#[ it must be so wild to see the captain having fun with someone

[birchleavesdawn]

Bitter Taste

Fromis_9 Saerom x Jo Yuri x m!Reader 4.2k words Warning: Watersports, Food play Authors notes: Fulfilling a couple of pretty old requests. The first one is a bit of a vague request and I don't really know what someone would be looking for for that so I hope this story is different enough. This will have at least a part 2 as I like the characters and already have the next part completely mapped out. Will see about anything beyond that. There is also a few easter eggs related to the title of the fic (song) in there, if you know the song maybe you'll catch them.

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Another night on your phone. Eyes exhausted from having the same empty conversations over and over, just for the tiny chance of spending a boring night with someone you'd never see again. Your finger tapped on the same apps you did every time, hoping it would be different, but knowing it would be the same.

Enough of this.

*Ring*... *Ring*...

"Hello?"

"Hey Captain. You busy tonight?"

"Why? Did daddy's luck run out on his dating apps? I knew it wouldn't be long before I was hearing from you again." You could hear her grin through the phone.

"I'm tired of those girls. I just keep swiping, I need something new."

"Well, I'm working right now but I get off in an hour. Why don't you pretty yourself up and come meet me here. I know how we can have a little fun."

*Click*

Saerom was a bit of a wild card. She had gotten you to try many things you would never have even thought possible on your nights together. You couldn't begin to guess what she had in mind, but you were looking forward to something, anything different.

She texted you the address, it was one you recognized and It wasn't very far. After a quick shower, you put on something nice and headed down. A short walk and a couple minutes on the subway and you were there.

Sweet Indulgence Adult Ice Cream 19+

So she was working at an ice cream place now? You wondered what the 19+ meant. Maybe they sold alcohol? The bell chimed as you entered the shop. Saerom was leaning behind the counter on her phone.

"Oh! Hey there handsome. I'll be with you in a minute." She smiled and walked into the back room.

You took a seat near the front, deciding to wait there for her return, taking a chance to size the place up. It was small but not too small. There were three tables in the middle of the floor and two booths on the left wall. A glass counter ran through the middle of the room, filled with various flavors of ice cream. Basically it looked like any standard ice cream shop, with the only difference being the big "19+" written next to the milkshakes on the menu.

Yea must be alcohol. You thought.

That's when you noticed Saerom's coworker pop up from below the cash register. A short girl with shimmering blonde hair tucked neatly into her hairnet. Large, expressive eyes and a smile that was warm and inviting. She looked cute. Like a puppy. "Yuri" was written on her name tag. You watched her, hard at work, unsure if she was even aware of your presence.

Saerom reemerged a few moments later, walking to the door, pulling the blinds shut and flipping the open sign to closed. She whispered something to the other girl who then promptly disappeared into the back where Saerom had just come from. Saerom then made her way over to you. You stood up from your chair to meet her. Without saying a word she grabbed your face and licked firmly up the side of your cheek before growling quietly in your ear. She lifted up her white tank top and flashed you her breasts, before pushing them into your chest. You could feel her erect nipples poking you through your shirt. They probably spent a lot of time like that in such a cold place like this.

"Wow I guess we're getting right into it?"

"You have no idea how badly I want you right now." She grabbed your crotch and gave it a firm squeeze.

"But..."

She let go of your crotch and pulled her shirt back down. Leaving you confused.

"I thought we could play with Yuri tonight. She's pretty cute right?" Saerom said

You turned to look towards the back, the young blonde girl was now standing there, a bright smile on her face, wearing a frilly white apron with nothing on underneath. Her perky breasts were on display, along with a clean shaven slit that peeked out from below the bottom. Her legs were slender and shapely. You turned back to Saerom, who had a big grin on her face.

"So, what do you say?"

"Well she seems pretty excited and you know I'm not one to disappoint a lady. Especially one that looks like that."

"Great, then pick a flavor and Yuri is going to begin preparing our milkshakes."

"Chocolate cookies looks good."

Saerom nodded to Yuri.

Yuri spun around, revealing her perfectly plump backside. You caught Saerom staring out the corner of your eye, her mouth open, a lustful gaze. You really couldn't blame her, Yuri's body was incredible.

Yuri bent over the freezer, sticking her ass out as far as she could, and pulled out the tub of chocolate cookies ice cream, before carrying it into the back.

Saerom approached you once again, now fixated on the tightness on display in the front of your trousers. She breathed hot air into your ear while playfully biting your lobe. Her hands going for your belt.

"I'll make this quick. But don't worry, this is just a taste of what's to come." She winked.

Saerom wasted no time. She dropped to her knees, pulling down your pants and underwear, exposing your stiff and twitching member to the cool air. She took your head between her lips. She bobbed her head, quickly and forcefully, sucking hard while swirling her tongue. Your hands reached down to hold her, feeling her silky black hair slide through your fingers. You moaned softly, watching her move her head, sliding her glistening lips up and down your cock. The sloppy sounds of her movements were only outdone by the soft moans she was making as she worked. She knew exactly what you liked.

"READY!"

You heard Yuri shouting from the back. And once again Saerom let go of you, your shaft slick with her saliva, now feeling exceptionally exposed to the frigid air. She rose and straightened herself out.

"We'll finish later. For now let's enjoy our shakes."

"You're really just going to leave me like this?"

"Of course!"

Saerom motioned to the back.

You walked in after her, following her lead. The back of the store also looked like any ordinary ice cream parlor. Stacks of boxes labeled cups, spoons, bowls. The freezers and mixers sat along the far wall, a large refrigerator filled with various types of milk on your right, and a large steel door that clearly led to the walk-in freezer beside it. What caught your attention though was the floor to ceiling curtain that was hiding another part of the room. On one side of it, there was a steel chute that came from behind it and then led to the countertop where several milkshake glasses stood. Each one was filled to the brim with a thick, creamy shake.

"Grab your shake and give it a taste!" Saerom said excitedly.

"It should be that darker one there at the end."

You grabbed the shake she pointed to, and gave it a taste. The rich chocolate flavor was sweet and delicious. You hadn't expected ice cream to taste this good.

"Mmmm." You hummed, taking another sip.

"I like it."

"Like it?"

"Love it!"

Saerom laughed, pleased by your reaction.

"That's so good." You said, wiping a bit of it from your lip.

"I've never tasted anything quite like it. That bitter taste. Is that the alcohol?"

She looked confused. "What do you mean? There's no alcohol in this."

"Wait, really?"

"Of course not, silly. I wouldn't do that to you." She was now grinning ear to ear.

"So then, why did she call this the '19+' menu?"

"That's because of our secret ingredient."

Saerom motioned to the curtain.

"Would you like to see?"

Your curiosity piqued, you nodded.

She took hold of the curtain and drew it back, revealing the real reason for the 19+ on the menu. Yuri was knelt down on top of a small wooden platform with a thin mattress atop, her legs spread wide, her hands resting on her thighs. The steel chute that you had seen from the other side of the curtain, now entirely visible, was attached to the platform between Yuri's legs.

"I think you've figured out what's going on here, but why don't you let me show you anyway. Yuri, are you ready?"

"YES MISS SAEROM" Yuri shouted, her voice dripping with excitement.

"Now the girls who work here will often do this part on their own, but for the sake of the demonstration, I'm going to help her."

You watched as Saerom stepped forward and took Yuri's chin in her hand, leaning in and planting a passionate kiss on her soft lips.

"I'm going to make you feel really good." She whispered in her ear, before taking a step back and slapping her ass.

Yuri yelped. "Thank you Miss Saerom."

Saerom then climbed up onto the platform and moved behind Yuri, squatting down. She pulled Yuri's ass up to meet her face, spreading her cheeks and sticking her tongue inside.

"Mmmmm." Yuri moaned, closing her eyes.

Saerom's tongue danced around inside Yuri's asshole. Spreading her spit and getting her ready. After a few moments, she stopped and stood up.

"I can still taste the chocolate cookies ice cream you asked for. Good choice!"

Saerom reached forward and grabbed a spoon and a small white tub off the shelf in front of her, opening it and placing it on the platform next to Yuri's leg.

"We're going with classic vanilla for this one."

She then scooped out a spoonful of the ice cream and smeared it on her finger, pressing it against Yuri's rear, and then pushing her finger inside with the ice cream.

"Hnnng" Yuri groaned.

Saerom continued, working her finger deeper and deeper inside Yuri's asshole until she had the whole thing buried. She then slid it out slowly, letting her anus tighten around it.

"How does that feel?" She asked.

"Mmmmmm" Yuri responded, unable to manufacture any words.

"Yuri is really sensitive. It's how she's able to produce so many drinks over the course of a day."

Saerom scooped another glob of ice cream, pressing it into Yuri's asshole. Once again pushing her finger inside.

She repeated the process a couple more times before deciding that that would be enough. Yuri was starting to tremble now, her body beginning to shake as the effects of the ice cream began to take hold.

"How are you doing, baby girl?"

"I'm doing good, Miss Saerom." Yuri whimpered.

The ice cream had already begun to melt from Yuri's asshole, coating her pussy and running down the back of her thighs before being collected by the chute below her. Saerom dipped her finger in the melted liquid, bringing it to her mouth and giving it a taste.

"Mmm. Just right." She said.

She then turned her attention to Yuri's cunt, rubbing her fingers over her folds.

"And what's going on down here. Is it time yet?"

"Yes... Miss Saerom, I think so."

She gave her lips another pass over before sliding her fingers inside, eliciting a low moan from Yuri. She then removed her fingers and brought them up to her own mouth, savoring another taste of her favorite girl.

"You taste delicious, Yuri. Like a little angel. So sweet and pure."

"Thank you Miss Saerom."

Saerom then turned her attention to you.

"Why don't you come up and get yourself a taste straight from the source?"

She motioned for you to approach. You eagerly climbed up onto the platform and crawled behind Yuri, her beautiful ass and pussy now just inches from your face. Her sweet smell was intoxicating.

"Come on, take a bite." Saerom encouraged.

You reached out, taking hold of Yuri's ass cheeks, squeezing them together and spreading them apart, the melted ice cream having left them looking glossy and inviting. You stuck out your tongue and licked along her crack. You could feel her body twitch slightly at your touch. You followed the trail of vanilla down the curve of her ass, the smooth skin sliding under your tongue. She tasted amazing. You pressed your tongue to her cunt, licking the melted ice cream from her lips before finally sliding your tongue inside. Her pussy was warm and offset the cold of the ice cream. The taste was even better than her asshole.

"That's it. Get nice and deep." Saerom cooed. One of her hands had found its way into the front of her pants, she was visibly getting off to the sight of you tongue fucking her baby girl.

You pushed your tongue deeper into Yuri's pussy, feeling her clench and squirm. You danced your tongue around inside her, her moans growing louder.

"Ahhh. Ahhhh. Ahhhhhhh." Yuri had become a whimpering mess.

Saerom reached her free hand down and rubbed Yuri’s clit. Yuri's hips began to rock and sway as she fucked your face.

"I'm gonna cum, Miss Saerom."

Yuri's breathing was labored, her moans desperate. You felt her pussy clamp down on your tongue. Her legs were shaking, losing their ability to hold her weight. Before you knew it a stream of her nectar was pouring out of her, filling your mouth, splashing all over your cheeks and running down your chin then collecting in the chute between her legs.

"Good job, baby girl. That was wonderful." Saerom praised her. "Look how much we got!"

She ran her hand through Yuri's hair and planted a kiss on her cheek.

"You were a perfect little angel for our guest."

"Thank you Miss Saerom."

Saerom turned to you, seeing the mess Yuri had made on your face, a look of pride washing over her.

"Here, let me help you clean that up."

Saerom pulled you close and licked your face clean. Taking her time to lap up every last drop.

"Mmmm." She moaned. "God it tastes so good."

You could feel her hot breath on your face. She kissed your cheek, while her hand returned to your crotch, massaging your cock through the fabric.

"Alright I've waited long enough. It's my turn now."

She didn't wait for a response, instead she threw you down onto the mattress next to Yuri, who was still recovering from her orgasm.

"Clothes off. Now." She commanded.

You hastily pulled off your shirt, throwing it to the floor. Your pants and underwear following.

"That's it. You're always so good."

"Now get over here on your knees. I want you to look into my eyes the whole time... or so help me..."

She pulled down her skirt and kicked off her panties. Her pussy looked so inviting, juices had already begun leaking down her thighs. You wasted no time, crawling over and stopping before her feet.

"Wait. No touching yet. I've been holding this in all night."

You sat there obediently, your cock painfully hard. Saerom took a step towards you and lowered her folds to your face, an intoxicating scent of lilac and yearning emanating. Grabbing your hair with both hands, she tilted your head back, forcing your mouth open and giving herself full access.

Suddenly a warm stream hit your tongue, catching you by surprise. You made sure to keep your gaze locked with hers just as she directed, disobeying her when she was like this would only spell bad news for you.

Her golden liquid flooded your mouth. You swallowed as fast as you could but the stream was relentless. The pressure causing it to spill out over your chin, down your chest and falling onto your twitching member. You could feel her fluids warming you on the inside and out.

It tasted like heaven, sweet and bitter and everything in between. She looked down at you, satisfied. 

"Drink up, baby." She said between hitched breaths, her grip on your hair tightening.

She finally ran out and lifted herself from your face, leaving your mouth and nose drenched. She licked the sweat from her lips, taking a moment to admire her work.

"Fuck!" She exhaled.

She ran a hand through her hair, pushing it back out of her face.

"Look at the mess we've made. Tsk Tsk. You know I can't have you inside me all filthy like that."

Saerom stepped over and sat next to Yuri, who had managed to sit herself up and had been enjoying the show.

"Yuri, darling, could you do me a favor and clean our friend's cock for me? But do not let him cum."

"Of course Miss Saerom."

She got to work immediately. Her eyes grew wide at the thought of tasting Saerom's juices on you. She wrapped her small, soft hand around the base of your cock and gave it a firm squeeze.

"It's so big! And the smell..." She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. "It's so good!"

She licked her lips, before leaning in and taking the tip of your shaft into her mouth. She swirled her tongue around, coating your head with her saliva. You let out a quiet groan. After the blue balls you'd been getting all night, the mere contact from her mouth was almost enough to push you over the edge already.

Saerom was clearly enjoying the show, a satisfied smile on her face. She leaned in and whispered something in Yuri's ear. Yuri's eyes lit up again. She nodded and went back to her task, wrapping her lips tightly around your shaft.

"Now that's a good girl."

The way she looked down at Yuri with such adoration, such pride, it was enough to make your heart melt. You could tell she cared for her deeply.

Yuri continued, bobbing her head up and down your shaft, her tongue working furiously to clean you. She was making quite a mess with her spit leaking down her chin. She didn't seem to care one bit.

Saerom leaned in and kissed Yuri on the forehead.

"That's enough, my sweet."

Yuri released your cock with a wet pop. Your shaft now absolutely coated in her drool.

Saerom turned her attention to you. "I think you've earned a reward, don't you?"

You nodded, the ache in your loins was getting completely unbearable.

"Go on then. Come and take it."

Saerom lay back and spread her legs, showing off her glistening pink slit. You crawled between her legs, and pressed your tip against her opening.

"That's it. Don't hold back."

That was all you needed to hear. Those words producing a feral response deep inside you. You thrust your hips forward, burying your cock inside her, causing a gasp to escape her lips. You were on top of her, your body moving entirely on instinct. Hands grabbing at her thighs, pulling her close, trying to get deeper. You could feel her nails digging into your back, her teeth on your neck. The sounds of her moans were enough to drive you crazy.

"Ah.. f.." She bit down on your shoulder, her moans muffled, unable to get any words out.

Your thrusts were growing more erratic and less controlled. You were both losing yourselves. The tension inside her was building. She clung to you, her arms wrapped around you tightly and her breath hot on your neck. Her walls were pulsating, clenching around your shaft . You could feel her orgasm approaching.

"Aaaah." She cried out, her eyes rolling back. "I'm going to ..."

"Fucking do it then." You growled. The feeling of her pussy spasming around you. You kept the pace steady and guided Saerom through her orgasm. Her body shaking and trembling beneath you.

"God damn you're beautiful." You whispered. "But I’m not done. Ready to go again?"

She summoned the last remnants of her strength to offer you a delicate nod.

You rolled her over flat on her stomach and pulled her thighs together, placing your knees on either side. You admired the sight of her glistening backside for a moment, the sweat beading down from her ass and her shoulders before coming to a rest in the small of her back. You took a fistful of each of her cheeks to support yourself, before slowly tracing one long line up the length of her back with your tongue. The saltiness of her sweat paired well with the bitterness of her piss that still lingered in your mouth.

"Ah..." She gasped, shivering as a reaction to the surprise sensation.

You pressed the tip of your cock against her asshole, feeling her muscles clench. You plunged forward, the pressure giving way and the head of your shaft slipping inside. She let out a loud gasp as you slid deeper, continuing until your hips met hers.

You began to thrust, her ass was clenching around you. The wet slap of your skin on hers filling the air. She was gripping the mattress with everything she had left, causing her knuckles to turn white. You picked up the pace, feeling her insides stretch around you. You reached under and took hold of her breast, squeezing and pulling at her nipple. She let out a low moan as you continued to pound her.

"Fuck me harder." She panted, her voice strained.

You did as you were told. Thrusting faster and harder, slamming her into the mattress. She was a writhing, whimpering mess beneath you. Her voice growing louder, the sounds escaping her becoming increasingly animalistic. She was reaching her limits.

"Fuck. That's it. Make sure you cum inside me."

Her body was tensing up, the pressure inside her growing. You could feel her muscles contracting around your shaft, gripping you like a vice. You could tell she was going to burst at any second. You picked up the pace. Thrusting even harder. You wanted her to explode.

Saerom's whole body began to shake. You could see the strain on her face. You continued to fuck her. You couldn't stop. She was cumming. Her whole body convulsed, her screams echoing off the walls. You continued to pound her, driving her body into the mattress, not letting up. She was lost in the throes of pleasure. The orgasm had completely consumed her.

Her voice was hoarse. You couldn't tell if she was even making any sounds anymore. She had stopped moving, her eyes rolled back and her body limp. You continued to pound her ass, until your own release finally came. You let out a loud growl and thrust forward one final time, burying yourself as deep inside her as you possibly could. You could feel the warmth of your seed flooding her insides, the excess spilling out onto her aching pussy.

Saerom lay there motionless, but breathing heavily. You could feel the aftershocks of her orgasm still rippling through her body. You gently pulled out, releasing your hold on her and letting her fall back down flat on her stomach.

You collapsed beside her, panting, both of you completely spent. The next thing you knew, Yuri was standing above you, smiling. She handed you each a glass of water, which you happily accepted and chugged it down.

"Thank you Yuri. You've been wonderful."

She simply smiled and bowed.

"Well, I suppose we should clean up and be on our way." Saerom said, having partially come back to her senses. “As much as we’d all like to sit here for a while, it’s getting late.”

"Yes. It's quite late and we have a busy day tomorrow." Yuri chimed in.

"By the way, I promised Yuri that you would take her home tonight. I'll tidy up here, why don't you two get going. I don't want to keep Yuri up any longer than necessary."

"Ahh.. what?"

"Don't worry, you've already made her cum so she shouldn't be any trouble. Plus she can make herself useful. Now shoo. Get dressed and get out of here."

Saerom and Yuri dressed while you did the same. Once everyone was presentable, you took Yuri and headed for the door. As you walked out, Yuri handed you a new shake in a to-go cup.

"This is the one we just made together!"

"I can't wait to taste it." You replied, smiling.

You held her hand and walked her home. You enjoyed the silence, not saying much on the way, but enjoying each other's company.

When you finally arrived back at your place, you unlocked the door and motioned Yuri in, following close behind. You both kicked off your shoes and made your way into the kitchen, where you put the milkshake down on the counter.

"I only have one bed, but it's pretty big. I'm assuming that after tonight you won't mind sharing one anyway. You go on in, 2nd door on the right, I need to find a spot in the freezer for this milkshake."

You watched Yuri walk away, admiring the way her hips swayed, before heading over to the freezer. You placed the shake in empty corner and shut the door. You then made your way to the bedroom. Despite only being about 30 seconds behind her, she was already fast asleep on your bed. You made sure she had enough blankets before crawling into bed next to her. A moment later, you were also fast asleep.

[imperatorrrrr]

would Love to crack open the jealous jack manifesto 🫂 perhaps even sitting on the same shelf as the protective nico manifesto bc the contrast between him shrugging stuff off on the ice re: himself vs him trying to punch travis konecny’s lights out for that hit on jack is SOOO

I have three asks about my Jealous!Jack Hughes Manifesto, which I promise you all I will get to, but I wanted to answer this one first.

Protective Nico Hischier: A Study

You're absolutely right, Anon, Nico tends to shrug things off when he's the one being targeted. Now that isn't to say he doesn't love a scrum because he absolutely does like to get into it from to time when he's feeling extra feisty. But there are some very good examples of him fighting because someone has targeted one of his guys.

time for some exhibits! special shout out to @jonasiegenthaler who is my fellow New Jersey Devils Historian <33

Exhibit A - Trouba hits Mango, and Nico immediately goes after him.

Exhibit B - One of the Wild players kind of shoves at Merce, and Nico jumps into the fray.

Exhibit C - This one is insane because this was from Nico's rookie year. He's so quick to come to Palms defense after EJ's knee on knee hit. Like look at how young Nico was here. This is years before Nico's first letter even.

Exhibit D - After R*mp*'s hit on Siegs, Nico who is significantly smaller than him, tries to start something with him even though our designated fighty fight guy, Dermy, is legit right there.

Exhibit E - Chucky Jr charges Shango and our Captain, who was getting ready to get back to the bench, must defend his teammate's honor.

Exhibit F - Chucky has a high-ish hit on Siegs then pesters Pally, and who comes rushing in to take him on? You guessed it! Its Nico Hischier!

Exhibit G - This one's a fun one because Bratter is initially defending Nico and then Nico comes back to defend Bratter. Silly boys.

Exhibit H - Last but certainly not least, Nico going feral when TK goes after Jack.

See the thing is, you mess with him? Most of the time he'll probably just charm the shit out of you or ignore you because you're not really worthy of his time he has hockey to play. Sometimes, if you're really annoying he'll call you a p***y and some other colorful things and shove at you or start something with you or if you're Adam Fox that one time he'll put his hands around your neck.

But if you play dirty with one of his guys, with his teammates, its mother fucking on. He's right there in the thick of it. He has been activated. You've said his code words. He will not be contained.

Its so very CAPTAIN of him isn't it?

[sheepheadfred]

Ectoberhaunt Day 9: Fall

Summary: Right on the heels of that ghost pirate ship raid and subsequent rescue of their parents, school feels off with some pretty notable people treating him quite differently. Though the only person who hasn't yet caught on is the object of all their affections and attention, Danny Fenton.

direct continuation of [day 8]

(5 times someone started acting weirdly/caught feelings +1 time they all came together and Danny realizes what's been going on)

AO3 link

Dash:

Fenton was actually kind of cool last night! What is this world coming to?

But also humble? He wouldn't accept any compliment and while Dash gets it, but c'mon! He got all of them to fight a ghost pirate crew and soloed the captain. That has to mean something to him!

...

Right?

Fuck! Now Fenton has him concerned. Made such an impression it kind of feels wrong to use his usual demeaning nicknames for him, too.

He can't get it out of his head. That Fenton taking his aggression out on that ghost was a little hot. He's not supposed to feel like this! He's probably just concerned it will be turned on him next!

Yeah, that must be it!

Fenton is so scrawny, of course he'd be worried! He's able to do all of that while still being such a stick of a person. It also feels wrong, though, with how badly he takes care of himself. He's badass but too skinny. Dash wonders if it's because of whatever freaky stuff goes on at that house with his freaky parents. His sister never seemed to have that issue, after all! But he really doesn't know anything about their home lives to know for sure.

Besides his sister was the total package with beauty and brains so, why is he more drawn to the wimp? That's not how it's supposed to go!

Is he really a wimp if he's just hiding what he can do and chooses not to use it?

Maybe if he got him healthier this feeling would go away? Worth a shot at least. He can last in a fight working on adrenaline but what about day to day? No wonder he hates gym!

At school, though, old habits threatened to resurface even as they felt wrong.

Slamming his hand right next to Fenton's head to block him in, he belatedly realized their positions looked a lot like that 'kabedone' (?) pose Paulina fantasizes about. Mainly with Phantom. He just stands there as his brain resets, face on fire, as Fenton just looked at him. A face journey going from surprised to fearful to annoyed and now to worry and concern.

"Uh, Dash? If this is supposed to be a 'congratulatory' beating or something to get back into the swing of things, can you get it over with before class? ... Ooor not? I get last night was wild but, like, maybe you need the nurse? I'm just... gonna... gooooo then?" the nerd rambled before he could fully process any of his words and then bailed when he didn't answer fast enough.

Lame

His concerned gaze and strained smile as Dash stood there caught him off guard.

Of course the loser with freaky parents acted like that. He must be making fun of me! No other reason he's making me feel like this! Gotta be a trick!

Trying to logic it out to himself or not, it's hard to deny that he shouldn't be concerned over him with how Dash has treated him. His undeserved kindness continues to shine though only now he can see it for what it is no matter how hard he tries to reason it to be something else. Something more acceptable to the people around him. Despite the hope starting to burn in him.

In class, he tosses a protein shake at Fenton's head and unsurprisingly, at least now anyway, he caught it.

"Fenton, if you do those crazy stunts all the time you might as well bulk up!"

Confused but seemingly thankful, he just nods before turning to the front as the teacher walked in. Both electing to ignore what happened earlier.

HA! He took it! My job is done.

If only he could convince his heart of that.

Is this how he's always felt or is it just starting? Did he start because the grown ups deemed it ok and never stopped him? Or was it just pressure from home? Or all of it? He's afraid to know the answer.

Paulina:

Dash has been acting weird. And not the fun kind of weird. First, he kabedon'ed Fenton and then he offered one of his protein shakes? Not just the generic kind, the good stuff he usually keeps to himself, too!

She decides to interrogate him during lunch with the rest of their group of friends. Still, she can sort of understand why even if her heart belongs to Phantom.

Even if Fenton did have a charm to his dorky side and can be attentive and kind. And brave.

He never shows that last quality most of the time anyway.

Didn't he not want credit out of fear of being forced to only have that life?

Like most boys in this school, he is clearly into her but as time went on he didn't let it control him.

So he has better self control than a lot of their peers, so what?

Nevermind that 'loser', her friend is off and it's time to get him to talk. Or at least distract him if he's not ready. It's usually the latter knowing him and the pressure he puts on himself.

On top of it being school hours.

"I can't get it out of my head," Dash confessed to her, "But, like, why do I find Fenton hot?"

She knows Fenton's friends act as his guard dogs sometimes for one reason or another. And Manson would sooner wear pink than let it happen for either of them.

All she could do was pat his arm as she turned away, not wanting to admit she feels the same.

Valerie:

Damn!

That bullshit from last night still pisses her off!

First that earbleedingly bad music gets blasted everywhere. Then, and then! It turns out to be an evil plan by the no good ghosts and not just some cruise! Phantom didn't even show like the fake he is! And, while she knows this is not the worst part is feels the most humiliating, a good chunk of their grade level invaded Fentonworks for a party without inviting Fenton or her. Her, she can understand, but he lives there. That's just cruel!

And yet, he still somehow got them to listen to his plan.

She is admittedly still impressed.

It was fun to fight with him. He even gave her a name to go by! She never cared about a vigilante name of her own before but it feels special.

Helps that he's cute, too.

Goth girl refuses to make a move and Valerie might if she doesn't.

Dash and Paulina, too, now if how they've been acting is anything to go by. They did use to be her friends, so she still remembers their tells and hints.

And saw the 'Kabedon Incedent'. If he hasn't been such a bully she'd feel worse for him.

Even the rest of the week, they have been falling all over themselves in their own ways over him. At least Danny will willingly talk to her and they are kind of friends even when his friends don't approve. She hopes that they can all be friends one day, despite how hostile they can be.

"Hey, Danny. Anything crazy happen recently?"

"Nah, just the crazy amount of homework."

"Mr. Lancer didn't assign much this week?"

"I have late assignments and keep having to redo them. Mostly from my parents inventions making a mess everywhere. Not to mention running from ghost attacks, my bag gets singed at times just for being my bag."

"Oof, I see what you mean there!"

The two share a laugh before splitting up.

He's always been fun to talk to. At least after I started giving him a chance. Was I just too stuck up and angry to see this side of him, before?

Sam:

Sam was feeling pretty good about herself!

Bringing back quality music to this town and kicking some ghost butt using those dumb records as scratching boards.

Seeing Danny in the lead like that, getting even the likes of Dash to listen, was really cool.

The fact that even Valerie showed up was very unexpected. But you know how it goes, plans never go unscathed upon contact with the enemy and all. Probably for the best, anyway, that Danny didn't bring out Phantom if she was already on her way.

At least they seem to be starting to see how cool he truly is.

Sam did not like that Danny hung out with Valerie given she tries to kill him when he's Phantom. And yes, that is the only reason!

Stop asking!

Doesn't help that 'pretty in pink' and 'Mr. Angry Issues' keep trying to butt in. She was busy being the ammo in the skies disrupting their broadcast! All she knows is that Danny went feral on Youngblood's ass and now the two seem to be tripping all over themselves around him. Being 'nice' like they actually care. She'll believe they've changed for the better when she sees it. Because right now it seems like they're only doing this to flirt with him! And just!

She's not possessive, she just doesn't want her friend to get hurt is all!

At least that is all she will let herself believe.

Stop denying you want him to look at you like that...

Tucker:

That was awesome!

They got to fight and even win against those pirate ghosts as just kids with Fenton gear!

Too bad Danny couldn't be Phantom at all, though. That was the main reason he had to deactivate the ghost shield. They made it work without Phantom anyway.

Valerie showing up was the least expected thing, though. He thought she had a night off or something? There were so many adults he's not sure if her dad was there in the crowd.

Guess ghost hunting means no time off after all. Kind of like us. Except she wants to get rid of my best friend permanently and doesn't even know it. My guy is a bit too forgiving sometimes.

His best bro has been getting so confused that everyone is nicer to him since the raid they did on the pirate ship. Like his bravery or badassery leading and fighting with them wasn't amazing! Like his feralness to switch to kindness and jokes right after wasn't charming or endearing.

Like its that hard to believe people like him more now that they see more of what he can do and who he is besides the son of the town loons who just so happened to be right about this one thing.

His plan didn't end in public destruction or excess harm. Unlike when his parents go after a ghost or when a ghost tosses him around and he gets blamed for it!

He can be very mad on his bro's behalf because Danny won't be. He's always simmering under the surface for the injustice his friend deals with. Tucker knows Sam is, too. She's just louder about it while he tends to silently judge more often than not.

But he can see why some of them have started to catch feelings for him, even if most are in denial about it. Sam included. Like the queen of denial, holy shit!

As always its up to the best friend to get everyone on the same page.

After all, he has always liked his best friend even if its slowly became platonic but romantic love for him, too. He just wants his bro happy and he's the only one who can see Danny can be with all of them, platonic or romantic. Now he just needs to get through to everyone else, too.

Here's to hoping I survive this intervention.

(+1) Danny:

Man, Danny feels so much better after taking his aggression on Youngblood and those other pirates! Too bad Ember got away, but hopefully that means she wont show back up again for a while.

He just hopes people won't treat him too differently.

Don't get him wrong. He's grateful they helped keep it a secret with how fast they all hid the evidence, but he knows that's partially to save their own skins from their parents and gain his parents' attention.

Getting to fight by Valerie's, or he supposed now it'd be 'Red's, side without even a hint of her trying to shoot him was even better than getting to be Phantom. Though, he only couldn't be Phantom because she showed up.

Good thing, too. Had it been anyone else they'd be dead. At least He's already half way there and has a transformation.

But she has been warming up to Phantom at least, he thinks.

Fighting by Dash's side as an equal is something he never could have guessed would be so rewarding. He hasn't even threatened to beat him up since then!

He thinks?

Dash keeps giving him these weird shakes and powders, talking about working his muscles in what he thinks is supposed to be encouragement. He's been bullied for so long by him that he really can't tell if it's a prank. Still does it anyway because Dash keeps looking at him and he is very unsure if refusing would gain his ire. Especially when he started doing this.

As time moves on, he becomes more settled into this new normal. The kids who were there had enough social sway that he was able to get his grades up with some good tutoring and some good extra credit. His attendance still hurt but they were able to explain it as his parents wanted him to partake in ghost hunting, too! Not the whole truth but a great cover as no one will want to talk to his parents to confirm. It's like the cool kids have been taking 'nice lessons'.

Dash has been helping him build muscle, so now his human form isn't so weak that he can barely catch his breath just after a jog around the block... Or for when his powers are blocked in some way. Those weird shake things have been helping, too. Something safe to eat when the meat at home usually reanimates and they still have the ecto-weenies guarding the fridge, consuming almost anything put in there from ectoplasmic samples to fresh groceries.

Paulina has been strangely nice as well. She hasn't even made weird comments about or hit on him as Phantom as much. She gave him some make up tips when ghosts fights got bad enough he had bruises in human form once turning back. And he's kind of into it! It's fun playing with make up in a way he never expected like this. They now have a nail night where they work on each other's nail art and do facials together. They do it once a month together now. Star shows up when she can but sometimes it's hard to make all three schedules work with how busy school is and all the constant ghost attacks. During their hang outs she sometimes even calls him cute! That's so nice of her. Such a good friend compliment! He can tell because shes not using her mean or fake nice voice while saying it!

He and Valerie continue to grow closer as she teaches him some of her martial arts and encourages him to blather about space. He hugged her out of sheer excitement that he has someone else he can gush over his favorite thing to. Things are so much better between them now, even with her dislike of Phantom. They even teamed up together during Pariah's invasion a little bit ago as their alter egos and she offered him the chance to use the mech suit his parents made as Fenton. Though, she did threaten Phantom to make sure 'Danny' came back safely. Well, both him as Phantom and as Fenton to be safe. He could only promise to do his best given everything.

He's so glad she gave him a chance and he her. He first started offering her companionship out of guilt, but he has grown to truly care about her. His friends don't seem as hostile towards her anymore and now they all even hang out sometimes.

Sometimes Dash and Paulina are even in their friendly hang outs as well, old hostilities are forgotten or put aside, and he is thriving.

Sam still is her usual, prickly self. But it seems like she realized something about herself and others lately or something. Shes been getting along better with the other girls and seems to have come to an understanding of sorts with them. At least he thinks so. Danny is not entirely, sure but at least she has other things to do than get into another meat and veggies debate with Tucker. He hates having to meditate those!

And where would he be without his best of best bros? Tucker has always been his rock. Their whole lives he has been his closest companion practically since he would walk. He's always so chill and smart and skilled with his hands and just. He is grateful he remains in his life.

Or maybe half life? Let's not think about that right now.

Danny thinks he's starting to catch feelings for all his friends, not fully platonic feelings. And not just the girls and not just the new or old. But all five of his closest friends! Is he supposed to choose? He has too much love in his heart and fondness for them all at this point that it would hurt to forsake any of them like that.

Do they even feel the same way?

Would it be worth it?

He has new friends and they are all getting along now.

So why should he ruin such a nice thing for himself?

He was worrying about it so much that it worried the others and he didn't even notice.

Tucker grabbed his hand, dragging him out of his head.

"Where are we going?"

"Your intervention this time, dude. We've all been getting worried. You're pulling away, man! We all have something to say to you together and you're not getting out of it. This could help, bro."

They made it to an empty classroom during lunch. Everyone he was having a crisis about all in one place!

How was this supposed to help?!

At his confused and increasingly distressed reaction, everyone decided to just lay it all out there. All of their feelings and that they don't want to lose him.

Danny starts to cry. He doesn't want to choose or lose any of them, either. He's so relieved and overwhelmed that he can't stop.

"You do have two hands, Danny," Tucker reassured him, "You can choose one of us or all if you want. Hell, it doesn't even have to be romantic! You absolute goofball!"

"Wha? That's a thing?! You can have more than one? Wouldn't that be cheating?"

His concern and confusion was sweet. He truly didn't know and didn't want to hurt any of them, after all.

This time, Paulina and Sam teamed up.

"Danny, you sweet, feral teenage boy," Sam begins, "it's not cheating if all parties are ok with it. It's all about consent and communication. We are the ones bringing it up."

"The goth is right, sweetie. We all talked about it before. And who knows, maybe some of us will work better as platonic partners, we can figure that out down the line. But we can give it a try if you want."

He gave a wet laugh and the sunniest smile in response.

"Yes! I'd love to try it with all of you. Hope we can make this work!"

This really is the happiest Danny has been! He was so worried he could lose a friend if he confessed and they all like him! And that having multiple partners is allowed if they know! And! And!

He rushes in to give them all a hug at the same time. A group hug with their special, feral little guy in the center. Like he is in their hearts.

Yeah, this did make me feel better. Tuck sure was right about that!

[luimagines]

You Show Up While He’s Traveling Part 3

Masterlist

Part 1 Part 2

Part three will include Time, Warrior and Wild.

Content under the cut!

Time

Time was going over what they had to work with and what they would be able to do with it. It would take a while until they would be able to restock and there wasn’t a lot of things in the environment where they could forage their own materials.

He rubs his temples and sighs. This would frankly be a lot easier if he was by himself. Not that he minds the company of the boys too much, but they don’t seem to realize how many resources they seem to sap out of what they have.

“Hey Old Man!” He hears them call, making his head hurt more than he’d ever tell them. “We found someone that says they know you!”

Time frowns and looks away from his logical puzzle. That claim should be impossible. This isn’t his home and he’s far from any acquaintances. Who would say such a thing?

“And who are they?” He calls back, putting the supplies away. He’ll come back to it.

“Someone. How should we know?” Time can hear the way Legend rolls his eyes. “They asked if we’ve seen Link. Bulky. Heavy armor. Scar over his eye with red and blue facial markings. We figured they must be legit if they could name specifics.”

Time stands and makes his way over to check it out. He stalls. Time can feel the way his jaw goes slack and how he nearly trips over his own two feet. Your name tumbles from behind his lips. He can’t believe this.

You seem to sag with relief and throw yourself towards him. “I was so worried. Thank Hylia, you’re alright.”

Time bites his tongue, more focused on catching you and holding you within his arms once more. “What are you doing here? I thought you said you were going to stay home.”

You huff. “I did. And yet here I am. I promise I wasn’t trying.”

You kiss his cheek and pull back, looking him over and smiling at what you see. “I forgot how you looked in your finery.”

Time shakes his head, a smile blooming on his otherwise serious face. “I promise you, it hasn’t changed. You, however, have.”

You blink and step back entirely, looking down your front and your sides, hoping to see what he sees. “What do you mean?”

“You’re even more beautiful then when I left you.”

You smack his shoulder and push him.

“Jerk. You scared me for a moment.”

Time laughs and pulls you back to him. “I’m not sorry. I see you’ve already met the Veteran.”

“He’s fun.”

“I told you do.”  He smirks and turns to the rest of the group. They’ve all stopped what they were doing to see his reactions and interactions with this mystery person. It widens when they all scramble to make it seem as if they were not openly staring. “These are the others boys I mentioned in my letters.”

You perk up and beam, looking around the group. With a wave, you introduce yourself and cling onto Time’s arm. You turn back to him with a smile that spells trouble. “You mentioned a descendent. Which one is he?”

“You have to guess.” Time snorts.

“What?!” You cry. “That’s not fair! I’ve waited this whole time to meet your group and you won’t even tell me this!”

“Nope.”

“You’re the worst.” You pout.

“You love me.”

“I do.”

“Is anyone else confused about what’s happening right now?” Wind raises his hand.

“This is-” Time repeats your name. “And they are the love of my life.”

Warrior

Warrior was busy trying to count the rupees in his pouch so he could plan ahead on their purchases. Granted, he was starting to run low. It left him with two options. Either start selling or start cutting the grass.

Would that even work in this Hyrule? Is that something that he can count on of the time being? Four mentioned small being that live in the grass. Would they mind if he came in and cut it all down?

He sighs and stashes the pouch away. There’s very little he can do about it on his own regardless. It’s easier to pool their money together.

“Tough luck, Captain?” Sky comes up next to him and leans on the railing. “I’ve never seen you so annoyed.”

“It’s hardly anything new.” He tries to wipe the look off of his face. It’s not going to do him any good. He has to make sure the group has its needs met. No reason to worry the troops about their supply line.

“Lady troubles?” Sky ventures.

“Not this time.” He shakes his head. Ok, maybe he can laugh about it. It’s not exactly the picture he wanted to paint himself as but as long as you don’t take any of it to heart, then perhaps he can learn to mitigate it.

If not, he’s in trouble when he gets home.

“Well then maybe I can help with the problem.” Sky offers.

“I appreciate it but I’m afraid that it’ll take more than just the two of us-”

“Link?” A voice calls out.

Both men look up in the direction of the voice without thinking. Warrior freezes. His heart gets lodged in his throat. He recognizes that voice. Is it really-?

“Link?” You call again and he sees you walk out of the crowd around you. “What are you doing here?”

Sky tilts his head, unsure of what to make of this new person until he looks over to Warrior’s bright, start struck eyes. “Ah- you know them.”

“What am I doing here? What are you doing here?” Warrior grins, shouting without meaning to. He runs. You meet him halfway.

The two of your collide with enough force to shock the people around you. The chain comes around the corner, having heard their name called.

Warrior starts peppering your face with kisses. “I can’t believe you’re here. Are you ok? Are you safe? Were you sent by Lana?”

You giggle, trying to pull his hands away from your face so you can properly answer him. “No, no, no, nothing like that. I just walked around and found you here. I thought you’d be home later.”

He stops his barrage. His thumbs come up to rub little circles on your cheeks. “Darling, we’re not home right now. The farthest from it. That’s why I’m asking.”

“Oh.” You blink, finally looking around you. “Well Zelda mentioned that they were trying to rebuild some settlements so I thought I had just wandered into one of them.”

Warrior shakes his head. He might cry at the sight of you.

“Hey, Captain!” Hyrule calls out. “Are you going to keep making goo goo eyes or can we meet them?”

“What?” You try to look around Warrior, focusing on the voice. “Link? Do you know them?”

“More than I’d admit at the moment.” He mutters, turning to wave the group away. It doesn’t work. If anything they’re more intrigued.

 You snort and step away from him. “Let me go say hi.”

“No-” Warrior holds your hand. You stop and raise an eyebrow. He’s nervous. “Um...They might say some stuff.... Don’t pay too much attention to it.”

“Like what?”

“Uhhhh....”

“The pretty boy didn’t run away this time!” Legend laughs. “They must be the one!”

“Like that.” Warrior sighs, hanging his head in defeat. You bite your lip and pat his shoulder in consolation. “Are they always like this?”

“Unfortunately...”

“...I think we’ll get along just fine then.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

Wild

Wild was separated from the group again. But not because he saw something shiny and decided to investigate.

He had to look for more food to cook for the group. Since it had more or less become his job to make sure the heroes besides him were fed, he had to make sure he had enough supplies to meet the demand.

It wasn’t looking to good. At least not in this particular area.

The bushes that he was sure to have berries were empty. Either something else came before him and plucked them all off, they were out of season or he was simply incorrect on the type of bushes these were.

That wasn’t going to stop him though.

Actually, there was one thing that interested him as he continued his search for edible food. There was a bit of cloth on the bush. Nothing that seems worthy of noting. It was beige and clearly torn.

Perhaps someone did come to take the berries before he did.

Wild moved on.

On his way to the next bush, he saw a few berries that were ripe for the picking. He didn’t hesitate to grab them. But besides the bush was a strange foot print on the ground. It wasn’t churred up by an animal. that was a human boot. It was slanted and elongated. Like the person slipped. It seemed fresh.

He began to follow that instead of the food trail.

Multiple bushes and branches were torn as he got closer to whatever it was.

He looks up to see that there were multiple claw marks against one of the tree. Those certainly didn’t belong to any human.

He kept walking, albeit with his hand on his bow just in case.

There was a groan. A very human groan. 

Wild rushes forward and his brain stops working.

In front of him lays a very familiar human. You were face down on the ground, a large cut to your mid-section with multiple tears to your clothes. You seemed to just be waking up from whatever had knocked you out to begin with. Slowly, you push your arm from under you and lift your face up.

Wild runs to you. “What...what...what....”

Wild swallows hard and move to roll you over. It’s easier to pick you up that way.

“Link?” You lull your head to the side. “...You found me...”

“I did.” Wild breathes out, lifting you. “I did, I did, I did...”

He says it on repeat like a broken record. the food has been forgotten, his main goal is to get you back to camp to tend to your injuries. If he’s lucky, Hyrule would be kind enough to heal you.

“I missed you.” You say as if you hadn’t just been attacked.

“I missed you too.” It breaks Wild out of his repetition.

His return to the camp spokes even the more seasons of heroes. Legend jumps to his feet while Warrior and Sky unhesitatingly begin to get the medical supplies without being asked.

“Wait- who are they?” Wind asks over the commotion. “Do you know them?”

“Yes.” Wild fights over the way his throat wants to close up. He places you down and begins to clean your wounds. Twilight gets a spare change of clothes and hands them over as Warrior hands over the gauze. Wild thanks them both. 

“Ok, but who are they?” Four asks kindly.

“My partner.” Wild says. It shuts the group up. They watch as he tends to you. 

Hyrule sneaks in the spell from behind Wild’s back to heal you.

They’ll save their questions for when you’re feeling better.

[bokettochild]

Hello! This doesn't really align with the format, but for day 14 can you please do something with those tile enemies (the ones in that comic with Legend thinking about the worst thing he's faced)? I can't really decide if it would be better to torment the heroes unfamiliar with that enemy or to go with the ones that have dealt with them before, or a combination...

So, this did end up with less whump and more sort of...crack vibes? it was fun to write anyways, and I hope you enjoy!

Rating: General

Wordcount: 3,443

Summary: While Legend and Wind are getting their asses beat by a gleeok (see Day 12) the rest of the chain are trying to find them, which leads to a lot of fun realizing just how awful a floor can really be. Wild's pretty sure he hates dungeons, Warriors is torn, Hyrule is resorting to the worst humor ever, and Four would just like out now, please.

(Warning for copious amounts of bad humor and some movie quotes.)

-

  They should never have let Legend and Wind go on ahead. 

  Not that the skill of either of the two boys is in any doubt, but the skill of those left behind is somewhat lacking. While Hyrule manages just fine, Time is apparently much older now than he was the last time he took on a dungeon, and Warriors and Wild are not familiar with them at all. Sky lacks stamina, Twilight lacks speed, and Four lacks nothing, but he keeps getting stuck at the back of the group. It’s not fun, and it’s not very fair either, considering he’s pretty sure he could handle this if they’d just let him try. It’s just a path after all. Just floor tiles that flee from beneath their feet, but even so, that’s not the worst thing someone can find in a dungeon! 

  “Is there a way to skip this room?” Sky groans, not the first one to wonder, but the first to ask. 

  Hyrule puffs on a bit of hair falling over his eyes. “You wanna be the one to go back and look?” 

  The skyloftian does not and doesn’t suggest anyone else do it either. 

  Crushed beneath them, Four has half a mind to go himself, but he’s pretty sure that’s not even a possibility. No, because they’ve been taking the path two at a time like Wind and Legend, but rather than take off after the other two and risk getting split up, they’re waiting until everyone has converged on the islands of stable flooring in the room before moving on, and it means they’re continuously piling on top of each other to do so. So, at this very moment, he’s somehow managed to get trapped crouching beneath the captain and skyloftian as they wait for Time to bring up the rear of their party. It’s not ideal and it’s not pleasant and he’d really much rather be just about anywhere else. Again though, he can’t exactly go anywhere at the moment. 

  We’ll be last to get to go, Blue reasons, we should just dart on past the others and to the next island. 

  Blue. 

  It would work! 

  Except that we’ll still get crushed under everyone when they catch up again, so it’ll be pointless. Vio points out, which of course has the more aggressive aspect huffing, but there’s not really anything that anyone can say to deny that logic. 

  Aloud, Four groans. “How far off is the old man?” 

  “Not far,” Warriors assures, rolling his shoulders. “And since the path takes two minutes to reform, we won’t have to stay much longer after this.” 

  Murmurs, thanking various deity’s and spirits, rise from the group of them, and Four shuffles slightly, trying to relieve the weight on his arms while he waits until, at last, the old man’s feet touch stone and the last of the floor falls away. Then, they just have to wait two minutes (two minutes and fourteen seconds, as their leader helpfully observes) and then everyone else is moving off in pairs along the path. 

  Once or twice, hook-shots must be used to cover the remaining distance on time. No one wants to risk falling into the blackness below and none of them want to know what happens if you do. Legend had warned that it would probably take them back to the beginning of the dungeon, and there’s no desire for such a fate. They've finally all dried out again after dropping into the wetness that was that first room, and going back there and wandering through all the rooms again doesn’t sound pleasant, even if there won’t be any monsters left that they’d have to face to get through (hopefully). Personally, just the time it would take sounds miserable, and they want out. It was fun doing the dungeon with Legend doing the hard work and the rest of them free to mess around, especially since Legend seemed to be enjoying it so much and his own excitement was surprisingly infectious. Now though, Warriors’ wonder is beginning to fade and Legend’s not here to be strangely excited about death traps and pushing heavy things around and the like. Now it’s just them trying to catch up to the other two, who are probably still enjoying themselves while the rest of them suffer. 

  Earlier, every so often, they’d see a light go off in the depths of the room. It served the purpose of helping them realize just how much there was of the room, but also letting them know where the vet and sailor were. Not that the laughter and talking wasn’t something they could hear, but it echoed awfully, distorted and confusing, and they’d been unable to guess off sound alone where the two boys had gone off too. The lights have stopped coming on though, and the ones that were lit have already flickered out. 

  Warriors, with the use of a fire rod, has been lighting the sconces as they come to them, but the light only lasts a few precious minutes before fading, and he keeps having to relight it every time it goes out, up until it’s his turn to race along to the next stone island where the rest of them wait. Still, it’s not a lot of light, and Four is beginning to miss the actual light. He wants daylight, not magic, not fire, but sunshine that is just beginning to fade over the world, painting the sky in a dozen rich colors, all bleeding and swimming into each other so he can’t tell where one ends and another begins. He likes sunsets for that very reason; they remind him of himself. 

  They won’t be seeing the sun for a bit though, and he’s left sitting until nearly all the others have darted off, waiting for his turn, and then taking it as quickly as his shorter legs will carry him. He has to employ his Pegasus boots to keep up with Sky, which earns teasing, but the man really is fast, even if his stamina is shit.  

  “Anyone see an end ahead?” Time asks, groaning as he attempts to keep ahold of two of the younger heroes and keep them toppling over the edge of the platform. There isn’t nearly enough room on these things to support them all. 

  Hyrule, one of said younger heroes, takes advantage of their leader’s grip on him to lean out slightly, peering into the darkness. His eyesight is, surprisingly, the best, even in the dark, and while Four’s isn’t half bad either, he doesn’t pipe up. The traveler is more familiar with all this anyway, and he can’t provide much help himself, so he’ll leave it to ‘Rule. “I see a wall up on our right, and maybe a door?” 

  “Thank Ordonia,” the rancher groans. “Does the path lead up to it?” 

  “One more stop.” 

  There are a few more groans, but with an end in sight, they’re all quite eager as well. 

  “You’d think they’d wait up for us,” Warriors muses as they wait for Sky and Hyrule to dart off along the path towards the door, now that the path has reformed. “Or at least signal where they are.” 

  A few of the heroes glance at each other in the dancing light of the fire they’re gathered around, but Four is the one who answers their captain’s worry. “Maybe they got caught up in something?” 

  “No,” perfect brows furrow, “this is Legend, he doesn’t like splitting the group. Even if Wind didn’t, he’d have left some sign of where they went.” 

  “So maybe they didn’t find this door,” he shrugs, “they probably found another one. Dungeon rooms usually aren’t linear, captain, we’ll reach them with time.” 

  It’s some assurance to the man, and Wild too, who looks extremely uncomfortable at the moment and has since they entered the dungeon. The champion's been in awe of the place for the most part, but that was when there was light, and he looks a bit perturbed by the idea of such illy lit spaces. Four wonders why, but he doesn’t ask. He knows that many in their group aren’t keen on the dark, and considering their line of work, they have grounds. Had he gone through the same sorts of adventures they have, he’s sure he’d be wary too. As is though, it’s more just an annoyance than a thing to spark fear within him, and as they slowly move their way from floating stone to the doorway, he tries to be understanding about the wariness the others show upon reaching it. 

  “Vet usually peeks in first, right?” Wild asks, staring at the door like it’s a maw rather than simply an entrance.  

 The more dungeon savvy in their group exchange looks before Sky elects to answer. “Does it matter? Everyone has a different way of doing things.” 

  “’s dark in there any’ays, cub,” the rancher sighs, “ain’t nothing to see even if we did.” 

  “Let’s get it over with then.” Blue is definitely tired of sitting around and doing nothing, and Four blames his actions on the more aggressive aspect of himself as he snatches Warriors’ flame rod and darts through the door, brandishing the weapon in preparation for any attack that comes at him. 

  The room is empty. 

 It’s totally empty, and he can say that for sure, because the lights come on once he’s properly inside and reeal nothing more than torches and a stone floor, although there’s a door on the far side of the room, just as he’d hoped.  

  “Did- did the lights just come on by themselves?” When he turns, it’s to see the captain standing in the doorway, blinking against the sudden light and with one hand raised to shield his eyes. Even with that though, he can see the bright sparkle in royal blue, curiosity quickly overtaking ire once again as the captain looks about. If Four had to bet, he’d say their soldier would probably be a whizz at puzzles and dungeons too if he’d ever been given the chance, and though he’s easily surprised by the workings, he’d probably love to toy with them and learn how they do what they do, or at least watch them react to his actions. It’s sort of a shame the goddesses robbed him of the chance by giving the clever man a war to fight instead of a quest to undertake like the rest of them. 

  “Puzzle gods,” Four repeats. He means it as a joke, he does. He’s relatively certain there is no such deity in the hylian pantheon, although he’s heard some other kingdoms believe in trickster gods of various sorts, or so the books in Legend and Twilight’s eras say. Still, it’s funny to watch his brothers accept the explanation and even murmur it to each other whenever something starts being confusing. He’s certain he’s heard Time curse the supposed ‘puzzle gods’ a few times by now, especially when he’d had to use his hook-shot to avoid taking a dive when the floor went out from beneath him earlier. 

  Now though, the others all just sort of snort at his comment as they wander into the room, and it’s only once they’re all in that the true foe of the chamber reveals itself. 

  The floor. Again. 

  He’s just looking about, letting Vio and Blue take the lead as they look for patterns or words or anything to hint at the way forwards.  Honestly, he’s sort of shocked Legend hardly even has to look anymore, and no doubt the vet would already have answers for them if he was here, scoffing or chuckling as he pointed out what, in hindsight, would feel painfully obvious to the less experienced heroes as they’d follow his lead. He’s not here though, and so far, they’ve yet to find any sign of where he and the sailor went. It’s a bit worrying, and that’s where his brain is focusing when all of a sudden, he feels the floor sway beneath his feet. 

  Like any normal person, he darts away. They just came out of a room where the floor fell away as you stepped on it, and he has no interest in collapsing through this one too. Once he’s back to the others though, he learns that that is hardly the worst risk at the moment. 

  No, because the floor isn’t falling down. It’s flying up. 

  “What the-” they have no time to say much more because that’s about when the lifted tile suddenly launches at them, spinning and all sharp edges. 

  “What is this?” Twilight yelps, throwing himself to the floor and narrowly avoiding the tile as it crashes into the wall, just behind where his head was but a moment before. 

  No answers come. Both because they’re all too busy running from the tiles that are flying, fast and sharp and spinning at all of them, and also because how does one explain floor tiles trying to kill you? Four’s seen them, yes, but not often enough to suspect them the moment he sees an empty room, and by the looks on the faces of most of his brothers, they haven’t a clue what’s going on anymore than Twilight does. 

  Avoiding the awful things is a nightmare. He’s darting and throwing himself down, but the tiles ricochet off of walls and mirror shields, and despite all attempts, there’s really too many tiles and too many other people to avoid being hit by anything. The only advantage is that the things seem locked on his much taller companions, so Four has at least some chance of avoiding being hit. 

  The same is not true of Hyrule, who’s struck first and goes down with a bitten off cry. The fact that he’s made any noise at all though is a bad sign. The traveler never makes noise when he’s hurt unless it’s very bad or very unexpected. It’s a danger, he’s said, to be loud when injured, because the smell of your blood and your own injury endangers you enough; drawing further attention to your location is never a good thing. Luckily for him, lying on the floor and gripping his arm seems to be out of the target zone for the tiles, and they fly most pointedly at the adults in the group instead. 

  Sky, with a hiss, has drawn the master sword and, quite shockingly, is throwing himself in the path of the blasted things, swinging till they shatter and then moving for another. 

  It takes maybe ten minutes for the attack to die down altogether, and when it does, everyone but the chosen hero has collapsed against the wall, panting and catching their breath and their runaway hearts from the start of it all. 

  “Whoever designed this place is a monster,” Time groans. “Why would you have two floor focused rooms right after each other. Just, why?” 

  Warriors snorts, half laughing, half something else, something strained. “Keep us on our toes?” 

  Their leader grabs for a bit of fallen tile and chucks it. Hitting the wall right beside no longer coiffed locks with a growl. “Not funny.” 

  From the floor, Hyrule gives a strangled giggle. “I thought it was.” 

  “Hyrule thought it was,” Warriors states, pointedly, pulling himself to his feet and looking just a bit like a spider with the motion (the man is seriously all limbs) before moving to the side of their fallen brother. “How bad?” 

  “I fear I’m dying,” the traveler responds, staring up at the captain with a wince. “Promise to burn my body, will you?” 

  The captain’s face washes over with severity. “I swear it will be done.” 

  “What?” The speed with which Wild flies to his feet is frankly quite impressive, but the strained laughter of the traveler is apparently enough reassurance to stop him running to his brother’s side to inspect the damamge for himself. 

  Warriors looks apologetic as he takes the traveler’s arm in his hands, gentle but firm, eyes warm though as they flicker up to the champion. “We jest, Wild. ‘Tis but a flesh wound. He’ll live.” 

  “You mock my pain,” Hyrule giggles through a wince, clearly trying to lighten the mood, at least for the captain, or maybe just trying to distract himself from the sting of the rather nasty looking gash on his arm. 

  Time snorts, staring on, but not moving. They can’t help anyways so there’s no point in any of them rising for the time being, and giving the traveler and their medic some space is in everyone’s best interest. “Life is pain. Anyone who tells you different is selling something.” 

  “Pessimistic much?” Sky observes. 

  “Well read, I should think,” the captain corrects, already starting to mind the injury of their brother. “I believe that one was from a book. As was my own, if anyone was wondering.” 

  Time nods. “I’m surprised Wind hasn’t called us on-” and then he trails off. Wind isn’t here. Wind is with Legend. 

  “We need to catch up to them,” Four reminds. Not that he’s particularly nervous about what they’re getting up too, but he doesn’t know how much longer they can progress through a dungeon with the group split and no idea where and when they’ll come across the others. “Can Wolfie track them?”  

  “You can jist ask me now, Four,” their shifter reminds, “ain’t a secret no more.” 

  “Anymore,” Warriors murmurs under his breath. 

  “No more,” Twilight hisses back, grinning. 

  Four ignores both of them, even as a few of the others start rolling their eyes at the grammar battle. If left unchecked, this will go on forever. “Use your nose to find them then, if you don’t mind.” 

  “If you can,” Sky adds, glancing warily at the rancher. 

  Twilight agrees, and while black magic washes over the rancher, Four takes it on himself to peek through the now opened doorway on the other side of the room. All that lies within is a chest, no doubt containing the map they’re so in need of, or some other such tool he’s shocked they’ve made it this far without.  

  There aren’t any monsters in here. 

  It’s a chest room! Monsters aren’t in chest rooms. 

  Most of the time. Vio corrects. 

  Most of the time. Red agrees, and then, We should open it! 

  Green? 

  Yeah, no harm. Let’s move quickly though, Twilight should catch their trail soon. 

  So, he does. He darts across the room and, sure enough, the chest contains the map they needed hours ago. Honestly, he’s kind of shocked they’ve done so well without it, but looking it over doesn’t reveal much more than what they’ve already seen. They’ve worked themselves through all three floors already, and the only rooms they haven’t been to appear to be on the right of the falling floor room. Unfortunately, there’s no guide on how to cross the floor anywhere on the map. 

 Coming back, the others are staring and Twilight is absent. He holds up the map, nodding back to the room. “Our prize! It’s useless by the way, we already knocked out everything except the boss chamber.” 

  “Boss chamber?” Warriors, again, although Wild also looks confused. 

  “Dungeons tend to end with a fight with a larger monster in order to reach the end and gather whatever treasure is there.” Their leader groans his words, pulling himself up again and creaking worse than an old door as he does so. “During my adventures, that treasure was usually a tool or information, although rupees and other baubles aren’t uncommon either.” 

  “Bet you Legend’s already collected it by now,” Sky grins. 

  “Means they’ve already fought the boss,” the traveler points out. “And I know they’re capable, but-” 

  The skyloftian nods, “you don’t like the idea of them taking it on alone when we should be with them.” 

  “Yeah.” 

  “Well,” he rolls up the map, tucking it into his own bag and trying for a smile to his brothers. “We’ll find them, just give Wolfie a moment more and-” 

  As if on cue, their shifter companion darts back in through the door, barking once to catch their attention and then moving out. The motion is repeated again, and all take the cue to rise and follow. Warriors is finished with the traveler’s arm and they’ve mostly caught their breath. Now just to face the floor a third time and reach where the other two are likely waiting for them.  

  Four just hopes the floor won’t do anything else crazy when they get there. Legend's talked about boss monsters that are the floor itself, and if that’s what awaits them, Four’s going to start climbing the walls. Literally. 

[leonawriter]

Fantasy/Royalty au where Toichi's mother went on the run with him after court intrigue, Toichi himself grew up effectively (but not legally) in exile after the incident, and although he kept planning to tell Kaito the whole story after he was born, he just... never got around to it. What with having become a thief in order to find a gem before the people who were the reason his mother went on the run did.

And then he dies, and Kaito grows up, and then Kaito finds out his dad was actually assassinated which is wild because he always thought his dad was just the most amazing and best performer in the kingdom and several others besides, and now there's all this other stuff he just... doesn't know.

So Kaito starts out closer to home, which is the easiest and objectively best thing since dad had ended up staying here and he must have for a reason, but on the other hand his childhood friend Aoko's father is the captain of the guard, and the prince is way too observant.

It's a good thing Kaito's got a knack for Hiding things as one of his personal special abilities. If someone's really paying attention then they'll be able to see through it. Aoko's dad doesn't, really. Most people don't. And they expect everything he does to be Real Magic, too, meaning they put counter-measures in place that he just slips past with his sleight of hand and Hiding tricks.

Saguru, though. The Hakuba family being the rulers of the Ekoda kingdom, and Saguru's father being all indulgent and encouraging to help the guard catch that thief (he'd have been around for Toichi, in this story, recognise the style and methodology if not who it is), and Saguru is fascinated.

I'm just thinking of a bunch of crazy adventures and hijinks in which Kaito's kind of courting Aoko as Kaito but also kind-of sort-of flirting with Saguru as Kaitou Kid.

Secrets come out (first with Aoko, because she knows him better, and he fully expects her to turn him in to her father but instead she cusses him out while healing an arrow injury while he whines and tries not to move) and then with Saguru (which starts with Kaito panicking because oh gods the prince has him figured out, he's gonna be executed and ends with "Aoko wants to meet you, is that okay? Be warned, she may try and give you a shovel talk because she's been like, my only friend since I was a kid, but she's been wanting to meet you ever since she realised I look the same when thinking about you as when I'm looking at her."

For a while things get a little dicey because it's a bit of a political scandal that the prince is getting involved with someone who doesn't even have a title-

And then the king throws a tournament and people from the surrounding kingdoms all turn up to join in the fun, and this one guy from one of the Western Kingdoms with a strong accent comes up to Kaito and starts talking with him like they're close friends, and when he's corrected he drags Kaito over to where his actual friend, who'd sent a messenger because he'd been waiting, is.

And then Yusaku, one of the neighbouring kings, takes one look at Kaito and recognises Toichi in him.

A not even a few days later, and Kaito is still coming to terms with having a cousin who's royalty, an uncle who's a king, and oh, huh, looks like the scandal's called off, because he's royalty and no one in the kingdom's gonna care about how he's basically married to Aoko too so long as they can see he loves their future king as much as he does and they don't screw up the new treaty negotiations the king's making with Kaito's uncle.

(Kaito's rather less impressed with his cousin, who sees through his tricks and is the worst sort of critic - one who even prefers Real Magic over sleight of hand, because in Shinichi's words "at least Magic still works along a set of rules, while tricks like those rely on pulling the wool over the audience's eyes and lying to them."

They're known for getting along when they really need to, though.)

[joelalorian]

Tides of Desire - Chapter Four: Cut and Run

Pairing: Yacht Captain!Joel Miller x f!reader

Summary: TLOU no outbreak AU. Joel Miller is a luxury yacht captain running charters in the Caribbean. You join the crew as a deckhand and unexpectedly complicate Joel's peaceful existence. Basically the TLOU bunch on a Below Deck yacht.

Series warnings: 18+ MDNI, adventure, alcohol, cursing injuries, fluff, angst, eventual smut. Reader is a badass. Joel is Captain Hottie. No use of y/n.

Series Masterlist

Chapter Four: Cut and Run

Wine drunk and worked up, Joel was beyond thankful the captain’s quarters were separate from the rest of the crew. Rock hard and aching for something – someone – he denied himself, his cock was in hand the moment the door was closed and locked. It didn’t take long as pent up as he was, long strokes of his cock with his left hand turned frantic and sloppy. He came hard, rope after thick rope of cum hit the glass door of the shower as Joel braced himself against the wall with his right forearm. Your name fell from his lips when the last rope hit the shower door, sounding more tortured than pleasured.

Quickly showering, the removable showerhead rinsing away the evidence of his lack of self-control, Joel fell into bed feeling all sorts of conflicted. The two of you spent a wonderful evening in the hot tub, sharing stories and more about yourselves. He surprised himself with that confession – he had no intention of saying a word about his attraction and developing feelings, for good reason. It would be so easy to break his own rule and just pursue you during the remainder of the charter season, but recollections from the past prevented him from giving in. Hence why he fled after nearly kissing you.

Joel fell into a restless sleep, dreams plagued with memories he’d rather forget, distorted by his subconscious due to the conflictions weighing him down, you became the specter haunting him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What the fuck just happened?” Your voice barely registered over the sound of sloshing water left behind by Joel practically throwing himself away from you and out of the hot tub. Head spinning, you stood on shaky legs and slipped out, movements extra careful due to the mixture of wet flooring and amount of wine you drank. Your head was spinning, but not from the wine. Joel confused you.

You were both having a great time, conversation and wine flowing naturally, and the two of you becoming closer physically and emotionally until, suddenly, Joel’s demeanor changed. The eager softness in his eyes flashed away, detachment snapping into its place. He was gone without a word before you knew what was happening.

Exhausted all over again, you dried off and made your way to the crew mess to heat up the dinner Tess left for you. Taking your meal back to your bunk, you quickly changed and climbed into bed to eat. Vacillating between confusion and hurt, you thought it best not to linger in the crew mess in case everyone came back to see you like that.

It was a good decision as the crew returned shortly after you finished eating and you chose to remain in your cabin, the empty bowl placed on the floor next to your bunk. They must have had a fun night, the boisterous noise sounding through the door was filled with shrieks of laughter. You wanted to be happy for everyone, but their merriment was merely a reminder of how uncertain you felt about your own evening.

Knowing your mind would run wild without it, you took a sleeping pill to slow your thoughts. Your body desperately needed the rest anyway.

Sadly, you woke up ten hours later just as perplexed by Joel and his sudden, odd change in behavior. Already awake, Tess turned her penetrating gaze away from her phone as you stumbled out of bed. You grunted out a good morning before locking yourself in the loo. Unable to look at yourself in the mirror knowing you’d be a fright; you scrubbed your face clean and brushed your teeth before scraping your hair back into a messy bun. Finally, you glanced at your reflection. The bags beneath your eyes belied the hours of sleep you got, but it was as good as it was going to get today.

“Everything alright?” Tess questioned when you emerged at last. She could tell that something was off, had known it yesterday, too.

Shaking your head, you murmured, “Everything’s just cracking.” Torn between the need for food and the desire to hide yourself away for the rest of the season, you slumped down onto your bunk with a heavy sigh.

“It’s something to do with Joel, isn’t it?” Tess was too perceptive for her own good, getting right to the heart of the matter. Her feet landed on the floor with a gentle thud next to your bunk before she plopped down next to you. “You don’t have to tell me, but I’m here if you want to talk. I’ve known him for a long time, know how he can be. I’ll keep your confidence, too, if that’s your concern.”

It was, given the closeness of their long-time friendship, but you took Tess at her word, recent events, and your mixed feelings about it all, falling from your lips for the next half hour. Tess listened intently, humming understandingly in spots, until you ran out of breath and words.

“Ugh, fucking Joel Miller,” Tess huffed. “This totally tracks for him. He’s very good at denying himself. He was burned once, it was… well, it changed his perspectives and priorities and for a while that is exactly what he needed. But now he can’t seem to breakout of the rigid morals he set for himself, and he can’t even see that it’s causing more damage than it’s helping.”

Your mind is reeling, trying to figure out what could have burned Joel so bad in the past. You were dying to ask, yet blissful ignorance was looking just as good. The heat of Tess’s gaze burned the side of your face as she watched you. Words failed you as your mind wandered.

“I know you want to ask and that you’re too kind to actually do it,” the older woman said, one hand awkwardly patting your shoulder. “It’s not my story to tell, but I will say this. Joel was reckless once and it bit him in the ass. Nearly derailed his career. In the end, though, it was probably the best thing that ever happened to him.”

Your wide eyes met hers, desperately trying to read the message her gaze was sending. Something reckless. Career almost derailed. Best thing to happen. It had to be something to do with Sarah, right? Something about her mom, maybe?

Tess could see the wheels turning behind your eyes and smiled kindly. “Keep your head up and keep doing your thing. He’s worth the wait if you have the patience. He’ll open up when he’s ready, trust me. I haven’t seen him like the way he is this season in a very long time.”

Questions, you had so many questions, but Tess was not the right person to ask. The answers had to come directly from the source and Tess just basically told you to give him time. Mumbling your thanks, you left the cabin in search of food and fresh air.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A soft breeze with the scent of sea salt wafted across the bridge deck where Joel stood watching most of the deck crew ready the jet skis in the turquoise sea. He often let the crew take advantage of the amenities the yacht offered on their limited time off, provided they cleaned up after themselves and took proper care of all the equipment. Tommy was always one of the first to jump on a jet ski or sea bob and spend hours goofing off under the tropical sun. This time was no different as he readied one jet ski with Ellie on the back while Connor drove the other with Emmy holding tight behind him. Joel’s eyes tracked them zooming across the marina, breaking the soft plains of the water to reach the open sea. Once they were out of sight, his gaze shifted to the sun deck where Sarah, Talia, and Sammy were sprawled out under the sun’s rays.

Your absence was notable.

Were you laying low like he was?

Joel wondered what you were thinking after last night. He had no doubt you were confused – he left you, suddenly and without explanation. His own thoughts were still a jumbled mess, vacillating between self-preservation and wanting to dive headfirst into whatever connection was developing between the two of you. Honestly, he was getting sick of his own thoughts on the matter.

“Hey Texas,” Tess called, snapping Joel from his thoughts. “You gonna join in on the fun today or what?”

Brows pulling together, Joel shook his head. “Not today.”

“Do you enjoy making yourself miserable?”

Joel’s eyes shot to her, wide with surprise. “What?”

Tess shrugged, arms crossed in front of her chest, lips forming a flat line. “Just wondering if you enjoy making yourself miserable since you deliberately make decisions that contradict your own happiness.”

“Are you trying to confuse me with all those words? How, precisely, do I do that – make myself miserable and contradict my own happiness, hmm?” Joel’s eyebrows remained pinched, and he could feel a headache developing in the center of his forehead.

“Oh, come on, Joel. You know exactly what I’m talking about,” Tess huffed in annoyance. “What happened with you and England last night?”

His head jerked back to face the water, “Nothing.”

“Bullshit.” Her narrowed eye stare remained focused on him as Tess continued to pry. “I already know, anyway. You let yourself enjoy time with her and then you fucked it up by running away without explanation. Classic.”

“She told you,” Joel replied, eyes glued to the horizon with an inscrutable expression. “Well, that answers one question about trust.”

“Are you for fuckin’ real, Joel?” Tess snapped, losing her patience, something that rarely happened outside of the galley. “You expect her to unwittingly ride this roller coaster with you, getting whiplash every which way without any explanation from you or anyone to talk to about it? You really are an asshole sometimes.”

She stalked halfway down the bridge deck before Joel responded, voice rough with defeat and regret. “What do you want from me?”

“Same thing you do, Joel. I want you not to be unhappy. You just need to get out of your own way for that to happen.” With that, Tess descended to the lower decks, leaving Joel to stew in his own thoughts once again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tucked away in a shady corner of the sky lounge, you sipped at a diet cola and noshed on pretzels while reading, the sounds of your crew mates readying themselves for an adventure echoed across the deck. You couldn’t bring yourself to join them, not while feeling out of sorts pining over Joel. Besides, you didn’t want to run into him just yet. You were still mulling over the advice Tess gave you.

Space and time.

It was for the best, anyway. You were there to do a job, not get tangled up in feelings for someone who didn’t seem capable of returning them just then.

“There you are!” a sudden, excited voice declared. Looking up, the sight of Sarah’s bright, smiling face met your gaze. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere. We’re going into town for some shopping. Come on!”

The younger woman did not give you a choice, tugging you to your feet and practically dragging you down to the crew deck. “Change your clothes. We leave in ten.”

“Sooo bossy!” you called over your shoulder, slipping out of your loungewear into a pair of soft, worn jeans and a fitted tee. Leaving your hair loose, you perched a pair of shades on your head and exited the cabin to find Sammy, Sarah, Talia, and Tess waiting for you. “Ready?”

“Are we ever. Time for a girls’ day!” Sammy cheered, causing the rest of the group to laugh.

Tess led the way off the yacht, opting to walk through the historic streets of San Juan rather than take an ordered car to the shops. It was a beautiful day, the temperature just right with the sun shining bright overhead. Conversation was easy, flowing from one topic to another without effort. Even Talia, normally mysteriously reserved, was buoyant and talkative. The burdens of confusing feelings weighing you down began to lift, thoughts of Joel fading to the background. There was nothing like some girl time and retail therapy to clear one’s mind.

The afternoon was spent pleasantly perusing the shops and exploring historic sites like La Fortaleza and Castillo San Cristobal. By evening, the five of you settled into a quaint little restaurant for tapas and cocktails.

“Tess said my dad was being an ass to you again. I’m sorry about that. I swear he’s one of the good ones.” Sarah leant into your side, swaying slightly from the buzz of consistently replenishing cocktails.

“There’s nothing sacred on the Radiance, is there?” you laughed. You knew better than to expect privacy on such a yacht, especially when people like Sarah and Tess had a stake in the gossip.

Shrugging unrepentantly, Sarah chuckled. “Seriously though, give him a chance. Okay? He’s worth it, he’s just so out of practice. Not to mention he’s really hard on himself.”

“It says a lot, you know. How the women in his life speak of him.” You met Sarah’s dark eyes with a soft gaze and sighed. “It’s just confusing, is all. But I don’t want to focus on that. I had fun today letting myself be in the moment with you all, so that’s what I’m going to keep doing. Everything else will happen when and if it happens. Yeah?”

“Thatta girl!” Sarah cheered, clinking her half empty glass with yours before downing the rest of the tangy liquid. “We’re definitely going to need a ride back to the yacht.”

The five of you returned to the boat laden with new bags from the Coach outlet along with a pile of souvenirs, feeling refreshed and tipsy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The week passed with another charter for the crew of Radiance. It was the first charter with zero drama from the guests or crew, which was a pleasant change. The primary charter guests were a couple with two young children joined by the grandparents. They were mellow, exhausting themselves with water activities, and went to bed at a very respectable hour every night. Tess was pleased that none of them had crazy dietary restrictions or requests and she was able to really showcase her culinary talents.

You spent a lot of time entertaining the kids, giving the parents and grandparents some time to themselves to relax and even take a day trip or two. There were numerous trips down the slide, the young boys screeching with delight each time, and lots of jumping on the water trampoline. You took them for leisurely rides on the jet skis and taught them how to snorkel, pointing out sea turtles and tropical fish along the way. At Tommy’s insistence, the other deck crew picked up the slack while you played the glorified au pair, though no one seemed to mind.

Those five days were unlike any other charter you worked, spending more time having fun than actually doing anything you would consider work. A few times, you’d look up from whatever you were doing with the kids, eyes sparkling and mouth brimming wide with joy, and catch Joel’s eyes. He watched you with singular focus at times, his dark eyes drinking in everything you did. Given how busy the kids kept you, there were little to no interactions between you and Joel, nor was there energy left to dwell on things. Though you did wonder if you would continue the learning sessions at some point. Time would tell.

Before you knew it, the charter was over, and that wonderful family was leaving. Every member of the crew – even Bill, who shared several deep conversations with the grandpa – were sad to see them go, but none more so than you. The young boys were sobbing as you picked them up for one last hug goodbye. Your fingers smoothed over their blonde locks to sooth them, their mother, Michelle, flashing you a heartwarming smile all the while.

“You have been so good with them, thank you. They are really going to miss you. Maybe we could exchange numbers and connect sometime so they can see you again?” Michelle said. She told you they lived in New Jersey but had a beach house in Florida.

Eyes widening in surprise, you nodded. “Yes, of course! I’d love to see my little mates again. Wouldn’t that be fun?” You jostled the child still in your arms, finally earning a watery smile from the tow-headed boy. With your phone tucked away in your bunk, you gave her your cell number and asked her to text you so you could add her contact later.

Slipping the cell back into her bag, Michelle hugged you tight for several long moments. “Thank you, again, for everything. All of you were amazing, but you really made this special for my babies. You were so wonderful and caring; we’ll never forget it. In fact, let us know what boat you’ll be working on next season so we can plan our trip accordingly.”

It was the highest praise you’d ever received from a charter guest, and it left you feeling a little overwhelmed as tears threatened to spill. You could barely get a sincere thank you out before Michelle moved on with a knowing smile. Your watery eyes briefly met Joel’s and the softness of his chocolate orbs caused the first salty drop to spill over and you quickly turned away to surreptitiously swipe at your eyes.

Needless to say, it was the longest deboarding process you’d ever experienced as it was clear that no one wanted them to leave. It if weren’t for the next charter, Joel could have easily asked them to stay another week. As it was, the crew needed to turn the boat over and get some downtime before moving onto the next one.

Turning the boat over was an exceptionally easy job for once, the guests having been so lowkey and clean, tidying up after themselves despite Sarah’s insistence that they should leave that to her team. Tommy and Connor had kept the deck in pristine condition as well, so the washdown was done in no time. Before long, the crew settled in the main salon for the tip meeting.

“Before we get into the tip, I just wanna thank you all for your hard work. You all made this charter a dream for the guests, and I can’t think of a single thing we coulda done better. Special thanks go to you for bein’ so good with the kids and makin’ the trip fun for them,” Joel said, his eyes locked with yours for a noticeably long time before shifting around to the rest of the crew. “You’ve made me proud and clearly wowed the guests, if the tip is anythin’ to go by.”

Joel handed out the stacks of money to each of the crew and you stared at the wad of cash in your hand. The tip was insane at $3,000 apiece.

“Y’all set the bar high with this one. Let’s keep it up.”

“Well, this certainly calls for celebration!” Tommy announced with a clap of his hands. Turning to Joel, he added, “You should come out with us tonight, brother. At least for dinner. You never go out anymore!”

You watched Joel open his mouth, knowing he would decline, when his gaze flashed to you. His right hand rose to brush the scruff on his chin. “Yeah, alright. I’ll join ya.” Tommy’s joy at the response was infectious and everyone wandered off to start getting ready for dinner.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tess was already showered and rifling through her belongings when you stepped into the cabin. “Oh, I like that,” you greeted, catching sight of the blouse in her hands. “Paired with your black capris and strappy sandals, that would look brill.”

“That is exactly what I was thinking,” Tess chuckled. “What are you going to wear?”

“I’m not sure yet.” Rifling through your own clothes, you grabbed a matching set of undergarments. “Probably a sundress or something.”

Lips forming into a smirk, Tess hummed. “You should fancy it up a little. You do realize you’re the only reason Joel is coming out tonight, right?”

“What?”

Nodding emphatically, Tess smirked. “He never joins the crew on nights out until the last night of the season. This is definitely because of you.”

Again, the roller coaster with him. All week, you focused on being in the moment without worrying about Joel or your growing feelings for him. Now, he was suddenly joining the crew on a night out, something he supposedly never does.

“What do I do? How should I act?” You were starting to panic a little. How were you supposed to maintain the space and time you were giving him if he’s going to be right there?

Seeing the building panic in your eyes, Tess gripped your shoulders. “Relax. Breathe. Just be yourself and enjoy your evening. You don’t need to do anything special or different just because he’ll be there. Ok?”

Head bobbing in some semblance of a nod, you sucked in a deep breath. “Ok.” You had this; it was no big deal. Choosing the cutest sundress in your wardrobe, you topped with a faded jean jacket and finished getting ready – finger combing your locks into waves and dusting on a light layer of makeup.

You were chatting with Tommy and Ellie in the crew mess when Joel walked in, dressed in cargo shorts and a pale green button down, sleeves rolled up on his forearms and the top two buttons open showing the slightest glimpse of his bronzed chest. His thick hair was styled in that effortless way that you know took him a while to get just right. Your mouth dropped open mid-sentence at the sight of him and Tommy nudged your shoulder with a chuckle, using his forefinger to push your jaw closed. You scowled at him before turning your gaze back to Joel.

Joel looked good, too good. You were in trouble tonight and needed to play it cool.

Clearing your throat, you greeted Joel with a quiet, “Hey Cap.” He tipped his head in return, lips quirking up on one side. He clearly caught your initial reaction to the sight of him and you groaned internally. You were off to a great start playing it cool this evening.

The restaurant Tommy chose was within walking distance of the docking slip and the group strolled through the cobblestone streets of San Juan in twos and threes. You wound up walking next to Talia and cherished the opportunity to get to know her a little more. She was reserved yet wickedly funny, her sharp wit the first thing you noticed. The second thing you noticed was that she was acutely observant, as many quiet people are.

“So, you have a thing for the captain, huh?”

You stared at Talia wide-eyed. That came out of nowhere and you stumbled through a response. “Uh, I…how… what makes you say that?”

“I have eyes,” came her simple response.

“Congratulations?” Feeling completely wrong footed in this unexpected conversation, you resorted to snark.

“I don’t mean anything by it, just an observation. It’s clear that he has a thing for you, too,” Talia explained in her naturally even tone. “Neither of you are as subtle as you may like to think.”

“So I’ve heard,” you muttered. “It doesn’t matter though. Nothing will come of it while we’re on the yacht.”

Catching the disappointment in your voice, Talia arched a brow. “Why the hell not? You’re both single, consenting adults, yes?” You nodded and she went on to add, “Well, then what is the problem?”

That was the million-dollar question, right? The hell if you knew what the problem was but it was clear from your interactions with him so far that Joel would not make a move until after the season ended, if at all. You valiantly changed the subject, getting tired of everyone digging into your personal life. Couldn’t you just wallow in your developing desire for Joel without everyone else needing to know the details?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Joel stood back, waiting for everyone to find their seats before taking his own at the head of the table. You were seated a few spots down the table between his brother and Sarah, across from Tess. The three of you were already deep in conversation about goodness knows what but his heart swelled knowing that the most important people in his life were drawn to you just as he was.

On the walk from the yacht, Joel decided he would attend not only dinner but also stay out for a couple drinks afterward. He owed you an explanation if for no other reason than to clear the air and a little liquid courage would make that easier.

Dinner passed peacefully. Joel was proud that this season’s crew were all low key without the usual internal drama. Everyone appeared to get along well, and any minor squabbles were handled with care. It was a refreshing change until he realized that the only source of any drama currently happening was himself.

After dinner, for which Joel picked up the tab, Tommy led the way to a nearby open-air bar with live music. It was loud and busy, and the group moved as one to settle in a corner away from the speakers.

“May I buy you a drink?” Joel asked before you could sit down, seizing the opportunity to speak with you.

“Sure. I’ll take an espresso martini, please.” You smiled though it didn’t quite reach your eyes as you followed him to the bar. You were weary and he couldn’t blame you.

Joel turned to you after placing the order with the bartender. “Listen, about last week –”

“Don’t worry about it,” you cut him off with a wave of your hand, eyes shuttered. This was going to be harder than he thought. “We can just forget it… nothing actually happened anyway, right?”

“No can do,” he insisted. “I owe you an apology and an explanation for why ‘nothing actually happened’.” He made air quotes with his fingers.

The bartender delivered the drinks and Joel handed you the martini with a sigh. “Can we go sit over there for a minute? Just to let me get something off my chest?”

Nodding, you followed Joel to a bench off the far end of the bar. It was a quiet little nook where you could actually hear yourself think. You both sat, bodies turned slightly toward each other. He could not stop his eyes from roving over your face, hair, that dress. You looked beautiful and it pained him.

“I want to apologize for that night… for running off without a word.” Joel let his eyes convey the warmth that his words might lack. “I know you feel it, whatever this pull is between the two of us. I can’t keep my eyes off you and at the same time I can’t afford to be distracted during the season. I’m responsible for everyone aboard the yacht and I can’t lose sight of that.”

Your eyes were glassy, reflecting the twinkling lights of the bar as you sipped at your martini. You remained tight lipped, letting Joel do all the talking. He was uncertain if that was a good or bad thing.

“We were having such a wonderful time, talking, getting know more and more about each other as we shared the wine. Alone like that in the hot tub as the sun set and the stars started to twinkle, it was getting intimate. When we started getting closer and the wine hit a little harder, I almost kissed you.”

Your breath hitched at that, and you finally spoke. “And that would have been a bad thing?”

He could not tear his eyes away from your pouty lips. God damn, he was a fool. “Yes. And no. I have no doubt that it would have been a delicious, sweet kiss, but… I have a set of strict rules for myself and one of them is to never get tangled up with a member of the crew during season. In reality, I don’t let myself get tangled up romantically with crew members off-season, either.”

Joel watched you wince then nod, swallowing another sip of your drink. The strong concoction was already half gone.

“So, what, you panicked and ran off?” He couldn’t decipher your tone.

“Exactly. I feared that if I stayed there and tried to explain or pretended that nothing was wrong, I would just give in and kiss you. It was all self-preservation, really.” Joel explained as best he could.

“Hmmm.” He watched you carefully while you mulled over his words. “Sarah and Tess, they both told me that you had a rule like that. They told me to be patient and give you time. Would you really never break that rule?”

Shaking his head with a rye smile, Joel thought he really should have known that the women would spill his secrets in a heartbeat. “I’m not surprised. They are both big fans of yours and keep givin’ me grief about you. I hold myself to a certain standard, ya know? I set specific rules to maintain that standard after learning the hard way what could happen if I didn’t. No one else seems to get that.”

Your pretty eyes took on a faraway look as they shifted away from him. Joel wished he knew what you were thinking. The pair of you sat in an uncomfortable silence – the first one since you met – until you stood suddenly.

“I, er, appreciate your apology and all. It explains a lot.” You paused, gaze skipping around the rest of the bar before meeting his eyes once more. Joel gulped in anticipation of what would spill from your luscious lips next. It was not what he was expecting.

“It seems pointless to let whatever this is fester if you don’t ‘get tangled up’ with crew on or off season,” you blurted, brow furrowed. “I think we should maintain a little distance for the next few charters. Get fresh perspectives and all that.”

“What? No!” Joel called your name, adding,” That’s not…” but you were already striding way. He watched you whisper to Tess, who plopped her drink down on the table and accompanied you out of the bar.

Well, shit. That did not go well.

[jayweek]

'Just the Two of Us' - where two best friends who secretly have feelings for each other go camping, but they didn’t expect to fall under the effect of a rare spell.

This is just for entertainment. I wanted to return to creative writing in honor of my teenage years. It’s a totally fictional universe. Thank you! Have fun! Stream xo! <3

genre: fluff, friends to lovers. sunghoon ff. words in this chapter: 1.3k. estimated time for reading: between 5 to 10/11 minutes.

tw: mention of a past car accident with no details.

© jayweek on tumblr

Welcome! You are on the first chapter (1/2). Final chapter here 💌

________

Y/N pov.

"I want you to be happier, Y/N," Sunghoon insisted, trying to get me out of the house. After a car accident I was in, I don’t feel safe going out.

"But where would I go? I don’t even want to hear noisy cars or be in this city. Everything tires me out here..."

Sunghoon and I have been best friends since high school. We share our fears and hopes for the future. But we are more private about our romantic relationships. Well, I know why I don’t talk to him about my so-called 'romantic relationships.' But ever since, Sunghoon has always been a very reserved guy, and what scares me the most is that I think he must have astronomical standards to date someone. He always rejected offers from other girls, even from boys, who confessed their feelings to him. He wasn’t interested in the cheerleader, the senior top of class girl, or the captain of the football team. So, what’s his type?

"Y/N?" he woke me from my thoughts, laughing. "Daydreaming? Let me know when you land."

"Oh, I was just thinking a bit... so what’s your plan? Where are we going?"

"We’re going camping!" - he seems very happy about it!

"Camping? But what about wild animals?"

"Oh, Y/N, stop being such a scaredy-cat, I won’t let you die from mosquito bites!" he laughed uncontrollably.

I thought a bit about the situation... It couldn’t be that bad. And Sung always took good care of me.

"Okay. I’m only going because I know it’s because you want to see me better." - I tried to smile even I'm a bit scared of the bears in the forest. I heard they were here when I was a child!

"Yes! Finally!" - he cheered.

______

The following Saturday, the best friends were ready!

Y/N left her house, messaging Sunghoon that she would be a bit late to the street they agreed on because she had to buy extra repellent.

Sunghoon planned for them to camp in a permitted area near the forest reserve. Since the way there was along a quiet, almost deserted road, and close enough that the two could walk there, without needing any other kind of transportation.

Sunghoon only brought one tent, hoping Y/N would forget hers. He laughed at this thought, not taking it seriously because he thinks something like that would never really happen since Y/N is overly prepared for all possible unforeseen events.

Y/N arrived overloaded with equipment, food, blankets, repellents, and even a baseball bat.

"You’re not planning to kill me with that baseball bat, are you?" he said, laughing.

"Of course not, idiot," she joked. "It’s in case I have to defend you from a huge bear!"

"I already told you, silly!" he joked. "There are no bears here, I assure you."

"Then let’s go already because this is heavy!"

They shared the load and began their walk to the plain where they would set up their tents. Which were two.

________

Arriving at the camping spot, Y/N was amazed at her best friend’s choice. The place indeed seemed tranquil and ideal for healing a stressed heart. The grass looked freshly mowed. The trees were varied and well-maintained, but most were tall eucalyptus. Other considerable-sized trees were apple trees. The chosen plain for our tents seemed quite safe; and the best part was that it was reasonably close to a beautiful lagoon where the ducks from the environmental reserve usually swam a bit during the day. Since they are harmless animals, they have a lot of freedom to walk around the plain.

_______

Sunghoon pov.

"I brought the sweets we love!" I said, showing the brigadeiros and beijinhos I made this afternoon for our camping trip.

"Wow, it’s been a while!"

S/N smiled, probably remembering that we haven’t made these sweets in a long time, as we’ve been a bit busier with the end of the college semester approaching.

When we were high school students, we made these sweets to sell, and we were great! The best! Were we closer before? Why do I feel differently about her now? I think it’s because we’re adults now. Despite Y/N’s playful expression, I still feel she’s more mature than I am. Truly a woman of courage...

"So, S/N... are you into anyone?"

She choked on the brigadeiro.

"No, why? Are you into someone? Need help?" - she seems excited talking about love.

She was more alert than ever with that question I asked... it was to be expected, we never talked about these things despite being so close in many other aspects. Our humor matches, our future plans have similar visions, and all of this is very... tempting for me... because I feel like I don’t want to connect with anyone else but Y/N. Not that I’m obsessed with her. But since I have her in my life, I feel like I don’t need anyone else. She’s everything I’ve always wanted in a person... wait... oh no!

"Looks like you’re really in love! Smiling while thinking!"

"Stop being silly, you know I don’t fall in love easily! Silly!" I paused to think a bit more. "You’re the one crushing on Jake, your neighbor!"

"Jake? Gross! Ew!"

She squirmed, laughing with a disgusted expression. One of the funniest things I’ve ever seen! Y/N, please don’t give me hope... Wait, she’s my best friend, I can’t fall for her.

"You never thought of him differently, Y/N? I’m sure he feels something for you."

"Are you jealous?" she said, laughing. "He’s not my type, Sung."

"Of course, I’m not jealous, I’m just worried because neither of us ever 'gets out of the rut'." My tone calmed a bit, needing to stop joking because I really wanted to understand this phenomenon happening to us.

"True... I thought about that too recently! Do you have high standards for liking someone?" - Wait. Does she thinks about it too?

"Me? No... I don’t think so. I just don’t want to waste time on something that isn’t good for me. I want to be 100% sure of what I’m getting into." - I said.

"Then, maybe we’re still single because something very special awaits us!" - she is hopeful!

"I hope so!" - I really hope.

"Oh! I didn’t know you were so romantic, Sung!"

She said, smiling sweetly and lightly hitting my shoulder. She sounds like she really cares about love. Almost a romantic too, I guess!

The night was almost starting to fall, so I had to hurry to set up the tents and the fire before it got too cold.

"Ah! Please! Love won’t set up my tents, silly!"

We joked as we always did. Then, we ate one or two more brigadeiros, and I went to work on our tents.

"I’ll go get firewood and anything for the fire over there!"

"Go ahead, brave lady!"

She stuck her tongue out at me and went to look for firewood. I was really surprised at how easily she got used to the place. Where are the bears now, huh?

________

Sunghoon began setting up the tents. There was a stake that confused him while setting up the first tent. He left the instruction manual at home, thinking he wouldn’t need it since it’s a technically simple tent to set up. So he started walking around with the stake on the ground, thinking where it would be suitable. He walked around three times to the left and twice to the right and finally found the correct spot for the tent stake and drove it into the ground.

After, he heard a branch snap. And another. And another one. He got really scared at the third one, his heart racing, like having a sudden realization, an epiphany. He thought it was S/N breaking the wood for the fire, but the third snap really seemed more like it was from a bear. He shook his head, as there are no bears in this region. It couldn’t be that. Some specific words came back to his mind, "Then, maybe we’re still single because something very special awaits us!" and he felt a shiver down his arms.

"Oh! I must really be cold."

______

S/N pov.

I felt a strange chill down my arms. I think it’s time to find Sunghoon and give him this firewood.

[birb-boyo]

Twenty rupees is twenty rupees…

I-

I honestly don’t know where this idea came from. It just happened spontaneously so now it exists. Have fun :3

The fire danced in the center as they all were in different conversations. Some just talking to themselves, others talking to other heroes. But Time, he was reading a letter sent from his lover.

It was shorter than most of them. Only three paragraphs long. Time sighed and shrugged in response to the last paragraph as if Malon could see it.

“Well, twenty rupees is twenty rupees.”

In less than ten seconds, all eight heads were facing the Old Man. He looked among them with furrowed brows.

“What?” Time asked, folding up the letter he just read.

Wind dashed to his side and tried to yank the letter out of his hand. Key word: Tried.

Time stood up and looked at Wind with his trademark disappointed face. “What are you doing?!”

“With all due respect Old Man, what did you mean by “twenty rupees is twenty rupees?” The Rancher asked with a slight smile on his face.

“I meant exactly what I said. Twenty rupees is twenty rupees.”

“But what’s the context? Maybe we’re all just wrong in the head…?” The Captain looked among his brothers then to Time.

“Why must I provide context?” Time asked, tucking his letter away.

“I have no idea why we’re all surprised. I mean, think about it. Look at Four, in love with his shadow. Literally.” Wild spoke, emerging from a tree above. Legend looked at Wild with a confused look, but shook it off a second later.

Four nodded with a shrug in response.

“To be honest, I have a feeling that only the Traveler and Sailor haven't done that for rupees.” The Veteran said, a large grin on his face.

“You’re not wrong, but it’s not like I haven’t thought of it…” Hyrule said.

“Are we making this a challenge now?” Wind asked.

“No.” Warriors nearly yelled. Everyone fell into a fit of giggles and laughter. Meanwhile, Time just stood there, confused out of his mind.

“How are you all taking this, because I am either buffering in the mind, or you all make no sense.” Time spoke, this time using his assertive voice.

“It’s adorable actually! I remember that you said that you and Malon didn’t really had a wedding! So you two finally decided to get a ceremony? That’s awesome for you!” Everyone’s head turned to Sky. Silence filled their camp. Sky had a bright smile and was shuffling his hands around in the grass, looking for flowers.

“…What?” The Rancher spoke.

“They’re going to have a wedding, Rancher!”

Warriors looked at Wind who shrugged, then to Time, then back to Sky. “Sky…what are you talking about? He said “twenty rupees is twenty rupees” what did you think he said?”

“I heard him! Twenty rupees is twenty rupees means that someone is getting married but since the Old Man is already married, it would mean that he’s getting a ceremony!”

“No…it means-“ Warriors put his hand on Wind's mouth.

“I have a feeling that the phrase changed meaning over time.” Warriors looked at Legend first. “What does it mean to you?”

Legend’s leg bounced as he spoke. “Well, there was a tale about a boy who was paid twenty rupees to kill a dragon and-“

“I’ve killed a dragon!” Hyrule announced. “I thought you meant something else…”

Warriors turned to Twilight. “What does that mean to you?”

Twilight tapped on his thigh nervously. “I’ve never done it. I swear.”

“Bullshit!” Wild shouted. “You’ve kissed a guy for twenty rupees!”

“I told you that out of confidence!”

“Wasn’t his name like…Shade or something?”

“Champion!”

Time stood idle on the other side of everybody, a deadpan look on his face.

“Well…it means a little more than kissing, where I’m from,” Wind nodded with Warrior’s still covering his mouth as Warriors spoke.

“So…” Everyone’s eyes were back on Time. The faces that were once playful and full of laughter, now were brights reds. “You-“ he pointed to the Veteran, “thought that I was going to fight a dragon. And you-“ Time used two fingers to point at Twilight and Wild. “thought that was going to kiss a man, even though I am currently married. And you two,” he pointed to Warriors and Wind, who both looked away, “thought that I was going to- what?- make out with a man?”

“Worse.” Wind mumbled. Warriors punched his shoulder.

Time sighed and sat down. He couldn’t help the laughter that escaped his lips. “Goddesses, you all…” his cackling only got louder. “You are all impossible!”

Soon, everyone was laughing around the fire. Some pat someone else’s back, some slapped at their knees. Time leaned back far enough to fall off of the log he sat on. Everyone else only got louder. Some even cursed through their tears. Some even said that they couldn’t breathe.

None realized that Time himself had stopped laughing. He looked up at the sky from his laying position and smiled.

Idiots. All of them, He thought, but he couldn’t help the next thought that came. But they are my idiots…

[specter319]

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓'𝐒 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄? (Ace Combat x CoD 141)

A/N: As a little Christmas present, I decided to work on a little something something, seeing a random anon state in @mockerycrow's Ask about fighter jets and Task Force 141 got my interest real quick, having been someone who got introduced to these two fandoms 1-2 years ago I absolutely adore the storyline in regards to Trigger and Count, but also the storyline as a whole, neatly wrapping up the reason why three strikes is called three strikes, if only a certain other game could have the same sort of stable plot- Complaints about the plot aside for those who stumble upon it have fun with this little short story that's been brewing in my head! Please enjoy the Homoeroticism of Ghost and Soap Trigger Warnings: Mention of Blood Word Count: 2.5k Words Characters: John 'Soap' MacTavish x Simon 'Ghost' Riley, mentions of Kyle 'Gaz' Garrick and Johnathan Price.

From the moment John MacTavish’s Scottish blue eyes gazed upwards into the beautiful atmosphere above him, he knew he was utterly and completely fucked. It all started with one moment in time, watching the infamous ‘Ghost’ launch one of their newly brought F-35s testing it out for another squadron, making sure all systems were in check. Watching it from the fences as the utter decimation of their ears thanks to the lack of protection were good faith to the man taking it, for what seemed to be a joy ride. And as Kyle and John stood there, seeing it hovering just mere meters above the runway, their joy was all but uncontainable in knowing just who was behind the sticks.

Conversations were the only thing that took over the engines' mighty roar as Kyle and John yelled at the inanimate object in celebration.

“Ooh yeah! Ooh yeah!” Kyle yelled out.

“Ooh, go ‘un, go ‘un” John egged right back.

And then, just as it pulled up, sure it was now at best pulling upwards of 5 gees, the men on the ground cheered.

“Go on you fuckin’ beauty!” Just as it was making its way further into the clouds, graciously curving its own form into the shape of them. 

They were ecstatic, joyful, even, at least one was, to see a man so tall, almost built like a damn statue from ancient history managing to tame a beast so wild, and wicked. And yet, knowing that it was almost second nature in that man's blood to fly it, because that bastard was the only one allowed, thanks to the great charm of the bastards in the west, to have an F-22 Raptor. The only one in the UK, belonged to a man who had no name, never showed his face to the people he didn’t know, including the two men who stood there on the grassy knoll outside of the airbase cheering him on. 

What a weird shitpot of luck that was, almost as if the gods of fate above had been watching the two men above, seeing them be so supportive of a man who never had the cheers of his fellow squad members, but instead, feared him. Tried to rebel against him, just to get a far enough away distance to stay away from a man and his, as some people called it ‘Raptor’s Ghost’.

Those that had seen it, had been lucky enough to tell the tale, at least, on the side he came back to, fellow squadron and captain, but those who had been on the receiving side of those guns as they lifted from their molded seam, only saw a wisp of a dark gray aircraft, before a fiery explosion filled their cabin.

Yes, there was one thing to be known about this ‘Ghosts’ jet — he’d specified that he must have it in a darker gray. Just a couple of shades darker than what the original metal was painted as. And the thing was? Somehow, amongst his captains ranking, the government and even the fuckers down in Lockheed — they’d said yes to the request. Even if a few bureaucrats in the Pentagon were waving the red flag from the start.

So he guessed that’s what the plan was then, to go and catch a sneak in the middle of the night of what it looked like, though Kyle tried with all of his might to persuade him otherwise, John was dead set on seeing the beauty that stood in the dead of the night in Ghost’s hangar, wielded far away from the rest of the base, but close enough to know that the rest of the team always, haunted by a Ghost, he guessed that’s where the name came from then. Given that this was usually seen beside the B-2, a call sign of Ghost would’ve been fitting for someone in a something like this. And it seemed like fate was tempting him all and amongst this, because, as John approached the hangar, as big as it was, there was a crack left open, not closed, like all the other times he’d passed it in his own jet. Only to then realize this was the reason why they had called him Ghost to begin with, no one thought he was around, until it was too late.

Everyone knew this Ghost, was a guy, they’d heard his voice, never heard him laugh, was only ever a man of a few simple commands and went off when requested. What caught John MacTavish off guard however, was not only the hangar open, but the place had reeked of oil and fuel, only to be diverged its acoustics of the tin metal in the sound of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, a far cry from the throat roar of the hotdogged engines, John could already tell what Ghost had been doing to the poor thing. Either someone had been here recently or there was still someone here, but that never mattered as his Scottish blue eyes once more, got him fucked over, classical music be damned.

The metallic gray was no longer present, much like he had seen on the various photos that had beautifully given the thing a personality of beauty, and yet deadly. But instead, it was given a more, mature grayed look, as if it was a rehashed version of the F-35, the very same one he had been seen in this afternoon in a reskinned jet. Sudden realizations hit the man when thinking in Ghost’s logic, not too shabby for a Ghost when John had realized that much to his enemies disliking, when they suddenly realized that the jet was no longer a most recent US fighter, it was too late to break off anyway.

And much akin to John’s own footsteps, he’d realized that he was pulled in by the absolute sheer squared beauty of the thing and had moved right into the Ghost’s trap.

“What are you doin’ in my hangar?” Ghost lowly spoke, standing to the side, having seen him since he strolled in here. 

“Jesus wept!” John spoke as he suddenly turned around, the closed distance between them was something almost scary at just how close and personal this man had gotten, and all amongst that, he seemingly had the goal to wear a bloody balaclava, all the while wearing a stripped down version of the gear they would have to haul around on their bodies. Was he really that comfortable in wearing the same shit each day? At least the only thing invading his senses was oil and fuel. 

“I said what are ya doing here?” Ghost questioned before his eyes glanced over at the hangar “Squadron leaders gonna know about this,” his voice loomed.

“Sorry,” That’s all the weak bastard had as he tried to pick himself up faster than he could pull back on his own stick. “A’m interested in that piece of art ye’v got there, heard you were the one flying the Lightning around this mornin’”

“So you were the two hanging around the fence”

John stiffened at the sheer mention of that, he’d seen them? He didn’t think he had given the height already gained as he passed the pair of them from the runway.

“Wanted to watch her give her a proper launch, sir” John hesitated as Ghost only snorted and shook his head at the mention of the last word.

“Flight Lieutenant to you” This Ghost guy seemingly didn’t want to have him out of his hangar after all, but there was no doubt that heavy brown eyes were on him, painted darker then the plane before him as his eyes registered on MacTavish’s uniform still barely on given the zip that was seemingly fought with, the sheen of sweat that was just above the ridgeline of his eyebrows gave away just how much he’d been working during the rest of his day, when he seemingly wasn’t cheering this man on, then again. MacTavish did seem like a familiar last name, what could hurt but to take a guess.

“Apologies,” John moved ever so closer to the jet, almost as if he were to go ahead and, to the thought running in the back of Ghost’s mind, steal it. Poor bastard, probably wouldn’t be able to handle the ride as well as he could. “Does that mean I get to call you LT then?”

The cocky chatter over the radio, often with another teammate, only gave Ghost all the more confidence to take that stab in the dark to try and pinpoint just who he was.

“You can, so long as you tell me if you’re the one flying that bloody F-16 around.”

John’s eyes suddenly went wide, and of course, that cocky Brit saw it, and with his own pair too. His soul had actively left his body in the acknowledgement that someone had noticed his maneuverability, everyone else had F/A-18’s. But MacTavish was the one that stood his ground when he said he wanted a former fighter pilots F-16, ready to be given back to the Americans, decommissioned, probably in a scrap heap, and yet, here he was, breathing new life into it and treating it like it had just come off the factory rollers. Though, his only fault that he seemingly had with it, was that of the lack of gun ammunition, paling in comparison to something like the beast that stood before him.

“Uh, and why would tha’ be?” 

Ghost paused, raising a brow in confusion, maybe he was going to have to talk to John’s squad leader, had he really not seen beyond his two feet at just who he had under his wing, the man could maneuver the thing as well as he could like the jet he stood before and maybe, if he ever took the chance (which, in high unlikely doubt he would) he could probably pilot Ghost’s, if not, with just a bigger amount of hesitation.

“Just wanted to give a recommendation to the squadron leader as to who to take under our wing, old talents retiring at the end of the year, figured I’d give whoevers flying that F-16 and the one with the yellow strip along the body of the ‘18 a fighting chance at joining the 141” He brushed it off, like it was a chance to come clean. Ghost knew that MacTavish was the one flying the thing, often put in a good word about it to Price. And Price often agreed, that and ‘Gaz’ who was often his wingmanaccording to Price’s notes were often hotshots, but never in an egotistical, ‘wanting to show who’s boss’ way, it was always one of teamwork, and he quite enjoyed seeing them chant as one of their other teammates took down a target before they did.

“The 141?” MacTavish asked

“Yeah, just need to find out who the pair are in the two jets first” Ghost was toying with him as he finally made a move over to his own, inspecting the various scratches that were seemingly evident in the light, but gave the aircraft a seemingly weathered look, one that, Ghost admired. 

“There a reason why they call you the Ghost?” Quick this one was to change the subject, avoiding it, but copying him all the more in his movements as John did the same, placing a gentle hand along the aircraft as his calloused fingers felt a deep scar along the face of the jet, maybe that’s why he rarely had repairs done to the thing other than ones that were required. Maybe that’s why he wears the mask, he’s damaged, just like the bird before him – but he still flies, still finds meaning in the daylight and blue hues of skies.

“There a reason why you’re dancing around the question?” Their hands moved along the surface of the steel at almost the same time, unknown, but as if they were tracing one another's patterns as the question was left in the air for a bit too long before they finally moved to the nose of the aircraft, having no choice but to look at one another as they did so.

“Could say the same,” He watched as Ghost moved towards him, facing him, how he towered over the man with that stature of power, and yet, the only real dominating power he seemingly had left was his rank, and the jet. Because all the smug bastard did was place his hands behind his back and look down at the Scotsman, as if inspecting him as he did the jet, to see if like him, he too had scars beneath that mohawk and blue eyes that seemingly contrasted ever so beautifully along the dark gray. “What happens if one of us already knows the answers?” 

“Then I guess one of us will have to await the answers of the future, but if they already know the answers, they shouldn’t have to wait too long” They both knew one another were staring, helplessly, but stopping it neither as eyes behind that mask squinted ever so gently. So he did have his scars, one on the chin, must have had a bad accident for it to get that bad, and the blood from it too.

“Then I guess I’ll ‘ave ta’ see me way out of this museum then huh? Wouldn’t want ta make a scene now aye?” John smiled, physically having to retch himself from the spot he stood in, not wanting to move away from the view that was before him.

“Don’t quite appreciate customers making a scene and disturbing the nature of this art” So he wasn’t the only one to quickly move along with what he was suggesting as he followed him, only ever a few steps behind, maybe that’s why he got that name, loud as anything in a jet, then he never exists once the engines shut off.

Ghost eventually stopped following him as John made his way out near the doors of the hangar, lingering around just a bit more before he stopped in his tracks, just maybe, if he really did have the answers, he could see how his future LT would respond. “Don’t think I could handle two pieces of art in a museum, never been able ta handle more than one” He swore up and down he saw the man’s head snap into place about that comment, a slight squint at the body language that John was trying to portray as he moved through the hangar doors. “Have a good night, LT”

“Officer Mactavish.”

Payback time.

“Aye sir?” And they’d fallen into line already, a wingman, of sorts, to a Ghost.

“Call me Simon”

Now MacTavish was standing there, being a complete idiot, baffled by the fact that he, of all people, managed to get into the inner circle of a man named Simon, a Ghost. A snort was then heard through the airy atmosphere as he suddenly turned around and walked back towards the stairs of his office, looking back over his shoulder, leaving him in a scrambled state that was the brain of John MacTavish.

“You’re not too bad yourself,” He paused, “For a F-16 Pilot.”

So that’s his name.

[marvelgirlstories]

Hi my lovelies ❤️,

It's finally here!!!!!!! Sorry I haven't been posting, but I will start posting more regularly soon. Anyways here you are.💓🫶🏻💓

Stole my heart

Masterlist

Part 3

Warnings: Bad language, mentions of fighting and blood, gossiping (is that a warning??)

Steve was left puzzled, because Bucky was acting strange. Ever since you arrived he had closed up again. It's like you had awoken a memory in him. One that has been gone for years. If you were from the 40s, he would know. He has met every single person Bucky took on a date. That must only mean one thing. But... "Captain Rogers. Mr. Stark requests that you come down to the living area.", Friday interrupted his thoughts. "Now?", he asked. "Yes."

"What do you want, Tony?", he asked as he entered. He stopped in his tracks as he saw everyone. Well, everyone apart from you. "We need to talk about Y/N.", the billionaire replied. "So you called down everyone just to gossip about a new teammate.", Steve questioned. "Exactly!", Sam butted in. "What if she finds us?", Bucky said. He had suddenly appeared behind Steve. "She left this morning to do a mission for S.H.I.E.L.D. She won't be back until tomorrow afternoon.", Natasha said. "And even if she is, I told Friday to tell us if she comes early.", Tony added.

"So what do you all think of her?", Sam asked, "I think she's ... strange. She lives here, but we hardly see her. We've never seen her in action, but we should just believe Fury." "Me and Steve have seen her", Bucky said breaking of Sam's rant, "She was training on the day when you all went swimming. We went down and saw her break multiple punching bags and fire a gun bullseye without looking. Hell, she almost took Steve down!" Everyone looked at Steve for confirmation. He nodded. "We were quite evenly matched." "Well, I will believe it when I see it.", Tony said, "She's to big for her boots." "You're still upset about last week?", Natasha asked. "Bucky! You knew her, didn't you?", Wanda butted in. "No!", he almost shouted back, a little to fast. Nat gave him a look. "Ok. Fine. I might remember her from something. "From what? And why didn't you tell us?", Steve questioned.

"She helped me in Romania. Happy?" Bucky was starting to get annoyed. "Ok. Sorry!", Steve said, "But why did you call her Shadow?" "She told me to.", he answered. "Wait wait wait, someone just came up to you, told you to call her Shadow and you trusted her?", Tony asked. "Well, I didn't have much choice, did I?", he asked indignantly, "Anyways, it was safe. She's a S.H.I.E.L.D agent." "You were just one of her many missions.", Sam said.

"Mr. Stark, Agent Y/L/N has returned early.", Friday interrupted. "Oh fuck! Act like you were doing something other than gossiping!", Tony almost yelled. "Oh carry on with your gossiping", you said appearing in the doorway. Their mouths dropped. "What happened to you?" Sam asked. Your suit was covered in blood and slashes and your face was covered in scratches. "Mission. Maybe you should try fighting of 20 Enemies of at once and come away with out a scratch." That shut him up quickly. "You took them down alone?", Bruce asked. "Yep." "And the blood? How badly are you hurt?", he added. "Don't worry, most of it isn't mine.", you said, while getting some water. "Why did your mission end early?", Wanda wanted to know. "Fury found someone else to finish it off. Have fun gossiping!", you said as you left the room. "We totally weren't gossiping!", Tony shouted. You chuckled. "Well, if we're done here.", Bucky said and got up out of the room. Steve followed.

You signed as you got under the shower. It was always nice to unwind after a mission. It was as hard as you described earlier. You let your thoughts run wild, as you carefully cleaned your wounds. They were definitely gossiping about you, but you didn't care. As long as Bucky didn't say anything, it didn't matter. But you needed to give them nothing to gossip about, otherwise he might let something slip. Your thoughts turned unpleasant as you relived your memories. You quickly turned off the shower, thus turning off your thoughts. You changed into something comfier and decided to go downstairs.

You walked down the corridor, when suddenly walked out of a door and pushed you through the opposite one. You groaned at the sudden, harsh contact of the wall. "What the fuck, Barnes?", you asked.

Hope you enjoyed! ♥️😘

Xxx

Tags:

@felicitylemon @kandis-mom @animegirlgeeky @cjand10 @capswife @tripletstephaniescp

[konako]

keep on thinking about captain marvel and valkyrie. how would it work? who would top?

as i write this i just immagine one scenario, carol in her ship with goose and valkyrie coming in after a day fool of meetings with representatives os the entire galaxy and all she wants is a little kiss

I'm unable to pretend the thought didn't occur to me too, dear anon. Let's crack it open.

But before anything, so we don't get confused: I personally see the Top/Bottom "Definitions" more as flexible, expandable descriptors. The first most comfortable dynamic for the pairing — where one person tends to be more dominating and the other, more submissive —, but one that's still susceptible to change, at any time, for any reason. Never immutable, rigid roles.

That got me thinking of Carol and Maria, first and foremost. (Sorry, sorry. Excuse the multi-shipping, I have to base my answer on something!)

They seemed like a well-balanced couple. Both equally witty and stubborn and strong. One a perfect match to the other, keeping each other sharp and engaged.

Maria did describe Carol as a "huge pain in the ass" (affectionate), and it was evident that, between them, Maria was the level-headed one, while Carol was quicker to action and reaction. I can see that translating into Carol being the more energetic lover with some disregard for her surroundings when... fired up. (If it had been up to Carol's poor discretion, they would have been found out as a couple in their first year!! Maria was the best one at maintaining that "roommates" façade).

All that to say, I think Carol has a bit of a wild teasing streak in her. One that's difficult to tame. One that not even the Kree brainwashing was able to erase. She's full of energy (Literally. Girl can power up a SUN) and she's not the most patient person. So sometimes she'll initiate the sex and dictate the pace. Fast and fun. As high and as far as she can take them.

But as stubborn as she is, she's still generous. She is open to change, open to trying something different, if it means she can do better.

She's learning to be a team player. If Valkyrie wants to change things up, Carol is more than willing to give up the lead and be guided instead. Because it does feel nice, to let go of some control and responsibility. To take a break from the burden of this power.

Tricky thing is, Valkyrie feels the same. She calls the shots ALL DAY, EVERY DAY. Being a King is exhausting. Everyone looking up at her for an answer, for a direction, for decisions and protection... That's a lot on her shoulders, too. It would be nice, at the end of the day, to let go of that power for a while.

So I can see them switching up a lot.

Sometimes, Valkyrie wants to be treated as a King, and let Carol, her one-woman army, attend to her every need, as she sits on her throne. Sometimes, the Princess of Aladna is the one being catered to.

Sometimes, Valkyrie's ego gets a great little boost, at being able to make one of the most powerful beings of the galaxy squirm and moan. Sometimes, a King must claim some territory.

Sometimes, Carol's competitive side shines through again, and she wants to be the last one standing. And, for that to happen, she needs to make Valkyrie's knees go weak. Sometimes, her power can be used in different ways. (Obligatory mention: "She can do a lot more than make tea with those hands")

They have fun, in the end. Whatever the position they end up in, it's just nice to be with someone who can keep up, who won't tire (or break) so easily. It's a wonderful stress reliever.

[queen-rainy-love]

Time for the holiday arc! This will be placed just before the next big family arc.

Ladies, gentlemen, and nonbinary pals, welcome to the Holiday Dash.

*The scene starts in the airship docks of the Cookie Kingdom. The Custard family, Wildberry, Knight, Princess, and GingerBrave have just landed, and waiting for them was the Pure Lily siblings.*

Red Velvet: Welcome home everyone. I hope you had fun because that won't happen again. *Notices Custard and Light Cream* Oh, hey there. Why are you two here?

Clotted Cream: Well...remember how last year I was stuck here during the winter holidays? I may have told them about it.

Madeleine: Ah! You two wish to see what the holidays are like here in this kingdom then?

Custard: Yes. I am quite interested in what these holidays are like.

Light Cream: Yes. And I'm sure both Clotted Cream and Madeleine told you about the Republic not having any holidays for the winter season.

Clover: They did but we are glad you both are here to celebrate the holidays with us. However, I do wish to explain that travel over the sea will not be accessible for the next month or so. I hope that is not an issue.

Custard: It will be fine. The other Elders will make sure everything runs smoothly. Not only that, we will have our ninth member by the end of the winter season!

Madeleine: You have a candidate? Who?

Light Cream: *smiles* You'll see soon. For now, let's get going. The sooner we settle down, the sooner we can explore this kingdom!

GingerBrave: Sounds like a plan! And if you need someone to help show you around, I'm your Cookie!

Custard: That would be very kind of you, young GingerBrave. I just hope your guardian would be okay with that.

GingerBrave: Oh...speaking of guardian, how's mom doing?

Cream Puff: Ms. Avocado's fine. She was getting a bit nervous about you being in the Republic for longer than you said you would be.

GingerBrave: *sheepishly laughs* Whoops. I better get going then! I'll see you guys later! Enjoy your holidays!

*GingerBrave dashed off toward the districts. The group started walking into the Seaport District. Princess sighed a bit, not long after.*

Princess: Too bad Sorbet Shark couldn't have come with us. I hope they're enjoying their time in the Republic.

Custard: I'm honestly surprised that Captain Caviar took them under his wing and even called them his child.

Clotted Cream: I mean...he nearly did that to me once. Plus he really did bond with him on our back to the Republic. There was no way he was letting them go.

Knight: I do hope Sorbet Shark and that little Rookie get along.

Princess: That Rookie Cookie was quite cute! I would have loved to get their name.

Clotted Cream: I'll make sure to get their name the next time I see them. But for now, *stops in front of his house* let us settle down. We can meet up in thirty minutes.

Red Velvet: Sounds like a plan. Besides, *side eyes at Knight and Princess* we still need to scold these two.

Knight: I thought we weren't in trouble anymore!

*Wildberry bowed his head to Custard and Light Cream as the brothers argued.*

Wildberry: I must get going. I need to check on Strawberry, Wild Strawberry, and Strawberry Crepe. I just have a feeling that those three may have caused some chaos. Mostly Wild Strawberry and Strawberry Crepe.

Princess: Let me come with you. I haven't seen them in a bit. And I do have some plans with Strawberry for much later.

Custard: Very well.

Light Cream: Of course! I hope you'll bring them for our tour.

Wildberry: I will see to it. *turns to Clotted Cream and smiles* I'll see you later.

Clotted Cream: *smiles* I'll see you later.

*Wildberry kisses Clotted Cream's forehead. He left before anyone could get a word out. The siblings watched in silence as they saw this scene. As Wildberry walked away, the siblings kept their eyes on him before turning their attention back to the Custard family. Mostly at Custard.*

Red Velvet:...do you...???

Custard: I know. Clotted Cream told us last night.

*This caused the Pure Lily siblings to look at Clotted Cream, who nodded, before congratulating him. It took a good five minutes to get the siblings to stop doting on him. All the while, Custard III showed his parents around the house.*

[ultfreakme]

WOW... You can't imegine how excited I am now that I know you also ship AkaFuri from KnB. When I entered the fandom, most people ship akashi with kuroko or akashi with his white haired senpai (sorry forget the name). And then Zuko/ Sokka, at that time (years ago), most will ship zuko/katara or katara/aang, and I was made fun of because of my ship... Thanks for sharing your fav ships @ultfreakme ....

I found your blog cause your post about parallel between ItaJun with SatoSugu (you are the first person who I found to see the similarities between ItaJun with SatoSugu)....

Can I ask why do Gojo in s1 left bad impression on you? I love your HC about him, so true, I can't imagine Gojo without his power or wealth but I can imagine Geto from rags to riches.....

YES ANOTHER AKAFURI SHIPPER MWAHAHAHA!!! And a Zukka as well I see I see you have wonderful taste hehehe. I fully understand why people shipped Akashi with Kuroko and white-hair senior(Mayuzumi hhhhh me & my friend love this character a lot, we mostly enjoy the secondary and tertiary character like Nijimura- who was the Generation of Miracles former captain). But like, AkaFuri just have so much fun potential~~

And oh my god I fully escaped the Zuko/Katara shipping content and discussions because I wasn't in fandoms as a kid, it must have been a nightmare for you to have shipped Zukka back then when the Zut@r@s are....well they are not fun to talk with. Back then and often even now, people see queer ships as less valid than het ships even though both are equally unlikely. Just because a ship is het doesn't mean it's less delusional. Glad we can all enjoy the Zukka renaissance now and hopefully the vitriol from the het ship wars does not reach us anymore.

I posted the ItaJun/SatoSugu parallel thinking no one would agree and it felt a little delulul shipper brain even to myself but like, it was there, and I just wanted to talk about it and I'm so glad someone else saw it too!!! I think JJK has a lot of relationships that are just, variations of each other. Eg; Gojo-Geto, Yuuji-Junpei, Yuuji-Megumi are all sort of divergences of each other. There's an idea of 'being saved' that runs through all 3 of them. Geto doesn't want to be saved, Junpei wants to be but he doesn't manage to say it out loud, Megumi explicitly asks to be saved. I think they each give insight into the effects of loneliness and power, sort of like Junpei, Geto and Megumi are all a 'what if?' of each other and I think this exists outside of shipping with multiple characters [Maki and Toji, Jogo-Hanami-Dagon and the jujutsu high kids (wild comparison ik but I;'m thinking of it in like, the aspect of wanting to protect one another and be there for each other while being unable to in the face of an enemy that is much stronger than their desire and power to keep each other safe)].

Ah, and Gojo's first impression. I don't usually trust characters with immense power. On first watch I was empathizing with Yuuji the most since he's the MC, and this suspicious, extremely powerful man is playing nice with Yuuji, who he wanted dead at the start. I saw him making Yuuji grow stronger and eating Sukuna's finger as something he did to serve his own unspoken(probably evil) goals in the future. Like the way he acted kept making me think he had an ulterior motive. As the series went on a the exchange event came around, my suspicions went away but I still didn't enjoy his personality type- arrogant, childish, never takes anything seriously, high off his own power and unable to empathize with normal people.

But season 2 made me enjoy his silliness from s1 because it re-contextualized his attitude. He's not annoying and childish to people only to be an asshole, he genuinely likes these people and wants to have fun with them. He doesn't take anything seriously on the surface but deep down he's calculating everything so the kids around him don't need to worry. He's high off his power but why wouldn't he be? He wasn't exaggerating in the slightest when he said he was the strongest, that was objective fact. It's not that he doesn't want to understand the people around him, he just fundamentally CAN'T but despite that he really, really tries in the few ways that he can.

I'm used to characters like Gojo- those that are low on empathy and way too strong for their own good- Saiki from Saiki K, Saitama from One Punch Man. Those characters despite their strength, have this human struggle and relatable element to them which I found missing in S1. But S2 showed his weaknesses and suddenly everything about him made a lot of sense and he shot up from being a character I didn't give a crap about to one of my top faves. Gojo Satoru wasn't a god.

He would rig thing so his students can play baseball instead of shed more blood and build animosity through fighting. He'd bargain for the life of a child because he's a child and children deserve to be happy. He was a child once.

It's so funny and frankly amazing how I, the reader who has insights the characters will never have, still fell into the trap of thinking of Gojo as separate and unattached to regular humanity that most characters in-universe did. Having that subverted was such a fun experience.

Thanks for the ask anon! Have a nice day~~

[deaddee-anime-brownfanlady]

So I finally finished watching the rest of Captain Lazerhawk and I must say that was a wild and very kickass interesting animated show. I really, seriously enjoyed it a lot honestly, while its far from perfect and does has its flaws to it, I thought the whole series was a pretty good balls to the wall entertaining & fun but still pretty serious at times and having its good emotional moments overall awesome animated action show.

That cliffhanger at the end with little video RPG game Dolph who seems to be alive? In some kind of VR void. And then you had Sarah dad or at least I think it was her dad or perhaps someone else popping up saying " This is where we fight back " Which I'm hoping could lead to a possible Season 2 maybe.

Other aspects and just random thoughts on this final episode.

Seriously was so glad that Dolph finally took out that red ranger asshole because that guy was truly getting on my nerves and man what a cool fight / battle scene at that. I swear the animation to this show is so freaking good especially during action scenes as I said before its really gives me that Studio Trigger vibe from it, also So happy that Bullfrog was spared from being executed because he is truly one of my favorites characters from this show for many reasons including being both badass and cute as HELL.

Also Ray-man or better yet Ramon was also I feel one of the highlight's of this show with seeing his development and him finding out the truth about how super corrupted Eden actually is and him being used as their alien Poster-boy mascot for their propaganda. It was defiantly good to see him kill those Eden higher-ups...but something tells me that they are likely aren't the only ones.

Would so love to see more of this show and were it could possibly go in terms of the worldbuilding and dealing with Eden deep lies / corruption & its shitty treatment of hybrids and its people also Sarah still not freaking Dead! and her proposal to Holloway on changing Eden ( Which I'm very iffy about & still don't trust her ass ).

Again would love to see more of this, but knowing how Netflix is with their long record of mistreating shows, especially animated ones like crap and just cancelling them out of nowhere. So yeah...but either way, Captain Lazhawk was a wild gay action-packed fun crazy ride of an animated show.

[prcphesieslie]

" i cry for the life you lived , and the one you didn't. "

~ unknown

Look who just woke up- is that DONAL FINN? No, I must have been mistaken, that’s FINN BOYLE from CAPTAIN AMERICA (oc; soldier). I heard he are 20 and stuck here just like everyone else. Even in the 20’s, he still gives off a LONG, THIN FINGERS MOVING ACROSS IVORY KEYS, THE WORDS OF AN OLD IRISH LULLABY DRIFTED THROUGH THE AIR, TYPEWRITER KEYS CLICKING LONG INTO THE NIGHT LIT ONLY BY THE FLAME OF A LANTERN, SAND STICKING TO SWEATY SKIN AS DESERT WINDS BLOW WILDLY, SECRET SOFT SMILES FOR ONLY ONE MAN impression. But here, they are working as a MUSIC TEACHER. They’re known to be quite LOYAL & STUDIOUS, but have a tendency to be WILD & ANXIOUS on their bad days.

Gender/Pronouns ::

cis male ; he/him

How long have they been in Sydney?

one week

Which suburb do they live in?

Haymarket

Personality Description ::

strangers :: finn is a good catholic boy who was raised to be polite to everyone. he will do his best to smile softly at anyone who crosses his path and make small talk with anyone he meets. although he can be a little anxious around loud noises and sudden weather changes there days, he'll always do his best not to make someone uncomfortable if they're with him when it happens. he's a very sweet boy, through and through and comes across as innocent most of the time.

friends :: he is a naturally friendly person to begin with, so making friends isn't too hard for him. even if he doesn't go out much anymore. his friends don't think he's quite as innocent as strangers though. they're much more likely to notice the mischievous glint in his eyes and his faux innocent smirk when something exciting catches his attention. they'll also experience his quick wit and playful teasing a little bit more. especially when he's happy, which is pretty often.

family/close friends :: now his family and friends that might as well be family know he's not nearly as innocent as he appears. they know, especially when he was younger, that he used to get in all kinds of reckless trouble. well, not trouble exactly, but more along the lines of overly curious and adventures, always having fun with a bright smile on his face without any worry of getting hurt. he's always teasing and laughing with them unless the memories get too much. they're much more likely to see the cracks in his happy exterior as well, when the guilt and pain shine through. but he's also always eager to hug those he loves or put an affectionate hand on their shoulder.

Memories of their real life ::

TW :: death and war Finn Doyle was born in Ireland in the early 1920s to two loving Irish Catholic parents. They might not have had an easy time with money, but his parents made sure their children were happy and looked after, even though they did often have to help by pulling their own weight. But the children all knew they could ask their other siblings for help if they needed it. They were all a team at the end of the day. A family. That’s what mattered most. 

He was the second youngest of seven kids, older only than his two year younger sister, Claire. While he loved all of his siblings equally, Claire was always his best friend. The two were almost always seen together, never two far from each other’s side. And even though Finn was the older of the two, Claire was often the one bossing him around. He would do anything the little girl asked of him, absolutely adoring her with his entire heart. 

That isn’t to say that Finn Doyle was a pushover by any means. As much of a sweetheart as he was, he was more than capable of holding his own. Although, the good catholic boy never went looking for trouble. Not serious trouble at least. His mother had to worry more about him being reckless in his playing than him landing himself in a bad situation. The young boy could often be found climbing as high as he could on the tallest trees he could find, jumping into lakes from high cliffs, or riding his older brother’s bicycle down steep hills. But no matter what he was doing, there was always a bright grin on his face and an undeniable glint in his eyes. 

Despite this wild nature, Finn was still a good boy. His mother raised him to be a good respectful catholic and he followed her guidance eagerly. He went to mass with his family every Sunday, learning how to play piano from his grandmother so he could play during the service. He even started to sing in the choir as he got older too. 

But even with his strong convictions, Finn always knew there was something different about himself…

As he got older, he never truly grew out of his recklessness, but he did learn to push it to the side. Instead, he poured his time into helping take care of his family. Whether it was helping his mother in the kitchen or helping his father on the farm, Finn was always helping the people he loved happily. The boy was smarter than he looked as well, studying by candlelight after long days to ensure he received the highest marks. There wasn’t a lazy bone in his body, relishing in the feelings of hard work and accomplishments at the end of every long day. 

Perhaps that was the reason he gave everyone for why he never courted any of the nice catholic girls his mother always pointed out at mass. He was too busy. She always told Finn he was free to take a hour off to take one of them for a walk through the park and that maybe they could even find the money for him to take her out for an ice cream. But he just kissed his mother on the cheek and told her he would find a good wife when he had money to take her out for an ice cream himself. However, the truth was he wasn’t interested in any of the girls at church. Maybe he hadn’t found the right one… that’s what he told himself. He’d find the right girl eventually. 

Even if his eyes kept straying to his best friend from school… 

A man. 

But no. No, one day he would find the right girl. He’d have to. 

With their family not having much money, Finn knew the chances of him being able to go to university were slim. They didn’t have the money. And the little money he had made when he was in school had gone towards helping the family. It wasn’t something that upset him. He’d given it to them of his own volition. 

But it seemed all his studying and good marks had paid off when he received a scholarship to attend after all. 

Finn wanted to go more than anything. To be one of the first people in his family to earn their degree and make a name for themselves. But he brought it to his parents first, checking for days on end that they truly were okay with him going away. As much as he wanted to make the family proud, he didn’t want to leave them alone. Not when most of his other siblings had already moved out and started jobs of their own. However, everything finally ended with his father nearly throwing Finn out of the house himself, telling him to stop being stupid and go make a better life for himself. 

The hardest goodbye was to Claire. They’d never been far apart ever since she was born. And it was only made harder by his little sister’s reaction. She begged him to take her along, give her the chance to live out in the bigger world. With tears in his eyes, he hugged her tightly as he promised to come back for her after he became a proper lawyer. Promised that she could work for him and he would make sure she made a better living than she would anywhere else. 

Going to university, Finn was more homesick than he ever could have imagined. Family was everything to him and before going away, he had never left home before. One of the only things that kept him steady was the piano he found on campus, playing to remind himself of home. 

He tried his best to fill his days with studying, focusing on his classes to distract himself from the ache. It was harder than his last school, but he still made excellent marks, earning a reputation for eloquence and a gift for writing in all of his law classes. 

A reputation that would help him later on in life as well. 

Once the war started, Finn found it even harder than before to stay focused on his classes. But this time it was for a different reason entirely. His sense of duty ran deeper than just his family. It was to his country too. 

That was what pushed him to take a break from university after his first few semesters, volunteering to join the fight. He trained as an officer, pouring his usual dedication into his new life and becoming one of the youngest officers to be attached to the Ulster Rifle Regiment. The rest of his unit was already in the North African area and he joined them not long after being pinned as a Second Lieutenant, sent as a letter writer for higher ranking officers. 

Being in Cairo was like nothing Finn had ever experienced before. The farthest from home he had ever been, but this time the homesickness wasn’t as bad as before. Nights were the hardest, but he was almost always so tired that he simply collapsed by the time he reached his cot. 

What he hadn’t expected from the war was meeting Ciaran O’Farrell… 

Well, he couldn’t say they had really met in more than passing, but the older man had caught his eye in a way no one had since his childhood best friend. There was no denying the way Finn’s eyes always seemed to find him when Ciaran entered a tent or even just walked past him. His gaze always lingering for just a moment too long. 

But nothing was more obvious than the time Finn was walking through the camp only to pass the shower by accident. He usually avoided it unless he had to shower himself, but this time it was occupied by none other than one Ciaran O’Farrell himself. The young officer nearly choked on his own tongue as his eyes went wide, cheeks flushing darkly as he tripped over his own feet. Quickly getting ahold of himself, his eyes fell to the ground as he moved away as fast as he could without actually running. 

The embarrassing moment lingered in his head for the rest of the day, but the image of the other man stayed there too. Usually Finn only stayed in the officers tent long after everyone else went to sleep so he could get his work done early, prove himself despite being the youngest officer in the unit. But that night he stayed with the hope of avoiding bumping into Ciaran as well. He didn’t know if the other man had seen his reaction, but he didn’t want to risk getting his arse kicked by the violent Irishman if Ciaran had. Nothing prepared him for Ciaran coming into the tent to look for Finn himself. 

Especially not when the low, rough poetry left the man’s lips as he moved closer… 

Finn had never admitted to himself how he felt about other men before, but after that night, he was certain that there was one man he wanted. That he needed. There was no other response to being touched by Ciaran O’Farrell. Touched, kissed, and bent over the desk he’d been working at only moments before. 

That was the first night Finn Boyle didn’t get his work turned in early. 

And every night after that, he dreamed of nothing but Ciaran. 

He found every reason to be near him after that. Maybe it was his own innocence and lack of experience, but there was something about Ciaran that drew him in. He always found an excuse to be near him, to talk to him, to find a moment alone with him… 

One day after they’d only become closer, Finn had been sitting outside when a different man approached him. Never one to be impolite, Finn didn’t hesitate to carry on a conversation. Besides, he still didn’t have many friends in the regiment, and the man seemed happy enough to talk to him. He didn’t pause until he finally looked around for a moment and noticed Ciaran watching them. The look on the Irishman’s face was murderous, Finn’s own eyebrows furrowing in confusion. He knew Ciaran’s reputation, but it didn’t seem necessary for him to look so furious in that situation. Finn talked for a few more moments before excusing himself from the situation and following after the other Irishman who had already stormed off. 

That was the first night Finn Boyle truly learned of the devil inside the man he’d become infatuated with, and learned he was one of the only people who could tame it. 

He sang to Ciaran quietly as they sat together that night, touched him softly and without fear or judgment instead of the rough, desperate touches of their times before. There was nothing but patience and sincerity in his voice as he promised himself to Ciaran that night. No other man would have him, even the one who had been talking to him earlier. He’d come to learn the stranger shared he and Ciaran’s desires, having been flirting with him despite Finn having assumed it was only friendly. 

It was that night that Finn discovered his feelings for Ciaran might be growing into more than simply enjoying the other man’s company. 

They only grew closer after that, spending all their spare moments together under the guise of friendship. They knew their care for each other never would have been accepted by others, that it was dangerous. But they knew there was too much between them to pretend it was nothing. 

Finn’s ability to be able to tame the wild beast that was Ciaran earned them the ability to share a tent, the other man often reading to Finn until he fell asleep at night. It made the homesickness nearly fade away as he found a new home in the other Irishman. 

They discovered just how much they truly had in common despite Finn being a Catholic and Ciaran being a Protestant. But they never talked about religion. 

Finn took to teaching Ciaran how to play the piano. There was something so beautiful about being able to remember his old life while spending time with his new one. Something almost perfect despite the terror and horrors that surrounded them. 

Even despite his lower rank, commanding officers allowed Finn to move around as Ciaran did, seeing the effect the young officer had on the ‘wild man’. So when it was decided that Ciaran would be traveling to Burma to continue the war in that arena, Finn was allowed to put in to go with him. 

Finn longed for Burma. Anything to get out of the desert. The sand and heat, the danger, the constant bad news… it was all starting to get to him, even if he kept his normal smile on his face as often as he could. And he knew he would never survive it without Ciaran. 

Where his boyfriend moved, he moved. 

They were like magnets. A packaged deal. 

But that hope all came crashing as quickly as it had been built up. 

Finn had tried to stop him, but there was only so much he could do in a crowded tent. Ciaran’s nature got the best of him when a captain insulted them both and ended up with his head smashed into a piano before Ciaran got carted away to the prison by the MPs. Not for the first time. 

But Finn knew this was different. 

With hopes of Burma now gone, he broke that night, walking into the desert by himself so he could yell into the wind without anyone bothering him. He could still go, but he would be alone. And there was no promise that Ciaran would be coming back to him if he stayed there. 

Not this time. 

Not until the offer came from a new officer that Finn had never met, an old comrade of Ciaran’s trying to form a new unit. The SAS, he called it. That was the news that Finn brought with him when he finally went to see Ciaran in prison, and the promise that if his lover joined, he’d join too. 

And while the SAS was no Burma, god, did Finn love it. 

The recklessness that he’d suppressed since his youth came out to play one more. Training to jump out of airplanes into the middle of the desert? It was like his childhood adventures had been preparing him for something he hadn’t known was coming. 

But nothing could have prepared them for their first mission… 

There was a sandstorm. 

The winds were like nothing they had ever trained for. Jumping into sand with no ground support was dangerous enough, but this was something else entirely. Something like they had never seen before. With the new dangers ahead of them, each man was instructed to write a final letter to their loved ones in case everything went to shit. 

Finn could think of no one to write to except his oldest friend of all. His baby sister. If anything happened to him, he needed at least one person to know who he truly was… 

Know how he had been changed by the man he loved. 

Maybe it wasn’t the bravest thing he had ever done, but he didn’t want to die a liar. 

A final confession.

That’s what he told himself. 

His eyes never left Ciaran as their plane left the ground, hands clutching his rosary beads as he prayed for himself and his lover. That they’d both be okay, but if he wasn’t… that Ciaran would know how to survive without him. That he would have a good life. 

The winds were brutal as they jumped, but they were worse on the ground. As Finn’s feet hit the sand, he rolled as they’d been taught, but in the process, he tangled himself in his lines. The wind caught his chute, panic setting in as he was dragged backwards across the sand. He tried to reach for his knife, fighting desperately against the lines forcing his hand above his head. And then it was too late… 

His head hit the tree behind him…

And everything went dark.

Memories of their fake life ::

tbd for plotting (although he was a music teacher)

Wanted Connections ::

fake life family (Irish)

real life family (oc, 5 spots open, must plot)

old teacher friends

parents of his students