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toska-writes · 2 months

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“Where the stars can shine”

Summary: the fighting never stops, and it never will so it’s in everyone’s best interest to find the calm moments when you can.

Pairing: The Bad Batch x padawan!reader (OF COURSE THIS IS PLATONIC)

Warning: none just so much fluff!

Word count: 1261 (not proof read but what did you expect)

Notes: IM WATCHING THE NEW BAD BATCH SEASON AFTER THIS! So this is my way of manifesting everyone being alright to end the show 🥲

The war never ended, nor would it for anyone who has endured it and its intensity.

One fight always rolled into another and nothing could be done to stop it. The only way to get through it was to find the little cracks in all the bad. The place where the sun could shine and the flowers could grow.

Or in this case, the stars could twinkle.

"This is already too high for me." Wrecker stated loudly hauling himself up the side of the Marauder.

Crosshair, who was currently under Wreck scoffed to himself before clambering up the side like it was nothing. "You never seem to have that problem when we're in the air." He quipped.

"Well I'm inside then." He whined finally being assisted by Hunter who had the small hands of Omega making sure he didn't fall.

You could only laugh at the scene, leaning back on Echo you could feel him laugh too.

"Who do you think's falling off first?" You ask with a smile that was masked by the moonlight.

"The real question is," Echo leaned forward, surprised a little bit that the top of the marauders could fit 5 fully grown clones plus omega and the Jedi padawan. "Who's going to be pushed off first."

You looked back towards him and in an instant you spoke the same word together. "Tech."

Speaking of the devil, Tech's voice rang out as you looked over to where he had an arm pointing something out beyond the horizon.

"-and if you look there you'll be able to see Endor"

Omega's eyes lit up brighter than they have been in the past few days, nothing seemed to be going right for that bad batch no matter how much they tried.

"Have you guys been there?" Omegas eyes scanned the rest of her family that sat gazing with her. The sky on this backwater planet was surprisingly clear, clearer than you thought it would be.

"Eh once or twice." Hunter shrugged it off with a smile as all that Omega could do was gawk up at her big brother.

"Thats an understatement." Crosshair added quietly from beside you. With a nudge to your shoulder he added. "That meat-head over there blew up more than half the forest and got us kicked out. For life."

"Hey!" Wrecker let go of his strong grip of the Marauder with one hand to wave it at the sniper.

Omega giggled giving you a glance as you could help but laugh at the exchange. "Have you?"

You could only smile at the found memories the question brought you. Landing with your Master on a planet you've never even heard of at that time. The trees the towered over you and the abundant shades of green that you didn't even know existed. The faint sound of your master laughing as you stared up from the base of the tall trees fathomed by the hight.

"Yeah I went once I think during the Clone Wars. It was beautiful there." You spoke, the smiles spread from Omegas face to Hunters as he watched you retell the fond memories.

"Well I also did kinda crash into a tree there but other than that the rest was beautiful." Echo hide his laugh behind you as you told the more embarrassing part of the trip.

"I think I did hear about that one." The ex arc trooper spoke out. You shoved him back slightly as your gaze returned to the stars above.

"Now if you all turn your gazes eastward you can spot the Orion constellation which should also mean the Canis Major is pretty close." Tech pointed upward now, his own eyes locked tightly on the stars.

"That one has the brightest star in the whole galaxy right?" Omega filled in, whether Tech wanted to continue himself or not he could only beam down at the girl, who clearly heard this from him before.'

You smiled also recounting when Tech probably told the group for the first time.

The bounty hunters came from nowhere that day, Omega gripped on the back of Echo's armor plate with tears streaking down her face clearly scared.

Tech stood above you the, a data pad scanned over you as Hunter tried to apply some pressure to a wound you sustained on your side. Wrecker and Cross stood around the group, the sniper's gaze fixed on the darken horizon beyond.

Panicked breath sounded out and flown into the barren night, as much as you didn't want to scare Omega more you really could help it. You were scared yourself.

"Do you see that over there." Tech took your free arm in his hand and pointed up to the looming sky with it. "That really bright star?"

You were pulled back from your thoughts with the slightest nudge from Crosshair who spared you a glance, nobody else seemed to notice his movements

"I want to go to all of those planets one day." The words were light from Omega, a smile still evident in her voice.

"You'll definitely need to learn to fly then." You added shooting a look at Tech who finally spared a glance at someone else and was immersed in taking pictures of the different planets and constellations.

"If you can find another ship." Tech said mater-o-factly with a finger in the air.

"Aweeee Tech." Omega did the only thing she could think of, huge tooka eyes found Tech and with the pout of her bottom lip you could almost see the moment Tech cracked.

"More contemplation will be needed for that"

Though Omega wasn't disappointed for long as Crosshair whispered to her. "That's practically a yes."

Hunter laughed now shoving Crosshair back into a lying down position. He noted that his brother looked quite different without his armor, but it was a sight he could get used to.

Opening his mouth Tech was about to defend himself before a snore racked through the air.

"Put someone else to sleep too Techy." Crosshair jabbed a finger at wrecker who still seemed to gripped the ship tightly.

You couldn't blame him though, and is wasn't just because of Tech talking, but you did insist the stars and planets were best to see in the late night. A yawn stifled through you, Echo wasn't the warmest person but the arms that wrapped around you from the clone seemed to do it.

"It's not even that late." Omega protested but her heavy eyelids seemed to contradict her own words.

"No no, we all can't fall asleep up here or it's going to be a pain getting down." Omega curled up into Hunters chest as he spoke. He slowly started to get up.

"One of us should get Wreck." Your own eyelids battled against you as you fought to sit up.

"On it." Crosshair was the last person who you thought would offer but as his leg extended you watched Wrecker rolled over the side.

His startled yell was masked by the thud of him hitting the soft grass below.

"See it wasn't even that far." The skipper shrugged pushing himself over the edge and landing gracefully with even using the side to get down.

You chuckled as you rolled your eyes at the brothers were up to their old antics.

The chill air was a good contrast to the heated days that came before, so much fighting it seemed that it would never end.

Moments like these would always be cherished, and surprisingly Tech wasn't the one to get pushed off the Marauder.

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Taglist:

@arctrooper69 @thereforepizza @padawancat97 @pb-jellybeans @floffytofu @verybadatwriting @solstraalaa @ray-rook @gregorsmissingarmor

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lantsovsupremacist · 3 years

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nikolai lantsov: august

@wafflesandschemingfaces requested a piece inspired by august, and i am more than happy to push the august agenda. THIS TOOK WAY TOO LONG IM SO SORRY!!! i hope it’s okay that i worked this in as a part two of “mirrorball.”

happy AUGUST babes! this was originally going to end angsty but i was feeling generous so enjoy the happier ending :)))

he tasted like salt, which had been a rarity at home. with the prices spiking in the cities, the smaller markets in the countryside could not supply even the simplest spice. having reignited the placated desire, you were greedy for more of him.

over the last seven months, you took advantage of nearly every opportunity the volkvony offered. you strengthened your abilities at sea with the careful instruction of the two other tidemakers onboard. tamar’s twin brother, toyla, guided your interest in grisha literature and history.

certain adjustments proved more difficult than others. you were no stranger to early work or rising in a shared room. however, despite the bright flush from the use of your powers, your muscles ached under the strain of the new practice. you found your training to be an unfamiliar yet cherished consistency.

you struggled with feelings of inferiority at first. the other female tidemaker, yelena, was a stowaway from the little palace. disregarding her heavy contempt for the school there, her experience helped you immensely.

peter was also a comfort in his own way. another self-taught grisha himself, it only pained you to hear of his family’s acceptance and attempts to teach him. your family might not have thrown you to the fjerdans but they offered little to help you control the power.

time could not move backwards to prevent your wounds but it could move forward to heal them.

now, perched on the deck beside yelena, you were calmer and more confident than ever before. you watched sturmhond out of the corner of you eye, turning your head in the wind to guide a piece of hair back out of your face. his white shirt billowed in the wind, sleeves rolled up and hands in the air to help dictate one of his famous stories.

“you look at him as if he hung the stars in the sky himself,” yelena snorted, elegantly drawing up a rather powerful wave to hasten your journey south, “trust me, he’ll take the hint and never let it go.”

but for you, perhaps he had. a new constellation, at least. three stars shined brighter than before for you, now visible to the naked eye. freedom, purpose, and opportunity. his gracious offer extended to beyond the imaginable.

“i could never have dreamed of this,” you replied earnestly, lightly bumping into her hip with your own.

“kerch does not have blondes, no?” she teased, exaggerating her already thick ravkan accent.

you blushed, nonetheless, “you’re going to get us off task, yelena.”

she rolled her eyes, returning her attention to the sea with a grunt. you did not miss the small smile that barely touched her face after, however. you would have missed it if she had not adjusted your arm, lifting it higher to create a higher crest.

in truth, you did not mind. you enjoyed observing. from your station at one side of the hull, you had a suitable view of the surrounding activity on the deck. storytelling only happened to be one of the aforementioned pursuits by the crew.

—

the first time was an accident. you nearly ran into him one morning during your second week onboard. the sun had filtered through the cracks in your room, beckoning your rise. you chased the sunbeams up the staircase adjacent to the door and soaked in the warmth they graciously provided.

the sunrise was magnificent. too distracted by the beauty painted in front of you in the sky, your elbow caught the captain’s. your eyes immediately went wide, an apology poised on your tongue. growing up with seven siblings, you were accustomed to making yourself smaller to allot room for the others. what other habits would you lose during your time aboard the volkvony?

“that’s quite alright,” sturmhond replied, eyes twinkling at the pale pink flush of your cheeks, “i suppose the sunrise caught my attention, as well,” he turned his head back, “though, that might not be all that did.”

as the tempo of your heart approached a crescendo, you nodded with a nervous smile. your eldest sister’s experiences with boys were all you had to go off of. your parents were together, yes, but as you aged, you realized that the nature of their union simply secured stability for the both of them. love had been an after thought and a forgotten one at that.

“want to watch it with me?” his eyes were brighter than the sun, more vibrant than the various hues splattered across the sky.

sounding just as much of a child as did he, you responded, “i would love to.”

he waited for no counter, immediately taking your hand in his to nearly drag you up the stairs. his hand was surprisingly warm despite the slight chill in the morning air. your brain fought the feeling of his touch at first, recognizing the pressure of his fingers now intertwined with yours but refusing to reciprocate the gesture.

by the time the sun reached a pinnacle in the sky, shining it seemed for just the two of you, you had given him your hand and your heart.

you let him memorize your story, pausing when he could not remember the order of your siblings. you repeated it until he could. the mornings were filled with whispers and soft touches. you thought he was helping you write a new story—one where maybe, you could have your perspective at the forefront.

—

the pressure of his his knee shamelessly pressing into yours dominated your thoughts. you decided that it would be more disconcerting to slide away from him but each passing moment added fuel to the fire of his warmth. you did not know what to think about the way he made you feel.

“i’m not who you think i am,” the privateer spoke, deadly calm. his tone did not waver, nor did the contact his eyes maintained with the horizon.

you wanted to tease the boy beside you but one look at the frown overtaking his face gave you pause. you felt increasingly uncomfortable, which you never did with him, not even when he first introduced himself. it was all wrong.

“i’m not sure what you mean,” you whispered hesitantly, trailing your fingers in the dust of the deck before they grew too numb to control.

his jaw clenched. his eyes bore into the sea. you only heard the sound of his breath—strangled and uneven.

“sturmhond,” you tried, watching as the wind ruffled his tawny and unkept hair.

“no,” he strained, “nikolai.”

an unusual name but a beautiful name, you decided.

“i-i don’t understand,” you fought to get the words out—battling with breaths instead of bombs, syllables instead of swords.

you wanted to push it all aside for naive hope, content with your pocket of fool’s gold.

“do you remember when we sailed to the outskirts of ravka?” he questioned you, gaining control of the previous shake in his voice.

you hummed in reply, trying to put together the pieces of his puzzle before he realized you had not finished yet.

the blonde looked like he was in pain when he next spoke, “the prince,” he began with his eyes timidly locked on your own, “his name is nikolai.”

contrary to your lack of education, you were clever and thus, able to fill in the blanks for yourself.

“who else knows?” you might have hoped for something more but you were not innocent enough to believe the prince only shared his identity with the girl who had succumbed to his longing stares.

“the twins,” he began with a sigh too heavy for him to carry alone, “yelena. one or two others.”

yelena knew. for some reason, your stomach turned at that. you knew it was misplaced and unnecessary jealously but there it sat all the same, weighing you down like an unmovable stone. a similar pressure pulsed behind your eyes, forcing a collection of tears to your waterline.

he offered an apology with words, but it was his eyes that held the true sincerity, the way his fingers restlessly knotted in his lap, and that even though it was a fight, he had moved aside to give you space. you wanted to believe that everything would be okay despite the change, that it could be, at least.

your heart ached. you never wanted him further away from you. or closer. his body was too familiar now.

nikolai never belonged to you, not really. and even if ravka would inevitably melt his golden heart and carelessly mold it to their benefit, he belonged to the broken country. not to you. never to you—alone.

with that, of course, you could not belong to him, either. a farmer’s daughter who did not complete her primary studies. maybe you did have a claim to grisha power, but you knew enough about ravka to understand that you would be a soldier. you already felt like one, fighting an endless battle between your head and heart. diligence and desire.

“you let me—,” you swallowed thickly, “give myself to you. you made it so easy to be sure.” now, you were no longer as certain in your decisions.

he kicked his feet in the water, unable to carry your gaze lest he lose it much like your heart, “i hoped it could be different.”

you searched for anything to ground yourself in along the horizon, burning your eyes in the sinking sun, “you’ll have to go back, then.”

he nodded, his head bobbing more fitfully than the waves, “yes.”

your did not want to talk any longer because if you did, you were sure that you would cry. you decided that you had, in fact, been foolish. how could you live off of hope alone? your destiny belonged to the fields not the sea.

“okay.”

“okay?” nikolai repeated, voice dancing between disbelief and what might have been anger, unable to remember the next step, “that’s all that’s left?”

“i think so,” you replied airily, turning to brush a lock of his hair behind his ear, “because i understand. i might not want to. well, i certainly don’t want to but—,”

you were cut off and for the blonde boy beside you to do it, you knew he had good reason. he gave you a voice simply by listening, something few had done for you before. your words had been stolen by his lips in the end.

“i might not be able to give you nikolai,” his lips were down turned but now flushed with color, “but i can give you sturmhond. i can give you nik,” he brought your hand to his heart, “that is if you’ll have me?”

you did not belong to prince nikolai of ravka. he could not be a character in your story. but, you could write another chapter. you could change the plot for the better.

you kissed him with as much fervor as he had earlier. he twisted his fingers into your hair, winding a passage to the back of your neck. you curled into the warmth radiating from his side, fisting his shirt before slowly pulling away.

“i can’t believe you’re a prince.”

that earned you a laugh. the laugh you knew you could never live with losing. if you could not have him entirely, you would hold onto anything that could be yours. just yours. for now, the heat of the sun on your faces split wide with grins was enough.

grishaverse taglist: @just-a-human-witha-pen @ilovemarvelanne1 @story-scribbler @subjecta13-thefangirl

#nikolai lantsov imagine #nikolai lanstov x reader #nikolai lanstov imagines #nikolai lantsov #sab fanfiction #sab fanfic #sab fic #sab netflix #shadow and bone fic #shadow and bone #siege and storm #ruin and rising #grishaverse #the grisha series #rule of wolves #sturmhond

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photogirl894 · 3 years

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hey!!! congrats on the milestone, you deserve it!!

for an ask, would you mind doing a Hunterxfem!dancer!reader with omega as the daughter figure where the reader and Hunter are in an established relationship and the reader teaches omega basic ballet? and maybe the evening ends with all of them cuddled up to watche a movie? it doesnt have to be super correct dance-wise, im just dying for some fluff <3333 have a fantastic day!

This is an awesome request!! 🥰🥰 You know, I used to be a dancer, but I've forgotten a lot of the technical terms 😅 I'll admit I had to look up a few of them lol also I changed up the ending just a little bit.

Thanks, @incognito-lezbean !! 💜💜

"An Excellent Dancer"

Pairing: Hunter x fem reader

***

"Remember, Omega, you need to keep your toes pointed and your back straight. No slouching."

You, a former dancer and performer from Coruscant, had somehow found yourself involved with Clone Force 99 and were now teaching basic moves to Omega, their newest member.

They had attended a show once some time ago and their leader, Hunter, had caught your eye. Anytime they returned there from a mission, they made sure to catch a show both because they all had grown to like you and mostly so Hunter could see you. However, once the war was over, things changed. You remembered seeing smoke from the Jedi temple one night and heard talk in the streets that the Jedi had committed treason against the new Empire and that they were being exterminated by all the Clones across the galaxy. Wondering what was going on and afraid, you had gotten into your own personal ship and fled Coruscant. You contacted Hunter, demanding to know what was happening and he explained that they weren't entirely sure themselves, but now they were on the run from the Empire, Crosshair had left them and they were heading to a planet called Saleucami. You had met up with them there, got your ship impounded and, when things took a turn, ended up fleeing the planet with the Clones on their ship.

It had been some time since that day and you had pretty much decided you weren't going anywhere. You loved Hunter too much to leave him, you cared about the rest of the group just as much and now, their young girl, Omega, was just stealing your heart, which only endeared Hunter even more to you.

The group was taking some down time on a distant planet and Omega had begged you for some dance lessons. Once she had found out you were a dancer, she was persistent. You were outside the Marauder on a large cliffside, the sun near setting on the horizon.

"I'm not slouching!" Omega countered as she tried to keep her balance.

You raised your eyebrows at her. "When you're having trouble with your balance, it's usually because your back isn't straight." Then you came up behind her, nudged her shoulders back and helped her straighten up. "Now, let's try those steps again. Ready, begin!"

Omega proceeded to do the mini routine you had choreographed for her while you counted out the rhythm. She took two steps forward, pliéd and extended her arms out gracefully to her sides. Then she stepped into position, raising her arms up, and did a slightly wobbly but nonetheless well-executed pirouette. You took note that she forgot to spot properly, which was why her balance was off a little. Then she chasséd to the side and leaned into an arabesque. When her leg came back down, she did a twirl and lifted her arms above her head, completing the routine.

Hunter, who was standing nearby and watching the whole thing, lightly clapped his hands as Omega finished. "You're getting better, Omega," he commented with a smile.

"You think so?" she asked back, her eyes lighting up.

He gave her an approving nod and she grinned even brighter.

Then she turned to you and asked, "How was that, (Y/N)?"

You crouched down to her level and smiled. "I think we can make an excellent dancer out of you yet, Omega," you told her, tapping her on the nose and eliciting a giggle from her.

Just then, Tech came out of the ship and announced, "The evening lights will soon be appearing."

"Oh, I can't wait to see them!" exclaimed Wrecker, who followed out behind him along with Echo as they made their way to the edge of the cliff.

Omega was about ready to burst with excitement. "Come on, let's go!" she cried to you and Hunter as she ran after the the rest of them.

You chuckled at the spirited young girl. She was nothing but a ray of sunshine and you adored her so much.

Right then, you felt Hunter's hand slip into yours and you turned to meet his loving gaze. "Thank you for indulging her," he told you.

"It's my pleasure," you replied. "She's lucky to have you guys taking care of her."

"We're lucky to have her, too," he said, looking out at Omega. Then he turned back to you. "And I'm lucky to have you here."

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be," you then said back before pulling him for a sweet kiss.

Just as you pulled away, you both heard Omega cry out, "Hunter, (Y/N), hurry! It's starting!"

The two of you snickered at Omega's impatience and shared one last tender glance before walking over to the cliff's edge. Hunter took his place by Omega and you sat down on his other side as he wrapped his arm around your shoulders. Then you all watched as the sky was then lit up by rivers of multicolored, iridescent lights that shimmered brightly like the stars, flowing across the skyline.

"Wow...!" Omega gasped in wonder at the otherworldly sight before her.

You leaned your head on Hunter's shoulder as you continued to take in the sight of the sky. It was perhaps one of the most beautiful things you had ever seen and you wouldn't have traded this serene moment with Hunter and Omega for anything.

#star wars the bad batch #the bad batch prompts #the bad batch hunter #bad batch omega #hunter and omega #hunter x reader

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dapandapod · 3 years

Note

You mentioned I should drop a prompt, so what do you think of Geralt being soft? Like he’s actually a really intimate and gentle person when it comes to romance and Jaskier is in awe of this secret side of Geralt. Thoughts?

YES! Thoughts are, AMAZING!! Thank you for indulging me with this! Also Im doing a sneaky and claiming this as 2/4 for my 400 follower celebration

I thought I was going to write a short but NO I DID NOT! Please have some soft boys and I hope I did this justice! I have many thoughts on the subject and I love them all!

On Ao3 here, for your consideration! Please enjoy

Jaskier is baffled. Flabbergasted. In a state of constant awe.

He has known Geralt for great many years. Pined after him for most of them, and therefore thought he knew Geralt and his ways. He has seen him at his best and his worst, from afar and up close. He witnessed Triss falling for him, and Geralt not returning her feelings. He was on the first row when Geralt fell head over heels for Yennefer, and how they fell apart over and over again. And when Geralt broke his heart, on accident and on purpose, Jaskier saw, felt, witnessed, learned who Geralt is, and how he acts. When Ciri finally was pushed into their lap by fate's cruel hand, he thought he had seen it all.

He was content with being Geralt's friend, he was fine with sitting on the sidelines, if only he got to be there. They had their fights, their falling outs, their own kind of breaking up for months. But they always found each other, and Jaskier thought he knew how Geralt expressed himself and his own place in their lives.

But something changed.

Jaskier can’t put his finger on what or when, but Geralt started mending his socks when he did his own. When he complained about his lute case being in poor shape, bought him a new one.

And Jaskier has been to Kaer Morhen a few times. It has passed its glory days, it is true, but the beauty of history in a hidden corner of the world, a place to rest and heal and grow. To breathe the stillness of a winters day high above the ground, to be a part of the sky, to feel the cold bite his cheeks. On a balcony far above everything, Geralt had kissed him.

He remembers the sky being a pale blue, almost white over the horizon, the sun high above them. They were talking about something as mundane as brushes for Roach and Pegasus.

Jaskier insisted they should have the brushes with a little longer bristles, because they were clearly superior to the soft, useless ones Geralt preferred. The longer would work better with the thick winter fur and the mud, obviously. Soft brushes are great for added shine, but they didn’t do much good before they were clean, would they?

And Geralt had smiled at him, a soft smile Jaskier had only seen at a distance before, and then Geralt had stepped right into his space.

Noses almost touching, Geralt's wonderful amber eyes almost hidden behind his lashes when he looked down and then leaned in. Dry, chapped lips against his, beard tickling him and his heart almost exploding with emotion. It took Jaskier completely by surprise, and Geralt had pulled back, smiled again and apologized. And one does not kiss Jaskier like that and apologize for it. Especially not when you have been half in love with the idiot for a decade, possibly two.

Jaskier did the only right thing and kissed the daylight out of him, right there on the balcony.

So yes, things have changed, and entirely for the better. But Jaskier, who spent most of his life watching Geralt, is finding out new things. It’s like someone lifted a curtain, opened a door, whatever cliché you would want to use. Geralt is letting him in, letting him see another side of himself. They have been through a lot, they both have changed and grown a lot. But there are more smiles, and they are brighter, softer, richer. The jokes are less cutting, and there are actual compliments. Touches. Words, even.

A late night in the corner of a tavern, perhaps a little bit deeper into their drinks than intended, Geralt leans forward and takes hold of his chin. By now Jaskier expects a kiss, but Geralt just stares at him.

“You have the most beautiful eyes.” He murmurs, and Jaskier is moments away from death. Heart, lungs, you name it, they all take a break to restart and think out new ways to function. Because never, ever, had he expected that. There is no way he could compete with Yennefer, and he say as much.

“It’s not a competition.” Geralt had frowns at him, still a little too focused on his eyes. “Each of you has something that is only you. I could never compare. Your eyes are like a piece of the sky, a droplet of water, cornflower blue. It’s hard to look at you sometimes, because it’s so hard to look away.”

Needless to say, Jaskier drags Geralt up to their room and they weren’t seen for the rest of the night.

While on the path and on one horse each it wasn’t easy to find ways to casually touch.

But Geralt lets Roach get close to Pegasus, their feet and calves touching. Jaskier smiles at him and pushes at Geralt's shoulder, and Geralt catches his hand and kisses his knuckles. And then Geralt comments on the blush Jaskier suddenly is wearing.

Sometimes when they sit next to each other, Geralt will drop a hand on Jaskiers thigh. Grabbing his hand, letting his thumb slowly caress it. Twining their fingers together, touching their feet together under the table. Gentle touches for no other reason than to be a bit closer.

More than once while sitting in front of the fire at night, scribbling on lyrics and poems, Geralt would sit close if not next to him. Sometimes he would sit behind Jaskier, trace patterns on his back as he worked. Sometimes he would fiddle with his hair, kiss his shoulder or neck. And when he peeks around at Jaskier, to see if he was getting any attention, he would pull a stray strand of hair behind his ear. His fingers are always hot, always careful.

Jaskier never saw this side of Geralt, no. But it would turn out Geralt never saw this side of Jaskier either.

Might be that Jaskier recites many poems, and writes them even more. But before this, before the balcony, Jaskier would never dare write and read one directly about and to Geralt. When Jaskier reads them, every time without fail Geralt's mouth falls open, blush stains his cheeks and Jaskier has to fight not to lean in and kiss him. It’s wonderful, he can never get enough.

Geralt is used to seeing Jaskiers easy platonic affection, but nothing could have prepared him for all the love and affection Jaskier harbors inside of himself, that suddenly is let free. How he for long, long moments can let his fingers run across Geralt’s face.

His nose, cheekbones, lips, chin, temples, over the shell of his ear. Exploring, caressing, touching. He is allowed now, after all. Sometimes he braids Geralt's hair. He sucks at braiding, they are crooked and uneven, but Geralt refuse to take them out for a day or two.

And when he finally does, his pale white hair is full of curls and waves, and there is nothing on this earth that can make Jaskier stop playing with it.

Of course there is a certain amount of flirting a bard is expected to do during his performance, but he somehow always makes sure he ends up sprawled across Geralt's lap, even with a perfectly good chair right next to them.

And it’s been but two nights they haven’t slept next to each other, or on top of each other, while together on the path. They have no reason to pretend anymore, after all.

Then of course there are the less obvious things, the things they have done for each other for years but suddenly are seen as what they should have been all along.

It seems like no one is surprised by this new development. No one but the two of them. It will take years for him, a decade, possibly more, to come to terms with this. But they have time. They practice every day. It’s not perfect.

They are still not good at talking, they fight and misunderstand and they yell and they forgive.

But it’s like they always have been. Always will be.

And they work for it, for their time and affection for each other, a little more every day.

The first I love you reverberate through his bones, etches itself on his heart. Making room for all the I love yous to come.

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rorikoa-xiv · 3 years

Text

Where There’s Smoke

The desert sun beat down on the Silver Bazaar as Talon stepped through the town gate. Adjusting his shades, he scanned the stalls and stonework for anyone of interest. He eventually settled on a black-haired midlander waving his finger at some men in wet, raggy clothing.

"I thought you sailors were supposed to have spine! Instead, you--" The furious fellow turned to see the stranger approaching him, and let out a tired sigh. "Yes? Can I help you?"

The miqo'te shrugged. "Maybe. I'm lookin' for anyone who knows about the recent sahagin sightings."

The hyur let out a bemused chuckle. "Sahagin! Don't you talk to me about sahagin! Do you have any idea how much trouble those bedeviled beastmen have made for my master's enterprise?"

"Quite a bit, I'm guessing." Talon set his hand on his hip, and cocked his head. "Care to elaborate?"

Taking a deep breath, the man bowed his head in greeting. "Aurton, servant of master Adalymo Totolymo, owner of Totolymo Munitions. And you are?"

The miqo'te straightened his posture and patted the wand on his hip. "Scorching Talon, of the Ashen Wolves. Here to solve the fishback issue."

The servant looked to the sky and clasped his hands. "Oh, thank the Traders! You must help us retrieve our grenade cores before the saha--"

"Whoa, hold up!" the Ashen Wolf threw his hands out. "Grenade cores!? Shit, I get that you're in the gunpowder business, but enough of those things can level a damn tower if you ain't careful!"

Aurton cleared his throat. "Which is precisely why we can't well leave them in the hands of their scale-skinned thieves. My men here were sailing from Vesper Bay when they were driven from their boats at spear-point. Had to swim their way to shore."

The seeker glanced at the drenched men and thumbed his chin. "Didn't occur to you to maybe take a land route?"

"And get gutted by tolls at Horizon?" The hyur crossed his arms.

One of the sailors, a dunesfolk, shook his head and muttered something obscene. The midlander shot him a look of disdain, and he zipped his lips.

"Tch, tch, tch… you know, I've monkeyed around with a grenade core once or twice." Talon rolled his shoulders, and clapped for the black-haired man's attention. "Whatever those two-legged guppies want with 'em, they must be putting 'em someplace dry. Otherwise the things'll go inert."

The hyur gave one last menacing look to his employee, then rubbed his neck. "The boats my men were on aren't meant for deep-sea travel, actually. It's unlikely they went far with their cargo."

The lalafell perked up. "A-actually, I might know where they are!"

Aurton cocked an eyebrow. "Well… go on then. Daylight's burning."

"Was sorta hopin' there'd be a bonus for telling?" the dunesfolk said with a nervous chuckle.

The servant's mouth went agape, then twisted into a sneer. "Why, yes! The bonus is, you get to keep your godsdamn job, Babayori! Now spill it!"

"A cave! A cave!" A look of terror appeared on the little man's face. "There’s some grottoes in the desert islets off the coast! I steal away to 'em now and again to catch forty winks and I, uh… that is…"

"Ohoho, you filthy little filcher!” The hyur stomped his way toward the dunesfolk. “First you try to shake me down for my own product, then you admit to napping on the job?! Well that's it! Your sorry ass is--"

"Enough!" Talon put himself between the two. "This ain't getting us anywhere. Look… Babayori, right? Can you take me to this cave where you think the sahagin're hiding?" The lalafell nodded emphatically.

The Ashen Wolf turned back to the midlander. "Then how 'bout this: let the little dude take me to the cave, and if I find the cores, we call it a job well done." He then glanced at the small sailor. "Oh, and you keep this schmuck on the payroll."

Aurton's brow twitched. "Keep him? Pah! And just what's your interest in his job security?"

"Can't really say." The mage shrugged back. "Just feelin'... generous. Alternatively, I can leave the same way I came, and you can sort this out yourselves."

A cool breeze rolled through the bazaar. The hyur inhaled, and eyed his employee. "Thank your lucky stars, Baba… you've got a deal, miqo'te. Get going."

The sailor and the seeker began making their way to the pier. With his boss well out of earshot, the dunesfolk spoke up. "Hey… thanks again, mister Talon. My family and I owe you one."

"Ah, don't mention it." the thaumaturge said with a wide smile. "Guy was a friggin' asshole. You've got my deepest sympathies." The pair laughed boisterously as they continued down the dock.

*********************************************

The nauseous scent of fungus and rot yawned out of the pitch-black cave now looming before Talon and Babayori. Just within its mouth were the stolen boats, with their cargo nowhere to be seen.

As the miqo'te began climbing off, the dunesfolk stopped him. "H-hey, just so we're clear, you're not expecting me to go with you, right?"

The thaumaturge gave a halfway grin, and shook his head. "Wasn't countin' on it, no. You just keep the boat here for when I come back with your boss's shit." He then hopped from the boat, conjured a flame for light, and headed in.

The sailor saluted him and nodded. "Come back safe, you hear?"

Deeper within, the pyromancer had to narrow his eyes. The damp air hampered his lightsource, and the skittering of vermin filled his ears. A chill ran down his spine as some unnatural growl echoed all around him.

Hurrying his pace, he stumbled upon a trail of webbed tracks leading to a tight passageway. The mage smelled something putrid coming from the other end, but it was interlaced with the scent of smoke.

"Found you." he said, and ducked into the passage. He anxiously whispered a prayer to Azeyma, and soon found himself in a dry, dimly-lit cavern.

Rotting fish and half-eaten rats littered the ground. Pinching his nose, the Ashen Wolf slowly moved forward until something caught his eye.

Several crates lay at the far end of the room. They smelled like charcoal, and had a faint glow. Talon hurried over and began inspecting them.

Finding nothing suspect, he carefully opened one of the crates. Inside were many densely packed orbs, emanating dry heat. He plucked one out, and gazed into its orange glow with a nostalgic smile. "Bee-youtiful…"

KSSHHHICK!

The thaumaturge screamed as something cold and steely plunged into the base of his back! He fumbled to try and pull whatever it was out, but a slimy foot planted itself on his back and kicked him to the floor!

His wand fell into the dirt beside him. Gritting his teeth, he crawled toward it, but a sudden stomp on his spine held him in place.

A pair of mucus-filled voices hissed above him. "Keep thisss one alive; fear will make its flesh tassstier for brothers!" laughed one voice. "No, no!" growled another. "Sssmoothskin is wielder of fire! Burning, burning! Too dangerousss!"

Talon jerked and wriggled to escape his attacker, but to no avail. He felt the weight shift above him, and could almost sense the sharpened steel hanging above his neck.

At just that moment, the pitter-patter of footsteps could be heard from the cavern's entrance. Babayori's voice echoed out, "You let 'im go, you big ugly whoreson!" The lalafell swung his oar wildly, only for it to thud against the scaly back of a sahagin thrice his size.

The creature let out two irritated grunts, and turned to the little man. In the faint light of the lantern on his hip, the sailor could make out a towering, violet monstrosity, armed with a trident. Most frightening to him, however, were its two hideous heads.

Both of its faces twisted into scowls, and roared at Babayori. He fell to the ground in terror, and crawled back. The abomination stomped toward him, preparing another thrust of its weapon.

FFFOOSH!

An orange flash filled the room. In an instant, a whip made of flame was coiling around the creature's waist, and slithering up its body. It let out a blood-curdling howl, and turned to see Talon propped against the crates, gripping his wand.

With growing fury, the beastman took several heavy steps toward the Ashen Wolf. "These onesss will eat your entrailsss!"

Babayori watched with awe and horror as the thaumaturge pulled out a grenade core and focused on it. When the sahagin had nearly reached him, the glow from the core dimmed into nothing, and the fire-whip burned even brighter.

With a yank of the wand, the coil tightened, searing through the creature's scales before tearing it into a pile of smoking chunks.

As the scent of charred flesh filled the room, the miqo’te fell to the ground and rolled onto his back. Through harsh breaths, he beckoned, "Good… work, Baba… n-now… c'mere…"

The lalafell rushed to his side, and began inspecting him for any visible injuries.

"W-wait. First… left pocket… yellow vial. Need it…" Talon shut his eyes, and felt a bitter liquid pour into his mouth. Swallowing it all, he sat up. "Alright… better. Now, I need your help to patch my wounds, but after that, we get those crates and get moving. Two hauls should be enough."

The dunesfolk's eyes widened as he poured a canteen over a makeshift binding. "Two hauls? After all that? Are you trying to kill yourself?"

The seeker's brow twitched, and he barked back. "I'm not sticking around for that… thing's friends to show up. And I'm definitely not leaving them their plunder!"

He then lifted his shirt, and cringed as a whiskey-soaked cloth was used to bind his wounds. "Fuckin' circus freak… what in the hells were these guys doing playing with that much firepower, anyway?"

"Nothing good, I'm sure." Babayori replied as he rummaged through the thaumaturge's pack. "But at least you helped stop 'em, huh?"

"No." The pyromancer grabbed the sailor's hand when he was offered a potion. "We helped stop 'em."

#ashen_wolves_xiv #ffxiv #thaumaturge #miqo'te

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emilyjunk · 3 years

Text

bemily hunger games au pt 27

(part 1) (part 2) (part 3) (part 4) (part 5) (part 6) (part 7) (part 8)(part 9) (part 10) (part 11) (part 11.5) (part 12) (part 13) (part 14) (part 15) (part 16) (part 17) (part 18) (part 19) (part 20) (part 21) (part 22) (part 23) (part 24) (part 25) (part 26) (moodboards) (playlists) (read it on ao3)

the days after the visit from beca’s capitol entourage, she’s restless and anxious. the momentary post-Games absence she’d had from that world had managed to numb some of the awfulness (not that she’d forgotten any of it), but now those feelings are bubbling back up in her, present and hungry

days are the worst. at night she dreams -- mostly bad -- but at least she’s asleep, not conscious of her thoughts. during the days, though, she has nothing to occupy her mind or her hands

emily’s at school, her dad at the mill. it’s just beca and that house, that too big, too extravagant house, her thoughts filling up every inch inside it until she feels crushed under their weight

sometimes she walks, just to have space to breathe, but there are always people, and her victory is still fresh on their minds. they always stare as she passes and sometimes they speak to her as she makes her way from shop to shop in the square, looking for anything emily’s family or her dad might need to get them through the winter. she’s got too much money and too many thoughts -- she can’t get rid of any of it

mainly she spends the day waiting for emily to get back from school. emily fills up that house with words and life and distractions. welcome, beautiful distractions, like her face, her laugh, her stories and her hands, chopping vegetables beca’d bought while she speaks, steady and confident from the many years spent looking after her sisters

she’s not just a distraction, though, beca thinks sometimes as she zones out in front of the tv, waiting, waiting. in the capitol, emily would be a tasty distraction to any person who can appreciate a pretty face

no. emily’s more than that to beca. she just doesn’t know how much more. emily is whatever she meant when she’d murmured who says i’m pretending against beca’s cheek.

she’s a faulty radio broadcast stuck on repeat when beca wants to avoid thinking of other things. she’s a reprieve, a confusing but welcome dream. emily is an inhalation, taken deeply into the lungs, a reason to come home again

who says i’m pretending

she’s a warm presence in the night, she’s crisp winter air on the skin, she’s all limbs and soft eyes and inviting lips, a pretty pout, an easy smile, a magnetic mouth drawing beca’s gaze, constant yearning and uncertainty and wanting, wanting, wanting

who says i’m prete--

a knock on the door halts this incessant train of thought. but emily had to stop at her mom’s house after school and it’s too early for her to be back and, beca frowns, she wouldn’t knock anyway. not anymore

she opens the door warily, praying it’s not one of those other victors, what’s-his-face from three houses down wanting to see if she’s got any booze again

“hey,” chloe’s smile is bright, brighter than the autumn sun sinking lower in the sky behind her

“oh,” beca mouths, surprised and, without reason, suddenly on guard. she clears her throat. “uh, hey.”

chloe’s smile flickers, just for a moment, but then it’s back. “can i come in for a second?”

beca nods numbly, holding the door open for chloe to pass. she leads chloe to the kitchen, offering her some water. they awkwardly settle at the kitchen table, staring at each other

“so...” beca says without preamble. “what are you doing here?”

“what,” chloe chuckles, but it’s fake and beca hates it. “i can’t visit my best friend just because?”

beca shrugs

“right,” chloe clears her throat. “no you’re right. i’m here to invite you out actually. there’s a bonfire tonight before curfew. bunch of the old crew is gonna be there and i thought, i dunno, you might wanna come.”

“oh”

“it’s gonna be small, just you know, like stacie and ash and jess and aubrey, and oh, hey! did you know aubrey is friends with emily? you should bring her along”

beca hesitates. “oh,” she says again, if only because she doesn’t know what else to say

chloe seems to realize she hasn’t sold beca on the idea and she leans forward, reaching for beca’s hand across the table. beca flinches, her hand twitching... but after a beat she relaxes, her fingers stilling between chloe’s

“please?” chloe says. “i miss you. and i think it will be really good for you to start getting back to normal”

beca frowns. “back to normal?” a bitter laugh escapes her throat “dude, i don’t think that’s gonna happen”

“of course it is,” chloe says plainly. “you just need to get out and stop moping around here thinking about it. what you went through was unimaginable and i can’t even begin to understand. but holing up by yourself and reliving it 24/7 isn’t gonna help you move past it beca”

beca twists her mouth. “move past it?”

chloe shoots her a small smile, still not getting it. “yeah.”

it’s out of becas mouth before she can help it “maybe i don’t wanna move past it”

chloe’s eyes widen and she leans back slightly. “what? beca”

“you dont get it,” it’s taking all of becas willpower not to shout. “i killed three people. even more died because of me. i can’t just move the fuck past that.”

“no,” chloe backtracks. “of course not. i just meant --”

“you meant that im not the same as i was and you want me to be because you cant deal with the fact that things are different.”

chloe huffs. “that’s not fair. and fine, maybe i don’t want them to be different! is it so bad that i miss you?”

“no but you dont just get to decide how things should be. how i should be!” beca’s vaguely aware of the sound of the front door opening and closing, emily’s shuffling footsteps in the hall. she takes a deep breath, knowing emily will call for her... but it never comes

she hears emily move down the hall, into the family room, quiet and cautious, and wonders if emily heard any of their conversation.

she pulls her hand from chloe’s and chloe leans back in her chair, face pinched.

“listen,” chloe murmurs, “i’m sorry if i don’t understand, but i just want to help. and i think doing stuff that will make you feel a little normal again might.”

beca scoffs. “nothing is going to make me feel normal again, okay? nothing is ever going to be how it was.”

chloe crosses her arms. “so that’s it then? you’re just going to hang around day after day waiting for emily to come home. you’re not going to have a life? friends?”

beca grunts. “that’s not what im saying.”

“it sure feels like that.” chloe hesitates, then-- “she doesn’t even know you.”

“maybe that’s the point. and sorry but neither do you anymore.”

“fine,” chloe snaps, standing and putting on her jacket. “but i’m not just gonna stand aside and let you fester. she’s not the only one who cares about you.”

beca opens her mouth to respond, but a sudden noise slips into the kitchen, and the unexpectedness of it catches her off-guard.

“i..” she starts but can’t finish, distracted by the noise. music, she realizes. piano.

she exhales, trying to focus but her attention is elsewhere. “look i appreciate what you’re doing,” she says to chloe, managing to look at her again. “but i’m not there right now and i dont know when i will be”

chloe looks at her for a long moment, and beca tries to dissect the emotions flitting across her face, but that’s when the music stutters, a botched chord, and beca’s attention dips again, her head turning toward the sound.

is emily playing that?

“fine,” chloe says and beca’s gaze flicks back as chloe starts to walk toward the front door. she follows, half of her attention on chloe and half in the other room. “but the offer is still open. and you’re welcome to bring emily.” she stops at the door, fingers on the handle, turning to look at beca. “i like her, despite everything.”

“despite everything?”

chloe’s face is unreadable, something beca suddenly realizes has never happened before. chloe has always been an open book.

her eyes look over beca’s shoulder, toward the other room, before settling back on beca. “i just thought--” she frowns, cutting off, then sighs and opens the door. a gust of autumn wind blows into the entrance hall and beca shivers as chloe steps outside. “the games,” chloe says, eyes dark as they appraise beca from the front step. “us. everything that’s happened. I just hope she’s worth it all.”

she doesn’t give beca a chance to respond. just pulls her coat tighter around her and heads off down the front steps, turning into the road.

beca watches her go, mouth hanging open, until she’s nothing but a shadowy speck against the horizon

#bemily #bemily hunger games au #my writing #bulletfic #for mo

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pixiegrl · 3 years

Text

The Future’s Better Than Yesterday

Luke and Ashton go on a honeymoon to the desert

Like a week ago, Ashton posted those photos in the desert and @lifewasradical said “Lashton honeymoon??” and im a sucker so I wrote it. Still soft and in love

on ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29909409

Luke wakes up to Ashton pressing soft kisses to their cheek, their shoulder. Ashton keeps ducking his head down to press his lips to whatever part of Luke he can reach. Luke sighs, leaning back into the touch. Like this, in the early morning light, wrapped up in blankets and warm from Ashton’s touch, Luke could stay like this forever wrapped up in Ashton’s warmth. It’s cool outside, curled up in the back of the truck Ashton’s bought recently, specifically for camping trips. He thinks they need to spend more time in nature. Luke doesn’t mind, as long as they get running water and food.

Ashton and Luke are taking a pseudo honeymoon to celebrate getting married. They have something bigger planned for after their wedding in Australia. However, since they did just get married in their backyard, it only felt right that they also have a honeymoon to celebrate that. They planned an overnight camping trip out in the California desert. They’d taken the truck, some snacks, drinks, and blankets with them to spend the night under the stars. It’s romantic, Luke thinks, getting to curl up with Ashton, snuggle into his side, and look up at the stars. Luke’s not fond of laying on the ground, but they’ll do it if it means they get to cuddle with Ashton, having Ashton point out the constellations that they can see. Luke can never see them, but they’ll try if it makes Ashton happy, can see his smile and dimples pop. It’s so rare that they get to spend time alone together, disconnected from everything. Even if Luke’s not a fan of the outdoors, they like just being with Ashton.

At least, Luke enjoyed it last night. They liked getting to snuggle up under all the blankets with Ashton, pressed into his warmth, head resting on his chest. It had made Luke happy and comfortable getting to do it. They do not, however, enjoy it right now. It’s early morning, early enough that the sun isn’t even up yet. There’s a light haze around them, the promise of the sunrise to come, but in Luke’s opinion it is still dark out and therefore, it is still nighttime out.

“Luke, come on. It’s gonna be sunrise soon,” Ashton says. Luke whines, burrowing into the blankets. Ashton laughs.

“I’m cold Ash, I don’t wanna,” Luke whines, eyes squeezed shut. If they don’t open their eyes, they don’t have to acknowledge that it is in fact awake time. If their eyes are closed, they can stay asleep longer.

“Lu, you promised we’d watch the sunrise together. It’s part of the camping experience,” Ashton says, gently.

“It’s nighttime Ashton. It’s sleep time,” Luke mumbles. Luke curls onto their side, nosing into Ashton’s shoulder. Ashton chuckles, leaning down to press a kiss to Luke’s hair.

“We’re on our honeymoon. Don’t you want to see the sunrise,” Ashton teases.

“I want to sleep,” Luke says. Ashton laughs again. He’s far too awake for the time of day and Luke hates their husband. Ashton leans down, pressing a kiss to Luke’s cheeks, his nose, his lips.

“Come on Luke, we can watch the sunrise and have coffee.”

“We’re in the desert.”

“I can heat coffee over a fire.”

Luke cracks one eye open at that, “I’d like to see you build a fire.”

Ashton laughs even harder at that, leaning down to press a kiss to Luke’s lips before he pulls back, crawling to the end of the bed of the car and opening the trunk.

“Well come watch the sunrise with me and you can,” he says. He climbs out of the bed of the trunk, grinning. Luke watches him as he gathers some of the wood he brought with them solely to build a fire. Luke doesn’t want to actually get up, but they are curious about how Ashton plans to build a fire.

Ashton’s already got some wood stacked up in a fire pit by the time Luke pops their head out from the trunk. Ashton looks good like that, bundled up in his hoodie, black fading from his hair and curling around his neck. He’s trying to start his lighter, leftover from the joint they smoked last night in the trunk. Luke giggles when they see the determined look on Ashton’s face, nose scrunched up in concentration.

“Do you need some help, husband?” Luke asks, giggles. There’s a funny warm feeling in their chest saying the words husband, getting to say the words out loud. It settles something inside Luke, knowing that this is all real. They get to wake up and call Ashton their husband forever and ever. Even if Ashton can’t seem to light an actual lighter to save his life.

“You think you can get it lit, partner?” Ashton says, grinning. Luke rolls their eyes, climbing out of the bed of the truck and snagging the lighter from Ashton’s hand.

“You might roll a joint better, but I know how to light it,” Luke quibs, taking the lighter from Ashton’s hands. Ashton throws back his head, laughing wholeheartedly, while Luke clicks the lighter until it starts. Slowly, they lower their hand to the wood, letting it catch fire until it starts to slowly burn. It’s more for show than actual warmth. It’s nice, adding to the atmosphere of their early morning.

Ashton grabs the coffee, snuggling in close to Luke and trying to heat the coffee up. Luke sighs, content, snuggling into Ashton’s side. They take Ashton’s left hand, running their fingers along the gold band that’s been added to the engagement ring. Ashton hands the coffee over, letting Luke take a sip from the mug he’s brought. It’s still too cold, but looking at the earnest open expression on Ashton’s face, Luke can’t bring themselves to comment. Luke sighs again, curling into Ashton as Ashton throws a blanket around them both, pressing a soft kiss to Luke’s cheek.

The sun peeks up slowly over the horizon, lighting up the sky. It bathes everything in a soft golden haze, soft morning light bleeding into the blue of the sky. It’s slow over the horizon, sun a faint yellow as it comes up. Luke closes their eyes, basking in the warmth from the sun’s rays as it comes up high in the sky, peeking to see what the world looks like as it gets warmer and brighter. It’s slower than Luke thought it would be, the sun taking its time to come up completely. It comes out little by little, rays spreading across the ground, greeting the world in bits and pieces.

It’s breathtaking, watching as the sun climbs higher, paints the sky bright and golden. The blue looks brighter, rays creeping out and across the ground. It paints the world in greens and browns, sunlight bringing color back to the world. Luke smiles, tilting their head back. It’s hazy lights, a slow glow in the world lighting it up. Even though Luke thinks it’s still too early, it’s beautiful, watching as the sun brings the world back to life. Luke closes their eyes, bathing in the slow warmth of it. It doesn’t feel real like this, out in the desert with Ashton, in their own private world. The sun comes up over the mountaintops, finally making its way fully into the sky.

Luke hears the little click of the phone camera, turning to look at Ashton. Ashton’s leaning back, holding his phone up. He’s smiling softly, earring glinting in the sunlight. He blushes when Luke catches his eye, dropping his phone lightly into his lap.

“What was that for?” Luke laughs.

“Just wanted to capture the moment. I want to be able to remember what you looked like on our honeymoon for years and years.”

“Ashton, we’re going on a whole other honeymoon where we’ll end up taking all sorts of pictures.”

“Yeah, but this is the original one. Just you and me getting to sit out here together. We’re married. I get to call you mine over and over again.”

“I was already yours Ash,” Luke says, giggling. It doesn’t stop them from leaning over, taking Ashton’s face in their hands and pressing a kiss to Ashton’s lips. Ashton smiles into the kiss, grasping onto Luke’s left hand, running his fingers along Luke’s rings.

“Yeah, but now I get to stand up at shows and tell everyone that my spouse is on the microphone today. I get to call you my partner in interviews and kiss you and plan anniversary shows.”

“You already did that too, you dork,” Luke says. There’s tears at the back of their eyes and Luke has to bury their face in Ashton’s shoulder to stop from crying. Ashton seems to understand, wrapping Luke into a tight hug.

“Well, what can I say? Like Calum said, you’re my soulmate, the love of my life. I can’t picture doing this with anyone else,” Ashton whispers.

“You’re going to make me cry at the altar in front of all our friends and family aren’t you?”

“Oh darling, my vows yesterday didn’t even compare to my vows for the wedding,” Ashton says. Luke pulls back, staring up at Ashton.

“I love you. I don’t want to do this with anyone else. I don’t want to live this life with anyone else. You’re my whole world. I couldn’t do half of this without you,” Luke whispers. Ashton pulls them into another kiss, smiling gently into the kiss.

“I love you too. My world won’t be half as bright without you in it,” Ashton says, tracing Luke’s cheekbones. They giggle, leaning forward to press a kiss to Ashton’s nose.

“I wouldn’t be half as confident without you.”

“Okay, enough sappy or we’ll talk ourselves into circles and run out of things for our vows,” Ashton says, smiling. Luke smiles.

“Can we go get breakfast now? I want pancakes with too much syrup and hot coffee.”

“Hey! I made you coffee!”

“It’s cold Ash. I want real coffee and food.”

“I’m divorcing you,” Ashton says. He pulls Luke close. It warms them a little, curled into Ashton. Luke wants to go home, get some food, but this is good for now. Curled up with their husband, getting to enjoy the sunrise in their own little world of love.

#5 seconds of summer #lashton #luke hemmings #ashton irwin #lingerie luke series #lingerie sos #its a desert honeymoon bc ashton posted those photos a week or so ago #i really do love these two so much #my writing

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wincore · 4 years

Text

nct dream + fantasy creatures (halloween edition)

note: it is here at last im late but i wrote this in a span of a few hours because halloween is my favourite time of the year! happy spooks everyone !!

disclaimer: everything written here is a work of fiction and is not affiliated with any real person whatsoever. the myths have been slightly tweaked to fit the story therefore they might not align with traditional beliefs.

huli jing!renjun

you gaze in awe at kun’s words

‘really?’ you ask ‘those really exist?’

‘i don’t know about that, but don’t you go looking for them. they might not be kind.’

you nod your head vehemently

‘of course not.’

lessons are boring in the village but sitting in the garden with kun and hearing his stories always cheers you up

‘...well, if i were to find one, how would i know?’ you ask

there’s a pause before kun laughs

‘a fox’s tail is not so easily hidden’

you puff your cheeks

that doesn’t help

the breeze is light today, the trees in various warm shades and the frogs sing their lullabies

you could stay here on the soft grass forever if you could

it’s calm and perfect here

but then the bell chimes two and you’re off to class again

you breathe in

you’ve heard of the huli jing before but what you didn’t know is the possibility they might be real

you shudder

you’ve heard far more tales than kun has told you about the fox spirits and their gorgeous tails, all nine of them golden

you know how they pose as beautiful people to lure the villagers out and then rip out their hearts and livers and inhale their essence - their hunger insatiable

but kun says they might not all be bad, some swallow the essence from nature, some might even help people

not all of them are bad

you scoff

who would ever believe monsters could be kind?

the story kun told you was about the old man living by the forest

he said that the man once fell in love with a huli jing himself and was eventually betrayed

yet he still stays by the forest, praying for the safety of his long gone lover

you breathe out

you think you’ve had enough stories of these terrifying creatures

the breeze has turned cold, you notice, as you run back to class

the night is even colder

‘kun?’ you call

he should have come back an hour ago

you gulp when you stare at the path to the forest beyond the faded red gates of the shrine

you just need to get to the first clearing - that’s where the woodsman’s settlement is

but what you don’t expect

is to find your brother and the woodsman in arms, eyes trained on a figure sitting lazily atop the cottage roof

and then you see the tails

they’re not golden but they glow pure white, lush and grand

and although the boy they belong to is rather skinny, they give him a weighted look

you can’t hear them speak from behind the tree but they appear to be in disagreement

kun stands by, his face worried while the woodsman raises his axe

you don’t think you’re supposed to be seeing this

there’s a shout then a yell

then the fox is gone

you look around desperately - what if he’s near you, what if he attacks you?

but you see kun making his way towards the village and stumble into a bush to avoid them

you hold your breath till they pass you

you’ll follow them back at a distance - that’s it. you don’t want to get kun worried now

‘and why might you be here?’

you whip around to meet the boy with golden eyes

you let out a yelp, stumbling backwards only to trip over a shrub and onto the ground

he takes a step forward, crouching to meet your eyes

‘leave’

your heart is hammering but you can’t look away

he’s frowning but he looks absolutely ethereal - eyes, nose, lips and of course, his tails

‘i can feel your pulse, you know? i can lower it if you want’ he speaks softly

his voice is surprisingly civilized for a creature born of wild magic

‘i never ask them to be so fascinated with me’ he continues, his voice still low

you feel yourself drawing closer, your heartbeat no longer erratic

his tails are around you

and they’re as soft as they look, you find when one brushes your skin

‘you’re a pretty one’ he whispers

his mouth is near yours and you can feel him breathe you in as he keeps his arms on either side of you

‘but i don’t play games with prey’

angel of death!jeno

you focus on the horizon beyond the fields

it’s hard to see when the moonlight is the only guide, night curling around your shoulders

the fog is thick, almost as if it’s smoke

you take a sharp breath

then you fire the first arrow

there are no heroes or villains in war - only victors

you’ve seen far too many die here, innocent souls

but death does not care for that

the battle spills over - the cause forgotten

and yet, people die for it

death might not even be that bad. in fact, he’s pretty cute

your eyes meet blue in the midst of battle and you clench your jaw

you don’t think it’s time yet

contrary to what everyone believes, death is not clad in black but in white

his eyes are icy blue and he holds a bow that appears to be made of grey mist

and would you dare say he’s handsome?

only behind closed doors in hushed whispers, only to him

but then again, the angels of death look different to all

and to you, he’s an archer

the soldier beside you falls, an axe to his chest and a pale arrow marked above it

has he marked everyone today?

a white arrow flies past you, the sound leaving an echo in your ears

you turn to find the boy - the angel, messenger, whatever he is - standing by the rock jutting out of the ground

he lazily fires his arrows, all of them hitting their marks

his eyes are brighter at night

the sounds around you are discordant

a cleave swings over your head, undoubtedly hitting someone marked

you drop low, inevitably nearing the messenger

‘are we fighting alongside each other now?’ you joke, your eyes keeping track of movement around you

‘i’m only doing my job’ he says quietly

‘why is it that we always meet, jeno?’

you fire three arrows at a charging swordsman

‘you should tell me that’

you chuckle

‘i missed you, if that makes it any better’ you say

he laughs, the sound otherworldly

it’s quiet between the two of you as the night rages on

‘will you mark me today?’

he turns to you, no particular expression on his face

‘will you run again?’

‘i might unless you tempt me.’

he frowns

there’s a silence that makes you lose your words

his hands are red but none of the blood his and you almost get a glimpse of his sharp teeth and hollowed eyes

‘you can run but only for so long till my arrows find you’

he leans closer, his breath chilling over your mouth and eyes ever glowing

‘i will claim you.’

‘i know’ you whisper, finding your voice again

he pulls back smiling, his teeth sharp

‘i hope you remember me the day you do’ you say before he parts, a low hum tuning its way to you in response

the mist curls around his fingers, the fields almost barren now

you’ve flirted with death before - several times actually

perhaps it’s time you stop running from him

witch!haechan

this is not where you’re supposed to be

this is definitely not where you’re supposed to be

you were running from your friends trying to steal your candy but you might have ran a bit too far

you aren’t familiar with this part of the neighbourhood at all

you walk around aimlessly - how did you even get here?

the place has gone overboard with the halloween decorations - or perhaps no one’s home

the buildings are lifeless, some of the taller ones faded beyond repair

there’s something eerie about this place you can’t quite put your finger on

well till you run into a boy and make him drop all his books

‘ow...’

he glares at you

‘i’m sorry!’ you say, frantically picking his books up

he narrows his eyes at you as he stands up, as if he can’t quite figure you out

‘is that...blood?’

your eyes trail to your knees, strangely bloodied and bruised - perhaps you hit the ground too hard

but funnily enough, you didn’t feel any pain until now

‘come on, my house is down the corner. i’ll get you some bandages’ he offers

‘oh, thank you...but i should really be getting home...’

‘it’s okay. you can repay me with your candy.’ he grins, his smile boyish and oddly comforting

you raise an eyebrow

‘alright. you can’t have more than one, though.’

‘aren’t you a little too old to be trick-or-treating anyway?’

‘it’s a uni event. aren’t you a little too old to be mooching candy off someone?’

‘there’s no age limit for that’

you laugh as he takes the books from you, leading the way down

‘i’m haechan, by the way.’

‘i’m (name).’

as if the neighbourhood couldn’t get any creepier, the mist here seems to glow green and the fireflies twinkle with a certain malice to them

haechan’s apartment, however, seems to have skipped halloween altogether and jumped straight into christmas

the lights are bright and colourful, with an odd fancy mask hanging from the doorframe

when you give him a look, he pouts

‘i don’t like the dark.’

he seems to be living alone, apart from a small black cat which comes hurling at you the moment you enter

‘woah’ haechan yells, removing the cat from you ‘what did jeno feed you? how are you so heavy?’

you laugh as he puts the cat down, bitterness never so apparent in a cat

the next to greet you is a frog, plopping right on the table by which you’re sitting

you gasp at it’s sudden leap, placing a hand over your heart

‘why do you have a frog?!’

‘excuse me? that’s my dad.’ he calls from the washroom

you shake your head

‘i’m kidding’ he adds later, thoughtfully

your eyes inevitably stop over the wonderfully coloured jars

some seem to have trapped light, some various shades of dark liquids and some shine like molten precious stones

‘you have to pay to touch that.’

you turn around to find haechan with bandages and some antiseptic

‘what are these?’

haechan pauses

‘uhm...juice?’

you tap your foot impatiently

he sighs

‘okay you got me. that’s trapped starlight. had to travel a lot to find that one. oh, these eyeballs are just candy. i hope. aand that’s the crushed tooth of a kraken, that’s an angel’s elixir. ooh! this one’s fairy milkshake. i’ve got a lot of that, wanna try-’

‘what’

‘do you believe in all this?’ he asks

‘what does it matter if i do?’

he grins

‘what do you say about becoming a witch’s apprentice?’

‘are you kidding me right now?’

‘wait. let me care take of this first.’

he takes a colourless gel-like substance, rubbing it over your knee with two fingers

and after a few seconds, it’s like there was never even a wound

‘and now...’ he continues, fighting a smile

he proceeds to take a purple potion, pouring two drops over the floor

a black butterfly emerges, its wings burning as it flies up into its own oblivion

he looks up and finally smiles as if to say ‘see? i’m not lying. i’ve got more where that comes from.’

you stay quiet for a while, processing everything

‘why did you tell me this? aren’t you supposed to keep things like this a secret?’ you cross your arms

‘you look like someone who could stomach the extraordinary.’

he laughs

‘it’s okay if you don’t. i’ll make you forget all of this.’

you rapidly shake your head

‘i’ll be your apprentice!’

haechan tilts his head to the side

‘but don’t forget. everything comes at a cost’

you nod

it can’t be that bad

‘i’ll have to come here every night?’ you shudder

‘don’t worry’ he laughs ‘the ghouls and demons here are all afraid of me.’

you stare at him, petrified before he laughs at your face

‘really! you don’t have to worry about them.’

you shake your head, giving him another look

but you see it over and perhaps a little bit of adventure couldn’t hurt

you look at the boy beside you, his caramel skin and honey eyes hard to not stare at

you almost blush when he meets your eyes

you take the vintage feathered pen he offers, no doubt showing off his collection and sign the contract he presents you, your name glowing amethyst violet

and in your excitement you forget to check the contract, the binding contract

perhaps you will, after a few years

when you notice how everyone around you seems to grow old, never seems to keep up with your energy

when you see your friends get married and have children yet you can’t seem to bother

when your friends are all wrinkled yet you look just the way you did years ago

perhaps you’ll ask to see the contract and gasp

you should have been more observant

after all, in the end, there’s only the witch and his apprentice

elf!jaemin

you don’t think your pumpkin latte is supposed to glow this way

you look to the server and back to your drink

you don’t think he sees it

he smiles and walks away leaving you to your oddly gold pumpkin latte, reflecting the major part of the sunlight right onto your face

you crane your neck to catch a glimpse of the brewer

it’s difficult when his back is turned to you but he looks so familiar

you take a sharp breath when you see his face

jaemin never told you he worked here

you smile to yourself when he almost spills the coffee over

you’re always smiling when it comes to him

ever since you had seen him on campus, there’s been something about him that wouldn’t let your mind escape him

but it’s not just his face or his starry smile and kind manners or the pointed ears - there’s something about him, something secretive

you don’t believe in fairy tales but he just might be one

it was barely summer when he first talked to you

something about an assignment which you didn’t mind lending him

and you found he’s more than all the girls lining up to see him and the same shining smile he gives everyone

in his jokes, in his laugh and the way he speaks and the way he treats everyone

it’s been a while since you’ve had a friend like this

but today he doesn’t look your away, dark circles under his eyes and a drudging rate of work

you figure you should greet him after work, buy him another cup of his beloved coffee

you take the same subway ride home after all

‘(name)?’

jaemin looks surprised, a little starstruck maybe

he smiles

‘how did you know i work here?’

you giggle

‘well...i didn’t. till you made me a glowing drink.’

jaemin’s ears turn red

‘it was- it was glowing?’

‘yeah! it was all golden and glowy.’

‘uhh..’ his voice breaks and he clears his throat ‘it’s a new ingredient we’re testing!’

‘it tasted just fine though’ you assure him

he scratches the back of his head, smiling wide ‘thanks’

you hope you don’t make it awkward when you blush at the way he smiles at you, or when he holds your hand to keep you from getting lost in the crowds

‘really? jeno? don’t tell me you like him.’

jaemin rolls his eyes

your cheeks feel hot as you try to stammer out an explanation

‘i- i don’t like him. i just- i just thought he was sweet to me last saturday, that’s all.’

‘you went on a date without telling me?’ jaemin huffs

‘it- it wasn’t a date!’

‘whatever’ jaemin pouts ‘i can’t believe you like someone other than me.’

you laugh it off, his smile brighter than the stars as usual

it’s hard to not close your eyes too as he rests his head on your shoulder in the lone train compartment

it’s so peaceful like this

‘(name)? can i tell you something?’

you hum in response

‘never mind’ he says, sitting up straight

he looks at you for a long few seconds, enough to make you blush, before tucking a strand of your hair behind your ear

he stands up all of a sudden

‘wanna dance?’ he says with a grin

‘right here?’ you ask, incredulous

‘what? there’s no one here!’

you return his smile and take his hand as he pulls you up into his arms

there’s no music but you hear songs - humming full of melody and sweet words

he laughs when he sees you trying hard to not step on his feet or the focus on your face till it’s finally gone when you get the hang of it

it’s so peaceful like this

suddenly you don’t know where the train leads

jaemin still smiles

‘i like you, you know that?’ he whispers as he twirls you, hands back on your waist to hold you

the dancing never ends

‘i like you too’ you respond, not knowing why

you can smell the flowers growing around the benches, their vines curled around almost everything

you hear the bees buzzing, looking for nectar

there’s moonlight above you, the silver light making jaemin’s hair glow

he leans in, his lips just brushing yours

‘thank you’ he whispers ‘for being truly kind to me’

it’s almost dawn - you can hear the birds chirping and the moonlight wanes

it’s so peaceful like this

you think if it’s jaemin, forever isn’t so empty

you take a step off the train

and the rest is history

zombie!chenle

‘what the heck is going on?’

you eye donghyuck and renjun at each other’s throats on the floor

you tap your foot impatiently against the wood

‘(name)! renjun brought a zombie. get him out!’ donghyuck complains

you blink

‘he what’

‘well, what if he doesn’t want to go away?’ renjun retorts

you gesture for the both of them to stop talking when you feel a presence right behind you

you let out a sound of surprise, falling to the floor to find a boy staring down at you

a stitch runs right across his face, his skin paler than normal; his left eye is oddly translucent and his hair is a dim blonde, and overall he looks rather impish

yet he still looks like a boy nonetheless

he bends, squinting at you and you squeak, your shock getting the best of you

a moment later, the three of them burst into laughter

you frown at them

‘what’s so funny?’

you get up and face the boy

despite his ghoulish features, he still has flesh and he looks like a boy as ever

‘i’m chenle!’ he greets you with a grin ‘hyung brought me here. and... uh... i think i broke your coffee table, i’m really sorry about that’

his grin changes to an apologetic frown

you poke his cheek and pull back immediately, distracted

‘oh, your skin’s really soft.’

‘yeah, i used to take care of it a lot.’

there’s a pause

‘wait a minute, you did wha-’ you huff, ‘renjun aren’t you scared to death of ghosts?’

‘ghosts, not zombies’ he crosses his arms

‘ghost or zombie, he’s still annoying’ donghyuck grumbles

you sigh at the two of them

from the looks of it, however, they’ve already befriended the boy

when you turn around, you find chenle busy with the housecat, picking her up and scrutinising her

‘what are you doing?!’ you ask, panicking

‘well, it’s been a while since i’ve seen these’

he looks at you with a smile so adorable you lose track of your thoughts for a few moments

you cough, pretending your heart didn’t just stop

‘how long have you been dead?’

‘i don’t know. a while, i guess. ooh, do you have a piano? i’ve missed those!’

you shake your head ‘i don’t think we do.’

‘that’s okay’ he grins, eyes strangely sparkling ‘ooh, do you have a basketball court? or a car? or maybe a coffee shop nearby?’

‘there’s one down the block, i guess’ you tilt your head ‘you’ve really missed life, huh?’

before he can say anything, donghyuck calls from the other room ‘hey bighead! we’re going shoppi- er- to the playgrounds or something!’

chenle laughs, the sound piercingly loud but oddly cheerful

you smile without realizing

you never knew the dead could be so full of life

chenle then turns to you to answer ‘of course i missed this!’

you pinch the bridge of your nose but you continue smiling

there’s something infectious about him...and it’s not the zombie part

then again, your house isn’t exactly a stranger to oddities

‘come with us!’ chenle says, grabbing your attention

‘okay’ you agree

you get back to the living room to get your coat, to find renjun lying on the sofa

you need to know this

you turn to him, narrowing your eyes

‘where in hell did you even get a zombie?’

renjun scratches his head

‘you know that old guy in the robes by the graveyard? the one who carries a staff around like he’s about to summon the dead? well, he actually did that.’

‘renjun, we live in the underworld.’

‘oh, right.’

ghost!jisung

‘please just let me haunt you’

‘no’

‘...okay’

you shake your head and groan

‘jisung! see? this is why you never get anything done? ghosts aren’t supposed to be polite’

the boy in front of you scratches his head, his skin translucent and eyes cast down guiltily

‘okay try your puppy form’ you say

‘that’s not a puppy’ he begins but tones down at your stare

he sighs

the big black dog stares back at you, fur curling into mist and eyes glowing red

he growls quietly before it eventually turns into a snarl, his teeth lethal

you yawn

the dog collapses into mist to reveal jisung once more, a rather pouty expression on his face

‘nothing scares you. that’s why this doesn’t work!’

‘you’re just too cute, jisung’ you frown

he blushes, a strange colour on pale skin

‘but i’m supposed to haunt the town. only the old ladies are scared of me. and i feel bad about that.’

you laugh

jisung might just be the cutest ghost out there

‘i’m thinking...maybe haunting isn’t my thing.’

‘but you’re a ghost! why else would you be a ghost?’

he places his hand on his chin, concentrating on his thoughts

‘i can’t remember anything about who i was. maybe i’m not vengeful’

‘it took you all that thinking to realize th- actually, never mind. maybe you’re meant to enjoy things life has to offer...after death.’

‘honestly, that sounds like a... total killjoy.’

you stare blankly at him

‘sorry, i ran out of jokes.’

you laugh at his awkward smile, patting him on his head like you do

‘well, what are you supposed to do?’ he asks

‘i don’t know. i just talk to ghosts i guess.’

jisung shrugs, sinking further onto the grass

it’s a beautiful night tonight - every night has been sweet to you and jisung since you first met

this town is no stranger to ghosts and poltergeists

of course, no one but you realizes that

some of the ghosts, you make a friend out of, some, you’d rather avoid

and there’s jisung

you didn’t know what to expect when the ghost of a giant black dog suddenly transformed into a sleeping boy

you aren’t even sure what he is, but life’s been better with him around

he accompanies you to school, listens to you throughout the lunch break, makes snarky comments during class (that you’d rather not have) and tells you all the places to find the prettiest mushrooms

it’s the first time you’ve seen a spirit so attentive

usually they just lament over their lost life, thank you for listening and go back to haunting or whatever engages them till they can finally be at peace

jisung is...a little different

for starters, you can actually touch him without diving too deep into the realm of the dead

it’s like half of him is still alive

but the mist grows strong around him

‘how’d you learn to talk to ghosts?’ jisung asks, quietly

‘well, i almost died. then i realized i can exist in both the realms.’

‘that sounds...awful.’

you laugh

‘it’s not that bad. i found you.’

jisung blushes again, you don’t know how. does he even have blood?

‘hey, what do you think happens after you’re done being a ghost?’ you ask

jisung stops glaring at the frog near the creek to meet your eyes

‘are you trying to scare me?’

you laugh

‘just thinking.’

‘i like it here’ he says ‘i like everything even if i feel less than i used to.’

‘that’s good to know.’

jisung laughs, the sound boyish and full of a certain joy you can’t put together

it should be this way

two best friends enjoying their time in a town that never lives

finding new adventures every day

listening to new songs and dancing to the wind

getting on doyoung’s nerves together (but doyoung, of course, thinks it’s just you)

confusing jeno at the flower shop or hitting renjun with harmless little stones when he’s not looking

you trying to scare jisung (which is almost always a success when it comes to cockroaches)

jisung always putting a smile on your face with how awkwardly he scratches his head and looks away when you compliment him

it’s as close to a friendship as you can get

but you know the truth

you remember that day everything changed

you remember the boy and his pet dog sailing with you, playing around the docks

you remember the storm and how you almost died

you remember letting the rope go and watching the boy sink to the abyss

you remember despair

you remember feeling numb the week after and more

it’s as clear as day

you look at jisung, his eyes closed and his figure resting on the warm grass

this is your repentance

#i tried making them a little spooky but i was just trying to enjoy different concepts aha #nct scenarios #nct dream scenarios #renjun scenarios #jeno scenarios #haehan scenarios #jaemin scenarios #chenle scenarios #jisung scenarios #nct au #nct dream au #nct dream imagines #nct imagines #nct dream fluff #bulleted #OKAY so some of them sound a lil angsty but thats just the way it is goo dnight #can you tell my fav concept was renjuns :)#moonwrites

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morinokunikara · 4 years

Note

Altschmerz w/ mishima mayhaps owo

Altschmerz: Weariness with the same old issues that you’ve always had – the same boring flaws and anxieties that you’ve been gnawing on for years.

IM SORRY THIS TOOK A WHOLEASS MONTH TO RESPOND TO LIFE HAS BEEN HELL AND IVE ONLY RECENTLY GOTTEN THE MOTIVATION TO WRITE DAILY

Anyways I wrote this in my idol school au so enjoy!!!

“One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four.”

The cheerful music and Yuuki’s muttered counts echoed through the large, otherwise empty practice room, each step landing softly as he followed the routine he had practiced again and again.

“One, two, three, four. One, two, three four.”

Right, left, spin, hop. Step, step, skip, hop. Cross, right, lef- Shit!

His rhythm was cut off as he tripped over his own legs, and his body met the wood flooring with a thud. “Ugh...damnit.” He crawled to the large speaker next to him and shut it off. The room went silent and he rested against the mirrored wall. Why can’t I get this right? Everyone else has already moved forward... He brought his knees to his chest with a sigh, and mentally went over the routine again.

Step, step, skip, hop. Cross, right, left, step.

It was that left step that got him. Every time, he’d stumble or fall over completely. The rest of his group had it. He was holding them back. If he didn’t figure it out, they wouldn’t pass this audition at all. He’d disappoint everyone. He had to keep trying, for their sake. He pulled himself back up and restarted the music track.

“One, two, three, four.”

Cross, right, left, st-

Thud.

“Damnit!” The fall was particularly painful compared to others. His left ankle twisted as he went to the ground, and he whined as he rubbed the hurt leg.

“That was quite the fall,” A gentle voice came from the other end of the room. The tall, slender figure walked over to Yuuki, kneeling next to him. “Oh...hey, Kitagawa...” Yuuki stopped tending to his leg and looked away. To be caught like this in front of a classmate, especially in front of someone as elegant and handsome as Yusuke Kitagawa. He was one of the best students in his class, and already fairly well known in the idol world. His beauty, his artistic eye, even his frequently eccentric behavior gained him a large fan following. And he just saw Yuuki crash and burn like some kind of newbie.

“Sorry to interrupt, I just believe I forgot my water bottle here.” Kitagawa walked to Yuuki’s side. “You aren’t too hurt, are you? Can you move your leg?” He asked. “Is it alright if I touch it? I just want to make sure it isn’t swollen or anything of the sort.”

Yuuki nodded slowly. He could only hope it wasn't so bad that he wouldn't be able to dance... He watched as his classmate pushed up his left pant leg and looked carefully at the injury. Kitagawa moved it a bit, and Yuuki winced slightly. "Did that hurt?"

"A little..." Yuuki's anxieties grew. Would he be able to dance in time for the next audition?

Kitagawa hummed thoughtfully. "Can you get up and walk around for a little bit?" Yuuki nodded and pulled himself up. He winced at the first few steps, but soon was able to walk through the pain with nothing more than a slight limp.

"I don't believe it's broken," Kitagawa said as he watched. "However, we may need to take you the the infirmary just in ca-"

"No!" Yuuki snapped. He shrunk back when he noticed Kitagawa's startled expression. "Sorry I just- I can't risk having to stop practicing even for a day. I have to get this routine perfect in time for auditions.”

Kitagawa stayed silent for a moment, biting his lip. “Well, if you won’t go to the infirmary, would you at the very least accompany me on a walk? You may be able to just walk this injury off, and return to practice without an issue.

Yuuki hesitated. Could he really afford to take such a break? But then again, walking with Kitagawa, going on a walk with an idol ranked so high above him... It might just prove to be beneficial for him. “A walk sounds fine. As long as it isn’t too long, I want to practice more before lights out.”

The two walked out into the courtyard together. The sun had just barely set, and the first stars of the night were starting to shine through the darkening sky. The cool autumn breeze whipped colorful leaves along their legs, a few of the leaves crunching under their steps as they walked down the concrete path under the canopy of increasingly vacant trees. Yuuki looked down at the leaves under them, unsure of what to say or do. His mind was flooded with thoughts on the situation. He could take this chance to learn what it meant to be a high ranked idol! But what if Kitagawa thought he was using him to get ahead? Or what if he saw other idols as competition and refused, or worse, gave fake, sabotaging advice? Lost in his thoughts, he ended up nearly tripping directly into the fountain in the center of the courtyard.

“Careful. We wouldn’t want you to fall again,” Kitagawa warned.

“Sorry,” Yuuki muttered, looking off to the side. “I must’ve got lost in my thoughts.” He laughed and rubbed the back of his head.

“Here, have a seat.” Kitagawa sat on one of the benches that faced the fountain and patted the spot next to him. “We can walk again when you’re more focused.”

Yuuki took a seat on the bench as well. Still unsure of what to say, he stayed silent as he watched the water sprouting from the fountain and down into the pool below.

“It’s relaxing, isn’t it?” Kitagawa broke the silence between them. “I frequently come here when I need some time away, or when I need inspiration.”

Yuuki didn’t reply. What was there to say? He didn’t need time away. In fact, he needed the opposite. He should probably get back to practicing already. He was starting to get antsy.

“You know,” Kitagawa apparently still had more to say. Wonderful. “Dancing and singing are art forms, just like painting. Idols themselves really are artists. I always admired them for that reason, and found myself wanting to expand my horizons outside of just a singular art form. However-” The ''however” caught Yuuki’s attention, and he looked to Kitagawa. “-Just like with painting, there is such a thing as practicing too much. How long were you in that practice room for?”

“Since dance lessons ended so...” Yuuki counted up the hours in his head. “About 3 and a half hours I think.”

“And did you take a break once in that time?”

“No.”

“Ah, see? You have to give yourself a chance to rest.”

“I don’t have time to rest. I have to work as much as I can. I have to catch up to everyone else. Almost everyone in the school is ranked higher than me, including-” Yuuki stopped himself. No, it would be selfish to mention her. It wasn’t his fault she was so much better than him.

“Including your sister, correct?” Kitagawa asked, looking to Yuuki.

Yuuki sighed. “Yeah. Including her. She’s always been better than me. She was our parents’ clear favorite. The ace student, the soccer MVP, the Theatre star... I always paled in comparison to her. So I have to keep working harder, so I can be on her level.”

It was something Yuuki had dealt with since his sister was born. In everything she did, she shined brighter than him. Everything became about her. She was the center of their lives, and Yuuki was almost completely forgotten. He always tried to work himself harder, push himself more, fight on despite exhaustion, but nothing ever worked for them. He was never good enough. He thought that maybe, just maybe, attending the Atlas Idol Academy would change that but of course it didn’t. His sister climbed far above him almost instantly, and ended up near the top of the rankings, while he stayed near the bottom.

“So you want to climb up to the top of this school’s ranking? And you think you can do that by dancing on an injured ankle?”

The question cut hard on Yuuki. Well, yeah, when he puts it like that of course it sounds bad. “No but...”

“You know, I was the same with my own paintings, at a time. I watched even younger artists soar above me. Naturally, my first reaction was that I wasn’t working hard enough. So I pushed myself more. First I gave up sleeping, then eating, then so much as putting the brush down for a few seconds. Despite my greatest effort, everything I painted turned out... soulless. They lacked emotion, meaning, everything. It wasn’t until I injured my wrist, and passed out from exhaustion, that I realized how much damage I was doing not only to myself, but to my art.” Kitagawa sighed and looked back to the fountain. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Yuuki stared at the fountain as he processed his classmate’s words. He understood but... that was different right? Wasn’t it? If he worked harder, if he pushed himself, he’d be the best. “It’s just not the same situation.”

“Not the exact same, but there are striking similarities. What will you do if your ankle gets worse, or if you pass out. You’re determined about this audition, are you not? If you end up hurt, you’ll only cause yourself to not be able to participate at all.”

Yuuki knew he was right but... but... No. No buts this time. “...I know...” He muttered. It kind of sucked to admit, but Kitagawa may have had a point. He couldn’t audition if he ended up hospitalized.

“Good.” Kitagawa smiled and got up. “So, what are your plans now?”

Yuuki rose as well, stretching his arms as he did so. “I think I’ll go back to my room for now. My ankle feels better, but I’ll keep an eye on it and go to the infirmary if things get worse. And uh...thanks for looking out for me. I really appreciate it.”

“Of course. Contact me anytime you’re in need of a reminder. Would you like me to escort you to your dorm?”

“I wouldn’t mind that at all.” Without really thinking, Yuuki offered his arm to Kitagawa, who...actually took it? He realized a second too late what he had done, and averted his gaze to hide the dusting of pink on his face. Not that anyone could see it with how dark it was.

The two walked arm in arm together until they reached Yuuki’s dorm room. They said their good nights before parting ways, and Yuuki went straight to bed so he could rest up for the next day. In the time following, Yuuki followed his own pace, and found himself able to master the routine in time for the audition, leading to his group acing the audition with flying colors. He still fell into his old mindset from time to time, but when he did, his new friend was there, always supportive, always willing to remind him to work at his own pace to be the best he could be.

#persona 5 #persona #p5 #yuuki mishima #yusuke kitagawa #Anonymous #mailbox

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bloomara · 5 years

Text

almost safe pt.1 | ha yoonbin

+ pairing: ha yoonbin x y/n (female)

+ word count: 1.7k

+ genre: zombieapocalypse!AU, fluff

+ warnings: violence, le killing of le zombies, some swearing

+ summary: after months of travel, you, yoonbin and your group finally arrive at a community. rumor has it, it is one of the safest in the country, but are those just rumors?

+ parts: pt.1 | pt.2 | —

+ notes: i’ve been wanting to writing a zombie!AU for the LONGEST time and i finally got around to doing it! also: i know for sure that there will be 2 parts, but after that im not sure,, it depends on how many people want more parts!

You tredge behind your group, worn leather boots silent despite the forest ground being covered in fallen branches and crunchy autumn leaves. Your calves are beginning to ache due to the steep incline.

“Y/N!” Jihoon calls back to you, “C’mon, catch up!” You cringe. His voice is startlingly loud in the cautious quiet you had fallen into since you got to the woods. The others whip towards him and shush him.

Yoonbin is behind the group as well, but still several paces ahead of you. He turns and gives you a meek smile. Despite the pulse of pain going down your leg, you return his smile. He falls behind until he’s walking next to you. His presence is familiar, calming.

“We’re almost there,” he says, taking your hands in his. “Hyunsuk says it should be just over this hill.”

You nod, relieved. Your group had been walking through this forest all day. You first left camp at the crack of dawn. The sun was just rising over the far horizon, it’s orange and gold rays threatening to spill over the edge of the world. Now, it was behind you, and you were afraid that it would set before you made it to the new community.

If there is a community at all, that is. It was, of course, only a rumor. A rumor that had been passed on from person to person for who knows how long. Realistically, it could have gone down months ago and no one would have really known it.

You were so preoccupied in your thoughts that you didn’t noticed you were on the top of the hill until you bump into Doyoung. He doesn’t care, his eyes fixed on the land below the hill.

“It’s real,” he says, his voice nothing more than a soft whisper. “It’s actually real.”

You look up and your breath leaves you. At the bottom of the hill, there was a community. From this angle, you could see dozens of buildings, with up to three storeys. You could see a large patch of green, which you could only assume was a garden. All of this was surrounded by two rows of barriers — concrete, then wire fencing. It was an impressive setup.

You were was close enough that you could see a few people walking around, so small they could have been ants.

Behind the wire fence, patrolling the entrance attached to a rough, narrow road, were armed guards. There were three from what you could see.

One of them— a man, you could tell— froze when he saw your group. Even from this distance you could see his rifle shift in his hand. Yoonbin, noticing this at the same time as you, quickly lifted his hand in the air, a signal of goodwill. A moment passed and you held your breath.

You didn’t know these people. You didn’t know what they were like. It was a stupid idea, you thought, to go into the community head-on, completely blind. You should have scouted the place first, before you made your presence known.

You curl your fingers around the bottom of Yoonbin’s black windbreaker and are just about to pull him away when the man lifts his hand in return.

The boys around you grin. They start heading down the hill towards the tall fences.

Yoonbin looks at you, amused at your hand still on him. “Hey, it’s gonna be fine” he says calmly, seeing your frown.

You chew your lip, anxiety creeping up your neck. “What if it’s not?”

He rubs your arm softly, trying to calm you down. “Then we get out of there. If anything happens, or we sense that something’s off, we leave.”

You stare up at him, eyebrows creasing. “You say that like its easy.”

His smile is gentle, but his voice is only mildly exasperated. “Y/N.” He kisses your forehead. You close your eyes and lean into his touch. “We don’t know what it’s like until we go there and find out. If we need to leave, we’ll find a way out. We always do.”

You nod into the curve of his neck, mumbling an “okay” into his jacket.

Together, you make your way down the hill.

When you get to the gate, the man from before meets you at the entrance. You’re shocked at how young he is. From up close, you can tell that he was only around your age, maybe a year or two older. You were expecting a man far older than you. For some unknown reason, the sight of someone in their youth patrolling an area with a weapon still shocked you, despite being nearly a year and a half into the apocalypse.

He approaches your group cautiously, rifle in hand. “Here for sanctuary?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Hyunsuk answered, stepping forward.

He frowns, looking your group over. You suddenly feel insecure.

You knew that your camo pants were splattered in mud and was stained in blood no matter how hard you scrubbed. Your face was probably covered in sweat and dirt and blood. You also knew that everyone else in your group looked like that, too. You probably looked like a group of frenzied children who had been living in the woods for years, away from modern civilization. In a way, you kind of were.

This boy, on the other hand, could have passed for a completely normal kid, if it weren’t for the bulletproof vest and gun in his hand. You could tell that his clothing was decently clean. The only scuffed up part of him was his combat boots, worn for months, probably, and covered in blood and mud. At least you had that in common.

But he seemed completely unfazed by your appearances, rather taking in your statures, the way you all stood with your shoulders barely touching, the way your hands rested on the handles of your weapons, ready to jump to action the second it called. The way you glanced at one another, reading one another’s expressions with ease.

You thought you saw him nod in approval. Maybe he’d been there, too— once a part of a group who had been through hell together, quite literally. Who supported and protected each other no matter what.

“Alright, then.” He gestured to the other guard. She was tall with short cropped blonde hair, a mean scar running down her throat. She eyed them suspiciously, but helped him pull the fence aside. “Come on in. I’m Junkyu, by the way. We have safety precautions we have to follow before you enter the community.”

“Like what?” Yoonbin asks.

Junkyu doesn’t answer. He leads you through the entrance. In the middle of the concrete wall is a single heavy metal door. As he approaches it, it buzzes, and he swings it open. He holds it, waiting for you to move.

Everyone is visibly hesitant. You chew your lip nervously, your hand gripping the knife strapped to your thigh. Hyunsuk strides forward, trying to look as confident as possible, and goes in first. The rest of your group follows.

As you walk through the door, you make eye contact with Junkyu. He smiles kindly.

On the other side of the wall, the sun seems to shine brighter. Maybe it was just you, but the colours looked more vibrant, and you could hear distant chatter and laughter.

A man approaches you, far older than Junkyu. “Weapons before entering.”

You look at him incredulously. “You’re taking our weapons?” You exclaim.

”Those are the rules.”

Junkyu is beside the man now. “In order to keep the citizens of our community safe, all weapons are prohibited. We’ve had too many incidents where fights break out between armed men, and you know how they always end. Nothing personal.”

“Hyunsuk?” Jihoon says. You will only follow those rules if Hyunsuk says to.

After a moment of thought, he sighs. He begins unstrapping his holster. “Their community, their rules.”

Mildly disappointed, you take off your weapons. All you had on you was your pistol and a combat knife. You handed that over. After they passed a metal detector over you, you were deemed “clean” and allowed to pass through the final gate. You waited for the others.

You felt naked and vulnerable without your weapons. You were now faced with the fear that if anything were to go wrong, you didn’t have anything on you to defend yourself. Except maybe your belt, and that was a big maybe.

And, of course, your group. You, Yoonbin, Hyunsuk, Jihoon and Doyoung. You could protect each other. It was times like this, you realized, that having strong bonds with the people around mattered the most. This eased your mind.

You watched in amusement as Yoonbin proceeded to basically empty his pockets of weapons. The semiautomatic strapped to his back came off first, then the machete on his chest. He pulled his holster off, containing his pistol, then fished his combat knife out of his boot. Finally, then came the derringer. He placed it all on the table, and stood beside you.

You hear the metal detector go off.

Jihoon smiles nervously at the young girl with the detector, who gives him an exasperated look.

“All of your weapons, please and thank you.”

“Would you believe me if I told you they put metal in my hip when I was a baby?”

“No, I wouldn’t.” She says. When Jihoon does make a move to remove whatever it is that set off the device, she stares him down. Despite being a head smaller than him, her eyes could pierce.

“Fine, it’s my belt!!” Jihoon exclaims. He lifts up his jacket to reveal a thick chain wrapped in his belt loop. “It’s literally just a belt.”

“Take it off!”

“If you want me to undress for you, you could just ask.” Jihoon flirts back.

She is clearly unimpressed. With one hard stamp of her metal-toed boots, Jihoon yelps and clutches his foot. Finally, he unwraps the chain. Turns out, the chain was very long, maybe three feet in length, and very much a weapon. He drops it in her hand.

He sheepishly shrugs at you, and you roll your eyes.

“Okay! I’ll give you the grand tour.” Junkyu suddenly appears at your side, gesturing outwards.

You swallow the hard lump in your throat and follow him. There was no turning back now.

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bdamanlover4ever · 5 years

Note

Heya:P I was wondering about a MitsuBoru fic revolving around the two just chillin after the whole “Mitsuki betrayal ark”and then Mitsuki starts talking about his love of (what ever, hobby, animal, person, toy, picture etc.) and Boruto is McFuckin Floored, Not Ok, bc watching Mitsuki babble on and sparkle with what he loves Boruto realises “sHIT IM IN LOVE” the more fluff the better :D -Boruto Gen = Gay Minefield

Word count: 1,244

‘Maybe there was something in the way Mitsuki talked. No, No, not the way…how? No, not how. Prehaps it’s when.’ Boruto nodded to himself, satisfied with this conclusion. His brain configuring, ‘There is something special when Mitsuki talks.’

The wind seemed to change, the air felt more thicker, and it could be freezing outside, but Boruto would still sweat. A sensation of endearment would flood his senses, and he’d stay locked in yellow orbs. Ears tuning in to hear the soft sound of Mitsuki’s voice.

“I thought about it.” Mitsuki explained, “I really did take a bunch of things into cons-”

“During your journey of self awareness?” Boruto cut him off, a dopey smile resting on his face. His pretty blonde locks covered up his cheeky sky blue eyes, as they twinkled in admiration.

The blue haired boy closed his eyes as if recalling the memories implanted in his mind. He swayed a bit, listening to the trees rustling, birds chirping, and other pleasant sounds of Leaf Village.

Boruto tucked his head down in his jacket. He was slightly embarrassed for interrupting his friend like that. It was an accident, he’d get so excited and impulsively blurt something out. Shyly, he fumbled his thumbs. “What did you miss most about this place?” He asked lowly.

Mitsuki blinked his eyes open, just in time to see the sun catching through blond locks. Boruto was steadily messing with his hands and blush claimed his face, but his blue eyes kept right on staring into Mitsuki’s.

There was something dazzling when their eyes fell into each other. Simple gestures, and emotions could be felt just by a single gaze.

Mitsuki raised his eyebrows to a serene position, lips quivering as the sun slowly sank into the horizon. It made him inch forward, just until his nose touched up against Boruto’s. “You.” His voice was less confident than before, when he was rambling. Instead it had switched out to be more delicate and peaceful.

Boruto scoffed, trying to disregard the answer. “That’s not true!” He fired out, yanking his head back away from Mitsuki. He ended up slamming his whole back against the wall, which made him wince. “Oops, dang it! I didn’t mean to bump…” He turned back to sputtered, “Hold on, it’s a wall…What are you do-” His face turned an even brighter shade of red, he was ready to smack himself on the head. “Why am I talking to a wall?!”

Snake like hands grabbed his wrist, and pulled him close. “Boruto, walls can’t talk.” Instead of allowing Boruto to smack himself for his own stupidity, Mitsuki gentle patted him on the head. He ran his fingers through soft blonde locks and combed them back.

At the sensation, Boruto shuttered. He felt like he might boil over, with Mitsuki’s smooth touch messaging his scalp. Closing his eyes, he broke their trance. “I know.” He mumbled. In comparison to Mitsuki’s voice, his sounded distant, gruff, and slothful. It much much more interesting to have Mitsuki ramble on, then to hear his own.

Yet Mitsuki grew silent again, and withdrew his hands from Boruto’s hair. Soon as the delicate touch left him, Boruto whimpered like a homeless puppy.

“What’s wrong?” Mitsuki grew concerned for his friend once more. There was confusion and heartbreak written all over his face. It was times like these, he wished Boruto would be more clear about stuff.

Boruto popped open his eyes, to watch the sunset in the distance. “Everything and nothing at all.” His eyebrows melted together, as he finally stopped fumbling with his thumbs.

“How so?”

“I overreact is all.”

“To?”

Boruto turned to face Mitsuki. He pierced his lips together, carefully observing the other boy. He scanned his face for any hidden signs of loneliness, or if he was annoyed with him yet. There was never any signs of that on Mitsuki’s face. It was just paranoia that always made him have to check.

Mitsuki shrugged his shoulders, “I overreact too. Mostly, when I see my friends get hurt.” A mischievous gleam came in his eye, “Especially when I see you get hurt.” It seemed to read but the words were never actually verbalized aloud.

That was the thing. Words just didn’t get said between them. Actions spoke louder. The strings tugging in their hearts, silently pleaded things best left unsaid.

Boruto agreed with Mitsuki. “Same!” He nodded feverishly, “I overreact all the time, even on accident.” This was his way of saying, “Right now, I’m overreacting. Your touch, makes my heart flip out. Haha.. get it overreacting?”

Mitsuki’s drive to keep on rambling wavered. He uttered a simple, “Okay.” A one word response, which meant that he was ending wherever this was going.

A sigh of relief escaped from Boruto, one that he didn’t even know he was holding in. In times like these, the more he took into consideration feelings and emotions, it would make him get more discombobulated.

He had to keep his head up, eyes locked on, ears focused. Boruto couldn’t afford to miss a single word that past through Mitsuki’s mouth. From now on he was going to take all his friend had to say straight to the heart.

“So you say you missed me the most, well now you probably think I spent my time talking to walls while you were gone.”

“I don’t think that. You came looking for me, so that’s something.”

“Something?” Boruto retorted, as if there sound have been more substance to that word. He motioned to the wall behind them, “That is something.” He switched up and pointed at Mitsuki, “Me going after you was….” All at once his mouth went dry, words fled from his tongue before he could properly explain.

Mitsuki tilted his head, curiously awaiting an answer. Then, he read the perplexed awestruck look on Boruto’s face. The blonde fumbling around with vowels and consonants that didn’t make any sense, as he attempted to string together a valuable sentence. A little sly smile came on Mitsuki’s face. “I don’t need to know what it was, your eyes and expression say it all.”

For a long time, neither one of them spoke. They just took in the view of the sky and watched the sunset together.

The whole time Boruto was struggling to find a way to explain himself. Yet, how could he explain the inexpiable? Mitsuki said he didn’t need to know, but Boruto wanted him to know. He wanted the other boy to hear him say it.

“Dang it!” Boruto complained hunching over, he folded his arms bitterly. “Out of the times to overreact.” He muttered under his breath, eyes flicking to catch a glimpse of Mitsuki smiling at him lightly with his face in the palm of his hand.

“Hmm?”

“Why are you looking at me? The sun is setting over there.”

Mitsuki kept on watching Boruto’s adorable reactions. “Well, I’m watching my sun set.” He got a vibrant excited ring in his tone, “Ya know, the sun doesn’t set the same, when you don’t see it in person.” Yellow eyes flickered, as cherishing words fell from lips. “I missed seeing it in person.”

Boruto felt his heart flutter, at the declaration. His blue eyes falling into yellow, desperate to convey words that he knew might never be verbalized. But even if he never said it aloud, the fuzzy sensation in his chest could no longer be denied.

#mitsuboru #borumitsu #fanfic request

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thatsadorbsyo · 5 years

Text

K'tara in Kugane (Glow, #11) (Extra Credit Entry)

(cw: drug use, explicit sexual content)

Despite his protestations, Makoto ended up also being the kind of guy who liked getting his ass eaten. Who would've thought?

He took K’tara and Kimi up to the balcony of a hostelry on the edge of the city, where the sea air smelled pleasant enough for K’tara to want to get high. Cheerfully colored paper lanterns were strung along the balcony overhang, lining the view of Kugane. Similar lanterns dotted nearby buildings and along the streets, a cacophony of lights unlike anything she’d ever seen. They were bright enough that when K’tara slumped against the railing and looked up at the night sky, she couldn’t see the stars.

Kimi insisted on wearing her mask, only tugging the bandanna down long enough to lean forward in Makoto’s lap and inhale a bit of pale pink powder from the tea table at the back of the deck. The two of them whispered quietly to themselves, passing telling gropes between them as they laughed, and K’tara probably would have just left them alone to their inevitable conclusion if not for the fact that she wanted some of that Serendipity.

She walked up to the table and sprawled out on the floor across from them, legs spread apart and arms draped over her knees. Small piles of powder were scattered across the glass tabletop, with rolled up straws of paper and a few stray bottles of sake. K’tara looked around for some matches. “...I can’t smoke this?”

Makoto regarded her with a lazy glance that soon turned to mirthful derision. “That one asks if she can smoke it,” he rumbled into Kimi’s horn, and her eyes narrowed at K’tara, crinkling with good humor at a friend’s expense.

Frustration bloomed hot in her chest, overpowering the undercurrent of embarrassment. “Yeah, so I’m not a fucking addict, forgive me. What do I do with it?”

Kimi gave a small yelp of protest when Makoto picked her up and planted her on the sofa so that he could join K’tara on the floor. He sprawled out in a similar fashion to her, draping one arm over her shoulders and reaching across her lap to pick up one of the paper straws.

“Here,” he passed it into her hand. K’tara turned it over between her fingers, staring at it like it was some esoteric technology that she had to decipher how to use. “Inhale it through the nose. It will hurt.”

“I’ll show you!” Kimi added helpfully, tugging her mask down again and picking up another straw. She snorted the Serendipity like a professional, closing one nostril with her finger while the other swept up a line of powder through the straw. If it really did hurt, she either hid it well or had gone numb to it already, because she surfaced with a serene, unhidden smile.

K’tara watched this with a steel gaze while Makoto’s hand caressed her shoulder and slid down her side, his fingers brushing over the sideswell of her chest. She didn’t hate how warm his palm felt on her skin, and that was the moment when she decided that if he tried to fuck her, she’d let him do it.

She put the straw to her nose and tried to mimic Kimi, quickly inhaling a small amount of powder from one of the tiny piles. Makoto grabbed both of her shoulders and held her firmly in place while he pain radiated through her sinuses, making her drop the straw and grab her head. “Ohhh gods, what the--you guys do this for fun? This is fun to you?” she moaned.

Kimi gave a breezy shrug, putting her mask back on and leaning back into the couch. She crossed her legs and kicked her foot absently. “It gets easier.”

Makoto slid K’tara’s ponytail over her shoulder while she was slumped over and clutching her face in pain, dragging his finger across the back of her neck just along the neckline of her undershirt. His lips were as warm as his hands when he pressed a kiss under her hair, breathing hot on her skin. “You are going to feel very good. Give it time.” His voice was quiet and not unkind, almost soothing.

She watched Kimi’s face while she waited for the pain to subside, a series of emotions flitting across her friend’s eyes over the mask while she watched them. It looked like she eventually settled on jealousy, but it was hard to tell, because over the next few seconds, Kimi’s limbal rings started to glow. More than usual, bright blue lights leaving motion trails through the darkness when Kimi stood up and walked over to Makoto, resolutely unbuckling his pants.

“What the fuck...?” K’tara whispered softly, her face twisted with confusion. She looked around, and the lanterns were glowing too. Gentle purples and blues leaving trails across the black sky as they rocked back and forth in the light breeze.

“There. You see?” Makoto laughed, untying his robe and letting it slide to the ground so Kimi could pull his dick into her mouth. Underneath was a network of tattoos that covered his entire back and upper arms--dragons, fish, trees, swords, all of them glowing with dazzling color and shifting as his muscles flexed.

K’tara was rooted to the spot, unable to look away. He was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen in her life. Powerful, decorated, well-connected, sexy. She didn’t want to fuck him--she wanted to be him.

Well... okay, she still wanted to fuck him, but suddenly she was a third wheel. His eyes fluttered closed to focus on thrusting up into Kimi’s mouth, one hand on the back of her head, and something about the intimacy of the moment made K’tara feel awkward about watching them. She peeled herself up from the floor and trundled over to the railing, leaning against it to look down at Kugane spreading across the beach below.

What was already a dizzying view before made K’tara have to clutch the banister now, Serendipity amplifying the glow of the city until it was an indecipherable mess of light noise. It almost hurt to look at.

The Ruby Sea glowed turquoise from the edge of the pier, fading to a dark purple at the horizon. Kugane itself was a mess of pink and white, with the pleasure district a notable strip of red down the center of the thickest part of the city. Spires of light rose all around her, the tallest buildings with glowing yellow from every open window, and still more paper lanterns dancing in the sea breeze.

K’tara was so enthralled by the view that she almost didn’t notice him approach her from behind, groping at her waistband. She shifted her stance, wordlessly letting him tug her pants down while Kimi got on her knees behind him. He was either too high to act like he didn’t want her tongue in his ass, or too focused on K’tara to care.

Makoto gripped her chin firmly and held it in place, keeping her senseless gaze locked on the city while he pushed himself between her legs. Each point of bright light got brighter and blurrier as he fucked her against the railing, the glowing auras widening in radius until a formless glow was all that K’tara could see.

#ffxivwrite2018 #mateus rp #IC post #k'tara tyatu #kimi qestir #this needs mad editing but i'm at the deadline so yolo #an ala mhigan catgirl in hingashi #makoto matsuoka

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cywscross · 6 years

Text

UraIchi Week 2018 Hype Post #2

Title: Not a clue.

Summary: No idea.

Tags: yay i got some this time- Dimension Travel, Log Horizon Fusion, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, possible Kisuke/Ichigo/alt!Kisuke lmfao idk how im going to swing that but also im srsly considering it

Snippet:

The Hogyoku hums, and when they speak again, their voice slices across the clearing in a snap of anger. //Be gone.//

And the sword in Ichigo’s chest abruptly shatters.

It clangs to the ground in two pieces and a dispersal of energy. Ichigo gasps, grabbing at his chest, only to find himself whole and unwounded. He almost turns to look behind him, if only to make sure he won’t get stabbed - figuratively and literally - in the back again, but the Hogyoku interjects, and this time, it’s only a hair shy of a command, //Your wish, Kurosaki Ichigo. Your heart’s desire, what your soul wants most. Name it, and we shall make it so.//

Ichigo’s breath catches. He wonders, distantly, if this was how Aizen felt, with the power to have anything he wanted in his hands. But Ichigo doesn’t- He doesn’t want to hurt anyone. And what he wants…

What he wants won’t hurt them, will it? Because what he wants, what he’s always wanted in some shape or form, is just-

People who care about me. Who won’t care whether he can fight a war for them or not. Who would be as loyal to him as he’s capable of being to anyone he considers his to protect.

(He lost a lot of things when Kurosaki Masaki died, but above all, it’s her unconditional love for him that he misses most. These days, everything came with strings attached.)

I wish-

Could he really do it?

I wish-

But… his sisters don’t need him anymore. He’s slowly come to accept that his father’s never truly loved him, never truly seen him as a son. And he has nobody else. So what does it matter if he-

I wish-

-not to start over, he thinks, because that will just put him right back where he was, and even now, however he might resent it, if Rukia and Renji and everyone else needed him, there’s no way he could just walk away. If he had the power to start over, he’d just end up here a second time.

So-

I wish, he thinks, sudden and fervent, I could leave. I wish I could go somewhere else, anywhere else, but somewhere I could just be me, somewhere new, a place where I can finally just… live.

//So be it,// The Hogyoku declares, and suddenly the rain is coming down hard again, and the wind is blowing even harder, almost buffeting him off his feet. But the Hogyoku glows, brighter and brighter, and feeling almost mesmerized, Ichigo takes a stumbling step forward and reaches for the stone.

//You wish it so,// The Hogyoku says even as they float downward until they’re resting in the palm of Ichigo’s outstretched hand, warm and alive and radiating power as their surroundings warp around them. //And so it shall be, Kurosaki Ichigo.//

Lightning flashes, thunder booms, and the world goes abruptly dark.

#Bleach #cywscross #UraIchi #UraIchi Week #UraIchi Week 2018 #Fanfiction

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byelart · 6 years

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abcs of death

hey whats good im reposting my abcs of death series from my old blog because i still have them lmao if you never saw the originals: it was a writing series where the challenge was to write a character death that began with each letter of the alphabet. i only got to H because i lost motivation, but ill be posting a-h foryou guys if you wanna read them.

warnings: blood, death

a/b/c/d/g/h

A is for Alien

“How long do you think it’ll be until we find aliens?”

Will’s quiet voice broke through the silence that had fallen over their campground. The sky was pitch black overhead, the distant horizon a faint blue. There was no moon, but the stars in the isolated country were brighter than any of them had ever seen, light pollution slowly diminishing in their minds as the milky way scattered herself across the sky. The night air was cold and crisp and there was a bed of newly fallen leaves underneath them, in all shades of yellows and browns and reds. The trees around them weren’t entirely bare, and the leaves they did have rustled softly in the dark.

“I dunno. I think we’d have to develop, um, our space-travelling technology first, you know?” Mike’s soft voice came a second later. Will could hear the sound of him shifting in his sleeping bag, the low swish of skin against nylon. Will nodded. He knew Mike couldn’t see it, but he was too tired to respond properly.

“Do you think aliens are really out there?” Lucas’ voice joined them, warm and gentle. He hadn’t moved, not that Will had heard, but his voice was closer than Will remembered. The smaller boy shifted, looking in the general direction Lucas’ voice came from.

“Space is so big, it’s hard to imagine we’re the only, like, living things hanging around here, though, isn’t it?” Mike’s voice came from Will’s right side. Aside from the debate, Will liked listening to the sounds of his friend’s voices in the dark, where he couldn’t see their faces and their voices seemed so much richer and brighter when that was all he had. Will felt a chill run through him, and he shifted closer to Lucas’ voice.

“That’s true. I think i just need, like, concrete proof to really believe in them though.” Lucas said, close enough to make Will jump. He could barely feel the warmth of his friend’s body, but it was enough for him. He’d been getting cold a lot recently, minus one part in his gut that always seemed warmer than the rest of him. He could feel it now, an odd hot spot in the center of his stomach, a warm little pit in the center of a peach. He didn’t mind it unless it was cold outside, because all the heat in his body seemed to soak into that one spot. A wash of goosebumps ran down his arms, and he shuddered. Mike and Lucas were still debating the existence of aliens on either side of him, their voices a soft murmur above the crickets and leaves making their own noise in the dark. Will squirmed slightly, and he felt Lucas’ arm brush against his shoulder.

“You okay, Will?” He asked, his fingers wrapping around Will’s shoulder, as if to ground him. Before Will could even speak, Lucas moved, touching more of his skin.

“Jesus! You’re freezing!” Will heard Lucas shift, and then a warm hand pressed against his cheek. Will giggled, pushing at Lucas’ arm.

“I’m fine, I get cold all the time-”

“Will, you’re not just cold, you feel dead. Are you- are you sure you’re not sick?” Lucas asked. Will could hear both Mike and Lucas shifting around him, and he frowned.

“Guys, you don’t have to worry about me, I’m fine. Just- get back to your debate.” Will flapped his wrist, but a moment later he felt Mike tentatively press a hand to his forehead. Frowning, Will smacked Mike’s arm off, sitting up.

“Seriously! Quit it! There’s nothing wrong with me!” He hissed, keeping his voice quiet so he wouldn’t wake Dustin. He could see the faint outlines of Mike and Lucas in front of him, his eyes beginning to adjust to the dark.

“Will, your skin is freezing. Maybe we should get Steve-”

“-Are you sure you’re feeling okay? You don’t feel cold at all?-”

“-he might be able to call Hop-”

“-We can get help if you’re sick-”

They spoke over each other, two conversations twining together in a way that made Will’s head hurt.

“Shut UP!!” Will shrieked, squirming in his sleeping bag. He heard Dustin stir across from them, but their three voices were still the only ones in the clearing.

“Will, you can’t just go on ignoring being sick-!” Mike started, but he was cut off as Will smacked at his chest.

“I’m fine, seriously! leave me alone. I can take care of myself.” Will croaked weakly. He was exhausted, and the burst of emotion had distributed the warmth around his body again. He felt a twinge in his stomach, guilt twisting his guts from yelling at Mike and Lucas, who were only trying to help him.

“I’m- I’m sorry, I’m just-”

“Tired of people freaking out over you?” Lucas offered. Will nodded, sighing. He wasn’t ungrateful for his friends and family, he was just tired of being treated like he was made of thin-spun glass, like any quick movement would shatter him.

“Okay, well, maybe we could- we should get some sleep. Who knows how- how late it is.” Mike said, and Will could hear him shift back to where he’d been sitting before. He felt a gentle, reassuring hand brush against his shoulder.

“Yeah. Maybe we should.” Lucas’ voice came a second later. Will curled up in a ball, laying back down and rolling a leaf stem between his fingers. There was the swish of nylon after a moment and suddenly there was warmth beside him, flooding through his body and warming up his fingertips. The warmth made his eyes droop, and he yawned.

“Goodnight, guys.” He whispered, just quiet enough he was the only one to hear, slowly letting himself fall asleep.

Will woke an hour later to a burning pinprick in the center of his abdomen. The outside felt like he was in the middle of a tundra, his fingertips frozen nearly solid despite the mild temperatures of fall. The ball of warmth in his abdomen was beyond scalding hot, and he could feel it moving. It thrashed violently, beginning to crawl up his throat. Choking, Will sat up, coughing up nothing but black spit. He felt the burning entity in his throat thrash again, and sharp pricks began to tear at his stomach. Wheezing, he pulled his shirt up just enough to see where the pain was coming from, fumbling around with hands he could barely feel. He could see the creature, wrapped in a tight coil. Occasionally, the indication of sharp claws or hooks of some kind pressed against his skin, followed by a sharp, burning pain in his abdomen. Shrieking, Will scrambled backwards out of his sleeping bag.

The creature in his abdomen thrashed again, and Will felt something tear. Hot blood started to drip down along his stomach. A scream was ripped from his throat as the creature continued to burrow out of him. His vision was flickering and his hearing was going in and out, but he thought he could see Mike, Dustin and Lucas moving around. He thought he felt something on his stomach, but he was so numb that he couldn’t feel anything except the burning hot creature continuing to push out of his body. A tiny, clawed arm shot from the injury. Will screamed, somehow able to feel the pain so viscerally despite the numbing iciness that had come over his entire body. He heard the other boys screaming, and he took in a shuddering breath, blinking the spots out of his eyes and forcing himself to look at the monster crawling from his insides.

He wasn’t sure what the thing was, but it looked a bit like a lizard crossed with a worm, with no defined head but clawed limbs. It’s body was soft and made of a slick, strong muscle that flexed as it dragged itself forwards. Keratin hooks shot out of its body in neat rows, blood and tissue caught in a few of them. The creature had no discernable mouth, but it had beady black eyes in pairs that ran down about three inches from the tip of its nose. It made an odd squealing sound, and Will hissed, his strength fading rapidly. He jerkily raised his hand and closed it around the creature’s soft body, his hands numb enough not to feel the hooks as they gouged circular holes in his skin. Blood beaded up and dripped down his hands as he tugged on the creature as hard as he could, screaming at the pain as its massively long, hooked body tore more and more flesh out of his stomach. He tugged despite the other boys screaming at him to stop, pulling the creature out all the way. He stared at it as it shrieked and writhed around, wrapping around his arm and slicing thin lines into the skin. He squeezed as hard as he could, his strength nearly gone. It’s body, similar to an earthworm, gave under his grip until it separated into two pieces.

Once the creature was ripped in two, Will sighed, dropping the head and dropping to his back. The numbness that had come over him was dulling the burning pain from the creature’s exit wound, but Will could feel his blood, hot and sticky, dripping down his sides in buckets. He heard the boys screaming above him, felt someone’s hands on his stomach and his collar and his face, but he was too tired to listen to them. His eyes fluttered closed, and he let his breathing slow to a stop. An icy numbness rolled through him one last time as his heart gave one final, weak pump.

#death /#abcs of death

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