scraps behind. Still, it looked rather dreary, which reflected Owen’smood all too well.

His fingerstapping absently on the wall, he peeked outside into the humid, muggy day thatwas hanging over the paddock like a thick blanket, making everyone think thatthey were swimming through the air rather than walking. The raptors were grumpyand uncooperative, too hot and too lazy to work, which certainly was of littlehelp with his own attitude toward the day and his life in general. They stillneeded to go through another training session today, or at least grad theirasses through it, for Owen had no hope for any progress.

The door tothe office opened abruptly behind him, letting in what passed for the fresh airhere and giving him a start. He turned around, expecting to see Barry or one ofthe other handlers looking for a snack. Instead, his eyes met Claire’s, hisstormy gaze fastening on her jade-green one.

She stoppedmid-stroll, caught off-guard, and for a moment her carefully composed maskslipped, revealing a sliver of hope mixed with panic until an expression ofutmost annoyance took over. Her hand on the doorknob and her lips pursed into athin line, she regarded him darkly, and Owen’s eyebrows knitted together inresponse, the coffee forgotten instantly and his stomach in knots.

“I’mlooking for Hoskins,” Claire said in lieu of a greeting, glancing around thesmall space as if waiting for Vic to climb from under the table or out of thefridge.

The coffeemaker finally beeped and switched off.

“He’s nothere,” Owen said as if she hadn’t already figured that out for herself andturned away from her with a pointed dismissal.

“Well,could you tell him–” Claire started and trailed off, and for a moment, Owenthought that she chose not to bother and simply left mid-sentence, his back sostiff that his hands were shaking. “So, is this how it’s going to be betweenus?” She asked suddenly, her voice different - small and uncertain.

Owen putdown the mug, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to swallow anything anyway andlooked at her again. Shook his head and focused his gaze on the nail stickingout of the wall to the left from her. They used to have a map of the islandhanging there, but at some point, it disappeared, replaced by the digitalcopies. He wondered absently just how much of his own life was gone without himnoticing.

“What doyou want me to say, Claire?”

His eyeslocked with hers, taken by surprise by how lost she looked in that moment. Evenin her crisp Armani suit, not a hair out of place – picture perfect in each andevery sense. If only people knew how to look deeper and see beneath the veneerof pretense and games, the image she was so desperate to hold that she waswilling to sacrifice anything to keep it in place.

Hershoulders shagged under his scrutiny and her hand fell down to her side, herform deflating visibly.

Owen stillremembered the first time she showed up at his place with a bottle of wine anda hell of a day under her belt, needing to unwind in a company of a realperson. He burst out laughing because until that very moment he didn’t knowClaire Dearing even owned jeans and tennis shoes – a look he was digging waymore than pencil skits and heels, for whatever reason. She almost left then,glaring daggers at him, and if looks could kill, he could probably drop dead inan instant. She was like a tiny ball of righteous indignation and eyerolls,barely reaching his chin – something that struck Owen like a sucker punch.

He hadnever seen Claire so out of her usual element before, and the level of trustthat it required all but swept him off his feet.

Standingbefore him right now, she looked about just as small and a thousand times morevulnerable, and he knew in that moment that if he chose to strike hard andfast, she’d keel before him, stripped off the armour and defenseless.

“You knowthat it’s not about you, right?”

He grimacedand shook his head, disgusted. “Gimme a break.” His jaw tightened, his gaze uncompromising.“If you’re going to recycle the it’snot you, it’s me bullshit, just… leave. I’ll tell Hoskins you stopped by.”

He steppedtoward her with the intension to leave before being in close proximity toClaire Dearing squeezed all life out of him, his lungs seemingly refusing tofunction properly when he could smell the delicate scent of her presume thatwrapped around him like a cloud, clinging to his skin and clothes. Lately, hewas starting to believe that it was going to linger on him till his dying day,and the idea was downright torturous.

Clairedidn’t budge even when he was practically pressed to her, as if daring him tophysically move her out of his way. From this close, he could see every goldenspec in her eyes, every goddamn freckle that was haunting his dreams at night,smell the sunshine on her skin, and his fingers curled into his palms, archingto reach for her. If there was a way to get her taste of his memory, Owen hadno idea what it was, hating himself for it while a part of him wanted to neverforget it. Not even for a moment.

“It’s notabout the goddamned policies, Claire,” he murmured, his voice tight and hoarse.“I’d never force you into anything you don’t want. But it’s not the case now,is it?”

Sheswallowed, and he could swear he felt her resolve crumble. “What makes youthink I want this?”

His mouthcurled into a humourless smirk. “Because I was there. You kissed me back,remember?”

Her eyeshardened. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Owen’seyebrow quirked, his blood so hot in his veins he feared it would burn rightout of him. Behind Claire, the paddock was buzzing with the afternoon activity,a truck came in with the food supplies, a couple of handlers were smoking inthe shadow of the palms trees, desperate to get out of the sun.

It wasloud, the sound of the voices mixing with the crash of the waves against therocks several hundred feet below them, but the blood rush in his ears tuned thefamiliar commotion out, and the warmth of her body squeezed into pants thatprobably cost more than everything he’d ever owned was suddenly too much. Heknew that if they continued to stand there – or worse yet, parted their ways –he would implode and cease to exist.

One hand onthe small of her back and another on her jaw, lifting her face up, Owen dippedhis head and pressed his mouth to hers, kissing her hungrily, a low groanrumbling in the back of his throat, a curse and a warning. He pulled her intothe office and kicked the door closed, wrapped momentarily in everything thatwas her. Pressed her to the door that creaked on impact, but it only made herpush closer against him, her hands flying over his shoulders, gripping the hairon the back of his head, sliding under the collar of his shirt.

Owengripped her tight, tugging at whatever he could reach, intoxicated by theeagerness of Claire’s response. Her lips parted for him and his tongue dartedinto her mouth, which earned him a sound of approval from her that reverberatedinto his body, setting him on fire from the inside.

He toreaway from her, panting, kissing her face, his hands tugging and squeezing whileClaire lips were dancing over his cheeks, his neck, pressing hot kisses towhatever skin she could reach, leaving red stains from her lipstick all overhim, their breaths mingled together, chests heaving and knees wobbly. He pushedher back, pausing only briefly to catch her gaze, her eyes dark with wantingand her bright red lips parted. Claire nodded faintly, as if uncertain if heneeded a further invitation, and he fitted her mouth to hers for a desperate,sloppy kiss. He trailed his mouth down her neck before dropping down on hisknees. Nuzzled into her stomach while his hands worked on unbuttoning herpants.

“Owen…” Shestarted, half surprised and half-begging.

He yankedthem down to her knees in one fluid motion, revealing lace underwear beneath. Pushedher legs further apart.

“Trust me,”he puffed against her skin, kissing her belly, her thighs, along the hem of herpanties before slipping down, too, finally gaining the full access to what he wasafter.

His breathon her skin so close to her core made her shiver and she bit hard into her lipto stop herself from crying out, her back pushed into rough metal door. It hadbeen a while since anyone was willing do please her that way, let alone bychoice, and she could feel the heavy tug of anticipation in her lower bellyjust from thinking about it, about Owen touching he there. Her hands dug intohis shoulders, fingers pulling at his hair, her breath coming out is short,laboured rasps. His stubble felt raw on her soft skin, sending zaps of firethrough her whole body and making her feel raw all over.

He wasanything but not thorough, exploring and caressing, ripping a loud moan out ofher when his mouth finally reached its destination, slow flicks of his tonguepushing her closer to the edge, his hands on her thighs and her butt holdingher firmly in place. Not that she wanted to move. Not enough, Claire thoughtwhile his tongue did something incredible. She had never felt less in control,and happy about it. Not enough, and then suddenly too much, and the worldexploded around her, carrying her off into a bright oblivion, her nailsscraping over the fabric of his shirt, thinking that she was going to collapse.

“More,” shewhimpered when he was suddenly gone, demanding rather than pleading, scaredthat it was over.

But insteadOwen helped her step out of her pants, her heels miraculously still on herfeet. His hands slid under her thighs, her body still sharking in aftershocksthat were washing over her in waves, and lifted her easily, stumbling backuntil they both plopped down on a dusty couch, Claire knees on either side ofhis lap. She framed his face with her hands, breathless, and kissed him deep,tasting herself on his lips, her fingers trembling. Arched her back to pressinto him, fumbling with the buttons of his shirt, needing to feel his skin.

Owengrunted when she pushed it open, her palms skimming over his chest, thumbsrunning over his nipples and her mouth curled into a coy grin, eyes glinting.He wanted her to badly it hurt, driving him crazy. His hands blushed along herthighs, siding up to cup her butt, and she responded by rocking against him,very well aware of who was in control now,drunk on power.

He pressed hisface into her neck while Claire tugged at his belt, her fingers clumsy on thebutton and the zipper.

“Jesus,” hemouthed almost soundlessly, squeezing her thighs when her hand slid inside,swift fingers stroking and teasing him over the thin fabric of his boxers, andthere was only so much a man could handle.

He pushedhis pants and boxers down just far enough for her lift and then take him in,deep on a single thrust, her gasp morphing into a moan. She was still tender,still throbbing from the release a few minutes ago, but Owen didn’t have it inhim to give her time to catch up. He was already moving inside her, pumping hiships against hers. Hot and tight, she was pulsing all around him, lips andhands and breath on his skin, the scents of sweat and musk and jungle mixedtogether. So beautiful in the afternoon sunlight, catching the coppery fire ofher hair that was framing his face in soft curls. He wanted to take it slower,to be gentler, but she’d already been taken care of, and he needed more.

Her eyeskept fluttering closed with every push, her pleasure mounting until it waswashing over her and into him, her walls clenched so tight around Owen, hethought they could never be able to pull apart again – he idea more than alittle appealing, seeing as how this didn’t last nearly as long as he wanted itto, both of them too worked up to really savour one another.

He grunted,cursing under his breath, his whole body quaking, ripped apart and pulledtogether again. His fingers flexed on her sides as he pulled her down to hischest, smoothing her hair with his hand. He brushed a kiss to her temple,breathing her in, sated at last. Limp and heavy in his arms, she shifted withOwen still inside her; let out a slow breath and rested her forehead to his,her blouse half unbuttoned and a cream bra peeking from beneath it. Unable toresist it, Owen reached inside it and traced its strap with his fingers,thinking of how the next time there would be no clothes so he could taste allof her, every inch of her skin. Take hours, days even, however long it took forthem to forget everything else.

And thensuddenly, as if reading his mind, she was pulling back and scrambling to herfeet, frantically buttoning up her blouse and picking up her discarded garmentsfrom the floor.

“Claire?”

“I have togo,” she muttered. “This shouldn’t have happened.”

Owen allbut leaped up from the couch, pulling up his pants, disbelieving, his bloodhammering so fast in his temples it was making him dizzy. The sudden changefrom a complete bliss to whatever was happening right now left his mindreeling. It was like he reached the top of a roller-coaster and plummeted downbefore he had a chance to so much as take a breath or grab a hold of something soas not to fall out, clearly soaring right into the void right now.

“What thehell are you talking about?” He asked as she pulled on her pants and ran herfingers through her hair, trying to make it look more like her usual do andless like a fizzy mess that it was (even though Owen liked it so much betterthis way, tempted to touch his fingers to the soft curls framing her highcheekbones) before starting to button up her blouse with weak fingers.

Clairesnapped her head up, meeting his eyes at last – for the first time sincesomething got up her ass about the development in their… situation.

“Come on,where do you think this could possibly go?” She hissed, finally managing tomake herself look more presentable than she was a few minutes ago.

“To a morecomfortable location the next time, I hope,” Owen scoffed, tucking his shirtinto his pants, his skin still prickling with her touch, demanding more. He gloweredat her as he pulled his vest on, worn leather hugging his shoulders.

“I’mserious, Owen.” She grabbed her phone from the desk and stomped toward thedoor.

“I wouldhave never pegged you for such a coward,” he threw after her.

She stoppedin her tracks and whirled around, her face hard. “How does not following myevery whim mean being a coward?” She retorted.

“A whim? Isthis what it was?”

“Whatelse?” She yanked the door open, blinking for a moment in the sunlight, so muchbrighter after the comfortable semi-darkness of the office.

He followedher without missing a beat, not caring for one second about the curious glancesdrawn to their confrontation. “Tell me you didn’t want it,” Owen demanded,unfazed, his voice carrying over the clearing. “Tell me that what just happeneddidn’t matter.”

“You onlywant what you can’t get, Owen.” She

“It didn’tfeel like I couldn’t get you fifteen minutes ago.”

She slidinto her car without another word and drove off, the tired screeching and a cloudof dust hanging around him. By the time it settled, the taillights of herMercedes disappeared around the bend in the road.

—

The problemwasn’t that Claire thought that Owen didn’t want her – god knew, this was notan issue at all, and if she were completely honest with herself, she would alsoadmit that she didn’t give much of a damn about any rules and restrictioneither. The problem was that she had never felt so out of control. He wasn’tbending to her will the way many other men did. Not that she wanted him to, butif something went wrong, if their relationship didn’t work out, there would benowhere to go, no place to run. And quite frankly, she had little reason tobelieve that they could make it work.

Who was shekidding? They were a disaster waiting to happen.

Whichdidn’t mean she didn’t miss him, in every possible way, the bruises and markshe left on her skin making her yearn for more. He was right, though. She wasscared…

The phonecall came in the early afternoon while Claire was poring over the presentation,feeling like she was losing her mind, the lines blurring before her eyes fromhours and hours of staring at the screen of her laptop, the figures and numbersno longer making any sense.

She pinchedthe bridge of her nose as she reached blindly for her phone, expecting to hearSimon Masrani on the other end, with questions or instructions.

But itwasn’t him.

There wasan incident in the raptors’ paddock, and the protocol was to notify herimmediately. Claire didn’t hear much after the caller said raptors’ paddock, gripping her desk so tight her knuckles turnedwhile, the room swaying around her.

Owen.

By the timeshe got to the infirmary, he was already discharged, his injuries too minor andhis determination to get out too strong. She tried his phone, but he wasn’tpicking up, ad by the time Claire made it to his bungalow, she was frantic andterrified, imagining him bleeding out somewhere in the forest, all because ofhis rock solid head and the stubbornness of a bull.

He was not athome either, and after trying his phone one more time and learning that hisvoicemail inbox was full, she collapsed onto the porch steps, certain that ifshe tried to drive now, she’d wrap her car around some tree in two secondsflat, what with her hands shaking and her knees weak with worry. Besides, shehad no idea where to look for him, no idea where he could have possibly be.

His carpulled up to the bungalow half an hour later, right when she was about to callfor a search party, and she stood abruptly as he climbed out, his left armnestled close to his chest with a sling.

“Claire.”

He paused,startled when his gaze locked with hers, a battle of emotions so evident on hisface she could clearly read everything from hurt to panic to confusion, allrolled into one. His shirt was stained with what looked like blood, his hair disheveledand his eyes haggard. She had never been happier to see him.

He wasstill standing by the car when she crossed the distance between them in twosteps and threw her arms around him, trusting him to catch her before they bothtumbled to the ground.

“Ow,” hestiffened on impact.

“I’m sorry,”she murmured, shifting to make sure she wasn’t hurting him.

“S’okay,”Owen muttered when she started to pull away. His good arm wrapped around herand he kissed her hair. “I’m okay.”

“Whathappened?” She drew back just far enough away to look into is face, trailingher fingertips down his cheek as if uncertain that he was even real.

Owen’s lipscurved. “Delta decided to give me a hug. No biggie. It’s just a scratch.” Hissmiled slipped. “What are you doing here?”

Claire’slips pursed into a flat line. “Really?” She huffed. “What do you think I’mdoing here?”

Her arms droppedfrom his shoulder and she took a step back.

Owen clearedhis throat, eyeing her contemplatively. “I just… after you’ve left the otherday…” He shrugged. “The message seemed loud and clear.”

“You’resuch an idiot, you know?” She rolled her eyes, happy to be annoyed rather thanterrified out of her mind that he went and did something dumb because hisreckless nature couldn’t resist it and it turned out being the last straw.

“Do tell,”he smirked, leaning against the hood of his car, and it only then occurred toClaire that he probably shouldn’t be driving.

She scowledat him, considering telling him off, but then just sighed and shook her head instead,crossed her arms over her chest and looked away, studying a cluster of treesnear the edge of the clearing in front of the bungalow.

“I had afight with Karen last night,” she said after a while, aware of Owen looking ather, but finding it easier to speak without the eye contact. “Nothing interesting,just our old stuff.” She caught her bottom lip between her teeth. “And when Ihung up, I realized that I was dialing your number without thinking, withouteven knowing that I was doing it. Not because I needed to rant or anything, butbecause…” She sucked in a shuddered breath, finally meeting his eyes. “Becauseyou’re the most sane thing in my life right now. And I know it’s all messed up,but miss you. And when they called me today and I thought–” She cut off androlled her shoulders, her unspoken words hanging between them.

Owenstudied her for a long moment. Nodded as if he was having a conversation withhimself in his head.

“I need youto tell me the truth, Claire. What happened between us… Did it mean anything toyou?”

“Pleasedon’t-”

“Did itmean anything?” Ye pressed.

“…yes.Of course, it did.”

He noddedagain; studied his mud-covered boots for a while. Then peeled off the car andstepped toward her until they were barely in inch apart. Didn’t make an effortto touch her though, which was a monumental achievement on his part, simply watchingher.

“So,what now?” He asked.

“Now…We can give this a try—Give us a try.See how long we can keep from going for each other’s throats.” A shaky laughbubbled in her chest, the sound that made his heart sing. “I’m in if you are.”

“And…the rules?” He teased, an eyebrow quirked.

“Screwthe rules,” she repeated his own words back to him. Then licked her lipsnervously. “It’s not the rules that are a problem.” Her finger was now absentlytracing a button of his shirt as she share in the general direction of hischin. “I just… I don’t want to lose you, and if this goes down–”

He tappedher on the chin until she was looking him in the eyes. “We’ll just have to makesure that it doesn’t happen. Okay?” His smile widened before he pressed a kissto her forehead. “I deal with moody and grumpy raptors day in and day out. I thinkI can handle a bossy Asset Manager.”

“Andhere I was thinking about staying over. In case you needed help,” she grumbled.

Owen threwhis arm around her shoulder and steered her toward the bungalow. “Bet I canconvince you to stick around.”

She cranedher neck to brush a kiss to his jaw. “I wouldn’t be so sure, but let’s see whatyou’ve got.”

#claire dearing #owen grady #jurassic world #clawen #clawen fic #otp: for survival #first prompt in quite a while - please be kind

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existentialstatesofmind · 7 years

Conversation

Opening up

Clare: chose her words carefully. “We’ll see. I don’t want to keep you from your work. I’m still looking forward to meeting your grandpa. Hopefully after the trip.” She wanted to make a good impression on him especially since they had to reschedule it after Clare already went shopping for it with their money. She didn’t want to be the girl who was taking up all of Kota’s time ‘that should be spent on more important things’. Even if they were just teenagers. “But if you can give it your undivided attention first….then I’ll come over if that’s what you really want.” Clare could watch TV anywhere. Kota’s was preferred because cuddles. But she just wanted to feel welcome and not in the way. If she went home, she’d be interrupting the Saturday Night Screaming Match. The Torres family knew all about her parents. So did the Bhandari’s. Clare gave up on trying to keep it a secret when she kept needing somewhere to hide out. She laughed at the description of octopus suckers getting stuck to the roof of your mouth. “That never stops me. Taffy sticks to the roof of your mouth too and peanut butter, the worst. I also get popcorn in between my front teeth. They’re all so good I have to risk it. I don’t know if octopus belongs in the same category…” She laughed again knowing there was a strong possibility it would be disgusting. “I want to be brave like Emi and try it though.” Clare made a mental note not to offer Kota any gum. She had a few sticks of watermelon in her purse from a pack she’d bought a few months ago. Clare smiled. “I do want a job but I’m not sure about taking money for something I would do for free.” She explained letting Kota know she’d watch Emi whenever he needed her to. But she might get a weekend job at the cinema or a clothing store, or something, too. What she was really hoping for was an internship at a newspaper but that wouldn’t be possible until next year or later. It also wouldn’t pay. Luckily Clare was more interesting in gaining experience. She bit her lip as Kota described what Anya was going though. “Even if Anya couldn’t scream or communicate much, she said no because she didn’t say yes. You can’t give consent in that state. Choosing to drink doesn’t make you at fault.” Clare nodded. “I won’t let on that I know unless she brings it up. If I had known it was something that sensitive...about Anya not you, I wouldn’t have pushed…” She felt like she had a right to know Kota’s personal business but his friends were another story. Clare’s own sister never went into much detail about being drugged and raped. “I’m not going to tell anyone, anything.” She never went to that kind of party so it wasn’t like she had to explain why she was avoiding them. Sav already kept Alli from going, which meant Clare didn’t have to think of another reason to keep Alli away. “Probably not. I just don’t want you taking chances.” She admitted. “Oh. How big is your jet? Simpson can’t let any last minute students come if there’s not enough room. Sure, I never mind entertaining Emi. Really it’s the other way around.” Clare chuckled. “How long is the flight? I’ve only flown a couple of times and those were short distances.” She grew a little nervous as Kota talked about helping to fly the jet. Over the ocean?! Or was it TWO oceans? Clare wasn’t even sure of the route. “Um. Wow. Is that safe? Sorry. Um. How long have you been taking lessons? There’s going to be a real pilot too? Sorry.” She had to agree about Simpson. He had enough strikes against him, Clare was sure, without messing up the exchange program. “I think Simpson will have to look the other way.” She glanced around the food court and quickly decided to go to the chicken place first. “I’m going to start with a chicken wrap and coke. Then get a big pretzel and cheese dip...for dessert.” Clare told Kota honestly.

Kota: chuckled a bit when Clare mentioned keeping him from work. "You won't be, I mean Emi will be there and you can play with her or we can lay down on the couch and I can wrap my arms around you as I type on the computer and talk on a headset." He offered almost joking about laying on the couch with her. "My grandpa is still trying to clear his schedule again, but he said he's looking forward to meet him and from what I tell him you seem to have a good head on your shoulders." He added and chuckled when Clare mentioned taffy. "I don't eat taffy either or peanut butter, or popcorn, or certain gummies. Not all get stuck in your teeth. Though I do chew gum during take offs and landing." He admitted. "The funny thing is Kota is absolutely terrified of heights. His twin is too, both of them fainted on the ferries wheel." Mel laughed as she took out her phone and showed Clare a video of the three of them on a ferries wheel and both Kota and Dom fainting when Mel pointed out how high they were. "But this is him in a plane." Mel said showing Clare a video of her entering the cockpit of a plane while Kota was co-piloting. "Kota, how high are we?" Mel asked on the video and it showed Kota glancing at a gauge. "We are approximately 50,000 feet in altitude." He answered and looked at the pilot for correction. "Correct." The pilot said as the two focused out the giant windshield. "Ok, kid. You proved that you can take off on your own, now prove that you can land." The captain said as the video continued. "They allowed me to remain in the cockpit as long as I stayed quiet, but Kota landed perfectly. I laughed historically once we landed and the pilot took over." Mel said honestly. "And she did too, she even showed the pilot the video and he is also terrified of heights and it turns out that most of the pilots I've met after him are terrified of heights too." He added in self defense. "You can try it, they serve it at a tariyaki cart I like. We also have to go to this store it sells vintage office supplies. They have a sharpener Mel would like, its a dolls head, you stick the pencil in the eye and the shavings come out the mouth." He chimed. "Is this the one you were making exclusive MB stuff for?" Mel asked. "Yes, I asked before and was told to bring back product she can use and the price of each untit as well as talk to her supplier so the items don't conflict. I ended up making college lined notebooks. If she agrees to sell them, I'll have to help rearrange her shop to make room. We'll probably stay the night there or somewhere so we have to go after school on a Saturday. Someone there normally supplies the food and I usually help out with breakfast since there are literally no hotels in the city. I met a college student that was an English major so she helped me communicate a lot rather than relying on my phone. She also allowed me stay at her single dorm room while she stayed with her boyfriend." He explained. "Wait, they go to school on Saturdays in Japan?" Mel exclaimed. "Yes, only till 3. We have half a day, normally we get done school at 6. The shop opens at 6:30pm to 11:30pm, Saturday's it's open from 3:30 to midnight and Sunday's it's open from whenever Satchi opens it till midnight." Kota added. "Does it even get business?" Mel asked. "Yes, it's in a small town and is one of the only shops that still sells origami paper, fountain pens, and office supplies like that." he answered and looked at Clare when she mentioned the party. "I agree and thank you for not saying anything." he smiled and listened to her questions. "It's got some room. I mean there's only 6 of us going so far and honestly, it's not too late for Simpson to tell me he's adding someone to the list because the school in Japan has room for 12 of us and there are still families willing to house kids." he said honestly and looked at her. "It's 14 hours, but don't worry there's a working TV, video games, movies, dvds, and wifi." he explained and chuckled when she started to ask questions about him flying. "If it wasn't safe, I wouldn't be flying. Yes, my instructor will be piloting. I just need hours as a co-pilot before I can get my license and fly on my own. I have 400 hours of flying experience and looked at her when she mentioned Simpson looking the other way. "Well, if the police start investigating more he'll be unable to leave the country." Kota shrugged and followed her as she got food, he watched as she ordered and added fries to the order and paid for it before walking over and getting a pizza for himself along with a drink, then headed to the table to sit next to Clare. "Where is Alli meeting you?" he asked curiously as he started to put the fries on his cheese pizza.

#ou

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