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mrsriddlenott · 8 months

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~ Caught VI ~

Mattheo Riddle x fem!Reader

[masterlist][last part]

This is gonna be Christmas centered(gift giving and such)even though it’s almost Halloween😭🤷‍♀️thought it was cute.

I’m sorry if this is a bit long, I’m tryna get in some real plot with this chapter🤞🥰

Warnings: A Lil Angst(in the beginning), VeryFluffy,SweetSmut,Unprotected PinV, DaddyKink. Sex Toys Mentioned&Alludes to Bondage(future pt😉)

“Are you sure we’re allowed to be in here?” Mattheo asked in a hushed whisper as you pushed the heavy door of your manor’s library shut behind you both.

“I’m the only one who ever comes in here, they won’t even hear us talking all the way in the back.” You sighed out, the ball had just ended and your father had unsurprisingly pulled your mother into his study, likely to “brief” her on his plans.

“I know I should have told you ages ago and it was wrong of me to keep it from you….and all of our friends. But I just couldn’t, I couldn’t even form the words to tell you he was a Death Eater, let alone what he’s been planning since….he went into hiding.” Mattheo listened to your hushed words intently, wincing slightly at your mention of his father as you led him to a small leather loveseat in the far back corner of the large, dusty library.

“I knew I’d tell you eventually….I guess I just got so caught up in everything else that I never decided to try. Or maybe I was just too scared you’d never talk to me again. Honestly I don’t know.” You shook your head as you sat on the cold leather, Mattheo remained hovering, standing in front of you as you avoided his eyes.

“I had a half-brother, Will. He died before I was born in the First Wizarding War. My dad tried to run with his first wife, so his wife and son were killed. He married my mom for the money that marrying into my grandfather’s family promised, and then had me to make sure he got the inheritance.” You didn’t notice when you started crying or when Mattheo joined you on the seat to comfort you. The story was clear in your mind as though it happened to you, you grew up under your fathers hatred, and knew every small detail of his obsession.

Your father was one of very few people who knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that the Dark Lord did not die on Halloween of ‘81, and when he inevitably came back to power almost 3 years ago, it all was meant to fall into action. Your father played the dutiful follower as he weaseled his way into his inner circle. Your mother was to play the innocent housewife as she absorbed all information from the wives and husbands of the other Death Eaters. And you….you were to get their children to tell you anything they knew of their parents assignments. However, you threw a wrench in that plan before it even began, you’d never hurt your friends, and once you started dating Mattheo it was solidified.

And your father hated you for it.

It only took one year at Hogwarts for your love of your friends to overpower your love for your father. You fed him lies and misinformation or avoided home all together, but somehow could never come out and tell your friends why you introduced yourself to them in the first place. By the time you realized you should have, they were your new family, you couldn’t imagine them turning around and hating you just because of this mistake. So whether consciously or not you weren’t sure, but you hid it, for almost 6 years, you hid it. Even as your father approached his goal, even knowing all of their families would be caught in the crossfire when he succeeded.

“You don’t need to tell me it all tonight,” Mattheo whispered in a small voice nothing like his usual cocky tone. Your bloodshot eyes met his in a pleading look as you tried to speak.

“No I do, I….I should have told you years ago, I should have told all of you years ago.” Mattheo was a smart person, he’d already guessed what your role in this was, and considering him and his father were still very much alive, he also guessed you didn’t quite play the role you were given correctly. Despite the pit in his stomach about what he’s going to have to do to protect you, he was soaring over your loyalty. The fact that you were here in front of him, and not in your fathers study, had his heart hammering in his chest. If he hadn’t already planned to marry you, he certainly would have decided to right here.

“No Gorgeous, you really don’t….I think….I think I already know.” He sighed with a soft smile as he took your chin in his thumb and forefinger, turning you to look at him with your bloodshot, teary eyes. Mattheo delicately brought the thumb of his other hand to wipe your tears away, like you were a piece of art he was preserving. His lips followed suit, pampering light kisses down both your cheeks as he whisperered, “It’s okay y/n, I know and I’m still here, I’m always going to be here.”

Your body practically fell into him as you collapsed into sobs of gratitude and relief. Mattheo’s arms wrapped around you as though it was what they were made to do, pulling you into his lap as he settled into the loveseat further. He let you sob into his neck, brushing tangles from your hair with his fingers and speaking softly of your future together in your ear until you were silently breathing deeply and lightly snoring into him.

“You’re safe Baby, you’ll never have to come back here I promise you that.” Mattheo listened to your breathing deepen as you fell into a dreamless sleep in his arms, but continued to speak, “You’re the only part of this world that matters Darling,” He nuzzled his nose into your hair as his eyelids fell, content right here with you, “I will let it all burn just for you my beautiful Angel” He let out a deep sigh as though finally stripping himself of a great burden on his shoulders, “You’re all that matters to me,” His fingers curled into you hair deeper as his hand on your waist pulled your sleeping form in closer in a protective hold.

He stayed holding you for what felt like an eternity while so short at the same time before gently rising with you in his arms, carrying you bridal style as he maneuvered through the dusty bookshelves to the door. He found your room easily, he’d been there before as a child, you and the rest of the boys had spent practically all of Winter, Spring, and Summer Holiday your First Year there. He’d never understood why you’d never invited them again, but now he saw it clearly as a form of protection. Your father likely loved the idea of the sons of all of Voldemorts best followers, and his own son, coming around his manor with their guards down.

It was much different now, the large circular bed in front of the arched window was now covered in shades of red with black pillows instead of the purples he’d remembered from years ago. The vanity directly across the bed was new as well, it’s large mirror sparkled with the reflection of the stars behind the headboard of your bed as he placed you on it. He swore you looked like a princess, the color of your dress clashing with the bed only drawing his attention to you more while he retreated to remove your heels, struggling to unclip them before tossing them aside with a huff of annoyance.

You stirred slightly as he untied the strings on the back of your dress and began softly pulling it down. He wasn’t quite sure what to do with it so just draped it across a fuzzy chair in the corner with a shrug before ridding himself of his tie, suit jacket, and pants. He unbuttoned his shirt as he crawled slowly onto the bed behind you, trying his hardest to let you sleep while attempting to get his shirt on over your arms. You woke up only for a second, allowing him to slip you into his shirt as you voiced your annoyance in a few grumbled sentences before slipping back into your dreams, snuggling into his scent and giving him a warm feeling in his chest.

He found it easy to fall into a dreamless sleep, something he was never used to until you were a constant in his life. Under your blankets surrounded by your scent, he felt safe, he felt you were safe, he pulled you into his chest with a content sigh. He’d been waiting weeks to sleep beside you again, and he didn’t plan to be sleeping alone anytime soon.

The next morning Mattheo woke you with kisses to your neck and face, allowing you to adjust to the early morning light before ushering you to get dressed and ready to go. “We’re going back to Hogwarts….or anywhere you want…” Just not here, he thought, wanting more than anything to have you out of this house before your father even realized he planned to.

Repacking your trunk was much faster with Mattheo grabbing things and throwing them in before yanking it up and escorting you out of your own house. Before you recognized what was happening you were being Apparated to right outside the Hogwarts grounds and tugged through a tunnel you had no idea existed.

“Matty what is this?” The tunnel was cramped, barley enough space for the both of you as he guided you around as though he’d been there before.

“It’s a tunnel he made when he went here, not even Harry or the Weasleys know about it so we’ll be safe in here while we get back to the castle.” You didn’t need to ask who he meant by he and you definitely didn’t need to ask why he seemed to know it like the back of his hand.

“Oh” Your voice was small and meek as you started to realize he was keeping things from you too, you didn’t know whether to feel relieved that you weren’t the only one keeping secrets or worried about what he felt was too dangerous to inform you about. You knew he had unavoidable meetings with his father, you knew he had to do things to stay alive and you didn’t blame him, but it hurt you to think about the fact that you’d never really thought about what must be happening.

You’d seen his scars and fresh wounds every month, but he’d always say he had it under control and for some reason you always listened. A part if you wanted to know everything right then, while the other, much larger part, was wishing you’d run away with Mattheo when you had the chance.

After what felt like hours you emerged from behind a statue in a dimly lit corridor somewhere in the dungeons. Mattheo took your hand like it was second nature, allowing your trunk to float along behind him while escorting you to his dorm. The corridors were empty and cold, most of the remaining student body gone on holiday, the castle that used to bring comfort to generations of young witches and wizards, now held a lingering sense of danger, like something wrong was hiding just behind the corner.

And as you watched Mattheo’s focused eyes, clenched jaw, and possessive hand, you thought there just might be.

~~~~

Christmas at Hogwarts was always worth looking forward to, it gave even the most damaged of us a chance to let loose. But as you looked around the Slytherin Common room, realizing it was almost midnight on December 24th and not a single person seemed to care, you decided that just for the next 24 hours, there wasn’t a single thing wrong. You would tell everyone the truth on the 26th and everything would be okay. You were sure of it.

Even if it was just you and Mattheo, you were celebrating Christmas like you did every year. Huddled up in the boys dorm, drinking spiked hot chocolate, fighting over the best Christmas songs, and giving each other presents.

Mattheo wasn’t shocked to see you sauntering through his door with a bottle of firewhiskey and wrapped boxes as you had for the past 5 years. His heart sank slightly as he watched your eyes swivel around the un-decorated and empty dorm room.

“Wh-,” They had decorated their dorm room every year, at first it started with you bringing them little ornaments from a village by your manor your first Christmas together. By your second Christmas, Mattheo took it upon himself to buy a miniature Christmas tree. A memory you could never forget, a chilly December evening organizing only 5 ornaments along it. Arguing slightly all the way until Mattheo told the boys to just listen to you. It was one of the first moments you even realized you liked the curly headed boy.

From that year on, every member of the friend group was ensured to get at least one gift, a new ornament for the dorm tree. Which was still stuffed in it’s box under Mattheo’s nightstand. Mattheo followed your eyes to it and sighed, “I’m sorry Baby, I completely forgot to decorate this year and all the boys got an owl to come home so I did-“

“It’s okay Matty,” You gave him a soft smile as you set your bottle and packages on his bed and took your seat beside them.

“I’ll set it up now and we can decorate it together, Enzo and Blaise left some gifts behind so w-“ He stopped abruptly as you flopped backward further onto his bed with an exaggerated sigh.

“What a shame, all of your dorm mates gone and no way to be caught in the act, the horror,” You giggled slightly as your sarcasm began to settle in his mind and a smile tugged on his lip.

“Don’t act like you don’t absolutely love when we’re almost caught, I can feel how you clench around me Princess,” He stalked towards you as he leant himself against the bedposts at the end of the frame, eyeing the way you bit back a laugh and sat yourself up on your elbows.

“Okay Mr. “Scream My Name,” Your voice held an unusual mix of teasing and dominance that Mattheo wasn’t quite used to as you swayed your leg and watched while his tongue subconsciously wet his lips.

“Mmm, don’t tempt me Princess. I wanted to open presents first.” He faked a pout, watching your skirt slide up your moving thigh as your fingers moved to slowly unbutton your shirt.

“Am I not a present fit to be unwrapped Mr.Riddle?” You teased as you licked across you teeth and played at the second button on your shirt. Mattheo groaned from deep in his chest as his head fell backwards, his jaw clenched as he tried to collect himself.

“Baby, I have a plan and if you call me that again you’re gonna miss out. You don’t wanna miss out do you Gorgeous?” His eyes met yours, the dark spark you knew meant he was in control having you bite at your smile and shake your head, still slightly playing with the buttons on your shirt.

“Good girl, now come here,” Mattheo suddenly pushed off the bedposts and motioned for you to follow with a wiggle of two of his fingers.

“I thought I’d have to give these to you late but since you’re here,” Mattheo sighed happily as he pulled out a trunk from under his bed, “Sit on the edge….now.” You were slightly confused but after a second followed his orders, swaying your feet and waiting patiently as he unlocked the trunk with two loud clicks.

“Your first set,” You narrowed your eyes at him as he set two neatly wrapped black boxes beside you, both tied with a red bow. “First….set?” Mattheo only nodded his head with a happy little smile before urging you to open them with his outstretched hands. The first and smallest was expected, a delicate glass snowflake ornament hanging from a silver ribbon.

“Perfect, I can hang it on the tree when it’s set up,” You said happily as you gently set it back in it’s box, “Actually that’s gonna be the first to go on our tree.” Mattheo interjected, making you giggle up at him before realizing he was entirely serious.

“It may collect some dust while I find the perfect cottage for you,” He said with a wave of his hands, “but that’s the first place it’s going, nowhere else”

“Okay Matty, it’s decided,” You laughed as you grabbed at your, significantly less neat, golden wrapped package. Mattheo’s hand dramatically shot to his chest as his mouth dropped open, “For me?” he gasped sarcastically, ripping it from your hands as he opened it.

“Oh fuck Baby, is this the one we saw in Diagon Alley?” Mattheo’s voice was filled with excitement you rarely got to hear as he pulled out the thick silver ring with a snake tangled around the front. He haphazardly shoved it on each of his fingers before ultimately settling on his right pointer finger.

“How does it look Gorgeous?” He held up his pointer and middle finger, letting the others fall beside them as he watched you bite at your lip. “Can’t wait to find out what it’ll look like halfway inside of you…mm” He seemed to be in his own world as he eyed the ring, fitting perfectly with the other two he already wore on that hand, before shaking his head slightly, “Guess we’ll have to wait and see, your turn again.”

You shook your head, blinking rapidly with a shocked smile before reaching for the next box, his eyes lighting up to follow as though he’d just remembered what was hidden behind the wrapping paper. It was was longer and thinner than the last box, opening on a hinge to reveal a golden necklace with a heart shaped ruby dangling in the middle.

“Gods Matty….” You whispered, feeling across the necklace delicately with your fingertips. “It’s beautiful,”

“Can I put it on for you Princess?” Mattheo asked as he crawled on the bed around you, reaching for the necklace before you could answer. Clasping it quickly and leaving a kiss on the base of your neck, whispering with a confident smirk, “It has my initials carved in the middle of the heart.”

You chuckled as you felt at the pendent hanging between your collarbones, grabbing at the next package while Mattheo began kissing up and down the back of your neck, sending shivers down your spine as his breath fanned against your cold skin. You turned in his arms, handing him his hext gift with a smile. “And here’s your ornament,” Mattheo gasped as though he was offended, snatching the package mumbling, “Don’t ruin my surprise Baby,”

“I get you one every year, besides you don’t know what’s on it, now open it,” He huffed while ripping at the messily placed tape, halting slightly, staring down at a handmade ornament in the shape of a gingerbread house. A moving picture of you and him from almost two years ago sat where the door would have been, a picture that was taken only days after he realized he was madly in love with you, something he wasn’t sure you knew. Making it ten times better.

“I’ve changed my mind, your snowflake will be the second ornament on our tree.” His gaze met yours as a smile grew on his face, laughing while gently placing it into it’s box and leaning back to set it on his nightstand. “I wanna open my last one before you get more.”

Mattheo’s voice was stern and matter of factly, taking his last present from beside you as you nervously chewed the insides of your cheek. He wasted no time ripping into it, looking between you and the box as his brows bunched together, delicately pulling out a silk red tie, “Now, no offense Darling, but red isn’t really my color,”

“No….but it is mine.” Mattheo watched as you bit your lip before looking back at the box, realization settling in as he clutched the tie hard in his hand, closing his eyes as he groaned slightly.

“You know they say great minds think alike….” He spoke after a second of gathering himself, kissing your cheek before slipping off the bed and reaching back into the trunk, retreating with two larger wrapped boxes.

“This one first,” He all but shoved the box at you, watching you intently as he bounced in front of you. You slowly unwrapped the box, delicately removing each piece of tape as Mattheo narrowed his eyes at you threateningly. “I’m gonna open it myself if you don’t hurry up.”

“Okay okay” You giggled, tearing through the rest of the paper and throwing off the lid of a deep red box. Your breath caught in your throat as you stared down at its contents, a black blindfold neatly wrapped around a set of fuzzy handcuffs, a vibrator, and a collar on a chain. Your face burned as you looked up to a now very nervous Mattheo.

“Is it too much? Do you not like the idea? We can just move on to the next one if-“ He rambled as you looked up at him with a smile, reaching into the box as he spoke.

“Is this a remote Mattheo?” You asked teasingly, biting your lip at Mattheo’s sigh of relief from your demeanor. “Hell yeah it is Baby, that’s more for me though,” He was immediately back to his regular cocky self as he snatched the remote and slipped it into his pocket.

“Saved the best for last.” Mattheo sighed, handing you the largest of the four and watching you intently. He knew exactly which would he your favorite, and knew exactly which one to save for last. You smiled brightly up to him as you pulled out the red, loose weight thigh length dress from it’s box.

“Matty! I love it, thank you,” You practically screamed as you jumped up to hug him, laughing as he lifted you up by your waist. He chuckled in your ear, wrapping your legs around him, pulling you back to look at your face.

“Anything for you Gorgeous,” He said breathlessly as he smashed his lips into yours in a passionate kiss, stealing the breath from your lungs while his tongue began exploring your mouth immediately.

“Fucking hell I love you, you’re the best thing to ever happen to me ya know that,” He growled, kissing down your neck, nipping at it aggressively as he mindlessly cleared the bed of presents, papers, and boxes before laying you down softly and crawling up your body to meet your lips again. Mattheo quickly rid himself of his shirt, pulling at yours as you slid your skirt and panties off, Mattheo cursed as he jumped from the bed to shove his sweats and boxers off. Tripping over them in a rush to join you back on the bed, falling on you slightly as you fell into a fit of laughter.

“Yeah yeah whatever, come here,” He huffed, pulling your face in to an aggressive kiss. He nipped at your lips and battled your tongue with his, your teeth knocking together as you breathed heavily into each other’s mouths. His hands trailed slowly down your sides, stopping at your hips to tug you forward, plowing into without warning, a whine of a moan fell from you as Mattheo sighed and fell into you, holding himself up on his forearms as he began softly fucking into you.

Mattheo’s lips trailed along your shoulder, stoping only to moan as you circled your hips to his slow thrusts. Your fingers found themselves tangled his hair, tugging slightly as the others trailed down his toned back with a teasing scratch. He groaned in your ear, picking up his pace only slightly as he rocked his hips into yours. He lifted his head to meet your eyes as you clenched around him, steadying himself with a hand on your hip, increasing his pace further as he watched your head fall back with a moan of appreciation.

Mattheo felt himself twitch inside you as your nails dug into his back and tugged at his hair, he wasn’t gonna last long after not having you for weeks, but he wanted you to come first. He slowed himself down to an agonizingly slow pace as you whined under him, he balanced himself on a hand beside your head as he brushed his free hand from your hip down your thigh before suddenly bringing it to rush fast circles onto your clit. Picking up his pace and falling back into your neck, licking a stripe from the base of your neck to your ear, whisperering against it’s shell as you shivered, “You like that Princess? Do you like being fucked after I spoil you?”

All you could do to respond was nod weakly as he groaned against your bruised neck, “Do you like it when Daddy treats you like a Princess?” For a second Mattheo stalled, as though he didn’t mean to let the name slip, but quickly picked up his pace as you wiggled below him with a whine of “Yes”

He looked down at you with a wild, daring smile as his eyes darkened further, “Yes what?” He growled, thrusting into you harder as you tried to speak, jumbling your words as you began to lose focus.

“Daddy, ye- Oh fuck, Yes Dadd-“ Mattheo cut you off with a wicked smile as he ruthlessly pounded into you, you were shaking with the bed as his thrusts became irregular and his fingers slowed. Your head felt dizzy as you clamped around him, feeling his cum spill inside you sending you over the edge as you screamed his name.

You came together as Mattheo collapsed on top of you. “That’s much better than our past Christmas traditions,” You sighed in a breathless voice as Mattheo’s arms snaked around your naked waist, cuddling you into him while still inside.

“I love you, and I plan to spend every Christmas I have left with you,” Mattheo whispered in a suddenly very serious tone.

~~~~

Caught VII

I hope this Isn’t weird or anything because I absolutely love it🥰🥰

-HP Taglist-

@timmytime17 @talia-scar123 @spencer-reids-wife @ttsbaby01 @animorose @whydoireadanymore @thievin-stealing @spiderman-stilinski @evycloudberry @shady-the-simp @ashisabitgay @porterport @callsignwidow @cicicicicisstuff @mattheoriddleswifee @junebugin-july @moonlightreader649 @devotedlyshadowytheorist @rubyliquor @perverteddsdreams @mildly-delulu @fairydimples07 @shadowmoonlight0604 @80scinemvasworld @nevillescomslut @annaisabookworm @abaker74 @athenalikethegoddess

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cassidymb121 · 1 month

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OMG It’s You… (Part 3)

YouTube! Fem reader x Stray Kids

Summary: Y/N’s YouTube channel is taking off after her reactions to Stray Kids MV God’s Menu. Now she’s making videos nonstop along with working a full time job. What would happen if she got offered a job of a lifetime and met the boys of her succession?

⚠️Warnings⚠️: Lee Know being his normal self, Chan being a fatherly figure(mostly), angst, arguing, sadness, crying, anxiety, overthinking, Lee Know being a mother

❌⚠️Trigger Warnings❌⚠️: depression, talks of harming themselves, talks of ending their lives (please do not harm yourself!)

(A/N: So this chapter is SUPER LONG but way over due. I will probably post another chapter soon. I didn’t expect for this chapter to turn out this long, but oh well. There are triggers in this chapter and I hope I covered all of them in the warnings. If you want to skip over it, then you can skip over the blue text in the Flashback. I hope to have the another one coming out soon. ALSO THIS IS NOT PROOFREAD)

🏷️: @laylasbunbunny @weirdowithaphone @silverstarburst @jusanontstuff @anxiousskylar @drewsandsebastianswife @amararosesblog @niaalove (Taglist open)

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 2.5 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 6.5 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9

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Third Person POV

Chan felt the pressure as their highly anticipated comeback was just days away. However, a call from I.N. about a heated argument between Seungmin and Felix added to his stress. With Lee Know unavailable, Chan had to handle the situation himself.

“Be the leader of a group, they said. It’ll be fun, they said.” He muttered to himself, feeling confident that he understood the argument. Chan made his way to the other dorm and rapped on the door. It didn't take long before someone swung it open.

“I don’t know what happened Chan Hyung” his Maknae says, “I was in my room when I heard yelling. I tried to break it up but it was like they didn’t even notice me.” Chan looked at him and smiled softly. “Thank you for letting me know. I’ll handle it.” Chan went to walk away, but I.N. stopped him before he got too far. “Chan Hyung wait. I don’t know what Seungmin said to Felix, but now he won’t come out of his room.” Chan nodded and headed towards Felix’s room.

Chan knocked on Felix’s door, “Felix? Can you come out so we can talk?” No reply. Chan knocks again “Felix, can we please talk? I know you had an argument with Seungmin. I just want to make you’re okay.” No response. Chan sighs. “Well I guess I can try Seungmin then.” He thought to himself.

He heads to Seungmin’s door which is cracked. He announces his presence before he pushes the door open some more. Seungmin was nose deep in a book when he heard his leader call out. He looks up to see his Hyung leaning against the door frame looking at him like a father who’s about to give a lecture.

“What do you want old man?” Seungmin teased his oldest Hyung. Chan shakes his head a little before walking into the room and sitting at the edge of Seungmin’s bed. “I want to know what you and Felix were arguing about.” Chan turns his head to Seungmin before speaking again. “I was told that it got pretty heated and now Felix won’t come out of his room.” Seungmin grabs the bookmark, marking his place before closing the book.

“Felix and I were discussing about this new game we were playing. He started telling me about having trouble getting past this one level and I started teasing him. We were going back and forth but then I brought up his obsession with y/c/n.” Chan’s thoughts were confirmed by that statement. Seungmin continued saying that after his statement that Felix started yelling at him and it only escalated from there. To the point where Felix slammed his door in Seungmin’s face.

Chan dropped his head into his hands. He knew that he had to talk to Felix about this because it was getting out of control. Chan moved to stand up before turning back to his younger member. “I’ll talk to Felix, and get him to apologize about slamming the door in your face. That’s not right.” Seungmin had already grabbed his book before speaking.

“Good luck. If you’ve already tried, then you definitely won’t get him to come back out. I overstepped by mentioning Y/N.” Chan shook his head. “We all know that his obsession with her has gone too far, it needs to be addressed. I’ll make sure that he apologizes.” He repeats himself.

Seungmin just nodded, knowing he can’t stop his leader from trying to fix every problem in the group. Chan headed back out closing Seungmin’s door on his way. He’s determined to fix this problem and set things straight. With this new found confidence he heads back over to Felix’s door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Few hours later)

It didn’t go as planned. If anything he made it worse than it already was. Huffing Chan pulls out his phone texting the one person that can surely fix this.

Lee Know closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. He couldn’t just have one day to himself. There was always a problem that needed to be fixed. Lee Know admired his Hyung, but sometimes he wish he could strangle him. Chan knows how sensitive Felix is yet he still pushed him about it.

Once Lee Know got back to the dorm, he dropped his stuff off by the front door. Deciding it was better to console Felix first, than waiting any longer. Lee Know places the food he got Felix on the table before approaching Felix’s door and lightly raps on it. “Yongbok-ah?” He hears no response. “Yongbok-ah, I brought you your favorite food. Can I come in?” No response. Lee Know has very little patience for most people but Felix is the exception. He puts his ear to the door and hears sniffling. His first reaction is to break down the door and hold his little sunshine in his arms, but he holds back.

Soon he hears one of Y/N’s videos. It’s one he’s very familiar with himself. It was one of her most liked videos and it wasn’t even about Stray Kids.

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Flashback

It had been a hard week for the guys and Lee Know just about had it. When they finally returned to the dorms, Lee Know made a beeline to his room. He had already ordered food since he wasn’t in the mood to cook anything. Right now he needed comfort, and he knew just where to get it from. Once he gets his food, he opens up YouTube, and pulls up Y/N’s channel. Lee Know wouldn’t let anyone know just how much he loves her videos. Some would say that he has an obsession with her, but he doesn’t see it like that.

When Lee Know first watched one of her videos, he liked that she incorporated Korean into her videos. He found that it helped a lot of their fans who didn’t understand English, to come and know what she was saying. After a while, he found other things that he admired about Y/N. Like how uncharacteristically funny she could be. How seeing her smile makes him want to smile, and even seeing her laugh at something funny that they did. Especially when she has to go back multiple times and rewatch it just to laugh even harder.

What really got him was when she would have a sit down talk with her fans. He once found a video of hers where instead of doing a livestream like Chan Hyung does, she made a video and answered questions from the fans that follow her. She was very honest and out in the open about her answers, and that’s exactly what he needed. Finding the video, he pulls out his earphones plugging them into his laptop and pressing play.

The video starts off showing her room and her chair being empty. There’s some music playing in the background, but it’s very soft. It’s not long before she appears in a large hoodie that looks too big for her and lounging pants. Her hair looks like her ran her fingers through it too many times, but she nor he cared about it. She has a mug that could possibly have hot tea in it. He remembers that she once said she drinks hot tea with honey. She sits in the chair and smiles softly at camera before taking a sip out of her mug.

“Hello Lovelies, I hope everyone is doing okay today.” She puts her mug down on the desk, “Today we are doing something different. I have asked y’all to comment any questions that you would like me to answer. It could be about anything, and if I don’t know how to answer it I’ll find out what I can do to help.” She smiles. “I didn’t do a livestream, but I will next time. For now I’ve compiled up all your questions and I will answer them as honestly as I can. Some of you know that I’m very opinionated so you may not like what I have to say, but sometimes the truth hurts.” She looks down at her phone and proceeds to start answering questions.

She went the extra mile and edited the questions in without showing who asked them in case someone didn’t want to be seen. She started answering them one by one and giving her honest feedback on each question. Some were about women’s anatomy, some were about Stray Kids, there was even one asking who her Bias was. To which Lee Know was pleased to hear that he was her Bias. Although there was one that stuck with him.

“This is the last question I’m going to answer and I’m gonna to translate this one from Korean for y’all. This says ‘Hi Y/N! I’ve been watching your videos for some time now and I’ve come to love them just as much as watching Bang Chan do his weekly livestreams. I’ve come to notice that both of your videos are a lot alike. The question I wanted to ask you is how do you deal with your bad days? And not just stressful days but the days where you just feel like giving up completely?’” Y/N just stares at her phone, like as if trying to collect her thoughts. She finally looks back up and you can see that her eyes are shining. He could see her holding back tears.

“First of all, thank you for enjoying my videos so much. It means so much to me that you love them and keep coming back each time to see me act a fool out of myself.” She laughs lightly. “As far as what I do on those bad days, sometimes I don’t always know. I know that everyone deals with their bad days differently than me, but there is one thing I do know. I know that we can’t always control everything around us. Sometimes things just happen and it’s not always our fault.” She looks up blinking her eyes trying to hold back tears. A couple escape but she doesn’t wipe them. She just looks back at the camera and continues. “I’ve had my fair share of bad experiences where I felt so useless and that I just wanted to find some way to end the suffering. Then I thought better of myself. I started thinking about all the people who love me and support me through not only my bad times, but also my good times.” She grasps her mug and takes a couple of sips before placing it back down. She moves closer to the desk and looks at the camera. “I know that not everyone has the best support system and that not everyone grows up in a good environment, but let me tell you something. I will also love and support you. No matter what you’re going through I will be with you. All your good and bad times. I don’t want any of you to ever harm yourself or even think about harming yourself. Your life is much more important than you think. There’s so many people who feel like the easiest way out is to hurt themselves. That their lives aren’t worth living, but they really are! There’s people out there that love you so much! You may not have met them yet, but they love you. And seeing you want to end your life kills them. I want you to listen to me very closely. If you ever feel that way, you come to my page or you go find one of your favorite livestreams of Chan and you watch it. Speaking on behalf of Chan and I, we don’t want you to feel like that’s the only way. We love you so much and we care about your well being. We want to make sure that you eat well, drink well and sleep well. We want you to stay healthy and above all we want you to be happy.” Having had tears running down her face, she looks away before looking back at the camera again. “I know what depression does to people. I know because I also have it, along with anxiety, overthinking and others. I know that it can take control of your life and make you feel like you’re nothing but a burden to everyone and that everyone would be better off without you. But depression is wrong, your life means so much more. Sometimes you may have to drop out of college because it’s overwhelming. Leave that job that makes you stressful. Sometimes your medication can cause you to have depression. Whatever may be the case, there’s always ways to get you out of that rough patch and into a better place. Most of all, you need someone to lean on. Someone who will be with you through all your ups and downs. That won’t leave your side, no matter what’s going on in your life. I want you to value your life just as much as I value your life. I love all of you very much and want nothing but the best for you. That means you have to have the same belief for yourself. You can’t let those dark thoughts win, you have to fight them. If I can overcome my dark thoughts, I know you can too. You just have to believe in yourself that you can.” She smiles with tear stained eyes and cheeks. “I’m going to end the video here with one last comment. I want all of you to promise me that you won’t ever harm yourselves. I want all of y’all to live happy lives or as close to happy as you can. I love you all very much and I hope you have a wonderful day. Bye.” She blows a kiss then smiles waving her hands.

End of Flashback

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lee Know had resulted to sitting in their living room. He pulls his phone out before messaging his little brother.

He hears the door unlock and stands to grab the food before heading into Felix’s room. When he enters he notices that there’s tissues all over his bed with the same video that he likes to watch when he’s feeling down. He sees Felix next sitting up in bed looking at the screen. He takes notice of Lee Know with a bag of food. His stomach growls as he hasn’t eaten anything since he had that fight. Lee Know sits on his bed and hands him the food. “Eat.” He turns to clean up Felix’s mess. “I know you haven’t eaten anything since I don’t see any wrappers.” Lee Know looks back up at him. “Once you’re done then we’ll talk.”

Felix dreaded the talk and tried to eat slowly to extend the talk, but his body had other plans as he scarfed his food down. Lee Know didn’t pay him any attention since he knew he hadn’t eaten anything for hours. Once he was done, Lee Know took the empty container and put it to the side. He looked at Felix who was avoiding eye contact. He could see that he had been crying for hours and it made his heart shatter into pieces. He didn’t like seeing anyone cry, especially Felix (and Y/N).

“Yongbok-ah?” He test the waters to see how Felix would react. “Chan Hyung told me what happened while I was gone. I’m not here to beat down on you, okay?” He didn’t get much of a reaction out of Felix. He lets out a breath and moves up to where Felix is. He sits beside him throwing his arm around Felix and brings his head to rest on his shoulder. Looking at the screen he sees where he left off in the video, towards the end where Y/N takes about harming yourself. He decides to tell Felix something that might make him speak up.

“You know, I have a pretty big obsession with her too.” Felix’s body stiffens a bit. “I’ve come to enjoy watching her videos almost too much, but I don’t care what anyone else thinks. If I like watching someone and seeing videos of them makes me happy then I don’t see a problem with that. Sometimes when we get back from practice, I’ll pull up one of her videos and watch it or listen to it while I’m showering.” Felix finally speaks up. “Her voice is very calming.” Lee Know nods his head but realizes that Felix can’t see from where his head is on his chest now. “It is very calming. You know this is actually one of my favorite videos out of all of them. You wanna know why?” Felix lifts his head from Lee Know’s chest. “Why is that?” Lee Know smiles at him and wipes away any remaining tears that stained his freckled face. Wishing that he could have wiped the tears off her face too. “Because it shows you just how much a simple person cares for other people who they’ve never met before. That not everyone is flawless. We all have flaws, and none of us are perfect. We all go through bad days, but there are better days ahead. A light at the end of a tunnel. We could tell people that we don’t want them to ever think about hurting themselves. But to have someone who knows and has experienced this before, that shows that you can overcome anything. You just have to believe in yourself that you can.”

Lee Know pauses before continuing. “I know that you adore Y/N as much as I do, but I think you go overboard when you start talking about her all the time. I know you can’t help it because I feel the same way, but the other guys aren’t like us. They may love her content, but they don’t cherish her videos like you and I do. As far as I’m concerned, what happened between you and Seungmin is in the past. From now on if you want to geek out about how much you love and adore Y/N, you can just come to me mmhm?” Felix nods his head smiling. “Just take it down a notch. Because from the way you’re acting it’s as if you’re a Stay and Y/N is apart of Stray Kids.” Felix drops his head a little. Lee Know nudges him and then opens his arms. Felix accepts the hug and Lee Know holds him.

“There’s nothing wrong with being a fan of hers. I feel like that’s more of a privilege than a bad thing. We just need to work on not talking about it all the time, okay?” Felix nods his head. “I’ll do better Lee Know Hyung.” Lee Know places a kiss to his little brother’s head. “I know you will Yongbok-ah.” He looks back at the computer screen happy to see that Y/N’s video has gotten more views than when he saw it last. Now it’s up to 50 million views. He pressed play on the screen as they both watch her video together.

“If I ever meet her in person then I’m screwed.” Lee Know laughs making Felix laugh. “You and me both.”

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somethingclevermahogony · 3 months

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Get to Know Me Tag Game Thing

I was tagged by @loksthegreat ! Thank you!

1. are you named after anyone? Yep, my grandpa. I'm technically the 2nd. Same first, middle, and last names.

2. when was the last time you cried? Hard to say? I guess that depends on what you count as crying? I'm sure I've made myself tear up over some fictional scenerio some time in the last week. As far as a real cry goes, probably last year when my grandpa passed.

3. do you have kids? Not yet, but hopefully soon

4. what sports do you play/have you played? I did track and field, specifically I ran dashes and did hurdles. Jeez how things have changed... I also did tai chai in a class taught by a nun for a while if that counts?

5. do you use sarcasm? A bit

6. what’s the first thing you notice about someone? Honestly probably the eyes.

7. eye color? Greyish-Green

8. scary movies or happy endings? Happy Endings or Bad Scary movies. I don't really get scared by horror films, so if I'm gonna watch one I want it to be kinda fun and campy.

9. any talents? I've been told I'm a good cook, can't really think of much else off the top of my head

10. where were you born? Spokane, WA, USA

11. hobbies? Reading, writing, useless world-building, trying to draw, cooking, getting lost, DnD with my partner, falling down archaeological rabbit-holes

12. any pets? Not allowed in our flat, does a basil plant count?

13. height? 5'10 but my hair adds an extra inch or two, depending on how fluffy it is that day.

14. favorite school subject? History

15. dream job? Archaeology professor and author

Okay, I apparently need to tag 15 people, here goes. I'm gonna cheat and tag my partner first. @persnickety-peahen, @patienceofstone, @patternwelded-quill, @peresephones, @theprissythumbelina, @the-octic-scribe, @foragedbonesblog, @infinnative, @illarian-rambling, @scribble-dee-vee, @hallowedfury, @lord-nichron, @unrepentantcheeseaddict, @flaneurarbiter, and @abalonetea Anyone else who is interested can also do this!

#tag game #get to know me #writer #writerscommunity

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biconickyoshi · 4 months

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Okay y’all… I was very critical of eps 3 & 4 (especially 4) of NAtLA. Then all of a sudden eps 5 & 6 kinda slapped me in the face with how much better the show suddenly got.

Spoiler-free thoughts first:

Zuko, Iroh, and Aang have cemented themselves as the best parts about this adaptation - which is really funny considering I’m currently writing a longfic AU where Zuko and Iroh discover Aang in the iceberg right after Zuko is banished at age 13 and end up becoming the first members of the Gaang (albeit reluctantly at first lol). Episode 6: “Masks” (the Blue Spirit adaptation) was so good, I’d venture to say that it actually improved and fleshed out some things from the original series.

Episode 5: “Spirited Away”, while not as good as E6, was not as bad as I heard people say it was going to be. I think that the changes they did make didn’t bother me nearly as much as the changes they made in the last episode, and it was actually entertaining.

There were several scenes that made me cry in both of these episodes (moreso in episode 6, which I’ll get into further down in the spoiler section). These are the scenes that I feel like really tapped into the heart of the original show rather than feeling like a soulless remake.

Now for my in-depth thoughts (INCLUDES SPOILERS):

EP 5: “Spirited Away”

- Staring out, I was bummed because I had just rewatched the first two eps of the original animated series lol.

- It was an interesting choice to have all three members of the Gaang get stuck in the Spirit World, but I think it worked.

- Wan Shi Tong just showing up randomly was a bit unnecessary, but I suppose it will be kinda interesting to see him again in S2 since he’s already met the Gaang

- Hei Bai plays a much smaller role in these eps, but I strangely didn’t mind that either?

- Seeing Katara’s last memory with her mom was devastating, especially the fact that she had to witness her death and hide in the igloo with Kya’s charred body :(( she definitely has severe PTSD.

- Even Sokka’s memory made me tear up a bit

- Koh being the villain and a soul-eater or whatever was a bit of an odd choice, but I guess I can see why they did it. I do prefer him just being an asshole who steals ppl’s faces lol

- Appreciated the Fog of Lost Souls reference from the LoK lore

- Aang reuniting with Gyatso made me cry. I know some people didn’t like him being in the Spirit World, but I really liked it. Also, the fact that Gyatso was the first person to tell Aang that it wasn’t his fault the Air Nomads died, and that if he had been there he would have died too? THANK YOU! My poor boy has been berated enough for “abandoning” the world.

- We got some interesting lore about the afterlife for humans from Gyatso and Aang’s convo, which we’ve never gotten in AtLA media before. Idk if it’s just for Air Nomads, but Aang mentions that Gyatso stayed behind instead of “seeking enlightenment”. I know that the end goal in Buddhism is to reincarnate until you eventually achieve nirvana, so I wonder if that’s what they were alluding to (I’m not an expert on religions so pls correct me if I’m wrong)

- Oh yeah, I forgot June is here lmao. As a queer person I loved her (bc beautiful goth woman) but I didn’t like the weird choice to make her hit on Iroh - I guess to contrast the Iroh being creepy towards her thing in the OG series. I wish they would have just had them interact normally tbh, no weird “flirting”

EP 6: “Masks”

- Here we go y’all. The best episode in the show so far and probably the best the show is gonna get this season. I’m still pretty shocked at how good this one was.

- I think the decision to include flashbacks to Zuko’s Agni Kai was a good decision here. It felt like an appropriate episode for them and the flashbacks were very well done.

- In general, Dallas is doing a phenomenal job at portraying a Zuko who is angry and aggressive, yes, but also so very sweet and compassionate at his core. I love when little inklings of his true self shine through.

- Roku was… not what I expected. He was very much more of a lighthearted and jokey person… I didn’t hate it, it was just unexpected lol. I wonder if they did that to contrast him with Kyoshi. Which, speaking of, I’m glad Roku clarified that Aang doesn’t just need to be a merciless warrior (and that he didn’t berate Aang for “abandoning” the world like she did). But I still am annoyed about the mischaracterization of Kyoshi in general.

- RIP Shyu :/

- Thought it was kind of strange how June captures Aang at Roku’s temple lol. Like how did she get on and off the island??

- Zhao continues to feel like a completely different character to me lmao. I think this version is pretty funny, but it’s so weird to see Zhao being portrayed as so goofy and incompetent when he was such an intimidating force and the main villain of Book 1 in the OG series. Just a weird direction they went with his character.

- The Yuyan archers look cool as fuck. 10/10 no notes

- Still not sure how I feel about Azula already being this insecure and jealous of Zuko. I think it makes her feel a bit more realistically like a child, but the whole point of Azula’s character is that she is really good at maintaining this cool and calm persona on the surface, which she uses to scare and manipulate people. I can see her maybe getting to a point later on to where she hardens herself into that though. We’ll see.

- Baby Zuko asking Iroh how he looks and his little smile 😭😭😭😭 I had a physical “aww” reaction to that. THAT’S MY SON (me and Iroh shouting in unison)

- War Room scene was handled very well. No complaints. I like how Ozai tried to test Zuko with battle strategies.

- Blue Spirit break out scene was extremely close to the original, and it was really good. They adapted it almost shot for shot with all the important parts.

- Here’s probably my favorite part of the episode: Zuko and Aang’s talk inside the abandoned house after they escape from Pohuai!!!!!! Gahhhh I could gush about this scene all day. I love how they expanded it to be an actual friendly conversation between Aang and Zuko. Like we get to see Zuko’s true self coming through - the sweet, kind boy we know he is. Zuko and Aang just have such great chemistry as well, wayyy more than Aang has with either Sokka or Katara. Like I adored them bonding over painting and caligraphy!!! I think this is the best acting we’ve seen from Gordon so far, and Dallas did a phenomenal job switching back to that hurt, angry version of himself (of course a trauma response). And the fact that Aang said “sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you” when he blocked Zuko’s firebending attack??? My sweet boy 😭

- The final flashback to the Agni Kai was really well done too. I’d already heard Zuko fights back, which I wasn’t sure I’d like, but I actually didn’t mind it. I really liked that they showed Zuko’s hesitation whenever he did actually have an opening, and that was what angered Ozai the most - Zuko showing compassion, “weakness”. Daniel Dae Kim is of course doing a phenomenal job (no surprises there), and I really liked that Iroh actually attempted to stop Ozai at one point. It also looked like young Azula had tears in her eyes, which I again actually liked because it humanizes her.

- I loved that Aang was still there when Zuko woke up on the boat 😭 he wanted to make sure he was okay!! I full on started crying when we got the “do you think we could have been friends too?” lines from him. Again, Gordon killed it. I love how you can tell that Aang knows Zuko has been hurt and that’s why he acts the way he does. He doesn’t blame him for any of it. 10/10

- the last flashback to Zuko in his bed recovering from the burn… god the tears just kept flowing. I really liked the choice to have Ozai almost give Zuko a chance to like… idk understand why he did what he did, and how compassion is “weak”?? And then Zuko’s response to give people a chance 😭😭😭 as if I couldn’t love him any more!!! And then of course Ozai gets pissed. But seeing baby Zuko just cry in his bed UGH I’m dehydrated at this point

- Of course I can’t finish this review without mentioning the 41st division. What an incredible way to expand upon the source material by making them Zuko’s crew!!! It shows just how much Zuko truly cares about others and it moved me so much (once again to tears).

I don’t have high hopes for the last two episodes, but honestly, if this is what the live action can be, it gives me a bit of hope (at least for future seasons). I really think that Dallas, Gordon, Paul, and Daniel were the stars of this ep and are a big part of what made it so good.

#atla #natla #netflix atla spoilers #natla spoilers #atla live action #avatar the last airbender netflix #avatar the last airbender #atla netflix #atla meta #natla meta #zuko #aang #iroh #ozai #zukaang

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chaifootsteps · 7 days

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Still thinking about Viv's claim that she thinks both sides are in the wrong and it's bugging me enough to do a quick episode run down to see how exactly that claim stacks up. Hopefully quantifying a bit more will help see where we're actually at

Ozzies: Between episodes 6&7 Stolas gets a personality transplant and goes from calling Blitzo his 'impish little plaything' and demeaning him to being head over heels for him, calling him by his name and bowing to him. When the car drives away the camera lingers on Stolas crying, though the episode ends on Blitzo and his emotions so we'll call this one even

Queen Bee: We see Blitzo's emotions in the aftermath in the form of a self-destructive bender, but noticeably what he says to Loona is that he's upset that he'll die alone. He doesn't say anything about being upset about feeling used or mistreated by Stolas (he even says his name along with the others before he throws up)

The Circus: Retcons galore backstory about how Stolas and Blitzo were childhood friends and despite using him for sex all s1, Stolas was apparently really in love with Blitzo the whole time?? It doesn't make a lot of sense but go with it. Episode ends with a song where Stolas not only implies Blitzo was somehow lying to him this whole time (Genius.com contributor suggests Stolas believed Blitzo actually loved him, which seems the obvious interpretation of these lyrics) but also makes him out to be a weak victim. He shows no guilt whatsoever for the part he played in making Blitzo feel degraded and used.

What’s between you and I Just a comfortable lie I’m the fool who believes When you look in my eyes

Seeing Stars: Stolas being framed as badass while he's choking his butler and it not being remotely bad on his part that he continues to sexually accost Blitzo in their first meeting after Ozzie's. Any criticisms Blitzo makes of Stolas (not remembering his own spells) are dismissed by Stolas with nonsensical arguments (it's relevant Blitzo can't remember Moxxie's phone number, apparently?)

Exes and Ohs: Stolas isn't in this episode or mentioned at all

Western Energy: Text message exchange after Ozzie's show Stolas giving a non apology where he doesn't actually address the problem, literally doing a 'I'm sorry if something I said or did upset you'. Episode ends on Stolas alone in the hospital where the viewer should pity him that Blitzo didn't come to visit :(

Unhappy Campers: No Stolas!

Oops: Blitzo dismisses the notion that Stolas cares about him by using examples obviously meant to favor Stolas. He is framed as jaded and unreasonable and Fizz is the obvious voice of reason. The imp who hates royalty is called a supremacist, Blitzo is the in between who dislikes Stolas and Fizz - the one who capes for royalty - is presented as in the right

Full Moon: Blitzo again criticizes Stolas, without getting to mention anything specific from s1. He is framed as going too far and tries to apologize. Stolas acts like the deal was a mutual thing even when admitting it was wrong

By my count that's basically no examples in Blitzo's favor. And I imagine if we counted all the Twitter likes from Viv on posts favoring Blitzo we'd turn up a big goose egg there, too

Careful, now! You laid out all the facts and stated them plainly, and we know that that makes a certain subset of fans angry and scared.

Viv can claim that "they're supposed to both be in the wrong" all she likes, but it doesn't mean a thing if every other word of writing in season 2 suggests the opposite. I guess the real test will come in Apology Tour, when we get to see who's actually doing the apologizing.

#Anonymous #viv stuff #helluva boss critical #stolitz critical #actual blog post

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brbsoulnomming · 8 months

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Tell Me Sweet Little Lies Part 22

-----

Hopper arrives the next morning with all the grace of a bull in a china shop, bustling his way inside and taking the coffee that Steve offers him with a grunt of thanks.

"You sure you don't want to press charges against that asshole?" Hopper asks.

Guess he saw Steve's car, then. The party'd helped clean up the paint on the driveway, but the tailight's still busted.

"Not yet. Might change my mind, depending on how today goes," Steve says.

It's surreal, watching Chief Hopper - former Chief Hopper - sitting in Steve Harrington's living room, drinking coffee. Eddie hasn't seen him since the pictures that circulated after Starcourt, and the guy looks… well. Hopper'd always been rough around the edges, but now he looks like he's just barely coming out of being in pretty rough shape.

He catches Eddie looking, and his eyes narrow for a moment before his gaze softens.

"I'm sorry you got caught up in all this, kid," Hopper says gruffly.

Eddie gives a little shrug. "I'm not."

Steve's head whips around to stare at him, holding his breath like he's waiting for something, and - oh.

"Not a lie, Stevie," he says, offering him a little smile.

"Yeah, I can see that," Steve grumbles. "Just wondering if you're the one who's had a few too many blows to the head now."

Hopper grimaces.

"I'm not saying I'm happy about being a suspected serial killer or nearly dying in the Upside Down, but look, this was going on under my nose this whole time. I'd rather be in the know than oblivious."

"Is it too much to ask for just one of you kids to not be eager to throw yourselves into this?" Hopper asks, but it's clearly the kind of question that doesn't need an answer.

Naturally, Eddie gives him one anyway.

"That's what happens when you give a party like us a real campaign to be a part of," he says, all wide grins and easy bravado and complete disregard for his own nightmares or exactly how many times he was convinced he was going to die.

Hopper looks at him like he's speaking French, then looks back at Steve.

"Yeah," Steve says. "He plays the same game the kids do. He runs their little club now."

"Great," Hopper groans, and Robin gives a little giggle snort.

There's a knock on the door, and even though they're expecting his uncle, Eddie has to fight the urge to duck down and hide.

He wonders when that's going to go away, if it ever will.

But sure enough, Steve comes back with Uncle Wayne in tow, who does a double take at seeing Hopper.

"Jesus Christ, Jim," his uncle says.

"Never thought you'd see my ugly mug again, huh?" Hopper asks with a little grin.

"It has been a lot quieter around with your occasional midnight calls," Uncle Wayne returns, taking it in stride.

Hopper snorts. "Bringing this one back to get him out of trouble's a far cry from what we've got now."

They turn to look at Eddie, and he flushes.

"Yeah, thank you, we're all aware I'm in a lot deeper than some illicit substance charges," he mutters. "Can we talk about what we're going to do to get me out of it?"

Hopper drains the rest of his coffee. "You and I are walking into the station together."

"Wait," Steve says, followed immediately by Robin asking, "What?"

"Are you guys ready for that?" Eddie adds.

Hopper snorts. "Ready to what, come back from the dead? Is anyone ready for that? Look, Murray says his contacts are as ready now as they're going to be in a few weeks, and I'm not waiting longer than that."

Eddie can hear the disdain dripping off the word contacts, and it makes him wonder once again who exactly this Murray guy is.

"If you walk in there, they're going to care a whole lot more about that than about Eddie," Steve says.

Hopper lifts his empty cup at him in a parody of a cheers. "That's the idea. They want a story, we give them a story."

"So, uh. What is our story, exactly?" Robin asks.

"I got injured really badly in the fire at Starcourt, and it wasn't until the government agents were doing clean up that I got found. I've been in a coma since then. I come back into town, and who do I find but Eddie Munson hiding out in my old cabin in the woods. I get him to tell me what happened, and convince him to turn himself in," Hopper says.

"And what am I supposed to say happened?" Eddie asks.

"Joyce says the truth, as much as possible. Henry Creel attacked you and Chrissy, and you barely made it out. You were hiding from both Creel and Jason Carver's little mob while Creel kept killing. You stumbled on this crew investigating, Creel attacked, and you and Steve fought him off right before the earthquake hit. That's what you told them at the hospital, isn't it?"

"Something like that, yeah," Steve says. "I don't think I said who it was, but I can't really remember. I wasn't exactly in top shape."

"Then Powell knows that much already. Callahan can hardly find the nose on his face, but Powell's probably been putting together some of the pieces. Eddie ran from the hospital when he got worried that Carver would find him there, and he's been hiding ever since," Hopper finishes.

"That… that could work, yeah," Eddie admits.

"And as long as you're vague, none of it will show up as a lie, Eds," Steve agrees.

Hopper fixes him with a sour look. "You are going in there to file a report about the damage to your property, and that's only because I know you won't stay home. You don't have to press charges, but you're putting that report on the record, and then you're sitting your ass down in that waiting room. Don't even think about coming back with me and Munson unless I call you, understand?"

Steve's expression has steadily been growing pissier, and now he just glares at Hopper. "Really, you're trying to make me stay on the bench now?"

"Someone has to, apparently!" Hopper retorts.

"If you think I'm not going to be right there with my soulmate-" Steve starts.

"If you think I'm letting you-" Hopper says over him.

"You can't treat me like I'm a kid!" Steve insists.

"I can if you're acting like one!" Hopper shouts.

"Jim!" Uncle Wayne cuts in sharply.

Hopper turns his glare onto him, but Uncle Wayne just stares right back at him, unimpressed. There's a stand off for a moment - Eddie looks between Steve and Robin, to find Steve deflating a little and Robin's expression etched in confusion.

After a moment, Hopper cuts his eyes away, back towards Steve. "Come with me for a minute," he says gruffly, stomping over to the other side of the room.

Steve tosses a conflicted look at Robin and Eddie, but goes with him, looking confused.

Uncle Wayne watches them for a moment, then, seemingly satisfied, ruffles Eddie's hair and says, "Coffee in the kitchen?"

"Yeah, uh, mugs in the cabinet above the sink," Eddie says, a little thrown.

Robin drops down onto the couch, and Eddie plops next to her, both of them just watching the quiet, terse conversation Steve and Hopper are having.

"I didn't know Steve and Hopper were that close," Eddie mutters.

Or, well - he knows what he assumed when he heard Steve talking about Hopper's adopted daughter, that it was his parents who were cozy with the chief of police, but clearly he was wrong.

Robin leans over, elbows propped up on her knees. "Steve said Hopper used to come by and check on him sometimes, in between things, but I'm not sure they were really, like, close?"

Eddie's brow furrows. "Then what's with the…" He gestures at Hopper awkwardly clapping Steve on the shoulder.

Robin grimaces a little. "Steve kind of made Joyce Byers cry when they got back."

"What? How?" And why the hell would that endear Steve to Hopper?

"He tried to apologize for not having a handle on things here." Robin rests her chin in her hand. "Said he knew they were counting on him, and he was sorry he let them down."

Of course he did. Eddie closes his eyes. "Jesus Christ, Steve."

Robin makes a little disgruntled sound that he's going to assume is agreement.

"We all made it out, though," Eddie says. "How is this time worse than the others?"

There's a thoughtful hum. "The gates have always been closed, before. I mean, kind of seems like they always keep coming back anyway, but at least before it felt like maybe this time it could really be it, it could be the end. We don't have that, now."

Now they know Vecna is still out there, biding his time. It's hard to imagine anything else, for Eddie, but if the others had actually thought it was over, had a bit of a reprieve - yeah, he can see how this would hit harder.

"And Steve is used to being the one who gets hit the hardest," Eddie says slowly.

But not this time. This time, he and Max got hurt, too.

"Mrs. Byers told Steve and Nancy that she knew she was leaving the kids in good hands when she left," Robin says. "So I think it made her realize how much pressure she put on them, and now her and Hopper feel guilty about it. Plus Hopper found out about the whole Steve being tortured last year thing."

Eddie manages not to wince, but only because it's Robin saying it. He bites his lip, weighing how much he wants Robin's opinion on this against talking about Steve's nightmares behind his back, but - it's Robin.

"I don't want him to have to be questioned with me," he says, all in a rush. "He says it'd be fine, but I'm worried it'll be too much like - that."

Robin's knee starts jiggling, and he leans against it to steady her.

"If their plan works, he won't have to," she says.

"But what if it doesn't? Do you really think he's just going to be fine?"

For a moment, he's not sure she's going to answer, but then she whispers, "No."

Shit, he knew it.

"Can't we do something?" he asks, a little desperate. "It's not worth it, Robin."

He pretends he doesn't know that sentence would be just as true if he'd said I instead of it.

He pretends even harder that she can't hear it anyway.

Robin watches him, something wary and considering in her eyes. She isn't distant, but she's just a touch more closed off than he's gotten used to.

It throws him for a moment before he realizes that Steve must have told her about how their conversation went last night. About how he broke her soulmate's heart, and here he is now acting like he has any right to try to protect it, like she and him are still a team when it comes to keeping Steve safe.

He almost pulls back, has a stammered withdrawal on the tip of his tongue, when her shoulder presses against his.

"Steve thinks it is," she says simply, like that's enough.

"Robin," he starts, but he doesn't know what else to say to that.

She's shaking her head like she's cutting him off anyway, though, so maybe it doesn't matter.

"I don't understand it," she says bluntly. "You want him, and he wants you, and frankly I think you need to get over Steve having two soulmates. But Steve says I'm being unreasonable, and I recognize that he may have a point given our current circumstances."

Eddie's temper flares. "That's easy for you to say," he snaps, only barely remembering to keep his voice down. "You have another soulmate out there, too. You don't know-"

He cuts off, and her eyes flash.

"What, Eddie? What don't I know?" she hisses.

"How it feels to know someone is the only one for you, but you're not the only one for them!" he hisses back. "Platonic, romantic, he's the only soulmate I've got, and I'm not-"

He cuts off again. It's never been a lie when he thought to himself that he loves the part of Steve that is Robin, or that he loves Robin, or that he wants both of them in his life, or even that he likes that Steve has another soulmate and that it's Robin.

But when he tries to tell himself he doesn't care that Steve has two soulmates and he has one, or that it doesn't affect him at all -

That part is a lie.

Their circumstances, as Robin put it, have meant that he's gotten in deep with them very quickly, that it's forced him to rapidly be okay with a scenario he never imagined, but it also means he hasn't had any time to really come to terms with it.

"I'm trying, okay?" he says. "I only have so much brain space, and it's been a little occupied with not dying and dodging murder charges."

She still looks a little puffed up at him, and for a moment he has the absurd thought of the two of them like a pair of cats, hissing and spitting at each other, and that - he shrinks in on himself, just a little, and she deflates.

"Don't do that," she grumbles. "Make yourself all small and sad. I'm not Steve, you can't sway me with that."

It kind of seems like he can, but he takes the tentative peace instead of teasing her about it.

"Thank you," he says instead.

Robin narrows her eyes at him. "For what?"

His brain shorts out for a moment.

"Uh," he says intelligently. "Fighting nice with me?"

She doesn't soften, exactly, but she does look a little sad.

"I don't - know how to do this," he admits. "I've never - okay, I've never a lot of things, but this." He gestures at him and Steve, and then him and her, and then him and her and Steve. "It means a lot that it's not screaming matches or burning bridges."

She blows out a huff of air. "Fine. You've got a reprieve, Munson, figure your shit out or I'm coming back for you. Now shut up, and let's keep you out of jail and Steve from getting handcuffs slapped on him."

–

Hopper drives him to the police station in silence.

Well, mostly silence. There's terrible music playing over the radio, and Hopper had initiated some stilted conversation going over their plan again, but after that?

Zilch.

Fortunately, it isn't a terribly long drive.

When they get there, though, Hopper shuts off the engine but doesn't get out yet.

Eddie manages to resist the urge to sit on his hands to keep himself from fidgeting.

"You didn't come all this way just to actually arrest me, right?" he jokes.

Or he tries to joke, but he's pretty sure it comes out a little nervous.

"What? No, come on," Hopper grumbles. "Look, I just want to make sure you know that you're walking out of there, all right? We go in together, we're leaving together."

"Why?" Eddie blurts out.

Hopper looks incredulously at him.

"Why are you doing this for me?" Eddie clarifies. "You guys used to bust me all the time, and I know you went lenient on me, but-"

"Munson," Hopper cuts off with a growl. "I'm not doing this for you. We're doing this because you didn't kill anyone, and you're stuck in this now. So you should shut up and accept it."

Eddie considers if it's worth pushing his luck.

Hopper apparently correctly interprets the look on his face, because rolls his eyes and shoves the door open, storming out and leaving Eddie scrambling to undo his seatbelt and follow him.

His uncle's truck is already there, and so is Steve's BMW, smashed tail light and all.

He lingers at the door, just briefly, trying to talk himself up - but then Hopper grabs the back of his shirt collar and yanks him inside.

Eddie's heart is pounding, and he automatically scans the room - sees his uncle talking to Flo, sees Steve leaning back in a chair with a folder in front of him, feels it calm his nerves just a little.

"Heard you lot were looking for the Munson kid," Hopper announces.

The station goes silent.

Eddie raises his hands up. "Well, officers, looks like you finally caught this outlaw."

Somewhat predictably, chaos erupts.

Callahan is struggling to bolt up and pull his gun at the same time, shouting, "On the ground, now!"

Flo is yelling, "His hands are up you idiot, don't you dare draw that weapon in here!"

Steve is scrambling to his feet, looking like he's going to bodily shove himself between Callahan and Eddie.

Hopper gets there first, though, stepping half in front of Eddie with a sigh.

"Powell?" he calls.

"Yeah, Chief?" Powell responds instinctively.

Hopper bares his teeth in something that might be a grin, nodding at him. "Not anymore. How about we talk in your office?"

"Seems best to me," Chief Powell agrees, then shouts, "Hey hey! All of you get back to work, I'm handling this."

Powell leads them back into the office, shutting the door behind them. Eddie glances back before he does, and can see absolutely no one getting back to work.

Eddie drops into one of the chairs, ready for more dramatics, but Powell isn't even looking at him.

Rude. How is he supposed to cover his nerves now?

"We thought you were dead, Jim," Powell says quietly.

"So did I, for a while," Hopper replies.

"What happened?" Powell asks.

Hopper raises an eyebrow at him. "You want the whole truth?"

Which is not at all what they agreed on, and Eddie sits up in alarm, but Hopper waves a hand at him.

"This have anything to do with Hawkins Lab again?" Powell asks tiredly.

Hopper looks at him pointedly.

Powell grimaces, sitting in the chair behind the desk. "Bare minimum, Hopper, I'm talking as few details as possible."

"You know Kline was into some shady shit. Turns out it was foreign shady shit. The Russians got real pissed off when they found out I was a part of blowing up their little copycat Hawkins Lab under the mall. I've been their guest up until a few weeks ago."

"Shit." Powell scrubs a hand over his face, looking at Hopper with obvious concern. "Jim-"

"It's done." Hopper pulls an envelope out of the inside of his jacket and tosses it on the desk. "What's important now is these murders."

"Let me guess." Powell says, nudging the envelope towards himself like it might blow up. "More Hawkins lab?"

"One of its former employees," Hopper says. "Henry Creel."

Powell looks up. "As in the Creel murders? The kid whose father killed their whole family?"

"Whole family but him," Hopper says. "He ended up working in the lab, until it shut down. Twisted little shit like that, no where to get out his sick little urges?"

"We got ourselves a serial killer," Powell says.

Hopper taps the envelope. "Employee record's all in there."

Powell rubs at his jaw, then finally looks at Eddie. "How'd you get involved?"

Eddie slouches down. "He wanted Chrissy. I didn't - I couldn't-"

"Wrong place, wrong time," Hopper cuts in. "Munson barely got out of there alive. He's been hiding this whole time."

"I knew what it looked like, okay?" Eddie snaps. "Carver and his crew were gunning after me. I tried to talk to him, to tell him I didn't do it, but he wouldn't stop. Said he was going to make sure I got what I deserved. It's why I left the hospital."

Powell leans forward a little. "How did you end up in the hospital?"

Eddie swallows. "Some of my friends were out in the woods where I was hiding, they found me. But Creel found us, too. He went after Max. Harrington and I tried to stop him, but-"

He shrugs, and lifts up his shirt to flash his bandages and healing injuries, then drops it down.

"Found him hiding out in my cabin when I got back," Hopper says dryly. "Munson's soulmate is ready to prove he's telling the truth, Powell. You really want to put two kids through that?"

Eddie jerks up, glaring at Hopper in betrayal - he thought they were both pretty on the same page about not involving Steve in this - but Powell just grimaces.

"Do I want to tell Lillian Harrington that her son waived his soulmate rights and we questioned him without a lawyer? Hell no."

Eddie gapes at him.

Powell fixes him with a look. "Steve Harrington carried you into that hospital, despite his injuries being so bad he collapsed right after. He was adamant about not pressing charges against Jason Carver, and now he's out there dithering about filing a report while you're telling me there's a soulmate waiting in the wings to swoop in? I wasn't born yesterday."

Eddie puffs himself up a little, ready to insist that Steve had nothing to do with this - as soon as he can figure out how to say it without lying - but Powell just waves a hand at him, almost exactly the same way Hopper'd done just a few minutes ago.

"I told Steve, you're not our top suspect anymore. We just wanted to ask you some questions."

Eddie shifts his weight. "And here I was getting used to being Hawkins Most Wanted."

Hopper groans. "Cut that shit out, kid."

Eddie looks back and forth between them. "So that - that's it? I can go?"

"I would suggest you don't leave town, but yes, you're not under arrest," Powell says, finally opening the envelope and looking through it. "Not a bad idea if you both make a statement I can give to the press, though."

Hopper hums. "How soon can they release it?"

Powell snorts. "Story like this? We're looking at six o'clock news tonight, front page tomorrow morning."

Hopper looks at him. "Kid."

Eddie fidgets with his wrist brace. He wants to ask if his uncle can come back - he wants to ask if Steve can come in, too, but he feels even more guilty about that, and he doesn't want to risk it even if Powell did say they wouldn't be questioning him.

So he sits up a little straighter and nods. "Yeah. I can do that."

–

When they're done, Hopper escorts him out of the station with one hand on his back, Uncle Wayne and Steve flanking him.

He can't help the choked laugh that bubbles up - he feels like a rockstar, getting ushered away from paparazzi by his security team.

"You should get out of here and lay low," Hopper says outside the station. "Press should be here soon. I'll stay, answer a few questions."

He heads back into the station, leaving Eddie outside with Uncle Wayne and Steve.

There's no one else out there, but the skin on the back of his neck prickles.

It's the longest he's stood outside in the middle of town in weeks.

Steve scrubs a hand over his jaw. "I'm gonna stay with Hopper," he says.

I don't think he should have to do it alone, Eddie hears, and he can't help but give a little snort at his soulmate's soft heart.

Like Eddie himself isn't just as bad.

"Here," Steve says, holding something out.

Eddie automatically reaches out to take it, and a key is pressed into his hand.

"Everyone's probably going to want to come over," he says. "You guys can let yourselves back in. Eds, I think there's lasagna in the freezer if you want to heat it up?"

"Yeah, it was there when I got the bacon out this morning," Eddie agrees, purposefully not looking at Uncle Wayne.

He doesn't want to see what his uncle's face is doing about him and Steve discussing what's in their freezer.

Steve's freezer, shit.

"You don't have to give me your key, man, Robin or someone'll let us in," Eddie says.

Steve's expression falls, just a little, but then his chin tilts back up. "No," he says softly. "That's yours. You can - I want you to stay. You don't have to, since you're not a fugitive, but I want you to."

Eddie's face heats up so fast he feels almost dizzy.

It feels stupid, knowing Steve, but somehow he hadn't planned on Steve wanting him to stay, too.

He risks sneaking a look at his uncle, who's looking back at him with his eyebrows raised and a little smirk.

"Course I'll stay," Eddie manages to get out. "At least until you get tired of me."

Steve brightens, then rolls his eyes. "Not going to happen," he replies, then seems to remember that Uncle Wayne is standing right there, because he turns to him. "You'd be welcome to stay, of course. I mean, Dustin kind of takes over one of the guest rooms whenever he can, but we have a second one."

A second one that no one's using, because Eddie's been sleeping with Steve, and now he's pretty sure his face couldn't get any redder.

He hopes that his uncle doesn't pick up the implications that Steve clearly isn't aware he's laying down, but unfortunately, Eddie can see Uncle Wayne's little smirk grow.

Still, he doesn't say anything about it.

"Thank you," his uncle says gruffly. "But I'm good at the hotel."

Steve heads back inside after Hopper, and Eddie follows his uncle to his truck.

"Not a word, old man," Eddie grumbles.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Uncle Wayne replies.

That doesn't stop him from laughing at him on the drive back, though.

Sure enough, Robin and Dustin are already there, and it's not long before everyone else shows up.

Including Joyce Byers, who hugs him long and tight and makes him have to excuse himself to go get the lasagna out of the freezer so he doesn't burst into tears.

Hopper and Steve both end up live on the six o'clock news. Chief Powell leads the press conference, and Hopper begrudgingly answers a handful of questions. He gives the coma story, talks about working with a private investigator friend to find out what happened during the time he was missing, reports that he has no current plans to retake the mantle of Chief of Police.

Hawkins has a fine one in Chief Powell, apparently, and Hopper wants to be with his family for now.

Chief Powell gives a brief update on the murder case, reporting that Eddie is no longer considered a suspect, and they have new evidence that points to Henry Creel, including several witnesses to the attacks.

Steve steps in only briefly to identify himself as one of them, stating that he was attacked by Henry Creel as well and can positively identify him. When asked how he survived, he shrugs and says he helped his friends fight him off, that it wasn't the first time they've all been in a dangerous situation.

The story ends with a picture of Eddie himself, the reporter stating again that no charges have been filed against him, and that -

That's it.

Eddie almost doesn't know what to do with himself.

The next few days are weird.

He still stays inside, most of the time, but he does go out a couple of times. With his uncle to get dinner, with Steve to the auto store to get a new tail light, with Hopper to sign a couple of more things at the station. Just enough to ease back into it, to remind the town that fuck you, he's still here.

Andy Johnson and Eric Carson stop by and apologize.

To Steve, which makes him all pissy, but Eddie thinks is frankly hilarious.

They promise they left right after they finished talking to Steve and Robin that night, and they had no idea that Jason was going to come back and mess with his car. They're not going to have anything to do with him until he gets his head back on straight.

Privately, he's not convinced Jason ever had his head on straight, but he doesn't do more than waggle his eyebrows significantly at Steve from where Andy and Eric can't see him.

Besides that, things are quiet.

Even though Eddie was kind of expecting something - there's no sign of Jason.

Up next: Eddie gets more orders to sort his shit out, so okay fine he guesses he has to

-----

Part 23

Tag list (always happy to add more!): @vampireinthesun @koibug @estrellami-1 @mentalcyborg @allbimyself26 @questionablequeeries @the-s-is-silent @whimsicalwitchm @a-gae-af-racoon @tinyplanet95 @n0-1-important @velocitytimes2 @swimmingbirdrunningrock @newtstabber @jcmadgirl @roblingoblin285 @lexyvey @paperbackribs @goodolefashionedloverboi @evix-syne666 @raisedbylibrarians @stxrcrossed186 @nightmareglitter @greekgeek24 @starman-jpg @crazyhatlady86 @imfinereallyy @manda-panda-monium @deleataecount @prideandsensibility @chaoticvictorianspirit @maydillydally @disrespectedgoatman @scarlet-malfoy @i-less-than-three-you @hbyrde36 @hallucinatedjosten @dragonsandgayships @arepaconchocolate @g4ys0n @novelnovella @bisexualdisastersworld @ghostofyourvampiregf @scarletyeager @pettrichore @nerd-and-nervous @hiimlevi @queenie-ofthe-void @cinnamon-mushroomabomination

#steddie #steddie fanfic #eddie munson #steve harrington #robin buckley #jim hopper #wayne munson #steddie soulmate au #platonic soulmates stobin

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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 11 months

Note

I just read through the Wish Upon A Star event for the first time and it's a nice heartfelt story! But hoo BOY do some things about this event feel unexpectedly heavier now with the context of Book 6 and what's currently out for Book 7, particularly with the Diasomnia boys ...

Wish Upon a Star was really nice for the Shroud brothers' story in hindsight! I wouldn't say the event has anything "essential" (you can still understand book 6 without seeing any of Wish Upon a Star), but it definitely adds extra context (like sprinkles on top of an ice-cream sundae!) and some vague foreshadowing to the upcoming main story happenings. (It helped a lot that both brothers were featured cards for this event; they could share the spotlight!) We learn some new information that is fundamentally rooted in what we already know of the Shroud brothers (ie Idia is into video games, Ortho is supportive of his brother) and how it all plays together in a grander narrative. Star Rogue was actually first introduced in this event as something important to Idia and Ortho's childhoods, which later becomes a recurring motif in book 6. The book even closes on Idia playing it with all of his new NRC friends (?). The legend of the Starsending itself, of course, refers to the story of Pinocchio, where a puppet turned into a real boy--a theme which eventually carries over to Ortho, the robot that gains humanity. Additionally, we get a more in-depth exploration of Ortho and Idia's relationship in Wish Upon a Star. We see that Ortho, despite being a robot who would easily be able to look up anything he doesn't understand, still has a child-like wonder about wishes coming true and even dedicates his own wish to hoping that his older brother's wish comes true. It's Idia who expresses a deep cynicism for the Starsending and acts like a buzzkill (pointing out that the stars most likely react to people's body temperature rather than light up in response to being whispered a wish). This reflects their behavior in book 6 too: Idia is the one who has given up hope, and Ortho is the one who seeks to help his brother's dreams come true.

I guess something similar applies for the Diasomnia boys? 🤔 Although to be fair, this event came out in summer of 2020 (when the game itself first launched in March 2020), so we didn't know a ton about the Diasomnia boys back then. A lot of what they said for their wishes would have easily been dismissed as just normal characterization, but it definitely comes off as more ominous knowing what we now know of book 7:

Sebek’s wish: “I wish for the whole world to kneel before our king.” WELL. You definitely got that wish granted, Sebek 😭 cuz all of Twisted Wonderland is about to kneel over in a deep sleep once Malleus’s UM spreads far enough… Sebek is pretty much always going on about how powerful Malleus is, but in book 7 it’s not so fun having to deal with that magic now turned against us and set on consuming the world.

Silver’s wish: “I wish… for my father to have a long life.” When we first heard of this, the assumption was that Lilia would outlive Silver?? Especially with how spry Lilia is portrayed to be… BUT THEN IT TURNS OUT 700 YEAR OLD LILIA’S MAGIC IS ON THE DECLINE AND HE WANTS TO GO DIE ALONE IN A FOREIGN LAND 😩 Silver also mentions during his wish segment that he owes a lot to his father and isn’t close to repaying him for everything he has done. This is a sentiment Silver shares again in book 7… in which he then proceeds to break down and cry in front of Malleus about those insecurities 😭

Lilia’s wish: “My wish is… for humans, fae, and all other species to live in harmony.” This one hits super different because right now we’re witnessing Lilia’s past self as a general actively fighting against humans and being suspicious of them. His present self is much more peace and harmony loving, even instilling in Silver a respect for all creatures and lecturing Malleus and Sebek for their sometimes ignorant behavior towards other races. He acknowledges the challenges that come with bringing together those from all walks of life, but he’s also the first to preach about how the importance of it. People may be weak alone, but they can come together like the threads on a spindle to become something stronger together. This is a testament to how much Lilia’s feelings and him as an individual have evolved over time. What’s even sadder is that when you read Lilia’s words, it definitely sounds like he’s reflecting on his unsavory past, and wishing for a better world for the future: “You've learned about […] all the countless tales of our failure to compromise, and the resulting conflicts? I have no desire to see such history repeated.” So he makes the same wish every year…

Malleus’s wish: “I wish for Roaring Drago (Gao-Gao Dragon-kun) to make a friend.” Gao-Gao makes his first appearance in Malleus’s Labwear vignettes, but becomes a more integral part of Malleus’s story in other materials, then culminates as a motif in book 7. The importance of this virtual pet cannot be understated in regards to its connection with Malleus’s understanding of human lives and change. Prior to book 7, we see Gao-Gao as something “like Malleus”—it’s alone, a dragon hatched from an egg. (One can say that wishing for Gao-Gao to have friends is a metaphor for how Malleus himself wants friends.) During book 7, the perception of Gao-Gao changes; now it is likened to Malleus’s loved ones. He fears them leaving, just like Gao-Gao does when he’s all grown up—and so Malleus justifies his extreme actions with the excuse of, “I want them to live a happy fantasy forever and ever, just as though Gao-Gao were with me for all of time”. It’s how Malleus rationalizes his actions and comes to understand others. What makes Gao-Gao and even more prominent symbol in book 7 is its ties with Lilia; as Malleus notes in his Starsending segment, Gao-Gao was a gift from Lilia’s travels… and Gao-Gao set to leave once it has fully matured, so, too, comes the painful reminder that Lilia set to leave soon. It puts more pressure on Malleus to act, to come up with some kind of solution for a “happily ever after”. It’s his way of keeping his friends with him… whether they want it or not.

#twst #twisted wonderland #Diasomnia #Malleus Draconia #Lilia Vanrouge #Sebek Zigvolt #Silver #disney twisted wonderland #spoilers #notes from the writing raven #Idia Shroud #Ortho Shroud #Ignihyde #Pinocchio

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orchid-mantis-petals · 5 months

Text

WHEN HOME BECOMES YOU CHAPTER 6

/ Hi, Hola. I am absolutely covered in cat hair. Both my kiddos are shedding and had decided to literally pile on me while I tried to work out this chapter..Oh..yeah..CHAPTER 6 IS FINALLY HERE..MY EYES NEED A BREAK..

/ As always a HUGE thank you to my two besties @maximumkillshot and @taeminsung for providing love and inspiration to me throughout this fic. Your support and love are what keeps this going.

/ Genre: Angst, Fluff, comfort, a touch of crack.

/ Warnings: Anxiety, nightmares, yelling, screaming, food, oh and as always cursing..

/ Summary:

“Y/N, my darling, oh little dove there is no reason to cry. You belong to me. Now come here, come to me,” his hand a vice in your hair as he dragged your face close to his. The soft tone of his voice was a lie, his other hand came to clasp over your jaw as he forced you to look him in the eye. “Don’t you see dovey, you belong to me,” you whimpered as you moved your hands to wrap around his wrist. Both of your hands worked to envelop his hand that held your jaw. With a tug you found his pressure point he let go with a yelp. You scrambled to your feet, the hard wood slipped against your socks as you tried to get away. You didn’t get far, in the inches you gained he snagged you by your ankle the force of his grip was sure to bruise you as you collided with the floor. His hands over you once more. He laughed as you cried in agony. “Beg for me Dovey!! Beg for my fucking mercy!!” He spat in your face fist wrapped in your hair.

Your heart ricocheted in your chest as you sat up out of bed. Ever since Japan your nightmares have had more frequent appearances. In between schedules you managed to get your number changed in hopes further contact with him would cease. Though it didn’t help the anxiety that seemed to rise. Tears pricked your waterline at the frustration. In your desperation you screamed at the top of your lungs. You were sure your neighbors would send in a complaint about you but you didn’t care. The sheer pressure of it all seeped out of you as your scream turned into a sob. No matter how hard you willed all of the pain surfaced through your cries. Your hands began to claw at your throat as you willed yourself to calm the fuck down. In your bed you rocked forward and back as tears spotted the sheets below your body. The world around you blurred as the salt water invaded your vision. Beside you your phone buzzed. But you didn’t hear it. Not while your chest tightened with the effort to try and bring in air. Finally with a choked gasp your body relented its torment against you. You began to breathe again, your sobs grew louder with the effort to breathe. This time when your phone buzzed you heard it. A sweet picture of you and Lix from Japan flashed over your screen. You willed your voice to calm before you slid your finger over the accept button.

“Hello??” Your voice wasn’t as even as you hoped, and the sniffle you let out didn’t add to your cause.

“Starlight?? Are you crying??” He’d done it now, with a shaky inhale you squeaked and affirmation. “Oh sweet thing, what's wrong??” Korea was your new start. There was no way you would drag them into your mess that had tried to follow you here.

“It’s nothing Lix. Just a bad dream,” you didn’t lie, evaded the overall question maybe. But you didn’t lie.

“Well, then I guess my call is well timed. Jinnie and I want to take you out and spoil you a little!!” Ever since Japan Hyunjin had become a friend to you. During breaks he would play with your hair or like Felix, he chose to stick close to your side. With the two of them Han also wasn’t far behind. Shyer and more reserved but he was always keen to speak to you. Changbin too, though it seemed Japan had changed his overall shy demeanor near you. Like Hyunjin, if he could, he'd stick close to you. Talk to you, Felix and Hyunjin made that hard sometimes the pair enjoyed your company so much they tended to monopolize your time between schedules or during breaks.

“Lixie..” the Australian insisted you used that nickname like the rest of his friends.

“Please, don’t say no. We’re already kinda here,” fuck..you weren’t ready for them. Let alone company at all. With a heavy sigh you slid from your bed. The sheets tangled around your legs in your fight for freedom from him in your sleep.

“I’ll buzz you up,” you relented as you walked to the intercom system at your front door. You hit the combo to open the front door and let them up into the building. Part of you regretted letting them have the address to your studio but it was too late now you supposed. When you opened the front door for them their shock was evident. Felix cocked his head at you, your face still red, a little blotchy from your tears. He scooped you up in one of his usual sunshine hugs easing the last of the tension that resided in your muscles. Hyunjin on the other hand, had this awkward look of disgust at the overall barrenness of your apartment. You had one small crappy couch, a bed and a night table. But really that was it. His eyes darted around casting the obvious side eye toward the unknowns of your apartment.

“You’d think no one lives here,” he covered his mouth the moment he said it not having meant to. His filter was all but nonexistent sometimes. “Sorry,” he relaxed at your chuckle.

“It’s alright Hyunjin, I don't own much. Those three boxes are all I really have,” you pointed to the tiny stack of boxes tucked away in a corner. Much like they were at Axel’s when they were in America. Hyunjin cast a look to Felix, the smaller of the two lifted his brows at the other. “Right while the two of you have your strange telepathic conversation I’m going to get dressed,” you slipped upstairs holding the hem of your sleep shirt down, having realized you didn’t really have pants on. You hadn’t thought to put any on your company was unexpected.

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

Felix watched you disappear into the loft section of your apartment out of their sight. “Jinnie I’m worried,” when he turned around he found the taller had already begun to rummage through the small boxes you had pointed at earlier.

“About what Lix??” Felix stood at the taller blonde's side as he poked around at the contents within. His worries were disregarded for a moment. When the older looked up, the things in his hands were all but forgotten. “What’s got you upset??”

“Y/N she was crying earlier,” ever the empath when another was in pain Felix felt it too. When he heard your soft sniffle over the phone the slight wobble in your voice he knew something was wrong. Your time with them hadn’t been long. A month at most. But in that time you fit into their lives with ease. The day at the airport was proof enough to Felix that you were an asset to his beloved family. He’d hoped to get to know you, but you had been such a mystery to them. Even Changbin seemed to struggle to find out about who you were. You let them know the little nuances, hobbies, and foods you desired. But your family, friends, and life back in America they knew nothing of. Sure, most of them were the nosy type, case and point Hyunjin. Yet there was something that nagged at Felix when he heard you cry on the phone.

“Let her come to us Bokkie,” it was simple as that, unlike he was, you were closed off. Your pages were yet open for him to see. Hyunjin was right. You needed time to trust them. Whatever happened in America left a big scar over your heart, a mar in your trust. Felix vowed he would find a way to open you up to them. Prove to you that whatever happened in America was not here in Korea. Like a stray cat he needed to be gentle as he approached. “Today is a good start,”

“You’re right Jinnie,” he sighed as he leaned over the taller blonde to see what he had in his hands. Photos, most of which weren’t framed. Faces he didn’t know, parts of you he had yet to learn. Deep amongst the untouched carelessness that was the first box they found a framed photo. In it was you they recognized, your hair shorter than it was now, done up in some pretty way. Beside you a man, unfamiliar. It had been the only photo of him in the box. Seeing this man, the way he stood so close to you made Felix uneasy. He didn’t know why, but truly he wasn’t at all entranced with the idea of you being close to him. He wasn’t remarkable, eyes green, brows thick and full. Untamed hair in thick spirals, an auburn color easy to see in the sunlight that cast behind you both. The photo was well kept, the frame had seen better days. The top corner chipped, a thick piece of if missing from where it held together. In it the glass had cracked. It was the way it shattered that Felix could tell something hadn’t been right. He saw it in the spider’s web that crept across the photo. Its cracks creeped along severing the odd perfection of the photo that lay behind it.

“Why do you have that,” your voice a mere whisper, your steps so quiet Felix hadn’t even heard you come down from the loft. It wasn’t a question you asked. He knew it in the way you looked at them. Your eyes wide, lips set tight in a line. They had gone too far. And he knew it. “WHY THE FUCK DO YOU HAVE THAT?!?!” You screamed, he would have called it a yell. Would have, had he not heard the desperation behind your words, the shift in octave. Hyunjin was shocked, Felix could tell he was ready to shout back until he saw you.

“I’m sorry, we didn’t mean to pry,” the taller male settled the photo back into its box with the rest of your belongings. But it was too late, Felix could see the damage they had caused right in front of his eyes. He watched it all unfold in seconds. The moment your eyes caught the framed photo in Hyunjin’s hand your shoulders quirked up tension set within them. At your side Felix watched your hands wrap into small fists as the trembling began to overtake them, your knuckles white with the efforts you took to keep them closed. He could see fear mixed with anxiety overtook you in seconds. Your eyes wide rimmed red as tears filled your lash line. You worked hard to try and blink them back. But he saw, he knew. It was all too familiar to him. The unsettled feeling of suffering that threatened to eclipse whatever else in the world mattered. The light in your eyes dimmed, you weren’t with them, he could tell. Trapped in the hellscape of your head he watched as a choked sob silently wracked through your chest. Your small hands made fists of your hair as you rocked in place.

“Oh starlight,” he hushed as he stepped into your space. He didn’t touch, not until you told him it was okay. “Hey there Starlight can you hear me??” The whimper that left your throat all but broke his heart. “I’m here. Lixie is here,” he called to you. His voice was low and sweet as he guided you back to earth, back to him. One look at your teary eyes had him surging forward to hug you. When you didn’t protest he held tighter. Soon your hands wrapped around him he moved to rub your back until he felt your shoulders ease some. “There we go sweet Starlight,”

“I’m so sorry you had to see that,” you said, your face still tucked into his chest.

“It’s okay love, no judgment here. Han and I both struggle with anxiety,” At his admittance he felt you relaxed more to his touch until finally your body sagged against him.

“I’m sorry Cindy, I shouldn’t have looked through your things,”

“It’s okay Hyunjin, just please don’t do it again,” Felix let you go, though he was reluctant to. He watched as you carefully wandered to the open box your eyes scanned the photo that had set it all in motion. He watched with careful eyes how you flinched the moment you touched it. As though the glass had snagged your skin. But it hadn’t, it was the entire photo, broken frame and all that seemed to draw unease within you. Felix didn’t let you out of his sight, worried you’d fall back into the darkness of your mind. Quickly you covered the photo, he wondered what you would do with it when they left you alone. He worried, scared to think of you having to experience those emotions, the pain that the photo seemed to bring you all on your own. He hoped you’d reach out to him. Ask for help, but it was clear from earlier you were used to being alone. It was evident in the way you slipped away from them so easily. It caused Felix to feel his heart shatter for you. With you. He wished with all his might that you would come to him. He was snapped from his thoughts when you tucked your pinky into his, your smile small, but there nonetheless.

“Thank you Lixie, for calming me,” now was his chance

“You never have to thank me Starlight. I am always here to help. No matter what,” he’d hoped you would listen. Truly listen to him. That if you ever needed him he’d be there for you. No questions asked. Your smile seemed to prove that some part of his words made it to you. He saw the light return to you, return to his starlight.

“I say we go get breakfast, then we spoil you rotten Miss Cindy. As an apology for snooping,”

“I thought the goal was a shopping spree anyway,” Felix squealed with delight when you relented to letting them spoil you. “Oh!! Lix your clothes I need to give them back,” he tightened his pinky around yours as he shook his head. He wasn’t about to let you go. Not when you came to him.

“Those are for you. Keep them. You looked prettier in them anyway,”

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

Hyunjin had seen anxiety, he’d seen it through Han. Even through Felix. But those were people who were familiar to him. His family, one he helped cultivate and create through the years. Over time he prided himself on having known the ins and outs of what may trigger the sunshine twins anxiety. You, however, were a complete mystery to him. Aside from your fierce need to protect them, which was your job. He didn’t know much about you. He along with Felix had hoped a peek into your apartment would be a look into your life. A chance to better know you. To his surprise your home was a barren expanse of even further mystery. A blank canvas over a blank canvas. That is how he found himself as he rummaged through what little you owned piled away for later concerns. When you screamed at him he was ready to fight back. Give you his all, but the look in your eyes he recognized.

Your fear was written out for him and Felix to see, eyes wide brimmed with tears. In that instant he froze. Your anxiety was foreign to Hyunjin. Unlike his boys he didn’t know how to help as your shaky hands gripped the hair around your temples. He was thankful for Felix. The younger guided you through the anguish that settled over your body. He saw it, a clouded haze surrounded you like a cloak. It enveloped your entire being, and for a moment he feared it would take you away from them.

His attachment, his curiosity over you was odd, even to himself. Hyunjin didn’t often bother staff. It was their job to take care of them. He was friendly, professional, and kind to everyone. But you, when he saw your face that day in the practice room, his heart nearly stopped. Yeah, maybe it had something to do with the fact that you kicked one of his members in the chest. But maybe there was more to it. Japan was proof of that. Even if it was your job, the way in which you protected his family, the way you put yourself in harm's way to make sure they were safe..It did something to Hyunjin. He wanted to get close to you, at first under the guise of making sure that his boys were truly safe with you. Then, you showed them part of you. He saw it in his hotel room.

The way you marveled at their attention, shy under his brush strokes. It was cute, he could see you blossom under their gazes. That was when he placed his emotions. The unknowns of who you were to him, the further away you seemed to keep them, the more he wanted to know. You would become his family too. You protected them so seamlessly he began to wonder was there anyone who protected you?? It seemed the answer to his question was no. Over breakfast you don't speak much. Barely ate even, remnants of your anxiety painted your actions thoroughly. Felix urged you to take a couple bites, just a few. With his guidance you managed. For that he was proud. Then finally he piped up, his heart couldn’t handle seeing you, his strong brave Cindy so lost in your head. His approach was odd, similar to how he would approach I.N, but he had to try.

“Knock, knock,” he reached over the breakfast table, his fist slowly came to rest against your head twice in time with his words.

“Hyunjin!!” Felix cried, his small hand wrapped around his wrist to pull him back. He stared at Felix, his eyes narrowed to look at the Aussie, eyebrows furrowed as his shoulders shrugged. The entirety of him read as ‘What the fuck was I supposed to do??’

‘Not that!!’ the tiny shake of the smaller blonde's head indicative of maybe he had made the wrong choice. But soon, the table filled with your laughter, light and soft. Hyunjin felt as though he was in spring, under the cherry blossom trees as their delicate petals fell to the earth below. His heart swelled at the sound of you. His own lips quirked upward as his hand fell to his side.

“Do it again,” he rested his hand under his chin as he met your eyes. “You’re so pretty when you laugh,” so you did, you indulge them with another soft chuckle before you stood.

“Well come on silly gooses, we don’t have all day,” your delicate hand wrapped around each of their wrists as you pulled them free. Hyunjin went along willingly. He’d go wherever you took him, so long as you looked his way. So long as you regarded his presence, he would find reason to be by your side. The mall was crowded, for an odd Tuesday in the middle of winter. Too far from the holidays for shopping, too early in the day for so many people. In his humble opinion. He and Felix pulled face masks up over their noses as they wandered the various departments around the store. Hyunjin was quick to note absolutely anything that caught your eye. Sure his wallet wasn’t infinitely deep, but he wouldn’t hesitate to spend it on you. They both of course had plans to take you to the Louis Vittion and Versace outlets. But those would be the last places they’d stop at. For now the three of you wandered around no particular goal in mind. It was Felix who cracked first, in the window display of the Build-A-Bear was a stuffy from one of the original Pokemon games he played as a kid. It took him mere seconds to drag you and Hyunjin inside. He insisted you pick a stuffy to go along with him. Hyunjin watched you hesitate over your selection, your eyes ambled the price, lip caught between your teeth as you looked at one of the more expensive bears.

“Get it,”

“But, it's kind of expensive, no??” Hyunjin shrugged at you as he reached into the plastic bin.

“We’re spoiling you. Don’t worry about that,” he then dropped the empty sack of fabric into your hands before he himself made a selection. The Van-Gogh Iris bear had his heart. Once the bear was settled into his hand he joined the small line behind you to get the bear stuffed. Your choice gave way to bits of who you are. Like his own choice your bear was printed with a classic painting. The soft bear was covered in the pale blues, whites, and dark blues of the Hokusai The Great Wave painting. When your bear was stuffed you and Felix stood beside him. The two of you watched as he asked the bear to be stuffed with medium hard filling. His cheeks went rosy under his mask as he completed the heart ritual that was a staple of the shop. At the naming station you refused to let them see what you named the bear. Hyunjin laughed when you claimed it was embarrassing.

“Fine, Fine,” he gave one last try only to be shoved aside by you. In the meantime Felix paid for the adventure. Outside the shop he watched you hold the bear in your hands. Your small fingers skimmed the seams of the bears back. The smile over your face was all worth it. It was slow, but every given moment he watched the light return to your eyes as you went further on this adventure with them. “Lix, keep her distracted,” he stated before he dashed off in a different direction. He didn't give the younger time to respond or ask why. His mission was clear at that point.

Operation: Keep Cindy Smiling is what he called it. Though he still didn’t know much about you, he felt he knew enough. Small nuances from his time with you told him you loved to cook, bake, a fan of the classic arts, and that you liked colors. Particularly dark greens, and purples. When he snooped he saw the faded pictures of nights out on the streets with neon lights, blurry for effect. On top of it all he spied a photo of you on what he assumed was a longboard. It was still hard to decide what to do, he only had so much time before you would begin to question his absence. Time he didn’t have to waste.

“Excuse me. Would you be able to help me??” When he stepped into the outlet he was immediately overwhelmed. The colors, lights, and choices had him doubt what he knew about you. He had begun to worry that no matter what choice he made you would inevitably hate it.

“Of course!!” The staff of the store was kind, she listened with rapt attention as Hyunjin explained his predicament. She guided him through different choices, all the different selections of colors. In the end he had made a choice, to the best of his ability. The clerk even gave him a few other stores as recommendation to visit before he would link back up with you and Felix. Hyunjin thanked her, his eyes gleamed with the choices he had made. The other stores were perfect just as the clerk said, he even managed to loop back to the first store and give the clerk a tip for all her kindness. To top it off he slipped her an autograph. He wasn’t sure she’d like it but it was all he could do for the kindness she offered him today. When he stepped back out of the store he managed to grab a few other things just to make it look as though he had run a quick errand before he found you and Felix. He laughed at the sight, from afar he could see Felix, his arms piled full of bags and boxes he was sure were all for you. The way he maneuvered was clear you had tried to take some of the load off him, but the australian wouldn't let you.

“Lixie!! It's too much,” he heard you say as he stepped over. “You’ve done enough please,” Hyunjin could see you were a little overwhelmed. Your shoulders hunched slightly up as your teeth worried at your lip. No, no he couldn’t have that.

“Thank you Lix,” he stepped in and scooped some of the bags off the younger and onto his own arms. He watched you relax, your shoulders sagged at the sight of him, a small huff escaped you. “Princess, Cindy. This is about you. No work for you. Let us take care of it,” he smiled as you relented a pout over your lips. He laughed as you turned on your heels and walked away from them arms crossed over your chest. He laughed harder as your steps caused your teddy bear to bounce a little from its bag on your back.

“Wait up!!” Lix called as they moved to catch up to you. There was more protest when they pulled you into their brand stores. You argued that they had spent more than enough on you, they only chuckled back.

“We’d give you the world if that was an option Cindy,” after a few minutes they compromised with a hand bag and sunglasses from each store, though he and Felix snuck in jewelry items. Your insistence that they could spoil you more later was enough to let you win. After they piled everything into the car Hyunjin watched you doze off in the passenger seat beside him as he drove back to your complex. It was nice to see you felt comfortable enough around them to rest.

“Thanks for coming along Hyunjin,”

“No need for that Lix. She protects us. The least I can do is provide her comfort as a thank you,”

“It’s more than that, Jinnie. You know it,” he did, he did know. It was so easy to see, so easy to hear. You had become their family. It was slow, some weren’t sold on you yet. But it was clear to him, and to Felix. You belonged with them. They wanted you by their side as long as you wanted it too. When he parked beside your motorcycle he was sad to wake you, the entire ride you hadn’t stirred. Not a peep, your body relaxed in a slight recline.

“Cindy,” he called softly, his hand moved to brush against your cheek. With a flutter and a small hum your eyes opened to greet him. “You’re home,” when your gaze slid away from him he felt his heart go with the deep pools of brown.

“Oh,” he watched you stretch out your body before you slid out of the car with a soft groan. He smiled as you drowsily rubbed your eyes, confused slightly by the change in surroundings.

“That good huh??” Felix asked as he gathered what he could from the shopping trip into his arms. Hyunjin grabbed the rest, he laughed as you nodded to them keys in hand as you guided them to the door of your building. Once inside he felt his body grow with anticipation, he had one last surprise for you. When they reached your front door Hyunjin took your hand in his, he smiled ear to ear as he turned you to face him.

“There is one more surprise, just please don’t be mad at me,” your eyebrow raised, eyes narrowed as you moved to open your apartment. When the door swung open your gasp was all they heard for a second followed by Felix’s confused voice, he couldn't see over the piles of bags stacked in his face.

“What!! What?!?! I can’t see!!” Hyunjn watched as your hand moved to grasp his wrist. Your small fingers landed over the pulse point tucked neatly under his bony joints. He knew in that moment you could feel his heart race under his skin, his hands were clammy with suspense. When you turned around to look at him he dropped all the bags he had in his hands. Tears rimmed your eyes, the delicate brown hues clouded with watery waves.

“Shit, I’m sorry. You hate it don’t you?? It’s returnable, all of it. We can take it all back,” he rambled, his lips moved faster than his brain could even fathom. In seconds he put the rap geniuses of his band to shame with how fast he spoke to you. With a gentle tug his body came to rest against yours. Your arms wrapped around his torso as you pulled him close. YOU hugged HIM. In the short time he had known you they had always been the first to offer hugs, never you. Slow, as to not frighten you he wrapped his long limbs over your shoulders. “You don’t hate it??”

“No, I love it. Thank you,” your voice soft in the fabric that lay on his abdomen. Your breath tickled his stomach, a shiver ran down his spine.

“What is happening?!?!” Hyunjin laughed at Felix’s struggle, when you parted from him the two of you helped the younger with his bags so he could see inside the apartment. From the doorway Hyunjin could see the fruits of his labor. The once empty space you called ‘home’ was now filled with furniture and art. Not all were hung. But the furniture was assembled, settled into the space. Felix gasped, reached around and smacked his bestie on the shoulder. “Nice work!!” The taller smiled, cheeks pink as he helped carry bags inside your home. They stayed for a little while longer, helped you arrange the furnishings, and decorate how you liked before they had to scamper off to an evening dance practice. You hugged Felix, then himself.

“Hyunjin, thank you again. This place feels like home now,” he smiled at you, his arms tightened around your body as you admitted to him his efforts had done more for you than he had hoped they would.

“Welcome to Korea, Y/N. My little Cinderella,” he kissed the top of your head, a reminder that this place was home, that he and the boys were there for you. If you needed them, they’d come.

TAG LIST:

@taeminsung @maximumkillshot @feybin @alex--awesome--22 @liknws @palindrome969 @newbbystay @highlydestiny

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sky-kenobye · 3 months

Text

15 questions for 15 friends

Thanks @fangeek-girl for the tag! <3

1. Are you named after anyone?

Nope!

2. When was the last time you cried?

Hmm 🤔 I'm not sure tbh, maybe last week? Two weeks ago? Less than a month most likely. Just felt bad about myself and had a good cry.

3. Do you have kids?

No kids, nor do I want any.

4. What sports do you play/ have you played?

Dance (contemporary and a bit of modern jazz) when I was a kid but I didn't learn much even though i started when i was 3 or 4 i think, and did maybe 8(?) years of it.

Circus for 9 years.

Taekwondo for 2 years (I think you're supposed to be a yellow belt after only two years but my teacher gave me the blue belt so 🤷 guess I'm a blue belt).

Self defense for 1 year.

And ski and snowboard since I grew up in the alps though I barely took any classes, mostly just with my parents.

(☝️ This is making me look super sporty even though I'm really not lol)

(+ all the sports I had to do in PE class in school. I really liked rock climbing, orienteering and step aerobics)

5. Do you use sarcasm?

All the time!

6. What's the first thing you notice about people?

Either clothes or hair I think? I'm not very observant or a good judge of character so it has to be something obvious.

7. What's your eye colour?

Blue 🧿🧿

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

Happy endings! I don't really like scary movies, though I love suspens and action that get you on the edge of your seat.

9. Any talents?

I have pretty fast reflex? Not sure that's a talent but I'm good at games where you have to catch something or put cards down faster than the other players. Actually I'm good at board games in general (unless I'm playing against my brother, he's way better that me).

10. Where were you born?

In the french alps 🇨🇵🏔

11. What are your hobbies?

Reading (I wish it was more books (it used to be) but honestly most of the time it's mostly fics), playing video games, sewing, knitting, crocheting, random arts and crafts that I'll drop a week later, watching movies and going to the cinema, astronomy (mostly just stargazing so far but one day I'll buy a telescope), playing board games, travelling (does it count as a hobby?), daydreaming about star wars characters...

12. Do you have any pets?

Sort of? I've always had cats at my mom's house but since I moved out it's mostly my mom's cat? But it's also mine and my sister's. Idk it's our cat.

(My mom also has a dog but that's her dog, not mine)

13. How tall are you?

169 cm (which is 5'6" or 5'7" i think)

14. Favourite subject in school?

Maths and Latin

(I was also very good at physics but I didn't love it for some reason, even though that was the most interesting)

15. Dream job?

Prop guy or costume maker in movies (not the designers, the people who actually make the stuff). Or somehow living off of making cosplay and stuff like that (through YouTube and Instagram I guess).

(I'm not actually trying to do any of that though, I don't think I have the skills to do it)

I'm tagging @grapenehifics @piecesofeden11 @willameena @wibzenadarksiderwithasoftheart @renlyslittlerose @cottonraincoat @to-proudly-go @kingdomvel @desmothene @hausofroxann @amadwinter @ineffable-snowman @tideswept @sendpseuds @yourfavoritefridge

(No pressure of course, as always)

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bug-ju1c3 · 2 years

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Incorrect Quotes

-Huntlow/Emerald Trio addition- 🌱⚡️🪞

Hunter: How’s the cutest person here~?

Willow: I don’t know, how is he~?

Hunter, flustered: I-

Gus from across the room: I’m doing great, thanks!

Willow: While I’m gone, Hunter, you’re in charge.

Hunter: Yes!!!

Willow, whispering: Gus, you’re secretly in charge.

Gus: Obviously.

Hunter: Gus, can I talk to you for a second?

Gus: Yeah, what's up? Lemme guess.

You and Willow are having problems

and you want me to teach you how to

kiss?

Hunter: What? No, stop that. I know

how to kiss. I've read books.

Store Worker: Would a Ms. Willow

please come to the front desk?

Willow, arriving at the desk: Hello, is there a problem?

Store Worker: *points to Hunter and

Gus*

Store Worker: I believe they belong

to you?

Hunter and Gus, simultaneously: We got lost :(

Willow: I didn't even bring you guys here with me-

Willow: What's a word thats a mix

between 'sad' and 'mad'?

Hunter: Disgruntled, miserable, desolated.

Gus: Smad.

*Willow and Hunter skipping stones

on lake*

Willow: It's such a beautiful evening.

Hunter, whispering: Take that you

fucking lake

Willow: Hunter and I have the kind of easy chemistry where we finish each other's-

Hunter: Sentences.

Willow: Don't interrupt me.

Willow: Ok, maybe playing 'whose family is most dysfunctional' wasn't the best idea we've had. Hunter's been crying in the bathroom for an hour. We can't get him out..

Willow: I trust Hunter.

Gus: You think he knows what

he’s doing?

Willow: I wouldn't go that far.

10.

Willow: Hunter and I were crossing

the street, and this dude drove by

and honked at us

Gus: *Sighing* What did Hunter do?

Willow: He chased him to the next

red light, then reached into his

window and..

Hunter: Who wants a steering wheel?

11.

Willow: If Hunter and I were

drowning, who would you save?

Gus: You two can't swim?

Hunter: It's a hypothetical question, Gus! who would you save?

Gus: my time and effort.

12.

Willow: I prevented a murder today.

Hunter: Really? How'd you do that?Willow: self control.

13.

Willow: Dandelions symbolize

everything I want to be in life

Hunter: Fluffy and dead with a gust

of wind?

Willow: Unapologetic. Hard to kill. Feral, filled with sunlight, bright, beautiful in a way that the conventional and controlling hate but cannot ever fully destroy. Stubborn. Happy. Bastardous. Friends with bees. Highly disapproving of lawns. Full of wishes that will be carried far after I die.

Gus: edible

14.

Hunter: Hey Willow,

Willow: Yes?

Hunter: Can a person breathe inside

a washing machine while it's on?

Willow:

Willow: Where's Gus?

(quotes are not mine; character insertions are)

#toh #the owl house #toh meme #toh incorrect quotes #emerald trio #huntlow #willow toh #hunter toh #gus toh #willow park #gus porter #willow the owl house #hunter the owl house #gus the owl house #toh winter

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cosmerelists · 7 months

Text

Five Things I Learned Playing Shardle (And One Thing I Didn't)

"Shardle" is like Wordle, only for terms that exist as the title of a Coppermind article. I've been playing Shardle for like a week now, so I am ready to share my experiences.

1. There are too many stormin' characters!

So far, I've played 10 days in a row, and I've only once had a character whose name I even vaguely recognized (Klade, who's at least been in several scenes I can, like, picture). Otherwise, the description post-answer will be like, "You know, that one skaa who works at the sawmill in Luthadel who appeared in like one scene in one book" and I'll be like "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, SHARDLE?!"

2. Main characters tend to have longer names

The thing is, I feel like I know quite a few character names. I write this blog, and it uses a lot of characters. But they all have such long names! Like, at least six letters (looking at you, Jasnah and Navani). Or, if they're short, they're like short (looking at you, Vin and Hoid). So my excellent knowledge of main characters is doing me absolutely no good at all, and playing this makes me feel as though I know nothing.

3. Which is probably why they let you use some regular English words too.

While playing by my usual strategy (typing in phonemes that could potentially make up a fantasy name while crying), I was delighted to find that there was apparently somebody named "Mouse" because "mouse" worked as a guess! This was huge because it let me test out three whole vowels, and at LEAST you know there are vowels in Sanderson character names.

...Only later did I actually read the directions to find that they actually let you use some regular English words to, like, show some small amount of mercy, and there is no Sanderson character named Mouse. It's just the English word "mouse" but I'm gonna use it anyway, damn it.

4. Sanderson LOVES the letter "L"

My starting word is "Rlain," and this has worked out pretty well because there is almost always an "L" in whatever the answer is. Now, I was worried that this might be mere confirmation bias (and also I've only played 10 times at the point of writing this list), so I want to Coppermind for help (https://coppermind.net/wiki/Category:Characters). A very scientific test (using "ctl f" with each letter of the alphabet) revealed that "L" actually is the most common consonant used on this page! Take that, confirmation bias!

5. My starting word is actually genius (accidentally)

By the way, according to my "ctl f on every letter in the alphabet while on the Coppermind list of characters page" test, my starting word of "Rlain" is accidentally brilliant. The three most common consonants are "R," "N," and "L" in that order! And "A" is the most common vowel! Thank you, Rlain, for this help even though I actually chose your name because you were literally the only character I could think of whose name was five letters without repeating letters.

And the one thing I don't know...

6. What quote is used for getting it in 1 guess. Or 2. Or 3 dammit.

Shardle displays a quote once you get the answer, based on how quickly you got it. I know the quote used for, well, not getting the answer. Or for getting it in 6. In 5. Or in 4. But what it says if you guess in 3 or fewer remains a mystery...perhaps forever.

...Do I even like playing?

#cosmere #cosmerelists #shardle

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thelioncourts · 3 months

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would love to hear your thoughts on the trailer :) I don't know what thoughts I'm looking for, I guess just general ones, but also the thigns you're excited for and all that

I have to admit, I've only actually watched through the trailer about three times, it makes me feel genuinely insane. we're getting this piece of art this year !!!!

In all seriousness, my thoughts are all over the place (in an overall good way). I'm curious and excited and terrified and crying at all the Louis and Armand things. The part at the beginning where Daniel asks if they're going to finish each other's sentences the whole time, how they've been sitting on the couch in all the clips we've gotten so far, the 'We've been together for 77 years,' the kiss (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), the cheek kiss (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), the strange scene we've seen once or twice where it looks like a kiss might have happened but Louis seems to faint afterward, etc. etc. It's all so much and I have known since s1 ended that Louis and Armand's love story was going to leave me fulfilled and devastated all at once and it feels utterly confirmed in this trailer. I think they're still so in love, in so many ways, and I think it can't, won't, shouldn't work out and it makes me so sad, I can't wait to be heartbroken and destroyed watching it. I will say, though, seeing all the clips of them does make me curious about the future of Loumand. Louis leaves Lestat for Armand again at one point and I have thoughts and ideas on potentiality for that in the future of the show, depending on how long it goes on. Regarding Louis himself, I'm just -- so in awe of Jacob Anderson, as per usual. Louis is the most interesting, beautiful, enrapturing thing on the screen and everything is better when it comes back to him, always. The 'It's you and me' clip, with all the flashes of Louis and other people, all returning to Louis, just !!! it's him. He's everything. It's all so much better when it comes back to him, we're so lucky. In terms of Claudia, Delainey seems to have this grasp/concept of Claudia that has me shaking. Her Claudia is everything to me already. I know lots of people have talked about it, but Claudia's ghost being a part of some later stories feels so much more doable with Delainey and I hope, in some capacity, that comes true. The 1700s stuff scares me a little, but only because it appears we're getting a lot more of it than I was anticipating this season. I expected some, absolutely, and when we got Nicki casting confirmation I was like, "Oh, we're getting the 1700s for real," but the trailer is a lot of 1700s and it scares me for a couple of reasons, namely that -- once again -- we're not getting Lestat's POV of it so there is the toss-up of 'how did he see this play out though' that will somehow have to be addressed in later seasons. It also scares me a little because Gabrielle has to be there, right??? Did they cast Gabrielle and manage to keep it a secret???????????? That's wild. But in reality, it scares me too because I hope we're not living too far in the 1700s this season. I know it's important and I know Armand was there so it makes total sense, but I feel like we're already treading a lot of waters with 1) The life in New Orleans that can only be told by Louis 2) the life in New Orleans after the arrival of Lestat 3) the life in New Orleans once Claudia was brought into the family 4) all the time spent getting to Europe/exploring Eastern Europe (basically, anything pre-Paris) 5) early Paris 6) Paris once Louis and Claudia and the future of their being together starts to play out 7) the trial 6) San Fransisco from what Daniel will inevitably start to remember 7) San Fran from what Louis remembers 8) San Fran from Armand, who might be our most aware of that entire time 9) Dubai pre-Armand knowledge 10) Dubai now. Like, I know a lot of those are paired up (You could categorize it simply as 1) New Orleans 2) Pre-Paris 3) Paris 4) San Fran 5) Dubai) and that cuts it in half, but given all the POV bits we get, that's just not the case. Adding yet another time period in here is just. So much. (It also scares me because I think some fans have expectations of several different things in 1700s that I don't think will happen/can happen/at least definitely not this season happen and I'm readying for the 'WAIT BUT' and the bitching etc.)

The Loustat stuff will utterly ruin me this season. It's going to be gut-wrenching. The hallucinations, the possible reunion that it appears we see, the modern New Orleans skyline, the way that Louis seemingly will talk about Lestat in a way that makes Armand seem to feel not as loved (this is a speculation based solely on the "Lestat, Lestat, Lestat, Lestat, Lestat" scene, I have SO many thoughts on that and of Armand there, god, I'm nauseous with it). I need to find my post about it, but I made a post either during s1 airing or immediately after (definitely by Nov. 2022) about how I think we'll get some kind of complete Loustat confirmation of sorts this season and by s3, they will be back together and will stay together. I have lots of reasons and thoughts on that as well. Anyway, I will cry endlessly about them this season, I know it.

I LOVE the hallucinations. I mean, when we knew that was definitely happening while s2 filming was going on, I was already excited, but seeing it just !!!!!!!!!!! it's so good. I can't even put into words how excited I am about the hallucinations of Lestat. Oh my god. Louis. The theatre!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Santiago looks fucking insane, god bless Ben Daniels, and I'm excited to get to actually know some characters from the theatre. It's something that doesn't really happen at all in the movie, and it's definitely not a focus or anything in the IwtV book. But I love side characters, I think they'll fill in some space that the Azalea had in s1 and I love that.

If Justin Kirk is David, that's the one thing that is going to piss me off this season. I honestly, truly 100%, thought we might not get David and I was soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo more than okay with that. I hate David so much and don't think he serves any kind of plot purpose and he remains to be a shitty replacement for Louis that never worked out and was completely insignificant by the end of the series. Now, if they don't do some of the wild shit with him and make him solely some kind of tie-in/draw to the new Talamasca show they're doing, then fine. But if they start attempting to make him a love interest, I might legit tap out, I can't stand that man. At least Marius is vital to the stories, we truly can't get Akasha or Lestat or Armand without Marius. David................oh my god, die already. San Fran SCARES ME. It's one of those things that, sure, obviously we know how it goes in the book, but they have flipped it so heavily on its head, I can't predict anything and it's exciting and horrifying. Armand being there, the seemingly-more-than-one-night interview, the interview ending by the time Louis was only halfway done with the story, the brief scene that appears to be Armand looking worried at something (maybe Daniel) while Louis is floating/levitating (!!!!!!!!?) in the back, etc. Oh my god. I think we're in the wildest ride there. Um. Louis and Claudia turning Madeline together........

Louis' men not being shitttttttttttttttttttt. Every time I do see gifs or see clips or something, and I see that quick scene of Lestat walking through the audience (Sam Reid's silhouette is insane, those broad shoulders, that profile????????????? He's so hot I'm feral about him) and Louis is on the stage, next to Claudia and Madeline, and you can see where Lestat's chair is next to Louis, but further away, on the stage.......................bitch, you're really letting them do that to Louis and walking through the crowd, telling your story??? And Armand, bitch?????? You're really letting them do that to Louis, just sitting there watching it play out, having taken Louis and Claudia and Madeline out just before???????????????? They're not SHIT, Louis deserves better, always has. I need to stop rambling, but lastly, the thing I already made a quick post about, but the fact that I do obviously recognize things from the book but none of it is quite how it seems..........I'm obsessed. This show is literally like....okay, like asking someone to summarize the book for you and they say, "The book is about a vampire named Louis de Pointe du Lac who tells his life story to a young reporter in 1970s San Fran. His story details how he became a vampire, how he fell in love with his maker, the Vampire Lestat, how they created and took in the child vampire Claudia, how Louis and Claudia killed Lestat, how they went to Paris and met a theatre group of vampires, and Louis fell in love with the leader Armand. It also details the inevitable and tragic death of Claudia at the hands of this theatre, and how that death left Louis utterly changed." And you're like "Oh okay" but the details aren't all there so they just...............filled in their own, and we get this masterpiece of a story that is the bones of the book, and made what it is by time and care. Idk. I love that we're all on an equilibrium.

OH. I'm also holding out, but not anticipating sadly, some Loustat flashbacks. I need them. I'm sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo in need of it, you have no idea.

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giveamadeuschohisownmovie · 4 months

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nellyofthevalley · 9 months

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truths, ch.1

astarion x fem!tav rating: explicit

content: piv sex, fingering, biting/blood drinking, emotionally repressed losers who can't communicate, angst I guess

summary: this fic is mostly an excuse to write a bunch of dialogue bouncing around in my head. astarion is a sad little idiot who turns his fears into a self-fulfilling prophecy because he never learned how to love. it may or may not turn into a tragedy

“As I told you—you broke my cold, dead heart. Of course it was cruel,” Astarion says, melodramatic, hamming it up for her. He wants her to feel guilty for it; he wants her to stop being so tiring and play right into his hand. Make it easy for him.“I don’t believe you,” Tav says. “Everything you say sounds like a pretty lie, and you all but told me that’s what it is. Pretty lies. I’m not interested.”

chapters: ch.1 | ch.2 | ch.3 | ch.4 | ch.5 | ch.6 | ch.7 | ch.8

read it on ao3 or below the cut

Camping in the Underdark is unsettling, to say the least. The party hears noises in the distance, reminiscent of the howl of wolves or the songs of birds on the surface, but here, the sounds are warped and unrecognizable, and when they travel, they never meet the creatures that match the sound. Their party travels lighter with fewer bodies, having stricter lookout shifts with more on nighttime patrol. Tonight is Lae’zel and Shadowheart on shift, and Tav can imagine that’s going well. After all, it was only a few days ago they’d been at each others throats.

At least they are speaking to one another—Astarion hasn’t talked to her for days. Not since she turned him down at the tieflings’ celebration at camp, back by the grove. It would be fine, if it weren’t for the fact that it’s so obvious and awkward; he is clearly avoiding her, and she doesn’t know how to handle it. Avoid him? Act normal? What is normal anymore, anyway?

She hadn’t meant to let him down so callously; how smug and fake he sounded finally got on her nerves. She didn’t expect him to seem so wounded by it. He was so good at putting on a fake face and fake words, so why was he surprised that she’d rejected him? What did he expect?

‘I’ve gotten on my back ten thousand times or more and forgotten half of them,’ he’d said after. ‘But you... you I’ll remember.’

The words linger in her mind like a parasite, fighting for space with her tadpole. It bothers her that she can’t let this go. Were they just more pretty words he spouted to get her in bed again, or something else? For a moment, it almost seemed like his facade had cracked when he said it. For all she knows, that could've been a performance as well.

This evening, Tav finds herself in Halsin’s company while she works at her braids, discussing the road ahead. It won’t be long before they’re met with the shadow-cursed lands, and out of them all, Halsin knows the most. He recounts his studies on the curse and tadpole, eager to head off to their next destination despite the danger. Halsin clearly feels a certain responsibility to the cursed lands, though he’s also struggling with leaving the grove behind.

“They’ll be fine without you—they’re tough,” Tav offers, doing her best to provide some kind of comfort. “You’ll be missed, I’m sure. I’m glad you’re with us, we’re lucky to have you.”

“I remain optimistic that Francesca will strive in my old position. Still, it is difficult to leave my home behind,” he says. “I’m afraid the city will be an even harder adjustment for me. The busy streets and crowds are a far cry from the comforts of nature.”

“There, there, Halsin,” Gale chimes in, joining the group by the campfire. “You might be pleasantly surprised. I admit, the city park has nothing on your lovely grove, but, well. You share the pursuit of knowledge, I assume? Baldur’s Gate is home to many wonderful things—the best of which being an extraordinary bookstore known as Sorcerous Sundries.”

Gale likes to hear Gale talk, so Tav backs off and lets him engage with Halsin in her stead. Her attention turns toward the campfire on this particularly cold night, stretching her arms and hands out in front of her, taking in the warmth it provides. Her own tent is dull and cold, so she can find sleep only once the boys have talked all they can talk and finally leave, allowing her the silence needed to rest.

Tav glances over at Astarion’s tent, and unsurprisingly, he’s nowhere to be found. Likely off hunting, she thinks. Ever since the party and their strange little silent treatment pact started, he’s been getting his fill elsewhere. She used to provide for him—to help him be ‘stronger, fight better,’ as he’d argued. Now, things were too tense to invite him back.

She finds herself wondering if he’s chasing animals or people. It’s none of her business who he feeds from, but she can’t deny the slight twinge of jealousy eating at her, at the thought of him having his needs met from another ‘thinking’ creature.

‘Truth be told, you were my first,’ he’d said. Tav felt shame as her cheeks flushed. His first. Something about that sounded so… personal.

Her attention snaps back to the present, settling into the bed roll by the fire, watching the flames frolic. As her eyes start to drift away, the need for sleep washing over her, the sounds of the wilderness become duller, drowned out. She didn’t realize how tired she was, how exhausting this day had been. Her muscles relax, sight fades, and thoughts morph into concepts as she drifts away to the warm comfort of sleep.

Tav wakes in a sweat. Her skin feels like it’s melting, like she’s being boiled alive; her hands rush to her face, and when she touches herself, the skin oozes off her bones, flowing down her fingers and arms. She tries to scream, and nothing comes out, her mouth a gooey mess dripping onto the ground beneath her.

She tries to stand and flee, but her ankles are already turning into liquid fire. Her body lowers, slowly liquifying into the ground below. She’s helpless, a lost cause; an existence destined to fade away and be lost forever. A voice—her voice—tells her so, tells her ‘give up’.

Tav wakes again, this time with an audible scream. She instinctively jumps out of bed, rising to her knees; hands rush to touch her face again, relief and surprise coursing through her body as she realizes she’s still there. All of her, in one piece; not melting away as her dreams try to convince her.

She sits upright and tears flow from her eyes, frustrated—these dreams keep happening to her, and she doesn’t understand it. The campfire is all except gone, hardly any flame or heat remains.

“Tav!” Shadowheart calls to her, running and kneeling beside her. “Did something happen? Are you okay?”

“I-I’m fine, I think,” she gets out, looking over her fingers and feet again, as if she has to remind herself they’re still there, still real. “Just… having nightmares.”

“Chk. If a dream bothers you that much, I question your sanity,” Lae’zel comments in her typical, apathetic tone, approaching the duo. “Soon you may develop a fever, grow tentacles, become ghaik at last—the moment you do, I’ll be ready to strike.”

Tav rolls her eyes, prodding at the campfire, hoping to reignite the tiny flame. Despite her dream, the air is cold, and her bedroll isn’t enough. Shadowheart and Lae’zel head off in separate directions to resume their patrol, and Tav catches Shadowheart glancing back at her on their way out. She seems genuinely concerned for Tav, and it’s nice to know someone does. The others are either sleeping peacefully in their tents or pretending to. Tav wishes it’s the former, hating to make a scene.

The campfire crackles again, a little flame rising from the wood. It’s a much needed comfort, though not enough to relax and find sleep again. Tav lays on her bedroll, looking up at nothing besides a dark abyss and the faint glow of mushrooms growing far above.

“Well, didn’t you cause quite the scare?” says a familiar voice—Astarion.

Tav jumps in surprise, leaning up onto her elbows to see him walking over from his tent. The last person she expected to see tonight.

“I’m fine, thanks for asking,” she replies, a bit more haughty than intended.

Knowing sleep will escape her for some time, she concedes and rises from the bedroll to sit on the log bench by the fire. It’s a silent invitation, how she leaves room for Astarion to join, and he accepts. The atmosphere is quiet, save for a few indescribable sounds in the distance, the very same type they’d learned to accept in the Underdark.

“You’ve been avoiding me,” Tav says, willing to make the first move.

“Darling, I’d say you’ve been avoiding me,” he answers, and it prompts Tav to realize he might be right; maybe it was all in her head and she played a one-sided game. “Tell me about your dreams.”

“What? Why?”

“Can’t I simply wonder what troubles you at night? Our ‘fearless leader’, who shows no weaknesses—yet you wake with a scream, and you weep because of it,” he says, revealing he’s been listening to it all. “Call me worried if it makes you feel better about it.”

“Are you worried about me?” Tav asks, staring daggers at him, challenging him to take off his mask.

“Possibly,” Astarion answers with a dramatic shrug. “Or maybe I’m curious and you owe me. I told you plenty of my past, of my nightmares, and then you kept your secrets and so cruelly denied me your company. I think you can spare me a sentence or two, dear.”

She can’t tell how much of this is an act and how much isn’t. He’s putting on his usual theatrics, his dramatic tone and way of storytelling, but it’s hard to see beyond it this time. She’s certain he wants to know; she’s not certain if it’s because he’s worried. Or if he is serious about perceiving her rejection as cruel.

“There’s not much to tell,” Tav offers, now looking away, down to her fingers and the soil beneath her feet. “Tonight, I dreamt my skin was melting off—that’s it. Sometimes, I dream that I’m drowning. Stupid, right? It’s different from other dreams I’ve had. Feels more… real. I feel the pain as my skin turns into lava, I feel my lungs fill with water. Harder to acclimate to reality when I wake.”

She pauses to let him comment, and he says nothing. He’s not even looking at her anymore. He’s staring at the ground too, like they’re looking at the same thing. There’s nothing there besides the dirt and weeds.

“Did you really think I was cruel?”

“I don’t believe you,” Tav says. “Everything you say sounds like a pretty lie, and you all but told me that’s what it is. Pretty lies. I’m not interested.”

“It’s not all pretty lies,” he rebukes, almost sounding like he’s taking offense to her skepticism. It’s frustration that he has to work so much harder with her. “Some of them are ugly, others are pretty truths.”

“Oh? Enlighten me, what truths have you told?”

“That I miss petty vanity,” Astarion answers, keeping it simple; refusing to give more, what she wants him to give. “How it’s hard not to have fun with you.” That one is merely a consolation prize.

“Is that all?” Tav asks, wondering if ‘fun’ he means that he enjoys himself with her, or if it’s how he so evidently enjoys messing with her. Toying with her emotions.

“For tonight, yes. That’s all you get. You can continue guessing at the rest.”

Astarion meets her gaze now, giving her those sad, red eyes. It might be an act, it might not be—he doesn’t even know himself. It reminds her of the look he wore when she turned him down, and she questions whether that was an act as she’d initially thought. He finds himself entranced by how the orange light from the flames bounce off her pale lavender skin.

He leans into her, watching to see if she recoils or pushes him away. Instead, she keeps staring at him, wide-eyed, and he senses her heart pace a little faster. She smells faintly like blueberries. He can’t resist moving in closer, nose nearly touching her neck and taking in her scent, thinking of how he’ll never get to taste them again; he’ll have to settle for the aroma.

Tav is convinced he’s going to bite her, and she knows she should stop him, but she doesn’t. She braces, waiting for it, and it doesn’t come. Astarion pulls away, and before he can decide where to go from here, she’s taking the initiative and pressing her lips to his.

His hand instinctively raises to cup her face, deepening the kiss, pushing his mouth to hers like he wants to bruise her. It’s not him, he thinks; it’s something else, something he can’t control. His tongue seeks entry and she doesn’t deny it, parting her lips with a little sound that he swears makes his stopped heart start again, for only a second.

When he turns to unbutton her night shirt, movements methodical and practiced, she stops him and pulls away.

“You don’t want this?” he asks.

“I do,” she says, that defeated look in her eyes that he can’t tolerate. “Not like this.”

It unnerves him that he knows exactly what she means. How she saw right through him, how she could so easily read his hand movements, experienced and suave; understood another way. How he can’t even bring himself to deny it. She really isn’t like his other conquests. She��is special.

She is difficult.

Astarion moves to leave, to go think about this, or at least think about how to avoid thinking about it, but she grabs his wrist to stop him. He looks back at her, astonished by her audacity, her ability to bother him so.

‘Stay?’ her face asks, and he doesn’t know how to say no or yes. He just sits right back where he was, mind swimming; though not a single one of the swimmers composes a coherent, tangible thought.

“Darling, you’re freezing,” he observes, picking up on the goose flesh spreading across her arms, and shakes so small, Tav hasn’t even noticed them. The campfire burns away; somehow it’s still not enough to warm her.

“I suppose I am,” she says. “I’d better get used to it. I find it difficult to believe that our journey will be getting much more comfortable anytime soon.”

Astarion sheds his coat, placing it around her shoulders, wondering what he’s fucking doing the entire time.

“It’s always cold for me,” he offers, like he has to justify himself, “and you wear it better.”

#astarion #astarion x tav #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #tav x astarion #bg3 fanfiction #astarion fanfic #my fanfic

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