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#like. they're right next to each other. it's barely 2 different cities
allsassnoclass · 3 months
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hyper-specific poll: me edition
jumping on this bandwagon finally
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piglet26 · 4 months
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Reylo Scenes: TROS Part 2
After a failed attempt at killing Rey and Rey slashing Ren's fighter. He's relieved he didn't kill her. She's relieved she didn't kill him. He emerges looking fucking glorious while Rey tried to stop a ship from flying off cause she thinks Chewie is on board. What the hell are they doing putting a mask on him at this point?!
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In the novel from Kylo's perspective, "But his impulse to kill Key had almost ruined everything he had been planning..... but his deepest desire, the thing he wanted most (Rey) would require planning and patience."
"It didn't matter what or who was inside that transport that made desperate to prevent it's escape, he was not going to let her have it. He reached out, felt the massive machinery in his mind, yanked it towards himself."
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What's interesting in this scene is Kylo Ren is pushing her and Rey ultimately pulls from anger to best him and keep chewing. That's what always been interesting about Rey is she's the Jedi, but often times she fights with anger, fear and aggression. In the novelization it's revealed that over the course of that year she's been hearing voices. It looks pretty and it's a good shot, but I kept thinking didn't we already see this? Force wise... they're pretty even. While it doesn't hit as hard as the tug-o-war in the TLJ it does serve a purpose. Rey is a Palpatine after all.
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In the movie, as per usual, this next bit doesn't make any sense. Ren seems stunned and just let's Rey, Finn and Poe run off. In the novel it makes more sense.
"Kylo Ren watched the freighter rise into the sky, Rey inside it. She had beaten him again (she thought she killed her friend not really a win but you're emo) and yet, he was filled with triumph. He'd been right to push her. She had just demonstrated unbelievable, mind blowing power. Dark power. Sith Power. The scavenger was almost ready to turn. And when she did, they would both kill their light, embrace their darkness, then the star destroyer fleet and the Sith throne would be theirs."
Kylo Ren is a Reylo and is trying to make power couple goals happen and we have to appreciate that.
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This is concept art from "The Rise of Skywalker" notice how their costumes mirror each other.
The chemistry between Rey and Kylo is electric whenever they share the same space, so much so that sometimes it feels like we, the audience, are intruding on a private moment between the two.
On board Ochi's ship Rey confesses she has sex dreams about Kylo Ren. Let's be honest they both do and she confesses she's had visions of her and Kylo Ren on top the Sith throne.
Next scene is them in Kijimi. Ren is looking for his future Queen who is trying to find the sithway finder or whatever. Arriving in his pretty cool ship.
In the novel per Zorii, "As the black clad man approached the squads officer snap to attention, "Supreme leader".... the man standing below with his gang od butchers was Kylo Ren himself.....The supreme leader said his voice was tight and calm, but Zorii got the feeling he was barely containing his rage. He looked around almost as if he were sniffing the air. "We have a perimeter around the city." The lieutenant began, but Kylo Ren cut him off, "We're too late, the scavenger is gone." Zorri goes onto describe Kylo Ren having a moment whipping his lightsaber out and going beast mode.
In the movie through the force it's implied that that's how Rey knows Chewie is onboard Ren's destroyer, but in the novel it's different. He interrogated Chewie forcefully (wink wink ha ha ha) to get information on Rey. Rey was able to link mind with Kylo Ren and that's how she knew Chewie was onboard. They should've shown them linking minds more.
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Then Rey was in his room, or excuse me, private quarters. Anyone else surprised his room was so white and pretty, if no impersonal. Where's his bed? I saw it in the first movie I think.
"Rey. Wherever you are, you are hard to find."
I'm wondering if at this point that can connect to one another more voluntarily. Rey is always swinging first. Like always. This scene can only really be described as exposition scenes, but there is a nice aspect to it. It's nice to see what they see from one another's viewpoint when they force bond. They just see each other. The dyad is increasing in power, not only can they now touch through the force, they can fight and their spaces even blend. They were together and yet separate. Kylo Ren also seems to be very excited his girl is in quarters and wants to lock down that ship.
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In their next scene, again, Kylo tells her the plot of The Rise of Skywalker while wearing that damn mask. I have questions when did Kylo Ren find out they were a dyad?! Why were denied this scene? Obviously they instinctually know they are connected, they just never knew the word to put to it, but were is the exact scene? The thing about Kylo Ren is he uses information to twist it like a knife. He's going to use the truth that they are Dyad, that she is a Palpatine and ultimately the attraction she feels for him to seduce her to the dark side. From Rey's perspective, "He extended his black gloved hand to her, she looked at it, remembered. The last time he extended a hand had been in the wreckage of Snoke's throne room. Their combined power had defeated him. It was true. That together they could do such incredible things. Suddenly, she sensed a weight at her back and along with it... Finn. His presence a bright beacon of light piercing the dark." Ren pulling some MJ Smooth Criminal moves there.
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After Rey flees with her crew, in the novel it's gives Kylo Ren's reaction. Her surveys the damage left from The Falcon's engine wash. "Kylo considered it a small price to pay to encounter Rey again. To provoke her into a rage. To say the word Dyad and watch the truth of it wash over her lovely face......he hardly paid attention, he kept seeing her face. The way her lips had parted with surprise. The way her body had canted (leaned) toward him. If the Millennial falcon hadn't appeared she might have come to him. Taken his hand. Kylo really hated that ship.... he'd been so very close, but now she knew the truth. She would accept it."
Yeah, they're horny. It's the first time Kylo described her in such detail and really let us as the reader or audience know..... he wants power, but he wants Rey more. If Ren had the world in his hand it wouldn't mean as much without Rey. This is the first scene in the movie where Rey acknowledges how much she wants to be with him. Interesting, Finn again is really her solid base on the good side of the force.
Side note: Dark Rey is hot.
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The lightsaber fight onboard the death star wreckage. I've heard criticism that this fight while beautiful is pointless. I disagree. It's actually a scene that pushes them forward. Rey said, "give it to me" and Ren giving this shudder like he just came in his pants. hmmhmm! Ren likes feral, passionate Rey. He's pushing her and pushing her when she's already at the edge. Interesting enough, Ben can take whatever Rey has to give. All the anger and the fury she's had to hide from everyone else she can express to him. The fight is really about their likeness and yet difference, their passion, how Rey has grown in her lightsaber fighting and fixing the end of The Force Awakens. Ren is fighting at full force capacity, he's not injured and he's not emotional.
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The way he is in love
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“He sent the thought directly into her mind: I know you. No one does, she shot back. But I do.” WHY WASN'T THIS IN THE MOVIE?!
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They fight until Rey is exhausted and when it looks like Kylo Ren might strike the killing blow, Leia reaches out through the force before she passes. In a fit of rage Rey stabs Kylo Ren, but snaps out of it when she feels Leia's passing. She begins to heal the wound she created.
How did she heal? Oh, you know those books she had in the beginning of the movie? Those book were the sacred Jedi text from Acht-to. She smuggled them onboard the falcon. So they never were actually set fire. Turns out Yoda that they actually were useful.
Rey showing him compassion, healing him, believing in him almost doggedly is so empowering for Ben Solo to return. His parents might be gone, but he still has someone to return home to. This movie has flawed writing but sometimes almost accidentally that land on something that works. The line where she admits she wanted to take his hand is a great line. It's declaration of love for Ben, not a rejection of Kylo Ren. It's her saying, "I didn't reject you. I wanted the best version of you"
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After the unconditional love offered by both parents and the selfless, sacrificial love offered by Rey...... Kylo Ren becomes Ben Solo again. We just don't see him for the next 20 minutes as Rey processes her identity crisis and then goes off to fight to Palpatine..... without a plan.
There's also something purely adolescent about Reylo. Even in TLJ, these two throw themselves into one another. Like Rey having a vision of their future together so she goes alone to an enemy ship based purely on belief in him. Now we have Ben Solo, in a moment of pure adolescent "I gotta get to my girl" just needs to be with her on exegol as she faces down Palpatine.
From Adam Driver, "and the thing that we started with for "Who is Ben, then? There's no ambiguity about what it is that he has to do. There's no more seesaw that's happening. For the first time, someone who has never had the answer now finally knows his purpose or destiny. But I don't know that he entirely is sure of what's going to happen from there, nor do I think he cares. I think it's so long as he is with her, he's on the right path. " Adam driver is a Reylo.
Ben solo is back and he's glorious. He's likeable, charismatic, he's funny and he shoots backwards like his dad. People appreciated Adam Driver in an all new way with these scenes. He doesn't say a word except "oh, but you know he's shifted from Kylo Ren to Ben Solo. His physical acting is so strong. The subtlety showed his talented and not many actors can say that.
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It such a beautiful moment when finally Ben Solo and Rey connect instead. In the novel and in the film especially so because she reaches for her connection to Ben right before she's going to kill Palpatine.
He acknowledged her and Rey’s lips parted in surprise. The connection was… right. Good. Like coming home. They wasted a precious moment reveling in this new sharing. This is how it should have been all along. A true dyad.
Rey lowered the lightsaber behind her back, as if readying for a massive blow. She reached for the Force. The effort made tears sting in her eyes. [...] She raised her hand ... which was now empty. She had projected her weapon away. [...] The moment Ben felt the grip of Luke’s lightsaber in his palm, he knew it belonged to him, an extension of his very own self. He raised it slowly, relishing the feel of it. ”
It's a beautiful moment where Rey and now Ben Solo have a redo of The Last Jedi. Rey looks at Ben with such love, joy and relief. Ben looks at Rey with such confidence, determination and love. It's the "Are you with me? "Yes, I'm with" Now with them both in blue light.
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Finally Ben Solo and Rey are united. These soulmates separate by so much over the course of two movies are finally as they were suppose to be. Palpatine and Skywalker standing together. What it should have been is act of love, redemption and hope defeating evil. It should have been Ben Solo confronting his demons with the woman he loves and fought to be with. It should have been is Rey belonging; a redeemed Ben was supposed to become her new home and/ fulfill her need for a family. It should have been a power couple fighting evil with the Force.
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But no. Somehow the two of them coming together empowered the devil. Their power like a source of life itself. Then Ben Solo is chucked off a cliff after draining their energy. Why? Ben Solo should have faced his grandfather's and father's enemy, or his clone. Palpatine confirms all the voices he's been hearing in his head has been Palpatine. He literally made irrelevant to something he is very relevant to.
They fail together, but she succeeds alone after the spirits of the Jedi aiding her?! I hate all this. Then she dies after her energy being drained, or she clutches the lightsaber too hard, I'm not sure it's not described. It's annoying. Ben drags himself up broken ribs and all to get to Rey. He crawls to her when he realizes she's passed. It's a horrible moment where you feel how alone Ben feels.
"He could see her now, collapsed on the floor, and the pain in his chest was suddenly so much worse than that of a couple broken ribs."
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Ben initially mourns her until he realizes there might be a chance to save. He heals her like she healed him. Oh also none of the films go into the fact that because of their bond they were able to learn the force, including fighting moves, from one another. "Ben poured everything into her. He found reservoirs he didn’t even know he had. He gave her his whole self"
Then Rey finally takes his hand! She's back! Ben is so relieve that she's there. In the novel, "She was glad to see him. Glad to be with him in this moment. It was the greatest gift she could have given him. His heart was full as Rey reached for his face, let her fingers linger against his cheek. And then, wonder of wonders, she leaned forward and kissed him."
Reylos! We finally get our kiss, they smile at one another, look they're so happy! Probably the happiest they've ever been. A celebration!
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Anddddddd he's gone. Seriously. Rey mourns him in the novel like we never see her do in the film. "The girl who had felt alone for all those years on Jakku had been part of a dyad the whole time. And just when she'd discovered that precious connection, that incredible oneness, it was ripped away. A voice came to her through the Force, clear and strong. I will always be with you, Ben said."
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It's tragic because there's so much to Ben Solo we just don't see as an audience after 3 films!!!!!! He doesn't have any lines.
This movie was edited until literally the week before the films release. The recall of the artbook, the last-minute editing, Adam Driver recording new dialogue in his closet..... I'm wondering if the original idea for TROS Reylo was, well, this. We know from the editor, they didn't know for sure if they wanted them to kiss until post-production. Much of the movie wasn't decided until post-production.
And then we get to the ending. Rey Skywalker. How are you not Rey Solo after the man you felt kinship with and the man you were in love with?! Like da fuq?!
Moving forward to this Rey 2025 movie. I'd like it to do well. I hope it does well. It probably won't unless Ben Solo returns. Reylo might be controversial (whatever) but it's currently one of the biggest draws this franchise has. Kylo Ren/Ben Solo is the most popular character out of the sequel trilogy. We deserve it and I'd pay to see it.
sigh the ending we should have gotten
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This post took me like 4 days
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kitkatopinions · 2 years
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Iceberg for the ship meme?
Neptune x Weiss, aka Iceberg, for the RWBY shipping ask game. Let's go!
What I think works about the ship: These two both do quite a bit of posturing and hiding insecurities behind faked confidence, they're both intellectuals, they don't seem to want any sort of stuffy life but still have a taste for some finer things, and they're both shown to be caring and devoted friends despite being more on the 'teasing' side. They're also both way more high strung than they try to let on. There's a lot that actually makes them pretty well suited to each other in terms of personality, but they aren't too similar. I think Weiss would appreciate Neptune's goofiness, and Neptune would like Weiss's sharp tongue and find her challenging. I also think their color schemes work together pretty well, though their style in volumes 2-3 don't exactly mesh well. If Weiss dressed down some or Neptune dressed up, they'd look naturally great together.
What season I think they were best in: Season two. They barely talked in season three, so Season two is the only one left.
How I would get them together in canon: Okay, so Team RWBY is gonna wind up going to Vacuo probably in volume ten. I'd actually kind of lean into 'while growing up, Team RWBY drifts apart some' and have Weiss connect with Neptune in Vacuo while she's there, as he takes the group around the city with Sun. Then when Salem attacks Vacuo (as she'll inevitably do,) Weiss happens to be stuck with Neptune, they're forced to rely on each other to get out of it. Then I'd have it so their groups have to split up to different locations and Weiss has to go to Mistral with Neptune for whatever reason. They'd wind up getting together there.
How I would get them together in an AU or re-write: Okay, Haven falls, Neptune needs to go to a new school. Instead of transferring over to Vacuo, I'd have Team SSSN transfer to Atlas Academy, traveling there with Team RWBY and the others. Then instead of giving them their licenses right away, Ironwood has all the kids join up in Atlas Academy. The teams get mixed up Before-The-Dawn style, and Weiss winds up on a team with Neptune. They figure out they work pretty well together and fall in as friends first and foremost. It'd be this whole 'not actually unrequited they're just both idiots' thing, where Weiss thinks he was never actually into her and he thinks she's way too good for him and he had been too much of an idiot for her to still have any interest. This would be an AU where they have more down time to be in school and Salem wouldn't attack right away (maybe not at all idk) and so I'd have it kind of wait until the next school dance. Neither of them would ask the other, they'd just show up partnerless, but then Weiss would ask him to dance, and they'd just spend the whole night together. After that, Neptune would nervously ask her out, she'd accept, and it'd be history.
What struggles I think they’d have to work through: Number one, Neptune's 'womanizer' ways. Super forced, super gross, the writers clearly don't think writing a man to make advances during an inappropriate situation or pursue obviously uncomfortable women when they're obviously uncomfortable is 'that bad' but I think it sucks. If Neptune wanted to be with any women, I'd like to see him mature out of that sort of behavior and start respecting them more. Number two, Weiss is free with the insults and has a pretty judgmental attitude and honestly, I just think that Neptune is pretty insecure and would be sensitive, so Weiss would need to learn to adjust her sass in order to avoid going too far and hurting his feelings.
Some songs that I can connect to this ship: Ruin, by Jane Decker. Treacherous, by Taylor Swift. Ocean Eyes, by Billie Eilish.
Do I think they’d stay together: I think that they just might. They seem like the type of ship where once they get together, they'll have spats, by they always try hard to get over them and work them out.
How I personally feel about this ship: I don't ship this at all, but not because I don't like the dynamic of Weiss and Neptune, I just love them as friends way more than I care for them as romantic partners.
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xhisokas-harleyx · 3 years
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Your Hisoka headcanons were so good😭 and i completely agree with all of them- I wanted request something, u can ignore if u want. 🏃
I am just thinking of a scenario where Hisoka got hurt, by someone who 'cheated' in the fight maybe, and his first instinct was to go to his 'friend's place. And Reader helps him without hesitation, they're even worried and stuff. And he is just like "are they just so naive or dumb? Kind? What do they get from this? And tf is this feeling in my chest? A poison maybe-" Maybe hcs? Or an oneshot? Whatever you like to do. Have a good day or night!:)💛 damn i wrote too much lol sorry
This warms my heart. Thank you SO MUCH for your support!!! And no, you did not write too much! I love having my ego stroked ;) 😂 seriously tho I love hearing from you guys!
I love this prompt. I hope that I was able to bring this to life for you, please feel free to request more!
To be honest, I’m not really happy with how this turned out, but I haven’t written in a long time and feel really rusty. I may rewrite it at some point, because I thought of a different way this could also go! At any rate, I hope you enjoy it.
Word Count: 2880 (yeh, it’s a long one :o)
A little song inspiration I had:
As The World Caves In: Matt Maltese
Hisoka x Reader One-Shot: The Man Beneath the Monster
...
Well... this wasn't supposed to happen.
Currently, the jester of everyone's nightmares lay on the ground, golden eyes staring up at the dull night sky while shrapnel and debris etched patterns into his back, remnants of the attack he'd just barely survived. Hisoka didn't normally have much of a problem mowing through his opponents- but then again, they usually didn't possess the ability to play with their enemy's mind. It was insanely unfair, the way he'd been attacked, and while it had been an interesting battle to say the least, Hisoka had barely pulled through.
Admittedly, he was invigorated by the feeling of almost being beaten- save for the searing pain that inched its way through every nerve in his body. Hisoka wasn't usually so affected by pain in general- in fact, more often than not, it gave him a certain indescribable gratification. He tended to brush off the feeling of most wounds he obtained during battle, distracting himself with shuffling his cards or fantasizing about the next battle he'd be facing. Only this time, if he didn't get help, he wasn’t sure there would BE another battle.
Hisoka strained himself to sit up, and looked down at his body, analyzing just how much damage he'd sustained. A deep gash opened up his chest, revealing glimpses of the muscular content underneath, and it was oozing a lot of blood. His arms and legs were burned, and some of the skin was a little charred, which smelled just lovely against the night breeze.
This is going to be difficult to cover with Texture Surprise... he thought, forcing himself a bit angrily to his feet, when he heard the cracking of the joints in his left ankle, indications of a break. He needed medical attention, badly. His gash wasn't going to heal itself, and he would bleed to death within hours if it didn’t get bandaged.
But where could he go? Hospitals wouldn't dare take him- even though he was a hunter, most people wouldn't be caught within miles of him, let alone would provide him any remedy. In fact, most people thought the world would be better off if he were dead anyway.
Maybe they were right.
He chuckled a little at the thought, but as he tried to brush those creeping inner fears off, he soon realized that his normal detached approach wasn't going to work this time. Already, his legs were getting weaker, and his vision was getting a little darker by the second. In that moment of weakness, when he felt the most vulnerable, the magician was puzzled by the singular thought that came to his mind.
Y/N.
She was a girl he’d encountered more than a few times in his travels; not by accident, but through carefully orchestrated meetings he initiated himself. She was strong in his eyes, which was not a compliment that he offered freely, especially to someone who didn’t regularly seek out altercations to smash their enemies. She was strong in a different way- not because of her nen or battle tactics- but because of her resolve. He found it intriguing that she didn’t run at the sight of him (even when he popped up behind her in the park), and he liked that she wasn't afraid to tell him exactly where he could shove his cards, if warranted. Y/N was appealing to him in an indescribable way that made him continue to think up excuses to meet her ‘randomly’- but he could never put his finger on what it was that made her unique. However, through brief conversations and what he considered to be highlights of his travels, he’d gotten to know her only a little, but he hardly had enough contact with her to call her a ‘friend’.
It wasn't like she had any special sort of healing nen. She probably couldn't help him anyway. But if he did bleed out, and his last thought had to be of something...l it might as well be of her.
The pink-haired clown looked to the city up ahead in the distance- he was close to her house already. It didn't take him long to get there; Y/N lived on the outskirts of town in a small place away from most other homes.
It was a place he knew well, although he'd never been inside. He'd spent more than a few long nights watching the residence from the rooftop of a distant neighboring home as he denied his human emotions. He often watched her pack groceries, or try to figure out why her porch light wasn't working (which he certainly had nothing to do with), or watch TV on the couch all alone.
Hisoka quite liked those stupid romantic comedies that played late at night on the local channel. His only opportunity to watch them was through her window- and in his mind, he was sure that she left the subtitles on because she can somehow sense his presence. She usually fell asleep watching those, and missed the part where the hero gets the girl. He always watched that part with particular interest, but he can't figure out what makes the protagonists so special to each other. If there was a feeling that caused them to sacrifice so much for one another… he sure didn’t know what it could be.
But he's not a hero, so why would he know what that feels like?
As Hisoka reached her door and lifted his hand to the doorknob, not bothering to knock, a pang of what could only be anxiety ripped through him. It was well past 2 AM, and he knew she had things to do early in the morning. Their previous encounters had been abnormal, to say the least, complete with him teasing her and being a douchebag. He's been nothing but an annoyance to Y/N, so why would she help him?
As soon as he was about to pull his hand away, the door swung open, revealing a disheveled looking y/n in its place. Hisoka was bent over in pain, holding his chest, but as she startled him a little, he straightened up and put on his mask, acting complacent and confident. He wanted to say something smart and witty like he always does- that always helped to bat the pain away. But his lips wouldn't move- his tongue wouldn't function as he stared at her, unable to reach out in a way that normal humans seem to find so easy.
He felt frozen in that moment. He was normally so deliberately irreverent, but seeing the look on her face made his blood run cold.
Don’t let her see this weakness. It was a plea to himself.
But Hisoka had no choice. He was broken, and he needed her to fix him. He wasn’t used to depending on someone else to save his life, but now his life rested in the hands of someone who most likely despised him.
"...Hisoka." Y/N breathed, her eyes widening as she placed a hand over her open mouth. Only seconds passed before her delicate hands were pulling him inside the door without hesitation. She didn't bother to ask what happened, what kind of trouble he'd gotten into, or whether she would also be in danger. Instead, she sat him down on the couch, laying a pillow under his head for comfort, which he annoyingly refused to use until he absolutely couldn’t hold his head up any longer.
Hisoka was a bit dazed from the loss of blood, and the crimson river was flowing all over y/n's lightly colored couch. He was puzzled by the swiftness of her reaction, and he watched tepidly as she shuffled frantically through the drawers in the bathroom for something to heal him. Though he was on the brink of death, his default deflection of emotions still shone through, a reflex that he didn’t even mean to activate.
“I don’t need your help, you know.” He said with an impudent grin, watching as she began to work on his wounds. “It’s just a scratch. But I can see how badly you want to touch me…” Why was he like this? Here she was, giving up everything to help him (a criminal and the scum of the Earth),yet he can’t so much as even show her an iota of gratitude. He knows, but will never admit that it comes from his inner vulnerability; that fear of getting hurt by these things called emotions. She could just as easily let him bleed to death in front of her; he knows she has the capability to be stone cold. But she won’t… why?
Why?
Y/N could have easily let Hisoka’s false complacency hurt her. But she knows that what he cannot express in his words, his heart cannot truly hide. It was the way he was built, she told herself, and she pushed on through his antics because she wanted to see him safe again. Through the laceration in his tough exterior, she could not only see the flesh beneath, but a glimpse of the man he tried to hide using the monster that he assumed everyone saw.
But she was different.
The jester was confused by her silence. Normally, she would have retorted at his smugness, but right now, she didn’t even seem concerned with it as she began to fumble with cleaning his wounds. The alcohol seared his flesh just as the emotions boiling within him burned his heart. Why would she ever care to help him when he’s been nothing but rude and degrading to her? Could it be that she really can see through the detached front and overbearing persona? Impossible, he’s spent years building that reputation!
Suddenly, he became enthralled with the way Y/N’s eyes focused on threading the needle to sew up his gash. The way that those fingertips danced over his pale skin made him jolt unexpectedly at her touch, exhibiting a softness that Hisoka has never known before. In fact, he can’t even fathom someone wanting to touch him without the intention to hurt him in some way.
The details slowly became a blur in his depressed mental state- but he still analyzed every motion Y/N made.
Oddly, the promised sting of death had never scared Hisoka before; he did as he pleased, without care for his own life nor anyone else’s. But as his vision faded, and he watched her through the gaze of someone nearing death, he realized that he did not want to leave this world yet. He wanted to live- and maybe he wanted to discover and experience what he’d been missing in those movies he’d watched through her window.
With that, Hisoka’s heart began to beat faster.
Blood loss. That’s what it is… Hisoka thought; but he wasn’t stupid; only unwilling to admit that he was beginning to exhibit the same qualities he saw in the protagonists of those hopeless romantic flicks. He was unable to accept that the tightening in his chest was not just because of her stitches pulling his lacerated skin together.
“Are they dead? Did you kill them?” Her voice brought him out of the trance-like state he was in, and his golden eyes focused on her face. Her hands were covered in his blood (which in itself made him feel delightfully feverish), but his gash had been mended, the bleeding stopped for now. Once again, he didn’t say anything. It was unusual for the smug magician to keep his mouth shut.
“Because if you didn’t kill them, I’m going to.” A protective tone dripped into her voice, bewildering Hisoka again. That quality in her voice was both threatening and comforting, and the duality sent a chill up his spine. It inspired him to use his voice, though it had lost some of its signature modulation.
“You have that little faith in me…” A cough escaped his lips before he could smile as if nothing was bothering him at all. “Of course I killed them, my dear.” Somehow, calling her ‘dear’ no longer felt right; that was typically a placeholder, a default name to use for someone he had no connection with, and she seemed to be worthy of more than that now.
As Y/N suddenly dipped to her knees, Hisoka refrained from any lewd thoughts that he normally might have had in such a situation. That sensation in his chest was too distracting to allow this memory to be defiled with something he often indulged in fantasies of. She began to slide the high-heeled shoe off of his swollen foot to wrap it. She began to struggle with ripping the fabric she’d gathered to act as a cast for the bone.
Surely, she knows who I am. Why would she bother to help someone like me? What is she gaining? She knows that with the flip of a card, I could end her life. She’s not even protecting herself in any way. She’s leaving her guard down right in front of me.
Perhaps it was his dark desire to set fear into everyone he came across, or his distorted need to drive away anyone who might care for him, but his body suddenly acted on its own. By instinct, almost as if it were a test of her intention, a card spawned between his middle and index finger, which was right against her neck. With just a slight movement of his knuckles, he could spill her blood. His golden eyes analyzed the way she froze for a moment, and he believed that to be the end of this fragile trust between them. That was until she lifted the fabric she was holding, sliding it along the edge of the card, and cutting it to the perfect length.
“Thanks.” She spoke, beginning to wrap and set the ankle in place.
At that small motion, Hisoka’s discretionary eyes widened, and his lips fell open in surprise. Rather than interpreting his advance as an attack, she’d innocently taken it as an offer of his help. Was this a joke? Was she stupid enough to trust him, or was she bold enough to outsmart his games? Was Y/N this confident that he wouldn’t just kill her? This naive girl at his feet seemed to be the only person in this convoluted world who didn’t see him as a disgusting, heartless monster… and that warmed his icy heart.
“I’m surprised this hasn’t happened before. I know you’re graceful, but high heels are always a recipe for a broken ankle.” She offset the pain of wrapping those bones by talking to him all through the procedure, and it worked wonders. He scoffed, but by that time, Hisoka’s snide comments and emotion-killing thoughts had been expended. Somehow, she’d broken through the barrier that he’d spent so long building around himself.
Unable to ignore his whims anymore, Hisoka reached out to touch Y/N’s hair, the soft delicate strands pleasing his senses. It’s the only movement he can make now, his body weakened from the loss of blood. His gilded eyes were barely open, but they looked directly into hers with an unfamiliar realization. His hand travelled weakly down her face, caressing her cheek with the most delicate touch he could muster, and held her head in his large hand as she froze there. He wondered for a moment if she was afraid, or if something deeper that he cannot see calms her.
A small, genuine smile is all he could muster for her before his hand dropped to the side of the couch, the same couch he watched her curl up on most nights. For once, it’s not a smirk, and it’s not a smug smile- but something she has never seen before- a true smile with good intention behind it. His eyes closed, with uncertainty that they would open in the morning.
After she’d finished her work, she stood up, and looked down at him. The only remaining light in the room was the silent flicker of the television set in the background, which illuminated both of their faces.
“I need you to be alright, Hisoka,” She cooed, unable to know if he could still hear her. He didn’t know if she even realized how much he wanted to kill her right now, because the way her kindness was attacking his heart while his chest was already sliced open was something he should not excuse.
As Y/N’s final healing gesture, she bent over his body gracefully. He was taken off guard when he felt the feathery soft sensation of her lips on his forehead, the kiss of an angel on his clammy skin. As she went to pull away, however, she was startled by the lunge of Hisoka’s hand initiating a death grip on her wrist. He used the last bit of his strength to pull her lips into his, causing her to lose balance and be forced to brace on either side of the couch cushion below him. His lips were cold, but Y/N graciously returned the sensation, and boldly moved to embrace both sides of his face with her mending hands. Before she pulled away, and he passed out, she felt that same smile against her lips.
And in that moment, before he fades away, Hisoka realizes what he’s been missing.
Y/N.
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Hmm... part two? I KNOW, it’s super freakin’ sappy. I could have taken a lighthearted approach to this (and maybe I will later), but I wanted to kind of challenge myself to write a more depth-driven version of Hisoka. Maybe I bit off a little more than I can chew :0.
Anyway, let me know what you think, and once again thanks to anon for the request! Hope you all enjoyed!
Mac
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novelconcepts · 4 years
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I'm up way too late but may I submit two brief proposals vis-á-vis the postcards(?) on Jamie and Dani's fridge: 1) Once they've settled into ife in Vermont, they go through a phase where they decide they're going to see as much of the USA as they can (while they still can) and the postcards are the result of that adventure. 2) For a while, Miles and Flora send them postcards somewhat regularly, and they always go straight on the fridge. Eventually, the cards stop coming, but the old ones stay up
For the first few months, Dani can’t sit still. It’s the strangest damn thing, because she’s never been that kind of person. Dani is patient. Dani is patient to a fault, even. She can sit for an hour or more, waiting for a child’s stubborn facade to crack away and let her in. She’s trained herself to draw up lesson plans at night over a glass of wine, moving through the subjects with comfortable ease. She’s lost hours staring into the fire, mulling over old mistakes and older fears. Dani is genuinely good at sitting still, thinking things out, making a decision only when the pot has boiled over at last.
But these days, after leaving Bly, it’s like that pot never runs dry. It’s just burbling there on an indefinite loop, and no matter how she tries to calm it, she always seems to turn around to find boiling water splashing around her feet. Sooner or later, she thinks, it’s going to burn her. 
It’s better, she finds quickly, if she’s in motion. If her brain isn’t so occupied with that inward gaze that has done her such harm over the years, if she won’t let herself just lay on her back and stare at a dark ceiling, searching for patterns that Jamie insists, insists are not there, it doesn’t feel so...so...
So much like being watched. 
She moves. She moves, and Jamie moves with her. Jamie has gotten so good so fast at reading her moods: at looking up over a morning cup of tea and seeing something behind Dani’s eyes that wasn’t there last night. She’s afraid to ask what that something might be, but Jamie only ever raises her eyebrows, raises her cup in a salute, and says, “Where to, then, Poppins?”
Jamie, as always, giving her permission. So, they move. From England to Vermont, for starters, and it’s so much more than Dani remembered America being. Bigger. Colder. She feels like she’s always looking over her shoulder, and maybe that isn’t so new. Maybe that’s why she came out to Bly in the first place. But now, now it’s different. Now she peeks into reflections with the hopeful terror of a child who almost wants to catch a glimpse of the monster beneath the bed, because at least seeing it would mean the damn thing is there. Waiting. Watching. Breathing down the back of her neck like the soft brush of otherworldly fingers, ready to clamp tight. 
They hit Vermont, and Jamie doesn’t seem to mind that Dani sometimes leaps out of bed at sunrise and spends the next eighteen hours doing laps around their life. The grocery store. The bank. The apartment. She pings from one to the next like an out-of-control meteor on its way to an extinction event, and Jamie just watches. Just raises her eyebrows. Lays a hand gently around her wrist. Says, “All right, there, Poppins?”
And, no. No, it isn’t all right. But it’s better. Better than sitting alone in a room in that big, sprawling house where the walls are lined with memories of Hannah’s smile and Owen’s terrible sense of humor and those perfect, glorious, sad children she loves so much, even now. 
They’re in Vermont for a month when the itch gets too big to sit on any longer. When she physically can’t calm herself with the now-familiar route of errand and takeout pizza and trying to figure out how adults put together a home they actually want to live in. One night, with rain playing havoc on the apartment windows, with gusts slamming the panes so hard, she thinks they might shatter, she turns her eyes to Jamie. 
“Texas?”
It’s a million miles away from their home, which is growing rapidly warm and cozy and green under their care, and she thinks Jamie’s going to say something. About how maybe they could just start small. Maybe they could just take it easy. But Jamie just takes her hand, raises it to her lips, presses a kiss to the smooth skin just below her palm. 
“Texas, then. Why not?”
Texas is huge and rambling and a kind of wicked dry-hot England has never so much as joked about, and they spend a week just...walking. Poking into dive bars, where Jamie proves herself unaccountably good at pool, and little cafes, where Dani makes weak jokes about strong coffee. Holding hands under the table in restaurants mostly laid bare by late evening. Jamie smiles at her, and Dani feels the thing inside curl up a little tighter. Sink a little lower in her chest. 
The states spiral out like a summer sky after that, one after another. In Louisiana, they fall into good food and better music, dancing beneath the stars until Jamie is spinning her so fast, their laughter rings breathless through the night air. In Georgia, they pick fresh fruit and explore bookstores that smell like childhood ought to, and Jamie presses her into a kiss so warm and inviting that Dani almost forgets time exists outside of their lips. In Illinois, they explore a big city; in New York, a bigger one. The world sprawls, rolls, lands with all the care of heaped-up leaves on an October morning, and Dani lets herself fall. Into Michigan’s northern beauty, into California’s almost too-hip chatter, into the history of Washington and the quiet of Montana. Everywhere they go, the world feels a little more solid beneath her feet. Everywhere they go, Jamie’s hand is so steady in her own. 
They’re laying together in a hotel room in Boston when Jamie presses her to the bed and buries her face in her neck and Dani, for the first time in months, actually forgets. The world vibrates to a standstill around them, the music of other bodies through the walls fading to a distant tempo, and Jamie’s hands are confident, and Jamie’s kiss is searing, and Dani hasn’t felt this solid since--since--
She gasps, and for a minute, cold fear grips her from the inside: that Jamie’s going to raise her eyes and see that terrified girl again, the one who couldn’t be touched for longer than a second without doubling back on her own guilt. Maybe she’s still that girl, she thinks. Maybe she’s still back there, in some way, folding around her own secrets so tight, it’s astonishing she never shattered like one of her mother’s porcelain dolls. 
And then Jamie is raising her head, looking her in the eyes, and she’s smiling. The same smile from the night she first laid all the cards out on the table, inviting Dani to hold her, inviting Dani to know her for real. The world swims, and Dani wraps her arms around Jamie’s neck, and there is nothing watching this time. Nothing lurking. Nothing dark, or hungry, or wild. The desperation is the right kind, her own kind, the kind she and Jamie make together in these moments that never seem to last long enough. She exhales, and she feels like Dani Clayton in every atom. 
The postcards are Jamie’s idea. The steadiness so often is, Dani will note in later years, Jamie’s idea. Maybe because Jamie didn’t know what steadiness felt like until she was in her twenties. Maybe because Jamie is still waiting for it to skid out from under her boots. One day, in a little Midwestern town Dani’s already forgotten the name of, Jamie says, “We should send them a card.”
She doesn’t have to explain who. They both know how much they miss those kids. Both can feel it in the empty spaces at the table where there should be creaking chairs, shrieking sugar-laughter, the soft chuckle of adults learning how to laugh again at a child’s jokes. Jamie reaches out to a counter display, plucks a card plastered with a mountain so majestic, it might as well be made-up. She hands it and a pen to Dani, and nods. 
“They’ll like it.”
And they do. The postcard, and so many like it, go out--and, when they find their way back home at last, when Dani feels as though the adrenaline has cooled enough to let her breathe, to let the world rest like it did in that room back in Boston, the cards come back in. Fresh ones, painted with Disney characters and cherry blossoms and silly phrases about wishing they were there. Flora’s handwriting is getting better; Miles’, somehow, worse. They tack each one on the fridge as they come, leaning against the kitchen counter, remembering how it felt to breathe the air in Oregon, how the ocean licked around their ankles in Florida. 
The memories help. They’re grounding, somehow. To look at these tiny cards, the edges turning up from the handling of small fingers, and say, We did this. This was real. We were real there, and so are they. 
It makes her feel a little less like vibrating out of her skin with every card on that fridge. With every afternoon helping Jamie arrange flowers at the shop. With every evening bottle of wine, every stolen cigarette in bed, every shower Jamie pretends to be grumpy about her sliding into, the world resolves itself into a little more clarity. We’re doing this. This is real. We are here, even if they’re not. 
Slowly, slowly, as paper months burn and reveal bound-up yearbooks in their place, Dani finds she’s breathing through the panic. That the panic is, in fact, coming less and less frequently. That she’s sleeping through the night, turned toward Jamie always, the beam of light in the darkness she never has to question. The shop is flourishing. The apartment shows no sign of monsters in its corners. She’s thinking of Christmas again, but this time, the word she lands on isn’t if. 
The postcards are slowing. More and more of them turn up, when they turn up at all, in the neat, fidgety hand of Henry Wingrave. The words have far less heart, far more reality behind them. The kids are doing fine, just fine. They’re settling out quite nicely in California. You really should visit someday, you’d be quite welcome. 
She holds this invitation, elbows propped on the counter, and sighs. Jamie, who has been performing her nightly ritual of burning whatever she happens to put on the stove and inventing swear words so righteous, Dani can’t help but laugh, glances over her shoulder. 
“Something wrong?”
“They’re growing up,” Dani says, and there’s a tightness in her voice she doesn’t expect. A sharp needle behind her eyes. She raises a hand, drags her fingers across her face before the tears can fall and spoil the blue ink on the card. 
Arms slide around her waist, Jamie coming to rest against her body with all the familiarity of falling asleep. Her lips press to the thin cotton of Dani’s shirt, warm, understanding. 
“I hear that’s the idea. Of kids and all.”
She knows. Of course she knows. And what’s the alternative, but something built of horror and trauma? They’re growing up, and they’re growing up happy, and that’s...incredible, really. After all of it. 
“Hey.” Jamie tilts her body until Dani tilts with her, coming away from the counter enough for Jamie to close the distance. Her hands are soft on the back of Dani’s head. So steady. So present. “I’ve been thinking.”
“Oh no,” Dani says, unable to help herself. Jamie’s brow wrinkles, her tongue poking out, and Dani kisses her before the joke has time to sting. 
“Serious, Poppins. This is serious.”
“Right. Sorry.” She arranges her own face in a parody of solemn contemplation. Jamie rolls her eyes. “No, go ahead. I’m listening.”
She slides her hands under the flannel of Jamie’s shirt, letting her fingers splay across Jamie’s ribs. She’s always liked this, right here, the sense that Jamie is more real than anything in the world. More real than night terrors. More real than the heartbeat she sometimes hears in the back of her head when she’s been standing still too long. 
“You’re distracting, is what you are,” Jamie says, sounding the least upset about it she possibly could. Dani hums. 
“Stalling.”
“I was thinking,” Jamie repeats, eyes rolling toward the ceiling in a show of great restraint when Dani presses her hips forward. “We’ve seen an awful lot of this barbaric country you call home.”
“We call home,” Dani points out, grinning. Jamie nods. 
“But. S’been a minute, hasn’t it? Since we’ve seen what they’re up to across the pond. I was thinking, maybe--if you’re up for it, mind--we could...ring up Owen? See if he’s willing to bear a couple of grungy wanderers on his doorstep for a couple of days...”
It’s a distraction, Dani knows. Just something to get her mind off of the kids, of the truly palpable sense that something huge and important is beginning to drift too far out to catch. And yet...
The months roll into years. The years are quiet. They’ve been quiet so much longer than she thought she’d have. But somewhere deep down, somewhere beneath miles and miles of long kisses and meandering car rides and Jamie burning every other dinner they scrounge together...there’s something still down there, she knows. Waiting. Watching. 
“Lot more postcards out there,” Jamie says, with the light and airy tone of someone who knows Dani is looking over the edge of something too dark and too deep to climb back out of. “Could send an awful lot more, is all I’m saying.”
Sure. Sure, they could. There’s so much world out there, so much to see. She’d like to see it all, if only she had the time. She’d like to see every last inch. 
And maybe...maybe it’ll be enough. To keep moving. To keep their world spinning too long, too fast, for the beast to catch up with. She can’t know for sure. Jamie says it often enough, and she’s not wrong: Dani will never be able to say how much longer the running can last. 
But for now? While the beast holds still, and those kids still hold her name, and Jamie holds her like nothing else in the world matters?
“I think I’d like that,” she says, and feels steadier than she has in years. 
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itscinnafox · 3 years
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STORY NOTES [akafuri] : By The Next Sunrise
Because I had sooooo much fun doing this with a friend (@miss-cactus) :] (also being the first collab' work that's posted) and had a lot of messy notes and drafts, it's just so precious to me not to ramble about it >w< also plenty of fun times in just 2 and half months despite life biting my ass at the same time, totally my stress relief lol. Also, this story really isn't just some cheesy stuff for the sake of romance. It's genuine love (੭ ˃̣̣̥ ω˂̣̣̥)੭ु⁾⁾
Read the story here in AO3 Summary: On the way to his brother’s house, the spring showers had begun again. With an open palm, he let it collect the cold showers and let it flow out from the cups of his palm. They were chilly despite the warming sun, he looked up at the sky, and wondered what the rain would be like in other parts of the world. Furihata smiled. He would find out. Perhaps by one of the next sunrises.
.☆゚.☆゚.☆゚.☆゚.☆゚.☆゚. Rambles undercut ଘ(੭ˊ꒳ˋ)੭✧ .☆゚.☆゚.☆゚.☆゚.☆゚.☆゚.
FIRSTLY, @miss-cactus has all my gratitude ♡(ŐωŐ人) without her; AkaFuri will be stranded in France LOL! Seriously, I'll just dump them in some random village in France and just maybe not even finish this story at all even. The time she took to find me a place, translate, edits and also judging me for my description of the place LOL yep... total life saver. With her help it really motivated and inspired me a lot! She's the oil to my car............. you get the idea :] .
BONUS, she's also a translator and translated many amazing works, basically a deity, breathing life back into them. Also, she has original works too :D check 'em out, it's cute! It's in French, but they're easily translated, she's that good! (๑>◡<๑) her AO3
WEIRD FACT, I also had a short break up with my boyfriend of 7 years while writing this. LOL. I was so upset but I got motivated by the similarities, that when he asked for us back I was like 'But-but the similarities though!' but I love him....bleeegh. So I said yes, and we're better than before. YAY!
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๑ Story Base ๑ The idea popped when I was listening to 'The sun after washed by spring rain' by Wang Lee Hom on a rainy day on my day off, and florist Akashi just looks so beautiful lol and the rest just came up.... and I really wanted this vibe for AkaFuri something incredibly soft and warm~ just cozy >w< huehue~
This story sets in Spring, spring here, spring there~ Spring is the breath of new life, basically Furi's story lol.
I was also aiming for this story to be short and a bit poetic...... LOL then 11k words later I just gave up and was like: well, if AkaFuri wanna romance then who are we to say no? (Akashi will shave my hair in my sleep lol)
๑ Playlist ๑ Play on Youtube The playlist is by order according to each part within the story. I really love to ramble about this since music is my inspiration for a lot of things and the vibe of the whole premise, section of their development and perspectives.
☆ 11 : 11 by Taeyeon Introducing Furihata's little sob lol and Furi's perspective. After Furihata breaks up with his girlfriend (who again, have no significant in his life what so ever), he goes through the phase on moving forward. It really isn't him moving forward with his feelings for her though, it's just him moving forward from the familiarity of being with her in his life. With her gone, he finally reconnects with who he is, like in this passage : "However, somehow with just a fling of his bag onto the island top threw him years back. He has not always been this tidy and clean." Furihata had basically lived his life to accommodate to those around him. (I wanna stress that Furi wasn't forced into a relationship or was it abusive. It was just a relationship with someone whom Furi had no infatuation for. It just so happens she wanted to date him after the wintercup, and Furi is just like 'yea ok?' but really he didn't exactly thought it through.)
So this is where Furihata moves on from the familiarity. He cries because they dated lol, but really he's just confuse.
☆ The Sun After Washed By Spring Rain by Wang Lee Hom Exactly one year after Furi's break-up. The source of this story idea lol. Also, Furi's perspective. The title and the song is literally what it meant; the sun after the spring rain which brings in new beginnings. I present you, this passage of the story: "Instead, with an open palm, he let it collect the cold showers and let it flow out from the cups of his palm. They were chilly despite the warming sun, he looked up at the sky, and wondered what the rain would be like in other parts of the world."
☆ Reunite by Jordie Power I present you, when Akashi appeared and Furihata's crush on Akashi just awakened and go haywire LOL! In this AU, Furihata has genuine feelings for Akashi. They were long time friends, and there were even a few emphasis of their friendship through high school but because Furihata has a girlfriend and Akashi respected that (although most times, in my brain, is just Akashi crying to Kuroko LOL!)
☆ Passage by Miyano Mamoru Furihata and Akashi's similarities. The song is basically about finding yourself as you age, the experiences you go through as you age (i'm 27 and i'm still confuse lol) Even though this story focuses on Furihata a lot and little less on Akashi except for little hints here and there, Akashi was just as lost as Furihata.
Random thought (as I type this), my boyfriend had told me this before "Even though we don't need each other, and do well on our own. We have friends but it's so different. Is just something different to have someone you love around, so to an extend, I really do need you and to share everything with you, it really makes me happy." it really is something different to have someone by your side especially when you found someone. (p/s: you definitely don't need to be in a relationship to feel complete. you complete yourself okay? :3) Furi and Akashi have been in-love since high-school, they have accomplished a lot on their own but in a passage, they both felt lost and felt like something was 'empty' that was because they were still in-love, and they met each other and truly want to spend their life together and share everything.
☆ Moonlight by Miyano Mamoru Mmmmmm~ the juice. This is Akashi's perspective when he wants to romance Furihata (∗ᵕ̴᷄◡ᵕ̴᷅∗)՞ and of course, sneakily confesses to him. OH MY GOODNESS! THIS IS LITERALLY THE PART THAT I'VE BEEN DYING FOR! and wrote it sooooo many times. I wanted it steamy and a little desperate after their long pent-up-frustration unprofessed love, without making it 'explicit' kind of way. So I hope I captured it right lolol.
☆ Make Me Love You by Taeyeon Furihata's feelings towards Akashi. I was pondering on a song that would fit Furihata's pull towards Akashi and how Akashi makes him feel every time. No other songs seems to feel like then I was randomly humming to this song while I was working and this is perfect! Also, a wonderful vibe.
I think it has been emphasised a lot on how Furihata reacts to Akashi, how he blushes like crazy, how he also subconsciously wants Akashi to make him fall in love with him. Because deep down, as again, Furihata genuinely loves Akashi but he was never daring enough to do it and since Akashi had never showed any indication, so Akashi had to confess in order for Furihata to be brave enough to smack their lips together to confess too.
☆ Je Fais De Toi Mon Essentiel by Emmanuel Moire Infinitely bless @miss-cactus (and her naughty brother lol) for this! This is song is seriously sooooo beautiful ;w; I don't care if reader's don't listen to the playlist, but OH MY GOD! If nobody had listened to this, is seriously missing out. (just as a song in general is beautiful) and the lyrics are just akjsfhakjsfhaf AKASHI'S WORDS! In Akashi's perspective and the song that Akashi sang to when they were in the car, and Cactus chose the perfect line for it ;w;
This song basically concludes everything!!! From their feelings for each other since high-school and all the way until the day they die! It's basically everything I wanted this story to be about, just their pure love for one another and to share their happiness together ;w;
Also, I want to point out in regards of Furihata's decision on staying in France. It's really not just a spontaneous and reckless decision lol. As stated and shown in the story, Furihata is somewhat a successful person with a career, but Furihata has other passion and interest which he seemed to enjoy doing which is photography and Akashi notices this. Even though with a career, at a time some will have a change of heart. So if Furi wants to stay in France with Akashi, he has thought it through enough, and can afford to even live by even without Akashi's money lolol. ๑ Premises ๑ Cactus, without her, AkaFuri will be hobos. I . AM . NOT . KIDDING ! She just whip out the map of France and pin point me to everything! I didn't ask for that but her soul is made from angel clay and she showed me this beautiful town, and I am floored! I didn't feel that much motivation and inspiration before o(≧∇≦o)
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So why not Paris? XD 1, I didn't want Paris, I wanted a natural, country/cottage vibe and not the city. 2, proven by Cactus, "actual paris : if you want a cup of coffee you have to give up your wife and your 2 children bc it's way too expensive" (XD actually there's more but those parts are only between us lol) 3, I want to pull Akashi from his usual portrayal of rich and luxurious life style. I mean.... he's still rich, just not lavish in that lifestyle. In here, Akashi's basically bare as a canvas, and painting it on his own. 4, I google mapped Paris.... and if anything, Akashi and Furihata will probably get run over by traffic LOLOL! 5, we hate the crowds lolol and we'd do anything to drown the citizens for AkaFuri to be alone. I'm not even gonna be discreet about this xD.
☆ Mornac-Sur-Seudre This main village, is the most beautiful town picked by Cactus. It's not so 'in the face' although not so splashed in a lot of colours (except for the oyster huts), it is a very vibrant village. We totally fell in love with it. It's quiet, and not a lot of villagers, so it's perfect for AkaFuri to have their stroll hand in hand (人 •͈ᴗ•͈) They're also very famous for their oysters LOL! So yeah..... Akashi fed Furi oysters.... because....it's yummy.... LOL! Video reference here. There's another beautiful video but I can't find it no more. ;; Other references; here, here and here.
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☆ Seagull Train Furihata loves train (and so do I) and since the train exists here! WHY THE HELL NOT?! I really love writing this part! I fell in love with the department Cactus picked and everything was so perfect and beautiful. Pictures and videos of it was just so breath taking ;w; and it's a steam train! I've never ride one before, but I have been into exhibits in the train museum. The smell is amazing lol. It's like sniffing my humidifier......but bigger.
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This is the train I had saw mostly from it. the 030 T 3 from 1891. It's still operational so choo-choo!!! they go!
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Video reference ; here Train reference; here, here Other references; here, here, here and here.
☆ Saintes & Royan These two towns are what's closest to Mornac. I didn't have much on Royan because Saintes had a beautiful charm, so this is where they would have their wonderful date <3 and talk a little bit about their feelings.
Cactus correcting me on the description on the city as I just woke up from my sleep, is seriously a way to wake up in the morning at 5am XD LOLOL!!
There's a few churches too, and has an interesting history from the Roman empire :D really intriguing.
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The bridge where they have their little confession in high-school (◡‿◡✿)
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This video here, absolutely pretty!
☆ Akashi's Floristry; Fleurs d’acacia Cactus picked out the most beautiful name! "So either L’acacia (just the tree) or Fleurs d’acacia (acacia flowers)" The Acacia because it rhymes with Akashi's name : Aca - as in 'Aka' in Akashi. Ci - as in sea...because they're near the ocean. A - as in....... h(a)m because Cactus said so... and I can't even disagree because it's where Furi getting some of those..... meat....because Akashi's ham.....like his meat.......y'know..... We're very dignified ( ᵘ ᵕ ᵘ ⁎)
The design of Akashi's 3 story shop/studio/apartment..... I really don't have any reference, it's all in the head LOLOL! Akashi basically lives in simplicity, his shop all on the ground floor, and the second floor is his art studio where paints and do whatever he wants. Finally the third floor is where he stays, it was wasn't very detailed but it's very spacious and cozy >w<!
☆ The Drive-in theatre Bruuuuuh......the confession is the thing! Akashi sneaking in his opportunity to confess. What more is there need to be said? AkaFuri : mlemlemlemlemlemlemlemlem~
Ohh~ Akashi's pretty Bentley of course.
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☆ The Landes The finale of their romance ❀.(*´◡`*)❀. I think we all know what a Volkswagen van looks like LOL! And they had the funky in the van and Akashi took Jean's advice with the bamboo charcoal.
Cactus showed this pretty place and I'm just ヽ(;▽;)ノ
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Of course I'd really like to say it again. Furihata's decision to stay with Akashi was really not for the sake of a 'happy ending' or so. They've had deep feelings for each other since high-school and bonded closely, but Akashi didn't show any indication of romantic interest out of respect for Furihata's relationship, and Furihata knowing nothing about Akashi's mutual feelings just kept his feelings to himself. As told by the story, Furihata has a career and stable income. But even though his life is dandy in Tokyo with his job, that doesn't mean it's something he wants to keep pursuing or maintain, as we age, we search for something else to add into our experience. Not to say that we're forever unsatisfied, it's just how life is. We accomplish something, and we move on to another thing, and then another and another. It's really something beautiful about it, and life's just us exploring :] In Akashi and Furihata's case, is that they've already have what they wanted, a life of their own, choosing their own path and what they don't have was each other and now that they've bonded and opened up themselves, they can finally pursue another beautiful life together (>*^▽^*<)
๑ Book, Night on the Galactic Railway by Kenji Miyaza ๑ This is a real book. Also, my favourite! There is an anime as well, but if anyone wants the PDF feel free to drop me a DM and I'll give it to ya'.
In here, the story of the galactic railway impacted their lives a little bit differently. With Akashi the loss of his mother and Furihata to live the last adventure before death.
It is shown they have extreme love for this book, and it really is a beautiful book and there's just endless things to talk about, as it is place in an infinite travel of the train through the galaxy, meeting new people, seeing new things, the mysteries of stories and making meaningful relationship despite never being able to see them again.
The sentiment of Giovanni and Campanella is also similar to Akashi and Furihata. Before anything else, they want to have their adventure together before eventually parting their ways (and i really mean, until death do them apart.)
๑ Other Juices ๑ There some nitty stuff that aren't just there for show xD Well, kind of but there's some sentiments and stuff so...
☆ The Sunflower Maybe because I'm bias to sunflowers LOL! But Furihata is pretty with yellow! Sunflowers with darker brown florets are absolutely beautiful. The pendent I had in mind was literally the one I had when I was a kid (but I donno it's gone now lol). I googled other sunflower pendent but it's ugleh...
It associates with the theme of this story which is 'Sunrise' as in new beginnings, Furihata's fresh start to pursuing the person he actually loves.
Sunflowers also grow towards the sun. They radiate pure joy and positivity. They also symbolise unwavering faith and unconditional love; which is AkaFuri's undying love here despite the years.
Sunflowers are also given to show their deepest to the person, so Akashi gift him a sunflower :3 also because Furi looks pretty in yellow, fight me.
In chinese myth, sunflower are best for business... So with Furi around, Akashi's business will bloom LOLOL!
Funfact: In greek myth, a nymph named Clytie fell deeply in love Apollo, god of the sun. Although Clytie was beautiful by nymph standards, Apollo did not reciprocate her feelings, or acknowledge it. (except Akashi appreciates Furi's love okay?) After days of hopeless devotion, the nymph then transformed herself into a sunflower and constantly turned towards the sun so she could always be with the one she loved (Furihata's chasing sunrises because Akashi is there ok?).
☆ The Happy Street Cats :D This is actually a real book I have, a gift by my teacher before I leave S.Korea. The passage idiom is extracted by this page as well.
The front cover of the book is also yellow.
Yellow : Sunrise + Sunflower.
There's so much yellow in this story LOL!
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☆ The Movie Cactus : Idol movie Me : *internal screaming* I swear we are always soooooooo close to making this whole thing crack XD
This scene is a real brain wreck lololol. (Still contemplating if it was romantic enough)
☆ Akashi's Florist number I extracted that number from an oyster restaurant LOLOL! Thankfully Cactus changed it.... we were planning on a crack bonus in which, Furihata orders oysters before calling Akashi.
It didn't happen. But if it did.
Furihata will order some oysters. And not regret it.
*Akashi judging*
☆ French Dialogues + Akashi teaching Furihata French Bless Cactus, she's my happiness now. I have no idea how many weird noises were coming out from our mouths just to understand how the French consonant 'R' sounds like to put it into words LOL! XD Without her, it'd be a disaster.
We were looking at other romantic phrases and found the perfect one ;w;
“Je suis ton bonheur.” means "I am your happiness" (oh god, google translate voice just keeps playing in my head LOLOL! help) Which, what else can be said? LOL Akashi's happy ok? Since this story is from Furihata's perspective, I really wanted to put him into the spot of being a foreigner (he speaks english and mandarin lolol just clueless in French, because Akashi is supposed to guide him). So while Cactus work her magic, being the Akashi to my Furihata. I tried to emphasis a lot on the characters expression etc, at least to indicate of what was going on....tbh even I forgot what they were saying. *just as clueless as Furi and Cactus cackling somewhere.
Everything in here is just Cactus being amazing ;w; and pure patience LOLOL!
๑ Side Characters ๑
☆Shérine ............ We butchered the original female side. Her name was Camille.... but I was sooo tempted to name it after *coouugh* :] because it's pretty. Also her hair was blond with hazel-green eyes.... yea we buried her.
Shérine wins now... Shérine is life.
Shérine will be in their wedding.
☆Jean Kirstein (of AOT) It's JEAN! ...........someone gotta tease Akashi with no filter.
(ノ^ヮ^)ノ*:・゚✧ FINAL NOTES
The last section when Furihata wakes up and makes his decision, believe it or not, I was in the bus. While typing to Cactus, I was literally shaking in the bus and my eyes stung because of dust and I was in tears. I was between crying and laughing. Finished it at home ;w; Cactus was such a darling through it all.
I really had fun writing this with Cactus ;w; she's the best!!!!!!! And hopefully we'll make some crack stuff because we're hooligans like that XD.
:D BYE!
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dreamingyouth · 4 years
Text
[Darth Maul x Bookworm!Reader] Part 3 - The most beautiful gift
New to this series? Please do check out part 1 and part 2 as well ! And if you want to read what's next, you can find part 4 here !
Word count : 2356
Warnings : None, except fluff !
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"Do you think my reading speed has increased?"
Maul looked at you without a word. You didn't know for sure if he was thinking or waiting for you to continue; taking a bet on the latter at his silence, you explained yourself.
"No matter if they're just as big as the last ones, it seems like new books don't last me as long. I have a pretty big pile of books I want to read, but it's getting smaller! It never happened before."
The soft wind of late summer caressed your confused features, your light scarf sitting on your crossed legs as if preparing for the upcoming autumn temperatures. You have known the Dathomirian for months now, yet the daily habits were never forgotten; no matter the weather, you would see each other, either under the tree where you first met or at your house when it was too unbearable to stay outside. You were grateful to have him, and he was grateful to have you: he expected this time away from any mission to be excruciatingly long, but you made the time fly faster than it ever had.
You sighed. The answer to your interrogation left unknown, you scooted closer to the male, his arm wrapping around you out of habit as you relaxed against his side. You just finished another book and didn't plan any other to begin, leaving you without anything to do- which you didn't mind: after all, you were in good company.
"There were days I wondered if I'd have enough of a life to read all the books available here, but the more time goes on, the more I begin to wonder if I'll have enough stories to read at all. I devour them in a heartbeat.
- You must be the only one in the galaxy to ever say this kind of thing."
His remark made you laugh a little. Of course, there were a lot of places in the galaxy you could go to and try to get new books from; you could learn another language and find untranslated stories, little gems only a few could enjoy. However, wealth was not on your side: you lived simply and happily, yet you were unable to travel anywhere else. Getting to another city on this planet was already a luxury you couldn't afford every day.
"Hey, Maul... Have you ever been to one of those big libraries in the Core worlds? I heard they had thousands and thousands of books to choose from.
- Indeed, I have been to some of them. Sometimes I had to go to another planet or system to get the book I was looking for, so I never settled with one. They are all very different from each other, some are specialized, others have almost everything you could ever ask for... but I'm convinced you'd like them all.
- Really? Ah... I wish I could visit at least one before I die. It would be amazing."
You looked up at your Zabrak friend, a gentle smile growing on your face as he returned your gaze. His eyes had their usual fire-like glow; though you noticed something different about them. Where there once was a fiery passion raging behind the bright colors, all you could see was the warmth of genuine care, a liking you felt but never noticed so clearly before. It was overwhelming, how someone who was so mysterious and distant from you could grow so close and... attached? He enjoyed your company, of this you were sure, but you didn't know if he cherished you the way you did him. Maybe proximity was a usual thing for his kind, after all. This might as well be nothing but a mix of your imagination and fantasies from the love stories you read.
Yet, it felt so right.
His gaze leaving yours took you out of your daydream and you felt pressed closer to his chest. It quickly became your favorite place to be: you didn't waste much time, your eyes closing as your face found its spot in the crook of Maul's neck, your hands gently grabbing the fabric of his black cloak. He got the habit of resting his head on yours, always careful not to harm you with his horns; at times, they reminded you of a crown, making him the King of a faraway land.
"Someday, I'll take you to all the libraries and bookstores you wish to visit. I promise."
You couldn't help but feel your heart race. It wasn't much in the words he spoke, even if they held a thrilling promise: it was his tone, quiet, gentle, almost like a feather's touch on your very soul. It had an intimate feel to it, which only the two of you could understand. There was something more. A connection neither of you could deny.
***
With each day, you grew closer to the Dathomirian, to a point where you would wonder if you were still only friends. You tried not to think about this too much: you didn't want to get your hopes up or misunderstand any of his actions, but the way he held you against him and how his gaze softened when he looked at you spoke volumes. If you weren't more, you definitely were very, very close friends, at least.
Both of you had decided on a walk on this sunny, slightly windy afternoon. A light jacket on your shoulders, you took in the fresh air while enjoying the comfortable silence which settled earlier. This was something you cherished in your relationship with him: how you would enjoy talking as much as being in each other's presence without a word, how you would keep busy with separate things or find any activity to do together.
Remembering the tender moments between the two of you gifted you with a sense of bravery you never had until now. You glanced at the male from the corner of your eyes, your hand reaching out and gently holding his own- almost hesitantly, but you did, and this was something to be proud of. Even if you averted your eyes, you knew his gaze was on you. He was surprised, to say the least; he was always the one to initiate such intimacy. He chose to stay silent to keep you from further embarrassment and decided to answer the sweet touch by lacing your fingers together, his hand holding yours more firmly. If you weren't so unsure about the nature of your relationship, you would say the strength in his grasp was proof of a certain possessiveness towards you. 
You really should stop daydreaming.
"I'm guessing books are not a priority good for companies to deliver here, from what you told me."
His sudden attempt at a conversation took you off guard. After a second to gather your thoughts, you nodded, instinctively walking closer to him as you kept your hand in his.
"Yes... We barely get anything new around here, except what's coming from other cities. But it ends up always being the same... It's not like we have many authors on this planet if any author at all."
A soft sigh escaped your lips at your own words. Not living on a highly developed planet had its perks, like quiet and lovely green spaces, but this was one of the cons you wished would change; readers seemed to be few where you lived, which didn't help. However, you were ready to accept your fate if it allowed you to keep the Dathomirian by your side. You liked his company as much as your books, if not more, and you couldn't remember it having happened to you before. You were willing to live a life without new books. Not without Maul.
***
Your favorite big tree never looked so lonely. Your companion warned you he wouldn't be there until dusk, having errands of some sort to run. What was he up to? Was he alright? Was he thinking about you? You shook your head at the last question popping in your mind. Why would he think about you? He was busy. The truth was, you were missing him, terribly so. Although the days became shorter as autumn went by, the afternoon felt like days, weeks even, without him.
You went through your book, page after page. Now that you were used to his presence, to read alone under your tree felt odd. Your thoughts drifted away from time to time, distracted from the story at hand to wander and wonder about the man whose image never left you. You could recall every detail of him: how his eyes were like a bright, never-ending fire, how his red skin was marked by intricate, symmetrical black tattoos, how his horns formed a perfect crown on his head, how the black cloak he always wore seemed to float around him at each of his steps. You remembered the feeling of his arms around you, his strong chest, the way he looked at you or held your hand whenever he had the chance.
You never wanted him to leave you again.
As if hearing your wish, a familiar figure stepped out of the line of trees to walk toward you. You were quick to lift your head and, as your eyes met with his, a wide smile spread on your face. Your favorite bookmark found its way to the page where you stopped reading, the book in your hands carefully placed on the grass as you stood up.
"You came!
- I told you I would be here by dusk. Here I am."
You took some steps to close the distance between the two of you, your arms finding their way around him in a gentle hug. One of his arms wrapped around you in return; after passing by so slowly, the time had stopped, and you were enjoying it to the fullest. After a long, silent embrace, he finally released you- not without keeping your hand in his, of course.
"I went around the system today."
You wished you could do the same. You have always wondered what it would be like to fly away from your native planet, which worlds you would be able to discover; after all, you only knew them through your books, and it wasn't enough.
As you came back to the present, you noticed Maul looking for something in his cloak. What was he doing?
"And I got you something.
- You... got me something?"
The heat rushing to your face was unmistakable. Not only he kept his promise to come back before the sun would set, but he also brought you a gift. You felt so lucky. 
 Taking the paper bag from him with a shy 'thank you so much', you soon focused on opening your present- only to discover it with wide eyes. It was a book of your favorite genre, one many recommended, also one which was unavailable not only on your planet but on several others as well. It was, so to speak, one of your dream books. You never thought you'd have the opportunity to hold it in your hands, let alone own it.
And he went out of his way to get it for you.
"Maul, this... How did you know? Where did you find it? I'm so happy, I love you- it!! I mean 'it', I love it- not that I don't love you, of course I do, but I mean that's not the point and uhm-"
It dawned on you a second too late. You tried your best to get yourself out of this embarrassing situation without running away but you went deeper and deeper instead, which resulted in you hiding shyly behind the book you just received from Maul. How could you have been so carefree?
"I really should stop rambling, it makes me look even more like an idiot...
- A lovely idiot, then."
You felt his hands get a gentle hold of your wrists, slowly lowering your book away from your face. You were convinced it was at least as red as his at this point. You couldn't bring yourself to look at him in the eye, instead glancing at him every so often; you've missed him, after all, and you were dying to find comfort in the warmth of his gaze.
Knowing it was no use trying to talk about what you said, the Dathomirian came closer to you, one of his hand sliding up your arm to rest on your cheek.
It was the very first time he did anything of the sort. This was a new level of intimacy, and you longed for more. How many times have you dreamed about such proximity with him? About him actually returning your feelings? About him choosing you of all other existing beings to give his heart to?
You were living in a dream. This dream felt too real for you to be asleep, but how could this ever happen? You needed something to make sure this wasn't just a fantasy; and as if reading your thoughts, he provided it without hesitation, leaning towards you before pressing his lips against yours in a careful and tender kiss.
Your first kiss.
This felt just as wonderful as you've read. The loving intimacy in the gentle contact of your lips, how it carried the affection you both had for each other, everything seemed to fall back into place as you found the one you were destined to be with. You weren't just the weird, book-loving person next door; you were the guardian of his heart, and he was the king of yours.
"I never knew..."
Your words, barely audible, lost themselves against Maul's tattooed lips as you kissed again. Were you becoming addicted to it? Probably. At least, this was what the butterflies in your stomach suggested. As you finally parted, you smiled, his hand caressing your cheek a welcomed comfort.
"The book was an incredible present, but this is the most precious gift I've ever been given."
And this was the first time you saw him smile so genuinely.
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THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING SO PATIENT !! I had unexpected problems this week and I didn’t have time to write, but part 3 is up at last ! I hope you’ll like it. I stayed up until 2am to finish it haha, I felt like I owed it to you guys !
I love you all and if you liked it and want to be in the tag list, please let me know ! xo
Tags : @maulieber, @gooseyhouse, @gczanetti1​, @noiralei, @catsnkooks, @brilliantbutbatty, @mother-0f-monsters
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jazminetoad · 3 years
Text
In My Reality | Chapter 1: Dreams & Wishes
Yo, I finally finished the actual first chapter of this new series! I originally wanted to get this out within a week of the prologue’s release but this turned out to be longer than I imagined. All of my TLC went into this for the past three weeks, I haven’t felt this passionate for a project in a long time. I hope you enjoy it just as much as I do! ^-^
(This is a Tatsumi brothers x Reader)
(To read the first part, click -> Prologue)
(To read the next part, click → Chapter 2)
(Click “Keep reading” to read the story)
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"Geez [n/n], you look so tired," Kamida pointed out. "Did you get any sleep last night?"
"Yeah, I did," I told them before a yawn escaped my mouth. "Just not as much as I wanted."
The three of us were standing at one of the local bus stops that took us downtown. It was our usual meeting spot since it crossed paths with the sidewalks that led us to our houses. We were heading to the arcade, our pockets filled with coins and our phones. The two artists were awake and ready but I on the other hand wished I stayed in bed.
"Oh?" Kamida quirked a brow.
"Did you go to sleep when we ended the call?" Meri-chan questioned, narrowing her eyes at me. 'Course in my sleepy state, I wasn't bothered by her laser stare.
"No-"
"[Name]!"
"Look, I wasn't ready to fall asleep at the time. Can you blame me?" I asked only to receive a sigh for an answer. "I didn't stay up too late anyway-"
"When?"
"When what?"
"When do you go to sleep?" Meri-chan inquired, placing her hands on her hips.
'Playing the mom friend, are we now?' I thought to myself. 'At least I don't have to deal with the teasing wingman.'
"Around 2 in the morning," I mumbled.
"[Name]!"
"What did you even do during that time?" Kamida asked, saving me from Meri-chan's lecture.
"I just watched the twins' episodes from Juuni Taisen." I noticed Meri-chan was about to go on again so I added, "Hey, at least I didn't watch the entire series."
"That's not the point," Meri-chan stated. I just shrugged in response.
"You really love those two, don't you," Kamida asked me.
"Yup."
I lost track of how many times I rewatched their episodes long ago. While rewatching the entire Anime is great, I didn't have the patience to go through six other episodes before seeing my favourite twins. I then just kept replaying the twins' episodes, eventually losing track of how many times I did. It's just that every time I watch the two episodes, the more I felt I could understand them. It made them seem as if they were real, but the reality is that they're not and I have to remember that. That doesn't stop my dreams though, speaking of my dreams...
"You know, I had an unusual dream last night," I told my friends. "It wasn't like the rest of my dreams that were strange and went all over the place. This dream it... it was of the Tatsumi Brothers but- but it was alternate ending with them." I left out the description of what happened because it'd spoil the Anime for Kamida, and I didn't want to do that.
"What do you mean by 'alternate ending'?" Meri-chan inquired, raising a brow.
"Like it was the ending of Juuni Taisen but different," I answered. "It just- it looked so real! It felt like I was actually watching the Anime until I woke up. You get what I'm saying?"
"Ummm, no," Meri-chan responded, sounding puzzled.
"Really?" I deadpanned.
"I get what you're saying," Kamida piped, pushing his glasses up for the Anime effect. My brow raised in question as to what his next words would be. "You're saying you're obsessed with the two to the point you dream of them!" He stated, pointing an index finger at me.
"Ack-! No!"
"Relax [n/n]," Kamida laughed. "I'm just messing with ya."
"Ha ha..." I let out before another yawn escapes.
"Man, you really are tired."
"I think the dream took my energy," I theorized, rubbing my eyes to stay open. Just as the words left my mouth, we all caught a glimpse of the approaching city bus. I don't know if it was just me but the thing seemed to be taking its sweet time to get to the bus stop.
"It's okay, [Name]. You can take a nap on the bus," Meri-chan told me as the bus came to a stop. "We'll wake you up when we're at the stop near the arcade."
"Alright."
Following my friends, I stepped onto the bus. It wasn't crowded, which made sense considering most people were still working at 2 in the afternoon. Kamida found a set of seats for all of us and sat down, Meri-chan sat next to him, then I plopped down in the seat next to her. Adjusting my position to try and get comfortable enough to fall asleep, I tilted my head to the side and let my eyes fall shut. Soon enough, I had drifted into sleep.
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"Is that thing any good?" Nagayuki asked his younger brother, watching him eat the deceased, cooked lizard.
"Yeah, it's awesome!" Takeyasu's sarcasm dripped with venom as his teeth tried to tear the scaled arm. "What do you think?"
The elder twin just blankly stared at his brother. Silence filled the air around them, but the sound of the younger twin eating his dead pet prevented the silence from taking over the scene. That was until the echo of a knock on their door emitted into their ears.
In sync, they both turned their attention to the door wondering who'd come to the door at this hour aside from a delivery man, but it wouldn't make sense for it to be a delivery man. Neither of them had ordered anything. The two gave each other a glance of uncertainty before Nagayuki let out a sigh, pinching the tip of his nose.
"I'll answer it," he stated as he approached the front door.
"Alright." Takeyasu reached over and grabbed his weapon, pulling it close for easy access, just in case.
The feeling around them pulled the twins towards the edge as eerie vines grew in the room. Masking his expression, Nagayuki slowly twisted the knob and partially opened the door. He briefly eyes the person standing on the other side.
It was a man with a top hat, grey hair tied back into a ponytail, facial hair, and the structure of his face made him seem elderly. He wore a black long coat with a grey scarf and white gloves. By this alone, the elder Tatsumi brother was able to tell this man dressed to blend into the shadows and meant business. Something else emitted from the man, it seemed to be supernatural. If it had been a normal person answering the door, they would've brushed the feeling off as if it was nothing because they don't believe in it, but Nagayuki knew the supernatural existed because he was living proof. That said, he grew cautious, thinking carefully of his next actions.
"Can I help you?" Nagayuki asked the man with a stoic face.
"I do believe this is the household of the Tatsumi brothers, Nagayuki and Takeyasu, if my sources are correct," the man spoke with an unreadable smile.
"So what if it is?"
"My name is Duodecuple," the man introduced himself. "I am from the Juuni Taisen organization."
Nagayuki raised a brow, suspicious of this mysterious person. When the head of the dragon and snake household explained how the Juuni Taisen contacted you the instructions of how to get to the location, they sent a letter in a red envelope with gold wax as its seal, and it was delivered through the mail. Why was this man here?
"Are you?" Nagayuki questioned. "Do you have any proof to back up that claim of yours?"
"I figured you would say something like that," Duodecuple said, his gloved-hand reached into his coat and pulled out a red envelope with a golden seal, handing it to Nagayuki.
Taking it from the man, the elder Tsumita twin opened the letter and thoroughly read the message written. Sure enough, this was legit. Glancing back at the man, still with a hint of suspicion, Nagayuki folded the letter and placed it back in the envelope before handing it back to him.
"Alright, so why are you here exactly? Last time I checked, you don't escort the warriors to the Juuni Taisen."
"While that is indeed true, I am here on the behave of a wish someone made. A wish that you and your brother wouldn't partake in the Juuni Taisen."
Takeyasu, who was listening to the conversation nearby, swung the door open and fired his weapon at the man. In his mind, that statement is something said before another person is killed. Not necessarily a threat, but even so it wasn't something to take lightly. He wasn't taking the risk of his brother being killed.
Nagayuki hardly had any time to react before his brother started burning the person in front of them. Part of him wanted to scold his brother for acting impulsively, but gratitude is the feeling that stirred inside him. He became unsettled after what the man said, and if it wasn't for Takeyasu, there was a chance the walls would've been stained with blood. However, he should stop his brother before they burn down the apartment building, he doesn't want to have to move again.
"Alright, that's enough, Takeyasu," Nagayuki told his twin, putting a hand on the younger one's shoulder. As the final remains of ember faded away after Takeyasu had stopped, both twins saw that no evidence was left behind of the man. "You really got him good..." Nagayuki stated, almost in disbelief.
"I do believe it is considered rude to try to kill someone before they finish what they are saying." Duodecuple's voice lurked behind them. The two flinched and spun around to discover the man standing there with no trail of smoke or ash on him as if he never had made contact with the fire. "But since you are warriors, I suppose that is an exception."
"I'd like to see you try and avoid this!"
"Wait-" Nagayuki tried to stop his brother from making any haste moves but his brother slithered quickly and tried to attack the old man with physical combat.
From the way the man never flinched and stood his ground, Nagayuki knew something was up. Sure enough, when Takeyasu struck he phased right through. Surprised by this, Takeyasu barely had time to recover and stumbled to catch himself. Once he steadied himself, he looked back to the elder man with narrowed eyes, growling.
"Now, now, I don't mean to bring any harm," Duodecuple reassured the two, holding up one of his gloved hands to gesture he meant no harm. "I am just here to fulfill a wish..." he paused for a brief moment to lower his hand. "Three wishes actually."
"Huh?" Both Tatsumi brothers spoke in sync, confused. Why would there be three wishes that involved them?
"By your tone, I am sure you are confused. I do not blame you however, even if you remembered your own wish you still would not know where the third one came from."
The twins' eyes glanced at each other before going back to the man. If they had made their wish and Duodecuple was here to grant it then that means they were already in the Juuni Taisen and won. What didn't make sense was how did they both win? Did something change where they could both win? If that was the case, why was Duodecuple here before the Juuni Taisen even started? Then there was still the third wish that didn't fit in the picture.
"Since it is not possible for the two of you to avoid the Juuni Taisen while in this plane of existence, our organizers thought it would be best to move you to another. And since the organizers are generous, they thought to grant another wish that would benefit both you and the wisher."
Once again, the Tatsumi brothers shared a look. Both unsure if there was a catch, and both having a lot of questions running through their minds. This entire situation seemed to be too good to be true then again, it was the Juuni Taisen. From what the twins heard, they made anything possible, the power they have is unimaginable.  Still, better to find out now.
"Is there anything else we should know about?" Nagayuki inquired.
"You will be living with the wisher," Duodecuple informed them. "As I said, it is a win-win situation. You will be informed of the new plane and you will have a new place to stay, it makes things more convenient."
"Alright, so we get our wish granted and a new roommate." Takeyasu turned his gaze to his brother, a smirk on his face. "It doesn't seem all that bad."
"I am glad to hear that. That being said, you have seven hours to pack everything you need before you are escorted to your new home," Duodecuple told them, taking off his hat and bowing. His form began to pixelate away until the air was the only thing that remained where the mysterious hologram once stood.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
"[Name], wake up," Meri-chan whispered, nudging me awake. "We're here."
"Huh? Oh, right," I mumbled before a yawn escaped my mouth as I rose to my feet.
Once the three of us had walked off the bus, I stretched my stiff limbs. Satisfaction filled me as the musical sound of my bones cracking played through my ears. I was on that bus for too long, but if that meant I got more sleep, I didn't mind. However, I still wished I had been sleeping, for one I still felt like I needed more rest, and two, I wanted to continue the dream I had. It felt real like the one I dreamt the night before, just as if I was watching Juuni Taisen. I found it rather strange that twice in a row I had a dream like that.
"Feeling more awake now, [n/n]?" Kamida asked me.
"Kinda," I answered honestly before I drew a smirk on my face. "Awake enough to be able to beat you at Street Fighter!" I told him, poking his arm then picked up my feet and dashed towards the building.
"Oh no, you don't!" Kamida shouted, sprinting after me.
"Hey, no fair! You guys got a head start!" Meri-chan complained, following behind, trying to keep up.
'Course, it didn't take long before Kamida was running ahead of me, he had the height advance. Kamida is taller than both me and Meri-chan, and I am taller than Meri-chan which leaves her as the shortest out of our trio. That said, it was the order in which we all arrived at the arcade's main doors. Laughter emerged from us as we stumble at the front entrance.
"You guys are so slow," Kamida jeered.
"Yeah, yeah." I waved it off with a hand before strolling over and opening the door. "After you."
"As the wingman, I insist you go first," he stated holding the door open.
"Fine." I stepped into the world of entertainment and scanned the dark place where black and neon lights hung from. Only a few kids were here today, which means more gameplay for us! "Alright!" I thought out loud.
"Hey [n/n]-chan," Meri-chan addressed me, catching my attention. "Let's play a round of air hockey."
"Yeah- we can do our match later Kamida," I told him, still wanting to do that duel.
"Cool, I'll just be playing Space Invaders over here," he said before walking away.
"Alright, Meri-chan." My hand fished out a dollar from my pocket and inserted it in the coin slot, activating the machine. Taking the puck from the goal and placing it on the table, I put on my game face. "First to ten wins."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Aw man," I groaned, seeing my Pac-man die for 4th time playing this multiplayer game.
"You're off your game today," Kamida commented as his eyes focus on the screen, trying not to get eaten by Meri-chan's red Pac-man.
"Gee, I wonder what makes you think that." I playfully rolled my eyes, chuckling as I saw Kamida's blue Pac-man get eaten.
"Dang it!"
"Haha!" Meri-chan cheered in victory, throwing her hands in the air.
I felt a smile form on my face seeing my friends act the way they did, but my mind couldn't help but focus on the dreams I had earlier. They were stuck bouncing around my loop of thoughts, perhaps that's why I was off my game. Who can blame me though? It's not like I get these dreams every day so the fact they happen was a puzzle itself, maybe if they happened more often I wouldn't be so distracted.
"Well darn, it's 5:10." Meri-chan's statement caused me to get off my train of thought.
"Shoot, I'm supposed to be home by 6," I told them.
"And I'm supposed to be cooking dinner tonight for me and my little brother," Kamida grumbled as he dug into his pocket and pulled out his phone.
"Should we leave now and catch the next bus?" Meri-chan asked, her eyes looking at us after her phone was put back in her pocket.
"Yeah, the next bus arrives in 15 minutes," Kamida informed us, checking the bus schedule.
"Let's get going then," I said leading the way out of the arcade. Stepping outside after being inside that dim-lit building burned my eyes. My hands shot up to block the setting sun as I let out a snake-like hiss, taking a few steps back.
"Hhhhh, why couldn't it be night when we left?" Meri-chan complained, getting the same effect.
"I don't know, I don't control time," Kamida replied to her squinting his eyes to try and adjust back to the normal lighting. "Come on guys, we don't have much time before the bus gets to the stop."
"Right," I nodded, setting my hands in my jacket pockets after my eyes were used to the lighting, following the others.
"You guys wanna do this again tomorrow?" Meri-chan asked, starting conversation as we strolled to the bus stop.
"I already have stuff going on tomorrow," I lied. It's not that I didn't want to spend time with them, I just didn't want to go outside until I have to go back to school.
"And I'm going to be at my grandparents for the next three days. That's why I said we should hang out today," Kamida explained.
"Oh, that's alright. We can always voice chat at night," Meri-chan optimized.
"Yeah." A yawn escaped from my mouth once again. 'Man, I really do need sleep.'
"[n/n], you should take a nap when you get home."
"I will, I will," I grumbled. 'After I take a shower.'
I probably won't remember to take a nap when I get home, cause with showering and then dinner practically ready when I'm finished, the thought will be lost in my head. Not to mention my dreams are what have been occupying my mind. Usually, they don't, but I believe I'm still grasping onto them since I don't want them to slip away.
'What do the dreams mean?' It appeared too real to be just a normal dream but to call it a vision would absurd. Visions are stuff that happened, will happen, or a sort of warning, at least that's how it is in movies. The closest thing I ever get to a vision is the random flashes of deja vu I receive. Perhaps I'm overthinking this, maybe I'm just having proper dreams for once. Yeah, that's probably it, I-
"Whoa there, [n/n]!" Kamida grasped my hood to prevent me from walking any further.
"Huh?" I voiced, confused by his actions, I turned my head to him and gave him a "Why did you do that?" expression.
"We're at the bus stop, dummy," Meri-chan informed me.
"Oh, oops." I sweatdropped as I stood beside them.
"We're just in time too," Kamida pointed out as he watched the bus drive towards the stop.
One by one, we stepped onto the bus. I noticed the number of people taking this transportation has grown since it's at an hour where most people get off work, luckily there was still a three-seat row open for us. My legs took haste to snatch the spot before it could be in someone's possession, then I plopped down onto the window seat. By the time I had shifted into a comfortable yet civil sitting position, my friends had joined me. Kamida next to me and Meri-chan sitting on his other side.
Vines of silence grew around us so we didn't disturb anyone lurking in our surroundings. I wasn't phased by the lack of conversation, taking the opportunity to gaze at the modern buildings the bus drove by and dive further into the waters of my mind. Going through the catalogue of my memory, I searched for the recent dream I had and play it once I had found it. Something felt out of place in that dream, and it wasn't just because the scenario differed from the canon result of the flashback in episode 8 of Juuni Taisen. The fact Duodecuple stated he came to fulfill three wishes and not two didn't make sense.
If I connected the dots correctly, the first two wishes were Nagayuki and Takeyasu's wish to not partake in the Juuni Taisen, but then where did the third wish come from? Why would there be a third wish? Did I miss something in my first dream? Is it possible that if I slept a bit longer this morning I would've found out who made the third wish?
Multiple questions danced in my mind but they couldn't find any answers for them to waltz around with. After all, they were left in the mystic unknown, the only way they could return to the known land and find answers is if I returned to the dream realm, but there's no guarantee that it'll give me what I'm looking for. I highly doubt I'd be able to get another dream of the Tatsumi brothers again, my dreams have been generous enough to grant me two normal dreams in a row, I don't think they're going to give me a third. Still, it would be nice-
"[n/n], we're at our stop," Kamida informed me while waving a hand in front of my face.
"Uh-right... right," I responded and arose to my feet, following them out of the bus. Once outside, I brushed myself off, watching the bus drive out of view. Turning my attention to my friends, my hands set themselves in my jacket pockets. "So I guess I'll see you guys at school."
"{Yup|Yeah}," they answered at the same time.
"Alright, see ya then guys." I waved, beginning to stroll backwards in the direction of my house.
"Bye!"  Meri-chan exclaimed, waving.
"See ya." Kamida gave a small wave before turning and heading home.
I faced forward once we had disappeared in our path home, eyeing the slim light that emerged from the sun that is ready to be engulfed by the black night. My hand dug into my pocket and pulled out my phone, I needed to text my mom I was almost home. Turning on the device, I noticed I had two text messages, one from my mom and the other from my brother. I tapped on the notification and bypassed the lock screen to read the message my bro sent me.
"Hey, I'm going to a hangout at my friend's house.
Won't be back till morning"
"Looks like he made plans of his own," I thought out loud. "Guess that means no Code Geass tonight, but that also means I can rewatch Juuni Taisen." Drawing a smirk on my face, I chuckled before sending a response to my brother.
"Aight, cya tomorrow bro"
I waited for the message to load and confirm it was sent before tapping onto the text my mom sent.
"Just wanted to let you know your brother
is going over to his friend's place."
"Good to know."
"I'm almost home"
I turned off my phone once I had replied to her message, storing the device in my pocket. Mom always made sure to inform us whenever something came up, which I am grateful for. It helped me remember and keep track of things, they say "two heads are better than one" for a reason.
"Two heads..." I chuckled to myself when the Tsumita twins popped into my head once more. "Two heads that's been stuck in my mind all day."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I sat down in my office chair once I had finished drying my hair, dressed in a simple t-shirt and cargo pants. Opening my laptop I hopped onto docs and clicked the option open a new document. It had been a while since I had written anything, my search for inspiration had been harder than trying to find water in a desert, but with the two dreams I had, I thought I could use it for the idea of a plot. Fidgeting with my bracelet, I tried to construct a starter for the story in my mind, but I found myself unable to find my way around writer's block.
Glancing down at the accessory hugging my wrist as if I asked for ideas, I didn't have any other options since no one was here beside me. I would call or text Meri-chan or Kamida but I knew I'd be heading down soon for dinner. I found no point in inquiring if they could talk if I had to disappear. Funny enough, the bracelet only reminded me of the Tatsumi brothers. I laughed to myself, wondering what the twins would say if they were here, I found the idea amusing. I became tempted to tear the material on my wrist to make my greatest wish a reality, to see if they could become real once I did, but common sense popped my fantasy bubble. This wasn't some Anime where a game master could grant my wish, such fictional desires weren't possible for me to achieve, but I wish it was.
Something in my gut kicked me, flying my head out of that sad mindset I didn't know I fell into. My eyes went back to the blank doc I had open on my laptop. I felt a spark begin to flicker, attempting to get the fire of creativity going. My hands hovered over the keys, words on the tip of my fingers-
"[Name], dinner is ready," mom told me on the other side of my closed door she knocked on.
"Dah!" Frustrated, my arms flew up and mimicked the action of flipping a table before they slammed down on the edge of my desk. "Just when I had something..." I groaned and hung my head back. My mood shifted quickly, realizing some brain food would be good. "Coming mom."
As I arose from my chair, my bracelet seemed off, but when I checked it, everything appeared to be fine. I shrugged off my instinct, believing I was imagining things.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A yawn escaped my mouth after I heard the door to mom's room close, she went to bed since she had to work early. I was just chilling on the couch, my feet reclined up and any plans of writing had gone out the window once I had become one with the couch. I had the house somewhat to myself, considering my mom was now upstairs sleeping I couldn't do much.
I don't do things too exciting anyway, most times I just continued writing, or watch something on the tv which is what I'm doing now. Other times if my friends are available, I'd call them up and we'd discuss the fictional world. Then there was the rare occasion where I'd put on music and dance or vibe. It's relaxing me time.
Currently, Juuni Taisen played on the widescreen tv, already on the 11th episode. I don't know why, but it felt strange to watch it. I've seen these courses of events multiple times, each time understanding it more, why now do I receive this feeling? Perhaps the reason had to do with the dreams I had previously, with them appearing so real I guess coming back to what actually happened felt off to me. At least that was my thought process as I let out another yawn.
The 11th episode now halfway through and my eyes had begun to droop, feeling drowsy like Nezumi. The tv slowly turned into background noise when my tired mind began to pull me into the dream realm, my arms going limp to my sides as my eyes closed. The last audible thing I heard was Nezumi mentioning his 100 paths.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
"Too bad my lizard died, I think he would've liked meeting a new face," Takeyasu remarked gazing at the empty reptile tank sitting on his shelf, taking a break from packing his duffle bags.
This all seemed surreal for Takeyasu, for months he was on edge and trying to distance himself from his brother so when they were in the Taisen it wouldn't be as painful to see him die, at least that was his thought process. It probably wouldn't have worked anyway, not when Nagayuki started to take the big brother role more seriously ever since they both found out one of them was going to die in the Juuni Taisen if the other were to win. Then this wish thing came along and now they're packing for their new life, it was a miracle this was happening. Part of Takeyasu imagined this is some cruel dream that he's in and reality is about to wake him up to see those red letters for him and his brother. He sure wished it wasn't his mind playing tricks on him.
"Hey, are you done packing?" Nagayuki questioned checking in, changed into his signature blue outfit.
"Almost, just gotta stash the rest of the money in there," the younger Tatsumi brother answered, going back to his task. "Do you think we can bring Hitokage and Yuki-onna?"
"I don't think that's the best idea, we don't know who our new roommate is going to be and what exactly they'll be okay with," Nagayuki stated, his hand grasping his chin as he began thinking out loud. "Normal people would probably freak out upon seeing two guys with a flamethrower and an icethrower. Still, if we have something to do with the third wish they must know who we are."
"Heh, I was just going to bring Hitokage anyway, regardless of your answer. You never know if we may need them."
Nagayuki rolled his eyes, knowing his brother would do something like that. His little bro had a point, however. They might need their weapons in this new place they're going, it'd probably give more use than the currency they were bringing with them. Both were unaware of where they were heading. Walking over, he looked inside one of Takeyasu's bags, small red rectangle boxes caught his eye and he picked one up.
"Really? You're taking your poker cards?"
"You say that like it's a question."
"Do you really need all of them?"
"Yeah, they're collector." Takeyasu stated his reason like it was obvious. The snake then cracked a smile. "At least I can reuse them unlike the bags of snacks you packed."
"Shut up." A faint blush appeared on Nagayuki's albino cheeks. "The flavours might not be available where we go, it's not like I'm going to eat them all in one go."
The little brother playfully snickered until the brief moment died down. A gentle silence sat between them, the only thing heard was Takeyasu stuffing items into the duffle bag. The elder Tatsumi brother glanced outside the room, considering if he should go check to see he had everything he needed and wasn't forgetting anything, but his bro caught his attention before he could decide.
"Hey..." Takeyasu started with a monotone, the mood in the room becoming heavy. That was a rare thing to happen among them, so he had his elder twin's full attention. "Did you ever think this would happen; Us not having to be apart of the Juuni Taisen?"
"I'm going to be honest with you, Takeyasu."
That was a phrase the younger Tsumita twin hadn't heard in a long time.
"I thought the Juuni Taisen was what our whole lives were leading up to, but I also thought the day would never come," Nagayuki spoke truthfully, his eyes gazed down at the floor. "I... just can't believe that it's not actually going to come, and how it never will..."
It grew quiet, the reality of what was happening finally settling in their minds. The reality neither of them was going to die. The reality neither of them had to kill the other. It was gone, the dark road was gone. They were free.
A laugh broke the silence, Nagayuki glance at his brother who had made the joyful sound.
"We don't have to play those bastards' game!" Takeyasu exclaimed, tackling his bro into a hug.
"Oof-" Nagayuki stumbled, not expecting the sudden embrace, but when he steadied himself he wrapped his arms around his baby brother. The burden of death has been lifted from their shoulders and they never felt more relieved. Tears of joy threatened to fall as the two hugged, knowing they wouldn't lose the other.
Before either could cry, an outsider cleared their throat. The moment now passed, the twins pulled away from the sibling hug to see Duodecuple there holding his hands behind his back.
"Are you both ready?" the man asked.
"Yeah, let me just get my bags," Nagayuki responded, moving past the elder man to get to his room.
Entering, the dragon went straight to retrieve the two duffle bags he packed. However, he ceased in his tracks when he turned to exit, spying the icethrower from the corner of his eye. He had originally planned to leave it, thinking it wasn't needed in his new life and unsure how their new roommate would feel about it, but since his little bro was taking his flamethrower what could it hurt to bring his weapon along?
"Besides, I don't I could get something like you out there, Yuki-onna," Nagayuki said, a smirk plastered on his face as he picked up the icethrower and put it on his back. He then grabbed his bags and left his now old room. Joining his brother's side in the main room, both face the mysterious man, holding their belongings.
"I hope you both are aware you are not heading to any warzones," Duodecuple told them, seeing how both Tatsumi brothers were carrying their weapons with them.
"Yeah, we know," Nagayuki stated blankly.
"But there's no way we're leaving these," Takeyasu added with a smug expression.
"I see." Duodecuple nodded, grabbing the rim of his top hat.
"So where are heading?" the elder Tatsumi brother asked.
"And how are we getting-"
Before the younger Tsumita twin could finish his question, Duodecuple had taken off his hat to bow, while doing so the brothers faded out of their reality.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
"No!" I cried, reaching out to the two, only to face the actual screen in front of me. "Oh... it was just another dream," I muttered to myself, grasping my forehead with my right hand.
I'm surprised I actually was granted a third dream of the Tatsumi brothers. I expected my brain not to be so generous, not that I'm complaining, I'm grateful for it. I wished I knew what happened to them though, maybe I'll find out in the next dream. I could get used to having them on my mind as I sleep.
Returning to the reality before me, I saw the episode had finished a while ago. My hand went to pick up the phone that laid on the couch beside me to check the time, but when I did I noticed my bracelet had broken beyond repair. I quickly sat up, picking up the remains of the lime bracelet and the few beads that were once on it.
"Shit, how'd it break?" I questioned, examing the pieces. "It was fine an hour ago, wasn't it?" Shaking my head, I knew it had to throw it in the trash, it was useless now.
I reclined my spot on the couch back down and stuffed my phone in my pocket. Holding the bits of my broken bracelet, I strolled over to the trashcan in the kitchen and dropped them in there. I felt disappointed, I actually enjoyed wearing that bracelet. Not only was it a gift from one of my best friends but it was something that reminded me of the Tatsumi brothers.
"Oh well, objects can't last forever," I mumbled to myself, recalling the day our Wii console stopped reading discs, on New Year's Day too no less.
Catching a glimpse of the time set on the oven, I figured I should head upstairs to my room. If I stayed downstairs for too long and went up late in the night, I'd give mom broken sleep. Probably best I'd head there now anyway if I wanted to get any writing done.
Going up the steps silently so I wouldn't disturb mom, headed to the next floor. My mind was in a whirlwind of different thoughts, but they were put to a pause when I heard voices. At first, I concluded it was just mom talking in her sleep again, however, I crossed it off since they sounded male. My next assumption was my brother but that wouldn't make sense since he wasn't home. Before the scary sensation of the situation settled into my mindset, I had reached the floor and the semi-audio voices sounded familiar to me. With that in mind, I crept down the hallway towards the sound and I realized it was coming from my room.
'Why would it be my room of all places?' I questioned in my head. 'I don't have anything worth stealing!' I turned around to go and find something to use to defend myself but I never took another step because that's when their sentences became audible.
"Too bad we didn't have more time to pack, I would've liked to bring my desktop set up with me."
'No way...' I thought to myself, slowly twisting my head towards my door with wide eyes.
"Don't sweat it, bro. You got the USB, that's all that matters."
'No fucking way!'
I didn't even realize I moved down the hall until my hand felt the cool metal of the doorknob that opened the door to my room. My brain hardly processing my actions, I twisted the handle and pushed open the door. The sight before me I could barely believe.
There standing in my room, in their full warrior gear, were the Tatsumi brothers.
In the moment of me just staring at their backs, I forgot how to fucking breathe. Then Takeyasu was the first to turn to me.
"Hey bro, I think our roommate is here," he told his brother, his signature smirk on his face.
"Huh?" Nagayuki turning attention to me, his icy gaze settling on my skin. "I think you're right."
The expression of the younger twin changed to a semi-worried one. "Hey, are you okay?-"
I wasn't able to hear the rest of his words because all the weight that once was in my head disappeared. I saw my surroundings grow taller and tilt horizontally, but then I felt something solid collide with my back and my vision dissolved to black. I realized that I fainted from disbelief.
I mean, this couldn't have been real right? I was sleeping only moments ago and I woke up to this? No, no, this couldn't be real. I'm probably just dreaming, right? Yeah, that's what I'm doing, dreaming. I'm just dreaming. I'll wake up on the couch and see that it was only a dream.
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theficplug · 4 years
Text
Girls Trip {Erik fic}
Warnings: 18+, smut.
{reader goes on a cruise with her girls during winter break post-breakup & meets Erik when she needs him most. The intro to a series. I hope that y'all enjoy this long ass intro x}
“Told you you'd like it! We know what you need.” your friend Lynelle says as you and your other 2 best friends step into the lobby of the ship.
Your original plan was to stay home and catch up on much needed sleep and netflix binge watching during Winter Break but Khadijah, Tasha , and Lynelle (Lennie)  had other plans.
They could never get on the same page to go on a proper vacation but the one time you wanted to be left alone they've decided to get it together. 
2 plane rides and now you're here on a cruise on the way to 'paradise'.
The last few weeks went by in a blur while you were buying bikinis, trying to contain your emotions, and leaving behind your frozen over city for Bali.
You'd be lying if you said that you weren't a little excited to be leaving behind a terrible end to a 4 year relationship.
“Girl I just paid 12 dollars for Netflix this month. I planned on staying home and re-watching The Get Down. I need to at them and ask them when they're gonna add Crooklyn." You say as your phone begins to go off. 
"Uh-uh, just cause your man had community dick don't mean you gotta feel like you did something wrong. You are the sweetest and most caring person I know and gave everything you had for that man. You are a strong beautiful talented black woman. You run your own business and don't need his ass for nothing. And if I were into girls I would've been shot my shot back in the 7th grade. Now, we gon' get tipsy, dance the night away in 23$ dollar heels, and find a fine ass beard to rid-"
You quickly cut off your best friend by answering your mother's call. You held onto Khadi's hand to let her know that her support means everything to you.
"Hey Mama. Yes I made it safe and sound." You say into the phone as you shake your head and laugh at your girls. 
"HEY MA " Khadi says waving as she smiles at the woman on the other side of the phone she's known for over half her life. 
"Hello Khadijah, are you behaving yourself ?" She asks as Khadi shakes her head with her tongue sticking out.
"MY GIRL." Your mother says as they both laugh and point at each other through the screen. 
"I'll talk to you later, enjoy yourself baby. Sometimes a little fun and laughter is the cure for heartache. Love you, be safe." She says before ending the video call.
"Alright , we all meeting up for the foam pool party after the tour right? Cause I need to shower and stuff first." You say as everybody agrees
An hour or two later you were standing in front of the hotel mirror giving yourself a pep talk in your new bikini. You eyed your reflection as you tell yourself that somebody son is gonna love on your fupa, and the 3 years wasted with Derrick isn't going to matter anymore. 
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"Knees. Knees. Come on knees." Khadijah yells as Lennie and Tasha  drop it low and make it clap as a chorus of 'ayyeeee' erupts in the elevator. 
You make your way down to the lobby with the girls after throwing back a few shots in Lennie's room. You past by a group of other girls in the elevator and they were blasting Cash Shit from their phone. 
"Link up with us later." Paris says from the other group before moving over to the party already happening. 
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The drinks are flowing through your system and Tasha is filming you for the gram as you sing along to the music. You accidentally trip backwards onto a man behind you before immediately apologizing and giggling.
"You good mama." He says as he catches you with one hand and the other still holding his drink. Without missing a beat he twirls you to the beat so that you can play it off. 
"What's the nigga name?" He asks as he takes another sip of his drink and tries to act like he ain't see you watching the suds slide down his scarred and chiseled chest to his happy trail.  
"Excuse me?" You ask confused as he flashes his gold fanged grill and cock his head towards the phone in Tasha's hand as she gives you a quiet  'oooh shit okay'. 
"The one you tryna prove a point to. Only name that matters now though is Erik." He says as he grinds against you and move your braids to your other shoulder. 
"Alright Erik, lemme see if you can keep up then." You tease him as you begin to whine on him and ride the beat as he keeps up behind you. You realize you have an audience now with his boys glancing over at you and your girls watching him. 
His hand holds you in place before he asks if it's alright if he kissed you. You nod before you know it his soft ass lips are on yours. He pulls at your bottom lip slightly while you continue to whine on him. 
"Thank you for the dance." You say before you place one final kiss to his lips as the song ends.
You walk over to Tasha before grabbing her hand and leaving to find Lennie and Khadijah 
You knew he was still standing there watching you walk away you turned to give him a look over your shoulder with a raised brow.
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"Stop watching my booty" you mouth at him jokingly 
"YOU CAN'T EVEN BLAME ME. ITS FAT AS FUCK." He yells back to you over the music.
After an hour of dancing and having a good time with friends you only checked your phone once to find 3 messages from Derrick begging you to call him then two talking about how disappointed he was with you.
You stepped out onto the upper deck to tell him to stop calling you and ruining your good time. 
"I can do what I want. I'm fucking grown. All you ever did was sit at home on your ass and criticize me for every damn thing I did. I made sure you were happy when I wasn't even okay… And fucking my cousin was your way of showing me you loved me huh? Don't call me no more and stop calling my mama asking her about me too. " You yell into the phone before hanging up.
You stand there staring out at the ocean for a moment. Trying to breathe deeply and ground yourself so that you don't cry.
"You good?" You hear a voice call from behind you.
"What, you following me now?" You ask Erik as he pulls up one of the lounge chairs to sit next to you and light his blunt. 
"Nah, not at all. I came out here to smoke and chill. All that going on in there really ain't my scene. My boys got me to come here. They got white boys in there doing backflips off the balcony and shit. I probably would've still been at work right now." He say as he exhales and leans back against the lounge chair. 
You laugh softly before shaking your head. 
"That's how I ended up here. I was planning on spending Christmas and The New Year at home with my family. But my friends had this surprise for me to ring in the new year in Bali. And now here I am. I'd still rather be watching Godfather of Harlem. I gotta catch up." You say sitting next to him in the lounge chair. He instinctively wraps his arm around you letting you lay your head on his shoulder.
Granted, it probably seemed weird as hell to be cuddling with somebody you just met and barely knew but to both of you it just felt right in the moment.
"Godfather of Harlem ? That show is my shit. It's slept on forreal… If you ever in Oakland you should stop by sometime. I run a museum based on preserving black art and culture." He scrolls on his phone until he finds some of the pieces and shows it to you. But the main thing that stood out was Stevens Black Art & History: for the culture. 
"Erik Stevens?" You gasp and sit up to get a good look at him
"Yeah , why you looking like that? What's up?" He questions
"Oh my fucking God. We was best friends back in the day. It's me, look, minus the bifocals, braces, and that James Brown bob my mama gave me damn near every day." You say and he stares at you in awe for a second. 
"Damn it's really you." You says quietly as he runs his thumb over your cheek imagining you the way you looked in 5th grade.
You loved Erik growing up and spent almost all of your time together but after his father died you didn't get to say goodbye. He was taken into the system and after that you heard that he was in the military doing who knows what. You tried to find him but after a while it was no use. You couldn't believe how different he looked now. He looked tired down by the woes of life but still as beautiful as the day you met him.
" 'Member this?" You ask as you fish your out of the pocket of your cover-up and start playing Best Friend by 50 Cent. 
You watched as he looked up at you standing up to dance. You pull him up too as he puts out the blunt while laughing and stepping with you. 
"If I was your best friend, I want you 'round all the time. Can I be your best friend, if you promise you'll be mine?" You sing to him as he twirls you around 
"First we get the talkin, then we get the touchin. If we get pass the phone games we'll be fuckin. I kiss like the french therefore my tongue in your ear. Do it like the dogs do it girl and pull on your hair. For me a different scenery just mean a different position. In the tub or on the sink I improvise now listen. In the chopper or on the jet join the mile high club. I'm no fool I know money can't buy me love. But I'm a different type of nigga that make sure that you know. Instead of a rose, there's a hundred dozen of those. See I see somethin special when I look in your eyes. With your legs way back I see this pussy is mine. If you ain't sure when I'm talkin I don't tell you no lies. But there's things that you say that have me wonderin why. When I don't say what I'm thinkin it don't mean that I'm shy. Got on that shit you picked out for me that's why I'm so fly." He raps effortlessly while kissing softly on your neck and all those memories start flashing back to you as you sway with him.
"Damn you still remember all the lyrics to our song." You say to him as you look over to see your girls and some of his friends.
"You out here ?  Bitch! I thought I was gonna have to do an interview on First 48 for yo ass. I was gon' drop a raft over to come find you. You know I can't swim and I don't got my floaties with me." Khadi says as she walks in with Tasha and Lennie . 
"I'm sorry I came out here for fresh air and then ended up literally finding my fuckin childhood best friend. Before the baddest bitches on the planet came to be. There was THEE duo. Everybody meet Erik."
After everyone got to know each other. Y'all brought the party to the secluded little upper deck with the perfect view of the ocean. You had drinks , music, and good company almost enough to forget about the whole situation back home. 
"Girl you know I love you but my feet hurt and Sebastian said he gon' rub em" referring to the man she currently had her arms around. 
"Alright , we'll meet up in the morning for breakfast" you tell them before giving them kisses goodbye and heading out with everybody. 
Tasha and Lynelle were currently singing to each other and sharing cute kisses off to the side. You couldn't help but to smile and think of how true love must feel. To love and be fully loved back like that.
You were standing in front of your opened room door when you realized that his room is across from yours but he had no plans of sleeping in it.
"Uh-uh. Who said you were invited in?" You ask Erik with your index finger on his chest. 
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"I thought you said you wanted to watch Netflix? We can order room service and everything. Whatever you want" he says to you licking his lips and closing the gap between the two of you. 
"I want to forget. I want to have fun. I want to feel loved and appreciated for once. That would be nice." You say quietly as he takes his hand in yours. Pressing small kisses to each of your knuckles.
He hesitates for a moment before leaning in to kiss you slowly. He held your face in his hands as he continued to back you into the room kicking it closed with his foot. 
 "I'm glad that we found each other. After all of this time. " You say to him in between kisses
"Believe it or not I kept that picture of us. The one your mama took of us at the zoo next to the monkeys. I took it with me on tour everywhere. Right next to my mama's picture in my wallet. I never lost a battle. I made it home in one piece. Shits wild." He said zoning out for a moment like he was going somewhere else. 
"Heyyy." You call softly. You move his hands from your waist 
" I've got you." You whisper to him before leading him to your bed and laying him back. 
You wrap your arms around him almost cuddling him as you lay your head on his chest while listening to his heartbeat and sitting on his lap. 
You place a soft kiss to his lips before moving away from the bed to change, settling on a large shirt and nothing else. 
Erik followed suit and just stripped to his boxer briefs before you come back to the bed carrying soda , your laptop, and snacks. 
"And before you ask. Yes, I packed my laptop because work never stops, and yes I packed snacks because I can't find Takis out here." You say chuckling softly while he shakes his head laughing softly. 
You both settle into a comfortable position before loading up the movie. You settled on Nappily Ever After but it wasn't long before he was softly kissing on your neck with his hand under your shirt.
"Gonna eat it from the back. That's cool with you" he mumble into your ear.
If that's cool with me? BIH, I'm trying to let you give me twins. Triplets even. Play it cool. Play it cool . You thought to yourself before saying a silent apology to your girl Sanaa Lathan as you quickly moved the laptop to the bedside table.
"Damn she pretty." He says before kissing each cheek and gripping the back of your thighs. You knew what was coming next as your hands found the headboard and arched your back.
You can feel his tongue begin to explore the back of your thighs to your folds as he bends you forward. 
You hiss softly as his hand began to roam. You looked back at him as his fingers enter you. He begins to slowly and deeply work you open for him. You knew that you were dripping at this point and couldn't contain how loud you're being.
You can hear him let out a groan as he gets his first taste. Before you know it he's devouring you like you're his favourite meal and is completely in his element. His hands are massaging over your cheeks while he suckles your clit and then slides his tongue in. You begin to work your hips down onto it as he's on his knees behind you. His fingers massaging skillfully over your clit. 
"That's how you want it? It's all for you." You egg him on shakily as you reach back to grab at his dreads knowing that you're nearing your orgasm. You thought you were seeing stars but the audacity of this man bringing his hand down hard across your left then right cheek and then the pom-pom itself, did it.
Your toes curled and your head was tilted back as you continued to ride his face and the orgasmic wave crashed over you so hard it took your breath with it. 
You called out his name speaking in all types of broken Xhosa as he begin to lap you up and savour your taste. 
When you stopped shaking he sat back on the bed, proud of himself as he licked his lips. 
You turned to face him and he wasted no time continuing to massage you.
But what you hadn't realized during changing you accidentally dialed Derrick. Who's now on the other end, yelling into the phone 
{to be continued! I hope that it was alright!}
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boyy-wonder-grayson · 4 years
Text
Winter's Weather // Dick Grayson Au!
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Warnings: nothing other than some swearing and maybe a little angst if you squint (?)
A/n: chapter 2 it's finally here!! I don't know how to feel about this since I've hit writers block quite a few times while writing this,I wanted to make it longer than the first one, which it is, but I don't know. Sorry about the moodboards they're easy and fun to do, so I'll probably do more lmao. Thanks for reading and feedback is always appreciated :) anyway enjoy!!
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The first night at her father’s cabin was spent reminiscing of all the times she has been there when her family was complete. Her father was a fisherman, so he usually would wake the girls up and take them to the lake to teach them how to fish. Y/n was quite good at it, her sister Remy on the other hand was not kin of the early activities her father would take them to.  Y/n found her father’s old fishing roads at the back of the house; she’d probably end up selling them or donating them to the local shop back in town.  It wasn’t as easy as she thought it would be.  It’s been five years since her father had passed and the wound was still fresh; her father had been her best friend through life.  He was a kind man with a wicked sense of humor, he was the backbone of their family, so when he passed it was harder and harder to go back home to her mother who apparently didn’t took him long to find someone else to spend the rest of her life with.  That was something Y/n wasn’t happy about; is not that she didn’t want for her mother to be happy, on the contrary, it was that her father’s death was still very much fresh on her mind and she was not ready to move on from that just yet.  That was part of the reason why she moved back to his old cabin; to make peace with his death, and try to live a happy life just like her father had wanted for her.
So far she wasn’t doing a good job at it. 
In the mess that her father had left on the basement of the house she found more and more stuff that belonged to him and it was hard for her no to cry; being surrounded by her father’s presence was something she wasn’t quite ready to do apparently.  She found his old camera inside of a box.  The box was filled with Polaroid’s of her, some with her sister and her mother and some of the house.  His father was an amateur photographer and that camera was a gift from her in his 50’s birthday.  He loved It so much that he took it everywhere with him.  He used to say that a picture could tell a better story than words could muster, which it used to annoy her given that she was a writer; writing was her life and for her father to say something like that would make her roll her eyes, but now looking at the photographs she realized he was right.  There he was smiling at the camera hugging her closer to his body, laughing because he was squeezing her so hard that her face could barely be seen, nevertheless her sister took the picture.  She sniffed looking around and drying her tears, it was going to be harder than she thought.  She grabbed the box and the camera and took them upstairs with her, promising that tomorrow she would organize everything and would set her life in motion.  After all she would do it for her father, if not for her.
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It was seven a.m. when she heard a knock on her door and groaned, hoping that whoever was brave enough to disrupt her sleep would just go away, but of course she wasn’t that lucky. The knocking intensified until she threw the covers of her bed and shivered when the cold morning air hit her warm body.  Apparently sleeping with a short sleeved shirt and some shorts wasn’t a good idea in winter.  She opened the door without looking who it was; she was already in a bad mood, one: because who the hell comes all the way to the middle of the woods to wake someone up at the crack of dawn –overdramatic as always—and two: nobody knew she was back in town so who the hell was banging on her door so early? Her question was quickly answered when she was face to face with non-other that the annoying man from yesterday.
“What are you doing here?” she asked confused “and so early in the morning” she added bitterly trying her hardest to show her distaste of his visit.
“Good morning to you too” the guy replied sarcastically. “Like I told you yesterday, your father put me in charge of his place and since you’re here now, and since I’m sure you’re not aware of how a cabin is run, I thought I’d explain to you, so you don’t tear this place down” he said smiling at her now, showing a cute smile that made her stomach turn but not in a good way. He was cocky and she didn’t like that. Not that much at least.
“Is it necessary that you come here at 7 a.m. to do this?” she asked through gritted teeth. She couldn’t believe the audacity of this man.
“Yes, because unlike you I can’t lose my time with people who decided to come live in a cabin in the middle of the woods because her life in the big city wasn’t working for her” he said dryly, almost as if he was angry about it.  Y/n was taken aback with his response and look at him in disbelief, partly because of how quickly his playful and cocky attitude changed to a more serious and dark one, and partly because he was right about her reason for coming back to Mystic so suddenly. It was true that her life in the city was not going well and she thought some fresh air from the small town that saw her grow would be a good change, but she wasn’t going to give this stranger man the satisfaction of knowing he was right. He was so right.
“Excuse me Mr. Grinch” she said, earning a glare from the boy. “I don’t need you here. I’ve spent years in this cabin; I know exactly how to keep this place running okay? So you can go now and steal Christmas or whatever that Grinch’s like you do” she said turning around leaving the boy standing at the door.  It was her second day back in town and she was already infuriated with this man. Who the hell does he think he is to talk to her like that?
The man on the other hand was fuming; he didn’t like her attitude, and he certainly didn’t like to be compared to one of the most famous grumps in the world, especially by someone who didn’t even know him. He had his reasons to be that way, to be guarded against everyone and everything; that was at least his justification for his shitty attitude, but Y/n was not going to put up with that.
“Listen city girl, I’m not here to discuss how you should or should not do, your father gave me explicit instructions to keep this place intact, and unlike you, I plan to follow them” he said walking closer to the girl. Y/n was angry now. She didn’t even have her morning coffee and she was already arguing with a man, her morning could not be better. Before she could start spewing insults at the boy he started talking again.
“Do you know how much firewood you need to survive the winter? Because no offense but I don’t think chopping wood is one of your strong suits. Or do you know how to properly clean and dry the wood? Or do you know what kind of stain you need to use in this particular house? I’m sure you do right, since you’ve always came here?” he asked question after question making the girl fell smaller with each one. It was true that she didn’t know much about what it took to keep cabin running, but she was stubborn as hell and was not going to back down from an argument, not when her pride was on the line.
“I don’t need some lumberjack wannabe to tell me how to take care of my house, I can always talk to someone else, or hire someone to the maintenance for me” she replied smugly, enjoying the way his face contorted with each word she said. He scoffed and ran a hand through his hair trying to calm himself down, it wasn’t ideal that he was stubborn as hell too.  Their personalities collided and no one was going to back down if that meant admitting they were wrong.
“Your father asked me to take care of this place, and I will do it whether you like it or not” he said looking straight into her eyes.  She would be a big fat liar if she said that his stare wasn’t doing things to her.  Her stomach twisted and her heartbeat accelerated looking at the man in front of her. He was hot and handsome as hell, his brown eyes became darker the more frustrated he got and she imagined herself in a different situation with those brown eyes staring at her with such intensity. She quickly shook her head to get rid of such sinful thoughts and cleared her throat trying to come remember what he said last.
 The brown eyed boy wasn’t too different from her. His eyes darted towards her chest, he noticed she wasn’t wearing a bra and the cold air of the morning made her nipples hard, but she was too engrossed trying arguing with him to notice. But he did notice my god.  He removed his eyes quickly from her chest and the next thing he noticed was her long legs; he imagined himself in a different situation where her legs would be wrapped around his waist. He shook his head gently removing those thoughts from his head, hopefully she wouldn’t have noticed the way he was checking her out. She didn’t, but she did ask him a question.
“What?” he said feeling stupid for thinking about taking the woman in front of him against the nearest wall, instead of listening to her.
“I asked what your name is, or should I call you Grinch?” she asked with amusement dancing in her eyes.
“I’m Richard, but everyone just calls me Dick.”
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The following day Y/n woke up early that day with the intention of doing some work around the house.  She wasn’t sure yet what would happen to the cabin; she thought about selling the place once she finished with the maintenance and some remodeling.  A cabin in the woods would give her some good money; but detaching herself from the house where she spent half her childhood and teenage years was hard.
She still had time though.  She was taking some time away from the city so spending time away from everyone and being on her own would do her good. Or at least that was what she said to herself.  She decided after having her second breakfast –which consisted of some coffee—that she needed some groceries if she was going to spend the winter in the woods.  The stores weren’t so far from the cabin so she grabbed her wallet, keys and wrapped herself in her warmest clothes to go out and face the winter of Connecticut.  She made it into town in twenty minutes.  It was snowing slightly when she got out of the car, she had park just in front of Mrs. Bradley old market. That place was already when she was a kid and apparently was still standing strong. Mrs. Bradley was the nicest woman she had ever met, the woman would always sneak a candy or two for her and her sister when they were shopping with her dad, her mother didn’t like that and scoffed whenever that happened but Mrs. Bradley would pay no mind and do it whenever she could.  The bell atop of the door dinged when she entered the shop, making the old woman lift her gaze and when she recognized a smile stretched across her lips.
“Y/n! Oh look at you!” the old woman beamed at her making her smile even bigger. The woman moved from her spot behind the register to hug the girl, which the later reciprocated with as much enthusiasm as the woman.
“You look so beautiful; look how much you’ve grown!”
“Thanks Mrs. Bradley you’re looking good too, didn’t age a day.”
“Lucky for you flattery would get you everywhere with me” the woman said, making the girl laugh. One thing she loved about this town was the people.  Most of the town had seen her grow from a little kid to the woman she is today. She had a special place for everyone in this town, especially Mrs. Bradley, she was like the grandmother she never had.
“Well lucky me then” she said giggling with the old woman.
“I haven’t seen you in what? Five years? ” Mrs. Bradley asked rubbing her hands along her arms in a comforting manner “I’m sorry about your father, we were all very sad to hear that he was gone, I can’t imagine how you must’ve felt. You were so closed” she said smiling sadly.
“Thanks, and yeah it was…hard, that’s why it took me so long to come back here” she admitted; it was easy for her to talk to this woman, easier than with her mother for sure.
“I know sweetie, I know. But you’re here now, and that’s what matters.” She was so grateful to have someone like her that she could confide in about pretty much everything.
“Yeah, and I’ll be around for a long time I think,” she confessed. The old woman hugged her once again and professed how happy she was that she had decided to stick around for a while promising that they would have a chat whenever she was free.  The girl nodded excited to finally be back somewhere where she felt comfortable enough to call it home.  She apologized to the customer that was waiting for the women to finish chatting and made her way to the back of the store to get some groceries.  She was halfway done with every item on her list when she found herself in front of the cereal aisle; she scanned the shelf looking for her favorite brand, she smiled triumphantly when she found the last box at the top of the shelf. She stood on her tiptoes trying to reach the box before someone snatched it out of her grasp. Her head snapped quickly to find the body attached to the hand that took the last box of cereal and of course it had to be no other than Dick.
“Give it back” she said, already annoyed by her presence. Dick looked down at her acknowledging her presence and chuckled when he saw her frowning like a child.
“No” he said, trying hard not to laugh at her expression. Her mouth was slightly open, her brows were furrowed and he knew she was ready to retaliate.
“I saw it first, I even grabbed it first before you literally took it out of my hands” she explained “So technically it’s mine” she said crossing her arms across her chest.
“Technically it’s in my basket, so it’s mine,” he said. He would never admit it but as much as he was annoyed by her, he still enjoyed pissing her off.
“You stole it! So give it back now” she reached a hand waiting for him to return her cereal.
“Nop” he said and turned around leaving her with her mouth open. She was trying to think of a good comeback but dick was halfway across the store by then.
“At least he does justice to his name” Y/n said grabbing a different box of cereal, sighing she continued her shopping hoping not to bump into Dick for the rest of the day.
--------------------
Dick’s phone rang the second he sat inside his car.  He sighed when he saw the name on the screen.
“Bruce” he said coldly. He wasn’t in the mood for a lecture now; he had shit to do other than to listen to what his dad had to say.
“Son, how are you? I wasn’t sure if you were going to answer the phone” Bruce said making Dick roll his eyes and his passive-aggressiveness.
“Yeah, well I did. Can I help you with something?” he was already stressed about this whole thing. He moved from Gotham to avoid everything and everyone; but apparently Gotham did not move on from him.
“Not really I was just checking on you, since you don’t seem to call much these days” Bruce said sounding a little…sad. Dick felt a pang in his chest. Guilt.  He knew Bruce was not doing this on purpose, despite everything he loved his dad and Bruce loved him too, but being reminded every week or two how he seemed to forget about his family stung. 
“I know, and I’m sorry it’s just…it’s still hard,” Dick confessed over the phone. He heard Bruce sighing on the other line.
“I know kid, I know it’s hard. But I thought moving there was supposed to do good to you. What happened?”
“Nothing happened that’s the thing” he said not making much sense “Nothing happened. Things just stayed the same as it was back in Gotham and I honestly don’t know what I was expecting when I moved out here. I guess I’m just mad that my feelings didn’t change after all the time I spent here” he pinched the bridge of his nose; he didn’t know why was he saying all this now, he spent so much time lying to himself and his father about being okay and now the words came out of his mouth like a damn breaking after holding the water for far too long.
“Look Dick, I know you don’t like when I give you advice but listen to me son” Bruce said in a serious tone “Things won’t change unless you make them change. Moving out was just the first step, maybe it was a good one or maybe not. But things won’t be different because you don’t want them to be different.  Starting over is a big step in life, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad one.  You need to start thinking less and start acting more.”
As much as Dick hated to admit it, Bruce was right.  He wondered many times if the only reason why he wasn’t moving out in life was because he was subconsciously sabotaging his own life; and the answer was yes.  He had many opportunities to forget about her and find someone new to help him heal his broken heart, but he refused to take them because he was afraid. Afraid of being hurt again, afraid of opening to someone only for that someone to leave him like it happened the last time. He knew it was stupid to hold onto the pain from the past, and that not everyone was going to hurt him, but the fear was there and he spent so many years being comfortable inside the wall he built around himself, that thinking of going out of them was scary.
“I know, and I try but…I can’t”
“I know son, but being scared it’s just part of the healing process. You can’t throw your life away for one misstep. It’s not worth it. She wasn’t worth it” Bruce said trying to lift the boys’ spirits.
“Thanks dad, I kind needed this long overdue conversation” he said sincerely. He missed his family.
“No problem kid, I know I haven’t been the best example when it comes to relationships, but I know a thing or two” Bruce joked. Dick smiled wide, missing the old man and his antics.
“I have to go, I’ll talk to you later dad” he said, turning the engine on.
"Okay kid, take care, and please don’t hesitate to call. We miss you, I think even Jason does”
“Tell him I miss him too, and maybe one of these days you can come visit, if that’s okay with you” dick said suddenly worried about his father’s answer.
“I’d love to Dick. Very much.” He hung up the phone and smiled genuinely in what felt like years of not doing it. He was unaware of someone else looking at him from the other side of the street.
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boondockerblog · 3 years
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Day 43 (leave Cabeza Prieta Nat'l Wildlife Refuge and drive to KOFA Nat'l Wildlife Refuge)
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We decided to take a quick drive into Organ Pipe Nat'l Monument and then backtrack to be on our way to KOFA.
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It was a lovely drive and the Saguaros were so plentiful - look how close together they're growing. BUT - we saw more Organ Pipe Cactus right around our site at Cabeza Prieta then in the 25 miles of Organ Pipe Nat'l Monument we drove through Hmmmm.
Thoughts About Pictures
As always on our drives we're frustrated to see all this beauty and not have a camera that can actually capture it - the color, the expanse, the grandeur.  Just one example -  with our eyes we saw these really cool brown rock formations. Some were as small as 20 ft high, some maybe 60 ft. They were spaced closely together and each was a different shape - weirdly like they were made from someone pouring liquid brown stuff in blops and globs. See, you have no idea what we're talking about, and the camera just couldn't capture what we saw. In this kind of environment the camera just sees blue sky and the cool brown formations would have looked like nothing. Plus, when we see something cool there's rarely enough time to take a picture before we've passed it. We're sorry.
What's special about the Southwest is that we're complete surrounded by stunning views, always. In suburbs and cities, even in many rural places besides the Southwest, it's rarely what's out the back or the side windows. There are plenty of fine things to look at, they're just usual only what's in front. In the Southwest we wish we had eyes in the back, and side, of our head.
Arrive KOFA
KOFA is named for one of the area's most notable mines - the King of Arizona Gold Mine. All the mountains are that beautiful brown rock but the first road we tried in the flat areas was awfully beige and dusty after the green of Cabeza Prieta. Plus there were a decent number of people (probably looked like even more because it was so flat and so few plants so everyone was visible for quite a distance. All in all, it looked pretty uninviting (and there no useful internet, and the further we drove the less service there was).
But look at all the mines and other interesting sites on the map!
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So we kept driving, very slowly, a super bumpy road. Eventually we got to some hills, and then a sign for KOFA (so the rest of what we'd seen wasn't even KOFA?). And then, over a hill, and it opened into miles and miles of mountain ranges against the azure sky.
We bet we were looking as far as 20 miles. Breathtaking. Wish we hadn't gone over that hill because we'd have been happy to leave the flat, populated, dust because of no internet (after 4 days of barely any, and most times none I needed to work). We turned around to drive back and hope to find something for that fit all our current needs on one of the other 5 roads into KOFA.
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On our way out (darkness coming) we decided we'd see if we could find some hidden area on the flat behind a bush and hope for a smidgen of internet. We spied a place that might work and drove up over a mound of dirt to move as far away from the road in as possible. This is how we usually begin the search for cool places to make camp. We drove a bit, then walked to find a way through the brush and washes but finally decided to go on to the next road in.
Driving out onto the road the way we came in, our front wheels went slowly over the dirt build up and then when the rear ones went over there was a big plop, and a thud. We were stuck.
The last 10 ft of the motor home was almost resting on the dirt - you're wondering what the problem was, why couldn't we just keep driving? What you don't see is the spare tire that hangs under the motorhome. Or the black water and gray water tanks. Or various valves. All stuck in the dirt now.
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About a 100 yds plus away were some people with a truck next to a pretty big trailer. Looked good. They tried to pull us out from behind (back up because forward would be trying to fight the spare tire, etc). Unfortunately all that happened was that the other people's truck rear tires dug into the dirt. Meanwhile we are perpendicular in the road. Luckily as long as you are a narrow truck you can get through and a few did (with condolences uttered). But if you were a motorhome, nope. It was getting darker and we were picturing staying awake all night directing traffic.
Possible way out #2 - now in the dark a truck with a UTV trailer came down the road. When we directed them to squeeze by they asked to help since they had 4 wheel drive. All of us wearing masks and a good amount of digging, they pulled us backwards while Bill drove in reverse to give some momentum and......we were free! Much "woo hooing"!
Not to be detered, after many thank you's we drove 10 miles to the next road in. We found no people (at least no fires, no RV light, no lanterns) - that was a plus but we also found an even bumpier road, no internet and what we assumed was similar flat, dusty landscape. We looked at each other at 7:30pm and said "We're 20 miles at most from Quartzsite.  Let's just drive there and up the 7 miles of bumpy, 10 mph for us, road to the super empty desert at the foot of the mountains that we loved 2 years ago". After finding so many cool places this year we had decided no need to go back to the area near Quartzsite, but now...it was at least a place we knew we'd be happy and alone there.
Next year we'll try Verizon for our burner phone and go back to find an empty place to explore those mines in KOFA.
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shiro-0197 · 3 years
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AHH it's okay the important thing is that you got your rest!! I'm glad you're okay now tho xD
oh my gosh YES 😭💖 I'd love that. There's just something special about the ice cream there, I swear—
Yes it was very very nice. Gordon was as cute as ever, and it was nice just hanging out with my friends on the first day of the new year.
oh I'm not sure what the fashion ones are for (probably yes, to make people look hotter grrr) but I have a few sports ones because they help with my grip, like cycling and tennis. It protects the palms, I guess, haha.
No I understand. Your school probably has different branches in other cities. Mine doesn't but I know some that do, so don't worry I'm not confused 😝😝
ahhh I'm sorry xD we use the term freely here, kinda like what you call your best friend, but okay twins with an age gap, that's cute. You're right, you two are pretty similar, at least from what I've seen. I have Aaron, who's very similar to me, so I can understand how you regard Kuro haha. But yes, it's always nice to relate to someone and have them with you. I've said this tons of times, but you guys are truly lucky to have each other.
thank you :) I hope so too. It's just something I have to work on, I suppose. But I'm really good at hiding my emotions, to the point where my friends don't know what I feel at all (besides happiness), and that's pretty scary honestly, because I wish I could be more transparent about it. Oh off topic again, but yeah just wanted to put that out there xD
I'm sure she considers you a huge help to her, and it's plain to see that you love her very much, so I hope things get easier for her!!
oh please don't worry about that at all, I completely understand! When I said that, I hope it didn't come out as me asking or anything (it was never my intention 😣😣)— I just meant that I didn't even need to know, because I still think you're cute and attractive all the same :)) and I already have a rough idea from what you've told me, so don't worry about creating an artbreeder :P (tho I've seen a bunch of anime characters on artbreeder and they're so pretty. I might just use it myself to make Oikawa or the Miya twins on it 😭😭💖)
Oh I see that's so cool!! You're mixed too :)) and yeah, it'd be so nice meeting people from other cultures as well >.< It's a shame, but that's okay! I'm sure one day, you'll be able to travel wherever you want, and bring your mom along too :))
I hope so too !! Fingers crossed, it might be the start of a beautiful new friendship ;)
aw that sounds so cute!! I'm so envious of people who have dreams, I rarely have them and it's so nice to indulge in them when you're asleep, and remember them when you wake !! do you have dreams often? And ahhh good good !! Glad they didn't lie about it or anything smh -_- I'm happy you enjoyed it :) and that's okay I'm weird too, we'll be weird together 😚💖
Intelligence is hot— 😭. And I'll probably start rambling about the history of firecrackers because I'm a show-off too (did you know they originated from China? 😍)
😃🔫 It ended an hour and a half late. I was too tired to watch anything :(( but that's okay I'll watch it tonight!! I hope you're enjoying your day. I love you more.
—ɐuɐᴉɹɐ🙃
Ahhh so sorry for late response!! I had to go out and I left my phone because it was out of battery😭😭
Ohh, does it? I hope they have melon ice cream😝
Aww that makes me so happy??!? I hope your next hey year goes like this, too!! I'm glad you had a great time
Ohh, right, I forgot about those xD yeah, I guess it's slippery when your hands are sweaty so gloves are useful. I really have no knowledge in sports clothes😭😭
Alright alright, glad you know!! Tbh I really hoep I can visit his school as a graduate one day:D
We really are😩 it's really awesome to have someone who's like you. It's like you're talking to yourself, but people won't find you weird because you're actually talking to another person. Though their answers are actually unpredictable, but that's good😋 I'm really glad you have Aaron. He seem like a great lil guy^^
I see what you mean, to be honest I'm like that too when I really dont feel well. It's really nice that you're trying to change that for yourself! Dont worry about getting offtopic, I do so as well hehe
Me too!! I really hope so
No no no no dont worry, Kuro had the idea when he saw the trend. He knew I didnt like taking pics even though I'm not really insecure about myself, so he proposed making one so I can share. Because i want people to see that I'm pretty😡 snjrjwjdjsnfjw
About that, he likes to send me the ugliest pics from Artbreeder and says "this is you" because he thinks hes funny ( ok he is but 😭😭)
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He sent me this bad boy saying it's me and to be honest I think I'm never going on that forsaken website ever
Btw good luck with making the guys!!! Tbh I barely know how to use it and usually I get pictures like ^that one so uh it's painful really xD
I sure will!! And I will kidnap Kuro and his mom and we will go to Norway and eat cheeseburgers👍 and meet you of course hehe
Well, I do have dreams! Pretty often too, though they're nothing much? Usually I'm just there, watering plants or eating fresh pastry (which hurts when I wake up because turns out I dont actually have any)
Exactly!! Also that's great to hear, so just two weirdos chilling😋
True true, if someone says something smart with a smart look on their face trust me I'm already in love and planning our marriage😭 heheh, let's be show offs together I guess💕💕 also, I'd say I didn't but i think i subconsciously knew (is that a thing ??) about that because of Kung Fu Panda 2 XD
Awhh😭😭 well, I hope you slept well and have the energy to watch it today!! I did enjoy my day, it was pretty cool, I got a spicy&juicy hot dog and a coffee (which was fake as hell and sucked ass) during my adventure 😝 I hope yours went fun as well! I missed you, love you lots💞💞💕
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onebangtanstan · 4 years
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Power Style - Chapter Six : The organization
« Are you okay, Ms Douglas? »
« Um, yes I guess. » I lie. « I'll just have to make adjustments for the campaign. »
I have no idea how I'm going to figure this out. I have to cram 2 months worth of work in 2 weeks. This is going to be intense.
We talk for a bit before I leave his office. As I walk back to my desk, I have an idea. I head for my phone and look for Tae.
"Hi Tae! I just found out about the launch being brought up. I need to be in contact with everyone to organize the shootings. Can you help me out?"
Send.
I start brainstorming ideas after letting my team know what's going on. We share all our ideas on an online drive. I add what I gathered last night from Tae.
A few minutes later, my phone dings. It's from a groupchat created by Taehyung. All members are in it, plus me. I start typing a text to say hello to everyone, but something appears on the screen. It's from RM "Is this necessary?". I figure this is Namjoon, and oh my God he infuriates me! I decide to not react and send my text anyway.
"Hi all! I'll be using this groupchat to let you know what's going on with the campaign, and give you details for shootings and all that. Have a good day!"
Someone answers immediately "I can't wait!! This is gonna be epic". It's from J-Hope. I'm still not familiar with all their stages names but from the energy of the text, I'm guessing it's Hoseok. Another text comes in from Jimin. "Whatever".
This is going to be hard. I'm used to dealing with clients, but usually there's only one person at a time. Right now I have 7 people with their own personalities to handle. I can't let my emotions get the best of me.
I get back to work, and head for a meeting with the whole team. We spend 2 hours figuring out what the campaign will be like and the schedule.
I grab my phone as soon as we're out and type a text to the band.
"Ok guys, things will happen very fast. Starting on Thursday, we will have individual shoots for each one of you. I'll send you the schedule. Next Friday is the group shoot. Sorry about the rush."
I put my notes from the meeting back in my office and head for lunch. I'll be eating it in my office though. Thursday is 2 days away, and I have so much to do.
DING.
I check my phone.
"Hey, about what you said last night, could we meet tomorrow maybe? Yoongi"
I'm glad I came through to him. We decide to go for dinner in the city center.
The next hours are only dedicated to finding the perfect settings for shootings. Every individual shoot needs to be different, but the feel of the campaign has to be the same.
I don't think I've had a harder job to do.
The next day is the same. Meeting on top of meeting with every designer, stylist, photographer and everyone needed for the shoot. My team and I are exhausted, but we finally have everything planned out.
I get home at 5 pm and get ready for my dinner with Yoongi. I go for something casual, but chic. My black and red dress if perfect for tonight. I pair it with my long black coat and knee-high boots.
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Gina’s outfit for the evening
He's already there when I get to the restaurant. I sit down in front of him in silence. We both feel awkward being around each other, but also at ease.
He looks very cute like this. He's wearing all black clothes, a cap covering his hair. His golden jewelry contrasts with his look, and make his eyes pop.
"So, how's work?" He starts, trying to break the ice. I can tell he doesn't feel like he belongs here.
"Well, you guys have got me running all over the place, but it's interesting."
"Yeah sorry about that, there was a mix in our tour dates" He looks as annoyed as I am by the change.
"That's okay! Let's just say it's showbiz. Plus, it gives me an opportunity to challenge myself." He's looking down, but I see him smile. "Please, tell me about your ideas!"
He looks up and starts exposing his thoughts. The more he talks, the more his face opens up. He's more relaxed on his chair too. He loves his job, I can tell. This is where he's comfortable. Talking about work. It's probably the same when he talks about music, or performs.
I take notes while he talks me through his vision. It's amazing. It corresponds with the vibe we've already set, so we can definitely integrate his ideas into his solo shoot.
We start eating, and make awkward smalltalk, each of us understanding that the other one isn't comfortable talking about their lives. But as we talk we feel ourselves getting looser around each other. We seem to be similar on certain aspects.
Both our phones bing at the same time. I'm guessing it's the groupchat. He looks at his phone and I think I see a sparkle in his eyes. He smiles as he reads the text.
"Hobi is excited for tomorrow" He lets me know. Hoseok is the first one to shoot and I think it's going to be fun. I think about his reaction when he saw it was a text from Hoseok. Weird..
"Are you close with the guys?" I ask him, hoping my question won't close him off again.
"Very" He answers after a few seconds. He hesitates to keep going, but he does so anyway "They're my family. I love them with all my heart, but like with all families, we have our ups and downs. By the way, I would like to apologize to you on behalf of Namjoon and Jimin. Jimin is not great these days, with the tour coming and the-" He stops himself. I question him with my eyes.
"It's not my story to tell" He continues "And Namjoon is just an asshole towards strangers. But he's particularly an asshole towards you, I don't understand why..."
"That's okay" I reassure him "We don't have to like each other, just act professionally. If I'm being honest, I don't like his vibe so I won't be talking to him unless it's for the campaign."
"Haha I like you, Gina" I can't help but smile as he says that. "I'm not the type to open up easily, but I feel drawn to you, in a soothing way."
"Weirdly I feel the same."
We look at each other for a second but quickly turn away from each other.
We just sit there in silence, while the restaurant empties itself. We leave too, and start walking through the streets of Seoul. His turtleneck and hat (and the fact that he's walking with me) cover the fact that he's an Idol. The city center is lovely tonight. There are still a lot of people in the streets, everything is lit up. The weather is nice too. Don't get me wrong it's fucking freezing, but it's not that bad for the end of February.
We don't say much while we walk. We just enjoy each others company. I haven't felt this comfortable around someone since Sarah. It's nice. It's weird to think a few hours ago we could barely have a conversation without feeling awkward, but right now we're walking around together.
"I had a great night" His voice is soft, and seems peaceful. Not like the rest of the time. I could sense the anxiety in him as soon as I saw him. I know too well what it looks like.
"Me too" I say back.
He hails a cab for me and gives money to the driver.
"Let's do this again" He opens the door for me and waves awkwardly goodbye. Aaaand he's back. I'm glad I got to see a glimpse of the real Yoongi tonight, even if it was for a few words.
I almost fall asleep in the cab. The intense days of brainstorming are catching up with me. I go straight to bed when I get home, knowing tomorrow is going to be a long day.
I can't wait though. Shootings are my favourite part of the job.
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