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#also side note the way I draw Adam changed at some point and I don’t know why- /lh
shmorp-mcdurgen · 8 months
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Type three: lycanthrope
Made a funny lil thing relating to the monster au-
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ptergwen · 3 years
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you know that one scene in ffh when people keep knocking on the door while fury is trying to speak to peter? could you maybe do something like that but instead it’s peter and stark reader wanting some alone time (you can make it smut or fluff idm!) also, i am so in love with your work it’s amazing :)❣️
knock before you enter
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w/c: 1.3k
warnings: implied smut, dirty jokes, swearing
a/n: i went a lil overboard because i was having too much fun :,) and i kinda combined the two i hope that’s okay!
-
you let out a breath of relief as peter finally presses his lips to yours. he grins at that, his hands continuing to roam your body while you kiss. it’s a needy kiss, one you’ve been waiting the whole day to share.
you’d thought europe of all places would give you the opportunity to explore each other more. you’re away from your overbearing father, you don’t have team responsibilities. there was one mishap with a water monster nearly destroying the city. you both managed to fight it off together. tony was right to make you bring your suit, and may encouraged her nephew to do the same. the stark’s and parker’s think alike.
most of the pestering you’ve faced this trip has come from your teachers and fellow classmates. whether it’s mr. dell assigning work or flash trying to film you two for a livestream, you and peter can’t get a moment alone. that’s about to change. you’re in peter’s hotel room after a fun yet highly supervised day in venice.
most kids are getting ready for bed, at mr. harrington’s request. he’s adamant on everyone having a good night sleep before the walking tour you’re taking tomorrow. you and peter plan to do everything but sleep, however.
“you taste like toothpaste,” peter mumbles against your mouth, arms winding around your back. “is that a good or bad thing?” you giggle and tug at his undone curls. that elicits a high pitched whine from him. “depends on who you ask. me personally, i think it’s sexy.” he’s laying over you on his bed, your fingers tangling in his locks. “open up, then,” you practically purr. peter happily obliges and resumes his kissing.
right when his tongue glides over your lower lip, there’s a knock on the wall.
“i thought you said ned wouldn’t be back…” your words trail off when peter starts to kiss down your neck. “for a while,” you add, softer. “he won’t. last time i checked, he was with betty,” peter replies and effortlessly finds your sweet spot. he nudges it with his nose, making a smile spread across your face. “ok, keep going,” you pull on the roots of his hair gently. peter pecks at your lips. “gotcha, baby.”
he’s kissing his way back to your sweet spot when there’s more knocking, this time much louder. with quirked eyebrows, peter detaches his lips from your skin. “um… hello?” he hesitantly answers. “finally. i was ready to come kick down your door, you idiot,” mj speaks through the thin wall. you squeeze your eyes shut in annoyance, not saying anything. “what do you want, mj? it’s late,” peter sighs back.
“so what? i know you’re not sleeping,” mj insists, leaning against the wall. “i can hear everything. hey, y/n.” peter’s face tints a light shade of pink. you make wide eyes up at him. “hi, i guess. you good over there?” her lips form a line. “i was until the horrendous sounds of parker clapping your cheeks disturbed my reading.” peter grips at your waist with a pout.
“what? we weren’t- i- i didn’t-“ “spare me the details,” mj sharply cuts in, opening whatever mystery novel she recently bought. “i don’t care what you do, as long as you do it quietly. deal?” seeing as peter is too flustered to speak, you take over again. “yeah, sorry. we’ll tone it down. goodnight, em.” “ciao,” she says before returning to her book.
peter shakes his head, fully burying his face in your neck. “that was embarrassing. she’s so…” “nosy,” you finish for him. your fingers brush back some hair that flopped over his forehead. “at least she’s not telling on us or whatever.” he puffs air out of his cheeks, placing a kiss under your chin. “true. you wanna pick up where we left off?” “ugh, yes,” you instantly groan.
your lips are colliding with peter’s again, just like that. it isn’t for too long. his hands settle on your stomach and under your shorts, then you hear someone banging on the door. they talk before either you or peter can tell them to fuck off.
“y/n, is that you?” brad questions, your face twisting in confusion. “uh, yeah. how’d you know?” peter bites the inside of his cheek while brad converses. “i stopped by your room. betty said you might be here… with him.” the him in question is peter, who chuckles bitterly. “what’s up, buddy? we’re kind of in the middle of something. i’m sure you knew that, too.”
“i didn’t, but thanks for sharing,” brad sarcastically responds. “y/n said she’d give me her notes on one of the da vinci exhibits.” peter cocks his head to the side. “she did?” he wonders, looking over at you. “you did?” “it was either that or help him myself,” you explain and drag your fingers along the back of his neck soothingly. “the kid doesn’t leave me alone.”
peter nods, wrapping a protective arm around your middle. “she’ll give you them tomorrow, brad. isn’t it past your bedtime?” “point taken,” brad scoffs and heads back to his room. you draw peter in closer to you. “thanks, pete. hopefully, that’ll be our last guest for the night.” he kisses both your cheeks with a grin. “where were we, mio amore?”
“ooh, i love it when you speak italian,” you giggle, peter cupping your face in his hands.“grazie, bellissima.” he winks and earns a puzzled face from you. “bellissima?” “that means beautiful.” instead of responding with words, you use your mouth to move on his. peter happily kisses back and lets your tongues intertwine. things quickly heat up, peter slipping your shorts down your legs and you lifting his pajama shirt.
you’re both only half undressed and running off broken up kisses, but so desperate. you part your legs for peter, his fingers hooking in the waistband of your panties. “think you can keep your oath of silence?” he teases and nips at your covered collarbone. “the real question is, can you?” you challenge. peter doesn’t get the chance to answer because the door suddenly flies open.
there stands ned, his mouth agape at the sight of a shirtless peter undressing you. you’re the first to notice. you see over peter’s shoulder and gasp. concern covers his features. “what is it, baby? do you want-“ “ned!” you whisper yell. his concern becomes shock. “you want ned?” “no, peter! he’s right there!” teeth sinking into your lip, you point behind him. peter looks and surely enough, there’s his best friend rendered speechless in the doorway.
“dude, what the hell are you doing here?” peter squeaks, you grabbing your shorts from next to you. he turns around to shield you while you put them back on. “aren’t you supposed to be with betty?” “we, um, finished,” ned gulps in response. “finished what- oh.” peter scratches the back of his neck as it hits him. “yuck, ned. a gentleman never tells.” “says you! this is my room too, you know,” he defends himself, you moving out from behind peter.
“and betty’s room is also mine. consider us even,” you hand peter his t-shirt with a satisfied smirk. he murmurs a thank you and throws it back on. ned uncomfortably shifts from foot to foot in the doorway. “that’s fair… are you leaving now?” “i should before mr. harrington makes his rounds,” you reluctantly decide. “i liked it better when people actually knocked,” peter says under his breath, standing to give you a goodnight hug.
“it’s not even this bad at home. i’ll take my dad and friday spying on us over a walk of shame any day,” you exhale as peter pulls you into his chest. hugging back by his torso, you give him an innocent kiss on the cheek. his lips brush your forehead. “maybe we’ll have better luck tomorrow. should we try again, same time?” a familiar and irritated voice yells through the wall. mj.
“please god, no!”
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fallinglikemagic · 3 years
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Penny Polendina alludes to Astro Boy - and how this allusion foreshadows Penny’s eventual resurrection
Some of you may remember my first post in which I compared Penny and Astro Boy, with a specific focus on the version of Astro from the 2009 3D animated film (if not, you can read it here, but I'll be repeating everything stated there anyway). In the month or two since I first made that post, more and more parallels have start to pop up, with one of those parallels matching one of our most popular theories and foreshadowing Penny's upcoming resurrection.
In order to write this, I went through and watched the entire film, taking notes as I went. I'm not going to include every single detail that I noticed, only the things that seem the most relevant and can be put together in a single post in a comprehensive manner. Believe me when I say that I've thought about this a lot, and the sheer amount of parallels and connections (and the fact that I'm not the only one to notice these connections) has lead me to believe that this has been done intentionally. 
With that being said, I'm only going to focus on the Astro Boy film from 2009 - the Astro Boy franchise is massive, going back to the first manga coming out in 1952 with a few different adaptations and reboots with different versions of the story, and I just don't have the time to go through all of those. As such, I'm going to be focusing on the movie, due to the fact that it has the highest amount of parallels to both Penny specifically, and RWBY as a whole.
So, let's get into this.
Worldbuilding
Metro City and the Surface - Atlas and Mantle
One of the reasons I've decided to focus on the film in particular is due to the nature of the film's setting. Astro Boy (2009) takes place in two locations - Metro City, and the Surface.
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According to the opening of the film, Metro City was created when the people who would become the founders of the city noticed the world changing for the worse, and responded by taking part of the land and lifting it into the sky, creating a floating city - the opening voiceover refers to it as "an oasis, a floating paradise". Everybody else is left behind on what is referred to as the Surface, left to fend for themselves while the people of Metro City largely ignore their existence.
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The parallels to Atlas and Mantle are crystal clear. Atlas and Metro City are both set up as a beautiful city above the clouds, meant to serve as an inspiration for the rest of the world. In reality, it's a place where the rich and privileged can live in comfort while shunning the poor. Meanwhile, down in Mantle/on the Surface, people are suffering and struggling to get by. Additionally, both 'surface' and 'mantle' are words that are associated with the ground.
The Blue Core (and the Red Core) - Penny's soul and Maiden powers.
Another concept that is (as far as my research shows at least) unique to the film is the Blue Core and the Red Core.
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The Blue Core is a small sphere that is filled with pure positive energy, referred to as Blue Core Energy. It was created by Dr. Elefun, made from the fragments of a star that no longer exists - meaning that the Blue Core is all that's left, and cannot be recreated. This is reminiscent of how Pietro has no more aura left to spare, and thus is unable to give any more of his soul to Penny like he did the first time she died. In this allusion, the Blue Core is representative of Penny's soul and the power of the Winter Maiden.
When the Blue Core was created, there was also a byproduct - the Red Core. Essentially, it's the same thing as the Blue Core, but with negative energy instead of positive. If the Blue Core and the Red Core make contact, they both die - this is relevant later.
You could compare the Red Core to Watts’ virus, due to the way that it causes a robot to have red eyes and that it coming into contact with the Blue Core destroys them both.
Character Parallels
Before I get into this properly, I wanna give a quick side note. While Astro matches up to Penny perfectly, things get a little bit messier with the others in that we have a case of characters taking on multiple roles. However, this is far from unheard of in RWBY - let's not forget about how Blake represents both Belle and the Beast, Yang is sometimes the Beast to Blake's Belle, and Adam is an amalgamation of every antagonistic force in Beauty and the Beast. It's far from uncommon for a character to allude to multiple characters from the same allusion, or vice versa, which is what we see with some of the characters in this allusion as well.
Astro - Penny Polendina
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Unsurprisingly, Astro himself is our parallel to Penny.
After the death of his son Toby, Dr. Tenma rebuilds his son as a robot, using the Blue Core as his energy source. The Blue Core is stated to be unpredictable, and it's this that makes Astro who he is, what makes him unique from every other robot. As stated earlier, the Blue Core represents Penny's soul (and the Winter Maiden powers that are attached to it). When the Blue Core dies - and Astro dies with it - and Dr. Elefun is asked if he can be rebuilt, the answer is 'no' because the Core was unique and can't be remade - just like Penny's soul.
While Astro appears perfectly human on the surface, he's fitted with as much self-defence technology as Tenma could fit in him. The most iconic of these upgrades (and the only one that's consistent across every single version of Astro throughout the franchise) is the rocket boots. He even flies in a very similar way to Penny - pay attention to the posing, especially with the legs.
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When Astro starts making friends with humans on the Surface, he conceals the fact that he's a robot, afraid of what they'll think of him when they learn he's not human. This matches up to Penny initially hiding the fact that she's not human, seeing herself as 'not a real girl'.
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Astro has two father figures - Dr. Elefun and Dr. Tenma. Similarly, Penny has two father figures - Pietro and Ironwood.
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During the climax of the film, Metro City starts to fall out of the sky and back down to the Surface. This is a parallel to two seperate moments in RWBY. The most obvious one is when Atlas is falling onto Mantle after the Staff of Creation is used. However, I think this scene more closely resembles the scene from Amity in which Amity Tower begins to fall.
When Astro sees that Metro City is falling, he immediately flies in to hold it up, despite the incredible strain it puts on him. This is a direct parallel to how Penny flew in to hold up Amity Tower.
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Astro pushes himself to the limit when he holds up Metro City, to the point where the flames from his boots burn so brightly that they turn blue - oh hey, doesn't that look familiar?
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Astro also demonstrates self-sacrificial tendencies at a few points in the film. When he's captured in order to have his Blue Core taken out and placed into another robot, he simply accepts it, saying that "I think maybe this is what's supposed to happen...this is my destiny". This becomes a lot more interesting when you remember that the Blue Core is representative of Penny's soul and Maiden powers. Astro giving himself up to President Stone (the film's main antagonist who later ends up in a sort of 'fusion' with the Red Core) so that Stone can use the Blue Core could be a reference to the virus making Penny want to give herself up to Ironwood so that he can use her soul to open the vault - especially if we believe that the Red Core is connected to the virus in some way.
Near the end of the film, in the fight against the fusion of President Stone and a giant robot containing the Red Core (it's a long story, I'll get to it later in the post), Astro makes the decision to sacrifice his own life in order to destroy both the Red Core and the Blue Core, saying “this is what I was created for” and saving the lives of everybody else in the process. I doubt I need to explain how "choosing to die in order to protect other people" relates back to Penny in Volume 8.
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At the end of the film, and in the rest of the Astro Boy franchise as a whole, Astro takes it upon himself to be the protector of Metro City (and technically the Surface, but since Metro City has fallen, they're not exactly seperate locations anymore...). 'Robotic guardian of a city who's seen as a hero by the people' - you don't get much more obvious of a connection to the Protector of Mantle than that.
Additional details that may not be intentional but I still noticed anyway;
- Dr. Elefun describes as Astro by saying "That robot had more humanity than most of us". At this point, there's been many moments that affirm Penny's humanity - "You have an aura, Penny. A soul. That's who you are - our friend. Not a machine", "Her soul is who she is", the fact that she was able to receive the Maiden powers, all of these moments affirm that Penny has always been just as human as anybody else. This is also contrasted against Ironwood (and, for a while, Winter), who act more machine than human.
- Astro is actually rather heavily trans-coded. Penny is also trans-coded, but this is mostly likely a coincidence that happened as a result of the inherent transness of robots
- Elefun tells Astro that he's "not actually an entirely ordinary boy", which is reminiscent of Ruby describing Penny as "she's...not your typical girl."
- The shape of Penny's bow (the way that it sticks out more on one side while the other side is more vertical) looks similar to the shape of Astro's hair (this one was pointed out to me by @cosmokyrin​ when I mentioned this theory in the Frosen Steel server)
Dr. Elefun - Pietro Polendina
Dr. Elefun is one of Metro City's top scientists, and one of Astro's father figures. He is soft-spoken and gentle, a dreamer but a genius. In terms of personality alone, he's a pretty good match with Pietro. He's also the one who created the Blue Core, which draws a direct parallel to Pietro creating Penny's soul from part of his.
Dr. Elefun is the first person to truly see Astro as who he truly is. Dr. Tenma expects Astro to be a replacement for Toby, and is disappointed when he isn't. Similarly, everybody else sees Astro as a robot just like any other at first - an advanced robot, but nothing more than a robot. But Dr. Elefun gives him genuine praise, and encourages Astro to live his life and find his place in the world, just like how Pietro tells Penny that he wants to see her live her life.
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It's also worth noting that in most other versions of Astro Boy, Elefun takes the role of Astro's primary caregiver after Dr. Tenma no longer wants him.
President Stone - James Ironwood
President Stone is the current political leader of Metro City. For the entire film, his entire focus is on combat and military strength, and on multiple occasions he actively expresses his intention to start a war with the Surface. He believes that the best way to get re-elected is with a show of military force and violence.
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His primary goal throughout the film is to have Astro destroyed in order to retrieve the Blue Core and use it for his own gain. This is a direct parallel to Ironwood's goal in Volume 8 - to hunt down Penny and have her use her Maiden power to open the vault, and destroy herself.
Stone wants to use the Blue Core in order to power a specialised combat robot, ironically called the Peacekeeper. When Astro continues to escape his clutches, he decides to use the Red Core to power the Peacekeeper instead, but it doesn't completely go as planned. The Peacekeeper is equipped with what the film calls 'adaptive technology' - it's capable of absorbing anything it makes contact with into its own body.
And I do mean anything
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After Stone is absorbed by the Peacekeeper, he's in full control of it - essentially the Peacekeeper is nothing more than a metal outer shell. President Stone has become a fusion of man and machine.
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Dr. Tenma - both Pietro Polendina AND James Ironwood (a bit more Pietro than Ironwood but it's worth acknowledging both)
You might notice that while Elefun and Stone do have plenty of references to Pietro and Ironwood respectively, there are gaps where they don't cover every aspect of these characters and/or their dynamic with Penny. This is where Dr. Tenma comes in.
Dr. Tenma is Astro's dad, and the one who built him. He originally created Astro as a sort of 'replacement' for his biological son Toby after he died, giving Astro all of Toby's memories (more on this later). Naturally, this is a very clear connection to Pietro.
Additionally, Dr. Tenma uses the Blue Core - a completely unique, one-of-a-kind technological marvel - in order to power a single small robot that's intended to be nothing more than a replacement for his son, saying "I can't lose him again!". In this moment, Dr. Tenma is so focused on not losing his child that he doesn't acknowledge the big picture.
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However, once Dr. Tenma realises that Astro isn't a perfect replica of Toby, but rather his own person, Tenma discards him, not caring if Astro gets destroyed or not. Similarly, when Penny stopped doing what Ironwood wanted her to do, Ironwood stopped caring about her as anything more than a container for the Maiden powers and is perfectly willing to let her die once the vault is opened.
Luckily, Dr. Tenma does have a change of heart, deciding that while Astro isn't Toby, he's still his son. Near the end of the film, Astro is very injured, and Dr. Tenma encourages him to get far away from the danger. However, Astro refuses to back down, instead choosing to sacrifice his life in order to stop President Stone, despite Dr. Tenma begging him not to go. Here, we have yet another parallel to this moment in Amity.
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Bonus (aka characters that aren't perfect allusions, but connections do exist)
When Astro ends up on the Surface, he's taken in by a man who calls himself Hamegg. Hamegg ends up being a jerk, and while his personality and actions in the film don't particularly match up with any characters in RWBY, his backstory is a perfect match to Watts - a head scientist in Metro City who was shunned and fired for reasons unknown (Hamegg claims that they were 'intimated by his ideas and talent', but this was when he was trying to impress Astro and he lies a lot anyway, so this could be a complete lie).
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On the Surface, Astro befriends four human kids (Cora, Zane, Sludge and Widget) and their robotic dog, Trashcan. While the personalities don't really match up (though Cora, Astro's closest friend, does bear a visual resemblance to Ruby), the idea of a 4-person group + a dog could be a parallel to Team RWBY and Zwei.
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Zog is a very old, very large robot that had been 'dead' for several years until Astro found him and revived him by giving him some of his Blue Core Energy. Zog is our allusion to Winter - Astro giving Zog some of his Blue Core energy is a parallel to Penny giving Winter the Maiden powers. Additionally, in The Final Word, Winter explicitly calls herself a machine. While this does have significance on it's own, it could also be a nod to this allusion. That being said, the main connection between Winter and Zog (and possibly the most important part of this post) is based on events that have yet to happen in RWBY canon, and so I'm saving that part for the end of the post.
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Story Parallels 
Toby's Death
Toby Tenma, Dr. Tenma's biological son, was very similar to Astro in terms of personality (with some key differences), as well as having a strong physical resemblance.
When the Blue Core and the Red Core were first being shown off to President Stone, Toby was accidentally locked behind a sealed off barrier, trapped with the Peacekeeper containing the Red Core. Toby was killed in a blast that completely disintegrated him, leaving nothing but a hat containing a single strand of hair.
This hair is important, because Dr. Tenma used this hair in order to extract Toby's DNA and memories, which he was then able to implant into Astro in order to make him resemble Toby.
This scene is most likely a parallel to Penny's first death in the Vytal Festival. In her first death, Penny's body was destroyed, but her core remained intact. Her core, which contained all of her memories, was the key piece in properly putting her back together without erasing who she used to be. The strand of hair containing Toby's DNA is representative of Penny's core containing her memories.
Additionally, there's the fact that when Toby was rebuilt as Astro, he was given various upgrades to allow him to better hold his own in a fight, with the most obvious behind the ability to fly via rocket boots. Penny received similar upgrades when she was rebuilt as well.
It's worth acknowledging that Toby's death could potentially parallel the moment that Ambrosius separated Penny from her robotic body, with the strand of hair instead being her soul, separated from her dying body and then disintegrating. However, due to the timeline and order of events, I think that Toby's death is more likely to be a parallel to Penny's first death, and her separation from her robot body is instead a parallel to the next scene I'm about to mention.
Momentary Death
When Astro is captured by President Stone and taken back to Metro City, Dr. Tenma actually does remove the Blue Core from his body, which does cause Astro to temporarily die.
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Luckily, it only takes a few moments for Dr. Tenma to change his mind and return the Blue Core to Astro, reviving him.
Astro's 'soul' was removed from his body, causing that robotic body to die, even though in the end Astro does survive it. This is reminiscent of Ambrosius removing Penny's soul from her robotic body, letting that body die, while Penny survives.
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Zog
I briefly went over Zog earlier, but I wanna go into more in-depth about him, because the parallels between Winter and Zog and the implications of said parallels are the main reason I ultimately decided to make this post.
As I said earlier, Zog is a very old, broken down robot that nobody has been able to revive in years. When Astro finds him, he brings him back to life by giving him some of his Blue Core Energy. Astro essentially gives Zog some of his lifeforce, a part of his soul.
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Winter was on the verge of death at Ironwood's hands, but Penny was able to save her by giving her the Maiden powers, and her soul with them.
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However, Zog doesn't keep all of the Blue Core Energy Astro gave him all to himself...
Resurrection
As I've mentioned a few times in this post, Astro does die - and I mean properly die, not a death that lasted 2 minutes at the most and had no consequences. Astro sacrifices himself and his Blue Core dies, all in attempts to protect the people of Metro City/the Surface and his friends. Dr. Elefun says that he can't be rebuilt because his Blue Core, his soul, was unique.
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But then, Zog comes around. Zog, who is holding onto what is a part of Astro's soul - the only surviving part of Astro's soul. Zog returns some of the Blue Core Energy to Astro, which brings Astro back to life.
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So, to recap: Astro gives a part of his lifeforce, part of his soul, to Zog. When Astro dies, Zog gives some of that soul back to Astro in order to revive him.
If you've been looking at the theories regarding Penny and Winter recently, this will sound VERY familiar. While the specifics vary, the essentials of the most popular theory is that Penny transferred her soul to Winter to hold on to along with the Maiden powers, and that somehow, Winter will return that soul to Penny in one way or another (either by putting her into another robotic body, or just somehow extracting her soul and letting it form it's own body again). The fact that this movie has these exact events occurring makes this seem more and more like the most likely route.
If Penny really is an intentional allusion to Astro Boy - which, based on the sheer length of this post, seems pretty damn likely - then the film practically spells it out for us. Winter will give part of her aura, the part that Penny gave her, in order to bring Penny back to life.
thank you for coming to my ted talk
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alpacaparkaseok · 3 years
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The Pact - Date #7
Pairing/Genre: OT7 BTS x reader (not poly), idol!BTS, best friend BTS
Word Count: 7.2k
Premise: The truth about the pact the boys have about you has been revealed. What happens when you agree to go on a single date with each of them?
Warnings: a bit of talking down on yourself, the confusion continues, general fluff with a touch of angst 
a/n: this is the final date. guys...how is this going by so fast?? please let me know your thoughts on the date, on everything else overall...and I’ll see you soon? Next Saturday is the finale!
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Date #7
series masterlist ∆∆∆ join the taglist
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Note from the creator of this stupid idea:
I loved her first.
 “Who do you think it was? Any ideas?”
           “I…” you shrug. “No?”
           Gina arches a brow, staring you down from across your kitchen table. “So, that was a lie.”
           You can’t stop the laugh that bubbles up from your chest, Gina also chuckling. It’s a relief, the fact that she doesn’t hesitate to call you out. You’re grateful that you finagled her number from Jin, shooting him a text that looked a lot like this:
Me: Burn this after reading
Me: We can’t have any evidence !!
Kim Seokjinnie: ok, hi. I’m not burning my phone weirdo. I’ll just keep it away from Jungkook. What’s up??
Me: Hi. You know what I meant.
Me: Can you give me Gina’s number?
Kim Seokjinnie: Sure, I’ll send you the contact in a second. You two gonna hang out or something?
Me: Hopefully…do you think it’s weird if I just ask her out of the blue? Will she not wanna come?
Kim Seokjinnie: Nah, she’s pretty chill. I bet she’ll come
Kim Seokjinnie: *Kim Seokjinnie shared a contact with you*
Kim Seokjinnie: do you need anything before I burn my phone?
Me: no, thank you!! I owe you one. I’m short on friends rn, hopefully she’ll come over
Kim Seokjinnie: I’m sorry  miss you. We’ll all get to hang out once this is all over, I promise.
“Yah! I really don’t know. I mean they’ve all be so…”
“So what?”
You sigh, sounding like some kid in a dreamy teen movie. “Perfect?”
“There’s no such thing,” Gina huffs, leaning back in her chair. It’s a bit rickety, you’d found it at a yard sale with Namjoon and Jimin. You had just moved into your apartment, and realized that you were a little low on furniture. Together, you’d managed to find three mismatching chairs that made you grin each time you saw them.
It was a little odd at the time, you didn’t want to buy three chairs. Two seemed like plenty. They convinced you though, and looking back you understand why they were so adamant.
Wasn’t it rule #3? “Limit one-on-one interaction”? Three chairs made it so that there was always space for at least two of them.
Suddenly you look at the most average things in your house with different eyes.
Groaning, you rub your hands over your face. You’ve probably smudged your makeup, but you don’t care. It’s Friday night, you can do whatever you want.
“Unfortunately, I really think that there might be.” You let out a dry chuckle. “Seven dates with the world’s most perfect men. I knew I was screwed from the beginning, but this, I mean, I didn’t expect it to go this far.”
“On the bright side, you only have one more to go.” Gina gets up, stretching before moving to put her plate in the sink. She’d picked up some takeout on her way to your house, proving to you that you two are going to be friends for a long, long time.
“I’m terrified because of that. What happens after tomorrow’s date? I know it’s up to me, but I feel like I’m waiting for someone to come tell me the next step.”
Gina hums in agreement, shooting you an apologetic look. “Maybe I shouldn’t have pointed out how flirty they were at the haunted house. You never would have gotten into this mess.”
“No,” you wave her off. “It’s not your fault. Jungkook let it slip anyway, after the door closed on us in the basement. Ugh, I still get freaked out thinking about that. Has that happened since?”
Gina pauses over the sink, back turned to you as she runs her plate under the hot water. After a moment she shuts it off, turning around to wipe her hands off on a dish towel before leaning up against the counter.
“Erm…”
Your stomach drops. “What.”
“It’s just…” she crosses her arms and uncrosses them, unsure of what to do with her hands. “The door is connected to a little button on every employee’s key fob. You know, just for some extra scare factor.”
You meet her sheepish gaze with a blank stare. “So you’re telling me…”
“It’s just a part of the tour,” Gina shrugs. “Wait, what happened? He told you about the pact when the door closed? That’s…that’s honestly not the most romantic setting-”
“No no, we had a little moment after the door closed, and we almost kissed. But he stopped himself and said the I didn’t have to worry about him making a move. When we got out, I asked him why, and that’s when he mentioned the pact.”
“Huh.”
“Yeah.”
“So tomorrow is the last date, correct?”
           “Yup.”
           “Look,” Gina notices your worried expression. “Do yourself a favor. Let go. Don’t waste tomorrow thinking about what’s gonna happen next. Focus on the moment, ok? Then how about we get together next week sometime to talk everything over? If you feel like that might help, that is.”
           You definitely made the right choice in inviting Gina over. You can already feel your stress levels going down.
           “Ok.”
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           You’re up early the next morning, earlier than you’d like. You’re not sure how long you’ve been sitting on your sofa, basking in the golden morning sun and watching the little dust motes float in the air, but it’s certainly been a while.
           For once, it’s quiet in your mind. You’re not sure why now, why today. There’s no doubt you’ll be your typical bumbling mess once Yoongi picks you up, but for now all is peaceful.
           It’s the last date. Somehow, despite how much you’ve enjoyed these little escapades, you feel relief at the thought. Knowing that you’ve made it nearly to the end without doing anything remarkably stupid (you’re still mortified that you and Jimin got kicked out of that basilica but oh well), and now you’re so close.  
           For now, you slide your worries under the rug, to be left there for the weekend. You curl your legs under you and lean your head back against the cushions to drink in the sunlight. It warms your skin, leaving you feeling even better than before.
           Yoongi is supposed to be here around four. Jungkook had sent you a quick text earlier in the week checking that you didn’t have any plans for Saturday afternoon and night. You didn’t bother to tell him that you always had all day open for them.
           While the exchange had been short, you couldn’t help but wonder if he was blushing just as much as you when his contact popped up on your screen. In an instant you were plunged into the memory of clinging to him just outside your front door, Jungkook’s shaky breaths the only thing keeping you planted in reality.
           Either way, it was safe to say that you were a blushing mess despite the simplicity of the text. He kept it strictly professional, not once alluding to the events of last Saturday. But you could still hear those words he uttered when he asked if you ever thought about what might have happened if he’d kissed you in the haunted house when he had the chance.
           “I do. Every day.”
           Of course you thought about it. You let out an amused huff on the couch, laughing to yourself. Who wouldn’t? But the only thing was the fact that you were thinking about a lot of things. Not just Jungkook.
           Or his lips, for that matter.
           The couch rustles as you get up, deciding to change out of your red sweatshirt for a green one. You’d been instructed to dress warm, which made you wonder what was planned for today. Outside everything looks warm and pleasant, certainly no need for anything too heavy.
           By the time afternoon rolls around, you’re tempted to call up Gina for a late lunch or something. To say you’re antsy is an understatement; you’re positively losing it. The clock on the wall has decided to try its hand at stopping time altogether, and you think it’s doing a pretty good job of it. Every time you glace over, seemingly no time has passed.
           This time, you really start to wonder if no time has passed. You swear it’s been stuck at 3 o’clock for a while-
           The sound of someone knocking on your door has you nearly tipping over from where you perch trying to grab the clock.
           For some stupid reason, you’re frozen to your spot at the far end of your living room. Holding the clock in your hands, you jump a little as a second tentative knock sounds.
           To your utter mortification, your mouth opens and you yell out, “Come in!”
           You’re still frozen in place when the door opens and Yoongi pokes his head in. His eyes immediately land on you, a sheepish smile that he has a hard time containing immediately breaking out.
           “You’re not planning on throwing that at me, right?” He asks, making you glare down at the clock you cling to.
           “Oh.” Your knuckles have turned white, and somehow your heart has decided to try its hand at sprinting a marathon. “No. I- it’s broken. I think.”
           Yoongi shuffles inside, closing the door gently behind him before wandering over to you. His pale complexion makes the pink on his cheeks easy to spot. Somehow the fact that he’s blushing makes you blush.
           “Do you have batteries around here?” He asks quietly, hiding his amusement.
           “Maybe in the kitchen?” You brush past him, handing off the clock. “Would you mind getting the old batteries out?”
           He mumbles out a sure, plopping down on your sofa while he gets to work on the clock. He’s wearing a similar outfit to you, which makes you smile. It’s not very often these days that he sports a bandana and you wonder if he somehow knew that you love the way he looks in it. His hair looks particularly fluffy as it kisses his forehead, the dark bandana giving him an air of coolness you know you could never pull off.
           Rummaging around your kitchen drawers, you pause when you realize what you’re doing. Are you stalling? What’s the rush to fix a clock when you have Min Yoongi in the other room waiting to take you out?
           Closing the drawer, you take a deep breath and shake your head.
           “Sorry Yoongi,” you call out, trudging back into the living room. “I’m an idiot.”
           He looks at you over his shoulder, a smirk tugging at his lips. “What’s your reasoning?”
           “Ouch.”
           Yoongi chuckles, setting the clock down on the coffee table before getting to his feet. “Wow, is it just me or…”
           You wince. “This got off to a bad start, huh.”
           “Yeah.”
           Looking at each other from across the room, you realize just how much you’ve missed him. His witty sarcastic remarks, his honesty.
           Him.
           “Can we start over? Go knock on the door again.”
           Yoongi’s already on his way, huffing out a laugh as he steps outside. “Alright, see you in a second.” The door clicks shut behind him, and you’re suddenly left with the silence of your house.
           As Yoongi timidly knocks on the door, the same sense of calm you experienced this morning settles over you.
           The seventh date. No more guessing who’s on the other side of the door, no more anxious glances in the mirror to check that everything looks flawless. It’s just you, Yoongi, and the door between you.
           There’s already a smile on your face as you open that door, finding Yoongi standing with his hands in his pocket. He returns your grin, feeling like a fellow conspirator in a heist that has yet to be planned.
           “I’m here,” he announces, then adds with a chuckle, “finally.”
           “Took you long enough,” you tease, reaching out to grab his jacket and pull him inside. He feigns a horrified expression at your flirty nature, but you just roll your eyes. You’re not sure who wraps their arms around the other first, but the next thing you know, you’re wrapped up in a tight embrace.
           I missed you, is what you want to say, but the words get caught in your throat. The lump that’s formed there only grows thicker with emotion as Yoongi’s gravelly voice rumbles against your hair.
           “How’re you holding up?”
           Your arms fall around his waist, ever aware of his shoulder. Even though he says he’s completely healed now, you aren’t taking any chances. It’s quiet for a long moment as you struggle to find an answer.
           “I…fine. I’m fine.” You pull away and arch an eyebrow at him, pleased to see that is cheeks are still rosy despite the serious look in his eye. “How are you holding up?”
           He lets out a breathy laugh, dropping your gaze. “Fine.” Then, when he catches your disbelieving stare, he states as innocently as possible, “What? Aren’t we lying to each other tonight?”
           “You suck.”
           “See!” He exclaims as you step out of his grasp to grab your things. “You always do that when you’ve been caught in a lie!”
           “Ugh, yah! I wasn’t lying,” you turn around to face him, walking backward toward your room. “I’m fine, really.”
           He shrugs. “And so am I.”
           You stifle your laughter as you enter your room, grabbing your things and wondering if you should grab a coat. “Do I really need a coat?” You call down the hall.
           “Yes!”
           Pursing your lips, you snatch the puffy monstrosity from your closet before turning to head out. Double checking that you have everything you need; your eyes can’t help but glance at the item sitting atop your dresser.
           You stick your tongue out at it. A few seconds later it’s tucked safely away in your top drawer and you’re heading out into the hallway. Your stomach does an uneasy flip as you recall the words that are practically burned in the backs of your eyelids now.
           I loved her first.
           Yoongi gets up from off the couch, waiting for you beside the door. His dark eyes survey you as you walk toward him. “Good to go?” He asks quietly. Clutching your coat a little tighter to your chest, you nod.
           The two of you head out, locking up your apartment and settling in the car that Yoongi drove over. Before long, you’re out on the highway, speeding toward your destination.
           Which, you’ve just realized, is still a mystery to you.
           “Sooo…” You begin, smiling lazily at Yoongi. You take a moment to admire his hands that are wrapped around the steering wheel. “Where are we going?”
           A smile tugs at his lips, but he manages to contain it as he adopts a serious expression. He glances over at you. “We’re going to see the sea.”
           “We’re…” you stutter, furrowing your brows. “We’re going to see the sea?”
           A breathy chuckle escapes him. “Yeah. But it’s a long drive, so are you down to listen to a murder-mystery with me?”
           “YES.”
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            You’re still pretty sure that it was the nosy maid that did it by the time you arrive at your destination. Two hours, one murder-mystery short audiobook, and several snacks later, the sun is well on its way to the horizon when Yoongi pulls off to a sandy parking lot filled to the brim with cars.
           There’s tons of people mulling about, several of them appear to be young families who smile fondly as their children laugh and play in the sand. There’s a couple of food-trucks that have popped up on the beach, which sport long lines. Yoongi observes them woefully, seeming to come to some sort of understanding with himself before moving to get out of the car.
           “Woah, what’s with all the people? Is this beach always this busy?”
           It’s a beach you’ve never been to before, the pristine sand glowing as the sun makes its way across the sky.
           “Today’s a special occasion,” Yoongi explains, popping the trunk and rummaging around. “We should probably pick out a spot now before all the good ones are taken.”
           You come around to the back of the car to meet him, taking the blanket he extends out to you. Leaving your big coat in the backseat, you hope he doesn’t scold you and tell you to put it on. Right now it’s windy, but fairly warm. No need to look like a living marshmallow just yet.
           Before you can inquire after what the special occasion is, Yoongi passes you a couple of water bottles and begins rattling off instructions.
           “How about I jump in line to buy us some dinner,” the way he says it so casually has your heart skipping a beat for some reason, “and you head down the beach to scout out a decent spot?”
           “But what kind of spot do you mean? Is there a show or something?”
           Yoongi pauses, closing the trunk and running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, something like that. A show. Just find a spot that you like, I’ll come find you with our food, ok?”
           “Ay ay, captain.” You trudge away, hoisting the blanket up higher in your arms as you begin to look for an empty space. The immediate surrounding beach area appears to be pretty packed, which has you marching farther and farther away from the parking lot.
           You grin as a couple of children race past you, giggling as they fly their kites. It’s looks like it’s a little boy and with his younger sister, trying their best to keep their kites afloat in wind. Waving at them, your smile only grows as the boy sheepishly turns away and the girl cheerfully waves back.
           It feels like you walk for years before finding a clearing. You were definitely looking for a semi-secluded spot, not too keen on spending your long-awaited date with Yoongi surrounded by strangers. It doesn’t even occur to you to ask someone what the big deal is about today before you’re laying the blanket out. Not wanting to leave anything unattended just for it to blow away, you decide to just be patient until Yoongi finds you.
           The sand is warm beneath the blanket as you plop down, resting with your face turned toward the sun as you let out a content sigh. Despite the chill of the wind, the sun warms you right up.
           “Why are you alone?”
           Peeking one eye open at the little voice, you’re delighted to see the same little girl from earlier standing a little ways away. She watches you with a meek expression, her kite forgotten at her feet.
           “Oh, I’m not alone,” you explain. “I’m just waiting for my friend to come find me. He went to go get food.”
           “Oh.” The young girl shuffles her feet. “My mommy says that I need to get all my wiggles out before the show.”
           You chuckle. “Really? What show are we watching tonight? Is it Disney?” That would certainly make sense for all of the young families here tonight. Did Yoongi bring you to a beach-front outdoor movie?
           “No, silly!” The girl giggles at your questions. “The sky’s coming to say hello!”
           “What?”
           “That’s what my mommy said. She said, ‘Young-mi get your wiggles out, the sky is coming to say hello soon!’”
           You blink, a little amused by Young-mi’s earnest response. “I see…I didn’t know that the sky was coming to say hello tonight.”
           “Then why are you here?”
           “Oh,” you crane your neck toward the parking lot, but it’s too far away to see Yoongi. “My friend brought me, as a surprise.”
           “Wow,” Young-mi utters in a reverent tone. “Can I meet your friend?”
           “I don’t see why not.”
           With a gleeful shout, Young-mi takes off running, her kite skipping along the ground behind her. She runs toward her family, her mother grinning at the sight before reaching out to pull her into her arms. You watch on with a forgotten smile, wondering for a split second what that would be like.
           If you squint, that could be Yoongi sitting beside Young-mi’s mother, throwing his head back with laughter at something his daughter says to him. Their son crouches in the sand nearby, digging around as though searching for gold.
           Laying down with a soft sigh, you close your eyes and let the little daydream take over. Here, at the beach. Telling your children that this is where you had your first date; laughing as they make disgusted faces when Yoongi plants a loud kiss on your cheek-
           “Did the nosy maid get to you?”
           Yoongi stands above you with arms laden with food. He blocks out the sun, the rays coming around to make him appear like an angel. Judging from the delicious smells radiating from the food he carries, you think he actually might be.
           “Ah, so you agree that you think it was her that murdered Duke Rittington?” Your voice sounds a little croaky, a testament to the fact that you were just dozing a moment ago. Leaning up to ease some of the food from his arms, Yoongi snorts.
           “No. It was obviously the son. Why can’t you see it?”
           Rolling your eyes, you pat a spot next to you on the blankets. Yoongi takes the seat without hesitation. “Because, the son seems like too easy of a suspect. Whereas the maid-”
           The screams of Young-mi as she rushes toward you cut you off. “You have a boyfriend?!”
           “Oh, no.”
           Yoongi leans over, still busy arranging the bags of food – is that a cheeseburger you see? – around the blanket. “Who’s that?” He mumbles.
           “I, uh, made a friend while you were grabbing food,” you explain with a small smile.
           Now Young-mi reaches your blanket, dropping to her knees as she gazes up at Yoongi with wide, innocent eyes. “Hi, my name is Young-mi and I’m four years old. I’m the second tallest in my class.” Young-mi prattles off information, her large eyes never once leaving Yoongi’s face. “Are you her boyfriend? I hope you’re her boyfriend.”
           Yoongi lets out a startled laugh. “You do? Why’s that?”
           “You’re so pretty.”
           Now both of you burst out laughing, Young-mi looking utterly confused at your outburst. Yoongi covers his face with his hands, shaking his head.
           “What? What’s so funny?” Young-mi questions.
           You grin at her. “You think he’s pretty?” The little girl nods enthusiastically. “I do too.”
           Yoongi peers over at you at this comment, an unasked question in his eyes. The pink in his cheeks has intensified, as has your own blush.
           “Aren’t I supposed to be the one complementing you?” He asks under his breath. You shrug.
           “You brought food, so now we’re even.”
           Young-mi lingers a little while longer, asking a few questions and drawing in the sand. Munching down on your cheeseburger, you eye Young-mi’s kite.
           “Do you mind if I try to fly your kite for a second?” The question is out of your mouth before you can fully process it, but Young-mi looks up at you excitedly.
           “Yes!!” She squeals, immediately dragging the little handle over to you. “You have to run really fast, that’s what my mommy told me. Then it’ll fly!”
           Glancing back at Yoongi as you clamber to your feet, you don’t miss the fond smile he wears as he watches the interaction take place. You wave at him, heading off down the beach with Young-mi. Once you’ve walked far enough, you wink down at her.
           “Ok, you run on ahead and I’ll catch up in a few seconds.”
           The girl wastes no time running off, her laughter making you feel lighter than you have in weeks. Once she’s far enough off, you take off after her. She heads straight toward her family, who smile at you as you attempt to get the kite off the ground.
           Sand flies up behind you as you race, and you catch a glimpse of Yoongi with his phone out, recording you with a wide smile on his face. The sun has hit the horizon now, a dizzying array of colors sending your mind into a joyful frenzy. Up ahead, Young-mi has successfully made it to her family and is waiting for you to catch up. She jumps up and down as the kite soars above you, the little pinwheels attached to it spinning around in the wind.
           A bit more energy overtakes you, and you sprint the last few yards toward Young-mi, unable to stop the laugh that jumps out of you. You feel so free, here on the beach. It’s almost like you’re up there flying with the kite-
           “Wait!”
           Someone shouts it, you’re not exactly sure who, but by the time the plea registers in your ears, it’s too late. Foot catching in the hole that Young-mi’s brother had been digging earlier, you feel a twist of pain before tumbling to the ground.
           You cry out, barely managing to catch yourself before faceplanting it. The handle from Young-mi’s kite digs painfully into your hand, but that’s the least of your problems at the moment.
           Young-mi’s family rushes over to you, but before they reach you Yoongi is dropping to your side.
           “Oh,” you pant, “hi Yoongs.”
           “Are you alright?” He’s also panting, and you wonder if he had begun running after you before you even fell, foreseeing your path. “Your foot…”
           “I am so sorry!” Young-mi’s mother stoops down on your other side, her husband right behind her. “We completely forgot that Doyun even dug that hole! Can you move? Are you in pain?”
           From where you’re laying belly-down on the sand, you can’t help but feel the burn of embarrassment in your cheeks. “I…move? Yeah, I can – ah never mind.” You wince as you attempt to get to your feet only for the dull ache in your right foot to flare up to a fiery red pain. Yoongi immediately reaches out for you, unsure of what to do. His hands ghost over your leg, but retract when you hiss in pain.
           “Here, my husband-” Young-mi’s mother points over her shoulder to the man in question. “He’s a nurse. Honey, could you…?”
           “Do you mind if I take a look at your ankle?” The man asks in a gentle voice. “Just to make sure nothing’s broken.”
           With a nod, you allow both him and Yoongi to help you swivel around to sit the correct way, the blush you already have deepening even more when Yoongi takes up a spot at your back. He gently pushes your shoulders back until you’re leaning into his chest, his arms coming to wrap around you in a protective manner.
           When you wince as the man delicately presses down on your already swollen ankle, Yoongi begins talking.
           “So, is it just me, or has this entire night been a disaster?”
           You let out a choked laugh. “No, Yoongs. Well, maybe it has, but it’s all my fault. I can’t believe I fell, how embarrassing…”
           “Oh, are you two out on a date? Er, sorry for prying…”
           Both you and Yoongi awkwardly chuckle. “No, no…um, yeah. We are.”
           “It’s our first date, actually,” Yoongi adds as an afterthought.
           “How exciting! Honey, it’s their first date, did you hear that?”
           The man currently inspecting your ankle spares the two of you a kindly glance. “Good for you two. You make a good looking couple.”
           “But I swear I’ve seen you before,” the mother comments, squinting at Yoongi. “Where do I know you from…”
           You can feel Yoongi tense up behind you, but he doesn’t say anything yet. Instead he takes to finding your hands (which you’ve slipped into your sweatshirt pocket to avoid accidentally punching the man poking and prodding at your foot), eventually curling his hands around yours and steadily unclenching your fists.
           “Oh! I know it! Do you do commercials?”
           Yoongi lets out an audible sigh of relief, which makes you smile for half a second before a particularly hard prod at your ankle sends you into a tailspin.
           “Yeah, I’ve done a few commercials.”
           “I knew it. How’s it looking, honey?”
           Her husband sits back on his heels, giving you a nod. “Nothing appears to be broken, you just twisted it pretty good. Babe, grab that icepack out of the cooler. You should keep ice on it for a while to counter the swelling.”
           A second later you’re handing a little bag of ice. “I don’t wanna take your ice,” you comment lamely. Yoongi chuckles in your ear, pulling back from you and standing.
           “It’s just a disposable pack we used for the cooler,” the mother explains, waving off your concern. “No need to worry. We’ve got plenty more. Now, go enjoy your date!”
           “Yeah, try your best to have fun. And keep ice on that, on and off for the next couple of days. It shouldn’t give you too much trouble after that.” With a wink toward Yoongi, your temporary nurse gives him a little nudge. “You seem like a good man. I think you’re in good hands here, miss.”
           Young-mi bids you a mournful goodbye as you limp away with Yoongi, quickly coming to find that sand isn’t the kindest to people hopping around on one leg. You’ve made it all of four hops while clinging to Yoongi before he stops.
           “Hop on my back,” he commands, stepping directly in front of you.
           You blanch. “But Yoongi…your shoulder.”
           “It’s fine. Just hop on. You don’t need to limp all the way back to where we’re sitting.” When you hesitate another moment, he looks back at you over his shoulder, his dark eyes sparking in the sunset. “Jagiya.”
           Well, the man puts up a convincing argument.
           Yoongi crouches down so you don���t have to jump, and with a bit of careful maneuvering you manage to hop onto his back. His hands grip your thighs, hoisting you up a bit higher which makes you gasp a little. Your arms instinctively wrap around his neck, careful to avoid putting too much pressure on shoulder.
           Setting off toward your abandoned blanket and food, you can’t help but feel a rise of disappointment in your chest.
           “Yoongi?” You mumble, almost sounding like an embarrassed child.
           “Hmm?”
           Hiding your face in the back of his neck, you groan. “I’m sorry.”
           Yoongi’s steps falter before he continues on, confusion evident in his tone. “Sorry? For what?”
           The calm that you felt earlier has completely shattered at this point, and you grit your teeth against the pain in your ankle and the onslaught of emotions that surface. What happened to picture perfect? Why couldn’t you focus?
           Other than sitting in the car together, you feel as though you’ve hardly touched base with Yoongi. You haven’t seen the man in nearly two months, and yet here you are distracted as ever. Distracted with your dumb broke clock, distracted with the audiobook, distracted with a kite.
           Yoongi stops in his tracks as he feels hot tears against his neck. “Jagiya?”
           “I- I’m so sorry, Yoongi,” you blubber. “I’m an idiot! I c-can’t focus on anything tonight and…and now I’ve made everything fall apart by going and getting h-hurt…Yoongi, it hurts so bad. A-and now I’m complaining, which is making everything worse!”
           You’re surprised when Yoongi doesn’t say a single thing, instead picking up where he left off as he trudges on toward the blanket. In response to his silence, you continue in your repentant monologue.
           “And you waited in line to get us fooood,” you bite down on your lip as you fight the urge to wail. “It’s probably c-cold now, and you waited for s-so long to get it…I feel like such a bad person…if you don’t wanna continue the date, I u-understand. I promise I won’t tell anyone if you want! J-just, I’m so sorry, Yoongi. I’ve completely ruined this, and you drove t-two hours to get me here….” You’ve reached the blanket now, Yoongi gently sets you down, and you hobble on one foot as you half-expect him to grab his keys and set off toward the car. “I just can’t think straight because I read that stupid pact and-”
           “Woah, back up.”
           Swiveling around to face you, Yoongi has a frown etched into his face. It makes you want to turn and run, to crawl into a cave to die from embarrassment, but it’s the fact that you can barely manage to stand on one foot at the moment – let alone run – that has you standing still.
           “You read the pact?” You blink, hopping a little. When Yoongi sees your struggle he reaches out to you, steadying you. “Here, let’s sit.”
           “W-we’re staying?”
           Yoongi gazes down at you, the look in his eyes turning unspeakable soft. “Yes, jagiya. Unless you aren’t feeling up to it anymore?” He looks as though the thought of leaving now pains him, but he waits patiently for your answer.
           “I wanna stay.”
           “Good. Now, what’s this about you reading the pact?”
           Having successfully turned into a sniffling mess, you wipe away your tears with an angry swipe. It’s time to come clean.
           “I found a copy in Jin’s room-”
           “What were you doing in Jin’s room?!” Yoongi whispers frantically, growing more concerned by the second. You wave him off.
           “-and I took it! I knew I shouldn’t, but I just wanted to know, you know? So I stole it but that was stupid because then I saw that thing on the back…the little note.” Your words trail off, unable to even say the word lovewhen Yoongi’s looking at you like he’s unsure of whether he wants to laugh or cry.
           “The little…note?”
           “Yeah, you know…” You shake your head, moving on. “And since I saw that, I’ve been a mess. Like, an actual mess. I finally called Gina help just to get some help, I needed someone to talk to because you know, I can’t talk to you guys right now which is stupid. But I’m still so lost and I screwed everything up and my ankle hurts Min Yoongi!”
           You’ve stunned yourself into silence with your outburst, Yoongi across from you looks a bit lost himself as he sits back on his heels. It’s clear the moment he comes to a realization.
           “The note.”
           It’s all you can do to breathe normally and not burst out into tears again. Yoongi’s expression turns mournful when he sees you.
           “Oh, jagiya…” leaning forward, Yoongi somehow manages to pull you into his lap. Wrapping his arms around you and tucking your head close to his chest, Yoongi pulls you in as close as he can. He sways gently back and forth, a hand coming up to cup your cheek to make you look at him.
           You do so begrudgingly, feeling like nothing more than a large child. However, the moment you meet his eyes, it hits you like a lightning strike.
           “Do you remember,” he begins quietly, “that time when your final paper accidentally got deleted? All you had left to do on it was add the reference page. You were distraught, remember?”
           Of course you do. It’s the stuff of nightmares. Countless hours spent laboring over a final essay for a class you loathed, only to make a stupid mistake and delete it all. All of it, all nineteen pages were gone in a blink. Your hard work along with it.
           “I remember you called me, a sobbing mess. Obviously I thought you’d hurt yourself, the way you were crying about killed me.” He tucks a loose strand of hair behind your ear, leaving you completely enraptured in his spell as he continues speaking. “I fought with Namjoon because I needed to go see you, but we had a schedule. It was an interview, I don’t even remember for what or with whom, but I was so angry. I seriously thought I was gonna punch him. Then I remembered he goes to the gym a lot more than me, so I didn’t.”
           He manages to make you crack a small grin at that. The sight spurs him on. “But I’ll never forget the sight I saw when I finally made it out to your house later that night. It was like what, two in the morning? No one knew I was even going over, which obviously I did on purpose. I didn’t want to get into another argument. When I walked in your apartment, you were sat at the kitchen table. Remember?”
           The memory is vague, tinged with exhaustion and disappointment, but it’s there. You’d set up camp at your kitchen table all day, missing all other appointments just to try to rewrite your paper. You were half delirious at that point, staring at the screen seemed equal to burning at the stake.
           “I’ve never seen you look more exhausted in my entire life,” Yoongi chuckles. “I remember I was ready to write the paper for you, I was so sad for you. But when I made it over there, I was floored to see that you’d already written it. Not only that, but you’d written twenty-seven pages. Twenty-seven! Who does that?!” He shakes his head at you, looking absolutely shocked.
           “When I asked you why you would do that, you just shrugged and said, ‘why not reach for the stars?’ Then you submitted it, stood up, walked over to me and gave me a hug before going straight to bed. I was so shocked that I just stood there for ages, trying to fathom what had just happened.”
           Yoongi sighs, glancing up at the night sky. You admire his jawline from this angle, nuzzling in a little closer to him for warmth. He notices that you didn’t bring your coat out with you, giving you a playful glare before gently rubbing his hands up and down your arms.
           “Why did you tell me that?”
           You can feel his shrug. “You are more capable, more special than you will ever know. I’ve always kept that in my heart, over the years. Why not reach for the stars? Jagiya…”
           Yoongi shuffles a little bit before cupping your chin and pointing toward the horizon where the sun has slipped down. The night sky is becoming more visible by the second, a few stray stars winking down at you.
           “Look.” He points at a certain spot in the sky just in time for you to see a streak of breathtaking light.
           A falling star.
           In the span of a few minutes, you’re completely speechless as the sky continues to darken and your eyes are glued heavenward. Gradually, more and more falling stars dart across the sky, taking your breath away. As they continue, you recall Young-mi’s words. The sky is coming to say hello.
           Yoongi reaches for your hand, easily enveloping it while tracing the outline of your knuckles.
           “You,” Yoongi breathes out, sending tingles down your spine. “Are the stars I’ve been reaching for ever since that night.”
           Heart thundering against your ribs, you turn to look at him only to find his eyes also trained on the heavens. He speaks the words softly, almost to himself, but you still catch them.
           “You’re a star, all the way up there…and I’m all the way down here. Maybe all I’m meant to do is admire you from afar. But for tonight, just for a moment, I’ll hold you.” His eyes slide down to meet yours, glinting with pure starlight. Cold and beautiful. Hurtling toward you, burning up in your atmosphere and leaving you wondering what would happen if you let him in.
           If it would lead to utter destruction or the most beautiful thing you’ve ever witnessed.
           All words have escaped you at this moment in time, but you don’t feel the need to scramble for some sort of a response. Instead you settle for snuggling in a bit closer, allowing Yoongi to hold you a bit tighter.
           Tonight, he’ll hold you close to his chest while what will later be recorded as the most prominent meteor shower in recent history rains down above you. The dark night sky is set aflame with streaks of silver as falling stars graze the earth, sharing a sweet goodnight kiss as they hurtle through space. You marvel at the seemingly never-ending parade the night sky puts on, relishing the way Yoongi keeps your warm as he also marvels at the wonder above you.
           There’s no words that are exchanged for the entirety of the meteor shower, the only form of communication found in the patterns Yoongi traces out against the back of your hand and the way he gazes down at you from time to time. As though making sure you’re really there.
           It’s a long while before the meteor shower begins to fade, and it’s only when you hear Yoongi softly calling your name that you realized you’ve dozed off.
           “It’s over, jagiya,” he coos, brushing hair away from your eyes. “Let’s get you to the car, then you can sleep the rest of the way home.”
           Somehow you two manage to make it to the car, you yourself being much more coherent by then due to the sharp pains in your ankle. You realize that you two are some of the few people left at the beach, making you wonder when everyone else left.
           Your eyes are half-closed when Yoongi begins to drive away, your hand finding his atop the console.
           “You know you don’t need to worry about us, right?” Yoongi mumbles out, glancing over at you with a worried expression. “We’ll support whatever you decide to do. Remember what I said before? You’re the most capable person I know. You don’t need us, not really. Just…be happy.”
           You mumble out something incoherent, not completely realizing that he’s referring to the aftermath of the pact until you’re already asleep.
           The next thing you know, you’re parked in front of your apartment and Yoongi is grinning down at you from the passenger side door.
           “C’mon,” he urges, helping you out of the car. “Careful with the ankle.”
           “Mmm.”
           It takes a bit of careful maneuvering to get up the stairs to your apartment, but you manage to make it. Leaning up against the door, you fumble for your keys.
           Once you’ve found them, you hand them straight over to Yoongi. You’re far too tired to attempt unlocking your door at the moment. He laughs at your behavior, shooting you a proud gummy smile when he unlocks the door. You don’t even have to ask before he’s assisting you inside, helping you hobble to your room before turning to leave.
           “Thank you, Yoongi. For everything.”
           Yoongi smiles down at his shoes. “We’ll swing by tomorrow to check up on you if that’s ok?”
           We.
           Your stomach flips to remember that you’re over now with these dates. Now what-
           “Or just shoot me a text? I know that might be awkward if we all show up…”
           “Thank you. I’ll text you?” You sigh, running your hands over your face. “Yoongi, I…” You trail off, staring up at him from your bed as your mind and heart races. There’s just no words.
           With a soft smile, he leans down and pecks your nose. The innocent gesture has your ears turning red, which widens his grin.
           “I know.” He whispers back.
           And then he’s gone.
           And you’re left here, suddenly colder than ever.
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the dates are DONE. please let me know your thoughts, I love hearing from you! Tomorrow I'll be opening up a poll for your top two dates, so stay tuned for that! 
alsooo stay tuned this week because I may have a lil bonus chapter for you guys 
taglist: @baepsaetay @dreamcatcherjiah @kookie-vuitton @thecaffeinatedscribbles @moon-write @fangirl125reader @heishichoulevi @knjkitten @sacha-cff @vik7797  @eusticenatalie @hesmyphenominiall @miriamxsworld @kayahay @secretlycrazyhummingbird @marianeamine @hqtetsurou @protontippens @beginwithamin @delacyrose224  @luvtaeha @fanfictionreader05 @mininimmy @dreadity  @starlight-night0 @luzaroon @seaoffangirling @prachi05 @fangirl125reader @bluehairedotakugem @hunnibxbe @kayahay @fanfictionreader05 @seokjinmoonfics @littletinyhobi @honeyhalcyon @yoontaethings @herrmionejgranger  @beepbeep11 @extraordinary_reads @vntwishlist @aussiebeachbabes​ @hitsussi @hannah2291 @alwaysasadaesthetic​ 
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cuddlepilefics · 3 years
Text
Returning the favor
Fandom: Stray Kids
Sickie: Minho, Jisung
Caregiver: Chan
Sequel to 'Right here'
Prompt: "Contagious" @sicktember
No one’s POV.:
Somehow, Jisung had managed to sleep through the rest of the night without being sick again but he was completely knocked out, not even stirring when Chan and Minho got up to get ready for their day ahead. While they were getting ready, they explained what had happened to the rest of the group. All of them agreed that it didn’t seem like a good idea to leave Jisung behind at the dorm alone. At least one member should stay to take care of the sick rapper. The decision who would stay back was easy, as Jisung was the most comfortable with Chan and Minho. As the leader, Chan’s presence was of utmost importance at the company building, which left Minho to care for his sick dongsaeng. Bidding the other members good bye, the dancer changed back into sweatpants and a t-shirt before making himself some breakfast. He also started some porridge, in hopes it would go easy on Jisung’s stomach. Halfway through his breakfast, Minho felt cold and went back to his room to throw on a hoodie over his t-shirt before finishing his breakfast and washing the dishes. It was still considerably early, so he didn’t expect the younger to wake up anytime soon. Soon the porridge was ready to be reheated and Minho went to his room to watch a movie till Jisung would wake up. He made sure to move around the dorm as quietly as possible, not daring to wake the rapper earlier than necessary. The boy needed rest, as much as he could possibly get. When he was asleep, he couldn’t feel the discomfort. Minho’s heart still broke when he remembered how afraid the boy had been last night, how adamant that he wasn’t going to throw up. The least he could do to help his dongsaeng was let him sleep.
At some point during the second half of his movie, Minho felt cold again. Since he couldn’t put on a second hoodie, he adjusted the air conditioning and pulled his blanket over his legs, drawing them closer to his chest. Somehow his breakfast wasn’t sitting right and he could feel it shift uncomfortably in his stomach. It took another hour for Minho to feel really unwell. His stomach had started cramping up and being rather noisy in general. He wasn’t sure whether he had just made a bad food choice or if cuddling Jisung last night had been the wrong decision. With another turn of his stomach, Minho started to sweating and anxiously rushed to the bathroom. This couldn’t be happening. They couldn’t afford having two members sick. He carefully closed the door behind him, hoping he’d be able to stay quiet enough to not wake his sick friend. Hugging his sore middle, he knelt down in front of the toilet and stared down into the undisturbed water. Minho groaned when his stomach twisted, making his mouth water. It wasn’t like he wanted to be sick but he was desperate for some relief, so after taking a few deep breaths, he pushed his hand against his abdomen. Gagging softly, he brought up a small wave of his breakfast and cringed at the taste. Just looking at it made him retch and he strained to keep quiet.
After twenty minutes in the bathroom, he had barely brought up anything. His stomach was still upset but he wasn’t on the verge of throwing up anymore, so he flushed the toilet, washed his hands and rinsed his mouth. Shuffling to the kitchen, Minho decided to make himself a cup of chamomile tea, in hopes of soothing his stomach. As he waited for the water to boil, he leaned against the counter and sighed. What was he going to do? He couldn’t be sick, he had to take care of Jisung. Yet his stomach had other plans. With another clench of his stomach, the dancer stumbled over to the sink, heaving forcefully. Though it grated at his already irritated throat, nothing came up and Minho, snuck his hand under his shirt to palm his upset tummy. When the water boiled, he poured it over the tea bag and took the cup over to the coffee table. Curling up on one side of the couch, the dancer debated his options. Chan had asked him to call in case something was wrong and he knew the leader would be home in an instant, if he told him he was sick too. Minho however, knew that his hyung was needed at the company, though it wouldn’t be impossible for him to leave, it would certainly be inconvenient. He was an adult, he should really be able to handle himself. He just hoped Jisung would be feeling better today because he was way too queasy himself to watch the younger be sick again.
Minho slowly sipped his tea when he heard shuffling behind him. A moment later, Jisung plopped onto the couch beside him and the older tried his hardest to look casual. Putting on a smile, he greeted: “Good morning, Sungie. How’re feeling?” The rapper just shrugged, cuddling into his hyung’s side, making the dancer tense. Minho tried to relax and brushed Jisung’s hair from his forehead, resting his hand there instead. “I don’t think I have a fever anymore. Your hand doesn’t feel cold”, the younger hummed, closing his eyes. Biting his lip, Minho lied: “Yeah, that’s good.” He knew full well that the rapper couldn’t tell a difference because he was running a fever himself, so Jisung probably still had a fever too. “I made you some porridge, do you feel up to at least trying to eat something?”, the dancer offered, noting that it was already close to lunch time. Furrowing his brows, the rapper pouted: “Could I just try some water first? I’m still kinda queasy and don’t want to… yah know.” – “I know. You know. Lee know”, Minho joked, earning a small smile from his dongsaeng. The thought of Jisung throwing up again while it was only the two of them home, had sent a shiver down the dancer’s spine, so he tried his hardest to laugh it off. “Let’s get you some water”, he smiled, untangling himself from the younger’s arms before getting up to get a glass of water. When he returned, Jisung was pouting at him with big puppy eyes, frowning: “Hyung, you can’t just leave me here like that.” – “Now, what else was I supposed to do, you big baby? I just went to get you a drink. Here, try to sip this slowly and if it doesn’t sit well, stop”, Minho rolled his eyes, handing the glass to his dongsaeng.
The pair sat in silence, Minho finishing his tea and Jisung hesitantly drinking his water. When the rapper placed the glass down on the coffee table, it was still half full. “I-I think that’s all I’m having for now”,Jisung muttered with a shaky laugh, making his hyung squirm in his seat. ‘Please don’t be sick, please’, Minho pleaded mentally as he studied the younger’s face. The boy was still concerningly pale but his face was lacking the greenish tint it had held last night. Groaning, Jisung curled himself into the older’s side. Trying to keep his breathing steady, Minho ran a shaky hand through the rapper’s messy bed hair and hummed: “Deep breaths, I’m sure you’re gonna be fine. Just relax and let it settle.” After a few minutes of silence, Jisung dared to sit back up and finished the rest of his water. Minho’s breath caught in panic when he watched how fast the boy gulped down his drink. Was he trying to make himself sick on purpose? “I kinda don’t feel that great anymore”, the rapper choked out before scrambling to his feet. Cursing his dongsaeng’s stupidity for drinking that fast, Minho got up too and anxiously followed the younger. He found Jisung kneeling in front of the toilet, retching harshly. The sound was enough to make the dancer’s own stomach turn but he knew how much the younger hated it, so he pushed back his own discomfort. Sitting down with his back against the bathtub and legs drawn close, Minho placed a shaky hand on his dongsaeng’s tense back and drew comforting circles over his shoulders. Jisung kept dry heaving for a bit but didn’t really bring anything up, which didn’t make much of a difference to his hyung, who had turned ashy-pale solely from listening. With his stomach slowly calming down, the rapper panted, wiping the sweat from his brow. He wouldn’t try having food anytime soon. “Sorry but no food for me”, Jisung whispered hoarsely, unaware of how he was pushing Minho by also mentioning food now. Taking a deep breath, the dancer agreed: “I don’t think so either. Do you want to go back to bed?” The younger nodded and allowed his hyung to pull him to his feet, oblivious to the older’s pained expression and unnatural skin shade.
Minho helped his dongsaeng back to bed and tucked him in, pulling the bucket closer to the bed. “Bucket’s right here, yell if you need something. Here’s your phone if you want to listen to some music”, the older instructed, handing Jisung his phone and earphones. Holding onto the dancer’s wrist, Jisung pouted: “Can we cuddle, hyung?” Sweat trickled down Minho’s back and he was in a hurry to leave for the bathroom, so he promised: “In a second, yeah? Hyung needs to get a few things, so you can listen to some music and I’ll be here in no time.” The younger nodded and put in his earphones, while Minho tried to exit the room as casually as possible before dashing down the hallway and to the bathroom. He barely managed to close the door behind him before crashing to his knees in front of the toilet, a big wave splashing into the once clear water. Squeezing his eyes shut, Minho shuddered and gagged again. He really should have known better than to go after his friend but he couldn’t get his broken look from last night out of his head, so there was no way he could leave the younger hanging. Though Jisung was wearing earphones, the older still tried to stay as quiet as he could, bracing his hand against the rim of the bathtub as he strained his throat. It burned but Minho couldn’t help but choke up more. The dancer was so in his own world, that he didn’t hear the footsteps approaching.
Chan had decided to use his lunch break to check on Jisung and instantly picked up on the muffled coughs and gags coming from the bathroom. Hurriedly kicking off his shoes, he strode down the hallway and pushed the door open. “Aish, Sungie … Minho-yah?”, he frowned confused. The only reply he got was Minho burying his head further in the bowl and the sound of liquid hitting liquid. Though shocked, he was quick to crouch down and pat his dongsaeng’s back, as the dancer coughed. When Minho lifted his head, silent tears trailed down his pale face. Chan gently ran his hand up and down the boy’s back while using the other to feel his forehead, clicking his tongue: “Caught it too, hmm? You’re burning.” Nodding defeated, Minho sniffled: “Started to feel a bit unwell after breakfast and later threw up, though only very little. Then Sungie woke up and made himself sick by drinking his water too fast. He didn’t really throw anything up but the sound-“ Cutting himself off with a retch, Minho shook his head to try and forget about the sound stuck in his head. It kept replaying over and over, causing him to throw up again. “You’re okay, just try to breathe and not think about anything”, Chan comforted, “Mate, don’t strain like that. You can be as loud as you want, don’t hurt yourself just to be quiet.” – “Don’t wan’ Sungie to worry or feel guilty”, Minho panted when he got a break. Helping the dancer take his sweaty hoodie and t-shirt off, the leader sighed: “He’ll find out that you’re sick too, so don’t make yourself suffer more.”
They waited for Minho’s stomach to calm down a bit and Chan hung a towel around his shaking dongsaeng’s shoulders. He felt guilty for making him take off his shirts but they were damp and not really doing much to keep him warm anyway. “Here, wash your face a bit and then you’re going straight to bed”, the Aussie instructed calmly, handing Minho a cool washcloth. The boy was pretty out of it and almost fell asleep right there, when Chan pulled him to his feet. He shakily made his way down the hallway, heavily leaning into the older’s side. When they passed Jisung’s door, he insisted: “Promised Sungie cuddles an’ said I’d be back quick. It’s not like I’d have anything to lose anymore.” Chan quietly opened the door in case the rapper was sleeping but he blinked at the two of them confused, not having heard the oldest come home. “Hey, how’re you doing, Sung?”, the leader asked carefully. Sitting up, the boy shrugged: “I’m okay, still sick though. Is Minho-hyung okay?” Minho nodded but betrayed himself by almost falling if it hadn’t been for Chan’s strong arms around his waist. “He’s sick too. Aish, what am I going to do with you?”, the Aussie sighed.
Tugging on the older’s sleeve, Minho reminded him what they were there for in the first place: “Sungie-cuddles.” Chan helped him over to the bed and Jisung was quick to scoot back to the wall, so his hyung would fit into bed next to him. “I’m sorry I got you sick, hyung”, Jisung whispered, pulling the blanket over the dancer’s bare shoulders. Minho shook his head and pulled the younger into his side, insisting: “I was willing to take that risk when I decided to cuddle you. It’s alright.” – “Okay, so… I’m just going to call the others and tell them I’ll stay back with you two. Be back in a minute”, Chan announced, leaving the two sickies to themselves. Jisung still felt guilty, mumbling: “I know it feels awful. Would it help if I rubbed your stomach?” – “It’s okay, Sung, you don’t have to.” – “You did the same for me, so it’s only right I return the favor. Just relax, hyung!”, the rapper smiled, gently placing his palm on the other’s bare abs and feeling his tummy rumble under his skin. As Jisung started to draw soft circles, Minho closed his eyes and let out a sigh. It really did feel better this way. The dancer relaxed and soon felt so drowsy that he didn’t even notice his hyung returning and sitting down on Jeongin’s bed to keep an eye on them.
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vesuvianmess · 3 years
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Popsicles?
Art by @jilljoycearts Drexxel is @vesuvianmess Vell is @deathbyarcana
A short fic recounting how these two met, pulled (with some edits) directly from a currently running roleplay.
Quick Warning: Contains mentions of stalking and harassment
"You are very welcome, have a good rest of your day!" He waved the group off with a smile. "Hiya, what can I get you?" He asked another.
Flitting back and forth from group to group, he greeted every single person with a genuine smile. There was nothing more satisfying than seeing others light up with joy. He’d taken up working at the bakery part time to help with some expenses of running his own shop. And he had to admit, the smell of fresh baked bread may have influenced that choice. The job was never boring as the market was always flooded with people, locals and travelers alike, all looking for something. Still, he only worked with Selasi during the mornings and early afternoons. When he’d had his fill, he would return home to open the doors to his own little business.
But today, he had something a little different in mind. Instead of selling little animal pelts, herbs, bits, and bobbles, he was in and out again in a flash. Having changed into something much more comfortable for the heat, he pulled a wheeled cart behind him to the town square. Near the fountain, he’d found the perfect spot and pulled the cover off the cart. It would take him a little time to set everything up, but once it was done, he noticed people already beginning to gather around. Some faces he'd seen many, many times before. Others, much more new. Taking a seat on an overturned wooden bucket, he twirled a pair of drumsticks between his fingers. 
“Hello Vesuvia, I’m bringing you a special late afternoon show! Now then," he sat up a little, the line of his back straightening. "For those of you new to my show, we have fun here! Here's how this goes!" making a grand sweeping gesture to the gathered crowd, he continued on. "You may request a song but there is no guarantee I will play it. I will not tolerate pushing, shoving, or otherwise harmful activity during my shows. And, as always, tips are appreciated but not required, come stay for awhile and feel the beat of the sound! I'm Drexxel Volkov, and may luck be forever in your favor!" 
It started with a small metallic chime, a shortstop of little taps on the rims of the set. But before long the square was alight with the beating of drums. His whole body moved in time with each beat almost as if he were dancing along to his own song. Small children bounced and tugged at their parents' sleeves, urging them to get closer. New comers stood with delighted expressions, some even getting a little antsy standing in one place, others giving way to bouncing their bodies to the rhythm. 
There was nothing better than this, looking out into the crowd as he thrummed away the minutes, flipping the sticks and singing along even though nobody could hear him over the heartbeat he'd created. 
The crowd was thick as usual but new faces stuck out easy to him. Even with the prick of sweat beginning to roll down his forehead, he was able to focus enough to make everyone feel included in his performance. One face in particular he stopped at for more than a split second. A taller man with vivid blue hair, dark skin, and a sort of shaken demeanor. He looked….out of place perhaps amid the crowd, like he could bolt at any moment. Drexel found himself stealing glances at the man throughout his show, a dizzying knot of butterflies in his gut as he saw the man start to meld into the hum around him. The thrill of the performance carried him through like a tidal wave crashing against the shore, his fiery passion shining through clear as day. Every movement felt natural, every breath felt like a whole new beginning. Drexxel never came from a background that favored this sort of thing, rather it was something he'd picked up on his own time. He had the extra energy to spare and needed an outlet to help with it. Besides, he always did like seeing people smile and what better way to do that then get them moving? 
Into the second song now and he felt a wave of static run through him. Someone in the crowd was a magician. He could feel it. Even through the loud beating of drums and the crashing of cymbals the low electrical humming filled his body. He was sure of it. But was this magician able to sense him as well? That he did not know. He wasn’t sure precisely where the feeling was coming from, but he was determined to draw it out. With it toying at his mind, he decided it was time to show off just a little more. After all, using magic was a good way to lure out another magician. 
Drexxel simply waited as he beat along in time to find the perfect moment to really show off his moves. Normally he would have saved this bit for later in the evening, but he just had to do it now. After feeling that little pang of magic, he knew he had to show whoever was producing it, that they weren't the only one with fancy magic at their fingertips. Just a moment longer....
When the final chorus of the song hit, he let it loose. His drumsticks sparked and crackled to life, enveloped in searing hot flames. With his sticks now burning with intense heat, he slammed away at his drums with more grandeur and energy than before. With each hit fire roared from the contact point, creating a dazzling display of towers of fire in varying sizes. If anything were to draw this other magician out, it would be this. 
By the end of the show, much to his dismay, this fellow kin had not revealed themselves. It was a bit of a shame really, he would have loved to have someone join in his performance. What a dazzling display that would have been. He could only imagine what kind of magic would have complimented his own.
"Thank you all for joining me this afternoon!" He gave a bow, his hair falling a bit loose from his bun. "It's a hot one out today so make sure to stay hydrated and get some good food in your belly!" 
 He stood and lifted his arms over his head in a long stretch before using the rad cloth tied to his side to wipe away the sweat that cling to his skin. The show was over, but people still lingered in the area, some tossing coins into an open bowl near the drum set, others approaching Drexxel with questions. He was small for his age of twenty-five, standing at mere chest (or just below) level with most other adult’s that spoke with him. He had a thin, but decently sturdy frame with most of his strength apparent in his legs. Most people would know him for a scar that ran along his right cheek. Whenever asked about it he would simply tell them he didn’t remember where it came from but knew he’d had it most of his life. 
The town square was still bustling with people as he began to pack up his things. Above it all though, he could hear footsteps approaching him. He paused a moment then spun on his heel to come face to face with a regular to his shows. The man was leagues taller than himself and had a strange look to his eyes. He was holding a piece of paper, crumpled and damp with sweat in his hands. Drexxel heard the man speak but didn’t quite catch the words. 
“I’m sorry?” He responded back, urging the man to repeat himself. When he did, a chill ran down his spine. “...Go out with me. Dinner.” He pushed the paper into Drexxel’s hands. “You’re so pretty.” 
The smaller pulled the note apart just enough to read it. In shaken scrawl it read:
‘Don’t make a scene. I’ve been planning this. You and I belong together.’
He’d seen this sort of thing before in books and screenplays. Some secret admirer gets too confident and goes after someone who isn’t interested and it becomes a problem. Problem being a kind way to put it. Harassment was a better word for it. Bold of him to make the attempt in broad daylight, let alone a busy square. In the kindest way possible, Drexel looked up at the man and spoke.
“I’d love to, but I have plans this evening. Another show I mean.” 
He felt the prickle of magic in the air again, but it wasn’t coming from the man in front of him. The magician was still in the area. 
"Excuse me, I'm talking to you." the man's voice broke him from his thoughts. "I'll be picking you up this evening."
Drexxel's brow furrowed, the energy around him shifting like hissing smoke trying to catch on damp wood. 
"I'm really sorry, I mean it." He offered a sincerely looking apologetic smile. "But I really must be getting home." He made a move to leave but was stopped when the man caught his wrist. 
"You're not going anywhere short-stack." 
This....could be bad. As much as the crowd had dissipated, there were still people lingering about. Too much of a risk to cause a scene. But every fiber of Drexxel's being was telling him to flee. He needed an out. In the most...nonchalant way possible, he attempted to wriggle his wrist free. 
"Your performance really spoke to me Drexxy. It's like you were composing a symphony just for me." As he was caught in his own little moment, Drexxel pulled his wrist free. But it only lasted a second.
He felt a pull against his skin before he heard a small snap. The man had missed when reaching for Drexxel's wrist and instead caught the beaded double bracelet on his wrist. Beads had gone flying haphazardly in every direction, landing on the stones below like pellets. In that moment he felt the pull of magic much closer than before. This other magician was close. Very close. 
Drexxel was unfortunately used to people approaching him with much more....fervor than he anticipated. However, this particular instance was something else. He'd never had someone so adamant on taking him home. If this were to go on for a moment longer, he was sure to lose his composer. He may be a pretty upbeat guy but he also had a notoriously short fuse. 
That hissing aura was rapidly kindling itself from a crackling campfire to a firestorm. When his bracelet snapped, he felt something in him switch. Rage bubbled up under his skin like pot boiling over on a stove set too high. His fist clenched and a growl escaped him. 
But then, out of nowhere, everything around him stopped. He was about to throw a fiery punch but stopped short when he saw another man between him and his new 'friend'. It was the man he saw in the crowd! He said he was there to help just now. But what was he doing here and how did he…
"How--?" Then it hit him like a hard slap to the face. "So you're the magician I was picking up on!" His anger flickered back to amusement and joy. "I knew I wasn't imagining it! Oh! The helping thing, yes." 
Drexxel offered the newest stranger a warm, bright smile. Without hesitation, he grabbed his hand and shook it furiously. 
"Nice to meet you, I'm Drexxel! What do you say we blow this popsicle stand and get somewhere far away from this creep?"
The other man seemed to freeze up, like he expected a much worse response. His whole arm wobbled when Drexxel shook it. His eyes were wide and his lips parted in shock. It took him a minute to process what the smaller man had said to him. 
“Oh, I…that is….popcicles?” The man felt his face go hot, blood rushing to his cheeks. He was sure the smaller man would mistake him for a tomato. 
Drexxel watched him curiously. It was like watching the gears of a clock turning, the way this man seemed to be having an inner monologue with himself about whether or not he’d made the right call to get involved. He could feel how shaken up the man was, his hand trembling. Not very good at keeping his cool was he? Finally he spoke again. 
“It’s localized. My….my magic…it…I mean I…no, it. It will wear off when we get a distance away. He could follow? I- who, well…popsicles?”
Drexxel had always been good at making new friends and getting people to laugh and smile. He was small, yes, but he made up for his size with seemingly boundless energy. It was nearly impossible to not like the guy. But, he could tell, he kind of took this one by surprise. But it wasn't the first time someone had responded this way. Not often he got to see someone turn that red before though!
Whoever this new guy was, Drexxel had never seen his face in Vesuvia before. And he’dbeen in the city for quite some time now. It'd been since he was about nineteen. He knew almost every face in Vesuvia, even if a good handful of them were only in passing. But this one, this one he wanted to know more about. Consider his interest piqued. 
When time came back and this new magician struggled to make a clear sentence, it was all Drexxel could do to hold in a laugh. Localized magic though, not sure he'd heard of that one before. He completely skipped over the popsicle schtick.
"Localized huh? Hey, think you could use your magic with mine? I'm thinking....a wall of fire!" He still hadn't let go of the stranger's hand. "I could put a wall of fire around him, just tall enough to trip him up of course. You could stop time around it until we get far enough away that your....localization wears off!" Mossy green eyes brimmed with excitement. He gave the hand in his a squeeze. 
"I bet we'll make a great team!"
He could see the man trying to process the words coming out of Drexxel’s mouth. He’ll admit, he was a bit of a fast talker when he was excited. 
“Wall of fire…” He repeated Drexxel’s words, more to himself than the other, considering the idea. Not terribly flawed, he thought. A quick fix but not long lasting. “Worth…worth a shot.” an unsteady voice. “Wait - a team?” Vell had barely gotten the words out before the air thrummed with magical energy and, just as promised, fire sprung to life around the note wielding creep. If the situation weren’t as it was, he might have taken time to admire the flames.
"That's what I said isn't it? A team!" He mused, giving this new friend a wink. 
When time did in fact stop around his flames, the passion in his eyes burned that much brighter. He beamed at this new stranger. 
"Talk about a cool party trick. Come on, let's get out of here." Still gripping that hand, he took off. Hopefully this new friend could keep up with him. 
They took off out of the square, rushing past pedestrians and shopping stalls in a race to escape the area. Drexxel had taken the lead, ducking and diving under obstacles like it was as easy as breathing. He felt his new found companion trip up a few times but he managed to keep up the pace. He was new to Vesuvia and hadn’t the slightest idea where the two of them were headed. Drexxel looked back to check on his new friend at just the wrong moment. The edge of his sandal caught on uneven stone, sending him tumbling into an unattended fruit cart, scattering oranges along the alley. He’d never let go of this new companion’s hand, and in turn, the two of them fell together. The other man now had him pinned, a leg on either side of him. 
“I-- We-- uh…” The stranger fought to find the right words, feeling like a tea kettle ready to whistle. “We fell.” 
Drexxel could feel his own face burning a bright shade. He would have been able to laugh it off if it weren’t for his immediate attraction to this man. Impulse guiding him, he offered the man a toying smirk. “You know, I think this might be fate.” He winked. “And I don’t even know your name.” 
“M-my name?” The other man stuttered.
He tried to stand, pulling on Drexxel’s hands to pull him up as well, only to lose his footing. He fell back onto the stone, the smaller of the two now sitting perched on his abdomen. The look in his eyes was….entrancing. Intoxicating even. He couldn’t look away. “I’m Vell.” 
“Vell…” Drexxel liked the way the name felt when he said it. He let his hands drift to the other man’s chest, watching him with bright eager eyes.
Now, what was that saying about playing with fire?
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Take Me Back
Pairing: Tom Holland x reader
Warnings: Smut, mention of cheating and alcohol abuse, break-up angst
Note: Have I really just written something not mob!tom related? I’m as shocked as you are. This is my first time posting something that contains sexual content on this level, it’s kinda nerve wracking so any feedback would be appreciated! Also, let me know if I’ve missed any warnings I should have added.
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2,032 words
The bar wasn’t your usual scene. You preferred local, intimate places not clubs like this. Despite being underground the mirrored ceiling made it feel twice as open. You looked out over the dance floor from the mezzanine at the entrance door searching for your friends. Rhythmic lighting spilled over the space. It was almost filled to capacity with bodies dancing to bass so loud it reverberated through the soles of your new shoes.
An exaggerated wave from the middle of the bar caught your attention and you smiled as your friend signalled you over. Gripping the handrail of the metal steps you took a breath before descending. You still weren’t completely comfortable with the outfit you’d been talked into wearing but judging by the looks you were getting as you cut across the floor it wasn’t as bad as you’d initially feared.
“Damn, Y/N! You look incredible!” Your friend gushed pulling you in beside her at the bar. Signalling to the bartender she had them pour out two shots. Turning to you with a devilish grin she offered you a lime wedge.
“No way. I just got here,” you refused. As much as you enjoyed drinking the past three months had been filled with nights spent at the bottom of a bottle. You were slowly getting back control. Reigning yourself in after the worst breakup you’d ever experienced but it was a slow process.
A lot of your recovery had to do with the guy you’d met a few weeks ago. Tonight was the first night he’d meet your best friend, the one whose opinion could make or break the possible relationship.
With a sulky pout she downed her own. “So, when will this mystery man of yours get here?”
“He should be here soon.” Your friend leaned her back against the bar, eyes scanning the room.
“Hmm...is it him?” she mused pointing to a guy with too much hair product. “No,” she shook her head, “it’s got to be him.” You followed her finger and snorted a laugh as you watched a guy dancing awkwardly in the corner.  
“Stop it. You’ll know him when you see him,” you promised. Turning back to the bar to order a beer you heard her gasp even over the loud music. In the mirrors lining the glass shelves you could see him approaching and couldn’t stop a smile. Your friend not so subtly nudged you.
“Is this real? Is he coming over? My god, he’s gorgeous” she babbled. You took a long sip of your beer and decided to let her work it out on her own.
“He looks like he works out so much. Those jeans, that t-shirt...” You could practically hear her drooling before she quickly spun to face you. “Shit, he’s actually coming over, what do we..”
“Hey, Y/N.” Settling your beer on a napkin you watched your friends eyes widen, mouth agape. With a laugh you finally faced him. His smile faltered as he took you in, a faint blush creeping up his face.
“You look amazing.” Leaning into you his hand rested on your hip as he kissed your cheek.
Just as your friend had said, Adam was gorgeous. Standing a good foot above you with tousled blonde hair and classic baby blues he wasn’t your normal type, which is exactly why you’d gone for him. After the last failed relationship it was clear what you were attracted to and what you needed were two different things. Adam was your clean slate. Your fresh start.
It was different with him. There hadn’t been an instant attraction but the more you got to know him the more relaxed you felt. Sure there was still no flutter when he kissed you, no spark, but given enough time you were sure that would grow.
You introduced your friend who was still having a hard time closing her mouth all the way, then using Adam’s height to your advantage you got him to find a free table at the edge of the room. Sliding into the booth between them you settled in for the interrogation. He didn’t seem phased. He linked his warm fingers with yours and answered as honestly as possible. Watching him you couldn’t help but smile as he devoutly tried to stop his gaze from wandering to the low cut of your dress and the way his cheek flushed when he failed.
Beer finished you excused yourself to grab a new round for the table. The queue at the bar was steadily getting busier as the night went on. You tried to work your way further down to a quieter spot, keeping your head down and gently elbowing your way through the groups. A gap opened up and you rushed to move into the space only to collide with someone. Your foot slipped on a spilled drink and a strong hand caught your waist to steady you. Cheeks heating from embarrassment you internally cursed your shoes. Gathering some courage you glanced up to thank your saviour and the words died in your throat.
Soft chestnut eyes stared down at you intently. You’re heart hammered under their gaze, sweat starting to make your hands clammy. You’d thought you’d never see him again. You’d hoped you wouldn’t. But here he was, looking immaculate in an all black suit and even better than you remembered. The heat of his hand against your waist seemed to sear through your dress and you tried to step back out of his reach but he only pulled you closer.
“Y/N.” The room seemed to still, the music dimming. All you could hear was his voice. The rough edge it held when he said your name had your body reacting as if the last few months hadn’t happened. You clenched your fists hating how with one word he could get under your skin again after all this time.
“Let me go.” You barely managed to whisper out the words but you knew he’d heard. He downed what was left in his glass and brushed against you as he placed it on the bar. The scent of him wrapped around you triggering memories that you’d tried to suppress.
Leaning in his lips brushed your ear as he spoke. “We need to talk.” Irritation flared. Who did he think he was? It had been months and now he wanted to talk? Steeling yourself you shoved his hand away.
“I have nothing to say to you, Tom.”
“Then listen.” You made the mistake of meeting his eyes and the intensity radiating from them dried up your protest.
“The guy you’re with is no good.” You jerked back away from him and he had the gall to look surprised.
Anger snaking through you, you felt your lip curl. “He’s none of your business. I’m none of your business.” Elbowing past him you fought the crowd blindly. You had to get away from him.
Reaching the back wall you slipped into a side hallway marked private. The music dimmed to a muted thump and you let out a ragged breath. As your adrenaline started to dip you started shaking. Wrapping your arms around yourself you tried to calm down.
“Y/N.” You cursed as you sensed him approach but refused to turn. Seeing him, seeing how little he’d changed and knowing how readily you still reacted to him was too much.
“Leave me alone.”
“Y/N, you shouldn’t be with him.” He’d stopped behind you, his breath ruffling your hair as he spoke.
You couldn’t hold back a bitter laugh. “You’re just saying that because you can’t stand to see me with someone else.” The beat of silence that followed had a chill creeping over your skin. Don’t look at him, don’t do it. Your fingers tightened into fists as you fought against yourself. God you wanted to turn around. You wanted to run your fingers through his soft curls, you wanted to breathe in the indescribable scent that was Tom as he held you and...
Hands skimming over your waist he closed the gap. His chest against your back you shivered at the warmth he radiated. You held back a soft moan as his lips ghosted over your throat.
“He’s not right for you,” he breathed. Your mind conjured an image of Adam and the realisation of what you were doing doused you like ice water. You spun out of Tom’s grip, palm pressed against the wall to steady yourself.
“You walked away from me, remember?” Your voice shook with effort as you tried to fight back tears. Tom grimaced, eyes lowering. Your heart ached at his expression but anger chased it off. “You don’t get to act the martyr, Tom, and you certainly don’t get to have a say in my love life.”
Gaze flashing up to you his shoulders set, jaw working for a long second before he spoke.
“Do you?”
“Do I what?” you snapped.  
“Do you love him?” Taken aback your mouth fell open. When you didn’t answer he took a step forward. He searched your face, gaze dipping to your lips hungrily. Your stomach dipped traitorously as heat pooled through you.
“Tom,” you warned, voice barely a whisper. He was too far gone to listen.
Hands cupping your face his lips brushed against yours, feather light and testing your reaction. Your body lit up at his touch. Nerve endings that had been dormant firing to life. Despite everything your body craved his touch, needed him on a deeper level than you understood.
Fingers drifting to caressed your neck, he pushed you back against the wall. You gasped at the cold, arching against Tom’s chest to escape it and he mistook your movements as encouragement. Gripping your hip to pull you even closer he deepened the kiss. You could feel his excitement as he pressed against you and it broke your last reserve of control.
Lips parting you relinquished to him. Tongue flicking out to claim your mouth the familiar taste of sweet whisky brushed over your taste buds. His fingers drifted from your neck. Following the low V of your dress he traced the channel between your breasts before slipping them under the fabric. He let out a low groan as he realised you weren’t wearing a bra. Teeth nipping at your bottom lip his fingers massaged you, thumb circling your nipple drawing out whimpers.
Your hands wound into his hair, tugging at the curls. Lifting a leg to wrap around his waist you gasped as he rutted his hips against you. The soft fabric covering his erection brushed against you teasingly. Hiking your other leg around his waist he held you firmly against the wall, fingers digging into your ass. He dipped his head to kiss your neck, biting and suckling at the sensitive spot above your collar bone until you could barely think. Your underwear was ruined.
Slipping a hand between your bodies you traced the outline of his bulge slowly, intent on dragging it out like you’d imagined on long nights without him. When he bucked against your hand with a needy moan you knew you’d never be able to keep it up.
“Y/N?” The distant voice broke you from your trance. You tried to break away from Tom but he held you tight.
“Tell me you don’t want this and I’ll let you go back to him.” The ragged edge to his voice had you shivering.
“Tom,” you pleaded, heart breaking all over again as he watched you with tormented eyes.
“I made a mistake. I should never have let you go.” His lips ghosted over yours. “Tell me you’ll take me back,” he begged.
The sound of Adam calling for you started to grow louder but here in Tom’s arms the guilt and regret you should be feeling was kept at bay. All you wanted was him. Even if it was only temporary, even if it was only for tonight.
“I want you, Tom.” He relaxed, relief flooding his expression before he caught you in another heady kiss.
“Let’s get out of here.” The grin you’d missed so much lit his face as he gently put you down and guided you towards the emergency exit.
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thejilyship · 4 years
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11. A Step Behind You
Hey everyone! I wanted to post this last week, but I only just got the internet situation figured out, so thank you for your patience! This is the third prompt that I’ve written for Jilytober from my list that you all voted on! 
Muggle office romance au
WC: 2.2k
James just wanted to get home before Sirius, Remus and Peter ate all of his mother’s Christmas biscuits. 
He had tried to steal a couple before heading into the office, but Mia Potter had insisted that he had to wait until tonight and then kicked him out of the house after she caught him in the kitchen ten minutes later, again, trying to knick a biscuit before he had to go to work. 
Also, he was angry that he had to be in the office this close to Christmas in the first place. 
He typed away at his computer, wondering why his boss had been so adamant that he wanted James in the office, when he clearly could have finished up these reports at home.
There were a few other people scattered through the office, looking just as miserable as he felt. 
He was falling into a hypnotic state, hearing nothing but the sound of the keys at the ticking of the clock. Still thinking about the Christmas biscuits. 
And then, out of the corner of his eyes, a flash of red. 
His breath hitched and he whipped his head around, spotting her rushing down the hallway. 
He didn’t know her name, he only saw her every few weeks, and he’d never been able to work out which department that she worked in. He didn’t want to be a creep either, so he couldn’t try too hard. He had just kept hoping that they would eventually run into one another. 
Now, she was carrying a watering can. 
And that just felt like the kind of thing he was allowed to follow her down the hallway to ask about. 
He jumped up from his chair, work and biscuits pushed from his mind, as he followed after her. 
“Excuse me!” He called out, spotting her at the other end of the hallway.
She stopped short, her hair swinging back and forth like a pendulum in her plait. She spun around to face him. “Yes?” 
“What are you doing?” He asked, his hand jumping to his hair now that she was looking directly at him. Her eyes were green. He hadn’t noticed that before. They were a brilliant shade of green as well. 
She looked down at the watering can and then up at him. “I’m surprised no one else has asked me yet,” She gave him a small smile and his heart skipped in his chest. “I came in to pick up my plants before Christmas break, but then I noticed that almost everyone in my office left plants here, so I thought that I would just water them so they’re not all dead when everyone comes back next week.” 
“Oh,” James blinked, not knowing what he had thought her answer was going to be, but the one that she’d given him was just so damn sweet. “Would you like some help?” 
She smiled again, dimples forming at the corners of her mouth. “I’d love some help.” Then she waved for him to follow her and turned around, continuing down the hallway.
James jogged after her so he could catch up. 
And he found out that she worked on his floor. 
For the last few months, all he had to do was follow her down this one hallway and he would have found out that she worked in billing, on the same floor as he did. How had they not ran into one another?
“My name is Lily, by the way.” She said, turning to look over her shoulder as she stepped into the first cubicle in the room and then turned to carefully pour water on a fern on the corner of the desk. “I’m not sure that we’ve met before.” 
“We haven’t.” James said, and then he furrowed his brow. Did he say that too quickly? “I’ve seen you around before, but I didn’t know that you worked just down the hall here. My name is James.” He knew that he needn’t have said all of that and he could feel his ears warming. 
Luckily, she didn’t notice his embarrassment, because she was now focusing on a second fern on the other side of the desk. “Well, I walk past your office almost every day, so I’ve definitely seen you around before.” She looked up and smiled at him, and then she was off to the next cubicle. 
He blinked after her and then followed her again. “What can I do to help?” 
Lily shrugged her shoulders. “I was hoping that you wouldn’t get wise on me, but I only have one watering can. I was hoping to keep you around for the company so that I could ask you for a favor in a few minutes.” 
James had already been intrigued by this girl but she had him on her rope now. He crossed his arms over his chest. “The company? And what if I have important things I should be doing right now?” 
She turned to face him fully, smiling with her dimples again. “Then you probably wouldn’t have offered to help me water plants. Here,” She handed him the watering can and then riffled through the top drawer for a pad of sticky notes and a pen. “Go to the next one, I’ll be right there.” 
James didn’t even question why he was listening to her, he just did as he was told. Which, if anyone who knew him could see him just then, they would think that was very strange. James Potter never did something just because he was told to do it. 
But now he was watering plants, and Lily was following behind him with the sticky notes and the pen. 
“What are you writing?” He asked after the fourth desk. 
“Goodbye notes.” She said, drawing a very embellished heart. 
“But they won’t see these notes until they see you again. Aren’t we watering the plants because-” He stopped and pushed his glasses up his nose. “You said that you were coming to collect your plants.” 
Lily nodded. “I did say that. I got a new job that I started after the new year. My last day was yesterday.” 
James frowned and Lily smiled at him. 
“This is where most people would congratulate a person.” 
“Right,” James nodded, “Right of course, congratulations! Where is your new job?” 
“At a primary school a few blocks west of here,” Lily smiled. “I’ve finally gotten my degree finished, so I get to start teaching!” 
“In the middle of the year?” 
“Yes,” Lily grinned. “One of the teachers went on maternity leave a week ago, so I’ll be taking over her classroom until she gets back.”
“Well that worked out perfectly!” He should have tried to talk to her before today. 
“Yes,” Lily was still grinning and James’ heart was still jumping around in his chest. “I’ve actually had a string of good luck lately.”
And now she was about to tell him that she had a boyfriend and demolish his hopes even further. 
“Like when you asked me what I was doing. That was lucky.” 
James narrowed his brow. He hadn’t been expecting that. “Why was that lucky?” 
“Because I’d never had a reason to go into your office, so I’d never had an opportunity to talk to you before. And I’m never going to have a reason to come back into this building, so,” She shrugged and the peeled off the sticky note and stuck it to the pot that James had just watered. “I don’t know, I’ve got nothing to lose here so I might as well be honest, yes? I think you are rather handsome.” 
James blinked at her, taken aback at her straightforward comment, but also completely shocked that she had noticed him in the same capacity that he had noticed her. 
“Biscuits?” He said stupidly and Lily wrinkled her nose in confusion. 
“Excuse me?” 
“I- I,” His hand was already buried in his hair at this point and he furrowed his brow. “That isn’t what I meant to say.” 
“I thought not,” Lily nodded and then started tapping the pen on her pad of sticky notes. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable-”
“You didn’t.” He said quickly. “I think my brain just- listen,” He dropped his hand from his hair to his side and thens et the watering can down on the desk. “I have obviously noticed you around the office before, and a moment ago I was just kicking myself for never trying to catch you in the hallway.” 
She was smiling again, and James took that to be a good sign. “And you said biscuits because…” 
“My mum is having a holiday biscuit party tonight. I’ve been thinking about them all day.” He shook his head. “Which sounds dumb, but I’m trying to ask you if you’d like to come with me. Unless that’s a terrible idea. I’m saying it outloud and it sounds like it might be a terrible idea.” 
Lily’s smile disappeared. “Is it a terrible idea?” 
“I just asked you to come to a family Christmas party for a first date, that definitely sounds like something that will scare you off.” 
“But it’s a biscuit party.” 
“Yes.” 
“I like like biscuits and I’m not afraid of meeting people either. How many biscuits could I eat before people look at me weird?” 
James started smiling again. It felt very nice to know that his intuition about this girl had been right. “I mean, so long as we don’t see the biscuits that you eat again, no one is going to look at your weird.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “So you want to come then?” 
“Yes,” Lily nodded, poking his arm with the end of the pen. 
“Do you have an ugly Christmas jumper?” 
“Of course.” Lily bounced on her heels and James laughed. “I love Christmas parties and it’s been a while so I’m very excited. Let’s finish up here so I can get home and change!” 
James laughed again and nodded, “Alright, let’s go.” And he picked up the watering can again and headed to the next desk, now even more anxious to get off work.
He still didn’t think that it was a good idea to bring Lily on a first date where not only Remus and Peter would be, but also Sirius and his mother. It actually seemed like a terrible idea when he remembered that Sirius and his mother would be there. It was almost a guarantee that they would scare her off. 
“Are you sure you want to come? I can take you-”
“I’m sure I want to come,” Lily cut him off, peeling off another note and sticking it to another coworkers desk. “The fact that you’re second guessing so much only makes me want to come more.” 
“Giving me a hard time already? We haven’t known each other for more than twenty minutes.” James sighed as he moved on to the next plant. “You’re going to fit right in at this party.” 
She looked over at him, her eyes sparkling. “I knew I was going to like you.” 
“Yeah, well, just remember that when my mum starts asking you how many kids you want.” 
She laughed out loud, startling him slightly, but then he was chuckling along with her. 
“Six.” She said suddenly, looking back at her sticky notes.
“Six?” James’ eyes widened. 
“Four?” Lily offered, looking back up at him. “I’m not entirely sure, but I know it has to be an even number more than two. I was one of two, and my sister and I don’t get along. I think if there were a few more siblings, then we would have had more people to fight with and it would have been spread out more.”
“I was an only child growing up, so my mother will be thrilled with that answer.” 
“Excellent.” She poked him with the pen again. “Alright, I think that’s everyone. Can you help me carry my things down to my car? I don’t know how I managed to accumulate so much stuff over the last year.” 
“Of course,” James set down the watering can and followed her to a counter on the back wall that had two boxes, one full of plants, the other full of books and trinkets. The contents of either box could comfortably fit into the other. “This isn’t so much.” 
“I had a bigger box that I took home with me yesterday.” Lily admitted. “But I uh,” She cocked her head to the side and eyed him before picking up the box with the books in it. “I wanted to make sure that I had enough stuff left here for two boxes so I could ask you for help.” 
“You know,” James picked up the box of plants. “For someone who hasn’t had the nerve to just walk into my office and talk to me, you’ve got a lot of nerve.” 
Lily laughed, “Yes, well, you’re bringing me home to meet your family. My confidence has been bolstered.” 
And as he followed her down to her car, carrying a box of plants that she’d packed separately just so she’d have a reason to talk to him, his heart skipping happily in his chest and his cheeks already sore from all the smiling he’d been doing, he had a feeling that he was stepping into the rest of his life. 
Because he was quite certain that there weren't many places that he wouldn’t follow Lily. 
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wu-sisyphus-gang · 3 years
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Motion Sickness Chapter 62
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I kicked my feet up and I watched the striper dance before me. I took a long draw on my packed pipe and since Aurum was doing it, I tossed some bills on the striper. Why the fuck not?
She bent down low in front of me in pretty white bottoms. She had pretty blue eyes besides and a frilly matching white top. She danced in front of Aurum and I and he poured me a drink.
I took it from him with grace and sipped on the alcohol slowly, though faster than I might normally.
"No word on your mustached man," he told me. "I've been keeping an ear to the ground about it and I haven't heard a thing. If only you'd seen his weapon, man. Then we'd have something to go off of."
I grunted and nodded. I took a swig of drink.
"Can I get something sugary up here for Neo? Girliest, sugariest drink you have in the house. All the better if it has ice-cream in it."
Neo hit me in the side but smiled. She didn't disagree.
"One fuzzy navel coming right up," Aurum called out to a wait staff member who was passing by on the second floor of his club. The man nodded and took the order. Like all of Aurum's waitstaff the man was good looking. Stand out in a crowd good looking. Almost hunter angel-like good looking.
Aurum owed me. For killing Tyrian. Neither of us said it but mass murderers are bad for business, they brought the wrong kind of attention. He was paying me off with drink and women a little. Or trying to. I was hard to buy off with such trivial things. I wasn't saying I couldn't be bought with it. That seemed like a bit much. And the dancer was beautiful with those baby-blues. She reminded me of my first crush a little.
I was good for his business because I was so dangerous. Keeping me happy was good for his business because I was so dangerous. It was a razor that might cut one of us but for now he was happy and I was happy so why not drink with one another and party while I waited for my information to come in?
I'd already paid for it by murdering some of his enemies and he'd probably tell me about it as soon as he knew something because Cinder Fall was another murderer who wasn't interested in the drug game or playing the game like I was.
"Cloud, I still don't have any news on the others you asked me to watch out for. Cinder Fall or Hazel Rainart."
"Cinder Fall is probably not her real name anyways. Plus she could be working through some other associates. Emerald Sustrai or Mercury Black."
"I'll keep an eye out for them all the same. Did you learn what you needed from Avalanche?"
"I did. The General's project wasn't so secret after all. Hard to keep everyone in on something that large quiet."
"Fair enough." He said without asking me more about the project. He probably didn't care to know the details so long as it didn't affect his business ventures. "Come with me. Try some hyper," he said. He was trying to buy me off with drugs as well. He'd hooked me up with more greens. I'd paid a little but it was discounted.
"I don't know that I should. I already have some psychosis. That's what the weed is for."
"Oh it's not so bad. Just an intense rush."
"Isn't it a pro-psychotic?"
"Maybe a little. I'm not a doctor. Try some, you'll be fine."
I shrugged my shoulders. Fuck it. Why not? What was the worst thing that could happen if I did? I'd become a murderer? That ship had sailed, thanks. I'd become involved in the drug game? A bit late, thank you. An alien goddess would seize control over my mind, again? Maybe. But I couldn't live in fear of Mother all the time.
He cut out a line of the stuff and showed me how to inhale it.
I did. I pulled deeply into my nostrils and up into my sinuses.
I leaned back as the powder filled my nose and dripped down my esophagus a little. It hit my brain fast and hard. Aurum had been right. It was intense.
And it was a rush. I was zooming. My brain strummed like it was endlessly hitting a high wiry note on an electric guitar with an amplifier. Volts coursed through my veins in my skull. My arteries seemed to be full of odd amps. Like I'd been shot in the head by some kind of electric gun.
Bugs wiggled their way around behind my eyes more intensely than ever. I just didn't care as I leaned back into my seat once more.
I swear I could almost hear mother's voice over the din of the music in The Den. But only just. It wasn't bad now that I thought about it. Just a dull whisper. Just some bitch talking to me like she owned me.
What else was new?
My leg was moving restlessly. I felt like I was about to jump out of my skin.
Neo sucked on a long blue bendy straw next to me and on impulse I nearly took it from her hands and threw it across the room. I reigned myself in, though. There was no reason to do that. I just needed to sit back and relax… relax… relax.
My brain seemed stuck in a loop and I repeated that over and over in my head like a mantra. Relax… relax… relax… why wasn't I relaxing?
I drank and smoked some more. I drank like I was thirsty and I smoked like my personal stash wasn't running a bit low before I'd bought some more.
It felt damn good to over indulge and crossfade myself as thoroughly as I could.
"Well you're handling it well," Aurum said. "That was your first time, no?"
"It is. Was. Whatever." My heart beat fast and my leg bounced. "I want to kill something. Is that normal?"
"Depends. For you, probably. You're a killer."
I nodded. That made sense. It was hot in all my clothes so I stripped my armor off and set it beside Neo and I on one of the long couches.
I sat back and watched the dancer before me work as my vision came in and out. Blackening and refocusing.
It beat a steady tide in rhythm with my heart.
"Though there is one man in town who I thought you should know about." Aurum told me. I wasn't sure how he was staying so fucking calm.
"Oh?" I asked.
"Name's Adam Taurus. Old White Fang member. He's another killer. Caused the SDC problems for years."
"Want me to kill him?" My voice was much more calm than I felt. My heart was racing. My head throbbed in time with the music in a pleasant way. My eyes felt like they were going to pop from their sockets.
"Maybe. He's the sort who is also bad for my business. Idealistic. Unwilling to compromise. And he paints the town red wherever he goes."
"I could go for a fight right about now. Not sure it's a good idea. Neo, your thoughts?" She shrugged at me, then she shook her head to the negative. Thank you for that contribution Neo. Enlightening. "We'll probably end up passing. I'll kill him for a favor if you change your mind."
"I just might take you up on that." Aurum took a long swig of his favorite amber drink.
I followed suit and found my glass empty. It was quickly refilled by a gorgeous young redhead with a staff shirt on and long legs.
I stared after her for a long time.
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I came down with a headache. "Neo would you get me a glass of water." I bemoaned from my bed in our shared motel space.
She obliged. Fetching the water, then she poured it right on my face.
"Ack! Neo. Gods damn it." I was awake now if nothing else.
I sat up in the bed. I spat water from my mouth. I stood up and got my own drink of water. Neo could be so unreliable.
"You're such a bitch, Neo." I told her over my throbbing headache. I palmed my forehead and over one of my eyes.
"Why I oughta," I said it like a complete sentence with no real heat.
She blinked at me innocently and her eyes switched colors. She fooled nobody with that.
She had a cigarette in her mouth, the smoke from it was filling our shady apartment.
I wasn't sure which drug that I had partaken in the night before that was killing me. It could have just been alcohol. It could have been hyper. Either way I was thirsty enough that when I downed a glass, I followed it up with two more.
I could scarcely remember the night prior. Other than a soft warm feeling that followed my memories about it. Too much drink. Too much weed. Too much of everything. I probably wasn't going to try hyper again. I crossfaded myself hardcore. I rubbed my eyes firmly.
I looked over at Neo and really took her in for the first time. She wasn't wearing a shirt and was just in her brassiere and a pair of pink panties. I took her milky cleavage in for a moment before I looked down at myself. I was totally naked.
"Did we…?"
She rolled her eyes at me. A smirk on her face as she did. She reached over with her cigarette and put it out on my chest, nice and slow. She grinned at my pain. Her breathing rushed a little as I hissed. The tips of her breasts hardened and I noticed that the burn she left there was not alone. It had company.
"Neo, I'm damn well serious." I tasted my own lips with my tongue a little. It tasted funny. Was that someone else's lipstick or was my mouth just fucked from drinks and hyper? It tasted like lipstick. Neo was wearing pink lipstick.
"Did we or didn't we?" She just turned and began putting the rest of her clothes on. She spun and twisted a curtain into place between our two sections of room and beds as she clothed herself.
"Neo!"
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She refused to answer me. In any capacity. She just left it as it was which was well within her personality but was more than a little obnoxious from my end. Fuck her.
Sex with a demoness or not, and I was trying hard not to think about that, I still had other business to attend to. Like heading over to Avalanche headquarters.
We rolled up on the bar with Neo's arms wrapped around my waist. She held herself nice and tight to me for the ride. The absolute… I mean honestly...
"Neo you little devil," I said to her, looking forward. Neither of us were wearing helmets. Little point when we were both hunters.
It was on me for getting black out drunk and giving her the opportunity to hold it over me. Forever.
Plus if I really did do it I had a lot to feel guilty about. Wherever little Ruby Rose was she wasn't enjoying another's company like that. She was probably shattered to pieces.
She was probably in a lot of pain over me. I had caused that. I didn't deserve to cause her pain. But I had anyway. It made my chest ache to think about. It made me feel worthless. More worthless, that is.
Guilt rose up in my mouth like bile and it whipped at me like a switch. I didn't much like to think about that. But by all accounts we were broken up. I had no idea when I would even see her again. We were shattered, me and her. So what did it matter if I did have sex with Neo? Evidently it mattered to me. I didn't want it to have happened. I regretted that I didn't know.
It meant that Yang was right about me. One way or another her older sister instincts had been on point. She'd been right to keep me away. For more than one reason, probably. That made me feel like shit.
It also meant disappointing Weiss. I had long wanted her approval for one reason or another. That hadn't exactly changed. Her affectionate dawn smile with her hair down reflected in my mind for a moment before I imagined her looking at me with a cold hard apathy like she had so many times before. And I grimaced at so many memories of asking her out.
Besides, I should feel guilty about what I had done to Ruby. She was probably off saving lives while I was taking them like some common criminal or something. We couldn't be more different. She was an angel and I was a demon.
And I wasn't about to talk to Neo about that. Or have a one way conversation with her, at any rate. As much as you could have a conversation with Neo. About all of this.
I walked up to the bar and opened the door with a jingle of bells. I tried to roll my shoulders and undo a kink in them I'd worked into the muscle the night before.
Jasper was up behind the bar, washing the counter down with a cloth.
"Oh, Cloud… you're back!"
"I promised to train you guys a little. Where's the others?"
"They're out for a minute. There's a big player in town. Adam Taurus. He's causing problems for the union and with the miner leaders like Dyne."
"Dyne?"
"Just Dyne. No last name. He's one of the old miner leaders. Been around since the old days of the White Fang. He was always outspoken about union action over taking up arms. Or at least he used to be. He hates the Schnee name, now. His daughter was injured in a mining accident recently. Bisque is worried about what he and Adam will get up to."
"This is the second time I'm hearing about Taurus."
"He's problems. At least for us. They're working up strikes, which is a good thing. But they also have the potential to get violent. People could get hurt. Bisque is trying to stop things from escalating."
"Yeah but you guys are fairly militant. Shouldn't you be on board with Taurus?"
"We always plan our operations around not killing people. People always die with Taurus on the job. Always. He's got a red streak a mile wide."
"Guess that's why Aurum might want me to kill him. Not willing to play ball. And Wenge?"
"Leading a strike. Avalanche needs to stay involved in all of this if we want to be a player at all. I'm just holding down the fort because somebody needs to be looking after the bar. People might come by and have questions for us about the strike. We have to stay on top of information."
"Need me to kill Taurus?" I asked.
"You think you can pull it off? I know you're good but Taurus is also a badass. He's got some real power," Jasper said.
I thought of Tyrian. He was one of Salem's guard and I'd killed him. He was probably about as dangerous as hunters came. Barring people like Cinder who were also maidens and had some extra kick.
"I might be able to manage it. Difficult to say before I lay into him but it's a possibility. Aurum talked to me about maybe taking him down. I remember that from last night at least."
"What happened last night?" Jasper asked. She leaned forward on one hand which rested with her elbow on the counter.
"Drank too much. That's all. Nothing else happened."
Neo nudged me. I looked way down at her short ass. A calm smirk was on her face looking back up at me. One end of her lips turned up.
Shut up, Neo.
"You up for some training?" I asked.
"I can't." Jasper sighed. "I've got to man the fort. Think you can come by again later? Wenge should be by then too."
I nodded.
"Probably. I'm just waiting for some information to come in. Not much else is going on in my life at the moment. Running favors for my 'friends.' That sort of thing."
The door jingled again. I turned to look. It was the crossbow girl from before.
"Oh. It's you," she said with some derision at me. I could live with that. At least I was being remembered.
"Me." I agreed. Like it was a curse. Which it was in a lot of respects. Boy was it.
"I'm not here to talk to you." She looked away towards Jasper. "I'm here to talk about the strikes. You kicked this off by bombing the mind and shutting work down."
"Maybe we did, as far as Avalanche is concerned the strikes are a good thing."
"Not this close to the elections. It's too much unrest."
"You're just upset because the strike leaders aren't paying homage to Robyn. They don't care about another election cycle where nothing gets done to improve their conditions. Especially when Schnee himself is running."
"This isn't about that. If martial law gets declared it will push elections back."
"I know you're concerned about Hill's chances of winning. Maybe you should be out leading them instead of hiding away or whatever the Happy Huntresses are doing," Jasper told her. Crossing her arms over her chest.
"The Happy Huntresses are always fighting for Mantle."
"Yeah, on your time table. Not on Mantle's. The people want change and they want it now."
"You stirred them up. Your bombing caused this. The people were content to wait!"
"We didn't cause the strikes. You're looking for Dyne and Adam Taurus."
"Adam Taurus?!" Fiona was incredulous.
"Oh you haven't heard? Maybe the Happy Huntresses are out of touch."
"Don't be petulant just because I wouldn't help you with your bombing. Look at what you've done! Now Adam Taurus is involved."
"If you're scared of him-" Jasper began she was cut off.
"Only a fool wouldn't be," Fiona said. "Call off the strikes."
"No can do," Jasper said. "Wouldn't want to even if we could. Take it up with Dyne."
"Dyne is unreachable. He wants revenge against the SDC at all costs. We're hoping Avalanche is more agreeable. You have a network. You can shut this down."
"I told you we want the strikes." Jasper leaned forward into her words. "Live with them. Or don't. Better yet."
"All this because I wouldn't bomb them with you! It was a bad idea. Look at all the unrest it's causing. Ironwood might declare martial law. Who will win then? Not the miners. The military always backs the SDC to break up the strikes. People get hurt every time. Please. This has to stop. Only through elections will real change get affected."
"I disagree. I think we can get real change done by collective action."
"It never works. It'll end with them opening fire on the mob. It always ends that way. Dust mining is too important to stay shut down. The military will back the SDC because they need the dust."
"There's an oversupply with the embargo. There's enough dust to last months. The strike won't last that long anyways. Old man Schnee will have to give in and improve the working conditions."
"He never does. And the negativity too, it's drawing the Grimm."
"So what? That's exactly why they can't open fire on a crowd of protestors." Jasper refuted.
"So what? So what?" Fiona repeated sounding shocked. "So people will die. And what about people who want more than improved conditions? What about the levelers who want wealth and property abolished? You're giving them a platform."
"What if the levelers are right? What if wealth and property should be abolished. Look at the pain it causes."
"It's the foundation of our society with the Grimm at the gates!"
"Cloud, what do you think, are the Grimm that big of a threat? We've got the largest military in the world for a reason."
I had been watching the two with rapt attention as they ran down Mantle politics. To be honest I was learning a lot. Particularly about these levelers. They sounded a lot like the Anti-capitalists of back home in Vale.
"I think the Grimm are always a threat. More than the layman knows," I murmured.
"See, even the murderer agrees. All this negativity can't go on. If you don't shut down the strikes, then the military will."
Fiona turned at the door.
"Please," she begged. "Shut it down."
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-WG
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helbramstrauma · 3 years
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Unkillable
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Welcome to the first part of Unkillable, this is a Feitan x Reader that is hopefully in second person. I’ll try to update every Tuesday, but sometimes life happens. This will also be uploaded to AO3, so choose how you would like to read. 
Now for a quick synopsis: You are a former knife thrower that now lives undercover with other escapee’s trying to make ends meet. This leads to some morally questioning jobs, you aren’t assassins but everything has a price. Just like any other job you were prepared, although your intel failed to mention something incredibly important. There seem to be other people trying to steal from the infamous underground auction as well. 
Tw: blood and gore
Chapter 1 - Word Count 1320
The sun has left the bustling town turns to darkness and you can slowly see the nearby apartments’ lights flicker on. Even though the city has been enveloped by darkness, the night is still young and you still have to wait. The underground auction doesn’t start for another few hours, however, the merchandise is rolling in right about now. About half of a dozen unmarked vehicles line the ally, a young man from the inside begins to unload the merchandise. This is your cue to get into position. Slowly getting down from the building opposite the hotel, you manage your way inside and find your room. You see your partner Adam laying on the floor with his equipment set up, but you bypass him and enter the bathroom where you see a now bloodstained ribbon completely dry in the tub. After putting on some make-up and doing my hair you put in the earpiece, so you can hear Adam’s instructions. Then you quickly slip on some tights, running spandex, and bodysuit before slipping on the dark red evening dress that has a thigh-high slip that stops right below the shorts. As a final touch, you tie the ribbon dried with your blood around my neck and black evening gloves with reinforced palms.
“Y/n” Adam calls you over, he is pointing to a tall blonde with a half-grown beard, “that’s the auctioneer, he’ll have the key to the vault”. Just as he finished that screen flickers to black. “I’ll get it back up, you should head downstairs”.
After walking past the elevators, you stopped before the employee’s only service elevation, simply swiping my room key gave me access thanks to Adam, for programming it that way.
“Y/n, Y/n do you copy” you hear Adam speak to you through the earpiece that is covered by your hair.
“Yeah, I’m in the elevator” you simply state.
There is silence for a second, “I wasn’t able to get the camera back up, but switching in between the different angles, I can tell that there are three people who are in the back room who was not here earlier, so watch out”
The elevator hits the ground level and the doors begin to open. You prepare your forged mafia badge, preparing to see some guards in the hallway but it is empty. It is too quiet down here, especially since an infamous auction is going to start in an hour, however, the sound of your heels hitting the tile is the only thing you can hear. Although there is no sound you can sense a large force of energy coming my way, your eyes quickly dart to the ceiling and walls, noting only, one vent is on the ceiling, and there are three doors, one is card locked, which you should be able to get into, the one opposite it isn’t guarded but another door opposite those two is key locked. Your hand tears off a small piece of the ribbon and you turn it into a key, once in the lock, you begin to change its shape to match. Simultaneously the lock clicks and the door on the other side open, quickly turning around you are greeted with a rather short man, with black hair.
“That’s one of the people who weren't here before, be careful,” Adam says through my headpiece. Although the general aura in the air is dark, the one protruding out of the man on the other end of the hallway is particularly dark. Quickly thinking, you recall that the vent above you can lead into the vault if the fan is stopped, but it can also lead to the second floor if the need to escape emerges.
“Are you new, I don’t recognize you,” you quickly say, hoping to throw the man in front of you off focus, providing you with the chance of escape or furthering the mission.
A slight pause is in the air before the man slowly starts approaching, “yes” is all he says but he keeps approaching. You let him through the previously locked door, noticing a window on the other side, that looks into the alleyway the merchandise was brought through. The vault’s entrance must be in that room. He takes the lead into the room, you change the previous key into a knife, and aim for the back of his neck. However he catches me off guard and he digs his nails into my wrist, drawing blood, his aura becomes stronger and you are immediately left with the idea to flee instead of fight. His other arm is swinging towards my neck, this causes you to make the ribbon harden briefly stopping him from decapitating you. With your free hand, you propel yourself over him, allowing his grip on the hand to break, without looking back you shatter the window with your elbow allowing your blood to flow down your forearm.
You don’t have enough time to heal your wounds, you can only focus on running, but based on the speed of his first strike it becomes obvious that he is faster than you are. The only chance you have at survival is to use your familiarity with the area to get ahead. After you manage to get onto the fire escape you are able to jump to the adjacent building.
“The yellow line train begins to pass by 4th and 5th in about 7 seconds”. Adam updates.
The sound of the man landing on the building behind me is heard soon after Adam speaks. With no time to waste, I jump off the building landing on a balcony, and then jump onto some ventilation that is above the alley between 6th and 7th. Your heel breaks upon impact but there is no time to take off your shoes. Your hands latch onto a pipe, and you propel yourself onto an awning. A telephone wire is connecting the building to the fence surrounding the train track. The familiar lights of the train are just now appearing, you are making perfect timing. Using the ribbon you set up yourself a makeshift zipline, your feet leave the surface but your body is jolted back. The man was able to catch up and is now holding your hair.
“I have fun with you, bitch” the man says with short pauses in between. In this time you are able to hold your body weight up with just one hand allowing your other hand to grab him, that was holding your hair. You are able to use the blood of your previous injury to create a sharp blade that cuts his hand, causing his hand to withdraw, sending you flying toward the train that is quickly passing. Luckily you were able to land on the last cart, when you look up at your previous position you can see the man, simply turn back around.
“Adam get out of there, the man stopped following me, something bad is going to happen,” you say, riding the train for a bit. When you pass the location and hotel of the underground auction you simply see an explosion with the surrounding area engulfed in flames.
“Adam? Adam, do you copy?”
“Yes, there appears to be a slaughtering on the auction floor, there is no way for me to get out, with all of the material I have. I’m going to have to destroy our line of communication, so I can escape lightly. Meet me and the rest at the loft” Adam says and then there is a loud beep letting you know that the line has been cut. Before jumping off the train and heading to the loft you heal the wound that was caused by the shattered glass, however you take a second to look at your wrist.
To think he was able to cut this deep with his bare hands is terrifying.
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Uuh dunno if you would like this prompt : Anna and Elsa as a mythical creatures.
Would love too see what you will write them as ^^
@like-redhead-probably I sat thinking about this ask for a long time, because while I IMMEDIATELY thought of one for Elsa, Anna’s absolutely eluded me. And I know you were probably looking for a story, but I am unable to stop myself from first EXPLAINING my choices xD
I was already thinking about the myth of the Hulder (or huldra if we’re speaking of the creature in general instead of the specific Norwegian myth) for other story-related reasons, and as I did more research, I felt like the Hulder REALLY shared similarities with Elsa.
Generally speaking the huldra is a Scandinavian myth of a pale skinned, blonde or brown haired, attractive young woman who lives in the wilderness, often luring men away with song or dance to be killed or misled, stuck wandering forever. Sometimes she’s connected strongly to water, and instead of making men lost, she drowns them. Sometimes she is described as similar to an elf or fey-like creature, with characteristics related to other Huldufolk (we’ll get to them later) such as living in a parallel world, or a world Underground, and therefore preferring caves or appearing and disappearing suddenly. Sometimes she is depicted as having a hollow back, or a cow’s tail, which she hides out of embarrassment or to conceal her true identity. Which… how cute is that?
Before the 11th century, the myths were focussed more around the Huldufolk, which literally means “Hidden Folk”. There are lots of stories as to why and how the Huldufolk came to exist, but for the purpose of Elsa I think it most appropriate to look at the Christianization of the myths. Why?:
Frozen and Frozen 2 are modern movies made by an American company and Christianity is nigh untanglable with American culture, they take place in ~1840s Norway, F1 has a dedicated place of Christian congregation depicted in said movie, an official royal crowning overseen by a Christian faith leader, and the adaptation of Frozen generally comes from author Hans Christian Anderson and therefore should take his life and society into account, etc.
The Christianized myth says that one day Eve was washing her children (presumably after Cain, Abel, and Seth) in the river, when she heard God approaching. Ashamed that He would see her kids unclean, she hid the half she wasn’t done bathing, and when God asked, “Where are the other children?” Eve claimed that she had all of them present, indicating the clean ones. This gave God pause, but in the end He said, “Then let all that is Hidden, remain Hidden.” The children that Eve lied about became the Huldufolk, unable to live among humans. These people would eventually become characterized as dwarves, elves, fairies, etc., as time and interpretations rolled on, the huldra being just one of many mythical “species”.
So. Who is Elsa? She’s a:
fictional, blonde-haired, blue-eyed, fair-skinned young woman who led thousands of men wlw to wander helplessly into the dark caves and wildlands of social media with a power ballad and a jaw-dropping transformation sequence
Okay I’m joking… mostly…
In fact my interest in choosing the Hulder for Elsa lies purely outside of any romantic or sexual appeal, especially since Elsa as a character exhibits next to 0 romantic or sexual interest across two whole movies and an additional two shorts. Indeed, there’s a reason people headcanon her as either asexual, aromantic, or both! No, the reasons I chose the Hulder are:
Elsa’s name
Her upbringing
Her duty as queen, and
Her general behavior, specifically in regards to Frozen 1, as Frozen 2 Elsa is, at times, an almost completely different character
Elsa’s name was chosen very specifically by the filmmakers because it means “God is my Oath”. Oaths are binding, heavy, and invoke the maker’s or subject’s actions and personhood in the future. In Elsa’s case specifically, it invokes divine witness: perfect for a queen, someone born to rule. A promise to be fair, to uphold, to protect, to lead, to be a dignified and honorable face for the country. And Elsa was so ready to be that… except for the powers of course. Or at least, when they became something other than a magical gift of wonder and joy. When they became dangerous. Then there comes another oath, spoken to powerful creatures of magic, the Trolls, and born from parental fear: “She can learn to control it.”
Binding, heavy, invoking of Elsa’s future. As she grows, Elsa becomes closed off, quiet, hiding in her own home. She still takes her duties seriously, but now that she has been Other’d, taught to hide herself and her curse, she is just as much shadow as person. To young Anna, Elsa must have been almost ghostlike, disappearing right when Anna thought she’d cornered her, only to reappear sometime later down the hall, out of arm’s reach.
God promised Adam and Eve that their children would inherit the earth, even after leaving the Garden of Eden. Then suddenly that changed, due to Eve’s fear and shame of her unwashed children, and some would now inherit Underground, or somewhere else entirely. The lost children of Eve had become Other’d, needing to hide, disappear, and resort to inhuman tactics just to exist. Maybe they’re jealous, maybe they're just tricksters. But it’s not their fault. And it wasn’t Elsa’s either. Another reason they are similar.
Now, it’s not all doom and gloom for the Hulder, or for Elsa. While the Hulder is generally known for her more chaotic and negative attributes - just like our favorite snow queen, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. There are a few myths that say burning a charcoal fire -instead of a coal or gas one- is most pleasing to the Hulder, that she’ll even watch over it during the night, and wake the sleepers in case something happens. If a traveler leaves supplies behind with a note or offering for the Hulder, they will travel safely. In fact, some people leave caches for her, as though to cater to specific requests. Coming across the Hulder by chance can have a multitude of outcomes, but if an astute observer spots her cow tail and mentions it, she may become shy and run away. Don’t mention the empty back though, that’s almost certain death.
Basically my point is… trade out the word “traveler” for the name “Anna” and we can draw all the similarities we want. Anna did all of those things, in a way. Anna gave Elsa a little gift of their favorite snowman every Christmas. Anna knocked on Elsa’s door and spoke to her, treated her kindly despite the distance between them, literal and metaphorical. It’s not hard to imagine that Anna left little notes around the castle, hoping Elsa would find them, read them, and know that Anna still loved her, still missed her. And, well, hopefully Anna wasn’t setting any fires and falling asleep next to them - but Anna always kept a light on for Elsa, in her heart. And it flickered and wavered sometimes, but it was a strong fire most days. And we know Elsa was always drawn to it, drawn to Anna because she loved her right back. Loved her first, even. And because it was a warmth that pleased Elsa, she tended it, quietly, carefully, warmly. Like putting a blanket over an Anna that had fallen asleep in the painting room, refusing that slice of chocolate cake so Anna could have two desserts, and listening, for hours and hours, days and days, for the sound of Anna’s glorious bonfire-like soul outside her bedroom door. Even when her secret was revealed, Elsa believed that the best way to protect Anna’s life, her flame, was to distance herself, running to a secret, special place all her own - much like the Hulder might run away back to the Underground.
And this last part’s just me, but I’d like to think that if the Hulder was treated kindly, respected, and given dignity, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if someone came across her accidentally. That instead of being instantly drowned, or the Hulder becoming sheepish and attempting to run, it would feel recognized. It could be called by name. And instead of feeling the need to hide it’s Otherness, it could be treated as part of it, and cared for just the same. I don’t even need to be subtle here: Anna called Elsa by Name, really saw her, and reframed her darkness into light. Anna hasn’t fought God yet, but she did walk through hell and back for a sister that everyone else saw as a threat, monster, and sorcerer. A category 9 Other. Too bad for them, Anna’s got a Category 10 heart.
Speaking of. We finally got to Anna.
Anna was difficult to pin down because to me, Anna is so very, very human. That’s what makes her special! Yes, yes, you could throw any mythical creature at Anna and the fun part would be trying to make it work within her personality and characterization BUT since the question was Anna AS a mythical creature, that changes the game! The word ‘creature’ itself tends to conjure something distinctly INhuman. So I…. tried, and cheated maybe a little. Because I picked for Anna the Norse Valkyrie.
Most people know what Valkyries are so this one takes significantly less explaining. Valkyries are women that are warriors, shieldmaidens, and the hands of Odin, and they choose who lives and who dies during battle. Their chosen dead ride with them to Valhalla, while those they choose to live are usually granted honors in life. There are the darker sides of Valkyries that paint them as blood hungry maidens waiting on the sidelines before a war, singing the names of who will die with glee… but generally speaking the version of Valkyries that most people know and admire today are accurate! And thank goodness because attempting to depict Anna the other way would probably give me an ulcer.
Anna, much like the Valkyries, is a woman of valor and strength, who is perceptive, guides others, sees into people’s hearts and reveals their goodness. Valkyries are also warriors of prowess themselves, and Anna in Frozen 2 with that ice sword? We all know she was ready to use that for real. She also exemplifies traits that Valkyries both look for and have! Bravery in the face of danger: hello Marshmallow, Elsa’s own blizzard, Hans’ lethal sword strike, LIVING MOUNTAINS, and a damn collapsing.... dam. She also defends those who cannot do it themselves: saying publicly that, “My sister is not a monster… she was scared, she didn’t mean any of this,” even if that cast suspicion or doubt on herself, and the crown, as a whole. Anna knew and believed in Elsa, despite all the years and heartbreak and anger. Despite the impossible magic that literally just happened before her very eyes. Belief in character, despite appearances. And once they were reunited, Anna made every effort to stay by Elsa’s side because she STILL had that faith in her. Anna’s name means “Grace” or “of Grace”, and damn if she didn’t extend that to the person others found most unworthy, even to Elsa herself. Valkyries see what others don’t, and their decisions are final.
[Deep breath] SO! You asked for Anna and Elsa as mythical creatures. You got… a small academic paper, by social media standards xD. I intend to write a little piece about a Valkyrie who encounters the Hulder on the edges of a battlefield and… realizes she never made a choice about this particular woman. And wonders why she can’t ;). BUT I didn’t wanna leave you hanging any longer. Hope you like my choices!
Oh also, nobody asked, but Kristoff is a werebear. No research required
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jlalafics · 4 years
Text
“Lesson Learned”-Part 2 of ?
Wow! Your support is amazing!
And, I’m still not sure when this will end, but it’s possibly...4?
Anyway, enjoy this next part.
Summary: Sometimes Katniss asks too much of Peeta. This time she’s gone too far. College Everlark. Katniss and Peeta POV’s. Rated M.
If you’re catching up, you’ll find Part One here.
_____
This is it.
Peeta steps in into the living room, his eyes on me in my robe.
I spent the day getting ready—waxing, showering, exfoliating places on my body that I had no idea existed. Johanna has already left for the weekend, before going she wished me luck and told me to remember to pee…after.
“Why?” I had asked.
“Nothing is worst than getting a UTI after your first time,” Johanna informed. “Trust me, I know.”
“Duly noted.”
So that’s all I know so far about intercourse, you must urinate after.
“Katniss?” My eyes go to the man standing in front of me. “You okay?”
I smile, trying to shake myself from my stupor. “Uh, yeah why?”
“Since I’ve been here, you’ve just been staring into space,” Peeta replies, his eyes full of concern. “We don’t have to do this.”
That brings me back to reality quickly.
“No.” I look to him, stomping my foot firmly. “We are doing this…now clothes off.”
Peeta raises his hands up. “Slow down.” He peers at me. “Why are you in such a rush?”
“Because…” I sit down on the couch. Peeta follows sitting next to me. “…I don’t like dealing with pain.”
And I just don’t mean the physical pain of when he’ll break my hymen.
Last night, I thought of what this could mean for Peeta and I.
Would it be weird after? Would it change how he sees me? Or the way I see him?
I just don’t want us to fall apart, because the thought of that is what hurts the most.
His hand reaches to cup my cheek. “Pain happens, sweetheart, but its momentary.”
“Where did you hear that from?” I ask him, a smile gracing my lips.
“Finnick keeps one of those Five-Minute Journals in the apartment to impress his girlfriend, Annie; there’s always a quote at the top of each day, I think that was one of them,” Peeta says. “Or I made it up.”
I punch him in the arm. “You idiot!”
The tension has broken, and we are laughing as we usually do.
We sit back on my sofa, heads together and feet up on the coffee table.
“Promise me something,” I start. “Promise me that—throughout all of this—you tell me everything good and bad about anything I do.”
“I promise,” he replies. “You do the same.”
“Promise,” I whisper. “Now…can I try to kiss you?”
Peeta swallows nervously, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he does. “Okay.”
I shift, sitting up and look down at him. His blue eyes stare up at me fascinated, and my hand reaches to run through his golden hair. It’s a little matted by the pomade he used, but the scent is nice, juniper and sage.
Leaning down, I line my mouth to his and pillow his bottom lip between mine—it’s surprisingly smooth. Peeta opens up slightly and my tongue moves in, tasting and enjoying the mint of his mouthwash.
So far it’s…okay. He tastes good, but his kiss is…muted. Like he’s just following along with my enthusiasm.
I pull away abruptly. “What the hell was that?”
He’s breathless, his chest heaving as he sits up. “What do you mean?”
“The lackluster kissing!” I reply crossly. “You’re not really this bad, are you?”
“I am not! Call any one of my exes and ask!” he protests.
“No way am I calling 1 of your 2 girlfriends. I’m sure Delly Cartwright wouldn’t give me any conducive commentary on your kissing technique, anyway.”
“You want commentary?” he bristles. “Stop with the tongue jabbing! My whole jaw is painted with your saliva. I mean I enjoy enthusiasm, but not that much!”
Taking a deep breath, I take in his words. I wanted honesty—and I’m getting it.
Then again, at least I’m getting it from someone I trust.
“Fair enough,” I reply. “But you’re a bit of a dry kisser if we’re trading notes.”
Peeta nods. “Alright. Point taken.” He moves closer to me. “Let’s try again.”
“I’ll pull back and you take a little initiative,” I agree.
This time, Peeta tilts my head gently. “Close your eyes.”
I comply, closing my eyes, feeling his warm breath ghosting my lips.
When he finally presses his lips to mine, I open my mouth just slightly, biting down my instinct to thrust my tongue to taste. In turn, Peeta slants into the kiss, his own tongue sweeps artfully inside my mouth to taste it hungrily.
A moan escapes from between us and I’m not too sure who did it.
Pulling apart, I’m embarrassed realizing somehow, I’ve wrapped my arms around his neck and I’m sitting halfway on his lap.
I move off him. “Sorry.”
“No, that was better!” he exclaims.
I beam at his praise, wetness suddenly between my thighs and I feel my face warm. “Um…”
Peeta gives me an encouraging smile. “Honesty, remember?”
I got a little wet when you told me that,” I admit.
More than a little wet, actually.
His eyes flare at my words.
“I’ll remember that,” he says tightly. “For later.”
I nod, my stomach flipping at the thought. “For later.”
“Now,” Peeta starts, his hand going to the belt around my waist as I stand before him. “May I?”
I nod. “Please.”
Slowly, he undoes the belt, letting the robe fall to the ground.
++++++
“What the fuck is that?”
The words leave my mouth without the thought.
Because Katniss is standing in front of me in a pair of cotton panties (it’s Friday and they’re her Wednesday pair, according to the print covering her mons)—and a sports bra.
A fucking sports bra.
“It’s my underwear,” she informs me. “Johanna said that I should be comfortable and make you work for it.”
“Do you have anything lacy?” Katniss shakes her head. “Maybe something with that see-through mesh fabric?” Another shake. “How about something cotton with a little bit of push-up?” She shrugs. “Katniss, love, I know you want me to work for it, but that—" I wave my hand at the black bra with thick straps and round neck. “—is a fortress.
“Well, I like it!” Katniss protests. “And I think it’s…attractive.”
“Fine. Take that off—seductively,” I counter as I rest back on the couch.
Katniss stands in front of me and reaches to pull it over her head—wow, she has great nipples—and there’s a bit of struggle before she reveals her flushed face.
She’s panting by the time the monstrosity is in front of my feet and practically hyperventilating at the exertion. “There.”
“Not even close,” I snort, and I see her face fall. “But really—” I wave my hand at her chest. “—why are you hiding those?”
Gleefully, Katniss cups her breast and I bite back my groan. “Really? You like them?”
Her breasts are round and full, shaped like teardrops with nipples that are a dusky rose. They look like they have some bounce of them and that perverted part of me imagines them jiggle mid-thrust. My eyes draw down to her bottom half—my mind was purely focus on her breasts that I didn’t even notice she took her panties off—where neatly trimmed hair covers her center.
“Without trying to sound like a complete pervert, they’re the kind of tits that I’d want to smother my face in.”
The image of me motorboating those glorious breasts flashes in my mind and I go completely hard.
Katniss blushes. “Well, thank you.” She clears her throat. “Your turn.”
++++++
I’m sitting naked on my couch.
Should I put a towel underneath? Johanna and I never really talked about the logistics of whether we allowed sex in the public parts of our apartment. However, something also tells me that if there was a rule, she’s broken it many times over.
Gross.
Expectantly, I wait for Peeta to begin removing his clothes and primly place my hands on my lap.
“So, did you want me to do this slowly or just get naked?” he asks, his face red.
“How did you do it with other girls?” I reply.
The thought of him with other girls causes a twinge to my chest. I know he’s not mine, but I always felt a little bit of him belonged to me. The thought that one day, another woman will take my place makes my stomach turn uncomfortably.
“I…uh…guess I’ll go slow.”
Peeta reaches to the hem of his grey t-shirt pulling it up, slowing revealing a firm abdomen and smooth skin. He tosses it down to the carpet to join my clothes before slowly reaching to the button of his jeans.
I swear my breath catches when I see that single button undone.
His fingers drag down the zipper and before I know, his hands go to the sides of his jeans to yank them down.
“Good so far?” he asks.
I’m sure he knows this dumb, slack-jaw impression is because I am totally into it. Trying not to look too eager, I nod, and he toes off his sneakers before stepping out of the pile.
Peeta is wearing white boxer briefs; I can see the outline of his cock against the stretchy fabric.
“Take them off.” My voice, desperate and breathy, doesn’t even sound like me. “Please.”
Grabbing hold of the waist, Peeta slowly moves his boxer-briefs down to his ankles before pushing them off to join the other discarded clothes.
There it is—Peeta Mellark’s penis—just staring straight at me.
“Hmm…” It looks normal, not like I’ve seen many penises before, but I imagine that this is pretty standard in terms of cocks. “It looks…friendly.”
“Friendly?” Peeta looks amused. “Like Mr. Rogers friendly or friendly like you wave to it, but never go into personal stuff?”
“Don’t worry, Peeta,” I assure him. “You have a very friendly neighborhood kind of penis.”
I kneel to look at it more in depth. It looks like it matches his skin tone (does that matter?) and there’s a smattering of pubic hair before his testicles. I’ve always been interested in this part, usually it’s all dick but I feel like I shouldn’t neglect his southern neighbors.
“Tell me.” My hand reaches to one testicle and Peeta hisses sharply. “Are balls important to most men?”
“In terms of human reproduction, they’re very important,” he starts. “I mean I wouldn’t exactly protest if someone was fondling them—or had them in their mouth.”
“Mouth?” I look up at him, my hand still moving along the flesh, trying different pressures to see if his reaction changes. “How does that work?”
Peeta shrugs. “Probably the same way it would be…if I were sucking on your—” His eyes dart down to where I kneel, focusing on my breasts. “I imagine it’s like that.”
For all the bitching he did about my sports bra, he really does like my boobs.
Moving my hand off, my eyes go to his cock which is now flaccid.
“I mentally had to calm down,” he says when I look up at him.
“Do they all look like this when they’re not hard? He’s just hanging there…kind of lazy looking of you ask me,” I tease.
“If you look at any flaccid penis on the internet, I guarantee it looks exactly like this!” he argues.
“Really?” I reach for my phone on the coffee table and finding my search app, I quickly type. “Flaccid penis…”
Peeta snorts. “You’re seriously looking?”
Going to the image tab, I find one and look it over, comparing it to the one in front of me.
They do look the same…I’ll admit Peeta’s is nicer.
“I guess you’re right,” I say. “Though I wonder how you know what other flaccid penises look like.”
“Gym class…I have brothers…Finnick is not at all particular about being naked in our apartment,” Peeta informs me. “Almost got him kicked out once.”
“He and Johanna should meet,” I tell him. “They seem like they would get along. She’s not one for caring about nudity too.”
We lapse into silence.
His penis is still right in front of me and curiously my hand reaches to hold it. The surrounding skin is surprisingly soft, and the head does look like a mushroom. I’ve read some erotica (Johanna keeps a stocked collection in her room) and they all pretty much talk about the head—must be pretty important, if it’s being mention.
Peeta speaks first. “Do you have questions?” he asks hoarsely.
I smile to myself remembering that he used to sound like that when he was going through puberty, slightly cracked with the beginning tones of the deep timbre he has now.
“Yeah.”
I stand up and look into his eyes. They’re safe and warm.
For a moment, I fancy myself in love with Peeta.
“How do I get it hard again?”
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cakeleighh · 3 years
Text
You ever just create an au crossover with two fandoms you’re currently in? Just cuz? No real plot or idea, just a concept? Like marmite and chocolate. “Idk how the fuck these two got in even 5 meters of each other, but it actually tastes nice????”
Well, I present to you;
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Yeah, idk either, but I loved the design so I’m posting it. Fun fact; I drew this lying on my side, my drawing arm under my body, and using my finger on my small phone. Am I proud I made something like this in these conditions? Yes. Should I be? Not really. But oh well.
Also, the reason I’m posting this now is cuz I just created something so cute I had to post it.
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If anyone wants to use these designs, go right ahead! I’m probably not gonna go further. And if someone wants to create an in-depth miraculous x teenwolf crossover, feel free. My only aim with this post was show cute fox stiles, and get people inspired.
I do have a small narrative if anyone wants to use it, but it’s not in-depth or even finished, so don’t feel obliged to. The story is like so;
-Trixx’s miraculous has been lost from the miracle box (instead of Nooroo & Duusuu’s), it gets into the hands of someone bad -like a boss- and when he’s defeated, another bad person gets the miraculous. The cycle passing from bad people to bad people continues for years.
-Because of the nature of the fox miraculous, most people who wield it use it very discreetly. So there’s no coverage of a “fox supervillain” in the media. However, if you were to ask someone involved within criminal activity; they’d tell you it was a legend to scare gangs into submission by the police.
-Eventually, a mercenary with the fox miraculous comes to California to lay low for a bit, however, he’s killed by a druid for a sacrifice. The miraculous is left behind on the scene, since the Druid is unaware of what it really is.
-Stiles, who had been looking for clues on the new killer, comes across the now vacant home. It’s obvious that there was a fight, so he starts to record things and collect evidence for himself. He luckily isn’t obliged to tell the police since technically, he shouldn’t even know there’s a killer. So technically to the police, it’s just robbery, not withholding information. In his endeavour, he finds the fox miraculous -thinking it’s a tad tacky, but he never underestimates the small things. Not after his friend was bitten by a werewolf and he got drawn into the weird supernatural world.
-once he gets home it takes him hours of filtering through evidence before he gets the the necklace. It’s at that point it activates and Trixx emerges. It’s not like “AAAAA WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU”, it’s more like “... I didn’t sign up for this, I should really consider just leaving this godforsaken town.”
-Trixx explains what a miraculous is how it can give him amazing powers. But the first thing Stiles asks is who was the guy who had it in the house he found the necklace in. They hesitantly explain he was a mercenary, but they can’t reveal his name.
-Stiles takes a while but he gets exited about having this unique insight on this case. Now they could possibly stop the killer before anyone else has to die. However, he doesn’t actually want to use the miraculous power since “I can’t waste time trying to play super hero! There’s a killer out there and if we needed an enhanced individual to get them, we’d have the werewolves out there. No, for this case we need a detective.”
-Trixx was very surprised when they heard Stiles explain he didn’t want to use the miraculous, but the more they listened, the more they understood the reasoning. Inwardly, they were immensely relieved. They could finally take a break from using their power for bad, and now could maybe even help this little kit out in doing some good.
~time skip as Trixx and Stiles become closer while on the case~
~there’s a point where Stiles is stuck in a the back of a truck with no way out. There was reason to believe the truck belonged to the killer, so Stiles invited himself in (closing the door so no one could see him snooping), and his hunch is right when he sees freezers full of body parts. What he didn’t anticipate though, was that the truck would start moving.
~With rising tensions, Stiles desperately-and yet fruitlessly- tries to find a way out, unless he wanted jump out the back of a moving vehicle at 60+ mph.
~Trixx advises him to use the miraculous, but he’s adamant against it, saying he can find a way out himself. Saying things like, “Scott would find a way.” And “Derek would be disappointed if I used such a cheap trick to get out of this.”
~Eventually, when the supposed killer starts to get to a stop, Stiles finally gives in and uses the miraculous.
~cue typical transformation scene~
~Stiles doesn’t have time to question the outfit before the killer parks, gets out of the car, and seemingly starts to go for the back door.
~Stiles tries to do what Trixx had told him before (regarding the fox miraculous power), and attempts to make himself invisible in the corner by making a mirage of an empty corner in front of him.
~It works and the killer doesn’t suspect a thing. Luckily Stiles was able to escape the truck when the killer went to put the first box in a warehouse. He makes sure to take many photos and notes about where he is, and what the warehouse is like. It’s not in the main town, but it isn’t far. Since it’s surrounded by forests, Stiles was able to slip away from the situation undetected.
~Stiles isn’t stupid, he isn’t going to face a serial killer he knows nothing about, and without his pack. Furthermore, he feels wrong for using Trixx, since they wanted to have a break from being used. So as soon as he was out of view of the warehouse, he powered down to begin a probably long walk back to town.
~Trixx was obviously a bit worn out, but all together happy that Stiles was ok. They found it weird when the kit started to apologise to Trixx, saying how it felt wrong to use someone like that. They found it soothing to have such a respectful miraculous holder, but they assured him it was perfectly fine and that that was the point of the miraculous anyway.
~hours of walking later and Stiles finally gets home, about just as exhausted as Trixx was. He asked if there was anyway to regain the kwami’s energy, which they replied that food would be good enough. So he let them look through all the food he had to see if they had a preference. They didn’t seem that picky, but when they saw a pack of blueberries, they instantly lit up and went for it. Stiles was going to ask if they wanted anything more, but the fox sped off cackling to themself.
~end~
And that’s all I got for more detailed scenes. I guess the general consensus from then on is that Stiles and Trixx go on with the case, and get the entire pack to ambush the killer to take him down. He only uses the fox miraculous if it’s the only way, or if using it would prevent possible casualties.
But as for more hc about it, I guess Stiles wouldn’t be able to tell the pack -secret identities n’ all that- and I’d assume he’d be hesitant to be Vulpy in front of the pack. But for embarrassment or just not wanting to open that can of worms, I have no clue.
I think Stiles would strike up the deal “If you agree to help me on this case, I’ll find and return you to your guardian”. Even though Trixx has no say in whether he can use them or not, it’s a deal they can’t pass up.
Also, just saying, if Stiles got akumatised he would call himself “Nogitsune” ;) which is a good next drawing idea, actually.
Like I said, if anyone wants redo any of this and completely change it, feel free! The idea of all the pack having a miraculous would be very interesting.
[I said I wouldn’t develop it more but I’m a sleep deprived idiot that was like “wouldn’t it be fun to make a animation/animatic of the transformation” and actually did it. I hate myself, but look out for it on my page, I only have a few last things to do.]
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jessicajonesrp · 4 years
Text
Choosing sides
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Jessica was dreading this conversation, more than any she could ever remember having in her life. She wasn’t much of a talker by nature as it was. But talking about important, uncomfortable things, things that were life changing and painful…honestly, Jessica would rather break several bones, because that kind of pain was far easier for her to deal with.
She knew that Luke and Trish were right about Phillip. They had literally shoved the proof in her face until she couldn’t deny it. But that didn’t mean she knew what to do about it. Stop him, obviously. Their suggestion had been for her to talk to him. She, apparently, was the only person Phillip might respect enough to listen to. But Jessica had never been good at convincing when it came to words rather than threats, and there wasn’t a lot she could threaten Phillip with that might be effective. She couldn’t even tell people she loved them without having a near panic attack over it. How was she supposed to convince her brother to stop killing people?
She had barely slept, considering the large quantity of alcohol she had consumed the night before, and the little sleep she snatched was plagued with nightmares that left her gasping and trembling when she woke. Hungover and on edge, she had been fighting to ignore Kilgrave’s voice whispering in her ear for most of the morning as she drank several cups of coffee. She couldn’t completely block out his assurances that she was doomed to failure before she started, that her brother actually had the right idea to kill everyone who had hurt him and Jessica, and nothing she said would convince him otherwise. She couldn’t stop hearing his goading her to give up the hero “act” and join in, to abandon Luke and Trish, who could never really understand her and who would never really think her good enough, and join up with her brother, as her genetics had already predetermined she would.
She would never actually listen to Kilgrave’s voice in her head. But she couldn’t help but hear it, and it rattled her before she could even begin.
She called Phillip mid morning, arranging with him as casually as she could to come by his apartment to pick him up and take him out for breakfast. What she didn’t tell him was that once she got to his apartment, she would make an excuse to need to use his bathroom, then spring her confrontation on him within the privacy of the walls. She also didn’t tell him that Luke would be riding with her to his apartment and once he saw both Jessica and Phillip go inside, he would come to “casually” stand outside on its landing, just in case she needed help or interference.
This wasn’t Jessica’s preference. She had insisted, with some heat, that she didn’t need help or a bodyguard, that if she was going to talk to Phillip, they needed privacy. But both Luke and Trish had been equally insistent that given what they knew, they refused to let her be alone with Phillip without someone at least within hearing distance of her if he tried something. As Trish had pointed out, whatever Jessica’s strength, she wasn’t immune to fire, especially if it happened to be all over her body at once.
She was quiet in the car ride over to Phillip’s, but her knees jogged in an irritatingly hyperactive manner that she blamed on excessive caffeine or possible alcohol withdrawal rather than nerves. As they parked the car and Jessica walked alone to the outside landing of Phillip’s apartment/motel, she was very aware of her heart having decided, seemingly, to lodge itself uncomfortably high in her throat.
Phillip opened the door with a smile and a nod; something she had noted was that like her, he didn’t seem one for excessive physical contact. She attempted to return the smile but was pretty sure it looked more like a grimace.
“Hey, sis,” he greeted, looking unruffled, even amused. “Rough night?”
She wondered whether it was the not-smile, her barely brushed hair, or her skin’s even paler than usual hue that had clued him in on that.
“You could say that,” she said vaguely. “Hey, can I come in for a second to use your bathroom?”
“Yeah, sure,” he said, stepping back to let her in. “You’re not going to throw up, are you? If you’re that hung over, breakfast might not be the best idea.”
“No, just need to pee,” she muttered. She quickly scanned the interior of the room as Trish had when she broke into it, noting as Trish had how very little personal belongings were inside it. Did her brother really have so little in the world, or was it possible that he had a storage building somewhere that had things he didn’t use on a daily basis or didn’t want others to see?
She took her time in the bathroom, avoiding her reflection in the mirror. When she emerged, knowing there could be no further stalling, she started to talk.
“Phil, we have to talk about something important before we go anywhere or do anything.”
“I agree,” Phillip said with surprising seriousness, and Jessica blinked, wondering if it was possible that he had somehow already guessed the reason for her visit and the planned discussion. Could this be easier than she thought- was he already ready to stop on his own, even ready to confess?
No, as it turned out.
“Your drinking concerns me, Jessie,” he said solemnly, looking Jessica in the eyes. “Every time I’ve seen you, you’re drinking or planning to drink, or you’re hung over from being drunk the day before. I’m all for letting loose and having fun sometimes, but I don’t think that’s what this is for you. You’re a married woman now, and I know that sometimes…well, it can be hard to deal with relationship stress, and especially when there’s serious problems there. Sometimes people use drinking to deal with something that they don’t know how to escape. I know you’re strong and independent, you don’t like to ask for help. And your husband has been nothing but nice and generous to me, but I know some people are one way in public and another way behind closed doors. Jessie…are things okay with you and Luke? You would tell me if you needed help, wouldn’t you? If he was hurting you? The way you drink, and how he just stands back and lets you, like it doesn’t bother him…it worries me, Jessie. You know I would do anything to help you, don’t you? Anything at all.”
Jessica had to take several seconds to attempt to process his words. They were so completely off and twisted and unexpected that they stunned her silent. When she finally understood what he was implying- in multiple ways- it struck her as so wrong as to be morbidly funny, and she burst out laughing. Phillip continued to regard her, his expression still serious.
“It isn’t funny, Jessica. Men should protect their women, even from themselves, if necessary. If he’s doing something to drive you into this kind of drinking, or even if he just encourages you or thinks it’s fine-“
“Oh my god, shut up Phillip, would you just stop?” Jessica blurted, her laughter cutting off as Phillip pressed on. “This isn’t about Luke. None of that is in any way even a little bit true, so just stop it, you’re wrong, okay? You don’t know shit about Luke, and however much so-called research or if you want to get real about it, stalking, that you’ve done on me, you obviously still don’t know a lot about who I really am either. We’re not talking about Luke, and if you say anything that even implies he would hurt me again, to anyone, I swear I’m punching you upside the head. We have to talk about you, Phillip. You.”
She swallowed, then squared her shoulders, drawing herself up to her full height and softening her tone, but not the steel behind her voice.
“I know about you, Phillip. I know what you’re doing, and what you’ve done. It doesn’t matter how I know, I’m a PI, so I know, okay? Do me the favor of not playing stupid. Respect me enough as your sister to look me in the face and admit that you’re the one who set my office on fire. Look me in the eyes and admit to me the truth. You killed that woman in the parking garage. You killed the doctors that operated on us both after the accident. You killed at least four people that I know of, and you’re planning on killing more. Look at me and admit it.”
Something furtive and strange flickered over Phillip’s eyes, and his jaw tensed, his Adam’s apple bobbing briefly. He didn’t noticeably shift his posture, but Jessica was aware suddenly of the slight advantage in height that he had over her, the larger size of his frame, and the subtle darkening of his expression.
“You already think you know everything, so I suppose there’s no point in giving denials when it won’t change your beliefs,” Phillip said quietly. “So if you know what you think you do, Jessica, then you know that I didn’t choose my…abilities, no more than you did. They were forced on me, just as they were forced on you. Think about this, Jessica. A little boy, barely alive, lied to that every person in his family was dead. Experimented on against his will, not for his survival, or even to help, but for the interest and egotistical satisfaction of adult men who liked to play god. Painfully, and for no other purpose than to see what could be achieved. I could have been normal, Jessica. They could have let me be normal, but that didn’t happen. They could have let me have a normal life, with my sister, a normal childhood.”
He was just warming up, taking a step towards Jessica. She resisted her urge to back away.
“The foster parents, they all knew, do you realize that? They knew who I was and what had been done to me, what I could do. They got extra money for taking me in, and for the measures that they took to supposedly keep me safe. I grew up in foster homes where I barely interacted with anyone, where I didn’t go to a normal school or have normal interactions with other kids. I had a bed made of steel, no blankets, and was kept in homes specially designed and insulated against fire. Mostly, I was kept in my bedroom. And once I was eighteen, I was dumped out on the street to get by on my own. I had nothing. I was given nothing, I was lied to, and I had to find my way, find the truth, all alone.”
“Phillip,” Jessica started, her mouth dry. She could imagine this all too vividly, and her chest ached for her own memory of her ten year old brother, alone and terrified, believing himself orphaned, as herself had. “I hate what happened to you, but that doesn’t make what you’re doing right. We’ve both been through terrible shit, we both had it rough, but that doesn’t mean-“
“Do you know that when I set a fire, I feel the heat through my entire body, nearly as intensely and painfully as whoever it is that experiences the outside burn? You understand, then, that I don’t take this ability lightly or use it frivolously. It was given to me out of arrogance, but I use it for only the good of society,” Phillip interrupted her. To Jessica’s incredulity, he seemed to be completely serious. “You have to know, Jessica, that those people you say I murdered did not deserve to be living. They abused a child, their positions of medicine and as caregivers, their power and authority and the respect that society gave them. Think of how many other children may still be vulnerable to them and abused by them, if I hadn’t intervened. I only did what was right.”
“Phillip, that isn’t true!” Jessica snapped. “Listen to yourself! You are not a personal judge and executor of whoever you come across that’s immoral, you’re not some kind of vigilante appointed by destiny to murder fucking scumbags! You have to know that isn’t right, that isn’t how you go about life! People like us, however we got our powers, we can’t use them like that against people. It isn’t okay, Phillip, it isn’t right!”
“You’re one to talk,” Phillip said coolly, looking her dead on and with considerable judgment. “I know what you did to Kevin Kilgrave, Jessica. You say you can’t use your powers like that, but isn’t that what you did to him? You killed him, because you thought it was what society needed. Tell me again how what I’m doing is any different.”
Jessica’s mouth opened, then closed, her pale cheeks flaming. It was the same argument she fought against with herself every day, the same thing that Kilgrave often said to her. She knew that this was different, logically, but emotionally, Phillip had hit her in a vulnerable spot.
“That was different,” she said finally, but with less conviction than she would like. “Kilgrave could and would hurt anyone and everyone, and there was nothing that could stop him. Nothing but me. These people are just humans, Phillip. Evil humans, maybe, but still humans. They can be dealt with through traditional societal means. Hell, they can be bullied and coerced into confessing, if it comes to that, but they can have jail time, they can be contained within a jail cell, they aren’t a threat to every single person they ever come across. They aren’t like us, Phillip, and what you’re doing, it’s making you worse than them. It’s making you become worse. Is that what you want? You want to be worse than the people you know were wrong?”
But Phillip was already shaking his head, a hint of a sad smile twisting his lips.
“They’ve done a number on you, haven’t they? Trish and her twisted, lying, money hungry bitch of a mother. Luke too, whatever front he puts up of being such a gentleman, such a helpful, friendly sort of guy. They make you think you’re different, you’re special, you have a purpose, but only as they define it. There is no limit to who you are and what you should do. You survived the power they gave you and how they gave it to you for a reason, and you refuse to use it like you can.”
“No,” Jessica countered. “I refuse to use it as I shouldn’t. And I can’t let you use it like that either.”
Brother and sister regarded each other silently, a wide chasm growing deeper between them with each second as they took in each other’s stance. Jessica had never felt so alone as in that moment; in a way, it was as bad as the first few moments of understanding that her entire family, as she had thought at the time, was dead. She was standing only feet away from her brother, but she was losing him again, even as he stood breathing and within grasp.
“What are you going to do to me if I don’t follow your self imposed rules, Jessica?” Phillip asked lightly, but there was no lightness in his expression. “Beat me up? Knock me out and chain me?”
It was something she was considering, although she didn’t currently have the means to carry it out.
“What will you do if I try?” Jessica countered. “Burn me alive like your other enemies?”
Phillip didn’t answer her directly. Instead he nodded his head towards the door, gesturing in its direction.
“I think it’s safe to say that our plans for breakfast are cancelled, as of now,” he said softly. “Why don’t we leave things as they are, for now. Go back to your husband, Jessica. I suspect he’s standing outside the door right now, or else waiting in the parking lot. Go back to your husband, and why don’t we just forget this conversation.”
“I can cancel breakfast, and I can go to Luke, but I will never forget this,” Jessica leveled back at him, every muscle in her body tensed with her effort to hold back equal urges to knock him out as he had stated, and to break into tears. “I think it’s safe to say you can consider yourself fired at the warehouse, Phillip.”
She backed towards the door, never taking her eyes off him; she could not be certain now, could not trust, that he would not set her on fire, if she did. Touching the doorknob, she stopped, leveling one last effort towards him.
“Phillip…please. Please, you have to stop this, you have to. You don’t have to do this. You don’t have to be this. Please, please be the better person. Be the person our parents would have been proud of, the person I can be proud of. Please, Phillip, please don’t do this to yourself. Don’t do this to me.”
Her voice nearly broke, and she bit hard on the inside of her cheeks to regain control. But Phillip’s expression barely wavered.
“Unfortunately, Jessie, I don’t remember enough about our parents to have any idea of what they would have been proud of, so forgive me if I have to go by my own judgment.”
There was nothing more she could say to that. There was little she could have managed without a complete loss of control to either violence or tears, so Jessica left, slamming the door behind her hard enough that the doorknob broke off in her hand. Tossing it down, she brushed back Luke, head down, without speaking, almost throwing herself into the car.
Phillip watched her leave through a crack in the blinds of his motel window, waiting until he was certain she was out of earshot. Then he picked up his phone and dialed a contact that showed up on his list of calls and texts far more often than any other- Rikarah Pallaton.
“Hey, baby. So Jessica knows, and she reacted about like we thought she would. Looks like it’s time for me to move in with you full time, if you’re ready. And it looks like we need to skip a few steps ahead.”
“Of course,” said a smooth, unruffled female voice on the other line. “I didn’t think she would accept reality quite so soon, with the drinking being a factor in clouding her judgment, but I suppose she’s sharp enough regardless to piece things together. Are we targeting the Walker woman first- the mother, of course?”
“Yes,” Phillip nodded, his tone cold. “You have her number. Make the call today, and let me know when she’s in place for my part.”
“Certainly. I’ll see you soon, love.”
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ziracona · 4 years
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Hi! I just realised I havn't popped in in awhile. Do you have any headcanons u feel like sharing about the newer survivors?? (I love them all, they're so cool but I think imma have to say cheryl is my bby gurl. she's tired. let her rest.) also. i am. going insane. from a toothache :) - Sleepy
Hey! Hope your tooth pain clears up! I’m so sorry—that’s one of the worst. : /
Hmmm, I do, but I’m trying to think of ones I haven’t said in asks before. 😬 Unfortunately my memory of fictional characters is great, and my memory of what I said in asks is shitty. :’-]
I don’t know the newer survivors—except Nancy and Steve—as well as I do the older ones, because I’ve never written them, and I haven’t played Silent Hill. I like Zarina, Yui, and Cheryl a lot though. Poor fkn Cheryl can join Quentin in the “Please God, just one good day?” Existence. Rip to them both. 😭
Poor kid gets out of hell once, and ya throw her back in. :’-]
Let’s see—headcanon I am fairly sure I haven’t already shared. I think Yui and Min would get along really well, and Jane and Zarina would too.
Yui hates the serial killers especially, from her own personal experience, and goes to bat hard against them every time.
Ash flirts with everyone to a point it’s even more than Ace does, and for a while it becomes a competition between them to see who can flirt more and better than the other (not in a shitty way—everybody knows they have the competition going on and it’s more a ‘I can act better than you’ than a ‘I can win more hearts’ one.) Ace is declared the winner in class, Ash the winner in sheer quantity he’s able to churn out, and they agree to call it a semi-draw. It’s actually a really fun week for everyone, because they’re all constantly being complemented and flirted with in a way they know is performative and seeks 0 real actions from them in return, so essentially they are just showererd with ‘drunk girl in a bar bathroom’ levels of praise for seven days.
Felix and Nancy are the only two with significant others waiting back home, and they bond over talking about their wife/boyfriend and sharing stories and having someone around who understands that specific brand of pain and can encourage them that they’ll make it back home.
Tapp is a dad, so he gives Felix a lot of advice on stuff since he was an expecting father. Not so much “do this” advice, since his relationship with his family didn’t go so well, and he feels like he’s in absolutely no position to teach—more like “It’s okay. Women have been giving birth for thousands of years. She’s gonna make it just fine even if you’re not home yet, and you’ll get back to them. And I’m gonna teach you some of the tricks so you’ll be ready when you do. You can even surprise her by already knowing how to change a diaper and warm a formula bottle. I’ll show you how to do it,” and talking him through some of the stuff he would have been able to learn from infant care books. It’s sweet, but Tapp almost dies when Jane says its “Very heartwarming” and teases him, so they cut him some slack. Felix is really appreciative. Laurie has taken care of a ton of kids, and gives him some advice too, and so does Nancy, who had two younger siblings.
Steve is a disaster who suffers from “I like you and you are a girl, so *pigeon meme* Is this falling in love?” syndrome. Gets shot down hard by Laurie, who is ridiculously pissed at him for bringing it up during a trial when their lives are on the line, but after he gets over being super awkward around her, and she reaches out to be like, ‘Look, dumbass, why did you even like me?’ And he’s like ‘...because you’re, uh, really cool? A-and pretty? And...’ and eventually she’s like ‘Buddy, you don’t even really know me. You’re just lonely. You’re not in love with me, you just want to be, because you want to be in love with somebody, and that’s not gonna cut it, for me, or anyone. Be in love with a person—not with the concept of being in love. And for that to happen, you have to know them first.” And since Steve is good af self-improvement, he realizes she’s got a real point, and tries to find his worth outside of needing a girlfriend, and becomes both a lot happier, and one of Laurie’s closer friends. (Side note—this extends probably only to my initial Steve ideas. I had the idea batted around that in that universe, Stranger Things /is/ an existing show, but it’s based on a mix of urban legend and history from the 80s, and Nancy and Steve are the version from the actual 80s, and I think in that pitch Steve is dating Barb, who is still alive, and already worked through this specific issue, because many things happened differently for wild comedic ‘But in the show’ effect, becuase both them repeatedly going “WELL REALITY WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT” when like, monster hunting shit from the show won’t work on the Demogorgan, and *Spit take* “THEY HAD ME HIT ON ROBIN?” “Ewwww” “YEAH ewww! She’s basically my lesbian little sister! We’ve been best friends since grade school! What the fuck :’-]” make for amazing joke potential. )
Cheryl starts having nightmares where she sees things from the Entity’s eyes she was never meant to see, and finding out dangerous amounts of information this way. The Entity decides at some point this is too big a threat, but because it’s proud, it doesn’t want to just kill her, as that would be admitting a human is a threat, so it starts having killers gun for her mercilessly to try to get her to give up, and the poor girl is in agony.
Zarina documents stuff form the realm constantly, and has a careful scrapbook collection of all notes and paraphernalia from past survivors. She also keeps conspiracy pages tacked together trying to figure out who they were becuase they deserve at least the justice of people somehow knowing how they died and what they went through. Laurie is a big help with this, and so is Claudette, who has been keeping stuff for a long time.
Yui is very no-nonsense, and protective. She gives off strong big sister vibes. She especially also loves board games/puzzles/other games like Shogi or Go and such, and Dwight and Adam create game pieces for her to play Go with when she mentions how much she used to like that kind of thing, and Yui is incredibly touched, and makes several other ones for people to play with too, and it becomes a very enjoyed pastime between trials. It’s engaging and competitive, but much more relaxed and low energy than sports or training or going for a run, so it’s a great alternative. Meg gets super into making puzzles, and all the artists do too, and take turns painting pictures on boards, cutting them into puzzle pieces with extreme painstakingly slow care, and then doing puzzles together. Jake is invaluable in the actual cutting pieces out area, but actually enjoys to do it.
Felix knows a lot more than anyone else about the Entity when he’s taken, so he spends a bunch of time with the research team trying to recall whatever he can from his childhood and sharing any information he has, then just stays on it because he wants to. He’s desperate to meet Benedict Baker someday himself, becuase that man seems to get around, and he really wants to know what happend to his father.
Everyone becomes protective as fuck of Cheryl when the Entity starts targeting her, and someone—I think Kate and or Meg—probably both together—as a one-off joke call themselves her knights at some point, becuase they’re running such dedicated protection detail, but it becomes a whole thing, and several more start to do it. They’ll like ‘fist clasped arm across chest at attention, quick bow’ when they see her, and it’s goofy as fuck, but it helps a lot making Cheryl’s reality more bearable. Plus, it’s really sweet. Nea gets in on this and comes back one day with a little daisy chain she made cause she was bored, sees Cheryl, it clicks, runs over and offers it as a ‘favor’. Zarina sees and comes back later that day from a trial and kneels and presents Cheryl with a rescued toolbox with a brand new part. This becomes increasingly common and extravagant, and Cheryl /cannot/ deal, but it’s like, genius, becuase it takes exactly this level of surreal goofy friend bullshit to distract from the hell she is living. She ends up just regularly having someone come back from a trial or trip to the woods, salute with an arm across their chest, bow, and present her with anything from a pinecone or pretty rock, to flowers or a medkit, to a salt statue or key, to a painting or hand made bracelet, to a makeshift weapon or a pillow. Everyone always tries to outdo each other, so the gifts tend to be extravagant. Zarina considers herself Cheryl’s righthand woman/personal knight by chocie, because she wanted a cause to fight for and has found one she truly loves, and she makes Cheryl her favorite gift so far, coming up to her at the end of a long day, after a very bad trial where Cheryl was mercilessly and slowly killed by the Pig, kneeling, and offering a thick shard of stained glass from the chapel, made sturdy and held in place with a few chunks of soldered and wrapped iron along the blade and down the grip, forming a razor sharp and reinforced stained glass knife.
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fallen-hero · 4 years
Text
LET’S TALK PACING
Let's talk pacing, because it's a nebulous thing that I think deserves to be talked about more. BUT in order to talk about pacing, we need to talk about structure.
Writing a book is a thing. Most people who start out writing one, never finishes. They get stuck halfway, or they get a better idea, or they run out of steam, and even if they do finish it, they take one look at it and realizes it is not what they wanted and despair.
I get that. I really do. Most of the things that people write are short stories. Why? Because they are short, fast, fun little snippets. They might be a fanfiction filling out an established story, or just a scene that got stuck in your head, or even a carefully structured piece meant for publishing. It's still short. It's in the name. So you write it, check the grammar, maybe send it off to a beta, make sure that the language is good, and that you get across what you want to. Then you're done, publish and move on. The majority of time is spent actually writing, and most of the editing is done on the fly.
Why? Because it is short enough that you can keep everything in mind. It's a song, not an album.
This is what many people try to do with books, treating each chapter as a short story. Write, fix, edit, next chapter. Books... doesn't work that way.
One of my favorite illustrations of this is an author I am following on twitter (V.E Schwab, the structure of Vicious is -chef's kiss-) posting a picture of her and her editor trying to fix her latest (at the time) book before the deadline. The picture was of the floor filled with yellow papers detailing what happened in the scenes, and they kept moving around scenes to find the flow of the book. Because with a book, writing 'the end' is not the end, that is just the beginning. Because only when you've got the text down can you start making sense of the flow. Do you need to add scenes? Remove them? Move them around? These are the parts that are impossible to fix on the fly, because you don't know until you've got the end. It's too big. Too complex. It changes too much from what you've originally planned.
This is why I am so adamant about not fixing grammar or bothering having nice writing until the alpha is done. I don't know if the scenes will stay. I don't know if they need to be rewritten. I can't know.
In Rebirth, the scene where you steal the Rat-King was in a different place, and a lot more simple and dry. It was the part playtesters skipped through to get to the good stuff. I had to move it, rewrite it, add a lot of scenes to it just to make it fit better into the narrative and be fun. I have already done one round of changes to Retribution because I knew they were needed (moving chapters around, adjusting the timeline) but I can't look at it until I'm at the end,
If there is ONE advice I have to ANYBODY out there writing a book is to FINISH it before you start to edit it. Don't go back. Don't fix things. DON'T REWRITE THE START. JUST DON'T. Not until it's done. Otherwise it's wasted work. Take notes, but don't write it.
Just finish the damn book first.
It's taken me a lot of courage letting other people see my unfinished work. It's harder than I pretend, because I'm a perfectionist, but I also know that the end result will be the better for it. So I will suck it up. The biggest issue is that I can fix coding errors, but I CANNOT go and fix the pacing. Not yet. It will just sit there and annoy me, and I have to try to ignore it. It's not easy.
And here we come to the BIG problem with pacing.
PACING IN A BLOODY CHOICESCRIPT GAME.
It is a nightmare. In a book you have control. Here, the more choices you give people, the less control you have over the pacing.
Let's take a simple book. A is for Action, I is for Interaction, and R is for Romance.
A - I - A - I - A - R - A is a common pacing. A mix of action/plot and character interaction ending in a romance and a climax. No, not that kind of climax, get your mind out of the gutter.
In Rebirth I had a pacing like this, because the Interactions were separate, Ortega for the hero side and the past, Mortum for the villain side and the future. No complications. Simple. Easy to pace. And then we started to add love interests.
A - I - A - Ia/Ib/Ic/Id - A - Ra/Rb/Rc/Rd - A
Not that much more complicated. More alternative scenes, sure, but still straightforward as games go. Talk to person A or B. A lot of games that locks in your romance does this, choose the same interaction to build romance points, enough and you'll get the payoff at the end.
But some of those scenes were so nice, and would also work if you are friends. And I wanted a platonic playtrough as well. It's just that well, the friendship scenes are already there, and you can care about more than one person so why not be able to romance one and be friends with the other?
A - Ia -Ic - A - Ia - Ic - A - Ra - A
And all of a sudden those action/plot scenes are a lot further apart.
But some of those interaction scenes were cool, and kind of plot related things were revealed so maybe everyone should have those not to miss out on content, right? And that also helps with not having to choose one out of five options and feel shut out from the cool things in there for no good reason. In real life, people have time to do more things, right? Not to mention that you need more interactions to do more groundwork for the romance, which some people want to happen right now, and other people draw it out.
A - I - Ib - Ia - A - Ia - I - Ib - A - Ra - A
By now our plot/action A scenes are getting further and further apart... and all of a sudden someone says, well, there's a lot of talking and not much action in this game? Because we can have one playthrough that is:
A - I - Ib - Ia - Ic - A - Ia - I - Ib - A - Ia - Ra - A
because they talk to/wants to romance everyone, while another playthrough is:
A - I - A - I - A - R - A
because they are playing a depressed loner who would rather skip at least two of those I scenes because that would be in character.
And these are the things I'll have to sit and balance. Because there is no canon playtrough. Because some people will want to talk to everyone, and I have to make the decision if I should let them, and risk them complaining that the game is slow and too talky, but if I don't, they might complain that they get cut off from content for no good reason because realistically in the game they would have time.
And on the other hand I have to decide if I should allow people to skip content because it would be in character, and risk players missing out on content, information and maybe even think it was a short and boring game if they only played it once. I made the Lady Argent mind dive optional in Rebirth, and I think it was the right call. I did not make the Ortega argument in the park optional because I wanted that interaction there, though it was against character for some mc's to meet up.
These are the things I have to juggle, in addition to the pacing.
I am taking a big risk with Retribution, but I've allowed myself the possibility of failure, rather than taking control. I am giving the players/readers more variation/control and choices than I had planned. It's going to be very hard getting a decent pacing at the end, for all the varying playthroughs. But I'm gonna try.
We'll see if I'll manage to pull it off.
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