#she's very evasive when she's the topic of conversation | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

sunlightandsuffering · 6 months

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Bro this is just me being mean now. 😂😂

“Best you’ve ever had?” Eren states lewdly to the group and Jean’s face scrunches up in disgust, leave it to Eren to be so inappropriate. At Jean’s look Eren shrugs, holding his hands up, “I haven’t seen you fuckers in a year, let me at least have some guy talk Kirstchein.” Jean sighs, shaking his head and allowing the rest of the members of their group to go first, Armin meekly stating that obviously it was Annie, Connie naming some girl he met up with last week that was apparently more flexible than he could believe. “What about you Yeager?” Jean asks before they can get to his turn, wanting to avoid the topic if possible. Eren shrugs, “Miki.” Everyone collectively groans and Eren huffs, “She’s fucking real I promise.” “Yeah, yeah whatever Yeager you used to talk about her all the time and yet we’ve never met her.” Eren scoffs, “What about you then Kirschtein, give me a good story to top my imaginary one.”

Jean shrugs, “I don’t have one yet, and unlike you brutes I’d honestly prefer not to share anyway.” “What about that girl you’re seeing?” Connie pipes up over his beer and Eren head swivels towards him, those green eyes penetrating and Jean knows he’ll be forced to answer. He does so primly, keeping his answers evasive, “Her name is Mikasa and I’ll have you know she’s a virgin, we haven’t done anything yet.”

“How do you know?” Connie volleys back and Jean glares at his friend, how dare he question Mikasa’s virtue. “I just do okay, she’s not that type of girl.”

“What’s her last name?” Eren asks, some dark hint of satisfaction in his voice, eyes gleaming with mirth and Jean frowns, why does Yeager even need to know? “Ackerman, Mikasa Ackerman.” Eren chuckles darkly, “She’s not a virgin Jean, promise.” There are shocked gasps but Jean glares murderously at his old friend, he should have known Eren hasn’t changed, still the same old asshole he’d been before he’d left on that exchange trip last semester.

“Don’t tell me Eren you’ve–” Jean cuts Armin off before he can get the words out, “No way, Mikasa would never, she’s a good girl, she wouldn’t be caught dead with the likes of you Yeager.” The smile on Eren’s face is all teeth, wolfish, “Yeah, she is a good girl, I promise you that.” Jean stands, to do what? He’s not sure, maybe to hit him, embroiled with so many emotions as he insults the girl Jean’s been seeing for two months.

What a douchebag.

“Why don’t you call her up? We can ask.” “I will!” He finds her contact, nervously hitting the call button, hoping to god this doesn’t ruin his chances with her, doesn’t set back everything he’s worked for. But he just can’t help it, wants to wipe that smug grin right off of Eren’s face, wants to come out on top for once.

The phone dials for a few moments before it’s ringing and then the next thing he knows Mikasa’s voice is sleepy in his ear, “Hello?” He’s about to respond when the phone is snatched from his grip, Eren eagerly bringing it up to his lips as he hits the speaker button. “Mikasa,” He sings, his voice teasing and the entire group listens with rapt attention to hear Mikasa’s reaction. There is a gasp on the other line and then a very breathless whisper, “Eren?” Eren’s smile widens impossibly, self-satisfaction dripping from him as he shoots Jean a wink, “Yeah baby it’s me.” “Oh- I umm- when did you get back?” It’s clear she’s nervous and this is so not the Mikasa he’s used to, the confident uncaring girl that had barely let him take her on a date. She’s nervous, shy, cute in how she answers him.

“A few days ago,” Eren breathes and Jean is struck by the fact that Eren is also different, not his usual cocky playboy self. Although the confidence is still there, he speaks to Mikasa genuinely, with more affection than Jean is used to. “I missed you,” he tells her candidly and Connie almost spills his beer at the turn of the conversation. Eren smacks him for it as they await Mikasa’s answer. “I- Me too, I umm really missed you.” It’s silent for a moment as Eren mulls over what to say next but Mikasa interrupts, “Why are you calling me from Jean’s phone?” Eren’s smile turns wicked again, the line of jaw hardening, “He said he was seeing a Mikasa, thought i’d see if it was my Mikasa.” “Well I’m not currently your Mikasa am I?” She returns saucily and Eren chuckles, “We can change that if you let me come over.” “And why should I?” “Because I really fucking missed you and I haven’t had sex in nine months.” “Since the airport?” Mikasa questions curiously and Eren nods into the phone, almost like a puppy how obedient he is, “Back of my car you wore that sweater dress I love.”

There is a sigh on the other end of the line, and then a huff, “I’ll be at your apartment in an hour.” Eren fist pumps excitedly, “I’ll see you then Miki, now here talk to Jean.” He hands him back the phone with more smugness than should be allowed, and Jean takes it numbly, “Hello.” “I umm didn’t know you and Eren were friends,” Mikasa tells him awkwardly and Jean slumps in his chair, “I didn’t know you were Miki.” “Umm yeah,” she responds stiffly, “I’m umm I’m really sorry, he uh left and I didn’t expect to see him again.” Jean is just nodding and finally Mikasa sighs, taking pity on him, “I guess I’ll see you around then?” “Sure,” he tells her robotically, his brain spaced out now, flying far, far away at the entire turn of events because so much for his dating dreams.

But the cherry on top is when Mikasa is mumbling a goodbye, jilted words that sound awkward coming from her lips, so different from the goodbyes he’s used to, the ones where he doesn’t want to hang up first lest she say something more. Because Eren holds his own phone out, the home screen he’s always been so damn protective of, slid to the farthest page, so there’s only two apps blocking the rectangular photo, nothing to distract from what’s on screen. Jean almost chokes as the line goes dead in his ear, the dial tone buzzing irritatingly, because on the screen is Mikasa, dishevelled and fucked out, lips glossy with a mixture of saliva and a glistening white substance that can only be cum, looking up at the camera with adoration he’s never seen.

And the worst part, the worst part is the way Eren’s dick is pressed against her cheek, the thick length measured against her temple, spanning her whole face, a pretty contrast to the pink of her cheeks. She looks like something he’d pay for on OnlyFans, pay top dollar for the way Eren’s hand collars her throat, his thumb roughly pressed against her chin, smearing the white of his seed over her lips. It’s just as captivating as it is horrifying and Jean can’t look away, is only jarred out of the image by Eren pulling his phone away smugly. “That’s Miki,” he tells him casually, “And I know she’s not a virgin because I’m the one who took her virginity, shithead. I haven’t talked to her since I’ve been back though, she changed her phone number I think. I’d be more than happy to take it from you, though.” He hands over his own phone numbly and Eren is quick to share her contact with himself, all happy, whistling to himself, “Thanks for keeping her occupied while I was gone though. It’s good to hear she hasn’t been with anyone else, I’m gonna have fun stretching her out on my cock tonight.” And then he’s gone and Jean is left with the rest of their friends, gaping at his back because Eren has been talking about Miki forever, has been hoarding her to himself for years, refusing to introduce her to any of his friends, so possessive of her it’s ridiculous.

And it’s just his fucking luck that she ends up being the only girl he’s been interested in for months.

#lys’s drabbles

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azucarmorena97 · 5 months

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Money Ties (Jungkook Love Story || Pt.6)

Pt.5

Your parents have worked hard to get to the top and have made sure to teach you everything you need to know to be successful in this business: from tough but lucrative financial decisions, down to the right ball gown for any given banquet. A promising and extravagant future awaits you- that is, if you agree to one teensy detail...

Son of Mr.Jeon Sr. and heir to June Company, Jeon Jungkook is an immature playboy with nothing to offer a woman but good looks and a crap ton of money, and he stands to inherit much MUCH more, so long as you both enter into the arranged marriage contract that was drawn up before the pair of you were even born.

You're more than willing to try, but you're not sure you'll be able to stand each other long enough to inherit a single penny...

Series Warnings: There will be smut in the near future and I will label those chapters as such. As I say before most of my pieces- I do not endorse any themes, ideas, or behaviors in this series. This is all purely fiction/fantasy! Feel free to inbox me suggestions/ideas/what you'd like to see in this series and I'll see what I can do! Enjoy <3

Recap: When you both sit back down, Jungkook is quiet- like he's lost in thought. "So...who's Lisa?" You ask, pretending to be completely oblivious. "She's...just a mutual friend between Rosé and I." Again, it seems like a topic he'd rather avoid. "Alrighty..." You say, pursing your lips.

- You look down at your hand and can't help but smile. Oh, how easy it is to get carried away and forget that none of this organic....but is it so bad to dream?

You slept the most solidly last night than you have in months- even before you came to Korea, you had horrible insomnia from just how much stress you've been under. As you fell asleep, you played and replayed the events of your evening frame by frame, reliving the fun conversation and laughters...and even that strange moment between him and that girl, Rosé. He seemed so...evasive when you asked him who Lisa was. You quickly shoved it to the back of your mind, not really wanting to let it spoil the great evening you had with Jungkook.

You're awakened by your phone buzzing against your bedside table, though you aren't bothered at all the way you usually would be. Residual contentment from last night, you suppose. You look at the screen to see who it is and your joy only grows when you see it's B/f/n. You answer the facetime with a big smile, "Heeeeey." "Wait a minute, you're not grumpy this morning or crabby. What's going on?" She asks, a knowing smile on her face. You don't respond, you simply lift up your left hand and show her Jungkook's ring. Her eyes widen and she begins cheering, "NO FREAKING WAY. Did Jungkook give that to you?!" She asks. You nod, "Yes. Last night- it was after dessert, we were in the car-" "Wait, after dessert!?" "Yeah, After dinner we got dessert at-" "DINNER!?" She gets more and more excited with ever passing second, "One day without a call and I miss all the good stuff!" She whines, causing you to laugh. "I know- I gotta tell you, this guy is way different than I thought." "Is he fabulous? Are you falling in love?" She asks, propping her chin up on her hand. "I- I wouldn't say that..." You blush, feeling very vulnerable with that question. You've only known the guy for about a week- you're definitely not in love with him...but you would be lying to yourself if you said you weren't kind of starting to...warm up to him considerably.

"Ugh...I wish you could just be here so I could tell you everything in person," You sigh. She purses her lips as though she wants to say something but won't spit it out. You narrow your eyes at her, "Wait- what is it? What are you not saying?" "I'm not at liberty to say," She say, looking around the room she's in to avoid direct eye contact. "B/f/n," You say sternly, "Spill it." "Okay fine," She caves (without very much effort, as per usual) "Your parents are traveling to Seoul tonight," She says excitedly. You don't even know how to process what she's just said- your parents? South Korea? You can't imagine how that'll go, considering the fact that your dad won't even look at you on a video chat. "M-my parents?" How are you going to survive another week here with them also being here. "Yes, and guess what else..." Oh God, you can't even imagine what bomb she might drop next. "...what else..." You ask, pursing your lips to prepare yourself. "THEY INVITED ME TO COME ALONG!!!!!!" She exclaims. Your eyes widen and let out a little scream, "NO WAY!" You celebrate with her.

With her here, the trip will go much smoother. She'll be like a buffer between you and your parents. Surely the won't act up as much with guests around, right? "It was supposed to be a surprise but- I mean, clearly they don't know me at all if they thought I could just keep that to myself," She sighs. "You don't even know how happy you've just made me," You sigh, "It's just too bad you won't be here in time for Jungkook's party tonight. I'm gonna be in a sea of people I don't even know." "Ugh, I know. But think of it this way, tomorrow is completely ours." "You're right- I'll just hold on to the promise of tomorrow," You sigh dramatically. "Please do. Alright, my lunch break is almost over- I'll call you tonight when we're on our way to the air port- don't tell your parents I told you!" "Of course not, scout's honor. Bye!"

When she hangs up, you toss your phone next to you and sigh, staring up at the ceiling. You think about what your parents might say when they see you, what you and B/f/n might go do to pass the time, and before you know it, you're drifting off back to sleep for just a little longer.

Your head hangs upside down as you blow dry your hair, trying to hurry before the car arrives in an hour. You'd been lazy all day, opting not to do any of the items on your itinerary that your dad had planned out for today. This is the most rest you've gotten all year. You finish up with the blow dryer and then move on to thoroughly combing and straightening, then to your makeup. Before you know it, 50 minutes have gone by. As serene and calm as you were feeling this morning, now you're a ball of nerves. You've never been great in super social situations- you usually pop in, pop out, go home. Would Jungkook have an issue with you doing that with his party? Surely he wouldn't be bothered- then again, he isn't just some acquaintance or casual friend; he's literally your fiance. What are the rules? DAMMIT, WHAT ARE THE RULES!? You stand in front of the mirror and take a deep breath, "Everything's gonna be fine."

You can hear the music from a block away from the club where the party's being held, and you see a sea of cars lined up outside; men and women all dressed and ready to leave their inhibitions at the door. You feel very out of place already. "I'm sorry ma'am, I think I'm going to have to drop you off here because of all the traffic." "Oh, no worries. I can walk," You assure the driver, grabbing your purse and stepping out of the vehicle. The night air is chilly and lifts the hem of your dress ever so slightly. You walk down and get in the long line, praying it'll move quickly.

After five minutes or so of the line not movie, you hear a slightly familiar voice coming from the direction of the door. "Hey, it's you!" You turn and see the drunk guy from the ice cream parlor- Seokjin. You swallow, feeling shy. You're not really used to conversing with strangers out of the blue. "How are you?" He asks. You give a fake smile, "I'm-I'm good. Uhm, Seokjin, right?" "Please, call me Jin," He smiles back. Again, he smells like alcohol and cologne, but this time, he seems to be very coherent and lively. "Alright," You say, crossing your arms over your chest in slight discomfort. "What was your name again?" "Y/n." "Y/n, right...what a beautiful name," He says, stepping closer to you. You feel your cheeks getting hot and you want to tell him to give you some space, but it's like your voice is stuck in your throat. It's not that Jin isn't attractive- he's actually quite handsome and looks to be a sharp dresser, but you've never been one for men to approach you like that. You're more of a friends-first kind of girl. You also remember the girl who went to pick him up: the fire in her eyes, the venom in her tone- you'd hate to be at the other end of that. "Thanks," You try to keep it short, not wanting to entertain his flirtatious advancements any further.

"You really shouldn't be out here waiting. If you want, I can help you cut the line," He says, completely lacking self awareness as he casually throws his arm around you. You shake your head, "No, that's okay. That wouldn't be very fair." "Oh come on- what's not fair is Jungkook making you wait in freezing cold. What are you to him, anyway?" "I-" "She's his fiance," Namjoon steps in plucks Jin's arm off from your shoulders, letting it fall. Everyone turns and watches the exchange. Jin's eyes widen, and he turns to look at you and then back at Namjoon, "Fiance- what- I had no idea. I'm so sorry," He bows profusely, cheeks as red as yours were a second ago. You want desperately to hide behind Namjoon- relieved that he got there just in the nick of time. Namjoon rolls his eyes, "You should be apologizing to your girlfriend, ass wipe." Jin's eyes widen even more, "Please don't tell her." Namjoon waves him away and turns to you, "Sorry about that, Y/n. Follow me," He holds his arm out a good distance from himself for you to grab on, which you gladly do. You pass all the people of the line, and they all watch as you cut past them. Some have scowls on their face, some intrigue, but all watch.

"This way," Namjoon says, taking you up a staircase to a balcony that oversees the entire club. From up top, you see people upon people: dancing, drinking, and even some blatantly doing...other substances, out in the open. There's quite a few people on the balcony, though nothing close to all the bodies down on the lower level. "Oh, I guess he's down there mingling," Namjoon says, looking around and not seeing him. Some people glance at you, though they don't seem to care about your presence; they're too preoccupied with their own drinks and merriment. "Guys, this is Y/n," Namjoon says when he gets to a circle of seats in the far corner. Everyone turns and gives polite smiles, followed by a series of hello's. "What are you drinking?" Namjoon asks after you sit down. You shrug, "A beer would be great," You sigh, already feeling a bit overwhelmed. "Be right back." He leaves you with the people who'd been there first. "How do you know Jungkook?" One of them asks: a guy with slightly long lazily slicked back hair and high cheekbones asks. "I- uhm, I'm a family friend." "Oh, okay...I'm Hoseok, by the way." You nod, "Nice to meet you." "I just saw 'Kook a minute ago," A guy next to him says, "I think he went to go make a request for the DJ." It really does seem like everyone Jungkook knows is attractive because this new guy has like, the smoothest skin ever. His face is almost angelic, with beautiful eyes and brown shaggy hair- soft features for as deep of a voice as he has.

"Your drink," Namjoon says, walking up and sitting next you. You bow, "Thanks so much." You take a sip and continue looking around, trying to relax. While you really would like to drink something harder, you don't like the idea of being out of control in such an unfamiliar environment. "I- I didn't expect to see you here," You say to him. He chuckles, "Yeah, well, I- I'm not just Mr.Jeon's assistant. I'm also Jungkook's babysitter." "Ah, I see," You laugh. "A lot of people here. Jungkook seems to be very popular." "He's always been a bit of a social butterfly, I guess." "Have you known him long?" "Oh yeah, since high school. We were never friends or anything but I did know him. Plus, I've been working for his dad since I was nineteen or so." "Wow, long time." "Tell me about it," He snorts, taking a sip of his own drink, "Don't get me wrong- at his core, Jungkook's a good guy. It just takes digging through all that...horse manure to really find it." "Well, how sweet of you to say," Jungkook interrupts, walking up to you both. Namjoon doesn't even batt an eye; completely unfazed by Jungkook's literally being his boss' son. "Y/n," Jungkook says with a smile, "You should've let me know you were here." You shake your head, "No, no. I wouldn't want to distract you from your party-hosting duties. Plus, Namjoon was already keeping me company." "Oh, I'm sure," Jungkook side-eyes Namjoon.

"You gonna get out there to dance?"Jungkook asks, raising a brow at you. You're quick to shake your head, "I'm definitely not drunk enough for that." "Oh, come on. I bet-" "Jungkook, Yoongi's asking to speak to you really quickly. Need me to come along?" Namjoon interrupts, looking down at his phone with his brows furrowed, scrolling up and done intently. Jungkook sighs, "I'm sorry- he's one of our partners at the company. Do you mind?" "Not at all, go ahead," You smile. "Okay, I'll be back in 15 minutes. Start counting!" He quickly gets up and pats Namjoon's shoulder to follow him. You then take the opportunity to go downstairs and make your way to the bathroom that you'd spotted a few minutes ago at the very far corner of the club. Surprisingly, the bathroom is relatively empty, save for a couple other occupied stalls- you're glad because you have to piss like a damn racehorse. You sit down and let out a quiet sigh of relief.

As you're finishing up, you hear the main door to the bathroom open and close, with the voices of two people echoing against the tile- one of which you recognize. "He's definitely looking more mature these days," It's Jin's girlfriend- Rose, and then a voice you've never heard before, "I know. I'm glad- I thought I'd have to wait forever for him to grow the fuck up." "Wait- but what about that girl they were saying he was with right now?" "What about her?" The stranger scoffs. "I mean, Jin did say she was his fiance..." "Oh, please. That relationship isn't real. Jungkook's just being forced into it by his family so he can inherit the company. He even told me he'd back out of it if I asked. And it looks like that time is coming soon." "Damn, Lisa. You're stone cold." Lisa? THE Lisa? "I promise I can be nice- I just don't like the idea of him not being there for me anymore, you know?" "Yeah, it'll be a huge change. He's so used to following you like a little puppy." Your heart is pounding; you can't believe your ears. The boldness and disrespect- the way they're talking about him is...blood boiling. You open the stall door and walk right up to the sink. At first, they pay you no mind, that is, until you make a point of sliding off the precious engagement ring that Jungkook had given you and place it on the ledge at the bottom of the mirror so that you can wash your hands. You can practically see the moment they notice; the way Lisa's mouth falls open is priceless. "That's...a nice ring," She says. You know she recognizes it, but you act dumb, "Thank you," You say, plastering a fake smile on you face before grabbing a paper towel and drying your hands and then walking out the door.

While it was definitely a delicious moment, you couldn't help but feel a tinge of sadness. What she said wasn't completely untrue; he was bullied into this engagement by his parents, just like you were. It isn't the way a natural relationship would go, sure...but that doesn't make the rest of what she said okay. There has to be a line somewhere. You go back upstairs and find that Namjoon is sitting right where you were before he was whisked away by whatever impromptu business meeting. "Hey, where'd you run off to?" He asks. "Had to find the ladies room- is Jungkook not back yet?" You sit down next to him again. "Nope. Went off somewhere right after. You know, to tell you the truth, I hate these things." "What things?" "Parties, They suck. If it weren't because Mr.Jeon specifically asked me to come, I'd be at home right now." "What does he do at these things that requires so much supervision?" "What doesn't he do? I mean, for gosh sakes. Nineteenth birthday, he ran up his parents card buying drinks for himself and his friends, and for the rest of the damn bar. Twentieth birthday, completely trashed the banquet hall- he's lucky it was at his parents' hotel, otherwise he would've been totally arrested. But none compares to his twenty-fourth party, right after Lisa broke up with him-" Namjoon catches himself, stopping mid-sentence and looking away, "I mean- he- he just gets really wild at these functions..." "Namjoon," You tilt your head, narrowing your eyes at him, "Give me the tea."

"I don't know what you're talking about," He take a drink from his cup and surveys the bottom floor, "I think I'm gonna go dance-" He tries to get up, but you put your hand on his shoulder and force him back down, "Namjoon, I'm gonna be spending the rest of my life with this man. I gotta know." You look at him with pleading eyes, desperate to just be let in somehow. He sighs, "Fine," He looks around to make sure everyone is still off socializing and paying no attention, "Jungkook met Lisa during their first year of high school. They became pretty close pretty fast- he was definitely in love with her very early on but she friend zoned him pretty hard until right after their last year of high school. They were pretty inseparable and..." He trails off, biting his lip as though contemplating whether or not to continue. "Namjoon, please." "...and they even talked about getting married. He was getting ready to confront his parents about being with her and wanting to void your guys' marriage agreement, but the week before he could, she dumped him." Your heart is beating hard in your chest. So she was the one who got away... Great. Perfect. "Was it bad?" You ask, trying not to show your worry. "It was horrible. Dude went off the rails. It was like nothing I've ever seen before. During that time of his life, he was fighting some demons like you wouldn't believe. His parents had to send him to rehab because he'd picked up a nasty coke habit- I literally watched him snort off a model's ass cheeks once." "What the hell," You furrow your brows, trying to imagine Jungkook doing something so wild. Of course, you've only reconnected with him now, but even from what you've seen, he seems a lot more controlled than that.

"Why'd she do it?" "Do what?" "Break up with him." "Oh, I think she told him...it was because he needed to grow up. He was immature and irresponsible. It truly crushed him. But the rehab helped a lot and now...you," He smiles gently. "Me?" "Yeah- I mean, that's the very reason why his parents wanted this for him in the first place. He needs direction." "Direction, right." Me? I'm the direction? "Do you think he still loves her?" You ask, not even sure if you want to hear the answer yourself. He furrows his brows as though deep in thought, "I...I don't know. It's hard to tell with Jungkook. I mean, they're still friends. She's here tonight, by the way. I know they've kept in touch but I think he kind of lost hope for that relationship, honestly." You replay Lisa's words from earlier in the bathroom; how he sounded so sure she'd just up and leave...and maybe she's right. Maybe he would leave it all behind at the drop of a hat. Maybe this isn't where you belong after all. You're brought out of your pensive state when you feel your phone buzz in your bag. "Sorry," You say, taking it out and seeing a text from B/f/n.

𝙱/𝚏/𝚗: 𝙱𝚘𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚠! 𝙸 𝚌𝚊𝚗'𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚒𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞!!!!!! 𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚢 𝚒𝚗 𝙶𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚗𝚊𝚖? 𝙵𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝 𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞 :)

You smile, feeling your stress momentarily replaced with joy at the thought of finally having a friend of your own here. You look around and don't see Jungkook anywhere, so you pull his number up in your phone.

𝚈/𝙽: 𝙷𝚎𝚢, 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝙸'𝚖 𝚐𝚘𝚗𝚗𝚊 𝚋𝚎 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚘𝚘𝚗. 𝙲𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚕𝚔 𝚖𝚎 𝚘𝚞𝚝?

You put your phone down and sigh, "Thanks for telling me all that, Namjoon. I...I really appreciate it." "Yeah- but if Jungkook asks, Jin told you." You laugh and nod, "Deal." "Do you need me to walk you out?" He asks. You shake you head, "No, I'm okay. Jungkook will do it." "Alrighty- well, if you excuse me, I think I'm gonna go get myself another drink." "No problem. 'Night!" And with that, he's down the stairs and lost in the sea. You look at your phone and see no reply, though you do see that that the message was seen 4 minutes ago. He should be on his way shortly, then.

Half an hour goes by and nothing. Not a single word. Every passing minute, you're getting more and more annoyed. You finally stand from the couch and look out form the balcony to see if maybe you can find him yourself- but then you see him. In the far side of the club, right by the DJ booth, Lisa is throwing her head back and laughing at something Jungkook is saying, her hand lightly hitting his chest. He's laughing too, and you see his arm gently resting on her shoulders, holding her just too close for comfort. Your heart sinks and you're pretty sure your face was visibly crestfallen. But now you know where his heart truly lays, don't you?

You calmly sling your purse over your shoulder and make your way down the stairs, passing all the people you'd met when you first came in who hardly even notice you pass. This isn't your world and you don't even know what you're doing here in the first place. Can this agreement even work? Are you just gonna pop out a few kids and then he and Lisa can go and ride off into the sunset? "Y/n?" You hear someone call your name but you can't be bothered to see who it is- the room feels like it's spinning and you just need a second to breathe. That's it- just some air. Just a little bit of air.

"Y/n..." You hear your name being softly called, but you can't even will your eyes to open. The darkness is just too comforting. "Y/n..." The voice calls again. You tense your face, slowly coming to. "Mmm," You whine, finally feeling a throb in your forehead. You open your eyes, taking a few blinks to adjust to the brightness of the room, and you're surprised to see Namjoon standing over you, along with...B/f/n- and your parents. You quickly sit up, though it only makes the throbbing worse, "What- what's going on?" "Oh, goodness, you're awake-" Your mom says, tears in her eyes as she practically throws herself on you. "M-mom- too tight." You look at your dad who looks relieved, though he doesn't say anything. "Finally, dude- you had us worried sick!" B/f/n says, sighing loudly. "What happened?" You ask, looking around and realizing you're in a hospital room. Namjoon steps forward a bit, "Well last night, you were leaving the party but you seemed totally out of it. Your eys looked totally glazed over like you weren't mentally present. I called your name but you ignored me- I managed to catch up to you when you got outside but you passed out right then and there. "Last night? What time is it?" You've been knocked out all night? "12PM," Your dad answers. "I told you ladies don't get drunk," Your mother hisses, though you let it slide because you know she's only worried. "I wasn't drunk at all," You say, "but why does my head hurt?" "Oh yeah, you banged your head on the concrete. Got a concussion," He added, "I didn't know what to do so I just called 112. The ambulance picked you up and they called your family. I called the Jeons right after you got to the hospital." "You called the Jeons?" "Yeah- Mr. and Mrs.Jeon were here all morning but they had to go into some meetings. They said they'd be back in a few hours," Namjoon assures you. "I don't want to see Jungkook." You say, looking away. Your parents, B/f/n, and Namjoon all look at each other, and it's a long moment before anyone of them speaks. "He's...in the bathroom right now," B/f/n says. "What?" You whip your head toward them, wincing at the pain. "Honey, he's been here all night. Why wouldn't you wanna see him?" You mom asks. You look at Namjoon who just looks down knowingly. "I just...don't want him to see me like this." Liar.

"Oh honey, he wouldn't care about how you look- you're his fiance for crying out loud," She says, trying to reassure you, "Right, F/n?" She turns to your dad, wanting him to step into the conversation but he just looks at you, eyes narrowed. You squirm under his gaze and try to ignore him. "Namjoon, just tell him to go rest." He nods silently, knowing not to challenge you right now. "I'm going to go to the ladies room," Your mom says, leaning over to give you a kiss. "I'll be back, Y/n. I gotta take a piss too." "Language," Your mom hisses. You can't help but give a little chuckle as they walk arm and arm out of the room, leaving just you and your dad. You twiddle you thumbs, regretting having sent Namjoon out now. "What's up?" You ask, unable to take the silence. "You're acting strange," He says, a suspicious expression on his face. "Uh, yeah- I mean, I am concussed." "What did he do?" He asks bluntly. Your heart picks up in your chest, "What did who do?" "Don't act dumb." Your dad was never on to mince words. "Dad, I don't know what you're talking about. Everything's fine." "Hm." "Dad, you know if you came all the way here just to be a pain in my ass, I'm sorry but you'll have to go," You snap, feeling frustrated at his lack of warmth. He sighs, and it's like you can visibly see his body loosen up. "I-I'm sorry, Y/n. I know that I've been very cold to you the past week and a half." You're shocked.

"You're sorry?" "Yes. I am... I guess, when it came down to it...I was too afraid to come to terms with the fact that I was losing my baby girl." "Afraid of losing me? I thought you were angry about the contract." He shakes his head, "No...I knew I was settling for so little. I suppose I was more upset that it was clear that you didn't really need me anymore," He reaches out and carresses your cheek, "I'm sorry for making you feel like this. I'm sorry for putting all these pressures on you at such an early age. You deserved to live life the way you wanted." His words bring tears to your eyes, and if it werent for the pain invading your entire brain, you'd have leapt into your fathers arms- but for now, a hand squeeze will have to suffice. "Now, I know you may not want to talk about...whatever it is that happened between the two of you, but just know that your mom and I are here. And even B/f/n... that girl really never stops talking, does she?" You laugh, "Nope."

The hospital discharged you around 2pm and now you're on your way back to the hotel. Your parents got a lovely master suite, while B/f/n opted to room with you. Though the doctor told you to rest, the two of you are already planning what you're gonna do while she's here. She takes her clothes out of the suitcase and transfers them over to the dresser below the television. You'd kept the conversation light while you were in the car with your parents, but as soon as you got to the room, tea was spilling left and right. You told her about the dinner, Jin and Rose, the ring, Jungkook's birthday party. It was so cathartic to relive everything through retelling- and seeing her reaction to everything is the icing on the cake. "Ugh, that guy's such an asshole...although, you did not prepare me for just how hot he is," She says, fanning herself. You chuckle, "Oh, please. He's alright..." "Girl, he is much more than alright. More than fine, even. If I were you, my hands would be connecting to Lisa's left cheek so quick," She pretends to box the air, "I might just do it for you." "Trust me, I wanted to...but at the end of the day, I have to remember there are no feelings involved in this process. I knew that coming into the agreement and I shouldn't expect it to change just because I was starting to..." "To...?" She asks, a smug expression on her face. "Nothing." "Starting to...like him?" "I said nothing." She shrugs, "Alright...you know, I will say- he sat at your bedside the majority of the night, and he looked really concerned. But no feelings, right?" "Right. No feelings." Your phone buzzes on your nightstand and you pick it up.

𝙹𝚞𝚗𝚐𝚔𝚘𝚘𝚔: 𝙷𝚎𝚢 𝚈/𝚗- 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗'𝚝 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚊 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚐𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚋𝚎𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚎𝚏𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚘𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚝𝚊𝚕. 𝙷𝚘𝚠 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐? 𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞… 𝙲𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚖𝚎 𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎

Your heart flutters in your chest, though you force your face to remain without expression. No feelings.

The Jeons invited you all to a charity banquet being held at their other hotel location tonight, and of course, your mom had gone out beforehand to get you and B/f/n gowns for the occasion. B/f/n's was a lovely powder pink, velvet, body con dress with silver detail and she looks absolutely stunning. "You look beautiful!" "I know, right? But where's yours?" She asks, a puzzled expression on her face. You purse your lips, "I...don't think I'm gonna go." "Why?" She asks with a pout. You shake your head, "I just don't feel well, you know? Head still hurts." "Your head? Or...your heart?" She exaggeratedly puts her hand to her chest and gives you that stupid therapist face she likes to put on. You roll your eyes, "My head only." "If you don't go, I'm not going," She says, turning to look in the mirror, a disappointed expression on her face. "No, no. You should go. This is your first night in Seoul- you shouldn't be locked up here on account of me. Besides," You walk up behind her and fix her hair, "You could be meeting the male lead to your love story tonight." Her eyes light up at the possibility. She's truly a hopeless romantic at heart- you wouldn't want to kill her delusions now. "Are you sure?" "Mhm. Positive." "Alright, fine. But the second you say you need me, I'm coming back and we're watching movies and eating junk food." "Sounds like a plan." She excitedly goes into the bathroom and begins doing her makeup and hair, humming to whatever tunes she has playing in her air pods. Meanwhile, you're laying in bed, hair up and out of your face, buried in the white covers.

"Alright, we're all going now," B/f/n says, putting her earrings on, "You sure you don't need me to stay?" "I'm positive. Go get laid- I mean, go find the love of your life." She laughs, "Oh shut up. Text Jungkook back. Don't sulk." You don't even look at her, just wave her away while your eyes stay glued to the TV. "Bye bye!" She says once more before closing the door behind her. And then there was one.

An hour goes by, and then two. Your phone buzzes every now and then: texts from Jungkook. You put your phone on DND, save for your parents and B/f/n. You go on instagram and see B/f/n's story; the hall full of people at grand tables, lavishly decorated with ginormous vases full of long stemmed roses, chandeliers sparkling in the background. Part of you wonders if most of the money being donated is just to cover the absolutely ridiculously expensive decor. B/f/n is smiling and showing herself having fun- even Namjoon makes an appearance in one of the videos...as well as Jungkook. You purse your lips and look over at your gown, draped over the back of a chair nearby. No, no. You're not in the mood to be around all those people. What would you even talk to anyone about? What would you say to Jungkook? No, you won't even entertain the what if's- you're not feeling well and that's that.

Ah shit. You shoot up out of bed and start stripping off your clothes, flinging everything every which way as your hurriedly try to shimmy into your dress. It's a pretty, dark red gown with a deep plunging bodice; your cleavage isn't exactly on 'display' per se, but it's definitely not hidden behind that little mesh panel in the middle. It accentuates your hips in just the right way, and you already feel the difference in your attitude when you put it on. You check the time: 8:30PM. You try to hurriedly do your hair and makeup, though you can only go so fast while recovering from a concussion. Suddenly, you hear thunder in the distance. No. NO. You run to the window and, lo and behold, rain begins pouring down out of nowhere. Oh great. You're gonna step out into the rain and get all messed up. "I"m still gonna go," You say to the sky not wanting to let it think it won. You run over to put the last touches on your appearance. Dammit. Dammit. Dammit. Is this some kind of sign from the universe!? You grab your clutch and then hurry to grab your phone. You didn't even book the fucking car. "Ugh...Uber it is-" Knock. Knock. Knock.

You snap your head up from your phone to look at the door. They're back already? No, it can't be- she just posted fifteen minutes ago about barely being served dinner. Knock knock knock. You hesitate for a moment, but ultimately decide to open the door- only to reveal a very disheveled and sopping wet-looking Jungkook. "Jungkook," Your shocked expression is no match for the expression on his face: serious yet gentle eyes, lips parted slightly as he catches his breath, leaning lightly on the door frame. "What are you doing here?" You ask. He bites his bottom lip and just stares at you for a second, "You didn't come tonight." "You never came back last night," You say, not missing a beat. He nods, "I know..." You rest your hand on the door for a bit, considering whether or not to let him in. "Come in," You say finally, stepping aside to let him in past you. You suppose the rain can wait for you...

A/N: Hey everyone, I hope you're all enjoying this series so far- I'm having a lot of fun writing it. I feel like I get pulled into this world of fantasy and am so addicted to it. My asks are always open so feel free to request anything please please please <3 Or give me a writing prompt and I can make you a piece for a specific member of your choice! Interactions give me motivation :) :*

#bts #jungkook #jin #suga #jhope #namjoon #jimin #bts imagine #bangtan sonyeondan #angst #jungkook x reader #jungkook arranged marriage #bts fanfic #bts fanficition #kpop ff

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roseaesynstylae · 9 months

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Here are some headcanons about Hibari being Akainu's daughter.

He's not the worst parent in the series. That isn't saying much, considering the """""parents""""" One Piece has presented.

Akainu isn't there much. Even when he's physically present, he's not emotionally there. This admittedly one of his lesser flaws.

Hibari has more leeway than most people have when it comes to criticizing her father.

She has no qualms about calling her dad out. He justifies it by the fact that she's a teenager and will come around as she matures. This isn't the best way to explain it, but given how he usually handles people criticizing him on how he does things...

Forget boyfriends or girlfriends. Even if they aren't scared of dating the child of Mr. Lava Death himself, Akainu's interrogation of anyone Hibari brings home will drive them off.

Any time they have to be together without a specific topic of conversation, it's very awkward. Akainu isn't really involved in Hibari's life and she doesn't want to ask about how work was.

Not many people know that Akainu has a daughter or who she is specifically. Ryukugu almost has a heart attack when he learns about her.

He's not too thrilled about SWORD but sees it as a necessary evil. He wasn't hugely pleased when Hibari joined, but he won't have anyone criticizing her over it.

Akainu does care about Hibari, but he's horrible at showing it.

Hibari cares about her father, but she's aware that he's not a good person. She tries to explain it as loving the person, not their actions, but she knows that that only goes so far. At least part of why she's so evasive is because she can't really explain why she cares about Akainu despite his... everything.

Maybe after Hibari is taken back to a Marine base, Akainu comes to visit. Everyone present jumps out of their skins, especially Koby.

They both like gardening, which is the only thing they do together as a hobby.

#one piece #hibari one piece #akainu

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pearlprincess02 · 1 year

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koko's big six

birthday: april 1st

sun:

aries sun: aries suns are born leaders. they're straightforward, impulsive, restless and have lots of energy. these people are charismatic; they are the life of the party. these individuals are initiators and they want to achieve big things. aries Suns are competitive and like having new adventures. they don't think twice before doing or saying anything and they tend to move forward no matter what. aries can be quite aggressive when they want something and this can cause them to take unnecessary risks; they learn better through experiences. these individuals forgive and forget quickly as well.

sun in 8th house: sun in the 8th house individuals are always changing themselves, wether it’s their looks or personality! at times, they can feel misunderstood, as if no one really knows them. these people love being intimate, and they crave that passion! there might be a side of them that they keep hidden, it can be like the more “darker” side. they have a lot of trauma, these people have actually gone through a lot of things throughout their life so this actually makes them very wise and compassionate! they aren’t scared of anything, have a hard time expressing their deeper emotions, and can be pretty spooky? sun in the 8th house individuals can be described as determined, loyal, brave, secretive, resentful, intense, self-reliant, competitive, wise, and independent.

moon:

gemini moon: always there to let you talk about it , humor as a form of resilience, does not dwell on negative interactions/disagreement, purposely evasive in revealing true feelings, troubles with anxiety, loses sight of the bigger picture/emotional tunnel vision

moon in 11th: they can be close with there friends and can love there friends more than there family. they are not to much emotional they just do what they wanna do in that moment. can be lit bit chaotic. there mom can be more like a friend to them she can be unique and friendly women .

rising/1st house:

leo rising: the it girl/boy energy; literally cat like features; curly hair; if they don't naturally have curly hair, they may love to curl them and they look good like this; men love to style their hair or grow them; maybe they love doing something like dying their hair bright colors or experimenting with its styling; if the first thing you notice about someone is their hair - it's probably a leo rising in front of you; may have a thing for wigs and cosplay, as well as just simply fashion and make-up; the playboy vibes in men; charismatic people; the most popular and chatty in the group; active facial expressions; freckles.

mercury:

aries mercury: loud, argumentative, speaks before thinking, craves expression & intellectual connection, self-centered in speech

mercury in 9th house: enjoys travel, history, religious & philosophical studies, long-winded, exaggerative

venus:

aquarius venus: what’s seductive about aquarius venus is their chic yet multifaceted qualities. they have unbothered girl/boy next door energy. their indifferent/chill attitude towards their crushes only makes them fall harder for the aquarius venus native. they spill facts like learning new information like the latest “tea” and conversations are always interesting with them. they show partners new sides of themselves at every meeting. this venus sign has outstanding features that may look cold yet untouchable, it's giving high-fashion but make it eclectic vibes. they are inventive with everything they do and unpredictable. this scares but also draws people in as they want to figure the aquarian venus out. aquarius venus prefer the friends to lovers trope and often begin flirting by entering someone's friend group as they have social connections. they also love to strike up conversations with the most shocking yet intriguing questions. talking to a aquarius venus about subjects that is interesting while changing topics can get u lost in a conversation for 6 hours and never want to leave. it almost feels like you're in a trance being around these ethereal people. their cool it-girl vibe makes everyone want to befriend them. (they’re like a cool breeze passing by unexpectedly) their editorial makeup and clothing look always catches the crowd's attention. make eclectic fashion statements, may like bright patterns, embody the space girl type of aesthetic vibes or like that type of aesthetic.

venus in 7th house: likes to relate, feel the need to be in a commitment (marriage). they like to dedicate themselves to relationships. they can attract someone beautiful and recognizable. express love and romance. loves to make deals. they seek balance in life. wants to please their partner. it may indicate an improvement in material life after marriage. the big question of life involves partnerships, if the relationship (marriage, society) is disturbed it is affected. it has many partners and mediators. they like peace and love. seeks to make the other happy. attracts pleasure and fun.

mars:

aquarius mars: likes their individuality, being unique and their unique qualities. likes feeling independent and free. intelligent. can like parties or meeting new people/ being around their group of friends. always thinks about the team before themselves. doesn’t like being too dominated or being told what to do. can have loner tendencies and need space from people/partners sometimes. likes humor. funny & intelligent people attract them. can try to look cool to outsiders or just have unique manners that make them look cool. can be a bit weird. can have a cool/detached presence or aura. electrifying energy.

mars in 6th house: you have a very deep need of being of service to others, to the point of forgetting to put yourself first. you’re very dedicated to your passions and eager to work hard, with a lot of energy when it comes to work life, but be careful of overworking yourself to the point of a breakdown. you can also be very irritable when others are not working as hard as you or meeting your expectations; you should work on your teamwork skills, and to be more gentler with those around you and not let your violent nature get the best of you. you should also be more attentive of your health. very calculated and disciplined. you melt when being appreciated for your efforts. you make for a strict boss but an amazing friend. you tend to see the worst in people, though, being very attentive to their flaws that should somehow be fixed. it’s not like you have bad intentions, you just have a need for improvement, seeing the potential in everything you lay your eyes on.

⊐﹒⌑﹒[e]﹒⊐﹒⌑﹒[e]

koko's masterlist

crd:

sun sun 2.

moon moon 2.

rising

mercury mercury 2.

venus venus 2.

mars mars 2.

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firespirited · 11 months

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Must have used up my 'no being social' luck.

Had two rando conversations today. One didn't make much sense (probably schizophrenia) but I nodded and agreed and wished him well.

The other, well I figured I'd just pop out with Talia for five minutes and ended up having a 25 minute conversation with 'masks are for when you have covid' dude who is now not a rando anymore. Uh slowly over the last month of nodding hi when we see him, short small talk and sis having her own long chat with him, he's on a fast track to being an acquaintance if not a friend of the family. He's local, a fellow crip and amiable, that's how things tend to go. He certainly seems to want to be friends.

G is 50, didn't have polio but a series of strokes in utero, has epilepsy, loves his nature hikes, made up for being visibly disabled by being a loud mouth and funny guy, thinks we're being very brave tackling new things and finding work arounds (walking at day break to avoid the heat, various hacks in case we get ill while out), not the smartest or socially attuned since I was stuck having this conversation in full sun. But it was bound to happen, expanding from outside the building was going to mean more neighbours to make conversation with.

'Fancy dressed fancy dog' lady who seems depressed now also has a name and a new puppy (she seems lighter too).

Wish I were better at small talk and not in pain (I'm walking for physio) so I could walk out the door without dreading the possibility a little bit (maybe more than a little on days when I just want to just do my horrid walk) .

I get online ready and eager to see what my internet people from around the world have been posting, even if they're going through rough times because it's not a one sided thing so it's not completely misanthropic (why yes I can go hermit mode for months but that's more of a me thing not a 'i don't like ppl' thing) . Like, I would really like to meet reciprocal friends irl. Except it involves meeting a lot of acquaintances who want to chat A Lot.

In the meantime I need to rehearse some banal and pleasant topics to pivot to because I'm the nice lady who listens and tries to not look like a deer in headlights and doesn't yet have a good evasive answer for 'how are you' that wouldn't be a lie or open conversation. I need a good quip that isn't I'm fine but also doesn't open conversation (not that some people aren't going to just talk about life the universe and everything anyway)

#saf #Social anxiety #And that's how neighbours become goooood frieeeends #I need a better 'mean' face

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constitutionalweasleymonarchy · 2 years

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CECILY: Saturday

From the flash fic collection Days That End In Y

prompt: tracing tattoo or scar

“What’s this?”

Percy’s eyes were closed but somehow he knew exactly what Cecily was referring to seconds before she ran one finger softly over the curse scar on the back of his upper left arm.

In hindsight he was surprised she hadn’t asked about it sooner. And he was perturbed that he hadn’t thought to come up with a reasonable explanation just in case — because you couldn’t exactly tell a Muggle that you’d come within an inch of having your arm cursed off during an epic magical battle.

Percy liked Cecily very much, but there was no denying that maintaining the double life necessary to date a Muggle was exhausting. It was no wonder he’d begun slipping occasionally, making these stupid oversights.

But it seemed well worth the effort, because Cecily was perfect. Cambridge-educated, an investment banker, focused, organised, well-read, pretty, and impeccable in appearance, with somehow never a hair out of place or a chipped nail.

“Hmm?” she prompted, drawing his attention back to the matter at hand.

“Sorry. Dozed off for a moment. What was that?”

“What’s this from?” She stroked the scar again.

“Oh, that.” Percy made a show of rolling his eyes and waving his hand, mainly to buy himself a few more seconds to think. “I… I can hardly remember, really; injury from when I was young. You remember I grew up on a farm. Machinery and things.” He shrugged.

Cecily gave him that look — not outright suspicion, perhaps, but searching curiosity — the one that clearly told him she was considering his explanation, weighing how much to accept.

Just as she had when he’d ’explained’ why he couldn’t tell her exactly what it was he did for the government; or when he’d done his best to bob and weave through conversations about the particulars of his upbringing and education; or whenever he demonstrated a lack of knowledge of some apparently quintessential aspect of Muggle culture.

There was only so much evasion a person could accept. It was a wonder anybody had successful permanent relationships with Muggles at all, as dodgy as you had to be up until marriage. Percy had heard the stories of old schoolmates whose Muggle partners had walked out, convinced they were cheating or felons or serial killers. Ricky Abreu’s girlfriend had apparently gone so far as to ask him whether he was secretly married with a second home and kids somewhere.

And Percy didn’t know what he’d do when it came time for her to meet the family. They’d each needed a fake story as well. Whether they’d be able to maintain it was another question entirely.

Cecily was perfect on parchment, but Percy was beginning to worry that his own life story must look like an essay written by someone who’d slept all through class and never opened the textbook.

“I’m going to get a glass of water,” Percy decided, getting up out of bed before Cecily could enquire further on the topic.

It was dark in the rest of her flat, but Percy had spent enough time there by now that he could navigate his way to the kitchenette on instinct, sidestepping the sofa and then the little table that he’d stubbed his toe on two or three times in the beginning. Most nights together they stayed here, which suited Percy just fine since the few times they’d gone to his he’d had to Muggle-proof the entire thing. He wasn’t sure what he was meant to do when the time came to move in together.

Not that they were particularly close to that point — but then, by Percy’s estimation, they couldn’t be especially far off, either. It seemed the next logical thing to do.

If he were being totally honest with himself, it wasn’t just an issue of maintaining the Statute of Secrecy — though that was no small concern. The Statute had been formed at a time when people didn’t cohabit before marriage — something that seemed silly not to do these days — and the laws and the times had not changed at the same pace. But Percy supposed he could live daily life the Muggle way for a couple of years for the right person.

He opened the cupboard where Cecily kept her drinking glasses stacked in neat rows, upside down. That was going to be an interesting negotiation someday considering Percy stored his right side up and had perfectly good reasons for it. It was one of the things Cecily was particular about (for reasons that made no sense when you realised that she stored her bowls right side up).

Just as she was particular about the organisation of her bookshelves — the books arranged entirely in alphabetical order by author’s name, without first grouping by genre, subject, or anything else.

It wasn’t that she was particular that was the problem, of course. After all, Percy was particular about a lot of things himself, and generally he appreciated Cecily’s fastidiousness.

It was that she was particular and wrong.

She also hung the loo roll with the sheet hanging under rather than over, like a total psychopath.

It would never have worked out anyway.

#30 days of percy fluff #percy weasley #hp fanfic #percy weasley fanfiction #ronsgirlfriday #days that end in y

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novantinuum · 2 years

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🍍🍑🌽🍰🎂🍻 for the OC asks for Aryll? Any time period/age(s) you like or feel like would be most interesting :D

Aaaaa bless you friendo ;w;; Now lemme think about the most Interesting time periods I can choose for these...

(OC ask meme here)

___

🍍: Where does your OC feel most comfortable?

(All ages) Around loved ones. In the past, Aryll might've listed a specific place as her comfort zone, but since she transitioned to a fairly nomadic lifestyle so early in childhood, she's grown incredibly used to making a home in whatever environment she finds herself in. And as long as that environment includes people she trusts and enjoys spending time with, she can find her silver lining there- even within times of conflict. As such, Aryll has kinda amassed a gigantic "extended family" of friends and surrogate siblings/parental figures across every corner of Hyrule

🍑: What sort of traits does your OC look for in a Significant Other?

(Adult) Aryll (by the age of 19) has never truly had eyes for anyone except Riju. She sometimes feels a little silly about this... because how often do childhood sweetheart situations ever turn into long-term relationships?- and as such, experimented a little with dating other youth her age when she was a teen- but those relationships never really blossomed into anything. What she eventually discovered from her experimentation, though, is that she definitely is attracted to women. (She also Very Much appreciates someone who is capable of kicking her ass, but SHHH-)

Beyond this, the connection she feels she particularly noticed with Riju is that... in their blossoming friendship that started in childhood, she was one of the few people who wouldn't shy away from having deep, hard-cutting conversations about their pasts. Even before they eventually became a couple, they shared life with each other. Which... isn't something she can say about any of these other short-lived dating experiences she had. So many other people just awkwardly dance around the topic when they discover she comes from before the Calamity, that she lost her entire world when she slept for a century under the Great Plateau. This evasion of difficult topics made building a genuine connection almost impossible. Aryll really craves a partner who she can TALK about the deep stuff with, and who in turn will trust her with their own heart.

Also just on an aesthetic level, 2/3 of the people Aryll dated as a teen had red hair, so... that's also something that catches her eye.

🌽: How does this OC feel about acts of affection? What’s their favourite act of affection, physical or emotional?

(Child) Loves affection. She can't get enough physical affection. She's a huge hugger, which... many people aren't Hot about. Purah certainly gives Aryll a wide berth when she's visiting the lab with Link. Link isn't super receptive to her hugs either, finding them too overstimulating if he's not the one in control of initiating and ending them. As a happy medium, they agree to do "hand hugs" (aka just squeezing hands together) or side hugs instead- and Aryll will only initiate a full hug if she asks permission first.

🍰: What’s something your OC counts as unforgivable?

(Child) Hmm...

Part of me wants to say abandonment, but this isn't a 100% "you're instantly on the shit list" slight. It really depends on the context and the severity. (And whether or not the individual in question eventually comes back.) I say this because there is a part of Aryll who definitely has not and will NEVER forgive pre-Calamity Link for walking away from the family with no warning and no explanation and going no-contact with them. However... due to extenuating circumstances, she doesn't exactly take this out on the Link she wakes up alongside in the Shrine of Resurrection, because he's literally the only piece of home she has left in this world. Instead... she kind of deals with this situation by segmenting these two Links into different people in her head. Pre-Calamity Link is the one she has not and will never forgive. The Link she knows now... it's harder to see him in the same way, because he genuinely doesn't remember what he did.

I think this idea of "abandonment," be it literal or metaphorical... such as abandoning your loved ones in the ideological or emotional sense, remains something Aryll considers a "deadly sin" even into adulthood.

Which makes it all the more juicy that it's eventually a vice Aryll nearly steps into as an adult, when the next threat to Hyrule arises.

🎂: Has your OC have any contradictory interests or traits to the first perception people have of the? How do they surprise people?

(Child) Is a small, generally cheery child. Also has a genuine interest (that doesn't just fade as the months pass by, as some childhood hobbies or aspirations might) in learning how to use a sword and fight monsters. Additionally, I think a lot of people underestimate her at this age... and her capacity to actually survive in the wild, should she ever end up alone. She's soaked up a lot of ambient survivalist knowledge while tagging along with her sibling/guardian, like how to start a fire, or properly cook meat, or identify safe mushrooms, or which plants are edible and which can be used as medicine.

(Adult) I think a lot of people around Aryll are- due to her continuous masking of negative emotions and steadfast dedication to her training and her role as a junior ambassador for West Necluda- genuinely surprised if they ever discover the depth to which her trauma is still negatively impacting her life. Like... obviously the people around her are very much aware of her difficult past, but she becomes so good at distracting even herself from all that built-up muck that many kinda assume that she's dealt with all of it, that she's moving on. Building a new life. Aryll very much has not processed everything that happened in her childhood, though, and eventually there comes a point where new conflict threatens to drag all that unresolved pain right out into the forefront. And unfortunately, people acting on nothing but their rawest impulses don't always make the best choices.

🍻: What’s your OC’s favourite comfort ritual? How do they calm themselves down after a rough day?

(All ages) Something artistic will do the trick. She's best with simple charcoal sketches, but over the years she dabbles in painting, carving, and journaling as well.

#the ballad of aryll #aryll #jen rambles #ask meme

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soliloquyepistolary · 1 year

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What am I to do with myself after the course finishes?

In the dream, AJ and I are sitting on swinging computer chairs and having a conversation. I am asking him what is wrong and he says something to change the topic whilst turning his chair away from me but I reach out with my hand and I swing his chair back, almost pinning him to the spot so he can’t escape and I say you’re always so evasive and then I say what’s wrong and he says yesterday he had a fight with his gf and it was about me. He says his gf thinks that by hanging out with me he is trying to be a hipster. I feel the energy of what he is trying to tell me more than I am registering his words. I can feel the energy of the fight they had. There is this feeling of accusations being made, blame, jealousy and insecurity. Then I ask him ‘this happened only yesterday?’, since in this dream I had gone over to their house a week ago. I am wondering if he is lying about the timing of it. I then realise that my intuition had been right all along, and that this was the reason why the last time we saw each other, the energy had felt very disconnected and awkward. I start to feel like did something wrong by coming over, I felt guilty. Then I realise we are alone at his house and the lights suddenly turn on and he says his gf has just come home and he gestures that I need to leave though the back door and leave through the backyard. I am panicking as I scurry away as I’m not sure how I’m going to make it outside without her noticing. It felt like this conversation was really happening.

We are at Kari’s house and she has a lovely, cosy, farmstead style house and at one point there is warm water spraying on the ground of a room we are in and we are dipping our feet in it. It is a weird feature of the house but it is so nice to feel the water against our skin. The water is jetting out from some outlet on the wall and there are puddles forming on the ground.

I am in a lecture hall sitting next to someone that I know from TAFE, I think Kari and we are waiting for class to start. We are both wearing mood rings and we are holding up our fingers to compare them. There's no particular colour on them, it is the colour that they would be if no one was wearing them but for some reason I feel that mine is different even though they are the same shade. Mine seems to have some black specks in it. Then a bunch of Asian girls enter into our row of seats and turn their backs to shuffle through to get to the seats positioned in the middle. One of them is UH and I don't think she notices me at all. I am kind of shocked to see her. When she goes to sit down a few seats along from me, I think about calling out to her to let her know I am here but I don’t bother, I just leave it. There is nothing coming from her. Then there is a boy's voice coming from behind me that reverberates throughout the lecture theatre and I realise it’s probably AJ's voice. I am relieved that he is here but then as I continue to tune into that voice I realise it’s not him and I’m disappointed.

I am going to the mall to the food court section to get some food and I can feel that somebody is following me and then whoever it is catches up to me and it is SB. I am trying to decide which café to get my coffee from. I am trying to tune into the baristas to get a feel for who would be better but I don’t feel anything from any of them. There is a little hip café where the baristas look older (middle-aged) and serious that is also serving some kind of sweets and a larger island café that is more generic-looking (like it's a chain) but the baristas look young and indie. I’m still deciding where to go.

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miekasa · 3 years

Text

when the world comes crashing down (there’s still you and me)

+ summary: the aftermath of a long day ft. levi, eren, jean, armin, mikasa, sasha, hange, connie, and erwin. connie and erwin from me? connie and erwin from me!

if you didn’t know him any better, it would be quite difficult to tell that levi is having a hard day. his usual resting face is enough to convince anybody that every day is a bad day for him; coupled with his expert emotional control and evasion, and it becomes almost impossible to discern his true feelings. but you know when he’s had a particularly long day, because he says nothing but a simple greeting when he walks into your apartment, sits as close to you as possible, rests his head in the crook of your neck, and sighs. he doesn’t have to say anything, and at that point he doesn’t want to; he just wants to be with you. and you’re happy to oblige.

conversely, eren’s feelings are as clear as daylight, and anyone within a ten mile radius could tell he’s pissed off, to put it lightly. when he comes home to you, all he wants is to be cuddled and lulled to sleep. he clumsily shimmies himself out of his clothes, and flops down directly on top of you with a relieved huff. he impatiently waits for you to play with his hair, and only then do his exhales become content, as he hugs you as close as possible, your heartbeat the lullaby that drowns out the frustrations of his day.

jean comes crashing through your bedroom door already bitching about his day and how everybody seemed to be out to piss him the hell off. he lays across from you on your bed, elbow bent to prop his head up as he continues ranting, not noticing the amused smile on your face as you watch him complain. he has very strong opinions about how everybody is an idiot, and needs to voice it you immediately. when he’s done, he rolls his eyes and lets out one final, exaggerated sigh, “everybody sucks. but anyways, enough about me, how was your day, pretty girl?”

armin gets a lot of credit for being nice and friendly, but you think that if anyone heard the way he speaks behind closed doors for even a minute, they would throw that image of him out the window. he’s ruthless, tossing snide comments left and right while his head is in your lap. he speaks in clipped insults that he wouldn’t be caught dead saying out loud in anybody else’s presences, but with you, it’s okay, because you’re his confidant. he only seems to be able to do it like this though: cuddled in your lap, legs curled up like a child, toying with your hands like a baby; in complete contrast to the words coming out of his mouth.

the first thing mikasa does on any day is greet you and ask you what you had for lunch. it’s simple but effective two times over. it allows her to check up on you, and in doing so, provides her with some relief that you’ve been taking care of yourself; because even on her worst days, knowing that you’re doing alright is enough to brighten her spirits. it eventually grows into a larger conversation about your days, and she likes that she can let her guard down around you, and trusts you to comfort her when she needs it.

sasha can hardly sit still. she rarely gets frustrated to the point of ranting about it, but when she does, all of her feelings come into play, the result forming a hypersensitive, hyperactive version of herself. you know that it must have taken something big, or a lot of little things over time, to make her this riled up; but you let her express herself. she feels strange after, those kinds of feelings almost foreign to her, and that’s when she’ll need your comfort and affections the most.

connie comes in right off the bat complaining to you about some highly specific, hypothetical scenario, because he didn’t agree with his friends’ views on it. he asks you what you would do in said situation, and the conversation flows from there. it starts as a rant, and the topic is always obtuse, but you have to admit you usually get a good laugh of his answers and reasoning, and his complaints behind, what he considers to be, the wrong answers. he likes ranting and laughing with you about these things, but he also just genuinely likes to hear your thoughts and pick your brain. and shitting on jean’s answers for a while, too.

hange comes home with a million tiktoks they want to show you, ready to rant about either the content of the videos, or the comment section, sometimes both. you don’t question why they save videos or comments they hate or don’t agree with, but you let it slide, knowing hange is a curious mind, and ultimately, just wants to express their opinions to you, and get yours in return. even one, thirty second video, about something that bothered them, can become the topic of discussion for hours on end with them.

erwin starts his ranting without even realizing that he’s ranting. it hasn’t occurred to him how many things have been weighing on his mind until you ask the simple question “how are you?” and, suddenly, he’s been sat at the dinner table, letting it all out for hours on end. he almost becomes embarrassed when he catches himself, but feels warm inside when you tell him you don’t mind, and encourage him to continue. he doesn’t take your listening ears for granted.

#aot x reader #snk x reader #levi x reader #aot imagines #snk imagines #levi fluff #levi smut #eren x reader #eren smut #eren fluff #armin x reader #jean x reader #mikasa x reader #erwin x reader

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gaydelusionaltrash · 2 years

Text

Before You Say Goodbye (Part 2)

Summary: When y/n ends up at the Avengers tower, she thinks everything will finally be okay. She’s free from Hydra for the first time since she was a child and ready to do some good, on top of that she was finally reunited with Wanda, the love of her life (or so she thought), what could possibly go wrong?

Warnings: Implied smut (no detail), flashbacks, PTSD, Murder, Victim blaming, arson (kinda)

Instead of a TV, you find a Bucky. You sit opposite him.

"Good evening, Y/n."

"Good Evening, James."

"Bucky,"

"That's a stupid name."

"Y/n is a stupid name."

"You met my father, stupid names run in the family." His head jerked up as he shifted his gaze to you.

"Why are you awake?" You bit your lip, but before you could respond he read your face,

"I get them too."

"...yeah. Nice meeting you when you're you, Bucky."

"Nice to meet you as you, Y/n."

____ You head up to the bedrooms and stood, debating between yours and Wanda's. Before you could decide, Wanda hobbled out of her room.

"Hey," she smiled, "I was just coming to find you."

"Oh yeah?"

"Well you did promise to make sure I couldn't walk and well..." she gestured to her working legs.

"Mmm, you're not wrong." You scooped her up and bridal carried her to the bed,

"I never break a promise, Princess."

____

As you headed down to breakfast in the morning, you overheard part of the conversation the team was having in the kitchen.

Man 1: There's no way she's straight. She radiates top energy.

Man 2: Straight women can be tops too, you know.

Man 1: She called the witch 'Princess', that is not straight behavior.

You rolled your eyes and headed into the kitchen,

"Morning," you greet Tony and Steve, then you look up,

"Good Morning, Clint."

"Good Morning, Y/n!" Clint called from the vents, you smiled at the two men, both obviously surprised by Clint's presence.

"So, what were you two idiots talking about." You grabbed a banana and turned a chair around, sitting on it backwards.

"Hey," Tony said, "he's the idiot, I'm a genius."

"Yeah, a genius who sucks as evasion. Clint, what were they talking about?" You could almost hear Clints smirk as he answered,

"They were trying to figure out if you're gay or not." You laughed out loud,

"Really boys?" Steve looked away sheepishly and Tony shrugged. Just then the rest of the team filed in the room. Tasha, Bucky, Bruce, Peter, Wanda sat around the table after grabbing various breakfast items. Tasha broke the silence first,

"So what topic brought the conversation in here to crashing halt?"

"Stark and Cap were trying to figure out if I'm gay." Nat snorted under her breath,

"Seriously boys? I've never met anyone more obviously a lesbian than Y/n." You brought your hand to your heart, mocking honor,

"Why thank you, Tasha. What a compliment." You felt an odd joy as you saw Natasha crack a smile. You pushed it down and focused on the rest of the team.

"You all know I'm a lesbian, so what are you guys?" Tony answered first,

"Straight," he said cooly. When you looked at Steve, he got very red and his eyes pleaded for you to move on.

"James?"

"Uh, I think the word is bisexual." You nodded,

"Nice. Tasha?" She smirked,

"Yes." You nod again, then look at Peter,

"Kid? You straight?" Peter shook his head,

"I, uh, I don't think so, Miss Y/n." Not sure what to say next, you nod and take a bite of food. That's when Tony stepped up,

"Wanda, what about you?" You watched as Wanda's face grew red,

"I-I'm straight." You tried not to laugh, but ended up choking on your banana.

"Hey!" She called towards you, "I am straight!" You nodded, but before you could say anything, the AI system spoke up.

"Mr. Stark, Director Fury has sent you a mission."

As you all filed out, selected members to the mission, others to proceed with their day, you pinned Wanda to a wall. Leaning close enough so only she would hear you, you whispered,

"If you're straight, how come I know how you taste?" Without waiting for an answer you pushed off the wall and walked away, feeling her gaze on your back as you walked away.

____

Later that day, Wanda walked into your room. You put your book down and smiled at her.

"Hey, what's up?" She stood in the door awkwardly twisting her fingers,

"Can we talk?"

"Sure, come sit," you patted the bed next to you and she sat,

"I just- what are we?"

"Oh, um," you sat up, "I-"

"Look, if i'm just a passing ship, I dont think I can do this-"

"Wanda, breathe. You're not just a passing ship, you never have been. I just don't know how long i'll be here, is all." She nodded slowly,

"Why are you here?"

You took a deep breath, almost afraid to answer her. "The Doctor dude found me in some messed up shit and sent me here. Apparently i'm an asset to the team."

"How though? None of the power transfer things worked on you. They had to make a whole knew wipe for you."

"After you escaped, they wanted another you..."

"Y/n, what did they do to you?"

You flicked your wrist and as soon as you palm faced the sky, it filled with fire. Wanda gasped,

"How?" You shook your head,

"I don't really know. You can look at my memory if you'd like, but don't look at after that."

Of course you regretted mentioning it as soon as you did. You were barley surprised as she watched you burn down the Hydra base. You watched her watch you as you walked past hundreds of screaming people as they burned to ash and saved only yourself. She pulled out of your head.

"Y/n, what the Hell? What did you do?!"

"I did what I had to. You know what it's like there."

"You murdered innocents!"

"Wanda, you were a volunteer. They didn't torture you. They didn't threaten everyone you loved if you didn't comply-"

"BECAUSE I HAD NO ONE!"

"YOU HAD PIETRO! Don't you dare tell me that if you watched an organization kill him, you wouldn't burn it to the ground when you got the chance."

"You're a monster."

Part three

#wanda maximoff #wanda x reader #avengers fanfiction #natasha romanoff #natasha x reader #wanda x you #angst #marvel fanfiction #wanda maximov #dark!wanda

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flywolfwriting · 3 years

Text

Together

Hello! Time for another oneshot. This is inspired by a comic strip done by @10yrsyart a while ago, which you can find here.

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

Armageddon had been averted and Aziraphale and Crowley were just returning to the bookshop to settle in for a night of drinking when the phone rang.

Crowley flopped across his favorite settee while Aziraphale answered, but sat up when he heard the angel say, “How did you get this number?” There was a moment of silence, where Crowley stared intently at Aziraphale, before the angel said, “Well, I suppose it couldn’t hurt... where...? Ah. Yes. Okay, we will be there soon,” and hung up.

“What was that about?” Crowley asked cautiously.

“We’ve been invited to dinner in Taddfield,” Aziraphale said, and Crowley stiffened.

“The Anti-”

Aziraphale shook his head. “That young woman with the book, who you hit with your car, Anathema.”

Crowley blew a raspberry. “She hit me,” he said, and if his voice was a little petulant then that was his business.

His complaint went ignored as Aziraphale collected his coat from where he’d just hung it up and gestured to Crowley to get up.

“Angel-”

“Come on, Crowley. It’s rude to leave her waiting.”

“But we have plans.”

“We can drink together every night of the week if we so desire,” Aziraphale pointed out primly. “It’s not every day we get the chance to meet a descendant of as esteemed a witch as Agnes Nutter.”

“But we’ve already met her!” Crowley whined, dragging himself upright and sulking after his friend. “We’ve met her twice!”

Aziraphale held the door open for Crowley and shooed him out of the bookshop before closing and locking it behind them. “Well yes, my dear boy, but now we can actually talk to her.”

Crowley shoved his hands in his pockets as they made their way to the Bently. “I bet she’s going to be talking to us,” he muttered.

It wasn’t that he really minded going to dinner with someone, but really... he did. There was a reason they avoided extended associations with humans – beyond the business association each of them apparently had with Shadwell, who Crowley had come to find out what scamming him and really he ought to make all of his shoelaces disappear for that. No, they avoided friendships with humans because they always went sour. Humans aged and died, and had a nasty habit of noticing when angels and demons didn’t age, and sometimes they got very burn-at-the-stake-y.

Which Crowley knew from experience. A very, very unpleasant experience. Fortunately, Aziraphale had made a timely arrival and engineered a distraction to get Crowley down.

But back to the point.

Humans were unpredictable, as the last week should have shown. Humans with supernatural powers were even more suspect, and ones that at the very least suspected, and at worst knew, what they were...

Disaster waiting to happen, in Crowley’s opinion.

Never the less, he drove them to Jasmine Cottage with his usual pedal-to-the-metal attitude and satisfied himself with enjoying Aziraphale’s usual complaints.

The girl – Anathema, Aziraphale reminded him – met them outside and greeted them with a warm, if somewhat wary, smile.

Crowley halted before the porch and glowered.

“Whatever is the matter my dear?” Aziraphale asked from the doorway.

“Can’t come in.”

“Whyever not?”

Crowley pointed at the horseshoe over the door.

“Ah,” Aziraphale said with a small wince, then glanced guiltily at Anathema.

“I can take it down for now,” she said, albeit reluctantly, and stepped inside to retrieve a hammer and stool. Crowley wished she’d insisted on leaving it so he’d have an excuse to wait in the car. Or, better yet, go home and make Aziraphale catch the bus or a cab, since he’d insisted on coming out here anyway.

“Thank you,” Aziraphale said warmly as Anathema stepped down and placed the horseshoe aside. He looked meaningfully at Crowley, who also mumbled a thank you and followed them inside.

An awkward-looking man was in the kitchen. He looked up and stuttered a greeting. “I’m Newt,” he said as he shook their hands. “I was at the airbase with Anathema when-” his brow furrowed.

“He has a hard time remembering it,” Anathema explained. “I think Adam did something.”

“Hardly difficult to believe,” Aziraphale said. “There are just some things the human mind cannot comprehend. Would you like a hand with dinner?”

Crowley groaned and slunk off to the side to let them finish setting the table.

Dinner itself was mostly uneventful, but Crowley was pleased to find that he was right and Anathema was peppering them with questions about Heaven and Hell and all the things they weren’t supposed to talk about with humans.

Aziraphale, of course, was answering evasively, but still giving her more information than he should have. Crowley, for his part, sat there with his arms folded on the table and tried to keep Aziraphale from wandering too far off topic.

Finally, as midnight drew close, Newt excused himself to bed and the conversation began to wind down.

“So...” Anathema rested her chin on her palm. “Are you two like, y’know...”

Crowley, who had previously been leaned back in his chair, sat up and raised a palm. “No, we’re not ‘together,’” he said before Aziraphale could answer. He didn’t need his best friend feeling awkward after the madness that had been the last week.

“Whatever do you mean, dear?”

Crowley looked at Aziraphale, hand drooping, to find the angel frowning at him. With a jolt Crowley realized what Aziraphale meant and he whipped back around toward Anathema. “I misspoke. We are, in fact, ‘together.’”

Aziraphale finished his tea with a satisfied smile. “Thank you for dinner, Anathema,” he said, standing. “We really must be getting on, but do call if you’d ever like to get together again. Crowley, dear.”

Crowley gave a half-hearted wave to Anathema and followed Aziraphale outside, stomach fluttering and face warm.

Together.

“Honestly, my dear,” Aziraphale said with an exasperated sigh as they pulled into the street. “Six thousand years and you still don’t think...?”

Crowley shrugged. “Didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

Aziraphale huffed and took one of Crowley’s hands off the steering wheel to lace their fingers together. “Oh, Crowley.”

It really didn’t feel that out of place, now that Crowley was thinking about it. Quite obvious, really. He felt a little silly. “Yeah, well...” he grinned at Aziraphale and hit the gas.

“Both hands on the wheel!” Aziraphale flung Crowley’s hand back at him and grasped at the seat, eyes clenched shut but a small smile on his face.

Crowley cackled as he accelerated.

Together.

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shihalyfie · 3 years

Text

A meta and analysis on Takaishi Takeru

Of all of the Tokyo Chosen Children, Takeru is lucky enough to get significant attention for two full series from beginning to end, and his character also goes through some drastic changes in the process, especially through Adventure and 02. There’s so much going on with him that it makes it hard to give a short answer to the question “what is Takeru like?” because there’s so much you could say about him at so many different times.

Fortunately, that’s what we’re here to talk about today!

Takeru in Adventure

At first glance, Takeru seems to be the “tagalong kid” -- the obligatory “little kid character” you have whenever you have a party in a fantasy story. Generally, these “obligatory kid characters” are the kind constantly struggling to catch up with the older ones. Adventure being a series that loves to play with tropes and expectations, though, very quickly says no to that.

Seki: ...We also mixed up the children’s ages, for a bit of variety. Kakudou: The oldest one would be the most unreliable, and the smartest one would be one of the third youngest. Just a little to throw you off the usual, conventional track. Seki: The youngest one would feel too much like a burden to everyone else, and conversely would actually have himself together.

Takeru “doesn’t want to be a burden” -- meaning his feelings on this issue are actually rather much like Hikari’s. Unlike Hikari, though, Takeru reacts to this compulsion differently -- instead of simply repressing things and pretending the problem doesn’t exist, Takeru’s reaction to his own negative feelings is to “have himself together” and act as if he’s got everything under control.

Or, more accurately, pretend he has it together and has everything under control.

Takeru, for all intents and purposes, was not supposed to be on the camping trip the others were on, not having gone to everyone’s school -- he had to get special permission to go. Takeru’s family is very, very split harshly at this time, with his mother not even able to treat Yamato comfortably. Yamato deals with the familial estrangement badly -- alternating between approaching everyone awkwardly and exploding like an emotional fuse bomb -- but Takeru tries to take it as a sign that he needs to be “responsible”. A lot of his actions in Adventure are him basically exuding this aura of “I can take care of myself!”, and in fact he works very hard to “assert” himself as if he were yet another peer. We even see him make the complaint directly in Adventure episode 43 -- while he is correct in calling out Yamato for coddling him and him only while recklessly disregarding the others, the fact he specifically complains about Yamato approaching him as someone holding them back if he’s not protected reveals a lot about his own mentality regarding the situation.

One of his first major scenes in episode 2 is him offering his own food for the pile of supplies everyone has, even though it’s just snacks. Which is, probably, a pretty accurate summary of Takeru’s character at this point: on the surface he’s responsible, well-behaved, and capable...but, in fact, he’s still about as immature as an average eight-year-old child would predictably be.

Yamato spends his Adventure character arc pretty openly angsting about his relationship to Takeru and how his family’s split has affected them, but throughout the entirety of Adventure (and, eventually, 02 as well), not only does Takeru rarely if ever touch on it, there are indications that Takeru deliberately tries to dodge the subject or not dwell on it too much. In Adventure episode 12, he actually outright lies to Patamon about his younger childhood memories, claiming he “probably doesn’t remember” anything about it despite the audience very clearly being shown that he very much did, and in episode 26 he comes very close to leaking his actual feelings about the group being separated being tied to what happened to his family, before quickly covering it up and trying to move on with the topic.

In other words, unlike Hikari, who knows exactly what she’s feeling but is compulsively unable to vocalize them, Takeru actively suppresses his negative feelings and tries not to dwell on them too much. Again, this comes from his desire to “not be a burden” on others -- he’s got this situation under control! Everything is fine!

And this has a very, very nasty payoff. While Yamato clearly deals with his emotional issues badly, tending to get very explosive about it, Takeru’s way of coping isn’t actually all that much better in the long run, because Yamato’s frustration and openness about his emotions at least lead him to being very straightforward about his feelings, incredibly self-aware and sometimes even self-conscious, and ultimately able to get at least some degree of catharsis from the situation. Takeru...not so much.

Takeru is a child, no matter how much he tries not to act like one, and it ultimately results in him reacting disastrously whenever something hits him too emotionally hard -- which results in Takeru suddenly becoming irrationally stubborn and even angry. We later see what it takes to actually break through Takeru’s facade of “totally having this together” in Adventure episode 22, which is also the first time he openly breaks down wailing in front of anyone besides Patamon -- and it’s, of course, when PicoDevimon convinces him that Yamato hates him. The interesting part is that this is so blatantly a lie that even Tokomon is able to quickly call bullshit on it, but Takeru, previously having worked so hard to maintain this facade of being responsible, falls for it completely with utter irrationality -- and it really does suggest that Takeru’s fear of losing yet another member of his family, and being a burden to Yamato, runs so deep that it causes that entire facade to shatter in one blow.

Which is where the problem lies: Takeru’s habit of suppression is so bad that once one of his triggers is hit, he completely loses all sense of rationality and blows up, and it becomes nearly impossible to reason with him because he locks down on becoming stubborn. It’s also dangerous because even he isn’t particularly self-aware of what he’s doing when he blows up like this; at least Hikari was very consciously aware of her suppression problem, but Takeru never really seems to have any awareness of the fact that his covering up of his feelings is directly related to some of his worst moments. We see it cause problems between him and Patamon again in Adventure episode 33, when Patamon asks a rather innocuous question about the brothers, and it hits Takeru’s trigger so badly that he snaps at him, resulting in the fight that kicks off the plot of the episode.

Adventure episode 52 is basically a major test for Takeru as to whether he really can hold himself together in a situation where everyone else older than him is gone, and “having himself together” is something he has to actually do instead of just have the surface facade of. He does, ultimately, pass, and this is why the Crest of Hope glows this episode -- but it’s also made clear that it wasn’t quite as easy for him as he would normally pretend it is. Of course, it also helps that Piemon is genuinely the scariest threat they’d faced during that time, but it also reveals that, yeah, ultimately, Takeru is an eight-year-old child who still has to struggle to put on a brave face so that Hikari doesn’t get impacted by his own fear.

For all it’s worth, although we get a ton of depth into his background and mentality, Takeru does not actually change that much as a character over the course of Adventure. This incident is probably what changes him the most in terms of him gaining a more solid core, and he also learns to accept the inevitability of fighting after his stubborn refusal to engage in it all the way back in Adventure episode 12 -- but for the most part he still does remain a bit naive about the world at large, and, more importantly, his issue with trying to cover up his problems with a confident smile never really gets addressed. At most, he’s willing to admit his grief over being separated from Patamon in Adventure episode 54, but even that is something Takeru tries to bounce back from quickly, much like with the first time he cried with Patamon in Adventure episode 12. But there’s nothing to indicate that his problem with emotional management isn’t going to continue being a problem from here on out if left unchecked.

That problem ends up taking another three more years to get addressed.

Takeru in 02

Takeru is one of the first people we meet in 02 (for reasons that end up revealed in the final episode), and right off the bat we learn that he’s a bit...evasive. He leaves a cryptic line to Daisuke about his goggles without coming even close to what we all know is the full extent of what’s on his mind (that the goggles specifically remind him of someone important to him), and later just...deflects Daisuke throwing accusations at him with a mild dismissal. In fact, even though Takeru pretty clearly understands very quickly what’s going on with Daisuke and how touchy he gets with the Hikari issue, he keeps dodging the question and constantly saying things that are evasive about it and therefore never truly helps his case until episode 17, when the circumstances between why Hikari and Takeru knew each other are finally properly clarified to Daisuke and he stops getting on their case about it on his own.

There were multiple points in time before this -- especially in episode 7, when Daisuke is practically at his worst in regards to approaching Takeru -- when Takeru could have easily said something to at least attempt to get Daisuke to stop bothering him, but Takeru never even asks him to cut it out! He simply continues to handle everything with a “yeah, okay, sure! :)” attitude, which of course confuses Daisuke (who’s rather allergic to people not being straightforward) rather thoroughly, and you wonder if he’s practically enjoying seeing Daisuke’s antics to the point he’s just enabling it further.

As a point of aside trivia, the official 02 website adds the fun detail that apparently he's popular with the girls at school but doesn't show much interest in them himself, and the Animedia audio commentary CD for Armor Evolution to the Unknown had his voice actor even express the opinion that he saw Takeru as someone who wasn’t really the type to think about romance at this age (adding in a separate interview for the 02 DVDs that he felt Takeru was respectful of girls primarily due to having been taught by his single mother to be such). The latter part of course isn’t something that comes from the writing, but given the website trivia I’m inclined to personally agree with it -- and, more importantly, the implication is that Takeru is at least aware of these kinds of things, but actively chooses to not think about it and deal with it when the time comes.

So in other words: That part about how Takeru actively suppresses things that are negative or inconvenient to think about, all for the sake of keeping a smile plastered on his face? Yup, still there.

In fact, a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment from 02 episode 17 implies heavily that, even with their parents having developed a more cordial relationship after the events of Adventure, Takeru is now emotionally dealing with the aftermath of his parents’ divorce worse than Yamato is, since Yamato is at least able to speak about it casually and even joke about it openly, whereas Takeru keeps his mouth shut and the framing of the shot heavily implies he’s still extremely sensitive and unable to vocalize his feelings on it. Takeru never brings this up as something eating away at him for the entire series -- but BelialVamdemon uses it against him in episode 49, revealing that, yes, this is a problem that’s still tearing away at him, and yet he’s refusing to be open to anyone about it, even to Yamato himself. (Especially since, again, Yamato seems to be doing a great job trying to move forward; why kill his mood and thus be a “burden” to him?)

Even so, Takeru is very different in 02 partially because his circumstances are completely different. Adventure had him as the youngest in a group of older kids, so in terms of “being a responsible child”, that naturally meant being deferential and polite to everyone due to standards of propriety. 02 is where we learn a lot more about how Takeru interacts with peers his own age and people who are outright younger than him, when he has a bit more leeway to be more assertive.

On top of that, back in Adventure, Takeru was a young child who had a very small “range of periphery” -- as a young child still rather naive about the world, his emotional investment in things primarily pertained to loved ones and the people around him. But now that he’s a bit older, he’s gained a certain degree of strong feelings about “what’s the right thing to do”, and now has very strong opinions on it.

These things ultimately manifest in, unfortunately, Takeru losing his composure much more often than he did in Adventure, and for reasons that pertain to much wider things than just his brother. Still not having recovered from the trauma of losing Patamon back in Adventure episode 13, Takeru starts physically fighting Daisuke in 02 episode 11 because he perceives Daisuke as not doing enough to prevent Patamon from potentially becoming a slave to the Kaiser, and in 02 episode 13 he lashes out at Hikari in frustration about her refusal to do anything about her situation (which he of course ends up deeply regretting later in the episode).

Takeru’s infamous scene of suddenly switching modes on the Kaiser and punching him out in 02 episode 19 is basically the pinnacle of this -- because, yes, the Kaiser really did deserve it, but this really is not a good thing for Takeru either. This is Takeru getting the closest we ever see him to being a genuine sadist, and it’s basically everything to do with his emotional stuntedness coming out at once -- blowing up in anger out of nowhere with a passive-aggressive demeanor, succumbing to the weight of his trauma in the worst way possible, and mixing the ^^ front he puts on with his tendency to blow up angrily at anything that cuts him a little too emotionally close.

And for the first time, we see someone actually acknowledge how bad this is. Iori, one of the most consciously perceptive of the group, witnesses, for himself, the sheer jarringness of Takeru seeming to only really have two modes between “all smiles” and “unreasonably angry”. Sure, Takeru had shown a penchant for getting active as soon as there was something he needed to protect, but the moment it got personal, Takeru suddenly blew up in front of his eyes and almost turned into a completely different person. (Perhaps he’s not that different from Yamato after all...)

This is a very important moment because it sets up the base for what ultimately becomes the Jogress arc between Iori and Takeru. Daisuke ended up reaching out to Ken because Ken was someone who needed someone to accept him and teach him to move forward instead of drowning in the past; Miyako ended up reaching out to Hikari because Hikari knew herself to have a suppression problem but had difficulty doing anything about it, so the extremely in-your-face and aggressive Miyako could go in deep. But with Takeru, since his personality is genuinely volatile, and because Takeru goes out of his way to hide the fact he’s having emotional problems, personalities like Daisuke and Miyako wouldn’t help much because they’re too straightforward for someone like this who’s a bit unpredictable -- whereas Iori, who’s assertive but also methodical and thinks through everything consciously, is eventually much better able to reach out to him.

Once the relevant arc kicks in, in 02 episode 34, Iori continues to observe Takeru, and quietly notes the many “contradictions” in Takeru’s behavior -- since, after all, Takeru starts to sometimes violate what you’d think would be common sense whenever he gets too emotionally compromised. The fact that ostensibly one of the outwardly “nicest” kids in this group suddenly blows up in certain circumstances and basically goes “absolutely nope, needs to be killed!” in the midst of a few moral debates over killing sentient Digimon disturbs him deeply, and really, it’s not even about the killing part (after all, it’s later established in 02 episode 43 and after that Takeru and Hikari have a certain degree of acceptance of the inevitability that the others don’t) as much as Takeru’s being pretty gung-ho about it. Not “I don’t like it, but we have to” like he said earlier, but NOPE, GOTTA DO IT.

Iori refers directly to the duality of Takeru that he doesn’t quite understand multiple times in this episode (including in regards to the incident back in 02 episode 19), and it continues to torment him until the end, when Takeru only gives a very cryptic “clarification” that he doesn’t necessarily hate the darkness per se.

Iori, too intimidated to ask Takeru about it directly, goes to ask Yamato in 02 episode 35, and Yamato finally clarifies the background that we as the audience knew but Iori didn't: the story behind Takeru's trauma regarding the loss of Angemon back in Adventure episode 13. Yamato also makes a conjecture about why Takeru has been acting so ambivalent towards Ken -- you'd think he'd still be under Takeru's scorn after the events of 02 episode 19, but in fact Takeru's judgment of him in episode 25 was simply that he was certain something had changed, yet he couldn't tell what he was thinking (really rich coming from someone who refuses to tell anyone else what he's thinking himself!). Yamato guesses that Takeru is inclined to be a bit more forgiving of Ken due to understanding the feeling of losing a partner -- and the ultimate conclusion here is, basically, that Takeru's behavior is contradictory because he's acting based on what's personal to him, not necessarily via principles that make sense. After all, back in Adventure, it was clearly demonstrated that Takeru isn’t exactly rational when things hit too close to home.

The other important thing that happens this episode is that Takeru learns that Iori is actively trying to reach out to him, when Yamato drops him a line informing him that Iori asked. Despite complaining that Iori could have just asked him directly, after Takeru witnesses the face-off between Iori and BlackWarGreymon and a demonstration that Iori is clearly trying his best to make sense out of this entire mess, Takeru actively reaches out to Iori and says something to comfort him -- “a life is beautiful simply by existing.” It’s still cryptic as hell, but it’s not something he would have said in the midst of his anger in prior episodes.

It would be one thing if it were simply that by itself, but the following episodes further push the idea that Takeru really is starting to change after witnessing all of this. 02 episode 36 has him explicitly acknowledge what Iori’s been doing this whole time in trying to understand him for the sake of their Jogress, and, finally, during their meal later that episode, he says, very openly and honestly, that he thinks they’ll be able to do it now. After two instances of Jogress, these kids are very aware of what that entails -- so this is basically Takeru consciously acknowledging to Iori “yes, I understand that you’re trying to reach out to me, and I accept it and want to understand you.” Because Takeru is such a convoluted sort of person, this “understanding” ended up being something that didn’t span a single magical moment as much as it took several episodes and a diplomatic, conscious affirmation on both ends -- but it’s a fitting way to go for someone who had always indicated some pretty poor conscious awareness of where his feelings were taking him.

This is especially because, in 02 episode 37, his statements to comfort Ken are in pretty significant opposition to the sort of anger he’d displayed in earlier episodes, and are now a more pragmatic view of the issue in light of Iori’s efforts and everything he’d just witnessed with BlackWarGreymon -- and to drive the point home, the episode has, at the very end of it, Takeru making his first true explicit show of goodwill towards Ken after having been a bit touchy with him for so many episodes.

Iori himself, being the youngest of the 02 group, still has a lot to learn, and so Takeru, who had previously been one of the youngest in the Adventure group himself, now has his role inverted to effectively be a guiding mentor to Iori as he finds his own way. Basically, Takeru becomes responsible for the welfare of this young child, and so his way of treating Iori is markedly different from the more detached and playful way he would treat others from here on out. This is especially because, earlier, Yamato had informed him that Iori had taken a very roundabout way to help understand him better, and so Takeru probably understands that he scared the hell out of Iori earlier and needs to do better. While the Takeru of 02 episodes 38-50 still has a way of being playful, and while he still isn’t completely straightforward about his intentions, he is definitely much better about being open with the others, especially Iori, instead of doubling down on his “everything-is-fine” mode.

And perhaps this is what the other meaning of “hope” thus became in this situation -- learning to be forward-facing even in the midst of truly knowing and understanding everything that’s wrong with the situation.

Post-02

Although Takeru’s Spring 2003 track is addressed to no one in particular, meaning that it’s the most likely reason he’s so willing to be open about it, Takeru outright admits he’s having problems with his emotions -- especially those pertaining to Angemon’s death. We do, however, learn that Takeru’s started writing the early, early drafts of what’ll eventually end up becoming the novels he writes as a future career.

This being only a year after the events of 02, Takeru’s position is interesting. His decision to start writing is that he wants to have a record of everything before it’s forgotten -- because these things are very personal to him -- but he’s not emotionally ready for the huge task of finalizing everything in words, to the point he still hasn’t told his mother he’s started writing yet. After all, this is a book we eventually find out takes upwards of twenty years, and so this is the presumable reason why -- being able to get this down in a rational way that’s not emotionally compromising is going to be an upwards battle for him.

Even come Kizuna, there’s still a long way for him to go, because an actual line (in a very fast-paced movie) is dedicated to establishing that he’s still uncomfortable with his novel progress to the point he won’t even let Yamato see it. His official character profile and background details are revealing, too -- although he’s currently taking language classes in university and is even part of a children’s literature club, he still hasn’t actually decided on what to do with his future, meaning that he hasn’t determined that he’s going to be a full-time novelist with these yet. That means that even though he’s clearly still clacking away at his novel (multiple indications in the movie are given as such), his memoirs are still at the level of being so deeply personal, and not something he feels comfortable telling well, just yet.

I’ve pointed out before that despite not appearing directly with them in the movie, Takeru and Hikari have more in common with the others in the 02 group than they do with their Adventure seniors, and this is fully codified in the drama CD when Takeru is content to basically just “do whatever” with the rest of his friends instead of having any particular concerns about his future. And as someone who has a tendency to kind of just let his emotions take him wherever they’re going, this isn’t too surprising. Although he approximates as the closest to level-headed during most of the group’s antics during the CD, he’s still completely guilty of enabling them full-force, after all...

So, with the 02 epilogue, we get the massive meta reveal that the entire series was Takeru’s novels the whole time. This was planned to be the ending for Adventure before recording for the first episode had even started, but was postponed to the end of 02 when the second series was greenlit -- and if you’d followed the Japanese version, there are a ton of meta hints scattered around from day one:

The narrator of the series is Hirata Hiroaki, who played Takeru and Yamato’s father, and is revealed in this episode to voice him as an adult as well;

Episode 12 of Adventure is named “Adventure! Patamon and Me” and is the only episode title in Adventure or 02 to use a first-person pronoun -- and it’s of course a Takeru-centric episode, with the episode title using Takeru’s boku;

02′s first episode kicks off narrated by young Takeru opening the story, with Takeru himself suspiciously omitted from the opening vignettes;

02 episode 18 suddenly has the narration cut in when discussing Takeru’s trauma from Adventure episode 13, with the younger Takeru even filling in part of it himself;

02 episode 49′s “next episode” preview for 50 suddenly also starts using “we”, which also includes Takeru’s boku;

Finally, Takeru starts narrating right after Oikawa’s death, which fades into what’s revealed to be his adult voice.

In the context of Adventure, Takeru was “the youngest child”, so the idea makes sense that “the littlest one” would be the one to grow up and reflect on all of the adventures they had as kids -- and once 02 was added, it practically made sense that Takeru would be the one to recap both adventures, being the one person who was there to completely witness both (it also explains why Takeru and Hikari’s character arcs remain somewhat unresolved by the end of Adventure compared to others, since by this time it was apparent their story would be continued in the second series). So on a meta level, Takeru is, in a certain way, one of the most important characters in both groups.

On a level relevant to his personal character arc, on the other hand, the point here is that Takeru finally managed to put together his book and story in a way that he was comfortable telling the entire world about, to the point of choosing to make his entire career into it. That’s something that requires a lot of coming to terms with what happened, how he feels about it, how others feel about it, and everything about the whole ordeal in general, without compromise or (too much) bias.

And in the end, that’s really a lot!

#digimon #digimon adventure #digimon adventure 02 #takaishi takeru #takeru takaishi #shihameta

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daisylore-au · 3 years

Text

2/5 - QUACKITY INTERROGATION

part five (i think) !! one part left after this :)) let’s see what choices y’all make now - it was 16 votes in favour of “was he your friend?” so let’s go with that :D and well done to those who spotted the “well-liked” part - that was additional information, so good job picking that up !! some of you also found the part about the other server: that’s just a little side event i might do at some point with the twins, but not an additional information spot :)) second last part, let’s goo!!

“Was he your friend?” James offers quietly.

Quackity doesn’t look at either of them. Something dark flashes across his eyes like sunrise, like regret. “The Pandora guy?” He asks.

Helga knows he’s delaying the inevitable. It’s written all over his face, through the heavy scar dragging through one of his eyes, the apprehensive look he gives the book on the desk. Oh, she thinks, very suddenly, they’d known each other. Dream and her father had known each other. More than that, they’d been friends.

So what had happened in between?

“Yeah,” their Papa continues, when neither twin moves to speak, “yeah, I... I guess you could say that we were friends. Or we at least-” He struggles for words. “Before he got put in the Vault, before...” His free hand waves vaguely. “Before everything, we were kind of friends. I don’t think I really realised it at the time, but he kind of gave me a home when nobody else did.”

James frowns, shuffles closer on the bed to him. “What happened?”

“People change,” Quackity says tiredly, and then snorts, “like the tides in the ocean.”

“Like the song?”

“Like the song.” He runs a hand down his face. “Jesus, sorry, anyway, back on topic. Uh- He was a shitty person, I... was a different person, and, you know, things didn’t work out. He grew into something bad. He got locked up as a consequence. That’s what happens when you do bad things.”

Helga doesn’t look convinced. “How did you change, then?”

“Well, like I said,” Quackity shrugs evasively, “he grew into something bad. I... also grew into something... not great.” His shoulders hunch, a little defensively. “I was in a weird place, I won’t lie. And... yeah.” His eyes fall on the book. “Yeah, people change.”

“Like the tides in the ocean,” James adds, to try and lighten the mood, but their Papa’s expression only tightens further, “so you were friends before he turned bad? And before you turned not-so-great?”

Quackity purses his lips. “Yeah. Yeah. We were... We were friends, that’s right.”

“You musta been well liked too,” James says cheerfully, “if you were friends with him. You said he was well liked, right?”

“He was well-liked until he turned into a fucking apathetic asshole,” Quackity mutters under his breath, “well liked until he decided to fuck us all over.” He rubs his head, wincing, looking apologetic. “I didn’t mean that. It’s just been a long, long fucking day.”

“Where is he now?” Helga pushes, “If Pandora’s Vault is gone and destroyed, where is the guy?”

“Dunno,” their Papa says, turning away to his desk again, clearly uncomfortable, “I... haven’t seen him in a long time.”

“Would you want to?” Both twins chorus, blinking at each other in surprise.

Quackity doesn’t speak for a long, long minute, before his head bows and he returns to writing. “No,” he says, at least, “not in a million years.”

There’s deep, deep emotion in his voice. Helga thinks it’s regret. James thinks it’s sorrow. They both glance at each other - the conversation is clearly over. And yet...

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

final voting round of the night, before i finally start studying for my exam tomorrow LMAO !!! what do you want helga and james to say/ask before they leave??

1. "THANKS FOR TELLING US.”

2. “ARE YOU OKAY?”

3. [UNLOCKED] “WHY WERE YOU ARGUING?”

you have until 11PM BST to pick !! :)

#> daisy lore: writing #> daisy lore: part one (interrogation)#> daisy lore: james #> daisy lore: helga #> daisy lore: quackity #> main story !!

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tiny-maus-boots · 3 years

Text

Queen of Hearts pt 13

A/N: Always and first thank you to my bestie @chloes-yellow-cup for always doing the thing. and to @kimmania who always gives each chapter a thoughtful review.

13.

“Oh, my dear it’s so lovely of you to come to brunch. I was starting to feel a little put off you know. All those invitations you so politely refused. I was beginning to think you were avoiding me.”

Stacie smiled and sipped her cool iced tea to give herself a moment. It was true, she had ignored all of Edith’s requests to have lunch. And yes, she had been avoiding the older woman. It was a matter of self-preservation really. Keeping up the appearance of normality around someone as observant as Edith Roussard-Ford was never easy. She had a keen eye and open ear to everything that happened to the biggest families in society.

“Well…I suppose I can be frank with you. Now…that things are…resolved.”

The old woman across from her nodded encouragement and leaned forward eager for any tidbit she could glean from Stacie. It was necessary even she’d rather not talk about life with Weston. When dealing with Edith you had to give some to get some.

“Of course, my dear. Dreadful business…”

“It was hard to get away…often times my only haven was my work. Weston was…” Stacie trailed off and cleared her throat. It wasn’t acting, the rush of anxiety she experienced just thinking about that time robbed her of speech. “Weston Whitman was a very controlling man. Controlling and more often than not…violent.”

It never got any easier admitting the truth of things but she raised her chin defiantly. Edith’s eyes widened slightly but her surprise was more about Stacie admitting it than the confirmation itself. She waited a beat for the other woman to ask what she knew was coming.

“Oh, dreadful. Just dreadful. And still…you never knew? There wasn’t a hint of suspicion about his true character?”

“Of his character, yes. Of his actual coming and goings and affairs…no. I had no knowledge of those terrible things. I shudder to think of him, under my roof, sleeping next to me self-satisfied with the blood of innocent women on his hands. What a joke I must have been to him with my work at the shelter, helping him keep up the façade unknowingly.”

“To think nothing of the scandal about the money.”

Of course, the money was far more important a topic than her public humiliation and shame. Stacie let her gaze drop demurely. Money was everything in this world, who had it, who needed it, and who stole it…

“I’ll admit Edith, I had some concerns about Weston’s business. He seemed edgy and evasive and he asked me to empty my personal safe…spending cash. Some jewelry. It was nothing that would ever pay back his investors.”

“I heard the federal agents seized everything. It’s a wonder you have a roof over your head, my dear.”

Stacie’s smile was brief and coy. “Much like oil and water, money and love simply do not mix. When you’re a Conrad you learn that at quite a young age.”

Edith leaned back to watch her carefully. Weighing all that she had learned and the earnestness in which Stacie had conveyed it. She could see the respect dawn in Edith’s gaze and when the woman leaned forward again it was with eager confidence.

“You may be a Conrad in name but you are Helene’s daughter in more than appearance. Your father barely had a nickel to his name when she ran off with him. Now there’s a scandal for you!”

It was surprising and Edith laughed gleefully when it showed on her face. She’d been raised her whole life on the presumption that her mother hand done what she had been expected to do. Money marries into money.

“Didn’t know that did you? She might have run off with August but she was no fool. Van der Berg family lawyers ensured he couldn’t take a dime of it.” Interesting. Stacie made a soft thoughtful sound and Edith continued unprompted. “You have to hand it to August. He made a name for himself. All that money is his by right…I suppose.”

Stacie’s brows came up and she tipped her head to the side. “You sound doubtful of that Edith.”

“I wouldn’t dream of speaking ill of your father, dear. I know you’re not close but there are some bonds that can’t be broken. Family bonds. You understand. I wouldn’t want you to have different opinions of your father. He’s done well by your mother.”

It was there, below the surface, begging to brought into the open. Stacie could feel it between them, brewing like a great storm. One little flicker of interest and it would come out. And then things would change forever between Stacie and August Conrad. And with that she was sure the tentative and fragile bridge she and her mother were building.

But if she were really like her mother, Helene would understand why she was doing this. At least that is what she hoped if this all ever came to light. Stacie let out a soft sigh and leaned back. She couldn’t out right ask about it, it had to be done delicately. Edith watched her work through the knowledge that there was something going on that she hadn’t been aware of. It was a careful dance baiting the woman to reveal more than what Stacie herself had given.

“Well, whatever my father is or is not doing, it’s nothing I know about. He and Weston shared that in common.”

“Ah yes. Thick as thieves those two…”

There it was. The hook Edith thought she was dropping in the water. Stacie batted her eyes in mild confusion, ignoring the slightly predatory smile on the old woman’s face. Her lip pouted out just enough to give the impression that she wasn’t making the leap entirely. Stacie smiled inwardly as Edith swallowed her own lure.

“Mind you, I’m not saying August is a thief, he’s merely an opportunist you see. He’s very good at knowing who to know. It’s how he made his fortune through the years. Nothing illegal in it exactly. Most would say it’s a shrewd bit of business.”

“But I don’t see how that could help him benefit from Weston’s…activities. Of course, he knows everyone, he’s a politician.”

“Hm indeed, indeed. Of course, he wouldn’t be involved in any such thing. Strike it from your thoughts, my dear.” The woman brushed a hand over her knuckles, and not for the first time during the conversation. Aubrey probably would have called the tell earlier but Stacie was proud of herself for picking it up now. “In any case I am quite sure Senator Grant and Warren Randall would lean very heavily on your father if they felt he was in any way responsible for Weston stealing their money.”

Stacie’s heart beat double time but she rolled her shoulders casually in a shrug. Jackson Grant and Warren Randall were her father’s closest confidants, present at every family function since as far back as she could remember. Uncle Jack had even gifted her the first horse she had ever owned. They were, in a fashion, family.

“I haven’t seen Uncle Jack in a few years. Not since his son Kodie and I went to Senior Prom together.”

It hadn’t been her choice of date, and the argument that had raged in the Conrad home had lasted three intolerable days, she and her mother butting heads on everything from the color of her dress to the way she wore her hair. Kodie wasn’t a bad guy and truthfully, he hadn’t wanted to go the dance with her any more than she had with them. But it had been arranged years before the event was even due to take place. In the end they both dutifully took their places next to each other for pictures in the foyer before escaping to the limo to get happily drunk on the well-stocked wet bar.

“I had almost forgotten about the blush of young love. I was worried about that boy for a while. You heard they caught him awhile back in a house full of street whores and enough cocaine to give that Tony Montana character a seizure.”

Her brows came up at that. It seemed unlike the boy she had known but people changed and it took more strength to keep from breaking under the family pressure than perhaps Kodie had. She let her curiosity at the topic glimmer to the surface.

“A house full of…he was the perfect gentleman at prom. I can hardly imagine that scene.”

“Who can say what’s gotten into that young man. If Jackson hadn’t gotten him a job at the Port of Los Angeles, he’d probably be in an out of rehab facilities I imagine.”

She could tell by the way Edith waved a hand dismissively that Kodie wasn’t worth the energy to think on. Stacie lifted a shoulder casually giving it the appropriate gesture of disinterest that was expected. There wasn’t much more to gain from digging further. Eventually Edith would wonder why she was so eager to gossip about the families. It was better to go on to something everyone knew.

“Speaking of rehab, did you know Tristaan has a new line coming out now that he’s clean and sober? He plans to call it Clarity. I saw a sneak peek of some of the pieces and they are just gorgeous. You’d just adore the mother of pearl pin collection…”

The conversation shifted easily and she spent another hour enjoying the afternoon with Edith. She kept the tone of their topics light but her mind was turning over the information she’d gleaned. Stacie was willing to bet even money that Uncle Jack and Warren Randall were in on whatever Weston was into. Whatever business they had together scared Weston, enough to demand she empty her safe, liquidate assets…it was big. Big enough to ignore Weston’s predilection to torturing and murdering women. Stacie knew there was a bigger play on the table, she could feel it even if she couldn’t see it yet. They needed more information and she knew just which card to play. She waved one last time to Edith as she slid into the backseat of the SUV.

“Home?”

She gave Happy a distracted nod that the blonde smiled at before turning to put the car in gear. “Who do we know in drugs?”

Happy’s bright eyes cut to her quickly in the rearview mirror with curiosity. She was weighing the request to see if Stacie was joking or not. After a second she gave a delicate grunt and focused on the road.

“Depends on how much of what you’re looking for.”

“Enough cocaine to make Tony Montana have a seizure.”

This time the eyes panned up in a slow disbelieving arc. Stacie smiled widely and gestured to the street to remind the other woman to keep her focus where it needed to be.

“We might know a guy…”

“Good. Aubrey’s going to want to talk to him.”

“I’ll make it happen, boss.”

#pp au #queen of hearts #staubrey #stacie conrad

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