#last spring i only had . uh . 6 plants? and they took over | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

queers-gambit · 2 years

Text

All I've Ever Wanted

prompt: saw a text prompt 'find another weed guy cause i can't fuck with you anymore. nothing personal, i just can't fall in love right now and you're all i've ever wanted so if i see you again, i'm not letting go of your hand'. so, that, but with Eddie.

pairing: Eddie Munson x female!cheerleader!OC

fandom masterlist: Stranger Things

word count: 2.3k

warnings: cursing, drug use, slightly AU timeline?

My leg bounced in nervousness as time ticked by obnoxiously, the Friday before spring break '86 ticking by too slowly for my liking. Senior year was a fucking drag, and now more than ever, I was counting the literal seconds before I would be set free to do nothing for an entire week.

Technically, I had to 'care for the house' because my parents were going to Colorado for some wedding of a family member I've never met. Mom and Dad ran the local floral shop, Lake Florals, and business was booming, which made our house something of a botanical ICU for any plant that got sick in the shop. So, they had spent the whole week going over every single detail possible about the plants to make sure I took 'proper care' of them while they're away for 6 days.

But my mind was on a completely different plant.

When the bell rang to dismiss us for lunch, I made sure I was the first one out of the classroom so I could get to my locker before the usual rush of kids heading for the cafeteria. I usually saw Eddie around this time, and he sometimes made it a point to walk by me and pinch my hip in greeting. Sometimes, he'd drop a low, "Hey, pretty girl." And other times, it was my name on his lips, "How's it goin', Daisy? Digging this sweater."

I liked the way my name sounded on his tongue and just as I entered my locker combo, I saw him coming from one of the few morning classes he went to. His eyes met mine and he smiled - my decision to be bold being made the moment I made my mind up about buying from him again. Just like clockwork, he directed himself down the hall and towards my side, his hand planting on my hip, "Hey, pretty girl - woah!"

Eddie Munson's eyes darted down to where my hand grabbed his, making him spin on his heel, away from the stream of kids surrounding us, and stepped closer my opened locker.

"You okay?" he chuckled lightly, looking to where our hands were conjoined.

"Yeah, I was, uh... You know, I was hoping we could meet after school?"

"Oh? Don't you have a game to cheer for tonight?"

"Yeah," I breathed, trying to ignore the way my face and chest felt warm. "You know, umm, before the game, I was hoping we could meet for... Business-related-business."

He chuckled and nodded his head, "Ah, right, right." And then his hand squeezed mine, "Yeah, we can, uh, we can meet after school. But I only got so much on my person, sweets, are you looking for something, uh, other than your usual?"

I shook my head, "No, just... Yeah, the usual is fine. I just... Uh, long week ahead of me, you know?"

He chuckled, "I get you, it's no issue. I can meet you in the woods behind the field?"

"Sure," I nodded with a small smile. "Thanks, Eddie."

"Anytime, pretty girl," he assured, giving my hand one last squeeze before turning and heading down the hall again.

Now that I had the meeting set up, it was like time drug on just to fuck with me. Mrs. Leeway actually gave us a packet to do over break and I was monumentally confused because why assign it if you didn't want to grade it? Mrs. Leeway was notorious for complaining about how she doesn't have enough time to grade everything, so, we never know our actual grade in the class until the very end. My question stands, why assign us work if you didn't want (or have the time) to grade it!?

Man, high school didn't make a lot of sense at times.

And by the end of the day, I was exhausted and I was pretty sure my bag was about a pound heavier with homework to do over break. I could feel a tension headache forming behind my eyes and trudged to my locker - then remembered! School was finally out for spring break and my parents had gone off to the airport already - so, I was going home to an empty house!

I just had to make it through tonight's game and then, it was a one-way ticket to bliss.

With a renewed energy to my motions, I stored all of my belongings I didn't need, took out the books I would, and made for my car to deposit everything. I made sure my bag wasn't too heavy by piling textbooks and binder to my passenger seat, double checked I had the cash, and shouldered both my school and cheer bag.

Because it was the Friday before spring break, nobody wanted to linger at school if they didn't have to. It took the time for me to head back into school and use the restroom for everyone to basically clear out, which worked in my favor, since I could head across the field behind the school without anyone spying me.

It was a short walk through the woods, mud caking over my white cheer shoes due to the rain yesterday and the day before.

Just as I stepped on a particularly slippery patch, my hand jutted out to catch my balance on something warm... And a bit bony... Looking up, I realized I had grabbed onto Eddie's shoulder as his hand was held out in case I slipped again.

"Hey, there! You all right, pretty girl?" he chuckled lowly.

"Shit, yeah," I smiled back, letting his hand secure around my elbow and lead me over the muddy patch so I didn't get stuck.

"There we go," Eddie smirked when we reached the small clearing with a picnic table in the middle. "All right, now, careful. Might be some twigs and leaves around!"

I scoffed at him, "I know how to walk, Eddie."

"Could've fooled me the way you trip on air," he teased, moving his hand into mine as he brought us to the table. "C'mon, princess, I'm just teasing you!"

I sighed, "You know, I kinda hate that nickname."

"Which one? I've used quite a few today," he chuckled as we sat at the table, facing one another. His brows perked, asking for an answer, as he drug his metal box of drugs closer to him.

"Princess," I answered.

"C'mon, you're Daisy Lake," he reminded, as if I didn't know, "co-cheer captain and resident bestie to Chrissy Cunningham, the queen of Hawkins. That makes you the princess, doll. And I am but the humble court jester."

I rolled my eyes, "Okay, but can I have more value than whoever I'm friends with?"

"I think you've plenty of value," he assured.

"Yeah, okay," I scoffed. "Callin' me princess and sellin' me drugs, yeah, I'm sure you think I'm real valuable," my eyes rolled slightly.

But Eddie's expression softened, "I didn't mean to strike a nerve, sweetheart, honest. If you don't like the nickname, I've plenty others for you," he smiled lightly. "Pretty girl is my personal favorite."

"Why do you call me so many nicknames?" I couldn't help but wonder.

He shrugged, "Feels right, I don't know. I can stop if you - "

"No, I like them, too," I admitted, letting my hand fall to the table between us and gently pick at the splintering wood. "Um, so, any plans for break?"

"Oh, trying to make small talk, are we?"

I sighed, "Well, I thought I was excited to go home after tonight's game to no parents and an empty house, but it's gonna be a little lonely. Thought the weed might make it less so?"

He shrugged, "Depends on the company you smoke it with. But to answer your question, no, no big plans for me," he chuckled lowly. "Just me and my guitar, you know?"

I nodded, "Sounds actually kinda nice. Um, do you have papers?"

Eddie nodded, "Yeah, I told you I had what you needed." He flipped open the metal box and pulled out a fresh pack of rolling papers, "Won't even charge you for these, sweetheart." He nudged them over to me as I smiled lightly, watching as he pulled out the half-ounce I usually bought from him. "All right, so, I'm thinking... $15, this time."

"Why the discount?"

"Call it the friends and family discount," he joked, tossing the baggie between us but making no other move to stand. I pulled the $20 from my pocket and handed it over.

"Keep the change, for the papers," I smiled at him.

"Said they were on the house," he mused.

"Yeah, but," I shrugged lightly, "you always sell to me last minute, so, maybe it's a tip?"

"Don't gotta tip your dealer, sweetheart," Eddie chuckled, his hand moving unconsciously closer to mine. "Time spent with you is payment enough."

I nodded, "So, um, you said I might feel less lonely depending on the company I smoke with?"

"Mhm, I did," his hand turned over without him realizing. My fingertips reached to drag over his palm and fingers.

"Would it be too forward to ask if you wanted to come smoke and maybe watch a movie with me?"

I watched as Eddie's eyes softened and he smiled before he seemingly realized where our hands were. "Uh, y-you know what," he stuttered a bit, pulling his hand from mine and standing quickly while trying to gather his thing, "I uh, I just - I have to be somewhere else, and - "

"Was it something I said?" I asked, feeling unsure of myself as he looked spooked at the very sight of me.

"No, no," he sighed, shaking his head, "sweetheart, no, you know what, it's just, I don't think I can sell to you anymore, I'm sorry. Y-You're gonna have to find another dealer." I didn't get to question him, because he was wiping a hand over his face and pausing. Then, he continued, "I-It's nothing personal, sweetheart, it's just - " he sighed, shaking his head, "look, I can't fall in love right now, and you - you're just - you're all I've ever wanted in a partner, o-or really in a friend, but I just - you're it, okay? You're it for me, Daisy, and if we keep doing this, the next time I see you, I don't think I'm going to be able to let go of your hand. So, I just, I can't do this with you - "

"Eddie?" He paused to take a sobering breath, eyes wide and looking at me while nervously playing with his hair. "Did you ever stop to wonder what I maybe wanted?"

"What?"

"That all you're saying isn't just one-sided?" I offered softly, watching as he started to pace.

"No, I haven't, because I'm me, right? An-And you're you - and that's just, look, I don't think - "

"You don't think I'd want to spend time with you?" I furrowed my brows. "Eddie, I can get 12 other dealers in this county but I like coming to you because you're so... You. And if you want to hold my hand and not let go, I'm okay with that, too. 'Cause maybe I wanna hold your hand, too."

"That's not funny, Daisy - "

"Do I really look like I'm joking?" I cut him off with a shake of my head. "That after all this time, I would be the one, who what? Just takes your feelings as a joke?"

"Daisy, it's kinda a big deal what we're talking about - "

"It's not, Eddie, it's quite simple," I shrugged. "If you want to be with me, and I want to be with you, why don't we spend some personal time together and see if this is really what we want? No shame in hanging out, right?"

"None for me, but for you..."

"Who cares what anyone says?" I perked a brow. "It's not their happiness we're talking about. And we've been doing this whole cat-and-mouse thing for 2 years now, Eddie," I sighed. "Look," I took up the baggie and papers, shoving them in my bag before standing, "the invitation is open. After tonight's game, I'm gonna head home, shower, change, then roll up. You're more than welcome to come over for a smoke and a movie. Maybe if you can get out of your head to hang with me for a night, I'd be happy to host." With that, I rounded around the table and kissed Eddie's cheek, sighing, "But if you're really certain, I can find another dealer. I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

But as I let my hand pat his shoulder and moved to walk away, I was only two steps before Eddie's hand seized my wrist. Due to the muddy ground, I spun almost too easily and slipped slightly, forcing Eddie to pull me into his chest. "I don't want you to walk away," he admitted, my feet finding solid footing with Eddie's arms around my waist.

I frowned, "Is that all you want?"

He shook his head, "No, I..." he sighed, "look, I've never had the popular kids on my side, that I kinda worry how they'll treat you if you're being serious about this... About us."

"I wouldn't bother opening my mouth if I wasn't serious, Eddie," I sighed. "I don't care what other people think, but I do care what you think."

Eddie nodded, "I want to figure this out, pretty girl, I'm not good at this kinda thing and I didn't know the feelings were mutual."

"You never asked."

"Touché," he allotted. "Can I at least walk you back to your car? Don't think you wanna show up to the championship smelling like weed, huh?"

I smiled with a small chuckle, "You can walk me, but only if you hold my hand."

He chuckled and took my bags from my shoulder, hiking them up his own before almost too easily lacing his fingers with mine. "Remember, I might not let go," he teased lightly, helping me through particularly muddy patch along the path.

"Won't hear me complaining," I perked a brow at him with a knowing smile. His lips broke out in a grin as we broke through the tree line, letting his hand go so he could toss his arm around my shoulders and neck; hand dangling then intertwining with mine, giving it an affectionate squeeze.

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rae-g · 3 years

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Dire Need of a Change: Spring 6 - Curiouser and Curiouser

I’m never going to get used to waking up this early, am I? You spent the first part of the morning as you normally do; rinsing off in the shower, finding something easy to eat, getting dressed. As you begin lacing up your boots, you hear a knock at your door. You quickly glance over to your door, wondering who would dare to have the audacity to knock on your door at any point during the day, much less at 6am. You wait a few moments, hoping it was just your imagination, but another round of -knock- -knock- -knock- ruined that fantasy.

Standing up, you make your way to the door and open it to find a short, portly woman standing before you. She wore a large cinnamon-colored braid in her hair, and an outfit of red and green.

“Uh… Hi?” You look at the woman, confused.

“Hello!” She smiled, and her eyes bright.

MEW

You looked down, spotting a small orange cat in her arms. You looked back up at the woman and raised an eyebrow.

“You’re the new farmer, right? I’m Marnie. I live at the ranch just south of your farm.”

“Uh, yeah. Hi, nice to meet you.” You continue to stand in the doorway, each moment becoming more and more bizarre.

Marine nervously chuckled, a soft and warm laugh coming from someone. “Well, I was out foraging in the clearing next to my ranch, and I found this,” she looked down at the cat, then back up at you, “sitting outside the entrance to your farm! I think it’s a stray… poor thing.”

“Oh.” You look back down at the cat, and carefully put out your hand, allowing it to sniff you. The cat sniffed your fingers for a few moments, then headbutted your hand. You smiled and started scratching it’s head.

“Well, if it isn’t too much to ask… Don’t you think this farm could use a good barn cat? I know we don’t really know each other, but it does seem to like you, and I’d hate for this little friend to be all alone.”

You look down at the little furry friend who has already begun purring. You gave a small smile and nodded. “Well… I don’t currently have a barn… But, it would be nice to have someone to watch TV with.”

Marnie’s face beamed as she carefully set down the cat. “How wonderful! I’m sure it’ll be so happy here.” She smiled softly, “You know about the upcoming Egg Festival, right?”

You kneeled and continued petting your small new friend. You looked up at Marine, “I don’t, actually.”

Marine grinned. “Well, it’s something we do every spring. I’m not sure if you currently have any chickens, but even if you don’t, we’d love for you to come. The whole town joins in and we have so many different dishes that people make. My nephew works hard all year prepping the chickens for the festival, and it’s always so much fun.”

You stand back up and brush your knees off. “Well, I think that could be fun. I’ll have to think about it. I’m not much of a cook, but it’s hard to say no to free food.”

Marnie beamed once more. “Well, I have to get back to the ranch before the shop opens. If you’re ever looking for animal care, please feel free to swing by!”

The two of you shook hands, and Marnie made her way towards the town. You looked down at your new responsibility and smirked. “Well… guess I’ll have to pick up some cat food for you later.”

----------

You spent most of the day continuing the monumental task of de-weeding your farm. There were still boulders, trees, rocks, and branches littered everywhere, but at least you were able to clear out a little more land. You began to think about what Marine had said. Chickens… Hmmm…You hadn’t even thought about having animals on your farm. The only buildings that seemed to stand the test of time at all were the main cabin, and the green house, but even those were in extremely rough shape.

You crossed your arms as you looked at everything. It was all going to be such a project. You shoulders slumped as every glance just added a new project to the list. I need to repair the green house. Clear out more trees and boulders. Get the oven working, and probably expand the house. Plus, if I want any buildings put up...You sighed. It was like a never-ending list.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, you picked up your watering can and filled it up. You made your way over to your plants. The potatoes and beans were growing nicely, but it was the flash of yellow that truly caught your eyes. You bent down and moved some dirt, and gently tugged on the stem of the parsnip. It came up easily. Your eyes lit up as you stared at the little vegetable. A little on the small side, but it was definitely a parsnip. After dunking it in the watering can, you took a small bite.

“Oh! It’s sweet!” You took a few more bites, and before you knew it the entire vegetable was gone. You savored the taste of the fresh vegetable in your mouth. It was as if someone had sprinkled a carrot with sugar. You looked at the rest of the row and saw more flashes of yellow. “I… I have my first harvest.”

You smiled and began pulling up the small vegetables, inspecting each carefully before moving on. At the end, you had about nine. After watering the rest of your crops, you brought the parsnips inside and began rinsing them off. You picked out the best of the batch and looked around for a small basket or box. Grabbing one of the cardboard Joja boxes from your move, you placed them carefully inside and made your way towards Pierre’s.

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*ding*

The little shop bell alerted Pierre to your presence. He turned around and looked at you, “Ah! My favorite farmer. How can I help you out today?”

You walked up to the counter and smiled. “Yeah. I. Uh. Have some crops to sell?”

Pierre grinned, “Wonderful! Show me what you have!”

You placed the box on the ground and pulled out five freshly washed Parsnips. “It’s not much…”

“It’s fantastic! I mean, they are a little on the small side, but they look and smell delicious. Let me do some calculations and see what I can offer.”

After taking a few moments to talk shop, the two of you decided to swap your small harvest for some more seeds, but only after Pierre assured that you would be able to get at least a few more parsnip harvests this season. You placed the seeds in the box and smiled. It’s really happening. I grew vegetables and sold them. I’m really a farmer. The two of you eventually said your good-byes, but not before he told you all about the new rucksacks he would have arriving in the next few days.

----------

You spent the rest of the day getting your new seeds neatly sowed in two little rows, and finishing up some smaller tasks, before eventually making your way back into the house. Today would be game 4 of the Gridball season. The Tunnelers weren’t playing, but that didn’t mean you couldn’t enjoy the game. You washed up and changed, then made your way over to the bar.

----------

As you made your way to your seat, you spotted a familiar looking blue jacket. You sat down and flagged over the bartender.

“Hey.”

“Hey back,” you said, giving a small smile.

“Didn’t see you yesterday.” Shane took a swig of his beer, keeping his eyes on the TV screen.

“Didn’t realize you’d miss me.” The waitress came over, and you ordered a hard cider.

Shane coughed slightly, and turned away. After a moment, he turned back to the screen, his body facing you slightly more than it was a moment ago. “I don’t know, missed is a very strong word.” He smirked, and continued sipping on his drink.

You raised your eyebrow and grinned. You turned your attention back to the Gridball game, sipping on your drink. “I sold my first batch of crops today.” You said, continuing to stare at the screen.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Not much. Just a few parsnips.”

“Ah.” He took another sip of his drink, also watching the screen. “Joja has me on overtime this week. The other stocker called out sick, so it’s just me.”

“Laaaaaaame.”

“Yeah. But it’s fine. I’m not going to complain about more beer money.”

You raise your drink towards him, “I can drink to that. That is one of the rough parts about being self-employed. No days off. I don’t work my ass off, I don’t get any money.”

The two of you continued to banter back and forth for the rest of the night, only half paying attention to the game. Mostly the conversion centered around work, Joja, and favorite drinks. Eventually the barkeep called for the last round of drinks. The two of you finished off one more round of beers before heading outside of the saloon.

Taking a few steps out of the door way, you stretched and looked up at the sky. Your eyes widened, and you took a shallow breath. Shane walked over to you, a nervous look on his face, “Everything okay?”

You continued to look up into the night sky, “Its.. its just been awhile since I’ve actually seen stars.”

Shane looked up, “Ah. I get it. I remember when I first moved out here. Hard to see the stars with all the light in the city.” You nodded, then looked over at him. You couldn’t help but feel your cheeks warm as you watched him gaze at the stars. Eventually he glanced over at you, then coughed into his hand. “Anyway. I shouldn’t keep you.” He glanced around for a moment, “you’ll… you planning on swinging by the saloon tomorrow night?”

You nodded. “Probably. Once I get done with all my chores.”

Shane nodded. “Well.. Until then, I suppose.” But instead of leaving, he seemed to linger for a few moments.

“I look forward to it.” You smiled.

Shane reached up and rubbed the back of his head, looking away. “Uh. Yeah. See ya.”

You watched as he walked off.

“Hmm.. Curious,” you mused to yourself, before heading back home.

#Stardew Valley #Shane x Reader / Player #Slow Burn #Slow Build #Slow Romance #Depression #Alcohol Abuse #Anxiety #Dire Need of a Change

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nxrthmizu · 4 years

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hello^^ this is for the light festival lmao if you don't mind I'd like to request UwU

Character would be tsukki lmao, number 9 since its my lucky number HAHAHAHHAA Hrm unlike tsukki I'm the complete opposite of him LMAO I'm super talkative, and I tend to just go insane whenever there's a cat around, I have a thing where I rub my fingers around people I like 😌😌 anyways fluff please AHAHHAHAAH

Anyways is this how I'm supposed to request ? Sorry I get nervous bout this lmao 🤔😳

| Is This a Date? | Tsukishima Kei

»»——⍟——««

prompt | #9- Lake

pairing | Tsukishima Kei x Reader

summary | You and Tsukishima have a little meaningful not a date conversation by the lake, which leads to other things.

words | 1.1k

author’s note | Jef! My fellow Tsukki simp :3 Sorry this took so long lol, I was stuck on the concept for this fic (And I still have no idea where the hell this went, I just wrote and went with the flow???)

»»——⍟——««

“What are you doing?” Tsukishima said in an annoyed tone. The blonde beanpole’s mother had convinced you to drag her anti-social son out for the weekend (He needs some sunlight, she said), so the two of you were seated side-by-side, admiring the vivid painting of reds, yellows, pinks and purples across the lake surface as the sun turned in for the day.

“Just admiring the view.” You replied happily, rubbing your fingers together. “I thought you like quiet places?” Raising your eyebrow, you questioned his restless movement. “It’s not like I dragged you off to a crowded market or something.”

His eyebrows slanted downwards in annoyance. “I... What exactly are we doing here?”

“Giving you the sunlight you need to photosynthesis.” You suggested helpfully, the consistent noise of your fingers brushing against each other steadying the rhythm of your heart.

Tsukishima groaned quietly, lying down on the mossy grass, resting his head on his jacket, which he had shed off and folded to make a makeshift pillow. The quiet drum of your heart accompanied by the harmony of birdsong filled the silence between the two of you. “What did my mom tell you?” He asked, straightforward as ever.

“That’s a secret!” Came your teasing reply. You wiggled your eyebrows, grinning widely from ear-to-ear like the Cheshire Cat. “But if you’re really curious, I can-”

You yelped, startled as Tsukishima grumbled in annoyance, your hands tightly gripped in his left hand. “If you keep rubbing your hands like that,” He said quietly. “You’re going to start a fire with your hands.”

“I doubt that’s possible.”

“...”

His golden-brown eyes met yours carefully. “So? What did my mom tell you?” He pressed on, stubborn as a beanpole could be.

Silence fell between the two of you as you contemplated on telling him. The gentle swishing of the wind rang like a chord strummed on an acoustic guitar, the soft lapping of the waves vibrating like the strings of a harp. Bird song filled the air as the woodwinds section, the nature’s orchestra playing a soothing melody for the moment between you and the blonde.

“I changed my mind, I’m not telling you.” You stuck your tongue out at last, your tone playful. “I won’t tell you no matter how much you ask!”

He regarded you quietly, a gold dragon stirring inside his eyes, his mother’s words running through his mind.

“Mom,” Tsukishima eyed his mother suspiciously. “Are you kicking me out of the house?”

Her mother shushed him quickly, shoving his jacket and scarf into his hands. “Hurry up!” Tsukishima caught a glimpse of your (hair colour) outside the window, realising just exactly what his mother was doing.

“Mom.” He said slowly, trying to comprehend the concept. “Are you trying to set me up? With Y/N?”

The blonde woman winced, her motives revealed, trying her best to push her 6′2 son out the front door. “... No?”

“That doesn’t sound very convincing.” He retorted, digging his heels into the flooring.

“Well, okay, we are setting you up with Y/N.” Akiteru admitted with a nervous smile, coming down the stairs with a mug in his hand. “But that’s only because you’ve practically been head-over-heels for her and you haven’t made a move yet.”

The blonde woman nodded vigorously in agreement. “Just go ask her on a date or something!”

“Aren’t you already setting me up to a date?” Tsukishima raised his eyebrow as his mother struggled to push him out the door, which Akiteru had opened. “Is that not what is happening?”

“Yes, it is.” Akiteru cleared his throat hastily, casting a quick look at you, outside the window. “Don’t keep the girl waiting.”

His eyes flashed in realisation as he fully processed the situation. “H- Hold on! Does she know that this is a date?” He asked incredulously, hissing to make sure you didn’t hear the conversation, There you were, standing right outside the gate of his house, looking all cute in and innocent in your jeans and dark jacket.

“Uh...” Akiteru and Tsukishima’s mother shared a guilty look. “No...?”

“I’ll buy you takoyaki if you tell me.” He bribed, knowing that your ultimate weakness was your favourite food.

You paused. “Make it two weeks of takoyaki and you have a deal.” You smirked, watching Kei groan internally as his wallet started sweating bullets. “Do we have a deal?” You asked in a teasing tone, basking in all of Tsukishima’s annoyed expression.

“Fine.” He grumbled grudgingly. “Now tell me what she told you.”

Shrugging, a bright smile lit up on your lips at the prospect of two weeks of takoyaki. “She told me to take you out because she said and I quote ‘you need to get out of the house’.” You watched as Tsukishima’s jaw dropped. Clearly, he had been expecting much more and now he had to pay for it with two weeks worth of takoyaki. “That’s all.”

“You have got to be kidding me.” He cursed under his breath, planting his face into his hands. His wallet suffered such a big loss for such a useless piece of information. Well, at least he could rest easy knowing that his mother didn’t give anything away.

“What did your mom tell you before you left?” You prodded curiously, your fingers resorting back to their old habit. Tsukishima, his mother, and Akiteru had exchanged a few words that ended in a soft blush dusting the beanpole’s cheeks, and your curiosity was rising steeply.

He waved it off, eyeing your hands with a twitching eyebrow. “It’s nothing important.”

“What? But I want to know!” You whined, pouting visibly. “Kei, don’t be a bad sport!”

He glanced at you. “I’ll tell you what she said if I only have to buy you one week of takoyaki.”

“Deal!” Your eyes sparkled.

Kei side-eyed you with a distinct sigh. “She told me to ask you out.” He said casually, brushing it off. “It was just a joke, don’t take it seriou-”

“And?” You were leaning towards him with wide eyes and a smile that was widening by the second. “Are you going to?” A grin slipped across your lips as Kei blushed even more at your closeness, his cheeks matching the palette of the setting sun.

“W- What- Un... Unless you want me too.” He mumbled, tucking his face away from you in embarrassment.

“Well, I want you to!” You piped up happily. “Oi, Tsukishima, ask me out!”

He scoffed, the reds and pinks still dusting his cheeks like cherry blossoms in spring. “Saturday. Dinner. I’ll buy you takoyaki.”

“Deal!”

»»——⍟——««

I had absolutely no idea where I was going with this but,,, Here.

»»——⍟——««

#tsukishima kei #tsukishima kei x reader #haikyuu!!#karasuno x reader #haikyuu!! fluff #tsukishima kei fluff #karasuno fluff #cadyh2o #cady writesss «#karasuno first years #tsukishima #tsukishima kei x y/n

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dorizardthewizard · 3 years

Text

The Revival of Akillian: Chapter 6

Prologue / Chapter 5 / Chapter 7

6. THE BREATH!

In the old Arena Stadium, the tests follow one another. The volunteers put on the biotronic suit one after the other and follow each other in the holo-trainer, from where they come out later, generally exhausted, sometimes happy to have passed the tests that Clamp had programmed on his console, most often annoyed at having failed, certain that they would not be considered during the final selection.

Then comes Thran's turn, who Clamp is happy to get rid of, because Thran has stuck with him almost from the beginning, amazed by his console ("It's a Micronics, right? - No, kid, I made it myself. - But you took a Micronics as a base, I'm sure of it!”), constantly asking questions about what appears on the screen (“It's virtual reality, OK, but how does the ball materialize? How can you feel it under your feet?”)… until Clamp, exasperated, asks Aarch:

- Let’s get through this one. If he's not good, send him home!

So Thran dons the yellow and purple combination, which takes a bit of time as he tries to pinpoint the location and function of each sensor, then enters the white cube. Aarch warns him that he will be tested in defense. He is therefore up against bald and blue sims who must take the ball before they reach the penalty area. He does not fare badly, blocking his opponents tenaciously, who however do not tire, and do not run out of steam. None of them cross the white line. Thran even manages to snatch the ball away and lead an attack on his own, finishing off with a shot at a target that happily flashes green, after which he collapses on the virtual field, breathless. On his monitor, Clamp notices this and notes a certain deficit in endurance, compensated by a remarkable tenacity and concentration. An excellent defender in short... Clamp guesses he won't be rid of him any time soon.

Then comes Ahito, whom D’jok must wake up again.

- This one, we are going to test him as a goalkeeper. - proposes Aarch.

He indeed remembers the masterful stop the sleepy man made the other day in the Cafeteria, unexpectedly preventing the ball from smashing the glasses and bottles behind the counter.

Ahito lives up to his reputation: lying in front of a huge goal, he seems to doze off as if he were on a park lawn and not defending goals. A ball flies towards him. His arm goes up in a flash, his fist hits it and sends it back. Then a second: this time it's his foot that stops it, seemingly without him waking up! Now the shots are more vicious: arched, aimed at the top bar, brushing against the posts or bouncing off them. Each time Ahito springs up, stops the ball or sends it back, with hand, foot, head, chest; leaping, tumbling, plunging to the ground, alive as a fire, the exact opposite of the sleepy dormouse that he gave the impression of being. Clamp needs to throw ten balls at once for Ahito to let two pass… for lack of arms and legs. Aarch nods, impressed: definitely, this boy has a lot of hidden skills!

- Next! - he calls.

It's Mei's turn. The jumpsuit fits her like a bag and right off the bat she points out:

- This thing’s for boys! Plus, it stinks of sweat! Don't you have anything more fitting?

- Sorry, miss, you'll have to make do, - Aarch replies. - We don't have a factory to mass-produce them, you see. If you don't like it, you know the way out!

- Well as her mother, I am offended! My Mei deserves better than that! Well, if you must... go on, my daughter, show them your skills!

Mei is impressed by the virtual dimensions of the pitch, but tries hard not to let it show. She knows that she is being watched, as if she were on a catwalk for a fashion show. She is immediately jostled by eight blue sims, who rush towards the goals she is supposed to defend.

- Hey! - she protests. - I will not play in defense! I need an attack test for me!

Her voice echoes through the micro-speakers built into Clamp's console, near which Mei's mother stands, watching the scientist as if she understands something about his instruments and his manipulations.

- Did you hear that? - she demands. - Change your program!

- Ma'am, - retorts Aarch coldly, - We are in charge here. Are you a candidate? No? Then you have no business here!

- Fifteen seconds. - announces Clamp, which starts the countdown.

This is displayed in the holo-trainer. Mei understands she has fifteen seconds to prove her worth, or she will be permanently ousted. She rushes towards the virtual attackers, throws herself at the feet of the one with the ball and mows it down just before he shoots at the goal. A new ball appears at the feet of another sim, and she takes it in a masterful tackle. Then a third, a fourth, a fifth... Mei leaps, dives, slides, kicks and heads, each time managing to recover the ball. Seven out of eight balls strike the opponent in fifteen seconds - and Mei isn't even out of breath.

152 points out of 160, displays the console in front of a dumbfounded Aarch and Clamp. No player tested in defense had exceeded 100 points, except Thran who scored 120. Both exchange a knowing smile: this is the defender they need... but without her fussy mother!

- What a spectacle, dear holo-viewers! - comments Callie Mystic, who is following the trials live for Arcadia News. - And it's not over yet, candidates are flocking to try their luck! Who would have thought there are such great players on Akillian? We can already thank Aarch for revealing them to us!

- And me? - Clamp protested. - Without my machines...

- And Professor Clamp too, of course. I'm willing to bet that his holo-trainer is going to be a big hit in Galactik Football clubs!

Tested as a passer, Sinedd does very honorably: his ball hits thirteen out of fifteen moving targets, represented by concentric red circles. The more powerful the shots, the farther the circles move apart. Right foot, left foot, on the fly, returned… even one from the head. He scores 145 points, which is not far from perfect.

- Here, try to do better... if you can! - he challenges D’jok, handing him the jumpsuit.

- With pleasure, my friend...

D’jok is also tested as a passer, but this time marked by an opponent: not only does he need to shoot at the targets, but also to prevent the blue sim from stealing the ball from him. It quickly turns into a hellish chase, in which D’jok nonetheless manages to crash any targets he spots - he quickly loses count. The sim eventually gives up and fades away, as if discouraged. The bell announcing the end of the test rings out at the right time: D’jok is at the end of his rope.

Standing behind Clamp, Sinedd watches the progress of the score bar, confident that D’jok will not hit 100. His smirk fades when the score hits 120… and the bar keeps rising. D’jok joins him as he passes 140... Sinedd grits his teeth. Finally, the bar stabilizes: the screen displays 150 points.

- How do you like that? – jibes D’jok.

Sinedd grunts, but finds nothing to complain about - he can't even accuse Clamp's machines of cheating!

- We're still live from Arena Stadium, where Aarch's recruiting tests are coming to an end, - says Callie Mystic, followed step by step by her trusty flying holo-cam. - There are hardly any candidates left... but I see latecomers still getting out of the elevator! We can say that these two have arrived at the last minute to try to join Aarch’s team!...

Heeding the voice of its mistress, the holo-cam focuses on the two latecomers in question… this is how Norata discovers them, who has installed a TV screen in his greenhouses, just to have a little company when he transplants or cuts his plants. His son, in close-up! In the company of a little brat with white hair! His arms drop, the flower box he was holding too. Roaring in anger, he rushes to the garage and throws himself into his pick-up slider.

***

- Okay, well… I think I'd better leave you. - Rocket says to Tia, when the two of them reach the holo-trainer.

- Out of the question! You brought me here, you can’t go back now (Tia softens her somewhat bossy tone with a smile). At least stay to see me play!

- Okay…

Rocket mingles with the crowd, glaring at the monitor, which shows the audience what is going on inside the holo-trainer. Leaning over Clamp's console, his uncle hasn't seen him yet. Besides, Rocket doesn't want Aarch to find out.

Tia stands in front of the entrance to the cube, from which comes out an exhausted and crestfallen candidate: apparently it hasn't been a success for him… he changes, and gives the suit to Tia without a word. Aarch turns to her:

- It’s your turn, young lady. Are you the last one?

- Uh… not really…

She looks around for Rocket, but he has melted into the crowd.

She is shown the locker room, she goes to put on the outfit, and in turn enters the holo-trainer. The virtual terrain and the artificial sky elicit a little cry of enchantment from her. Then the ball materializes at her feet. Just when she notices it, she is violently pushed by a blue sim suddenly appearing at her side. She stands up, stunned - the ball is still there.

Four avatars rush at Tia from the other end of the field. She understands that she is in a defensive position, in front of the penalty area, and that she has to prevent these four from reaching the empty net behind her. Tia concentrates... burning energy, incredible power sweeps over her, even beginning to flow over her in bluish strands. She gets the impression that time is stretching, that the four virtual players are galloping in slow motion. She can see very clearly what she needs to do to prevent them taking the ball from her. It’s almost impossible - but she feels she can do it. She starts running too - towards the attackers! As she runs, this fabulous energy carries her, fills her with inordinate force, flows from her in electric blue waves. She reaches a terrific speed, the sims move like snails next to her: all their gestures are broken down, she can guess - and counter - their every move. Having reached a meter in front of them, she shoots up the ball. She takes off in turn in a column of light and joins the ball, which seems suspended in mid-air. Everything is slowing down around Tia - or rather, she's the one that has accelerated at a phenomenal rate! She screams without even realizing it. Her foot rises in a powerful swing and hits the ball, which shoots towards the opposing goals, pulverizing the virtual goal, sinking into the net like a meteor.

Then Tia descends, spinning down her column of energy, which diminishes and leaves her as she approaches the ground... she lands gently on the ground, stunned but not really out of breath, her nerves just a little tense, as if she had received a small electric shock. She doesn't know what exactly happened, but she feels like it was pretty good...

In front of the console, Aarch and Clamp watch the event live. They stand, absolutely flabbergasted.

- The Breath! - whispers Aarch, who realizes it first.

When Tia comes out of the holo-trainer, everyone's eyes are fixed on her - dazzled, stunned eyes. Rocket even more so, who forgets to hide. Tia heads straight for him, takes off her outfit and hands it to him:

- Your turn now.

In her underwear and bra, she runs to get dressed in the locker room, followed by thirty pairs of eyes who do not yet believe what they have seen.

Aarch suddenly discovers his nephew standing in the middle of the crowd, dumbfounded, clothes in hand.

- Rocket? Does your dad know you're here?

- Yes, and I won’t allow it! - a gruff voice breaks out.

Norata slices through the audience, hobbling as fast as he can manage on his artificial leg. He snatches the suit from Rocket's hands, throws it to the ground, and holds out a peremptory finger at his son.

- You come with me! We're going home.

Head down, hands in his pockets, Rocket shuffles behind his father to the elevator. Before entering, he turns around, and sees Tia at the locker room door, staring at him sadly...

It's even worse: not only will he get a big yelling at, but he will also regret not getting to know this strange, little Obiane a bit better.

***

Everyone has been waiting for the test results for almost an hour. Standing or seated, alone or in small groups, candidates lose patience. Some have already left, confident that their more or less disastrous performance has placed them at the bottom of the scale. The others hope to have shown some talent, enough to justify their selection at least as substitutes ...

In their corner, leaning over their screens, Aarch and Clamp debate, point their fingers at such an area or that column, scribble on pocket screens, talk, argue, and seem to have trouble coming to an agreement.

Mei's mother swears to her gods that she will make a big scene if her champion daughter is not selected. Sinedd paces around like a caged lion. Tia stays away, brushing off anyone who tries to approach her. D’jok, Micro-Ice, Thran and Ahito are sitting in a circle on the floor; Ahito is dozing, Micro-Ice is fidgeting impatiently and D’jok is worried:

- They'll take me, right? - he asks Thran for the umpteenth time.

- Are you kidding or what? If they don't take you, we can all go home, I say!

- Yeah, I'm sick of this! - Micro-Ice explodes, and gets up abruptly. - We've been hanging around for an hour, I can't take it anymore! I don't care about this team, I’m leaving. - he walks away with a determined step towards the elevator.

- Your attention please! - Aarch's deep, strong voice echoes, and everyone stands up. - Clamp and I have finally picked seven of you. As for the rest of you, don't be disappointed if you weren't selected. I will keep your names because I will surely need substitutes. And don't forget, there’s more to life than football…

- That’s the first sane thing I’ve heard all day! - says Micro-Ice, who suddenly turns around.

- Clamp?

He taps on a holographic console, which projects six faces into the air above the audience...

D’jok. Thran. Ahito. Sinedd. Mei. And Tia.

Cries of joy from those concerned. D’jok, Thran and Ahito hug each other. Mei's mother, radiant, hugs her daughter against her. Sinedd has a superior air, as if to say, “I knew all along”. Tia, moved, holds back a tear. Micro-Ice stands still.

- And the seventh, Clamp? - asks Aarch.

- Wait, I’m having a little transmission problem... here it is!

A seventh face swirls in the air, positioning itself next to the other six: Micro-Ice.

- Whoa! I'm in! – Micro-Ice jumps and runs towards his friends with his arms raised. - You see, I'm part of the team! With you guys! For real, I’m so happy! Well, of course, it’s expected: you can’t do it without me, right?

***

Far away from Akillian, around a large blue star, orbits a beautiful planet that resembles an agate rock with its long bands of multicolored clouds. Surrounded by a belt of asteroids, which risk falling towards the planet. Incidentally, they are also weapons of defense... but no one - except the Humans, once - would dare to wage war against the wise and powerful Lightnings. This gem-like planet is theirs: Xzion.

Within the crown of satellites there is one that is not a weapon, but a meeting place. It is a vast sphere, connected with alveoli which contain many micro-environments and micro-climates, allowing to welcome the most varied forms of life.

It is the meeting place of the Flux Society.

In the center of the sphere slowly rotates a miniature replica of the Galaxy in which flash, like tiny fireflies, all the worlds that have a delegated member of the Flux Society. One of them sparkles stronger than the others: it is Akillian.

The alveoli are for the moment deserted, but they can be occupied very quickly, by physical beings or their virtual representations, as soon as the Flux Society is summoned.

This is what will happen in any moment, as a disembodied voice rings out, rolling its echoes across the vast sphere:

- Members of the Flux Society must assemble immediately: the Breath of Akillian has manifested!

#galactik football #the revival of akillian #thran bugging clamp lool #tia's use of the breath is awesome in written form too

17 notes · View notes

selfcareparker · 3 years

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(lovely anon) i'm so happy to finally be answering this oh my goodness hi gorgeous human being i feel that it has been too long 🥲 SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED SINCE THE LAST TIME I'VE WRITTEN ONE OF THESE HOW HAVE YOU BEEN

to answer the things you have said most recently- i'm so mad that spring break is over bc now i have to go back to life??? like dancing and school and shit that feels so unnessacry 😭 and like i can't just do nothing anymore? i was so used to it and now...... ugh. i STILL haven't played sims (i think it's because ✨depression✨ be hitting sometimes) lol but MWAHAH IM SO HAPPY FOR YOUR NEIGHBOR!AU AND THAT THEY HAD LITTLE BABY LEO!! i feel the name thing.. i just come up with something that sounds nice? i think leo is a nice name, it makes me think about lea michele and the fact that her son's name is Ever Leo but anyway. i don't name my sims after what i want to name my children irl either... idk why though. (i don't know why i'm telling you this but for boy names i love Liam🥰 and if i had twin boys i think i would do Liam and Peter though i am not married to the name Peter.... anywho)

LMAOOO the therpaist coming made me laugh thank you :)) i hope it's helpful? this may be tmi but i've only really had negative thoughts recently and not many healthy outlets so i'm hoping crossing one thing off this sad list will make me feel better :') i think during spring break my anxiety and my depression really spiked? idk, it comes in episodes but yeah THIS GOT REALLY SAD

i think a lot of things when i read your posts but i never say them hahaha so imma say it now: i googled what bon appetit meant ( i also just had to google how to spell it ) but ur right, i feel like bone apple tea makes more sense than bone apple teeth.. the "th" is throwing me off bc how i say it bone appa (like app-a) teet (like you're saying tit but teet lol) so bone apple tea makes more sense to me lol

i never know really know the time difference for anything lmao but est to germany (that's not gmt is it?) is like 6 hours wOAH so it's like 9pm while it’s 3pm here? wowee

i feel mega weird after watching this show called hollywood (darren criss is in it, so is laura harrier and a bunch of other people) but i don't like it💀 i feel really icky rn and idk why but reading your last response to my ask (?) always makes me feel better :')

i am doing what you said btw, i'm typing this on my computer first then gonna transfer it to my phone's tumblr lol but when you said a digital detox, it's interesting cuz i feel like i've been having one since tom's new project was announced? gOD i don't wanna get into it bc i get so triggered but i've been off of instagram since then bc instagram stans literally stand by tom through whatever even when something ain't right- i’m just gonna leave it there bc i’ll continue the rant, but yeah so i took a break lol

also heard abt your driving lesson thing (?) was it that bad? i can't find the old post but someone asked if you hooked up with your lesson person and i was sOOO CONFUSED LMAOO LIKE OK ARIA GET SOME BUT UHH HUH?

now to address the actual response HAHA the way you touch my heart :') by :') bringing :') up :') halle :') being ariel :') (i honest to God don't remember if i brought this up first, forgive me if i did, it's been a minute lmao) i'm always talking about it and i'm pretty sure my family is so tired of me talking about it lmao, but YEAH when i found out they weren't twins i was so surprised but idk why i always thought they were twins? but YOU ARE SPEAKING MY LANGUAGE WITH THE DISNEY TALK- everyone is always like "tiana is my favorite princess" and yea she's strong and stuff but...... she was a frog. for almost the whole time. it's about time we got another one!! i do agree with some people on the fact that disney should just make another black princess but halle is adorable and i was ariel on stage so it's already really special to me :')

yeah lol there are good times with my brothers but they make me mad for a good portion of the time (there's the 12yo vincent and the 7yo daniel but vincent??? psshhh he is a piece of work and i'm not sure how much longer i can put up with him HAJAH AND YES VINCENT IS THE ONE WHO WAS 👁👄👁WHEN I CRIED AND THE ONE WHO DOESN'T LISTEN TO MUSIC- writing this now makes it sound like vincent is awful. which he isn't... we're working on him ig. not to add to the awfulness but no, he listens to obnoxious loud VIDEO GAME MUSIC and won't stop when we ask him to stop... he gets beat up a lot) anyway i imagine being an only child is really calming.. like you have time to yourself and its just you and your parents 😌

yeah let me know if you end up watching it (wandavision)! i think it's great but if you like it lmk!! tfatws is sooo good like PHEW i am honestly loving it. sidenote: j*hn w*lker makes me wanna jump through the screen and choke him to the ground. i was thinking right, and the falcon and the winter soldier (THATS SO MUCH EASIER FAJHKDAH) would techinally be like a 10 hour movie right? because every episode is an hour long and there'll be 10 episodes? like wow. i get what you mean though, abt the racism in the show etc, like looking forward to it but not like..... no i get what you mean i will not try and give another example lol but you make me wanna learn more languages like really badly (bc of what you said about the german to american translation) & if you end up watching hamilton PLEASE LMK ABT THAT TOO HAHAHA i love it so much, same thing with lion king lmaoo

speaking of germany, i was at lunch on saturday with my mom and her friend and we were talking about my schooling and like-- she planted this idea in my head lol like what if i just got my GED and went around the world (to england probably) to get a theatre experience??? and i think it sounds so cool but no where near practical lol, it's just..... the dream haha and i would then try and learn a language 😉

uh yes we absolutely should order basically a resturant meal at a cinema, how about burgers, chips (fries), and a large drink? any time next week works for me, should i pick you up?

also about cherry (which i still haven't watched yet lol) i got the timestamps from tumblr😌 i couldn't find them anywhere else, but i agree, i probably wouldn't even look twice at cherry if tom wasn't in it? like i liked tdatt a lot, but it's not a movie i would be itching to see ya know?

HAHAHAHA THE 24 HOUR NOTIFICATION- i think i have around 1030 hours on sims? but i've had it since 2019 lmao (reading the screenshots, yes u are 100% a genuis, i take screenshots too but on anon you can't upload them so i just read them and retype what i wrote lmao) i think the university experience in the game is fun, but time consuming and it's all work imo. idk why i do it so often tho 😭😭😭

and agreed!! when you're making good money in the game you have to find other ways to make it interesting. my cousins who play it just continously do "motherlode" and i'm like.... then what do you do in your game?? it just sounds boring to me... my current sims household, i had a famous comedian sim, her name was dylan, aND SORRY IM LAUGHING SO HARD WHILE WRITING THIS BC ITS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THE UNI THING UNLESS IM JUST DUMB, she went to college for communications when i wanted her to be a comedian and when she graduated i realized that degree did nothing for the career 🥲 so yeah, i think i'm just dumb. but she had a kid in college, guy didn't stick around and she was pretty broke HA but then she got married to this (great) guy named steve, made good bank, had 5 more kids (two sets of twins and one more lol) but then she passed. uhm... yeah that's still an open wound . lol i'm kidding, but when you get rich like that, you have to find a way to make the game interesting and i chose a million kids.

(this was one giant paragraph until i broke it up uhh yeah) i seriously don't pay attention to the sims prices and just end up spending way too much money and not being able to finish the rest of the house😭 but then again, i'm so used to having sims live in apartments... if i end up building a house FIRST OF ALL it'll look like what you explained before lmao but i'll tell you if i actually end up building a house HAHA & planning out your sims game is so fun to me lol, did enisa and michael take in his daughter yet? i may be thinking too far ahead lol and i love that they fucked woohooed (i say woo woo lol) in celebration HAHA but when i was playing with this one couple i had them woo woo every night hoping the dude would have horrible pull out game and they would concieve, but one night they were too tired and i was like why? get back in there man. if i was in college and lived with my partner we would be fucking every night homie. be grateful. i have been talking a lot about sims, and like you said: enough 💀 i just love this game a lot 😭😭

SORRY LAST THING i think the sims romantic and sexual stuff is so nice bc its what i want?? LMAO IDK like the whole hot tub thing you're talking about- puh lease ITS JUST NICE TO SEE OKAY

i'm reading the german section over again and i said aloud "my german friend is so cool" lol (i was saying that to my brothers & i know they don't care LMAO) (& i'm glad the uni zoom call went well!!) so on a form, in german, it could possibily say Einführungsveranstaltungsteilnehmer because you would be a participant to an introductory event? i swear german sounds so cool 😌 but i love reading your german lessons!! it's really interesting, most of the time my brain can't comprehend it tho?? like that word makes sense to you, but i need a translation. like to be able to look at that and know what it says.... its just appealing and seems so cool lol i kinda wanna write something out in german but i feel that google translate will fail me. während googeln "google übersetzen" mein Computer war so verdammt langsam und es fühlte sich einfach wie etwas Gutes auf Deutsch zu sagen. ich bin nicht sicher, welches Wort ist "fucking", aber ich mag es lmao (did it fail me like i thought it would??)

LMAOOO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING UP JUSTIN BC WHILE AT THE RESTURANT THEY PLAYED A JUSTIN SONG AND I IMMEDIATELY THOUGHT OF YOU AND THIS STORY😭 lol i was thinking it's depending on your age but not even that either... i really don't know.... but tom's fans are hollanders💀 i would consider myself one? he's the only person i'm really into like that (like a lot lol) so idk lmao (directioners 💔💔the pain is real)

LMAOOO (both of these paragraphs started off with “lmaooo” smh) "i like my men when they look like they are on the brink of death" PLEASE, i don't like pete's blonde hair... i just don't. i'm not sure if i wasn't watching the most recent snls but yea. my mom thinks he looks like trash, but i think he's okay? like he said staten island people just look like trash LMAO and I STILL HAVEN'T SEEN KING OF STATEN ISLAND GIRL I ALMOST FORGOT ABOUT THAT!! now i'm gonna make plans to watch it lmao, & yes agreed i find pete hot, don't ask why i really couldn't explain it to someone he's just .

my favorite songs from rex are from pony oh my goodness 🥺 anywho i'm gonna go eat cereal (i ended up eating bun and cheese instead) and listen to the Stormzy songs you recommended... aria. aria aria aria. i would like to thank you for introducing me to stormzy i- i don't have any words or any emojis to express HOW GOOD STORMZY IS. i hope he's popular in germany/the uk because i haven't heard of him but GURLLLL

one second - delicious i love it. it's really good. it’s not my favorite from the album, but its great.

superheroes - at first i played the non-explicit one (on accident) and wondered why the words weren't playing but i was reading them in the lyrics??? THIS ONE THOUGH??? IS THE BEST SONG I THINK I'VE EVER HEARD. i am so SO SO into black people empowering songs (like brown skin girl by beyonce) and this song???? PHEW I CRYYYYY ITS SO GOOD.... i was gonna quote some lyrics BUT THERS TOO MANY I LOVE, "i am young, black, beautiful, and brave" "black queen, you're immaculate, it's coming at the world, they ain't ready for your magic yet, and that was never your fault" THAT WAS NEVER YOUR FAULT- I ALMOST CRIED THIS SONG IS SO BEAUTIFUL (i played it twice lol)

lessons is another beautiful one, like its slow and it feels intimate and nurturing and just OO chefs kiss, beautiful . like you can feel the apology and the regret... it’s so good

own it - OWN IT OWN IT OWN IT IS AMAZING!! swear you would catch me dancing to this song, this song is so fucking good i cannot comprehend like this one might be my favorite for real... "it's the way you wind up your waist, i'm so in awe, you never have to worry abt nothing, you know its yours, you know you own it" 🥲 i played it two or three times honestly

rachael's little brother - YES I DID LISTEN TO IT LMAO AND YES I LIKE IT, its a very complex song and it's very layered in terms of emotions i think and i really like that about it. i probably won't listen to it that often, but its really good. i would recommend this song to my "older brother" bc he would just absolutely love this

shut up - i was taking this song seriously (also very good) until i heard him say shu-T up LMAO, this one is good, i probably wouldn't listen to it 24/7 like rachael's little brother but honestly its still fire

before listening to blinded by your grace and vossi bop, i know you brought up the religion bit, i definitely don't mind that, especially because i'm Christian lol and i actually liked that he brought up God in some of his songs like idk i just like it🥰🥰

(i then went to bed after that lol but first thing in the morning i listened to superheroes and... that song is probably my favorite tbh, i was gonna write MORE quotes that i loved from it but, yeah no there's too many. if you want i'll tell you lmao but this is already so long i would just be quoting the whole friggin song)

VOSSI BOP IS A BOP (lol) I CANT EVEN LIE, i love a song that hypes up a dude's girl so the line- i love that my phone decided to fail to load the lyrics, lemme google it, okay the lyric "looking at my girl like what a goddess" i was like AYEEE its honestly just really good. and no one in america says "sauce" like "i've got the sauce" but now i do (thanks to love island and Nas from last season) and now stormzy so (also im gonna watch the music video for superheroes bc it looks great so 😛)

(because this is already so long i feel like i shouldn't finish the rest but . no i'm gonna do it)

now for blinded by your grace pt2 idk why i’m nervous lmaoo PAUSE I'M NOT EVEN DONE WITH THE SONG GIRL THIS SONG IS *chefs kiss* no words, speechless PHEW y'all gon make me start jumping around. why did i not know about stormzy before, he is amazing i- ok yeah i finished the song, all i have to say is that Stormzy is immaclucate. period. i am literally sending his music to all my friends he is..... amazing

you want my song recommendations 🥺🥺 hmm uh okay lol i listen to a lot of old music, whitney houston, marvin gaye, queen, celine dion, i love "more than words" by extreme uhmm okay, but for actual music i listen to on the daily? (this is a lot of different music like.... they do not go together lmao so be prepared) a song about being sad by rex orange county, betty by taylor swift and lover by taylor swift and... most of that album lol, treasure by bruno mars lmao, OOOO and versace on the floor by bruno as well, lazybaby by dove cameron, creep by tlc has been on repeat lol, deja vu by olivia rodrigo (i saw what you said about drivers license and AGREED LMAO but i like deja vu a lot more haha) and two albums that i listen to in general, rare by selena gomez and ungodly hour by chloe x halle 🥰 you don't have to listen to all of them or any of them lol but that's a sense of what i'm into :) so basically everything haha, i'm into literally every single kind of music really so i wasn't too surprised that i enjoyed stormzy :’)

HAHASBSJHAHA your h20 story cracked me up,, like "wow these actors are so dedicated, learning german just for us" 😭 the beauty of overdubbing

once again, math and maths, in my mind maths makes sense because its mathmatics, but saying maths doesn't feel right to me lol, like if i said maths i feel like everyone would look at me like ??? and yea i was taught it as math so its just more natural for me. but yes math/maths is disgusting, easily one of my least favorite subjects so .

mkay. i- the first time i read this i could not contain my laughter when you said the only pollen you know is sex pollen LMAOKOOSHBABJFAJF STOPPP I'M EVEN LAUGHING WRITING THIS,, anyway. wow! that's interesting, my dad (<<< mostly anything else) gets migraines from the sun and the heat and stuff, yesterday (sunday, i was outside for like hours watching my brothers play football, the american kind lol) i was in the sun for like ever and i got a headache😔

summer clothes🥲 i need to go shopping fr fr. for my birthday my mom and dad got me a giftcard like dedicated to a shopping spree and we've yet to go so..... i should bring it up to my mom lol, but!! i went bra shopping (ended up returning literally all of them cuz they honestly didn't work for day to day work? its a long story) and if i could i would walk around in this new "summer bra" i got, i would. it's so fricking cute and its really light fabric (which isn't perfect for my nipples but still) so i don't get hot in it, but that bra and some shorts would be perfect. its the closest thing to being naked so

IS THE BIRD STILL BOTHERING U ARIA, TELL ME NOW ISTG, i laughed really hard that the bird isn't stupid and is really trying to torture you LMAOO like i was rolling, it wants you to suffer, badly

when you said "mensus" it was still close to mens!!! latin speaking queen 😌😌

okay STORYTIME i was reading back your response and started (fake) crying bc i love you lol and my youngest brother (daniel) gon say "oh man, catherine's crying about something we don't care about, again" I--- i swear when i tell you about them they sound awful, but they aren't that bad, just the stuff i say about them is sounds really mean LMAO

but the thing you said about being kind, same, what i always say is: don't be the person that makes people say "i hate people" ya know? like there's no reason to be a jerk or anything.... but its true 🥺🥺🥺🥺 you are really kind and every time i talk to you i would like to personally fly to germany and give you a hug 💖💕💞💗💓💝💖💘

& i'm gonna show my stretch marks some love bc of you 🥺😭 i really hate how men have basically everyone conditioned that you can't love your own body </3 fuck them, y'all beautiful :')

also thanks for what you said :')) you literally are the kindest, sweetest person i think i've ever spoken to and i love you 🥰🥺🥲💓💗

READING YOUR TAGS HAHAHHAHA the spelling errors makes everything so much funnier. once again, i like your german lessons & yea!! i'm gonna play sims after writing this hahah

#catherine's tags are back #i don't think i've told you my name before?? #anyway it's catherine🥰🥰🥰 #i'm typing this on my computer (without emojis) and if i didn't edit this you would be reading shit shite like #heartface and pout and cry LMAO #yeah abt the tattoos #some stuff with my parents i'm like deal with it??? lol #my mom tells me "if there's something you enjoy or you like but i don't have the same opinion on it... why would my (my mom's) opinion matter? #and i love that #like i'm not gonna go and do whatever i want #but if my mom doesn't like that i swear (which isn't true just an example) #its like okay.... #but whatever #and your tattoo ideas sound really cute!! #and yeah @ your parents, i mean you aren't getting something wild #and the tattoo album>>> #i'm gonna look up ariana's butterfly tattoos just so i know what you mean lol #but i'm guessing you don't want something so incredibily simple, but not super like over the top? #correct me if i'm wrong lol #LMAO the tags were in order don't worry ! #and yeah lol ily2 <33 #and once again, again, sorry for this post JSHJS ITS A MESS AND LONG AS HELL #and you don't need to go in order of my post its literally longer than your german compound words #u're fine #also !!! while writing this the birds were chirping outside and i was like 😳 #and one of your fics (i’ve read all of them, i don’t remember lol) that valentine’s day one where y/n had lingerie on (the pancake one lol) #inspired me to buy lingerie #like when i look back on me “growing up” #that fic & basically you lol really helped with that #that made no sense and i don’t know how to make it make sense... but... yeah. like ily

hiiiiiiiiiii <3333

Dear catherine, 😌

(you have said your name before, but it wasn‘t like an introduction or anything i think you were talking about .... was it possibly the incident at the cinema??? And you said something like ‘calm down catherine‘ like you were telling yourself to calm down idkd dkdkkdkd anyway i didn‘t mention it cause i wasn‘t sure if it was an accident or not dkdjd but now i know 😌❤️ Catherine is such a cute and lovely name btw omg and so are your brothers‘s names 🥰

Sorry that I‘m answering this so late, it‘s been an emotional rollercoaster for me since last week but i‘ll get to that in a second lol

Sksklssk girl i haven‘t played sims in like 2 weeks now ekejdkdlldld ok that‘s not that long at all actually but i keep wanting to play but then i end up not playing for whatever reason, so no news about my sims game 😔 but i love the names Liam and Peter and for twins!!! That sounds really nice actually

okay i‘m trying to answer your ask in chronological answer even though i wanted to wait for the depressing stuff and write it at the end or something OKAY so. i thought that i‘d feel so good when i start uni and that i‘ll like... have a purpose in life again and just be happy (cause in the last year i didn‘t do much and i was depressed like half of the time lol).... anyway i kind of feel even worse now? 😭 i think it‘s because in my brain it‘s like: university!!! that means your life will change and it‘ll all be so exciting. and don‘t get me wrong it is exciting butttt..... idk the online thing is so weird cause you‘re not meeting any new people (i‘m introverted anyway but still lol) and it doesn‘t feel like you‘re listening to/talking to actual people cause it feels the same as just watching a video?

also i thought i‘d be busy again but i only have one lecture (90mins) a day and theres one day where i dont have any lectures at all and just one day where i have 3 hours but.... idk i mean i shouldn‘t complain about having so much free time but i just don‘t know what to do all day and in a pandemic there really is nothing to do but i also can‘t relax bc it‘s like during the week and i know i have uni the next day and .... yeah.

There‘s also this one assignment i had to do that took me AT LEAST SIX HOURS AND IM NOT EVEN EXAGGERATING????? so that was the only thing i‘ve been doing besides “going to“ lectures. for this one course we have to read two (really really long) texts (like it literally took me 3 hours to read them) and we‘re supposed to post it on this website that all the professors in our uni use. So after 5 days of anxiety (✌🏼) i posted mine this morning bc last night i realised that i didn‘t even know why i was having anxiety so i just posted mine today. The deadline is tomorrow at 12 and no one except me has posted theirs yet........ so i have anxiety again 🥰 cause idk if i‘m the only one who did it or if i even did it correctly

Edit while i‘m rereading this: my anxiety about uni is a lot better and i‘m not as d*pressed anymore maybe it was just hormones? idk but i‘m better so that‘s good

(I started writing this like 5 hours ago and then i randomly completely forgot lol)

I‘m in a better mood now though so let‘s move on from that (oh wait also, i think i‘m gonna see if i can find a psychiatrist bc with my anxiety symptoms (long story) i need to go to a psychiatrist, and so far i‘ve only gone to like psycholgists and it didn‘t help but i think that‘s just bc i was meant to go to a psychiatrist and not a psychologist so dldjdjsj

n e ways but yes you‘re not alone, ily, things will get better and yes i love you (i‘m not good at this type of thing🥲 but i‘d hug you right now if i could <3)

Yess i think the time difference between est and me is 6hours but gmt is uk time i believe? i think mine is called.... cet? For central european time? I could be completely wrong though lmao

Oof i completely forgot about hollywood, i remember when laura kept posting about it on instagram but i never actually watched it and i definitely won‘t now lmaodkdksjsn

Okay my driving lesson LEBDJDKDK I DID NOT HOOK UP WITH ANYONE AKSJSKSMMLM especially not my 40 or 50 year old driving instructor lol i like her but NOT LIKE THAT, the lesson was really really really good actually and i think i‘ll have my driving test soon, but i don‘t even remember why the anon would have thought that??? Oh wait now i remember okay KEKSKDLDL so during the lesson my instructor was like do you mind if i turn on some music? AND THIS WOMAN TURNED ON ONE DIRECTION I LOVE HER so i made a post about it and i said something about the song up all night and i guess i phrased it in a .... idk in a dumb way 💀 so the anon made a joke that i stayed up with my driving instructor all night and NO. No.

Wait did i read that right? YOU WERE ARIEL ON STAGE? SIALDBDJDKSLMSBDKDMDMDKDJSLSMDJFJJEDMBFEKLEFBJDLDVSIDLESKSKWKDKDJDOWNYUEKWNDUWLNSUFLWVSUDLEHDOENSIDBEISBEHENJELBSIEMWUDNRIW KB WOBE JO ON SBEUU HIII S HWS LV W ICH US KB okay this keyboard smash is getting out of hand but uh please do elaborate on that 💘😌???? Like you can‘t just drop that information and not say more??? I forgot if you‘re in like your school‘s drama group (is that a thing? lol idk anything about acting) or in an independent group? Either way - ARIEL that is so fucking cool

Your brothers loooooool, no i get it though obviously you love them and stuff but esp at their age children are so annoying so good luck with them 😭😭😭lmao

Yeah “anyway i imagine being an only child is really calming.. like you have time to yourself and its just you and your parents 😌“ yeah just me and my parents who constantly fight 🥰 lmao no i like being an only child, like i cannot imagine having siblings but i feel like if i had siblings i would be saying that i can‘t imagine being an only child so? but i do think it‘s quite different like i‘m trying to imagine having siblings and WHAT that‘s just so different omg i‘ve never really thought about it like properly ???

I saw a tik tok the other day that was like “sometimes i forget that my siblings have a life of their own. like i see them as side characters in my life“ and even though i can‘t relate obviously i felt that. lol, like i can really imagine how it feels idk what i‘m talking about like shut the fuck up, daria

(also my actual name is daria not aria but i dont like it, and also i wanted to be more anonymous on tumblr so now i‘m aria lmao. pls don‘t mention it though cause no one knows except for you and mel (peterbenjiparker) dkdkdkdnkdnd. but i‘m starting to identify with the name cause everyone keeps calling me that looool😭😭😭 (but i like the name, more than daria anyway? well it also depends on the accent, cause the way germans say daria is okay. the was Americans say it is also okay, but some of my family in England are from the north of england and i don‘t like how they say my name 💀 no offence to them(?) but yeah pls don‘t mention the name in your ask cause the chance of people seeing it is higher then (or if you want to say something about it just send a separate ask and i just won‘t post it (IDK what you‘d want to say about my name but yeah just in case slsldlldmsndnsns)

I‘m loving falcon and winter soldier so much but when i was watching an episode the week before last week (?) my laptop broke😭😭😭😭 during the scene where the dora milaje came at the end my laptop just shut down? And it had these lines all over the screen and i had to bring it to the shop where i bought it and they said it‘ll take 6-8 weeks to repair 💔💔💔 but at least it‘ll be for free, cause if i brought it back to apple it would cost like 400€ (i think that‘s nearly 500$) so yeah. but it sucks cause now i‘m “going to uni“ on a really old rusty laptop and on my phone which kinda sucks. oh yeah and also i can‘t watch anything on there 😭 i definitely want to watch wandavision but it‘ll have to wait🤧

Yessss you should def get your GED! I googled and I‘m still not entirely sure what it is dldks but from how you described it- YES!!!!!!

Idk if you know this? Like no idea if I‘ve told you this already (hmmm wait i feel like we talked about it actually?) anyway i was originally gonna go study in England, but for loads of reasons I ended up staying in Germany and I‘m def happy with my decision, but I definitely want to go to England sometime even if it‘s just for six months or maybe for my masters or something? And (obviously everyone is different) but i think everyone should go abroad and live in a different country once in their life, no matter if it‘s for school or what, and even if it‘s just for a few weeks. But i think that‘s something that you‘d never ever forget! And combining that with your acting/theatre??? You really would be living the dream 💘💘😌

how about burgers, chips (fries), and a large drink? any time next week works for me, should i pick you up?— sounds good see you soon 🥰🥰🥰

i used to be one of the people who‘d just do motherlode motherlode motherlode and just... what did i do? Why did i do that??? But not anymore lol. Like I said i haven‘t played sims in a few weeks but i‘ve been watching a few legacy challenge let‘s plays and usually i play with the aging off. So my sims just don‘t age 💀 but i could (should) turn aging on so that it stays exciting and i have limited time and everything. and once i get bored with my current sims i can just make them have kids and continue playing as their children when they get older- like recently i remembered that i haven‘t played the acting career in ages? and i haven‘t had a shop in ages? and i think you can even become a vet right??? like those are definitely some things i want to do in the next weeks!!! Also yes sksksjs i have a few hundred hours on sims as well (if not thousands 😭) it was just that one household that i‘d been playing with for 24hrs

AND GIRL SSKSKJD THE UNIVERSITY THING HAPPENED TO ME TOO, it was a while ago so i don‘t remember what degree and what job it was about but i made my sim study something for aaaaaages so she‘d get a better job from the beginning (you know what i mean like get in at a higher level)...... and i apparently studied the wrong thing cause i didn‘t get any benefits from studying and still had to start at level 1 and shit 🥴🥲

Oh also (this was like 2 weeks ago) Enisa and Michael did take in Michael‘s daughter and i think Enisa currently even has a higher/better relationship with the daughter than Michael but um💀💀💀 also i was hoping (since michael and enisa married (in their back yard i think lol) that the daughter (i forget what her name is😭) would have enisa as her step mom? Like you know how you can see the relationship and it says daughter or son or sister.. and i was hoping that it would say step mom but it doesn‘t say anything 🥲 but in my mind (and if the sims had proper family relations) she is her step mom😌 also Leo is a teenager now???? I mean I aged him up lol dkdk he was being too annoying as a toddler but i don‘t like children so i aged him up twice in one day and now he‘s a teen, but that means he can look after his half sister when she becomes a toddler which is good (the game recognises them as siblings tho even if they‘re just half siblings? why can‘t they have step family members in the sims🥲) okay i‘ve annoyed you enough with sims ✋🏼

I‘ve been a bit sick these past few days and now i‘m getting a headache so i have to finish this response tomorrow 😭😭😭 </3

It‘s not tomorrow, it‘s 3 hours later but i‘m better lol

oooff when sims are ungrateful and won‘t woo woo (lol i like that) cause they‘re too tired like?? Be grateful that you‘re not living with your parents anymore 🙄 no okay dkdkdkdl idk if you play with mods (i don‘t) but i know there is a mod (or it‘s part of a mod idk maybe wicked whims?) where you can adjust the percentage of how risky a normal woo woo is, like you still click woo woo (3dksksks okay i‘ll say woohoo again— wait is that what’s it called? 😭) but there‘s like a 25% chance that your sim can still get pregnant just like in real life there‘s always a chance of getting pregnant even if you‘re using protection (just not 25% lmao) but yeah i personally don‘t play with mods sksk and you can always just click try for baby but it would be cool if you could add stuff like risky woohoo to the game without mods (i have no idea how to download mods and i play sims on a really really old laptop and sims is literally tje only thing that works on it anyway so—) i repeat my words from earlier: okay i‘ve annoyed you enough with sims ✋🏼

okay i‘m so sorry i‘m gonna watch fast & furious 1 now cause i need to watch f&f 1-5 until the 30th of april cause they‘re only on netflix til then (i mean i could watch them somewhere else but the quality is never as good) so i will finish this tomorrow after all😭

it is now 1 am, i finished the film, can feel a new obsession coming up again (i always have these f&f obsessions for six months before and after a new film comes out)

THE GOOGLE TRANSLATE wkekdjdj tbh it sounds like someone is speaking with some kind of foreign accent i guess that‘s probably because it just is a direct translation and so anyway slsjsj i don‘t know if you asked me what the word fucking is in german? like idk cause the translation is a bit weird but in case you asked lol sidjsjs theres not really a good translation like we just say fuck for fuck lmao, i don‘t know if you typed in fucking in google translate and it came out as verdammt? cause that means damn (or damned sksjjs) ummm yeah idek if/what you asked so imma move on🤧

I‘m not gonna comment on what you said about every stormzy song cause you already said all the important things but SKSKSJSJSKNSNDBDUDOENWBSLSKKHSULSLSKSBSJSKSK I WAS SMILING SO HARD WHEN I READ YOUR RESPONSE FOR THE FIRST TIME BECAUSE AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH finally i know someone who loves him as much as i do 💘💘💘 also since you brought it up, i‘m pretty sure he‘s considered the most successful UK rapper or if not then at least top 3 so he‘s defffffffffinitely big in the uk, in germany more and more people are listening to uk rap too but not as much stormzy cause theyre dumb apparently 🙄 but anywY i‘m sooooo sooo happy that you like him. i think hith came out end of 2019 (i could be wrong but i think it came out on the 13th of december so (in a european way) you‘d write the date: 13.12 and obviously i don‘t KNOW this but i can definitely imagine that he chose that date because ACAB and yes, Michael. Yes. But he hasn‘t made too much music since then so i hope he‘s working on some new stuff 🤞🏼

Also i ordered the stormzy poster😌 also a nicki minaj one bc i decided i‘m gonna have one wall with red-ish posters (i already have two kinda red ones) and one with blue/green-ish posters (already have two) and i can add stormzy to the blue one and nicki to the red one, but i think that‘s it cause if my walls are tooo full it could look cluttered? I‘m not sure how that type of thing works lmao but my room is generally untidy so i don‘t want the walls to look unorganised too so i think that‘s it for now

I really want to finish this now but my brain is getting kinda slow and i need to sleep soon so this will have to wait till later after all 🥺🥴 (not that it makes and difference to you bc you‘ll see this whenever i post it buttttt i wanted you to know that i want to talk to you again but with my slow brain i‘m just taking too long to do it in one day😭😭😭 and i‘m so busy tomorrow hmm but i‘m sure i‘ll have 30 minutes to finish this then <3)

Okay wait I‘m so dumb I didn‘t realise I‘d nearly answered everything i could have posted this yesterday 😭😭

Oooohh that summer bra sounds so nice like if i was confident enough i literally would just wear a top that resembles a bra (or really is a bra lol) cause my tiddies always be looking amazing i‘m just insecure about my stomach sometimes 🙄🙄🙄 but recently i‘ve been loving myself more and more tbh 😌

also i hope you can go shopping for some nice clothes soon ✨😌

I‘ll be honest I haven‘t listened to your song recs YET but only because i wanna take my time with them and i‘ve been so busy and slso AJ tracey‘s album came out last week and I haven‘t listened to that one yet either so ekdkdj (he‘s also a uk rapper like quite popular and successful as well, but i feel like i‘m not gonna like his album cause whenever i‘m looking forward to an album it ends up being really bad and the albums where you weren‘t expecting it turn out to be bangers.... so yeah but i‘ll let you know when i listen to your songs!!!! :)

Omg i keep having to scroll up all the way to see the next thing you said so sorry if I completely miss some of the things you said😭😭

So when you sent this the bird was still bothering me oh my FUCK DKDLDMMDMDMD but now i‘ve been going to bed at like 1-2am so the bird is probably still asleep lool

Okay and for the rest of your ask my response is: 💘💖❣️💚❣️💛❣️💛💕💞❤️💓💟💞💕💕💖💘💝💟💟🧡❤️🧡💞💛💚💓💚💚💚❣️🧡💖💘🧡💝🧡💕💘🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥺🥺🥺🥰🥺🥺💘💘💘💘💘 (okay that looked cuter in my head i don‘t really like the green hearts dldkkdksndnd)

#lovely anon #<3333333333333 #‚‘it‘s literally longer than your german compound words‘ LMAODKDMSLDKSLKS #ignore the comma at the beginning of the last tag????#aww wait i just read what you said at the end of your tags🥺🥺💘💘💘#love youuuu #ooooof i‘m reading my response and do i not know what a period is? like period as in. full stop.#my sentences are literally paragraphs and i use keyboard smashes to separate sentences from each other like what‘s wrong with me???#or ‚lol‘ snd ‚lmao‘#imma need me to do better (did you listen to heavy is the head as a whole? like the whole album? the song do better is stuck in my head toda #today so)#i‘ll try to write normal length sentenced in the future💀#sentencessss*

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delicatelyherdreams · 5 years

Text

Pragma(tic) 6: He Never Listens

Pairing: Persephone!Bucky Barnes x Hades!Reader

Summary: In a world where the old gods never truly died, you must learn to navigate your way through the ups and downs of immortality. And if living forever wasn’t hard enough, an ancient evil is now threatening to break free after centuries of silence. And as if that still wasn’t hard enough for you, now a pesky and infuriatingly handsome god is trying to wedge his way into your life. Gods, work, love, and conflict—what more could a goddess need? [Hades & Persephone AU]

Word Count: 5244

Warnings: Language

Pragma(tic) Masterlist

Previous 5: She Deals With a Pest

“Where’s your head been lately, Buck?”

“Hmm? I don’t know what you mean.”

“I mean,” Steve said turning his torso to face his best friend, “you’ve been distracted these past few weeks, and I want to know why.”

Bucky only shrugged, his eyes glazing over as he stared down at the mortal city before them. “I dunno, man. I guess I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”

“Like what?” Steve was persistent, prodding, desperate to know what was troubling him. “Come on, man, you can tell me anything.”

This was true, but Bucky wasn’t sure he could tell him this: that he was still sneaking into the Underworld when their backs were turned or when he had a spare moment. He wasn’t sure that he could tell Steve that he was enchanted by the only goddess he was forbidden to talk with.

It’d been about two months since his and Hades’ first meeting, and he’d been down there a total of four times since. The first time, she caught him at the border and sent him back after a scolding. The second, he made it to beautiful Elysium, spooked a couple spirits, and had the time of his life before she dragged him out, less annoyed and more amused than the first. But these last two times, even though she told him that he wasn’t allowed to be down there and sent him back, she talked to him like he was an acquaintance. She answered his questions (“Where do you live?” “On the mountain.” “Is it lonely?” “Sometimes, but that’s why I have a dog and friends.” “Am I your friend?” “No.” “Are we ever going to be friends?” “I cannot say.”) and even gave him a smile. That was a personal accomplishment for him.

He felt like he was getting to her, breaking down the walls little by little. Gods, he knew he still had a long way to go, but he couldn’t help but feel proud that he’d gotten as far as he did. The last time he was down there, she didn’t even kick him out that harshly; she just walked him out as if walking guests out from a party and actually said “Goodbye, James” when she left. If that wasn’t progress, Bucky didn’t know what was.

Bucky pursed his lips, debating on how to tell his friend what was going on without really telling him what was going on. “I guess it’s just…” He trailed off, his brain running with ideas and words, none of which were good enough to conceal the truth.

“Yes? It’s just what?”

He nodded his head to the side, before finally saying, “There’s this girl, and I can’t get her out of my head. She’s so different from other people I’ve met before, and it’s wonderful. But I’m not sure how I feel about her or how she feels about me, y’know?” He sighed and lifted his head up to the sky to stare at the clouds. If he focused hard enough, he could almost make out her face in the patterns, as insane as it was.

“I mean, kinda?” Steve shrugged his shoulders. “I’ve never really had that before. What’s her name?”

“Hade— Harriet.”

Steve snorted, his chest jolting with the sudden movement. “Hade-Harriet? What kind of name is that.”

Bucky could feel the color rising up his neck as it tried to creep on his cheeks. He turned his head away. “Her name is Harriet.” *Harriet.* Really? Was that the best he could come up with? Welp, it was going to have to work for now. “She’s really cool, but she’s also stubborn and strict. She’s really insistent on boundaries.”

“Uh-huh, and where did you meet her?”

*Dammit, Steve. Stop asking questions.*

“I—uh—I met her in the Mortal World. You and Sam were napping and I wanted to go shopping, so I went down to the mainland to see what stores there were. And we just kinda ran into each other, you know.”

Bucky was impressed with how easily he had fabricated the story, he just hoped that Steve bought it.

Steve didn’t, but he didn’t get a chance to call Bucky on his bullshit.

The wind picked up, swirling all around the two men. The grass spun around them, blowing violently, bringing the smell of plants along with it. The wind funneled, creating a narrow tube. The wind grew hazy, thick with grain and greens, as it moved to a spot in front of them.

Steve straightened up, his shoulders rolling back to appear more formal.

Bucky did the same, for he knew what this wind meant: the arrival of his mother.

When the wind cleared, a woman with dark hair to match Bucky’s and startling green eyes stood before them. She was dressed in a deep green suit, gold ornaments woven into her hair. She beamed down at the two, her eyes sparkling when she laid eyes on her son. “Hello, James,” she greeted, her voice as strong as her finest plants and her smile as warm as the sun that fed them.

“Mother!” Bucky rose to his full height, a good five inches taller than his mother, and took fast strides over to her to engulf her in a hug.

“Oh, my baby boy,” she said as she hugged him tightly. “It’s been too long! How are things? How are you doing? Staying out of trouble I assume?”

“Oh yes, Mrs. B,” Steve chimed. “Sam and I have been doing a good job at keeping James here straight.”

She smiled. “Good. Speaking of which, where is Sam?”

“Oh, he’s down in the city grabbing us some cheeseburgers. He lost rock paper scissors and got sacrificed to go on the food run.”

At this, Winnifred frowned. “You know I don’t like you boys going down there. Why don’t you go up to Olympus for lunch instead? There’s this cafe that makes the best ambrosia ever! You simply must try it.”

Bucky gave her a polite smile. “Alright, Mother. We’ll go there next time for lunch.” He cleared his throat, starting to change the subject. “So, why have you come?”

“Oh, you know. I had a bit of a break at the office and decided to come visit my son, make sure he’s doing well and— Wait, what’s that smell?”

*Fuck.*

“Wh-What smell?” Bucky asked, trying so hard to keep his voice steady and even. He knew damn well what smell, but he wasn’t going to point that out.

His mother scrunched her nose in disgust. “It smells like death. What the—” She turned her eyes towards Bucky, seemingly fixating on him and glowering.

Bucky felt the color drain from his cheeks. He was done for. She knew. She knew it was him and—

“What the hell is happening here?” She marched towards him, passing him with an air of agitation. She stopped at a tree several yards behind the boys and stared at it with a glare. “James, this tree is dying, and you didn’t save it?” She reached out and pressed her palm flat against its trunk. Instantly the dark bark began to lighten with life as she rejuvenated it. “Honestly, James. You’re supposed to be a god of spring. The least you can do is keep alive what little area I gave you.” She shot a teasing smile at him over her shoulder.

Bucky almost laughed with relief, but instead, he adopted a more serious demeanor. “I’m sorry, Mother. I’ll do better next time.”

“You’d better if you want to become an even better god!” She pulled away from the tree before walking back to the boys. “Well, I’m sorry to have to leave so soon, but I only came for a short visit. Work is busy as ever in the spring and I need to keep tabs on all the harvests.” She smiled at Steve. “You tell Sam ‘hello’ for me and keep an eye on my boy, you hear?”

Steve nodded politely. “Yes, ma’am. We’ll keep him out of trouble.”

“Good. Then…” She turned to Bucky and held her arms out. “Give your mother one last hug.”

Bucky chuckled but complied. “Mother, you don’t have to treat me like a kid anymore. I’m more than a thousand years old.”

“I know, but you’ll always be my baby boy.” She kissed his cheek before pulling away from him. “I’ll see you soon, my child. Until the next time.” And just like that, she was gone; vanished into a cloud of grain and wheat.

As soon as she was gone, Bucky let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding in. He was always tense around his mother, even more so now that he had something to hide. He just hoped that she would never find out his dirty little secret.

———

It was another few days before Bucky was able to sneak away from Steve and Sam again. It was in the dead of the night, when they were sleeping, that Bucky crept away, staying as silent as possible. He walked away from the clearing that the boys had chosen to sleep in, and summoned a pair of dark jeans and a blue shirt to clothe him. The garments materialized on his body as they did for every god, taking the place of his pajamas. Using the cover of night, he slipped away.

A perk of being a god, even a minor, fledgling one like him, was the teleportation. With a destination on his mind, Bucky could travel anywhere on Heaven and Earth that he wanted. And it was through this, that Bucky appeared on Cape Matapan, a small landmass at the end of Greece’s Mani Peninsula. The mortals had said that the elaborate network of caves there concealed an entrance to Hades. They were right, although it was a difficult journey. But Bucky had been using these caves to get into the Underworld ever since Hades sealed off the Dikteon Cave and tightened security at the Acheron. She wasn’t quite aware of this entrance yet and Bucky wanted to keep it like that. After all, he was starting to run out of ways to sneak in under her nose.

Bucky took a couple of steps into the cave before pausing and leaning down. A flashlight was nestled against the wall of the cave, right where he’d left it the last time. His fingers wrapped around the metal cylinder of the flashlight and he flicked it on. The beam pierced the darkness of the cave, illuminating the tunnels ahead, and he began the short journey down.

Slopes and declines in the path took him deeper and deeper into the earth; and as he descended, he could feel the life seeping out of the air—a telltale sign that he was nearing his destination.

He walked for twenty or so minutes before he hit the end of the tunnel network. The cavern opened up slightly, still darkened with a black that swallowed up any and all light around.

Bucky grinned. He’d made it down, and now all he had to do was take a step in. He flicked off the flashlight, plunging the cave into darkness and set it down on the ground before walking right into the mass of black before him. It was cold as always, stealing any sign of warmth and life from his bones, and it made him shudder, but he pushed on. Eventually he was tossed out onto the other side, right at the edge of a flower meadow. The cave behind him sealed, taking on the facade of being a simple wall, but Bucky knew what it was. He stumbled a bit as he emerged, but he caught his footing pretty quickly. He wasn’t going to fall like he had the first time, not when there were so many spirits around to bear witness to it.

He straightened up and looked over the area.

Shades milled about the field—the Asphodel Meadows, he thought it was called—all minding their own business as they floated aimlessly. Very few paid him any attention, but that didn’t bother him. The less attention he drew, the better. Beyond the Meadows, he saw the gates of Elysium rising high and the mountain right next to it. The black mansion at its peak was daunting as ever, and yet that was his destination. Bucky wondered how close he’d make it this time before Hades found him and sent him home.

Determined to at least make it to the base of her mountain, Bucky started walking. The shades around him parted, making a narrow path in his wake and allowing him easier means to reach his destination. Of course, he could’ve just walked through them, but that would’ve been rude and his mother had raised him to be a gentleman.

The mountain grew larger as he neared, towering over him and becoming more and more intimidating with every step. He could begin to make out the details of Hades’ mansion now and even see figures moving behind the frosted glass of the windows. She was home, and she had company.

He hesitated. If Hades had guests over, as surprising as that would be, maybe he shouldn’t impose. He could always come back another time or—

“Back again, I see.”

He squeaked and whirled around, lifting his hands to defend himself in case of an attack. But none ever came.

Instead, Hades just crossed her arms and smirked, her red-coated lips quirked up with amusement. “Did I startle you, little prince?”

Bucky scoffed, his eyes rolling to the back of his head. “No. You just caught me off guard.”

“So I startled you?”

“Well… Maybe.” He shook his head and looked her over.

The other times he’d weaseled his way in and she’d come to greet him, she’d always looked professional, prim, and proper. She would always be adorned with a black business blazer, pressed pants, and an elegant pair of flats. Her eyes would always be shrouded with a smokey eye and her lips would always glow as red as her eyes. Her hair would always be styled, not a single hair out of place. But this time there was no makeup on her face that was apparent to him, strands of loose hair flew every-which-way in a fashion that was unruly but still attractive, and she was dressed in a more casual attire of black jeans that hugged her legs, a plain grey shirt that hung loosely from her shoulders, and black sneakers.

If Bucky had an opinion, he would’ve said that she looked as attractive as ever, but he didn’t have an opinion. He lifted his chin with a smile. “How did you get down here so fast?”

“I sensed you coming. Using the shadows, I came to your side.” She gestured down to the shadows of the flowers that fell on the ground. She was standing in one like she’d just risen from it.

“But I just saw you and someone else in the window and I thought that you had company.”

“Oh, I do,” she said with a nonchalant shrug. “But it’s just Peggy. She was on her way out anyway; she has her own paperwork to get to.”

“Peggy? Goddess of magic, crossroads, ghosts—”

“And other things,” Hades confirmed. “The mortals call her Hecate, but her name is Peggy.” Hades turned her head away from him and looked up at the mansion on the mountain. “She’s up there with my dog. I sometimes think that she likes him more than she likes me.” She chuckled.

“I didn’t know you had a dog.” Bucky smiled softly at her, keeping his head down so he could see her easier and she could see his face.

She scrunched her nose. “Really? You seriously did not know that I have a dog? Cerberus is in nearly every myth about me, and he helps guard the entrance to the Underworld to make sure the souls don’t get out.”

Bucky had no idea. He never read the myths, he only knew some names of the other gods. With a sheepish laugh, he rubbed the back of his neck and shifted his weight from side to side. “N-No I didn’t. I—”

He didn’t get the chance to finish his sentence because, at that moment, Hades brought two fingers up to her mouth and whistled. The sound rang loud and clear through the still air and a crash followed it almost immediately.

Rapid movement from the mansion atop the mountain drew his eye, and he saw a black mass bounding down the path of the mountain. It was moving at a speed that shouldn’t have been possible for a normal dog, drawing dangerously close with every second. Bucky was tempted to run away—he’d never seen anything like this before—but Hades, with her calm demeanor as she watched the figure approaching with only an amused smile betraying her emotion, coaxed him to stay. He stood his ground, anxiously awaiting the arrival of the black mass.

As it neared, its details became clear. He saw the animal’s shaggy black fur shining in the dim light of the Underworld and its glowing red eyes staring at him and Hades. Its tongue was hanging out of its mouth, its lips spread wide as if it was grinning. When it came within three yards of the pair, it let out a loud yelp before leaping into the air right at Hades. Bucky was certain it was going to knock her down, but she opened her arms and caught him as easily as if it were a child.

She laughed, the sound music to Bucky’s ears, as the wolf-like creature attacked her face with its tongue. “Cerberus!” she cried, her voice as light and airy as Bucky had ever heard it. “Get down! I’ve taught you better than this.”

It was then that Bucky realized that this was her dog. His lips split back into a smile. “Well isn’t he a handsome thing.”

“You think this is great, you should see him at his full height.” She grinned down at her dog, cupping his face in her hands. “He’s huge, and all three of his heads come out. It’s sad though, I only have two hands and I can’t pet them all.”

Bucky snorted, but said nothing, opting to observe instead. He was fascinated with the scene in front of him. He’d never seen Hades so relaxed; she was always ushering him out as fast as she could, and it was amazing for him to see her like this. It made his heart race in his chest and his smile widen to an uncomfortable size. It made his head light and his stomach flip. It made him happy.

Hades pulled away from Cerberus and turned to look at Bucky. “I figured you two ought to be acquainted since he’ll be helping me kick you out from now on, or doing it himself if I’m too busy to deal with you.” She glanced at him through her eyelashes.

Bucky feigned being hurt and clutched his chest with his hand. “I’m not even going to have the pleasure of being escorted out by the Queen of the Underworld?”

“Not when she’s too busy dealing with queenly things to take care of your ass.” She quirked an eyebrow at him. “Now, come on. You know the drill.” She jerked her head in the direction of the Acheron.

Bucky groaned. “Oh, come on! I just got here!”

“And now you’re just leaving.” She rubbed Cerberus’ head one more time before reaching forward and grabbing Bucky’s wrist. “I’ve got shit to deal with right now. Filing away souls, welcoming new Elysium residents, going over appeals for Elysium admittance; my job is never done.”

Bucky walked with her, staring at the hair on the back of her head and tracing the patterns of the strands. “Yeah? What else do you do?”

She shrugged, but answered, “A variety of things: manage the other gods down here, maintain border security, deal with difficult souls that want to cause disturbances, walk my dog, sometimes go around Elysium and mark up renovations that need to happen. You name it, I probably deal with it in one way or another. That’s what happens when you rule a realm.”

Bucky nodded, his eyes glinting with interest. “It seems like you really care about people down here.”

“Oh, I do,” Hades agreed. “They’re my subjects, mine to protect and guard. I love them like my family.” She smiled fondly, her lips twitching up as her eyes crinkled at the corners. “There’s a bunch of good people down here, but there are also some bad…” Her smile dissolved and her eyes flickered towards the far wall of the Underworld where the Phlegethon flowed. “But that doesn’t matter right now. What matters is how you’ve managed to keep sneaking down here. Would you care to clue me in?”

He smirked. “You know, I would but then you’d just go and block it off and I’d never be able to return.”

“You’re damn right. You’re causing major security concerns whenever you get in without me knowing until you’re already down here.” She was deadly serious now, and Bucky could feel it radiating off her in waves. “If you can get in, then that means other things can too. And I don’t know if you’ve been made aware or not, but we’ve got some big-shot prisoners down here that enemies of the gods would just love to set free. If they were to find out that the Underworld has a security breach, then who knows what kind of chaos they could unleash.” She glanced at him, just barely turning her head in his direction. “I need to know, James. How are you getting in?”

Bucky nibbled at his lip and turned his head up. He was thinking.

On one hand, he could see where Hades was coming from, and logically he knew he should tell her where his entrance was, but on the other he was afraid she was going to seal him out forever. He’d grown attached to the Underworld, finding it interesting, unique, and beautiful. He wanted to know more about it, explore it, and see what made Hades love it so. He wasn’t ready to give it up, but he knew he had to share.

Bucky crossed his arms and pressed his lips together, reluctance rolling off him in waves, before admitting, “Cape Matapan. The myths said that if you go down deep enough into the caves, then you’ll reach the Underworld and, well, they’re right. I’ve used them the past couple of times.”

And at that, she smiled at him. Not one of the half-smiles she’d been giving him, but a full-blown smile that lit up her entire face.

It made Bucky’s heart flutter with exhilaration, and he couldn’t help but think that he should do things to make her smile more. She was breathtaking; drop-dead gorgeous.

She continued to smile at him as she said, “Thank you, James. I really appreciate your honesty.”

He smiled back and nodded. “You’re welcome. I’m sorry I’ve been a pain in the ass, but there’s just something about being down here that I can’t quite put my finger on.”

She chuckled. “I know the feeling. It’s very peaceful and calm down here. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

From there, they started walking in silence, drawing nearer and nearer towards the Acheron. At some point in time, they began to walk next to the Cocytus, the river that fed into the Acheron. The water wailed beside them, the pitiful cries of souls long past that had become trapped in the water’s rush filling the air. The sounds made shivers run down Bucky’s spine.

But it wasn’t just the noise that made Bucky uneasy, although Hades seemed unaffected, it was the figure standing about a dozen yards away from him and Hades.

The man lurking along the river bank was obviously a naiad. He sported the same blue tint to his skin that all water nymphs did, the water beside him only highlighting the features. His dark hair was coiffed and his jawline was marked with a short stubble that came from not shaving in a few days. His heavyset, brown eyes cut through the air as they stared at him and Hades, filling the air with suffocating intensity. His arms were crossed as his eyes trailed Hades. He watched her, studied her, with his unrelenting and almost predatory gaze.

Bucky wasn’t sure why, but looking at that man watch Hades like she was his made Bucky’s blood boil. For the first time in his life, Bucky wanted to pick a fight with a man—this man. He sneered. “Who’s that?”

“Hmm?” Hades tore her gaze away from the road ahead and followed his line of sight towards the man on the river bank. She stiffened, her lips forming a hard line as she stared at him. “No one,” she murmured, but Bucky wasn’t entirely certain that was the truth.

He could feel his body gravitating towards hers protectively, his shoulders rolling back and his chest puffing out to make him seem more like a threat. He did all in his power to radiate “back off’ vibes, but he wasn’t sure how successful he actually was.

Successful or not, the naiad stayed away, opting to simply watch them as they passed.

They followed the river the rest of the way until it fed into the Acheron before stopping.

Hades stood at the river’s edge, the water just barely missing her toes where they sat. She looked up at Bucky. “Well, I guess this is your stop.”

Bucky didn’t want it to be, but he said, “Yeah, I guess it is.” He looked down with a frown.

As if sensing his dismay, Hades sighed and dug into her pocket. “I cannot believe I am doing this,” she muttered, pulling out a small leather pouch. Bucky watched her with curiosity as she fiddled with the straps and held it out to him. “Here.”

Bucky took the pouch and pulled it open. Inside there lay about two dozen brown seeds, none of which Bucky recognized. His brows furrowed. “What are these?”

“They’re Asphodel seeds,” she answered, shifting her weight. “They’re what I use to get to the Underworld. You plant one, and a hole will open up for about thirty seconds. Jump in, and you’ll pop out here with only a flower in your stead. You’ll be deposited back into the Asphodel Meadows, but you’ll still be down here.”

Bucky stared at her, dumbfounded. “Wait, you mean you’re just giving me a key to the Underworld?”

“Yes I am, but don’t make me change my mind.” She rolled her eyes. “This is simply because I don’t want you hurting yourself trying to find a way in. And just because I gave you a way in doesn’t mean you can come down every day. You only have so many seeds and each is good for a one-time-one-way trip. There are no do-overs nor repeats, you hear?”

“I hear.” He smiled softly down at her. “Thank you, Hades.”

“(y/n).”

He blinked. “Excuse me?”

“My name. It’s (y/n). You keep calling me ‘Hades.’ No doubt you got that from the myths too, but that’s just the name the mortals gave me. (y/n) is my true name.” She shuffled her feet anxiously, but Bucky couldn’t have been happier.

He didn’t know why, and perhaps she didn’t either, but she was opening up to him. It made him happy, and he figured that if she was willing to share something, he should too. “Then my name is Bucky. Only my mother calls me ‘James.’ To everyone else I’m Bucky.”

Her nose crinkled. “Bucky? Where the Hades did they get that from?”

“My middle name: Buchanan. I know it’s a little weird, but it’s the most familiar name to me. James just feels so formal and uptight; I’d much rather be Bucky.”

“Bucky,” she repeated, testing out the syllables on her tongue. “Alright, Bucky it is.” She straightened up and smiled at him, holding out her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Bucky. My name is (y/n), goddess of the dead and Queen of the Underworld.”

Bucky took her hand, a matching smile adorning his face. Her hand was cold as death, but he didn’t care. The warm feeling the contact brought to his chest was worth it. “It’s my pleasure, (y/n). I’m Bucky, god of spring. I hope we can get along and be friends.”

“Yes… Friends… I think I could get used to that.” She nodded and squeezed his hand. “Then, until next time.”

“Until then.” Letting go of her hand, he pulled away and mounted the ferry that had come to take him home. His eyes never once left her, not even when the boat pushed off and into the river. He only lost sight of her when he crossed over into the Mortal World and a wall of mist and fog separated them. He sighed as she vanished, turning to the ferryman—Phil Coulson, he thought was his name.

Phil looked down at him sympathetically. “You’re never going to stop coming down, are you?”

“No, I don’t think I am.” Bucky smiled softly up at him. “I guess you’ll be seeing me a bit more often now.”

“Oh joy. Yet another god I have to deal with.” Phil rolled his eyes. “I just hope you’re less of a pain in my ass than the others.”

Bucky chuckled. “I will do my best to be better than them.”

“Then we’ll get along just fine.” Phil smiled as they came to the mortal side of the Acheron and stopped at the bank. It was dawn now, the sun was just barely rising above the horizon.

Bucky frowned in confusion. “Morning already? It was night when I left and I know I wasn’t down there for that long. How is already morning?”

“Time seems to flow faster works in the Underworld,” Phil said as he tied the ferry to the land. “They say that death feels like nothing.” He pulled the ferry to a stop in the Mortal World and turned to Bucky. “You take care of yourself, godling.”

“You too, Phil.” Bucky stepped off the ferry and appeared again just outside the field where Steve and Sam should’ve been sleeping. He had to be quiet. This early in the morning, his friends were easily aroused and he didn’t want them to know he’d left.

Bucky had teleported right behind a tree where he had a full view of the field. Steve and Sam should’ve been sleeping in the middle of the meadow, but there was one body missing. Bucky frowned and crouched down. Where was Steve? Did he get up early? Oh shit, did he notice that Bucky was missing? Bucky held his breath as his eyes scanned the field, searching for his friend desperately.

“Looking for somebody?”

Bucky nearly screamed. He turned around, probably white with fear.

Steve had his hands on his hips and was glowering down at his best friend, his eyes intense and slightly pissed. “Where were you?”

“I… Uh…” Bucky had to lie, and lie now. “I went down the mountain to the village.”

“No, you didn’t. I checked there. I checked the whole island.” Steve’s glare only intensified. “Now, where were you?”

Next 7: Her Thoughts Conflict

#Bucky Barnes #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x you #bucky #bucky x you #bucky x reader #pragma(tic)#hades and persephone #hades & persephone #hades & persephone au #persephone!bucky x hades!reader #greek gods #greek au #greek mythology au #bucky barnes greek au

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trillian-anders · 4 years

Text

amor de mi vida - 1948

pairing: bucky barnes x latinx!reader

warnings: racism, prejudice, fluff, angst, smut

word count: 2423

description: Bucky Barnes is a sweet young Brooklyn boy, just on the cusp of manhood, a hopeless romantic that falls in love with almost every girl he sees. when he sets his eyes on a young girl fresh off the boat from Cuba he finds out how hard love can really be.

for @cake-writes 1940s challenge.

You told Bucky you were never having sex with him again.

Jaime was the eldest of three, Dia becoming a middle child, and those newborn cries you weren’t given the time to miss sounded from your bedroom at night every two hours like clockwork.

Grant was a handful. But he was so cute you forgave him for it. Jaime looked like his father with your coloring, Dia was an exact replica of you, but Grant, he had his father’s eyes. They just about knocked the wind out of you when they didn’t change from that milky newborn blue to brown. His sweet fat little cheeks and blue eyes.

Dia waddled her way over to you, holding onto the side of the couch and bouncing while looking at her father, babbling for his attention. Bucky peaks at her over his newspaper, the radio keeping Jaime preoccupied while he plays with a toy car Santa brought him for Christmas, making motorized sounds as he pushes it across the carpet.

Dia lets out a little screech. Bucky laughs and drops his paper, her little arms reaching out for him. He picks her up and settles her on his lap. Another screeching sound as she bounced, Bucky’s mouth blowing raspberries and tickling her. Grant was milk drunk and falling asleep on your breast.

“We need a vacation I think.” Bucky laughed, Dia pulling roughly on his hair that desperately needed to be cut. You smile softly, looking down at your newborn.

“Just you and me?” Dia screeches again, accidentally jumping on Bucky’s lap, feet first into his groin. He groans, lifting her off his lap,

“Just you and me.”

Martha Green was still talking to your husband. He was short with her, mostly ignoring while he mowed the lawn. You stood in the front window of the house, watching her. Leaning on the fence, pushing her breasts out, smiling. She was wearing a frilly pink dress and for a moment you envied how she had two kids and kept her figure, there was no secret that yours had filled out. Almost every dress you owned had been adjusted.

But Bucky had seemed just as insatiable as ever. He still kissed you a hundred times a day, he still pressed himself against your back at the sink, he’d grope your ass or breast in passing. A playful slap here or there. But he was respecting the fact that you weren’t comfortable enough to have sex again, not yet.

But maybe you were wrong for that.

Grant was three months old now and while the weight from Jaime didn’t stick to your tummy or hips, Dia and Grant certainly did. Bucky respected the fact that you weren’t ready, and not out of fear that you’d get pregnant again, which he was happy to buy rubbers for, but the change in your body was hard to deal with.

You loved your children more than life itself, and you heard the ‘girls steal your beauty’ more than once after Dia was born. That didn’t help.

Bucky had packed on muscle. And a lot of it. Between boxing and training with Steve. Completing missions, his arm had been upgraded to just about match his flesh arm, and he was sporting a six pack when he flexed. But luckily enough he seemed annoyed with her. Bucky could hold a grudge and the woman had called the police on you after all.

He glared at her, pulled the mower, and resumed cutting the grass. Grant wailed from behind you and you gave her one last look, her face clear with disappointment and annoyance before she stomped back into her house.

Later that night, after the kids were sleeping soundly, you knew Bucky wanted to have sex. He had a tell. “I just like looking at you.” He always says when you’d playfully tell him to stop, but his eyes stay on you as you wash your face and set your hair at the vanity. You could see how hard he was in the mirror. The gentle hands that began to massage your shoulders.

But the doubt and the insecurity from earlier was still nestled in your chest. You shrug his hands from your shoulders and step from the vanity, walking to your side of the bed and removing your robe before slipping under the covers. Bucky was looking at you from his spot still next to the vanity, debating,

“What’s wrong?” He asked. You’d known each other for nine years now, if he couldn’t tell something was wrong there would be a bigger problem in the marriage other than insecurity about extra weight. He squat next to your side of the bed, brushing his fingers across your cheek, cupping your face.

“Nothing.” You shake your head, pressing a kiss into his palm. “It’s nothing.” Three months was the longest the two of you had gone without sex since he’d gotten home from the war.

“It’s not nothing, talk to me.” You roll onto your back, rubbing your eyes, before looking back at him. Concern clear on his face.

“I uh…” You felt anxious, sitting up in bed he rested his chin on your knees, looking up at you. “Do you…” His hands found yours, thumbs brushing over the back of your hands. “I just…” You could feel yourself getting emotional, wanting to swallow it down.

“Dahlin, talk to me.” His voice was full of concern.

“Should I lose weight?” You ask him. “Do you think I’m…” His brow furrowed and he leaned back on his haunches.

“Is that what this is all about?” He asked. You let out a heavy sigh and nodded. “Sweetheart, I don’t care about any of that.” His hands left yours and held your hips. “You’ve given me three children,” Hands bunching your night dress, “You’re so beautiful.” A kiss to your knee. “If losing the baby weight is something that would make you happier, I’ll support you.” Kiss to your other knee, “But I don’t mind either way.” His hands met your hips under your night dress and pulled you closer to him, his lips trailing up your thigh. “I’ve loved you since the minute I first saw you.” Hot words against your thigh as his fingers twisted into your panties, tugging them down your hips, “Nothing is going to change that.”

Your back met the mattress as he placed your thighs on his shoulders, fingers intertwined with yours as his tongue met your clit. Back arching and soft moans, his hands leaving yours to grip your thighs and fondle your ass as his tongue pulled moans from your lips and made your hips roll against his face. You were quick to cum, his eyes hooded and mouth tangy with your release as he kissed you. The quiet shift of his boxers being dropped and he paused over you long enough to roll a rubber down his shaft.

Whispered love and affirmation as you joined for the first time in three months, hands gripping sheets and mouth muffled moans to keep from waking the kids.

Bucky made it a point to tell you that you’re beautiful daily after that. And he meant it, truly.

Bucky had gotten home midday in Spring, another mission done, tired to the bone. But from the kitchen sink he could see clear into the backyard. Jaime was in just his shorts, running around the backyard, enjoying the playset Steve had helped him build a few weeks before. Dia in her diaper following him, your sweet voice calling out to them and ‘ralentizar’ and ‘ven aquí’, Dia coming back to play with the blocks you laid out on the blanket that 6 month old Grant was currently banging together.

His eyes moved to you, a slip of a dress on, shoulders bare, laying back in a day of heat that was causing the flowers you’d planted to bloom. He admired you from the window. Your skin seemed to glow in the sunlight, hair in loose curls down your back the way he remembered seeing for the first time in that club so many years ago. A relaxed loose, carefree way he always wanted for you.

He sighed in contentment, leaning over the sink to stare out the window. Watching you lean back on your forearms, Grant’s one tooth smile grinning up at you, holding out his blocks and banging them together while he laughed.

Your dress business is being taken care of by five employees of your own now. You’d talked to him about maybe getting a building in the city, maybe with his backing you’d be able to open a small store. Once the summer was over, the two of you decided, after the vacation he’d been planning, then you’d work on opening a store in the city.

“I’ve never been away from them.” There was a little panic as Winnie took Grant from you. Bucky rubbed your arms, Jaime’s hands wrapped around your legs. He was already so fussy that day. Like he knew you both were leaving, he’d thrown three tantrums which caused Dia to be uncontrollably fussy, Grant was the only one who seemed content to go with whatever was going on.

“They’re going to be fine.” Bucky soothed. George was bribing Jamie with a toy, trying to pry him from your arms, but the two-year-old was not having it. His face red and wailing, arms wrapped around your neck as you hugged him goodbye. “It’s just a week sweetheart.” Your heart broke as you walked down the steps of the Barnes’ brownstone and to the car. Winnie having Grant wave goodbye and cooing to Dia and Jaime that the two of you will be back and that they’re going to have so much fun.

Howard had a beach house in the Hamptons, quiet and secluded. Far away from anyone able to protest and argue. A beautiful house with large bay windows and natural light. Bucky was unpacking the groceries, your shared suitcase by the front door still, while you looked out at the crashing waves. This was your home for the next week. And while you’d sit on the phone with Winnie each night, asking her to hold your babies up to the phone, you couldn’t help but be relieved for finally having some kind of break.

The sun was going down, both of you warm with it, sleepily laying in the sun listening to the waves crash. No kids to care for, no responsibility, just the two of you. You’d eaten cold cut sandwiches and had started drinking at lunchtime, followed by an indecent amount of kissing and fondling on the blanket in the sand.

He blocked out your sun, leaning over your frame, mouth consuming and hot, malty from the taste of liquor.

“I’ve missed this.” He said, your face on his chest, fingers dancing down your back. “Just being the two of us.” You hummed, sleepy and a little drunk.

“Me too.” His hat is halfway propped onto his face, he continues,

“Once the kids grow up and move out,” He says, “Maybe we could retire up here.” You hum, knowing that it probably won’t be possible, not unless they abolish segregation, but who knows. Maybe one day, maybe when you retire forty years from now things will be different.

Maybe.

The bath is big enough for the both of you and once the sand is rinsed from your bodies you find yourself there, sinking into the warm water, your back to his chest. Bucky tried his best to make it romantic, all the candles, the oils in the bath. A bath that wasn’t littered with toys and having the ability to bathe longer than five minutes was a definite advantage.

The days that followed were much like the first, a steady routine you both created in the absence of the normal routine you had at home. Automatically formed out of habit.

The sex was passionate and much needed. The ability to love each other openly without worry of a baby crying or interrupting in any way. Bucky’s stamina was unparalleled. You’d even risked it out on the sand, swimsuit bottoms pulled to the side, legs over his shoulders, moaning against the sound of the waves beating on the shore.

You’d lost count of the times you called the Lord’s name in vain. Dumb and babbling with it. Bucky’s back was littered with deep red marks that weren’t given time to disappear. A revitalization for your marriage, with a realization that you’d been together for eight years. Married for six.

You celebrate your anniversary in the Hamptons, definitely not on your anniversary, and eat cake naked on the kitchen floor.

“Okay,” You hum, “You look beautiful.” Peggy gave a watery smile in the mirror, the satin and lace wedding gown draped over her body accenting every curve she had. You smiled at her, your dark blue bridesmaid dress a stark contrast.

Turning she grasps your hands and holds them between the two of you, her nails red lacquered and pale.

“Thank you for being here.” She lets out a heavy sigh from nerves, “I don’t have many girlfriends.” You shake your head,

“You’re my friend,” A grin, “Of course I’m here.”

A small ceremony, not much fuss, that’s what Peggy wanted but certainly not what she settled on. It was a little larger, with a lot more flowers, and a bigger audience than she expected. She was marrying Captain America after all. They’d gotten requests from reporters, people wanting to take pictures as the couple took their vows, but they were told a hasty ‘no’ and now sat outside the church waiting to snap a picture of the newlyweds as they left.

You cried. Standing across from Bucky as he stood behind Steve. You tried not to, but you couldn’t help it. Not just for the happiness of the marriage, but the love you could feel from your friends. Bucky met your eye and smiled, eyes watering as well, clapping with everyone else as Peggy and Steve shared their first kiss as husband and wife.

Bucky met you behind them while they walked down the aisle, pulling you tightly into his side. “Do you regret that ours wasn’t like this?” You met his eyes and they were watery, he seemed upset. You shake your head, pressing a kiss to his lips, the congregation more focused on Captain America and his bride.

The love you felt for him chokes you and you begin to cry, “Not at all.”

taglist // @corneliabarnes @bookish-shristi @saturnki @jennmurawski13 @geeksareunique @albinotigerpython @cake-writes @iheartsebastianstan @000bananaclip000 @shadowbusiness @sprinkleofbooty @gifsbysimplysonia @vhsbarnes @loseralert @wendaiii @mcueveryday @alwaysbenhardysgirl @beck-alicious @thefandomzoneisdangerous

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes #1940s!bucky barnes #sebastian stan #steve rogers #peggy carter #latinx!reader #latina!reader

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jarofrebuke-transcripts · 3 years

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Jar of Rebuke Episode 1 Unofficial Transcript

Season 1 Episode 1: Pilot

INTRO

The following audio recording is classified documentation for Case [audio distortion] with the Enclosure. Unauthorized access to this information will lead to immediate intervention. Progress further if proper clearance has been given.

JARED

Dr. Daman has suggested that I start an audio journal of some kind, something outside of my therapy sessions to help me track my progress or whatever. Considering I don't have much of anything that's mine anymore, she suggested that this might actually be a good way to reclaim some of my individuality. Maybe talking about what I do know of myself might help me remember more. So I guess I'll start with what I know. My name is Dr. Jared Hel. I'm a field researcher for the Enclosure. I specialize in studying the particularly dangerous creatures around here. For some reason, no matter their effect on others, nothing is permanent on me. Gods, the amount of times I've died this last year is probably more than I should ever care to admit. I guess it's a blessing in disguise though, it's job security, for one thing. A scientist who can't die no matter how dangerous the entity he's studying? I think I'm set. Sure, I may bounce back from death with a few more scars but they're relatively healed up and I'm rarely ever in much pain when I wake up. Though, to be fair, if the Enclosure just left these creatures alone I’m sure this wouldn't even be an issue in the first place, but no... they just gotta meddle.

I started working at the enclosure, what, two years ago? Though I've really only been on the field for less than a year. Apparently, I worked at a different research site for some other organization before that but I don't really remember anything from before two years ago. I supposedly transferred here to research a particularly dangerous subject, the one that... um... well the one that killed my team. And me, I guess. The most frustrating thing is the lack of remembering- I don't remember any of their names, their faces, nothing. I had to relearn absolutely everything and no matter what I relearn I never remember. It's so infuriating knowing that there's a whole childhood and more that I have yet to recollect anything from. I feel so left out of reminiscent conversations, you know? Well of course you know, I'm practically talking to myself here. All I know of myself before the incident is what was on my work file- top of my class graduate from IU, but I don't remember a damn thing about my time there. Apparently there's a lot of fields around there, though I guess that's not too different from the towns around here. Born and raised in those corn fields, according to my records. No documented family to speak of. But from what other folks in the lab have shared about their families- maybe I’m not missing out on too much.

When asked about getting in touch with the folks from the other facility that I worked at they didn't seem to think that it would be too helpful. Hell, how would they even know who to put me in touch with? Wasn't like they would have documented my friends or anything. So again, nothing. Story of my damn life. And of course there's Todd. Oh I’m sorry, Dr Todd Carmen. He's currently head of operations at the enclosure. He's, uh, I'll say he's a character. Not as unique as he thinks he is but certainly not boring, but just because something isn't boring doesn't mean that it's entertaining. He has a fashion sense that I would have never personally considered wearing, but um that shade of orange with his pale complexion? Simply bold choices in my opinion. But I'm sure he'll get himself sorted out someday. Besides all that though I guess it's not too bad. Job security with benefits- apparently a lot of jobs don't offer health insurance. Though with our line of work it's kind of necessary, to keep us alive.

Uh, what else do I know? The Enclosure is an organization based out in the middle of absolute nowhere that researches the various anomalies, but really only bothers with the particularly dangerous ones. Like, really dangerous ones. I mean bigfoot, mothman, that sort of stuff they really just leave to their own devices for the most part. Sure they hurt and even I guess sometimes kill people, but not a lot of people, and enough people already know about those things to not really hide them away now. Wichton is like two hours from any other town. It's guised as a farming town. Uh well no, it is a farming town but the enclosure has taken it as its guise. Most of the facilities are underground, deep underground. They paid off all the townsfolk back when they were building to not ask questions. And considering they built it during a massive economic depression, no one asked questions, the townsfolk took the money. But there's still some circulating rumors about us to this day, of course. As long as we keep the particularly dangerous creepy crawlies underground with us they've got no reason to worry too much. Sure, sometimes things sneak out and make weird noises in the fields at night but country folk are superstitious folk, and if nothing else it's what these people have known all their lives. Suspicious lights, weird noises and mutated deer don't even faze these people. The Enclosure picks its battles when it decides what to tackle, that's for damn sure. Not like they're an international brand or anything, they only have the resources to stick to these neck of the woods, and with all the anomalies in these parts, not really surprised that they settled here. Been here for nearly 100 years and have very little idea why it's such a supernaturally charged area. Some say it might be the fact that folks are so superstitious that it basically invites the energy here. But others think there's a reason, but it ain't my department to figure that out. The hardest part of the job is getting things into the facility. But sometimes the hot shots up top decide to just have us study those things from afar since taking them out of their established locations seems impossible. So many ladies in gray and white dresses all over the place, we can't exactly make a support group for them here or anything! Not when they're out busy haunting dunes or lakes or crying by the side of the road or whatever. Not really hurting anyone all that much, so they've mostly just been left alone. We keep tabs, but we also don't always interfere. Oh and being the sacrificial lamb is a bit annoying, but I bounce back quickly enough. Death has gotten less disorienting over time, but no less annoying.

What did I do today? Well... I had a shorter day, shift-wise, so I went in at like 6 a.m, then got out around one-ish. I was supposed to leave closer to noon but I ended up having to stop at Dr. Rahal’s office for a bit for my headaches. They've been getting worse and we don't really know why. At least they come and go in waves, so I get some peace at times. It's always nice to see Dr. Rahal though, he's been the nicest to me since I started at this place, from what I can remember at least. He's one of the Enclosure physicians who I've been seeing. From anything to work related injuries that aren't too severe to these headaches. I swear I've never met a guy in my life who can smile so genuinely and be so sincerely happy over just about anything. It'd honestly be annoying if it weren't so sincere and if he also weren't so genuinely nice. He's really trying to help with these headaches but medicine doesn't really ever help and the medical scans showed nothing that would indicate any issue. I mean, not that they let me see the medical scans. I guess I wouldn't understand them anyways, even if they did let me.

Dr. Rahal thinks that it's likely stress so that takes us back to therapy with Dr. Daman. Had a session after work, which was when she suggested that I really start this up. She's suggested it before but I kind of dismissed the idea until today. She made a very good point- what's the harm in doing it? I mean, it can't make the headaches worse and even if it doesn't help me remember anything, maybe getting things off my chest could help in some way. Therapy was uneventful, not like much happens in a week, just the usual work stuff mostly. Though I have started going out after work a bit more often, even if it's just to a local shop or to grab a bite to eat. Dr. Daman suggested a few months back that I socialize a bit more, and it's been kind of nice. Weird, but nice. I've mostly stuck to myself outside of work, honestly. Well, besides those community events that you're basically ostracized if you don't attend or you get bombarded with those calls of “where were you last night? We were so worried about you, are you okay?”, even if you don't remember giving them your number. I like to go to a restaurant in town called the Royal Cow, they make the best in-house ice cream. They built it to look like one of those red farm houses which matches most of the buildings in town, but their mint chocolate chip ice cream is basically the best ice cream I've ever had. They also make really, really good sugar cream pie. Get it when it's still fresh, it's a little warm, melts in the mouth. I mean it basically cures any hankering for a sweet tooth. So that's what I ordered- a fresh slice of sugar cream pie. But that was my dessert. They do also have some pretty good not-sweet foods. Their lunch menu is alright but their breakfast food is really where it's at. And they do that breakfast all day thing, so I got their breakfast platter which is really, really good food.

On my way home, I bumped into Darius. He's the son of some local farmers in town. His dads have an apple orchard, on top of everything else. The Enclosure actually keeps tabs on their farm, because no matter what his dad John plants, apples always grow. I mean no matter what John plants. He could plant pumpkin seeds in the fall but no apple trees are gonna spring up and I'll be damned if those aren't the best apples. I mean sometimes crab apples grow instead, he can't really control what kind of apples grow, but John has found a way to make crab apples into really good apple pies and ciders and stuff. I've heard they make good jams and jellies, but he perfected a crab apple pie. He said it's “just a lot of love” but I think there's something with those apple trees. But again, not my department to figure it out. Darius and I made small talk. The weather, mostly. So mostly just complaining about how it wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't so humid or if we just had a nice breeze, but the shade does help. He always makes excuses to talk to me. I'm not complaining, but that does seem to be a thing around town is everyone makes excuses to talk to everybody. Like the one time that Holly stopped me in the middle of the road to chat when we were passing each other. It's a community norm, I guess, but Darius always wants to talk again. I'm not complaining, he's a really nice conversational partner we can chat about just about anything with certain obvious restrictions. He knows I work at the Enclosure, but folks in town seem to think it's some hoity-toity but shady government job. I don't really think we're tied to the government, per se, but whatever lie they've told the towns is just what I stick with. Whether or not they believe that is entirely another story. He knows I'm a scientist, but he thinks i'm more of an environmental natural scientist instead of a supernatural scientist. I guess whether or not he believes that is an entirely other story too, but we don't really talk about work much. On my end I don't bring it up and while he does talk about working on the family farm from time to time, especially because they expect for him to take over, he tries to find other things to talk about. He's gone back to school recently. They recently in town set up a sort of trade school, I guess, where if anyone's considered a master in town they can teach classes to teach other people in whatever skills they have to share. Seems Darius is taking a bit of a Home Ec class, I guess, sewing and cooking and things like that. He said that he's great with his hands in the field but he really wants to round out his hand skills. He then awkwardly chuckled after that but I don't understand why. I mean it's completely respectable to want to be able to stitch up your own clothes or actually have a nice dinner besides the reheated leftovers left on your doorstep or to know what to do when your microwave catches fire. Honestly, I don't really know what all they teach in those classes. I'd never even heard of something like a Home Ec class until Darius told me about it. I wonder if I ever took one. If i wasn't so busy with work I would actually look into taking classes. I like to learn and Darius even said that he'd be more than happy to help me with anything if I needed it which is nice. But I'm a really fast learner. I actually get bored a lot because of it. I don't see why anyone would need five months or years of training or educating. No, I can see why. I also just know that I am the anomaly. When I forgot everything and had to relearn how to read I was at a 10th grade reading level. By what, just a few weeks? And then I was at college level again in a matter of a month. But even though I was relearning stuff quick I never remembered anything. I never remembered books I've read before the incident, I never remembered learning how to read the first time, I just was quickly relearning how to read. I don't even know if you would consider remembering how to read. I mean I'm never remembering anything. I don't even remember the creature that I was working with in the incident. And no one will tell me anything, because they said they want me to remember organically, or something like that. They said they feared something like a trauma, whiplash? I really don't understand it and it just pisses me off more than anything. But Dr. Daman won't budge. No one will let me look over any files of the incident or files on the other lab techs who died. They slapped this key around my neck and said, “here, to keep your brain in check. Oh, you literally remember nothing? Well tough luck, see this therapist and see what happens!” Ugh. They said if it weren't for my weird powers then the incident would have killed me too. They said they don't know why I have this ability to rebound from death like it nearly never happened but they sure are willing to use my ability for work.

Right, the key. Uh, when I woke up the first thing the doctors did was have me wear it around my neck. It’s on some sort of sturdy red cord. I've never taken the thing off in years. You would think that it may have faded a bit or that the cord would have worn, but no. Cord is still sturdy and the key is just as shiny as the day they gave it to me, which isn't that shiny, it was a bit tarnished already, but hasn't gotten any more tarnished. It's supposed to keep my brain in check after the effects of, well, the incident. Dr. Daman says that if I take it off, I risk unlearning absolutely everything that I've learned in the last two years. I don't know why the key is supposed to be the thing that does this, but this is the only time that death has ever made me lose everything, so I figured what's the harm in wearing it. Not like it hurts to wear or anything.

Darius has asked me about it before though. Not when we first met or anything but after multiple times of running into each other he finally asked. I get asked about it a lot but I just say that it's a familial trinket and they tend to just leave it be. But darius had asked after we'd shared a few drinks at a local bar and even though I have a bit of a high tolerance for alcohol and never stay drunk long, he seemed to ask at just the right moment for me to open up a bit more, I guess. I said it's a comfort item, which I guess isn't exactly the whole truth, I actually honestly hate this thing. A constant reminder of all the things that I've forgotten. But I guess there's slight comfort and knowing that because of this key everything that I've relearned will stick. They say it's important to understand all that you don't know, but I know all too well that I've got at least 20 years of things that I don't remember. But hey, with this key I guess i can rebuild that. I must have seemed uncomfortable about this question where he was satisfied with that answer because Darius let it go after that, but I catch him staring at it sometimes. He's asked what I know about skeleton keys, and all things considered I didn't know much, at least didn't remember. He told me that his dads both told him about the powers that keys hold, not just to lock things but even more importantly to unlock them. That a skeleton key could lock or unlock any door to a given building, no matter what other keys people had, commonly used by cleaners and inn owners and stuff like that. He really seems fixated on the idea and I guess the symbolism is a bit striking with my current situation considering... whatever. The less he knows the better. It would be nice to talk to someone outside of the enclosure about more personal stuff from time to time but I can't go around spilling secrets.

Right, my day. Uh, lunch, talked with Darius, uh... after about 15 minutes of “all right I should get going”-s and taking a few steps apart, starting to have talked about other topics and repeating the process, I finally started home. On my way home I drove past some corn fields and various other pastures. The Enclosure gave me a house near the edge of town because after a year of rigorous relearning I didn't want to live in their communal housing anymore. It's not too far from Darius's family orchard and farm which is nice. Nicest farm in the area, in my opinion. There's no real rivalry between the farmers, at least nothing too intense. But something about those trees in the distance out of my window is really relaxing. All the cattle I passed on my way home had moved to face the same direction near the fences and stared into the distance mindlessly grazing. That and the clouds rolling in were very strong indicators that there was going to be a heck of a storm tonight. I didn't listen to the weather announcement this morning but the sky's only gotten darker now so i'm ready to sleep like the dead tonight. But when I was pulling into my driveway I saw something rustling in the bushes by my front door. I thought maybe it was a squirrel or a rabbit or something but then two tiny hands parted the leaves and I saw one of those black-eyed children just sitting there staring at me. I normally only see them at night. I guess it was waiting for me to come home to loiter on my doorsteps or something, I don't know. When I got out of the car I was surprised when it actually climbed out of the bush and just rigidly stared at me with those lifeless black eyes. I got my stuff out of my car and made my way to the door, but it was kind of standing in the way. I just slid on by it with a muttered apology and slipped inside before I could start whispering requests for entrance. Never making that mistake again. No matter how much I want to let them in my house got all sorts of messed up last time and I got a heck of a scolding at work when they found out. I don't shoo them away, but I don't let them in anymore. It was really weird, they normally only come knocking or waiting by the sides of the road at night, I had never seen one in the middle of the afternoon. Once I got settled in I pulled out a book, a crossword book I was gifted at the last community bonfire. I blow through these things really fast but I really like them, so Christine gave me like five of them, all different, claimed that she found the most difficult ones that she could find, which is really sweet. She even wrote little notes on the inside cover of each of them so I've ended up actually keeping them when i'm done so I can reread her notes when I need a little pick-me-up. Whether a crossword book or a little box of treats she always writes uplifting notes and anecdotes inside any gifts she gives anyone, all signed with the most beautiful cursive- “with love, Christine Torres”. She really mothers everyone in town, at least that's what I've noticed. This one is a real toughy, which I like. That's mostly what I've been up to since I got home. I decided that I'd take a break from doing, well, this. Dr. Daman was adamant about me giving it a shot so here we are. Me, myself and I. Oh sorry, hold on, work email. (Whispered: who am i even apologizing to?) Well now, wait a minute. A new lab partner? Dr. Gia Castillo. Why the hell did they give me a new lab partner? I guess I'm meeting her in the morning. I hate it when Todd pulls this, but I’ve got no say in the matter. The usual. But I hate sudden change.

I'm tired, I'm reheating some food Mrs. Weddington gave me and going to bed. I can hear the thunder starting to get louder and that kid outside tapping on my door so I guess I should try and get some sleep. Guess I'll talk to you later? This is actually kind of nice, saying whatever I want without worries. (little laugh) I'm already dreading tomorrow. Well this is Dr. Jared Hel, signing off, I guess.

[tapping sounds, and sounds of thunder, as we fade into the outro]

OUTRO

Jar of Rebuke is written and produced by Casper Oliver, who is also the voice of Dr Jared Hel. The intro is read by Vanessa Rosengrant, and credits are read by Ashley Craft, who has also created the podcast official graphics. Music was created by Luke Menniss, spelled m-e-n-n-i-s-s, who you can find and support on Bandcamp, Spotify and Twitch. Find us on Twitter, Instagram and anywhere else you get your podcast fix for more Jar of Rebuke and also to get updates on upcoming official merch for our show. Support projects by this crew on Patreon to further other queer-lead projects and get neat perks. All donations are appreciated and will grant further clearance to special Jar of Rebuke content. You can also make one-time donations on Ko-fi.

#jar of rebuke #jar of rebuke podcast #jor podcast #jar of rebuke transcripts

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volganic · 4 years

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Song of Awakening

[part 1] [part 2] [part 3] [part 4] [part 5] [part 6] [part 7] [part 8] || [AO3] || [discord]

i didnt mean to take two months to update but ive been playing among us and now i have ideas for an among us au that i’ll never write

“I have to go back to the woods!”

“Absolutely not.”

They spent the better half of the morning bickering with each other: Link needed to complete his mission — the sole reason for leaving the castle — and Volga wouldn’t allow it. The dragon argued he was unconvinced that Link’s grief had fully passed for his fallen comrades; a wandering mind would only land him into more trouble if he wasn’t careful. Pinks and oranges of the early dawn bled into blue, and Link was growing impatient with Volga’s stubbornness. He folded his arms and stared the dragon down.

“I’m going back.”

“I won’t allow it.”

“I’m flattered that you think I need your protection, but I really don’t,” Link huffed. “If I don’t finish my tasks in Faron Woods, even you can’t protect me from the general’s wrath.”

“I would never keep you from your duties as the hero, but you are no hero yet,” Volga snapped. He rose from his seat with his spear in hand, drawing closer to take his turn to intimidate his smaller companion. “One Manhandla sapling is of no danger to you or your army — let it sprout. You are lying. There’s nothing in those woods for you except another death wish.”

The Hylian refused to listen, bristling in his spot. “That’s where you’re wrong, Volga. There’s something else in there too, and after I kill the sapling, I’m going to find it.”

“Then I shall accompany you—”

“No!” Link put his foot down to interrupt Volga from spouting out another excuse or insult. “I can handle it alone from here. If I can’t do it, it only goes to show that maybe I’m not worth bearing the Triforce. I have to prove myself worthy.”

Their eyes fell downward to Link’s gauntlet. Where Link might have considered the outcome of his last venture into the woods as cowardice, Volga saw it as means to survive. The Triforce was a sign of status; if this was how Link wanted to prove (to nobody but his goddesses) himself as worthy, Volga could allow it.

The spear in his grip slackened. With a grumble, he spoke. “Very well. If it puts your mind at ease, I will honor your decision.”

Link’s posture relaxed as his face broke into a sheepish smile. Maybe he’d win a lot of arguments from this point on if he used this excuse. He adjusted the holster holding his blade behind his back. “I’ll hold you to it; don’t think I forgot how you managed to sneak up on me last time.”

Volga turned away and grunted in response.

“Hey now,” the Hylian approached, placing a tentative hand on Volga’s arm, “I appreciate all you’ve done for me, but I also need supplies from the village below. As much as I like suffocating against your dragon body at night, I think I can manage a night of sleep with a decent bedroll!” Volga shot him a glare. Link smiled a bit wider, but his expression softened. “In all seriousness, thank you. You’re really a great friend.”

Link gave the dragon’s limb a quick and gentle squeeze — a wordless promise to return when his mind was clear.

——

The sun had yet to reach its highest point when the Hylian managed to enter the deepest part of the grove. The environment was serene, peaceful — a little too quiet for his liking. There were dangerous creatures that lived in these woods, he knew, and to not even hear the song of a bird or the buzz of an insect’s wings through the air perturbed him. The only sounds that reached his ears were the leaves rustling against the breeze with the occasional sound of twigs and gravel being crushed under his boots.

The wooden bridge that led to an old Hyrulean outpost creaked underneath his weight, threatening to give out from the lack of use. It was useful back when he and Impa had led their small brigade when they had first encountered Lana, but the lack of upkeep since those few months had left the fortress withered and decaying, succumbing to the depths of the forest. Even if it had been months ago, the magic that lived in this place left it looking as if it hadn’t been used in centuries.

Careful to cross the bridge through the other side of the outpost and to another keep, Link found what he was looking for — sort of. A Manhandla sapling in bloom lay in the center of the clearing where sunlight could seep through the branches overhead. Upon closer inspection, Link found that the bud itself had been ripped cleanly out of the plant. He took his sword in hand and approached it even closer, leery of finding it in hiding. The tip of his blade poked and prodded and turned the leaves over to find any evidence of the carnivorous creature.

From the looks of it, either someone had done his job for him, killing the Manhandla sprout — or someone was bold enough to pluck it while in its sapling stage and grow it elsewhere.

While he was no botanist, the Hylian knew that it had to come to either of those outcomes; Manhandla in its sprouting stages weren’t mobile yet at this size. His mouth fell into a puzzled frown. Mission accomplished? As an added measure, Link staked the tip of the Magical Sword into the ground underneath where the Manhandla should have been, uprooting it from the earth. It wouldn’t hurt to make sure there's no chance of another one growing in its place, he thought, covering his nose and mouth with the folds of his scarf as his heels dug into and tore the leaves of the plant, cautious of its toxic dust.

Now it was mission accomplished.

——

The doors to the fairy fountain deep were heavy as Link pushed them to open. Clearly they haven’t been used since Farore knows when, kudzu and overgrowth nearly sealing the doors shut. If it weren’t for his sense of direction leading him astray from the forest path, fear of getting lost in these mysterious woods, and the crumbling staircase leading him there, he would’ve never found it.

The air inside the fountain was... different. It smelled wet, but held a crisp clean air about it as if unbothered by time outside of its doors, even with the scuffle with evil forces not so long ago. The Hylian tentatively stepped inside with sword in hand, half-expecting to be ambushed by something. Or someone. He couldn’t shake the feeling of someone watching him as he moved to the middle of the room, watching for any shadows that moved behind the stained glass window on the fountain’s wall. When there was no promise of a threat, Link sheathed his weapon and approached the edge of the fountain. Despite the withered and crumbling rock around the edge, numerous flowers floated across the water as if they were freshly picked.

Strange, he thought. Rumor had it that the Great Fairies often made themselves known to those of pure in mind and soul – something he would definitely argue he possessed. His ears picked up the faintest echo of a woman laughing, but paid it no mind – whoever it was, she was too far away for him to consider her an immediate threat. Delicately Link splashed his hand in the water, pulling some of the flowers toward his direction. The tips of his fingers barely grazed its petals before the water in the fountain began bubbling.

Uh oh.

Link staggered backwards as a torrential wave of water erupted from the shallow water of the fountain. An infectious and jovial laugh assaulted his ears and a large shadow obscured the streaks of sunlight that poured the window. He felt dazed for only a moment, clothing soaking wet from the eruption and the water that dripped from the ceiling before he lay witness to a rather giant woman now in front of him. She studied him with a sultry eye and hummed pleasantly.

“O, hero of Hyrule,” she cooed, beckoning him with a manicured finger, “come into my fountain! Don’t be shy.”

His face flushed in embarrassment with the sudden realization that this was the Great Fairy. He never expected her to be not only outrageously “tall”, but voluptuous and seductive; the stories he had heard from merchants who had set up shop outside of the castle walls about the fairies did her no justice. Link pushed himself up and brushed off any rubble (he had to look at least somewhat decent in front of a lady) and obeyed, stepping over the edge of the fountain into its cool waters. Immediately whatever worry that lingered in his body seemed to wash away much more effectively than the springs on Death Mountain.

“What brings you here, my hero?” The Great Fairy invited him to sit closer to her. Link inched over and brought his hands up to sign. She leaned forward and delicately pushed his hands down. “There’s no need for that,” she winked. “I know what gifts the goddesses have bestowed upon you, and your secret is safe with me.”

He opened his mouth to argue, but quickly quashed it. Inhale, exhale. “How do you know about it?”

“Oh, my love,” she laughed cheerfully, “I know many things. I might be the closest thing to Hylia herself! It’s a wonder that people pray and come to me for guidance.” The Fairy stretched out on her stomach, hovering only inches above the water and giving her undivided attention to her guest. “I know that the guardian of Eldin is the one to have awakened your divine gift, and that he is keeping a close eye on you as your mentor. I can only hope that he continues to treat you well.”

Link sighed wearily at the mention of his friend — Volga would have easily objected to coming into any fairy fountain. “He does… in his own way.” A pause. “Do you know anything more about him?”

The Great Fairy chuckled softly. “That I am not inclined to say, dear hero.” Link then decided she knew more than she was letting on if she knew that they were friends in the first place. “You’ve come to seek me for guidance, have you not?” she asked, changing the subject. “How may I be of service?”

“Do you know anything about the witch, Cia? And Lana? What are their goals? What can I expect?” The Great Fairy cupped her hand under the water to slowly pour it over his head, sensing his unease. Nervously, he rubbed the back of his neck, shivering with the feeling of the cool water trickling down his collar as it alleviated his nerves slightly to prepare him for any life-changing revelations. “Do you think I’m prepared enough to take the role of the legendary hero?”

“My love,” she began, “I offer guidance and assistance, not opinions or visions of the future. I cannot tell you exactly what you must do to fully prepare yourself for the coming battle. I will be here to assist you when you need me the most in your most dire hour. What the goddesses have intended for you is out of my control. Your fate is in their hands.”

Link feared for the worst, expression growing downcast with the answers he was given. “However,” she interrupted, “I can tell you that it is more than admirable that you have come so far in your ordeals. You make a fine hero as you are now. I have no doubt that you will do only the best for Hyrule… even if you are grounded on his mountain.” She winked, her pink lips spreading into a sincere smile. Link could only smile back feeling how infectious hers was.

“Thank you.”

“Always a pleasure,” she purred, reaching out to affectionately prod his cheek. The Great Fairy then rolled onto her back, dramatically throwing an arm over her face. “You must go now if there’s nothing more I can do to assist you, as much as I’d love to keep you here for myself. Your soul is bound to another, after all.”

Link felt his cheeks burn with the thought that the Great Fairy – the Great Fairy! – had found him appealing, but shook those thoughts out of his mind. Of course, legend always had found the hero bound to the princess. At least, it always presented itself that way. It wasn’t a destiny he would have personally chosen for himself, as he hasn’t had much interaction with Princess Zelda in the first place, but if the goddesses dictated it, so be it. As long as he served for Hyrule, he would serve for her. He stood silently and stepped out of the fountain with that in mind.

“You will find your other half in the most unlikely of times, my love — in fact, you might have found it already!” she exclaimed suddenly when Link neared the entrance. He blinked and turned to look at her to ask what she meant, but she cut him off. “Please, do not hesitate to come see me again. It gets awfully lonely here.”

The Great Fairy made her exit with a dive and a splash into the short pool of water, laughing all the while. Link turned away to save himself from getting drenched again, finding that the woman was indeed gone, nothing but freshly picked flowers and a few silent fairies fluttering over the water’s edge in her wake.

——

“Massster! Human isss back! He bringsss thingsss!”

Volga turned away from the ores he had been attending to when the sound of the younger Lizalfos scouts pattering after their chieftain echoed off the rock walls. Their arms were filled with items that definitely had no place in his caves. He grumbled at the sight; Link might have been simple at first glance, but the items he had gathered in excess proved that he was going to be a pain in Volga’s side.

“Where is he now?”

“Bottom of mountain! Climbing ssslowly!”

“He may be a friend to our clan, but he will not treat you like his dogs,” he scowled, gesturing for them to drop whatever items Link had pushed onto them to the side. The scouts obeyed without a second wasted while their chieftain apprehensively drew to Volga’s side.

“He asssk nicely. We help.”

“The boy is more capable of carrying his own rubbish up the mountain.” Volga’s frown remained. The chieftain stood patiently for any more orders. The dragon released a drawn out sigh and waved his kin away. “You have my leave to go. I will take care of the rest.”

With the clear dismissal, the chieftain scurried off further into the chambers of the caves, leaving Volga with his hoard of ores — and Link’s hoard of belongings. The dragon turned to the discarded items with a look of disgust. He left his own pile to sift through Link’s things; what on earth could he possibly need? Underneath the pile of clothes including his green tunic, there were a number of small bottles of potions, larger flasks of fragrant soups and broth, a few rupees here and there, a mirror — useless, useless things!

“What are you doing?”

Volga turned back to the entrance of the cavern. Link stood there with an incredulous expression having caught the dragon red-handed going through his things. He looked so different outside of his uniforms, clad only in a longer sleeved shirt that made him look like someone he wasn’t: someone lost; someone vulnerable; someone who shouldn’t be within his domain. Volga carelessly tossed the small mirror back into the pile. “You’re able to handle yourself, so why, I wonder, you use my kin to transport your rubbish up the mountain, I’m curious. Clearly it wasn’t worth the time.”

Link’s mouth formed a small frown. “If I’m offered help, I’m not gonna turn it down.” He pushed the sleeves up of his shirt up to his elbows and pushed through Volga to tend to the bottles. As callous as they were treated, none of them were broken. “I could have brought more, you know.”

“Essentials, I understand and commend you for. The mirror, however, is excessive.”

“Old habits die hard,” said the Hylian with a small hum in his voice. “I like mirrors. Appearances are important to keep up within the castle walls: I can’t act my part as a captain if I don’t look like one.” Carefully he picked up the round mirror and looked himself over in it. He couldn’t bring himself to look for too long; his hair was in disarray and dark circles began to form around his eyes from lack of proper sleep or rest; the exact opposite image of a hero.

“If you have the strength to uphold your title, appearances mean nothing. As battered and broken as you look now, I’m well aware of what you are capable of.” The dragon strode back over to his own belongings, taking one long glance at the ores in their respective pails. He had more than enough to trade. “It’s well into the evening. You need to rest.”

Link nodded in agreement. “I also told you I��d bring my own bedroll. The caves are a little warm for me, and it’s not too cold out—”

“Sleeping outside?” Volga asked. “To leave yourself exposed? I think not.”

“You’re free to follow if you want, but I’ve already made up my mind,” Link announced, pulling his scarf tighter around his neck and tucking his bundle underneath his arm as he made his way back outside. The rest of his belongings wouldn’t move anywhere. It took a good amount of restraint not to laugh when he heard Volga’s heavy footsteps following him a few paces away, but that didn’t stop him from smiling at his companion when he found a decent spot to settle down. “I take it you’ve never slept outside of the caves?”

“Why would I?” he bit back, crossing his arms over his chest to brave himself from the gentle breeze tickling his cheek. The temperature wasn’t at its lowest yet; Link really was a fool if he thought only a blanket and scarf were enough. “They offer all the protection you could need.”

“That’s true, but only if you’re either a dragon or have the means to survive in the heat.” Even with the fireshield earrings, the caves provided a little too much warmth. Waking up feeling uncomfortably sticky from sweat wasn’t necessarily pleasant. “I’ve never thanked you properly for the earrings before, but you nearly burned my ear off when I had the chance. So thanks for that, too.” Link’s face twisted into a pout at the memory, but it didn’t stop him from patting the grass next to him to invite the dragon closer. “At least here outside you can see the sky.”

“And that leaves you exposed to the elements, too, boy,” Volga said with a tone that clearly painted him as annoyed. Regardless, Link took satisfaction when the dragon made an effort to humor him by taking the spot next to him at least an arm’s length away. The dragon removed his helmet and held it to his chest as he laid down. It felt strange being so close to home, yet so far away, left vulnerable to the bitter cold that crept underneath every crevice of his armor. A puff of smoke left his lips to try and regulate his body temperature. The sound of Link shuffling around in his bedroll couldn’t drown out his amusement. “Is there something you find funny?”

“No.” Though the scarf around his neck concealed most of the Hylian’s face, it was obvious that he was lying. Volga held his stare, but turned away when it was clear that Link wasn’t going to budge. This was stupid. He couldn’t fathom why he continued to play in Link’s games, but he never had also expected to take him under his wing. It was like an itch he couldn’t scratch, but keeping Link so close seemed to soothe it, and, despite the immaturity he displayed more often than he should, the Hylian was slowly fitting into his hero role. That enough was satisfactory.

“Have you ever been to the village below?”

Volga’s eyes remained closed. “No. I have no interest in mingling among those beneath me.”

“Do you even have friends?” Link propped himself up on his arms. “And before you say your scouts or chieftains, they don’t count. I mean anyone outside your tribe.”

“I have you,” Volga said, “but sometimes I wonder if I’ve made a poor choice in keeping you as a friend.” He tilted his head and cracked an eye open, knowing full well that his comment would strike a nerve. In a huff, Link turned over and pulled the covers up to his ears. It was Volga’s turn to laugh quietly. “I have you, and I have ties with the Goron Patriarch. I wouldn’t have as grand of a collection without him.”

“Alright, I’ll give you that one.” Link turned onto his back. “It wouldn’t hurt to expand your horizons. I heard that merchants are supposed to stop by and trade in the village tomorrow.”

“I’d rather not. They have nothing I could possibly want.”

“Now you’re just being a killjoy, Volga.” Link chided with a yawn. “How old are you, anyway?”

“Enough.”

“Oh, come on—”

“No,” he interrupted, “I mean to say ‘I’m old enough’. I doubt you would believe me should I reveal my true age to you, which is why ‘enough’ should be a sufficient answer.” Volga let the words hang in the air for a moment for Link to absorb it, followed by, “You should be resting, boy, not spewing whatever thoughts are bouncing around in your mind with answers you can’t comprehend. With your duties to your army fulfilled, we resume ours in the morning.”

“One more question?” Before being given the chance to be shot down, the Hylian asked, “What’s your favorite color?”

The dragon remained silent. Of all things, that’s what he wanted to know? Whether it was out there to annoy him, or purely out of innocence, Volga didn’t know — and didn’t know how to answer it himself. As a dragon, instinct had told him to curb the favoritism to ward off those with prying eyes, as thieves were around every bend to steal whatever he coveted most. As for favorites, he realized then he didn’t have many — a favorite weapon? A favorite meal? A favorite song? — much less narrowed down to a specific color. He lived in a world painted in reds and oranges and yellows and greens with splashes of golds and silvers and a bioluminescent blue, but none of it appealed to him.

Volga craned his neck to look back at Link, unsure of how to answer and unsure of how Link would react, only to find that either he had taken too much time mulling over his response, or the Hylian was more exhausted than they had initially thought. Link had succumbed to the fierce grip of sleep. Under the covers of his bedroll, Volga could see Link’s chest rising and falling, his breaths light and evenly spaced; finally at peace. Without the expanse of the ocean staring back at him waiting expectantly for an answer, clarity had struck through Volga, and he knew his answer. The words poured out just above a whisper:

“I’m fond of the color blue.”

#hyrule warriors #volink #YEAAAAAA #fic

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elvendara · 4 years

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Yooran Week 2020

For @yooranweek2020

I have to admit, this one had me stumped and took me a while, but, thanks to @booyakasha516 and her suggestion of a Werewolf Holiday, it was off to the races! FYI, there is nakedness in this fic but no funny business, and no describing the nakedness, very PG!

Day 6: Holidays/Cultural Festivals

Mullin Salang (Love Bite) is a werewolf holiday of reaffirmation. It is a day that only comes every five years. Werewolves mate for life, yet, there are times when this may be mitigated by outside circumstances. The death of a mate, the injury or health issue of a mate, the state of mind (certain mental disorders such as Alzheimer’s etc.). Mullin Salang is a time in which mates either reaffirm their connection or sever it. It is usually celebrated privately, although some packs celebrate together. This will be Saeran’s and Yoosung’s first Mullin Salang Day.

“Come on MC, what should I expect? It can’t be any more surprising than the beginning of mating season!” Yoosung prodded. MC laughed and patted him on the cheek.

“Stop worrying about it! Are you afraid Saeran is going to want to sever your bond?”

“No, of course not. It’s just, well, I’m not a werewolf so…”

“Saeran will tell you what to expect I’m sure.”

“He won’t! I’ve already asked. The little I know has to do with both turning into werewolves, how does that impact us?”

“You’re guess is as good as mine, don’t forget, this will be Saeyoung’s and my first Mullin Salang Day as well.”

“You’re right! 2020, we all got married within the last five years. But, has Saeyoung told you anything else?”

“A little, but mostly he said it would be better if I just followed his direction. It isn’t like the bonding that happens during mating season, there isn’t any magic. He said it was much like Valentine’s Day for humans, just a tradition kind of thing. Though he said the older a mated couple gets, the more the day is infused with reverence. I guess I understand.”

“So you don’t know much more than I do.” Yoosung wilted.

“Why are you so worried?” MC’s brows furrowed above her honey colored eyes.

“I don’t know. I guess…I kind of feel inferior, like, I can’t contribute the same as Saeran, after all, I’m not a werewolf.” Yoosung shrugged.

“But you are Saeran’s Beta. And that’s the only thing that matters.”

“Hey! There you are, you ready?” Saeran popped into MC’s bedroom nodding towards Yoosung.

“Yeah, I guess. You sure I don’t need anything special?”

“Positive.” Saeran grinned and held out his hand towards Yoosung. With a final look to MC, who gave him an encouraging nod, Yoosung stood and took the offered hand. He could feel Saeran’s excitement, his blood pulsed through his veins so forcefully he could feel it throbbing through his skin.

“I, uh, hope you’re not disappointed.”

“Disappointed? Why would I be disappointed?” Saeran laughed. “You’re taking this too seriously, it’s just a silly holiday.”

“If that’s all it was, then you wouldn’t be so excited. Don’t bother trying to deny it, I may not have your superior senses, but I do know you.” Yoosung stopped, in so doing, he effectively kept Saeran from proceeding as well.

“Yoosung.” Saeran sighed and hugged his husband, then pulled away after a few seconds, looking into the gorgeously brilliant lavender eyes. “I’m excited because I get to reaffirm my love for you, my affection, my bond, my desire. I’m excited because I get to show you how much you mean to me and continue to mean to me. If I could, I would ask you to marry me all over again. When you walk into a room, I still get goosebumps and my heart races. When you hold my hand, I still sweat and blood pounds in my ears. When you focus your attention on me and only me, I still get tongue tied and my brain buzzes telling me I don’t deserve you yet here you are. Loving me. Today I reaffirm that I still choose you, over everyone else in the entire world, none can ever take your place by my side. And I hope you feel the same.” His eyes slid away from Yoosung and to the side, worry lines forming on his forehead. Yoosung reached up and smoothed them away.

“Always.” He gave Saeran a soft smile then planted a chaste kiss on his lips. “Let’s go.” Saeran relaxed and led Yoosung outside the house and towards the singular path in the woods.

“Are we going to the lake?” Yoosung asked. It was a favorite spot of theirs.

“No. Not this time, besides, Saeyoung said he wanted to take MC there.”

“Oh, where then?”

“It’s a surprise! But it’s going to take a while to get there, at least the full moon will be high in the sky by the time we arrive.”

“What?” Yoosung was a little unhappy, it sounded as if he would have to walk for a long time.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you!” Saeran winked at him. As soon as they made it past the first few lines of trees into the woods Saeran began to undress. He took the backpack he was wearing and set it on the ground, folding his clothes and stuffing them into the bag. He handed the backpack to Yoosung and had him put it on. Once that was done, Saeran began to transform, his nose and mouth elongated, his jaw expanded, the teeth sharpening and coming in like daggers. He fell to his hands and knees, paws springing forth and fur sprouting from his pours. Once he was fully transformed, he shook his golden reddish fur, his mint colored eyes luminescent. He motioned Yoosung towards his back.

No matter how many times Yoosung witnessed this miracle, it still left him stunned. Saeran pushed at his abdomen with his snout and huffed.

“Right, sorry.” Yoosung sighed and did as he was expected, climbing onto Saeran’s back. He held on to his fur but tried not to pull too hard. As soon as he was secured, Saeran took off. Yoosung lay close to his back and tried to keep his eyes open. The trees were flashing around him, the wind buffeting him but even though Saeran was dodging and jumping and sliding under all these obstacles, he somehow managed to keep Yoosung perfectly balanced.

Yoousng laughed with exuberance. It took them almost two hours to reach the base of a mesa. Saeran slowed down and Yoosung was able to sit up. Saeran stopped at the entrance to a cave. Yoosung slid off, his eyes large and round, he’d never been this far out from the house before.

Saeran returned to his human form and took the backpack from Yoosung, redressing himself. Once he was finished, he took Yoosung’s hand and they made their way inside.

There were torches set into the cave walls and Saeran quickly had them lit with a lighter.

“Wow.” Yoosung stepped into an opening that stretched out to either side. In the center there was a pool, overhead an opening big enough for the moon to filter through, its mirror image shining in the water.

“I thought you’d like it. It’s not as comfortable as the grass at the lake, but it has its own beauty.”

“It sure does!” Yoosung’s voice was full of awe, but Saeran only had eyes for him. Yoosung was distracted as Saeran took his clothes off again and transformed. He nipped at Yoosung’s backside which made the blond yelp and jump.

“Stop that!” he swatted at Saeran but he also laughed. Saeran bit his shirt and pulled. “OK OK, I got it!” Yoosung began to undress, folding his clothes and setting them atop Saeran’s. Saeran had sat next to the pool and stared at the moon. Yoosung sat in front of him and did the same. Without warning Saeran began to howl, the sound reverberated around the cavern and in the distance another howl could be heard. Saeyoung. Yoosung watched his husband, the hair on his body standing on end. The power in that howl was humbling. He felt ridiculous but the desire to throw back his head and howl was overwhelming, so he did. His blond hair shook away from his face, he closed his eyes and felt the sound originate in his belly and travel outwards until it was released through his mouth.

They howled for several minutes, Yoosung’s voice never even coming close to the breadth and depth of Saeran’s but the intensity was accurately matched. Once they had exhausted themselves, Saeran cocked his enormous head. Yoosung was flushed with exhilaration. He knew what was expected of him and complied, leaning his head to the left and exposing the soft tissue of his neck. Saeran opened his mouth and bit. His sharp teeth pierced the offered skin and Yoosung gasped but did not flinch. It was superficial. Once done, Searan backed away and licked the wound carefully, he then sat back and reverted to his human form and offered Yoosung his neck. Yoosung gulped but understood what he was to do. He pushed up to his knees and sank his teeth into Searan’s flesh until he tasted blood. Saeran’s intake of breath was sharp, lacking pointed and sharpened teeth, Yoosung’s normal flat teeth were more painful on Saeran. Yoosung flinched but reminded himself that Saeran would quickly heal. He pulled away and also licked Searan’s wound. While it had made him feel bad to hurt Saeran in that way, the mark also made him proud.

“Will you remain my Beta for the next five years Yoosung?” That was the only thing left to say, everything else had already been said.

“Yes. Will you remain my Alpha for the next five years?” Yoosung answered and asked.

“Yes.” Saeran whispered. “I reaffirm my devotion to you, and vow once more to be your protector and champion.”

“I reaffirm my devotion to you, and vow once more to be your protector and champion…and lover…and confidant…and friend…and occasional nag…and…” Yoosung went off script.

“OK OK OK!” Saeran laughed and kissed his mate. “I love you dummy.”

“I love you too, idiot!”

#my posts #yooranweek2020 #Yooran #Yoosung Kim #Saeran Choi #mysme #mystic messenger #day 6 Holiday #nudity #not sexually related #description of nudity also not done #rated PG I promise!#biting hard enough to draw blood #also not sexually related #OK #thank you and goodbye

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minerva--mcgee · 4 years

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McGonagall With The Marauders #6

Sequel to McGonagall With The Marauders #4

Minerva waited in her office next to the fireplace. She was growing impatient, shifting her weight back from one foot to the other, eventually pacing the room. It was something of a sight - she was wearing one of her best sets of robes, and she had her hair in a looser bun than usual. She reached over and straightened a photograph on the mantle as the fireplace roared to life with green flames.

She stepped back to let her husband come through the flames, and he threw his arms around her when he emerged. “Minnie.”

“Phin,” she said, pulling back to plant a kiss on his lips.

It wasn’t often that he could come up to Hogwarts to visit her. He was so busy at the Ministry that he was usually working well into the night, and she had plenty to keep her occupied here at Hogwarts. A few names came immediately to mind. But right now, she could spend a day with him. A beautiful day it was, too - one of the first warm days of spring, the sun was shining, students were roaming the grounds of the castle.

“It’s great to see you,” she said to him, holding him tight. They sat in this position for a few moments before separating. She lead him to her living room, where they sat close together on the couch and chatted over tea about Phin’s work, when a knock came from the door. Minerva gave him a confused look.

“Are you expecting anyone?” said Phin.

“Just you,” she went over and answered the door, coming face-to-face with a red-headed fourth year.

“Miss Evans,” she said, surprised, “What brings you here on a Saturday? Is everything alright?”

“Oh, yes, Professor, I’m terribly sorry to bother you on a weekend,” Lily was speaking fast, not wanting to use too much of her professor’s time, but taken aback by the looser hair that she was sporting, “I’ve just been thinking about this one question on the Transfiguration homework since you assigned it and I was hoping that you could help me with it - oh, hello!”

Minerva turned around to see her husband had stood up and was now only a few inches behind her, looking down at Lily. “Hello there.”

“Miss Evans, this is my husband, Elphinstone Urquart. Phin, Lily Evans.”

“Oh, yes! Lily Evans!” he exclaimed gleefully, “I’ve heard great things about you!”

“You have?” Lily asked, closing her mouth. She hadn’t realized it had been hanging open. “I didn’t even know you were married, Professor!”

“That seems to be a recurring theme here,” Phin teased. Minerva gave him a smirk and elbowed him in the ribs, to which he feigned pain.

“Well, I’m sorry to have bothered you, Professor McGonagall, I wouldn’t have if I’d have known you had company. I can come back another time, or we can discuss it in class.”

“Oh, nonsense!” said Phin, stepping aside, “don’t let me get in the way of Minnie’s work. Besides, I know quite a bit about Transfiguration, myself.”

A few minutes later, Lily left her Head of House’s private living quarters with her parchment in her hand and tea in her stomach. She was thoroughly confused at the events that transpired.

She made her way back to her common room, still a little dazed and lost in thought. James and Sirius were arguing about the Quidditch match next week, but James interrupted Sirius when he saw Lily enter. “Are you okay?”

“Did you know McGonagall was married?”

They were surprised. “We knew that ... how did you know that?”

“I - I just had tea with her and her husband. He’s great. She really seemed happy.”

James and Sirius exchanged a look of disbelief, and didn’t speak for a moment. It was Sirius that recovered first. “Phin is here,” he said, trying to confirm that he was hearing everything correctly.

Lily nodded. The two boys sprung into action at the same time, calling up the stairs for Remus and Peter, and that it was urgent.

The four boys were nudging each other nervously, trying to make one of the others knock on the painting. Eventually, it was decided that Sirius would knock, and he did. He knocked multiple times, and no answer came to the door. They stared up at the painting.

“She’s not here,” said the painting of a woman eating grapes, looking rather bored. “She left about a half hour ago.”

“Where did she go?” asked Sirius.

The painting simply laughed at them and continued to eat her grapes, before the four boys huffed away.

“What now?” asked Remus.

James looked out of the window next to them in the corridor and saw a few figures moving outside on the grounds. He smiled. “Outside!” he proclaimed, running down the hallway as his friends scrambled behind him.

“Min, I know you think the Magpies are going to win the cup, and I’m sorry that I have to be the one to tell you that you’re wrong.”

“Yes, it’s obviously going to the Kestrels this year!” chimed in Poppy Pomfrey, which received laughs from the group.

Minerva and Elphinstone had found their way outside, and were now standing in a circle with Albus Dumbledore and Poppy Pomfrey next to the lake. They were enjoying the nice weather, and the breeze felt good.

“No, no, no,” said Phin in mock anger, “No. I will not accept these subpar Quidditch opinions. The Ballycastle Bats is the only decent answer to this question!”

Albus, with his back to the lake and facing the castle, tilted his head slightly to look past Minerva at a certain set of Gryffindor boys charging toward them. “Oh, this will be fun,” he said with a lightness in his voice.

Minerva quirked her eyebrows at him, before turning to see what the rest had already noticed.

“So, we meet again, Elphinstone!” Sirius Black announced loudly, turning heads of the few students within earshot.

“Oh, sweet Merlin,” Minerva rubbed her temple.

Phin, amused, turned to look at them. “I suppose we do, Sirius Black!”

Sirius stopped walking for a moment, shocked that he had remembered his name from their previous encounter, but soon began walking again, until he was only a few feet in front of him. The rest caught up, filing into a straight line in front of him.

“They’ve all drawn their wands,” Poppy whispered to Albus behind her hand. They shared a giggle at the scene in front of them.

“Anyone married to our dear, sweet Minnie must be put to the test!” James shouted, holding his head high and crossing his wand over his chest.

“You four are so - !” Minerva started, only to be cut off by Phin.

“No, no, they are absolutely correct, Minnie.”

That left all of the boys and Minerva shocked. “We are?”

“They are?”

“They are! I mean, I must fight for your honor, my darling!”

“That is exactly right!” said Remus. “We wouldn’t let our favourite professor see just anyone, you know. No offense, Professor Dumbledore.”

Albus raised his hands, gesturing none taken.

“We are prepared to duel you, Sir Urquart!” said Sirius. “Right here, right now.”

Minerva walked over to hide behind Poppy, who would simply move out of the way so that she must be exposed to what was happening. She sighed and buried her face in her hands, wondering how in the world she didn’t expect this to happen. She just wanted one day with her husband on school grounds.

The three staff members watched as Phin took his stance against the four boys, ready to face off. “Uh, Professor Dumbledore, sir? Could you officiate?” said James.

“Absolutely, my boy!” Minerva groaned loudly and tried to face the lake, but Poppy grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her around.

“Alright, everyone,” he said, looking between the Marauders and Phin, “I want a clean fight. First to disarm their opponent wins. On my mark!”

He backed out of the way, and dropped his hand, signaling the start of the duel.

By now, many students had gathered around to watch the spectacle, and were laughing. The boys were firing hexes at Phin, who was dodging them one after the other. His wife knew that he was just letting them get a couple of spells in before -

Suddenly, Phin waved his wand in a series of patterns so fast that few could process what was happening before it was done. He was holding four wands and the four boys to match them were laying on the ground in a leg-locker jinx.

“The winner is - Elphinstone!”

The crowd of students cheered for him as he ran over to his wife and planted a kiss on her cheeks. She was less than thrilled.

“Oh, come on, darling, now we don’t have to be apart! I’ve won your honor!”

“You win this time, Urquart!” Sirius sweared from his spot on the lawn, “But you haven’t seen the last of us!”

Minerva walked over to them and deducted fifteen house points each and announced that they would lay there until either the spell wore off or someone took pity on them to undo it. She marched up to the castle, only a few catching the tint of red that was creeping on her cheeks. Phin followed her in, but stopped next to James. “Well, I think we’ve made her mad. Perhaps it’s for the best that you stay here.”

#minerva mcgonagall #elphinstone urquart #minerva mcgonagall x elphinstone urquart #minerva x elphinstone #maruaders #sirius black #james potter #remus lupin #peter pettigrew #albus dumbledore #poppy pomfrey

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aliceslantern · 4 years

Text

Grow, a Kingdom Hearts fanfic, chapter 8

Suddenly human and abandoned in the Keyblade Graveyard, Demyx struggles to survive and come to terms with what his life is. Only by chance is he saved from exposure, and brought to Radiant Garden to recover. Unsure of who he is and where to even begin, Demyx finds a kindred spirit in Ienzo, and before long finds perhaps he isn't the only one lost in this new life. But how can they move forward with so much holding them back?

Roughly canonverse, Zemyx, hurt/comfort. Started for Zemyx day (9/6). Updates Wednesdays until it's done.

Chapter summary: Demyx remembers something. A night spent with Ienzo has unintended consequences.

Read it on FF.net/on AO3

---

Demyx found himself spending a lot of time in the new garden, more than was asked for by the restoration committee. He found the work tough but soothing; it was much more bearable once the undergrowth was cleared and they could do with the land what they wanted. He spent some weeks planting and tending to these tiny seeds; feeding and watering, coaxing tomato plants around trellises. As spring wore towards summer, his sunburns started giving way to a hesitant tan.

It was nice to make something with his hands. Different than music. Less subjective. He knew he was doing well because the little plants were flourishing.

He was trimming down some browned leaves on one of the zucchini plants (a rainstorm had overwatered them) when he heard a voice.

“...So this is where you spend all your time.” Dilan. He, too, looked odd in casual clothes. He had a bag slung over one shoulder.

“I volunteered for the committee. They put me here.”

He reached forward and touched the tops of one of the carrot plants. “Found your green thumb?”

“Sort of. I guess. It feels… nice to do something with my hands.”

“Perhaps you might help us do restoration work in the castle,” he said. “All those gardens. They could use some work.”

Demyx didn’t know what to make of it. “Um, maybe.”

A pause. Neither of them seemed to know what to say.

“So, uh, what are you doing in town?” Demyx asked.

He smiled. “I’m not always on duty.”

“Do you like being a guard?”

“...I like it more than the alternative.”

“That’s fair.”

“I do not wish to go back to research. But without it… My life seems… open.”

Demyx considered this. “I know what you mean.” He couldn’t be sure how old Dilan was exactly. Mid thirties? Maybe a little older? “What would you do? If you could go anywhere or do anything?”

A pause. His violet eyes grew forlorn. “I rather liked France,” he said. “The food. The culture. It’s a gorgeous little world. City of romance, and all that.”

“Why not go back?”

“One should not drink from wells one has poisoned.” He smiled.

Organization stuff. “Oh,” Demyx said. “Does this place feel like home?”

Dilan took a breath. “Not quite,” he said. “So much has changed. Most of all us. I have so much to… make up for before I can even consider leaving.”

Ienzo. They lied to me. He nodded once.

“Have you thought about going home?”

“I can’t remember it still,” Demyx admitted. “But I… I don’t know. It’s not so bad here.” Ienzo was here.

“It isn’t,” Dilan agreed. “Well. I should head back.”

“Mind if I come with? I’m just about done.”

He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter to me.”

Demyx stood and brushed the dirt off his hands. He felt a sharp pulse of pain in his lower back, disorienting him, and he winced.

Dilan frowned. “Are you alright?”

He swallowed the anxiety. The pain seemed to be fading. “I was just sitting funny.”

“If you say so.”

---

Maybe it was because of that, but Demyx found himself dreaming of the desert. The sharp hot wind. Aching thirst, a pounding headache. A feeling of weakness. His vision swarming, he walked.

He saw a flicker--he thought he saw someone running-- “Wait, please, help--” He gasped, his throat too dry to make real words.

The flicker came back.

A girl with orange hair and a white dress--

“I know you,” he said. “I know--” He coughed.

“I’m sorry,” the girl said. “But I have to do it.”

“Don’t join them,” he said. “It’s--Strelly, it’s a cult.”

A hot wind. “I have to,” she said. “I was… I was asked to. If we don’t do something we’re all going to die. I don’t want you to die.”

“...Pretty sure Elrena feels otherwise.”

A small smile. Her face was indistinct. “She doesn’t actually hate you, you know.”

“...I know.”

“Tell me you’ll think about it?”

“...I’ll think about it.”

“Good. Now I gotta go. I’m finally going to meet my friend!” She started walking backwards, fading into nothing. “You’re right, I have to talk to them.”

“I thought we were… friends…”

---

Demyx woke up. There were tears on his face, and he felt like utter crap. A hot ring of nausea tightened around his throat. He ran into the bathroom and was promptly sick. He sat for a while, heaving, crying. After too long he found the strength to get up and brush his teeth.

He, Elrena, and this girl Strelitzia had been friends. Was that right? Something about a decision, about her asking him to join her and he hadn’t because it felt like a cult.

People in robes and animal masks.

“God,” he hissed, pressing a hand to his forehead. Had he always been coerced into cults? Was it that Elrena blamed him for letting this girl end up in one?

It was still so unclear.

The memory of the desert made his skin dry, so he showered. After that, he struggled to sleep. He wanted to be with Ienzo, to hold him. To breathe in his smell.

Demyx couldn’t. Could he? He bit his lip and considered. But the heaviness of his heart was only getting worse and his mind echoed with your fault your fault.

He took a deep breath. He opened the door to his room and headed down the hall towards Ienzo’s. He’d only been inside it a couple of times, and always in passing. It was always a bit messy--books and papers everywhere--a strange mishmash of the person he was when he was a child and now. He cracked open the door and saw Ienzo asleep--curled on his side, crumpled together like it hurt. He took a tentative step towards him.

The floor creaked.

Ienzo jerked awake, grabbing a pocket knife from the bedside table, cupping his throat.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” he said.

“Demyx? What are you--”

“I’m sorry.”

He turned on the bedside lamp. “Are you upset?”

“I thought if maybe I was near you--” Then, realizing how pathetic that sounded, “I’ll go.”

“No, don’t.” He opened his mouth, closed it. He slid over on the mattress and opened the blankets. “Come. It’s alright.”

Demyx lay down next to him. Ienzo took off his glasses and set them on the bedside table.

“Did you have a nightmare?” Ienzo asked.

He nodded. “About the desert.” And a memory. “I don’t want to talk about it. I just wanted… to not be alone.”

“It’s alright. Try and relax.” Ienzo brushed some of the hair out of his face. “Would you like me to hold you?”

A rush of humiliation made his eyes water. “Please.” Ienzo pulled him close. Demyx pressed his face against his chest, needing the steady beat of his heart. Once the worst of the fear subsided, he managed, “do you always stab people who come into your room?”

“Whenever I do actually manage to fall asleep--it makes me feel a little safer, to have the knife. I… still fear being backed into a corner.”

“...Of course,” Demyx said softly. Breathing in his smell was helping. “Do you think we’ll ever be able to move on?”

A long pause. “I don’t think so.”

“Oh.”

“But I do think it’ll get easier.”

“It’s been easier since we started this.”

“...Yes.” He pressed a kiss against Demyx’s hair. “Try to sleep, okay?”

After a long time, Demyx did, deep and dreamlessly and peacefully. When he finally woke, it was with a little start; Ienzo had pulled away.

“Go back to sleep. I have to get ready for work.”

“Don’t go.”

“I have to. And so do you in a few hours.” He kissed him. “I’d like to see you later.” He ran his hand along Demyx’s jaw, the stubble. “Bit scratchy.”

“I can shave.”

“I kind of like it.” One last kiss. “You can stay.”

“No, I should… get up.” Demyx sat up and stretched. “We got a fuckload of letters yesterday and I didn’t get around to sorting all of them.”

He smirked. “You? Wanting to get a head start on your work?” He pressed a hand to Demyx’s forehead.

“Har, har--”

A knock at the door. They both tensed; Ienzo had gone pale. “Ienzo, I have a question about these scribbles ,” they heard Even say. “Might we discuss it on our way down?” The doorknob jiggled. Ienzo pressed hard against the door.

“Don’t come in. I’m getting changed.” He bit his lip. “Just--go down, we can discuss it then.”

“ Fine. ” He muttered some things that were indistinct. Ienzo let go of the door.

“That was close,” Demyx said.

“...Quite.” A reddish blush heated his face.

“You don’t want them to know about us, do you?”

“It’s not that ,” Ienzo said, just a touch too quickly. “It’s just…” He stammered. “Complicated.”

“They don’t know you’re gay?”

“They wouldn’t care about that.”

It started to become clear. “Is it because it’s me?”

“No,” he said, his tone not convincing.

Demyx got up. He squeezed Ienzo’s shoulder. “I get it. I’ll see you around, okay?”

---

Of course.

For a while Demyx ached vaguely. He refused to let himself cry over it. He’d been seeing this as more serious than it was. Ienzo had first kissed him by accident. Would he really want something real?

Did Demyx?

(He thought of how safe he’d felt last night in his arms.)

Would Even and the others be as friendly if they knew what had happened? Demyx wasn’t good enough, he wasn’t smart enough. He realized he’d been allowing himself to think about a life for them--

“You alright, laddie? You’ve been staring at that letter for ten minutes.”

“Ah--sorry.” Demyx forced a smile. “Rough morning. Need more coffee.” He set the letter into its appropriate spot. He made a show of going over to the coffee machine and pouring a cup.

“Well. If you ever need time, let me know,” Scrooge said. “We can’t make money when we don’t feel well.” He walked over to the other side of the shop.

Demyx tried to drag himself out of the miserable haze. He made small talk with his coworkers, with the customers. He ran a small delivery across town. It made his back ache again, so he sat down for a little while. He texted Lea to distract himself.

Hey.

Demyx! How’s it going?

Alright. Trying to kill some time at work.

Work??? A job??? Good for you.

It’s not bad. Sometimes I have too little to do.

Too LITTLE? Are you feeling okay?

Har har.

So what do you do?

I work at the post office. Off world letters and deliveries. Stuff like that.

Sounds… actually pretty interesting.

It can be. Sometimes. I actually like being kept busy now. Keeps me from thinking too hard.

Really, DO YOU FEEL OKAY. A pause. Then, I know what you mean. Memories and thoughts and stuff? Icky.

Very icky, Demyx agreed.

If it gets TOO icky, come visit, Lea wrote. Sometimes a change in scenery can make a world of difference.

Maybe I will. That is a threat.

Ha ha. Now get off your phone and get back to work.

He felt marginally better. He sorted some more letters. Jotted part of a composition on a napkin, but it was making him too sad, so he threw it away. He was under the counter trying to dig out a roll of stamps when he heard a “hello?”

Demyx yelped and bumped his head against the counter. “Sorry. Can I, uh… help… you…” He trailed off, seeing Ienzo.

“I have a letter I need sent,” he said. Nothing in his face or tone indicated Demyx was any more than an employee. “Could you help me?”

He swallowed. “Sure. Where to?”

“It’s local.” He handed over an envelope, address facing down, and a small bill. “Will that cover postage?”

“Um… yep.” He gave Ienzo his change. “It’ll probably get to them by tomorrow. Or sooner.”

“Or sooner,” Ienzo echoed. “Thanks for your help.”

For a minute, Demyx stood holding the letter, feeling tears well. He was going to need to take a break and have a good cry, wasn’t he? Pathetic. No wonder Ienzo wanted nothing to do with him when there were actual real-life implications--

He flipped the letter over. It was addressed to him. He took a sharp breath. Put up his “back after lunch” sign. Demyx headed to the back of the office, where he had a small bit of privacy. His hands were trembling, and he gave himself a papercut on the smooth, heavy paper. But the letter inside was written on looseleaf, and looked like it had been crumpled and smoothed a few times. He began bracing himself for more pain.

Demyx,

You must forgive me. I am so clumsy and so, to a degree, still unable to realize the impacts of my actions. I feel I’ve been using you and that’s not fair to you.

After this morning I was made to see this liaison in context, and take in all the complications. I realized I was afraid of petty judgement from those who have hurt me. I do not owe anyone explanations. You don’t deserve to be dangled endlessly while I work through problems.

Demyx almost threw up.

However, I find the idea of ending this to be painful and wholly unappealing. You make me feel. You allow me to feel, to truly be human, to see myself outside of what I’ve done. Part of it is that person scares me. I do not know him. He is a stranger, weak and vulnerable. But I need him, and I want you to help me keep finding him.

That… and I simply enjoy time with you. I enjoy seeing who you truly are. Someone who wants to work hard and to grow. Perhaps it is selfish of me, but I wish to see who you are when you’re vulnerable too.

I can deal with petty judgement. With any luck, we can prove them wrong. They were always wrong about you, after all.

If any of this makes any sense… please meet me tonight in the garden. I’ll be waiting.

Ienzo.

Oh.

His heart was beating faster now.

Ienzo was choosing him.

He didn’t know how he was going to be able to pass the time until later.

#grow #demyx #ienzo #zemyx #dilan (kingdom hearts)

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sayingthesamethings · 5 years

Text

Magic Shop (Part 1)

Pairing: Poly!BTS x Witch!Fem!Reader

Summary: Underneath the concrete and pavement, between the towering buildings, Seoul is thrumming with magic. Too much magic. It’s become a hot spot for magical beings seeking to feed off of such intense energy. BTS is unaware of such dangers until they come across a witch trying to manage the mischief of other magical creatures while creating her own trouble.

Warnings: None

Namjoon was just trying to grab some snacks at a nearby convenience store for him and the others when he came across a strange sight.

As he was hurrying down the busy streets of Seoul with plastic bags full of chips and crackers, he found himself staring at a (H/C)-haired woman standing in front of one of the many skyscrapers towering over the city.

Sure, she looked a little odd in her large, loose cardigan with pendants dangling over her white shirt. Her rain boots seemed a bit too big for her, but the idea of rain boots in the middle of spring in Seoul was more distracting. Not even the purple, leather book in her hands, decorated with rings, confused the idol the most.

No, the most peculiar aspect of the woman before him was the abnormally large ferret that wrapped around her shoulders so casually.

The female seemed to be talking to the animal as she stared intensely at her absurdly thick book. Even so, no one seemed to notice her bizarre behavior as they continued to rush past her still figure. It was almost as if they didn’t notice her.

Namjoon had realized he was also standing still until he made direct eye contact with the ferret resting on the woman’s shoulders. What should have been small, beady eyes were narrow and glowing gold. The idea to look away crossed his mind but just as that thought occurred, the woman’s intense gaze was staring him down.

For a moment, Namjoon could’ve sworn that she, too, was confused, for she began looking around her as if she was trying to convince herself that he was not staring directly at her. She looked back to Namjoon with a frown and snapped her book shut.

Uh oh. Namjoon panicked slightly as the woman began to stalk towards him. Though he tried to will himself to walk away from the sense of danger approaching him, he found himself powerless under her stare.

“Excuse me, sir,” she calmly started, in front of the frozen male much quicker than he anticipated.

The leader swallowed stiffly and managed to reply, “Yes?”

“I couldn’t help but notice that you were staring at me for a while there,” she pointed out with a small but strained smile. “Was there something you needed?”

Namjoon was struggling maintaining eye contact with the woman, whose gorgeous features were easier to appreciate up close, but couldn’t stare at the odd eyes of the ferret on alert for long either. In fact, he was so uneasy that he failed to notice both pairs of eyes on him narrowing in suspicion.

“I was just looking at your pet,” he mumbled as he settled for looking below at the cement beneath them. The stranger’s brows furrowed.

“My pet?” Her (E/C) eyes traveled sideways to share a glance with the large ferret. She cautiously drawled, “Are you telling me you can see him?”

“Should I not be able to?” Namjoon asked sincerely when he finally looked back up at the two. The woman shrugged, and the ferret deemed it the perfect moment to close his intense eyes and curl up further into the crook of his owner’s neck.

With a soft sigh, she answered, “I’ll be perfectly honest with you. No, you shouldn’t be.” Tucking her book under one arm, she outstretched the other for the idol to shake. “(Name).”

Reluctantly, he shook her hand and introduced himself. “Namjoon.” His eyes subconsciously widened at the realization that he had just provided his name without intending to. His grip on the plastic bags tightened as he contemplated walking away in that very moment.

“Aren’t you famous or something?” (Name) asked with a smirk, definitely knowing the answer to her own question.

Yup. He was screwed.

Just as he sputtered while trying to deny her assumption, she only grinned and motioned to the lower half of her face before pointing at his own speechless expression. Namjoon hoped that she didn’t notice how his cheeks heated up as he hurriedly pulled up his face mask while glancing around the crowd nervously.

So that’s why those girls were whispering so heatedly when he walked out of the store.

"Don't worry"--she assured while lightly scratching the top of her ferret's head--"I won't tell." Namjoon was close to sighing in pure relief when she cut him off, "But I can't promise they won't."

Following the directions her finger was pointing, he felt a wave of despair wash over him. In the distance was a familiar sight: a group of fans whose volume was steadily increasing as well as its size. Phones were being pulled out as the mass of mostly female teenagers began to creep forward.

It really wasn't the time for this. Management was already upset with the boys for being late to their recent music video shoot, and the leader didn't want to take the cake by being caught outside the dorms by a large group of fans.

"Uh, I'm sorry but I really gotta go," Namjoon hurriedly excused and pulled his cap further down in hopes of hiding his face. Before he could rush off, (Name) merely waved a hand.

"It's okay. I get it," she empathized. The crowd grew thick around them, but the excited chatter was dangerously close. Shouts of people passing by being shoved away increased Namjoon's concern. "If you want I could help."

It took a moment for Namjoon to respond. "What? No, no. I wouldn't want to trouble you." She raised a brow.

"It's really no trouble," she insisted and eyed a girl beginning to get close. She noted, "But you're running out of time." The panicked male also took note of his closing window.

He had doubts, though. "What do you want in return?" he asked. (Name) offered a soft smile that did little to ease Namjoon's nerves. He watched cautiously as she calmly removed one of her many rings while she reached out for his hand. Strangely, he let her take his hand and slip on the ring that shouldn’t have fit his finger as well as it did.

An odd buzz filled his ears as the voices of the crowd around them became muted. Faces blurred past and no matter how hard Namjoon tried to focus on one, the image never came through clear enough. The air hummed and became thick with something he couldn’t quite place. The only clarity in the vortex the space had become was (Name), who smiled almost wickedly at him.

The ferret on her shoulders had woken from his short slumber and pierced Namjoon’s very being with his unnatural, glowing eyes. The fur down his back had raised and made him appear even larger than he already was.

(Name)’s velvety voice caught the idol’s attention one last time. “All I want is for you to return my ring next time.” Namjoon blinked owlishly down at the ring that now adorned his index finger.

It was a simple band of silver with strange engravings, maybe even writing, inscribed into the oddly warm metal. It wasn’t a warmth that one would feel when immediately wearing another person’s accessory. This heat was noticeable and near uncomfortable.

“But how.” Namjoon stood alone among the throng of people swarming around him. (Name) was nowhere to be seen. A rush of panic struck him when he remembered his predicament. The air had stilled compared to earlier, but he could still feel the unease the atmosphere had planted within him.

It took a few moments to fully process that no one had approached him. It took him even longer to realize that the group of fans he had been worrying about was now dispersed around him.

What exactly is happening right now? He asked himself and slowly began to shuffle between fans who continued to look around the area. Can they not see me?

A teen ran into the idol, stared him directly in the eye, and apologized before she continued to search for him.

Namjoon hummed out of a mixture of curiosity and puzzlement. Okay, so they can see me. Beginning to walk more confidently, he walked back towards the dorm with his and the others’ snacks in hand. His head was beginning to hurt from trying to wrap itself around the situation, so he left the piling thoughts alone and instead focused on his new jewelry.

And by association, (Name). In fact, he found her image lingering in his mind for the rest of the walk towards the dorm. He didn’t notice he had arrived until he stood outside the front door. He was fumbling for his keys in his pants pocket when Jimin opened the door and surprised both of them.

“Oh, hyung. We were wondering where you were,” Jimin greeted. He moved aside for his leader to step through the doorway. Hesitantly, he entered the dorm and was met with the concern of his fellow members.

Namjoon managed a strained smile and dismissed their worries. “Sorry. The streets got really crowded,” he explained as he closed the door behind him. Jin walked up to retrieve the bags from Namjoon, but two devious maknaes darted past the eldest to dig through the plastic bags.

“Did you get the candy I asked for?”

“I don’t see my protein bars.”

“This isn’t the right flavor.”

Jin huffed, “Ya, Taehyung. Jungkook. If you’re gonna get your hands all over everything you might as well help put everything away!” The idea was enough to deter the two youngest and resulted in them abandoning the entryway in a hurry. “Ridiculous.” Jin rolled his eyes and took some of the groceries from the chuckling leader.

“Go easy on them, hyung,” Namjoon pacified as he followed Jin into the kitchen area.

“Jin-hyung, do you need help?” Jimin offered. A soft smile graced Jin’s lips, and he placed the bags down before he threaded his fingers through Jimin’s pink locks.

He assured, “No, hun. You already helped with cleaning and cooking breakfast today. Why don’t you go wake up Yoongi from his nap?” The younger male nodded happily and left to do as he was asked.

As Jimin exited the kitchen area, Jin took the opportunity to envelop Namjoon’s slim waist and stare lovingly up at their leader.

“Crowded, huh?” he murmured as he leaned closer. “No trouble at all?” A hum rumbled in Namjoon’s chest, and he gently placed his large hands on the older male’s waist.

“Not one bit,” he lied.

Jin raised a brow. “Oh? So I won’t be getting a call from our manager later tonight about how someone got caught outside when we’re supposed to be preparing for tour?” he taunted. Namjoon pressed a firm kiss to Jin’s forehead.

“Promise,” Namjoon replied, yet he couldn’t help but let his mind wander back to (Name) and how she was able to mysteriously help him out of such a bad situation.

The leader had to endure a few more moments of Jin’s hard stare before he relented and quickly pecked his lips before moving to start organizing the groceries.

Namjoon had to hide a goofy smile as he picked up the maknaes’ snacks and made his way to Jungkook’s room, where the two were most likely hiding out.

As he pushed open the door, he called out, “Tae! Are you really not going to eat these?” He looked up from the colorful packaging and deadpanned at the sight before him. “Tae, get off of Jungkook.”

The second youngest huffed and pouted at his elder from over his shoulder. Below him, Jungkook laid there in a daze with swollen lips.

“But hyung,” Taehyung whined as he watched Namjoon moved to sit beside their forms on the bed.

He ran a hand through Taehyung’s silver locks and huffed, “Why can’t you have this much energy during dance rehearsals?” Taehyung only offered his usual toothy grin. When he felt something hard rubbing against his scalp, his aloof look drooped, and he grabbed at Namjoon’s hand to stare at the new accessory he had never seen before.

“Ooh, where did hyung get this?” Taehyung interrogated as he completely abandoned the maknae laying beneath him. Taehyung narrowed his eyes. “I thought you said you were just going out for snacks.”

There was a small pause where Namjoon pursed his lips and got lost in thoughts once again. His eyes focused on the ring on his finger. He halfheartedly pushed Taehyung so that he toppled off of Jungkook and onto the sheets behind the recovered male, who proceeded to playfully shove at him and berate him.

Namjoon brought the ring closer to his face and stared into the small ruby embedded into the thin band of silver. Swallowing stiffly, he carefully grasped the piece of jewelry with his other hand and began to twist and turn the ring so it slid off of his finger.

An uneasy feeling crept up the back of his neck and gave him goosebumps.

Ignoring the odd sensation, he steeled himself before fully removing the ring. With the ring removed, he could let out a breath of relief. He felt as though his mind was clearer, and he no longer had to think about the stranger he met that day.

In fact, the relief was almost enough to cover his newfound emptiness.

#bts x reader #bts x female reader #poly bts #poly bts x reader #poly bts x fem reader #fem!reader #fem reader #witch reader #witch!reader #fem!witch!reader #bts x witch!reader #poly!bts #poly!bts x reader #poly!bts x fem!reader

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i-am-arcana-trash · 5 years

Text

Moonlight

Inspired by the secret asks.

Muriel x Laurel (I am the worst and wanted her here)

@arcana-dumpsterfire here is me back on my BS

Warnings: uh...implied nudity (skinny dipping) but no description. Fluff. Self indulgent nonsense courtesy of yours truly. 😏

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Vesuvia's summer day faded into a hot humid night. After a dinner of eel and sneaking onto the rafters at the playhouse to watch some sort of comedy, Laurel and Muriel began their trek back to the hut.

Laurel felt her skin stick uncomfortably to the material of her dress. Something Nadia had picked out that, while it looked phenomenal, was not great in the heat.

Muriel had traded out his cloak for a light linen shirt in the shade of green that brought out his eyes. His chest exposed from the deep V of the neck, his neck and wrists free from the confines of those horrid chains.

Laurel huffed as she wiped her forehead, despite her buzz cut, her whole body felt on fire.

'Damn this heat' she muttered under her breath. Muriel felt the same. The two of them were meant for cold temperatures. As they stepped into the forest the heat hardly abated and in some places as they walked, the air felt heavy as lead.

At some point in the walk, Muriel had slipped his hand hand into hers, gently lacing their fingers together. Laurel felt her palms sweat, from nerves or the heat, she couldn't be sure.

As they walked she realized they weren't heading directly to his hut, and instead she heard the sound of water nearby.

Looking up at Muriel, his face was neutral but his cheeks and ears were pink. She had been so busy looking at him she stumbled over a rouge root and Muriel had caught her, Laurel's face almost as red as his.

'You should pay attention.....to where your walking'

Before she could speak, he scooped her up bridal style. Laurel squeaked at the sudden change in elevation and clung to him for a moment. Their faces inches from each other. Feeling bold, Laurel placed a kiss to the corner of his mouth and this time it was Muriel's turn to stumble. His eyes wide, wearing the adorable flustered expression.

Laurel giggled as he returned to his natural stoic expression, but he cheeks remained pink and the smallest hint of a smile clung to the edges of his mouth.

Muriel stepped into a clearing and Laurel felt her jaw slacken. A natural spring in the woods, complete with a waterfall. The air here was noticably less thick and Laurel could feel her skin, sticky from sweat.

She realized Muriel wasn't looking at the clearing but instead at her.

'This is where I come when it gets too hot...you can come here too ....if you want....'

Laurel feels her heart flutter and she reaches a hand out to stroke his cheek. Her thumb traces over his cheek bones, his skin warm under her touch. After a long moment, he closes the distance between them, kissing her. His long dark hair slick with sweat and clinging to his face. Laurel pushes it out of the way and holds it at the back of his head, knotting her fingers in his hair.

He had only recently began to kiss her of his own accord. For a while Laurel always initiated, but in recent weeks he began to move to her first.

His lips taste like salt and eel and the heat she feels isn't coming from the air around them, but instead hums in her gut.

He gently pulls away and sets her down on the ground and Laurel sighs into the space between. Her hands untangling from his hair. Her hands ghosting over the pulse in his neck, feeling its rushed paced and she smiles up at him before removing them completely.

Kicking off her shoes, she steps a few feet into the pool and sighs as the cool water rinses off the sweat from earlier. She walks in about waist high, and she looks over her shoulder at him. He's leaning against a large rock on the shore, arms crossed, she sees him wipe his brow and the moonlight overhead makes him look like more of a God than a man and Laurel suddenly wants nothing more than for him to be in here with her.

An idea comes to mind and while she's not sure it will work....she wants to try. She steps out onto the shore and strides to him. His gaze follows before she stops in front of him and turns around, gesturing to the buttons on the back of her neck.

'Mind getting those, Muri....'

She hears him inhale sharply before his warm hands rest on her neck and he deftly unbuttons the dress.

'what....wh...what are you d-doing' he stumbles a little over the words and Laurel has to hide her smile.

Trying to sound nonchalant, she shrugs as she let's the dress pool at her feet, the only reason she feels so bold is because the moonlight gives everything a pretty glow...even the parts of herself she doesn't like much. It hides things but darkness can't hide the sigh Muriel makes as she places a hand to his chest.

'I wanna swim, but I don't want to completely ruin the dress Nadia gave me...so I took it off....' she shrugs hoping she sounds confident about the whole thing.

Without waiting for a response she returns to the water calling over her shoulder 'you're always welcome to join me...'

The pool isn't too deep. Maybe about 6 feet and she dunks herself under the water letting it cool off her boiling skin. She floats there for a moment feeling herself sink a little further under the crystal clear waters.

Suddenly she feels a hand on her wrist and she's pulled to the surface and flush to Muriel's bare chest. His hands are firm and warm around her waist and she can't hear anything except the beating of her own heart.

'you okay.....you were down there a while...?'

Laurel couldn't make a sentence, every nerve was vibrating where his skin touched hers and for a moment she couldn't remember which way was up.

Muriel dips his face a little closer to hers and Laurel comes back to reality. She snakes one arm around his neck while the other traces circles against his chest. One of his arms is wrapped firmly around her waist, his other hand cups her cheek before they close the distance again.

Coming up for air, their breathing somewhat ragged, Laurel presses her forehead to his, twisting a strand of his hair around her finger. She can't help but nuzzle her nose into his, peppering kisses around his cheeks, his scars, on any available inch of skin she can find. He laughs and holds her head in his hands nuzzling back.

Opening her mouth to speak he holds a finger to her lips.....before grabbing her waist and dunking the both of them back into the cool water.

She can't help but gasp at the change in temperature before her head pops out of the water.

Muriel's head pops out a second later, laughing and shaking water out of his hair, running his fingers through it and he reaches out to her.

Feigning annoyance she crosses her arms before he strokes the spot at the back of her head. Laurel leans into the touch and he pulls her back to him.

His face is red and he clears his throat nervously before speaking 'Sorry..I....um.... You were too warm earlier and....'

He rambles for a moment before Laurel shushes him with a finger. She grins at him and the worried look on his face eases away to a relaxed look.

Her hands come to rest on his shoulders as they listen to the waterfall and the sounds of the night in the forest. The moon directly overhead casting them both in its light and Laurel wishes she could stop time in this moment.

One last time Laurel holds Muriel's face in her hands and peppers his nose and cheeks with kisses, whispering praises to him before they finally step out of the pool.

Her dress is still wet and Muriel hands over his shirt, she giggles and comments 'This was my plan all along...'

He blushes, pouting and mutters '.....you're weird....'

She can't help but laugh harder at his comment and wraps her arm around his waist, pulling him against her and gazes up to his face. He smiles down at her planting a kiss on her forehead. His arm comes to rest comfortably on her shoulders as they walk to the hut in comfortable silence.

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Everyone @ me:

#the arcana #the arcana apprentice #apprentice laurel #the arcana muriel #muriel x apprentice #muriel x mc #my writing #mostly self indulgent nonsense

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longroadstonowhere · 5 years

Text

this is it

the final chapter of wild child

six and a half years ago, i wrote a little story with an open ending, and i thought well, maybe i’ll come back to this, who knows - i was just starting to get back into writing again, after taking several years off because nothing really inspired me to write

and then there was homestuck, and there were friends to encourage my writing, and after a while i thought, well, why not try continuing that seed of a story

six years ago this saturday, i published the second of what i thought would be six or eight chapters at most - clearly that estimate was completely wrong, haha - but i’m glad i continued this, because i’m proud of what i’ve done here

to everyone who’s read any part of this story, thank you

(1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 ao3)

Paul collapsed on the couch. John had stormed off through the front door after Jade had made her escape, and he couldn't blame either of them.Probably one of my worst parenting moments to date, he berated himself. Honestly I can't imagine how much worse I could have done.

Roxy settled on the couch next to him and stroked his back. "Well, that was a little bit of a shitstorm."

"Doctor!" Paul raised his head and looked at the stairs. "Your daughter -"

"Left to go find the others. They'll be fine." She sat back, tapping her hands against her thighs. Suddenly, she stood and made her way to the kitchen. "I'm going to get myself something to drink. Would you like some?"

He frowned. Early in the day for that, isn't it? He didn't voice his thought, though, just a simple "No thank you." Rubbing at his temple, he continued, "Really feel like I need to smoke, though."

She hummed in acknowledgement as she clattered around the kitchen. He heard something being poured into a glass, a pause, and then liquid splashing down the drain. He turned his head and saw the doctor filling two glasses with water. Coming back around the couch, she handed him one glass and held the other out. "To curbing vices," she proposed, with a facetious twist to her mouth.

With a matching half-smile, he tapped her glass and took a long sip. Swirling the water a little, he said mournfully, "I don't think John's ever been this angry with me, and I can't blame him. Every choice I made in this matter was the absolute worst choice I could have made. I can't expect him or Jade to ever trust me again."

"Well..." Roxy said thoughtfully. "It might be true that you could've handled things differently and it might have turned out better, but that's impossible to know for sure. Unless you have secret time travel powers?" she teased. Paul snorted out a little laugh despite himself. "No? That's sad, I could've used a new project at work. As for their trust..." Here she sighed. "I'll be honest - I've done my best for Rose, but I've done plenty I'm not proud of, either. Somehow, in spite of all my fuck-ups, she still loves me. I don't know how much she trusts me, but..." She shrugged helplessly. "All children discover their parents are human eventually. We can only hope they still love us when they get through to the other side."

Paul considered that for a moment. "I suppose... I just hoped that day wouldn't come so soon."

Roxy patted his shoulder in consolation. "From what I've seen, you've done a good job with both of them. With a little time, they'll come around."

John stomped away from their house, no goal in sight except just getting away. Dad is such an asshole! he fumed. I can't believe he kept this a secret from us for so long! I was so excited to show Jade what high school is like, and she knows the librarians so well, and what does any of it fucking matter?!? His feet kept pushing along with no interference from his brain, until he found himself near a small ostentatious building near the edge of the clearing that had been made around Rose's house. He didn't really notice the building, though. He was still too focused on mentally ripping his dad a new one. Tired of wandering at random, though, he started going around and around the little structure in a neverending circle.

"John?" Rose's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. She stood some distance away, her arms crossed and one eyebrow quirked upwards. "Are you attempting to create a moat of some sort with your feet alone? I'd admire your perseverance and admittedly misguided ambition if that were the case - but I must inform you we don't often find ourselves under siege, and if we were this building would not be worth any particular attention."

"Oh, uh..." John shuffled his feet, a little embarrassed and still kinda angry at his dad. He didn't really want to unload any of that on Rose, though. "What is this thing, anyway? I don't think I've ever seen a building with pillars outside of like, City Hall."

"Well," Rose stepped forward, her hands moving to clasp behind her back, "this edifice began its life as a mausoleum for my former pet Jaspers. When he passed, my mother had this building constructed to give his mortal flesh a worthy final resting place." She smiled a little. "Then, after some self-reflection and a strongly worded letter from one of my teachers, she decided that was a little fucked up and decided to give Jaspers a more traditional burial for a simple pet - a shoebox buried beneath the flowers. Now we use this thing as a gardening shed."

"Huh. That's... really weird actually."

"That is but the tip of the weirdness manifesting itself as my mother," Rose said. "However, while I could continue to overshare emotionally scarring anecdotes from my past, I think I would serve better as an open ear than an open mouth. So," she carefully settled herself on the grass near the bizarre mausoleum-shed, "have a seat and let's, as the youths say, rap about your feelings."

John snorted without really meaning to. "You sound like a forty six year old woman trapped in a teenager's body saying that."

"I'm sure I have no idea what you mean by that, young man," Rose stated primly. She patted the grass beside her. "I must insist on the sitting, though. I'll strain my neck if you continue to stand while we talk, and it is simply impossible to find a good masseuse in this neck of the woods."

"Well, I wouldn't want to do something ungentlemanly like cause you grievous bodily harm," John joked as he sprawled next to Rose, his legs stretched in front of him. Once he was sitting, though, he had no idea what to say next. Rose had helped bleed some of his anger away by distracting him, but he could still feel it boiling away in his heart. "I dunno if there's much for me to say. My dad's a jerk and Jade's gonna have to leave, and there's nothing I can do about it."

Rose tilted her head slightly, like she was accepting what John said without agreeing with it. "I'm not so sure that last statement is true, but we can circle back to that. Let's talk to your father first. Does he often spring news on you like this?"

"... No. He usually tells me stuff way before it matters. He always says he wants to give me space to get used to something new, but this is like one of the hugest things that could ever happen and he just drops it all at once?" John exhaled in disgust and fell backwards, his arms stretched out above his head. "I'm already fucked up about high school and growing up, why does this have to change too?"

Rose sighed. "Change can truly be a brutal taskmaster, one with no mercy or compassion for those swept along in its wake. But, well..." Rose paused for a long time, long enough that John wondered if she was done talking entirely. He didn't feel the need to fill the silence for once, though - it felt weirdly okay to just let time pass. He watched a few wisps of cloud slowly drift across the sky. Finally Rose started to speak again. "Honestly, I generally find change to be a shitty joke played on the unprepared fools we all are, but sometimes it can be an unexpected boon. For example," she turned and gave John a surprisingly genuine smile, "though I've only known you a short time, I find both you and Jade to be quite pleasurable additions to my life, an outcome I'd certainly never have predicted in advance. So, even if all the events leading up to our meeting have been exceedingly shitty, I would deem the end result quite satisfactory."

John took a few seconds to process all those words before snorting in laughter. "Wow, that's one of the dorkiest ways I've ever heard someone say 'Let's be friends!', ahahahahaha!" He curled in on his stomach, unable to stop laughing.

Rose sniffed in disapproval. "Such boorish antics... truly it is a mystery how you have ever befriended anyone. 'Tis a riddle I should have to devote my life to unraveling, if I were so inclined to such an activity." Her words sounded kinda mean, but she didn't make any moves like she was going to walk off and just leave him there. And she'd come out to find him after he'd stormed off, which said a lot more than her words did.

Well, maybe not a lot more... John thought, considering how many words Rose generally said. But it does mean a lot, at least. John sat back up and smiled at Rose. "Thanks. I guess I kinda needed that."

She nodded graciously. "My pleasure. I've found something of a fascination for delving into the psychological depths of those around me, so it is gratifying to find a material beneficial output for my knowledge."

"Uh, sure, okay." That sounded kind of like 'you're welcome', if he didn't think about it too hard. John stood and dusted bits of grass off his shorts. Looking at the house, though, he wasn't ready to see his dad again yet. Besides, he had something very important to do. "So, where do you think the tallest tree is around here?"

Jade swung her feet in the air, her eyes sweeping over the unfamiliar horizon. Off the island for months and I still run for a tree when something's wrong, she berated herself. Growing up, climbing trees had been both fun and beneficial, since it gave her the best view of her surroundings, letting her scope out unplundered plants or useful scrap that drifted onto the beach.

Trees had also helped her escape from the beasts that had grown bold after her grandpa's death, animals that Bec could take on one at a time but could easily overwhelm him with numbers. Most of the ones who were chasing her for food couldn't climb, though, so the higher she went, the safer she was.

There weren't any beasts like that here, though - nothing that would kill her, tear her to shreds for a decent meal. She was safe here, probably the safest she'd been in her entire life.

And yet she still ran.

I'm better than this, she thought angrily. I've been around people all the time, and I didn't hurt Rob at all when he tried to fight me, and... Ugh!She fell backwards, hanging off the branch upside down. I can't believe how dumb I'm being about all this!

She sat like that for a while, letting the blood rush to her head until it started to hurt. She let it pound away, the pulsing in her head matching her anger at herself. It got so loud that she almost missed Bec's quiet warning bark - no danger but he saw something that needed her attention.

Straining, she looked down at the ground upside down and could see John at the bottom of the tree approaching Bec carefully. He stopped a few feet short and held his hand out to the dog, who padded forward and let John scratch between his ears. His light laughter drifted up the tree towards her. He gave Bec one last big scritch and looked up the tree at Jade. "Hi Jade! Cold you come down a couple branches? I wanna talk but I don't really want to shout, and these trees are harder to climb than the ones back home."

Home. That word hurt more than she thought it would. She'd gotten over the idea of having a home to belong to years ago, right? Home was about people, after all - that's what her stories had said, and all she had was Bec.

John stood quietly at the bottom of the tree, but he was shifting his weight back and forth, like he was trying to decide if he should leave or not. Finally he tightened his fists and nodded to himself before approaching the tree. He jumped and just barely caught one of the lowest branches, pulling himself up until he could straddle it. Balancing against the tree trunk, he slowly stood up on the branch and looked for the next one. He eyed one just out of reach, but before he could make a jump for that one, Jade called down, "If you're gonna be stubborn, fine, I'll climb down a little." He was super bad at climbing, after all, and dealing with a broken leg or something would just make everything even worse.

Jade casually dropped down the tree until she was a few branches above John. She settled into the nexus of several branches and waited for him to say something. He was the one who wanted to talk after all.

"So..." John said as he sat on his branch again, his legs dangling in the air. "That's some shitty news, huh? Kinda wish Dad had told us earlier, but I guess there's no good time for that kind of news. It's weird to think he could mess up like that, though. Adults aren't supposed to fuck things up."

Jade pressed her back into the tree, trying not to think about what parents should or shouldn't be like. Imagining how things could go wouldn't change what was happening.

John sighed loudly. "Wow, I suck at cheering people up. Rose is way better than me at this." He shook his head vigorously and slapped his hands to his cheeks. "Okay! Here's what I really need to say!" He looked straight at Jade, locking eyes with her. "I want you to come home with me and Dad, and I don't care what anyone says about it. You're my sister, and you belong with us, and anybody who thinks differently is gonna regret it, even if they are some hotshot lawyer with... a briefcase and... and a carphone!" He scowled at the ground, one hand on his forehead. "Wow, that last part sounded stupid, just ignore that bit. The important thing is you're my family, no matter what anyone says."

Jade froze, not sure what she should do. No one had ever made her feel important like that, not since Grandpa... No, she admitted, not even Grandpa. Before she realized it, she was dropping down towards John, grabbing him in a strong embrace when she reached his level. "Whoa - !" John flailed and nearly fell off, but Jade made sure they stayed. Once they were stabilized, John hugged her back, and they stayed like that for a long time.

Bec's soft whine, followed by some scratching noises, finally convinced Jade to pull back. She looked down through surprisingly watery eyes to see Bec pawing at the trunk of the tree. "I'm fine," she told him, a smile pulling at the side of her mouth. And she was, for once. She actually was.

Beside her, John wiped a few tears out of his eyes. "Wow... now I know how Cameron Poe must have felt when he finally gave Casey that bunny," he laughed.

Jade laughed too, and shoved at him a little. "No more lame movie references, we are having a serious moment!" John was too distracted trying to stay seated on the branch to argue. Jade let the smile drop from her mouth as she gathered her thoughts. "... Do you really think they'll make me leave you guys?"

John furrowed his brow in deep thought. "Custody can be really weird sometimes. But, you know..." John trailed off, looking around at their surroundings. "If you did have to live somewhere else, this wouldn't be the worst place probably. Rose is pretty cool, in a super nerdy way, and it does look pretty."

"I guess... but... " Jade gathered her courage. "I don't want to. I want to go... home."

John wrapped one arm around her. "Okay. That's what we'll do."

John sat on the couch, doing his best not to fidget nervously and absolutely failing on all fronts. Jade lay on the floor in front of him with Bec, the pair tussling half-heartedly over one of Bec's toys that they'd brought along. Rose sat on one of the other couches, knitting a scarf or something and looking for all the world like she didn't care about anything else besides her project.

The day before, they'd all had a real long talk about strategies and feelings and everything in between. There had been more than a few manly tears shed, as well as some hugs so tight they squeezed the air out of everyone's lungs,, but at some point all they could do was wait for the lawyer to come and discuss everything with them.

The adults were with the lawyer now in Dr. Lalonde's study, discussing the dry details of Uncle Harley's will. Rose had tried to argue that all of them should be present, but Dad thought they would run out of steam if they had to listen to the minutiae, so he'd suggested the kids come in once all the boring stuff was over. On the one hand, John couldn't really blame his dad - he could barely pay attention to his teacher's lectures, and he could understand what they were talking about for the most part.

On the other hand, that left the three of them out here with nothing to do but obsess over whatever was happening in that room.

Unable to keep still any longer, John leaped to his feet and started pacing between the couches and the stairs, carefully stepping over Jade and Bec on his way. Neither girl seemed to pay him any mind, but he knew Jade at least was probably keeping an eye on him. Probably Rose too, really. They were both scarily observant of where people were at all times. They'd probably get even scarier about it if they ended up living together.

Nope nope nope! John shook his head sharply. Jade's gonna come home where she belongs, and that's that, even if I have to kidnap her. He stopped pacing, one hand coming up to cup his chin. I'd have to drive, since I don't think we could get on an airplane without some kind of adult, and also tickets would be super expensive. Driving can't be that hard, right? I should be tall enough to reach the pedals on Dad's car, and I know where he keeps his keys. Food, though...

"Um, John?" Jade's voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked up to see her kneeling on the couch, looking at him in concern. "What... are you doing?"

John laughed nervously. "Oh, I was.... planning how to kidnap you?"

Behind Jade, he could see Rose shaking with suppressed laughter. Jade half-smiled, but her heart definitely wasn't in it. He sighed and rubbed the back of his head - she was just as nervous as he was, if not more, and he had no idea how to fix that.

Jade looked down the hallway towards the study. "How much longer do you think they're gonna talk?"

John shrugged helplessly. "I guess Uncle Harley had a lot of complicated stuff in his will? He was technically like a billionaire or something, since the Betty Crocker company belonged to him." He looked down the hall as well. "They could be in there for a really long time probably."

Rose set her knitting aside and confidently stood up. "Well then, I suggest we go see how they're getting on for ourselves." She came around the couches and strode past John towards the hallway. He gave Jade a quick look before following Rose, and he could hear Jade scrambling over the couch to join them.

Outside the study, Rose kneeled in front of the door, one ear pressed close. She motioned for John to be quiet as he approached. He frowned - he wasn't stomping around like an elephant or anything, and he knew better than to give away that they were eavesdropping! As proof of such intelligence, he didn't give Rose a piece of his mind then and there. Instead, he knelt next to her, pressing his own ear against the door to try and hear what was going on. Jade stayed standing and leaned over the both of them, one hand on John's shoulder to keep her balance.

The adults were talking quietly, making it difficult to hear them through the door. Okay, so maybe Rose had a good point about being silent, he thought ruefully. He had to breathe really slowly through his mouth to be quiet enough to have any chance of understanding what they were saying.

"As you can see, Mr. Harley was quite thorough in protecting the trust for Jade." That was the lawyer's voice - they'd introduced themselves to everyone before disappearing into the study with Dad and Doctor Lalonde. "And since he tied everything about access to the trust with whoever has Jade's custody..."

There was a barely audible sigh, which John recognized as coming from his dad. "Yes, I can see why you said you needed to speak with me in person. This is far more complex than I'd even imagined." A pause, with some furniture creaking that suggested his dad was moving around in some way - leaning forward maybe? "Why was he so particular about this? He must have trusted his business partners well enough, since he left them in complete control of the company while he was... gallivanting around the world."

More furniture creaks, and Dr. Lalonde said, "Jake was never very good with people - that's why he liked exploring so much, it meant he could just leave whenever he started worrying about whether he was offending someone or what have you." She laughed a little. "I think he might've left Jade to me just because he could stand being around me for at least a week at a time."

"I'd also like to note," the lawyer said, "he didn't leave his partners completely alone while he traveled. He had access to some extraordinary technology across the years - we take cell phones and their communication abilities for granted now, but fifteen or twenty years ago that instantaneous correspondence was just barely beginning to enter the public eye. Mr. Harley's island was kitted out with a whole host of machines that allowed him to check on his company far more often than one would have expected, and he could give them instructions as well. He was more hands-on than the company would lead you to believe."

The furniture creaked again, and John's dad said, "So he was still running the company from all the way out there?" His voice was getting louder and softer - it sounded like he was pacing back and forth. "He went to all those lengths, just to avoid his business colleagues while still keeping control of his company?"

"That's Jake in a nutshell, really. He had a great deal of pride in his family's company, so he couldn't let it pass from his hands while he was alive, but he couldn't stand living in the same 'humdrum reality' as the rest of us." The doctor's voice changed a little as she said those words, and Jade gripped John's shoulder a little tighter. Guess that's her Uncle Harley impression. It must be pretty good for Jade to react like that, John thought.

"Okay..." Dad still seemed to be pacing back and forth. "So he accepted his business had to pass into other hands on his death, but he wanted to provide a good future for Jade, and so he put all his wealth into this trust fund for her. Would his business partners really try to get at his wealth through Jade? I know it's quite a bit of money but -"

The lawyer interrupted. "They already have tried, and not just his business partners. Several parties have come forward inquiring about Jade's custody since they learned of her current situation. Somehow word's gotten around that Mr. Harley's fortune will not be funneled back into the company, as so many presumed it would, and regrettably some of those who made such presumptions are much less scrupulous than one would hope."

"Yeah, Jake had good reason to make his will so strong, unfortunately," the doctor said. "With what he knew, he made the best choices possible. I just wish he'd known a little more."

"It's unfortunate that he and Mother fell out of contact," John's dad sighed. "This all could have been avoided. And you're certain there's no way to accept custody of Jade without also gaining access to this trust fund?"

"No, that was one thing Mr. Harley didn't think of," the lawyer replied. "Of course, he assumed with everything else in place that Jade would go to Doctor Lalonde here, and he knew her to be in an extremely secure financial situation. As such, and because he personally knew her, Mr. Harley was certain that Jade's money would be safe in the doctor's hands."

"Yes, I wouldn't dream of touching her money myself, outside of providing for whatever lessons she desires in the future," Dad said. "But... if I try to take full custody of Jade, those vultures circling around Uncle Harley's will would try to argue that my motivation is purely financial, won't they?"

The lawyer responded, "Yes, I think it's safe to say they would certainly challenge your claim on those grounds, considering your own situation. After all, you've been holding up admirably, but even with just the quick glance you graciously allowed me, I can see that you've been struggling on that front for some time."

"What?" John said, unable to help himself. He clapped his hands over his mouth as Rose turned to glare at him. Oops.

The conversation in the study paused, and then footsteps came towards them. John and the others stepped away from the door, just in time to avoid stumbling through as John's dad opened it. He looked down at the three of them, smiling a little and shaking his head. "I suppose we should have expected you to tire of waiting for us to finish," he said. "Well, if you're going to listen, you should join us so you can speak as well." He turned back into the room and returned to the table they were all sitting around.

Rose wasted no time entering the room and claiming a chair for herself. John entered a little more cautiously, making sure Jade was right behind him. He felt sort of timid, which was a really weird feeling for him - most of the time, he jumped into a new situation too fast to feel anything more than excitement or anger or whatever. After that first rush, he usually just felt dumb about jumping in, but not timid. That was an alien thing.

He swallowed, trying to gulp down this weird feeling at the same time. "So... is that why we've been eating spaghetti all the time? Because we're poor now?"

"Oh John," his dad sighed. "We're not... yes, having another person in the house has strained our financial situation somewhat, but we're doing fine. Besides, I'll take any hardship to give you the life you deserve." He looked at Jade. "Both of you."

John glanced down at his hands, pride in his dad overwhelming his ability to say anything else. The lawyer politely cleared their throat. "That is extremely admirable, Mr. Egbert. I could only wish all parents were as devoted as you."

Dad blushed a little. "Well, it's the gentlemanly thing to do," he muttered.

Doctor Lalonde grinned. "You know, you almost sound like Jake when you say that." She sobered quickly, turning back to the lawyer. "So, as much as I hate to be all serious, did Jake leave any provisions for what would happen to Jade if I were..." Her eyes flickered to where Rose was sitting. "Let's say incapacitated?"

"You can say 'if you were dead', Mom," Rose stated, deadpan. "I'm well aware of how mortal our flesh is."

The doctor chewed her lip. "That's not the only thing I meant, Rose." Mother and daughter looked at each other, communicating something John couldn't even try to understand. Rose nodded, just a little, and seemed to relax slightly.

"In the event that you were incapable of serving as Jade's guardian," the lawyer diplomatically continued the conversation, "Mr. Harley specified that, to put it in simple terms, Jade was to be provided for in an identical way to your own daughter if at all possible. Any other contingencies specifically require your incapacitation."

"Ah, no luck there, then," she said lightly. "It was a long shot, anyway."

"Um..." Jade raised her hand a little. Where'd she pick that up from? John wondered - she obviously hadn't attended any real classes yet, but maybe she'd marathoned some school show and hadn't told them about it. "Can I say something?"

"Of course! This is your future, after all," the lawyer stated.

"Right, okay." Jade took a deep breath, in and out. "So, Grandpa wanted Doctor Lalonde to be my guardian, and made it really really complicated for anyone else to get the job because of this money he set aside for me, right?"

John's dad nodded. "That is a good summary of the situation, yes."

"So, um... is it possible for both you and the doctor to be my guardians?" Jade asked, looking at each of the adults.

The lawyer leaned back, stroking their chin. "Partial custody.... you know, I think that could actually work. I'll have to discuss it with my colleagues who are more versed in these things, but that should satisfy Mr. Harley's conditions regarding Doctor Lalonde as Jade's guardian, as well as allow her to spend most of her time living with the Egberts." They looked at the doctor. "I'm fairly certain you would have to host Jade for some significant period of time, though, or else you could be challenged on whether you were acting in good faith as her guardian."

Doctor Lalonde grinned. "How about... oh, say, six weeks every summer?" She turned to John and his dad. "I'd be more than happy to house the two of you, as well. It wouldn't be the same without everyone here."

Dad smiled wide, exuberant joy pouring out from his face. "That sounds absolutely perfect, Roxy. I would be more than happy to accept those terms."

"So... that works? I get to stay with John and Mr. Egbert?" Jade asked, like she had to hear someone say it straight out before she could believe it. Honestly, John couldn't blame her - he felt the same way.

The lawyer smiled. "As I see it, you get to stay with your family."

John whooped in joy and tackled Jade to the ground. "You get to stay!" he shouted - he was so happy, he wanted the whole world to know why.

Jade laughed and hugged him back. No matter what came next, John would remember this as one of the best moments in his entire life.

#wild child jade #the ao3 copy won't be updated until sunday (because i want it to be published on 6/15 because Reasons)#but 6/12 is a perfectly acceptable anniversary for posting homestuck fic #even if this story contains absolutely no trolls whatsoever #(except rob and he is not the good kind of troll)#also man i am never publishing a multichapter fic on tumblr again #let me tell you linking each chapter at the top of the post is sooooo much work #but i've read too many stories on other tumblrs that make it really hard to get to the first chapter when you only see the last one #so i couldn't in good conscience /not/ link every published chapter at the top #anyway it's all ao3 all the time from here on out

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