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gyupremacy · 1 year

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GAM3 G1RL | jww.

↳ Pairing: jeon wonwoo x youtuber!reader

↳ Genre: fluff, slow burn, slice of life

↳ Au(s): YouTube!AU

↳ Word Count: 2.0k

↳ Rating: PG-13

↳ Warning(s): a relatively small age gap (4 years)

↳ Summary: Wonwoo has had his eye on gamer girl Pixella for almost 4 years. Surely, there isn't a chance they'd ever meet... right?

↳ a/n: HAPPY 2023! We made it! This is the first fic of the new year, which means there will be some new changes to my blog: with the first being writing for Seventeen. I'm a multi at heart, so it was only a matter of time before I started potentially writing for another group. Special thanks to @playmetheclassics for creating this awesome banner and looking over it!

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"Hey, guys! It's Pixella and welcome back to my channel! Today on Throwback Game Thursday, we're playing Grand Theft Auto 4!" you beamed towards the camera as a flood of excited comments in the live stream chat.

You loved what you did. After years of watching other people playing video games and receiving a great response, you wanted to do something you enjoyed.

Growing up playing all different types of games gave you the thrill of escapism, but also the expertise of different consoles, cheat codes, and methods of victory.

Starting as a "silent" gamer in 2019, your following began to grow as you became more comfortable with the camera, letting your unfiltered personality show, as well as the beginning of the pandemic causing more people to stay home and seek out entertainment.

After almost 4 years, you were one of the top gaming channels on both YouTube and Twitch, as well as being the most subscribed female creator on the former site.

You were balancing looking at the screen as Niko is greeted in Liberty City by his cousin Roman, but also looking at the chat to see comments from subscribers.

kkuramania_ Are you continuing your Apex Legends series?

"Hi, Kkura! I've been out of the country for the past month and staying with a friend. All my main games are back home, but yes, I do plan on continuing the series!" you replied to Kkura or Sakura, who was a long-time supporter.

Another perk of being a social media creator is interacting with fans. You would have the occasional trolls in comment sections who had something to say about you being a female gamer in a generally male-dominated community, but it didn't bother you. You were used to standing your ground with your older brothers, who you got along with, but were menaces in childhood.

You loved and appreciated every one of your subscribers, lovingly called the "Pixel Gang" after one suggested the name on an older stream.

every1woo Where are you?

"I'm in South Korea, Woo! Specifically Seoul. My friend Youngheun wanted me to come and visit for the holidays."

Little did you know, that one sentence would cause the wheels to spin in "Woo", or Wonwoo's, head. His favorite YouTuber was in his city and the potential of meeting you had his cheeks turning red.

If someone told Wonwoo 4 years ago that he would become head over heels for a girl, he would've laughed it off. If someone told Wonwoo that 4 years later he would become head over heels for a girl who happened to be one of the most popular YouTubers, he would've laughed it off.

Now, after 3 ½ years, he could confidently say he has fallen head over heels for you. What was there not to like about you? Your smile whenever you earned a swift victory over an opponent, your laugh anytime a subscriber said a joke, and the way you were your authentic self on camera: everything about you was real.

He was hanging onto every word about your visit, from visiting the Gyeongbokgung Palace to the new foods you ate, until he heard snickering behind him.

"You're still on that stream, hyung?" Seungkwan stifled a laugh, seeing how awestruck his groupmate was.

"Yeah, Y/N's so cool. She's actually in Korea right now." Wonwoo said hurriedly, turning back to the computer screen.

"So, there's a chance we could see her out and about?" Mingyu asked.

"I hope so! It would be nice to have a conversation in person. Maybe even show her around the city." Wonwoo perked up, imagining what it would be like next to you.

"Pfft! In your dreams, Woo. She doesn't even know you exist." Seungkwan retorted.

"Maybe that's true, but our paths may cross someday." Wonwoo sighed pointedly.

As much as he hated to admit it, Seungkwan had a point. There was a very, very, very minuscule chance that he'd ever get to meet you. If anything, he enjoyed hearing you read his comments during the streams he could catch whenever he wasn't busy.

"Keep dreaming, my friend," Seungkwan said, going off to bed.

Once out of the room, Mingyu came over to pat his friend on the shoulder.

"It's probably not what you want to hear, but I think it's for the best that you be realistic about this, hyung." he said, leaving the room as well.

Wonwoo just sat in place, left with his thoughts as he heard you sign off with your signature goodbye.

"That is all for today, Pixel Gang! Have a good day, afternoon, or night wherever you are in the world and I'll see you soon!" you respond gleefully.

Wonwoo watched as the live stream ended and logged off his laptop before heading off to bed.

You had woken up bright and early, as you heard the water running one wall over. Youngheun was soon out of the shower and in the living room with you.

"Good morning, sunshine." she responded, watching you bounce up full of energy.

"Morning, Heunie." you greet.

"Looks like someone's excited about her 4th-anniversary stream," she said, reminding you of the occasion.

"Oh yeah! I almost forgot about the stream today." you respond.

As much as you enjoyed talking with fans, there were times that you just wanted to enjoy some time for yourself, especially when you were technically on vacation.

"I really should have remembered, but it's been three weeks since I've been here and I haven't gotten the chance to go sightseeing." you sigh.

"Y/N, I know how important your followers are to you, but I think they'll understand if you prioritize yourself," Youngheun said in reassurance.

She was right. You deserve a break, especially if it allows you to visit different markets, restaurants, and landmarks.

"Hey! I actually have a good idea! How about you make a post for Instagram celebrating your 4th year on YouTube with a Q&A?" Youngheun suggested.

"That's a great idea! It'll give me the chance to connect with my followers, but also give me some "me" time." you said with a smile.

Youngheun nodded, going to the kitchen to grab a bowl of cereal. You grab your phone and open the Instagram app to see your feed flooded with fanart from followers commemorating the 4th anniversary of your channel.

Your heart was so full that you quickly tapped the button for your story and took a picture of yourself with a big smile and a "thank you" message for the Pixel Gang, along with the question sticker for them to ask you anything.

You didn't expect a response to come in quickly until you checked your dms to see a follower of yours, ttokifam, asked you the following question:

You're in Korea now, right? Who's your favorite K-pop artist?

You responded in the next story with a selfie of yourself and a Wonwoo photocard from SEVENTEEN'S Face, The Sun Album you owned.

"Guys! Look at this!" Wonwoo said as he hurriedly showed his phone screen to the rest.

pixella Ugh~ there are so many great artists out there, but I'm going to say SVT. Also, before you guys ask, my bias is this guy 😼

He had to read over the text, again and again, to make sure he wasn't imagining things. Many carats had been tagging them on their stories about you saying you were a fan, along with him being your bias.

"Woah! That's awesome, Wonwoo!" Soonyoung said excitedly.

"I can't believe she's a fan!" Joshua stated.

"You must be in awe." Mingyu smiled, shaking his friend's shoulders to ensure he was still with them.

"In awe? He looks like he could burst at any moment." Jeonghan laughed, which caused Wonwoo to come back to the present.

"Congrats, hyung! You got noticed by a pretty girl." Seungkwan responded.

"This has to be a dream. Somebody pinch me." Wonwoo said jokingly.

"So, what are you gonna do?" Seungcheol asked.

"What do you mean?" Wonwoo questioned.

"I think what Cheol is trying to get at is are you gonna talk to her?" Joshua proposed.

"Yeah, Wonwoo. Are you gonna slide her dms?" Mingyu laughed.

"No way! Yeah, I like her and she's a fan, but what if I come off like a creep? I wouldn't even know what to say!" Wonwoo exclaimed.

"Looks like Jeonghan already has that handled." Soonyoung said, pointing to the man commonly referred to as the "Angel", who sneakily took his phone to message you.

"Jeonghan! Give me that!" Wonwoo took the phone back from him, watching him with a devilish smile on his face.

Wonwoo looked over the message hesitantly, looking at the screen in horror at what his friend had sent on his behalf.

everywon_woo Hey Y/N! A little birdie told me you were a big fan of ours 👀 I'd sure hope so because I've been a fan of yours for years now! I heard you were in Seoul and was wondering if you want to meet up.

The rest of the members crowd around him to look at the message and the reaction is a mix of silence peppered with some stifled laughs here and there.

"So, Jeonghan, er you, basically asked her out on a date?" Mingyu said, whispering towards the other man to give him a high five.

"You're welcome!" Jeonghan smiled knowingly.

"Youngheun! Look!" you screamed with excitement at the message you got in your dm from Wonwoo.

"No way!" Youngheun exclaimed.

"I can't believe it! I've had a crush on this man since I was 14, and he wants to go out with me!" You were becoming giddy like a schoolgirl until realization hit.

"I don't know any places around here really. Where are we going to go?"

"There's an Outback Steakhouse about 20 minutes away." Youngheun suggested.

"Outback Steakhouse? I didn't know there was one here!" your eyes lit up with joy.

"Well now you know! Come on, you have a date to get to, Y/N!"

The conversation flowed easily between the two of you. Despite being well-known in your own right, the two of you felt like normal people.

"I can't believe you've been watching my videos for so long!" you said between bites of your asparagus.

"Yeah! I was going through my recommendations and saw this cute girl with her cat headset." Wonwoo blushed.

You were smiling from ear to ear, the delicious food not helping.

"You're not too bad yourself, Jeon Wonwoo." you laughed, reaching over the table to lightly graze his knuckles.

"We've been here for about an hour and I never asked you, how did you become a Carat?" Wonwoo inquired.

"Well, my sister was watching this video of these guys with mop-like hair in what looked like a green basement being chaotic and I asked her what she was watching." you started.

"She said Seventeen and I was wondering who they were and a little over a year later, you guys debuted." you finished off.

"I'm glad that you've been a supporter from the beginning! It really means the world to me!" Wonwoo smiled.

"Same for me, too!" you replied.

The conversation continued for the next half hour, until you both felt that you were full and left a tip for your server of the evening and headed out to the parking lot.

"I had an amazing time, Y/N." Wonwoo beamed.

"I did too! I hope it's the first of many." you responded.

The moonlight hit his face so that it made him look almost ethereal. The wind also did wonders to the strands of hair that soon flew with each passing breeze.

You both leaned in closer, letting your lips press against his. It was so delicate, almost like your first-ever kiss. Even though that event had long since passed, this one made you feel those same butterflies.

"Here's my number. Why don't you give me a call whenever you just want to enjoy each other," you said.

Leaving Wonwoo behind to go to your car, you gave him one more glance, excited for how the rest of your visit would unfold.

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#wkcnet #jeon wonwoo fluff #jeon wonwoo imagines #wonwoo fluff #wonwoo imagines #seventeen fluff #seventeen imagines #gyupremacy

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let-them-read-fics · 3 years

Text

Yours Truly (Pt. 1)

Requested By: Some of you!

Pairing: Jisoo x Fem!Reader

AU: College

Word Count: ~ Part 1 -> 9,786 // Part 2 -> 7,433

Warnings / Misc. -- Pining, Angst, Fluff

Disclaimer: This writing is a work of fiction, and no disrespect is meant for those mentioned herein.

A/N: Hey everyone! I finally have a few days off, so we're back to our (semi) regularly scheduled programming with this fic! I really hope you enjoy it; lmk what you think :)

PS ~ Once again, I had to split it into two parts to appease the Tumblr Overlords.

♡ Happy Reading ♡

Part 2 -- Click Here

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1.) A Day In Class

Where does true beauty come from?

Is it strictly based in someone's DNA, rooted entirely in the attractiveness of their features? Or is deeper than that; does it extend from their soul? The very essence of stardust and personality that makes them them? Is it in how they interact with others? How they carry themselves?

You, being the wannabe philosopher that you are, love hearing people's answers to those questions. Every response is unique in its own way, altered depending on the person asked, and you find that to be one of humanity's most wonderful qualities. Like snowflakes, we're all different; as such is our definition of beauty. It lies in the eye of the beholder, subjective in its nature, and you find that comforting. Just think: if 99% of the world's population found you unattractive, 78,000,000 would beg to differ.

Though, for one person, you're sure those rules don't apply. She's objectively beautiful, and no one even attempts to pretend otherwise.

Who, you may ask? Kim Jisoo, of course -- head of your school's student council, resident girl next door, and keeper of your heart. She's poised in every way, and refined to the point that you question if you're even deserving of knowing her. Humor and kindness radiate from her no matter where she goes, so it's really no surprise that so many people love her.

A tap on your shoulder pulls you from your thoughts, and you turn to look at your best friend. "Yo, Y/N. What did you get for number 32?" Jeong asks from his seat in the row directly behind you, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. Your history professor likely wouldn't take kindly to being interrupted during his lecture, so you choose to show him your answer instead of responding out loud.

Jeong thanks you and continues to work on the activity you finished nearly 15 minutes ago, leaving you to half-heartedly listen to your professor. You're a good student, but even you have a limit to how much monotonous speaking you can handle in one sitting. As his words drone on, you roll your neck -- intending for the action to relieve some of the tension in your aching muscles; you're in for a surprise, however, when you lock eyes with none other than Jisoo herself. She offers a warm smile and wave, and the innocent actions send swarms of butterflies to take flight in your stomach. After sitting there for a moment, dumbstruck by her beauty, you snap to and return the gesture, making her giggle quietly.

Huh. So that's what angels sound like, then.

She turns back to her work after a minute, flipping the page every so often as she follows along with the lesson. You take note of how her eyes dart across the materials laid out on her desk, how her fingers mindlessly flirt with the edge of her sleeve in contemplation when she gets to a question that stumps her.

Never have you ever found yourself in such inner turmoil before. The sight before you begs to be seen -- to be admired -- but class continues on. As much as you try to fight it, your resolve eventually crumbles; foreign concepts now falling on fully deaf ears, you allow yourself to be entranced.

2.) Out In The Square

A Few Hours Later

Throngs of people stretch out before you, everyone making their way to various parts of campus as the blazingly hot sun beats down on them. Some run like their lives depend on it -- likely having overslept or missed campus transit -- while others take their time, catching up with friends and gossiping all the while. The soft pfft of sprinklers set up across the sections of lawn around you can be heard, going off every so often, and occasionally they're followed by the shouts of some unfortunate people getting soaked.

"You're so lucky, Y/N," Jeong groans from behind you. A grimace sits on his face as he flips through the pages of his Trigonometry book, looking for the reference graphs again. "No more classes for the rest of the week and you don't have any more assignments to finish? Remind me again how to become a teacher's pet, please." You roll your eyes with an amused smile, leaning back on your elbows to talk to him.

"I'm not a teacher's pet, Jeong. I just do my work on time instead of partying every night." He picks up a leftover piece of bread from the picnic basket that sits to his right and tosses it at you in retaliation to your little remark.

"I don't care what you say, those parties are always epic. One of these days I'll convince you to come along."

You shake your head, knowing there's no way you'd willingly attend one of them. From his stories, all those "epic" nights consist of is ridiculously drunken beer pong, sweaty people doing jello shots, and regrets.

"Not in a million years, loser." You say adamantly, not letting him trick himself into believing he's capable of swaying you.

With one last muttered phrase of, "we'll see about that," he returns to his studies, and you turn your attention elsewhere.

Scattered light filters in through the leaves of the tree you're sitting under, wrapping you in a blanket of warmth as your eyes scan across the crowd again. The sight brings to mind an idea that always fascinates you: everyone you meet is busy creating their own stories, writing and rewriting new possibilities and endings for themselves with each new choice they make. You can hear snippets of their conversations -- see instances of some having their best days while others are living through their worst -- and it really puts things into perspective. Although we may appear as side characters in those books of life that others are writing for themselves, we have no idea what they're going through at any given moment. So, you believe, that makes it all the more important to leave a positive impact on them; whether it be a kind smile, holding the door, or even a simple compliment, you're determined to have your legacy be one rooted in kindness.

Speaking of kindness in human form…

There she is, you think to yourself, feeling that all too familiar pitter patter of your heart pick up. Jisoo exits Building C, where her latest lecture just ended, and rushes down the stairs with her books in her arms. She's studying to become an actress, as far as you know, and you can't help but smile at the thought; she'll make an amazing star someday.

You watch as she meets up with 3 other girls, whom you immediately recognize as Lisa, Rosé, and Jennie, and they eagerly bounce their way over to the refreshment truck that one of your school's clubs had been so considerate to hire. It's the perfect day for a cold treat, after all.

Jisoo's dark hair flows in the gentle breeze that rolls in, looking like silk as it rides the currents. She's gorgeous in every way, and you can't help but be smitten; besides, it's not like you're not alone in your pining. She practically has the entire student body wrapped around her finger.

"Y/N, don't forget to blink. You're staring pretty hard," Yuqi says, raising up onto her elbow beside Jeong. He laughs with her, but his eyes remain glued to the notebook paper he's scribbling his work onto.

Your eyes dart away following her statement, and you know you've been caught. "I thought you were asleep," you bite back, attempting to hide the blush of embarrassment that's quickly flooding to your cheeks.

"I was, but I guess my intuition as your best friend woke me up. It's my mission in life to tease you."

"So I've gathered," you sarcastically smile at each other, making stupid faces like always.

"You love me," she flips her hair over her shoulder, appearing self-assured with the smirk that tugs at her lips.

"Do I though? I don't know sometimes..." she socks you in the arm, making you chuckle.

"All jokes, babe. Don't pout," you pinch her cheek until she grins, and then she begins telling you all about the dream she just had.

----

Jisoo leads her gang over to one of the nearby tables, making sure to choose her seat strategically. A special someone caught her attention earlier, as they have from the moment she first laid eyes on them months ago, and she hasn't been able to fight the urge to admire them. She watches as they laugh along with something their friend said, tilting their head back as the cheerful noise rings out. She finds herself smiling along, imagining what it would be like to make them laugh like that; it's a uniquely wonderful sound, and she can't help but adore it.

They lean across the blanket they're sitting on and dig through a picnic basket, retrieving what seems to be a sandwich packaged up in plastic wrap. One of their friends exaggeratedly thanks them, tackling them to the ground in a messy hug with a shout of gratitude that even Jisoo can hear from across the square.

"Earth to Jisoo!" Jennie says, raising her voice slightly as she snaps her fingers in front of the unnie. The former jolts back to attention with a little jump, clearing her throat to gather her thoughts.

"You know, you could always go talk to him. I've heard he's sweet." She tells the other girl, noticing the look of longing that's befallen her features.

"Yeah, Joy has Art with him on Thursdays. I think his name's Jeong or something like that." Lisa butts in before taking another lick of her ice cream.

Despite being so smart, the girls are really oblivious sometimes; Jisoo wasn't looking at him at all. She was looking at you.

She doesn't know if now is the right time to tell them that, though. She hasn't officially come out to them, but she isn't afraid that they won't accept her -- she just wants that moment to be special, and sweating in the middle of the campus square doesn't seem like the golden opportunity that she's been hoping for.

"Just eat your treats, knuckleheads." She concludes, taking a spoonful of the shaved ice she opted for instead of ice cream. The truck had multiple types of treats, with all kinds of different toppings and flavorings lining the walls.

"Okay…" Rosé trails off before adding, "but don't say we didn't try to help when you start wishing you had said something later." Jisoo uses her spoon to lower the one that Rosie had raised accusingly at her, reassuring the girl that she'd be fine.

She knows it's a lie, though; as the 4 of them later toss their trash in the bins and make their way to the student council room, Jisoo sneaks a last wistful glance at you, wishing she would've had the courage to start a conversation.

3.) One Step Closer

Friday, 1:34 PM -- A Few Days Later

"Hey, Minji. How many do we have today?" You wave at what kids have already been dropped off, your presence making their little faces light up with joy.

Your coworker responds from across the room, tossing a couple stray toys into their labeled baskets to keep the space tidy. "10 or so, I think. The last ones should be arriving soon." You nod and take off your coat, setting your things in one of the small cubbies against the wall just beyond the entrance.

"Y/N!" A small voice shouts from behind the counter, hidden from view. You smile deeply when you realize who it is, and you quickly dart around the corner to say hello. His chubby hands cover his mouth, but they do little in hiding his adorable grin. "Seungbum! How's my little munchkin?!" He squeals and runs into your arms, giggling loudly when you pick him up and spin him around. His dark hair sways from side to side with the movement, the slight waves sticking out in random places. A few seconds later, he wraps his arms around your neck and pulls back to look at you, settling into your secure hold.

"Can we play when Jia gets here? I promised her I'd show her the new trick I learned, but I wanna show you, too."

You smile at the sweet sentiment. "Of course, buddy. As long as you eat well at snack time, we can play however much you want." You raise an eyebrow at him, showing your authority, before saying, "I saw you put your veggies in your pocket last time and skip to dessert, so it'd better not happen again." He lowers his head after realizing he had been caught, and a hint of redness flushes his cheeks in embarrassment.

"Okay Y/N-yah."

You tickle him to make sure he knows you aren't mad at him, and soon he's laughing again. "Now, go wash your hands and get settled at the table, please."

"Yes ma'am." His tiny sneakers squeak against the floor as he races off towards one of the lowered sinks that borders the kitchen wall, and you shake your head with a smile.

Not even a second later, you feel a soft tug at your pant leg, and you turn around to find the source.

A head of brilliantly auburn hair is the first thing you see, and its shade compliments the child's outfit perfectly. "Hi sweetheart. Are you new?" You squat down to the young girl's level, noting how she shyly toys with her fingers as they rest in front of her. She nods, the movement so subtle that you almost don't notice it.

"My name's Y/N, and that awesome lady over there," you lean closer to her and point towards your coworker, "...is Minji. You can stay with us today, or you can play with the others, okay?" She nods again, her mannerisms letting you know just how shy she really is. Gently taking one of her hands, you hold it and look at her with a reassuring smile, asking, "Will you tell me your name?"

"I'm Aera." She meekly says, only maintaining eye contact for a second or two.

"That's a beautiful name," you compliment, seeing progress as she lightly smiles at your words. "And I love your bow," you add, touching the delicate material that rests near her ear, nestled into her straight locks. It has cherry blossoms and butterflies on it, all vibrant and neatly colored.

"Thank you, I picked it out myself." She perks up a bit now, raising her head to look at you with a proud smile. "Wow, really?" You put on an impressed expression, wanting to boost her confidence even more. "You'll have to help me choose one the next time I go shopping, then. You're great at it." The praise makes her chuckle, and her eyes squint into soft crescents in the process.

After stealing a glance at the table where everyone else has already gathered, you realize that they're waiting on you to start. "Alright, Aera, it's time to grab a bite to eat. Do you want to sit with me, or are you ready to be with the others?" You tilt your head to the side, asking the question softly so she doesn't feel overwhelmed. Having had this job for a while, you've gotten the hang of adjusting your behavior to put them at ease.

"With you," she says, growing a little timid again at the idea of mingling with them yet. "That's perfectly fine." You reassure her, smiling one more time before standing and leading her to the room. Her hand remains clutched in yours, wiggling around slightly from the height difference as she looks around.

"Who's ready for some snacks?" Minji asks the group, laughing when they all raise their hands and get excited. Their high pitched voices carry around the room as they discuss what foods they want to trade with each other, and soon everyone is happily munching away. You rub Aera's back sweetly as she eats some cucumber sticks, swinging her feet through the air beneath the short chair you retrieved from the table for her. She looks up into your eyes with a smile, melting your heart with the cuteness of her full cheeks. You squish them before turning away, feeling your 6th sense kick in as you scan your eyes across the rest of the group.

"Seungbum…" you warn, catching the way he's mischievously eyeing the carrots laid out before him on the table. He pokes at one of them and sighs, eventually giving in as he takes a hesitant bite of it. With some more convincing, he finishes the rest of the pack and gets started on his dessert.

----

Honestly, you feel sorry for the birds outside.

They must have had hundreds of mini heart attacks upon hearing the somehow earth-shattering roar of the 10 young kids, all blasting out the side door towards the playground. Some of them automatically race towards the swings or slides, while others approach the basket of toys and sports equipment. Aera, however, hangs back, her entire hand wrapped around just a few of your fingers. "What do you wanna do?" She shrugs, looking around at the different activities that the others are already starting.

"I can push you on the swings, or we could race. There're some monkey bars and a merry-go-round, too, that nobody's using right now." You suggest, hoping to catch her interest with one of them. Her attention snaps up to you at that last option, and she dramatically drops her jaw. "Did you say merry-go-round?" You nod with an amused grin, laughing when she lets out a cute noise of joy. After pointing her in the direction of it, she dashes off ahead of you and makes her way to it, only stopping to make sure you're still coming with her once she gets there.

"Hold on tight, little one." You advise, cheering when she giggles in anticipation. Her chuckles fill the airwaves as you spin the bar around, making sure not to pull too hard and make her too dizzy. You were once a kid, too, though, so you make it a point to add some serious speed every now and then to keep her entertained and happy. You remember playing on these all day when you were her age.

---

"Auntie!" Aera shrieks, excitedly thundering towards the fence that borders the playground. You finish cheering Seungbum on after watching his trick, grinning as he tries to flirt with Jia; she looks impressed. You turn around at Aera's commotion, feeling your eyes practically pop out of your head at who you see standing on the other side.

"How was your day, my love?" Jisoo asks sweetly, leaning over the metal divider to run a hand through her niece's hair lovingly. She still hasn't noticed your presence, and for that you don't know if you're relieved or saddened. Watching her interact with the young girl is quite adorable, though, and you're distracted from your personal gay panic for the time being.

"I've had so much fun. And Y/N-yah said she likes my hair clip! I told you this one was prettier than the one with just trees on it!" Aera says smugly, happy to have her decision pay off and prove her aunt wrong. Jisoo tenses up, not expecting to hear your name right now. Seeing that this is her first time picking Aera up, she had no idea you work at the daycare; though she'd be lying to say that it comes as a surprise -- you're a very warm person, so it's no wonder that you're good with kids.

As per Aera's request, you walk across the playground and join her in front of Jisoo. Now it's your turn to be shy; you sneak a glance at the student council president and immediately feel your cheeks heat up, so you busy yourself by patting Aera on the head. She hugs your leg and settles against your side, causing Jisoo to raise her eyebrows. "I'm impressed, Y/N. She usually doesn't open up to new people very easily."

"Ah, I'm surprised that such a cool girl like her wanted to hang out with me." You tease, tickling her side lightly when she hides behind the material of your shirt. "Do you want to come in and see what she drew today? She's definitely skilled." You suggest, trying not to sound too hopeful as you muster up the courage to look at Jisoo again. She's already smiling at you, a soft sort of adoration shining in her eyes as they rake over your features. She accepts your offer, and you walk over to the gate to let her in. Aera demands that you carry her, so you scoop her up into your arms as you make your way back into the daycare center. Her head sits on your shoulder, and you can feel her playfully making faces at Jisoo the entire way; her tiny frame jolts with each loud giggle she lets out, and the sound makes you smile.

---

"Yeah, she was my sidekick for the day." You respond to Jisoo, continuing your conversation as you watch Aera remove her drawing from the cork board that she taped it to earlier. Displaying the kids' artwork is something that you advocated for when you first began working here, and you're so glad you did; they always get excited to share their works.

"She's a lucky girl, then." She says, doing her best to ignore the feeling of your eyes on her. Focusing on anything other than you is already hard enough for her, but she knows there'd be no hope left if she gives in now.

"Y/N helped me draw this. She doodled Dalgom in the corner," Aera cheerily says, breaking the slight tension in the air as she approaches the table. Most of the other kids have already been picked up, and Minji's watching the handful that haven't.

"It's not very good," you cringe, scratching the back of your neck. You've seen him a few times since the beginning of the year, whether it be on walks across campus with Jisoo, or perched on her desk during "bring your pet to class" day.

"It's adorable; Dalgomie will be honored when I show it to him." Jisoo says with a nod, shutting down your insecurities within a second. You fail to contain the laugh that slips past your lips, disbelief present in your voice as you ask, "You're going to show him?" She looks at you like you have 3 heads. "It would be a disgrace not to."

With a breathy chuckle, you say, "You're so strange. I like it, though."

Jisoo smiles at that, and the three of you discuss all of the fun things you did that day. Jisoo tells you about the classes she had to sit through, and even how she stepped in gum and had to borrow a pair of Rosé's shoes.

---

All good things must come to an end, though, and after about half an hour of talking, it was time to say goodbye.

You lead them out the door and down the sidewalk as per Aera's request, yet again (that child is basically a mini dictator at this point, but she's cute so she gets a free pass). As she rustles around her bag in search of her keys, Jisoo accidentally knocks her earbud case out, sending it tumbling to the ground. "Oh! Here, I'll grab it for you." You kindly offer, stepping past her to retrieve it from the grass. She takes it from you with a word of gratitude uttered in that angelic voice of hers, and you begin your goodbyes upon hearing Minji call your name.

"I'll see you around, Jisoo. And Aera, I expect to see you next week." You wiggle a finger at the little girl, donning a shocked expression when she pretends to bite it. "Can't you tell we're related?" Jisoo asks with a smile, ruffling her niece's hair. "The resemblance is uncanny," you laugh, watching as both of them join in with you.

"Y/N, come on!" Minji whines, sounding like a toddler herself. You initially go to brush off her request in order to spend a few more seconds with the two of them, but when she stands in the doorway, entering your line of sight, you see why she's so desperate for your help -- two of the children still waiting on their parents are climbing on her, about to knock her over at any second. Her face is beet red from the effort she's exerting, and her hair is mussed wildly.

"Oh shhh---" you start, catching yourself when Jisoo widens her eyes at you and goes to cover Aera's ears, "--shiitake mushrooms!" You finish with a nervous smile, gaining a stunned laugh from your crush. "Bye girls; gotta go. I'm on my way, Minji!" You call out like a superhero, running to her aid as fast as your legs will carry you.

Jisoo watches you wrangle one of the squirmy kids off of her and initiate a tickle fight to distract him and give Minji time to deal with the other one. She smiles like a dork at your actions, realizing she would be content with watching you all day. You're a natural with them, and seeing you in action is something she wishes she had the chance to do more often. With that, she turns around and picks Aera up; the youngster nuzzles into her embrace, lazily slumping onto her after having such a tiring day. As Jisoo goes to take a step forward, she notices something on the ground: a piece of paper. It's been folded neatly many times, and it reminds her of the notes she would always pass to her friends back in elementary school. Her curiosity gets the better of her, and she can't resist the urge to pick it up.

"To The Girl Who'll Never Know I Love Her"

Her eyes scan across the words and she unfolds the note, making sure to keep a steady grip on Aera with her other arm. An almost unnoticeable signature is scribbled in the bottom corner, and she nearly scares Aera by squealing in pleasant surprise.

It's your name, curled into the letters that are so uniquely yours; the paper must've fallen out of your pocket when you bent down to get her case earlier.

After buckling her niece into her car seat and climbing into the driver's seat, Jisoo unfolds the note again and begins reading. She's like a giddy kid all over again, and part of her feels bad for giving into temptation. She reasons with herself by promising to give it back to you the next time she sees you, and that manages to rid her conscience of some of the guilt she feels. For now, though, she's eager to see what it contains.

The first thing to catch her eye is a poem written neatly underneath a doodle of a rabbit, likely serving as some sort of label. Everyone on campus knows of her nickname and resemblance to rabbits, and she can't help but hope that your drawing wasn't simply a coincidence.

Poison, is what you are

A bittersweet mix, intoxicatingly beautiful

For one glance from you

Steals every breath I had so foolishly believed was mine to take

For one smile from you

Sends me reeling, falling all over again

She nearly swoons at the words, rereading them multiple times over and imagining you saying them to her. She wonders how the syllables would fall from your lips, which ones you'd stress to alter the meaning into whatever you imagined when you wrote them. Whether or not they're written for her, she may never know; all she's aware of right now is how they make her feel, and how that feeling is one that she never wants to stop experiencing.

4.) Practice Makes Perfect

2 Weeks, 3 Exams, and 1 Mental Breakdown Later

"Coming!" You call out, using all of your strength to push your rolling chair away from your desk and across the room towards the door.

"Y/N L/N, at your service," you say, doing a little bow in your seat. Upon looking up to see who's in front of you, your eyes lock with the same girl who's been living in your mind rent free ever since you met her.

"Jisoo!" You announce a little louder than intended, scrambling up into a standing position before kicking the chair backwards. You wince when it collides with something behind you, filling the room with noise as a few of your knick knacks clatter to the floor. Jisoo has to fight to contain the smile on her lips, pursing them as she looks towards the ground so as to not embarrass you.

It's too late though -- you've already made a fool of yourself, and right in front of your crush, no less.

"What can I do for you?" You ask, finally relaxing your face from its previously scrunched up position.

"Are you busy right now? I have a favor to ask and you might be the only person who can help me out." Her eyebrows raise inquisitively at you, quirking up in that special way they always do when she's focusing in class.

She could ask you to do just about anything, and you'd be agreeing without hesitation; no questions asked.

"N-no, just doing a little studying is all. How can I help?" You'd normally curse yourself for sounding so shy, but she looks especially gorgeous tonight and you can't even blame yourself for it. The fluorescent bulbs of the dorm's hallway fail to even put a dent in the glow she's radiating, and that's no small feat -- those horrible little things are usually capable of making anyone look bad, and yet, once again, Jisoo manages to break the mold.

"Mrs. Choi assigned a rehearsal for me tonight, and I need a peer to score how well I do. I trust you to do it." She says, having no idea how much her words are affecting you.

Review portions of the semester are crucial to every major's success, but arguably none so much as those studying to be actors. The peer and admin reviews that they receive account for a large chunk of their grade, so you can imagine how nerve-racking it would be to put that kind of power in someone else's hands. You're touched that she trusts you with it.

"I'd love to help, Jisoo. Just curious, though: why don't you have one of the girls help? They probably know more about it than me, after all." Everyone knows how close JenChuLiChaeng are, so her decision to choose you is genuinely intriguing.

Shit. For some reason, Jisoo hadn't anticipated that you'd ask that question. The thought had never crossed her mind earlier, when she was preoccupied with convincing herself to come in the first place, so she has to think something up on the fly.

"They're all busy with work. Couldn't afford to lose any precious cramming time, you know?" She says, a hint of nervousness behind the small laugh she lets out. It's uncharacteristic for her, considering she's usually so confident all the time, but you think it's adorable.

"Ryujin's the same way," you tease, turning your head to look at your roommate. She's across the room on her bed, reading through her book as she holds her middle finger up to let you know she heard your comment. "What a sweetie," you coo, blowing a kiss at her that makes her roll her eyes and smile despite herself. She pretends to be hardcore, but after spending the past few months with her you've discovered that she's actually the human embodiment of a cinnamon roll.

"Well," you say, turning back to Jisoo, "when do you have to start?"

She pulls her sleeve back to glance at her watch before returning her gaze to you. "Gotta be back at the dorm in 10 minutes."

Your eyebrows shoot up in surprise, the inner honor student in you already panicking. "10 minutes?! It's all the way across campus, Jisoo!"

She laughs at you now, bringing a hand up to cover her mouth. "I'm kidding; we still have a couple hours. You should've seen your face, though. Priceless."

"That's no way to treat someone who practically has your grade resting in their hands." You say smugly, a little smirk playing on your lips when her jaw drops dramatically.

"You wouldn't dare," she narrows her eyes, referencing the notion that you might give her bad marks because of that little prank.

"Maybe, or maybe not. Perhaps I'll be merciful if you take me to get something to eat first."

"Food as a peace offering? Alright, I can do that."

You smile, doing a dorky little cheer at that. "Okay, I'll be right out; just give me a second to make myself look presentable."

Jisoo accepts your words with a curt nod, but she wants to tell you that you already look more than presentable. When you first opened the door earlier and she saw you in your study glasses, she couldn't help but smile like a fool; you're adorable, especially to her, and she wishes you could see that.

A couple minutes later you exit your dorm and find her leaned up against the hallway wall, her hands fidgeting in front of her. Is she nervous?

"So, where would you like to go?" You ask, pulling the thin material of your jacket over your shoulders. It's lightweight -- seeing as how the weather doesn't call for a large one -- and it feels soft against your skin.

As the two of you fall into step with each other, she responds, "It's up to you, princess. Since I'm at your mercy and all." Her smirk is visible in your peripheral.

The nickname causes your heart to flutter in your chest, thudding around even harder than it had before. "U-uh, how about the noodle place?" You suggest, trying not to cringe at the stutter in your voice. You've heard that she likes chicken and ramen, and that shop is known as the best restaurant on campus for it.

"110%. You know me so well," she says dreamily, batting her eyelashes at you with a silly smile.

"Called it," you retort, brushing your shoulder off nonchalantly. "Now come on, I'm hungry and ready to spend all of your money." Her hand slips into yours when you reach down for it, almost instinctively, feeling like it was meant to be there all along, and you tug her down the hallway towards the elevator.

----

"I know! If Mr. Johnson assigns another project like that then I'll politely be jumping out a window."

Jisoo laughs at how animated you are, even having to stop chewing her mouthful of food momentarily to make sure she doesn't choke. She really loves hanging out with you; you make everything fun, and all of the stress she feels on a daily basis seems to vanish into thin air.

"I did pretty bad on that last one," Jisoo adds, grimacing as she remembers her score.

"You literally got a 93 out of 100, shut up." You shake your head with an amused smile, reaching across the table to snatch a piece of gimbap from her plate.

"Hey--" she goes to yell at you, but her phone vibrates against the table, successfully stopping her.

"Hello?" She answers, silently starting a chopstick war with you when you reach for another piece. When the person on the other end begins talking, she stops playing in order to concentrate on what they're saying.

"Did she cancel?" She asks, furrowing her brow as her lips form into a natural pout. She sighs, rubbing her temple gently as the conversation continues. "Okay, I'm out with a friend right now, but you can go ahead and head that way. We'll meet you there. Alright, love you, too. Bye."

You raise an eyebrow, wordlessly requesting info about what new plan you're being involved in. "That was my brother; the babysitter cancelled on them last minute, so we have to watch Aera for a few hours." Jisoo loves her niece dearly, but she can't deny that she wanted to spend the evening alone with you. She's afraid the little girl will steal all of your attention away, as childish as that may seem.

"You're such a good person," you compliment, only to frown when she brushes off your words. "I mean it, Jisoo. You always take care of everybody around you; it's admirable. Now take the compliment or I'll team up with Aera later and tease you."

She rolls her eyes with a smile, saying, "You're gonna do that regardless."

"That's not the point," you pout, stomping your foot on the ground lightly.

"Fine; tis I, Jisoo, the greatest person in all of existence. Happy now?"

"Ecstatic." You beam at her, returning back to your cheery self. "I'll go grab some boxes for us, okay?" She nods, and you scurry off on your mission.

----

Back At Jisoo's Dorm

Images flash across the large, flatscreen TV mounted to the wall across from you, displaying scenes of whatever cartoon the network decided to air right now. Aera isn't being picky; she's content with sitting in your lap, mindlessly fidgeting with the necklace that loosely dangles from your neck as she remains entranced by the screen. Your arms are around her to make her feel secure, and her small frame racks against you with every sweet giggle she lets out anytime a new joke is told by one of her favorite characters.

Jisoo observes from the kitchen, leaning back against the countertop to settle in while she waits for Aera's favorite snack to heat up. She watches as you point to various things on the TV, having her name the ones she knows and teaching her others that she doesn't.

She loves seeing you like this. You're beaming in that special way that sets her heart on fire, and the flames are only fanned when you turn to look at her. Somehow, the sight reminds her of the first time she met you:

It was orientation week -- the beginning of the school year -- and you were taking a tour around campus with some of your friends. You were lucky to have them; you'd only kept in contact with a handful of people from high school, knowing full well that most of those relationships were only rooted in superficiality, never meant to last. But this motley crew was different; they saw you for you, and all of you genuinely enjoyed each other's company. It didn't have the same air of awkward tension as the fake friendships had -- this was real and honest, and you thanked your lucky stars for them on the daily.

All of you had managed to get into your dream schools, and the reality was bittersweet; you'd all be moving away from each other and beginning your own lives, having less and less time for each other in the process. You were beyond proud of them, and yourself, for that matter, but it still hurt to think that they wouldn't be just a few blocks away anymore. That you couldn't just swing by their house to go on a late night drive through the city like you used to. As exciting as your new experiences were bound to be, part of you was terrified; your life up until now had been fairly safe, creating a little security blanket to protect you from all that life had in store, but now you were on your own and the idea was a bit daunting. The memories you made together comforted you, though, and kept the sadness at bay.

"Dude, this place is sick. How did you manage to make it in again?"

"Because she's smart, dumbass. We should be asking you that question."

"Ouch, (Friend's Name), that hurt."

"Do you still have those chips from earlier? I'm starving over here."

"Yeah, here, they're in my bag."

Pockets of separate conversations can be heard from behind you, all of your friends chatting away while you walk ahead of them, map and schedule in hand. The campus is fairly large, and with so many buildings and classrooms it's easy to get confused. You continue walking, running a finger along the map to trace the path you intend to take towards the Help Center.

In your preoccupied state, you don't even realize that you're headed straight for a trash can that sits on the sidewalk, mere seconds away from colliding with it.

A passerby notices just in the nick of time, reaching an arm out in front of you to prevent the accident with a noise of warning. You tense up, not expecting the sudden interruption, and look up into the eyes of your savior. Her dark orbs peer back at you, an innocent gleam in them when she sees your lips slowly tug into a smile.

She mirrors your actions, neither of you saying anything yet. You couldn't utter a word even if you wanted to; her beauty leaves you speechless.

"That was close," she says quietly, only to you. Your friends have almost caught up with you now, still busy with their own conversations, though they'll tease you once they see a gorgeous stranger's arm wrapped around you.

"Thank you," you breathe out, clearing your throat as you take a step away from her.

"Ooh, who's this, Y/N?" One of your friends coos, garnering a chorus of childish "oohs" and kissy noises from the others. Why are they so obnoxious?

You apologetically glance at the girl one more time before turning around to respond to them, but she speaks up before you can.

"Kim Jisoo." She introduces, facing them with a wide smile. It's easy to see that she's done this before; her tone is pleasant and light, not even a hint of hesitancy in it. She's used to being the center of attention; you can tell by the way she carries herself and commands the space.

"I see you guys are taking a tour, right?" She looks between all of you, though her eyes linger on you for a second too long to be brushed off as 'just friendly'.

You nod, saying, "I can't find my last class. It's a Gen Ed one; World History, room 435. The map says it's in Complex D, but the room was vacant when we went by."

She listens intently, paying attention to your every word. "They must've handed out the old maps by accident, then. Mr. Johnson had to move rooms to accommodate larger class sizes. When do you have him?"

You unfold your schedule again, gazing down at the slightly crumpled sheet until your eyes find their target. "Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1PM."

Upon registering what you said, Jisoo does her best to contain the grin that threatens to spread across her face. "Ah, same as me! I can take you to the room, if you'd like. That way you can find it next week." She offers, pleased by the fact that she'll be seeing you more often. Your cute mannerisms have already thrown her for a loop, and she wants to get to know you better.

"That would be great." You let out a relieved laugh, releasing the worry you felt; tours are meant to end within 20 minutes or so, and before Jisoo came you were afraid you'd never find your last class. She's saving the day again, it seems.

"Great, follow me," she smiles warmly, placing a gentle hand on the small of your back to turn you in the right direction. When you give your friends one last glance over your shoulder, you find them giving you thumbs up with smirks on their faces. One of them puckers their lips at you, and you stick your tongue out in return.

You're not sure what they'll end up doing while you finish your tour, though it'll likely involve either skating or eating fast food. They have each other to keep themselves entertained, so you're not worried about them in the slightest. You make a mental note to text them when you're done to meet up again.

Jisoo smiles like an idiot when she realizes what's happening behind her, failing miserably to hide it when you spin back around and give your full attention to her.

"What?" You ask, leaning in closer to her to nudge her shoulder when she looks away, blushing.

"Nothing," she shakes her head, only to be prompted by you again. "You're just cute, is all."

You have to use all your power to hold back the squeal you want to let out at hearing that. Kim Jisoo, as you now know her to be, thinks you're cute? You must be dreaming.

"That's funny, I don't remember turning into a mirror."

"Yah, babo!" She chuckles, not expecting that as she smacks the back of your head with no real force. The two of you share a laugh and continue talking while you make your way to the room.

Beeping sounds from the microwave bring Jisoo back down to Earth, causing the pleasant memory to fade more and more with every incessant signal that cuts through the air. She grabs a couple heat guards and approaches the machine, carefully opening the steaming package and pouring its contents into a big, shareable bowl. Though it may be Aera's favorite food, she'd be damned to not make enough for the two of you as well. After all, keeping her entertained will take plenty of energy.

"Did this princess order one heaping bowl of popcorn or am I at the wrong castle?" Jisoo plays, padding into the room with a bright smile on her face as she looks over at her niece. The smell of her snack snaps Aera back to reality, making her eyes light up with pure joy as she leaps off of your lap and runs to Jisoo. She wraps her arms around her legs, thanking her in that sweet little voice of hers as she gazes up at her aunt with stars in her eyes.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She chants, wiggling her body around in excitement. She lets go when Jisoo goes to walk to the couch, following close behind her like an eager puppy.

She approaches you again, making grabby hands for you to lift her onto your lap even though she's more than capable of getting up there by herself. Nevertheless, you pull her up with a humored grin, watching as she puts her hands in her lap and patiently waits for the two of you to get a bite first. Her ability to follow manners is commendable, though the slight twitch of her lip when she gets a whiff of the food is pretty adorable.

"Dig in," you say around your mouthful of food, locking eyes with Jisoo when Aera jumps at the opportunity to follow your instructions. You never have to tell her twice when it comes to food.

"Yep, definitely related."

Jisoo laughs at your comment, reaching over top of Aera to flick you in the forehead. She shrugs at your pained exclamation, uttering a nonchalant "Sorry, not sorry," as the two of you crack up together.

----

"Y/N, how the hell did you manage to do that?" Jisoo whispers, not bothering to censor herself when she sees Aera fast asleep in your arms. It's not like she could hear her anyway.

"She was already kinda tired when she got here; I just made sure to get that last little bit of energy out with the games. Have you forgotten that I know a thing or two about kids?" You tease, turning to her with a smile when you finish walking up the short staircase.

"You don't understand: usually it takes us hours to settle her down. She's just a totally different person around you."

"Must be my awesomeness."

"Hmm, must be," Jisoo hums, quietly opening her bedroom door for you and watching as you carefully lay Aera down. You tuck her under the blankets with care, making sure to brush the hair out of her face and adjust her pillow a bit. Jisoo leans against the doorframe, adding the scene before her to her list of reasons for loving you. Seeing you in such a domestic situation gives her baby fever, and she has to push the persistent feeling away.

"Ready?" You whisper with one last look over your shoulder, giving Jisoo your undivided attention once you confirm that Aera's alright.

"Let's do it," she says, pulling the door to but not latching it. The two of you will be in the living room, just down the hall, and you want to be able to hear her in case she needs something. So responsible.

You take in the dorm as Jisoo leads you towards your destination, amazed at how much bigger it is than yours and Ryujin's. This one has separate rooms equipped with their own personal bathrooms, a decent kitchen, and, of course, a living area. Clearly, having ties to the school and being president of the student council come with some major perks. Your socked feet pad against the hardwood floor, and you close what little distance is left between Jisoo and yourself to press your body against her back, wrapping your arms around her. She lets out a little noise of surprise, but doesn't protest; she tucks one of her hands into your clasped ones and uses the other to rub your forearm.

A few moments later you plop down onto the couch and get comfortable on the cushions. Jisoo digs around in her bag that leans against the tv stand, searching for the script of her upcoming production. Her shirt rides up slightly, giving you a perfect view of her beautifully sculpted stomach, and her skin looks ethereal as it glows in the soft lamplight of the room. Embarrassed for admiring her in such a way, you avert your gaze, failing to notice how she subtly bites her lip as she approaches you; she planned that little show, and it worked.

"Okay, so here's the scoring sheet," she hands you a semi-formal looking paper, along with a pencil and clipboard to use as a stabilizer. "I'll be reading from the first few pages on my own, but I was wondering if you'd fill in for the male lead for some of the other parts? It's a lot easier to get into character if I have someone's energy to feed off of."

You smile at how cute she sounded with her little rambled request, and nod. "Of course, Jisoo. I doubt I'll be any good, though." She releases a sigh at that, happy to have you agree; her plan is coming along nicely, but there's always room for things to go wrong.

"I'm sure you're better than you think."

"Stop sucking up, Chu. Flattery won't make me raise your grade," you warn, pointing the pencil at her sternly. Your tone sends a shiver down her spine, though it goes unnoticed by you.

"Let's just get started." She concludes, doing her best to keep from getting too flustered under your already watchful eye.

----

Her show is well underway, caught somewhere towards the end of act two, and you're enthralled by the performance she's giving. The paper that once rested in your lap is marked up with comments of praise and proud annotations to accompany your high scoring, though now it lays forgotten about on the coffee table, serving no purpose any longer. You finished all of the required sections necessary for your peer review, and now you're just enjoying the journey that Jisoo is continuing to take you on.

You look back up into her eyes after reading off the lines of the character you're filling in for, looking completely unskilled next to the pure talent that she's exuding. She stands from the couch, looking down at you with an exasperated expression as she remains in character.

"You don't get it!" She raises her voice slightly, though not loud enough to wake Aera. Even while in the intense mindset she has to be in for her character, she keeps one foot in the reality of this world, making sure to behave appropriately.

"Enlighten me, then." You stand and retort, shifting a bit closer to her after reciting your line.

"Only when I'm with you do I feel true happiness. Your kind eyes bring me comfort like no other; I'm safe in your arms. For you, my love," she pauses, her eyes brimming with tears from the emotional words she's spent so much time rehearsing. "...there isn't a thing in this world that I wouldn't do." Your breath is held tightly in your throat, and your hands subconsciously grip onto the material of your jeans.

Only now do you realize how close the two of you have migrated to one another; she's merely a breath away, so close you can feel the warmth radiating from her. You swallow thickly, feeling your nerves come alive with every second that passes in heated silence, neither of you knowing what to do now. You've lost the desire to read your next line, and she doesn't seem too upset by that fact. Her eyes slowly scan over your features, and the lovesick look in them makes you question if she's still in character or slipping out of it.

After her gaze darts down to your lips and she licks her own without even realizing it, you seriously begin hoping for the latter of the two options.

She searches your face for any sign of refusal as she leans in closer, now bringing her arms up to wrap around your waist and lightly ball the material of your shirt up into her fists. Your hands rest on her shoulders, and you glide your fingertips over her jawline. A singular nod is the last form of consent that you give her before she pulls you closer.

Her lips ghost over yours, receiving some of the vanilla balm you applied earlier; her breath hitches when you tug at the collar of her university sweater, teasingly taking her bottom lip between your teeth. She wants to savor this moment, so she fights against her urge to dive right in and get lost in you.

Within seconds, she's kicking herself for that decision.

"Auntie? Y/N?" Aera calls sleepily from just around the corner, making the two of you spring away from each other. When she appears less than a second later, you realize how close you had been to getting caught. Jisoo refuses to meet your gaze when you look towards her, and that simple action disheartens you a bit.

"Hey, sweetheart. Bad dream?" You ask, using your inference skills after noticing the way that she's clutching her stuffed bunny close to her chest. Her lip trembles as she nods, and the sight breaks your heart. Quickly, you pick her up again, assuring her that she's safe and that you'd slay any monster that dared to hurt her, even in her dreams. A small smile tugs at her lips, and she brings a fist up to rub her eye. "How about this: I'll do a quadruple check of the room for you, and stay with you until you fall asleep. Sound good?"

She utters a tired, "Yes, Y/N-yah", before laying her head on your shoulder and waving a goodbye towards Jisoo as you take her back to the room.

Four sweeps of the room and one fight with a ghost later, you tuck her in again and lay a sweet kiss to her forehead. "Love you," she mumbles lazily, making your heart melt. Kids say that phrase quickly, without even realizing the weight that it has, but you're always glad to accept whatever they imagine it to be. Whether she loves you for playing with her, tucking her in, or defending her honor against imaginary monsters, you don't really care all that much -- she loves you in the ways that she knows how, and that's all that matters.

"I love you, too, Aera. Sleep well." You tuck a piece of hair behind her ear and settle against the wall, prepared to come through on your promise.

----

"Hey," you start, albeit a bit awkwardly.

"Hey," Jisoo returns, pushing her leftovers from the restaurant around her plate half-heartedly. You approach the marble countertop that she sits behind, silently begging for her to look up at you.

"Should we talk about earlier?" You quietly ask, picking at imaginary imperfections on the surface of the countertop.

"What about it?"

"We practically kissed--"

"It was in the script to do so, Y/N." She says, finally looking up at you. She sounds a bit hostile now, like she's getting defensive for some unknown reason.

"Oh," the simple utterance is all you can manage, seeing as how your brain is running a mile a minute. You want to ask if it meant anything else to her -- if she would've taken it farther, had Aera not walked in -- but you don't. Her tone serves as enough of an answer, and you're not sure you could stand to hear her verbalize your fears anyway.

"Well I guess I should go, then." You retract your hand and put it in your pocket, realizing how stupid you were for thinking she could like you back. She doesn't; she was just in need of a helping hand tonight, and you offered that. You shouldn't have tried to turn it into anything that it wasn't.

Hearing the disappointment in your voice makes her want to confess right then and there, but something still holds her back -- some force is yelling at her to keep her feelings hidden for fear of rejection. "I can drive you."

You shake your head. "Nah, it's okay. I'll have Ryujin come get me. You can't leave Aera here and I wouldn't want to have to wake her up just for you to drive me across campus." Jisoo agrees, realizing that she didn't even think about that at first.

"Goodnight, Jisoo." You say, heading off towards the front door. She returns the gesture, reminding you to be safe as she locks it behind you and watches you dial up your roommate's number. Before long, she pulls into one of the parking spaces in front of the dorm, and the two of you drive away.

Click Here For Part 2

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vaguely-concerned · 3 years

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X-men Evolution; the great 2021 rewatch liveblog

exactly what it says on the tin, about halfway through the show I had TOO MANY FEELINGS and had to start writing some of them out haha (gets quite gambit & rogue/gambit heavy in the latter half, Because of Who I Am as a Person)

- this is my childhood’s x-men, my formative experience with them, and I’m happy to report that still seems like a good thing. the little eleven year old within me gets to geek out and have a good time with the characters and the surprisingly good animation and writing, adult me gets to CACKLE at regular intervals at the fashion/technology/absolute bonkers hot garbage comic book nonsense they use to justify a storyline every now and then, it’s been a good time

- I was like ‘ah well it is super dated it probably won’t be quite the same now’ and then rogue’s HAIR did the THING in the opening and ‘it’s all coming back to me now’ started playing in the background... the little baby queer in me swooning across time and space

- such a good beast, both his design and the writing, my heart aches for him all the time. he’s just so passionate! about being a teacher! helping young humans learn the stuff they’ll need in life! the most wonderful nerd man, just let good things happen for him

- I’m going to go ahead and assume that rogue’s ‘crush’ on scott is more of a deeply complex psychological process about desiring normalcy and intimacy and trying to figure out if she’s queer and dealing with her emerging sexuality and latching on to the first and best safely unavailable and nonthreatening older boy to project these issues onto rather than actually being a real thing, because I respect her so much as a person and I cannot bring myself to imagine she’s honestly attracted to a man who has POSTERS OF CARS on his bedroom wall. (I’ll give jean a break just because she seems to have a longer deeper history with him that might counteract some of that libido-kill, and also she’s a jock so lol)

like I am very sorry but can u imagine being a teenage girl with any interest in a boy with model cars in his bedroom when gambit’s swanning around being a much, much, much worse choice on almost every possible level but in a teen girl kryptonite kind of way? inconceivable

(I drag scott quite a few times in this and it’s not because I don’t love him, it’s just his tragedy to be the most draggable man in the world)

to be fair by the time gambit shows up that whole Situation has mostly played itself out I suppose but still

- toad’s design is so ineffably brilliant, I can’t quite tell you why but that ugly cute charm has really stuck with me, he’s one of the characters I remembered the best to this day just visually

- poor evan... he truly never had a chance, did he, they just saddled him with the most 90s teen bullshit they could come up with like he’s some kind of ‘what adult writers think teens like’ frankenstein’s monster ;______; it’s not your fault honey

- poor poor POOR storm, she gets one focus episode and they were like ‘we’re going to make an episode so racist -- ‘

I’m still STUNNED at how bad it was, but undeniably I laughed hysterically to the point that my neighbours were probably worried when that dude was earnestly like ‘He [stunningly breathlessly racist caricature of a ‘witch doctor’ guy] has stolen her powers, and he’s going to use them to take over Africa!!!’ fhajsdlfhsakjldfh oh really? tell me more, like how the fUCK this could be on television within my life time fasdlfhsdkjfhsad f just... fahjksdfh

- it’s a testament to gambit’s appeal as a character that his charm can survive what they’ve done with his hair and beard choices in this one fajskfhs regrettable but true I still fuckn LOVE him and in my highly biased yet Correct opinion he should have been around much more. get you a man who manages to stay hot through sheer Vibes even with a bowl cut

- aw scott/jean is kind of sweet in this show even if it’s taking them forEVER to get there, I like it

- it’s very nice of rogue to not mention magneto’s romantic daydreams and nostalgic memories about charles xavier after touching his face that one time... or maybe her brain did her a service and repressed it, there’s some stuff you shouldn’t have to know about your father figure

- the danger room is the very definition of ‘why do we even have that lever’ and I wonder what the fuck prof x does to have enough money to replace everything that gets busted all the time

- I’d say that a lot of the writing holds up surprisingly well! (but some of it is also incredibly inexcusably racist in ways that beggar belief, so... not full marks here) the characters have distinct voices and their arcs are set up and delivered on solidly for the most part, and there’s a lot of love showing through in small moments that are just there to have a funny/interesting thing to say about the characters and how their powers work separately and in combination. listen, sometimes I get so thirsty for like. basic goddamn competency in storytelling, let me have this

- ugggggh why is there captain america in my x-men have I not suffered enough... very very funny when prof x goes ‘sounds like you knew rogers personally’ and logan is like ‘I did ;)’ *all the students ganging up on steve rogers* “did you fuck our teacher, captain america?!”

- fskadfhas WHY are you showing me hot young-ified magneto’s ass fksjahfskj charles is not even here to see it, what a tragic waste erik

- ...I was sort of kidding before but uh I think logan genuinely did fuck captain america (or at least wishes very much that he did lol)

- wanda can have a little watching the world burn. as a treat for the way every single adult in her life has fucking failed her (’aren’t they treating you well here’ professor x she’s in a straightjacket)

- poor rogue tho can you imagine finding out after your biggest crush on a girl yet that she’s your fucking MOM in disguise... I would break out in cold sweat every time I thought about a boob forever after

- well seems like they really just had all that homoerotic rivalry stuff between quicksilver and spyke in their first ep only to never do anything with that again ever?? I mean even without the gay undertone that seems like a dynamic you spent most of an episode setting up writers what the hell haha

- dslhfkasjlh GAMBIT THERE HE IS MY BOY IS ON THE SCENE THIS IS NOT A DRILL!!! I don’t even care about his awful hair situation or the fact that his eyes are wrong here (coloured contact lenses, maybe, for a watsonian explanation? though he’d probably have to get them made special, considering he needs the sclera and the iris covered up in different ways, I’ve seen some comic panels indicating he has been known to?)

(cute little detail: when he shuffles the cards the first time we see him he ends with removing the top card to show the ace of hearts beneath <3 foreshadowing baBEY he’s a... good-ish boy deep down. hey he tries okay shit gets complicated sometimes lol)

- cracking UP at gambit perched cheerily on the edge of a crate dispensing cards in the middle of the battle... he’s like ‘eh it’s a livin’ sfsajkhf remy stop working for supervillains just because you had nothing to do on a thursday afternoon and they said they’d pay you

- I’m guessing magneto must have imposed a strict order of silence on these guys or something because I cannot imagine any other reason for him to shut up, especially once he notices rogue is a QTE (or, far more likely, they hadn’t settled on any voice actors for the new characters until next season haha. it is kind of odd that they’re all keeping up near monastic silence, though, even sabertooth lol)

- WHAT an epic first meeting for us rogue/gambit fans here... first his shadow like there’s fireworks going off behind him lighting him up and then he gives her the fuckn king of hearts and she’s so enchanted by his dumb handsome face she doesn’t even notice it’s about to blow up in her hands and it all happens in heavily meaningful silence afjsdfjashjk no wonder this ship ingrained itself in my hindbrain

yeah look smug while you can remy she’s gonna have you on your knees one day and you’ll be happy about it lol

- god storm is so COOL, everything just fading out of focus when she really gets going... give her more screen time, show!!

- mystique is every person... this person... that person... that bird... that cat... that wolf... I’m not even sure she’s not also me... are you sure she’s not you?

- holy fuck I respect the hell out of the decision to just... blow up the entire status quo in a season ender, I only vaguely remembered that (actually in general I appreciate how good the continuity is -- buildings and places that get damaged in battles need to be repaired or rebuilt, it makes the consequences feel more real even when no one gets seriously hurt. where they get the money to restore scott’s car and logan’s motorbikes every time they go cablooie is still an open question tho lol is it credit card fraud, professor? is it telepathically acquired blackmail???)

- I first watched this when I was nine or so, so it’s a real experience to go from my starry eyed intrigued ‘oh my god... they’re teenagers’ to my horrified adult perspective of ‘oh my god... they’re TEENAGERS D:’

that goes double for the brotherhood boys honestly, I’m here with tears in my eyes like ‘I’m sorry the system has failed you so badly you’re all just a bunch of dumb kids whose caretakers clearly fucked up spectacularly’

like lance is always waiting for mystique to come back because she’s the closest thing he has to a safe parental figure, may we speak about how crushingly depressing that is

- rogue is so ready to throw hands at literally any moment and for that I love and treasure her immensely (I think getting to see her be so surly and unreasonable and sometimes difficult and jealous, like any teenager, meant a lot to me as a kid who was not really allowed to be any of these things, this version of the character has stayed with me so deeply. she holds on so fiercely to her right to feel what she feels and be what she is even when it’s ‘ugly’ or unreasonable, which I think plays in really interestingly with how her powers involve getting invaded by other people’s thoughts and memories to the point of overwhelming her own sense of self and the fact that she clearly has a lot of self-loathing and self-consciousness and confusion about her identity as well. I love her so much)

- oooof this is the ‘the gang experience a microaggression’ episode huh (well more like macroagressions really)

hits a bit different with adult eyes and perspective huh

- hearing jean sound almost like a child when she says ‘that’s so unfair!’ somehow has me like ;______; -- she has to be so adult and responsible all the time, and having her be reduced to the kid she still is and should get to be in front of this awful awful man she could squash like a bug with the flick of a thought... ugh I’m Big Sad (it is funny that jean seemingly plays Every Sport tho djfhaskj)

- MY BOY IS BACK!!! this time with the duster coat and his eyes the right colour, im so happy (too bad about the subdued colour scheme tho; I adore his dumb bright pink getup with my whole heart)

it’s kind of adorable that he takes the time to take the bullies aside and go ‘I know these guys can’t wreck you without getting expelled, but I think you’ll find no law set down by god or man would stop me from doing so whenever I wanted to. so piss off and leave them alone’ lol he’s looking out for them, in his own way

- in this episode: remy lebeau wrangles some kids while looking bored yet mildly amused the whole time. what the fuck does magneto have on you for you to agree to this level of babysitting duty buddy

- fun detail I noticed b/c when I get a fave I hyperfixate: he gave rogue the king of hearts before, but he ‘introduces’ himself to the brotherhood here (lol) with the jack of hearts, probably to symbolize he’s here as someone who works for magneto in this setting and not as his own man? it’s a demotion he’s given himself there, anyway, might be he’s not very pleased about his current position huh

- I like it when rogue and kitty team up, they’re not very effective together but their squabbling is so cute and non-aggressive

- pietro is what draco malfoy would be if I ever found malfoy interesting to watch for even one moment, every time quicksilver talks I’m like ‘what wonderfully insufferable thing is going to come out of your mouth this time you little shit :’)’

- a) why are scott and logan shirtless for this scene? I am not complaining on the logan side of things at least but why and b) I laughed so hard I almost fell off my couch when scott asked logan if he’d ever been in love and he was like ‘once. she was the most beautiful bike I ever saw’ falsdfhaskjfhsakjlfhasklhjfd THE BEST VERSION OF WOLVERINE EVER, ACCEPT NO SUBSTITUTES

- mystique’s sheer dedication to being a petty bitch is kind of inspirational tbh, almost makes me want to go on a completely bonkers and extra crusade of personal revenge myself

- oooh they’re doing some genuinely cool things with vision/lack of vision in this one (it’s the scott left on his own in the desert without glasses one btw) even visually, dang! I’m so sad this show didn’t get more seasons than it did, honestly, it deserved it

- hell yeah jean wreck her, go get your man with the suspiciously specific clothing damage normally done to female characters

awww :’) okay yeah they’re super sweet, I love the tiny loving animation details like how he leans his head against her and her stroking his hair away from his eyes

- nooo don’t bully evan leave my t0tally r4dical sk8er boy alone :(

- I love the running joke of people fleeing in blind panic only to reveal that what they’re running from is kitty’s cheerful well meaning little face fskfaskh

- scott and jean are already peak married after officially being together for one episode and it’s adorable, and they just stone cold threw logan under the bus, rip wolverine we hardly knew ya

fjasdlfasldfhslajdkfhsadkjlfhsdkjalfhsdakfh h jean establishing herself as the alphabitch of this relationship by throwing her man to the wolves right after dsjfhaskjfhaskjhfsakjdhfaskjhfaskdhfskjahfskdajhf get smarter or get volunteered scott

- ...eyepatch lady is so hot ngl

oh evan went to the place hank used to go to calm down ;________; (honestly he’s kind of won a place in my heart just by being a pretty normal teenage boy haha)

- jesus fucking CHRIST can you imagine being storm having to look her sister in the eye as she tells her ‘I lost your only child, he’s *vague gesture* somewhere in the sewers we think’ this poor woman

- amanda the self admitted monster fucker you are so VALID (I love her and her family’s design so much tho!)

- it’s so cool that even in his human ‘disguise’ kurt’s fingers follow the shape of his actual hand beneath it rather than moving like a five fingered hand, it’s such a lovingly consistent little detail

- magneto and mystique in a breathless race to see who can be the shittiest parent... tune in next week for yet another parental nadir (also some low-poly gambit appearances in this one, for those at home keeping score (me), he’s in the background looking like someone drew him with their eyes closed fakjldfhasd look how they massacred my boy)

- someone please teach the brotherhood boys about consent huh

- jean ‘soccer mom before her time’ grey and her SUV dfhakjlhds :’)

- im sobbing rogue baby girl i’m so sorryyyyyy, this voice actress is so good, my parental instincts suddenly kicked into overdrive hearing the crack in her voice :( (bb me was right tho rogue centric episodes ARE the best episodes. that tension between ‘do I identify witn this character or am I crushing on her?? both???’ now has the fun new addition of ‘oh god oh no you are a baby I want to shield you with my body from everything trying to hurt you’)

- mystique is like ‘so you see despite you telling me you never wanted to see me again I completely disrespected that and posed as a friend your age, manipulated you by offering you the mirage of direly needed emotional intimacy and belonging and added some sprinkles of homoerotic tension to it just to massively worsen your already existing grievous psychosexual trauma and identity issues... out of love’

god go jump in a black hole you fucking monster

- there’s some very interesting and quite subtle subtext about the people she’s morphing into and what that says about her mental state/how it shows off some of her emotional baggage with the rest of the team. it’s like she’s switching between people/powers that fit the purpose as if she’s going through cycles of fight/flight (and then bursts of freeze where she’s herself, which is... so sad)

- this whole episode is hurting my heart but rogue at full power is undeniably epic

- ‘professor x get your goddamn act together and get this poor girl some fucking tHERAPY’ challenge

- SAFE PAPA LOGAN ;_____;

- EYYYYYY opening straight on My Lad, I cannot stop winning!!!!!

fasdfhsad disintegrating the window with a smiley face... remy I do love you more than my heart can bear honestly, hello may we speak about the fact that his urge to be a little shit is so deep and strong it survives mind control (that little breathed out ‘hiah!’ as he vaults the fence too dsakfjsd)

hahaha and he does up the coat fhsalfdsaj

- magneto dismissing other telepaths like ‘puh-lease, your Meaningful Looks have got nothing on my ex-husband’s’

- :’) rogue and kurt sibling timeees

- say what you want but this pyro guy’s got job satisfaction in being a creepy arsonist with a weird recurring horse theme (well at least twice but still weird)

- I love how beast is the kindest man to ever walk the earth but also straight up savage, this man drags people so hard their ancestors wince in their graves

- gambit taking the time to complete the guard’s game of solitaire -- this episode is giving me everything I want. u little disgrace mr lebeau

and THEN he takes the spider out in the most hilariously bonkers way my heart is so FULL

(I love that when magneto moves by he looks startled and has to quickly move his head out of the way to avoid getting kicked in the temple too that’s a fun detail)

I’m so INTO how this sequence shows off that his greatest strength isn’t even his powers (which are pretty straightforward, really, he makes go boom, longer time and bigger thing bigger boom) but that he’s clever and creative and always extremely ready to be the most harebrained-bananapants-extra-in-a-deceptively-laidback-sort-of-way person in the room (I actually have some genuinely Deep Thoughts about how his whole character does a really interesting thing with having the straightforwardly destructive nature of his powers yield to what his nature as a person is, and how using the playing cards play (heh) into it, maybe I’ll write it out some day. just the fact that he could use anything, but he deliberately chose something that adds style and playfulness and corny charm to it and that also limits the damage of the explosions compared to if he habitually used something with more mass... I find it fascinating how much he’s made a story around himself with it and how deeply it shows he does have a good heart, at the end of the day, in almost a metatextual way. he doesn’t want to destroy things or people, he’s at worst (and best lol) a thief.)

- I honestly have literally no memory of white nick fury (which seems so weird now isn’t it funny) in this series from when I was a kid, he clearly did not make an impression on me lol

- mr wolverine ‘assigned canadian at birth’ x-men

- oh man I dig the androgynity of x-23′s outfit (even tho they had to compensate with the long hair, which... kind of doesn’t make sense in-universe but does on a design level because it’s a crucial thing that she’s a female clone of logan so yeah okay fine whatever have your arbitrary gender markers if you must haha)

ooooooh that’s actually really clever, they make her gender gradually more obvious as she unravels through the episode and her outfit changes -- first the mask coming off, and then her jacket opening to show her silhouette more clearly, that’s cool!

- my god what really sets this show apart is how much it invests in little character and relationship moments, it’s just so fucking GOOD! it gives laura looking in on those moments such depth and weight because it’s new to her but established to us as an audience, this is how you make found family devastating people (storm growing bonsai trees is so charming too haha)

- ooof this is honestly quite harrowing

SHE’S SO SMALL COMPARED TO HIM I’M CRYING (at least that part of his genes translated over faslkfsjdh short king, I say this with all the love and support of a fellow short monarch)

- tabitha seems to just be running around doing precisely whatever the fuck she wants and you know what I support her even if she is an asshole her father left her a bunch of trauma and no fucks left to give

- still thrilled about professor x explaining the spider key fuckup to magneto after the fact like ‘magnus you dumb bitch this is why we split up’

- awww kitty has anime and movie posters on her wall and sleeps with a stuffed toy :’)

- remy rogue

🤝

doing completely unnecessary parkour around the brotherhood living room seemingly just for the hell of it... I’m not saying soulmates but fucking soulmates

- fhsadkjlfhsakjldfhsadjkfhsdajkfh just as gambit’s soul-level need to be a little shit survived his bout of mind control, rogue’s deep and urgent desire to kiss gambit full on the mouth survived hers I can’t breathe

she looks so pleased with herself too GOOD FOR YOU GIRL at least get something out of this other than more trauma

also not only the fact that he’s smart enough to figure out what’s going on (though he’s only partially right about who’s behind it. I do so enjoy gambit/mystique deep and sincere antipathy as a constant across all universes tho lmao pure wlw/mlm hostility) but also that he keeps fending her off like he’s not trying to hurt her even though she’s in nigh on unstoppable and invulnerable terminator mode... awww

- gambit having absolutely no patience for wolverine and sabertooth’s bullshit macho-off and consistently being this little biker trio’s one brain cell is adding years to my life with every passing moment

his voice is a little different in these scenes too, a bit softer and less like he’s trying to impress someone, it’s nice

- hank: well I barely recognize any of these (completely made up) ‘ancient egyptian hieroglyphs’ but from what I can make out -- *proceeds to infodump a perfect coherent narrative* fjdhfak

listen this whole thing is such nonsense on so many levels, I’m just turning my brain off so I won’t have to think about it okay, the compulsion to put ancient aliens in egypt haunts us as a culture

- I am CACKLING about gambit in the snow after having to listen to these two chucklefucks ooze testosterone at each other for hours

he started out taking it in good cheer and is now reduced to ‘dieu would both of you just jump off this fUCKING mountain please’

- ah. a little oops-a-daisy there, we seem to have unleashed the apocalypse. please stand by (they really don’t pull their punches with the season cliffhangers in this show haha)

- opening the season on gambit’s merrily grinning face is the easiest way to gain my favour. yes good this season may commence

baby u r my

ANGELLLLLLLL

(he’s so cute here tho haha I think it shows the design isn’t unsalvagable, just get him better hair and stubble more like logan has and you’ve basically got it)

love his exasperated eyeroll when the dude gets spooked (by his eyes? or just the general weirdness?) too

he’s just trying to keep this crazy family of evil mutants together and unmurdered by one another until they’ve managed to avert the end of the world, bless him

- oh NO rogue’s LIP wobbles my hhhhhheart ;____; such a good animation detail to put in

- like... I know kurt is just a sad scared teenager with a lot of shit going on and all the adults are too busy averting the end of the world to help him... but buddy maybe don’t ask your sister to wake her abuser (who forced her to kickstart the end of the world!!!!!) when she feels utterly unsafe even with her statue version around huh

- ...wanda is good and I want only good things for her. and for her dad to be disemboweled for what he did to her both the first time around and when he forced her to forget I mean what

- magneto throwing an epic satelite-slinging tantrum b/c ‘no I am the biggest sexiest strongest mutant of the pack :(’... erik fucking get over yourself

- yes boys absolutely go along with a plan suggested by a dude who looks at you like this

nothing bad can come of this surely asdfkhsa

- lance’s quarter of a braincell always trying to go ‘hey wait, maybe... not do this???’ and it never helps lol

- in this episode: Logan Has A Bad Day

...some very specific bondage positions he’s held in here, I am sure this episode awakened something in someone once upon a time lol

- logan shielding x-23 with his body... im fine it’s okay I’m not crying don’t look at me

- afsdhlsdfjasdlk those sure are some ‘scottish’ accents flsadkjhkdsjahfsd

- scott relieved to finally be able to cede the position of ‘charles xavier’s least favourite son’ to someone else fjsaklfhsajd (poor scott it’s not your fault honey)

supremely cowardly to suggest there is an ex-wife involved rather than charles slutting his way around the british isles back in the day but okay

- kurt with a cold is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. it’s okay kid it’ll get better soon

- ...is there an implication here that professor x is naturally blond. because I am losing my entire little mind about it (i mean he at least has to carry the gene, as does this lady?)

ETA: upon doing some research into this I can indeed confirm that charles xavier does seem to be naturally blond, and after this knowledge I will never be the same

- “listen, dracula” fskdafghasd oh scott you sweet baby angel I love you

- I know jean’s abilities are a bit ‘as strong or as weak as the plot needs right now’ at this point (so you can have the setup for what’s going to happen with them eventually and she’s basically invincible ;____;), and normally I’m cool with it but god I want her to just squash lucas like a little bug

- ewwwww please don’t ever say ‘daddy’ like that again

- ...what the fuck is even going on this episode’s a mess

like okay the split personality thing could be something but the way it’s done... what just happened lol

- MY BOY EVAN IS BACK! with a real glowup too (...though kind of weird how he suddenly looks like a grown man)

- augh scott’s eyes are so pretty oh my god ;__________________________;

- that episode in the first season where evan makes the ‘this is my new family!!’ video is so sad now (also, again, his poor poor parents)

- time for: life affirming road trip with gambit (involuntary) faskljdfhaskjd

stunt therapist remy lebeau

- I mean the way he goes about it is batshit insane and it’s very much secondary to what he’s actually up to but this is the first time rogue’s sounded genuinely hopeful and confident and like herself in like a season <3

- he is disconcertingly pleased about her nearly throwing him off the train, and may I just say I agree it’s so nice to see rogue with her old fire back

- the first time I watched this it was of course dubbed into norwegian, so I had no idea either of these characters were southern lol (though to be fair I probably wouldn’t have had much context for what it meant exactly either, I was like ten at the time and not too interested in america) I seem to dimly remember the norwegian voice actor did a little more of a ‘french’-tinged accent for gambit all over tho haha

- you know what respect where it’s due, pyro dude knows to live his life for the lols and one has to admire his sociopathic dedication to it

interesting that he, too, seems to have fucking hated magneto -- I wonder if the implication here is that he kept all the acolytes in line with blackmail or by keeping something/one hostage? (except sabertooth maybe he’d just have to say ‘you get to fuck shit up and fight wolverine’ and that’d be enough)

- fsdakfhsd he’s so focused on her he doesn’t notice that guy about to hit him fkafhsa

- fuck everything else except whatever the hell these two’ve got going on

- it’s weirdly cathartic to have rogue have a conversation with someone who was not happily adopted as well, I don’t think kurt like. gets it because his parents loved him unconditionally and still do

birds of a feather motherfucker

- fun detail: when the x-men team are on the shore and logan is sniffing around scott is stepping in something and trying to wipe it off his boots in the background

- when he wakes up after passing out from the touch he’s smiling even though she’s standing over him looking like the rage of god outlined by the moon fsajfsa well the last time he passed out like that it was from a kiss, maybe he still has some hopes and dreams in that direction lol (also he recovers from the tumble down the hill first and is checking on her before accidentally brushing her cheek with his hand, which I thought was sweet)

and it was in that moment he knew he fucked up *passes out*

- ‘I can explain’ can u remy. can u

- did it ever even occur to you to just. ask her. to help you. I mean I know it didn’t but like rogue’s always one second away from throwing hands with some bully and is stupidly ride or die, if you’d given her the puppydog eyes she would have crumbled immediately (fair enough I guess this entire episode is telling us he’s not from a background where he has much experience with people just helping him without a price haha)

- his eyes glowing when he’s angry or upset or using a lot of his power is undeniably cool as all hell. I’m just saying it would be Big Sexy if they sort of flickered with light in moments of genuine vulnerability okay

- his coat... his coat is what makes the Silhouette tm and I could not be happier about it

- another parent of the year contestant enters the running lol “hey remy have you ever considered that you’re more of a walking bomb factory than a person? that’s certainly how I think of you hahaha c’mon kid let’s go”

- the running joke of jean luc getting dollar signs in his eyes seeing the other mutant powers and gambit being like ‘nO!!!!’ and pulling him along is amazing haha

- from the way he looks when he touches rogue accidentally and the way he talks to his dad I’m sort of getting the feeling this gambit might actually be a bit younger than he looks?

here too -- idk why but it’s making the ‘wait is he baby???’ alarms go off in my head haha. very early twenties at most.

- and we’ve officially seen him with all the face cards in the heart suit folks! (yes this is the sort of thing my brain notices no I don’t know either)

- poor logan running his ass off this whole episode in a panic and then she’s like ‘nah he’s fine (in several meanings of the word ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ) please put him down’ hfaskfsda

- rogue without makeup!!! her eyes look so naked like this haha <3

- oooh here’s a really interesting thing that tickles my brain a bit in this specific part of the scene where gambit frees his dad -- the part where he’s leaning against the door frame waiting for jean luc, who’s about to suggest using the opportunity to ruin the rival gang from the inside rather than slipping away while they still can

from his expression here he knows what’s about to happen, what jean luc is about to say, and it’s clearly a ‘man who thought he’d lost all hope loses last additional bit of hope he didn’t even know he still had’ sort of situation. he KNOWS what jean luc is like, and it still hurts that he really, honestly can’t give him even this, can’t appreciate that remy’s already done all this shit for him when he extremely didn’t have to, without immediately (no really, it took him less than ten seconds to go there? jesus) demanding more.

remy tells him “I’m just here for you” and jean luc does not understand it. remy seems to be sincere in this motivation -- rogue certainly thinks so, having experienced it second hand and found enough at least emotional merit in it to decide he was worth saving even after all his bullshit (lol a bit of a running theme maybe. I think it’s very telling that after she absorbed mystique she was like ‘what the FUCK you’re a fucking monster’, and after she absorbed gambit she went ‘you did the wrong thing for the right reasons’ after she got over the first wave of outrage)

there’s also what he says as he stands there: “You don’t need me for that”, with the distinct implication that jean luc would only keep him around because he has a use for him and for no other reason -- and then jean luc shamelessly doubles down on that by specifying that it’s not even him he’s got a use for as such, just his powers. that’s some kicking puppies level of deliberately missing the point, it’s almost impressive in how cheerfully mean it is haha

this idea of using people is really important in this episode because remy’s doing basically exactly the same thing to rogue to begin with; it doesn’t really matter to his plan that it’s her that’s with him through this, just what her powers are. (I think it’s p r e t t y solidly implied that he does actually like her a lot outside of that too and maybe there is some comfort in having her around for this, but mostly he’s behind a smokescreen of lies through the whole thing sooo I doubt he’s even aware of it, honestly)

but then it does matter that it’s her when she comes back for him, even after what he did. and unlike jean luc he understands what that means, that she did that for him, and that she didn’t have to. and instead of asking her for more, in return he gives her the thing it’s been established is what he considers the most valuable thing he has; his ‘last card’, the thing he’s credited with keeping him alive many a time, basically. it’s gone from using to mutuality, a tentative place of friendship, and at the end of the day he is a different man than his adoptive father, with a capacity for selflessness and love he lacks. which is of course some of the same stuff going on with rogue and mystique too, except rogue acted from a more fragile and unstable place and did something she regrets, or at least has a LOT of doubts about now, and she found some catharsis in helping someone make a different choice in a similar situation. man there’s some Stuff going on under the surface here haha

(by the way it’s a weirdly... meaningless yet intensely meaningful thing, the gifting of a symbol? of an idea? but he’s putting something very crucial of himself into her hands, is the subtext, and he expects her to understand, which she also does seem to do. at the beginning of the episode he’s proving that he’s seen something true about her -- “You’re such an unhappy girl”, knowing where she comes from, the way she’s mourning her lost confidence and autonomy with her abilities -- and here she’s proving she’s seen something true about him. :’) I wish this show had gone on long enough for this dynamic to progress, it’s really interesting and touching)

- gambit dragging himself up onto dry land seeing someone approaching (to help?!): :D

gambit seeing that it’s logan and the look on his face: D:

- rogue using her powers so confidently and fearlessly in this episode tho!!!!

- *me crying* and then her FAMBILY comes to take her home and he says he’s looking out for her too and kurt still loves her even though they’re having a conflict thing between them and she’s finally able to use her powers without so much fear again and --

- ...did I just watch some baby lesbian love at first sight shit right now???

- okay last two episodes let’s go

- HELL YEAH STORM (I love that she’s like ‘don’t give me a dumb order like that and I won’t have to disobey it’ too sdfjsaj) her voice has such command I’m usually very much not the ‘step on me’ type butttt

- y’know I feel like apocalypse’s main fault across all versions I’ve seen of him is that he’s like an immortal superpowered god king and he’s not even sexy. like at least make him hot if he’s going to be insufferable in every other way

- also callout post for apocalypse: one time he made gambit into the Horseman of Death... and didn’t even make him sexy!!! you were handed remy lebeau, supreme bi disaster slut of the x men universe, and you couldn’t even make his brainwashed superpowered evil side hot?? a beautiful stubbled twunk with glowing red eyes and extremely charming :> face practically delivers himself into your hands and you do that to him???? I mean I’m sure apocalypse did some other bad stuff too but that was the worst one

(comics are so dumb y’all)

- having to watch jean cry is emotional terrorism!! ;___; she has such older sister/mom energy, whenever she gets sad and helpless it hurts

- oh, OH so PROFESSOR X you’ll make into a hunk and ~*strategically*~ rip his clothes to show off a nipple and a flawless pec in a way that makes me extremely uncomfortable because he’s like The Dad??? apocalypse you are rotten to the core this is unforgivable

- so wait wanda never actually gets her real memories back. what the FuCk I hope that was a dropped storyline because they ended the show tragically prematurely rather than like. the plan

- why is spyke calling storm ‘storm’ show that’s his auntie o!! >:(

- as a society we need to acknowledge that apocalypse looks like a fucking clown

- ooooh yeah I have been thinking that this show’s greatest visual weakness so far has been not having a visual way to show telepathy/battles of the minds, but this is a pretty cool way to do it! better late than never

- I’m so happy rogue gets to end this herself, since she was forced into starting it against her will, it’s just nice and neat storytelling

- YEAH FUCKING TELL HER KURT AND ROGUE I AM SO PROUD OF YOU and she has the temerity to look pissed off oh my god

the only valid thing mystique has done in her entire life is be in love with destiny. literally everything else she gets up to is a travesty. like I know objectively she’s hot but my loathing for her stops me from even appreciating it. I do enjoy loathing her tho so please don’t change her haha

(a bit odd to have kurt’s attitude to her swing so much but I’m just going to assume he and rogue had a good long conversation after ‘cajun spice’ and that he understands what’s going on better now)

- this last part is such a cruel tease faskdfhsdaj ‘here are all the cool-ass things we had planned. sucks you never get to see it huh’ im devastated

- magneto without his helmet and playing charmingly with children like charles is going ‘well at least I saved my marriage finally’ fsadkhfjsd (honestly tho I would be super interested in seeing how they’d redeem this magneto because he’s been a real bitch the whole time lol)

there’s an interesting thing here where magneto looks down at wanda as the last thing he does on screen before this epilogue part (yeah I hope it fucking haunts you forever what you did to her erik you absolute piece of hot garbage) and the last thing charles does is look at jean b/c he knows what’s going to happen to her and it breaks his heart... Dramatic Parallells

- just the hint of jean as the phoenix has me in full D:D:D: mode tho maybe I wouldn’t have survived it

- gambit in the last groupshot with his arm around rogue ;^) I mean I’m sure they’re headed for some turns and roundabouts along the way but what’s that thing she says as her wedding vow, that she’ll always find her way back? anyway that got me in my heart

- man I really wish this show had been given more seasons, we were barely even getting warmed up here :’(

#x men evolution #x men #gambit #rogue x gambit #aaah this is like therapy for me... just dumping all my emotions into a tumblr post and then let them go into the ether #I am now wondering if I'm desperate enough to go all the way back to the x-men animated series (which I've never seen before!)#like am I willing to go there for more Contente. time will tell I suppose #happy tag #...this is very long #MAN why can't I channel this dumbass energy into fiction writing I'd get so much DONE

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im-totally-not-an-alien · 4 years

Text

Final Fantasy prompts no 52

1. Cloud getting swarmed by orphans who proceed to put make up on him, Tifa, and Yuffie.

When they are "revealed" to eachother, Cloud asks, "Am I pretty?" With a blank face and monotone voice.

2. Clouds reaction to different people saying, "I have a crush on you"

That exact phrase. No other wording or phrases.

3. #2 but its everyone in AVALANCHE saying this to Cloud one at a time, once a day.

Example: Yuffie on Tuesday, Tifa on Wednesday, Barret on Thursday, etc.

This is because they were trying a misguided attempt at making Vincent comfortable enough to actually confess.

When Vincent does confess, however, Cloud doesn't believe him. Oops.

4. Palmer was being a prick again. Ever since the "Incident" in the conference room when they discovered Sephiroths...relationship...with laser pointers, Palmer had been sneaking them in and teasing the poor man with them.

Scarlett had been the most recent victim, having the small red dot travel across her breasts without her knowledge. When she noticed the general staring at her cleavage, a whole host of questions flittered threw her mind, the most prominent being, "Am I about to get laid?"

By the time she noticed the dot it was too late. Catboy pounced.

Her last thought before she was squished by hard muscle and leather was "Oh, no."

Later, there was a mysterious surge in people writing fanfiction about Sephiroth pouncing on people...

5. Cloud chunking a ceramic vase full of catnip grass at Sephiroths head and yelling, "Happy birthday, asshole!"

6. Yuffie often observed how cat-like Cloud was, and just never questioned it.

Years later when Tifa says something about it, Yuffie was like, "You guys never noticed? He's always been like that."

Additionally, Vincent trailing his fingers through Clouds hair as the blond rests his head in the gunman lap. All was well and good until Cloud began purring in his sleep.

He wasn't sure what to do with this information.

7. Time traveler Cloud lands in the Shinra building and immediately gets spotted. He fights his way down with First Tsurugi until he's confronted by a familiar mop of spikey blond hair.

He has a blond moment of, "Oh, that's me. Oh- I'm shooting at myself. Lovely." He then proceeded to kidnap his younger self, much to Zacks dismay.

Now Cloud has Zack, Sephiroth, and two people he doesn't know hunting him like a wild animal.

It doesn't help that his past self is uncooperative

8. Zack as the hero instead of Cloud.

They made it to Midgar, but Cloud remained in a coma at 7th heaven. There was even a big rescue scene where he woke up and saved Marlene when the plate fell. Everyone thinks they're dead, but they find refuge with Elmira after AVALANCHE leaves Midgar.

Zack being referred to as "puppy" by Sephiroth in the same way Cloud is referred to as "puppet"

Also, Zack with green cat eyes

9. A group of scientists working under a mysterious organization managed to obtain samples of Clouds DNA, thus managing to revive the SOLDIER program.

But they made a mistake.

Cloud was made using large amounts of S and J-cells. Cells that mutated and changed him. He feels the new SOLDIERs as they change, as they are reborn. He feels them as they come alive with his cells, senses them like blinking lights on a sonar. The pull of REUNION has never been this strong before, but strangely, the blond didn't feel drawn anywhere.

When he first saw them he knew. He knew immediately what had happened and what the scientists had done, but it didn't matter. All that mattered was that he had babies and they needed him.

Needed their Mother

And so Gaia cries for another twisted hero

10. Someone from the Silver Elite writes romantic fanfiction of Sephiroth and Genesis and it starts a shipping war with people writing fanfiction about their favorite pairings.

A particularly...mature... piece of romantic high fantasy fanfiction involving himself and some blond named Cloud actually makes it to Sephiroth and he reads it.

He admittedly becomes curious of, "The pretty little fae" that has a solid hold on a significant amount of people in the Silver Elite.

Too bad the blond is avoiding him, like the plague and blushing as red as a beet the moment he sees him. He must have read something the fangirls made.

(Its funnier if you add time traveler AC Cloud but cuter if its CC Cloud. Idk which one I like better)

11. Angeal tries to teach CC Zack and Cloud how to build a bookshelf.

Cloud does pretty good, but Zack...actually, Angeal isn't sure what that is.

Zack called it art, so they were gonna go with that.

That's how they spent the rest of the evening, making wierd art that makes people stare in wonder and confusion.

12. Time travel shenanigans where Genesis's Jenova powers interfere with Clouds and now all the SOLDIERS that were in the Shinra tower with them when it happened have been turned into catboys.

It doesn't really change anything. It's still business as usual, just with a few extra appendages.

Angeal, who wasn't there at the time, has to muffle his laughter everytime he sees his friends.

It doesn't help that the company is pushing for Sephiroth to do a commercial showing off his new assets.

AC Cloud escaped and is on the run, but it's so much harder to blend in when you have cat ears on your head 24/7. Maybe he could wear a hat, but he wasn't sure what to do about the tail.

13. You remember that part in advent children where those monsters came out of the shadows that the remnants sent after Cloud?

Yeah, Cloud can do that. Not the, "summon eldrich monsters" thing, though he can probably do that too. I mean the "sinking into your own shadow to travel at high speeds/ through cracks in walls".

He finds this out by getting out of bed and falling into his shadow and slinking around like that until someone notices him.

He can't speak, so Barret and the others think the little shodow thing ate their blond friend or something.

Cloud is so frustrated and confused from being stuck in his shadow. Poor guy.

14. Gang leader Cloud x Mafia boss Sephiroth

15. Au where most things are the same, but Cloud and Sephiroth are both demons.

Sephiroth was raised in Shinra and frequently studies his dead race, believing he is the last of his kind and these books were all that were left of his people.

Then he found Cloud, who hated him on sight. As it turns out, Sephiroth is from the Cresent family. A clan of notoriously powerful and cruel demons with silver hair. What's worse is that the man was from the Strife clan, his family's enemy.

They had been at war for eons, with the Cresent family often becoming infatuated or obsessed with a Strife. They even had a phrase, which translated to, "Little song bird, you would look so pretty in a cage"

Needless to say the blond wanted nothing to do with him. So naturally, Sephiroth kidnapped him.

Demon Vincent is kind of there in the background, hiding himself like a smart person and watching over his blond friend and his deceased lover Lucricia's nephew. He allows most things, but ninjas his way in when he feels things are going too far.

#cloud strife #sephiroth #sefikura #vincent valentine #zack fair #angeal hewley #genesis rhapsodos #yuffie kisaragi #ff7 #sephiroth+x+cloud #ff7 prompts #ff7 story prompts #prompts #story prompts #final fantasy story prompts #final fantasy 7 story prompts #final fantasy 7 #writing fanfiction about writing fanfiction

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gossipchii · 3 years

Text

Drive to survive

FF.net: here / AO3: here

Characters: Ishida Yamato

Words: 5100+

Notes: I promised this on twitter, and here as well and well, it happened. A Digimon story on my latest obsession. the Formula 1.

It’s safe to say I got excited, this is my longest story in forever!

Anyway, hope you like it as much as I do. Enjoy!

He was making history; he could not let himself forget it. Not ever had there been a Japanese driver to win podiums, and so far, during that season only, he had five. He had been working towards where he was right now ever since he was 8, when his dad had taken him to a kid’s go-kart circuit in Tokyo and had found out his heart had never beaten quicker. His mom had gotten scared when he told her how much he had liked it, and that he wanted to go back.

The owner of the place, a former engineer for Formula 1, was impressed as soon as he placed his eyes on him.

“He’s got talent,” he had told his mother, she shrugged it off. It was only a hobby, it had to be.

When his grandparents had gone visiting from Paris, Yamato had insisted on them seeing him race, he was only ten at the time. His grandfather knew he raced go-karts from his calls with his mother, but since she had insisted it was just a hobby, he took it that way. Of course, as an old French man, he was a big afficionado of car races, and nevertheless he was impressed by how fast his young grandson was.

“He’s a natural Natsuko, you must understand this is not just a hobby.”

Yamato traveled back to France with his grandparents, after he had heard them discussed with his mother about him taking a shot at race teams in Europe, professional ones. He had never been a professional before, he was not even sure what that meant, since Formula 1 was not a popular sport between his classmates, it was all about soccer and baseball, he did not know people could get paid by racing.

Michel, his grandfather, had a friend, who knew a friend, who was a part of the recruiting team of Renault’s quarry, and as soon as they saw 10-year-old Yamato behind his tiny wheel, they knew he was a natural, good enough to start training as soon as possible with their team.

It all happened too fast for him, he had to go back to Tokyo to pack up his life and leaving for good. He was not even certain if he were feeling sad or nostalgic, all he knew was school would turn into something he could do at home, and in French, and that he would be racing all the time. It all sounded like a dream, really.

“Don’t tell your grandma I’m telling you this but go kick those English kids’ butts!” had been the encouragement words coming from his grandpa before his first-ever professional race. He was 13 at the time, already gaining enough attention from the media, especially from his home country, despite only stepping foot in Japan once a year.

He tried not to read anything regarding himself, they tended to be mean, and underappreciating him. He knew after the first article he had read, he would never read it again, what was the point anyway?

“Next time I see anyone writing something mean they’ll be fired, even if they work elsewhere,” his dad had threatened.

“It’s okay, I don’t even care anymore. Let them talk, all I care about is getting podium, again.”

And so, he did, until he was old enough to jump to the bigger leagues. From Formula 3 to Formula 2, and finally, with only 21 years old, signing a five-year contract with the team Michel had always admired: Scuderia Ferrari.

Sadly enough, he had not had the chance to see him drive in red, because he had passed away due to a heart-attack, his grandmother passing away shortly after. People said she had died from heartbreak. Yamato only took it as another reason why he had to prove his best. His management team had told him media were already calling him the best Japanese driver in history, and that was nice, but only if he made it reality.

Yamato had helped Ferrari pound back to being the first-place team once again, after years of competing against Red-Bull and Mercedes. But he had only been the fifth best racer, not good enough if he wanted to make history.

That week he was back in his homeland, Japan greeting him as a hero for the Japanese Grand Prix. It was scary how much his face was everywhere he looked, even more so than pop-icons. He was glad his team respected his choice to remain mostly private, and when they wanted advertising, his team-mate, an Austrian dude who was six years older than him, was more than happy to do the interviewing.

It was safe to say he was not pleased when they asked him to do a photoshoot for a local fashion brand, up and coming worldwide, apparently. Yamato did not care much about fashion, despite him being called the best dressed racer a few years in a row. Not that he knew about it, plus he usually put on an all-black outfit and he was through.

“Why can’t Lechner do it?”

“They want you specifically, Ishida.” His manager said softly, “even the Japanese embassy is paying for this partnership. Aren’t you proud to be Japanese?”

“Of course, I am, asshole.” He smirked, rolling his eyes as he decided it was the perfect timing to visit his brother.

As expected, he was on a tight schedule, this could never count as a vacation visit to Japan, but he had asked his team to send him into Japan two days earlier to visit his family. It was a tradition he tended to do ever since he started racing world-wide.

He took his ever-loved motorbike and drove as fast as he could to Odaiba. Driving a motorbike had been what he could call his hobby, since karting had turned into his job, having built a couple of them while living in Italy.

“He better be home,” he stretched his arms as he opened the door in front of him, knowing damn well his brother always made the mistake to leave it unlocked. He heard him singing in his bathroom, which meant he was finishing taking a shower. He looked around to confirm his mother was not home and shrugged it off. He had drifted apart from her when he initially moved to France with his grandparents, and even more so when his parents (finally) got divorced.

“Don’t you dare opening that door if you’re naked.”

“YAMATO?” Takeru opened the door wearing nothing but his tiny white trousers.

“I truly do not feel like seeing you naked,” but of course his younger brother could not care less and ran to greet him with a hug. He was the only person on earth allowed to hug him.

“What a funny way of admitting how much you had missed me!!” He gifted him one of his traded white smiles, the warmest smile Yamato knew. “Nervous for this weekend?”

“As long as it doesn’t rain, I don’t see why I should be.”

“Even when it rains you succeed, you’re always making everyone proud!”

“Even you?” he served himself oolong tea. He was surprised to see beer in his mom’s fridge, forgetting for a second his younger brother was legally allowed to drink.

“You know I’m your number one fan, those old-rich men are nothing compared to the original Yamato Ishida stan!” Takeru walked into his room to get dressed, for Yamato’s relief. He had offered his mother if they wanted to move to a bigger apartment, considering he now had the money to provide her and Takeru with something better, but she had refused, and he gave up after the third time.

“Going out?”

“I was going to, with the good-old gang, but that was before I knew you would pay me a visit.”

“So Hikari and company, I’m guessing?”

“Yeah, even Taichi is coming, you should come, too!” Taichi was his oldest friend, the only one he missed when he moved to Europe.

“Nah, you know I don’t drink.” And it was not merely because of his strict diet, he was not a fan of what alcohol did with his mindset. “But you go and have fun, I must get back to my place, anyway, and be as early as possible in Suzuka tomorrow morning.” Takeru looked disappointed, Yamato felt a pinch of guilt for not being what a fun older brother was supposed to be. “But I’ll text Taichi! Remind everyone they’re invited this weekend, VIP seats and all!”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, brother.” Yamato smiled softly before playing with Takeru’s hair like he used to when they were kids, even if he was almost his height.

He took a chopper ride from Tokyo to Suzuka the morning after. He had much rather taken the train, but Ferrari strictly prohibited him from doing so.

“Are you insane? People would eat you alive, you’re pretty much as famous as Hello Kitty is in this place!” He ignored his comment, it was always annoying to Yamato when they were in Japan, because most of his team-mates were foreign to Japanese culture, and he did not have the patience to educate every single one of them.

It was Thursday, which meant he could do strength exercises before the testing race the next day.

“How’s my superstar doing?” the mere voice of his manager irritated him, but he had another year signed up to him, afterwards he had decided to work by himself. After all, he still had another three-year contract with Ferrari.

“He’s extremely focused,” and he was strength training was the hardest to him.

“Don’t forget you have that photoshoot I had mentioned you in an hour, and I wouldn’t like you to go there all sweaty.”

“Do you think I would forget?” but in fact, he had forgotten it, his mind had probably erased the memory of that specific event.

“I’m glad we’re finally on the same track,” he winked at Yamato, before shutting the door of the hotel’s gym.

Yamato did not have much of a choice, so he took a cold shower before heading to one of the hotel’s meeting rooms. It had all been transformed for it to look like a Sakura garden. In reality, it was October and Sakura’s were far from blossoming. He would be lying if he did not admit it looked rather breathtaking.

He had heard about this up-and-coming brand. They had turned the Japanese typical attire and turned it into mainstream. He had to admit he was a fan.

He had also heard the brand had been started by a young student from Bunka Fashion College, under the wings of a bigger brand. He had heard, not that he cared, really, that the founder was around his age. Suddenly, he was curious.

“Ishida Yamato, what a pleasure to finally meet you!” a man around his thirties greeted him rather enthusiastic.

“You must be…?”

“Oh, you’re a funny one! Yoshio Fujiwara, of course!” And the Fujiwara branding was the bigger one who had taken the young designer under his wings, he wondered where she was.

“Of course, of course,” he bowed, always traying himself to remain close to his Japanese customs and traditions. “A pleasure to meet you, Fujiwara-san.”

“No need to be formal with me, I’m very used to western traditions, having spent most of your life in Europe, I would have killed for an opportunity like that!” Yamato tried his best not to roll his eyes, faking his best smile. “It is our biggest pleasure that you have accepted to be the face of our newest collection.” Yamato saw a petit figure running around the room with pieces of clothing covering her, he wondered if that was Fujiwara counterpart.

“It’s always delightful to put Japan’s name high, you know.” He cleared his voice, “so, am I also going to meet Takenouchi-san?”

“You absolutely will, she must be somewhere around… Sora!?” The fast-paced person finally stopped, uncovering her face from the piles of clothing she was carrying. “Don’t be rude and introduce yourself to Yamato.”

“Sure thing, just let me finish up the final touches and…”

“Now?!” Yamato noticed a subtle sigh coming from her lips. She surely seemed young, barely his own age. For the first time since the encounter started, he felt safe.

She ran right next to him, her attention still clearly on the mess she had left. He could immediately tell how passionate she was about what she was doing.

“It’s a pleasure, Ishida-san. I would love to lie and say I’m a fan, but truth is this is my first time having an encounter with races, or cars in general…”

“Sora! You’re being rude!”

“Sorry, I still take the subway and I never got a driver’s license!” Yamato snorted, in those five seconds he decided that redhead was his favorite person in the room.

“Well, I’m glad to admit this is not my first encounter with your brand, I’ve read so much.” Her eyes lit up; Yamato could have even sworn he spotted a subtle blush in her face.

He was rather awkward in front of the cameras, never quite a natural. Another reason why his team-mate was the one to do most of Ferrari’s advertisements. But Sora helped him feel in his element, somehow. He liked how much she got into her character, almost ignoring him by how much she cared on how her designs looked on him.

“I think we’re good, we shouldn’t take much more of your time.” By then, Fujiwara had left the room, Sora was certain he had slipped into the hotel bar.

“That must have been the less stressful photoshoot I’ve ever had, thank you, Takenouchi-san.”

“Oh, don’t call me that! I’m not older than you are.”

“Then you must accept to drop the formalities with me as well.” A grimaced appeared on her face, clearly unsure.

“But you’re a client, that would be completely unprofessional!”

“I promise I won’t tell anybody,” Sora liked that, a dirty-little-secret.

“Fine, but if Fujiwara is around, I’ll go back in character.”

“Deal,” Yamato grabbed a bottle of water and doubted if he should say what his mind was begging at him to do. “Are you staying for the race?”

“I wasn’t lying when I said I had no idea how this worked.” She shrugged, clearly embarrassed. “I don’t understand why it lasts so many days, it’s confusing. This whole sport is confusing.” Sora liked sports, for instance, sports where a ball had to go from one side of the court to the other, not cars and tires.

“It’s not that hard, you’ll see,” they took a seat on the fake grass Sora had built for the photoshoot. “The first day is merely for us to get familiar with the track, nothing formal. The second day the places for the actual race, which is on Sunday, get settled. And that’s pretty much it.”

“And you get to travel the world for that?”

“People can be very serious about their cars.”

“Incredible,” she locked eyes with Yamato, she was not familiar with his sport but she sure was with his face, and not only because it was everywhere she looked around the city’s billboards, but because she had studied it for the whole photoshoot, and even for the particular line she was about to launch.

“It would be fun if you stayed, some friends around our age are coming too, so it won’t be that weird for you.”

“Okay, but I’ll stay for fun, not as a part of my job schedule.”

“Great!” He said way too enthusiastic, regretting it right away. “I can get you great tickets, so don’t worry about that.” She chuckled, taking out her VIP pass.

“Don’t worry, I have that part settled.”

“Of course, you do,” he felt stupid, all sponsors got the best tickets, even better than he could even get most times.

“So, I’ll see you around? Do you say break a leg for this?”

“Absolutely not! But I appreciate your luck wishes.”

He was glad on Friday’s there was never much of a crowd, that way he could stay focused on what mattered: getting comfortable enough with the track. Whenever he raced, he felt an almost out of body experience, where he could disconnect from his current reality and be one with his car. Ferrari had nicknamed him the racing samurai, for how dramatic his recovering could be whenever he was behind on the race.

Japan had never particularly been the biggest crowd when it came to Formula 1, but ever since he had started getting podiums, and making a name out of himself, it had a 180 degrees change. Ferrari could not be happier with the now 23-yeard-old racer, he was smart, analytic, and cold headed.

When he got back to the Pits, he was greeted by his family, not expecting to see them until the day after.

“You were pretty fast out there!” his dad said, as awkward as he usually was.

“This was merely the boring race, we were just testing the track,” he smiled widely, greeting him by what could be considered a hug, or sort of one.

“But Hiroaki is right, you were extremely fast. That car you’re racing, is a beauty,” seeing his mother was always an adventure for Yamato. Ever since he left home, at such a young age, they had drifted apart. Naturally, she was worried for her older son, racing and putting his life at risk every time he did so. Yamato had heard her fighting with his grandpa countless times, until she finally gave in. She was never going to win, Yamato loved karting the same way she loved writing.

“You were tremendous there, superstar!” his manager came to greet him, as much as he annoyed him, he was not a bad person, he just clearly loved the money Yamato made him gain. “You better keep up the pace the rest of the weekend.”

“That’s the plan,” Yamato served himself a cup of tea, while he took a seat in front of the screen that was studying his track performance. He was nearly obsessed with improving, never not paying attention at even the slightest mistake.

“Before I forget,” his manager was French, and spoke a very heavily accented English. His family, apart from Takeru, barely spoke any English at all, hence why they did not communicate with one another. Yamato despised that, considering he could speak four languages. “Young Takenouchi asked me to give you her number, Romeo.” Yamato’s cheeks flushed, as he took with both hands the business card he was being given.

“I’ll quickly go to my room,” he excused himself with his family, promising he would meet them for a quick dinner.

He wrote and re-wrote his text message towards Sora, not wanting to appear desperate. Formula 1 drivers, at least some of them, had the reputation of being more than successful with the opposite sex, however Yamato was rather unlucky. He put so much effort into his performance inside the track, he tended to neglect everything else. Hence why it felt nice to have a close to normal conversation with someone his age, a woman his age.

“This is Yamato, I heard the rumor you wanted to have my number,” he finally sent, wanting to throw his phone over the window right after.

“How come we spent so much time talking yesterday and I had to ask your manager for your number?” she replied right after, Yamato felt relieved.

“I guess we lost track of time.”

“Hey, I had to come back to Tokyo, business matters. But I’m not one to break any promises, so I hope you still save a seat for me for the big race on Sunday. Did I say that correctly?”

Yamato immediately felt disappointment, but he had to understand he was not dealing with someone unoccupied; this was a young entrepreneur with a worldwide successful fashion brand.

“Are you sure you want to make a four-hour trip to see some car racing?”

“As I said, I’m not a promise breaker. Plus, is not Formula 1 supposed to be the best car racing in the world? I won’t miss it, and I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t worry, and your spot on Scuderia Ferrari will remain untouched.”

“Great, I’m actually pretty excited! You have turned it into such a big deal for the country, I’ve never seen such a media coverage on the sport before. How was the tracking test?”

Yamato’s stomach made a turn. He did not want to focus on the pressure it meant to be in his home country, he just wanted to do what he always did, which meant to give his 100% performance, and get better every time. He just really hoped it would not rain on Sunday…

Him and Sora kept texting for the rest of the day, and the morning after as he got ready for the weekend’s second race. His goal was to qualify on the front row, that was always a determining factor for the final race. His mom had been right when she mentioned his car was a beauty, because it may not be the fastest car, that would still go to Mercedes, but if Ferrari had something no other team could fight with, was beauty.

He was not one to make many friends, but he was always amicable with the rest of the drivers. He saw them more than he saw his family, and even grew up with a big amount of them, but he always tried to focus on what they really were: his competition.

The weather so far had looked hopeful, a rainy race was one of his biggest fears, he had already had more than one rainy accident, and they had been hard to get over. He tried not to put too much thought into it, how he put his life at risk every time he got into the car, because there was no point in doing so, considering he was not going to stop, racing was the most important part of his life.

He got behind his wheel and his team assured his car was ready to go for the last time, and he got into driving mode, forgetting everything else, the pressure, the people, the weather, his friends. He almost disassociated from everything, but the track, and his team speaking whenever there was something to say, like which place he was on at the moment.

He had gotten so used to Ferrari, after being over two years on the team, that he could go as far as to describe its motor as a part of him. The first few laps were always the most stressful ones, and were most of the accidents happened, everyone tried to gain that valuable P1 as fast as possible, but Yamato thought of it as a waste of energy, he would rather stay behind for the first few laps and give it all in after. It had worked for him so far, avoiding the turmoil behind it.

There were 53 laps in the Japanese track, not that he counted them, but he always studied the tracks of wherever he was at. He just focused on staying in track, passing the rest of the drivers and being fast, and his team made sure he did not forget where his position was at the moment, which was a P5, his teammate was currently second. Fifth was not a bad position, it was still second row, but it was not his goal, he truly wanted first row. In the end he had managed to end up fourth, which his team congratulated him for, he still was not happy.

Back in Ferrari’s box, he had a bigger crowd greeting him, not only his parents and brother, but some of his closest childhood friends.

“Man, how does it feel to be able to fly!” Taichi said before giving him a big hug, which Yamato did not mind, he guessed he was also allowed to hug him.

“What I wonder is what that amount of speed can do with your body, I read you lose up to 3 liters every time you race,” Joe patted his shoulder, the soon-to-be-doctor never missed to drop a random anatomy fact on him. “And sorry, but it seems to Koushiro your car’s machinery is way more impressive than you.”

His third friend, a genius redhead, had been talking non-stop with his team’s engineers, asking questions Yamato could possibly never answer.

He spent the next few hours doing interviews, as much as he hated them, it was on his contract to do them before and after every Grand Prix. He also took more time studying his career, and where he could improve. He wanted to get podium on his home country more than he had ever wanted before.

But of course, he also took the chance to spend some time with his loved ones, catching up about their crazy adult lives.

“Koushiro could soon enough buy one of these teams, you know? He’s getting so rich!” Taichi had a big mouth, but they had gotten used to it. And to be fair with his brunette friend, he was not wrong, considering Koushiro’s software startup had gotten public, and the dude was only 22.

“And Jou’s about to be a doctor, and you, well, you didn’t get kicked out of Uni!” They all laughed, Taichi rolled his eyes. Yamato had gotten so comfortable with their conversation, he got scared when his phone began ringing.

“Yes?”

“Guess who’s just landed in Suzuka!” it was Sora, his heart skipped a beat. “I’m glad I made it a few hours before I had promised, I truly didn’t want to miss tomorrow’s race.”

“Where are you exactly? You should come join us! I’m at Ferrari’s tent with some childhood friends, I mean, if you’re not too tired.” His friends started yelling embarrassing things to him, as friends did whenever you spoke on the phone with someone, even if that someone was your own mother. Except, of course, it was not his mother.

“Great! I’ll ask the driver to drop me off.”

They spent the next few hours chatting, and laughing, and making fun of Yamato with embarrassing stories Sora was rather intrigued to keep on listening. Of course, Sora had hit it off with his friends, she was a great talker, they all had liked her, he could tell, especially with Koushiro, considering the man was the clearest book when it came to first impressions. He felt disappointed once he checked his watch to confirm it was time for him to go to bed, the big day was closer than ever.

Suzuka was one of the last races on Formula 1’s schedule, which meant every single point counted even more. He was disappointed when he checked the weather, there was a rain forecast, but there was nothing he could do, he still was willing to give the best race he had given in his career span. His friends and family wished him the best of luck, just as he dressed up in the famous red suit.

He had never felt this overwhelmed before, as soon as he stepped a foot outside of Scuderia Ferrari’s box, the crowd chanting his name was like nothing he ever heard before. He bowed shyly, turning the shouts even louder. Fame had never been something he had been looking for once he started racing in Formula 1, but he thought at the end of the day it was only inevitable. He really wanted to make his co-nationals proud.

P4 was not a bad place to start racing, yet he could hear his heart beating up to his ears. A rainy race was always messy, and there was always a bigger risk for accidents, not just for him, but for the other racers as well. He had to drive smartly; speed was not all that mattered in that moment.

His eyes were fixated on the checkered flag, as soon as it went down, his feet went all in. Suzuka’s Grand Prix finally starting.

As it was expected, some cars lost control on the very first curve, him being noticed by his team on the other side of the microphone. He hoped nothing bad had happened to them. On a rainy race it was important to have extra control while reaching a curve, and absolutely never trying to overpass another racer while on them.

By lap 30 he had improved to P3, the engine of the previous third place had had some issues, which pushed him into the pits. The Ferrari engine had significantly been improved for the current season, and it showed. It had been a while since the red team had had both of their cars in podium position, and he was doing quicker laps than the last year’s race.

Everything appeared to be going according to plan, Yamato wanted to win, of course, but he was not unhappy with the third place. Yet, the unthinkable happened on lap 49, when his teammate lost control of the steering wheel. It all happened so quickly, Yamato could barely avoid the inevitable crash, which was bad enough for them to call a red flag, every racer had been sent back into pits.

His teammate had been fine, he could even walk by himself; however, his car could have been confused with garbage. A shame, really, everything had been better than what they could have imagined. Now every podium expectation fell on his shoulders, and he could hear the public screaming his name even louder, as if he was some sort of rock star.

“Only 4 laps left, you can do it,” and he was now put in second place, a bittersweet feeling inside his gut.

The final lap felt like the longest he had driven, all he truly wanted was for it to end. He was less than two seconds away from the first place, which his team kept repeating. He knew he could do it, if he tried and overtake him near the end, right after the final curve… And so, he did, winning a podium for the first time in his short Formula 1 life career. He had not done it for himself only, but for Lechner as well. It felt insane, he was no longer feeling the ground, he was still flying somehow.

Champagne soaked him as soon as he stepped out of the car, being hugged by everyone on the famous red car team. He was not easily to make cry, but he could not help the tears coming out, and he wished, if he were ever going to cry again, it better be as good of a feeling as he finally lifted the trophy for Suzuka’s Grand Prix.

#fanfiction #digimon adventure #fanfic #ishida yamato #yamato ishida #formula 1 #formula one #sorato #sora takenouchi #takeru takaishi #taichi yagami #jou kido #koushiro izumi

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autisticzukka · 3 years

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First story lines

thanks for tagging me, @khashanakalashtar!!!!!

> Rules: List the first lines of your last 5-20 stories. See if there are any patterns. Choose your favorite opening line. Then tag others!

Listed recent to distant.

1. “Put it back,” Wei Ying says, elbowing Xue Yang in the side. never been afraid of any deviation

2. Wei Wuxian is three days travel from Cloud Recesses when he hears the gossip for the first time. don't threaten me with happiness

3. The courier brings their mail every morning during breakfast. Perennial

4. Sokka stares at the ocean stretching out in front of the prow. "four seasons (for love)"

5. “Have you ever been to a water tribe birth celebration?” Sokka asks Zuko. cracks in our foundation

6. She is thirteen years old. tap on it and it's hollow

7. “Ah,” Sokka says, and it’s not the ‘ah’ of yes, more, so much as the ‘ah’ of ouch, no. Can't Sleep Love

8. The stories say: it comes every fifty years. Dragonpyre

9. “No, no, it’s,” Zuko says, and his face freezes comically under the weight of trying to think of a lie when he’s this incredibly high. a montage, to show that time has passed

10. “I heard that he drives a monster truck,” a girl with brown hair says. Midnight Son

11. They have him cornered. meant to be (not like this)

12. “I think my allergies are acting up,” Sokka complains. gonna make you howl tonight

13. It’s night time on a Thursday, the kind of night time where part of the city has gone to sleep and the other half has just finished waking up. The Real Housewives of Republic City

14. “Yeah,” Sokka gasps, heel of his hand skating down the sweat-slick curve of Zuko’s spine. At your service, Pillow Prince

15. Considering the number of years he’s been associated with the Avatar and his gang, you’d think Zuko would have learned to be suspicious a lot sooner when they start doing suspicious things. Saviors of the World: Where are they now?

16. “So,” Clint says loudly, crowded by the water cooler with the rest of the strike team. Tits of Truth

17. “You! You are teaching her HORRIBLE social skills!” Sokka says. “Did you coach her? Was this another DISGUSTINGLY LONG-GAME prank?” Coda: don't be a hero

18. Gods, sometimes the war being over sucks more than when they were sleeping in ditches and eating grubs over a fire. well that escalated quickly

19. Sokka has both Iroh and Izumi clutched in each arm, bare feet slapping against the freezing tile as he rushes towards Zuko’s chambers. don't be a hero (That Time The Palace Gets Attacked)

20. “This isn’t working,” Zuko says for the thousandth time, dropping into a chair with a thick rasp of heavy robes. Republic City's Goin' Down Swingin'

ah so ! patterns i noticed... although @birthdaytoast definitely wrote the openings to some of these. when i write an opening it's usually because i've already thought of an opening joke, so you're not really getting the full effect by just reading the first sentence. in general though, i really like an opening sentence that leaves you with questions. like for 1 - put it back, but what's it, and also why i? for 2 - what is the gossip?

personally, i think that a good first line makes a reader curious. then you have to pay off on that interest quickly, but in a way that sparks MORE interest. mostly i do that by just like... exclusively starting at an interesting part. i used to not, and would like end up fucking myself up by writing in past tense until i got to the sentence i FELT was the start of things, even if it was 2k in.

and sometimes i feel like theres just like, idk, a gravitas to an opening line and i HAVE to use it. 'She is thirteen years old.' from tap on it and it's hollow. 'Fire Lord Zuko, first of his name, dies on an otherwise unextraordinary Tuesday evening.' from the unpublished tomorrow's tomorrow. that's more typical with my own work than when writing with mello, though, because i get all serious and arty on my own sometimes.

#long post #op #tag games

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liaincursives · 4 years

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These feelings I got/Lucas’ season

previous part (Thursday 20:03)

Hello gang. I wrote this during online French and I think me teacher would kill me if she knew. I know you have been waiting for this and it made me happy writing this. There are going to be a few bonus parts and if find. the time, the. first one will be online soon. But. now, thank you. for all your reactions to this and let’s go <3

Friday 10:51

The hallways of the school were empty and Lucas’ steps were echoing as he was carrying the set of iPads towards his classroom. The school was trying to incorporate e-learning, so from time to time, their teachers would allow them to use tablets to create presentations or do researches.

Suddenly, someone grabbed Lucas wrist and he almost let the tablets fall down, trying not the scream of surprise. The hand was pulling him under the stairs, out of the hallway and Lucas didn’t know if he was happy or not to see that it was Jens. His heart started beating faster and he could see doubts in Jens eyes. What was this, didn’t he made it clear he didn’t want to talk about it?

“Lucas, I know that you don’t want to listen to me, I know you are upset, but can you listen to my little sister and just let me talk? Please,” Jens was looking at him, sad, his eyes similar to those of a puppy. “Can you not let it go?” “No, Lucas, I’m serious,I’ve been trying to explain it to you for a week now and I don’t know what you think, but I want you to know the truth. It’s not like we’re 12 year olds who can’t solve problems.” Lucas wanted to go, but he just couldn’t. He knew Jens was right and a tiny bit of him just hoped that he would hear something he wanted to hear. “If you let my wrist go, you have two minutes.”

Jens looked relieved. “i know what you think Lucas. I know you think Jana and I are dating and that, I don’t know, I just used you or something like that, but that’s not true. I like you, I really do. The second I saw you at lunch two weeks ago, I just wanted to go over and to get to know you, but I couldn’t. So I told Jana about it. We have been dating, I know, but we aren’t dating anymore. It’s just that she’s always going to be special for me, she was the first person I really loved and she was the only one that knew I was bi. So I told her that I liked you and she supported me, that’s why she knew everything. I really never wanted to hurt you, okay? I really want to get to know you and I know that I was an asshole and I probably deserve you ignoring me, but I don’t want you to think that I used you, because I am not like that and I really want to get to know you. That’s all I wanted to tell you”

Lucas didn’t know what to say. He wouldn’t have expected him to say that, but hearing that just relieved him. It was exactly what he wanted to hear, it meant that he had a chance and that all his worries were pointless. He was looking up to the ceiling, trying to hide his happiness and the fact that he was almost crying. He could feel Jens’ eyes at him and he could see how the boy was trying to read his reaction.

“Really?” “Lucas, I wouldn’t lie to you, I am dead serious, okay. You are worrying way too much” Lucas looked at him and his heart skipped another beat, trying to hold back the tears of happiness. “But, let me ask you one question Lucas. What is the thing with you and Noor?”

“What?” “ I saw you guys yesterday and you are like so close, are you, I mean, dating?” “Me and Noor?” Jens nodded, like he was scared, not wanting to know the answer. “No, not at all. Noor and I are just really close, I think we are just kind of similar”

Jens needs to smile and Lucas heart warmed up. He was so pretty. His hair a bit messy, the green T-shirt and his eyes glancing. He could surely stare at the taller boy forever and he could feel the brown eyes on his face, looking at his lips. “I didn’t realise you were this pretty…” Jens whispered and Lucas couldn’t resist, he wanted to kiss him. Slowly, he reached for Jens neck, wanted to pull him closer to him.

With a loud bang, a binder fell down next to them and they flinched, creating space between them. “Fuck,” they heard someone screaming from above the stairs and a girl that was way younger than them appeared next to them, taking the binder and leaving again.

Lucas shook his head and they needed to laugh. “We should get to class,” Jens said, laughing and Lucas nodded, way happier than he had been before.

#tfig #lucas van der heijden #van der stoffels #vds #wtfock #skam dutch #skam nl

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fitzrove · 5 years

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author asks

Rules: answer these questions and tag five other fic writers to do the same.

I was tagged by @lieutenantmalcolmreed and @ladyaj-13, thank you both so much!! :D It’s always a joy to be Thought Of, especially by some of my favourite Endeavour fic authors, and I do love answering these even though I’m really slow with it lol

Author Name: Fitzrove

Fandoms You Write For: Just Endeavour, at the moment. I did translate one MCU fic into Finnish like two years ago and post it, but that’s not really a big hobby of mine lmao

Where You Post: Ao3, cos the Tag System and community are amazing

Most Popular One-Shot: Prelude, which is actually my second-ever Endeavour fic. I think it owes its fame to the fact that it’s some very good tension-laden jarse, and doesn’t have the baggage of layers upon layers of AU on top of it. XD So it’s easy to get into if you’re just getting into Endeavour fanfic! Not to toot my own horn, but I do like it myself as well!!

Most Popular Multi-Chapter Story: Paradise Lost, which I promise is GOING TO BE multi-chapter at some point, but I’ve taken forever to continue it because it’s Painful. I have lots of messy outlines and plans for it, and a general idea about where I want the story to go, but I just keep getting distracted by new ideas...

Favourite Story You Wrote: I think everybody who’s read my stuff and seen me gushing about my writing knows that it’s got to be Soft Like Summer Rain. It’s my novel-length baby that I spent most of Spring 2019 working on, and I’m really proud of it. It’s balm to my soul after s03e02 Arcadia lol

Story You Were Nervous to Post: Probably When I Look Into Your Eyes, It’s Over. It’s already pretty niche for being a part of an extensive AU, and it’s also my only explicit fic so far. I was (and AM) super super happy about the reception it got, though - even though it definitely isn’t one of my more popular fics, knowing that a dozen Human Persons read it and actually liked it was super reassuring. On Ao3, there’s really no need to lie about what you like and what you don’t - if you don’t really care for a particular fic, you skip it, and therefore every piece of positive feedback is genuine and feels Amazing. I still get super happy and excited whenever I get a kudos notification for any of my works... <3

How Do You Pick Your Titles: Song lyrics, and sometimes I’m super worried about them seeming lame. The title is always the last thing I think of - Soft Like Summer Rain had the working title of “western”, Are You Married, Mr Morse? was “rough him up” and Bad Ideas was just “shirley”. I’m pretty proud of the ones that aren’t straight-up song lyrics, though, especially Love Me, Love My Dog and Not Entirely Clueless. (puns are my standard for Best Title Ever ok that’s just how it is)

Do You Outline: About 95% of the time, yes!! If I come up with a super concise idea and write it down in one sitting, then maybe not, but I do have to write down reminders for myself if I want to not forget everything lmao. Soft Like Summer Rain had several docs, some with just the chapter text, but also several for outlining because I had so many things to think about. I also outline when thinking about sequels or putting off writing a story I really want to get on with but just keep Daydreaming instead of writing it... (*cough* Paradise Lost *cough*)

How Many Of Your Stories Are Complete: Fifteen, of varying lengths. I’m not currently hoarding any unposted gems, even though I do sometimes write things I never end up posting. A perk of that is that I get to reuse some good ideas later!

In-Progress: I’m not a big fan of posting unfinished stories, because it gives me Pressure to finish them, and I don’t like that feeling a lot. Currently, it’s only Paradise Lost.

Unpublished WIP’s, though... oh my. I think I have like 14 right now. Some highlights include genderbent lesbian jarse (I love the idea of a girl Jakes with outrageous lipstick cos who tf doesn’t, and messy-haired bookish girl Morse is just Precious ok), a gang/criminal au where the coppers we know and love are on the other side of the game, and, of course, a somewhat authorised sequel to @jasmiinitee‘s Jasper Nicholson/Morse masterpiece. And many others... ;)

Coming Soon: I’m trying to finish my... ahem... seasonally very fitting (spooky) October artwork as soon as possible, and then post it! I hope nobody gets traumatised lol. My IRL friends follow this Tumblr so imma not go into too much detail just in case...

(It’s not scary, it’s just horny.)

Do You Accept Prompts: YES! Please prompt me as much as you want to! I’m sometimes slow and sometimes super quick with writing, but I treasure new ideas <3

Upcoming Story You’re the Most Excited For: The sequel to Soft Like Summer Rain. I haven’t even started outlining it properly yet, but I desperately need it to exist, and I get all warm and fuzzy just thinking about it. It continues the fix-it sweetness of Soft Like Summer Rain, and in the beginning, I’m going to try my hand at actually writing some of the folks down at the station well. It’s Tough, but I do have to learn how to Fred Thursday and George Fancy eventually...

I’m tagging @jasmiinitee, @not-easy-being-green124, @california-112, @astridcontramundum and @hekate1308 cos y’all are some of my favourite Endeavour fandom writers!! And anyone else who wants to do this but hasn’t <3

#endeavour #fandom #writing #tag game #ask thing #i was tagged #i have no idea what i've been tagging these sorts of things before #fanfic #my writing

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mingi-bubu · 4 years

Text

Watch “Youth With You” with Me!

Episode 10 Part 1

- okay we are gonna find out who’s in the top nine? Ten? Idk i don’t remember last episode all that well

- i of course with my luck have gotten a head cold during this plague bc my sleep schedule is fucked up and im not getting enough

- anyway, y’all don’t care about that. you’re here to hear about the trainees and me wax poetic about how good xukun looks

- i have my water, i have my phone, let’s go

- oh shit nearly half the trainees will be leaving

- these girls have been together for three months oof i couldn’t do that

- kun is gonna be wearing a white suit with black accents??? sign me the fuck up

- MR FRUIT THE ICON HIMSELF

- i lowkey am a mr fruit fanblog but only on thursdays and saturdays

- naho being in the opening crdits im living

- 60th ranking is not getting announced until the very end ugh

- top nine tho leggo

- 9th is snow kong

- babymonster *hand shaking emoji* me being afraid of spiders

- ive decided to no longer know or have an opinion on whatever the fuck controversy is going on rn bc like who the fuck knows

- oh sick each placing for the top nine get to say their own speech individually that’s dope

- 8 is asdljif;alerskjg;kgjl;argjk bitch kun out here pulling on people’s legs

- congrats to xin liu!!!!

- i love it when the trainees specificlly mention the trainees who have offered them help or done something supportive for them

- ugh i just *clenches fist* love it when women uplift other women

- i think babymonster will rank higher than 7

- 7 is shaking!!!

- aweh i love kun’s little tic against the sides of the podium

- shaking’s speech was very heartfelt

- ugh the comraderies that exist here i T.T

- 6 is jue chen!!!! love my stonefaced bitch getting this

- i like that kun is trying to help ease her nervousness

- she has said five sentences according to the iqiyi counter

- awww kunkun-ah reassuring her that it’s fine bc he was a stonefaced bitch in the beginning toooo !!!! we love to see it

- love how short and to the point jue chen’s speech was what an icon

- shaking trying to hand a tissue to jue chen and then finding out she wasn’t crying is such a cute moment pelase someone gif it

- 5th rank is sharon wang!!! i love that for her

- she and i are the same in that if i was in her place i too would be writing down the names and types of cool snacks i haven’t had before

- 4th rank is BABYMONSTER HELL YEAH I LVOE TO SEE IT

- oh my god i might cry she’s so sweet i love her so much im so proud

- she’s thanking her og 24 fans i - T.T

- kun is such a sweetheart

- top three gang lets get it

- 3 is kun i s2g if you keep yixinging it up i will teleport to china and clown on you

- HOLY SHIT XIAOTANG I;M LITERALLY SO EXCITE!!!!!!!! I LOVE HER SADJFKAK

- kun is such a bitch i’m going to kill him alkdsfja;lksdjf;aisdjf;lkadjf

- ANYWAY I’M SO HAPPY FOR HER WE STAN SO HARD SHE’S SO CUTE MY TALL WIFE I LOVE HER

- i love that hanging out with esther has made her also not know how to shut the fuck up

- asldkfj;lksdjfalk;sdf she’s so cute “everyone smells so good!” babyyyy

- i love her so mucha askdfa;slkdj i’m so happy

- bitch its reall crying time right now i love her

- please let her stay in the top 9

- three positiions left to be announced, 1, 2, & 60

- and we cut to the dorms again for part 2 of the fashion show

- party time babeey

- god im getting flashbacks to backstage opening night for theatre adljfskld

- akdlfjasdklfjadskflj i’m definitely part of the group that was too busy eatingto get dressed for a “party”

- ooohhh we got some badass club looks right here ladies i love it.

- oou we got some diva looks we love to see it

- some ladyboss looks

- we got an all white ensemble

- we got a mix of diva and badass club looks with marco lin

- kfjakdjfaklds love to see it

- babymonster and frhanm look so fantastic what the fuck i can’t

- oh i see a tradish concept from yvonne !

- four hairdressers club love to see it

- dlkadaf socks and sandals are not fashion but they make it fashion

- yan yu reminds me of my old roommate who said she’d hit me

- it’s just from the outfit bc it’s something that she would’ve worn

- naho had a rice cooker with her i stan the right gal

- they had a whole little chant at the end that’s cute

- kiki xu’s group won!

- kasdjfdsadklf esther’s room was the one that failed to stunt bc they were eating that’s such a gd mood fr fr

- diamond really said tonight we feast didn’t she

- omg they really did get hot pot!! oh it’s so cute i love

- now i really want some hot pot

- this looks so fun omg

- ckhhhhhhhhhhh i want hot pot so badly fkcng quarentine

- “have a little rest, and then eat some more” god babymonster and i would get on so well aldkfja;ldkfj

- esther and xiaotang zhang trying to lose weight and xiaotang blatently eating the hot pot is a gd mood

- oh we’re back to the rankings

- alskdjfas;lkdfja kiki and esther are coming to the stage

- kiki gets first right? i think that’s how it should work

- i had to rewind i missed what kun had said e.e

- ooooh they get to read out their letters to themselves that’s so cute

- it’s real loving top 9 hours isnt it boys

- lakjfdlaksdjfasdkf i too would laugh at my past self esther

- this is so fucking funny i love it

- kun looks like he wants to do anything else but talk to esther jesus

- kiki’s turn to read

- oh we really are going to tear up during kiki’s arent we

- we love seeing someone going from being filled with shame to being confident in themself and the group they are in

- that was very sweet im o.o

- 1st rank isssss..........WAHT

- I WAS NOT EXPECTING ESTHER WHAT THE FUCK

- KIKI IN SECOND

- WOWOWOWOWOW I AM SHOOKING

- esther really out her gonna make me cry fUCK

- i love that she is thanking like everyone who works on the show bc so often ppl forget about certain groups that are so important to the production of the show

- kiki is out here really making sure that she brings up the name of everyone who’s ever helped her on this road so far and it’s real crying hours lads this is emtoional

- who the fuck has doubts about her????

- wait yeah she explained that earlier. i’m sorry i am sick and my emory is a jello bowl

- esther is so cute ~

- i like the top 9 group a lot but i would make some changes...

- but im not going to get into that bc it’s not relevant

- oh new game for the trainees

- ooooohhhhh fuck they get to clown on their fellow trainees to complain about them

- ten bucks says esther pops up

- nineone would be good at the gwiyomi i think if she didn’t get so easily embarrased

- “it’s not my fault” *cuts to esther and vivi eating constantly* amazing

- aria falling asleep in public places is a mood

- is that the end of part one?

- well shit i guess it is ok

- was not expecting it to end that suddenly but whatever i guess asldkfjas;dlkfjas

- anyway, i’ll see y’all in part 2 UwU

#ywy #youth with you #idol producer #cpop #e10 p1 #jae.txt #jae.wwm

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sophieakatz · 5 years

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Thursday Thoughts: I Am Proud Of My Fanfiction

The other day, I met with an aspiring creative who wanted to pick my brain about my experiences as a writer. I told her about the plays I worked on in school, the shows I helped bring to life in the Disney Parks, and my novel-in-progress, Tali’s Flowers.

“I haven’t worked on it in a while,” I said. “I love that story, but I keep working on other things instead.”

“Do you not love the other things you’re working on?” she asked me.

The question caught me by surprise, and I laughed a bit – partly because I laugh when I’m surprised, but mostly because the “other things” I keep working on instead of my novel are fanfiction.

You are currently reading this post on my professional writing blog. If you’ve been following me for a while, then you know that I often post links to my fanfiction here. When I first created this blog, I was hesitant to do so. Fanfiction has a reputation of being unprofessional. It’s considered a “lesser” art form to original fiction. I have another Tumblr account for reblogging gifsets and videos and other nerdy, less-than-professional social media things. I considered keeping my fanfiction over there, if I posted it at all.

Ultimately, I decided that this blog is for my writing – all of my writing that I love, that I am proud of, and that I want to share with the world. And that writing includes fanfiction.

Why?

I could say that writing and posting fanfiction is a vital part of my professional development. I spent five incredible months as the Disney Parks Live Entertainment Show Writer Intern, and all the shows I helped bring to life as a part of that internship were, arguably, “official” fanfiction. I was not only assigned but also paid to write new adventures for characters from movies I fell in love with as a child. I put words into the mouths of the Toy Story gang and explored the fan club culture of the world of The Incredibles. Being able to do that again, to make a living writing new stories for characters the world already loves, is one of my career goals.

But that isn’t the whole story. Not everyone who writes fanfiction will ever do so for money, or even wants to. And even if I knew without a doubt that I would never have the chance to write for Disney or any entertainment company ever again, I would still write and post fanfiction.

Because not only do I love writing fanfiction, but I am also proud of my fanfiction.

I am proud of the quality of my fanfiction.

I’m afflicted by the same curse that many writers have: once a story of mine is out in the world, I usually can’t read it again without cringing.

It is a rare delight to write something, return to it a month later, and still like it. This is a natural consequence of improving my craft as a writer, combined with dubiously-healthy doses of anxiety and imposter syndrome.

But there are times, blessed times, when I enjoy rereading my own writing, when I know without a doubt that what I penned was good. I’ve had a lot of those moments while writing fanfiction. Sure, humility is a virtue and putting yourself down is “cool” these days, but I’ve spent years working and learning and improving my craft – I have a Bachelor’s Degree in this, for crying out loud – and it shows!

Lena closed her fingers around the keys, and she put the closed fist to her chest. And all at once it hit her that she was here to stay, and she began to cry. And then Webby was back in front of her, kissing her first on the forehead and then on the beak, and then she threw her arms around Lena’s neck, and Scrooge had a hand on each of their shoulders, and their limbs were good, strong roots that reached so deep into the earth that nothing could ever pull them away, and Lena knew that she was home at last.

The previous paragraph is the final lines of The Sunchaser Grill, a crossover fanfic of Disney’s DuckTales TV show, the 1996 film The Spitfire Grill, and the 2001 Off-Broadway musical adaptation of the same name. And yes, I know how bizarre that sounds. Bizarre stuff happens in this story. But that paragraph is one of my favorite things that I’ve ever written. I am proud to say that whenever I reread it, it makes me smile.

I am proud that my fanfiction comes from a spirit of joy and fun.

There’s a place in the world for sad stories. Sometimes I even write them. But overwhelmingly, my writing steers towards the positive. I write the fics that I write because I know I’ll have a good time writing them.

I wrote Sunchaser Grill because it delighted me how well the characters from one work fit the character roles of the other. I wrote Hang In There because I wanted to imagine the Thirteenth Doctor going back to give a young River Song a bit of hope, in a moment that Doctor Who canon might never give us. I wrote so, so many fics for this last Weblena Month because that little lesbian couple makes me so, so happy. And once, way back in high school, I wrote a 600-word fic about Shere Khan from The Jungle Book meeting Tigger from Winnie the Pooh, just because I thought it would be funny.

I’m proud of the spirit of joy that powers my writing, and I’m proud of the stories that have grown from that joy.

It’s not just about me, though.

I am proud that my fanfiction brings joy to and has meaning for other people.

During my internship with Disney Parks Live Entertainment, I saw children laugh, dance, and play along with the shows I wrote. As that internship neared its end, I naturally felt sad at the thought of not making children laugh with my stories anymore.

Almost on cue, I received an email notification from one of my old accounts. Someone had just left a comment on that “Shere Khan meets Tigger” story I mentioned before. This was in 2018. I wrote that story in 2011.

This is such a perfect crossover! And both tigers are completely in character. Shere Khan is trying to hunt, but gets interrupted by an excited, bouncy Tigger. As a result, Shere Khan is annoyed and Tigger doesn’t let anything bother him.

P.S. My eight-year-old daughter liked it, too.

It hit me then that I had already been creating stories that made children laugh even before Disney hired me, and there was no reason why I had to stop.

I want to tell stories that mean something to other people. Fanfiction has given me the opportunity for that desire to be not just a dream for someday, but something that I can do right here, right now. It’s allowed me to see the impact my writing can have, the impact that I want it to have, on other people’s lives.

Here are a few of the comments that people have left on my fanfiction over the years:

thank you. Just - thank you. And good night; I will finally go to bed, now. – on a Hunger Games fanfic in 2011

An adorable ending to a magical story. I got tears in my eyes, you know, and I almost never cry. :) – on one of my Alice in Wonderland fanfics in 2012

Thank you for giving more depth to an already-amazing character. – on one of my Rune Factory 3 fanfics in 2016

I've been wanting to comment since Chapter One but I couldn't think of something to say. Seeing this story updated just makes my day better and it's so well written and I'm invested in the plot. Just...good job <3. – on that Spitfire Grill fic in 2018

I really love this, it's amazing how you showed the piano and music as something that makes sense in the middle of all confusion and it's amazing to see it as something that can help so much. To me personally piano has been incredibly important so reading this fic just... I have tears in my eyes right now and I don't know how to express how amazing this fic is for me to read. – on one of my Ducktales fics in 2018

This part hit me tbh, this is something I’ve said nearly verbatim when talking about my own fear that no one would ever want to be in a relationship with me… I just want to say how much I love this entire series. – on one of my 2019 Weblena Week fics

People read fanfiction because they want to spend more time with the characters they love, because they want to laugh or cry, because they want to see themselves and their experiences reflected in media. I am proud to create those experiences for other people.

Of course I love the “other things” I keep working on. Of course I love my fanfiction. Someday I’ll finish Tali’s Flowers, or a different novel, or a movie, or a play, and people will call it my “debut” and ask me how it feels to have finally “made it.” And I’ll be proud, of course I’ll be proud. But I’m already proud. I have every reason to be.

#writing #fanfiction #writblr #writer problems #writers of tumblr #thursday thoughts #introspective #nonfiction

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bananashemmo · 5 years

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Committed The Robbery (Part 6)

Pairing: Y/N/Gangmember!Ashton

Rating: NC-17

Request: Yes

Parts: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Summary: On a scale from 1 to shit, how fucked would Ashton be if he ended up banging the other gangmember Luke’s little sister Y/N?

Read Committed The Robbery on Wattpad

“You were cut by a knife? I told you it was a bad idea!” Alba stopped for a second when you lifted up your shirt to let her see the stitches.

If it was possible, her mouth was scraping the asphalt.

“I think I’m gonna faint.” Alba placed her hand on her almost sweating forehead and had to sit down on the bench you were walking past just for a moment.

You couldn’t help but laugh for some reason. This was the girl who didn’t seem to have a problem with dissecting animals in biology classes. But seeing your stitches and the five centimeters cut was enough for her to almost faint.

“I know what you’re thinking,” She tried to look again since you were still holding up your grey t-shirt, “It sounds weird that I’m freaking out but when it’s human cuts and my close friends I tend to freak out.”

“Didn’t you help out Travis Cost when he fell and injured his knee during football practice?” You placed the bandage back on place and moved your shirt down.

Calum had said you were supposed to wear the bandage for most of the time. It was best for the cut to get some air but the stitches could easily get stuck to your clothes and that would be painful.

“Yes and there was no blood,” She shook her head, “That was his kneecap being dislocated. It wasn’t anything scary. Why don’t you think I take part in the blood donations program here at the campus?”

“Well, I just thought you were scared of needles.” You shrugged your shoulders and threw back on your denim jacket.

“No, I’ve even injected myself one time for fun when writing an assignment about the nerve system.” Alba brushed away the droplets of sweat from her forehead.

“And it’s kind of tragic that I’m not a part of the blood donation. I have AB-negative so I’m like a god in heaven for nurses. I’m a part of the 6% and probably the only one at the campus who has it.”

Your eyes widened by her small fact. You didn’t even know what your blood type was, it was probably something Luke knew if he looked through your hospital papers from when you were born.

You walked past the water foundation and headed towards the dorms. You had met between the buildings in the middle because you had classes this morning, being off at noon before meeting again at 2 P.M.

It wasn’t often that you had three classes a day. Normally, it would only be one or two on Tuesday’s but since you were behind you had three double.

Alba was used to the many classes a day. She sometimes took extra classes just because she found it exciting.

You didn’t really think that having rocket science from 8 P.M to 10 P.M on a Thursday night was the most appealing.

You couldn’t even keep count of all the classes she had. The only thing you shared together was English.

“Should I also call you out for not telling me you spend the night at your brother’s house?”

Your cheeks turned into a deep shade of red, being embarrassed. You were never the one to forget texting where you were. Not that it was required living with a roommate but you had promised Alba.

“Oh, Albs. I’m so sorry,” You looked down at your feet and clutched your books tighter, “It was just... Things happened in such a dramatic way I totally forgot and my phone died when I headed for classes.”

“It’s okay,” Alba smiled, “I could hear from others when they saw you at classes that you weren’t dead... Or I mean, almost,” She glanced down at your stomach to remind you of your stitches.

“Speaking of which, why did I hear that Ashton Irwin was at the campus?”

If your cheeks could get even redder they would be now. You knew the rumor was spread for the ones being curious. Also, the ones who wanted to avoid him. It was not everyone that was on Ashton’s good side.

You looked down at the ground trying to come up with something that didn’t sound as crazy as he actually made it sound when it came up with the idea.

“I honestly just heard rumors that he brought a gun.”

If Alba was just a little bit smart like she usually was, she would be able to tell from your face expressions everything she was saying was correct.

“No...” She shook her head in disbelief, “Are you serious?”

You only half nodded even though everything was indeed true.

“First of all, it was Ashton’s idea.” You scratched your arm carefully and watched her open the door to walk up the stairs towards your dorm.

“Secondly, I didn’t know he was bringing a gun.”

You decided not to say anything else before you were inside your dorm. By the way, Alba was looking at you if it was possible she would be able to knock you down the stairs from her staring.

She was definitely not letting go of the conversation until you had explained her everything. The truth was, she would become more scared but it was better than walking around unknowing what was going on.

“Ashton suggested showing up because he wanted to scare off James. Wanting to show that this cut was his final move and things had to end because otherwise, I can’t walk around on my own without being in danger. It was kind of a way to tell James, no matter where he is, Ashton will find him.”

“And kill him?” Alba asked with her large brown orbs that were reflecting through her glasses, it was like her voice was shaking.

You shook your head and watched her take a seat on her bed that was nicely covered. Unlike yours that looked like a mess from yesterday.

“No, Ashton would never kill anybody.” You shook your head stern, “He’s just trying to scare him off. Not wanting him to be a threat to me. Trying to make me live a normal life.”

Alba nodded her head in agreement and regretted her sudden outburst.

“If I may ask,” She paused to lick her lips in thought, “What is your relationship with him?”

You stopped in track from taking off your jacket and furrowed your eyebrows at her.

“I mean,” She scratched her arm lightly, “It’s not that I see you as a couple or anything... It just sounds/seems like you’re spending more time with him than your actual brother.”

By that, you sighed carefully.

Taking a seat down on your own bed you pushed the sheets away so you could rest your back against the wall. She could tell you were about to tell a story so she prepared herself by crossing her legs like she was in the middle of yoga.

“Luke is never really actually there. He’s often out, it kind of follows with being the leader of the gang. I don’t know how he got the role but as all, I can remember he has always been in that position. Dealing with the rules, making people follow the instructions and make sure to take care of everyone. Including me.”

“But you’re not a part of the gang,” Alba said more as a statement than a question. Yet, she was confused by her own thoughts and blinked, “... Are you?”

You smiled carefully by her question and shook your head.

“No, I’m not a part of anything. They keep me out of it as best they can... You know, it works most of the time unless James is suddenly showing up like a pop-in annoying character.”

“Okay, so James is a part of a gang as well?” Alba folded her legs together and rested her chin on her knees.

“Yeah, just not the same as my brother’s. They’re rivals, but James isn’t the leader. He’s seriously just trying to fill out the shoes of someone else.” You folded your hands together, happy that the topic about your relationship with Ashton was forgotten.

“Who?” Alba asked but this time you became quiet.

You looked down at your fingers. Ashton had really gotten into your head because just by thinking of his name you got scared. You had never actually met this guy.

“His name is Marc Walker.” You folded your hands together and looked at Alba.

“As in James Walker? Brothers?” Alba was so invested in the conversation you thought she had probably forgotten she was scared in the first place.

You hummed in response and looked out of the window, “Story was told he was expelled from here after an incident. And I know this might sound mysterious but it happened at the same time as Luke and the others were expelled.”

“And you’re sure they have a part in that.” Alba rubbed her hands together almost excited, “This is just like Criminal Minds.”

“I’m sure you can identify yourself with Dr. Reid.” You smiled and she shook her head but laughed.

“Oh, I wished I had an IQ of 187. Probably sometime when I’ve graduated college.” Alba sat for a moment thinking and then processed to look back at you.

“They’ve never told you?” She asked, “I mean, they are many rumors trying to solve the mystery. Some have predicted they sold drugs on the parking lot and printed something into Marc’s assignments. But it is all stories that have been twisted in many ways.”

You furrowed your eyebrows just a little bit because one thing was that the drugs were true. If it wasn’t because you started at the college they would still proceed to do it. There was so much money in selling to college students.

But printing it onto Marc’s assignments sounded too much of a rumor to be true.

Even you could come up with something more convincing than that.

“They never told me.” You shook your head, “Probably to protect me. I don’t know if it could affect me knowing. You’d be surprised to hear how many enemies they have. It’s like they have a bigger list than the one where people actually like them.”

“It’s funny because I remember they were popular,” Alba said, “Or I’ve heard.” She corrected.

You nodded your head in agreement and sighed carefully, “Calum was practically lead captain. Coach Hanson loved him more than anything and to see him get expelled was like, pure horror to his ears. He really did have a future in football and sadly, that was taken away. I actually think he enjoyed it, it was probably the only thing they liked about college.”

You leaned back with your head touching the wall and looked up at the ceiling. You needed to change one of the lights that had seemed to be broken.

“Sometimes I just wish I knew. The curiosity takes over. The thoughts are itching for answers.”

“Then scratch.” Alba encouraged and fished her keys out to place it on her nightstand next to her.

Usually, she would be hanging them right next to where her jacket was hanging. You had too many hooks compared to how little clothes she did have.

That was when you noticed it and you furrowed your eyebrows.

She started to talk about something else, it sounded like she wanted to go to the library to rent some sort of biology book and your jaw fell.

“Can I come with you?” You asked and she widened your eyes.

“To the library?” She asked, eyes bigger than yours.

You nodded your head in agreement with a huge smile and stood up from your bed in reaction.

She was looking at you the way she was not convinced. You had never visited the library, not even when you had to see if you could rent some books instead of buying them down at the local store.

“Do you still have the chip that works almost every door at the library?”

She nodded her head slowly, wanting you to continue.

“Also the old archive in the basement?” You asked and her eyebrows lifted.

“The old archive nobody is allowed to be at because it keeps stuff in which students aren’t allowed to see?” She just had to double check and you almost nodded your head furiously.

“What if that can explain why they were expelled? It might give us answers.” You blinked twice, looking at her with your jaw falling.

“Aren’t you just a little bit curious to know?”

“I have no idea how you dragged me into this but I sure hope it’s good,” Alba mumbled more to herself than you as you walked down the swirling staircase.

“We’ll see what happens.” You turned on the flashlight you had brought along, watching how cobweb was reflecting in shadows.

What a dirty and creepy space.

You shook your head feeling goosebumps appear on your arm by hearing the door faint in the background close. Lamps weren’t working, the only source of light came from you.

“I’m not even sure I can navigate here.” Alba used the chip to open the grey large door that appeared once you were down the stairs.

You watched her fool a bit, it was probably a while since somebody had been down here. You didn’t wonder. You were waiting for the heart attack in a form of a spider. This was, after all, Sydney Australia.

“It doesn’t matter. I don’t think anyone will notice we are down here.”

When you walked inside you couldn’t avoid the nasty smell of either fungus or some sort of death. Alba almost wanted to take a step back just in reaction.

“Oh my god...” She mumbled under her breath and tried to flick on the lights.

Amazingly enough, the only lamp in the ceiling actually worked. It wasn’t much and it only seemed dimmed but it was enough for you to turn off your flashlight.

“I think the only thing I can say is, let’s get to it.” You looked at the many shelves with files. It was insane how much this basement could actually carry.

Alba nodded her head in agreement and headed towards the left part of the room. So obviously, you took the right.

It was insane to see how many cases the school had. You wouldn’t imagine considering it was newly renovated and it wasn’t often there were conflicts.

“Is Ashton’s middle name Fletcher?”

Your hair almost fell in your face as you turned around to look at Abla who stood with a file in her hands.

“I don’t know. Is the last name Irwin?” You asked and she nodded her head.

“I don’t think this is a case about him though. It seems it’s about someone else.” Alba explained and grabbed another one from the pile.

“Here,” She suddenly said excitedly, “Case 104. Marc David Walker, Luke Robert Hemmings, Calum Thomas Hood, Michael Gordon Clifford, Ashton Fletcher Irwin, Karen Johnson.”

“Karen Johnson?” You asked in confusion and let go of whatever you had in your hands.

“You haven’t heard of Karen Johnson?” Alba asked and you shook your head no.

“She was the one who was suspected of being murdered in this building.”

Your eyes became so wide you were sure they were ready to fall out from your face. You almost ran towards her to see the file because in reality you thoughts she was joking.

“It was never stated in rumors if she was actually murdered or not but here it says that she was,” Alba explained and you stopped to stand right next to her. “

“Why are the boys involved?” You furrowed your eyebrows and Alba held her breath.

“Ashton was the last person seen with her before her body was found. They all found evidence the boys were at the school same time as the murdering happened.”

“Who murdered her?” You looked at her with wide eyes, feeling how goosebumps were appearing on every inch of your skin if possible.

“Marc Walker was charged in court and stated to prison for first-degree murder.” Alba read what was written the paper and you could feel yourself shaking.

“The gun that was used on her had Marc’s fingerprints. There were also found evidence of blood stains on her shirt in which came from Marc. The gun that was used had the exact same bullets that were found inside the victim’s body parts. 4 bullets were used to kill her right in the second. She wasn’t suffering.”

You listened to Alba reading out loud but also tried to scan the papers yourself.

It was a long court list, you didn’t even know they had been to court. You’d imagine you would have noticed because you could see that it had happened several times because either Walker or one of the boys not showing up.

“There’s surveillance camera showing that Ashton and the victim walked into the library together. But there was also proof that Ashton wasn’t at the library at the time of the murder because he is seen on a surveillance camera outside at the hallway meeting with Calum.”

You shook your head in disbelief. For many years you had known they were living in a hard industry. Not one with murder investigations and death.

“The headmaster didn’t want any dirt on the school’s reputation and since the boys already had a few conflicts he decided to expel all four of them. He didn’t want to take a chance in case it was indeed one of the boys that had a part in committing the murder. Walker disappeared once court was over after he was supposed to be admitted to prison. He has still gone missing and nobody knows where he is.”

“Oh my god...” You mumbled under your breath, seeing pictures being attached to the documents from the surveillance cameras. Ashton was exposed with his curly locks at the top and a black hoodie over his head.

Another showed Luke and Michael walking into one of the offices at school. For what, you didn’t know but it was around 4pm to 5pm. Why didn’t anyone notice them?

“Did anyone hear the gunshots?” You asked but Alba shook her head, “It was down by the basement just around the-,” Alba looked up and her jaw fell slightly.

“Just on the hallway outside of the archive room.”

You looked up by the mention and looked towards the door. Your blood suddenly felt like freezing to ice. Knew the shivers and goosebumps were everywhere on your body.

“Seems like everything ties to here.” Alba shook away the goosebumps and looked for more files.

“I think so to-,” Before you finished your sentence you felt a small jolt running through your body by a sound coming from the stairs.

At first, you thought you were the only one noticing. But the way Alba was looking towards the door with her mouth falling and her breath hitching in her throat, you heard the same.

“Don’t move.” You whispered, not knowing who it was but with the circumstances you took zero chances.

You leaned your hand down to grasp the cold handle you had hidden in the pocket of your denim jacket. Alba almost got strangled by her own spit when she noticed what you had in your hands.

“Where the hell did you get a gun?” She whisper-yelled almost in panic.

“After the cut to my stomach I was too paranoid to walk around on my own so I stole one of Luke’s. He’s got too many to notice and there are only a few bullets in it so it’s just for protection. Like pepper spray.”

“Pepper spray! Y/N you could kill someone with that!” Alba was about to shout but you shushed at her.

“It’s only for the scene and scares Albs, I have no idea how to use it.”

You were indeed telling the truth. This was actually the first time you were holding the gun and you had no idea what you were supposed to do other than holding it in front of you to protect you and Alba.

“What if it’s-,” Alba shut her mouth when she heard stumbles coming from the stairs again. You could feel your knees shake and you held your breath.

You weren’t sure what the sudden sound was or where it came from, but it was louder than before and in reaction and pure shock, you accidentally shot towards the ceiling.

“Oh my god,” Alba managed to exclaim, her hands coming up to her mouth to cover from more voices as you managed to shoot the only lamp in the room.

Darkness surrendered you and you couldn’t help but apologize more than once.

“I-, I really shouldn’t have stolen it I have no idea how to handle it.” You stammered and shoved it down in your pocket to grasp your flashlight instead.

Alba breathed in heavily and nodded her head in agreement. At least she wasn’t mad.

“Whatever was here you scared it away.” She scrunched up the glasses on her nose and you nodded your head in agreement.

“Let’s leave,” You mumbled, “I don’t want to be here anymore.”

Alba nodded and watched as you fished the files in your net, wanting to save them in case of wanting to know more and hurried towards the stairs with her.

The sunny weather hit you right in the face once you were out of the basement, library, and the building. You hadn’t noticed but your breath hitched in your throat and your heart was beating faster.

“Uh-, Y/N.” Alba mentioned and you looked at her.

“I think you’re in trouble.”

You followed her eyes towards the parking lot and your jaw dropped when you noticed the familiar red Mustang. Not to mention Luke and Ashton leaning against it with sunglasses in their hair and almost matching leather jackets.

“Okay, shit.” You mumbled under your breath and turned around to face her.

“Please, hide these.” You gave her the net and she couldn’t help but nod her head in agreement, “Hide them where nobody else would look beside you. Somewhere clever. I’ll see you later when I get home.”

She nodded her head repeatedly and turned around, watching you slowly head towards the boys, trying to act like what you had just figured out wasn’t something.

When you came close enough you couldn’t tell whether they were mad or not. But for what reason, you couldn’t point out. It was nearly impossible for Luke to notice that you were gone.

“You know I was just about to break those doors, right?” Ashton remarked, his head nodding towards the front entrance to the building.

You glanced over your shoulder, looking where he was referring to.

You opened your mouth ready to speak but Luke came before you.

“You know I’ve called you twelve times, right?” He asked and that definitely caught you off guard.

Reaching down to grab your phone to you lifted it in the air. Indeed, Luke had been calling and not just once.

“Oh my god, Luke I’m so sorry,” You mumbled, “I’ve had classes and I couldn’t have it on sound so it’s just been on silent. I’m so sorry I understand your struggles.”

“Well, you were saved by pretty pants and his very short football shorts.” Luke nodded his head towards the football field behind him, “James is at a game so he took just a bit of the nervousness away from us.”

You smiled sincerely at them and sighed. It was a nice sigh though, it meant you were saved by the bell.

“You want a lift to your dorm?” Ashton asked and even though you could easily walk you nodded your head in agreement. You didn’t want to sound or seem suspicious or different.

Taking your usual spot at the backseat right behind Ashton, you watched Luke take the passenger seat and waited for Ashton to put the car in reverse.

Luke was talking and talking but you weren’t really listening. You were sitting with your head almost in your hands, trying to collect all the information at once. It was now the thoughts were running around.

Ashton did take notice and when you coincidentally looked up to glance at the back mirror, your eyes met.

“What’s wrong?” He mouthed instantly, eyes fixed on either the road or you.

You shrugged, not really knowing what to answer. Luke was still continuing his story so he wouldn’t take notice.

“Come on,” He mouthed again and turned to the left.

“Nothing.” You mouthed back and looked down at your lap again, not wanting to meet his eyes. The thoughts couldn’t stop wondering.

Did Marc really kill that woman?

You were so quick to loosen your seatbelt once Ashton parked in front of your dorm house.

“You wanna come over on Friday? We’re watching movies.” Luke asked as you walked past the car to stand on the pavement.

“No actually, one of the fraternities are hosting this 2009 themed party I was planning on going to.”

“What?” Luke asked with furrowed eyebrows. Ashton was having the same expression.

“What?” You said back but in a different tone.

“And what if James will be there?” He asked angrily.

“You know I can’t live my life after where he’s staying and not.”

“But that’s basically feeding bones to the lion!” Luke exclaimed and you watched how Ashton remained quiet. He didn’t need to say anything to show that he was sharing the same opinion as Luke.

“No, I’m telling you Y/N, it’s a bad idea.” He was looking at you the way you knew you wouldn’t get what you wanted. When he was settled he was ready to open fire to get it how he wanted.

“It’s fine you think it’s a bad idea, I respect that.” You weren’t normally the one to discuss, “But this is my life and you have to respect my decisions, even if you don’t agree.”

You wanted to have the last word so instead of standing by to listen you turned around and left. You didn’t want to end the discussion because you could never win one with Luke.

Maybe he was the one?

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igumdrop · 5 years

Text

:OO WELCOME EVERYONE!!

okay okay, I know what you guys are thinking -- Jaime, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?! HOW CAN YOU MAKE THE SUB-BLOG GO PUBLIC?!?! WHAT HAPPENED TO *THAT* LIST... THE *YOU KNOW WHAT* LIST...

and my response is... I don’t know what you’re talking about. I never had such a list.

okay, real talk though, I decided to let my sub-blog go public for multiple reasons:

♡ no one wants to enter a password that I change constantly

♡ most of what I say I would love to share with my regular viewers who can’t afford to sub, and this is my main source of updating you guys on a more personal basis for those who follow me more on social media and not my stream

♡ I’m incorporating a lot more sub-only things into the community, so I figured I could let one go!

we’ll see how it goes and if it does start to feel uncomfortable, we can always bring it back :) but there’s little to nothing that I can think of that would make this weird because I don’t overshare that much... I think... HAHA we’ll see

ANYWAYS, REALLY GOOD NEWS! for the past few months I’ve had a little team of subs working on our community Minecraft server! (SO MUCH THANKS TO GOLDEYE, WATTEHMS, MATTY, MAXWELL, BRADLEY, JOSTER <3) I’ll try to log on everyday and just have a habit of keeping it online. I think it’d be cute to be able to log onto something and see everyone in the same world!

if you’re a sub, please fill out the form that I linked in the discord! it’s also the same form you use to join the gummie gang stream team, and also for me to know what your discord usernames are (a lot of times when you guys message me, your discord username is different from your twitch and I have no idea LOL) there’s also a little response section where you can give me any suggestions you want! (stream ideas, sub emotes, etc) ~ HAVE FUN!

AND EVEENNNN MORE GOOD NEWS!!!

WE’LL BE ON FRONT PAGE OF TWITCH THIS THURSDAY!! WEEE!!

I’ll probably be doing a sit-down cooking stream into a mukbang :) TIME IS TO BE ANNOUNCED BUT IT SHOULD BE AROUND THE TIME FRAME OF 12PM - 2PM OR 2PM - 4PM! I’ll let you guys know as soon as possible on discord. I’ll also be streaming tomorrow/Tuesday and Wednesday so I’ll let you guys know on stream too!

OK THAT’S IT FOR ANNOUNCEMENTS!~ here are my own personal lil updates

BENJI HAS GROWN SOOO MUCH! okay not gonna lie, he was kinda dying for a bit during the winter, I don’t think he really did well in the cold... his leaves would fall off sometimes and yellow at the ends. I was getting really scared and to be honest I’m so attached to this god damn plant that it was taking a sad mental toll on me. LMFAO. WHY AM I LIKE THIS. anyway, I gave him some fertilizer and stayed consistent with him, watered him whenever I needed to and tried to keep him in warm yet sunny areas of my house. and YAY, SPRING ROLLS AROUND AND HE’S GROWN BIGGER THAN I HAVE EVER SEEN HIM GROW!!!

before (when I first got him) and now! I’m so proud... only I can write a paragraph raving about my pet plant... jeez it’ll be crazy once I get an actual cat or something...

there was a really busy week in march where I spent all my leftover time planning Aria’s birthday. it was honestly the cutest thing ever seeing all her friends get together and work on stuff for her. I remember being insanely tired during it but once I saw her reaction for her surprise party, my heart melted and I just told myself wow that was soooo worth it LOL. here’s some pictures from my end <3

we got these GIANT balloons that spelled out ARIA and it took forever to get into the car and out LMAO... excuse my janky no makeup face but it was so funny seeing us struggle so hard with the balloons T_T LOL

we spent hours late at night working on her scrapbook and baking stuff for her. I was working on strawberry cheesecake shoots and I remember cutting 10+ strawberries and thinking, “wow, it would suck if I dropped these,” and then guess what happened...

I dropped them lmao

anyways it turned out so wholesome and cute <3

I found the airbnb on this website called peerspace and when I saw it, it SCREAMED ARIA...

you’re welcome for me blessing your eyes

we seriously worked our *aesthetic* muscle for this because we knew aria would appreciate the heck out of it

OKAY ANYWAYS MOVING ON!! yesterday I went to h-mart and got a shit ton of groceries. and I realized it’s STRAWBERRY SEASON!!! there’s still a lot of stuff that I want to buy that isn’t available here though, so my mom tries to send me all that she can :D

I love her so much I miss her so much wahhh I can’t even talk about my parents because I’ll just start crying because I miss them so much ... ok also I was supposed to stream yesterday but I took a nap... and... didn’t... haha... jaimewhatswrongwithyou.exe.... here’s a post-nap selfie though...

I looked heckin janky but snow saved my ass

ANYWAY I spent the rest of the night just reading and I finished my monthly book read! here are my two recommendations for you guys :)

I absolutely love love love this book! it will really help if you’re an overthinker like me. tl;dr, it talks about the inside voice in your head that constantly battles with itself and refers to it as an “annoying roommate.” with consistent reading (a chapter or two before sleeping at night) it really helped me clear my mind and become super aware of how the voice in my head could be more harmful than helfpul. if you’re new to reading it is quite a bit to read though so if you want something easier then I suggest this:

gosh, my life became so simple when I read this book consistently. it basically shares four simple agreements that you should always be conscious of in life. this book just really helped me not take things as personally, to not make assumptions, and it just gave me a much more simple and clear perspective on things and issues. SUPER SUPER EASY TO READ!!! downfall is, it kinda talks about religion a lot at the end, which might make it uncomfortable for some of you guys. I couldn’t really enjoy the last bits of it that much because of that sole reason but it’s still a great read and taught me lots of fundamentals I never knew I needed for my own mindset :)

I went to LCS the day before yesterday and it was really fun because I brought a portable cut-out of scarra LMAOOOOOO the thread is really funny so you guys should go read it: https://twitter.com/iGumdrop/status/1114687260434124801

I also did my taxes yesterday (well I finished up what was left of it) during the games LOL and then I went to annie’s place afterwards because her mom is an accountant and she helped me file them. I’m soooo happy I got them over with because I feel so free now!

hm ok ending these are always hard because it always seem so abrupt, mainly because even my 200 WPM fingers get tired of typing. I guess all I have to say is, hello new readers of my sub-blog, I hope you enjoy your time here! and thank you so much to everybody who supports me. it really means the world to me and I never go one day without insanely appreciating you guys. this month I’ma hit you guys with that dudududuududud GOOD CONTENT! <3

and alas, a few of my favorite cute lil drawings this month from chibird~

(+ my community)

WELL, FAREWELL FRIENDS! TILL NEXT TIME <3

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sabinasanfanfic · 6 years

Text

February Prompt - Days 3 & 4

Here is the next prompt for the February challenge hosted by @fic-writer-appreciation! I hope you all enjoy!

Lacy First Date

With the class dismissed from lecture, Hijikata closed his notebook and slid his pen into the pocket of his lab coat. He rose from the desk, leaning back and lifting his arms over his head for a deep stretch. Looking at the clock on the wall, he determined he had some time to grab lunch before he had to scrub in for a surgery.

Hijikata made his way to the locker room with his notebook in hand. He figured he could look over the assessments and reports related to the afternoon surgery after eating. He turned the corner to the locker room, and stopped short when he saw Harada standing there with an easy smile on his face.

“Hey, Hijikata.”

“Harada,” he greeted as he walked past him into the locker room.

He opened his locker door, his eyes landing on the obnoxiously bright post-it note stuck there. Every time he looked at it since it had appeared on his door two weeks ago, he would scoff. He couldn’t believe she had the guts to leave him her phone number, especially when he thought he made it clear that he wasn’t looking for a romantic relationship. Even so, he couldn’t force himself to take it down or throw it away.

“Ah, I see you still have it,” Harada’s teasing voice came from behind him.

Hijikata shoved his notebook into the locker and slammed the door shut, whirling around to pin Harada with a glare. “It’s none of your business.”

“So...have you called her? Texted her?”

Hijikata crossed his arms. “Why do you care?”

Harada’s eyebrow rose elegantly toward the ceiling. “Really? That hurts, Hijikata.”

The two stared each other down, neither one willing to budge. After a moment or two of silence, Hijikata sighed and shifted until he was leaning casually against the lockers. He ignored the discomfort from the locker handle digging into his mid-back.

“How many times have I been through this?”

Harada shrugged dismissively. “A few since I’ve known you.”

“Exactly. Each girl I dated had the same issue. I work too much. I was too focused on my career. And yeah, it’s important to me, so why wouldn’t I be?”

“You needed someone who understood the demands of your job.”

“I just don’t have the time for anyone clingy. My job is my life.”

Harada sighed. “For now, yes. But what happens when you become a full-fledged doctor? There’s more to life than your job, Hijikata. I know you realize that and want someone to share your life with.”

Hijikata looked away. This wasn’t the first time he had discussed this with Harada. Every time, it started out with the assertion that Hijikata needed more than his career. While Hijikata agreed with that, he hadn’t had any luck finding someone he could enjoy his free time with but who was also understanding when he had to be called away. After several failed, casual relationships, he had stopped looking.

Hijikata sighed, his whole body heaving. He pulled out his phone and opened his messaging app. He eyed Harada as he typed his message and sent it.

Hijikata was surprised when the ellipses showed up on his screen in a few seconds. Who is this?

Hijikata Harada told me to text you

A few seconds passed, and the ellipses popped up on the screen. It stayed on the screen for much longer than Hijikata had anticipated, and he suddenly felt wary of what she was writing.

I want you to text me because you want to, not because you feel obligated Text me whenever you’re ready

Hijikata felt his stomach twist. She had definitely told him in no uncertain terms that he had made a mistake. Well…I wasn’t expecting that…he thought with wry amusement. He heard a ding and peered up at Harada, who had pulled out his phone and was looking at a text he had just received. Harada smirked, snorted, and then turned the phone to Hijikata so he could read the text.

Sano. Stop Stop trying to force us together

“I guess you two are more alike than I thought,” Harada said with a quiet chuckle. “I guess this is my cue to step back.”

With that, Harada took his leave. Hijikata looked down at the last text from Satomi. He snorted softly as he saved her number in his phone.

“Text me when you’re ready.”

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

A week had passed since Satomi had blown off Hijikata’s half-assed attempt at reaching out to her. While there was a tiny part of her that fretted over her bluntness and the resulting silence, she had been so consumed by school, work, and her internship that she barely had time to think of anything else.

So it was a surprise when she left class one afternoon and found a text waiting for her from Hijikata. She felt her heart leap up in her throat as she opened the text.

Hey…are you free Thursday evening?

Satomi couldn’t help the grin that broke out, and bit down on her lip as she replied. Yeah. What’s up?

I thought we could hang out…grab some dinner?

Satomi nearly squealed with delight. Sounds good! What time?

Great. Where should I meet you?

How about that fusion place around the corner from the hospital? It’s good

Perfect

Satomi could barely contain her excitement as she stuffed her phone into her purse and took off for her car. She drove home and after dumping her stuff on her couch and giving Mika a quick pat on the head, she went to her closet. She flung the door open, hoping to find the perfect outfit.

The fusion place was a step above causal, and while Satomi was hopeful that this was a date, she didn’t want to be too dressy or under dressed. She poured through her tops, dresses, skirts, and pants, wondering what she should wear. She finally pulled out a sapphire blue, form-fitting top with long, lacy sleeves.

She then went to her dresser and pulled out a pair of dark flare jeans. She decided this was perfect—casual yet dressy. She set the items aside and then flopped onto her bed, her heart soaring.

I can’t wait until Thursday!

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

Thursday came rather quickly for Hijikata. Through the day, he found himself thinking a little more about Satomi. He wondered if she was in the hospital now for her internship or if she was doing something else. He wondered what it would be like to sit down and have a one-on-one conversation with her, since prior to tonight, they had always met with the rest of the gang around. Most of all, Hijikata was curious about her.

Hijikata received the call for an emergency surgery at four. He had been on his way out of the hospital to go home for a bit before dinner with Satomi. He sighed, knowing that this was going to end up being the first test for Satomi. Would she understand or would she be upset?

Hey, Tanaka

Hey! What’s up?

Sorry to have to do this, but I have to cancel I just got called in for an emergency surgery I won’t make it time for dinner tonight

He watched the ellipses on the screen, and he was filled with trepidation.

Okay. I understand Another time, right?

He let out a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding, and he smiled.

Yeah Thanks for understanding

Of course!

With that, he threw his phone into his pocket and made his way back to the OR to begin the scrubbing in process.

~~~~~~~~

Satomi sighed as she set her phone aside. She was disappointed that their dinner was canceled. She had been looking forward to the chance to spend time with Hijikata without anyone else around. She lay on her bed and watched as Mika leapt up to join her. She reached out, and Mika rubbed against her hand.

“This stinks.” Another sigh.

Suddenly, a thought came to her. What if I bring him dinner? Satomi sat up and grabbing her phone, texted Harada.

What does Hijikata like to eat from that fusion place around the corner from the hospital?

Whatever. He’s not picky Why?

We were supposed to meet there for dinner but he got called into surgery I figured I’d bring him dinner instead

😏

OMG…don’t give me that

😏😏😏

Seriously though! What does he like to eat?

After a little more teasing, Harada gave Satomi Hijikata’s usual order. Now that she had a plan in place, she decided to get ready. She decided to wear the outfit she had originally planned on. A quick shower, some make-up, and fully dressed, Satomi grabbed her phone and placed an order for take out.

By the time she had driven to the restaurant, picked up the food, and then parked at the hospital, it was close to 6:30. She wondered how long the surgery was going to take as she trekked across the parking lot to the front doors of the hospital. She waved her student badge at the security officer sitting at the entrance, who allowed her in.

Satomi made her way to the locker room and was glad to discover that the room was empty. She set the bag of food on the desk and sat on the chair to wait. The minutes ticked by slowly, and Satomi had to pull out her phone to find a random game to play to pass the time.

She quickly became absorbed in an oldie but a goodie—2048—when she heard footsteps approaching. She looked up in time to see Hijikata entering the room, dressed in hospital issue scrubs and his white lab coat. He stopped short at the sight of her as she stood up.

“Hey,” she said with a smile.

“I wasn’t expecting you here,” Hijikata said, clearly a little taken aback.

“I know. I just thought…well, if we couldn’t have dinner out, there wasn’t a reason we could still meet. I…thought I’d bring you something to eat.”

She saw Hijikata smile for the first time, and it made her heart stutter. The smile softened his eyes, and she could see genuine happiness in them. She always thought he was attractive, but that smile? He was even more handsome.

“Thanks. Where do you want to go to eat?”

“Oh…I didn’t think about that, honestly. I just…I only thought as far as now,” Satomi confessed with a blush.

Hijikata chuckled. “That’s fine. How about we go the cafeteria? We’ll be interrupted by people coming in and out of such a tight space.”

“Sure.”

Satomi picked up the bag and followed Hijikata out of the room and toward the cafeteria. He led her to the same table they had eaten at several weeks ago, and she placed the bag down before removing her pea coat. She hung it off the back of her chair and looked up at Hijikata.

His eyes were wide, and she was certain she saw a blush dusting his cheeks. She looked down, secretly pleased that he appeared to like what she was wearing. He looked away as he sat down, and she began to reach into the bag to pull out the food.

Hijikata opened his container, and once he realized what was in it, he looked Satomi’s way as she sat. “How’d you know what to get me?”

“I texted Sano.”

“So much for him backing off.”

Satomi laughed. “It’s my fault. I wanted to make sure I would bring something you’d like. But that’s it! That’s all he knows!”

“It’s enough.”

Satomi sighed. “Yeah, you’re right.”

They began to eat in comfortable silence. For the first time, Satomi felt like she wasn’t imposing on him, and it warmed her heart. This was what she wanted all along—just the time to talk to him and get to know him.

“How did the surgery go?” she asked after finishing a bite of her food.

Hijikata peered up at her with raised eyebrows. “Are you really interested or just trying to make conversation?”

“A bit of both? I mean, I won’t understand medical jargon if you throw any at me. But…I am curious.”

“Well, my residency is for general surgery, so I do a bit of everything. If there’s something complicated for a specific system of the body, then a specialist gets called in.” Hijikata paused to take another bite of food and to chew. “This person had some pretty significant trauma from a gunshot wound.”

Satomi gasped. “Did they make it?”

Hijikata nodded. “He’ll be in ICU for a few days at least.” A pause. “How are things on the unit?”

Satomi shrugged. “Okay so far. I saw my first restraint the other day.”

“Right. Because you’re not allowed to assist with those. So…what do you do?”

“Mmm…a lot of verbal de-escalation. Some individual counseling and some groups as they tolerate them. I’m working with the sickest, so it requires some flexibility and creativity.”

Hijikata snorted. “Why do you have to be a shrink?”

“Hey,” Satomi snapped, a frown on her lips. “I don’t like that term. It makes me sound like a quack, and I’m not.”

Hijikata’s eyes widened momentarily, but then they returned to a neutral gaze. “Well, do you blame me? You’re probably analyzing me right now.”

Satomi scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Of course I am, but that’s not because I’m a therapist-in-training. It’s just…it’s just part of being a human. We all read people to get a feel for how to approach them.”

“Yeah…but that night after I told you all about…my cat…” Hijikata’s tone was apprehensive.

“Yeah?”

“You said some things about Souji and I…”

Satomi lowered her chopsticks. “Oh my God…I didn’t mean…I shouldn’t have said anything…especially since I didn’t know you both well at all.”

Hijikata just stared at her, and Satomi wished she could tell what he was thinking. After a moment passed, he merely humphed and returned to his food. “Yeah. You shouldn’t have said anything.”

Well, that was weird. It seemed like he was going to tell me something else. “Yeah. Sorry.”

Hijikata waved away her apology. “It’s…it’s fine. It’s done. Anyway, the last thing I want to do right now is think about Souji. It’ll ruin the fun.”

Satomi felt a thrill go through her body, and her breath caught in her throat. He’s…having fun? She smiled and chuckled. “Okay.”

They talked about various topics until their containers were empty. Hijikata was more at ease and even smiled more than she had ever seen, which warmed her heart. Before she knew it, it was nine, and she realized she would have to be up early for a shift at the clothing store before class. They both stood, put their trash in the now empty bag, and made their way out to the parking lot.

Right outside the entrance to the hospital, they paused, and Satomi turned to face Hijikata.

“Thanks, Tanaka.”

“No problem.”

Hijikata peered to the side, almost as if he was embarrassed to be so open with her. He then looked her way once more.

“Do…you want me to walk you to your car?”

“Oh…no thanks. I think I can handle it.”

Hijikata gave her a swift nod. “Okay. Good night then.”

“Good night.”

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

Tagging: @eheartangel, @hidetheremote, @resshiiram, @shell-senji, @hakuyamazakisensei, @hakuouki-or-hakuoki, @lescahiersdesable, @flower-dragon, @enby-peep, @jellyfishwish, @emmalanna

#veraspromptchallenge2018 #hakuouki #hakuoki #hijikata toshizo #harada sanosuke #tanaka satomi #eheartangel’s souji time travel au

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