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kiribaku-queen · 3 years

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The Blood King and his Queen [4]

Pairing: Bakugou x reader

Romance, Angst, Drama

Word count: 2.9K

Summary: From being a mere servant girl to marrying the scariest prince in existence, your world changed right before your eyes. Exchanging places with the princess, you knew, wasn’t going to be easy. But could you have found love on the way? Or was it never meant to be?

A/N: Thank you for all the love you have given to this series so far! As I’ve said before, this is my side blog so I can’t reply directly to your comments. But I love reading them. I love reading your tags when you reblog. It really makes my day. And if I could respond to each and everyone of you, I really would because I just appreciate you so much <3 Just know that I FREAK out everytime i get a sweet comment. Like, I could comment on my main but like... thatd be weird. let me know though if youd like me to do that?

Anyway. lets get to the chapter! Happy reading :)

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After a whole days worth of exploring this new unknown, the sun began to set in the distance and the dark, night sky was quickly approaching. This led Bakugou and his soldiers to set up camp nearby. Not far away from the town you were in was a hill that came with a very beautiful view. It overlooked the entire town and when it becomes fully dark outside, that’s where the magic comes. Lanterns and torches lit up the entire place, creating this orange and red array of beautiful sunset colors.

Bakugou’s soldiers were split into three groups: setting up camp, starting the fireplace, and making food. While everyone was doing their respective tasks, you were sitting under a tree to shade you from the setting sun. Bakugou, on the other hand, wasn’t resting like how a prince normally would. He was helping along side his soldiers; talking, setting up camp, and… laughing. It was the first time you had seen him with a genuine smile on his face.

You tilted your head at the sight. He looked kind. The way he talked to his soldiers, the way he treated them, how he looked like he could be himself… was this the real prince? How could you have made him out to be this horrible person in your mind, only for him to act like a normal person?

As you were deep in thought, Bakugou couldn’t help but take a few glances at you every now and then. You were sitting all alone at the top of that hill and he was here, actively avoiding you. How could he even approach you? Forget that he was practically with you the entire day. He didn’t know how to start a conversation with you. Or with anyone for that matter. He’s not used to having a fiancée that is also a stranger. Being raised sheltered didn’t help him become a people-person. So he opted to helping set up camp. He needs something to keep him distracted from a beauty that keeps looking his way.

“Just go talk to her,” Mina, his female soldier, finally huffed. She was tired of how shy his highness was acting. It was not a sight she usually saw and if she had to take anymore of this fluffy behavior, she was going to pass away.

“I can’t,” Bakugou gave up so easily.

“What do you mean you can’t? Nothing is stopping you from talking to her,” Mina pointed out. But still, Bakugou was reluctant to go.

“What do I even say?” he asked for advice.

“Get to know her! Ask her how her day was. Ask her what her favorite color is. She’s your fiancée, soon-to-be queen. You’re going to have to spend the rest of your life with her. Ya might as well get comfortable with her when you have the chance,” Mina pushed Bakugou slightly towards your direction. Yet, he still wasn’t budging on his own. The female solider groaned and put her hands on her hips.

“I didn’t say you had to fall in love with her. At least try to be friends!” Bakugou’s face became flushed upon hearing the god forsaken L word. He became so flustered that he couldn’t even talk straight.

“W-Who said anything about… l-love,” his voice became quiet at the end.

“Go on, your highness,” she joked, taking the wood from his hands. “Give me this, and go talk to her,” she said one last time and faced away to continue setting up camp. With a deep exhale, Bakugou finally turned to you and walked up the hill.

You saw his highness making his way up the hill to you. Your breath hitched in your throat and you became stiff. By the time Bakugou had taken a seat next to you, you had already straightened your back to create the perfect posture, as a princess should.

There was an awkward silence at first. You and Bakugou just sat in front of that tree while you watched everyone do their job in setting up camp. It took a few moments for Bakugou to clear his throat and finally talk to you.

“How are you enjoying your trip so far?” he asked. That should be a good start, he thought. He glanced at you and got a glimpse at your big, doe-like eyes. You were a bit surprised that he was talking to you in such a civil manner but also made you relax.

“I’m very much enjoying it. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had,” you told him truthfully, childish excitement twinkled in your eyes.

“I’m glad,” Bakugou replied, still flustered at your reaction. He wasn’t expecting such an innocent response from you. You definitely are different from other princesses he’s encountered. But the conversation ends there. Back to silence once again. It was until curiosity got the best of you. You didn’t think about it and went ahead and just said it.

“Your people aren’t scared of you,” you commented. You didn’t realize how insensitive the comment was until it came out of your mouth. You wanted smack yourself in the head but it already came out. You forgot for a moment that you had to pretend to be the princess. And the princess would think before she spoke. But your dumbass thought it was smart to just say whatever came to your head.

“Why, are they supposed to be scared of their prince?” Bakugou asked. You couldn’t even look him in the eyes. What do you even say to that? Do you address the rumors you’ve heard?

“I-um,” you stutter. Stupid, stupid! Why did you even say that? After you thought the prince wasn’t actually all that bad, he was going to hate you now.

“I see the rumors travel far,” he says. He shifts in his seat, allowing himself to lay back on his elbows. “It’s not like my people don’t know about the rumors. Even I know about them. They just don’t know what their prince looks like.” He opens up to you. Unlike his brothers, Bakugou likes to hide his face from his people. And he does it well. He wanted to make sure that his identity was hidden and wasn’t made known to anybody. This was the only way that he was able to leave the palace and roam around freely in his kingdom without fear from his people.

“Why would you hide your identity?” you ask, curiously. You’ve never heard of a prince or princess hiding themselves from their people. It was only natural that they are bathed in glory and loved from the public. To hide your identity, you are stripped away from a certain power that only they could hold.

“Because I wouldn’t be able to do this,” he says, opening his arms up to the world. You looked out and couldn’t understand what he was trying to say. Bakugou saw the confusion in your face and chuckled.

“I wouldn’t be able to enjoy this freedom. This open air. I wouldn’t have been able to see my kingdom for how it really is. I wouldn’t have been able to be here with you.” You finally meet his eye and you guys hold each other’s stare. That’s when you understood. You could see his story through his eyes. Although you couldn’t see all of it, you understood at least a little. You could see the pressures and difficulties of being the prince, the Blood Prince no less.

Bakugou opens his mouth to say something else but quickly shuts it. He decided that it wasn’t the time to tell you just yet. You caught that little act and frowned.

“What is it?” you ask. Bakugou shakes his head and disregards it.

“In due time, princess,” he says. Before you could rebuttal, Kirishima calls you both down from the bottom of the hill.

“Dinner’s ready!” he shouts. Without a moment’s hesitation, Bakugou is already on his feet to head down. You, on the other hand, take a little longer to head down. Thanks to your dress, you had to gather it, careful not to step on it while getting up. A hand appears in front of your face and you looked up to see the owner. The prince had offered his hand to you while looking away shyly.

Little did you know, Bakugou had planned on doing that. He was already heading down to where the hot food was being poured out in bowls. But Mina had turned to him furious and motioned for him to go back. Bakugou couldn’t understand what she was trying to do. So Mina had physically act out him offering his hand to you as a romantic gesture. Clueless Bakugou did just that. And that simple act made your face heat up.

You and Bakugou made it to campfire with your arm around his. His soldiers held back their snickers and smiles and handed you each your dinner. Inside your bowl was a hot serving of porridge with meat and vegetables to fill you up. The smell was immaculate. You couldn’t wait to taste it. One sip of the porridge and your eyes lit up.

“Delicious!” you exclaimed, downing more of the food.

“I’m glad it’s to your liking, princess,” Sero, another one of Bakugou’s soldiers, bowed in respect while addressing you.

“It’s the only thing he’s good at,” Denki, another one of Bakugou’s trusted soldiers, poked fun at him.

“At least I’m good at something. You’re not good at anything!” Sero bit back and a round of laughter filled the air.

“I’m good at a lot of things!” Denki tried to defend himself.

“Yeah? Name 5 things right now!” Mina joined in. There was more laughter around the campfire when Denki paused to think about his answer. Even Bakugou was giving a hearty laugh at his soldiers joking around.

It was interesting. To see Bakugou’s true self come out around his comrades, or more like his closest friends. Who knew that the angry, scary Blood Prince could smile so wide like this? If you told the girls that the oh so famous Blood Prince wasn’t actually the scary killer we all knew, they’d laugh in your face.

Not long after dinner, you found yourself yawning. Nightfall was already upon you. Since you still had a long way to go for your trip, Bakugou advised you to sleep early so you could depart as soon as possible when the sun rose. Fortunately for you, the tent was already set up. You got into the tent and waited patiently for Bakugou.

This made your heart race. This was the first time you guys were sleeping together and you weren’t wedded yet. Was this okay to do? His soldiers were sleeping a bit farther away to give their prince and his fiancée some privacy. It’s not like you two were going to do anything. Just the thought of having him next to you while you slept in this small tent was something you thought you’d never do. But it couldn’t be avoided. You just had to breath and calm down. It won’t be for long anyway.

You continuously away for Bakugou but he never comes. You peek out the tent and he’s laying out on the grass, hands behind his head and eyes already closed.

“Um,” you speak out and Bakugou peeks one eye out. “Are you not coming in?” you ask.

“The tent is for you, princess,” he says nonchalantly and closes his eyes again. You frown at this.

“Do you not have a tent?” you question.

“I’m used to sleeping on the ground. Don’t worry about me, you should get some rest,” he continues to say with eyes closed. That didn’t sit right with you. It gets very chilly at night. Without any coverage, he’s bound to get cold. It wasn’t fair that you very comfy inside this tent while he is outside in the cold. The more you’re around him, the more your image of him changes. Everything he is doing and saying is making you think differently of him.

You gather your blanket and plop right down next to him. Bakugou jumps and sits up when you get situated in your new sleeping spot.

“What?” you ask, looking up at him.

“What are you-” he couldn’t even finish his question because he is so speechless.

“I’m not going to let you sleep out here by yourself. Come,” you pat the grass next to you. “Lay down.”

Still shocked with confusion, he lays down next to you. Now you were shoulder to shoulder. Going through a roller coaster of emotion, Bakugou is now freaking out because you are so close to him. His heart is beating faster and his mind was racing. There was no way he was going to be able to sleep tonight.

You thought sleeping next to him was going to be no problem. You were so tired that you wouldn’t mind sleeping next to your ‘fiancé’ and just knock out. But it seems like any signs of tiredness was thrown out the window because now you were wide awake.

Probably an hour has passed since you laid down next to the prince. Bakugou noticed that you were restless next to him, constantly moving to get comfortable but never enough that you were able to fall asleep. Should he talk to you? What does he say? Should he follow Mina’s advice?

“Are you awake?” Bakugou’s raspy voice shocked you.

“Ah, yes,” you answer, moving to lay on your back.

“What’s your favorite color?” Bakugou took the courage to ask.

“Lilac purple,” you say. “Do you have a favorite color?”

“Red,” he says simply. “Do you have a favorite food?”

“I like simple dishes like what we ate today. Porridge, soups, stews.” Well, that’s actually all you were able to eat as a servant. But he didn’t have to know that. “You?”

“Anything meat. Favorite piece of literature?” he asked. This made you pause. As a servant, you weren’t able to read anything so how could you answer this question. You tried to think back to a time when you saw the princess studying because for the love of you, you couldn’t remember any names of those books.

“Ah, there’s so many. I can’t name one,” you made up on the spot. But Bakugou believed it.

“I guess I could say the same. Hm, how about favorite animal?”

“Let’s say it at the same time,” you suggested. Bakugou smirked.

“Alright. 1,”

“2.”

“3.”

“Dragon!” you both say at the same time. But at the same time, you both rolled to your side to face each other and that led to your faces being extremely close together. You both stared at each other, wide eyed. Though both stunned, you couldn’t look away from each other. Bakugou looks down at your lips but clears his throat and looks away. You do the same and turn away from him. You cover your face in embarrassment because you saw the way he looked at you. What was that!? Bakugou balled his hands into fists and knocked his head. What was he even thinking?

The more you got into your head, the more you started to drift into sleep. Eventually, your eyes shut completely and you fell asleep. Throughout the night, Bakugou couldn’t sleep. His mind kept replaying how close your face was to his. God, he didn’t even know why his eyes steered towards your lips. As if he wasn’t embarrassed enough, he was even more so for acting like that. He peeked at you and saw you shivering from the night breeze. That blanket was so thin, it wasn’t doing anything to help protect you from the wind. So he takes his cape and wraps it around you. When he adjust the cape to cover all of you, you moved so that you were cuddling up right next to him. You were so close that he could feel your breath on him. Bakugou froze. He was afraid that if he moved, you would wake up. As silently and as slowly as he could, he laid back down with you practically on his chest. Huh, you were so warm for someone who was shivering. It was only a minute that you were on him and he felt his eyes getting heavier with every passing second. Eventually, he falls asleep with you resting in his arms.

The next morning, Kirishima and the rest of the crew wake up early to pack and get ready for the rest of the journey. Kirishima brings Denki along to head up the hill where you and Bakugou were still sleeping. As soon as your sleeping bodies came into view, Kirishima stopped dead in his tracks. You were fully resting on top of his chest, your arm wrapped around his upper body. While Bakugou had a hand under you, wrapped around your waist and his chin rested on top of your head. Kirishima’s eyes softened at the sight. But it was all ruined when Denki got too excited and smacked the red head next to him.

“Dude! You see what I’m seeing?!” Denki whisper shouted. Kirishima rolled his eyes, grabbed his shoulders and turned him around.

“You’re gonna wake them up you idiot!” he scolded, and forced back down the hill to give you guys your privacy.

The sun hit your face just perfectly for you to wake up naturally. You stretched your arms and yawned. At the same time, Bakugou was also just getting up. The moment your eyes saw each other and saw how you were positioned, blush immediately appeared around your cheeks and you both separated from each other. Thank god you guys woke up before anyone saw you like that, you thought. But the soldiers had already seen you two together.

A/N: I’d love to hear what you have to say about this chapter! Lots of fluff so far! I literally can’t wait for the drama to begin but we gotta build up to it! Any drama you want to see happen? Let’s spice this baby up!

Also let me know if you want to be tagged for the next chapter! Spoiler: danger next chapter???? Can’t wait to see you next Monday! Thanks for all the love <3 I love you guys so much!

Tagged: @superblyspeedydragon @melasnchz-things @animexholic @bkgwrites @sam-i-am-1025 @apexqueenie @katsukibabe @germfart3 @tspice283 @angie-1306 @bakugous-trauma @bakugousmrs

#bakugou x reader #katsuki bakugou #bakugou #bnha bakugou #bakugou imagine #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #bnha imagine #bakugou angst #bnha art #bakugou fluff #bakugou romance #bakugou drama

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prinxlyart · 4 years

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Your Vinira is sSO SWEET MY HEART US MELTING! How Viney not only accept Emira' stutter but straight up loves it?! Oh my poor bleeding heart! Now, my own question: How do the redeemed Blight parents react to their relationship?

Ooohhh see at least in my Willumity headcanons, Alador and Odalia don’t redeem themselves for several years. Like, maybe 8 or 9 years from when our girls first start dating. I imagine Viney and Emira become a thing in roughly the same time frame. So Emira doesn’t even tell her parents about her girlfriend. Viney introduces Emira to her parent(s) (eventually, maybe after like 6 months of dating?? Maybe a year?) and they are super wary at first because a Blight???? Is dating our daughter?????? And Viney reassures them that yes, they’re dating and it’s not some wild ruse. That being said, the heads of the Blight family also don’t know they’re dating so like. They’re trying to keep their relationship on the DL.

But if I’m gonna dip deeper......

( way deeper. This is another one of those Long One’s, lol )

I think....if Alador and Odalia catch wind of their daughters dating people they don’t approve of, there would be hell to pay. Like, all of them being grounded until further notice and that means escorts to and from school, no friends, no extra curricular activities, nothing but school and home. Not even their “approved friends” are able to communicate with them because their scrolls would be confiscated. Tutors (babysitters) while they do homework and further studying on weekends. No contact with the outside world. And if they even try to speak with anyone at school? They’ll all be pulled from Hexside and be homeschooled from then on.

All the while they’ll be using their connections to have Viney, Willow and Luz expelled, permanently. They may not have too much sway over these delinquents’ lives, but they’re going to make sure they’ll never be able to advance in society. And then they find out that this “Luz” is the Human that dared go against Emperor Belos? I can’t even begin to imagine the hell they’d bring down on them all.

So yeah, there’s a lot of disaster scenarios like that that haunt the Blight girls and ensure that they’ll never tell their parents of their relationships and will keep most displays of affection away from the rats that would somehow get the word back to them. At first it might hurt Luz and Viney to not be able to be affectionate, but Willow 100% understands. She already has that history looming over her in her memory. Viney and Luz will often use the Secret Room of Shortcuts in order to just hang out with their respective girls between breaks when they can.

I genuinely don’t know how the timeline of events will play out in the show in regards to Belos and the portal. It could take just days, weeks, months??? Years???? Before he’s taken down accordingly and a new portal is made.

Regardless, I like to think that in that time though, the moment the twins turn 18, they leave and they take Amity with them. They’re not just going to sit idly by anymore. Whether that means revoking their family name by some intensive ritual or just fleeing and using whatever money they took with them to find an apartment somewhere, they need to get out from under their parents’ thumb. As soon as they’ve established new lives for themselves, they are as open with their relationships as they want. They might even be a little over-eager, what with Amity kissing her girlfriends for probably too long at school in front of everyone, or Emira actively distracting Viney from her work while on the clock.

By the time we get to the point where they’re trying to re-enter their children’s lives, it’s stiff and awkward at best and like bulls butting heads at worst. The Blights are using any method they can to bring their children back home, whether it’s promises of extra freedom or putting in a good word to their coven of choice; even sending them extravagant gifts that none of them want. This maybe goes on for about a year before the twins and Amity agree to meet with their former parents. They bring their respective partners with them too; not as back up or anything, but mostly as moral support and as a giant middle finger to their parents.

Alador and Odalia don’t hold back their disdain. For their children’s’ foolishness, for their childish behavior thats ruffled so many feathers within the Emperor’s coven, for the damage they’ve all done to the Blight name; and for their daughters’ choices in partners.

They could take all of the other nonsense their parents were spouting, but being so outwardly hostile to their respective partners??? That causes Emira to nearly turn the entire Blight Manor upside down and Amity to summon an abomination large enough to chuck the manor into the Boiling Sea with her parents inside. Edric manages (somehow) to keep them both sane long enough to continue their conversation, at which point I think the Blights simply write off their girls’ anger as petty childishness.

And that. Is what sets off Luz, Willow and Viney. They absolutely go off on the Blights and just tear them both a new one. I think it’s been a long time since the Blights actually feared anyone besides the Emperor, but in that meeting, they feared these teenagers who seemed to radiate more power than they’d ever been witness to before. I think Emira and Amity are both shocked but Edric just gets comfortable and summons some popcorn to watch the show because finally, someone is telling off these miserable witches they used to call their parents.

They don’t meet with their parents again for a few more years after that encounter. I think Emira and Viney maybe break up once for a week before getting back together due to a misunderstanding, but Amity couldn’t possibly be happier with her life as it goes on, free from her parents and being able to be with her girls as she wants.

Over the course of the following years, they all still receive correspondence from their parents. On every birthday, they send a sum of money and a simple greeting. Every holiday season is the exact same. I think Luz is the only one to actually reach out to Alador and Odalia. I think she sends them a photo of their most recent holiday get together; where everyone is smiling or laughing or making messes or whatever. The exact opposite of every holiday held at the Blight Manor. They see each of their children, smiling and looking truly happy. And on the back, Luz maybe writes something about wanting to speak to them. Alone. Not with Amity or Willow, not with Emira or Viney, not with Edric, no one else. Just Luz and the Blights. They agree.

When Luz meets with them, it’s tense. They’re all quiet and stiff and still have an aura of hatred hanging between them. But Luz clears her throat and informs them that she’s planning on proposing to Amity and Willow. She’s still not sure when, or how, but it’s something she’s planning. She also informs them that if they don’t want to miss another wedding, they’d better clean their acts up and fast. And she just hands them a small scrapbook full of pictures of Emira and Viney’s wedding. They hadn’t even known it had happened. They weren’t informed, let alone invited, and Luz was granting them possibly the only chance they’ll ever have again at being in their children’s lives. Luz lets them know to reach out to her if they decide they want to be in their kids’ lives again and leaves them with the scrapbook.

When they do reach out, Luz shows up at Blight Manor with three others in tow: Eda and Lilith Clawthorne and Camila Noceda. They are three different kinds of pissed and the Blights have the good sense to just be good hosts and invite them in with little fanfare or argument. They all settle in with cups of tea and I think Lilith goes first; she tells them about how she’s had the opportunity to watch Amity grow up, even more so after she abandoned the Emperor’s coven. Over time she still acted as something of a mentor, but also as a parental figure when she or the twins needed her to be. She was honored to officiate Emira and Viney’s wedding. She’s grateful to be part of their lives because she’s been a witness to their incredible achievements. She really digs the knife in deeper when she tells them that Emira and Viney are considering having kids but Emira’s been especially hesitant due to fears that she’ll somehow end up like her parents.

Eda goes next, not even having touched her tea, just sitting with her legs and arms crossed and glaring at them in the most severe way. She tells them about the various sleepovers she’s hosted over the years. How at least half of those sleepovers found Eda talking outside with at least one Blight child if not all of them in the middle of the night.

She tells them she got herself a scroll for the first time ever because she knew those kids needed an adult figure that wouldn’t reprimand them for existing. They needed an adult figure to go to for comfort and guidance, someone that could reassure them that their best is more than enough. They don’t need to work themselves into the ground for a scrap of approval or force themselves into the rigid mold their parents made for them.

She tells them she’s seen more tears from the Blight kids than she’s ever seen from any other kind of creature. Not even Luz cried as often as they did, and she’s a giant softy (Luz lets out an indignant “hey!” At that and pouts). She tells them that she, Edalyn Clawthorne, the Boiling Isles Most Wanted, has provided more warmth and comfort for their kids in the time she’s known them than they [the Blight Parents] had in their lives.

Eda hasn’t had magic for years. But everyone knew how powerful she once was. They had all gone to school together too, of course they remember her and the trouble she caused. She lets them know that if she even had an ounce of the magic she once had, she would use it to decimate the Blight parents in every way possible for causing so much harm to three bright, talented, loving children that have grown into some of the most powerful witches the Boiling Isles has to offer. She also lets them know that before they even consider being part of those kids’ lives again, they have a lot of shit to work on and sort out. Because if they don’t? It doesn’t matter whether or not Eda has magic. She will decimate them.

Finally Camila sets her empty tea cup down and levels them with the most venomous stare she can. She’s the only one of Luz’s guests that’s actually also a biological mother. If she could, she’d probably go Super Saiyan with the sheer power she’s exuding with this stare. The Blights actually flinch which causes Lilith to have to hide a chuckle (she’s been on the receiving end of that rage before and she’s excited to see it unleashed on them).

She just starts tearing into them like her life depends on it. She doesn’t hold back in the slightest. She admonishes them for holding their social status at a higher priority than the safety and happiness of their own children. Her criticisms and curses are all laid out with razor precision. The longer she goes on, the more the Blights shrink in on themselves. Alador definitely starts crying at one point but refuses to wipe his tears away because he knows there’ll just be more anyway. The Clawthornes are shocked at seeing him cry, throughout their time at Hexside and while Lilith worked with the Blights in the Emperor’s coven, they’d never seen Alador express an emotion beyond irritation. Odalia also has tears in her eyes but she refuses to let them fall. Her face is bright red in shame though, it just grows steadily more red as Camila goes on. (Luz idly notes that that must be where Amity and the twins get their blushing genes from. She also notes that Odalia looks remarkably like Amity and wonders if that’s what Amity will look like when they’re that age. Her heart flutters a little at the concept of being with Amity for the rest of their lives, but she tampers down the runaway thoughts to refocus on her mom’s tirade).

By the time Camila’s done with them, Alador and Odalia are hiding their faces in shame. Alador’s trying to stifle his crying to the best of his ability cuz his breaths are turning ragged from how much emotion he’s experiencing. Odalia is desperately trying to wipe her tears away without ruining her makeup, but she’s also quietly sniffling and hiccuping. Camila sits back with a satisfied huff and Luz pats her shoulder (as a thank you? As a good job? As a ‘tag me in it’s my turn’? Who can say).

After letting the Blights collect themselves, Luz clears her throat to get their attention. She struggles for a moment to figure out the best way to say it, but ends up setting her jaw firmly and just blurting it out: she asks for their blessing for her to marry Amity.

After a moment of shocked silence, Luz’s courage starts to crumble a little and she begins to explain herself; she knows that Amity doesn’t value their opinion. She hasn’t for years now. Luz also doesn’t value their opinion. But if she’s going to such lengths to try and give one of the loves of her life her parents back? She may as well start off with a show of respect.

Odalia is the one that gets up from where she’s sitting and quietly approaches Luz. Eda and Lilith are about ready to throw hands if need be and Camilia starts to put her arm in front of Luz, but Luz stands up to meet her. Odalia gently takes Luz’s hands (she also notes that her hands are just as tiny and soft as Amity’s) and brings both of their hands up to about chest level. She has to clear her voice before she speaks; her throat became tight with the tears and hiccuping she was trying to hold back.

Odalia takes one hand to draw a large circle around their joined hands before clasping Luz’s hands again. She tells Luz that she absolutely has their blessing, and vows to do whatever she needs to to atone for the cruelty she put her children through. And so the Everlasting Oath is sealed.

Alador also stands up and does the same in a tear-strained voice. After his oath has been sealed, he places his hands on Luz’s shoulders and thanks her for being so damn stubborn.

They promise that they’ll be in touch with Luz again soon, but they need to talk to one another first and really sort everything out. Luz gives them a small smile and confirms that she’ll be waiting to hear from them as the Clawthornes/Nocedas stand up to leave. Before they leave, Odalia gently places a hand on Camila’s shoulder and asks her quietly if she could maybe come to her for advice on how to approach their children when they’ve figured themselves out. Camila stares at her for a moment before giving her a smile and nodding. She doesn’t have a scroll or anything, so she tells her to just reach out to Luz when they’re ready to talk. Odalia just nods and the Blights watch as their guests leave.

I think it particularly strikes Alador how casually Eda ruffles Luz’s hair and pulls her in for a side hug, loudly telling her how proud she is of her for pulling such a bold move. It dawns on him that he used to do that to Edric when he was still smaller than his own knee. It may have been after the first spell Edric ever successfully cast. Odalia sees Camila scoop Luz into her arms and plant a giant kiss to a her head, probably also praising Luz. They watch as Luz puts her arms around Eda and Camila’s shoulders as they leave the Blight estate and Alador closes the door before he starts crying again.

I think that’s the first time in years the Alador and Odalia really hug each other properly. Not to pose for a picture, not just a quick greeting as they pass each other in the halls of the Emperor’s coven, but like. For comfort. I don’t think they really realized how big and cold and empty their manor is until that moment.

I think it takes several months for them to get their acts together. They seek out a family counselor, they have weekly tea with Camila, they dust off the parenting books that have been untouched on the shelves in their library for decades. They look into Viney’s family and find out that she and Emira have started their own service beast program. The general air of grief and undertone of determination is interrupted by a moment of sheer pride at knowing their eldest daughter not only found someone she loves, but has taken the risk of starting her own business with her wife that’s a genuine service to the Boiling Isles. They make a few duplicates of the newspaper article they found announcing the grand opening of the first Service Beast Training Center and Shelter on the Boiling Isles and have it framed in different places; there’s one on the desk in their study, there’s another on their wall in their bedroom; they each have their own copy at their desks at work.

No joke, it’s taken Luz months to convince Emira and Viney that Em’s parents are trying to change. Emira has absolutely 0 faith in her parents being able to turn over a new leaf. It’s not until they hear Camila say that she’s surprised at the Blight’s improvement after their last tea meeting that they even consider that they actually are trying to change.

Luz coordinates a day and time for them to all meet once Emira and Viney agree to do so. I think they meet at a park somewhere, maybe a particularly nice public garden (maybe it’s Willow’s). Emira’s never seen her parents look so nervous before and that already sparks some hope in her heart that all of Luz’s efforts might not be naught. I think Odalia tries to reach out to hug Emira but like, actually flinches when Emira steps back. So instead they sit at one of the secluded garden tables and just talk.

Alador and Odalia apologize in as much depth as they can. Emira just sits and lets them say everything they want to say. Once they’re done with everything they can think of, they just sit in silence for a minute while Emira processes everything they’ve said. It’s not until Viney squeezes her hand that Emira finally starts crying. She wants to be angry, she is angry, but her entire heart feels like a full-grown griffon just stood up from where it was sitting and flew away. Her heart feels so much lighter. She stands up and moves to her parents and they stand and embrace her tightly for a while. Viney also feels like a huge weight has been lifted just watching the exchange. Maybe she also cries a little bit because she’s so happy to see her wife so happy. (And she maybe ignores the sound of a high five happening in the distance; she’s like, 90% sure Luz is there with someone else spying on them to make sure the meeting goes well).

All the Blights have full-on waterworks going on because they each individually realize this is the first time they’ve expressed their love for each other in probably more than a decade. Long before Emira and Edric took Amity and left. Viney maybe also hears a muffled sniffle and when she turns around to see, yup, there’s Luz, and she’s definitely crying into Willow’s shoulder. Viney rolls her eyes. Luz is such a sap. That’s probably why they all love her so much. She brings out the sap in all of them too.

After the Blights finally calm down, Alador and Odalia have an entire separate list of things to apologize to Viney for, which takes her off guard. She maybe expected an apology for the last time she saw them in person, but they went waaaay deeper than just that. And then they don’t stop at the apologies? They start thanking her for all sorts of stuff. Like loving Emira and being there for her when they weren’t. For helping her grow into the incredible person she’s become. They also congratulate them on their Service Beast Shelter and ask if maybe eventually they’d be allowed to visit and see them in their element. That’s when Viney’s face finally splits into a wide grin and she joins the big family hug they’ve got going on.

Lmao so yeah, long story short, it takes them a long-ass time, but eventually the Blights learn to love Viney 💖💖💖

#prinxly inquiries #wam-hope #the owl house #vinera #vinira #Alador Blight #Odalia Blight #Emira Blight #toh viney #Luz Noceda #camilia noceda #camila noceda #edalyn clawthorne #lilith clawthorne #spoiler alert: all blights are big babies #long post #should i come up with a headcanon tag???#probably if you guys keep sending me asks lmao

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soyforramen · 4 years

Text

Daffodils and Hyacinths

Or that Beronica Flower Shop/Tattoo Shop AU no one asked for. (Cross posted on Ao3)

The second to last thing Veronica expected when she moved to the sleepy town of Riverdale was for the shop owner across the street to show up with homemade cookies. It was such a quaint and nostalgic image that she had to suppress a laugh least she offend the women. Instead she thanked her and wrote the whole incident off. Even if they were neighbors of a sort that didn’t mean they’d ever mean anything to each other. In New York Veronica hadn’t been able to name a single one of her neighbors. Why should this town be any different?

It only took a few glasses of wine after the local town meeting, and Veronica found herself leading Betty through the flower shop. Her neighbor’s quirky arrival last week with a basket of cookies, initially seen as a power play to prove to the town how kind and benevolent Betty was, had turned into a tense sort of friendship. Veronica was cool every time Betty had made a point of waving good afternoon. And the few times they’d run into each other at the only grocer in town, Betty had made a genuine effort in asking how Veronica was adjusting to life in the small town.

Veronica, a consummate city girl, did her best to rebuff Betty’s attempts at friendship - an indifference borne largely to bearing the Lodge name for so long - but it didn’t take much for her resolve to break down. Betty, it turned out, was one of the rarest people in the world - someone who didn’t try to act like someone they weren’t.

And thus an odd friendship was struck up, one that was set in stone tonight as they both stood against the ridiculous zoning ordinances balefully aimed at the lower income neighborhoods in this ticky-tacky town.

Both bemoaned the tragedy of white gentrification afterwards between shots of tequila and three bottles of wine. Unwilling for the night to end, Veronica asked Betty to join her at the flower shop. A simple, innocent question that nonetheless brought a pretty rose blush to her cheeks that climbed downward through the night.

They raced through the shadows of the shop, hands clasped together like narcissus and chinodoxa blooms in spring. Giggling at the strange shapes the grow lights cast along the walls, Veronica lead her to the office door.

“I keep a bottle of rum in my desk,” she said breathlessly. As she stepped through the door, her fingers automatically reached towards the leaves of her own personal plants. “My grandmother’s secret recipe.”

“So much color,” Betty murmured. She slipped off her jacket and set it on a chair as the hothouse humidity took its toll. “I never realized orchids came in so many different colors.”

“One for each of my exes,” Veronica said as she pulled out the bottle of rum. She gazed lovingly at each and set two shot glasses on the desk. “They love the grow lamps.”

She held out a shot glass and felt a tremor when Betty’s fingers grazed hers. Veronica watched as Betty threw back the shot, the muscles in her long throat working against the sharp flavor.

“What is that?”

“Cardamom,” Veronica said as she sat on the corner of her desk. She sipped at her own rum and let the flavor roll around her tongue.

“Why flowers?” Betty asked as she reached for the rum bottle.

The question made Veronica pause. It was a question she’d never been asked; a question she’d never thought to ask herself. After all, flowers were one of the few ways her mother showed genuine affection. Perhaps it was even how she showed love. Almost before she could walk, Veronica knew that flowers meant different things. Lilies for purity; blood red poppies for refusal. Lavender for admiration; buttercups for childish ingratitude. Veronica had been around flowers and plants her entire life, reading their meanings was as easy as breathing. The thought that she could ever live without them was anathema.

The language of flowers was the one gift from her mother that really had any meaning in the long run. It was a practice that Veronica had lost herself in many times, one that no one seemed to understand.

But to tell Betty all of that, to open up to that kind of vulnerability? As much as she might like her, as much as she might trust her, Veronica was not ready for that sort of confession.

“Why tattoo’s?” came her response.

Betty chewed on her lip and stared with unfocused eyes at the long-out-of-season Bird of Paradise - Veronica’s daily reminder that she was in this tiny town because she valued her freedom above all else. At first, Veronica wondered if she’d committed a faux pas; perhaps she wasn’t the only one who had trust issues. But after a while, she came to realize that Betty was also weighing how honest, how vulnerable she wanted to be.

“I like the pain,” Betty finally admitted.

She gazed at Veronica, already defensive against any sort of judgment or condemnation. When Betty didn’t find it, she continued, her voice relieved.

“I was always the good kid. My sister was wild, and when she ran away the whole family fell apart. Dad moved away, Mom joined a cult. My brother went to live halfway across the country. In less than a year I lost my whole family, and I was just so angry. Both my parents hated tattoos; they said they were trashy and vulgar. So…”

Betty tugged at the neck of her sweater, and Veronica eyed the soft skin. In soft, looping script along Betty’s collarbone read, “my life is my own.”

“My senior year of high school I lived with the one person who meant the world to me. But he’d gotten into Yale and I hadn’t, so we got matching tattoo’s.” Her fingers caressed the space over her heart, and Veronica longed to know what lay under all those layers. It was one more puzzle piece to the enigma that was Betty Cooper. But just as Veronica had her secrets to keep, so, too, did Betty.

“After that, it just became an addiction. The steady pain of the needle, the infusion of ink.” Betty rolled up her sleeve and set her arm on Veronica’s lap. Veronica traced the delicate lines along the snow globe that depicted the sleepy town. From the town square to Pop’s Diner, it seemed the only thing missing was Betty’s own tattoo parlor.

“My grandfather helped build Riverdale, and when he passed my mother gave away everything to the cult. So I got this instead of his snow globe collection,” Betty said, sadness etched in her eyes. She laughed despite it. “You can only imagine how my mother took it when I showed up to his funeral in a sleeveless dress.”

Veronica’s lips quirked into a smile, her fingers dancing across Betty’s skin. Carefully, Veronica raised Betty’s tattooed arm to her lips and pressed her lips against the skin of her wrist. The faint aroma of rosewater greeted her. When she glanced up, Betty drew a sharp breath, but that rose pink flush at the base of her neck was back. Encouraged, Veronica leaned forward to press a kiss along Betty’s collarbone, then another at the base of her neck.

Betty pulled away, only to meet Veronica’s lips with her own.

Riding a wave of romanticism - one that had started with a hothouse tryst a few weeks ago and seemingly had no end in sight - Veronica picked up dinner from the only decent restaurant in town. She knew Betty’s schedule was tight, but fifteen minutes together was enough to make her day. Besides, Veronica had become accustomed to idling in the tattoo shop while Betty worked, the soothing pastels and new art calm enough to make Veronica forget about the barrage of legal notices in her mail box. And if that wasn’t enough, Betty always kept a stash of rotating pulp mysteries beneath the register.

But when she walked into the shop, Veronica’s stomach dropped. A pink-haired woman sat far too close to Betty to be anything but a customer. She leaned forward to whisper something, and Betty let out a peal of laughter. Veronica set the food down and watched, irritation rising climbing like ivy in her throat.

When the woman finally left, Veronica made her way over to Betty’s station as casually as she could manage. She knew she was being unreasonable; after all, Betty was allowed to have friends Veronica didn’t know about. It wasn’t as if they were dating.

“Who was that?” Veronica asked, her eyes locked on a photo of the old Riverdale rail station.

“An old friend,” Betty said. She wiped down the station, seemingly unaware of Veronica’s frustration. “I think you’d like Toni, you two are a lot alike.”

That turn of phrase sparked a fuse and Veronica couldn’t help but grip the pearls at her throat. Despite the innocent, entirely plausible explanation - and Veronica’s bone deep conviction that Betty wasn’t that kind of person - the afterimage sat at the forefront of her mind. The pair were too casual, too close emotionally, for Veronica’s demons not to flare up.

“What’s up?” Betty prompted. “I thought we were going to meet at the Wyrm later tonight.”

Veronica shrugged, still playing at nonchalance, and walked towards the waiting area. She picked up a magazine and flipped through the pages to keep her hands still. On every page, Toni’s smiling face, inches from Betty’s, stared back at her. They’d been dating a few weeks, and yet Veronica had never felt that sort of closeness with Betty.

It was the realization that Veronica wanted that sort of connection was frightening. She was a Lodge, after all, and love was never an option. Not unless it came with strings and attachments, political and social gains otherwise closed off to her family. As a Lodge, hers was a morbid, skeptical view of love. And how could it not be, after all the role models she’d had in her life?

And yet, what she had with Betty felt more solid, more real. It was a mutually beneficial relationship where Betty expected nothing more than a little of Veronica’s time.

“I closed up early,” Veronica finally said. She dropped the magazine on the table and forced as much carelessness into her voice as she could manage. “I thought we might eat in tonight. I didn’t realize you had company.”

Betty grimaced - apparently Veronica’s attempt at nonchalance had fallen flatter than a late May rain garden. A pang of guilt went through Veronica; yet she couldn’t help but twist the knife. It was the only other hobby her mother had shared with her.

“V, you know I’m booked solid -“

Veronica waved her off and pulled on her jacket. “It’s fine. I’ve got things to take care of. Enjoy dinner.”

She stormed out of the door, ignoring Betty’s call. Something broke against the wall and Veronica forced herself to keep moving.

Whatever this was had taken root deep within her very cells, but a few days in New York would be more than enough to uproot it.

It had taken a week before Betty showed up in the flower shop. The look on her face told Veronica not to try and pretend they weren’t anything more than neighbors. Despite Veronica’s refusal to take any texts, calls, or dms from Betty, it seemed the stubborn blonde worked on an entirely different plane.

“What’s going on?” Betty asked, ignoring the customer Veronica was helping.

Veronica finished setting the baby’s breath among the white roses - a strange, uninspiring choice for a get well bouquet - before acknowledging her, a move that only served to irritate Betty further.

Thankfully, Betty waited until they were alone to round on her.

“Why have you been ignoring me?”

Veronica lifted a shoulder in a half-hearted shrug. A coy move, meant to signify her own feigned indifference. Betty crossed her arms and fixed her with a stare.

With a sigh, Veronica said, “I don’t know.”

“Seriously?”

“Look, this isn’t easy for me,” Veronica snapped. She picked at the left over cuttings. Idly she arranged and rearranged them into strange shapes that seemed to reflect her own indecision. “I’ve never had… I’ve never …”

Somehow, despite all her own musings on the subject, the words about why Betty affected her so much wouldn’t come.

“Who was she?”

Betty quirked an eyebrow. “Who?”

“That woman with the pink hair.”

“Is that what this is about?” Betty sighed and walked towards a nearby plant stand that held a range of hyacinths. Her hand grazed over the yellow petals as she regarded Veronica. “Toni and I grew up together. Now she’s engaged to my cousin.”

The air went out of the room and Veronica sagged against the table. She felt as foolish, as silly as she knew she was being.

“Oh.”

“Veronica,” Betty began, her hands still grasping the flowers, “if we’re going to make this work -“

The world shifted, and suddenly all Veronica could see and hear was Betty. It couldn’t possibly be this simple. It never was. Betty was after something, and now that Veronica had misstepped it would finally come to light.

“-you have to talk to me about these things. I don’t want to lose you over something as stupid as jealously.”

“That’s it?”

Betty gave her a sharp, bewildered look that sent waves of guilt through Veronica. Veronica dropped her eyes to the cuttings in front of her. It was strange, truly, how much she wanted Betty to understand. They both came with familial baggage; the only question was whether that baggage would match in the long run.

“I’m sorry,” Veronica said with a wince. “It’s just… everyone’s always had these … expectations of me. There was always something they wanted. Comes with my father’s legacy I suppose,” she scoffed.

When she looked up, she was startled to find Betty standing in front of her. With a gentle smile, Betty took up Veronica’s hands in hers.

“The only thing I want from you is a little of your time,” Betty said. With a sly grin, she added, “And maybe that yellow flower over there.”

Veronica huffed out a laugh. “The hyacinth?”

Betty nodded.

“No, not that one,” Veronica said. She slipped her hands from Betty’s and walked to the far aisle. It was easy to know what she was looking for, even though she knew the meaning would be lost.

When she set the plant in front of Betty, Veronica’s heart fluttered at her smile.

“It’s gorgeous,” Betty murmured. Her fingers toyed with the long yellow leaves. “A daffodil, right?”

Veronica nodded.

“What does it mean?” Betty asked.

“New beginnings.” Veronica bit her lip, oddly shy. “And forgiveness.”

Betty grinned and leaned over the counter to press a kiss to Veronica’s forehead. “You won’t always be able to buy me off with flowers. And you promise to talk these things through with me in the future.”

“I promise, so long as you give me a chance.”

Late one evening, as the neon lights cast a blue and red glow across Betty’s bare skin, Veronica lay her head on Betty’s chest, her breath heavy and her skin still flush with sweat. The sound of her heartbeat lulled Veronica into a meditative state as a contented drowsiness began to take hold.

“I’ve got issues,” Veronica breathed. Her confession, honest and vulnerable, slipped out of her without a second thought.

Betty’s chuckle was laced with sleep. She wrapped an arm around Veronica’s shoulder, her long fingers tracing patterns along the skin. “We all have issues V.”

Veronica raised up on her elbows. Betty’s hair fanned out around her, a pink halo in the neon light, with her eyes half closed in satiety.

“Give me yours, then,” Veronica said with a sudden protectiveness.

“Only if you give me yours,” came the swift reply.

Veronica held up her pink, and Betty grasped it with her own. Sealed with a kiss, Veronica settled back against Betty for the long haul.

#beronica #oh look i finished it

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hetacakes · 5 years

Text

clink.

terushima yuuji x fem! reader

in which reader is the cute, shy nerd of johzenji high that terushima has for some reason set his eyes on. she lets him in on a little secret of hers, and the two make a bet, deciding the fate of their possible relationship

or alternatively, reader is cute but secretly is a little shit and terushima is head over heels for the duality

i wrote a proper one shot for once (even though it's super self-indulgent) and not a half-assed drabble, yay!

warning for cussing

word count: 4,971

Terushima really, really liked his tongue piercing. Hell, he loved it, because it a: made people flirt with him more, and b: made people kiss him more. The number of times people have told him his piercing makes them want to jump him couldn't be counted on his fingers, or his teammates' fingers, or the fingers on his whole team combined, which Terushima was very proud of and appreciated, thank you very much.

That being said, he did have one question.

"What does it feel like?"

If there was a school with the most cliche stereotypes in its student body, it was Johzenji. The student athletes were the volleyball team, the popular kids were the basketball team, and every school has their self-proclaimed outcasts, with their limited freedom to be anti conformist due to the school dress code.

And of course, there were the smart, always a pleasure to have in class students: top of their classes, and focused only on their studies.

Lucky for you, you were one of the quiet, bookworm types, unsuspecting and safely away from any spotlight of attention, whereas others are accurately named "teacher's pet". More often than not, you were curled in the corner of the library or classroom, books open in front of you as you wrote neat, organized notes, color coded and highlighted. Yeah, people labeled you as a nerd most of the time, but if being a nerd meant actually having a normal high school life without the added stress of drama, which then made it easier for you to stay on top of your school work, which then would help you get into a good university, and then have a smooth ride from there on out, then whatever, guess you're a nerd now. Plus, it made your parents really proud of you and gave them bragging material to other parents, so if you really needed drama, your parents always knew what gossip floated around.

Terushima doesn't know why he even bothers. She isn't even his type! Though he doesn't exactly have a type that's more specific than hot, pretty girl. Yet there he was, stepping into his classroom, making a beeline for the desk in the corner. Others find it surprising that he was in the "nerd class", but Terushima knew that he was smarter than most, and wasn't some mindless idiot who knew nothing more than girls and their right hand. But that was a secret he kept to himself, because he liked having that trick up his sleeve, so when other students watched curiously as he walked into one of the top classrooms, he shrugged it off, telling them he wasn't sure why he was there, too.

You saw him approach from the corner of your eye, and inwardly sigh. Trying your best to focus on reading the notes in front of you and preparing for the history test you had in less than fifteen minutes, a shadow appeared over your notebook as an arm draped over the back of your chair.

"No book today?" a husky voice whispers directly into your ear, which would've gotten a reaction out of you if you were in a better mood.

"I don't need to take notes from a book if I already have notes, obviously," you said without looking up from your review, avoiding giving Terushima a satisfying amount of your attention. It was tiring, honestly. All you did was mind your business and study! You never stood out, and most people forget you even exist, at least until they need to copy notes they conveniently forgot to do themselves, to which you always said no. You did nothing to gain his, or anyone's attention, yet there he was, resting his cheek on your shoulder and turning to speak, his breath ghosting over your ear. His persistence was starting to get on your nerves, and you couldn't afford to get distracted from your education with him. You had to figure out a way to scare him off, fast.

"Aw come on baby, can't you at least let me see your pretty face?" He twirled a lock of your hair around his finger, trying and failing to get any sort of sign that you were even listening to him. Every other girl he flirted with fell for it, so why was it so addicting to him that you never did? Why is he trying so hard for you, why is he so pulled to you? To him, this was as real as soulmates could get without an actual red string manifesting in front of his eyes.

As usual, you ignored him. Just as he opened his mouth to sweet talk some more, the bell rang, telling him to get over to his seat or face the consequences.

"I'll see you later, baby." He straightened, sending a wink in your direction.

While most students filed out of the classroom, ready to either get home or attend club activities, Terushima strolled to the side of the door once everyone left.

That is, everyone except you.

There you were, diligently jotting down something in your planner, slipping both your notebook and textbook into your backpack.

As you approached the door, he blocked your way, staring down at your shorter form with a charming smile on his face.

He took in your appearance, noting how your skirt wasn't short, but short enough to let his mind wander, showing him the exposed part of your legs between the hem of the skirt and the top of your socks, which came to your knees. The cream colored sweater you wore over your white blouse gave you a cute and innocent look, sweater paws included, and your olive jacket was tucked neatly over your arm, hanging by your side. He almost drooled at your oh-so-kissable lips, as pink as the ever present rosy liveliness on your cheeks. Your eyes stared up at him, like a kitten, in a way that made him want to coo, and had you not been glaring at him, he would've basked in the cuteness of your appearance, soft clothing and all.

"Please, just one kiss? Don't you want to feel my piercing for yourself?" he asked suggestively, smirking down at you.

"Not really. Do you?" You asked as you set your bag down on the nearest desktop.

He was taken aback by your response. "Well I- I mean- uh-"

You cut him off by tiptoeing, pressing your lips on his. Oh damn, they were soft as hell. Yeah, this is why he was so attracted to you. Yeah, he'd like to get your kisses way more often. He even almost forgot what you had just said.

As he licked your bottom lip for permission, he then realized what you meant.

Clink.

You pulled away, snickering at the confused look on his face. You pulled a childish face at him, pulling at your eye and sticking your tongue out at him, confirming his suspicions.

In the middle of your tongue sat a shiny silver bead, the twin to the one in his own mouth.

"Nobody's gonna believe you," you taunted, slinging your bag over your shoulder and walking out of the classroom as he stepped to the side distractedly, dumbfounded, obviously still processing what just happened.

Then it struck him.

Well, shit.

"I'm telling you man, she has a tongue piercing too!"

"Yeah, whatever dude. A girl like her? The most she's ever done is probably truth or dare in middle school, and she'd only pick truth!"

Terushima had to admit that he used to think the same of you, based on the way you wore mainly comfy sweaters and kept quiet, speaking softly and rarely. "Bobata, I'm serious. We kissed! I even saw it!" He insisted, yet as the words came out of his mouth, he himself didn't know if they were true or not. If it did happen, then you were right, nobody was believing him, not even himself.

"Dude, she probably doesn't even know how to kiss," Bobata laughed as he walked away, joining a two vs. two match.

Terushima had walked into volleyball practice after he got over what had just happened, though it still felt like some fever dream, and the coach and Hana had gotten mad at him for being fifteen minutes late, and he had to warm up by himself before he could play a match. He would've skipped it, but then they would've killed him for being so careless, and he didn't want to face their combined wrath again.

"Nah, that was a hella good kiss," Terushima whispered to himself, staring at the ball in his hands, "but was it real?".

"Can I have another? Please?"

You almost laughed at the way he was asking you, like a child asking his mom for another cookie or something. "I didn't give you anything," you said, tilting your head.

Terushima stared. "Yes you did! You gave me the best damn kiss I ever had!"

"I haven't even had my first kiss yet," you lied straight through your teeth, pretending to look surprised yet embarrassed.

"Nobody calls a kiss like that their first kiss."

"I really don't know what you're talking about. Now, stop bothering me." You flushed, proud of the fact that he basically called you one of the best kissers, but you played it off as being embarrassed that he was making a big deal out of your so called "first kiss", or rather, the lack thereof.

He could see the genuine innocence in your eyes, which frustrated him to no end. Either it was real, or he was on drugs. He hoped it was the former.

"Then explain your tongue piercing!"

"Tongue piercing? I would never get something as wild as that. I barely got ear piercings!" You looked scandalized, like a strict mother's embarrassing teenage years being exposed to Helen and all her kids at the PTA meeting.

"You have one! And how else would I know if you didn't kiss me!"

"Terushima, I really don't know what you're talking about, and frankly, I'm worried for you." You looked at him, concern in your eyes. "You're in this class with me because you're smart, and as far as I know, you're not flunking out. So why are you saying all this nonsense?"

Terushima didn't know how to feel. On one hand, he felt like preening, taking in your praise at his hidden intelligence, but on the other, he was frustrated that you kept calling the truth nonsense.

"Fine! If you don't have a piercing, show me."

"I'm not a child; I'm not going to stick my tongue out at you."

"If you don't, you're admitting defeat."

"Fine! If you insist," You relented, sticking your tongue out at him.

To his dismay, there was nothing there, no bead, no flash of something shiny.

He looked you in the eyes.

Well, shit.

"Am I tripping or did yesterday actually happen?"

"Of course yesterday happened, it was yesterday," you sighed, looking at Terushima, not in the mood for more of his antics. Once again, it was you and him in the empty classroom, the campus deserted. Just yesterday, your camera broke, and you turned it over in your hands before slipping it into your bag. So long, photography club.

"You know what I mean!"

An idea popped into your head. "If you mean this," you purred, lightly pushing on his chest with one hand until his back hit the wall. You used your other hand to pull him down by his blazer, placing your lips on his.

Clink.

"Then yes. Just in case you needed to ring a bell."

"You damn tease. Why are you doing this?" Terushima's eyes kept flitting to your lips. Who would've guessed that he was also into tongue piercings?

"At first, I wanted to drive you away by telling you something no one's gonna believe, so you'd go crazy or something. Now, I think I'm having a little bit of fun with it," you said, swiping your tongue across your bottom lip. Terushima watched as the silver bead flashed, reflecting the light coming from the windows.

"You put it back!"

"Of course I did, what's the point of getting a piercing just for it to close up? Now, Teru, how about we make a bet?" You stood on your tiptoes, whispering into his ear. There was no way he could've suppressed the shiver that ran down his back. Well fuck him, you were pushing his buttons in all the right ways, a stark contrast from the cold shoulder you've been giving him the past two weeks. Hell, he was loving it, fully pulled in by you and your addictive flirting.

"Depends on the bet," he whispered back into your ear, lightly kissing it. He held your waist in his hands, humming appreciatively at your sharp intake of air as he pulled you closer to him.

You backed down. "If you convince at least one person that I've got a tongue piercing, I'll do a favor for you, no questions asked." You wrapped your arms around his waist, resting your chin on his chest.

Oh god, Terushima was sure he ascended to a higher plane of existence. If his eyes were cameras, he would've taken a dozen pictures of you hugging him, staring up at him with those adorable kitten eyes, chin on his chest, his chest! He couldn't stop himself from cooing, "Awe, well when you're looking up at me like that, how can I say no?"

You smiled, amping up your cute factor as soon as you realized it was working in your favor. "Then if you win, I…?"

"You go out with me," Terushima said simply, to nobody's surprise.

"And if I win, you stop bothering me. Deal?"

"Deal." Both of you knew that if you won, Terushima wouldn't follow through with his penalty, but well, at least he'll make an effort.

"Seal it with a kiss?" He knew he sounded desperate, but honestly he was: desperate to kiss you again, to feel your lips on his, to hear the soft sound of your piercings meeting, to finally call you his.

You didn't answer, instead pulling him down again to give him a light peck on the lips.

"Bye!" You slipped your backpack over your shoulders, waving a hand in the air as you looked over your shoulder.

"Wait, not like that! I want a real one!" Terushima called, running out the door, watching as you walked away and out of sight.

Well, shit.

He saw you sitting a few tables away, chatting away with your friends around you. When you caught his eye, you stuck your tongue out at him, taunting him with the bead that only you, your friends, and him knew the existence of. He did the same, watching as the two of you started making faces at each other, each one worse than the last, like elementary school rivals.

"Bobata, when I tap your knee, you have to look where I'm looking, okay?" Terushima whispered, a plan to win the bet in his head.

Bobata looked at him weirdly, "Sure dude, whatever you say."

Grinning, Terushima stuck his tongue out more, making sure his piercing was as clear as day. When he saw you open your mouth to do the same, he quickly tapped Bobata's knee.

"Dude, I don't even know where you're looking. There's nothing there."

"What?" He exclaimed, watching helplessly as you turned around, piercing hidden yet again.

"There's just the back of some girl's head."

It was then that Terushima realized your friend sat across from you, effectively shielding you from prying eyes.

Eyes that would've sealed the deal for him, in his favor.

Terushima turned to Bobata, devastation clear on his face.

"You've got to be kidding me."

"Guys, why don't you just believe me?"

"Believe what?" Futamata looked at Terushima, confused.

"He's been going on and on about how the girl that sits in the corner all quiet has a tongue piercing. A tongue piercing! He's gone crazy," Bobata said, leaning back in his chair.

"It's true! I was gonna show you earlier but some girl was in the way!"

"Why would she have a tongue piercing in the first place, and why would you know?" Futamata asked.

"Because it's the only piercing nobody can see unless you show them, so she only told me about it because she knew nobody would believe me! Like you two right now!" Terushima exclaimed. "How often do you guys see my piercing everyday?"

"All the damn time," Futamata and Bobata said in unison.

"Okay, how often do you see it when I'm not going around showing it off?"

"Now that I think about it, I never see it during class the way I can always see your ear piercings," Bobata mused.

"That's because it's in his mouth," Futamata quipped, hiding his laugh behind his hand.

"Exactly! Hers is in her mouth too!" Terushima insisted.

"Why would she show you in particular, though?"

"'Cause I've been trying to get with her and she always rejected me and she got tired of it but now she's always flirting but nobody believes it and it drives me insane but I finally have a chance if I can just prove it to somebody!" Terushima ranted, exasperation setting in.

"Dude, you gotta realize how unbelievable your story sounds right now. You're basically saying Hermione Granger from Harry Potter had a tongue piercing," Futamata pointed out, Bobata nodding in agreement.

"Okay, but Hermione Granger was badass."

"Yeah, you're right," Futamata said. "But that's not the point! The thing is, all she does is study, take notes, pass classes, and get the highest grades! She's just so, ordinary. She seems so innocent and naive."

"Yeah, but so was Hermione until we found out she was cool as hell," Terushima said.

"Good point," Futamata added.

"Fine, fine. If I see it, I'll believe it, one hundred percent. Deal?" Bobata relented, watching as Futamata repeated after him.

"Deal."

Terushima leaned over the desk next to yours, looking down at you. He watched as you looked up at him, memories of yesterday flashing in his head.

"Can you watch me play volleyball?"

"What do you mean?" You asked, unsure of what he was asking of you. There were no games, and the Interhigh Prelims were already over, so what could you watch?

"After school. Sit and watch us during practice, you can even help Hana if you want," Terushima offered.

You looked at him skeptically. Something about his request felt off, like he had an ulterior motive, but you didn't know for sure, which is why you answered the way you did.

"Sure, I guess."

You stood outside the gym doors, shuffling your feet from side to side. Just ten minutes earlier, you were wrapping up some notes and flashcards you were using for an upcoming literature test as Terushima walked out the door, waving goodbye. Back then, you thought nothing of it, deciding to visit their practice after they were done. Now, you regretted that, because you had to open the doors alone, by yourself, and interrupt whatever they were doing.

Basically, you had to bring attention to yourself, which you hated in the first place, and knowing how chaotic the Johzenji volleyball team can be, you weren't sure you'd live to tell the tale.

Sighing, you braced yourself, placing a hand on the door handle.

Three.

Two.

One.

You pulled open the door, timidly peeking inside. As soon as the sound of the door opening echoed throughout the gym, the sounds of sneakers and bumps quieted. It was as if everything has paused, freeze frame. A ball in the air fell to the floor, bouncing away.

And the whole team was staring at you.

"Hey! You made it!" Terushima called out as his face lit up.

"Um, hello. Terushima told me to come and watch the practice," you explained softly, glancing around the gym.

"Oh, great! Come over here," their manager, who you recognized to be Hana, said, waving a hand at you. You dropped your bag by the door before making your way over.

"Hi, I'm Hana Misaki, the third year manager, and this is our coach, Anabata Takaaki," Hana introduced, motioning to the coach. He waved politely, saying, "Nice to meet you."

Someone tapped you on the shoulder, and as you turned around, you were met with the face of a girl, obviously a first year, looking down at the floor.

"I'm Ryuna Kuribayashi, and I'm the first year manager," she said, shyly looking up at you.

"Nice to meet you Ryuna," you said warmly before introducing yourself as well, watching as she gave you a gentle smile in response.

"So, what brings you here? Other than that idiot Terushima," Hana asked, throwing a glare towards Terushima's direction. As if he had super hearing, he turned around, pouting, just as one of his opponents, number eleven, sent a ball in the air, landing on his head.

You stifled a laugh as you overheard him complain loudly. "Nothing else, he just told me to come by, and since I had nothing to do, I had no reason to decline," you answered sheepishly, rubbing the back of your head.

"So you have no club activities?"

"Yeah, I was part of the photography club but my camera broke and I haven't had the time to either fix it or replace it, so I've basically just been a placeholder."

"Well, how about you become a manager for these bunch of crazy kids? Soon, you'd be the third year manager, and I'd really appreciate it if we continued having two managers, just in case they decide to tear Ryuna apart, since once their tournament is over, I'm leaving," Hana sighed, watching as Ryuna shrugged her shoulders. You looked at the team, playing two versus two matches, jumping and yelling like madmen, then back at Ryuna, who was watching fondly, albeit a bit worried.

"Yeah, okay. I can see why you can't trust them with one manager." You gestured at them with your head, just as Terushima jumped in the air, yelling his lungs out.

"Great! If you come here for a second I can give you a form to fill out, and- oh wait. Do you know anything about volleyball?" Hana asked. "It's just one of the things I'm supposed to ask you, since it's a volleyball club and all."

"Yeah, I played in middle school," you assured.

"Great! Here," Hana said, handing you a form. Fishing a pen out of her pocket, you took it gratefully before putting the paper against the wall, filling it out.

"Then that settles it! I'll call a break and tell them the news." Hana turned to the coach, waiting for him to finish correcting one of the teammates. She tapped him on the shoulder and asked for a time out. The coach blew the whistle, and Terushima called, "Alright!"

Once everyone had gotten water and a towel, Hana called for everyone's attention. "Everyone, this is (L/N) (Y/N)! She's a second year, but most of you know that because I hear a fly keeps buzzing around her." Hana sent a dirty look at Terushima, who put his hands up and stuck his tongue out, guilty as charged. "She's becoming our third manager to take my place once I leave," the team whined, obviously going to miss her, "so when next year comes around, we'll have a third year and second year manager. Since most of you will be graduating with (Y/N), when Ryuna is a third year, we may only need one manager, since she might be actually looking after a volleyball team, not a group of overgrown kids." The team protested, unknowingly proving even more so that they were a childish bunch. "Yeah, yeah, I'm just kidding. Everyone, welcome (Y/N)!"

"Welcome to the team!" The team chorused, jumping in the air, reminding you of a certain redhead you used to go to middle school with.

"Thank you," you said, bowing slightly.

"Alright, back to work!"

"So I heard you're becoming a manager? Why, you need to keep tabs on your man?" Terushima sidled up to you, towel around his neck, water bottle drained.

"No, I just feel bad for Ryuna having to deal with you all the time," you replied, looking over your shoulder at Ryuna handing out water bottles to the crowd of teammates around her, looking overwhelmed before Hana came and smacked them in the head.

"Well then, meet some of the team. Hey, Bobata! Futamata!" Terushima called to numbers 2 and 3.

"Hey, I'm Bobata Kazuma," number 2 said as he jogged over, tipping his head slightly.

"I'm Futamata Takeharu," number 3 introduced as well, nodding towards you.

"And I'm number one!" Terushima yelled proudly, with you looking unamused.

"So who's the captain? I bet it's Futamata, he seems better than you, Terushima," you said, trying to make fun of and get a reaction out of Terushima, and it worked.

"No! I'm the captain, number one!" Terushima insisted, pulling at his practice jersey.

"Fine, fine. Do you guys really only play two on two matches?" You asked, looking at the three of them. Damn, they towered over you. No wonder Ryuna was overwhelmed earlier, had you still been your little first year self, you too would've been intimidated.

"Yeah!" Bobata answered proudly, "It's what makes us the 'party team'."

"But volleyball is six on six…" you trailed off.

"Well yeah, but doing two on two makes it more competitive," Futamata pointed out.

"Yeah, but when game time comes around, you all will be running into each other, because two suddenly tripled." You rolled your eyes, already seeing them crash into each other like bumper cars.

"But when that happens, you'lll come and save us, right?" Terushima asked, looking at you with puppy eyes.

"I guess…" you grumbled, not wanting to indulge Terushima.

"Aw, c'mon! You'll help us with anything, right?" Bobata pulled the same act, dodging as Terushima tried to elbow him.

"Just say it! If you say it, we'll believe it!" Futamata added, catching on to something, something you were suspicious of.

"You're being awfully insistent," you looked at them dubiously, raising an eyebrow.

"Just say it! 'As your manager, I'll help you with anything'," Terushima said, speaking slowly. As he spoke, his piercing glinted in the gym's lighting, the sun already setting, unable to provide its sunlight.

"No, that's weird."

"Just do it!"

"No!"

"Please?" All three of them chorused.

"Fine! As your manager, I'll help you with anything," you relented, not noticing the incredulous look on Bobata's and Futamata's faces.

"Say it slower, just in case I heard wrong," Terushima suggested, looking at you evilly.

Seeing as you were in no position to refuse, you did so, "As your manager, I'll- oh." Your face fell as you realized why they made you repeat those exact words.

When you said 'I'll', your piercing was out in the open, exposed to two of Terushima's friends, who were looking at you with disbelief written across their faces. You mentally smacked yourself for overlooking the fact that when Terushima said it, his piercing was visible, too.

"I believe the bet has come to an end? And the winner is?..." Terushima said slyly, looking like that cat that caught the canary.

"You…" you mumbled, unwilling to admit it.

"What? I couldn't hear you."

"You!" You huffed, looking to the side.

"Wait, bet? I thought you were just trying to not go insane," Bobata said as Futamata agreed with him.

"You see, if I was able to prove she had such a piercing to at least one person, I'd be able to do this." He snaked an arm around your waist, pulling you into his side. "And you, Bobata, Futamata, make two people."

"So what did you win?" Futamata asked, not following.

"I won this one right here," Terushima replied happily, stepping to the side to hug you from behind.

"Everyone!" Terushima suddenly yelled, waiting for everyone's attention. "Meet my girl, (L/N) (Y/N)!" Terushima declared proudly, leaning back and lifting you up into the air from the waist, peeking over your side and snickering as you protested loudly.

"Hey! Put me-"

You were cut off by the team's wolf whistles and yells, their cries loud enough to be heard miles away as they all jumped in the air excitedly. Do they ever stop jumping? Even Hana and Ryuna were clapping, fond smiles on their faces.

Accepting your fate, you crossed your ankles, holding on to Terushima's arms for dear life.

"Thank god you're in good shape," you whispered, squeezing his bicep.

Terushima grinned. "Like it?"

"Love it," you rolled your eyes as he preened, hugging you even tighter, before putting you down.

"Guess I got my girl after all," Terushima said as those who overheard cheered softly for him.

"Yeah, yeah, it took you three weeks and a bet to get little old me."

"Yeah, but little old you tricked everyone by having a tongue piercing, so I wonder, what else are you hiding behind that innocent façade?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," you said, crossing your arms and petulantly looking to the side.

"Well, can little miss innocent give me the hottest kiss of my life?" He said mischievously, eyes sparkling at you.

"Whatever you say, mister handsome-as-hell," you smiled, leaning up as he bent down, your lips meeting in the middle.

If it was even possible, the team got louder, and even the managers were whooping for you, relieved that you finally got together and happy because you two made a really cute couple.

Terushima smiled into the kiss, wrapping his arms around you and pulling you even closer.

Clink.

#haikyuu fanfiction #haikyuu #haikyuu!!#haikyū!!#haikyuu terushima #haikyuu oneshot #haikyuu fic #haikyuu x reader #yūji terushima #terushima yuuji #terushima yuuji x reader #johzenji #mention of hinata lol #my sweet baby #basically piercing shenanigans #reader is truly a little shit #my writing

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aspoonofsugar · 4 years

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The Choice of Steins;Gate: It Has No Meaning, but It Is Meaningful

Hello anon!

Sorry for the wait!

First of all, I am sorry because when you asked the first time I had still to watch the series, but right now it has been a while since I watched it and it is not so fresh in my memory. In short, I loved it, but I am sure I will miss many details in this analysis and I am sorry because you even went out of your way to ask twice. Anyway, thank you for your very nice words! <3<3<3<3 I’ll do my best.

The prologue puts emphasis on two things.

a) First of all, the dychotomy “finite”/”infinite” is highlighted.

b) Secondly, the ideas of “beginning” and ”end” come up.

What is more, point a) and b) appear linked. As a matter of fact the universe is said to be infinite because it has no end, whereas the stars are said to be finite because they meet an end of their own making.

What is the meaning of this prologue?

At first glance, the answer seems clear. Time is infinite because it has a beginning, but no end, like the universe. Human individual lives are instead finite because they have an end, exactly like the stars.

About this, let’s highlight that within the series the stars are linked to the idea of humans and of death:

Mayuri’s Stardusk Handshake is a gesture she does to communicate with her dead grandmother and when they were little Okarin was scared she might disappear as well when he sees her do it. His fear was of her leaving and joining the stars.

In short, it seems as if the first lines of the series are comparing and contrasting the finitude of humans with the infinity and the possibilities of time. This fits with the concept explored by the series as a whole aka the possibility of manipulating time and the chances opened by it.

Is it possible to control time, so that every wish can be granted? Or even in that case there are limits? And if so, which limits? Is it necessary to accept that life is finite or could it be infinite? In which way?

These are the main questions explored by the story and the answers are not as straight-forward as they might initially seem.

At the same time, these answers are articulated also thanks to two secondary themes, which are present in the story.

1) How time influences relationships.

2) The dychotomy between chaos and order.

This analysis will try to explore all these topics the story touches.

D-MAILS TO REACH A BETTER PRESENT: MAYURI AND THE PAST

When the characters realize they can send information to their past selves, they immediately try to change the past to have a better present. In other words, their thoughts are about how they can use the new technology to fix past mistakes and tragedies.

This is made clear when it comes to Suzuha, Faris and Rukako’s stories. All three girls have their past changed, so that they can have happy experiences in the present. In particular, Rukako makes so that she can be born female, Faris saves her father and Suzuha is able to meet hers and to spend times with friends.

In short, it seems as if d-mails can be used to fix everything and to make people happy. However, that is not the case and soon it is made clear that the d-mails created a series of unseen consequences. For example, Suzuha ends up losing her memories and kills herself after she fails her mission in the past. Similarly, Rukako and Faris’s wishes make indirectly so that the IBM is lost and this makes avoiding a bad future for humanity and saving Mayuri’s life impossible.

It may not be by chance that Mayuri’s death comes as a consequence of all the other characters trying to fix their past. After all, even Okabe’s first d-mail, even if sent by chance, conveniently makes it unnecessary for him to deal with the shock of seeing another person (Kuriso) die. In short, the d-mails are used to avoid past painful experiences, but in the end they only lead to Mayuri’s death. What is interesting is that Mayuri herself is a character symbolic of the past when it comes to Okabe’s story:

After all, Mayuri is Okabe’s childhood friend and is herself very childish. She is also incredibly sweet and altruistic and it is easy to see her as a representation of everything good about childhood, like innocence and imagination. Because of this, it is ironic that everyone trying to change something about their past leads to the demise of Mayuri aka a symbol of what is good about the past. This is true not only for Okabe, but also for Rukako and Faris who are both very close to Mayuri and who risk to lose their friend in exchange of their dreams.

At the same time, Mayuri is also the reason why Okabe has adopted his chuunibyou persona:

Okabe’s chuunibyou’s demeanor was born both to help Mayuri out of her depressive phase and to protect himself from the fear of losing her. In short, it is a coping mechanism both for him and for her. By the time of the series, though, Okabe’s behaviour has become as much a limit as it is a resource. As a matter of fact Okabe, at the beginning of the story, is presented as a person who is genuinely generous, but also as a man-child who spends his time fooling around. In the end, it is also because of his recklessness and hybris (both traits of his chuunibyou’s persona) that the whole situation starts degenerating.

In other words, a part of Okabe’s story is about growing up, but interestingly this growth does not overlap with him leaving his mannerisms behind. It consists instead in him taking responsibilities for them and somehow channelling them in a positive direction. In particular, as the series progresses, the nonsensical words uttered by Okabe gain more and more meaning to the point that they perfectly describe what the story is about.

A specific example is this:

Since the beginning Okabe jokes that he is a mad scientist who wants to change the structure of the world thanks to his inventions. It is easy to see how this joke ends up foreshadowing what will really happen. What is more, Okabe’s words can be used to explore one of the secondary themes mentioned above aka the dychotomy between order and chaos.

ORDER AND CHAOS: TWO EXTREMES

In Okabe’s original scenario, he is a scientist who wants to win against an organization. This organization wants to control the world, while he wants to bring chaos. In short, Okabe presents his alter-ego as chaotic.

This scenario is eerely similar to what happens in the series itself. After all, SERN is an evil organization which wants to control the world through time travel, while he and his friends are trying to free the world. This is, of course, something that happens to deconstruct Okabe’s fantasies, so that he can grow. As a matter of fact having to face an evil organization for real is something which deeply traumatizes him. However, it is interesting that even when Okabe finally succeeds and manages to go back to his original time-line things do not go better.

As a matter of fact the original time-line’s future is still a bad future, but in a different way. If the future Okabe has left behind is a cruel dictatorship, then the future he meets in the new/old time-line is a future of war and chaos. It is interesting to me that the series goes out of its way to present two opposite futures which are equally bad. The first bad future is a future where order is extreme to the point that freedom is negated, while the second bad future is a reality where the established order of the world has been completely destroyed.

These two futures symbolize the necessity for Okabe to find a middle ground between these two extremes. In particular, what is the perfect future? What is freedom? Is there even any freedom if some people are meant to die no matter what in some time-lines?

To answer these questions, let’s go back to the first lines of the series:

The universe has a beginning, but no end. Infinite. Stars have beginnings too, but meet an end of their own making. Finite.

In other words, humans are like stars and have finite ends no matter if they live in a universe which is infinite and has infinite time-lines. They will still meet their ends in a specific moment. One might think that changing the structure of the world, so that humans are free, means to overcome this limit. However, not even time-travel is able to make this limit disappear and it makes it even more obvious and painful. So, no matter what, humans remain finite. A world of total freedom and of total chaos, as Okabe would call it, is impossible.

That said, not all “limits” and “restrictions” presented by time travel are bad. By this, I mean that “deaths” are not the only constants present in different time-lines. If anything, people’s relationships are just as constant and present and they seem even more unavoidable:

THE THEORY OF RELATIVITY: RELATIONSHIPS AND TIME

The way time affects relationships is another theme explored by the narrative, which has been mentioned above. Moreover, this quote by Kuriso perfectly conveys it. All in all, time can be both negative and beneficial for relationships.

On one hand time can make people feel distant, as it is metaphorically explored through the existence of different time-lines. As a matter of fact the moments a person shares with some people in a time-line may be lost in another one. This makes so that people who were previously close become distant. This is not so different from what happens in real life when time passes and people do not keep in touch with each other. No matter what, time changes relationships even the closest ones, like Mayuri notices in regards to her friendship with Okarin (even if of course they remain very close). The different time-lines are nothing more than a world-building element which makes this phenomenon more extreme.

On the other hand time, in the form of memories, can help feeling close to people who are physically distant:

Here, Kuriso is essentially talking about “grief” since she is trying to convince Okabe to sacrifice her for Mayuri and the world’s sake. She is telling him that she will always be there in his memories. Once again, due to the nature of the series, the idea of being close to someone through memories gains an ulterior meaning because Kuriso makes the hypothesis that she will indeed survive in other time-lines and will never truly die. However, this is not that different to the belief that dead people keep existing in another plane.

In conclusion, the series shows how time is both a wall and a bridge for relationships. At the same time, this makes clear something important:

Humans might be finite like stars which burn in the universe, but their feelings are able to overcome those same limits their existences can’t escape. As a matter of fact, as stated above, people’s relationships and feelings can travel through time-lines and they make so that relationships stay more or less the same throughout each jump. So, in most time-lines, Okabe and Kuriso fall in love, the members of the group are friends and Suzuha is born.

In conclusion, the structure of the world is both “infinite” with its infinite time-lines and “finite” with its constants in each time-line, like deaths and relationships. In particular, feelings have the property to travel through time-lines and are the key to overcome the limits of one’s individual existence. The question is now how to use this information to change the world and reach a happy future.

THE CHOICE OF STEINS;GATE: KURISO AND THE FUTURE

What’s the meaning behind Okabe’s words above? In the end, what is Steins;Gate? Steins;Gate is the world-line the protagonists struggle throughout the whole series to reach. It is a world-line where there is no dystopic future and so it is a reality where they are all free. This is why it is important that its name does not really mean anything. It is because in that reality they can build their own future. They do not have to live up to something pre-established, but they can simply experience their life as it comes. In short, the name Steins;Gate has no meaning, but this is precisely why it is meaningful. It is because its significance is something which is gained through living and experiencing things, just like the strange phrases Okabe uses throughout the story come to mean something by its end.

In short, Steins;Gate is a world-line linked to freedom, self-actualization and growth. However, how can one reach it?

All in all, what Okabe must do is to accept the past. It is interesting that when his future self explains to him how to save Kuriso he does not offer complicated explanations on how time-travel works, but simply makes him realize how much the struggle he has lived together with Kuriso in the alpha world-line is important. It is this past, even if painful, which has led him where he is.

In short, in order to achieve a positive future, people must first accept their past. This is also coherent with what happens in the alpha world-line where Suzuha, Faris and Rukako all had to give up on their perfect past for the sake of saving the future. Here, Okabe must somehow do the same:

He must let his past self go through the most terrifying weeks in his life if he wants to save Kuriso and the future.

Let’s also highlight that Okabe being able to save Kuriso, while he could not change Mayuri/Suzuha/Moeka’s destiny in the alpha world-line, has symbolically to do with Kuriso being a character linked to the future. As a matter of fact she is Okabe’s future lover and her death is one of the reasons why an apocalyptic future happens.

In short, the series suggests that it is possible to change the future only if one accepts and faces their past. In other words, both the universe and the stars have a beginning. However, the universe has no end, whereas humans (the stars) have an end. That said, this end is not definite (aka decided before-hand), but it is indefinite. This means that human lives are not infinite per-se, but they have infinite possibilities:

These are my main thoughts on the series! Thank you very much for asking and sorry for the wait!

#steins;gate #steins;gate meta #okabe rintarou #makise kurisu #mayuri shiina #asksfullofsugar #anonymous #my meta #steins gate

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themountainsays · 4 years

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Ok been thinking non-stop about the Svalbard Modern Elsanna AU this is what I have so far:

Elsa and Anna are sámi, from their mother's side. When Iduna was little, she lost her family and she was taken in by Yelena, so Yelena is pretty much their maternal grandmother now. She and her bio grandchildren, Honeymaren and Ryder, live in northern Norway and work as reindeer herders. The sisters visit them every year.

Their paternal grandfather, Runeard, is, as the youth of today say, a piece of shit. I think he said and did some very horrible things to their mother. He lives in Oslo and he's a rich motherfucker. When the girls were little, he crossed a line and this convinced Agnarr and Iduna to take up that job in Svalbard they'd been offered. I think he threatened to take their kids from them. But up there in the north pole he can't reach them. Literally. He's old and the cold is bad for his heart and his bones idk. The sisters do NOT visit him. Ever.

Agnarr and Iduna were idk arctic scientists and often went in expeditions even further north to study ice capes and global warming and all of that stuff scientists do. They were offered a job in Svalbars and took it mostly to distance themselves from Runeard and because raising a family in Svalbard was low key their childhood dream anyways. They died on an expedition north. The whole ship was lost at sea. Elsa was 18 and Anna was 15.

Ever since Elsa and Anna were little they were Weird. They were Weird with each other. Too many hugs and kisses. They played princesses and knights and always married each other and their parents were kinda put off at first and genuinely concerned as time passed when they found them actually kissing and smooching at ages 9 and 12. It was all inncent, childish puppy love but for Agnarr and Iduna? It was terrifying! They tried to talk to them and after comfirming Elsa wasn't forcing Anna to do anything, they tried to explain to them why that was wrong. Elsa was pretty quick to adopt the SHAME, after a short period of resistance in which she insisted she loved Anna and would never hurt her. But, would she never hurt her? She couldn't trust herself. She was dangerous. Uh oh! Incest guilt has been successfully installed! With Anna? Not so much. She was more stubborn and insisted Mama and Papa couldn't get between their True Love and then she kept going ON AND ON for weeks. They sent them to different schools back in continental Norway and restricted their interactions and time together and never left them alone unsupervised. It took some time but after useless therapy and a few seasons of game of thrones they finally drilled into Anna's head the Incest Guilt. Elsa didn't want her anyways, did she? She was over their... illness. Now it was time for Anna to move on. They both suffer from the separation and still deeply love each other in THAT way. But Elsa is unwilling to let the relationship be fixed. When their parents die, they're finally alone. Free. Alone and scared.

Elsa still has powers. Her family + Yelena, Ryder and HM know this. Runeard doesn't and knowing how much he hates witchcraft it's probably best he doesn't find out. She has problems controlling then when Anna is not around but it's nothing too concerning atm.

They have a small house in a made up super small town in Svalbard, probably called Arendelle. Very small. Like, ridiculously small. I might change this for Longyearbyen (irl capital of Svalbard). They've lived alone ever since their parents die. Since Elsa is Anna's legal guardian and Mama and Papa are out of the picture, this is Runeard's chance to take Anna, and hopefully Elsa as well. This is probably what snaps Elsa back into reality and forces her to open the door after the funeral, when Anna is crying at her door and begging for a scrap of affection. She realizes how terrified Anna is of being taken away from her and she drops to the ground to comfort her and promise she's never letting anyone take her from her arms.

Legal battle between Elsa and Runeard? Yes. It doesn't help that Elsa is not the BEST legal guardian in existance. She's a big sister not a mom.

Anna has a photo of Grandpa Runeard pinned to the wall with a bunch of darts. She throws more darts at it when she's angry. This kills two birds with one stone because on the other side of the wall it's Elsa's room and this is how she annoys her into opening the door and actually talking to her.

Anna is a big fan of HDM. She's read all the books like 5 times, has an iorek byrnison and a pantalaimon plushie and is currently pirating the show (and doesn't talk about the movie). Elsa is more into game of thrones because she likes punishing herself for things she did when she was 12. Needless to say Anna LOVES polar bears.

What Elsa takes from her favorite books: incest bad

What Anna takes from her favorite books: church bad they can't tell children whether or not they can fuck. Let children fuck freely

Is Svalbard it's illegal to wander around WITHOUT a gun, but Elsa never learned how to shoot. Anna teaches her and the whole scene is filled with romantic tension.

They only allow themselves to open up about their feelings and fix their relationship once they're free from their parents. It's pretty quick actually. They always loved each other. They just needed the freedom to express it.

The tension comes from hiding their relationship from everyone else in fucking Svalbard. They don't feel safe. They feel scared and persecuted. Also, if Runeard and the authorities found out about this, oh boy they'd be royally fucked.

They might or might not run away into the tundra.

But mostly it's the angst and fluff that come with getting together, fixing their relationship, grieving and resenting their parents, keeping each other safe, watching the Northern Lights together, smooching and lots and lots of cuddling together (for warmth).

#elsanna #svalbard au #modern au #angst #headcanon #fanfiction

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glassworkspiderlilies · 4 years

Text

the heiress & her companion

Kyokou Suiri (In/Spectre) | Sakuragawa Kuro, Iwanaga Kotoko | AO3 Summary: rumors circulate, parties are attended, and the young iwanaga heiress makes her position known. Notes: vol 11 is gonna be available to ship tomorrow and i’m very excited about it!!!!!!!! ended up writing another celebratory fic, inspired by a shot of iwanaga in vol 10, where she’s being talked about and she just looks very cool. >:3 this fic has no real context and is pretty hastily written and hardly edited, so please pardon its roughness; just wanted to have fun with it and not agonize over it at all. [EDIT:] this fic has been posted to ao3, with some revisions & additions. :)

“Hey, have you heard?”

“What, about the Iwanaga heiress?”

“Yeah, seems like she’s been carting around some man, lately—how shameless!”

“Well, she’s still young—I suppose even she isn’t immune to such behavior.”

“Hey, watch your mouth. You know what they say about her.”

“I do know—but it’s not like she can do anything about idle gossip. Such are the ways of the world, and she certainly isn’t immune to that, either.”

“She’s supposed to be here tonight, you know.”

“What? For what? She hardly ever attends these functions!”

“Yeah, her parents don’t allow it, right? After…well. After that incident, some years back.”

“It’s understandable…but that man she’s been toting around? Supposedly she’s been given more freedom to be traveling, with him around.”

“Ah—not a lover perhaps, but a helper?”

“Mmm…I am unsure. They say he’s rather good looking, if plain. But I suppose we will see tonight.”

“Speaking of—why is she attending, anyway?”

“Apparently she’s been receiving a lot of marriage proposals lately. She is of age, after all, and of course, the Iwanaga name…”

“But she’s coming without her parents?”

“The Iwanaga Heiress does things herself, so they say. Hardly one to leave things up to her parents. Ah…does that mean someone has upset her, then?”

“Uh-oh…perhaps this was a bad night to attend, then.”

“There is still time to leave.”

“Yes, I think—”

“Entering! Miss Iwanaga Kotoko, and her companion, Sakuragawa Kuro!”

The doors open and the crowd goes silent—even the band stops playing, and the Iwanaga Heiress steps through the doors with a poise and grace that uncommon even amongst the social elite. Her cane makes a light tapping noise against the floor as she walks, and the young man by her side sticks close, his expression impassive. Hers is too, though the Heiress tends to be generally inscrutable to begin with.

All eyes are on her. It’s not an enormous gathering, especially by society standards, but she seems not at all bothered by the intensity of the attention. Though the young man’s expression remains neutral, he sweeps his eyes around the room, betraying slight nervousness or insecurity. He’s as good-looking yet plain as the rumors say, fairly nondescript in his black suit and purple tie, and he stands close but still at a respectable distance from the lady—a conscious arrangement, and a conscious message.

Some have seen her from afar and some have not seen her at all in years since she made the papers; she still has a childishness about her, visually, and her manner of dress reinforces that. She still prefers softer colors and frills; however, today she is in a deep purple dress with black detailing, and the severity of the colors makes her look more mature despite the Victorian design—and intimidating, due to the contrast. Her hair has grown longer, trailing just past her shoulders, and she still looks every inch of a doll. It’s almost a surprise as she curtseys and speaks, breaking the illusion.

“Please, don’t stop on my account,” she says, her voice lower than one would expect, but still young and girlish. It’s a polite and innocent enough statement; bashful, even, coming from a young girl like her. But because it’s from her, Iwanaga Kotoko, it is a pleasantly disguised command for everyone to turn their attention elsewhere, now.

The guests blink and shake themselves out of the brief stupor; the band slowly begins to start up the music again.

The Heiress seems to laugh a little, and turns to say something to Sakuragawa, who leans down to hear her better. He sighs at whatever she says, seeming a little exasperated yet resigned.

The host of the party comes over to greet her, and she bobs her head in casual greeting while Sakuragawa executes a deeper, more respectful bow.

“Kotoko-san!” the host exclaims, “Goodness, it’s been awhile since I’ve seen you, hasn’t it? I’m glad you were able to make it tonight! I was thinking that you might not show.”

“Shimada-san. Yes, it has been some time.” She stares at him, a slight smile curving her lips. “And goodness. Why should you think I would not show, when you went to such lengths to convince my parents in order to ensure I would? That would be exceptionally poor behavior on my part had I not come.”

Shimada’s smile grows a bit stiff, but it was he who started the battle. The Heiress looks at him, perfectly innocent, and those who are perceptive enough confirm their suspicions—yes, the Heiress is not exactly pleased with the turn of events; she does not want to be here.

“To the point as ever, Kotoko-san,” he concedes, and she tilts her head a little with a wry expression. He’s not a bad man, if, perhaps, a little prideful. “Though to be fair, your parents did not protest as much as I thought they might. So I assume they, too, wished for some things to be laid to rest tonight.”

The Heiress shrugs.

“I forget, sometimes, how boorish society can be,” she says. She doesn’t even cast her eyes around the room, but several of the guests avert their gazes; though it seems that they are all invested in their own business, they are very much interested in the Iwanaga’s Heiress’ and her companion. “So I allowed them to convince me that I should, in fact, attend. I must say, however, that this was quite the inconvenience. We will not be staying long.”

Shimada bows.

“I have no complaints. I am honored enough that you are here, now.”

Iwanaga chuckles.

“There is no need for such flattery, we both know. Anyway, may I formally introduce my companion, Sakuragawa Kuro-san?”

“A pleasure,” Shimada says, holding out his hand. “I’ve heard much about you.”

Sakuragawa’s smile is equally as opaque as the lady’s as he shakes Shimada’s hand, as if he knows exactly what the man has heard.

“There is hardly much to know about me,” Sakuragawa says, his bashfulness more genuine. “But I suppose when one is carted around by Iwanaga, there is always more to tell.”

A few guests startle at two things: his casual address of the Heiress even though he uses her surname, and his choice of wording afterwards. Those who were gossiping earlier think to themselves that perhaps it really is true, that the Heiress really does have eyes and ears everywhere.

“Perhaps,” Shimada responds, noncommittally. In truth, he is less interested in the companion than the Heiress herself. He turns his head back to Iwanaga. “Since you are here, may I introduce you to my son?”

He waves a young man over, who sets his flute of champagne aside and comes to stand by his father. He’s a handsome man, evidently groomed to a perfect degree. The Sakuragawa boy looks downright shabby next to him, and Shimada’s son looks at him calculatingly, but Sakuragawa simply nods his head politely and does not engage in the silent competition. Shimada’s son blinks; Sakuragawa’s actions could be taken as confidence, but it is more apparent that it is simply absolute disinterest.

“Since you have already done so, hello.” Iwanaga says, nodding her head. She holds out his hand to him.

“Kou Shimada,” he introduces, and kisses the back of her hand. “It is a great honor to finally meet you, Iwanaga-san.”

“Like father, like son,” she chirps, and Shimada coughs.

“If possible, may I trouble you for a dance?” Kou continues, with a slight bow, proffering his own hand.

“Ahh…” Iwanaga says, staring at his hand. She looks up to Sakuragawa, who shrugs, and for a moment it looks like she pouts at him. “I suppose you did just walk over. My apologies, I must refuse; we will not be staying long enough for me to indulge in such a thing. We have a prior engagement that is imperative to be kept.”

“Ah…” Kou blinks in surprise, retracting his hand, but unoffended by her refusal. It’s curiosity that colors his expression as he glances over at Sakuragawa again, and then to his father. Parties such as these are usually the event that takes priority over anything else, but not, it seems, for the Iwanaga Heiress.

“I confess, you said short, but I underestimated how short,” Shimada says, surprised himself. “May I ask what engagement is so pressing, that you cannot even spare a dance?”

Iwanaga chuckles.

“Of course you may ask, but it is none of your business to know. I imagine you’ll hear about it down the line anyway, you always seem to. I only came here today to announce that I, nor my family, will be accepting any further marriage proposals or requests for prospective meetings. They’re a nuisance, you see, and the propriety involved in rejecting them is taking up too much precious time.”

Some slight murmuring breaks out, but the words have been said very intentionally.

Shimada chuckles, and inclines his head.

“Well, one certainly can’t get clearer than that,” he says, his expression wry. “The rumors are true, then?”

Iwanaga smiles, and Sakuragawa sighs.

“Some of them, perhaps. In any case, I have a man that I’m not letting go of.”

Shimada looks at Sakuragawa, who turns his head, as if by not making eye contact he can avoid assumptions. The older man looks at the companion up and down, trying to see any distinguishing features that he might outshine Shimada’s own son in.

“Your preferences are strange, Kotoko-san,” Shimada says with a shrug, and Iwanaga laughs again.

“Not at all. What I like are men who can understand me. That pool is very small, to begin with. And besides, Kuro has a unique constitution that is suitable to my tastes.”

“Iwanaga,” Sakuragawa hisses, at this, gripping the top of her head in a claw hold, “What did I say about this? Stop saying such salacious and misleading things.”

“Hey! Do not do that in public, thank you,” she snipes back, dislodging her head and smoothing down her hair. “Forgive his manners,” she continues, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Some guests are better than others at hiding their shock, at the behavior of both the Heiress and her companion.

“And please forgive hers,” Sakuragawa adds on, with a significant look at the Heiress. “In any case—Iwanaga. It’s time.”

“So it is. Shimada-san, Kou-san. We shall take our leave here.”

The two bow, and begin to walk away.

“Sakuragawa-san!”

The two turn, surprised at the address. Shimada blinks at his son, surprised that he’d called out.

“In your opinion…what kind of man is best for Iwanaga-san?” Kou asks, his face serious.

Sakuragawa blinks, but Kou stands firm in his question. He is—intrigued, somehow, by the indifference that Sakuragawa seems to exude while maintaining familiarity he has with the Heiress.

Sakuragawa looks up at the ceiling briefly, thinking, before returning his gaze to Kou and smiling.

“Let’s see…a monster, perhaps?” he says, with an odd sort of cheerfulness.

The Heiress chuckles, but the kind of laugh that suggests a private joke is being shared. But there’s something also—ominous, about the way she laughs, and her eyes when she notices him staring send a chill down his spine.

“Have a good evening,” she says, with finality, and the two leave without further interruptions.

“Well,” Shimada says to his son, after a moment, “That could have gone worse, I suppose.”

“It was…certainly interesting,” Kou says, his eyes still lingering at the door. “I suppose that’s the last of the Iwanaga Heiress we’ll see in person for a while, then.”

“As much as I tried to set you two up,” his father begins, taking a glass of wine from one of the passing waiters, “Perhaps that’s a good thing.”

Kou hums in response, and his father walks away to talk to some other guests, while Kou is swarmed by a different group who want to talk about what had just transpired. The companion, treating the Heiress like that, the audacity! And yet—the Heiress’ own reaction, exceedingly human. Kou listens, mostly, and thinks back to the Heiress’ and Sakuragawa’s expressions before they had left.

A monster, huh? He wonders, and shudders at the implication, and what that leaves unsaid about the both of them.

“So,” Kuro says, as they walk outside and get into the car that is waiting for them, “Was that really necessary?”

He nods to the driver once Iwanaga has settled in comfortably, and they set off towards the train station.

“Well, I suppose there are other ways that it could have been done, but this was the second most effective way. Shimada-san is very influential, and so are his parties; with this, the news will spread without having to do anything extra.”

“Then what was the first most effective?”

“Announcing an engagement between us, of course.”

“Ah…forget I asked.”

“Kuro!! We’ve been dating for three years now, isn’t about time for our relationship to advance?!”

“You call me by my first name now without any honorifics, isn’t that advancement enough?”

“It isn’t that different, is it?! And you still call me Iwanaga!”

“Wasn’t that your own request, because you didn’t like Kotoko?”

“I’ve changed my mind! Do it now!”

“Okay, Kotoko.”

“Ahh—! As expected, it’s unpleasant! Fine, you may still address me as Iwanaga.”

“Good. It is hard to say, after all.”

“Kuro—!”

“Ahahaha!”

“How many times do I have to say, don’t just laugh about these things!”

He continues to laugh, of course, as Iwanaga pouts.

“In any case, this should stop the troublesome proposals for a while. The less I have to participate in these high-society politics, the better.”

“Please take your parents into consideration, as well. You can’t simply escape being the Iwanaga heir.”

“Oh, they’ll be fine, and I’m not escaping anything. They understand my situation very well—at least, as much as is within their capability. I’m handling what I need to in both worlds—I am a bridge, after all. And besides, I have you now. And, my parents like you too.”

“I think they’re just relieved that there’s someone who can actually look out for you…”

“Eh…it all amounts to the same thing, doesn’t it? What I’m saying is…they approve of you. So…”

“That’s nice—I like them too, they’re good people.”

“Then…!”

“I feel bad that their only daughter and heir is someone like you…”

“KURO!”

He laughs brightly again as she pounds his arm.

“Oh, forget it,” Iwanaga grumbles, as she looks out the window. Kuro smothers a smile; despite it all, she recovers easily. “Anyway, our next case might take a while. Are you prepared?”

“Does it matter, if I am or not?”

“Please take this seriously. You place such little value on your life, for understandable reasons, but still.”

Kuro closes his eyes and lets out a soft, short laugh.

“I am taking this seriously.” He looks at her, and she blinks at the seriousness of his expression. “Iwanaga. You have your job. I have mine.”

She stares back, tilting her head in question after a few moments.

He sighs, deeply. Even now she fails to understand her own mortality, and the danger she puts herself in without thinking twice when mediating for spectres.

“You just focus on what you need to do,” he says, as he looks out the window. “I’ll follow.”

There is a moment of silence before Iwanaga reaches out and hugs his arm. He looks at her and sighs, patting her head, and she squeezes his arm tighter.

“You should do more than just follow,” she murmurs into his arm, knowing that he won’t hear.

“I told you years ago I wouldn’t let you fence me in just yet,” he says.

“And I asked if you really thought you could still get away from me,” she retorts, letting go of his arm and leaning back in her seat. “You say all this, but it’s been three years. And you’re still here.”

“I know, I can’t believe it…is this some kind of additional curse…?”

“Hey!”

He laughs at her expression again, and they let the subject matter drop here, on a light note, like they always do.

Iwanaga switches gears and fills him in on the details of their next case and a rough outline of her plan, though it will probably change midway through with the new information that they’ll collect. Kuro stares as she goes into her focus-mode, twirling a section of her hair with her fingers as her eyes glaze over. Though he’ll never admit it to her out loud, it is a joy to watch her work. Iwanaga is as ruthless as she is fair, despite her innocent looks, and Kuro—well. He’s not exactly kind, either. He doesn’t mind being her halberd. And despite all of his teasing, Iwanaga is right—it’s been three years, and he hasn’t chosen to leave. He doesn’t think he knows how to, anymore.

He leans back in his seat as well, turning his gaze out the window. His lips quirk up into a slight smile. She wants him to walk beside her instead of follow, he knows, and not in the physical aspect. But that also means getting caught up in her pace, that’s something he has to be careful of. She needs someone to watch her back, if it is monsters, demons, and yokai that pull her forward.

So Kuro follows, and will continue to do so, as she lights the path up towards the future she so unwaveringly chooses, looking for him every step of the way.

#kyokou suiri #sakuragawa kuro #iwanaga kotoko #fanfiction #what a boring title!! but it's all i got rn #i had an easier time writing their characters this time so that was fun!#even though my first fic for this series was basically transcription LOL #i wanted to change kou's name bc it felt too similar to kuro #but i couldn't come up with an alternative fast enough so. it stayed lol

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artemiswinnick · 5 years

Text

Kiss the Cook

AN: So TNT’s Animal Kingdom is another one of my obsessions and here’s the first chapter to a fic I’m working on. I don’t think it will be finished any time soon, but I just loooove Pope and I wanted to put this out there. The Peaky Blinders fic I promised with Michael Gray as the protagonist is in the works as well, and I’ll drop a sample of the first chapter as soon as I make a few changes to the opening chapter. This isn’t a final draft of this and once it’s done I’ll be posting the completed work over on my wattpad and on my new AO3 account :)

J’s new girlfriend weirded Pope out immediately.

She looked totally normal, just like all the other giggling girls he brought by the house. Except she didn’t giggle-- she smiled, big and bright and genuine. Admittedly, that wasn’t particularly weird either. Except she gave him a once over first, her eyes traveling up from the tips of his toes, up past the apron he was wearing, the casserole he was holding, and finally up to his frozen expression. This was supposed to be a family only dinner. Even Craig hadn’t brought any of his groupies--

“Kiss the cook, huh?” She asked, flitting from J’s side to give Pope a quick kiss on the cheek. The contact of her lips on his skin, brief as it was, burned him. Kiss the cook? He looked down-- that’s what it said on the apron he was wearing. Right. “I’m Dawn, it’s nice to meet you.”

He stared at her. J stared at him staring at her, obviously wondering if his dinner date was going to cause a classic Pope meltdown. Noticing the sudden tension, a quizzical little frown settled over her features and she looked to J and then back at Pope.

“This is usually where you say, ‘Hi, Dawn, nice to meet you to my name is so and so,’” She prompted him. He knew that if he spoke his voice would break and embarrass him like it always did around attractive women-- attractive? When had he registered that she was attractive?-- so he stayed silent and just made the stare more menacing. She squinted at him.

“This is my uncle, Pope,” J attempted to salvage the situation, approaching in that stupid, quietly confident way of his. Pope saw a little flicker of recognition in her eyes. This was it. This was usually when recognition was followed by a flash of fear-- he’d built quite a bit of a reputation in Oceanside-- but, instead, the bright smile made a reappearance.

“Oh? Well it’s nice to meet you, Pope,” The only thing that changed about the expression was a little quirk in her brow, like she found his hostile stare amusing. J was at her elbow now, greetings somewhat successfully exchanged, to tug her away towards the patio. Pope thought he was free of her gaze but she looked back at him, grin widening. “We’ll continue the staring contest later!”

And with that she was out on the patio with everyone else. As Pope continued his meal prep in the kitchen, he decided he didn’t like her. He didn’t like her one bit. What was with the smiling? And the kiss? And the childish comment about staring contests? She was obviously just using J as an in, but what she really wanted was a Cody. Any Cody. If she wanted drugs, she’d go after Craig next. If she wanted money or power though, maybe she figured she could try for Pope. That wasn’t usually a popular strategy because of… obvious reasons, but maybe Dawn didn’t realize that J was Smurf’s current favorite and not him. He realized, even as he thought through all the possible conniving machinations this new girl was trying to pull, that he was probably making a bigger deal of this than necessary, but he hadn’t made it this far by not putting his paranoia to good use.

He watched through the large, sliding glass doors as she said hi to Craig and Deran. Deran, being Deran, hardly looked up from his phone. Craig, on the other hand gave her a bear hug, lifting and squeezing. Pope rolled his eyes. He’d only done that so he could feel her boobs. So stupid.

Dawn smiled at Craig when he put her down, but it was different this time. Tight, uncomfortable, it didn’t reach her eyes… Pope kept his eyes fixed on her, studying that expression. He wasn’t particularly good at identifying emotions besides fear, anger and general shadiness. But even with his gut instincts and never-ending supply of suspicion, she didn’t look like she was trying to seduce Craig as she quickly got away from him. Well, too early to tell anyway.

Lena was sitting on the stairs in the pool, right in Pope’s line of sight with her floaties on. He ruffled as the girl didn’t move to say hello to her, going to one of the lawn chairs and putting down her purse. Not saying hello to Lena… even Craig’s groupies did that! He chopped the carrots a little more aggressively while J got close to her, putting his hands on her hips. They whispered together for a moment. He kissed her. Pope annihilated the vegetables under his blade. J wandered off and Dawn pulled her t-shirt over her head. His knife paused, hovering over the cutting board as she unzipped her shorts. He quickly looked away as she pulled them down and continued with his task.

His head snapped back up when there was a sudden splash.

-------------

So… Pope already hated her, Deran was a dick, and Craig was probably going to try and grab her ass before the night was done. Awesome. Like she hadn’t already been uncomfortable being at the Cody household. She wasn’t sure why J had invited her over here in the first place, it wasn’t like she’d been insisting on meeting his family. They’d been hooking up on and off for a few months, but she hadn’t thought it was anything serious. Come on, he was a Cody-- everyone knew they didn’t do serious relationships.

Now that their grandmother was in jail indefinitely though, it seemed like he wanted to take advantage of his newfound freedom and fuck her in his own bed-- AKA, his grandmother’s bed. Or so she’d extrapolated. J was a man of few words.

After Craig felt her up, she was already thinking of excuses for getting the fuck out of Dodge.

“I think I’m probably going to dip before dinner,” She whispered to J. “I don’t think your uncles want me here.”

J smirked a little, a subtle expression just like all the other ones he had in his repertoire.

“Ignore them,” he told her. “I thought you wanted to use the pool, anyway? And, if you stick around, maybe later…”

He put his hands on her hips and her mouth twisted up in a half-smile. He knew the sex was good and that it was the main reason she was here, observant little bastard. He leaned down slow and gave her a kiss, just the tip of his tongue reaching out to hers for one brief moment before he pulled back. It was enough to send a shiver down her spine. She snorted and shook her head when he pulled away.

“What?” He smiled at her response.

“Fine!” She exclaimed good naturedly, before leaning to his ear and whispering. “I’ll stay so you can fuck the shit out of me later, but if things get too awkward I’m leaving, okay?”

“Fair enough,” He acceded before kissing her again. “Beer?”

“Yes, please,” She replied. He walked away in search of alcohol and she looked around for something to occupy herself. Scanning the patio, she realized there was a little girl sitting on the stairs, playing with some toy boats. She’d been so quiet she hadn’t even noticed she was there. Dawn couldn’t help but frown a little, watching her play by herself. J should have said something instead of letting her ignore her like an asshole.

She stripped down to her bikini quickly-- ignoring Craig’s eyes on her rack as she bent over-- and approached the little girl.

“Hi,” She smiled at her, sitting at the edge of the pool next to her. “Whatcha up to?”

The little girl looked up at her with huge brown eyes.

“...Who are you?”

Ah, she had all of her uncles’ social skills.

“I’m Dawn… what’s your name?”

“Lena… are you here with uncle Craig?” The girl turned those big eyes back to her boats.

“Nope,” She popped the P. “J invited me over so I could use the pool… do you swim?”

The little girl glanced up at her and showed her the floaties on her arms.

“A little but uncle Pope says I’m not allowed in the pool without my floaties,” She sighed.

“You’re uncle is a smart guy, this pool is pretty deep… It’s perfect for cannon balls, actually,” Dawn observed casually.

“Cannon balls?” Lena looked at her dubiously.

“Yeah, cannon balls. You know how to cannon ball, don’t you?”

Lena shook her head. Dawn’s mouth dropped open with an excited little gasp.

“It’s super easy, Lena. You want me to show you?”

“Okay,” She nodded, a tentative smile finally appearing on her face. Dawn got up and extended a hand to her.

“Alright, so,” She lead her around to the deep end of the pool. “What you do is you stand running distance away from the edge… like… right here?”

She backed up about five feet from the edge and Lena followed suit.

“And when you’re ready you run to the edge and jump in, putting your knees to your chest,” She crouched down so she could tuck her knees as described. Lena imitated her. “And then put your arms around your knees so you become a little ball. See?”

“I’m a cannon ball!” Lena exclaimed. Dawn laughed.

“Now you’re getting it! Alright, you wanna try?”

She nodded enthusiastically. J had returned to the patio with two beers and smiled a little at her before taking a seat to wait for her.

“Okay, on the count of three. 1… 2… 3!” With a shout and laughter they rushed towards the edge and jumped in together. Dawn resurfaced to find Lena already bobbing at the surface, shrieking happily.

“Again! Again! Again!”

----------------

J’s girlfriend didn’t leave Lena’s side for the next half hour while Pope cooked, splashing around in the pool. There were a couple times when Lena started running on the wet pavement that he almost had to come outside, but Dawn was faster than he was.

“Hold your horses, kid!” He could hear her exclaim, coming to her side quickly and taking hold of her hand. “Remember, you don’t run by the pool unless you want to fall on your butt!”

That made Lena laugh. She hadn’t stopped laughing, actually, since that girl had started talking to her. Pope watched her from the corner of his eye as he began setting the patio table for dinner. Spotting him, she immediately walked straight to him, Lena in tow. He kept his head down, hoping she would walk right past. Of course, she didn’t.

“Would you like some help?” She asked tilting her head a little to catch his gaze. “Lena and I can put the dishes out, if you want?”

Pope just looked at her a second and then cleared his throat. His voice was not going to break.

“Okay,” he agreed. Lena was already holding out her hands, so he handed her the cutlery. For her, his favorite and only niece, he cracked a smile. “But you’ve got to be careful and not drop anything!”

“Duh!” She was already gone to start arranging the knives and forks. Which left Dawn, smiling at him expectantly.

“Uh… Plates are inside,” He said, avoiding eye contact as he turned heel and went back inside. She followed him. He handed them to her silently, but she lingered.

“Hey, I… I wanted to apologize for earlier. I shouldn’t have just, uh, kissed you without knowing if it was okay first. I know some people don’t like being touched and it was rude of me. It’s just you were wearing the apron and I was nervous and I thought it would be funny for some reason, but it obviously wasn’t…” She rambled, but stopped herself with a shake of the head and a shy little smile. “Anyway, sorry for being all up in your space.”

As though she knew he wasn’t going to respond, she immediately went back outside after her apology, leaving Pope staring after her. He didn’t like being touched by strangers, that was true. But no one had ever apologized for that before, they’d just eventually learned to back the fuck off after a couple of glares thrown in their direction. Or being punched a couple of times, depending on how insistent they were being about invading his personal space. He continued what he was doing, gathering plates of food and bringing them to the table, Dawn lithely stepping out of his way so he could set them down without bumping into her as he came in and out of the house. He could hear her talking to Lena through the open door.

“Finished!” Lena informed her as she set down the last knife.

“Ooh, good job! That was really fast,” Dawn told her, putting down the last of the plates. “Let’s ask your uncle if there’s anything else we can do to help, huh?”

Pope came back outside, and, making eye contact only with Lena, said:

“That’s about it, why don’t you go tell the boys dinner is ready?”

“Okay,” She ran off to do as she was told, rallying the lounging men up from their lawn chairs. Dawn smiled after her.

“She’s a great kid,” She commented to Pope. He grunted his assent. She looked at the spread with her hands on her hips. “Christ, this looks good! Did you cook all of this?”

He grunted again in response but couldn’t help his eyes from flickering over to her this time. He found her looking back at him waiting for him to actually say something. A little startled, he went back inside to grab a beer instead. Under the guise of doing this, he watched as the boys gathered around the table. Lena dragged Dawn to the chair next to her, talking animatedly.

What was this girl’s deal? He continued his surreptitious observation of her as dinner rolled along. She was completely ignoring Craig and even J, not that they weren’t trying to talk to her. For once, the conversation was centered around Lena, who was telling Dawn about school. Dawn looked at her while she spoke, laughing and nodding like this was the most interesting conversation she’d ever had. Like the girl had reminded them their niece existed, Craig, J and even Deran started asking her questions.

Pope saw how they watched Dawn’s reactions, how she helped Lena articulate was she was thinking and found the humor in it. Lena was smart and funny, just like her mom had been. Pope knew that, but it wasn’t usual for her other uncles to spend so much time talking to her. Dawn was still in her bikini, which explained Craig’s sudden interest, at least, but J just kept smiling softly in her direction throughout the meal. Weird.

It was already odd enough that he’d brought her to dinner at all-- since Mia and Nicky, he hadn’t had a steady girlfriend. Dawn was one in a long line of female visitors, but they never sat down with the family, preferring to sneak in and out under the cover of night. J was a quiet dude, probably to cover up the ulterior motives Pope knew he had, but she was actually making him... laugh. And a genuine laugh, too, not just that fake flirtatious crap he pulled to convince girls he wasn’t devoid of personality. Weird. Very weird.

“They’ve been teaching us guitar at school,” Lena continued telling Dawn.

“Really?” She asked. “That’s so cool! I used to take lessons for a long time before, too.”

“Do you play?” Craig asked, blue eyes crinkling with an interested smile. She flashed him a polite version of her own—not half as nice as the one she’d been using earlier, Pope noted.

“I do, actually,” She replied before turning her attention to Lena again. “Maybe you and I can do a duet.”

Lena giggled but shook her head. “Guitar is hard… I’m not good at it.”

“What?” Dawn exclaimed. “I don’t believe that! Here, give me your hand for a second?”

Lena put down her fork and Dawn took her small hand in both of hers, inspecting her palm and fingers with exaggerated care.

“Ah, just as I suspected,” She said, nodding to herself as she released Lena’s digits.

“What?” She asked, staring down at her hands for signs of whatever Dawn had been looking for.

“She’s got guitar-playing hands,” Dawn informed the table sagely. Even Deran had to crack a smile at that. Pope thought he saw J’s hand move to her leg under the table, but she didn’t seem to notice, smiling as Lena cracked up. “You have to practice more, but you’re talented. I can tell by the shape of your fingers.”

She gave Lena a wink.

“You know, I play guitar too,” Craig spoke up. Pope rolled his eyes. Of course, he just had to be the center of attention.

“Oh? Maybe we can all play together, then,” She smiled a little more genuinely at him now. There it was, the flirtation Pope had been waiting for-- but then she looked over at him shyly. “If your uncles don’t mind me stopping by again, of course.”

“Can she?” Lena asked him, pulling on his sleeve.

No! He wanted to yell it from the rooftop. He wasn’t sure what she was up to, but whatever it was he was certain it would be no good and he had every intention of just grunting vaguely as a response until Lena gave him her patented puppy dog look, ripped straight from her mother’s old playbook.

“Please?” She stuck out her lower lip. Pope squinted at her.

“Fine,” He finally exhaled. A huge smile spread across Dawn’s face.

“You owe me a staring contest anyway,” She reminded him. Craig and Deran looked over at Pope who shifted uncomfortably under their puzzled gazes.

“I wouldn’t get your hopes up,” He muttered at his plate.

“Well, if you’re scared I’m going to win, I’ll just play against Lena,” She shrugged nonchalantly. Lena laughed.

“You have to play now, uncle Pope! Unless you’re scared…” She reached over to tickle him. Pope couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Maybe, we’ll see,” He told her, purposefully keeping his eyes away from Dawn until the conversation had moved on. Only then did he sneak a glance back at her. J was looking at him now, though, hard. He held his eyes unwaveringly until his nephew broke eye contact. Hm. Maybe he was good at staring contests.

#animal kingdom #tnt animal kingdom #pope cody #j cody #craig cody #deran cody #pope x original character

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hetalialoverwrites · 4 years

Text

Mirror Mirror on the Wall

Part 4

First - Previous - Next

Ben started walking through the small garden that was in front of the school, "Auradon Prep was built 300 years ago as a small castle that was later converted into a high school by my father." He announced before pausing and looking up at a bronze statue of his father, the king. He clapped and the statue transformed into the Beast, making Carlos scream and jump into Jay's arms, who looked at him with an annoyed expression. This caught the attention of Ben and Audrey, Ben trying to soothe Carlos, "Carlos, it's okay. My father wanted his statue to morph from beast to man to remind us that anything is possible." You and Mal shared a look, feeling slightly better about this place. 'If the people here could accept a beast then maybe they would accept us...?' You shook your head, brushing the thought away. 'Wishful thinking...' "does he shed much?" Mal asked.

"Yeah, mom won't let him on the couch." Ben deadpanned, making you chuckle. Noticing this, Ben started to smile again and walked with Audrey inside the school. "So, do you guys do magic here? Like wands and stuff?" Mal asked, looking around. "Yeah, we can, but that stuff has been much been retired." Ben shrugged, stopping and turning around to face the group once inside. "Most of us now are just... Ordinary mortals." You didn't like the way he said that and rolled your eyes a little, "Who just happen to be kings and queens." You added. "That's true!" Audrey jumped in, putting Ben's arm around her shoulder. "Our royal blood goes back hundreds of years." You and Mal shared a look before snorting. 'Hundreds of years for their royal blood? Think thousands of years with royal Phoenix blood and a fucking god, Audrey. Get on our level.' You thought to yourself, laughing internally at how hard she was trying to one-up you all. 'Evie's royal blood probably goes back much longer than yours, my dear niece.'

As you and Mal stifled your laughter, Audrey joined in obviously thinking you were laughing for another reason. Or maybe she is just childish, who knows. Soon after Audrey put Ben's arm around her, he pulled it away, "Doug! Doug, come down here." Ben called to a boy walking down the stairs in a band uniform. Throwing an arm around his shoulder, Ben brought him over. "This is Doug, he is going to show you your class schedules and to your dorms." Letting go, Ben walked back over to stand in front of you all, looking at you, "I'll see you later, okay?" Ben's soft expression and voice seemed to be directed towards you and Mal and Evie noticed as he turned his attention back to the group. "And if you need anything-." Audrey cut Ben off sharply, "Ask Doug." She gave you a look and Ben laughed uncomfortably before being led off by Audrey.

You and Mal were careful to move your wings away from them as they passed. Doug nodded to himself before clearing his throat, "Hi guys, I'm Dopey's son. As in Dopey, Doc, Bashful, Happy, Grumpy, Sleepy, and-" Doug took in a sharp breath as Evie turned and made eye contact with him "Heigh-ho..." He breathed. Evie sauntered over to him, hands on her hips, "Evie... Evil Queen's daughter." She introduced smoothly. He sighed and shook himself before looking down at his clipboard, "Okay, so about your classes, I, uh, I put in the requirements already. History of Woodsmen and Pirates, Safety Rules for the Internet, and... Remedial Goodness 101." Doug read off as Mal walked over during hi taking to look at the paper over his shoulder. "Ha! Lemme guess. New class?" She asked, taking out a sweet and popping it in her mouth. Doug nodded, showing that it was indeed new before she sighed, "Alright guys, let's go find out dorms." Doug piped up before any of you could move though, "Oh, your dorms are just down that hall and here are your keys." Doug handed out the keys before you five walked off down the hall he pointed to.

Opening the door to your new dorm with Mal and Evie, you frowned deeply at the three beds and all the pink around the room. And there were so many windows... "This place is ama-" Evie started before she cut herself off at the sound of Mal's, "Gross." "Amazingly gross!" Evie finished nervously. "It's okay if you like it E, but honestly, all this pinky frilly stuff. It's horrible." You complained. "And the beds! It took us so long to make comfortable nests." Mal groaned, throwing her head back. While you two did that, Evie shut the door behind you and closed all the windows. "Well then, I guess we are just going to have to fix it then!" Evie nodded her head with determination. "Fix it?" You and Mal asked curiously. "Yeah! Like, we can move some of the furniture and put the mattresses next to each other on the floor! It might be a snug fit for you two, but it should work better! And I'll get to work on bedding big enough for it!" Evie's eyes were alit at the idea of designing something so big. So much from for patterns and designs!

You and Mal were touched by her words and hugged her, wrapping your wings around her, "Thanks, Evie." "Thanks, E." You and Mal echoed. Evie smiled and hugged you two back before you three got to work. Evie took the blankets and pillows off the beds while you and Mal moved everything from in front of the sitting area on the opposite side from the door. Placing the mattresses in the newly emptied space under the huge windows, you two realized that it was going to be difficult keeping the mattresses together every night. "Don't worry about that. I'll make a strong fitted sheet that can hold them together well. I'll have it done in two days, promise." Evie promised you two after looking at it as well. After doing the best you could and putting all the blankets and pillows back on the massive bed, you and Mal sighed.

"It's not going to be as comfortable as a nest, but..." "It will do." Mal finished for you, both of you nodding to Evie. She smiled brightly, excited that her idea was working. After a little bit, the room's layout was decided. Where the previous sitting area was in an alcove, now laid yours and Mal's bed. On either side were the nightstands, the full-length mirror was moved to where your beds used to be and so were the chairs. The lamps stayed where they were and the blue carpet that was in the alcove also moved. Across from the new sitting room was Evie's bed which she had decided to leave where it was against the wall. You three also left the dressers where they were but moved yours and Mal's trunks to the end of your beds. Standing back, you three looked at the work that had taken you all day to do, "Perfect! Now let's go check on the guys." Mal instructed.

Going to the guy's rooms wasn't that bad. There was minimal security and it wasn't that far away. Oh yeah, and it was after curfew, so it wasn't like anyone was out to see you either. Stepping in the large room, you cleared your throat to gain the boys' attention. Mal spotted jay with a ton of things on his bed, "Jay! What are you doing?" "It's called stealing," Jay informed her cockily. "Okay. What's the point?" She asked, genuinely confused. "Well, Mal, it's like buying whatever I want, but for free," Jay smirked. Mal laughed, "Okay, well you could do that, or you could leave all this stuff here and go clean when we leave this place for my sister's kingdom!" Jay gave her a look, "Yeah... No thanks." jay said before going over to Carlos and taking over the controllers to his game.

"Guys! Do I have to remind you as to what we are all here for?" Mal asked incredulously. "Fairy Godmother, blah blah blah, magic wand, blah blah blah." Jay snickered as he looked over his shoulder to Mal. "No!" You burst out, silencing the room. "We are here so we can get off that stupid island and get our parents somewhere where we can all actually live for once! Fresh food, nice homes, feeling clean every single day! Fresh air, being able to go wherever you want, not having to constantly be on your toes and looking out for the next thief! We are here to go home!" You yelled, on the break of tears as you reminded yourself of the freedom you could have. It was almost in your grasp. You could finally go home soon. "Or do you want to be trapped on the Isle again...?" You asked quietly. Jay, Carlos, and Evie stalled for a moment before speaking.

"You're right..." Evie spoke quietly. "We don't want to go back to the isle..." "I want to be able to walk around without excepting my wallet to be gone," Carlos added, looking down at his feet. "And not have to steal all the time..." Jay finished quietly. As good at stealing as Jay was, he only did it to make enough money for his father's shop. It's a tough life living on the Isle... With limited resources, you steal to live. "I... I'm sorry for yelling guys..." You apologized, lowering your head. Your friends looked on with frowns as Mal hugged you. They knew how hard it was to be a Dark Fae and live on the Isle. Your kind was the most connected with nature and you couldn't even enjoy it because of the lack of healthy plant life. That and there wasn't a ton of space for you and Mal to fly around so most times you were restless or on edge. You had been able to hide it after a while, but they all knew how you and Mal used to be. And on top of that, you couldn't use your magic, which is a part of you. They didn't really like the Isle either.

Jay was constantly stealing and those he stole from almost always carried grudges or at the very least sent him dirty looks whenever he was near. Carlos was typically looked down on as weak because he wasn't as strong as the other boys on the Isle. And Evie always had to endure the harsh words from the other girls on the Isle that were jealous of her beauty. It wasn't everyone on the Isle that was mean, evil, and cruel. But the ones that were... They were very vocal about it. "We understand (Y/n). It's frustrating for us too, but... I guess we just don't really want to think about it because what if... What if we fail and have to go back?" Evie whispered the last part softly. Everyone looked down before Jay walked up to the table and slammed his hands down, "But that isn't going to happen!" His voice was sure as he continued, "We are going to get that wand, get our parents out, and leave this place! To Aurora's kingdom! Where we never have to be worried about being locked up again!" "Unless we break the law," Carlos added, making everyone laugh. Mal stepped forward, a grin on her face. "Alright then. Now, let's make a plan and go get that wand."

#descendants #descendants au #mal #evie #ben #ben x reader #reader insert #romance #maleficent #crossover

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shiikikowakami · 6 years

Text

Caryl and more Caryl

I thought about how to materialize everything I think here, I know I said that I surrender with Caryl, but who I cheat? Here I am reviewing the label, seeing wonderful Gifs, photos and so many things that we have that they can not take away from us.

When I saw TWD, which I follow since it started, I noticed the immediate chemistry between Carol and Daryl, it was always natural and beautiful, since I gave him that flower, while I was looking for Sofia, the kiss on my forehead, and many more moments that I They made them love.

Can you remember the moments in jail? THE massage, see both grow. A stronger Carol and a more open Daryl. When Daryl was sad when he thought that she died, when I take her in his arms <3 (of my favorites). And other characters made references to them, when Gleen reminds Daryl what Carol would think. And see a carol distressed because Daryl did not return with the others in the group and wept for him. There were so many beautiful moments that the writers ruined by separating them out there for season 6.

But even so separated, they continued to demonstrate that they are the most important thing in the life of the other, the embrace after the kidnapping, to be vunerable in the eyes of Daryl and no one else. A wonderful Gleggie parallel. Even when Carol left, her last scene was with Daryl (reading that letter), Morgan mentioning that if Daryl had known that she came out, he would look for her. As it happened in the 5 season, before consumed.

Did Daryl's threat to Richard ever see him threaten another for a girl? NEVER!! There is nothing that deserves more to Daryl than when Carol is in danger.

THIS!!!!

So to say in that house, where only two or three weeks of history had elapsed (if I'm not mistaken) but that hug was as if they had not seen each other in months, with as much passion, as if they tried to take the essence of the other, Mix them and be like this forever. He respected her, and gave her space but always taking care of her.

AND THIS!!!!

I deviated a bit from what I wanted to say, but I never understood why they did not join them before, since they make such a good couple, they sell the most and everyone knows it! For something, every year they promote Caryl, they make innuendoes and many other things with which they play with the emotions of which we have been here for a long time.

I hate that they want to keep Daryl as the bachelor and loner of the group, when he has love in front of his eyes.

I know that all this trailer, comments and other things are just a strategy on the part of AMC as a promotion, because they know we will be there, hoping to get those crumbs again, faithfully.

We know that it was confirmed that there is a relationship with Zeke, sincerely Khary seems nice to me, but I hate his character, at least in the comic it was great, here they only have hung him from Carol and they have not given him the development that I thought they would give him. I do not like anything to be united with Carol in a relationship and not only because my shippeo is with Daryl, but I think that relationship seems super forced, which according to the spoilers will not even give importance to show how it was formed, as well as Rosita and Spencer.

Hanging a character like that to a main one is just to kill it and get a reaction from the audience. It happened with Beth, that although it was not romantic, Daryl was put together as a little sister to be cared for and then kill her and have an impact on the audience, because if she died that day in jail nobody cared, instead thus they gave him something of protagonism (although they were the worst episodes of the series, especially the 12 of the 4 season). It happened with Jessie, Spencer, Nicolas, and a lot of characters that bring him close to a main character to kill him. Unfortunately I think that will be the fate of Zeke and is the only reason why he is reunited with Carol.

It bothers me that they publish carzequiel things on Caryl labels, that's extremely childish. But they must enjoy while they can, since I do not think we see Zeke for a long time, he is a character that from the beginning we knew he was going to die.

And that's where a small part of my mind thanks that Caryl is not together yet, because as TWD does, one of the two would probably be dead just to make the other cry, as it has happened in all the couples that exist in the universe of TWD.

They say that we will have more Caryl moments, and I will look forward to them, because I want to continue seeing them together, as long as they live that they have many moments together, that Melissa and Norman continue to dazzle us with their wonderful performances, which give us many more Gif, photos, videos And everything else.

Carol may have kissed other characters, but never shows such tenderness, that only happens with Daryl, and is not one, but many sweet, flirty, sincere and real moments between the two.

I still think that they are in love, especially Daryl, but still they are not able to take a step forward and love each other with madness and freedom. Maybe it will take a while for the originals of Atlanta to feel free to do so, until then I will wait. No matter how many times I give up, no matter how much it hurts to see it with another, they are the endgame !!

NOTHING NOR ANYBODY, not even AMC, TWD, etc. It will take away the Caryl, a beautifully genuine love!!!

For while I have ANOTHER wonderful image to use in the background, covers and put them everywhere. Because the season is not yet recorded as complete, it may not be Caryl canon in the first part, but we still do not know about the second.

#Caryl #Carol Peletier #twd screencaps #caryl feels #twd caryl #Daryl x Carol #TEAM CARYL #caryl forever #caryl positivity #caryl is endgame #Norman Reedus #Melissa McBride #bigbaldhead #twd #twd spoilers

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ayuranslounge · 3 years

Text

The lights of the hotel room were off, but the town’s street lights illuminated the room well enough for Sam to still make out the form of the Feline laying on the bed opposite her. She could tell the girl’s ears were slicked back against her skull, not a good sign. Cat’s being common enough through the universe, it was a well known sign that the feline still wasn’t comfortable in her presence. It was starting to get late. She wasn’t sure how late exactly, just that she’d been sitting on the bed across the room, watching Feline’s back for a good few hours at least.

Despite how late it was, she couldn’t get herself to relax enough to sleep for the night. Knowing how stressed she herself was, she could only assume how anxious Feline was at the time.

“I really can’t sleep either,” the cat girls’ ears twitched the second she heard her voice, just as Sam thought. “Can’t blame ya. No tellin’ what’s happened to ya, no tellin’ what’s left to happen to ya. I dunno ‘bout what’s gonna happen tomorrow, but tonight I’ll be takin’ care no one lays a finger on ya. You got your bed, try and enjoy a bit’a comfort before we leave this place. Next time we get ’ta have a mattress might be…” Sam would pause for a moment, prompting another twitch from Feline’s ears as she wondered what was coming next. Sam’s face crinkles in thought, that is the unburned portion which can still move so easily. “Could be a while ‘til the next town. I’m just tryin’ to say to make the best of it while you can. Even in this god awful town, at least we’ve got this little bit of comfort,” she’d say with a wry look on her face as she pats the bed next to her.

Wordlessly, Feline would sit up with ears slicked back. Then begin to crawl across the room on all fours, her eyes shining from the night lights that spilled through the window. Yet the shine was a lie, as empty as the gait of her steps. A mimicry of how one would think a feline should be, exaggerated movements of her shoulders, walking with her paws close to each other. She stares at Sam, watching to see what other requests may come. Nothing more came. Sam would watch all the same, a bit stunned by the approach of Feline. She recognised the intent, which only made her heart sink. She let her come none the less. A seductive approach to show how flexible her body can be, to press her breasts closer and highlighting the cleavage of her small breasts. Every step trained to entice the male gaze. Every step a slow, painful approach to Sam. A shiver would run through Sam, with every fiber of her body she could feel her hate boiling and a tear run down her cheek.

Finally the thin mattress on the bed would shift as Feline would crawl in, leaning her shoulder against Sam as she begins pushing her head into her belly.

“I don’t want this.” Sam would tell her, shaking her own head. She couldn’t move, not because she was frozen, but because she could feel herself her anger about to lash out. At anyone, at anything, she couldn’t be sure, but had no desire to harm someone who has been forced into so much already. “I don’t want this,” a whisper of anger from her breath. “Stop,” she’d say in no uncertain times as she takes hold of Feline by the back of her neck. Just like a housecat, the skin was loose. A perfect handle for discipline as the cat’s dna allows natural instincts to freeze Feline in place. Her head leaning against Sam’s stomach, her muzzle hovering over her lap.

After a few seconds of silence between the two, Sam could feel Feline trembling. The cat’s hands clenched into fists and her eyes shut tight. She dare not utter a word to contradict Sam, she could only brace for the punishment to come for having angered the woman who owns her.

“This ain’t gonna be how it is anymore.” Feline’s scruff was released, the tone in Sam’s voice was not one filled with rage at Feline. It was that of a mother scolding their idiot child. “No more of this, okay? Get these ideas outta your head, ‘cause you ain’t gonna stay a slave, and I don’t wanna treat ya like one.” The hand that had held her back for the crippling few seconds returned to Feline. This time, to the top of her head, placed palm open over her head before following the flow of her fur over the back of her head and down her neck. “There ain’t no need to worry yourself ‘bout this. You’re safe with me deary.”

. Feline on all fours, trying to understand what was happening while Sam simply ran her hand over the young feline’s head and neck. A soothing act, that would help her trembling subside. Slowly, the feline started to believe the woman’s words as Sam had started repeating reassurances to her. If she could truly be free. A thought she had abandoned years ago. A thought that scared her in a way. Like standing at the edge of an ocean she’s meant to cross, but not knowing how she would make it. She’d lost everything she had, with no bearing, if she set off how was she supposed to know where to go? But the thought of freedom itself melted away the room around her as she allowed the potential to wash over her. She could still feel the cheap mattress underneath her, and the hand stroking her head. They were the only things keeping her tied to the reality of where she was.

On a bed, with a woman who was practically a stranger, being promised something she believed was out of her reach. She could feel the weight of what she had been through. What she had been made to do, the things she had seen. Memories she had learned to bury, which were burned into her nonetheless. If it could end. All of it, over.

She felt her body tremble once more. Fear, hate, sorrow, false hope, a blend of emotions that she had worked so hard to ignore at every instant that she encountered them. Most of all, she felt an overwhelming sense of fatigue. The burns of her sores, the weakness in her muscles. If she could let herself believe this lie for tonight. Just tonight. That this was indeed a good woman. Just for tonight, she could lay next to her, let her head rest on her lap and hope for a better tomorrow. Believe in a promise that could be as good as a lie.

“There there little one,” Feline could hear Sam say to her in a soothing voice. Rest seemed impossible though. There was too much welling up, about to break through the wall she had made to hold it all in. Yet she could make no noise as the bed and wall she was staring at began to blur from her tears. Silently she wept, letting the tears roll down her face and onto Sam’s pants legs.

“Oh no,” she’d begin when she’d realised she was going to soak the woman in her tears. Hurriedly lifting herself off of Sam and holding herself up with one arm. The other hand worriedly wiping at the tear soaked fur of her face. “Wet.. You.. I’ll,” she says with a huff of breath between each breath.

If she would look at Sam she would see that the woman wasn’t worried about such trivial things. At first she was working through her own surprise to hear the feline’s voice for the first time. A voice as clear as a bell.

“No..” Sam would say back to her as a smile slowly spread across her face, on clearly visible to Feline despite the room being lit by only the city lights spilling in from the window. “no need to worry about getting me wet. Lay your head down and cry all you want if you’d like, it’ll dry up just fine.”

The Feline would clear her eyes as best she could and stare between the woman’s face, and her lap. Evidently hesitant about taking the offer, but it would have been a lie to say that it wasn’t soothing to have rested her head there before. Seemingly having made up her mind, she holds herself up with her arms as she lowers herself back down to the bed, resting her head on Sam’s lap.

Sheepishly she’d ask Sam, “pets?”

“Of course deary,” Sam would tell her, beginning to slowly stroke her head down to her shoulder.

As she lay with her eyes fixated on the wall in front of her, Feline’s thoughts wandered while her tears rolled onto Sam’s pants. The thought of freedom didn’t erase the wounds from the past. Nor did it lessen the sting of those still on her flesh. But maybe, she could allow herself hope.

Soon, the Feline’s eyes would become heavy with her fatigue. The slow steady caress of Sam’s hand over her fur would lull her towards slumber. She was already there when Sam’s voice would wake her, making her jump a bit as she asked, “what?”

“Time to get some sleep hun,” Sam would repeat to her.

“I am sleep.”

“Uhuh, time to get to a bed”

“Bed… In bed,” she’d tell Sam. All while getting comfortable again on her lap.

“Darlin’, it’s time I sleep too. You need to get off my lap.”

She’d let out a groan and barely lift herself for Sam to get out from under her. “Then lay down.”

“Excuse me?” Sam would ask genuinely surprised.

“Lay. Sleep.” Feline would tell her, and emphasize the last word with a thud from her open paw hitting the mattress.

Sam was beginning to understand why this Feline was getting punished so much by previous owners.

“Laaaay.” the Feline would tell her again a hint of childish annoyance pushing into her tone. The tone making Sam frown at her like a disobedient child.

Though, for one night Sam could indulge her. Making herself comfortable on the bed, while making sure her guns were kept within easy reach. Her rifle next to her and her pistol un her gun belt next to it.

Unsurprisingly, Feline would push herself against Sam. Her back pushing into the scarred woman’s side, forcing contact. “Sleep,” Feline would say to her with the faintest purr.

Uncomfortable, for many reasons, but bearing it nonetheless. Sam would reply “sleep,” in agreement before closing her own eyes to drift into a light sleep.

#writing #oc #sam #dawn #donoma #sample #original prose #long post

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redqueenslay238 · 7 years

Text

A Touch Too Far

Little Witch Academia fanfic

Summary: Diana finds Akko asleep in the library after hours, and the two end the night in a rather compromising position.

A small flame emanating from the tip of Diana’s wand lit her path forward. The halls of Luna Nova always felt deserted this late at night. Every student smart enough to follow the rules had crawled into bed hours ago; only the occasional teacher or worker would ever cross her path. It always felt strange to see the halls so empty, but after most days, she’d welcome a few minutes of silence and isolation with open arms.

With only the warmth of her wand’s flame and the soothing rhythm of her own footsteps for company, she continued through the halls at an intentionally slow pace. In all honesty, she was technically breaking the rules by doing this. No teacher had ever officially given her permission to walk the halls after hours, but no one ever seemed to have a problem with her being out this late, either. She assumed that this was one of the perks of her family name--one of the few she actually enjoyed.

Either way, long since discovering this privileged freedom, she’d taken it upon herself to scope out the halls every night before heading to bed. She never knew exactly what she was looking for, but after so many times, it’d simply become a nightly ritual.

Her final stop before heading to her room was the library. Turning the corner that led to the large room’s main entrance, a vague outline in the darkness immediately caught her eye. She stopped mid-step in the open doorway, her body freezing for a split second before she pointed her wand forward.

The white flame from her wand’s tip cast a thin stripe of light across the room. She quickly aimed toward the outline she’d seen, and let out a quick sigh of relief soon after. The outline belonged to a single Luna Nova student, still in uniform, and currently sitting motionless at one of the farther tables with their head resting between their crossed arms.

Making sure to keep her steps light, Diana approached the girl and allowed her wand’s light to wash over her. The closer she got, the less she believed what she was seeing. Out of every student she expected to find in the library after hours, Akko was probably the very last name that would’ve crossed her mind--yet here she was.

“Akko...?” she said softly, stopping a few feet behind the girl’s chair.

Akko didn’t respond to her voice. Peeking over the motionless girl’s head revealed the reason for this by offering her a view of two closed eyes and a slowly rising and falling chest. A curious glance to the table saw a few open books scattered around.

“Wow, you were actually studying,” Diana whispered while walking around the table. “I wonder how much you got done before falling asleep?”

A lone candle sat at the end of the table, already half melted. After using her wand to light the candle, she relinquished her own flame for the far warmer, orange flame. Following the candle’s slowly growing cone of soft light, she continued around the table and sat down at the seat directly opposite Akko.

A light rain smacked against the windows that lined the back wall, creating a strangely soothing sound that bounced throughout the large room. A thin smile crossed her lips as she settled into her seat. She wasn’t entirely sure what she was doing, at least at first. It was already late, and on an ordinary day she’d no doubt be in bed by now.

Still, for whatever reason, a large part of her was more than happy to stay where she was for the time being.

Akko had yet to move. The girl’s face was hidden entirely between her crossed arms, and only the left side of her body was being illuminated by the candle’s flame. If the girl was snoring, it was light enough for the rain to cover it, but she was definitely in a deep sleep regardless.

“Akko...” Diana tried again, this time at a slightly higher volume. No response.

Shrugging away the problem for the moment, Diana sat in silence, watching Akko’s sleeping form with a soft gaze. She had no idea how much time was passing--it felt like minutes, but could have easily been hours. More than once, she caught her own eyelids closing, and had to force them back open. When it became clear that Akko wasn’t going to wake up on her own, she let out a quick sigh and reluctantly stood up enough to lean over the table.

Her intent was to nudge Akko’s arm. however, as soon as her hand neared the sleeping girl, Akko’s head turned alongside a soft moan. Diana pulled back, but not before her fingertips had gently grazed Akko’s right cheek.

“S-Sorry!” Diana blurted out, practically throwing herself back into her seat. “I was just trying to...” she allowed her sentence to trail off upon seeing that Akko’s eyes were still closed. “Seriously?”

Akko grumbled something under her breath, so low that her lips barely moved. After another short silence, Diana stood back up and reached forward once more. Her patience was nearing its limit, and she mentally steeled herself for the action she was about to take. Her open palm reached around Akko’s head, where her fingers wrapped around the girl’s short ponytail.

“Wake. Up. Akko.”

One light tug was all it took to get a response. Another groan, far louder than the first. Akko’s eyes slowly opened as Diana released her grip.

“Ugh...Diana?” Akko asked while squinting two bloodshot eyes.

“Students aren’t allowed in the library this late,” Diana said quickly, hoping she could avoid having to explain what she was doing here. “You should head to your room before a teacher sees you; you get in trouble enough as it is.”

Akko’s right eye had closed again by the time she finished speaking, and the left eye wasn’t far behind. “Ugh...” the girl repeated. “Can’t. Too tired to walk. I’ll just sleep here.”

Diana sighed deeply and rubbed the bridge of her nose. “No, Akko, you can’t--” There was no reason to continue; Akko’s head was already back to resting on her crossed arms. Any more words would have to be spoken to the top of the girl’s head.

“You sound tired, too,” Akko said, her voice muffled but still audible. “Why don’t you stay here with me? No way any teacher will scold us if they see you here.”

She knew Akko couldn’t see it, but Diana shook her head anyway. “Stop being so childish, Akko. Just--“

This time, it wasn’t her decision to cut her sentence short. Instead, what caused her silence was Akko suddenly reaching out and gently grabbing her right hand with a solid grip.

A rush of blood filled Diana’s cheeks in a matter of seconds. Akko’s slender fingers slid between her own. Their palms rubbed together for a moment that was more than enough to send a sudden chill down Diana’s spine. She couldn’t accurately describe Akko’s skin as soft, but it was warm, and immensely comforting to touch. She bit down hard on her bottom lip as Akko’s thumb started to slowly rub her palm.

“That’s not fair,” she squeaked out through a dry throat. Her embarrassment was instantly doubled by Akko’s muffled laughter. “Just...for a while.”

Akko mumbled a response, but Diana couldn’t make out a word of it. She didn’t want to say anything else; the last thing she wanted right now was for Akko to look up and see the intense blush spreading across her face. The girl had been treating her like this for quite a while now. After they’d grown close enough to call each other genuine friends, it’d taken Akko no more than a few days to discover that she was extremely weak when it came to physical contact.

Of course, a regular friend would have shrugged off such a fact. Akko, on the other hand, chose to use it to endlessly tease her any time they were alone. She always had the feeling that saying something could easily put a stop to this, which was precisely why she chose to always remain silent on the matter.

Her fingers had grown tense at first, but were now loose enough for her to entwine them with Akko’s. Without the will or desire to hide her smile, she used her free hand to pull over one of Akko’s books and rested her head on its open pages. The warmth from Akko’s hand soon spread to her own. As that warmth slowly spread to the rest of her body, her eyelids finally grew too heavy to bear.

She awoke to the feeling of sunlight heating her lower back. The immediate thought that she’d slept all through the night came as a bit of a shock, but not enough of one for her to open her eyes. If a teacher hadn’t discovered them yet, they were in the clear until classes started.

“Diana...” Akko called out in a hushed whisper.

The girl attempted to pull her hand away, but Diana kept a firm enough grip to make that a challenge.

“Diana!” Akko repeated, her voice slightly higher pitched.

Diana pouted as the girl made a second attempt to free her hand. “Relax, Akko,” Diana said in a calm tone. “We’ve still got time before class starts. Just a bit longer, okay.”

If she hadn’t already been blushing, what happened next would’ve caused her face to turn beet red. It wasn’t Akko who responded to what she’d said. Rather, the voices of several incredibly close girls filled her ears.

“Oh my...did you hear that?” one girl asked in a tone full of shock.

“So it wasn’t an accident after all,” a second girl added. “They were sleeping like that on purpose.”

“She was almost talking like they’re lovers,” a third girl declared in a gossipy tone. “You heard what she said. She was practically begging Akko for more.”

“Oh, tone it down, Mary! We were just holding hands!” Akko finally responded, her voice breaking more than once.“

It was about the last thing she wanted to do in this situation, but Diana forced herself to lift her head and open her eyes. The rain outside had been replaced by a crystal clear blue sky. As a result, the rays of light shining into the library were bright enough to cover the entire room. Had this not given her the unfortunate ability to see the dozen or so Luna Nova students forming a tight circle around the table, she would’ve considered such a sight pleasing to the eye.

A couple of the students were blushing almost as much as she was, while the rest were either staring down in shock or disbelief. No matter their reaction, Diana found it near impossible to meet any of their eyes directly. Her fingers were still entwined with Akko’s, and after the things she’d said, it’d be near impossible to make up any excuse that would explain their situation.

As awkward as she felt right now, one look across the table revealed that Akko was having a much harder time dealing with the sea of judging eyes surrounding them. The girl’s face was dark red, so much so that the tips of her ears had even started to change color, and she had yet to stop squeaking out halfhearted explanations that were clearly convincing nobody.

While watching the girl protest their situation will all of her might, a realization hit Diana hard and fast. She finally understood why Akko always waited until they were alone to tease her. Alone, Akko could flirt with reckless abandon, but in public, she seemed unable to handle even the implication of anything romantic. At first, this caused Diana to feel sorry for the girl--then she thought about it for a couple more seconds.

“What’s wrong, Akko-tan?” Diana asked with a devilish smirk on her lips. She placed her free hand on top of Akko’s, making it all but impossible for the girl to pull away. “You were so pushy last night. Is a few extra eyes all it takes for you to lose your nerve?”

“What?” Akko asked in wide-eyed shock. “W-What are you talking about, Diana?! And how do you know that honorific?!”

Diana sat up enough to lean over the table. She finally released Akko’s hand, but only so she could use her own to quickly cup both sides of the girl’s face.

“And here I was thinking you truly cared about me...” Diana said while meeting Akko’s eyes. Her right thumb caressed Akko’s cheek before finding its way to the girl’s bottom lip. “If you do, surely you’re willing to prove it right here and now, no matter how many eyes are upon us.”

If she wasn’t already taking extreme delight in getting some long overdue payback, Diana could have easily matched the color of Akko’s face. She met the girl’s eyes with a gaze she prayed looked passionate enough to stop Akko from calling her bluff.

The girls around them had gone deathly silent. More than a few had their mouths agape, and the amount of blushing faces among the crowd had doubled. For a moment, she felt a rush of embarrassment herself. She’d certainly never live this moment down, and it was probably safe to say that the rumors regarding her sexuality were no longer up for debate, but seeing Akko’s reaction made it all worth it.

The girl’s eyes looked physically incapable of opening any wider, and the red on her face had long since spread to cover every last inch. After soaking in this sight for a few seconds, Diana decided she’d pushed the situation far enough.

Her expression softened alongside another soft sigh. A brief look of confusion from Akko struck her pretty hard. She opened her mouth to explain that she was only teasing, but was robbed of the opportunity by Akko’s right hand gripping the back of her head. All she managed was a single blink of her eyes before Akko closed the space between them, all but smashing their faces together.

A series of deep gasps filled the room, some beyond even the group of girls surrounding them. However else the other girls reacted to what they were seeing, Diana had no way of knowing. The moment the sensation of Akko’s lips pressing against her own fully hit her, her mind lost the ability to focus on anything else.

It wasn’t a long kiss, and she spent the better half of it frozen in shock, but it definitely wasn’t an experience she’d describe as unpleasant. Akko’s eyes were shut tight, while her own were open wide.

Akko pulled back and opened her eyes a few seconds later. “T-There!” the girl shouted. “Does that--why are you looking at me like that?”

“You...actually kissed me...” Diana could barely speak the words aloud. It took every ounce of will she had to meet Akko’s eyes.

“W-What do you mean?” Akko asked in a desperate tone, her eyes occasionally darting off to glance at one of the many girl’s surrounding them, all of whom had once again gone silent. “You...you wanted me to, right? You just said I had to prove that--”

“I was teasing you, Akko!” The truth came out before she could stop it.

"What?!” Akko yelled, a sudden eye twitch accompanying the vacant look on the girl’s face. “Well...tell me that next time!” Akko pleaded.

Diana threw up her arms in frustration. “That kinda defeats the purpose!” she replied.

Nothing more could be said after that; both girls had reached their emotional limits. In an instant, Diana felt her legs grow weak. An attempt to grab the table came far too late. She started her descent as soon as her legs gave out, her back destined to meet the floor. A last second glance across the table saw Akko in exactly the same position.

As the sound of footsteps and shrieking filled the room, one last thought slipped into her mind: Perhaps I’d taken things just a touch too far.

#Little Witch Academia #akko kagari #diana cavendish #dianakko #diakko #yuri #Shoujo ai #colbertwritingjunk

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jsteeleuniverse · 6 years

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DAILY DRABBLE: WOLVERINE

DAILY DRABBLE is an exercise I’m doing. I’m just writing one-shots/short stories in one sitting to see what I can do. My goal is to reach 3-5 pages in Microsoft word per drabble, and to do 1 drabble every single day. On top of this, I am using the word of the day (https://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day ) to try and boost my vocabulary. Tools used: https://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day http://www.losmedanos.edu/core/documents/OneHundredWaystosaySaid.pdf http://rainymood.com/watch?v=13GD78Bmo8s Character: Wolverine Word of the Day: Abeyance Definition: A state of temporary disuse or suspension. Start Time:12:50 AM End Time: 1:50 AM Final Word Count: 2,116 Words

The smell of dried blood brought back the best memories. At least when it was his own blood dried beneath his nostril. The iron-like scent reminded him that he was truly alive, as most pain barely did these days. Logan took a pull of his cigar and exhaled the plumes of smoke from his now healed nostrils. The sensation brought calm to the animal’s heart, almost as much as the body laying slumped over the bar he sat at. “She’s a good kid, you know.” Logan’s gruff no-nonsense tone rumbled from his aged throat. “She should be home, openin’ presents and celebratin’ this Nativity bullshit, and yer men just wanna snatch a kid off the streets for some goddamn science.” The body was unresponsive. The deep gashes along their throat made this apparent, as well s the smeared blood on Logan’s knuckles. The bartender was nowhere in sight. Just Wolverine hunched over the bar with his elbows practically digging into the wood surface. His leather jacket was torn across the back from the scuffle, but there was little to no sign of blood anywhere on his person outside of his face. The chump must have thought he was dealing with a run of the mill angry father when the altercation started. At least now, his goal was fulfilled. He just needed to finish up his drink and head home. That wasn’t happening anytime soon.

Wolverine knocked on the wood surface to call for the bartender that wasn’t there. With his head slumped he knocked again. No response. When his gazed up and around him, the clearly annoyed man pushed away from the bar and got on his feet. The dead form of a now limbless member of Laura’s kidnappers was steppe over, along with several other bodies left littered on the floor. Claw marks dug deep and splintered the support beams of the establishment. Chairs were cleaved and tabled overturned. However, he walked through the destruction with a calm expected of a man prepping to open their shop for the morning. He stopped just a few feet shy of his teenaged clone. She sat huddled in a corner with her knees hugged to her chest and her head down. “C’mon darlin’. Let’s go.” Logan said while glancing toward the broken open door of the bar. Soft blues music still played on the Jukebox that a man was laying dead against, so the air wasn’t entirely silent outside of Laura’s lack of reply. “I said come on, kid. Stop fuckin’ around. We gotta move, and we gotta move now.” He put more bass in his voice to try and startle a response out of the girl. Still, Laura didn’t reply.

“This shit, again.” Logan grumbled under his breath. He removed his jacket and offered it to her in his tightly clenched fist. “Here, take my jacket. Its cold out.” He tried to conciliate, “I’m not angry with you. No one could have seen ya getting taken coming. You weren’t powerless. Just surprised.” Laura looked up from her knees. Her bright green eyes opposed his colder blue set. Her cutting gaze remained as she took the jacket from him. It smells of alcohol and cigars, but such was a future she expected herself to be drowned in when of age. “Now, lets get out of here.” Logan now offered both of his hands to the young woman. “I was not strong enough to defend myself. How will I ever be strong enough to fight beside you?” She took his hand and pulled herself up. “I have failed you, Logan.” “…Can ya cut the bullshit for five minutes and get yer head on straight?” Logan put his cigar out on the ground after a nice stomp-and-grind from his boot. “I killed ‘em cause they fucked with you. Not cause you couldn’t. Do ya understand? Now, let’s get outta here and get to Neena. Maybe some’a her luck’ll rub off on us.” The mention of Neena made Laura smile just slightly. Perhaps it was for the best in case anyone came after her again. As the duo made their escape in Logan’s truck the ride was quiet. Logan had nothing to say really, and Laura just looked out of the window. She viewed the world much to big for her to explore, yet willing to offer itself to her endless imagination. A few dozen miles out and Logan decided to flick on the radio to get some kind of background noise going. Dead-air with Laura wasn’t much fun. Even when he was in solitude. “Merry Christmas, Laura.” Logan spoke up. “I didn’t getcha a damn thing, because yer spoiled as is.” Laura gave a biting glare to Logan. Her arms crossed over her stomach and her legs crossed right over left. “Logan, I am not spoiled. Why would you use such insulting language?” “Yeah you are.” He retorted with a grin. “I bet ya want a Dolly Dream-House huh?” “I do not wish for such childish—…” “Comes with like..ten thousand pieces or some bull?” “Fifty!” Laura corrected. “Fifty additional parts and pieces to customize the appliances!”

Logan let out a deep belly laugh after she spoke. He looked over at her and locked his left hand on top of the wheel. “Ya know it right down to the number of pieces? Geeze, kid. I was just fuckin’ with ya.” The clone, however, did not find it so humorous. “The Dolly Dreamhouse has been a desire of mine since childhood. I take it I have outgrown ‘toys’ and I am expected to be into cell phones and accessories now? Perhaps dating and sex?”

“Hold your damn horses.” Logan hit a bump in the road, but kept cruising along. “No sex til you’re married. Thems the breaks, kid.” “Until I’m married?!” The teen shouted. “Yep. Yer not makin’ my mistakes. That’s how ya get Daken.” “You are beyond unreasonable.” Laura looked away in anger. “I do what I want. I am no different than you.” “I didn’t want a Dolly Dreamhouse—” “Go. To hell. Logan.” Wolverine had another hearty laugh from his clone’s frustration. He reached over and ruffled her hair up, much to her dislike. He only stopped when Laura struck his wrist. “You got a boyfriend yet? Girlfriend? Yer not pregnant are ya?” “Logan!” Laura flushed red in the face. “I gotta know who’s secretly into me.” He said jokingly. “Dad!” That word paused him. It was nice to hear…and while not entirely true, he still accepted it. He stopped teasing her for a few moments of silence during their drive. As they entered into city limits and rejoined traffic in the snowy conditions, Wolverine finally replied. “Sorry, darlin’. If you don’t wanna talk about it…, I’m supposed to be okay and supportive.” That was word-for-word of what he was told by Charles. So much for being genuine about it. “There is a person who is affectionate to me.” She finally said. “It is friendly. I am not certain how I am to feel toward them yet.” Wolverine made an immediate assumption. “Is it fuckin’ Julian?” He squinted at her. “Kid’s an asshole. Take it from me.” “I am not inclined to confirm or deny your assumption,” Laura rolled her eyes. “Though you are the authority on such subjects. I will take your warning into consideration if Julian happens to be this person.” “Good girl.” Wolverine quipped. “Ya need to date somebody yer opposite. Just avoid flamboyant assholes like Remy.” The cocky Cajun may have been a friend, but the charmer was the last person he needed around his daughter/clone in a romantic sense. He didn’t wanna pay for the funeral when Remy broke her heart. “Remy is a good friend. Again, your warning is taken into consideration.” Laura stated. “Where are we going?” “We’re goin’ back to the mansion. Gotta let everyone know you’re okay.” Logan replied. With the X-Men in abeyance and the school continuing on, Logan was able to focus a lot more on developing the talents of students rather than facing off with the Brotherhood, Magneto, or sentinels seemingly every week. It as a short time of peace, while the government got bigger issues sorted out involving people with special gifts. He worried silently often times, that Laura wouldn’t be able to enjoy her new life and freedoms to the fullest in America. Moving her to Canada was always on his mind, but she already suffered through one traumatic parting of ways with her mother. He knew he couldn’t ask her to part with what friends she had made during her time in the mansion. After a long ride, the two finally arrived at the mansion. Christmas was still in the air, despite the shake-up earlier in the morning when Laura was taken. The two got out of the truck together, and Wolverine draped his arm around Laura’s shoulders. As they entered the school, Laura was greeted by her peers with joy. Wolverine left her to them and stood back. He was thanked by Charles and the others, but the only thanks that truly mattered was Laura’s. He stood and watched for a few minutes as she awkwardly interacted with the other teens, and would at times look over to him for reassurance. After while, Wolverine walked out of the mansion and sat out front in the snow. He occupied himself with cigar smoke, not caring much for the holiday itself. Though his keen hearing heard inside as Scott introduced Laura to the biggest present near the tree. The paper was torn. Wolverine grinned outside as he heard Laura scream in surprise. She rapidly tore away at the paper with her face reddening in both excitement and embarrassment as the Dolly Dreamhouse that stood over five feet tall was finally in her possession. The tag of who it was from? It was signed simply as ‘Dad’. Knowing she was happy and safe, Wolverine stood from the front steps of the mansion and started to walk down toward his truck. When the cigar was dropped he mashed it with his boot in the snow. “She’s a good kid.” He said to the open, crisp air and laughed to himself. “She deserves childhood.” He climbed inside of his truck, at least part-way. “Dad!” Laura called from the door. The sobbing teen ran with all of her might – and tripped on the snow. She picked herself up quickly and continued toward him. Naturally, Wolverine turned back to face her and opened his arms for the girl. He caught her in mid air and embraced the sobbing young girl tightly. It all became too real in that moment. Pain was dulling to him these days…but feelings like this surged through his chest. Seeing her this happy filled him with pride.

He squeezed her tightly and managed to keep himself from shedding a tear himself. He was cool and collected on the outside, but inside he was thankful his heart wasn’t made of adamantium. “Merry Christmas, darlin’.” Logan said as he began to break the embrace with the teen. “I’m gonna letcha be with yer friends, alright?” “No,” Laura pleaded. “Stay. I…” She searched for the words. She looked down at her shaking hands then back up to Wolverine. “There is someone I would like you to meet. Officially. Consider it my…gift to you. Spending this event with you and everyone else.” After some consideration, Wolverine looked toward the door where Scott and a few others were watching. He’d look like a real dick if he climbed in his car and left her standing there. Still, it was tempting just to keep his reputation, but… “…Shit, alright.” Wolverine caved in. Much to Laura’s enjoyment, Logan put aside his usual designated night to be alone to spend time with his daughter and her friends. He looked forward to meeting this ‘special’ friend, whoever that may be. He didn’t expect much by way of gifts. He always told people never to get him anything. Though since the day he officially met Laura, she had been a gift given life. He made sure to guide her day by day, even giving her space when he knew she needed it. He was an old dog who had been kicked all of his life, but he treated her vastly better than anyone did for him and her past was vastly rougher than his own. Like it or not, Wolverine was a father to her. He would always protect and do right by her because one day he wanted her to take his place. When he finally hung it up, he wanted Laura to be the one to fill his boots and find her destiny. Fatherhood. Who knew such an old dog could learn that?

#Daily Drabble #wolverine #x-23 #laura kinney #marvel #fan fiction #drabble #abeyance #word of the day #christmas #X23 #Logan #MCU

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justtextmeoppa · 7 years

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Where we belong Chapter 2

Plot: 7 guys, 7 girls, 1 dream They gathered in the white practice room the day before the concert, one of the many concerts the guys had, the first for the girls.. they prepared so much and worked so hard, they were happy. Genuinely happy, besides the tears and the sweat, besides all the things they gave up: friends, family, youth. They all felt like this was it, this was exactly where they belonged.

Hope you like it

PROLOGUE - CHAPTER 1

illi

GIF is not mine

The weather was getting warmer, the flowers started blooming and birds started singing early in the morning. It was 6 am and there was no one in the streets, the big and beautiful moon was high in the sky that was slowly turning lighter. Lizzie was walking alone down the streets, a big black coat on with a mask and a cap to hide her face, a big bag on her shoulder. Her walk was confident and secure, the cold morning air didn't bother her at all. She was heading as every morning, to their gym's pool. The owner gave her permission to take the keys and use it in the morning before the opening to the public, so that she could just exercise without worries.

The cold water of the pool hit her skin violently, as she got in after the warm up. She fixed her googles and swim cup, positioned herself and look at the watch hanging on the wall. As always, she checked her personal record and tried to beat it. Every powerful stroke, every hit on the pool's wall were giving her a sense of freedom. Swim was something that helped her during training, during that year and a half away from home..in a different country.. and that pool, those wide and high white walls, the big windows..this was her safe place where she could hide everytime she needed. One, two, three and turn.. and again.. check the time and start again. Over and over for a couple of hours, and after that she just lied down beside the pool, closing her eyes and listening to the water moving, the birds singing and breathing deeply.

It was nice there.

In moments when she felt like suffocating that pool helped her breath again.

-Welcome back! Breakfast?

Soosun was in the kitchen, setting the table and welcoming her with a big smile. Her long dark hair tied up in a pony tail that revealed her new heart shaped earrings. The dorm was still quiet, it was now almost 9, but the girls were busy until late the day before, so the manager allowed them to sleep a bit more.

-Yes..cereal? -Of course!!

Lizzie went to the bathroom and put her swimsuit and the other things to wash before coming back in the kitchen.

-Sun? Are you ok?

The ballerina was looking at her phone, mouth tensed and watery eyes. She looked like she was about to cry, but when she heard the younger girl, she just put the phone away and smiled widely as always

-Sure I am! Let's eat

Quietly sitting on the table, the two friends didn't say a thing until the blonde maknae entered the room. Her long hair were braided messily and she was wearing her glasses, as every morning, because the lenses bothered her. Wearing a big black t shirt as a pajama, her long legs were exposed to the morning breeze and she shivered a little.

-Morning Yoore, did you sleep well?

Said Soosun who finished breakfast and was putting the dishes in the washing machine

-Yea..

A phone buzzed and the ballerina immediately stand up to check it

-Unnie..everything ok?

Tha maknae didn't talk much but observed everything really well, she knew something was up but she didn't really want to bother her friends. On the other hand, Lizzie was a bit clueless, she tended to space out a bit every now and then, so sometimes the things that were obvious to the others, weren't for her.

-I have to go..eat something ok? Bye..Bye Lizzie!

Soosun quickly kissed Yoore's head and Lizzie's cheek before heading out. Lizzie, as the third oldest (and the only one awake), felt like she had to take care of the little girl and just put some cereal in a bowl..and then poured some milk in it.

The PD asked for a meeting after lunch, to decide the dates and locations for their future concerts. Lizzie was running in the building's corridor, late for the meeting because she was reading at home. Entering the big room, all eyes were on her. She was breathing heavily and sat down with an apologetic look, next to her there was Namjoon who looked at her and sigh.

He always reminded the girls the rules of that company, and what made the PD lose his temper.. But again, Lizzie just did as she pleased.

She put the books on the table and couldn't lift her head, she was really embarrassed and sorry for just always causing trouble. She was a nice girl, caring and sensitive but sometimes she was just too lost in her own word and other people misunderstood this.

At the end of the meeting, everyone stood up and she was about to get out when Namjoon asked her to stay a bit more. She nodded and looked at her leader XinYu, who smiled at her and asked Namjoon if there was something he had to say to them. Being the leader, the girl hated when the boys acted like she wasn't able to take care of them. She was, she always warned the girls of everything, always took care of them and scolded them if needed..just because they were their seniors it didn't mean like they could just do as she wasn't there.

-No, I have to talk with her He grabbed Lizzie's wrist and looked at XinYu, his eyes were cold, mouth tensed as he tried his best not to hurt the girl with his strength.

-If it has something to do with what happened today I would like to know too. I am the leader and I should be the one calling out MY members..sunbae.

Everyone in the room froze, the PD looked at them both and mumbled them to just let it go and left the room with the managers and stuff. The boys and the girls were still there, looking at the two leaders who were glancing each other.

-It seems like you can't do that properly XinYu, otherwise, she wouldn't have been late .. again

Lizzie kept looking down, hair covering her face. She hated it. Fights. She didn't want anybody to fight because of her. Not again. Not like when her mother and her dad divorced, when her dad left them alone.

-Are you doubting my leadership? You think I am not good enough? Well, I am sorry if I am not good like you Mr Kim Namjoon.

The boy smashed his free hand on the table, while he was still keeping the girl with the other. A loud noise filled the room, all shocked while they watched Elisabeth getting down on her knees and trying to cover her ears with her hands, sobbing on the ground.

Jin immediately walked to her to check on her. Glaring at Namjoon he said, in a dark low voice:

-Enough, both of you. Stop acting childish and leave.

Xinyu walked to Lizzie and hugged her, whispering at her ears comforting words in her native language, slowly trying to make her stand up and walk away from the room. Soosun was frozen on the spot, and Kanda dragged her out of the room while the youngest: Yoore and Yewon, followed Lizzie worried. Mira looked at Namjoon, who was still there at the table. Yoongi placed a hand on her shoulder, looking at her -Go.. He said, with a sweeter tone than usual, he was worried about her. She flinched away when Namjoon hit the table, she covered her face with her small white hands and he couldn't stop but thinking of just going there and hug her, make her feel safe.

Namjoon and Jin were the only one in the room, the oldest visibly angry while the leader was still there, froze.

-What the fuck were you thinking Namjoon?

No answer, Jin runned a hand through his dark blonde hair and looked at Joon who didn't move a bit. Yelling at him, he received again no response, not a single movement from his body, not a word leaving his mouth. And then, the oldest just grabbed him by his collar and made his back hit the wall behind them

-Have you nothing to say Joon? Not even after you made her cry? You scared the shit out of them!

-I'm sorry..

The words left his mouth like a whisper, low voice shaking. His eyes were empty, he didn't want to scare anybody. It was a bad day, but he didn't want this to happen. Jin let go of him, his face softened as he tried to calm down, seeing that his words were honest and that he was really sorry.

-Ok.. I'll go home now..you..you should apologize to them..

A knock on the door, Xinyu immediately went to open it, thinking it was delivery but it wasn't. A silver hair tall man stood there, eyes looking at the ground and hi big clothes hiding his body.

-What are..

He didn't let her finish her question, instead, he left his head and looked at the girl straight in her dark eyes

-I'm sorry.. I.. I am sorry

She sighed and looked at him more carefully, it was raining and he was soaking. The umbrella in his right hand broke. The girl laughed a bit, he was a big clumsy boy after all and invited him in.

-Is..she here?

She knew he was referring to Lizzie, who left a couple of hours before to go to the pool. She could see the book she left in the meeting room in his bag, he probably wanted to give it back to her. Xiunyu didn't hate Joon, she just didn't understand him or his behaviour. Being angry if something is wrong is ok, but he was just too much. He couldn't control his emotions, he was too impulsive.. her opposite.

-She's at the pool if you want to apologize to her too

-Thanks..

Meanwhile laying beside the pool with cold water caressing her arm, Lizzie felt like she could breathe again. The raining against the pool's windows created a relaxing symphony that calmed her mind. It has been quite a while since something like that happened, probably the last time it was before M Countdown. Closing her eyes, she tried to push away that memory and breathed deeply.

-Elisabeth?

Scared from the sudden presence of someone she got up and turned around, but miserably fell back in the water. Namjoon runned to her, grabbing her by her arm but somehow falling in the pool too.

-Sunbaenim!

Lizzie helped him to get out, his clothes were now really soaking wet. She quickly gave him her robe and help dry him out. Keeping apologizing, she heard him giggling while he removed his long black coat.

-Thank God the book was in the bag..

He removed it from the black leather bag and gave it to her, telling Lizzie that she forgot it in the meeting room.

-Look, Elisabeth..I am sorry..i.. I didn't want to scare you

-My book, thank you!

She completely ignored his words, maybe she didn't hear him, focused on her precious book. He smiled looking at her, she was really something else. She was really cute like this, sit on the floor with wet hair and swimsuit. Namjoon thought that she must have been cold, so he kneeled down and put the robe on her shoulders. Her big brown eyes looking at him, her cute freckles made her look even more stunning.

-Don't get cold

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bugheadjones-the-third · 7 years

Text

Title: To Be Continued . Summary: Modern Rapunzel crossover. There is this girl he can see through a window, and guided by his love, Jughead vows to save her from the prison she calls home. . A/N: I’ve taken a lot of time to finish this prompt, and I’m not sure I did it right, still, I just LOVED the idea of a homeschooled Betty XD I’ve tried to make a modern crossover with the real Rapunzel story, and I’m quite happy with the way it turned out. Hope you enjoy it, and please, tell me what you think! . Warning: This is not a Disney fairy tale. Rated M

Thank you for this request, anon! I hope you like it! . . . Mostly, Jughead Jones likes to believe he is an observer. His greenish-blue eyes are probably the most developed organs of his body and only with them, he can satisfy his curious heart's constant cravings. With them, he watches the world from the corner, like an omniscient writer, paying attention to every detail and making sure his presence doesn’t disturb the natural order of things.

Jughead is invisible. He’s a ghost wandering around the streets of a town that seems to be forgotten in time. A time where the american dream is nothing but a fake image of perfection.

Perfect families. Perfect men and women having perfect children that will eventually grow old, living up the perfect expectations of their parents.

That concept sickens him. And there is nothing he enjoys more than seeing the ugly truth everyone tries so desperately to hide. The truth that shows that in Riverdale, families aren’t perfect. Men and women are fucked up and their children are all silent rebels, just waiting for the first shout of freedom.

They’re all silent dreamers. And that girl is no different.

Every day, after the sun's death behind the mountains, the boy dressed in a leather jacket drives from the South side of the town to a silent and safe neighborhood he has once found during his wanderings. The houses are big— bigger than they normally are where he lives— and at first sight, they have nothing to hide behind those white curtains that cover the windows.

The houses, from outside, seem to fit the town’s facade. However, once the clock strikes 7:30 pm, the magical reality begins, as a car innocently drives away from the safety of its garage, leaving behind a supposedly perfect girl.

Her skin is clear as a vanila milkshake, her golden hair is tied up in an impeccable ponytail and he can bet not a single time her heart-shaped lips pronounced a bad word. Mommy homeschooled her and Daddy protected his little princess from any unworthy man who has done as much as look at her baby, blue eyes. She’s the perfect girl next door.

Or at least she pretends to be until 7:30pm.

Once her parents leave for their daily meeting at the neighborhood association, Betty Cooper— as he eventually learned— drops her good girl mask and free herself from her parents’ wishes. Her hair falls curly over her shoulders, the first and second buttons of her shirt are left open, exposing some skin; and her window— the window that protects her from the dangers of the outside world— is left open.

She places her hands on the wooden frame, ducking her head out so she can feel the cold breeze that dances with her loosened locks, and she fills her lungs with the fresh air that roams around the town. Her eyes are kept shut for some seconds, as she appreciates her daily share of loneliness, and when she finally opens them, all the air of his lungs disappear.

At this moment, she’s simply beautiful. Beautiful, real and free, exhaling control over her life and her choices. She knows what she’s doing, and just like every day, she knows exactly where’s she’s looking at. And Betty Cooper is looking straight at him.

Unlike the rest of the cold and fast world that surrounds his body, she sees him. She acknowledges his presence with purity in her eyes, as he stands alone, hidden in the shadows on her neighbor’s front-yard across the street. She’s looking at the abyss and she knows the abyss is looking right back at her with the same passion in his eyes.

She knows he’s there, and it’s been long since they've crossed all the doubts and what ifs of what can now be called a relationship. They accept the company and the distant stares, and most of all, they accept their momentary freedom to do whatever their hearts tell them to do.

For the moment, they’re free. Free like fairy tale lovers, whose love started from a mix of forbidden mystery and a locked gaze. Just like every childish story, they fell in love with an image of a life entirely different from their owns.

It could even be called love at first sight.

But they certainly don’t believe in such childish definition.

Because there’s nothing childish about Jughead Jones and Betty Cooper. There’s no such thing as pure and innocent, and they don’t want it to be. They don’t want perfect, idealized love, no.

They want what they can’t have.

And for teenagers like them, that’s more than they could ever dream about.

It doesn’t take long before she steps away from the window, and when she does, he knows exactly what to do. His feet take him to her house, where he finds the ladder she leaves outside for him every night. Without ceremony, he positions it on her bedroom window, and once he feels like it’s safe, Jughead climbs up so he can invade her perfect residence, just like she’s once instructed him.

In a blink of an eye, he’s already peeking the peaceful serenity of her bedroom, and as his eyes drift around, he sees her, as she’s standing next to her door with a key in hands. Her eyes are on him, a smirk is playing across her lips and without hesitation, Betty locks them inside, trapping them together in the only place where she feels safe in her own house.

She locks them in only place where she can be free.

“ Hey there, Prince Charming. Need help?”

“ Nope. I’m okay. “ He says, as he tosses his legs over her window, finally entering her room. “ I might not be an athlete, but I can pass through your window.”

“ Well, since you do it every day, I thought you’d be a pro already.” She approaches him, hands placed on her hips, as she watches him from above. Jughead is bent down brushing away the dust from his jeans, and it doesn’t take long until he stands up, towering over her.

The Jones boy is tall, and even if the leather jacket he’s wearing is a little too big, Betty knows better that the shape of his body is simply stunning. His muscles— especially the ones from his arms— are well defined, and his big hands are strong, showing traces of the hard work he has been put through during his life.

He might look like a skinny, weak boy, but of all the people, Betty knows better.

She knows him better.

Their eyes are connected now, a grin decorating his lips and a soft smile taking care of hers. There’s a comfortable silence set in between them for a while, and their eyes are glittering in pure excitement. She can’t help but allow her heart to beat faster as she looks at the freckles spread around his neck, and even if there are many things she wants to talk about and many things she still wants to do with him; Betty knows she can’t waste that chance to just look at him.

To just look at the boy who has saved her days.

“ Hey, you.” He finally says, still holding a dorky grin.

“ Hey.”

“ How was your day around the tower?"

“ Well, the birds didn’t come by to sing by my window, so I could say it was just another day being guarded by the Dragon…” She says, bitting her lower lip. " But that won’t be my answer.”

“ Oh, really?” He knits his brows in curiosity. “ And why wouldn’t that be your answer?”

“ Because… I’ve finished the book.” Her eyes are glittering at her words, as they are slightly closed due to the soft, genuine smile that is taking over her lips. A pink blush is spread over her lifted cheeks, and soon, she starts swinging back and forth in pure excitement.

Betty Cooper looks extremely cute like that. She is shining in pure happiness, and it’s all because he lent her a book.

A really good one, to be honest.

“No way! Already?! It’s a book with more than 12 tales, Betty!”

“ I know! I started it two nights ago and I just couldn’t drop it! Edgar Allan Poe is just amazing!”

“ Agreed. And which one did you like the most?”

“ The Tell Tale Heart! Damn it, it was perfect! The way his own guilt was consuming him to the point where he could actually hear that dead heart— It was just perfect! Thank you so so much for lending it to me!”

“ Well…” He chuckles, smirking and placing his right hand over his hip. “ I’m glad you liked it, Betts. Next time I’ll bring you a full story, with the necessary amount of violence a girl like you needs.”

“ Oh, Jughead Jones…” She smirks, placing her hands around his neck, finally making contact with his skin. Her body approaches his, and instinctively, he places his hands on her hips. Their eyes are connected, eventually dropping to each other’s lips. “ What are you doing to me?”

“ Me? Did you forget who actually invited a stranger in?”

“ Oh, true.” She chuckles. “ But you also accepted a stranger’s invitation.”

“ Also true. We probably should’ve listened to our parents then.”

“ I’m glad we didn’t… Your visits are the highlight of my day, and you also give me good books, so… Thank you for coming in.”

“ Hn, you’re welcome. I’m glad I can be your book dealer.”

A genuine laughter escapes her lips, and in a blink of an eye, she’s already hugging him. He can feel her heart beating faster against his chest, and in the same way he’s breathing in her scent, Jughead can feel her doing the same, as a barely perceptible breeze brushes against his exposed neck. It’s something that she usually does when he arrives, the only possible explanation being her attempt to smell the world through him.

Betty may not talk about it, but he can see it in her eyes the desire to be free. Since her sister was checked in that institution for troubled minds, her mother has kept her prisoner in her own house. She doesn’t go to school, she doesn’t attend family meetings, and he even thinks she doesn’t even step outside the front door anymore. She’s trapped from the world, and he’s her only connection to the life that happens outside her window.

Through him, she can hear real stories about real people’s days, and she dreams that one day she will also have a story to tell. The Cooper girl dreams thanks to his words and feelings, and because of her, Jughead already knows he’s going to be a writer when he grows older.

He will be a writer and he will take her out of there.

And that is a promise he’s made since the day he met the trapped princess.

“ You smell good, Jughead…” Her voice comes out as a whisper, eliciting something inside him that he cannot really name.

“ Really? It’s just grass, I think. I arrived earlier today and I just sat there at your neighbor’s garden.”

“ You know my neighbors better than I do.” She giggles, but he knows better that she doesn’t find that funny at all.

“ It’s their loss. They don’t know how amazing is the girl next door.”

“ And do you?”

“ A little… She’s a bit irresponsible, I’ll tell you that, but… A girl who likes Poe can’t be a bad person. Besides, she’s quite a heartthrob.”

“ Oh, really?” She lifts her brows in amusement, knowing very well the beanie boy’s intentions. “ Why would say this?”

“ Well, Elizabeth… I happen to know that she has this hart-shaped lips and they are quite a thing.”

“ Quite a thing? Just that?” She lifts her brows, questioning him and playfully trying to sound offended by such shallow description of her lips. Slowly, she slides her hands through his chest, earning a muffled grunt when she finally breaks their bodies’ contact. Betty is now looking at him from under her eyelashes, and the smirk playing in her lips tells the boy she’s up to no good. “ You know, I was planning on kissing you tonight, but… Maybe you wouldn’t like it.”

“ And how would you know my preferences?”

“ I just happen to know.”

The blonde girl starts taking some steps back, and intuitively, he follows her. Their eyes are still glued to each other, and both of the teens can feel the heat burning up inside their cores. Betty only stops when her legs are pressed against the frontal edge of her bed, and soon, he’s towering over her once more.

Now, they both know it’s too late to take back any words and to try to cool down their hormones. They’re all alone in the safe world that has become her bedroom, and just like so many times, Betty and Jughead want to explore more of that apparent safety they bring one another.

They want to touch it. They want to tease it, kiss it and eventually, trap it inside their hearts in the same way they’re both trapped in the injustices of the outside world. Like a cat toying with a condemned mouse, they both play with the fake idea of safety given by those 4 walls.

They’ve been playing with their feelings from the very first moment he entered her room.

And just like the first time, they’re still in love with their forbidden adventure.

The Jones boy is the first to make a move, as his head ducks so he can capture her lustful lips with his owns. Betty doesn’t allow that, at first, teasing him as much as she can, until she eventually corresponds his gesture. His hands are now cupping her face, and her fingers are over his in a tender way, as their kisses slowly and naturally start taking new proportions.

At first, it’s a chaste one, and they feel the softness and tenderness as they smile against each other’s lips. It feels calm and innocent, but these feelings don’t last long, soon being mixed with a growing passion that grows faster when he feels her tongue brushing against his lower lip. He’s asking for entrance, and at first, she refuses him, a smirk growing across her face.

Betty likes to tease him, he knows. She likes to drive him to his limits, trying to provoke the most unexpected reactions from this boy who’s full of surprises. She tells herself that she only does so in order to prove her own wishes and even to selfishly get something from him and his feelings, but deep inside, she knows it’s not true. Not anymore.

The blonde girl has always known that he is her best chance to escape from that house, and if she could use his feelings on her behalf, then she would do so. At first, she was ready to use him so she could free herself from that place, but eventually, Betty did the one thing she shouldn’t have in order not to restrain her selfish wishes:

She fell in love with him.

Yes. She fell in love with the boy who actually saw her trapped in that tower, and the boy who treats her like a human being. She fell in love with a boy who wears a crown shaped beanie, and who brings her books to make her tedious days more interesting.

Betty fell in love with Jughead. For as cliché as it could be, the trapped princess fell in love with the prince who came for her rescue, and even if she had vowed herself not to be that girl — the one who falls deeply and gives herself wholeheartedly— something inside her tells her that she can trust him. The Cooper girl can love him, and she knows she does, as she finally parts her lips and allows him to deepen the kiss.

His tongue is soft as it slowly brushes against hers, eliciting muffled moans from their throats as they continue their wet dance. Her hands climb up so her fingers can get lost in his dark, wavy hair, and his beanie drops on the floor, still warm from his head. She can feel his fingers drawing circular patterns on her hips, and when their lungs are finally craving for air, he licks her palate, causing Betty to shiver, as she carefully throws her head back in response, and eventually breaking the heated kiss.

That was quite the kiss, indeed.

“ Well…” He starts, as he rests his forehead against hers and they’re both breathing heavily. She can feel his hot breath fanning over her lips, and there’s a blush taking over her cheeks. “ I think you do know my preferences, Betty Cooper.”

“ I told you I did. In the same way you knew I would like that book, I know you love my kisses.”

“ Yeah” He chuckles. “ I do love your kisses.”

“ Just my kisses?” Her eyes are now clouded by pure lust, and even if he can feel all her confidence as they shared that kiss, Jughead can also feel a certain uncertainty in her voice as she asks him so.

She looks so pure and beautiful right now. So confident, and yet so fragile.

Even if he’s more than just aware that this girl can take care of herself, Jughead can’t help but feel like he should take it on his own hands the responsibility to rid her of her troubles. He wants to see her happy and wants to see her smile, and for that, he’s willing to sacrifice the peaceful monotony of his life.

For her, he’s willing to do anything.

For Betty, he’s willing to belong to a world he has long rejected.

A world where, now, Jughead Jones is in love with Betty Cooper.

“ Do you really need to ask?”

After his words, a wide smile takes care of her lips, and before she can even answer him, his lips are already on hers, and his arms are wrapped around her waist. He carefully lifts her up, a smirk decorating his lips as he looks up to see the Cooper girl still smiling at him. Her golden locks are brushing his face, and as their lips are once again connected, he places her over her soft mattress. As she’s sitting there, he helps her get rid of her shirt, exposing the creamy skin of her breasts and the lacy bra, his eyes softening at such pure view. Quickly after that, she motions for him to do the same, as her fingers are already holding onto the hem of his shirt.

The leather jacket falls flat on the floor, and his characteristic S T-shirt follows right after, revealing his well-defined muscles. Jughead is a strong boy, and every time she lays her eyes on his bare chest, Betty can feel her heart beating faster in pure excitement, as she silently wants to feel his body pressed against hers. She wants to feel his heat and his strong hands against her bare skin, and in order to do so, she slides back on her bed, inviting him to join her so they can, finally, intertwine their bodies.

His demeanor is still showing that boyish grin, as Jughead places his knees on top of her bed, approaching her and wrapping his arms around her waist. He pulls her closer, trapping their lips together in another deep kiss, and his body is now smoothly pressed against hers, as their combined weight sinks into her soft mattress.

They’re moving together, bodies and souls connected, and it doesn’t take long before his mouth moves to her neck. Jughead has his hand on her jaw, and as he leaves small bites on her skin, he can feel her pulse quickening between his lips. Betty allows muffled moans to climb their way up from her chest, and the tremble caused by her vocal chords against his palm makes him smirk.

Her legs are now wrapped around his waist, pressing them closer against each other, and the way she moves her hips around his lower parts are slowly making his pants feel tighter. She slowly slides her hands down, trailing her fingers across his bare abdomen, stopping only when she reaches his pants. Quickly, the Cooper girl gestures for him to take them off, and he does so, exposing his dark boxers that are, apparently, too tight for him.

Unconsciously, there’s a smirk crossing her lips at the scene, and during a brief moment when his lips are away from her, Betty takes that opportunity to get rid of her white, capri pants. Jughead helps her doing so, and as soon as his hands are on her thighs, he can feel her shivering under his touch. She’s a sensible girl, and by the way her eyes are eventually shutting, he knows very well that she wants more.

More contact. More heat and more freedom.

And that’s exactly what he gives her, as soon as they’re both left in their underwear. With his expert fingers, he unclasps her bra, freeing her breasts and exposing her already hard nipples. He works on them, brushing his thumb against her skin, and consequently causing her to jerk her head back against her white pillow. Jughead can see the way she’s biting her lower lip, and as she does so, her fingers start pressing harder against his shoulders, leaving red marks behind and causing his member to throb in anxiety.

Neither of them needs much to ignite the flames inside their bodies, and they could tell it by the way they were both panting in between their kisses. He wanted her and she wanted him, and when she felt his thumb sliding down her panties, redness took over her cheeks, as a satisfied smile took over her lips. She knew he could feel the heat coming from her core, and judging by how his eyes were so focused on hers, Betty could tell how he enjoyed that sensation.

The fact that he had her there, underneath his body and looking at him with those baby blue eyes of hers made the beanie boy feel good. It made him feel like the main hero of a fairy tale and even if he had long gotten used to being the narrator, he enjoyed the change.

He enjoyed to be seen, but not by an audience, no. Jughead enjoyed to be seen by her and only her. As if he is a book, and as her fingers grace his skin, she turns his pages, reading in everything he is and savoring every unwritten word and hidden truths.

Betty is the only one who can read him. Who can truly read him.

And that is exactly what she’s doing right now. With her kisses and her most genuine reactions, she’s reading the complicated book that is Jughead Jones.

After they exchange a lovely glance, Betty quickly makes sure to get rid of his last clothing article, and by the time she does so, his manhood is basically begging for her. She can see the blush around his cheeks, and as she pulls him closer to one, deep and breathtaking kiss; they both know the time has come.

His hips slowly move, as he positions himself in front of her entrance, and for the first time that night, he feels her wetness through his length. His eyes shift to her face, and even if it amuses him to see her needy face at that simple contact, he doesn’t want to waste any more time. In a single move, he’s inside her, and in the same way her eyes roll back in pleasure, he also can’t help the moan that escapes his lips at the warm sensation caused by the union of their bodies.

It feels good. It feels right, and most of all, it feels genuine.

And it is. Their lovemaking is all that and much more, even if they don’t know about it yet.

“ Oh, fuck.” She says, trying to catch her breath.

“ I didn’t know good girls knew this word.”

“ And I didn’t know you still thought I was a good girl, Jones.”

“ Fair enough, Cooper.”

Their hips start moving together, as their hearts also beat as one. Her lips are now on his neck, her arms wrapped around his shoulder as she holds onto to him through every move. Her eyes shut every time he brushes that one spot inside her, and the moan that leaves her throat just gives him more energy to fasten his pace. The friction feels good, and her vanilla scent acts like a pheromone, drawing him closer and closer with each passing moment.

The kisses are now sloppier than before, as they’re panting heavier due to the whole thing, and they both start to feel their approach of their apex. His thrusts are heavier now, and the bumping of their hips are rougher, in an attempt to make their union last a little longer. Neither of them wants that to end, however, even their free, adventurous souls are attached to bodies that have their own limit.

And unfortunately, after what felt like an eternity, they reach that limit.

Her pupils contract, her fingers dig into the mattress and her walls close around his cock, causing him to release himself. They stand still for a while, his strong arms caging her body and his dark locks falling in front of his face. She can see the way his skin is glistering, and even if he is panting hard, she can’t help but notice that so characteristic, boyish smirk on his lips.

Jughead Jones is happy. Damn it, he is more than happy, for he soon starts to chuckle as his eyes watch her beautiful and flushed face underneath him.

“ What is it?” She asks, still breathlessly.

“ Nothing, it’s just…”

“ Just what, Jug?”

“ I'm happy… I’m really happy right now.”

At first, betty doesn’t quite understand him, however, giggles form in her stomach, and like butterflies, they escape through her mouth as a genuine laughter. Today, more than any other day, these two, young dorks are happy, for they’ve both managed to forget whatever the crap the world usually throws at them. They are able to be happy like teenagers in love usually are, and given all the circumstances, that alone is exactly what they both want.

Happiness, indeed, feels good.

“ I’m happy too.” She smiles, kissing his cheek softly. “ If this is a dream, then I don’t wanna wake up."

“ Well… If this is a dream” He starts, moving his body so he’s now resting next to her. She wraps her hands around his torso, resting her chin on his chest. Her inebriant scent is invading his nostrils, and he brings her covers above them, as the first, chilling breeze hits their tangled bodies. “ Then you have one dirty mind, Betty Cooper.”

“ Shut up…” Her voice sounds playfully, as she pinches his sides, earning a childish ‘ouch’ from him. “ You know what I mean… I’m just saying that I’m happy to be right here with you.”

“ I know… But I’m still taking you out of here, Rapunzel. You trust me, don’t you?”

Her eyes drift to his greenish-blue ones, and beneath the cute nickname, Betty can see what he really means with his words. Even if they’re just two teenagers trying to enjoy their feelings, she knows better than to doubt him, after all, he’s the one boy who has saved her from herself.

Jughead is the boy who saw more than the perfect facade people have built for her, and when she needed someone— anyone— he was there. He, the loner, outsider boy from the wrong side of the tracks.

He was there for her, and he still is.

And if it depends on her, she’ll want him with her forever.

“ I believe you, Jughead. I asked you for another book, didn’t I?” She smiles tenderly, and he feels his heart warming up inside his chest. “ It has to mean something, right?”

“ Definitely. It takes a lot of trust to let someone do that for you, Betts. I won’t let you down.”

“ Oh, based on your last one, Jug, I know you won’t… I know it.”

He plants a soft kiss on her head after her words, and he brings her closer in his embrace. They share body heat, enjoying each other’s company as much as they can, for they know that, later that night, he will climb down the stairs once more and she will have to say goodbye to her charming prince until he can return tomorrow.

They don’t have much time, yet, they have all the love in the world to enjoy their momentary eternity. It’s a promise of a happily ever after.

And for now, this is already enough for their souls to feel free.

It’s enough until their deserved Happy Ending.

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