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selenelavellan · 6 years

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Elder God Tattoos

(based loosely on this post and Feys and my tags on it.)

Dirthamen, Falon’din, Glory, Squish, and Vena are @feynites

Ana(mentioned) is @lycheemilkarts

TW for mentioned Abuse, Blood, and vague allusions to off-screen rape

Selene takes a deep breath, staring at the golden room number in front of her.

She's been in this buildings hallway for too long, she thinks. Security will be here soon, and then it's all over for her.

Her tattoos sting on her skin; Des's burns and tingles on her thigh, imbued with his magic to help her complete her task, while Dirthamen's is still tender and healing where he had placed it on her back.

Selene isn't sure what to expect on the other side of the apartment door.

Dirthamen had made vague mentions of mistreatment, of powers being taken and misused and onslaughts of verbal abuse. Some small part of her is still hoping she can just talk to the guy though. That she can just explain 'hey, you're doing a shitty job with your god, let's just get your tattoo removed and everything can go back to normal, and I won't have to kill you under the orders of my own god'.

Well.

Her first god, anyways. Guess she's 'high priestess'-ing for two now.

Like Des wasn't enough of a headache on his own.

They had warned her, before she left. Of tricks and violence and a thirst for blood that ran so deeply it had nearly corrupted Dirthamen. She knew that part, of course; had accepted the bond and the contract strictly to save him, to give him an anchor that hadn't conflicted so violently with his own so that he could survive the terrible things Falon'din was doing with his name, his power and his essence.

Selene had hoped, right up until she opened the door, that they were wrong. That Falon'din was the sort of man who could be reasoned with, could be spoken back down from his pedestal, could be convinced to come to a peaceful resolution.

But as the door clicks open beneath her touch, swinging open silently and revealing the goings on inside, she realizes the futility of her hopes.

She sees the golden hair, and the broken blue eyes, and the bloodied skin, and she knows.

She knows instantly, exactly what sort of a man Falon'din is.

“Who are-”

He never finishes the sentence.

Selenes own magics rise, elevated and escalated from her contract with Des as the power he had gifted to her courses through her veins and out through the palm of her hand, a blinding white fury of flames that engulfs him in an instant. She feels him pull at Dirthamen, tries to claw his way into his own contract-and it only requires a thought for her to sever it. To deem him unworthy of the bond, and to strip it from him. His mouth opens and his soul screams and for a moment she feels dangerously vindicated. Judgment and fury and the power to punish, the power to save, her power.

Her domain.

No more victims.

The light fades and the remaining ash falls to the ground.

Two blue eyes look up at her from beneath long golden locks. Silent and still and radiating fight or flight.

Selene sighs, and holds out a hand to help them stand.

“I...m sorry?” She tries, not very good at the consolation thing these days. “If you loved him or something. I know it can be a shock but-”

“I hated him.” They interrupt with a sureness that nearly startles her.

Well. That makes things easier, right?

“Cool,” Selene says with a slow nod. “Good. I guess uh...I guess I don't really need to worry about you like...reporting this, then? Like to cops, or templars, or anything like that?”

“And tell them what? An angel pulled me out of hell?” They snort, tears falling down the sides of their face that they don't seem to notice.

That’s shock, she thinks. Probably not a great sign.

“I'm not-Don't say that. That's not-I mean I definitely just killed a guy, please don't-don't say that.”

“He was a monster.”

“Yeah, that's what I heard,” Selene admits. “But like-probably murder isn't a great thing to idolize? Definitely a last resort.”

“Says the murderer.”

Selene winces. “I'm not-listen, I had strict orders from not one but two gods to do this, it's not my fault-You ever argued with a god? They don't have to stop for breath, ok? And there were two of them, I was double teamed, and then they distracted me with their-” She stops herself before she gets into any details about the previous nights events, clearing her throat and staring up at the ceiling for a moment.

She finally lets go of their hand.

“Do you have somewhere you can go?” She tries instead.

They stare out the window for a minute, before their face splits into a grin.

There's still blood on their teeth.

“Yeah,” They nearly laugh. “Yeah, I do.”

“Great,” Selene says with great relief; the last thing she needs right now is another house guest. “You should go there.”

“Where will you go?” They ask.

Selene blinks, pointing vaguely over her shoulder. “I was uh...I was just gonna go back home.”

“How can I find you again?”

Selene scrunches up her face, head shaking fervently “You shouldn't. Like you really-it'd be better if you just...didn't.”

“You saved my life.”

“That's a little dramatic...” Selene trails off, watching the blood trickle down the inside of their leg and trying to force herself to stay in the moment.

Don't go back there. Don't go back that way, back where they can't follow.

She runs her fingers through her hair, and curses under her breath while they continue staring at her in anticipation. There's a flyer for some local band sitting on the kitchen counter, and Selene scribbles her number on the back of it before holding it out for them.

They reach out, and she snags it back before they can grab it, holding their eye contact for a solid minute before finally warning.

“Don't need me. But if things get really bad...call this number.”

She lowers it back down, and lets them take the paper from her this time.

Selene gestures towards the door with her head. “You go out first. I'm going to do a little clean up in here.”

The elf holds her gaze for a moment before nodding and heading for the door. Their hand is still on the doorknob when they finally speak again.

“He deserved it, you know. He deserved worse.”

Selene bites down on her bottom lip, staring down at the pile of ash.

“Go.”

–

News of the apartment fire is playing on low volume over Selenes television while she drinks her coffee. The fire she had used to burn any lingering evidence didn't spread to the other apartments, and her wards had been generic enough they seem to be assuming they were placed there by the apartment managers.

Nothing to link her to it.

Nothing but some golden haired elf wandering somewhere with her number in their pocket.

“You did well,” Des purrs, appearing on the arm of her couch. His tail curls over her thigh, siphoning his lingering magics back into himself while he watches the news report play.

“Thanks,” She mutters quietly, still unnerved and uncomfortable from the scene she had walked in on earlier.

“I am sorry for the trouble it caused,” Dirthamen adds, appearing beside her to lean his head on her shoulder.

“It saved someone, so...it worked out. They seemed to agree it was for the best, anyways.”

“You let them go?” Des perks. “I thought you were all worried about being caught by templars and such. Someone who could identify you seems rather...messy.”

“It's fine,” Selene says without further explanation.

They know, anyways. They can pry through her memories at will, prod at her magics, tie her up in whatever matters they see fit. There's no secrets between them; there's no room for it. She's the only thing tethering them to this world right now, the only one left who believes in them.

The only one left who loves them.

But they love her in return, and she enjoys the knowledge and the lost stories, and the companionship they give to her so freely.

“We need a way to generate an income,” She muses aloud. “Something less obvious than 'local elven woman wins lottery for third time in three years'.”

“You certainly weren't complaining before,” Des mumbles.

Selene glances up at him and frowns. “What sort of skills do you have?”

“I am a God,” Des preens. “I have all of them.”

“Uh-huh,” Selene deadpans “What does the little squiggly red line under words on the computer mean when I'm typing?”

Des purses his lips. “It means mortals have a different definition of 'skill' than I do.”

“Uh-huh,” Selene repeats, taking a small sip of her drink.

Selene considers her options, leaning her head on top of Dirthamens. What could she do that would help? What could she do that would make a difference, could actually improve things?

She looks down at Dirthamen, and glances back up at Des.

“...Are there other gods like you that are looking for people to bond to?”

–

It takes the better part of six months to finally open the shop.

Elder God Tattoos.

Not exactly subtle, but...it works.

Mostly she just does regular tattoos; flowers, stars, dolphins. Non-enchantment work. Builds up her portfolio, and keeps an ear out for good people having bad times. She's very careful about her selections; tries her best to make sure the people match the gods, that they're compatible, that there's no risk of corruption on either side.

The first year she's open, she only does the one.

A young elven woman comes in, suffering from the loss of a recent close family member and hoping to bring some semblance of order and joy back to her life. Selene has Venavismi follow her for a week, to see if he would be interested.

“I like her,” Vena grins, twirling around her ceiling and bursting with bright blooms of flowers and fruits. “Little Banana-Ana.”

Selene gives the woman his tattoo, after explaining the situation.

She leaves out the part where 'sometimes you might have to kill somebody for him', in hopes that maybe she'll just be a little luckier than she was.

But it has been six months now, and they have adjusted to each other wonderfully.

Selene nearly breathes a sigh of relief, before a too familiar elf wanders into her shop.

“I heard they do good work here, and I was-” Squish, a nice young woman that Des favors is saying before the elf who had walked in beside her freezes.

Ah, shit.

“You're-”

“Welcome to Elder God Tattoos!” Selene interrupts before they can say anything. “Here for another browse through Squish? Or have you finally decided on a design?”

“Still browsing, though I think I've narrowed it down,” Squish grins. “I brought my signif Glory with me. Thought they'd get a kick out of the place, and I wanted their input. You don't mind, do you Selene?”

“Nope,” She lies, smiling right back and doing her best to pretend she isn't panicking internally. “Take your time.”

Squish plops down onto the plush waiting rooms couches and starts browsing through the thick binders of past work Selene has done, and Selene excuses herself to the back room.

And that's when she finally lets herself panic.

Dirthamen feels it first, popping into being in front of her, todays talons resting carefully on her shoulders.

“What is the matter?”

“The elf-the elf is here. The one who knows. The one who saw me.”

“...Lots of elves have seen you.”

“The one who saw me obliterate Falon'din,” Selene hisses. “Shit, shit, we should've moved before we did this, I'm such an idiot, shit-”

“It is alright,” Dirthamen assures her, pulling her into him as his arms and wings wrap around her. The feathers covering his chest should be uncomfortable, probably, but mostly they just smell like him and it's reassuring. Grounding. Keeps her in the moment.

“I've got this,” Des says, appearing in a solid form behind her and striding into the waiting room before she can escape Dirthamen's grip to stop him.

Selene struggles, but Dirthamen holds her tighter until she relents. Nothing is exploding and no one is yelling so that's...that's good, right? That's a good sign? Things aren't a total disaster in her shop right now, maybe?

Des comes back into the room a few minutes later, Squish and Glory in tow.

“They're cool,” He announces.

Selene lets out a loud groan.

“You're the one who killed Falon'din?” Squish asks, and Selene has to resist the urge to glare at Des or Glory, still bound up in Dirthamens arms as she squirms enough to be able to see them.

“I...that's a complicated question, really. Were you...friends?”

Squish snorts. “No.”

Selene nods silently.

It's awkward.

Des apparently explained the whole situation to them, which Selene could really have lived without.

But they start coming by more often after that.

Like friends might.

They bring in clients and potential clients, apparently running some sort of elven aid/vengeance program on their own that Selene figures she's better off not knowing the details about. She runs a strange business of her own, finding followers for Gods that are fading from existence. It makes her grateful for her own situation, in a strange way.

Grateful for that drunken night when she ended up with Des. Grateful that they found Dirthamen when they did, and grateful that he wanted to stick around.

And when she crawls into bed at night and feels them wrap around her, she finally feels calm. Happy.

They make the moments worth being present for.

#elder god tattoo au #dirthalene #selene lavellan #des #uhhh yeah i had an idea and i had to get it out #started daydreaming about glory eventually bringing their younger sibling uthvir by to hang #and glory is just like 'nah selenes cool its fine'#and selene is like 'its NOT fine this is exactly what i didnt want to have happen actually'#but she's always got food and starts keeping the magazines they read and has spare clothes and a safe place for them when they need it #now she's got her god boyfriends and her mortals-that-think-shes-a-murderer friends and everything is complicated #better #but complicated #mind the warnings

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rthstewart · 3 years

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More Narnia Spare Oom AUs

So I’ve like actually written a lot of this. But.... based on this lovely post by @athoughtfox and then @edmundjustking made the serious mistake of asking for me to elaborate and so I did , a little bit here . But... I have opinions about this, OK? And A LOT OF WORDS. REALLY A LOT OF WORDS.

Digory – Professor at Oxford, professor of philosophy and theology, renowned expert on the Oxford Franciscans, the Blessed Duns Scotus, and Gerard Manly Hopkins. Professor Kirke is trying to construct an elaborate theory of environmental stewardship and haecceity based upon his Narnia experience. An excellent theologian and a very bad Christian – he’s not been to church in over 30 years. Ace.

Polly – Amateur zoologist and naturalist --- “maiden” aunt HA! Always accompanied by a dog, a cat, an umbrella and a carpet bag. Drove an ambulance in France for the Red Cross in WW1 in France. Drives an MG. World traveler. Bisexual. Works at the Whipsnade Zoo and has a bad habit of always trying to curtsy in front of Peter.

Peter: Private, youngest member of Ox & Bucks 2d Battalion, D Company, Glider Corps (whose insignia is Bellerophon aboard Pegasus) and sees the first action on D-Day when his Horsa Glider crashes into the Caen Canal bridge (Normandy) (which becomes known as Pegasus Bridge). He’s wounded in hedgerow battles on the march to Paris, sent home to recover and (probably) never sees more action. (Unless he joins Captain America’s Howling Commandos and cleans up Hydra nests in former occupied Europe). Maybe ends up with T-Force, Ox & Bucks 1st Battalion, who are rounding up German scientists and high value targets and “persuading” them to come to England or America.

After he’s demobbed, he enrolls at Oxford and starts an affair with a married woman. He then drops out of Oxford as a dismal failure at the classics curriculum. He comes into some money and finally gets Aslan’s message and begins rebuilding a country for a 3rd time -- he ends up working in construction and literally becomes a rock on which England is rebuilt, as a carpenter and bricklayer. Ultimately he’s elected to Commons as the rep for Oxford-Cowley where his battles with Margaret Thatcher become legendary. Bisexual, married, two children, 6 grandchildren. Knighted in 1992.

Susan: Lying about her age and armed with forged identify papers, Susan begins running a spy through the British Embassy in Washington DC in the summer of 1942 to build support in the American Congress for the British war effort. She leaves school in 1943 and enters SOE training. She is deployed to Bénouville at a woman’s hospital to spy on the Nazi fortification of the Caen Canal which Peter’s Horsa glider crashed into on D-Day. Sometime thereafter, she is eventually able to return to England (and maybe hangs out with/has sex with Peggy Carter for a while in France on the road to Paris). Eventually, she is recruited to MI6/SIS with her partner from Washington and they eventually marry where they built networks of spies throughout the Balkans that are blown and murdered by the Cambridge 5. Her husband may die in Berlin in or around 1950 and/or she remarries. One daughter; one grandchild. COE Deaconess, international election observer, advocate for women’s pentathlon in the Olympics, always keeps wolfhounds and a really large handbag that she keeps a Little Joe crossbow in that she got during the War. Becomes Dame Commander in or around 1980.

Edmund: With forged papers, Edmund passes off as a British army private in Washington DC in 1943, becomes fluent in German and Russian, and is involved in espionage efforts in Greece and the Balkans that preceded Allied operations in the Mediterranean in 1943. He narrowly avoids a honey trap and seduction by a man with the aim of compromising him into becoming a Soviet agent – the Soviets are seeking information on the Venona project. After flirting with the SIS, he decides to not join his sister in espionage. He reads law at Oxford and works the Judges’ Trial at Nuremberg. He becomes a successful barrister and renowned human rights activist, with a particular focus on war crimes (with Lucy) and tirelessly advocates for the Chagoss Islands. Edmund refuses a knighthood for years because he wants Peter to get his first. He finally relents and becomes the Right Honourable Sir Edmund Pevensie but hates being called Sir. Sits on the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. Bisexual, married, three children, five grandchildren, married to a Holocaust survivor. Always keeps cats.

Lucy: Leaves school in 1943 with forged identity papers to begin agitating for Greek famine relief and more aggressive action to stop the Holocaust and allow more Jews into England. Joins the Red Cross. Eventually becomes involved in smuggling food to the Channel Islands which are under Nazi occupation. After the war, Lucy advocates for families of Chinese men in the Liverpool area after the Chinese merchant sailors are secretly kidnapped and forcibly repatriated back to China. She eventually goes back to school and becomes a doctor. She and Edmund are involved war crimes investigations all over the world. Through NGOs, she operates clinics and advocates for security of the whole person (income, education, home, political stability, healthcare) as universal human rights. Short listed for a Nobel Peace prize twice. Has arrest records in 5 countries for civil disobedience. Bisexual. Marries an American, has three children and four grandchildren.

Eustace: Becomes a world-renowned paleontologist, with a focus on trying to find fossil records that can explain the worldwide mythology of dragons. Discovers a species of flying lizard, Draco Scrubb. Marries Jill, two children.

Jill: A respected artist and cook. She sells art to sporting magazines her mother and father run in the U.S. and Caribbean and also to paleontological and naturalist publications. Also active with her family, in the cause of Jamaican independence and politics thereafter. She purchases a cottage on the Isle of Wright that has portals to a magical place with pink water and blue sand.

#The Chronicles of Narnia #narnia headcanon #everybody lives #narnia au

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writersrealmbts · 4 years

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Clearwater Springs: Part 1

Description: ot7 x reader, reader’s choice, fairy/supernatural/soulmate au. The choices you make influence the story! In this world, war-torn and ragged, you’ve been offered a home and a job working as a librarian. Will you meet your soulmates? Will you ever find the shelves behind the piles of books? Who knows.

Warnings: None

Posted: 08/29/2020

Tags: ot7 x reader, supernatural bts,

5,111 words

A/N: Once I was actually able to write, this came out really easily. I hope you guys enjoy it and don’t forget to do the pre-chapter 2 survey (link at the end of post)!

You stared up at the house in a bit of a daze, still untethered. Still vulnerable.

“Isn’t it magnificent?! A real masterpiece, this house.”

You glanced at your over-enthusiastic caseworker, then looked back up at the grand Victorian house, wondering if the inside matched the outside, and why such a grand house was way out in the middle of nowhere. Why its owner would offer to take in strays, misfits, and others in need of a new home after the recent war when they were obviously still doing well despite the near economic collapse.

Your caseworker was practically bouncing up to the house, making you dizzy as he jostled the itty-bitty fountain you were temporarily tied to.

But you’d been dealing with that for a month, and you were getting pretty good at walking a straight line while the world appeared to spin around you.

“Now, if you and he agree at the end of the day, you’ll be tethered to a natural spring and the creek it runs into nearby, and you’ll stay in one of the spare rooms and you’ll help him organize and keep his library, which he runs as a traditional library—when organized—for some of the locals.”

You didn’t bother responding since he didn’t seem to be looking for a response, instead heavily trodding up to the front door as he rang the doorbell.

“Also, to simulate what life will be like, I’ll be leaving you for the day once I set your fountain down in a safe spot.”

“You said,” You murmured, closing your eyes for a moment, feeling yourself swaying from side to side. As a xana, you were originally tethered to a fountain many miles away, but as the war reached that town, your fountain had been damaged and your original workplace—a large library where you specialized in the children’s section, reading to them and singing your songs—utterly demolished. Because the fountain wasn’t completely destroyed, you survived. An experimental spell and three weeks later and there you were, standing on the steps of the home of a human where you would be exchanging work for a place to sleep and food to eat. You didn’t even need that much food, about a meal a day was enough for you when your tethered place was healthy and strong and not being jerked around like a dog was playing tug-of-war with it.

The front door opened, revealing a man with pink hair. “Hello, you must be Y/n. We’ve been expecting you. Welcome to Clearwater Springs.”

“We?” You asked, glancing at your worker.

The human did as well. “You told her about the house’s haltija, right?”

You relaxed. “Oh. Just a haltija?”

“Well, he’s also half-brownie, but thankfully that only manifests in the occasional clumsy or destructive moment. He’s quite friendly, though, and very fond of the forest,” The human spoke quickly, as though afraid you would pass negative judgement on the haltija—creatures who were known for guarding and protecting—for having brownie blood—admittedly, creatures who could become troublesome when disrespected, but otherwise also keepers of the home and chore-doers for the kind.

“I’m sure he’s very kind and gentle,” You replied.

“Right. And you’re a xana?”

You nodded.

“And...I’m sorry, I’m not sure what exactly that is, other than the fact that you’re generally tied to some form of pure water, like fountains, springs, rivers, waterfalls….”

You nodded. “I’m originally from a fountain. Um...I’m not sure how to explain what I am.”

Your caseworker took that hint. “Oh! Right, well, they seem to always know virtuous hearts through some test or other—though no one ever seems to be able to pin down the test—um, they have enchanted songs that bring feelings of peace and love to the pure and could almost kill those who are impure. Um, let’s see, she has combs made of moonbeams and sunlight, respectively. Can’t completely care for babies, but once they can feed themselves she’s fine.”

You frowned, fighting yourself not to glare at him. Your species couldn’t produce milk, so in the old days—before there was formula—it was a sort of changeling situation. A Xanino would replace a human child. Terrible, but true. Nowadays, most xaninos were adopted by naiads or other nature or house spirits—because now it was scandalous to try and raise your own child as a xana.

“Oh, she has treasure, but who knows where she keeps that—”

“It’s enchanted, you’re not supposed to know where I keep it,” You muttered, even though he wasn’t paying any attention to you.

“And she can give you a drink that we call ‘Love water’. Couldn’t tell you why, and I’ve never seen her hand it out. Think that’s it. Here’s her fountain, I’ll be back at sundown.”

The human almost dropped the fountain that was shoved into his hands, and if he wasn’t so surprised you thought he might have yelled at your caseworker.

But the car peeled down the driveway again, kicking up dirt.

You stared after him, a little disconcerted. “Mages.”

“Um, well, we’ve been preparing for your arrival. We’ve gotten the basement bathroom renovated so that you can shower or bathe in the waters of your spring when you need, and your bedroom is ready for you. We thought you’d prefer to decorate it with your things...but looking back now I probably should have known you wouldn’t have many things. It’s a hard time for everyone,” The human rambled, rubbing his neck. “Oh, I’m Seokjin, by the way.”

“Oh, yes, I suppose your name would be important. I’d hate to be rude and just refer to you as ‘The Human” when you’re my boss.”

Seokjin looked startled at the title. “I’d rather think of it as a partnership. I’ve been told I shouldn’t live alone, and you needed a new home. Also, my library is out of control and I have no idea where to start—I mean, other than the new library building that we just finished. Don’t worry, it’s very close to your water source as well, but your spring is still highly protected.”

You just nodded, wondering why he didn’t stare like most humans did. You were beautiful—that was one of the key points of defining a xana: being extraordinarily beautiful. Xana’s were considered more beautiful than any other species—and only a few other species even tried to contend with it since yours was more rare, and therefore more worth the attention.

“Um, let’s get inside so I can set this down. We’ll make sure Namjoon steers completely clear of it.” Seokjin stepped back and leaned his head in a gesture that suggested welcoming you inside and to follow him.

He led the way through the entry, and then to the living room through the arch immediately to the right. He took the fountain and placed it on a table that was against the wall—out of the way of general traffic. “There. Now, Namjoon should be around somewhere. Probably the garden, he likes it out there. But for now let me show you the house, including where you’ll be staying and then we’ll go and talk about the library. There’s a lot of work that I want to do, Namjoon is heavily involved in that too. He likes books, but between us...we don’t really have the skills to put what we want into action—which is why we’re really excited that you’re here.” He started the tour.

“I’ll do my best to h-hell, what is this hell?” You said, looking at the mess. It looked somewhat like a library, except you couldn’t even see the shelves. It was just piles upon piles of books, newspapers, journals, magazines, and comic books with a thin path between it all.

Seokjin winced. “It is...mildly organized. We’ve been receiving donations. Don’t worry, there will be a bigger place, we mostly just need to pack all of this up and move it to the new facility in an...organized fashion.”

You pointed at the mix of magazines and books. “This is organized.”

“I did say somewhat, didn’t I? We had a large influx of books very suddenly. Things got very messy in the chaos of it all. I think they were sending us books from destroyed libraries.” He shrugged a bit. “Don’t worry. We’ll be helping at every turn and I’m bringing in extra workers from town as needed.”

You supposed that was supposed to be comforting, but you were staring at a nightmare of a situation. One toppling tower, and there was no navigating through.

“Hyung? Is that you?” The pile asked.

Then it was all falling over and someone was diving out while Seokjin pulled you against the wall and out of the way.

Seokjin sighed. “Namjoon. Our guest is here.”

The man with blue hair looked up, then back at his legs (which were trapped under many books), then back at you. He stared at you with big eyes, looking a little flustered.

You took a deep breath. “Well, that is exactly what we didn’t want to happen.”

“Yeah. Namjoon, didn’t we talk about not going in there?” Seokjin bent down and grabbed Namjoon under the arms and pulled him out from the pile, helping him to his feet.

“I just wanted the next book in my series.” Namjoon rubbed the back of his neck. “I was doing okay until then.”

Seokjin shook his head a bit. “Namjoonie, this is y/n. She’s the one that’s going to stay with us and help with the library?”

Namjoon was definitely already staring at you, and he looked a little flustered and red. “Hi.”

“She’s a xana. Y/n, this is Namjoon, the haltija of the house.”

“Uh, nice to meet you,” Namjoon said hurriedly.

“Nice to meet you, too,” You replied, trying for a smile, but you were pretty sure you just gave him a woozy look.

“Maybe you should lie down before we continue the house tour? He was jostling your fountain around quite a bit.” Seokjin frowned toward the front door.

Namjoon nodded. “He’s right. You need rest. I can tell.”

You shrugged. “Nah, the world is supposed to be constantly spinning.”

“Should I carry her? Should I carry you?” Seokjin asked, sounding and looking a little panicked.

You shrugged. “I’m fine. This has been my life for the past three months.”

Namjoon’s eyes widened.

Seokjin looked like he was going to have a meltdown.

“Unless you’re going to have a panic attack, in which case you may carry me if it will help you,” You said quickly, concerned with how quickly he was freaking out.

Namjoon glanced at the human, then nodded. “I think that might be the only way to stall him out. He’s not wearing his glasses.”

You shrugged again, uncertain what not having glasses had to do with anything, and waited while Namjoon muttered something to Seokjin.

A couple moments later, Seokjin came over, muttering something about being sorry, then he carefully scooped you up. “Sorry, your dress is a little slippery. Silk?”

You nodded. “Yeah. My clothes just sort of...appear as I need them? Usually made of silk, but sometimes there’s a velvet cloak when it’s colder. Some linen when it’s warmer. Always dresses.”

“Cool,” Namjoon said, following the two of you up the stairs.

“I suppose so,” You replied, doing your best not to look at Seokjin. He was handsome for a human. And you’d never seen a non-fairy pull off pink hair before today. He had a sort of gentleness to his face, a softness that could easily become cold and judgemental. If that even made sense.

But honestly, there were very few things that made sense since the war had begun some ten years ago.

“Why is your hair blue?” You asked the haltija, looking over Seokjin’s shoulder as you realized you had been looking at him despite specifically thinking you shouldn’t and only noticing because his ears had started turning a violent shade of red.

“Oh...uh...we’re not really sure. It just sort of...changes now and then. A few days ago I woke up and it was this color. Before that it had been brown.”

“Did you two paint any part of the house?”

“Well, not in the same time frame as my hair color changing. And definitely not this color. Jin-hyung has this crazy theory that it’s connected to my soulmate or something.”

“You have a soulmate?” You asked, surprised.

He nodded, rubbing his left shoulder-pectoral area, which meant either his mark was located there or he had some muscle pain from his dive for freedom in the great August book-slide. “Yeah. Or...well, I have multiple sections in my mark...so, I guess I’m part of a soul-group. Probably a platonic one given my species.”

“You never know what’s waiting around the riverbend,” You replied, thinking back to Grandma Loire’s wise words when you had been fretting about the war. Granted, at that time, her words had been very wrong, but you wouldn’t begrudge the dead for their mistakes.

But also thinking about your own soulmark and the multiple parts in it. You were certain it was just a coincidence, but it was still an interesting fact that you filed away.

“You sound like a naiad,” Namjoon snorted.

“A naiad told me that. She was very wrong at the time. Told me not to worry about the battle in Manhattan.”

“Ooh,” He winced. “Very wrong.”

Seokjin held onto you a little tighter. “Where did you live before this?”

“Rocamadour. Our library was new when I started working there. Before there were a couple but they were in some towns over.”

“Where is that?” Namjoon asked.

“It’s in the Alps,” Seokjin answered, then paused at the top of the stairs. “Get the door?”

The door swung open before Seokjin had finished asking.

You craned your head to look at Namjoon, suddenly concerned with your privacy.

He held up his hands. “I can open doors and windows, I can’t see through walls. I can also hear things, if you want me to. If you want me to hear, just knock or tap your foot three times and I’ll listen.”

You nodded slightly and relaxed again.

Seokjin carried you into the room, which was painted such a calm color. The bed was a queen-size, and it was soft when he lay you in the middle of it. The top blanket was velvet-y and so, so soft.

Namjoon gave you a smile when you let out a sound of appreciation.

Seokjin smiled at you. “Well, I’m going to find out whether he’s coming back to check in on you tonight or not while you rest, then we’ll go over other things and go to the spring. Feel free to go anywhere in the house, as long as it isn’t one of our bedrooms. Mine is on the first floor, Namjoon’s is across the hall. Food in the kitchen is up for grabs unless it’s in the meal-plan that I have on the fridge. Oh, that door there leads to your bathroom, the one next to it leads to your closet, and this third door leads to your sitting room or office or whatever you want to use it for. We’ll let you nap now.”

Namjoon dipped his head as Seokjin pushed and pulled him out of your bedroom door.

You stared at the closed door for a moment, then lay back. You were still so accustomed to sleeping on your fountain or in your fountain that this felt weird. But it felt weird in a heavenly sort of way. You slid up and then managed to slide under the covers, a little excited about the silk sheets. It was so nice.

So heavenly that you woke up feeling so refreshed that it had to be illegal. Sure, you still felt a little off (because the fountain you were temporarily tethered too wasn’t the greatest), but you felt much better than before.

You slid out of the sheets, enjoying the feel of the hardwood on your feet as you cautiously checked out your bathroom, closet, and sitting room (which only had an armchair and a small sofa). Once you had tested the seats (because you had to know which would be your favorite, it was the armchair), you ventured out into the hallway.

Namjoon’s door was open, but you didn’t hear anything in there, so you decided not to bother him.

Instead, you headed back the way you had been carried, looking around for more detail.

The structure of the house, the woodwork, the moulding, the baseboards and the stairway all had a distinctly Victorian style, and all were likely original to the house. But the design was more subtle, softer, and more contemporary in the coloring and the furniture. It was a nice sort of mix that gave the house an air of elegance that was refreshing. You’d been in some victorian-style homes before and they had been so overwhelmingly Victorian that it was like you were trapped in England in that time period and about to choke on a piece of jellied eel.

You avoided the pile of books spilling out of the library (but did notice that they’d been somewhat cleaned up), and checked out the living room again with the ulterior motive of checking on your current fountain.

The style was even more contemporary there, yet still paid a nice homage to the house. A monochrome color scheme, with pops of color in some of the throw pillows and delicate accents in the artwork.

Your fountain looked cleaner than ever and had a healthy amount of water in it for once, which you honestly felt boded well for you. There even seemed to be a new coating of pebbles at the bottom of the small basin.

You flinched as a cat hopped up onto the table next to the fountain and took a drink from it. It was young, a long-haired calico, so soft and pretty looking.

You let it sniff your hand, humming softly before you carefully picked it up. You snuggled it, happy when it seemed to revel in your attention, even seeking it when you started looking over the books that were seperated from the library and on the shelf beside the fireplace. There weren’t many, but you recognized one or two of the titles, and the taste there seemed to vary widely. You figured they were probably books from both of the boys, and left them as they were to go try and find the kitchen for a glass of water.

The office was nearby, but didn’t look like it got used as an office very often, but definitely seemed to have a gaming station in one corner.

You found the billiard’s room next, noting that there was a ping-pong table folded up in a corner. It seemed pretty abandoned, clean, but not nearly as used.

Then a smell permeated the air, drawing you back toward soft noise and even softer humming, murmured conversation and the sizzling of something cooking.

You peeked into the large kitchen, smiling when you saw Namjoon reading in one corner, and Seokjin cooking at the stove. Namjoon seemed to be explaining the book to Seokjin, quietly passionate about it.

Seokjin was smiling and humming, possibly more focused on what he was cooking, but still seeming to hear what Namjoon was saying.

“Smells good,” You said quietly, slipping completely into the room. Trying not to disturb the aura.

Seokjin turned and grinned at you. “Hey! You look like you feel better.”

You nodded. “That bed is heavenly. And thank you for cleaning the fountain.”

He shrugged. “It looked like it had been neglected for a while. Namjoon found some pebbles for it as well because he read that once they’ve been exposed to the tether it can make a transition easier, theoretically.”

Namjoon looked embarrassed, rubbing his neck. “I figured it couldn’t hurt to try it out.”

“That was very thoughtful,” You told him, smiling at him as well.

He was bright red after that.

Seokjin chuckled. “I’ll have dinner ready soon. Then I thought we could head down to the new library building, and then maybe go into town. There isn’t much, but I do need to pick up some things.”

You took the seat that Namjoon offered. “That sounds like a plan. Who’s the kitty?”

“Oh, that’s Parsley. She followed us home one day and has been here ever since.” Namjoon pet the cat carefully. “She’s a good mouser, so we just sort of created a pact that as long as she keeps us pest free, we’ll keep her pest-free.”

“She’s a cutie,” You said, pressing your cheek against the soft fur and enjoying the soothing vibrations of her purr. It was just one of the many things that made you feel so comfortable here. That and both men seemed relatively impervious to your enchanting beauty, which was refreshing. It gave you hope that this would work out. That you wouldn’t always be free-floating.

“She is. Do you know anything about this bird that practically forced it’s way into our house?” Seokjin asked, pointing toward the ceiling.

You leaned to the left to look at the little black and white fluff-ball. “Was wondering when he would show up. He’s been following me for a while. Don’t know why, but he seems to have formed an attachment. Whether he feels like conversing is a completely different matter.”

“Does he have a name?”

“Not that he’ll tell me.”

Namjoon started laughing.

Seokjin gave you an exasperated look. “What do you call him?”

“Fluffball, marshmallow, cotton swab, cotton ball, cotton candy, fairy floss—he really doesn’t like that one—squishy, fluffy, Caspar, and Leo.” You shrugged. “Like I said, he won’t tell me his name. Just what his name isn’t.”

“So, none of those are his name?”

“Well, fairy floss isn’t. I’ve gotten to the point where I think he’s just waiting for someone else to settle on a name for him—preferably one he likes.”

“And until then, he’s just going to come and go as he pleases?”

You shrugged again, holding it for a while.

Namjoon was still laughing, his smile revealing some adorable dimples.

“So...is he a magical bird?”

You looked up at your feathered friend, and resisted the urge to shrug once more. “Maybe?”

Seokjin huffed. “What does he eat?”

“Haven’t the foggiest. He always leaves to eat. Sometimes I’d see him eating bird-seed, but mostly he just flies off and comes back well-fed. I think he eats insects.”

“Great. He can deal with the mosquitos.” Seokjin spared the bird a glance, then dished up the food. “The store might have some insects we can get for him, just in case. You never know. They always have weird things.”

“Really?” You looked forlornly after the kitty as it leaped off and disappeared through another doorway. “Is it a magic shop?”

“Well….”

“We told you that Jin-hyung is the only human in town, didn’t we?” Namjoon asked, eyes widened slightly. “Everyone who lives in the area is magical to some extent, except for hyung.”

You shook your head, a little stunned. “No. No you did not tell me that.”

But man was that an idea to wrap your head around.

Seokjin shrugged, having plated up the food. “This is a pretty popular place for refugees. Sort of remote and accepting of different species. A nice place to make a fresh start.”

“But...you’re the only human. Doesn’t that get...I don’t know...lonely?”

He blinked at you, then shook his head and shrugged. “No? I have Namjoonie, and now you’re here too. And yeah, I’m outnumbered, but they’ve never held my species against me. I mean, that’s probably because I did sort of pay for the whole town, which isn’t much. But more people come each day, and some people move on to other places once they’ve gotten back onto their feet. It’s like an adventure, meet some new characters, help them on their journey, then return home to sleep in a big, soft, bed with a full belly.”

And maybe the look of genuine happiness on his face was just a little too alluring.

Maybe you were just desperate to belong somewhere, because when he included you...it was like the world lit up.

And no, you were not tearing up.

His hand covered yours, warmth spreading from his touch to the mark that was hidden under the sleeve of your dress as he smiled warmly at you. “I really do hope that this place becomes your home. Everyone deserves to have a home.”

And then he was moving away, maybe not even aware that he was one of your soulmates since he was human.

“Come on, let’s eat.”

Namjoon quickly complied with Seokjin’s words, but you were slower to follow, trying to figure out how all of this had come about.

“I heard that a new van full of people arrived yesterday, so I want to see if I can meet any of them. See if we still have enough housing for everyone. That might mean a couple people staying with us in the house if there isn’t enough housing. Is that okay?”

You nodded, just following their actions, but not taking as much food as they did. Mostly because you didn’t need much food to survive, but it smelled good. So good, and Seokjin did cook it himself.

“Alright, then it’s a plan. Eat, see the new library, go to the store, meet people, come home.” Seokjin nodded firmly at the end of the list, then seemed to remember something. “And talk to your mage-handler and see about tethering you to the spring. That’s probably more important. We can do the other things tomorrow if we have to, but the tethering should be done sooner rather than later. That is, if you want to be tethered to the spring. You wouldn’t necessarily have to live here your whole life, we could always get you your own home, it would just—”

“Living here is fine, and yes, I would like to be tethered to the spring,” You said quickly, noticing how his speech was deteriorating. “I just have one question.”

“Oh?” He looked so genuinely concerned, leaning forward in his seat.

“Namjoon said you wear glasses, so...have you actually seen me?”

Namjoon snickered.

Seokjin’s ears turned bright red. “Um. Yes. Yes I can see you. I have seen you. I’m seeing you. I, um, I put in my, um, contacts. I can see you quite clearly. Also, I could see you when I was closer. Just, not after a certain distance. And yes, we do plan on actively protecting you when we go out.”

You nodded. “Just curious.”

Namjoon paused after swallowing. “The mage is back.”

Seokjin sighed. “So, town tomorrow then. I’ll go let him in. I suppose this means I need to offer him dinner?”

“That would be the polite thing,” Namjoon said, gleefully.

Seokjin muttered as he left the room.

“He’s...unusual for a human,” You commented.

Namjoon nodded. “Yeah. He is. But he’s one of the best human’s I’ve ever met. We’re really glad you’re going to stay with us, Y/n. I hope you never regret your choice.”

“I hope so too.” But you didn’t think you would.

Namjoon turned toward the door, eyes narrowed slightly before rolling his eyes. “Can you help me cover the food? Apparently Mr. Mage is insisting on doing the tethering now if you agree to it.”

You rolled your eyes and got up to help him cover all three plates and the platters and bowls with tin foil to possibly retain some warmth. You highly doubted you’d be eating again that evening since tethering made you impossibly nauseous and sleepy. “I won’t be very coherent after the tethering.”

He nodded. “We’ll make sure you get back here and into bed safely, or into the tub downstairs.”

You nodded, then followed him out to where Seokjin was listening to your mage, looking strained.

“Ah, so, have you decided whether you wish to be tethered to the spring here or not?”

“I have decided to be tethered, yes.” Anything to not be in his careless hands anymore.

“Excellent! I’ll get the fountain!”

“How about I grab it, that way your hands are free to do the actual spell,” Jin quickly intervened. “Namjoon can lead the way back to the mouth of the spring.”

You breathed a sigh of relief as the mage agreed to it. At least Seokjin would be careful.

“Alright, then lets head to this spring! I’d love to be on the road before dark.”

Namjoon’s chin jutted out slightly.

Seokjin just gave a pained smile, nodding. “Yes. Driving after dark is a pain. Namjoon. Lead the way.”

And you weren’t about to tell on Namjoon when you saw one of the floorboards pop up to trip the mage, because you kind of felt somewhat vindicated.

The forest around the house was made up primarily of spruces, firs, pines, and hemlocks with birches, oaks, and red maples popping through here and there. The path that the four of you took (with a little fluffball following overhead and a calico furball following behind curiously) was discreet, yet also fairly well-worn. As though walked often, but also well-cared for.

It was quiet, with varying degrees of density—some areas providing a wide view of the rest of the forest, and other areas being so dense that you couldn’t see a foot past the nearest tree.

Namjoon followed the path for a while, then diverged into the forest down what appeared to be a game-trail, something not walked often.

Then you could sense the water. It’s purity, it’s cleanliness. Free and untethered.

The creek was beautiful, and all of you followed it to the head of the spring.

You grinned when you saw it, a thrill going through you. It was beautiful and so clean and lovely and it was going to be yours.

Seokjin set your fountain down so that the mage could prepare the spell, then came over to you. “You’re sure about this?”

You looked into his eyes, the eyes of one of your soulmates, and nodded. “I’ve never been more certain about anything in my life.”

The corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled, a little more carefree now.

You hoped you’d have the courage to talk about soulmates with him someday, but today you were going to have your soul ripped from a tiny fountain and sewn back into a spring. You only had so much courage.

And then the mage started the spell.

Survey Results used for this chapter:

Namjoon-Blue (haltija), Seokjin-Pink (human), You-Cyan (xana)

Silk, Book-Librarian, Creek-what your water source is attached to, House/Apartment/Mansion, Style-Victorian & Contemporary, view-boreal/boreal-mix forest, calico kitty, white bird with black wings,

Whoops-meet Seokjin first, Oh No-meet Namjoon second, LaLaLa-C (some friends, some strangers), Loyalty-Soulmate au, Black-War tore through and you're all in relief housing situation.

Pre-Chapter 2 Survey

Next.

Masterlist. ot7 Masterpost.

Taglist: @missmoxxiesworld @bryvada @i-dont-even-know-fck @knjhe @alex--awesome--22 @kerikaaria @killcomet @letsreadbts @taestannie

#fairy au #supernatural au #bts fic #bts ot7 #ot7 #bts #kim seokjin #kim namjoon #namjoon #seokjin #haltija!Namjoon #human!seokjin #xana!reader #soulmate!au #soulmate!bts #readers choice fic #clearwater springs fic #ot7 x reader #bts x reader

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dcforts · 4 years

Text

[lebanon]

ao3

Sometimes, when he is at the bunker and things are quiet, Castiel goes out and ventures in town.

Some days he just feels like stretching his legs, so he takes off before dawn. It’s a long walk to the town center and back in time to see everyone get up for the day, but he likes the solid asphalt of the road under his shoes, the smell of the trees all around, the chirping of the birds nestled on their branches. He likes the clear air of the morning, the cold first light of the day. He enjoys how the landscape is both empty and full, quiet and rich.

It’s always too early to interact to anyone; the town is still sleeping and whoever is already around is too groggy or too busy to give you anything more than a curt nod. Cas appreciates that. Although at this point he feels pretty comfortable on Earth, there are times when he still feels like a fish out of water, so he relishes these morning walks that don’t require too much effort.

On one of those mornings, Dean wakes up while he is still out, and Cas’ phone rings in his pocket as he walks. On the other end Dean gruffly says, Where are you? and Cas looks around and reads out loud the first sign he sees. He says, Gallery Bistrò and Dean says, And where is that? and Cas says Lebanon, Kansas and Dean says Oh and, after a moment, I thought you’d taken off. Cas smiles, looking at the freshly baked croissant displayed in the windows of the bistrò and says I’m on my way and Would you like a croissant?

Some days, when he has errands to run, Cas takes his pick-up.

He always passes by the front windows of the post office and when the place is empty and she is not busy, Marta catches his eyes through the blinds and waves at him to come inside. He doesn’t mind spending a few minutes chatting with her. She is kind and nods understandingly and never makes him feel like he’s speaking in tongues. She always asks after Dean at some point, she says How’s Dean? and He should come by more often, will you tell him that? and Cas always says He’s fine and Of course, he’s very busy with work but he’d love to come by. He likes the way she lights up at that and how - later, when he tells him - Dean snorts and brags about his charm.

But some other times when she talks about Dean she says He is such a gentleman and What a nice person and Cas nods and says He is and He is the best man I know and her face melts into a soft smile, she pats his hand and says I know, darling. Cas doesn’t know what she knows but he doesn’t ask. He doesn’t even tell Dean because he doesn’t know how to explain it. She shows him pictures of her grandson and he buys stamps with sea animals to give Jack as a present.

Then he stops at the liquor store. Jackson will have ready for him two or three cases of the usual beer. From the moment he sees him at the door he talks and talks about how happy he is that the Campbell brothers moved to town, because They know their stuff, he can tell, and he never had anyone like Dean with whom he could talk about booze for hours.

He motions to follow him out back and always insists on helping him carry the cases to his pick-up even if Cas says Thank you and There’s no need cause he can handle it of course, but Jackson is already grabbing one and cutting him off saying Believe me, give it a few years and you’ll feel it and You gotta be careful with your back so Cas lets him help and accepts the spare bottle of whatever new thing he has for Sam and Dean to try and promises him to tell the Campbells that they’re always welcome there.

When they are missing something from the bunker he stops at the mini mart. Fortunately, the young man he was rude to that one time doesn’t work there anymore. Stacy always greets him with a friendly Hello, unless it’s very early in the morning and she still has sleep fogging her eyes or late in the afternoon and she looks bored with her schoolbooks open on her lap.

The first few times, when he approaches her, she avoids his gaze, in a way that suggests that they both know the same secret, and it’s a truth that doesn’t exactly scare her but she would rather not know. Those first few times when he puts the basket on the counter, she says Everything alright? a little unsure, like she is asking about the shopping but also like she is worried that he is going to start talking about monsters. Cas says Yes and nothing else so as not to scare her.

One quiet afternoon though, she is clumsily trying to figure out how the brand new object scanner works and Cas sees her growing frustrated. She says I hate this thing under her breath. He extends one hand and says I can show you and, proudly, I’ve worked in a Gas n’ Sip. She doesn’t seem impressed by that, but lets him try and Cas teaches her. Now when she says Everything alright? she smiles and Cas says Yes and Thank you, Stacy.

If Max is perched on the counter next to her, flipping through a magazine, Stacy is even more relaxed. They exchange looks behind Cas’ back and Max watches him from under her eyelashes the whole time he wanders around in the shop. One time she sees him looking at the candy bars display for a long time and she heads over, points at one kind of chocolate bar and says Trust me. He buys three. He forgets them in the pocket of his coat and Dean eats them all one morning when they head out before he can have breakfast. After the first bite he turns towards Cas with his eyes wide and asks Where did you get these? And Cas says A friend recommended them.

As he drives by the small movie theater he makes sure to memorize the movies they are showing that week in case they decide to have a movie night out. One time they are giving an old movie whose title sounds familiar, so he stops the pick-up, fishes out his phone and sends Dean a picture of the posters, to which Dean texts back We’re going. Only, some case turns up later than night and they are gone all week and miss it.

When he comes back, Dean snoops in the bags he brings in, makes sure he got everything from Jackson, hears about his chats with Marta. Sometimes he jokes You’re gonna steal her from me, to which Cas responds earnestly, I don’t mean to, and Dean laughs and it echoes on the kitchen walls. And then Cas stops by Jack’s room and knocks lightly on the wooden door, usually ajar. As soon as Jack sees him slipping a hand in his coat’s pocket his face brightens. He stretches a hand out and Cas rests the stamp on his palm. It’s usually a little crumpled but Jack always smiles and says A sea lion! or A whale! or A shark! or A sea horse! and That’s so cool and Thank you Cas, like he just handed him a star. And Cas lingers a few moments by the door just to watch him place it in his little wooden box, together with the rest of his small collection.

Sometimes before going back to the bunker he visits the pizza place, where Max’s mum, Caitlin, works. He opens up Sam’s latest text message and lists off their order. During the weekend, a table far back in a corner is usually crowded with young familiar faces. He stands at the entrance waiting for his order to be ready, looking down at the checkered floor and twisting the receipt in his hands and he feels their eyes on him.

One time Eliot ventures to the counter to get a refill for his drink. He makes a poor attempt at covering the fact that he is watching him and Cas pretends not to notice to spare him the embarrassment, but Eliot surprises him, turns around and bravely asks You are Jack’s father right? Cas hesitates, then says, I am and Eliot smiles and nods enthusiastically, I figured, you look exactly the same. Cas is pleased to hear that. Eliot starts talking non-stop, about things he read and things he knows and asking about Jack without even giving him time to answer and Cas is only saved by Caitlin who hands him his pile of pizza boxes. Eliot follows him to the door and keeps it open for him and says Tell him to text me, okay? So we can hang out sometimes.

On the nights he gets pizza, he takes the boxes to the pick-up, places on the passenger seat and drives carefully back to the bunker. He parks, kills the engine, exits, gets to the passenger seat, takes out the pizza boxes and makes his way to the map room. Dean is usually there already, waiting, with an uncorked beer in one hand. He greets him widening his arms and saying Finally and Thank god I was starving before shouting for Sam to join them. Jack doesn’t need to be called, he comes stumbling immediately after Cas, drawn by the smell of food that fills the hallways.

Dean is on his second slice by the time Sam walks in and complains that Dean didn’t wait for him. Sometimes he comes in with a news or wants to talk about his latest research. And Dean rolls his eyes and points at the pizza, and with his mouth full says, Dude, pizza first, work later and Cas sits by Jack’s side and watches them and feels happy.

One time Dean drives to meet him in town and they sit at the pizza place and Caitlin stops by the table to get their orders and says It’s nice to have you here for once and Max and Stacy wave at them from the corner table and keep sneaking glances at them and whispering and Dean notices but doesn’t mention it, just fiddles with the menu longer than he usually does and keeps his elbows off the table where he’s sure he can’t touch Cas’.

He says, This is weird and Is this weird? and Cas says, It’s not each time until Dean relaxes and jokes and forgets about whatever was bothering him and when Caitlin comes by asking if they have room for dessert he cheerfully says, We’ll take two slices of pie for the road and nudges Cas with his elbow, now very much in contact with his.

Dean walks beside him down the empty streets, swinging the bag with the pies with one hand and touching the back of Cas’ hand with the other, once, twice. Then he grabs it. He says This is weird and Is this weird? and Cas says It’s not each time and Dean squeezes his hand. He says, Who could’ve known? and Cas says Marta knew and Dean laughs and says Yeah, you’re probably right.

They get to the cars and Dean follows him to his pick-up and Cas lets him push him against it and press his body against his. Cas slips his hands under Dean’s jacket to rest them on his hips, and kisses him slowly and the bag swings and drops from Dean’s fingers.

A long time passes before a distance sound startles them apart. Dean pulls back and says, We should get home. Cas watches him stumbling backwards, picking up his bag, smiling. He says Uh, right and I’ll see you at home and he waves awkwardly. Cas smiles and gets into his pick-up and as he drives right behind the Impala, the town, quiet and empty, rolls by outside his windows and he thinks, I like it here.

#deancas #deancas ficlet #destiel #destiel ficlet #deancas fanfic #2k #everyone in town loves them #as they should #the way i included dean in some way in every bit without even noticing #this is what it must feel like to live in cas' head #so i added a little extra at the end to seal it as a deancas #this work completely ignores what went down between jack and the guys in 14.16 #cause i want him to have friends #food cw #destiel fanfiction #deancas ficlets #my writing

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mortemersgf · 3 years

Text

serendipity

hot couture: hazel nguyen x f!mc (arden moore)

summary: months after paris fashion week, a chance encounter reignites arden’s feelings for her former boss.

warning: suggestive themes.

word count: 2.2k

@choicesficwriterscreations

a/n: happy valentine’s day :D

click here for part two

Arden strides into Cremona’s, bearing a polite smile as patrons cast discreet glances at her. She slides into her usual table, the one located in the snug corner by the windows. It gives her an excellent view of the whole restaurant, allowing her to pick out who’s a diner and who’s a paparazzi pretending to be a diner.

She peruses the extensive list of dishes Cremona’s has to offer, settling on an order of Cacio e Pepe and a glass of white wine and murmuring a quiet thanks to the waiter as he glides away to prepare her dinner.

Some months ago, her eyes would have bulged at the price of the pasta dish. Now, she only breathes out a quiet sigh, too worn out to be startled.

Arden started her own business after the events of Paris Fashion Week. Her success in the states led to the opening of another branch in Milan. Since then, she’s been spending time in this beautiful city, solely focused on the task of overseeing the whole process. Milan is stunning with its vibrant culture, but Arden is lonely without Luz or Marco by her side.

She feels especially lonely this evening being Valentine’s Day and all. When she takes a gander around the restaurant, she sees couples after couples. A table to her left is sharing a slice of cake waist giggling to themselves. Two tables down, a man watches with adoration as his lover nibbles on her dessert, affection practically oozing out of his lovestruck smile.

Arden exhales slowly and unpockets her phone, swiping through various social media sites to pass time. A small smile dimples her cheeks as she reads positive review after positive review regarding her new collection. Who needs love when you have public validation? … Okay, me, but still. Her designs are being featured on the front covers of a range of fashion magazines. So long was the starry eyed newbie who picked up modeling as a means to work at Hazel Boutique.

Hazel Boutique… That’s a name she hasn’t heard in a while. Arden sets down her phone, fixing her gaze towards the kitchen. She must really miss her former job because she swears she sees Hazel Nguyen seated in the far corner, unbothered and nursing a glass of red wine as the man sitting across from her stomps away.

It’s indeed her. She’s wearing a dark dress that hugs her soft curves at all the right places with a dangerously high slit that teases her leg. Arden always found her tantalizingly beautiful no matter what she wore, but under the dim lighting of Cremona’s where the yellow gleam casts an ethereal glow on her, she looks all the more bewitching.

Arden is moving before she can absorb the absurdity of the situation, a hopeful smile spreading across her face.

“Hazel,” she breathes in greeting, “Hi…”

Hazel Nguyen, just as alluring as Arden had remembered, looks genuinely surprised. Her dark eyes widen. Goosebumps appear on her arms, sending chills down her back, the good kind. The kind you get when you see someone who you’ve been longing to see for the better part of a year.

She sets the wine glass down, eyes moving up and down the length of Arden in careful scrutiny before her gaze finally settles upon her starstruck features. An amused smile blooms on her face.

“Arden,” Hazel finally says, “Hello.”

Arden looks to the empty seat, asking, “May I?”

“Please,” Hazel nods. “How have you been?”

Arden slips into the chair, clasping her hands on her lap to keep her leg from bouncing in elation. “I’ve been good. Haut Monde has been doing well, too.”

“I know. I’ve been following your work.”

“You have?”

“Are you going to tell me you haven’t been following mine?”

“... Touché,” Arden says, recalling the way her eyes widened when images of Hazel’s new designs emerged online. They were fashionably elegant to say the very least, but the real prize was the genuine smile on Hazel’s face in those photos. She was posed among a crowd of local designers in Majorca, completely in her element. It was more than delightful to see her fall in love with creating once again.

Arden glances at the plate of untouched food sitting in front of her and shifts her gaze to the nonchalant woman across the table, mustering a small smile, “So, was that a supplier? An exec? He looked pretty upset.”

“That was my sorry excuse for a date.”

A date. Arden brushes off the strained feeling that washes over her with a small smile, willing herself to not bristle. It’s not as if they were anything more than a flirtation no matter how badly she wanted to be more with Hazel.

“Oh, that’s—that’s good. It’s good to date,” she murmurs, biting back a grimace as those words leave her lips. ‘It’s good to date?’ Really?

“Not so much when he’s an egotistical imbecile,” Hazel says, noting the way Arden’s posture tenses.

She pauses, letting the moment hang for another second before a faint, mischievous smile spreads across her face, adding, “That was Darren, my production manager. I don’t go on dates with just anyone, and I much rather prefer your company anyway.”

A surge of confidence rushes through Arden at the remark. She relaxes into her seat, huffing out a small laugh of relief, “Is that your way of saying you missed me?”

Hazel hums lowly, eyes slightly narrowed as she considers her words. Finally, after a brief pause, she reaches for her wine glass, swirling the dark contents gently. “I did miss your enthusiasm,” she says, “What happened? You look drained.”

Arden fights to keep her composure intact. She wants to slump over the table, truth be told. Running a business is tiring. “I am drained,” she admits, “Been stuck in meetings all day.”

“That sounds all too familiar.”

“Yeah, you wouldn’t know a thing or two about running a fashion empire, would you? Any advice?”

“You have a team, don’t you? Utilize them, don’t pile everything on yourself”—Hazel pauses, noting the earnest look in Arden’s eyes—“Find the balance between leading and creating. Don’t get lost in the system, and don’t lose sight of what’s truly important to you.”

Arden nods, taking in her counsel with the utmost sincerity. “Thank you for that. I’ll remember it.”

As a waiter passes by, Hazel raises a hand, speaking coolly, “Another glass for my friend here, and clear this plate, please.”

“Oh, that’s…” Arden mumbles.

“Scared to share a meal with me?” Hazel questions.

“No, that’s not it,” Arden says. She bites her lip in thought, meeting Hazel's inquiring gaze. Something about her look coaxes Arden to straighten her spine, confidence filling her chest, spurring her on to speak her mind.

“I’m just still processing us, you know?” she says. “You said someday you could be convinced.”

An amused smile plays on Hazel’s face. She leans in and places her index finger below Arden’s chin, tipping the latter’s head upward. Arden swallows and pushes to keep her expression even, though her warming cheeks gives everything away. She catches the familiar scent of jasmine and vanilla wafting from Hazel being in such close proximity with the woman, and her heart drums with anticipation. It brings her back to Paris, back to the balcony.

“I did, didn’t I?” Hazel says, voice sultry.

Arden hasn’t got a clue as to what’s going on in Hazel’s mind. The woman is absolutely unreadable and she loves it, the mystery of it all, the unraveling of her thoughts. Right now, having her lips only a breath away, Arden doesn’t care to figure out Hazel’s intentions. Her legs feel weak. She’s sure she’d stumble if she were standing.

“Have you eaten, Arden?” Hazel asks, moving her hand to Arden’s cheek, grazing her face ever so lightly.

Arden’s face flushes with heat as she struggles to meet Hazel’s intense gaze. Her teasing touch leaves tingles in their wake, sending a thrilling chill down Arden’s spine. What is she suggesting?

“I—no, I didn’t eat yet,” she answers, “but I don’t feel like having dinner right now.”

“I don’t either. Come with me.” Hazel drops her hand, moving to stand. She places several hundred dollar bills on the table.

Arden follows suit and shoots an apologetic look at the waiter who’d just strolled out of the kitchen with her meal. He flashes her an understanding smile as if to say, It’s okay. I get it. It’s Hazel Nguyen.

They leave in a flurry with Arden tripping into the elevator. The ride down is silent, but there’s visible tension in the air. She waits with bated breath for Hazel to move, to push her up against the wall or even spare her a quick look, but the older woman looks straight ahead, face impassive.

Ping!

Arden follows Hazel out of the restaurant and into the darkening streets of Milan. The cold rushes at her like a swarm of bees, leaving her shivering. She wonders how Hazel is able withstand the chill having only a faux fur shawl wrapped around her shoulders.

“So,” Arden begins, “where are we going?”

“Eager, are we?” Hazel answers, striding down the streets of Milan as if it were a runway, elegance laced in every one of her steps.

“Just wondering is all…”

After walking for another block, Hazel halts. They’ve stopped in the middle of a bridge that overlooks the canal. Arden breathes out a sigh of wonder at the sight of glittering lights reflecting off the water.

The sun is setting, painting the sky in vibrant colors of pink, yellow, and violet. It’s unbridled, bold, and stunning. The colors blend together so well, it tempts Arden to create an outfit, a new line, just something, based off of this sunset. She had been trapped in meetings that always ran long since she landed in Milan, which never gave her the chance to appreciate the simpler things the city has to offer. This scene before her envelopes her in serenity, and she wants to share that feeling.

Arden is inspired, but her trusty sketchbook is currently sitting on her nightstand in her hotel room to her utter luck. She didn’t expect to see such a sight nor did she anticipate running into Hazel, who is observing her carefully.

The sunset reminds Hazel of dusk time in Majorca. Half of the time, she worked in her beach suite with the setting sun as the backdrop. The other half, she was thinking about Arden, checking up on her work via social media whenever she had spare time. Hazel was invested, itching to message her a congratulatory text after her new collection sold out. Is. She is invested in Arden, and being away from the young designer has helped her realize that. Arden Moore is truly something else. She’s not just anyone.

“This is beautiful...” Arden breathes, “I bet I can do something with this color scheme.” She whips out her phone, snapping a couple of photographs at different angles.

“You haven’t changed after all,” Hazel comments. Her eyes trace over Arden’s beaming features before flitting to the water. The faintest smile graces her lips.

“That’s a good thing, right?”

“It is.”

“Does that mean you still like me?”

“You are relentless, aren’t you?”

Arden pockets her phone, looking at Hazel with a playful smile. “You didn’t answer my question.”

Hazel trains her gaze ahead, studying the horizon as she speaks. “I said you couldn’t handle me once. You were inexperienced, new to the fashion world, to this life. That was nearly a year ago, and I see that you’ve grown exponentially as a designer and a businesswoman while retaining your authenticity. That’s certainly invaluable. I admire your passion and drive, Arden”—she finally turns, meeting Arden’s hopeful gaze—“I pushed away all thoughts of starting another relationship after my divorce, but I may have to reconsider that.”

Arden is flushing with her mouth slightly ajar at Hazel’s confession. To think Hazel Nguyen, her ultimate idol and former boss might actually want to pursue a relationship with her is something she didn’t see coming. It’s a delightful surprise to say the least, one that makes her heart soar with glee. She decides to play coy though, just to get back at her for the months of lack of contact.

“Hmph,” she murmurs, “You never did arrange a plane for me to visit you, you know. I could’ve helped you come to that conclusion sooner.”

“You would’ve been a distraction to the creative process,” Hazel simply says, “Being in Majorca, creating and refreshing my perspective, was what I needed to remind myself why I do this in the first place.”

“That makes sense,” Arden agrees. A crooked smile finds its way to her lips as she adds, “But you couldn’t have sent me a text? Maybe a letter?”

“I’m willing to make that up to you.”

“... How so?”

“You’ll find out soon enough...” Hazel says, leaning in so her breath fans over Arden’s ear, adding, “in my hotel room.”

Arden’s face splits into an incredulous grin. “Are you asking me to come home with you?”

“Depends,” Hazel answers easily, the hint of a teasing smile resting on her luscious lips, “Are you accepting my invitation?”

As if Arden needed to be asked twice.

#choices #playchoices #choices stories you play #choices fanfic #hazel nguyen #hazel x mc #choices hazel nguyen #hazel nguyen x mc #choices hot couture #hot couture #choices hc #choices fic writers creations #fics of the week #play choices fanfic #pixelberry #choices fanfiction

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harveywritings92 · 3 years

Text

Welcome home!: Hawks x Older! OC

Summary: Keigo (Hawks) age 23 pro-hero #2 and a model who can't cook for crap! so one night after patrol he's wandering back home with his convenience store dinner, and notices a lady, Tsukino Akibara age 27 occupation: Librarian; walking home by herself when he noticed a man was following her, he decided to intervene and walk her home, and as a thank you she makes him dinner, now Keigo can't seem to stay away, though a lot of people are wondering if it's the food or the pretty girl that's keeping him around.

Kino's quirk is called Push-pull: she can telepathically pull people or objects towards her or push them away, the drawback is that is she overuses her quirk can cause temporary blindness.

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

"Whoa! you seriously need to eat six bowls of rice for dinner?!" The brunette said gawking at Hawks who nodded downing his fourth helping of rice, he just got done telling the older woman the strict diet the commission had him on since childhood a healthy light breakfast, lunch was always his call, and end the day with a hardy dinner, they're starting to not really care what he eats so long as he does his job! Kino gawked at the winged hero in astonishment she knew Keigo ate lot... but six with every meal?

"How much food should I even cook with that much rice..." she muttered then looked at her tiny blue rice cooker that she's had for years. *The poor thing will never make it...* she mentally shuddered then snapped out of it when Keigo held his bowl out for another helping to go with his hamburger steaks, Kino complied and watched in awe as Keigo downed the half the steak in one bite. *He kind of reminds me of my old dog Poro...* she hummed having mini flash back of her late childhood pet... then was brought out of her reminiscing by the blond holding his bowl out to her. *Another?!* You smiled tightly and went to the kitchen while thinking back to how this all started...

[Tsukino was walking home late after a long day of work walking this late in the night would invoke fear and wariness over every movement creeping in the shadows... Kino however was numb to it all it had been three years since her ex husband left her... the empty silence and loneliness seemed to be her only companions... The brunette didn't even noticed the sleazy man eyeing her, from the bus stop she passed nor did she hear his footsteps coming up behind her...

She was almost in his grasp when a chipper voice called out. "Hey honey! Sorry for not meeting you at the station I fell asleep!" a blond man with red wings smiled sheepishly as he walked up to Kino who looked at the young man bemused, before his gold eyed glanced behind her and he frowned. "Who are you?" he asked briskly the brunette women turned to see her stalker gawking like a deer in the headlights, before putting his hand in his pockets and walking away with his head down. "You gotta be more careful being out this late, I saw him tailing you from the bus stop." Tsukino eyes widened as her hands gripped her bag.

"Thank you...I" she was cut off by the man's stomach growling he blushed putting he hand on his belly. "It was no problem I should probably grab some dinner now." you saw him walking away with bag convenience store bentos, and in a moment of pure impulsiveness Kino grabbed his arm."Say eating premade store food all the time isn't really good for you, um why don't you come over to my place? I'll make you something."

She wasn't expecting him to say yes, but next thing she knew was making him homemade onigiri which the blond man who introduced himself as Keigo ate in under 30 secs and was getting ready to leave when, Kino stopped him again. "Why don't you comeback whenever you feel hungry after I've grocery shopped of course." again you weren't expecting Keigo to say yes. "All right gimme your number." and with that an odd friendship began....]

That was nearly six weeks ago...

Kino was slack-jawed as she was watching the winged hero still in awe as he asked for another bowl of rice, only to find the cooker completely empty. "I'm outta rice!" she said eye twitching, Keigo said that was fine and continued eating the rest of his food, after his plates were clear; Kino still felt guilty for losing the battle to his monstrous appetite, so she cut up some apples and sprinkled them with some cinnamon sugar and brought them out to Keigo. "Hey, I know you're still hungry sooo..." she trailed off seeing Keigo slumped over her table with his head resting in his arms as his breaths came out steadily. "Huh...ya gotta be kidding me, he fell asleep?" she said surprised putting the bowl of apple slices on the table; Kino went to get a spare blanket and draped it over Keigo's shoulders the wing man didn't even twitch.

"Hero business must really take the wind out of you..." Kino hummed patting him on the head before going back to the kitchen to do the dishes as she was finishing up she heard Keigo wake up. " mm, *checks clock* Oh crap! it’s already this late!?" he sputtered quickly grabbing his goggles and jacket. "Well it looked like you were sleeping well, I didn't want to wake you." Kino said wiping her hands on her apron. "Oh by the way I left some apples..." Hawks cut mouth full. "Aw rlawredy tate em'! (I already ate them!)" he tossed the bowl her way which the brunette caught with her quirk she gawked at the empty bowl astounded and gently set it down on her counter and went to meet Keigo by the door and the winged hero turned to her.

"Thanks for meal Kino, I'll text if I can come again?"

"You don't have to ask my answer will always be the same."

With that Hawks took off for his night patrol, and Tsukino when to look through her mail pile for that electronic store catalog she saw earlier...

The next day the silver eyed brunette arrived to a large electronics store, intending on buying a brand new rice cooker, but first decided to have a little fun. testing out video games, playing on the display tablets and lounging in a massage chair for few minutes, Before finding her way to the small appliances aisle.

Kino felt a little overwhelmed by the different Rice cooker brands and tried to remember when she bought her old one and how much it cost, but then remembered she was a broke high schooler living on her own bought it at a yard sale, that was like eight years ago! and she didn't know how long previous owner had it for!

Eventually a clerk noticed her looking lost and decided to help her, unfortunately the clerk was obviously looking out for their quota and Kino found she'd gone a bit over budget with her new toy..."Looks like I'll be taking double shifts..." she mumbled to herself patting her new Rice-cooker while continuingly telling herself it was a very necessary purchase, and as it turned out it was able to meet all of Keigo's rice needs when he stopped by for dinner again that night!

a month later...

Kino was woken up by a text from Keigo. {Hey I'm pretty busy tonight, so I won't be able to come over sorry 😞] the short woman blinked as she re-read the text. {Okay! don't push yourself to hard! 😊] she sighed before rolling over to looked at the ceiling wondering what she'll do today... Keigo told her he's interested in western cooking and has never tried pulled pork before she was gonna make that tonight! even searched the internet for a slow cooker recipe that she'd been dying to try out! she puffed out her cheeks as she got up and her vacuumed her living room, then went to do the laundry...

{not noticing the little red feather following her around.}

"Hmm, maybe I should go visit auntie's grave." She said to herself it had been a while since she went to clean the headstone, she got on the phone with her friend Shun. "Yeah I was thinking of going this Tuesday… yeah I can meet you there, haven't been there since school!" she hung up and looking at the tv to see a KFC Commercial with Hawks flying around eating a bucket of chicken and her stomach growled. "It's lunch time!" She cheered deciding not to cook and got some cup noodles and peach juice, before sitting down to read something...

"I've already read this book." She huffed decided to go to the library (the feather from earlier snuck into her bag) and went to get a few new books and she spied a few magazines with Hawks on the cover, but decided it was too weird reading about someone that she cooks dinner for almost every night and left them alone...

On her way back the owner of the butcher shop she frequents called to her. "Say missy those Chicken legs you were asking about are on real cheap today!~" Kino smiled at him. "that's okay I'm fine today!" the man looked at her like she grew three heads. "Hey... ya better not be cheating on me with another meat vendor!" he joked the brunette giggled and waved him off.

"Tonight dinner will be whatever I want." she mumbled as made her way home as soon she got home Kino sat down to read a book on the rules soccer as her cousin's son had joined a club was curious. "Holy crap!...I never thought kicking a ball around would be so complicated!" she sputtered gawking at all the rules and regulations. "Urhg, all this sports jargon making my head spin, think I'll take a bath." she said getting up from the beanbag she was sitting in and going over the a pink drawer and pulling a purple bottle out of it.

"Shun gave these bath-bombs for a birthday gift, never really used them before." she said getting the bath ready as Kino was opening wrapping on the bath bomb, nearly choke on her spit when she saw it was Easter themed it was supposed to looked golden chicken but instead "hehe.. it-IT LOOKS JUST LIKE KEIGO! HAHA!" the feather that was chilling outside her bathroom bristled as she burst out laughing as she put it in the water. "Oh wait... I should've taken photo, dang!"

Now that she got a few minutes to think to herself quietly Kino didn't realize how lonely she was feeling. "Spending the whole day alone like this... feels long and tiring." she sighed then noticed her arms and belly were looking kind of gummy... "Jeez... A month of eating the same meals as Hawks and without excising I'm starting to get pudgy..." she huffed getting out of the bath, later when she was getting ready for bed Kino stayed up to do a word search puzzle when she heard something on her balcony... scared she looked around for a weapon as using her quirk would be a bad call in this situation, as she didn't want to accidentally kill someone; grabbing a random object she crept towards her balcony door.

The short woman swallowed hard as she opened the door only be greeted by Hawks sitting on her railing sipping a can of coffee. "Keigo?" Kino blinked bemused as the blond turned to look at her. "Oh hey you are awak...why are you holding a toaster for?" he asked brows scrunched up in confusion, the silver eyed brunette looked down at what she was holding, sure enough! in her frazzled she grabbed the toaster to defend herself with. "Uh.. I was just putting it away..." she said using her quirk to put it back on the counter, the wing hero hummed as the brunette cleared her throat.

"So what are you doing here?"

"I'm taking a break from mid-night patrol, figured I'd see if you were awake.."

"Oh, so you going back out?"

"In about five minutes, why?"

Hawks cocked a brow as Kino was quiet for a moment he frowned mentally preparing for her to try and kiss him or try and drag him to bed with her, (like all the other girls that just wanted to be friends...) instead he was confused when she told him to sit tight for a second, and disappeared in inside she came out couple minutes later. "Hold your hand out." she said Keigo complied and Kino grab his hand the blond felt shock go through him, and his wings fluffed up a little as the brunette woman gave him this a small bundle wrapped in a cloth. "A bento!" she chirped as Keigo's jaw dropped slightly he looked down at the bento then back at her stunned.

" I don't have anything warm other than onigiri though..." she said apologetically as Hawk kept looking at her wide-eyed then shook his head. "Urm, it's fine thank you...I gotta go." he muttered avoiding eye contact his ears were burning as he took off into the sky. "Goodnight Keigo! be safe!" Kino called after him before turning in for the night.

{Meanwhile the head of the commission received pictures of Hawks frequently visiting as certain brunette and did not take kindly to this one bit. and decided to put an end to to these little trysts at once. "I look forward to meeting you miss Akibara." she smirked confidently... Not realizing just who she was threatening.}

#boku no hero academia #boku no hero fic #keigo takami #hawks x oc #Keigo takami x oc #female oc

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sandflow · 4 years

Text

Sugimoto and Ogata’s rivalmance. PART III

Hello yet again.

Since more Golden Kamuy chapters have been piling up, and with them more Sugimoto and Ogata angst, I’m going to pinpoint what other new scenes popped up ever since chapter 200 happened.

Here’s Part I: http://daewonhoff.tumblr.com/post/182743868378/sugimoto-and-ogatas-rivalmance

And Part II: https://sandflow.tumblr.com/post/185315377728/sugimoto-and-ogatas-rivalmance-part-ii

Chapter 200: Sugimoto monologues the line “get well and come back to me, so I can kill you.” to Ogata.

I’ll come back to this scene because the volume version came out some time ago and Noda changed a small detail in the last page.

This is the magazine version of the page:

Notice that Sugimoto’s eyes look blank (which happen when a character is in danger, fights someone or is threatening someone).

This is the volume version of the page:

Notice that Sugimoto’s eyes don’t look blank anymore and are now full of life with a little spark added to them.

Because of this change, Sugimoto doesn’t seem as threatening as he is in the initial version of the chapter. You could say that his line now sounds as a “Get well soon you shit” rather than a threat.

Chapter 201: Sugimoto’s group tries to travel through Karafuto. They get ambushed by a sniper. Everyone thinks it’s Ogata.

Sugimoto is going straight to the sniper to kill him.

A very devoted man trying to chase after his supposed nemesis.

Chapter 202: Sugimoto is thinking about how he will kill Ogata.

And Sugimoto being shocked it wasn’t Ogata.

So, after terrorizing Vasily by chasing him around the building, he finally catches him.

Notice his blank stare in the last panel. He’s ready to kill.

And then he notices the Ogata drawing that was coming out of Vasily’s pocket.

He suddently stops attacking and his eyes seem to have a glimmer of light in them now.

Chapter 203: Sugimoto thinks Vasily is in cahoots with Ogata so he starts to interrogate him.

Sugimoto tries to ask him questions but there is a clear language barrier going on. He tries to explain that Ogata is the biggest baddie of them all.

So he starts drawing Ogata and how he escaped the hospital.

And as the image shows, we have a centaur Ogata with his dick out.

Sugimoto felt like he wanted to explain how he saved Ogata and also added that he did to save Asirpa from becoming a killer, followed by some suspension lines. What are the dots for Noda? HM? Did Sugimoto have any other reason so as to save Ogata?

And this is how the Ogata fanclub was born.

From these chapters it’s clear that Sugimoto considers Ogata a threat, and that also thinks of him as a bad person, yet he spared Vasily’s life (who shot Shiraishi in the leg) and indulged in drawing his version of the story.

After this fanclub encounter, the Sugimoto gang is now advancing further to Hokkaido.

Shiraishi questions why Vasily is following them. It’s then concluded that he is after Ogata. Sugimoto then says this line:

Which is interesting because, we are now hearing Sugimoto’s point of view about what Vasily thinks. How does Sugimoto know what he thinks? Is he projecting? Does Sugimoto think that maybe Ogata is after him until he kills him?

Hell if I know.

Moving on.

Asirpa then wonders if Ogata will come back to them, but is unsure why he would considering that he doesn’t give a damn about the gold.

And Sugimoto says he’s doing it for the yolo.

Sugimoto’s expression looks as if he really doesn’t know what Ogata is after.

tbh Sugimoto the whole fandom wonders what he wants so you’re not alone

And even if he doesn’t know what he’s after, he still has the imminent urge of thinking that Ogata is their enemy.

Chapter 222: Ogata came back in the plot and is now in Hijikata’s group again. He tells them what happened in Karafuto.

Of course, he’s lying to his teeth by not telling them he was the one who shot Wilk and Sugimoto.

But in the page where he says that Sugimoto was the one who killed Kiroranke because he teamed up with Tsurumi’s men, Noda changed the dialogue in the volume version. The line was translated by someone from one of the GK discord servers I’m part of.

This is the magazine version:

And this is the volume version.

He says that the one who killed Kiroranke were Tsurumi’s men and not Sugimoto.

Did Noda change the line because Ogata is intending for the Hijikata group to ally with Sugimoto’s group? It’s possible.

Did he change it so that it looks like Ogata feels no grudge towards Sugimoto, and tries to not picture him as the bad person in the whole ordeal? Also possible.

Chapter 228: Sugimoto gets lost in the forest and finds a bird that keeps him company.

He asks the bird if it would’ve been better if they left their spot ever since they ran out of food. The bird chirps and he starts scolding/threatening the bird saying “YOU LOVED THAT FOOD TOO” while making Ogata-styled eyes.

This chapter was was stupidly random and pointless, but what I can point out here (which might sound far-fetched) is that maybe this was a foreshadow to what Sugimoto feels about Ogata betraying their group.

But Sugimoto seems super nuts in this chapter so I can’t bet on that at all.

Chapter 236: Sugimoto is touched by Boutarou’s harem story and he now has his own flashback with his father.

His dad is dying of tuberculosis and apparently there’s this saying about black cats that cure tuberculosis.

So we have this black cat that comes out of nowhere to comfort Sugimoto for a few seconds and then leaves.

Who was the character who was always being portrayed as a cat?

(Noda liked Muro Saisei’s cat so he said why not)

In a way it’s funny if Sugimoto actually views Ogata as a black cat that gives luck considering what good deeds Ogata did to him.

Chapter 246: Sugimoto’s group meets up with HIjikata’s and they start battling eachother. Sugimoto gets immobilized by Ushiyama. And Kadokura says Ogata is nearby.

Sugimoto is shocked for a bit and wants to be sure that Ogata really is there.

I-is my supposed arch nemesis here?? R-really???

He then takes out a picture of Ogata from his pocket so that he can explain to Vasily that Ogata is nearby.

To which all I can ask is: Sugimoto why do you keep a picture of Ogata in your pocket constantly?

The logical explanation is that he can ask townsfolk about Ogata’s whereabouts. But...do we ever see Sugimoto asking anyone about Ogata’s whereabouts and thus using that picture? No.

Something similar happened with Tanigaki’s almost nude pictures too. He had at least 2 different pictures with Tanigaki in different sexy poses.

Moving on from this rather curious and shippy scene.

He then accuses Hijikata that it was his fault as to why he got separated from Asirpa, and thus Ogata being able to shoot him.

Really Sugimoto? Are you going to blame Hijikata that Ogata shot you?

do not defend you arch-nemesis like this

Chapter 247: Sugimoto’s group together with Hijikata’s are now united and as such they go and start drinking. But before that, Sugimoto needs to be sure that Ogata won’t come near them.

It’s curious that while reading these chapters, it looks like Sugimoto is constantly trying to protect Asirpa from Ogata, even though Ogata isn’t aiming for the gold, and was also unable to shoot Asirpa on the ice floe. Why is Sugimoto using Asirpa as an excuse to keep Ogata away from them so much?

And what I also noticed is that he uses Vasily to confront Ogata. Sure, Ogata is way too far away for Sugimoto to reach, so using another sniper against him might solve that problem. But hasn’t he noticed that Ogata had enough time to shoot them since they were way out in the open just now? With Vasily struggling to equip himself with a rifle and climbing somewhere up to look out for Ogata?

Seems to me like Sugimoto is trying to avoid confronting Ogata because that would mean killing him, and since he doesn’t know what Ogata’s true motives are, he might hesitate in doing so.

Chapter 250: Sugimoto being really careful so as to not move around open areas for Ogata to snipe them.

Asirpa then tells him that Ogata is still interested in the gold. And thus has no reason to kill her.

This page is the pinnacle of what Sugimoto thinks of Ogata.

He thinks of him as a lone wolf who wishes to screw up everyone’s chances in getting the gold, thus dissappointing everyone.

Which is funny to me because that is literally what Ueji does in chapter 257.

And with the whole “he is alone thing”, it’s interesting to note that Sugimoto is sort of in the same situation as Ogata. He was, in a way, a loner up until he met Asirpa. He has nowhere to go after the whole gold hunt.

Yes, he’ll go back to Umeko but she has remarried already with someone who is rich and so her eye problem will probably be solved by him. Besides, Sugimoto doesn’t seem like the type to marry a woman who has been married to his best friend.

It’s more likely that if Sugimoto gets his share of the gold and finishes his job with getting Umeko to fix her eyes, he will go back to being a loner in the woods.

And he can’t go back to his home village either, since the last time he went there, Umeko could’ve easily smelled the stench of slaughtered soldiers that was coming from Sugimoto’s direction. He feels like he doesn’t belong in that village.

Ogata doesn’t seem to have a home for himself either. Other than his grandparents.(who we don’t know if they still live).

And now it is time for me to go to sleep for the next 30-40 chapters.

#golden kamuy #ogata hyakunosuke #sugimoto saichi #ogata #sugimoto #sugio #Osugi

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missnxthingg · 4 years

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𝕗𝕝𝕒𝕨𝕝𝕖𝕤𝕤 • 𝕥𝕨𝕠

SUMMARY: It’s the first day of senior year. Harrison and Tom got everyone’s eyes on them, but Tom only has his eyes for a certain someone and she’s willing to get to know him better.

Based on my one-shot, Flawless.

PAIRING: Rich!Tom Holland x Rich!Reader (Best Friends to Lovers AU)

WORDS: 9.2K

WARNINGS: Swearing, mentions of sex, underage drinking.

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𝕥𝕨𝕠 • 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕕𝕠𝕟'𝕥 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕓𝕖 𝕝𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕝𝕪

“I can’t fucking believe it!” (Y/N) cursed and pressed her pillows on her ears, groaning in anger. “This is just disrespectful.”

It had been a long day for (Y/N) and the thing she craved doing the most during the whole day was having a chill and early night, but things started to go sideways from the moment she stepped into her apartment. It was the same old chaos, with all the people hired to work for your family running around the house and your mom smoking a cigarette and checking some emails in the living room. She didn’t give two fucks about how her daughter was feeling or even took a good look to see her face. She only mumbled ‘I got a date, so don’t wait up’ and disappeared hours later with a pretty red dress.

The whole night was hard, trying to take care of herself and staying hydrated. Also, it was one of the nights her mental health was getting the best of her. She was feeling lonely and weak, but that was just something that happened a lot and she was getting used to it, even though nobody should get used. She tried to wash it down with hot teas and solo movie night with scented candles and a bubble bath. While she emerged in hot water, she started to think about her life, it was completely shitty and there was nothing she could do about it. Her mother didn’t care about her and her father was never around when she needed it. Also, she didn’t have any true friends and that was what she hated the most because that meant that no one liked her enough to stick around.

And then she remembered the boy she met earlier today. Tom was different than anyone she had ever met and something about him made her want to know him better like she was supposed to know him somehow. The boy didn’t leave her mind during the whole night and it was funny how he just appeared and didn’t leave. There was nothing special about the way they met, he was just nice to her and it made her feel better. Maybe after today, she would have a friend. That was too good to be true, who would want her as a friend anyway?

When tiredness hit her body, she went to sleep or at least tried to, because half an hour later her mom and she could hear the loud giggles and the whisky bottle hitting the edge of the glass. (Y/N) already knew that it was going to be a long night, as usual. But things only started to get worse when her mom got to bed with the guy she was dating. The bed hitting the wall, loud moans and screams, it was like they were the only one in the house.

“Ugh, when I bring boys home, I try to be as quiet as possible. But no, she has to do the loud screaming. That’s not even a turn on.” (Y/N) mumbled to herself as she got up to circle her room as she thought of something to do, but what was she supposed to do? She knew that interfering wouldn’t work and she was too sick to go out and look for somewhere else to stay. So she decided to walk around the house, after all, her mom was too busy to care what she was doing right?

She drank at least three bags of chamomile tea that night, trying to calm down and maybe not shout at her mother once she woke up the next morning to go to class. Now she was even considering not sleeping at all because it would be much worse to sleep for such few hours. God knows at what time her mother stopped screaming and she finally got to sleep, the only thing she knows is that when the alarm clock rang, she was very tired and her head was exploding in headache.

“Ugh, fuck me.” She cursed under her breath and made her way to the bathroom to find some painkillers and take a shower. She might be looking like a fucking zombie, but sure as hell won’t give them the small chance to see that. Makeup helped a lot and she was an expert on making it look natural. She was almost done with her mascara when a knock on the door interrupted her.

“I need to borrow your new Prada heels for a meeting.” Her mother came into the room wearing a silky robe and holding a cigarette between her fingers.

“Good morning to you too, mother.” (Y/N) was clearly in a bad mood, as she always was, not a morning person. “Did you sleep well? Because I for sure didn’t.”

“What got into you?” Josephine searched through her closet for the heels.

“Uhm, I don’t know… Maybe only three hours of sleep on a school night with my lovely mother having the time of her life with God knows who.”

“His name is Garold and he’s a fine man. Be nice to him.” (Y/N) rolled her eyes and started to get dressed since her mother was taking forever to find those heels. She dressed in her common pencil plaid skirt, a white blouse with a bow neck, a black sweater and black oxfords. “Those schools uniforms are always horrible.”

“At least the school is flexible and I can wear it however I want.” She finished her hair in the mirror and took the heels out of the closet to make her mom go away. “I am going to be very clear with you, mom. I don’t ever want to go through this situation again because it’s embarrassing and gross. If it happens again, I’m moving in with dad.”

“Pft, please… You would never go live with your dad because he’s never home.”

“Try me.” (Y/N) threatened. “Now if you excuse me, I have to go to class.”

“What about breakfast? I was thinking about some croissants with you and Garold...” (Y/N)’s mouth fell agape as she gathered all of her things inside her purse and rushed outside the bedroom.

“Never in a million years.” She shouted before rushing downstairs to avoid talking to her mother. “I seriously need to be accepted in a university far away from her.”

Living close to the school was a privilege in New York due to its natural bad traffic. It didn’t take less than 15 minutes to get there, but it was long enough for (Y/N) to settle her breathing and calm down. It had been a long night, but it was her first day back in school and it was her senior year. Everything about it was supposed to be fun, right? And things would always remain the same, her getting there early to eat breakfast from the café across the street, sitting by her window table to read her latest book discover over waffles and a very hot latte. Of course, she had someone to make her breakfast back home, but morning routine was so agitated around her apartment that even on weekends she decides to go out and find herself some breakfast or brunch.

Everyone knew who she was, even the café's barista, who rushed to make her usual order as she walked into the room and mumbled a polite good morning at him. Joey, the barista, was an old fling of hers that nobody knew about, probably because nobody ever knew about who she dated or hooked up and because he was a Columbia kid, working at the café to pay for his bills. Joey was the kind of boy that wasn’t breathtaking, but his cute smile and his introverted side that enjoyed books, hanging out at the bar and having deep conversations was what attracted (Y/N) the most. He was one of the nicest guys she ever went out with, although it didn’t last long. Turns out that he only talked to her in the first place because he knew she had money and he was drowning in his college loan. But it was a nice relationship, one where they would read books to each other, have long conversations by the café window, she’d spend the whole weekend having a sex marathon in his flat. With time she got bored though, it wasn’t her type to be a homegirl. When they broke up he remained respectful, although he still flirts with her every morning as he serves her breakfast.

"Morning, (Y/N). It's been a while." Joey mumbled as he rested her latte in front of her, followed by a plate with a large waffle.

"It's been a while since I've last been to New York." She grinned as she put her hair back in a bun. "I was in Paris."

"I know. You're everywhere. In every magazine, every fashion adds on the internet." He chuckled as he poured the syrup on her waffles. "You look pretty today. A little different than I've ever seen you."

"Different how?"

"You're not wearing big fancy coats or too much makeup. And you look more mature. Flawless, as always." She knew Joey had a hard time after their breakup and maybe he still felt something for her, but he was only a good friend and that was it.

"Thank you."

"I have to go back, but have a nice say." He waved as he walked back to the balcony where customers were waiting.

"You too, Joey." She smiled sympathetically and drove her attention back to the food in front of her. Right now, she wasn't feeling so good to read her newest book. There were days that the only thing she wanted was to sit there by the soft rock music playing in the background, the sound of the coffee machine, the amazing smell in the air and the agitated New York morning routine outside their windows. It was better than having breakfast with her mother and her newest fling.

(...)

Tom woke up from a late night with his brothers and his best mate. After what happened at school, Harrison drove him home and stood over when Nikki invited him for dinner. Also, he knew that Tom needed support after the day he had and to discuss a little more about the girl keeping a smile on his face ever since he left the nursery. After a little confront in the car, Tom opened everything up to Harrison, like he always did, and spared no details. Haz couldn’t swear he never saw Tom so excited about a girl before and he instantly knew that there was something between them. But he didn’t mention it for the rest of the night, too busy with poker and the twins bad jokes being shot through the air. It was past midnight when Harrison left for his apartment and Tom got to bed.

The morning wasn’t generous at all with him and it was like a truck had hit him during the night. He would’ve done anything to just stay in bed, but it was the first day of senior year and he for sure wasn’t going to miss it, especially after the day he had yesterday, meeting a lot of nice people. He wanted to cause a good impression, as always, but there wasn’t much to do when you’re reduced to a uniform. He decided to go with social navy trousers, a white blouse with the collar popping out of a sweater and to finish, a tie, which was mandatory. He’d never used a school uniform before, but he had to admit he looked extremely hot on them.

“Morning mum, dad.” He kissed Nikki’s cheek when he made his way to the kitchen and she was making sure all of her boys were fed up before going out. He tapped his father’s shoulder and gently poured some tea in his cup to sit between Harry and Paddy.

“Morning Tommy. Are you feeling better?” He nodded sleepy and she smiled at him. “I guess poker with the boys helped you.”

“He just loves to lose to me.” Sam pocked his tongue out and all the brothers rolled their eyes. “You’re all just jealous because I won twice.”

“You cheated twice, Sam.” Harry said before attacking the eyes in front of him.

“Do you want something to eat Tom?” Nikki asked and he shook his head.

“Tea is fine mom, I’m not 100% better and I don’t feel like eating.”

“Okay, rush boys. Tom, you still have to pick Harrison at his apartment and I still have two schools to drop the twins and Paddy.” The boys nodded and rushed to finish their breakfast. “Dom, you sure you’ll be fine taking the subway to work?”

“Everybody uses the subway in New York. I’m sure I’ll be fine.” He kissed the top of her head. Dom and Nikki were a team, making it easier to raise four boys, even though there were moments that definitely weren’t easy. But when they look at their kids, they know they’ve made a good job. “Okay, I gotta go. Have a good first day, boys.”

“You too, dad.” They mumbled as they watched the old man walk away from the kitchen.

“Okay, bye. I have to rush.” Tom waved and they all said their goodbyes to the boy.

Being the only one with a car, Tom had to drive to the Upper West Side to pick his best friend, even though he lived right next to the school. Luckily, it didn’t take long until he got to Harrison’s apartment to find him leaned against the building’s walls in his pretty uniform. He dressed up differently than Tom, ditching the sweater and opting for a blazer instead.

“Morning, mate.” Harrison sat inside the car and Tom quickly started to drive again. “Feeling better?”

“A little. But I still can’t eat, too sick to do so.”

“Or are you nervous to meet the pretty girl? What was her name…”

“(Y/N). And no, that’s not because of that.” Liar. It was all he could think about ever since he woke up. Actually, it was the only thing he could think about ever since he left that nursery yesterday. How did that girl shake him up like that after one small conversation? “I’m not sure she’ll talk to me today. She doesn’t seem like the type of girl that likes to hang with lads that aren’t like her. We’re not extremely rich, or famous.”

“Come on, mate. You’re hot, she’s not stupid. At least I think you can hit that.”

“No, I don’t wanna hit that. This one is different.” He sheepishly smiled as he remembered her from yesterday, sitting next to him and keeping her voice soft and low, just for him to hear it.

“You like her.” Harrison smirked and Tom sighed loudly.

“I don’t. She’s just… a friend. Yeah, I think maybe less. She’s pretty, but I don’t think I want to hit that.” He tried to avoid that subject, but Harrison wanted to know more about the girl that made Tom’s eyes shine for the first time in his life. “Because she’s the first girl that made me feel different and I don’t wanna ruin that.”

“Just… be careful mate. She might be nice, but don't forget that she’s a spoiled kid like everyone else in those schools.”

“I’ll be, promise you.” Tom found a parking lot next to school and left his car there.

His new school was cool, but the people were a little… different. They were rich kids, raised as one, so it didn't match either Tom's or Harrison’s personality that much since they couldn't stand those type of people, being raised to use their money wisely and never feel like they’re better than someone because of what they materially have. Still, some people were nice enough to talk to them on the first day. Others looked at them up and down with disdain and arrogance.

Parties were already being planned. The Welcoming Party hosted by Noel Kaim in his big Long Island summer house and there were whispers all around the school that this one was going to be epic since it was Noel's senior year. Everyone in school was always invited, but only a few selected people showed up. Of course, (Y/N) was the most expected to be there since she never misses a party, especially when it’s hosted by Noel.

"I don't know if I'm doing Noel's party this year. Not in the mood." (Y/N) commented when she met up with her friends after a good breakfast. They were all reunited at the restroom getting some final touches in their makeups.

"Come on, (Y/N). Noel is like… your guy. Aren't you gonna show up at his party and claim for what's yours?" Courtney said as she applied some lipgloss in the mirror.

"First of all, he's not my guy. We make out sometimes, and I take him to red carpets and events with me. But that's because I can't show empty-handed." (Y/N) started to braid Stacy's hair as she asked earlier. "Also, I'm getting tired of him."

"Why?" Stacy frowned and (Y/N) shrugged.

"Too clingy." They all laughed together. "S, you should go after him at that party. I know you always flirt, so maybe this should be the best opportunity."

"Won't you be mad about that?"

"No, I swear."

(Y/N) always tried to be sweet with her friends and they normally were sweet back, especially Courtney who is the sweetest girl in the world. But sometimes Stacy seems like she just wants to be (Y/N) and she was tired of it, maybe her hooking up with Noel will get her to stop.

"And Court, you know basketball's team Lamar, right? He seems like your type, you should go for him."

"What? No, no, no. Lamar is way over my league." Courtney chuckled nervously as she changed her lipgloss for mascara.

"Are you kidding me? You're amazing, he would be lucky to be with you."

"It's not like I'm you, (Y/N)." She said in a low tone and before (Y/N) could question it, the bell rang and they had to rush to class.

Classes were just like any other day. It was the first day of the school year and still, things didn't change at all for those who were used to the school. Tom and Harrison had a hard time to pick up everyone's pace, but soon they realised that it wasn't so different from their school back in London. Still, being new in school is always hard and everyone needs some time to adapt.

"So what are you thinking about?" Harrison asked Tom when they sat down to eat lunch together.

"Everything's so different, right?" He grinned and shrugged. "I'm kind of terrified."

"Why would you even be terrified?"

"Everyone around here seems to be working hard to become someone. Great college education and a proper major. I just want to be an actor."

"And aren't you working hard to become it?" Harrison arched his eyebrows and Tom shrugged. "Tom, you're not inferior just because you don't want to go to an Ivy League university and become a lawyer."

"Well, maybe I am."

"Well, if you say so, then so am I. Did you forget that I'm also trying to be an actor?" Tom didn't know what else to say and just concentrated on his sandwich.

"I'm sorry mate."

"It's okay. If you ever wanna talk about this, I'm your guy." Harrison gave him two taps in the back and went back to his food. "Oh, what about that (Y/N) chick?"

What about her? Well, at this exact moment she was sitting in her usual spot by the stairs in front of the school, eating with her friends while they commented on people's dressing. That's something they normally do when they're bored and didn't have much to talk to each other. It always worked to fill the blanks and they didn't need to talk about something deeper or anything else.

"Noel looks good today." Stacy commented and Courtney nodded.

"He looks the same as every day." (Y/N) siped her lemonade as they all observed Noel passing balls with his friends and laughing a lot.

"His hair looks different." Courtney commented and (Y/N) frowned.

"No, it doesn't."

"Not Noel's. Lamar's. He got a buzzcut." She pointed to the boy standing next to Noel, passing a hand on his shaved head.

"It looks ridiculous." Stacy said with a laugh.

"I like it." (Y/N) said and Courtney agreed with a nod. "It gave him a mature look."

"He looks so pretty, doesn't he?" Courtney had full heart eyes when she was looking at the boy, and (Y/N) liked her, so that's why she shouted next.

"Hey, Lamar. C'mere." She signed to the boy as he looked their way. He pointed to his chest and she nodded. Courtney looked like she was about to burst into flames as he approached.

"Hey, (Y/N)." He sat down with them and sent a smile on Courtney's way. This was too easy.

"Hey Lamar, you remember my friends." (Y/N) pointed to the girls and they waved shyly.

"Courtney, right?" He pointed and she nodded with a blush. "And… Stella?"

"It's Stacy." She groaned and started to gather her things.

"Oh, I'm sorry." He apologized and she shrugged.

"Yeah, it doesn't matter anyway. I have to make a call." Stacy walked away as everyone frowned at her attitude.

"So, are you guys coming to Noel's party?" Lamar asked.

"Sorry, I only go to Long Island on vacations." (Y/N) said putting on some sunglasses. "Plus, I have a thing. But Courtney's going."

"Really?" He opened a little smile for her and she nodded with a shy smile. "Cool."

"I have to go, but I'm sure you're gonna take good care of Court, right?" (Y/N) rested a hand on his shoulder and he nodded, looking at Courtney.

"Yeah, of course." He had a playful cheeky smile on his face.

"Are you going to be okay, baby?"

"Yeah. Lamar can keep me company." Courtney pointed at him and that was all (Y/N) needed to hear before stepping up and walking away.

She took the time alone to sit on a bench and read her book since she wasn't in the mood earlier that morning, but after a whole day of boring classes, she was dying to get a little time to just be alone and relax over those thousands of words while eating peaches as she loved to do. But her quiet moment of peace was disturbed by someone sitting next to her and passing an arm behind her back. She knew who's touch it was by now.

"Noel, I need some time alone."

"Hey baby, why are you avoiding me?" He removed a hair from her ear and she rolled her eyes.

"First of all, I didn't give you permission to touch me." She removed his arm from her shoulders and sat away from him. "Second, I'm avoiding you because you're annoying."

"You never called last night."

"I got food poisoning. And thank you for asking if I'm good."

"I didn't know that you were sick."

"Yes, you did. You have a Twitter, everyone in school was commenting about it." She crossed her arms and they remained in silence.

"I missed you when you were gone."

"Yet you didn't call me once." She avoided his gaze, which she knew was locked on her. "You were probably too busy getting wasted in Rio."

"It was Fernando de Noronha."

"I don't even know what that means." She shot up and started to walk away, but Noel followed her. "Stop following me."

"Are you coming to my party?" He asked and she ignored. "Come on, baby, talk to me." He reached for her wrist and pulled her back to him, making her wince in pain.

"Noel, let me go. You're hurting me."

"You can't avoid me forever." His voice sounded harsh and commanding. (Y/N) was trying to remain though with a tight grip on her wrist.

"She asked you to let her go, mate." They heard a voice from behind them and they looked its way. (Y/N) smiled when she saw Tom standing there, eyebrows furrowed and folded arms.

"Hey new guy, you shouldn't get your nose where you were not invited."

"Yeah, I don’t care. I’m not letting you do anything to her."

"Let me fucking go, Noel." She forced her wrist out of his hand and after a lot of debating, he let her go.

"Our talk isn't over." He pointed out before walking back to his friends.

"Don't fucking talk to me." She massaged her wrist and walked Tom's way. He still looking at Noel with an angry face, making sure he walked far away from her. He slipped his hand on her back and pulled her away from the guy, walking towards Harrison waiting in the back.

"You okay?" Tom asked and she shook her head no. "Should we go to the nursery again?"

"No, I'm fine." You didn't dare to look up to him or you would cry again and you were sick of crying in front of Tom. "Noel's an idiot."

"Is he always like this?"

"To me? No. This is new." She shot an angry look at him, now back to playing with his friends. "We used to date. Well, nothing serious though. But he never was aggressive with me before."

"I’m gonna keep an eye on him, okay?" Tom looked angry and full of concern as he analysed her wrist carefully, holding it like it was made of glass. "Come on, let's sit with me and Haz. We'll keep you away from that idiot."

Tom and Harrison were getting out for some air when they spotted (Y/N) fighting to get away from a boy who had a strong grip on her wrist. Tom immediately interfered and got her safely with him and Harrison on another bench.

"Hey, you alright?" Harrison asked her and she nodded.

"Yeah, I guess so." She sighed and fixed her hair. "Sorry, uhm… I'm (Y/N) (Y/L/N)."

"I'm Harrison Osterfield. And it's nice to meet you."

"I met both of you in the worst situation." They laughed together and Harrison sat aside, patting the space next to him so she could sit down. “I’m so sorry, I’m not usually this messed up, I promised.”

“It’s okay. We all have some bad times and it’s not your fault.”

“Especially this one.” Tom still looked angry and was having a hard time to calm down. He was still facing Tom with a red face, crossed arms and eyebrows furrowed. Harrison shot a glance at his friend to make him calm down a little. Tom rolled his eyes and sat next to (Y/N).

“Is that the Noel everyone in school is talking about today?” Harrison asked and (Y/N) nodded. “They are all saying his parties are epic.”

“I’ve been to better ones.” She said. “Noel is one hell of a popular guy and everyone thinks he’s nice and powerful, but he’s so dirty. Ugh, I want to punch him sometimes.”

“Do you know him very well?”

“Better than anyone else in this school. But no one truly knows him, it’s frustrating. You have no idea what he’s capable of. I just thought I was the limit.”

“Well, I guess we all just saw what he can do.” Tom said and Harrison nodded.

“But it’s okay. We’re gonna take care of you.” She smiled at the boys. She didn’t know them very well, but something was telling her that they were very trustable and she could be comfortable around them.

“Thank you so much.”

“Yeah, anytime.” Tom softly smiled at her, making her heart warmer.

“I know we met at the worst time possible. But I would like to hang out with you sometime.”

“That would be great.”

“Do you guys drink?”

“Yes.” They answered in unison, making her laugh. “You wanna make us happy? Get us a pint.”

“I know the perfect place to go to. Maybe Friday night?”

“Oh, it’s my mom’s birthday and we’re going out for dinner. But you two should go and have fun together.”

It was a complicated matter for both of them. They’ve never gone out with another person alone if it wasn’t for a date. Tom didn’t even remember the last time he even befriended a girl without second intentions and he knew that Harrison was trying to get him alone with (Y/N) after long hours hearing him saying that Tom was in love with this girl. And it’s been a while since (Y/N)’s last relationship, but even when she was in France she used those fancy restaurants for quick late-night dates ending up back in her hotel room at the end. What it was like to sit in front of each other with two drinks and just talk without any second intentions?

“I would love to.” Tom said first, trying to take a leap of faith and being confident about going out with her.

“I guess it’s a date.”

(...)

(YN) never invited someone on a date before. She was usually asked on them by other boys. But when she was standing right there in front of Tom, something just made her say that it was alright to go out with him and that’s why she was going through her closet to find a good outfit for her date. Well, it wasn’t exactly a date, was it? Everything just made you so confused. Not knowing what it was made her question about what to choose for wearing, and she nearly emptied her wardrobe to find something nice, which considering its size, was not an easy job.

“What’s wrong with you?” Her mother asked as she came into her daughter’s closet, finding almost half of her closet on the floor.

“I can’t find anything nice to wear.” (Y/N) sighed as she sat down in the chair place right in the centre of a sea of clothes.

“Oh for fuck’s sake. You act as if I’m not your mother.” Josie stepped into the closet and started to look for something fresh.

“Well, we’re not exactly on speaking terms.”

“And that’s on you, sweetie. You’re the one not talking to me.” She went through many skirts that were already on the floor, throwing some of them back when she wasn't satisfied.

“You had crazy monkey sex with some guy and kept me up all night.”

“You’re mad because of that?” Josie did an ugly face looking back to her daughter and (Y/N) rolled her eyes.

“What did you think I was mad for?” She frowned and her mother shrugged.

“About the event the other day. And well, in that case, I should be mad at your for running away and for the day that followed that one. You got yourself inside that hole Noel Kaim calls his bedroom and didn’t come back for two days.”

“You’re friends with his mother.”

“Cornelia is a lovely woman. Can’t say the same about the boys in her family.” Josie threw a leathery black skirt over her daughter and kept searching to match for the uppers. “Well, that woman is wearing the horns of a cuckold, and they’re probably Prada’s.”

“You’re one of the women George Kaim had an affair with.”

“Yeah, and I regret it deeply because that man doesn’t know how to make a lady cum. I wouldn’t be surprised if his wife is also having an affair.” (Y/N) almost choked on her mother’s words, there clearly wasn’t a limit in the words that came out of her mouth.

“Oh God, get out of here!” She pointed the door and Josie rolled her eyes.

“I’m almost done, Jesus…” She threw a black tank top over her daughter’s lap and a leather jacket. “Try these with black high heels or Dr Martens. Also, pretty lingerie underneath it, maybe you’ll get lucky.”

“You’re the world’s worst mother.” Josephine showed her a middle finger on her way out. She came back a couple of seconds later with a cigarette lit up. “What did I ever tell you about smoking indoors?”

“Yeah, whatever. My apartment, my bills, my business.” Josie rambled before taking the cigarette again. “I’m going out with Garold tonight, and will probably stay at his place. So don’t bother about waiting for me.”

“Would never bother about that.” (Y/N) started to change into her clothes. She could say anything about her mom, but she had to admit that Josephine knows how to dress someone up. “At least I can have a proper night of sleep.”

“And if you want to use the apartment later…”

“Please leave.” (Y/N) said as she pointed out the door, already grossed out by that conversation.

“Use condoms.” She shouted from the back and (Y/N) continued to get ready, trying to forget the inappropriate conversation she just had with her mother.

While (Y/N) was finishing getting ready, Tom was trying to find the perfect outfit for tonight, just like she was doing before. See, the thing is that Tom heard many things about her during the week. A lot of people said that she was the kind of girl who doesn’t usually befriend with a boy if she doesn’t want anything else, but she also doesn’t want any commitment. And that kind of made Tom nervous because he didn’t know what tonight meant. Was it a date, or was it just two friends hanging out? But most importantly, did he want it to be a date?

“What are you doing?” Harry asked popping his head into the room.

“Trying to find something nice to go out tonight, but it’s not an easy task when all my stuff is still packed inside many suitcases.” Tom chuckled as he removed many t-shirts from his bag.

“Mate, I’m so glad my closet is already finished.” Sam popped inside the room with his twin brother.

“And now we have a crowd.” Tom chuckled and his brothers stepped into the room, taking their seat in Tom’s mattress since he didn’t have a proper bed yet.

“You already have a date. You’re lucky.” Harry said. “The girls in my school are so hard to get.”

“That’s because you give them the impression that you want something serious.”

“But I do want something serious.” Tom rolled his eyes and took a black shirt to match his jeans. “Sam found someone great, and I want that too. I don’t want to end up like you, miserably chasing after girls.”

“First, chasing after girls is fun. Second, I’m not going on a date, I’m taking my time.”

“You already said to me that you hooked up with a girl after class on Wednesday. That was your third day of classes.”

“Come on, Sam. Look at me, I’m irresistible.” Tom pointed down to his body, which made the twins laugh.

“Oh, do me a favour and tell Haz that I want my Xbox controllers back! He has it ever since we were in England.” Harry mumbled as he replied a text on his phone.

“I’m not hanging out with Harrison. Today’s Phil’s birthday.” Tom said, voice a little lower than before. The twins shared a look once Tom looked away, frowning to each other.

“So you’re not going on a date, but you’re not hanging out with Harrison. Who exactly are you hanging out with?” Sam crossed his arms and frowned. Tom shrugged as he put on his jacket.

“You’re hanging with (Y/N), aren’t you?” Harry asked and it was Tom’s turn to frown, quickly turning his head to the twins.

“How do you know who she is?”

“Harrison told me everything about you two.” Harry shrugged and Tom’s mouth fell agape.

“That bitch.” Tom cursed under his breath.

“So it is a date!” Harry jumped excitedly and Tom took a long breath, clenching his jaw.

“No, it isn’t. I’m hanging out with (Y/N), but we’re going as friends.”

“Yeah, we’re not going to believe you. And honestly, I don’t care.” Sam said and Harry laughed. “I still don’t know who’s this (Y/N) chick.”

“She’s just this girl I met at the nursery on my first day and she’s cool. Like...stupidly cool.” Tom opened a small smile on his lips as he talked about her. “And you know, she’s pretty and everything, but she’s different from anyone I’ve ever met. I’m not wasting that with a meaningless hookup.”

“I can’t believe this…” Sam started with a grin on his face. “Tom actually likes a girl.”

“What?” Tom turned around angrily to find the twins laughing. “I don’t like her.��

“Yes, you do. You talk about her with a big smile on your face, it’s priceless!” Harry pointed and received dirty underwear on his face. “Hey, not cool.”

“Remember me to kill Harrison later. Now, does this looks cool?” Tom showed what he was wearing and the twins analysed it closely. A black t-shirt, dark washed jeans and a leather jacket. He always dresses up simple, but he looks hot with them.

“If you’re planning on getting laid tonight, I think it’s good.” Harry nodded and Tom adjusted his jacket.

“But don’t forget your cologne, since girls are always falling for it.” Tom rolled his eyes and started to push the twins out of the room.

“Yeah, you’re pissing me off. Goodbye!” He slammed the door at their faces and took a second to breathe.

As Tom finished his final details, (Y/N) texted him saying that she was already leaving the apartment to meet him there. He rushed to get his things and come downstairs to find his mother cuddled with his father and younger brother, Paddy. They looked so comfortable that it made Tom want to cancel his thing and snuggle in his mother’s arms.

“Oh, what a handsome young man.” Nikki got out of the couch and walked to her son, giving him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Are you going out with Harrison?”

“He has a date, mom.” Harry interrupted and received a death glare from Tom.

“A date? That’s lovely. I hope it’s a girl that makes you settle for good because I hate having to memorize all of their names.”

“First, even I don’t memorize their names. Second, it’s not a date. I’m hanging out with a girl, but we’re only friends.”

“That’s new.” Dom commented. “Well, take some money from my wallet. Make it a nice evening for her.”

“And be safe.” Nikki kissed his forehead and he smiled before looking for his dad’s wallet to take some money to take off.

New York was beautiful at night, just as much as it was during the day. (Y/N) didn’t make it a secret when it came to love the city and anyone could see it in her eyes, how they shinned as she glanced out the window to watch the lights and the movement around her. Tom was learning to love it too. He came from a big city, probably one of the most popular cities in the world, but New York was slowly owning a place in his heart. It’s been less than a month since he moved here and it’s been such a nice time, especially when he got to meet nice people, just like the one he was about to go meet.

He never would expect that his first outing with a girl around the nightly city would be as a friendly date, but he was so happy to be doing this. It was almost magical the way she made him feel, it was almost like a soulmate connection that pulled them together somehow and he couldn’t help but like it. Even though he loved Harrison and they had been together for years now, Tom had this feeling that (Y/N) was something special in his life. Maybe she had the potential to be his best friend.

"Oh, sorry love. Have you been waiting for long?" Tom said as he stepped out of the taxi to find her standing outside the bar. He only saw her twice with clothes that weren't school uniform and he was pretty sure she doesn't wear fancy dresses all the time, but right now she looked like a real supermodel fashionista. Everything on her matched and fit like they were meant to be worn together.

“Don’t worry, I just got here.” (Y/N) fixed her hair and smiled at Tom. “I liked your jacket.”

“Really? It’s like… super old.”

“Vintage, darling.” She pinched his stomach and Tom smiled. Maybe that was something she always did to people she’s intimate with and now she was doing it with him like they’ve known each other for a long time.

“Well, thank you. Coming from a girl who’s always dressed up flawlessly, it must be pretty good.” He fixed his jacket and she chuckled.

“The perks of being Josephine (Y/L/N)’s daughter.” She shrugged and pulled him inside the bar.

Tom felt like coming home from the moment he stepped into that place. The brick walls, the green leather booths, warm lights and a lot of people united on the tables having a good time. The big bars full of drinks, bartenders and stools so they could sit closer to the drinks. And to finish the decoration, a big neon sign saying “Vertigo”. It was a full pub right in the middle of New York. Tom was fascinated by that place.

“Well, this is familiar.” He pointed out and (Y/N) chuckled, pulling him to sit on the stools.

“I figured you’d like this one because it’s just like a London pub. Maybe this would make it feel like home.”

“Thank you for bringing me here.” She shrugged and sat on a stool by the bar. “I bet you always come here with your friends.”

“No, they would never come here. Not fancy enough for them. They prefer hotel bars and fancy clubs, I can take you there someday.” He sat right next to her and they waited for the bartender to come. “Also, the other bar doesn’t have good beer. The owners from here are British, so it’s supposed to be good.”

“Good evening, miss (Y/L/N). Seems like you brought a friend.” The bartender asked with a strong accent very similar to Tom’s, maybe a little heavier. By his tag name, Tom knew that his name was Oliver.

“Hey, Oliver. This is Tom, be nice to him.”

“Nice to meet you, Tom. What can I get you?”

“Fish and chips and a pint.” Tom said and the bartender smiled with the accent that came out of Tom’s mouth

“One of my lads from England.” He winked and Tom nodded with a smile. “It’s always nice to see someone from back home. Where are you from?”

“London, mate.”

“I’m from Sheffield. And what can I get you, love?” The bartender asked (Y/N) after she went through their drink menu.

“I’ll have a lemon and rosemary gin tonic, please.” The young man nodded and walked away to prepare their order.

“Okay, I officially love this place.” Tom said excitedly, which made (Y/N) laugh. “Harrison will love this one. He’s the one who was always buried inside the pub even before we turned eighteen. The only thing we were against while moving here is that the drinking legal age is 21 and we weren’t ready to stop going to pubs. Even before, we used to hide in a pub that allowed us to drink there and keep it on the low.”

“Yeah, kind of like this place. Although I’m the only one allowed in here. The owners are friends with my dad.”

“That’s why the guy knew your name.” He pointed back to Oliver filling a glass with beer.

“Yeah, that’s Oliver. He’s cute and always serves me the best drinks. I always tip him well, that’s the key.” (Y/N) winked and crossed her legs. A couple of guys sitting on the next table looked her up and down, which made her roll eyes. Tom followed her look and furrowed his eyebrows at the guys.

"They are like twice your age."

"Yeah, unfortunately, it happens all the time. It's disgusting." Oliver served their drinks and told he would be back with their chips. "I'm lucky that Oliver is serving us tonight, he's the only one that's respectful with me. You see the guy over there." She pointed to a guy organizing cups in the back and Tom nodded. "He always tries to abuse me somehow, hands on my ass or waist, never with consent. But he's quiet tonight because I'm here with a guy."

"That's fucking pathetic. I get so angry about those things." Tom then remembered the situation that happened earlier that week with Noel. "What about that Noel Kaim? He seemed pretty abusive with you."

"Noel never treated me like that before. Sure, we like to tease each other because that’s how our relationship was built. But never with anger, never with aggression. I got really upset when he did that to me." She sipped on her drink and felt her throat burning with the strong drink.

"If he ever does anything to you, even if it's small, you can tell me and I'll break his face."

"Thank you." She smiled softly and he finally drank his beer.

"Oh my God, this is fantastic." Tom said almost rolling his eyes in pleasure. "I officially love this place. Do you want some?"

"I'm not a fan of beer, but my dad brought me here the first time and had me drinking one beer and it's really good."

"Thank God your dad brought you here.” He sipped his beer again and sighed. “And well, you look like someone that doesn’t like beer. You look very fancy, like everyone in our schools.”

“Yeah. I was raised on champagne with two strawberries on the bottom of the glass. But you know, when I visited London, I went plenty of pubs with some friends, sometimes with my dad and I enjoyed their beer.” She took a big sip on her drink and did an ugly face when it burned down her throat. Tom laughed at her and thanked when the bartender came with his chips. “Mom got pretty mad that day. Mad at me, at my dad, at the world, honestly. As always.”

“You seem to have a pretty disturbing relationship with your mother.”

“With my family, in general. My mother is… peculiar. She never wanted to be a mother, at least that’s what she tells me now and then. She only did it because of my father. He wanted to be a dad and back then, they were very in love. That’s why I think I’m the reason their relationship fell apart.” She brushed the tip of her finger around the border of the glass. “Sorry, that was too deep. Tonight was supposed to be a fun night.”

“No, tonight was supposed to be a night to get to know each other.” He smiled softly at her and took some chips before he continued. “You can tell me more about your mom.”

“Uhm, we’re always fighting. She doesn’t care much about what I do and at the same time, she cares too much. She wants me to be perfect, to be the best student, the best dressed, the most desirable. But she doesn’t care about how I feel or what I wanna do.” She glanced down, maybe to tried hold some tears forming on her waterline. “But hey, tell me about your mom. I owe you some minutes to listen to you ramble on about your life.”

“I love my mom. She always supports me and takes care of me. She’s my best friend, honestly.” He smiled to remember his old mum that right now was cuddled with all of his brothers in the living room. “My family is everything to me. I don’t think I can even show how much I love them. They are the best part of me.”

“You have a big family?” She had a small grin on her face and he nodded.

“My parents are still together and I have three younger brothers, two of them are twins.” He smiled when he started talking about them. (Y/N) saw a sparkle in his eyes when he started to talk about his family. He talked with such adoration that it was almost hard to believe that someone loved their family this much. That was what she wanted all her life. “And I am so lucky to have them in my life. You will know when you meet them.”

“I would love to meet them.” They both opened a big smiled when their eyes crossed.

“Sam and Harry are really fun to hang out with. But being friends with them requires a big appetite for food and for talking photography.”

“I love photography! I’m a model, the camera loves me.” She posed for him and he laughed. “And I’m always hungry. That’s something you need to know if we’re gonna be friends.”

“Noted.” He winked and they fell into a brief silence so they could drink a little more. “Do you like being a model?”

“A little. I love fashion, I do. But my mother always tried to put me into a certain beauty pattern because that’s how she was raised, my grandmother is just like her, maybe worst. And I have many self-esteem issues because of that. She even had me wearing tight corsets when I was 12, it was horrible.” ”

“I’m so sorry darling.”

“After a while, I started to speak up and tell her no. So I only model for her sometimes and decided that I wanted to be a lawyer instead of going to a fashion school and being a part of this messed up world that excludes those who aren’t inside the beauty pattern.”

“Well, you could try changing it from the inside.”

“That’s why I still model and I try to stick to my true self, nothing aesthetically different.” She took some second to breathe and continue. “I got tired of doing what I was told. My mom even controlled my relationships at some point.”

“Really? How did that work?”

“She broke me and my last boyfriend. Well, we weren’t serious but when she found out I was going out with a guy that wasn’t rich and worked at a coffee shop, she lost his mind. Well, Josephine is very found of Noel Kaim and his family and Noel was the one who told her I was going out with that guy.”

“How did he know you were dating?”

“The boy worked at the café in front of the school. Noel saw me kissing him goodbye once.” She rolled her eyes. “I was never lucky in the relationship department.”

“God, me neither.”

“Really?”

“I tried to date a girl once, but it didn't work out because I don't feel like I ever truly liked anyone. Never felt head over heels, in love like a fool for someone. Also, I don't like serious relationships.”

“Me neither! Ugh, I don’t like being tied down. I love sleeping around and hooking up with a lot of guys. Even though I’m very subtle.” She signed Oliver to bring two more drinks and he nodded. “I love sex.”

“Yes! Sex is the best!” He giggled with her being so open about it. But again, he was also very open about it.

“And you know, most of the guys I truly dated never made me cum. Just Noel, and I guess that’s why I keep going back.”

“I don’t like being tied down to only one girl. I like flirting and meeting new people all the time, and Harrison is the same. I guess that’s why we’re best friends.” Oliver came with more drinks and they got drunker with every sip, opening their hearts to each other about every aspect of their lives.

“What would make you stop?”

“Meeting the right girl, I guess.” Tom smiled down to his beer and they fell into silence. "It will only stop when I truly feel how it's like to love someone. But I'm not desperately looking for them."

“Yeah, me too. Although, I want to find someone special so we can grow our own little life together.” She smiled, already feeling a little tipsy. Gin was much stronger than beer. “I want a family so I don’t be lonely.”

“I’ve never told any of those things to anyone.” Tom admitted.

“Me neither.” She agreed. “But I’m glad to share this with you, Tom. I feel like I can trust you. Like I can be vulnerable. That’s new to me.”

“I feel the same.” He extended his drink and she raised hers so they could toast. “And (Y/N), one more thing.”

“What is it?”

“You don’t have to be so lonely. At least as long as I’m here.”

“I don’t think that’s possible by now, Tom.” She buried her face in her drink to hide her sad face and he reached for her hand resting over the counter.

“Yes, it is. You’re waiting for the right guy to not be lonely, but you can’t spend the best years of your life looking for that someone. That’s not how life works.” She left her to drink behind to pay attention to what he was saying, maybe trying to hold some tears when touching in such a delicate subject for her. “I’m your friend and I’m here, right now. You don’t have to be lonely.”

“Why are you so fond of me?” She frowned, letting some tears fall on her cheeks and he shrugged.

“I guess I can’t stand to see someone crying.” He cleaned her tears with the pad of his thumb and she sobbed. “I’m sorry if you didn’t want to talk about it.”

“No, I’m sorry for crying.” She tried to suck it up but didn’t move his hand from her face, which was now just rubbing her cheeks gently, trying to give her some comfort. “Thank you, Tom. For tonight. I needed to have this talk.”

“Do you need a hug?” He asked and she nodded, throwing herself in his arms with no hesitation. Tom was probably the best hugger she’d ever met, he could pass confidence and calmness through his touch. She could already feel her mascara ruining. Tom pressed her against him and rubbed his hands on her back, trying to give her some comfort. “I’m here for you, okay?”

“Okay.” She nodded her head, resting on the crook of his neck. “Do you want to order another drink? I don’t wanna go home yet.”

“Yeah, sure. Another gin tonic?”

“I think I’ll have a pint.” She winked and they laughed together. “Just to try it, you know.”

“Okay. Oliver, two pints please.”

❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁

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Reader x Jihyun Kim {MysMes} - Letters to Heal a Broken Heart

Title: Letters to Heal a Broken Heart Fandom: Mystic Messenger Character: Jihyun Kim Genre: bittersweet? romance Warnings: spoilers for his good ending! Intended Gender Audience: Neutral Audience Word Count: 2040 words POV: second person Other comments: no smut but im proud of this! please note that everything with the push back is a letter! i think its pretty clear, but i wanted to make sure it’s understood <3 Written by: @mythiica Req:

Dear –

I’ll admit, it feels a bit strange writing a letter for you, but my therapist recommended it. He told me to explain my emotions with words, saying it would help me become more confident.

See, the reasoning behind it, at least from what I remember, is that there is no pressure to think quickly. Writing allows a flow, a sense of movement between the words before you pick which one you wish to use. Talking is different because it follows a completely contrasting rhythm. To keep a conversation going, you have to speak rather quickly so the person stays engaged in the topic.

It’s all really interesting, and my therapist has given me a book over the fundamentals of other practices like this. I read half of it on the plane to Japan.

To clarify, I’m writing this from my hotel room in Tokyo. I landed a few hours ago and the jet lag has yet to hit me, so I decided to take advantage of this time to write.

I think you’d like it here – the sakura are in full bloom and I have three days dedicated to photographing the sea of pinks as they ripple in the wind. Until now, I’ve only seen pictures of the famous parks, and I never thought that I would be able to witness them in person.

I didn’t think I’d

I never conside

Ah, I should mention, I’m not allowed to erase or cross out sentences I start. Another confidence booster? It’s a bit sillier, but it’s meant to force me to say what is on my mind, rather than letting it fester. I’ll try again:

During my years under Mint Eye, my vision was narrowed, and I had only one duty. However, I am learning to broaden my horizons and expand my mind to encompass everything. The urge to explore bubbles in my chest, waiting for the moment to come out. There are so many chances to do anything, and I’ve got all the time to do all of it.

I’ve also realized that I went over my word limit. I have to stick to 300 words or under. Confidence booster #3! Express yourself with less words. Take a guess of how many times I’ve opened the thesaurus, looking for better synonyms for words? At least seven times in the past five minutes. It’s crazy!

For now, I’ll sign this off and try better next time.

よりご多幸を祈って

Jihyun Kim

PS, I’m practicing my Japanese! That says best wishes… I think.

नमस्कार

Hello and greetings from India! I took a long nap on the plane, and forgot to write. Although I’m only passing through, I ate some delicious food (that I should really try to replicate for you). India is absolutely beautiful – from the sunrises to the bustling markets to the colorful fabrics hung at every corner. I’ll inhale the air and smell six things at once, albeit, not all of them are the best, but I embrace it nonetheless.

More about what I’ve been doing: funnily enough, my phone died on the bus ride, but I made a new friend named Sunmi, and she was kind enough to lend me her charging cable. Instead of ending the interaction there, we spoke for a few hours at least. I learned she was traveling with her friends on a photography excursion. She gave me all the information, and I’d like to look into it when I have wifi again.

You wouldn’t believe what they’ve seen! Last year they went to Antarctica through South America. She got to pet a penguin! Apparently the company also takes people to Greenland and New Zealand – some places I’ve been dreaming of visiting since I was a young boy.

I’ll use my last 100 words to mention that… I’ve gotten a bit homesick. I miss the RFA – well, the people from the RFA minus…

Don’t tell Jumin about the company though, he’ll insist on flying me around with his private jet. I want to experience for myself. Saeyoung is somehow messaging me when I don’t have service? I don’t… understand. Anyways, I also saw Zen landed a huge international role (someone had a magazine on the plane). Otherwise, I hope Jaehee and Yoosung are well. And Elizabeth the 3rd of course. Send them my wishes.

I didn’t forget about you though! The keychain you gave me reminds me of home every day. It might have lost an eye, but I found a button and stitched it on. And I also wanted to ask you–

Ah, I’m over again.

Next time.

Jihyun Kim

Iyi günler! I am in Turkey now and actually writing this on a boat. The sun is setting over the horizon, making the sky change colors with every passing minute. It’s breathtaking, but I wish you were here with me. The other passengers and I take turns standing at the front of the boat, and I sometimes linger, trying to take pictures.

Good news! My vision is getting better. I’ve been taking some Greek herbal remedies, and the seem to be helping. Either that, or they have a wonderful placebo effect. Has that ever happened to you? To think something is working, but you’re just imagining things?

I apologize, maybe that stirred bad memories for you.

Back to Turkey: I stepped out of my comfort zone and spent a night camping. Honestly? I was terrified of doing so, but now I want to do it every night. It is the perfect temperature for hiking, even though I am a bit sunburned.

So many people have been commenting on my hair. Good things mostly, and I started styling it with a bit of gel to keep it out of my eyes. It feels good to look people directly rather than through a curtain.

What are you up to? Hosting anymore parties? I imagine that you are keeping busy, as always of course. My therapist said it would be best to wait messaging you until I return home. I nearly called you a week ago, but I didn’t want to break my vow. It’s like lying to myself, and I know better than that now.

Still, it doesn’t stop me from dreaming.

Sending love,

I’m genuinely angry, but writing to you always calms me. Someone stole my bag – I luckily didn’t have much in it, but your keychain… can you make me a new one please? Now that I don’t have it, it’s almost like I’ve lost a part of you. It hurts a lot, but then I wonder if I am being silly. It’s just a keychain.

Otherwise, France is nice. I didn’t want to go to Paris, so instead I traveled through the countryside to visit a few wineries.

Yes, I did… drink a bit, but I wasn’t impaired when my bag was stolen!

You would laugh at me if I told you what happened, so I will save the story for another time. Before coming to France, I went through Germany and visited some of the most beautiful castles I’ve ever seen. They all looked like they could be straight from a fantasy movie set, and I was convinced one – Neuschwanstein Castle – actually was.

I’ve barely written anything despite so much happening.

I got a haircut (finally), because it was becoming a hassle to tie it back at night.

One evening, I fed some stray cats and they followed me home.

And a drunk (?) tried to play cards with me. But he didn’t have cards. He was dealing an imaginary deck.

Other stories will have to wait until I see you again, and I feel better now. It’s okay to be upset, but it won’t hinder my trip any more.

Je t'aime,

Jihyun

Alaska doesn’t have a night.

That’s not exactly true, but it’s basically true. The hotel has special curtains that block the light, and it is only dark for a few hours.

It has been many miles since I last wrote, but I was caught up in visiting show after event after party after exhibit through America. Their art has given me a new perspective on point of view and emotions, so I hope that the ten camera chips I’ve filled with photographs will be able to convey the same sense of awe.

I’ve also been mistaken for an idol? Like – multiple times. Interesting to say the least, maybe I’ll say yes to the next person that asks. What should my stage name be? I’ll spare you the embarrassment and not share my ideas. They are all very silly and no one would believe me if I told them my name was Cam Ra. Do you get it? It’s bad, I know.

I’ll be returning home soon, unless I get distracted or impulsive and go down to California and Hawaii before coming back. I want to – it doesn’t feel right to return just yet. But that doesn’t mean anything about you!

Really, I think about you and everyone else each day.

Have you met new people? We’ll exchange so many stories…

See you soon,

J K

You pace around, waiting for the last guest on the list to appear. The party started an hour ago, but he still has not arrived. Then again, it has been three months since anyone heard a whisper from V, and you start to lose hope. Swallowing hard, you remind yourself that V is having a wonderful time exploring the world and finding himself.

Taking a handful of your dress, you turn and head through the doors to the main room. Jumin tries to pull Saeyoung away from Longcat, Yoosung explains his most recent surgeries to a group of nurses from his work place, and Jaehee receives many compliments for her majestic cake.

Everyone is happy and has moved on.

You hope V has too.

Maybe all the wishing and praying finally paid off, because you hear his familiar voice calling out behind you. It’s a long shot, but you turn around nonetheless, thinking it is a different guest.

Instead, you see Jihyun, wearing the most dazzling smile you’ve ever seen, running towards you. He’s carrying a folder filled with papers, but that doesn’t stop him from embracing you. He smells rugged, like his voyage has transformed him, but you rather like it.

“Jihyun!” You melt against his hug. “You’re.. Here… you’re here!”

Your squealing draws everyone’s attention, but he focuses on you and only you. “Of course I’m here. I missed you more than I can verbalize.”

His stance is open, welcoming, and confident, much different from two years ago. He is a different person now, brave and proud. Jihyun offers you the folder. It is strange to gift something in the middle of a party, but you accept it anyways, happy he has returned.

Jihyun’s heart races as he explains. “I wrote you letters every time I went somewhere new. These are just a few of them, really I have so many. But each shows something I’ve learned.” He takes a breath and laces his fingers with yours. “This is sudden, and I’m sure you will need time to think about it, but I’m trying something new: asking without being afraid. Over the past two years, I’ve… longed for you. Art has shown me the power of friendship, joy, perseverance, and most importantly, dedication. I want to dedicate my art to you, if you’ll stand by my side.”

You can’t find the words to express yourself because you are so awestruck. He truly has changed, but he has embraced himself and his life. Tears start to roll down your cheeks from the overwhelming surge of emotions. Jihyun brushes them away and presses his forehead to yours.

“I still have much to learn, but I want to do it all with you.”

“I’d like that a lot, Jihyun,” you whisper, captivated by his intense gaze.

“And I can finally say this without fear–”

You tip your head up, and Jihyun kisses you the next moment. His lips are chapped and the warmth radiating from his skin envelops you. He doesn’t need words to communicate it, because you understand perfectly what he is trying to say.

#mysmes #mystic messenger #mysmes v #mysmes jihyun #jihyun kim

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eeveemasters · 4 years

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hey, all you lovely people! full disclosure i talk a lot and i have thought about this character thoroughly when you look under that read more... oh boy... just a heads up. anywho... guess i’m the last here i see, well, that’s typical. I’m late to literally everything, although this time I do have a good excuse. i’d tell you what it is but you don’t really wanna read about me gettin’ it in all weekend and drew is my bro -like literally. we share blood. we came outta the same womb. 26 hours of labor. 19 minutes apart. our poor mother- so he def doesn’t wanna read about it and that is a swill of information about me before ya even know my name which says a lot, doesn’t it? inst-y-ways, I’m maddie and I’m Jewish, you’ll figure out why i’m putting that out there now. also hello again. i hope y’all are ready to get this party started, cause this is where it’s at! look below & hit that read more and I will tell you all about my baby girl, Eevee.

TW: DEATH, DEPRESSION, STALKER, MURDER, KIDNAPPING

★ ━ ( candice patton, cis-female, she/her ) ━ ★ just to be clear, ya didn’t get this information from me. The person you’re lookin’ for is EVELYN LUCIA MASTERS. also known as EEVEE. Last I heard she was born on APRIL 7TH, 1988 in SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, but she’s been livin’ in RICHMOND, for about EIGHT MONTHS. Word around the districts is, this doll, EEVEE can be VENGEFUL, SELF-RIGHTEOUS, & A KNOW-IT-ALL, but i gotta tell, ya, alls I seen is good things, like the fact that she’s RESILIENT, CHARISMATIC, & ENERGETIC. I guess that depends on how well ya know ‘em, though. the last thing ya need to know is that she works as an A-LIST ACTRESS & CO-OWNER OF EXCALIBUR COMICS. I don’t know much about what that’s all about but I do know that’s all I can tell ya the rest you gotta find out on ya, own. ━ ( ooc: maddie, pst, 28, she/her )

Evelyn Lucia Masters.

the irony of her name is that it means “wished for child”

she was definitely not.

hence why she goes by...

Eevee.

Yes, like the Pokemon.

No, it’s not a stage name or a gimmick.

She legally changed her name.

It’s on her credit card. ( so are kittens! )

Born in San Antonio Texas.

Jewish, Bisexual & Very Proud.

Collette Rivers

Her mother.

One of the first and few Black, Soap Opera stars.

Had a wildly popular sitcom for a hot minute.

Career was on fire in the 80′s & 90′s.

Transitioned to clothing designer and eventually a reality tv real housewife when she couldn’t get jobs anymore.

Joseph Masters.

Her Father.

a former actor

was very well known for CSI.

was on broadway.

became a sought after director.

it’s a whole family in the biz, so of course...

@ two years of age, Eevee became an Actress™

baby diaper commercials with her mom.

then singing lessons.

then dance lessons.

then pageants.

more commercials.

a bit of child modeling.

more commercials.

reoccurring kid on sesame street.

then a reoccurring (but not staring) role on Gullah Gullah Island.

1998. She’s 10.

lands a role on Broadway opposite Leon Thomas III as Nala in The Lion King.

this is the jumping-off point of her career. where it really shot off

but ignoring that for a minute...

Eevee has 5 other siblings.

4 of them are alive.

when Eevee was 15 she’d just gotten season 1st ( and eventually only ) season of her Disney show renewed and she had a stalker. on her 16th birthday, the stalker snuck into her sweet 16, cornered her when she and her older, brother Elias were alone, stabbed Elias, and kidnapped Eevee. Elias was rushed to the hospital when they found him but died shortly after. They found Eevee, recovered her from the stalker unharmed, but when she asked about Elias... shortly after Eevee sunk deeper into her depression, and also suffered from survivors’ guilt and eventually had to stay in a mental hospital and was released a year later, a few days after her 17th birthday. being in the real world was hard for her and in a few weeks time, became legally emancipated from her parents because her father had taken control of monitoring her finances, her decisions, and became too controlling of her schedule and time out of his concern for her and her mother acted like none of it happened and expected Eevee to pick up where she left off and to get more jobs and keep working. It was an environment detrimental to her health and sanity so she had to get out of that and got her own place and moved away from her parents and unfortunately, her twin sister and younger brother.

Took a break from acting to finish high school.

had to have private tutors

excelled at the school aspect of her life.

had very few friends but she did have a girlfriend.

eventually, Eevee broke up with her

to seize her 5 minutes of fame she outted Eevee as a lesbian to TMZ.

It didn’t take long for Eevee to speak out.

At 17, in 2005, Eevee came out publically as Bisexual.

as a Black 17-year-old girl she was proud of herself.

but it did not go well for her in the media or in magazines.

didn’t help what little career she had left.

but she also kinda didn’t care

Became known for outspoken activism for LGBTQ+ youth.

Started her own charity and outreach program to finance and help struggling youth in the LGBTQ+ community by providing them with shelter, food, and treatment for health issues both mental and physical.

went to college...

Northwestern State University.

joined the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority

double-majored in theater and business

got married to one of her best friends at one point to help him out with his financial situation.

graduated with degrees.

and real friends in and out of her sorority.

WORKED HER ASS OFF TO GET HER CAREER BACK ON TRACK.

it took a lot of hard work.

a lot of mediocre jobs.

a lot of auditions.

a lot of shmoozing & playing the long game.

she pulled every single string

cashed every single favor

ate a lot of shit.

including going to her mother whom she hadn’t spoken to in six years.

EVENTUALLY ROSE BACK TO THE A-LIST WITH A VENGENCE.

Several Independent Films.

Supporting roles in TV shows.

Supporting roles in a few movies.

Starring roles in a number of pilots that never got greenlit.

Starring roles in 2 tv shows.

one was canceled the first season.

the other had THREE SEASONS.

won an Emmy

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

landed a few ad campaigns

Eevee went back to Broadway a few times over the years.

Bring It On: The Musical

played Danielle

won a tony

Best Featured Actress in a Musical.

Newsies: The Musical

played Katherine.

dream come true.

Hadestown

played Eurydice.

nominated for a Tony.

The Lion King

played adult Nala.

life coming full circle.

Currently stars in her own Netflix show.

season 2 just finished filming which is why she has moved to Portland.

PERSONALITY:

very much a complete dork. loves video games, loves comic books, has a lot of memorabilia all through her house, it’s practically a dork museum, always telling puns. always joking. always been an adorable ray of sunshine. she really likes to be a light and enforce positivity for her friends and others.

talks far too much for her own good especially when she’s nervous.

very kind, generous, and loving, always willing to help a friend.

always willing to cook for someone as a way to comfort them. She’s a well-versed home chef and an excellent baker.

she’s in-between the vodka aunt and the mom friend. she’s the first to suggest doing shots and getting fucked up, but she’ll also make sure everyone’s okay and be responsible.

She’s that friend who if you fuck with one of her friends in any way she will go into protective mamma bear mode and straight-up end that person for you. if you need someone to back you up in a fight, literally, and have your back she is your girl.

she isn’t great at flirting or really being around anyone she finds attractive, she turns into a rambling, nonstop talking, pile of adorable.

up until the end of December last year, she was a virgin. She’s only ever slept with one person so she’s not really the sleep around kind of girl but respects those who do, you do you boo, but also please don’t mistake her for a relationship type girl either. she’s neither. she’s great at fooling around and hookups that usually stop before they get to the sex part. she’s actually just very awkward when it comes to intimacy and feelings and getting close to people in that way. It fucks with her anxiety so she just needs someone who can get her out of her head and that is very hard to find for her.

She’s a feminist and believes women should be there to support each other, but also is aware that feminism isn’t always equal and some women don’t include her as a woman to support because she is a woman of color and because she’s Black and will call someone out on their white feminist or anti-black bullshit.

she’s kind but is in no way a pushover. she’s very opinionated and steadfast and isn’t afraid to reason with someone and argue with them and stand up for herself.

POSSIBLE CONNECTIONS:

Friends: people who can put up with her non-stop chatter and find it endearing.

Fake Friends: people who are using her for fame, recognition and what her name can do for them.

Crushes: could be one-sided, could be both-sided, let’s talk about it.

Boxing Friendship: sparing partners, or someone who sees her at the boxing gym in her workout outfits that include but is not limited to color-coordinated custom gloves, that match both her outfit, her shoes, her gym bag and the giant cheerleading bow on the top of her high ponytail, but has never actually stuck around to see her box so don’t believe she can throw an actual punch because they can’t take that seriously, because she’s just a pretty little celebrity what can she actually do, but then one day end up in an argument with her and challenge her to a sparring match and to their surprise kicks their ass and they become sparring partners. I don’t know, clearly I haven’t given that plot much thought.

Step-family member: Eevee doesn’t have a relationship with her mom, but she is aware the woman got married to another woman who has kids when Eevee was 19 or so. She’s never met any of them. Never spoken to any of them. Never been invited to family functions. Knows full well they exist and they know full well she exists and they have actually hung out with other members of her family, just not her. So that sounds like awkward and traumatic fun for all involved right?? Bring the angst.

Fellow Actors: They could be real friends, could be fake friends, could have worked together, could just know of each other, could be a publicity friendship, dude, I don’t know.

Fans / Haters: like her work or don’t like her work???????????? I don’t know I’m just throwing stuff out there at this point.

I don’t know we’ll figure something out, I AM PUMPED AND EXCITED!!

#pb:intro #pb:ooc #death tw #depression tw #murder tw #stalker tw #kidnapping tw

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