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moethewriter · 5 months

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could you do number 27 with finnick from the otp prompt list? i love yours fics!

Of course I can anon! Super excited for this one, I had the best time writing it! Lot's of angst and fluff! TITLE: The Light In The Dark WORD COUNT: 1.5k PAIRING: Finnick Odair x Reader WARNING: None! TAGS: Lot's of angst, and fluff! (As always please let me know if you think anything needs to be added) lot's of introspection and reflection from the reader! A/N: I was so so so excited to write this one! And I think it's such an amazing prompt! Thank you so much for requesting it and as always I take constructive criticism! -

District 13 was not a place you particularly enjoyed. It was safe, and secure and far better than being stranded in an arena forced to kill other people. But you weren’t as content as you had hoped you would be. When you were rescued along with everyone the rebellion scooped up, you had kept telling yourself that everything was going to be okay. You had to keep faith that whatever the next step was, was going to end all of it.

Finnick had been rescued alongside you, and he offered a comforting ear. It was so strange being close to him again. It had been a year since you two had broken up, and though it had seemed like yesterday, you were no longer the same people you once were. So much had changed, you had changed.

Though you knew once you both had been reaped that you were going to ally yourself with him. There really was no one else you would rather have at your side. Despite the separation, he had you trust and you knew he was far more capable than a lot of people gave him credit for.

There had been tension between the group, that you knew, no one got along well unless it was with Mags. You knew the other’s could sense a different type of tension between you and Finnick, one filled with unresolved feelings bubbling below the surface. It had only gotten worse after you heard his voice through the jabberjays.

Johanna had tried to talk to you afterwards, even sent Katniss your way but you wouldn’t budge. You didn’t need to have a friendship circle and talk about how you longed for Finnick and how he still had your heart. No one needed to know that but you, though you sensed Johanna had always known, she had known you better than you knew yourself most days.

There had been no major fallout with Finnick, no giant blow up that ended in destruction and despair. It had been so amicable … you had both been so busy, the life of a Victor always was. Not to mention the separation by District had been a struggle. You had been the one to bring it up, despite the pain it caused you. Finnick had agreed with you the moment you finished speaking. You hugged, and he left and then you stood there alone. You were both heartbroken over it, that much you knew.

You had cried for weeks after it, though you felt you had no right to do that. No one was able to console you, despite Johanna trying her very best too. You knew she wasn’t the best with comforting people, she had grown colder after what had happened to her family, but you appreciated the effort she had put in. Seeing Finnick on TV doing interviews, going to parties and generally being in the Capitol had upset you the most. It was hard to look at him, you knew he was hurting so much more than anyone could tell. You wanted to reach out, but you knew it would have been a bad idea. So you stayed silent and watched him from afar, and kept your thoughts about him to yourself.

Though you hoped he thought of you too.

And in a blink of an eye, months had passed. You had both been mentors for the 74th hunger games, though to no avail as your tributes had passed in the arena. You didn’t speak to him much, and he did his best to avoid you. It was strange but you knew he was coping in a far different way then you were, so you couldn’t blame him,

The universe was funny though, bringing you both together again under far different circumstances. He had come to your door days after you had been reaped for The Quarter Quell to form an alliance with you, and you were both informed together about the rebellion by Haymitch Abernathy. You were hesitant but agreed to help, as long as Finnick was there too. There wasn’t anyone else you’d want as an ally in those games. Some small part of you was thankful that he had been there.

“Penny for your thoughts.” A familiar voice broke through the jumbled mess of memories you had been reliving. “Not much in there right now.” You chuckled, turning to meet Finnick’s gaze, he seemed relaxed, and adjusting far better than most people. “Just wondering about what the next step is, thinking about all that needs to be done.” The lie came easily to you, but you knew he could see right through it. He had always been able to see past you.

“That’s not the Y/N I know.” Finnick smiled, leaning against the wall. He looked like an angel in white against the steele gray. “The one I know is simply far too deep in thought about too many things that they’re overwhelming themselves with it. Am I wrong?” He raised a knowing eyebrow.

“You know me far too well, Finnick Odair.” You snorted, crossing your arms in defeat “I was thinking about the past.” You said, quietly, almost hoping he wouldn’t catch what you said at all.

“About us?” He questioned, a strange look crossing his face.

You couldn’t quite tell what he was thinking at that moment, but you knew there was no point in lying. You didn’t want to lie to him anymore.

“You could say that.” You nodded.

“I hope it’s all good memories.” He said, meeting your eyes once more. “I know I still think of those on my dark days.” He swallowed the lump in his throat.

“You were one of the best things that ever happened to me.” You told him, earnestly. “I loved you more than life itself.”

“So you don’t regret it at all?” Finnick questioned, and you weren’t quite sure if he wanted your answer by the way his voice quivered.

“No. Not one bit.” You told him. “I don’t regret having you because you made the sun shine brighter and you made my life worth living again. You put a smile on my face anytime I wasn’t feeling myself. You were the only one who loved me when I thought I couldn’t be loved. You changed me for the better in so many ways. You were, and always have been a star amongst the darkest of skies, Finnick. That little light that kept going even though the world tried to beat it down. You have always been one of a kind. I could never regret you. I would never regret a single thing because if I didn’t have you forever at least I had you at all.” Your voice was thick with emotion, finally saying all of this to him.

You had bottled it up for so long, kept it so tight to your chest that you felt like you were going to explode into a million tiny little pieces. You knew you would always love him, but a second chance at loving him had seemed impossible.

“I don’t regret breaking things off either.” You told him. “It was the best thing we could do for both of us at the time. You and I both know that.”

“I know.” Finnick nodded, a sad smile crossing his face. “Doesn’t mean I didn’t cry for weeks after it happened though. I missed you severely during those first few months. I’m sorry I never reached out, I wanted to but I didn’t know how.”

You could see him fidgeting with his thumbs, something he only did when he was nervous, it was a quirk you thought had been adorable when you first noticed it. He had an anxious energy to him that could be hard to spot if you didn’t know him.

“It’s okay.” You whispered, sniffling a little. “That wasn’t your job anymore to be there for me.”

“You were never a job, I loved … love you and I always wanted to be there for you even when we were over.” Finnick said. “You’re the love of my life, you always have been, Y/N.”

“I’m still the love of your life?” You asked, wiping the stray tear from your eye.

Nothing could have prepared you for this conversation, but you were glad that you could air everything out. There was no one else for you but Finnick. You loved him, and you still wanted to be with him. He was the first person you thought about in the morning, and the last person you thought about before you slept. He was still the love of your life too.

He was always with you, even when he wasn’t.

“Yeah.” He said finally. “I don’t think there’s anyone else for me.”

You made a tentative step towards him, and wrapped your arms around his neck. He was tense, you could feel that, but that didn’t stop him from wrapping his arms around your waist. He was warm, he’d always been built like a furnace in contrast to your cold body temperature but you two still fit together perfectly, like two halves of a whole.

It’s like you were always meant to be in his arms.

“I still love you too.” You told him, letting yourself get lost in his arms.

“When this is all over …” He whispered into your ear. “I’m going to take you on the best date in the world, got it?”

You could hear the smile in his voice.

“Got it.” You said, hugging him tighter.

#finnick odair x reader #finnick odair #the hunger games #hunger games #angst #fluff #writing #moeswriting

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mothercetrion · 8 months

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I got bored (again) and did this OTP ask meme with Johnshi. enjoy!

1) Who offers their jacket when the other is cold? Johnny. it's a classic romantic maneuver! "you cold, babe? allow me to remedy that," and he slips off his jacket and puts it around Kenshi's shoulders. Kenshi never asks, but he accepts it with a smile (and a little bit of a blush).

2) Who giggles uncontrollably when the other playfully picks them up? Johnny. if Kenshi is in a more playful mood, he'll be giggling at everything he does. picking him up in any way will leave him breathless with laughter. (that, and Johnny is secretly very ticklish. Kenshi knows this and will take full advantage of it.)

3) Who compliments the other in front of everyone? Johnny. however, he's more subtle about it because Kenshi isn't the most fond of a lot of attention like that. it'll be more along the lines of a hand on his shoulder and a "good job, Kenshi!" sometimes, he'll slip and call him "Ken doll" in front of everyone, and Kenshi is briefly mortified. he's grateful all the same.

4) Who is more likely to tell the other a pun and what is the other’s reaction to the pun? Kenshi wishes that Johnny's puns weren't funny. when they first met, he found them annoying, but as time went on, he realized that they were actually pretty funny (in moderation).

5) When one of them has a bad day, what does the other do to help cheer them up? Johnny's sole goal when Kenshi has a bad day is to distract. Kenshi's mind is bad to linger, and Johnny will keep him occupied in some way to keep his mind off of things. Johnny will tell stories of some kind, or he'll get Kenshi out of the house, usually to get food or to go do something fun. sometimes though, Kenshi just wants to stay home, and Johnny respects that, and they'll lay together until Kenshi is feeling more like himself. when Johnny's having a rough day, Kenshi's first plan is to get him to talk about what's going on. Kenshi is a great listener, but Johnny isn't as good at talking about his problems as he is at joking about them, so that doesn't always work. Kenshi's second plan is to also distract but in the form of watching movies that Johnny loves. they brighten his spirits, plus he gets to tell Kenshi about all the useless movie trivia he's accumulated over the years.

6) If they got to pick what one another wears for a day, what would one another wear? as much as Johnny loves seeing Kenshi in a suit, he would probably choose something a lot more casual for him. when he was Yakuza, he wore suits, and his current armor is nice but still armor. he should get to wear something that's a lot more flexible and comfortable, and Johnny would pick something like that for him! probably jeans and a T-shirt (a red one, after all—it looks great on him!). Kenshi would probably also pick something a bit more casual considering that Johnny's daily wear is a button-up shirt and slacks. he doesn't want him to wear an outfit based on what looks the best, but based on how comfortable it is. he probably chooses a T-shirt as well but possibly some athletic sweatpants or jeans.

7) Who introduces their partner to their family first? How does it go? it takes a while for them to get to this step, but Kenshi meets Johnny's family first (using this booklet from MK SNES for reference). Kenshi is openly nervous; though he isn't anymore, he was once a criminal, and he isn't sure how Johnny's police mother will react to that. she is apprehensive, obviously, but Johnny insists that Kenshi isn't like that anymore and is as good as it gets. their first meeting is incredibly awkward, but any after that are a lot better. Johnny's older sister actually really likes Kenshi from minute one, much to their surprise. his mother and sister tell Kenshi a lot of embarrassing stories about Johnny from his childhood, and while he's glad that they're bonding, can they do it in a different way…? it takes far longer for Johnny to meet the rest of Kenshi's family; they're wary about people due to their Yakuza history, but Kenshi assures them that Johnny isn't like that. it doesn't help that he was the one who had Sento before Kenshi did, but again, Kenshi assures them that it's in the past. they're shocked that it's Johnny at all. they've seen several of his movies! why is he dating their son?! he grows on them quickly, and he invites them to his house for dinner pretty often.

8) In a coffee shop AU, who would be the coffee shop employee and who would be the customer? Johnny is the customer, and he's a very annoying one at that. he has high expectations for most things, he brings a lot of attention wherever he goes, and Kenshi wants to punch him when he knows he's there. but then again, he's pretty nice to all of the staff, and he always puts a giant wad of money in the tip jar, so…he's not all bad. it helps that he's cute.

9) When they sit side by side, do they touch one another? For example, does one person have their arm around the other, do they sit holding hands, or linked arms, etc.? if they're sitting together, Kenshi is touching Johnny in some way, period. it's usually a hand on his forearm or his thigh. he likes knowing that he's right there with him. it's reassuring. touching him is a given.

10) What is a small thing that one another does to make their partner happy? Johnny is the kind of person to give gifts because "it made me think of you." Kenshi isn't materialistic, but he loves the idea of Johnny going about his day and getting something for Kenshi because it reminds Johnny of him. it's such a kind sentiment, and he is always excited when Johnny gives him something like that. if Kenshi makes himself a cup of tea, Kenshi always makes Johnny one, even if Johnny isn't around. Johnny can be in another room entirely, and Kenshi will walk in with a cup of tea for him. "I thought you would like some," he always says. Johnny is surprised every. single. time, and he's always touched that Kenshi would think of him without fail.

11) What would they do to celebrate their one-year anniversary? Johnny arranges a big trip for them to go on. just them—no work, no filming, nothing but their own company. Johnny actually turns off his phone for most of their trip (minus the occasional photo—he can't help himself!) and spends their entire getaway dedicated to giving Kenshi his full attention and an amazing vacation. they get to eat a lot of amazing food and see amazing sights, but the most important thing is that they're spending it together. they agree to go on more trips together after this one.

12) When did they know that loved each other, and when did they first tell each other that they loved one another? it took a while for them to admit their feelings at all. their initial meeting isn't the best, and once it's all said and done, there's this…tension that neither of them can place. they eventually go on a date, and all of that confusion is suddenly cleared up. Johnny has always fallen fast, so he knows before Kenshi does, but he holds back out of worry that it's too soon. it's Kenshi who says the first "I love you" after a moment of vulnerability, and Johnny is quick to reciprocate. but Johnny still makes a big deal out of telling Kenshi that he loves him for the first time, telling him after a romantic night at home. Kenshi wouldn't want it any other way.

13) Who likes to give the other hugs from behind followed by a kiss? Kenshi is extremely physically affectionate when it's just them, so it's him. Johnny has a home "office" (a more professional way of saying a room with thousands of dollars worth of memorabilia…and also a desk with his computer), and when he's busy, he'll stay up there for hours at a time. Kenshi will pop in, ask him about his day, and kiss his forehead before trying to leave. Johnny always stops him and tells him that "he missed," and Kenshi kisses him on the lips with a playful scoff. even when Johnny isn't busy, Kenshi loves greeting him with a hug from behind with a kiss on the side of his neck.

14) Who would make a playlist for the other person? What would be featured on the playlist? Johnny, 1000%. he mostly chooses songs that he thinks Kenshi would like to listen to. he prides himself on learning his taste in things and recommending things that he would enjoy, and he's usually very accurate, much to Kenshi's surprise. he probably also has a playlist of songs that make him think about Kenshi, regardless of whether they align with his tastes. (Kenshi likes that one a lot more, but he won't tell Johnny that.)

15) Who would bring their partner on a romantic date under the stars? Johnny. he takes his car up into the mountains and doesn't tell Kenshi what they're doing, regardless of how much he wants to know. he finds a lookout near the top, where they can see the stars and the lights of the city. it's quiet and peaceful, and Kenshi absolutely loves it. they'll stay out there for hours and look around at everything, especially in the summer.

#johnny cage #kenshi takahashi #johnshi #mortal kombat #mortal kombat 1 #academic responsibilities?? i dont know her #otp ask memes #mine

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azraeldoesnotdispute · 1 year

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crusades era joenicky recs

dana asked me to make a crusades era joenicky fic rec list when I mentioned how much I loved them so that no one would rec me what I had already read, so here you go (apologies, I can’t get the read more to work)

The Stiff Heart

I ALWAYS love dana’s fics and it was just by chance that hers was the first one that popped up in my search. This has them having already established a truce and working together to find ‘the dream women’, but it has such a lovely build up to when they get together, sprinkled with plenty of UST and world building as they learn more about each other and dashes of them coming together to a truce.

The Favored Son(s)

Crusade era Yusuf and Nicolo are transported to current time and the boys, Joe in particular, have a hard time reconciling who they were with the love they now share. It’s like having a slow burn, but your OTP is already there and happy together at the same time. Lots of Joe doting, which is always a bonus, and the other two learning about each other and overcoming their past.

The Land of Turquoise

The immortals dream of each other when the universe has decreed that they are not close enough to one another. Joe and Nicky start dreaming of each other a month and a half into their truce, when they are sleeping side-by-side every night in the desert. How much closer can they be?

Honestly, I can’t sum it up better than the actual summary. So much UST and trust building!!!

Ardeo In Te

Omegaverse and soulmates? My fucking JAM

Djinn’s Eyes

Man, this fucking fic. It’s so good, has so much build up and world building, learning to overcome preconceived notions and find love. I can’t even find the words, it’s such a wonderful fic.

Lessons Exquisitely Crafted

Yusuf goes home, leaving Nicolo behind, but he can’t shake him off because these are dumbasses who are meant to be together. It takes time for them to come back together, but they do, because they’re destiny.

The Weight of Fear

mpreg fic, where they have a night of passion and then Yusuf runs away, only to learn that Nicolo is pregnant once the girls find him to kick his ass. I love the story, how Nicky’s anxieties are written, how much Joe is stressed once he finds out that he accidentally knocked him up.

Heavy with the Weight of Who We Are

Yusuf can’t shake Nicolo, no matter how hard he tries, so they’re stuck together, learning each others languages and trying to figure out how to work together despite their differences.

Beginnings, Middles, Ends

Wind_Ryder did an amazing job with this series! It showcases how PTSD can affect a person, what having someone who cares about you can do to help you heal, and wraps it up by showing that somethings don’t just magically disappear over time.

Pistachios and Rosewater

The food alone makes reading this fic worth it, all of it looks delicious and it’s worked into the story so well, showing the progress of time and how cooking can mean love.

Holiest Among The Living

This actually has very little joenicky, but I had to include it because it shows Nicolo’s journey to understanding everything he thought was true, isn’t, and that even people you thought were good can disregard others just because they’re a different color/religion/etc

O Jerusalem

Has selective mute Nicky in it, because PTSD is a serious thing, and soft Yusuf caring enough about the man who killed him to not leave him abandoned in Jerusalem. This is definitely a story about kindness and healing.

Death is Just a Beginning

Plenty of hate and anger, and not all at each other. Includes Nicolo being found out for having revived and Yusuf saving him, but the road is paved with plenty of fighting before they find their footing and destiny.

#joenicky #joenicky fic rec

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i-did-not-mean-to · 2 months

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YOTP - February

For V-day, I'll give you the YOTP fic for February.

A reluctant OTP, but an OTP nevertheless...Please, have some Merestor x Glorfindel (with art from @sauroff)

Lots and lots, heaps and heaps, of love for y'all!

Pairing: Glorfindel x Erestor

Prompt: Valentine's Day, Pollen/Fear Gas/Truth Serum, Established Relationship/Long Distance, different, mermaid, "If I kiss you, will you shut up?"

Words: 2 500

Warning: Sacrifice, implied monsterfucking, Merestor is a savage, nudity

(very sexy art and not very sexy fic under the cut!)

“We are sorry,” the councilman whispered as he stood, outlined by ominous darkness on Glorfindel’s threshold. “You have been chosen. We are hoping—”

“I understand,” Glorfindel replied before the old man could rattle off the perfidious reasons for their cruel decision to send one of their most valued warriors to his death. It made sense, he thought, the threat with which the town had been dealing for quite some time now was not one he or anyone else could fight with swords and arrows.

Thus, he had become superfluous—dead weight, really, and he recognised that much without fail.

“Today is a good day to die,” he added, deep sadness making his voice sound as hollow as if it was already coming from the grave. “I cannot bear the festivities anyway.”

“You must find it heartless—”

“Not at all,” Glorfindel interrupted again. “It’s strangely poetic, don’t you think? Give me an hour to put everything in order, tell the neighbours, and distribute what few riches are left to me, and then I shall be all yours.”

“Very well. I am sorry, please believe me,” the man who had known the condemned for many long years breathed softly.

“I know,” Glorfindel said soothingly. “I appreciate the sentiment, but I am not loath to die. Especially not today!”

As he went through his meagre possessions, the golden-haired hero of another time smiled wistfully to himself.

Outside, maidens and young men were giggling breathlessly as they sang songs of love and hope and waved their elaborate bouquets through the fragrant night air—this was their day, the day of lovers, and Glorfindel felt ashamed of his visceral, asphyxiating resentment of their happiness.

Once upon a time, he had been much like them. Returning from a faraway war covered in glory and illustrious distinctions, he had managed to capture the heart and hand of a beautiful, smart, enchanting young man.

For a few blessed years, he and Erestor—for that had been his beloved’s name—had lived in peace and plenty. Every year, they’d light candles on this hallowed night and sit on the porch of their little dwelling to watch the procession of giddy youths, dancing through the street with elation.

Then, one day, Erestor had disappeared. Glorfindel had waited, searched, and despaired, but no trace of his darling had been found.

Looking back now, he realised that the “deep”—an ominous threat that had transformed the previously merry village into a ghost town of whispered conversations and furtive steps—had first made itself known around the same time.

Nobody knew exactly what it was and what it wanted, but it was generally understood that Erestor—Glorfindel’s very own husband—had been its first victim.

From that fateful spring on, cattle, people, and treasures vanished from the riverbanks and the edges of the underground lake that had always been a highly favoured bathing spot for the villagers. Fear fell like a shadow over the hamlet, stifling all life and laughter.

Soon, people avoided all running water, coming up with complex rituals of superstition and idiocy, but Glorfindel was too heartbroken still to even fear for his life; he wanted to know what had happened to his sweetheart.

At first, the elders had refused that he or anyone else should leave the safety of the village to seek out the mysterious creature that had been glimpsed by a few but never fully seen, and Glorfindel had reluctantly bowed to the pressure of public outrage.

Then, the sacrifices had started. Miscreants and rebels, bound and gagged, were left in the cave to feed and soothe the “deep”—and, to everybody’s horror and delight—they were gone by the time the guards came back in to check on them. As the mouth of the cavern was under perpetual surveillance, it was undeniable that it had to be the sea monster that had taken them.

A part of Glorfindel had always known that, sooner or later, he would be picked to be delivered to the pernicious pestilence haunting their home. His adamant refusal to wear the protective amulets or steer clear of the river had branded him an insurgent and a sceptic, and a community ruled by fear could and would not abide such disruptive, potentially dangerous faithlessness.

Thus, on the night of lovers, he was called upon to do what was necessary to keep a society from which he had almost entirely withdrawn safe. This would be his last act of heroism.

Glorfindel felt relieved and almost happy as he walked, flanked by the mayor and the councilman, down to the cave. Maybe, he thought, he’d be able to find out something about his lost lover; either way, he’d be freed of the torturous half-life he had been leading.

As he entered the cave, he was surprised and more than just a little touched to find countless candles burning in every nook and cranny.

The villagers had carved well-wishes into the melting wax or written down their prayers on little scraps of paper that were now buried under the slow-moving tide of pristine white, dripping off every wall.

“We have to…” the mayor looked up at Glorfindel with undisguised misery as he lifted the length of rope he had been kneading in his sweaty hands. “You can keep the clothes to prevent chafing.”

Chuckling wryly, Glorfindel shook his head slowly. He had promised his last possessions—the garments on his back and the bells in his hair—to the two brave men who stood by him as he set out for his last expedition.

“I hope that you’ll at least get a tankard of ale each for these,” he said as he laid the adornments he had cherished through many a hard year into their unworthy palms. “Now tie me up and leave. For all I’ve done for this village and for you, I think that I deserve the dignity of meeting my fate without having to worry about an audience.”

They complied readily, desperate to get away from the dark water lapping rhythmically against the sloping ground of the cave.

In their furious haste, they were less gentle with this season’s sacrifice than he’d have deserved, but Glorfindel was unfazed by the nails scraping heedlessly across his bare skin and the sharp bite of the rope into his tense flesh.

“Where…”

The councilman pointed at a few worn, discoloured pillows at the far end of the cavern, just a stone’s throw away from the frightening, liquid threat of the purling underground lake.

“Tasteful,” Glorfindel commented as he was heaved, pushed, and dragged to the designated spot. In his mind, images of his first successful attempts at seduction danced as if to taunt him.

He was no stranger to promiscuous poses and elaborate bondage, and—on this lonely night of lost love—he could truly appreciate the irony.

“I am ready,” he declared. “Withdraw and save your lives. Think of me fondly, and don’t let this ruin your evening. Go light a candle in my honour. Maybe, look the other way if you come across a particularly adventurous couple, I don’t know…”

He huffed—it annoyed him that he was still the one trying to comfort and calm the men who had condemned him to an undoubtedly horrid demise, but he couldn’t bear their sad, mournful gazes.

“I am not dead yet,” Glorfindel grunted when nobody moved. “Remember me like this—beautiful, alluring, and very much alive!”

Tensing and squirming against the irregular, badly tied knots, he averted his face which finally convinced his two hangmen to scamper away like the vermin they were.

“Let’s hope this monstrosity makes haste at the very least,” Glorfindel mumbled and leaned back against the smelly cushions as much as he could without cutting off his circulation.

Thankfully for the integrity and safety of his limbs, Glorfindel did not have to wait long until minute ripples on the hitherto perfectly placid surface of the lake heralded the imminent arrival of whatever lethal foe was lurking in the murky depths.

“Ah, a new one,” a voice resounded. To the intended victim’s utter astonishment, it sounded tired and impatient rather than gleefully wicked. “Why do they keep pawning their unwanted villagers off on me?”

Spellbound, Glorfindel twisted as much as his bonds allowed to see a shimmering, mesmerising creature cleave through the water.

“Eh, same as ever,” the aquatic being muttered and launched itself out of its watery habitat, twirling like a falling star and filling the stale, damp air with a fine powder that tasted sweet and cloying on Glorfindel’s tongue as he drew a deep breath. “What is it that you truly desire? Do not even try to lie to me—the spores you’ve just inhaled force you to tell the truth.”

“I want to know what happened to my love,” Glorfindel replied immediately, not even trying to struggle against the sudden heaviness pervading his limbs and befuddling his racing mind. “All I want is to find out where Erestor went.”

With a muted splash, the creature fell back into the arms of the inky lake until only a pair of brightly flashing eyes—as eerily familiar and yet entirely foreign as the accents of that enchanting voice—were visible.

Taking the monster’s silence as an invitation and unable to stem the tide of words that had been unleashed by the potent dust he had ingested, Glorfindel kept babbling about the one he had loved and lost, detailing Erestor’s indescribable beauty and admirable wit and sighing longingly.

“I know that you’ve taken him, and I’d beg you to reunite us!” he finally pleaded.

“You think that I have killed your lover,” the creature mused, its words setting off a flurry of bubbles, dancing over the glassy surface of the water. “And you’d be willing to meet that same fate?”

“Yes. Life itself is worth nothing if it’s to be devoid of all joy and love!”

“You have ever been such a soppy fool! I should have known that my sacrifice would come to nought due to your reckless stubbornness!”

Heaving itself from its fluid realm once more, the creature drew inexorably closer.

“Who made those knots? What a mess! Just look at your beautiful skin!” Razor-sharp claws sliced through the rope without hesitation, and Glorfindel sat up, rubbing the sore spots his writhing had left behind.

“Erestor?” he cried as he now fully faced the well-known and desperately missed frame of the one he had sought for endless months.

There was no doubt about it, that visage—gleaming like mother of pearl and gold in the flickering light of the white candles—was the very one he saw in those terrible nightmares that haunted his every moment of respite.

“How? Why? What has happened? How have you come hither? Have you been enslaved against your will? What can I do? I have missed you so much, you can’t imagine! Oh Erestor, my love! Or…did you leave me of your own accord? Was I not a good husband to you? You should have told me that you were unhappy—I would have done anything to alleviate your dissatisfaction—”

“If I kiss you, will you shut up?” Erestor interrupted, and—not waiting for an answer—pressed his cool, wet lips against Glorfindel’s burning mouth in a gentle caress that grew frantic and heated almost instantly.

“Why?” Glorfindel whispered against the fragrant skin for which he had yearned with every fibre of his being.

“Old enemies came for you—you were out, at the market if I recall correctly—and they spoke terrible threats…” Erestor explained sheepishly. “You were always too rash to heed the warning signs of the deeper, darker secrets of the world.”

“But—”

“I’ve offered myself. What else could I do? The town needed you more than they did me!”

“I needed you! To hell with the accursed village—they’ve left me here, bound and naked, to be eaten by some fearsome monstrosity!” Glorfindel cried passionately.

“So they did,” Erestor agreed, anger and regret turning his eyes into splintered onyx. “It seems that I’ve been mistaken in my assessment, a rarity as you well know. I did not expect you to waste your time bemoaning my loss.”

“How dare you?” Glorfindel roared. Not minding the sharp protrusions on Erestor’s fingers or the dangerously pointy teeth flashing in the semi-darkness, he grabbed his lost husband by the shoulders and shook him vehemently. “I have never stopped looking and waiting for you—loving you—and if that ass of a mayor had not been so laughably terrified, I would have found out the truth much sooner!”

“Do they really think I’ve killed all these people?” Erestor inquired, leaning against the comforting, dry warmth of Glorfindel’s chest.

When the golden-haired sacrificial offering of beauty and valour nodded, he tossed back his head and laughed heartily.

“Believe you me, I did no such thing. It is in my power to grant one wish to those who seek me out in exchange for something they treasure—and what idiotic things they were—and so, I’ve helped every single person you’ve thrown down here escape the prison of paranoia and worry into which you’ve seemingly turned our once peaceful village.”

Glorfindel stared until his eyes overflowed with hot tears, leaving warm streaks of salt and salvation on his sculptural, freckled cheeks.

“I am so happy to see you—have you been well?” he asked breathlessly. “You should not have offered yourself that without consulting me! Of all the things to lose, I’d rather lose a limb than you!”

“I can see that now,” Erestor admitted. “I am sorry for doubting your love and your strength—they were very persuasive, and they tapped into my secret insecurity that someone like me—cerebral, somewhat scrawny, and undeniably mean—could never keep the love of one so glorious, handsome, and popular as you. It was all so new, and they made me believe that you’d soon grow tired of me anyway…This sacrifice was meant to be my parting gift.”

“And you dare call me a fool?” Glorfindel rasped as he bundled his merman husband—long, iridescent tail and webbed hands—onto his bare lap fitfully. As soon as that smooth, cool skin collided with his own heated flesh, he felt his body and all its dormant desires and impulses flare back to life.

“My love,” Erestor said warningly as he felt the testament of Glorfindel’s enduring, evidently unconditional ardour press against his scaly rear, “this is hardly the moment. I still have one wish to grant you—choose wisely!”

“Do you enjoy this life?” Glorfindel asked seriously, cupping Erestor’s soft cheek and searching his petulant gaze for any signs of dishonesty.

“Yes,” Erestor admitted after a moment’s reflexion. “It is strange, certainly, but I like it well! You’d…you couldn’t understand…”

“Then my wish is to join you!” Glorfindel exclaimed. “It is my turn to offer my life for your happiness. Make me what you are!”

So, that was my contribution to the YOTP for February!

I hope you've enjoyed this! Lots of love!

-> Masterlist

#og post #Fanfiction #writing #IDNMT writes #jrrt #Tolkien fanfiction #YOTP #yotp 2023 prompts #Glorestor #Glorfindel #Erestor #February #Truth Serum #Long Distance #Established Relationship #Different #Mermaid #Vday #If I kiss you...

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flyingfish1 · 1 year

Text

I don’t think Dean HAS been looking for Cas. YET.

I think what he’s actually been doing is – and I say this with all the love and hope in my Deangirl, destiel-otp heart – fleeing in the opposite direction.

Because –

Mary: I don’t regret what happened [when we were closed into a room with only one exit, with an antagonist pounding on the door, trying to get in and kill us, and romantic feelings were expressed]. But with everything going on […] I – I’m not sure what I’m ready for. So, I – I just need time. -1x08

Lata: You know, I just – I can’t believe you haven’t been in touch with Anton. -1x09

Mary: Um, can I ask you something? About you and Tony’s dad Ali [an interspecies romantic relationship]? Ada: What would you like to know? Mary: Well, going into it, you both knew you were from different worlds. Ada: Mmm-hmm. Mary: But you went for it anyway. If you had the chance to do it over again, would you? Ada: I followed my heart. I don’t think that’s ever a mistake. Mary: Even if you’re scared? -1x05

Carlos: Listen, um – I’m, I’m sorry I never called you after our date. Anton: Don’t tell me the big, bad hunter got scared. Carlos [smiling]: Maybe! [Pause] Carlos [serious this time]: Yeah. -1x09

But it’s okay. It’s okay, because –

Ada: I followed my heart. I don’t think that’s ever a mistake. Mary: Even if you’re scared? Ada: Especially then. It’s just part of falling in love. -1x05

Mary: It’s okay to be scared. In fact, it’s good to be scared. [She glances at John.] You can’t be brave if you’re never scared. -1x05

Carlos: But, um. I’m not afraid to ask you on a second date tonight. -1x09

[Mary walks up to John and kisses him] John: What – I – I don’t understand. Mary: I don’t want to think about the Akrida. Or whether the world has a future. I want to be with you. Right here. Right now. -1x08

Mary: Listen, before you go, I have to tell you something. John: Tell me when you see me again. -1x13

Ahh, classic supernatural destiel narrative parallels, where would we ever be without you? seriously though, the instant that kiss happened – that “locked together in a room with only one exit, with death banging on the door, right before it gets sucked into an alternate realm” kiss – I just knew that Mary’s reaction would tell us SO MUCH about Dean’s reaction to Cas’ love declaration.

And I really think it did! but it goes so far beyond just that one scene. so many of Carlos’s reactions to Anton, and so many of Mary’s other reactions to John, are SO telling as well.

And I think, looking at the narrative parallels, it’s all laid out clearly:

Dean’s been scared. He doesn’t regret what happened – he’s glad that Cas said what he said – but he hasn’t known how to handle it. Of course, in the immediate aftermath, Cas was gone, and there was no relationship to handle – but after learning that Cas, it seems, is out of the Empty, Dean was confronted with the certainty of coming face-to-face with him again and having to deal with the consequences. Things that may have been distant thoughts were now extremely concrete possibilities. And it was overwhelming.

He needed to take some time to process his feelings and to figure out what he was ready for. The idea of following his heart to where his heart wanted him to go – the idea of a relationship – scared him. Maybe also the intensity of his feelings scared him. And Cas is an angel, and that element of the relationship – the two of them being from such different worlds – was intimidating too. What if something goes wrong? What if he messes it up somehow? This is Cas. This is important. So Dean avoided Cas for a while, and then he stumbled onto the Akrida threat, and it was just too much for him to deal with all at once.

But he’s looking for Cas now. Maybe he’s still scared, but he’s trying to be brave. He’s going to follow his heart. He has to tell Cas something.

#spn #spnwin #spnwin spoilers #spnwin 1x13 #but also all the rest of it #destiel #Dean Winchester #parallels #my thoughts #and where it will all go I do not know but *gestures* yes

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qqueenofhades · 11 months

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hilary, I really love talking about history with my friends but sometimes I talk about a historical person that I'm interested in and my friends act like just because I know things about a famous historical person I support everything they did. even when I know they know I don't support slavery, racism, sexism, etc. how do I keep from losing my cool when they do this?

Look, I have no idea where the "if you talk about anything complex/consume this material/think about it in any way, YOU TOO MUST SUPPORT IT AND BE PROBLEMATIC AND BAD!!!" mindset came from, but I honestly and deeply wish it a very killed with fire. It's the same anti mindset where if you read Morally Impure Fan Fiction, you are Morally Impure, but apparently now extends to... learning about the literal entirety of human experience? Why does this not surprise me, while also making me want to put my head through a plate glass door?

Once again, I don't know what people think historians DO, but I can assure y'all, it's not sitting around talking about how Totally Great [fill in the historical person, place, or thing] absolutely was, and how there were no problems with it ever and everyone should just be like, totally down with it, man. (Tubular.) In fact, the practice of academic history is often directly focused, especially nowadays, on identifying these problems and previous interpretations, putting them into context, and discussing how they happened in the first place. Considering that we're suffering from such a profound crisis of historical ignorance, both deliberate and inadvertent, and have seen how that manifests in current events (which are just the history happening right now), I am... boggled that "we shouldn't talk about anything because it was Morally Problematic!!!" is, indeed, getting serious play. Once again, it's the anti-intellectualism that is just as rampant on the left as it is on the right, while dressing itself up in different language and pretending to support different goals. But either way, any critical philosophy based on "we can never talk about things that went wrong/people who did Wrong Things in the past" is absolutely dead on arrival as any use to anyone. Ever.

Obviously, there are complexities in how to approach this material, and I personally don't think that historical figures, especially complex ones, should be "fandomized" or treated just as Cute OTP Blorbos or sanded down to fit a sanitized fictional box (unless they are explicitly fictionalized/being used in a fictional context, and even then, yeah, it's good to keep the background in mind). It's not that this is wrong -- after all, historians get into this line of work because they have Big Thoughts and Many Feelings about historical people/places/things and want to work on those in a variety of contexts -- but it's a little uncomfortable, at least for me. That said, it's still not inherently wrong, in any way, to be interested in/want to talk about people from the past. They're human, for god sakes! You are also human! They are your ancestors! Of course you, a primate with higher reasoning and anxiety, are curious about them! You want to know their stories and consider their circumstances and ponder why they did things, including bad things! If you can't do that, shun other people from doing it, and therefore you are completely cut off from your species' entire backstory and have no frame of reference for anything at all, you're going to end up an idiot. Guaranteed.

Anyway: yet again, people talking about history (or fiction, or anything at all) in a complex way that takes into account the fact that uh, people have never been perfect in their entire existence does not mean that the person is Bad or Supports All The Evils of Human History or whatever. I'm not sure what this attempted-gotcha "don't you know they were a bad person!!!" is going to accomplish, other than giving someone the same kind of fleeting self-righteousness high that comes from Being More Correct On The Internet (or wherever), but like... if you like studying history, and they know you like studying history, I don't know why they would think you don't know that, unless you tragically failed to post a 50-page disclaimer first. And it's stupid, and it's juvenile, and it's not useful, and I think you're entitled to say much of what I've said above, in whatever amount you please, because yeah. Sheesh.

#anonymous #ask #history

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nsewell · 3 months

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17, 20, 31, 32, & 58 for nate and gen pleaaaase <33

otp asks.

17. who's more likely to pull the other in by the waist and kiss them passionately?

so nate is very much the instigator at the begining of their relationship for most everything but espescially the physical aspects, gen is just. very slow moving with initiating that kind of stuff until they reach a certain point, i think it even surprises her that it's something she wants to do and has to get comfortable with, she can be touch averse. however the dynamic shifts once gen feels more settled and then she's definetely the one more likely to drag him down by the lappels at unexpected moments and lay one on him

20. choose one song that perfectly describes their relationship?

i'll cheat and pick 2 because i think their relationship has different flavors to it, the swept up passion and the undercurrent of tension from all the secrets

the louvre by lorde

well, summer slipped us underneath her tongue / our days and nights are perfumed with obsession / half of my wardrobe is on your bedroom floor / use our eyes, throw our hands overboard

good looking by suki waterhouse

the skyline falls as i try to make sense of it all / i thought i'd learned all of your secrets but turns out there's more / you adored me before / oh, my good looking boy

30. your otp gets to pick out each other's outfits: what is each wearing?

ooh i'll do date night fits as the context is actually something i see happening in my canon for them, they both get off a little on this ^^. nate would love to dress her in something that belongs to him, probably that he's owned for a long time, like a blazer or his leather jacket that would be oversized on her, layered on top of a black dress bc he knows it's her favorite color to wear. and then he'd adorn her with jewelry he bought for her, silver of course, she's a winter color season. she would take him out his layering and put him in a button down with the top few buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up. in his little chinos with a belt on and his hair down and loose it's so over for her she thinks he looks his best when he's dressed like a whorish college professor

32. who's the better storyteller?

nate can weave a better tale just because gen tends to get caught up in minor details and specifics, just gets too pragmatic. as a child she was always interrupting bedtime stories with endless why's and how come's that would drive her nanny up the wall

58. who's more likely to hold a grudge after an argument?

gennnn absolutely gen the instance where nate tries to prevent her from defending herself did not go over well in book 3, in the aftermath she chose pointedly not to sit by him lol. she will withhold affection, she can be petty and unhealthy about things! she does not have a good frame of reference for healthy relationships so communication can be a bit of an impasse with her. she's growing be patient with her nate.

#oc: jocelyn #nate x jocelyn #i changed her name but we're still calling her gen on here #ty aeris i love talking about them sm <3

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girls-are-weird · 8 months

Note

Wilmon 2, 3 and 9 :)

2. What is something that they gave one another that has a lot of meaning?

well, simon already gave wille a song, didn't he? (even if the giant doofus wasn't aware it was about him. xD)

as for what wille would give simon, i'm thinking the most special, genuine thing would be something erik-related, something that simon knows holds a special place in wille's heart. i've actually been toying with an idea about this-- don't expect me to write it anytime soon because i'm so busy and cannot work on more than one fic at a time, but i still don't want to say much just in case i do manage to write it at some point.

3. How would one another describe their partner?

oh god. do y'all have seven hours to waste here reading? xD in all seriousness, i think this is one of those things where the answer starts all teasing and amused for both of them, and then veers off into earnest sentimentality to the point that whoever's listening starts feeling like they're intruding on an entirely too intimate moment. in wille's case, mainly, because he's the biggest sap out of the two of them. simon does get sentimental as well, but he's more succinct about it-- less "it's like the sun rises out of the darkness whenever he smiles" and waxing poetic with full sincerity, and more "he's so caring, and so brave, and i'm so proud of him and i love him so much, and he's everything."

9. What is something small that they would randomly pick up for one another?

wille often gets simon flowers. not like the really ostentatious bouquets of red roses or anything, but just a handful of flowers, different kinds/sizes/types/colors each time, every once in a while. he also might get him any music-themed trinkets he comes across-- nothing super expensive, because he knows simon wouldn't approve of that, but probably unique pieces.

simon gets wille clothes/accessories/toys for their puppy (nalle, if you've been following my interview-verse) (oh, and their kids, i guess, eventually). i know, i know, but this is a headcanon dear to my heart so let me explain: so wille loves buying stuff for his children (furbaby included) and simon is always trying to rein him in. so they'll be at some store or fair or flea market or something and wille would find something adorable and be all "simon! look! wouldn't nalle look so cute in this?" and simon would be like "he doesn't need that, you're going to spoil him" and wille would pout but relent. and they'd move on as intended, but then simon would come back, or send someone to buy the thing afterward, and wille would tease him about how he loves to spoil nalle just as much as wille does. wille may be the biggest sap, but they're both suckers when it comes to their babies.

50 OTP questions game | send me a question!

#young royals #young royals netflix #prince wilhelm #simon eriksson #wilmon #wilhelm x simon #wille and simon #hi there otp #simon x wilhelm #wille x simon #simon x wille #ask game #send me more plz!

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kazoosandfannypacks · 12 days

Text

"Pink" Tangled moodboards for @monthly-challenge day 7!

#spring fling creations #tangled #rapunzel #eugene fitzherbert #new dream #kazzy's moodboards #moodboard #otp: all at once everything looks different #pink #colors

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longeyelashedtragedy · 3 months

Note

send me a character and i’ll list:

Mikel!

oooh, this is an interesting one

i once told a friend, i forget who, that Mikel is what an AI would spit out if i gave it a bunch of traits i find desirable in a man. and fitting for an AI, mikel isn't actually someone i want in that way, if that makes sense? he's kind of...uncanny valley. off-putting. not quite "inscrutable," but, hmmm. sort of like his life partner granit, he's unlike anyone else out there, but in a very different way than granit is.

favorite thing about them: the passion, the stubbornness, the slight insanity, the toothy-grinned charisma. i think he'd be a great politician, which is a compliment in a sense that i love politicians in an academic sort of way (hate them in practice, with very few exceptions). the behind the scenes machinations re: auba's departure in all or nothing were kind of terrifying and fascinating at once. also, what he did for granit literally brings me to tears. it's the disney love story that disney love stories want to be. oh, also his ass. what the fuck kind of workouts is he doing

also random fun fact: his older sister is a bougie artist who lives in mallorca year-round

least favorite thing about them: a) what he's doing to aaron ramsdale. b) that he's a native speaker of euskera but he's NEVER spoken it anywhere. it is a beautiful language and i'd love to hear him speak it. mikel, your less hot counterpart xabi has spoken it in interviews, get on it

favorite line:

brotp: xabi alonso! i don't really ship them romantically, but i do love that they've known each other for so long and their lives periodically intertwine, like right now with granit.

notp: kloppteta (i don't really ship kloppo with anyone, sry guys!)

otp: runners up: pepteta, & mikel and tim cahill back in everton (they...TRULY were a force of nature in those olde interviews)

The winner...

XHAKARTETA

maybe, in some ways, The Best OTP Of All Time (*aside from rakidrić). it's everything, everything.

i write about it a lot on here from the perspective of what Xhakarteta did for granit, and will do that again in my granit ask. i think it wasn't as obvious specifically what it did for mikel until granit left and mikel really seems to have lost his marbles a little. i have the feeling that mikel doesn't fully respect that many people, or trust that many people, and i think his utter and complete respect/trust for granit was a relief to him, and having granit around as his true equal did more for his stability than he knew.

plus they're gorgeous together physically. imagine their kids! like. damn. they'd also speak some of the coolest languages on the planet.

xhakarteta is weird because i bash on my own writing a lot, but i'm really satisfied with how i write and interpret them. i give them that little exciting something extra 😈

random headcanon: mikel probably has the most basic milquetoast liberal politics on the planet

unpopular opinion: he looked better with the Rangers-era long hair and he needs his earring back! i don't know how unpopular that is on tumblr, but i think it's unpopular with him lol

song i associate with them: i have a couple, but as with most footballers my song associations are kind of on superficial levels (franko and my movren mix being the exceptions)

bulería by david bisbal - wrong part of spain, but this song goes harder than any song should be going, and i love the DRAMA, and also that line -- "quiero ser tu calma y tu tempestad" -- i want to be your calm and your storm -- That's Xhakarteta !!!

favorite picture of them: ok, i'm sure at least one person will predict what i'm going to choose:

-2004, glasgow. so many photos i could have picked, but at the same time like...yeah!

#new-berry #answered #thank u...this was an interesting one #mikel

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janeyre · 2 months

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call me on the way home (2/2)

otp: tentoo x rose

word count: 5k

summary: After a slight mishap at Torchwood, Rose has gone temporarily missing. While Mia is out, she runs into her mum, but not as she last saw her - instead wearing a blue leather jacket with deep circles beneath her eyes. Worried about her mum's state and trying to comfort her, Mia calls the Doctor so Rose can speak to him.

AO3

It had been three weeks since Rose Tyler’s unexpected tumble through a far-away dream, and now she found herself towing the Earth home.

She had done it.

Her gaze, as it swept over all the many happy faces bobbing in and out of her view, landed not on the pinstriped Doctor, but on the blue Doctor. Catching her gaze, he winked at her and clicked his teeth.

God, it was really him . Her face was going to split open from smiling so hard.

“Thinking about what adventures we’ll have next, Rose Tyler?” He said her name in that way that only he could.

Something once-blurry came suddenly into blinding focus. That picture of her and the Doctor and their daughter. Sharing a life — normal and yet not all at once. The text that said Grandma Jackie. The one adventure he could never have. The one adventure she never let herself fully believe she’d be able to find again.

Her gaze returned to his. Did he know? Did he know what could be waiting for them?

She wanted it so bad she couldn’t breathe . The voice she’d heard on the phone that day….

You are my heart.

Singular.

She grinned at him.

Do you know what I’m trying to tell you?

She wanted to kiss him, snog the living daylights out of him right here in front of everyone until they all went home and left them to their peace.

Of course I do.

The Doctor took a deep breath. “You told me something. Something I don’t take lightly. And I want, need you to know, that… you’re everything to me. You have given me happiness more infinite than I could have ever dreamed of. You are the centre of my universe. You are my heart. I… I care for you more than I can say. Do –” he felt suddenly worried, worried that this opportunity might be lost, that she wouldn’t know, that she was doomed to suffer this next month in the dark, that she had never known until that second time on the beach; not at the Game Station, or Krop Tor, or— “Do you know what I’m trying to say?”

He held his phone tightly in his hand; if he would have looked at his knuckles he would have found them white.

“Yes, Doctor. Of course I do, I do too, I–”

Her voice was suddenly cut off, marked by the sound of a harsh smack .

“Rose? Rose?!”

Some rustling. His heart thundered.

Mia’s voice. “She disappeared, Dad.”

His head was full of static. His thoughts were rushing and all he could hear was the crash of a wave just about to take him under.

Of course I do. I do too, she had said.

He let out a breath, devastated and relieved as realisation struck him like lightning to the head of a pin.

Oh.

She knows.

He blinked furiously.

“Dad?”

He cleared his throat. His beautiful, wonderful, brilliant daughter.

“Thank you for thinking to call, you brilliant, clever girl. Do you want to meet back here, at Torchwood, and then we can both go home?”

“Yeah, that would be good.” She swallowed, somewhat shaken. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Not if I see you first.” He missed Rose. “I love you, Mia.”

He wasn’t mistaken if he thought she sounded a little choked up too.

“I love you, Dad.” The line clicked.

He let the phone fall from his hands and clatter to the table, eyes wet and growing wetter. He scrubbed the palms of his hands into his eyes and then let them rest there, sitting his elbows on the table.

The events of the day flickered behind his eyelids like a thousand different film reels all playing at once.

Finding out this afternoon that Rose had been teleported somewhere and rushing to Torchwood. Watching in frustration as everyone realised that she couldn’t have gone far and leaving him to figure it out. His wife was missing. Hearing her sob on the other end of the phone. Knowing that even though she would be fine, there was nothing he could do now. No possible way on Earth to be with her at this very moment. No matter how his heart ached. No matter how much he couldn’t fight the panic that grew when she was gone. No matter where she was.

“What are you doing in ‘ere all alone?”

Her voice. His head snapped up.

“Rose?”

It really was her. Back from the aether. Beautiful and perfect and not a hair out of place and smiling at him with that fondness she reserved only for him.

“Rose.”

He was in her arms before he’d even realised he’d pushed away from the table, trying to regulate his breathing but finding himself overwhelmed at the feel of her familiar embrace. It’s only been a few hours , he chided himself.

“Doctor, is everything okay?”

He couldn’t help himself from sniffling a little, burying his head further into her shoulder.

“Yeah, it’s just been a long day.”

“Want to tell me about it?”

He nodded into her shoulder and took a deep breath before backing away to meet her gaze. God, but she was beautiful. Her every feature radiated safety, warmth, comfort.

“Today was the day that you jumped here and met Mia before you really properly found me. Before we ended up here together. I just got off the phone with you.”

Her eyes were wide.

“Oh, Doctor, I’m sorry. I… I wish I could have been here, with you.”

He laughed in spite of himself. “Funny, that’s just what I told you.” He couldn’t help it – he gathered her into a hug again, just to feel her so close to him.

“It was so long ago, but that old fear that had followed me around during our time apart that you didn’t know that I – that I loved you, it came crashing back. All I could think was how guilty I felt for leaving you to carry the weight of every universe on your shoulders all alone.” His words were slightly muffled as he spoke them into her jacket.

“But you didn’t leave me,” she reminded him. “You’re right here. And I knew, Doctor. We’ve talked about this. I’ve always known, okay? Always.” She twisted her head so she could kiss just above his ear. “Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

He laughed again. Being hard on himself was one of his oldest strengths. “For you, I’ll try.” He took in a deep breath, then righted himself once more. “Where did you end up today, anyways?”

“You would not believe – Brixton! Brixton, and I didn’t have my wallet or my phone on me or anything.”

“How’d you get back?”

“I walked – I wasn’t that far away from the Estate Mum and I used to live on, so I made a little detour to see if it had changed in all these years. Wasn’t so far anyway, and less hassle than trying to borrow someone’s phone. Although I would have tried, if I would have realised it was going to be such a traumatic day.”

“Mum!”

Rose whirled around just in time to see Mia rush into the room. In an instant she was in her mother’s arms, properly this time. Her tears flowed freely.

“I’m so glad it’s you, I thought I saw you earlier, and it was you, but you didn’t even know me, and you were so sad, and I didn’t know what to do.”

Rose shifted a little, just enough that she could look her daughter in the eyes. She brought one hand up to cup her face, wiping away the fat tears that rolled down her cheeks.

“But you did so well, Mia. You were so brave. It takes a lot of courage to power through something like that when everything seems so wrong. But you were incredible. Okay?” Mia nodded softly, offering a tentative smile.

Rose’s voice grew softer, lower. “I thought about your face and the conversation I had with your dad every day until I came back. You gave me a light at the end of the tunnel. And I focused on it and fought for it until I found it. You’re the best daughter I could ever have.”

Mia’s face, previously recovering, broke down into tears again.

“I missed you, Mum.”

Rose’s heart broke a little. She brought her daughter close and felt it mend.

“I missed you too, precious girl.”

She felt the Doctor’s arms close around the both of them. Her family. The picture they’d taken last week at her birthday. The memory of the phone call she’d had had faded with time, the fear of future knowledge spoiling her present pushing it away until it really did feel like a dream.

She took a deep breath. She could smell the Doctor’s familiar scent, same as ever. She could feel his singular, human heart beating against his ribs, pressed against her back. She could feel their precious daughter hugging her tight.

I am so lucky being able to talk to you right now, to tell you that it’s all going to be okay. Because it is.

She blew out her deep breath and smiled ear to ear.

Everything was okay.

#ficandchips #timepetals #tentoorose #tentoo #dwfic #otp: if i believe in one thing i believe in her #my fic #fic #doctor who #yayyyy for publishing the second part!! :)#all of the comments on the first part were SO kind. seriously thank you everyone SO much.

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mountain-dew-tickledpink · 4 months

Note

For the character ask thing:

Chloe and Homura?

chloe first :3 favorite thing about them — I really like chloe’s outfits in every production!! They look so silly but also bright and fun but my favorite is the pink glittery jacket she wears in the Broadway production

least favorite thing about them — the usual things of just how she was to Jeremy and Brooke. Her being mean specifically I feel like is too broad as she is supposed to be a mean girl so I think I’ll just go with those

favorite line — the “WHAT.” she does when Jeremy says he used to date Madeline is so funny

brOTP — Chloe and Rich friendship is something I’ve seen before and find really funny. However I really like when people write chloe redemption arcs and how they expand and explore her friendship with Brooke it’s really interesting to me! Like they’ve known each other for a million bajillion years and how that plays into how they are with each other and Chloe actually learning how to properly listen to Brooke makes me happy

OTP — I like Chloe/Christine, once again big fan of chloe redemption and they’re each other’s opposites. I also ship her with Nicole because I got bored and made a version of Nicole for the BMC musical as some people do

nOTP — besides the obviously bad ships, I’m also not a Jeremy/Chloe fan

random headcanon — has different heart shape decorations in her room and locker

unpopular opinion — there’s so many opinions on Chloe I actually don’t think it’s possible for me to have an “unpopular” opinion about her

song i associate with them — All American Bitch by Olivia Rodrigo!!

favorite picture of them — this one because it’s funny that it’s Two River outfit chloe with straight hair in the photo when usually people do two river chloe with curly hair and straight hair Broadway chloe

Homura time!

favorite thing about them — I can’t just name one thing that’s my favorite but I think her boots are pretty cool and the way she cares about everyone even if she can’t show it properly because. Ya know. Everything that happened

least favorite thing about them — literally nothing other than the fact I feel bad she feels like she has to put madoka first. Like I know doomed Yuri and she did everything she could for her so it’s not really an “I don’t like that she did that” thing it’s more just I feel for her so hard

favorite line — “madoka.. you have no idea how long I’ve waited.. for this” SHOOK ME BECAUSE OF EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED NEXT

brOTP — homura and kyoko’s little friendship thing was cute in the rebellion movie!!

OTP — madohomu I’m basic that way lmao but also it’s just so good I love them so much

nOTP — idk her and kyubey any of the girls x kyubey is a no no

random headcanon — has had that pair of red glasses for a super long time it’s like the only pair she’s ever had

unpopular opinion — none really

song i associate with them — Me and the Devil by Soap&Skin for some reason

favorite picture of them — she smiling :3

#max and ruby discourse #be more chill #bmc #chloe valentine #Ask meme #pmmm #puella magi madoka magica #homura akemi

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babischlong-six · 3 months

Text

Shipper Tag Game

Thank you for tagging me darling @the-marron !! I haven't even really thought about some of these questions so this was super fun <3

1. What ship were you completely obsessed with when you were a teenager, but now you don't care about anymore?

Looking back, probably any of my favorite ships from Rurouni Kenshin (for obvious reasons). I distinctly remember being very obsessed with Aoshi/Misao and Saitou/Sanosuke

Other than that, my many favorite ships from teen-ager-times still have a place in my heart, and if I'm struggling for something to read, I'll still peek in on their ao3 pages :)

2. Which ship would you consider your first one?

Something from InuYasha probably. Sango/Miroku? Sango/Kagome? Sesshomaru/Rin? Or maybe something from Pirates of the Caribbean like Norrington/Elizabeth or Jack/Will. The thing about "shipping" is that I would absolutely love fictional relationships, but never really "fandomized" about them until I was a teenager, so I can't really say what my first real ship was, just because there were always movies and books I was reading and thinking "Wow! I wish I could see more of these two!" (Athos and D'Artagnan for instance, or Legolas and Gimli) but I was so young that romance didn't really exist for me, it was more about the dynamics

3. Your first fanfic was about which couple?

The first fanfic I ever wrote? No idea. I would be writing all sorts of horribly grammatically incorrect little scenarios in my first (very ancient) computer's notes program - and I can't even remember which of them I published on ff.net. But it was probably something InuYasha - probably just the canon pairings.

The first fanfic I ever read was SasuNaru: it was published on DeviantArt of all places, written like a filler beach episode and I remember thinking it sounded really nice to be eating watermelon on the beach together.

4. Do you remember the first couple you saw fanart of?

Not even the foggiest idea.

5. Have you ever gotten into ship discourse?

Maybe? I advocate for the "ship and let ship" lifestyle and I've had people getting annoyed with me for that, complaining that what I was shipping was not canon or disrespectful to the author (once in the discord FOR lovers of that ship, mind you!)

6. Did you use to have any NOTP or have one currently?

My rule is never say never. There are some pairings I've never seen well done, but if I do see something good, I'll be converted.

7. Who were the couple in the last fanfic you read?

Fitzier 🫣

8. Currently, do you have any OTPs?

See, as a multi-shipper, it's hard for me to have an OTP at all. Like ever. If I like a character, I'm interested in their dynamic with lots of different characters. And even with crack pairs, if I see a beautiful fanart or a well-written fic, or even someone explaining the pair in a way that clicks for me, I'm down.

9. Is there any couple that, to this day, you are extremely mad about not getting together?

Not really. Canon is canon, fandom is fandom. There are a few that I've thought it would be nice if they got together onscreen/on the page but never got angry if they didn't.

10. Is there any ship you used to dislike but now you think they are kind of interesting?

Among many, I would say probably XueXiao. I was absolutely shocked that they got shipped at all - but then I re-read the novel and was like: "Oh. No, yeah, I get it now." Like, I'm not obsessed or anything, but I am compelled by it.

11. Do you have any ship that, in the past, would've been considered normal but now you would be cancelled over?

Everything I have ever shipped in the history of ever, you mean? I love a good age-gap, or an enemies-to-lovers, or some power dynamic play, or even some angsty incest stories, or vicious hatefucking, or dub-con, or---

...You get the idea.

12. What is your favorite crack ship?

Unfortunately, I can't answer the question due to at least half of my ships being crackships. They are from completely different media? Check. They are from the same media but have never once interacted? Check. They have excellent chemistry and a fantastic dynamic but are very unpopular in fandom for whatever reason? Check.

13. What is the couple you read the most fanfics about?

It comes in waves. Sometimes I'm in a sci-fi alien romance mood so I'll head over the Star Trek and B5 route (and read the same G'Kar/Londo fics or Kirk/Spock fics over and over again and cry myself to sleep.) Sometimes my friend writes something for a pairing I've completely forgotten about and I suddenly have to re-read everything they've ever written. Sometimes, I get into a piece of media and have to trawl ao3 for EVERYTHING (within certain parameters) of a certain pair that caught my eye.

14. What do most of your ships usually have in common?

Chemistry. Some kind of ability to constantly bounce off of one another - a constant give and take of meaning and expression.

Unless they can talk with/at each other for hours until they run out of breath and pass out, I'm not as interested. There needs to be banter, no matter if light-hearted or with deeper undertones. They just need to be able to talk to each other, even if most of the conversation is clever obfuscation of what they really mean.

15. What you absolutely hate in a ship?

Anything boring tbh. Oh, they're high-schoolers who are childhood friends and now they're holding hands and blushing? I don't care. Oh, they're planning a seaside wedding and nothing bad has ever happened, ever, and they love one another peacefully? YAWN. Oh, they're sitting down and having a talk about their feelings that sounds like it's come out of a the most recent therapy how-to booklet? Kill me immediately.

Give me adventure! Conflict! Chaos! Even just petty issues! PLEASE! I need these people to be doing something!

This has been very fun!

I'm tagging @elemental-queen-writes @polkadotcravat @bobafvcks @themurdochmemesteries AND anyone who wants to do this!

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you-are-forever-special · 7 months

Text

In A Pickle

|| I was going to do a short and silly drabble mostly, for the first day of Kloktober.

But then my idea turned into a long second chapter for 'I Am Your Mother's Keeper'

(https://www.tumblr.com/you-are-forever-special/725712642914893824/i-am-your-mothers-keeper?source=share)

I guess I'm writing this like Taiga's OG story and hopping around to different timelines repeatedly!

LOL

(Also, omg, hi, it's my first Kloktober! ☆)

As always, I'm open to any feedback!

Prompt: favorite character or OTP

I went with favorite character.

Cucumb-

I mean, Pickles!!!

It's quite a read-through, but the adventures with him eventually do ensue. --ohheythatrhymed--

I promise.

🤣

Thank you so much~!

♡ ||

------

It was now a few months since Taiga had been a new addition to Mordhaus.

Around the end of the first month, she had officially made the move into Mordhaus and entrusted her cottage back home in Minnesota to her trusted best friend, and former roommate Markus. He had never been a fan of her going off to work for anyone even associated with Dethklok, especially after learning about the incident that preceded her new position back then.

It was explained to him not long after he returned home.

But he also still never tried to control her, or dictate what Taiga did in life.

They were similar in those areas.

She understood his concern. Truly. And she appreciated it, along with all the years of care.

Taiga tried to ease his worries, saying she'd try her best to be careful and use her best judgement.

But this was just something she had to do.

Markus understood why Taiga wanted to go, despite any of her own worries.

He made sure to always try and be available regardless. By phone or otherwise. And that comforted Taiga in the back of her mind whenever she felt lonely. She did exactly the same.

It had been a big shift.

And it was all still so new, plus borderline overwhelming, yet things weren't necessarily horrible.

The room Taiga now had was not really decorated.

All she had was her luggage, her laptop out on her bed, and her daily essentials neatly placed on her dresser, as well as in the bathroom.

The only other thing that gave her room a little personality was her Vodou doll on one of the bedside tables she had, along with the stuffed folder, filled with each file given to her from Charles, that had her name on it.

As Taiga looked at them, she remembered when she got the final ones on her first day here.

And how she was basically given a briefing.

It was a lot more to take in, but it was needed.

Charles had made sure, multiple times, to drive home the point of being extremely careful about Toki's fear of bicentennial coins.

Taiga made sure to not forget that detail, but she dared not ask why he was afraid of them, or even why Charles himself seemed so fervent about this.

Despite his usual put together appearance, his piercing eyes told her that it'd be in her own best interest to keep this in mind.

'...That whole day had been such a blur...'

Taiga thought as she silently glanced around more.

It didn't really bother her how mostly barren her room was, because she didn't exactly see a need as of yet, especially since she packed relatively light, everything could easily be found.

And thankfully, she had all she needed.

The only things that she ended up needing brought in/ordered were for Aksel.

Yes, she was honored to care for him and make sure that his habitat was properly coming together. Which it thankfully was.

But it was quite the responsibility making sure the cougar cub was properly taken care of in the new space designated for him within Mordhaus until the construction was completely finished, along with trying to manage some of the apparent regular antics that happened around here.

Taiga never once outwardly complained, though.

However... Inside her mind, it was another story.

She still felt a bit unsure on how to feel around Dethklok; the band as a whole.

Taiga was wary at times, but tried to move on and not hold resentment, or be so standoffish.

She didn't want to judge Toki or anyone else unfairly for what happened the night they all met.

Adrenaline was running high.

Choices were made.

And ultimately, the consequences had to be dealt with.

She'd never excuse the bad behavior.

But still at least tried to make an effort to be open-minded and understanding of these individuals. Even if they may not ever do the same.

They didn't seem to really mind her presence overall. And were still intrigued by her appearance at most.

At least she was able to set things up to where her therapist could still meet with her online, which certainly helped.

Everyone in Mordhaus at the start were either strangers or leveled up to be acquaintances at most.

The one person she felt the most trusting of at the beginning, in a strange way, was Charles. But that was mostly because he had set up everything for her in the first place.

And she still managed to thank him wholeheartedly, even after he let her stay in this castle.

Taiga always tried to give thanks where it was due.

But she also didn't want to feel like she was being annoying and kissing ass, so she eventually stopped after a while.

Any form of gratitude sent his way continuously took Charles by surprise, even if he didn't outwardly show it.

But even if he didn't state it, it was welcomed.

It still floored her and it all felt surreal just thinking about it.

She was actually living here in Mordhaus now.

All the way out in

***INFORMATION REDACTED***

Taiga couldn't help but feel like a nuisance around here.

She was truly taken aback for what Charles was doing. Especially when he didn't even have to.

Of course...

Taiga figured Charles had only been doing all this because it either was beneficial, in this case, for basically everyone involved, cost-effective/practicality-wise...

(Like with the MNDA, and now the commuting costs being lowered.

It was why he suggested she just move here in the first place; less hassle from the back-and-forth transport. It made sense from either way Taiga looked at it.)

Or it just saved his skin in general, and he'd have one less irritable situation to fix.

Charles didn't know everything about the girl.

Yet.

But he was a good judge of character and figured this would be the best course of action for now.

But Taiga was still grateful.

The deal seemed more than fair still. She doesn't cause trouble, and make sure nothing bad happens to the men in the band while in her company, Taiga wouldn't have to deal with any fees, etc.

If Toki especially was happy in this situation, Charles didn't care.

He was the one who wanted Taiga for this in the first place, after all.

And for weeks she felt terrible even using the amenities, or like she owed Charles; needing to pay him back in some way.

But Taiga knew that she'd just have to suck it up and accept it, and didn't want to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Besides... Why let these things, especially the wonderful food made up by Jean-Pierre each day, go to waste?

She found that so far she enjoyed the short chats that happened every now and then with said man.

Each time Taiga roamed around Mordhaus, she would try to sneak around and go mostly unseen by any new individuals.

She thought that even if everyone here was under an oath or contract themselves, Taiga felt better safe than sorry; not wanting to possibly cause any form of headache for those that brought her here and be careful.

She was used to hiding anyway.

Despite that, she wasn't quite successful; accidentally bumping into Jean-Pierre around her first days here.

But it ended up working out for the better, because she got to make what was hopefully a new friend.

He was pretty interesting, but she didn't want to distract others from their jobs.

So she got out of his hair pretty quickly more often than not.

Speaking of interesting...

The Klokateers.

Taiga would be lying if she said she wasn't curious about them all. Who they were as individuals. Where they came from. Their stories overall. But around here, they just seemed to be treated like numbers most of the time.

She could understand why. After everything she'd heard about, and the little she'd already seen, even without going to the forbidden areas in the files given to her before coming here.

Those waivers were no joke.

Curiosity would not kill this cat.

But Taiga still tried her best at her duties.

Despite any mischief the boys got into, or the distractions that arose while tending to the habitat being built/caring for the cub in general, she found a bit of a... Peaceful rhythm.

But they didn't act like she was irksome to them or anything, which she was grateful for as well.

Although, with Murderface, he decided to make it a habit to incessantly try poking fun or messing with Taiga whenever he felt the need.

Apparently, her reactions were "funny as fuck."

And sometimes he wasn't the only one.

However, Murderface seemed to know the most how to easily get under Taiga's skin.

Usually she was extremely patient, but he pushed her.

Which just egged him on, so she tried her best to act unphased about it.

But still...

She didn't want to butt in their business if it wasn't necessary especially.

They barely knew each other.

It wasn't her place.

Although... If they needed or wanted a friend, or just someone at all, she'd try and be there, but otherwise, she'd leave them be.

Taiga was a realist. But even she needed to try and be positive at times.

If not for others, for herself

'Besides, who knew what the future might hold...'

She would think to herself.

Taiga was almost impressed at the start, with how much they didn't care most of the time. Or at least, how they seemed to.

And since she had gotten more acquainted with each of them, despite everything, Taiga could see whenever the veil of the personas they've formed to stay "brutal" would slip and their true selves would show.

The rare acts of kindness, their struggles, their passions.

She may be slow at times, but Taiga wasn't stupid.

She noticed.

They all might not exactly be "friends" still.

But whatever one would call it...

Sometimes it felt...

Nice.

Toki and Pickles were definitely still the most outgoing towards her.

But she could tell that even if they all didn't act "warm" in similar ways, it didn't mean that they didn't care at all.

And it didn't appear that they disliked her.

But she couldn't read minds, after all.

Regardless, she continued to try and give the boys the benefit of the doubt, more often than not.

And even if things got chaotic, she could sometimes laugh about it when looking back; relieved that she could at least be helpful in keeping an eye out in a way.

----

Right now though, she wasn't finding the humor in her current situation.

'I really should bring Ibuprofen with me or something...'

Taiga sighed.

Too late now.

She was already out.

'How did I get here, again?'

Is what Taiga thought as she tried to massage her temples for what felt like the billionth time.

Ah.

Right.

The boys who made up the infamous band Dethklok had dragged her along once again to go have an adventure.

It had become a habit whenever they were bored especially, and would have Taiga try this, or drink that, etc.

//It all started when Toki invited her to come with him for one of their mini parties that took place in their lounge area.

There weren't really complaints, as they were all still pretty much getting used to Taiga's presence being a common occurrence, but she understood when they were making an attempt at gauging her reactions to everything.

At first, they tiptoed around the subject of why she looked the way she did, until Pickles eventually took it upon himself to ask.

It caught her off-guard.

But she actually preferred him asking rather than them all just standing around awkwardly.

Taiga knew they wanted to say something, but wouldn't spit it out.

It had been a long time since she had explained the sordid story to others.

She just talked about the experiments that she went through as a child and left it at that.

Taiga didn't lie, but didn't feel like being possibly teased for the other reasons why.

She wasn't ashamed of the truth, or Avis; any of that.

But she just didn't have the energy to deal with that right now.

It already took a while to tell this much.

Pickles was staring at her like everyone else, but had a more pensive expression on his face as he rested his chin on his balled fist, before it turned into a look of confusion.

"...So, how are you naht actually a cat, again?"

Taiga deadpanned.

Then Nathan pulled out his tape recorder, saying: "Anatomical Violation"

Which she now recognized as him saving song name ideas...

Before Toki started talking about how he wished that he could be tested on like that so he could have cat ears too.

And Taiga was close to banging her head off a wall after that.

Oh well.

It was pretty insensitive the more it went on, but at least they seemed to listen for a short time before they continued drinking.

Although, it was never brought up again.

Part of her wondered if they even remembered the conversation.

Sometimes she felt almost like some science experiment or circus freak that was there to cure their boredom, yet...

It did not exactly seem like it was ever intentionally malicious?

Which, she was used to from most others, however, she couldn't help but still get tired at times.

It was... Weird, but...

She'd take it if it meant some more dangerous shenanigans wouldn't take place.

The fact she would be held responsible and have to pay for anything bad that happened honestly didn't matter to her.

She just didn't want anyone to get hurt.

Taiga wasn't their babysitter or anything, but she'd feel such guilt...

A lot of the time going with them did help ease her mind, while also exasperating it.

And even if Taiga didn't always take part in the substances they consumed, it was appreciated that she never judged or scolded them.

They were grown-ups, after all.

And who would she be to try and tell them what to do?

Taiga would show concern and attempt to give friendly advice without seeming condescending, if it ever seemed to be getting out of hand, but never pushed it.

Overall, each of them were either pleasantly surprised and/or just impressed whenever she would join in.

Finding it funny but also awesome that she wasn't "stuck up" about it.

"Who woulda thought you would know how to have fun." Nathan stated more to himself rather than anyone else in particular.

As if he had already assumed that Taiga was a certain way and it actually baffled him that he was incorrect.

She honestly didn't mind parties and all...

Not that she'd really been to many in her time on this planet.

But she could respect the concept of letting loose and having a good time.

To a point.

Like whenever Taiga would be told to "Watch THIS!", her heart would almost stop from the wave of dread that would flow through her.

For example, the last time she heard that, Pickles had back-flipped off a roof while hammered before she could even try to talk him out of it.

Thankfully, he didn't get severely injured, since he landed in a dumpter that was filled with garbage bags...

But he definitely felt it in the morning.

In his head though, it was nothing more booze couldn't fix!

He'd say it was a success, because he didn't feel any more physical pain!

Another thing that added to her turmoil, was some of the pranks that were pulled on her over time as the guys got more comfortable around her.

Maybe too comfortable.

It could really get on Taiga's nerves.

From Murderface jumping out to scare her at random times during the day, or when they'd offer her Oreos that had the filling replaced with toothpaste.

Made her so fed up.

But somehow, she truly couldn't ever stay mad for long...//

---

This time, the boys wanted to barhop and see how many they could visit before puking or blacking out.

Taiga obviously tried to state how bad of an idea this was...

But they weren't having it and designated her as 'Official Counter', along as being the determiner for the winner, plus who lost first.

This city was known for its 56 bars, as she had come to find out from Pickles' recounting of some of his times in Wisconsin, and the rest of the guys immediately wanted to try it.

Taiga knew this would be a long night.

Taiga was thankful that they didn't try to get her to drink this time, even if it was just so she could be coherent enough for her new "job."

She sarcastically thought about how she should get an award for all these jobs falling into her lap.

Lucky her.

She wasn't taking this position that seriously, mostly just trying to watch out for them; ever ready to call Charles for assistance if needed.

Along with the files on her first day, Taiga was given his emergency line as well, in case anything happened.

And she had put it into her phone ASAP.

For the most part, she tried to stay off in the corners of the bars.

She had her hood up, hands in her pockets, and tail tucked away as best as possible under her large coat.

Taiga was always a bit surprised that she could still kind of hide her giant tail when needed, but it was a bit painful each time.

And the pain grew the longer it was tied up against her body.

But she tried to ignore it.

If anyone looked closely, they'd see her skin color more clearly, but she also tried not to worry about that too much.

She hung her head and looked over at the men every now and then.

They seemed to be having a blast.

Taiga was glad that it was winter, since it was easier, and less strenuous to hide her features, but it was still a struggle.

At least there was no one around, but Taiga still felt bad, because the only reason it was dead is because the guys had made the owners stay open longer.

To them it was no big deal, their reasoning being:

"We do it all the time."

And they had gotten so wasted once again that even Pickles ended up a mess.

Taiga knew this part also wasn't a first occurrence, but it was the first time she had to personally deal with it.

Eventually she lost track of how many bars they had been to at this point, but after Taiga yawned, she stopped as she realized something.

...Where was Pickles...?

The others were loudly chattering and had gone inside, but he was...

Wandering off into a cornfield.

Okay.

Taiga didn't want to get separated from the rest of the boys, but Pickles was getting further and further away by the second.

If she went inside, even for a minute, he could end up who knows where.

So she tried to act quick and just go after him for now.

Maybe he could easily be brought back.

Even if that was highly doubtful.

"Pickles!

Hey, wait a minute!!"

Taiga was glad that she wore layers under her fluffy coat, thick gloves, and insulated pants.

But still, it was almost February now in the "Malibu of the Midwest;" Sheboygan, Wisconsin.

The lake-effect did not help things, and she was a giant wimp against the cold, but she just tried to focus on continuing to move.

She tightened the straps on her coat as she ran off towards the red-head's slowly shrinking silhouette as he continued to stumble off further away into the cornfield.

For being plastered, he was fast-

WAS HE NARUTO RUNNING NOW!?!

Her trusty boots made specially for winter trudged along while she carefully went through the snow, and over the unshoveled areas across the street.

Taiga stumbled but made haste in climbing over the snowbank she approached, trying to keep up with the drummer.

She didn't fall despite her slip-ups, and soon caught up to him.

God, cornfields really were itchy.

But he seemed to be greatly enjoying the sensations past his fascination about something else entirely; frantically looking around with his iconic grin.

At least he also had some winter-ready clothes on, but that didn't ease her worries too much.

Her ears perked up more at hearing his mumbling before he belted out:

"I sworeee I saw en aaaaalien! Yeww caan't hide from me!"

Taiga noticed how much thicker the Wisconsinite's accent had gotten.

And she knew that he wasn't just drunk, but that was beside the point.

Pickles quickly tensed up and got in a fighting stance for a second when Taiga ran in front of him.

"D'OH-JYEEZUS."

Taiga was trying to catch her breath while she put her hands up to show she wasn't going to do anything; relieved to not have been decked in the face.

Her hood had fallen down while running after him and her hair was blowing a bit around her head.

The chilled air hit against her skin even more; the ghosts of their individual breaths dancing along until they took their final step into disappearance.

"Sorry, but...

You really need to come back with me, okay?"

His pupils were dilated and he looked like he was super amped up.

She tried to speak in a soft, soothing voice as an attempt to make him pay attention.

And Pickles smiled more.

She smiled back with a hope-filled expression.

Then he suddenly stepped forward and pulled over some of the hair cascading down the back of her head to cover her face like a mask instead, and he started snickering; not listening to a word Taiga had said.

This wouldn't be easy.

"...wuuoooah-hohohh~"

Pickles started laughing seeing this now.

He couldn't explain it even if he tried, but the colors and shapes coming from Taiga right now were insane.

And if he didn't already know her, he would have thought she was just a hallucination, like Toki almost did at first when meeting her.

Taiga put her arms back down and slightly huffed, talking past her hair now, until most of it inevitably blew out of her face.

"I'm serious."

"Nyeeehh, what's new?

Y'know... If I had anotherr pill, I would've given it to yah!"

As Taiga fixed her hair fully, Pickles' voice consistently raised in pitch as he hit the word "to."

He unceremoniously leaned over and rested his elbow on her shoulder as he slurred out, causing her knees to almost buckle, because he was putting most of his weight on her suddenly. He usually ate it up that he was no longer the shortest in the group now.

But Taiga grit her teeth as her eyes widened, and was able to keep herself upright.

For the most part.

"Hnng!"

Taiga frowned and was about to tell him to get off, but something else had gotten his attention and he quickly moved away.

"DERE HE IS!"

Taiga immediately went after him.

"You're going to get hypothermia or something, come on...!"

Taiga shivered and hugged herself.

They both might at this point.

She decided, screw it, and decided to call Charles to let him know what was going on, sooner rather than later.

No one was hurt, yet.

And she didn't want to take that chance as she continued to follow Pickles as he was hunting this so-called alien and doing a...

Chicken call?

Taiga refocused as Charles picked up, and after he answered, she sighed before explaining.

She felt so embarrassed as she spoke and ran a hand over her face, even though she knew that it wasn't her fault.

Taiga disclosed the name of the bar she remembered and their location, not knowing still about the trackers he had on each of the boys.

There was a pause and the line was silent for a bit after she finished.

She didn't even have to see his face to know he was most likely pinching his brow.

He didn't yell or anything, although she would have absolutely understood it in this situation...

But as Charles said he'd be on his way to get them Taiga was at least glad no one else would be lost, or worse.

Especially in the states that each of them were in.

He gave a terse thank you and finally told her to just continue keeping an eye on Pickles until he arrived.

Taiga was going to return the thanks but then the line suddenly cut.

She put her phone back into her coat pocket as they emerged from the cornfield on the opposite side.

Taiga was glad someone was coming to help, but that relief dissipated as she saw what Pickles was chasing an American woodcock.

It was running instead of flying away, which was strange, but then she noticed it had a busted wing.

Taiga narrowed her eyes and sprinted like a cheetah.

She took Pickles by surprise again as she passed him, and it gave her enough time to pick up the terrified bird and gently cradle him.

"STOP."

Taiga used her rare assertive, authoritative tone and held up a hand in front of Pickles.

He actually listened this time and didn't continue trying to catch the bird.

His eyes stayed wide as he look at them.

She calmed down and lowered her arm, along with her voice; not wanting the bird to go into shock or anything similar.

"...He's scared, and hurt. Just... Please, try to remember to be careful."

Taiga pitied the little one, but he seemed to slowly be calming down after realize he wasn't being hurt further by either of them.

He seemed to relax a bit under her touch, so she decided to test very gentle petting, making sure to not bother the hurt wing.

There was good news all around, and Taiga's face slightly brightened.

It seemed like a treatable injury, and the bird didn't freak out; settling down and just letting himself be held at this point.

Pickles looked like he wanted to pet the bird too.

Taiga noticed and softly sighed, still petting him very slowly.

"Here..."

She tried to speak in that soft, soothing voice again, once her head felt clear enough.

Taiga demonstrated how to pet the bird without causing further pain for him, now that she had some more of Pickles' attention.

He stepped closer and thankfully did exactly that, and the bird still seemed relatively calm.

Pickles' mouth hung open a little as his jaw dropped.

The ridiculousness of that look, as well as this situation in itself, almost made Taiga laugh but she held it back, not wanting to disrupt the moment.

It must have felt really cool for him, putting it lightly.

The longer Pickles looked into the bird's many eyes, the more drawn in he was.

His hand felt like it had melted and become one with the bird's body; the hues of their respective bodies bleeding into each other like spilled paint.

Taiga's smile faltered a bit as he started drooled.

"Ah..."

She almost didn't know what to do but just gently used the sleeve covering her free hand to gently wipe most of it away from his face.

Pickles' only response was a slow blink and he muttered again about it being an alien in disguise.

Taiga snorted a bit.

"It's actually an American woodcock."

He started wheezing with laughter at hearing that, having come back into this plane of existence for a second.

Taiga was confused at first and raised a brow, but then soon understood and rolled her eyes a little; giggling a tiny bit herself.

"You're impossible."

"...'n' yer alright."

Taiga was taken aback by that one, but cross-faded or not, that seemed genuine coming from him, and it made the smile on her face grow some more.

Soon though, Taiga saw flashlights in the distance and Pickles dove behind her once he noticed and spotted them too; using her as a shield because he thought it was an alien abduction.

Taiga was unimpressed and the pain and ringing in her ears hurt from his yelling so close to her head, but she decided to look past it and push through because she saw Charles was here with some Klokateers surrounding him.

Soon they all were around the three, and Pickles recognized Charles features, along with the hooded figures; calming down.

Charles saw the bird in Taiga's arms, but he didn't even ask as he just had them ushered to the Dethkopter.

She was still intimidated by this thing.

But this time, it looked like she was getting inside of it.

There was a growing ball of anxiety forming within the pit of her belly and growing up to her chest; permeating throughout her whole body.

But...

She tried to be brave as they got strapped in and given blankets, after their prolonged exposure to the elements.

Helicopters were... Pretty safe, right?

New experiences like this always triggered her type of Agoraphobia and that nervous energy caused her to shake a bit more.

But she just tried to relax, protect the bird in her arms, and brace herself as best as possible.

As the Dethkopter took off, it ended up being...

Not that bad, actually.

Taiga visibly relaxed and ended up really enjoying the experience.

She had heard that riding in a helicopter in general could feel similar to a rollercoaster, but...

She had never been on one before, so she couldn't make that comparison.

Taiga kept her ears lowered on instinct from the vibrations she felt, but to her delight, the space and design of this behemoth of a luxury helicopter meant she didn't need headphones, and even her sensitive ears weren't too bothered by any of the noises produced by it.

Charles stayed standing as he held onto the hand grip near the side opening of the aircraft; his jacket blowing in the wind.

His silence almost caused the anxiety to return, but then he had suddenly simply commended Taiga for her quick thinking.

She blinked.

She sure didn't expect that.

Taiga felt weird calling him Mr. Offdensen.

But "Charles" didn't feel appropriate either.

So, she just didn't use either as she sincerely spoke.

"...Thank you for your help."

Charles heard her but kept his eyes facing forward.

He would save the scolding for these men for later.

Not that he expected them to really listen to him, as per usual.

But...

It was all part of the job.

They both seemed pleased that none of the boys were harmed at the end of it overall.

And any hint of annoyance from his end was directed towards said group of men who were mostly passed out by now.

Besides Pickles who was currently staring at one of his locs that he held in a hand, like it was alive and telling him something mind-blowing.

Taiga spaced out; shaking her head and looking back down at her new bird friend after Pickles mumbled something about a tentacle and tried to high-five his own hair.

He would probably be on a wild trip for a long time.

How many animals would she end up having to take care of around these dudes...?

Taiga then turned her head to cover her nose by the faux fur lining on her coat and sneezed; feeling a tickle in her throat.

Oh, great.

Pickles and Taiga both ended up getting sick after everything was said and done.

However, Taiga didn't seem too bothered, even if she sure felt like crap at first.

Because even though her bird friend was now physically gone, she was at least able to keep him comfy and taken care of as much as possible in the meantime, until she had gotten in contact with a licensed wildlife rehabilitator as soon as they returned to Mordhaus.

She had to have a Klokateer meet with them outside of the grounds (the first time she asked for something that didn't have to do with the cub she attended to), for security reasons obviously, and she also didn't want to possibly get anyone else sick.

(Taiga obviously thanked them a bunch for their help; something they all weren't used to hearing especially.

But it was unthinkable to her to not thank them for their efforts. She couldn't even imagine what it was like to do the work they did.)

The wildlife rehabilitator was able to properly help out the little guy, and thankfully, she was updated that his wing was able to heal within a week, and he was able to be relocated.

It made feeling like death all the more worth it.

And she sent out nothing but the most positive of energies for the bird, hoping he had a wonderful rest of his life.

Once Toki was recovered from his own hangover and found out that Taiga had a cold, he was understanding and kind enough to tell her she didn't have to worry about her job's responsibilities until she was better.

She had still come out that day, wearing a mask and all bundled up, but honestly...

"You looks terrible!"

Taiga just tiredly stared at him before giving a half-hearted thumbs up in response.

At first, she was about to push herself to keep on going, but...

She genuinely could barely function in this moment.

And she left her notes out for everyone to use anyway.

It would actually be fine.

Her mind didn't battle her much today.

And Taiga was truly appreciative; croaking out a soft thank you as she headed back to her chambers, her movement akin to a zombie's, to rest up more.

However, she couldn't help herself whenever she got restless over more time and was still doing research about Zoological parks on her laptop while in bed.

Later on, Toki had paid a visit to her room, and after hearing Taiga's cracked voice telling him that he could come in, he opened the door and greeted her.

He said that he made something for her to help her feel better.

Taiga perked up a bit more in curiosity. He presented the soup that he made, it resting on a tray.

And she carefully took it.

It took everything within her to smile.

...She didn't know you could burn soup...

"Thank you... Toki.

That's very nice of you."

He beamed and wished her well, saying he wished he could stay longer but had an interview to get to.

Taiga wished him well too before he bid her farewell.

Although, she was honestly relieved that he didn't stay to watch her eat.

...

She tried a tiny bit.

Yup. That was a mistake.

It was like if someone had liquefied charred bits of bacon and... Even the vegetables were burnt, and were black.

What did he even do???

You know what, she didn't even want any answers.

The smell and taste attacked each and every one of her senses.

But hey, she didn't puke, so...

There's that.

It was sweet, but Taiga knew that she may actually get worse if she ate it.

So for now, she just set it aside.

It had been a slow week as the two recovered, but afterwards, Pickles and Taiga got back into the flow of things.

Her moreso than him work-wise.

Since a part of him liked being sick, because he could get much more attention...

He'd ham it up at times, with the poor Klokateers assigned to him those days, when actually starting to feel better...

But who's counting?

Eventually though, he did have to get up and actually into the studio again.

But as always, he ended up getting it done, and didn't disappoint.

Taiga took a page from Toki's book, and aside from the soup, she went to go see how Pickles was doing.

...Right after she figured out where exactly she was on the map she had of Mordhaus' layout.

It only had the areas she had clearance for visiting, but it was still a big help.

Pickles didn't open the door, and Taiga wondered if he was even in there.

But as if on cue, she heard footsteps and saw him coming closer near the end of the hallway.

He had his thumbs hooked in his pockets as he aimlessly moved along, looking bored out of his mind.

Taiga called his name as she approached and that got his attention.

Pickles grinned.

"Look who it is."

Taiga gave a friendly little smile.

"I just wanted to see if you were feeling alright. I heard you got sick too."

"...Comin' tah check on little ol' me?"

Pickles asked with a growing smirk; purposefully in a teasing tone.

Taiga deadpanned and crossed her arms.

Pickles chuckled at her reaction and stopped smirking, but kept the grin of course.

He'd almost look weirder without it by this point.

"Yeaah, I'm just fi-"

His stomach suddenly grumbled very loudly.

It was almost comical.

Actually, for Pickles, it for sure was.

He laughed hard.

"Okay den, besides da monster inside my stomach I didn't know about letting out war cries, I'm-"

Pickles' stomach kept grumbling.

"Dood, I'm tryin' to talk 'ere."

Now Taiga couldn't help but giggle herself.

Her eyes changing from her natural grays, to purple.

Pickles noticed and his own eyes lit up some more.

"Yer like a livin' mood ring or sumthin'!"

Taiga wasn't the only one to surprise others.

He was the only one to have noticed so far.

Or at least, acknowledge it out loud.

She giggled a bit more before calming down.

"Heh. I guess so. I've never gotten that before...

Hey, if you want, you can have this."

Taiga offered the candy bar she had tucked away in her pocket for later.

Pickles looked over the wrapper as she held it out, and didn't seem displeased. His teasing tone returned,

"If ya keep this up, I might think ya like me~"

Taiga just blinked then moved like she was about to open the wrapper; her normal bashfulness pretty much nonexistent right now.

"Maybe I'll just change my mind."

"'Ey, 'ey, 'ey!"

Pickles snatched the bar.

"I'm just jokin', calm down... Gahhhd."

Taiga was the one grinning now as she crossed her arms once again.

Her confidence had been slowly improving the longer she stayed here, and at times she would catch the boys off-guard especially.

It was honestly satisfying to be able to do so.

"Tryin' tah steal from the starvin' now. I see how it is, Kit Kat."

Taiga tsked and lowered her arms at the sudden silly nickname he got from the bar he held, starting to laugh a little.

"Speaking of, I don't even want to imagine how badly your stomach reacted after we got back home. But I am glad you're feeling better.

You were so sloshed!"

Pickles' grin grew as he raised a brow.

"Sloshed?"

Taiga sighed softly.

"You know what I mean."

Pickles snickered, not remembering much of the events that happened, but he did remember that Taiga saw him in that state for the first time, and was imagining how she must have felt.

Her reaction was probably priceless.

He refrained from teasing her further about it, for now, as a more important question came to mind.

"That reminds me, did ya see who lost first?

I have to bring it back up with da guys so we can talk prizes... And penalties."

Pickles got a more mischievous glint in his eyes as he dramatically clapped his hands and deviously rubbed them together.

Taiga shook her head, at both his question, and other statement.

"No, but...

You were definitely the last conscious one."

It honestly didn't surprise the girl, or him for that matter, but...

It still left her in awe how quickly he could bounce back or keep truckin'.

"Hah!"

Pickles' ego grew 3 times its size that day.

"Winner, winner, chicken dinner!"

He said in a slightly goofy voice as he unwrapped the chocolate bar and took a bite right out of the side, without breaking it.

"But chocolate is fine too."

He said with his mouth full; cheesing.

Now Taiga's stomach rumbled and she blushed lightly because of it.

She thought and then spoke up again.

"...Actually, that does sound really good right now."

The pair laughed together before heading off to the dining hall.

As they walked, Taiga told him about the soup Toki brought by for her a couple days back.

Leaving about the more...

Charred details of the crispy carcasses and filmed lining of tarlike substance covering the almost porridge consistency of what was supposed to be, what she could only think was bacon vegetable soup.

Taiga just kept thinking:

'It's the thought that counts.'

Pickles made a face and stopped in his tracks, which made Taiga pause herself and look at him curiously; tilting her head to the side some.

He began to pout and stared at the floor for a bit.

He thought Toki was a terrible cook. Was he holdin' out on him all this time??

Before Taiga could say anything, Pickles spoke up once again, in almost a whisper.

At first.

"...what da hell... He never gave me any soup! TOKI!"

As he snapped his head back up and stomped off in a hurry to go looking for the man instead of going to eat, Taiga thought that maybe she should have just kept that to herself.

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