#'i've made peace with it' *just about flies across the room to GET you if you call him out*

[yappacadaver]

Q_Q does he not know because he's scared?

[aetheternity]

Pov: they catch you reading explicit content (6reeze)

A/N: I decided this is an in universe fic. Don't really need a synopsis because the title tells you exactly what it's about.

CW: Description of adult content, For some of the boys it's clearly stated romantic relationship while the others are more unclear. You can read them all as romantic or none.

-

Aether ~ You don't even bother to look up as you know it's Aether approaching you as you traverse through your favorite book on his couch. You can tell he's reading when you start to feel his breath against your shoulder and neck.

"Nosy." You mutter, smiling at his breathy chuckle.

You turn the page and not even two minutes later hear a loud gasp. You turn your head a brief giggle falling off your lips.

"What?"

"Name, you're reading a dirty book.." He teases "I thought you were so innocent too but here you are in my teapot reading about someone being ravaged." He held a hand over his chest, keeping the act going with fast paced blinks in between. Mouth wide as he continued to stare at the pages.

"You were reading along with me so you're not exactly innocent!" You bite back though you can feel embarrassment settling beneath your skin as your hands begin to sweat, face slowly burning.

"Nope, I'm an innocent bystander who didn't know what he was getting into." He playfully scoffs. You pretend to fixate back on your book turning away from him. Though it quickly feels near impossible as his mouth inches closer and closer to your neck. His breath fluttering over the skin somehow so much hotter than it had been previously.

"Do you ever imagine it's you in that situation then?" The question made you flinch. "You being the one ravaged by someone?" He giggles quickly after. Giggles like it's the most normal question one could ask.

"Idiot." You huff though it barely has bite. Your grip on the book tightens but while your eyes are scanning over the words you aren't even close to internalizing any of them. Not with Aether's breath tickling your ear lobe soon replaced by his tongue flush against your ear canal.

You squeak and the book almost flies across the room. "Put it down already." He grumbles kissing the shell of your ear. "Don't you wanna live like the protagonists in your dirty novel?"

-

Heizou ~ The two of you are the only two left at the station this late at night so when he sees your eyes sifting quickly through the words of he book he's intrigued. None of the case files on his desk had ever been nearly as intriguing as you.

"What have you got there?" He asks as he approaches

You shift your gaze to him for a brief moment before you head resumes being buried in the words on the page. "Just a novel."

"Hmm." He slides in place behind your chair, skimming along with you. You try to turn the page but he stops you. "I'm not quite finis.. oh.." He chuckles

"Let me read in peace!" You huff "Boss has been busting my ass all day. I need this."

He laughs, "You're reading something like this at the office?" He slides into place beside you on your chair. "You're not even the least bit worried I'll tell?"

"Can't exactly read it at home. I have a nosy roommate." You mutter "Pft, you're loving this too much. You're not going to tell anyone because you're too interested in how long I've been reading stuff like this."

"Ah you so get me." He chuckles sliding closer to you if that were even possible, glancing at the pages as you read. "So?"

"For as long as I've been legally allowed to buy these books."

"Hmm."

"Not going to make a big deal of it? Gasp in horror because I 'look so innocent?'" You question peering over at him.

He yawned, leaning his head against your shoulder. "It's as they say." His breath brushes over your ear canal. "It's always the quiet ones." He whispers and you can feel your skin grow hot at how close his mouth was to your ear.

You almost ask him about the paperwork he'd abandoned but you can already hear his breath even out. Small snores fluttering off his lips. He was Heizou after all. He'd most likely be fine.

-

Kazuha ~ Yeah.. he's not surprised in the slightest or perhaps it's simply because Kazuha's a roll with the punches kind of guy.

He takes a look at the cover of your book and a small smile forms against his lips. "Oh is that, Beauty and all things?"

You snap your head up, "You know this book?"

"A couple of women and men amongst Beidou's crew have been conversing over this novel. I was hoping to see what all the fuss is about."

You slide over patting the empty space on the crate you were resting on, "You can read along a bit. Don't worry I'm not that far in."

"Are you sure I'm not interrupting?" He questions but he does take the spot next to you.

You politely shake your head, "I wouldn't have invited you to sit if you were." You reposition to allow him to keep up with you.

"Thank you." He replies

You wait for his cues to flip the page. Normally a small tap at your thigh or a brief ok but after a while they stop coming.

"Kazuha? Is it ok for me to go to the next page?" He doesn't answer. You flip your head around pleasantly surprised by the soft pink tint of his cheeks and the way his eyes were slightly blown. His hand atop his mouth. "Kazuha?" You blink

"I didn't.. didn't realize it was a more explicit read.." He calmed enough to make eye contact with the clouds above. "Though that makes a fair bit more sense."

"Sorry Kazu, I thought you knew.. Have you never read anything like this before?"

He hangs his head a bit, fingering the bandages on his hands. "It's not the book.. persay.." He clears his throat. "Actually.. it's being with you.. while reading said book.."

"Oh.." Your blood might as well have drained out through your feet with how weightless you felt. "Oh." You repeated and then immediately yanked your head away. Breath catching, you slammed the book shut trying your hardest to think of any words aside from 'oh'

"Name.."

"Yeah?" You refuse to look at him.

"Would you like to accompany me to dinner once we dock?"

"Yes.."

"Ok.. thank you.." You feel his weight lift from beside you and when you finally got the courage to look up he was nowhere in sight.

-

Scaramouche ~ He'd just walked in and wordlessly laid his head on your shoulder. Well.. "laid" more like slammed his head into your shoulder without warning. Luckily he wasn't wearing his gigantic hat or it would've been worse.

You're quickly under the assumption that he's fallen asleep based on the slowing of his breaths and how quiet he was. You flipped the page becoming so drawn into the changing events that you nearly leap out of your skin at Scara's-

"What the fuck?"

"How long have you been awake?!"

"What the fuck are you reading??" He sits up pulling the cover over your finger so he could read the title. "How did they go from eating dinner to her tied to the bed post?" He looks at you in sheer disbelief. Mouth hung open and eyes narrowed.

A couple different explanations start to cloud your brain but when you open your mouth the only sound that exits is a long snort. Your breaths uneven as you roll with laughter. Sliding your hand out to keep yourself from falling off the ottoman.

"You're such a freaky weirdo." He stands and you almost get a word out but just end up squeaking and holding your stomach. Your feet slapping against the floor, the book soon flopping onto the hardwood next to you. "Absolute weirdo.." Scara huffs shaking his head, leaving you and your sobbing ribs alone.

"Scara.. pfft.. I can explain.." You call after him.

-

Venti ~ "What are you reading?"

You feel your skin melt as you look up from your comfortable sitting position on the grass. Up to Venti's softly smiling face. He tilts his head a bit still waiting for you to respond but in all honesty the only thing you can do is silently clamp and unclamp your jaw open and close.

"Oh, a secret then? Fine don't tell me." He slowly tiptoes his way to your side trying his hardest to glimpse the pages but you're watching him through the corners of your eye. Eventually he ends up on your opposite side diving to see when you remove your hand, like some kind of bird of prey.

"Venti!" You hiss. Turning the book over to the back thankful for the wordless back cover.

"Is it that bad? Is it a paranoia ridden post apocalypse? Or a horror suspense with a horrendous real life history that the author took inspiration from?" He crosses his arms still stood behind you.

You simply sigh staring down at the crinkled pages from where your finger had creased your bookmarked spot. "Just.. don't laugh at me or anything.." You flip the book open for Venti to read over your shoulder. Pleasantly surprised by how quiet he becomes.

"Oh ho ho." Venti sneers sliding a hand under the words he was currently reading. Probably knowing you'd slam the book closed if he didn't. "So a more explicit read."

Your shock was probably incredibly visible as he plops down at your side. Holding your shoulder for proper balance. "Aww don't be embarrassed, lots of people enjoy books of this nature. This market has a huge following after all."

You feel your face start to heat as you take in just how close he is. His fingers continuing to graze the pages before him. It quickly intrigued you how fast he was sifting through the sentences until a different thought dawned on you.

"Wait.. Venti-"

"Hmm?"

"How do you know these kinds of books have a lot of fans?"

"Ehe hehe, so did you happen to get this copy from Lisa or Yae?"

-

Xiao ~ He sat next to you wordlessly chomping down a bowl of almond tofu while you flipped through the pages of your book. When you'd peered up at him he appeared to be lost in thought. Eyes trained off the balcony to the surrounding area, lost in the beauty of it all.

You carefully flipped the page beginning to get enthralled with the scene playing out in your head as words from the page filled your mind. Until-

"Why are you smiling like that?"

You wrenched your head up. Staring back at a very puzzled Xiao, "Ah.. this book.. it's interesting.." You explain blinking rapidly.

"What are the contents?"

A part of you wants to know exactly when Xiao had stopped paying attention to the view and started paying attention to you. Another was skimming through ways to distract Xiao from learning about the book you'd been rereading. It was Xiao after all.. surely he'd find this kind of content disgusting and deplorable. Actually was it even ok to show him something like this? He was an adeptus, was there some kind of secret law that stated showing books like these to adepti could have you murdered at the stake?

"Name?"

Inevitably you couldn't think of anything strong enough to take his mind off your book. Well.. anything strong enough that wouldn't also make him never speak to you again. You slide the book towards him with the page you'd been reading open for his perusal.

He sifts through the content for a brief second and you slowly watch as his face turns a deeper shade of red with each passing second. He sucks in a breath and before you can break the silence he asks, "You.. do you read these often?.." He coughs like he's clearing his throat.

"Yeah.. every now and then.."

"Hmm." He doesn't say much else for the rest of the night or even to you the next day when he leaves for patrol. For a brief moment you're worried he's still extremely uncomfortable over your reading choices.

You head out for the day as well doing your normal errands and while you're on your way back the thoughts about his face and how flushed he'd been started to dawn on you again. He didn't seem uneasy because of you, just the content itself.. maybe it had been a bad idea to show that kind of content to him. He'd probably never seen anything like that before either.

You let out a little sigh, you'd reached a conclusion as you climbed into the elevator. You could easily just explain everything, maybe even what your enjoyment of the book meant to you and everything should be ok.

You feel a small sense of dread settle in the pit of your stomach. Every step up from the lobby heavier than the last. You took a final deep breath as you reached his door, turning the knob and nearly dropping your bags when you walked in. Xiao sat cross-legged atop his normally empty bed, the book you'd been reading yesterday plucked between his fingers. Your stomach quickly settled as you walked your way towards the bed plopping down on the edge, only getting his attention once your weight settled on the firm mattress.

"Your book.. it's.." He grumbles darting his eyes away. You can't help your breathless snicker.

"I assumed you didn't like that I was reading it." Your fingers brushed aside strands of hair from his forehead.

"I have no qualms over your desires to continue indulging in this. I simply wished to better understand."

"Mm but you hate it."

"I do not wish to continue reading it, yes."

[immoralimmortals]

A Song With Ten Names

Chapter 13: The Record Player Song

Chapter 1 ☆ Next chapter

Summary of chapter: Who are you? Who do you want me to be? Am I good at playing pretend?

Author's Note: I've had this song in mind for Tobi/Obito for about as long as I imagined him being in the fic. The song is The Record Player Song by Daisy the Great. Record Player with AJR? I don't know her. I'm using the OG iteration.

Minor content warning, perhaps, for disassociation.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

I've got a record player that was made in 2014

Dyed my hair blue, it came out a seasick sort of green

I like vintage dresses when they fall just below my knees

I pretend I scraped them climbing in the trees

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The hands return tonight. She’s weightless with their touch, and yet she is reluctant. There’s such vast difference between them and herself, and it both awes and frights her, like witnessing God. Release me, she prays. Let us, they answer. But how?

The amber ring approaches from her left, laying beside her on the infinite beach of her dreams. His shadowed, undetailed body presses, and though gentle he is yearning. The figure’s sharp teeth hide until their mouth opens. Lips create shapes meant just for the dreamer, but to her ears she hears nothing. Just the waves. Just the breath of the sea.

In…

…

Out...

A body…? There were no bodies last time.

Another head rests against her shoulder in a small, affectionate rub much like that of a cat. Long bangs are not needed to hide a face with no features, and an arm crooks in the chest of his cloak like a sling, red gem slipped over a finger that dangles. He’s so relaxed, like he’s nearly ready to die in peace by her right side.

Ghostly vocals drift above the sea, phantoms that speak from behind, saying something that is supposed to be her name but is not. They’re distant but getting closer. They sound urgent, they sound lost.

In the depths of siren calls and caresses, a movement of her own is finally forced. Her head is tilted back by the skull, one hand cupping each cheek. It keeps her still, a thumb trailing down her skin from temple to chin, pulling it underneath its print, making her lips part to feel the mouth that weeps her melodies. The stranger doesn’t see the man himself, much as the others, but she does see his form: large, jagged spikes against the sky so pale and wispy. Though it wasn’t felt in the dream before, it is known that he was standing behind her the whole time.

Her eyes squint, the weight of a bright world so blinding. The water draws closer.

In…

“Takara-chan!”

Out the dreamer screams, an orange swirl filling her vision. Against her nest of blankets the woman writhes but only traps herself in deeper among the pillows and fabric. In her panic, there’s no choice but to shove off whatever is on top of her. The intruder flies across the room, far further than her strength could have caused, and she has a second to get her bearings with each heavy breath she catches back.

Against the attic wall, her house guest is still. What? There’s no way she knocked him out...right?! She feels a furrow in her brow until he sits straight up like a puppet on strings.

“Oh, goodness me! Takara-chan is easy to scare when she’s asleep, huh?”

Oh.

Right.

It’s this guy.

With no other choice, she blinks away her pride until her lids hurt and she can manage to apologize. “I— geez, I’m sorry!” Concern hits as she sits up herself, adjusting her frilled pajama collar so it no longer twists. “Is everything okay?!”

“Okay?!” he repeats, sounding like the end of the world, throwing his head forward. “How can it be okay when you’re missing BREAKFAST?!”

The last word repeats dumbly back at him.

“Yes! I made you breakfast! You’re gonna love it!” A pointed pause. “...You will have it...right?”

The one thing she can’t get over— beyond the bells and whistles of his loud personality— is how hard he is to read. Is that a threat or puppy dog eyes that eyehole hides?

“I…” The ritual of breakfast hasn’t really been one. Itachi prepared food and they went and ate it. That’s it. Kisame was pretty private about chowing down and the chef himself didn’t eat very much, so everyone said thank you and went their own ways. But she decides to play ball: “What did you make?”

“Your favorite!”

She frowns. There is no memory of her saying she has a favorite breakfast. “I’m sorry, I—” A finger wag interrupts a foolish girl.

“It WILL be your favorite!” The finger draws back into a hand that solutes. “Or my name isn’t Tobi!”

Something in her gut is a bit uncomfortable, a bit like a tummy ache the first morning of school, but, well...how can she say no to that? Since day one—yesterday, to be precise— he’s been nothing but eager to please, trailing in her shadow and jumping ahead in her vision, full of nothing but questions and interruptions. It’s overwhelming, yes, but its intent does flatter. She flickers a smile of gratitude. “I’ll hold you to it.”

What a strange man, thinks the strange girl as he takes her down the stairs.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Wipe my eyes and cut me off

(Wipe my eyes, I'm crying)

I'm just crying for attention

(For attention)

Wish I'd been a teenage rebel

(A teenage rebel)

Never even got detention

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Zetsu must have thought it awfully funny to tease the arrival of two and only give one, not even one of which promised. A remarkable occasion happens again, everyone present in the home gathered at the dinner table. Or at least, about to be—

“Ah, here they are.”

Itachi follows Kisame’s acknowledgment with his eyes only, the traveler nearly tripping over her feet as Tobi pulls her by the arm.

“Hey, slow down, please—!” Her plea is answered, unfortunately, immediately. She bumps into the back of him as the masked man reaches an empty chair.

“Oop?” He freezes in dramatic horror as she begins to stumble. A hand grabs her wrist and the other catches her by the back. The black-clad man couldn’t have done a better dip of a dance partner even if he tried. Her eyes go wide.

“...Oh,” she whispers, having never been held like this before. Tobi chimes down at her.

“You can’t be so reckless! You’re much too fragile for that!” Her brow furrows.

“Tobi, that goes for you too, you know,” Kisame butts in before she can question. “Your excitement is appreciated but it is also a lot—” The shark glances at her, still dangling in Tobi’s grasp. “—For starting out with.”

On a dime and her brief shriek, she’s nearly flipped upright in half a second flat. The gloved hand still holds her by the back while the other interweaves its fingers into hers, raising it beside their heads. Though frantic at first, the pause that follows allows her to study him. It’s a carved mask, almost like a vortex; it curls and caves until it reaches a black hole. Can she see his eyes—?

A thought interrupted as he spins them around in this tango in finale, pulling back her throne and making her sit between the two other Akatsuki. Kisame chuckles.

As a breakfast of messy, runny eggs is served, Itachi says not a thing.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

I don't really love you

I just said that for a change of pace

I'm sorry

Sometimes I don't recognize my face

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Well, if Kisame trusts him, then it’s worth a shot, the stranger reasons.

The next week-so is spent being dragged about from “adventure” to “adventure”. It’s nearly like a summer haze daydream, the sort of thing you remember doing when you’re little, playing around with the neighbor boy.

“Come on the swing, Takara-chan!” Tobi urges, putting her on the toy and pushing her without waiting for consent. There’s no ramping up, no questions of how high: the answers are fast and up to forever.

“Tobi, that’s—” a plea interrupted and punctuated by a shriek. At first, it seems that he mistakes her screams for those of joy.

“Oh my gosh, look how high up you are! I’m so jealous!”

“Eeeeughhhhhhh!!!”

Knees pin together and hands grip for dear life as she flies through the sky. There are too many branches overhead; if she gets any higher, she will simply get concussed. The playmate has no choice but to shout down:

“Tobi, please stop!”

“I—oh?” he peeps, and for a second that mask and silence leave him totally unreadable. Is he angry? Is he upset? There’s no way to know, especially this far away, until he screams himself: “TAKARA-CHAN!”

The noble prince commits the ultimate sacrifice. As the woman swings back down from a height so grand it makes the rope slack in its bounce, he jumps into her path. “I’ll catch you!!!”

He kind of does. It mostly smacks her square into him.

The two kids rock backwards like a tumbleweed with an engine, rolling over and over and over. It’s a lifetime and a couple of scrapes and bruises later, but they do eventually fall still. Reflexively, the woman attempts to remove herself, but bizarrely finds she is stuck. A heavy breath tries to catch itself in her ear, and she finally feels ten fingertips pressed into her back.

“...Tobi?” It is undeniable now. He is holding her in place. Why? She squirms, but not hard enough as he doesn’t seem to be alerted to her soreness.

“...Hew,” the swirled face exhales. “That was a close one!” Before her mouth can open again, she feels a chin on top of her head. “At least you’re safe now.” The sincerity of this statement, as they lay curled together in the grass...is baffling, and yet...

And yet…

The thought drifts away as another day comes to pass.

“Takara-chan!”

He says her name with such affection and poise, a bouquet of roses held in both gloved hands and swung upward like an ax. Her own palms are held next to her head, having been approached abruptly and to her surprise, and the tops of her fingers bend as she begins to analyze the object shoved into her personal space.

“...Huh?”

Tobi slinks. “Wait, you don’t like flowers?! Kisame-senpai! Did you lie to me?!” A carving knife in the blue man’s grasp stills and fish eyes walk over to where the orange stands.

“No, I didn’t,” he huffs, the slightest annoyance on the back of his throat. “It’s probably that you cut those straight out of her garden.”

It’s with this statement that Tobi’s body speaks before his voice, head cocking at a sharp angle and even more of him limping lower to the ground. The traveler is silent, but not for the assumed reasons; she’s thinking again.

His gestures—...it’s like he’s a mime.

And yet more days pass.

Thump thump thump thump.

With no proper door for the makeshift bedroom of the attic, a wrist peeks above the crawlspace door and knocks its knuckles against the floor. The woman opens one eye, glancing out her single window. It is night. The panic at first dampers as the seconds go by, as she recognizes the moonlight slicking fiery color in the dark, as she moves over to lay on the old wood and lower her face towards his. Fingertips holding the edge of the “door,” this hole in her upstairs room.

“T-takara-chan…” The voice behind the mask quivers. “I-I-I can’t sleep. Can I be up here? With you?” Even at night, not one bit of his attire is retired; he is fully dressed, scarf and mask and all. He’s met with a confused hum, half asleep.

“Tobi, I—...it’s going to be darker and noisier up here,” she tries to rationalize to the man. And if anyone knows how much scarier sound gets at night when you’re in a pitch-black abandoned attic, it’s her. But he shakes his head.

“But you’re up here.”

...So she is. Can’t deny that.

“...Tobi, I…”

His hands are held to his chest, much like how she has done before when she is afraid. His face is not visible, but the emotion— the expression— he wants her to see is obvious. An inhale comes slow through her nose before she speaks her decision:

“Okay.”

He scrambles into the storage space no sooner than her permission is given, and the traveler is grateful she sat up and backed out as now arms are thrown around her. The trembling from him is...rhythmic. It reminds her of a cicada.

“I’m safe now...I’m okay with Takara-chan…”

Who is he speaking to? It’s like he’s a narrator…

“I love you, Takara-chan.”

He says it by the seventh day, whispered and airy like sweet cotton candy. She’s done nothing to deserve it. Guilt and beguilement alike wrack her heart. He has a dandelion clutched in two hands instead of a stolen bouquet.

“Tobi...I…” The two words have repeated, over and over again but never lead to anything. Two brows above the same number of worried eyes curl. He bends at the knees and tilts his chin up. The message is clear:

Say it back.

But she cannot. This is so much— too much— and none of it makes sense. “Tobi…” What can she say to this? All week he’s been attached at the hip, like she’s the first person that’s given him the time of day, the only one that has ever said so much as hello, you deserve my attention. Not only is it not good for him, but she can’t discern the origin. Why is he so childish? Desperate? Pressuring?

It’s like he’s—

It hits her, and just as it does, that’s when Tobi presses forward with his script:

“...You don’t know what it’s like to be loved...do you?” The last two words have such a tinge to them, and it confirms her suspicions. “That’s okay.” He is so still, her stare locked on that one black hole.

“I can show you.”

Instinctively, she swallows and her eyes go wide. Too close, Tobi realizes. It’s time to back off. A few steps backwards, stumbling and tripping over his own feet on purpose. “Sorry! I— oh, sorry! I’ll just—” Don’t say too much. Weed in tow, he walks without looking until he can squeeze around the corner and out of her sight.

From one performer to another, she notes how well he plays the boy next door.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

I need a dictionary

Someone look me up and define me

Please remind me

Who I'm supposed to be around you

So you will do what I want you to

I'm always winning the wrong game

I don't remember my real name

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The day has finally come, perhaps for real this time, and she is nowhere to be found. As soon as the traveler saw the cloaks on the edge of her horizon, she turned tail and ran.

“Takaraaaa-chaaaaan?” the saccharine call sing-songs. The others haven’t caught on yet, more wrapped up in the zombies’ arrival than they are the sound of the back door knocking shut. “Oh?”

A hand grabs the end of a green scarf as he passes a thick bramble of berries, the woman’s knees to her chest. He almost walked past. Maybe she should have let him. Her gut said no.

If someone can save her, it’s him.

“Takara-chan!” Tobi has repeated her name over and over and over again, and each time before she has at least shifted expression, gifted her recognition of his excitement. Now, however, almost like his disguise, her face doesn’t change at all, not even as he lowers himself to her level, holding his knees and getting right in her space. “Takara-chan, you gotta come back with me! Hidan and Kakuzu just came to see you!”

Hollow eyes, unblinking, stare up at him. How interesting. He cocks his head.

“Aren’t...you...excited?” After all, she was when the woman assumed Tobi was her old friends. Those eyes bore into him, and slowly, lips part. It is only now, perhaps, that it is clear that she is so tense she is afraid to move.

“Aren’t you tired?”

A question returned from the depths of her soul. The concealment of his tilts the other direction. “Huh?” But he heard what she said, and she knows it. Tobi is, after all, a caricature of herself.

“I’m afraid,” she explains, under her breath. It sounds calm but it is merely frozen. “That I’m losing myself.”

Tobi says nothing. The black hole gapes at her. She repeats herself, if only for emphasis:

“Aren’t you tired? Aren’t you tired of performing?”

…

…

…

An accusation of this caliber warrants a response. He must speak back.

“...I don’t know what you mean, Takara-chan,” he lies in a calculated cadence.

But the performer understands how hard it is to just stop, so she talks under a correct assumption: that he knows very well. “I can’t always tell what face I’m wearing, you know?” A confession, deeper and uglier than any love she could deserve. “How I’m supposed to act.”

Her words tumble one after the other, invisible masks slipping through palms she raises, staring so intensely at. If she stares at them hard enough, will her hands bleed? Will they show the real face they’re hiding from her?

“Who likes what. Who hates who. If-...if I take time to think, people get mad,” she confesses her greatest weakness. It is one that has existed long before the Akatsuki, since the moment the curse of consciousness entered her brain and told her she is bad, bad, bad.

“If I respond before thinking, I say the wrong thing, and people still get mad!” There are going to be so many balls to juggle now, one person to throw up in the air just to catch another. The more people there are, the less time she has to think. The less time she has to think, the more she will fuck up. If you miss one ball, the others will fall.

From one clown to another, how do you do it?

Existing is exhausting, especially when stakes are so high. Her head throws up to look at him, eyes nearly blinded with gobs of tears. They still do not blink, as if they deserve to sting.

“And it’s just so goddamn PATHETIC that I can’t figure out which one to wear for you!”

She’s not a liar, no. Just a people pleaser. That’s most certainly a worse thing to be. She needs advice and she needs it NOW.

“Everyone is so different...and they’re all counting on me to be happy. For me to keep the peace. Tobi...I…” As her throat chokes, she tries to gesture much like he does, much like Tobi needs to when he can’t express with his face. Her arms fling like the fool is trying to guide him into her heart. Help me. Help me. “How can I manage all that?!”

A desperate plea has no easy answer. Slowly, the man drops from his kneel until he joins her on the dirty forest floor. So curious he has been about the newcomer, about her spell. Each prod, each step in this dance, they’ve both just been circling around each other, trying to find the right pace, the right words, the right time. Are they waiting for the other to stumble in this ballet, or has he been enjoying a worthy partner? Who is she…? How did she get here, how can she bring the worst of men under her thumb? She claims she has failed to allude him, and yet, perhaps, the woman is more of a master of the masquerade than he.

If she can lie to herself so well, too.

He should have known all along. He should have recognized the traits he sees in himself. Perhaps it does not matter how on purpose her charm is. In the end, she is just a lost stranger with a bleeding heart, and others around her are starved of love. That’s a lot of responsibility for one girl, regardless of how keenly aware she is of the precarious sword she balances across the tip of. Maybe even more so.

It’s harder to keep going forward if someone tells you don’t look down.

“I don’t know,” he whispers, so quietly as to not betray his real voice. “I’m sorry.”

The masked man wants to speak stronger, so painfully much about a chord struck so loudly that it echoes in his empty soul, but his words must be reserved. If he does it now, they will arrive deep and hollow, and it is not yet the time for him to change his face for her. Perhaps in time, but not now. Even if there is knowledge his is fake, the other performer in their theater of two does not know what is real.

So only in secret, behind the swirl, is he actually another human being, reaching his hand for hers to take.

She doesn’t know the partner in her duet. Not at all. But she knows who he wants her to think he is, and that’s so much they already have in common, so much that can be relied upon.

An audience can only suspend their belief for so long; she cannot hide here forever. The situation will still exist, the dynamics will still need appeasing, failure and success alike will always come, hand in hand. Their fingers interlock as two neighbor kids end playtime, their secret real lives, going back home to names that are not their own. The prince can pretend he rescued the princess, twigs still stuck in their hair to prove it.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Sometimes, I think all I'm ever doing is

Trying to convince myself I'm alive

Sometimes, I think all I'm ever doing is

Trying to convince myself I'm alive

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

[oldarticles]

Life in the Real World (Sort of)

by Jake Hurwitz

One thing college humor gets praised for is its diverse writing staff. I mean just look at our writer's page, it's a never-ending list of faces from all over the world, each with his or her own unique blend of class and hilarity. Okay wait, don't really look at the writer's page, just take my word for it. Alright, fine, you got me, we're mostly a bunch of Jewish kids from the Northeast, and one or two hot chicks (Hey Lauren Holly *wink*). But just because we're all white kids with a college education doesn't mean we don't know the low down on the real world. Check it:

Politics: As your average 20 year old, I know what's important to today's youth: Trust Funds. We all have them, and we'd like to see them mature the way that they should. I'm sure we're all aware that there's a war going on somewhere in the world, over some kind of discrepancy"¦ Well I, for one, don't want anything to jeopardize my Trust Fund, which is why I always vote in my money's best interest. My parents and grandparents worked very hard to earn that money, and they deserve to see me drive around in an awesome sports car before they die. 

Sports: Now that it's fall, basketball season is in full swing, right? Okay, I'm not exactly familiar with sports like, "Football" or "Hockey" but I can tell you that my croquet set on the Vineyard has never seen so much action as it did this summer! Talk about your nail-biting matches! Even Champ, our Golden Retriever, got in on the excitement, barking and gallivanting across the yard. Aside from croquet, my favorite sport is probably sailing. When I'm on my father's boat, sipping wine coolers while our captain, Esteban, flies across the sea, I just know in my heart that this is The Only Sport for Me; which, coincidentally, is what we named the boat. I don't know about anyone else, but playing sports makes me feel like an average Joe. Only this average Joe would prefer to be called Joseph, I think it sounds better.

Jobs: I understand that those kids who aren't fortunate enough to go to college usually have to get jobs straight out of high school (unless you're a girl, they just have babies). Well I had a summer job this year, and man alive, was it tough! My dad's office barely gave me 25 dollars an hour and I had to share my office for like two weeks before they finally fired that woman who had been there for 9 years. Going to work everyday from 11:00 to 3:00 with only a two hour lunch break really made me appreciate the hard work real people have to do. Even though work was trying, I knew I was gaining valuable life experience, something you don't find at college.

Hopefully I've proved all you skeptics wrong by demonstrating that I'm in touch with current affairs, I'm down to earth and, clearly, I'm hard working. But just because I'm totally ready for the real world doesn't mean I want to get thrown into the mire quite yet. I'm enjoying college life - and even though it's a major bitch not being able to have both my cars on campus and I hate not having someone to hand wash my delicate garments - I definitely want to stick around for at least another 6 or 7 years. Hey, I think I hear my fraternity brothers calling my name from the game room, peace out!

[evereinefaust]

*.·:·.✧ 𝐓𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 ✧.·:·.*

"I can't believe today's our last day on this resort... How time flies when you're having fun..."

[Y/n] let out a muted sigh, releasing her emotions into the breeze. Her half-lidded eyes stared at the beautiful scenery of a Saturday morning. Her arms were on the metal railing, leaning against it as she lounged on their hotel room balcony. Unlike before, the girl decided to give herself a treat and wake up an hour earlier than usual.

The cool breeze brushing past her figure coupled with the warm rays of the sun kissing her skin was such a perfect combination to welcome a wonderful morning. [Y/n] had already done her morning routine, and now she was just relaxing in a peaceful atmosphere.

Since she had woken earlier, her roommates were still sleeping in their respective beds, providing her the silence that she desired. However, the bustling Sunset Street and the chirps of the passing birds were enough to bring a bit of melody to her ears.

"I wonder what else I could do with the others today..." she muttered, musing for ideas to have one last venture with her friends before they eventually returned home. "Hm..."

Amidst her musing, a sudden vibration in her pocket and the 'ping' sound it emitted alerted the girl. She took out her phone from her shorts and checked the notification. It was a text message coming from a certain someone.

Raligon [Y/n], are you awake? You don't have to reply to this right away when you get this. Though, I was wondering if you're free today. I'm planning on having a picnic at Ever Garden with the others. I've asked Johan, Joshua, Fram, and Vanessa and they all will be coming. This will be a wonderful picnic if you're able to come. (´• ω •`) ♡

The girl chuckled upon seeing the barrage of messages sent by a particular redheaded male. Add also the fact that he just sent an adorable emoji at the end of his message. That was the one that made her heart swell and her cheeks hurt from the permanent smile on her lips.

"How cute~" she cooed, her fingers moving across the screen to type in her reply.

[Y/n] Morning, Ral~ (⁀ᗢ⁀) What time do you need me for the picnic? Also, you know that I won't pass up on an opportunity like this! ♡＼(￣▽￣)／♡

Raligon I see that you're awake. Hehe. I was surprised — don't you usually wake up at 6?

[Y/n] Well, since it's our last day here, I just decided to wake up an hour early to fully enjoy my last day. Besides, we'll be spending a long time on the plane, later on, just sleeping. So it's fine if I wake up early and spend most of the day outside and wasting my energy cuz' I'll be able to sleep for a long time on the plane~ Isn't that a win? (*￣∇￣*)

Raligon Ahaha! I see. Alright, then. How about we have the picnic this morning? So that you can do other activities right after. I'll inform the others. Let's meet up at the hotel entrance in 15 mins, alright?

[Y/n] Alrighty~ See ya later, Ral!

"Ufufu~ I'm excited!"

Giggling to herself, the girl pocketed her phone. She went back inside the room and began preparing for the picnic later on.

"Morning, [Y/n]," Vanessa's mellow voice spoke, her gentle gaze landing on a particular [h/c]-haired female.

"Good morning, Vanessa! Morning, Joshua! Morning, Fram! Morning, Raligon! Morning, Johan!" she chirped, skipping towards the group by the side of the hotel entrance.

The five of them didn't fail to notice the literal sparkles emanating from this child, a cheery aura surrounding her. Since she was this lively this early morning, they knew that her energy level would diminish fast throughout the day. Nonetheless, it appears that her fuel won't be emptying any time soon when with them.

"You look cute in your outfit!" Fram complimented, making the girl blush a bit.

"Really?" she gave a twirl, showing off the dress that she was wearing.

She was wearing a short-sleeved, sailor uniform-styled dress. The dress is mainly white and light blue and reaches just above her knee. The puffed-styled short sleeve has a light blue frill on the end, and the striped collar was also colored light blue and was longer than usual, embellished with a small light blue ribbon below it. Although the garment was one piece, the dress was designed like a uniform — with the top part being purely white to imitate the blouse and the skirt part being solid light blue. The final item that serves as the centerpiece of her outfit is the striped, light blue ribbon at the back of her dress.

Fully going with the summer sailor uniform style, the young actress also wore knee-length, white socks and light blue, low-heeled, Mary Jane school shoes complete with the strap. She also styled her hair and adorned it with a matching light blue hairband.

"You look nice," Johan seconded, smiling gently as his dark orbs glanced over the girl's overall appearance.

The pink-haired man also smiled, amused by the childish look she pulled with her choice of clothes. "Did you choose to wear that because it's summer?"

"Bingo!" [Y/n] snapped her fingers and pointed at him with both hands forming a handgun, winking and grinning at him. "Besides, for the past few days, I wasn't able to properly dress up since most of the time I'm just in a swimsuit. So yeah."

"You're right," Raligon hummed. "Should we all go now?"

"Heck yeah!" the black-haired woman cheered, fist-pumping the air.

The gang began walking to the park. The walk takes about 15 minutes from the hotel to the park, and unlike before, [Y/n] and her group didn't rent a bike to travel to their destination. But the girl is fine with that since she can spend more time with her friends like this — talking while walking.

The warm rays of the morning sun and the gentle breeze passing by send a comforting feeling to the group, making them relax under this weather. [Y/n] engaged in a small conversation with them, narrating stories to each other about the individual adventures they went on over the past few days.

"We're here!" Raligon announced, taking a step into the luscious hillside park.

"Whoah! The place looks great!" Fram's blue orbs widened and sparkled at the sight.

The blooming Ever Garden. It is the only garden park on the entire resort island. Compared to a normal park, it wasn't that big to allow numerous people to hang around. And compared to a normal garden, it wasn't teeming with greenery all around. Ever Garden was like a combination of the two — a small park that can accommodate a couple of tourists to let them enjoy the scenery from above and relax under the shade of crape myrtles.

"This will be my first time having a picnic up here. I'm excited."

Fortunately for the group, there weren't any people around. Maybe because it was still early in the morning or this place isn't very popular amongst the tourists. Either way, it just means that they get to seize this place and opportunity for themselves.

Raligon went over in the open space, just a little bit under the shade of the crape myrtle trees, and rolled out a large picnic blanket. Johan went over and helped the redhead to place the item and smooth out the area. Then, Vanessa and Joshua placed down the large picnic baskets they were holding and got the necessary items out, carefully placing them on the mat. As for the remaining girls, they were by the edge of the hill, admiring the beautiful summer morning.

"You haven't visited this place, right?" [Y/n] asked, her gaze landing on the ravenette beside her.

Fram shook her head, her eyes still admiring the view from above. "No. I only went exploring the other side. Most of the time I'm at the beach."

"Right," the younger girl giggled. "The weather up here is pretty nice and relaxing. I'm glad that we're having a leisurely picnic here."

"Mhm."

"Fram, [Y/n]. Join us," Vanessa called out, a bright smile decorating her lips. "I made some snacks I wanted you guys to try out."

At the mention of food, [Y/n]'s face instantly lit up. At the same time, her stomach growled lowly, the hunger immediately making itself known. The raven-haired adult snickered, as she heard the sound, making the younger actress flush red in embarrassment.

"Alright, let's go," Fram turned around and returned to the group.

The picnic blanket was large enough for the six of them to occupy. [Y/n] positioned herself beside Johan and Joshua, in front of her was Raligon and the two girls were between the boys. In the middle were plates of bite-sized foods — profiteroles, mini blueberry cheesecakes, eclairs, french toast bites, and apple pie bites. There's also a plate of sandwiches with different fillings.

Just staring at the abundance of food in front of her, [Y/n] felt like she was already in heaven. She gulped, trying her hardest not to show an embarrassing side of her such as drooling. Nonetheless, just like two days before at the cafe, the young actress can't help but be enticed by these sweets.

Noticing her concentrated gaze on the desserts, the brunette female let out a light chuckle, hiding her mouth behind her fist. She then pushed a plate of mini blueberry cheesecakes toward the girl, the action surprising her which successfully broke her out of her trance.

"Here, have a bite," the older woman coaxed.

[Y/n] blinked, glancing in Vanessa's direction. "Really?"

"Of course, Joshua and I made these to be eaten."

"Thankies then~" At that permission, the young [h/c]ette didn't hesitate to take a piece and drop it inside her awaiting mouth. As soon as she bit into the treat, the ripe flavor of the blueberry and the savory cheesecake base enveloped her tastebuds. Her cheeks flushed pink, feeling her eyes water at the delectable dessert. "So dewicious!"

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Joshua chided, getting his cup of tea as Vanessa poured him one.

Johan simpered, taking a handkerchief and wiping away a crumb from the girl's face. "Eat slowly, [Y/n]."

"Ah! Why'd you do that?" the girl pouted, knitting her eyebrows and narrowing her eyes at the blonde.

"Do what? Wiping your face?" the blonde blinked in confusion, sweat-dropping at receiving this look from her.

"I could've eaten the crumbs instead," she whined, her lower lips puckering as she took another bite-sized treat.

The blonde chuckled, rubbing his temple sheepishly. "I see."

"There's enough for everyone, don't hesitate to take one," Vanessa said.

"Don't mind if I do~" Fram took a sandwich and began munching on it.

Johan jolted in surprise upon seeing how big a bite the black-haired female took of the sandwich, her mouth already full. He frowned, shaking his head in disapproval. "Take small bites, Fram. You'll choke at this rate."

"Uh-huh," nonchalantly nodding, the woman instead focused on stuffing her face with food.

In the end, the blonde resigned. He exhaled, face-palming. "Really..."

The group took about two hours lounging at Ever Garden, relaxing underneath the shade of the crape myrtle tree as they ate and chatted. Due to the appetite of Fram and [Y/n], the desserts that Vanessa and Joshua prepared for this picnic were gone in an instant. Of course, everyone got a taste of each treat, but those particular duo gobbled the remaining food on the plate.

After they finished, they cleaned up the place and returned everything inside the picnic basket. [Y/n] did some light stretching after sitting on the ground for too long, leaning against the wooden banisters by the edge of the hill. Fram decided to walk around the area, Johan following her. As for Vanessa and Joshua, they discovered the lone grand piano located a few feet overhead.

"Such a nice breeze..."

Closing both of her eyes, the young actress inhaled the salty aroma of the wind, its coolness brushing past her form and making her hair sway in its direction. Opening them up again, she let her eyes adjust and then stared at the gondola lift moving nearby. She smiled, listening to the waves of the ocean crashing on the shore, the warble of the seagulls, and the soft bustle of tourists on the main street.

"A penny for your thoughts?" a certain redhead spoke, his soft voice alerting her of his sudden presence. 

[Y/n] glanced beside her to see Raligon's gentle expression. She offered up a smile, mirroring his visage. "Hey, Ral. Just thinking about how peaceful this morning is."

"Mhm, you're right," he agreed, turning his head towards the open ocean.

"By the way, why did Brandon not come? Was he still asleep?"

At the mention of his best friend, Raligon's face grimaced. He let out a sheepish chuckle, rubbing his temple. "He's still sleeping."

[Y/n] immediately raised a brow, her curiosity piquing at his nervous reply. [E/c] pools squinted, her lips pursed into a thin line as she let out a long hum. "What happened?"

"I don't think Brandon wants me to tell you," he smiled apologetically.

"Tch..." she pouted.  "You're no fun, Ral."

"Ahaha..."

"Oh, [Y/n]," a certain silver-haired female spoke, her pinkish-yellow hues widening a bit after seeing a particular girl walking up the pavement.

"Oh," upon seeing her, [Y/n]'s face lit up. "Morning, Syphfride! Morning, everyone!"

Right behind the silverette were three more of the actors. Zaira, Laphlaes, and Charles acknowledged the girl approaching them, each giving their greetings to the younger actress. Stopping just a few feet from them, the [h/c]ette tilted her head, curious as to why the group was outside the hotel just by the sidewalk.

"Are you guys going somewhere?"

"We're going to try out the spa nearby," Laphlaes answered her question, the corner of his lips curving up to a small smile.

"A spa?"

"Sapphire Springs, it's just a few minutes walk from the hotel," the tanned redhead answered her thoughts. She then gave the younger girl a pamphlet about the said spa. "The four of us decided to try it out."

"Wow..." [Y/n] muttered, her eyes darting from the listing on the pamphlet. After, she returned her attention to them. "I forgot about the spa."

Syphfride chuckled. "Well then, do you want to join us?"

"Mhm!" nodding fervently, the young actress's orbs sparkled in excitement.

After learning of this new endeavor, [Y/n] decided to join the adults and try out the spa this island resort offered. The young girl returned to her hotel room for a while, getting the necessary items for the trip. It took her about 10 minutes to get her stuff, putting her necessities inside her small sling bag. Once she was out of the hotel and rejoined the others, they then made their way to Sapphire Springs.

Finally arriving at the spa, the adults began to talk to the front desk employee and discussed the various services and activities offered by the facility. While the adults were busy conversing with the employee, [Y/n]'s wandering gaze examined the interior of the establishment. The walls were painted a bright white and were decorated with a variety of plants and naturalistic paintings that looked rather pretty. There was one huge entrance leading to an elevator, and another one leading to the second floor with stairs at its side. The ceiling was high and had a glass chandelier hanging there. The floor was marble, with a very plush carpet. There was a large table near the center of the lobby which was set with some food already on it, the chairs were placed around the table, and there was an open fireplace at one end of the reception hall.

"Wow...this spa looks as luxurious as the hotel itself."

"[Y/n]."

"Hm?" whipping her head at the girl, she was met with the faces of her friends. "What is it?"

"Since there's a lot of services offered, we decided to split up and enjoy different ones separately," Syphfride explained. "What do you want to do first? So that if one of us has the same agenda, we can accompany you."

"Oh, I see. Well..." Taking the pamphlet in her hand, the young girl carefully mulled over what services she wanted to get out of this spa. After a moment of thinking, she faced them again. "I'm thinking of going for a package — the Sapphire treatment package."

"Alright," the silver-haired woman nodded, smiling. "Let's go together."

The gang went off their separate ways, being accompanied by a couple of employees. Zaira opted for aromatherapy massage, going with Syphfride and [Y/n] in the same direction for the massage therapy session. Laphlaes chose a body treatment while Charles preferred to have facial treatment first, thus going in different directions from the girls. Although [Y/n] was being accompanied by a couple of employees and two of her female friends, they soon parted as each of them went into their room and began the session.

Being led by a masseuse, the young girl nervously entered the room. Her heartbeat quickened when the door closed behind her. To distract herself from her racing heart, she let her eyes wander around the room, observing its interior. In the middle of the room was the massage bed, a round sofa facing against the walls, a lamp placed on it, and a chair with a cushion next to it. Then there was a cabinet full of bottles containing oils and lotions. It even has other necessary equipment such as candles, glass cups, and flat rocks for the different types of massage the client needs.

"Miss, is this your first time having a full-body massage?" the masseuse asked, her gentle voice breaking the [h/c]ette out of her trance.

"H-huh? O-oh, yes," she stuttered, turning her attention back to the older lady who was currently preparing massage oil.

"Don't be nervous, miss," the blonde observed her, the corner of her lips curving into a gentle smile. "I'll guide you all the way. So you just need to relax."

Inhaling and exhaling all of her worries, the young actress nodded. "Alright."

"First, please remove all of your clothes save for your lower underwear, Miss. There's a basket underneath the bed where you can put all of your belongings and clothes," the woman instructed. "After, you may lay on the bed, stomach down. I'll wait for you outside."

"Uh...okay, sure," [Y/n] murmured in affirmation.

As the masseuse left and closed the door, she quickly removed everything but her panties, tossing them inside the basket and pushing them beneath the bed. Taking a deep breath to calm herself down, the young girl lay on her stomach on the bed. Fortunately, the massage bed had a hole where the client's head would be positioned so that they could breathe. Furthermore, it has a pillow that is very similar to a neck pillow.

"Are you finished, Miss? May I come in?" the woman asked through the door, knocking.

"I'm done. You may come in please," [Y/n] replied, making sure her voice was loud so that the woman could hear her.

As the door opened and closed, [Y/n] heard the light footsteps of the masseuse against the plank floor. The masseuse then covered her up with a body towel, adjusting her position so that she could start massaging her client.

Although the [h/c]-haired actress was nervous as this was her first time going to a spa and experiencing a full body massage, she eventually relaxed and enjoyed the 1-hour and 30-minute massage session. The jazz music playing in the background, the aromatic oils as the masseuse's hands pressed against her back was enough to make the teen almost fall asleep. Especially after she woke up earlier than usual and was awake for the whole morning. And even though she almost fell into a peaceful slumber, she was still able to catch herself and snap awake.

The entire massage session was quite pleasant. Very enjoyable in fact. And when it ended and [Y/n] got out of the room, she couldn't help but feel refreshed and happy from the experience. Though, of course, she was still not done. After all, she chose a package, and the massage was just the first on the list of treatments she would be experiencing today. The next one would be facial treatment, and the manicure and pedicure.

"I wonder how long will it take..."

"What are you writing about?" a certain girl chirped, leaning over the shoulder of the blue-haired female.

Mu jolted up in surprise at the girl's sudden appearance. As she covered her paper with her hand, the blunette slightly turned her head around to face the [h/c]ette. [Y/n] grinned at her with closed eyes.

"It's nothing special..." Mu murmured, her cheeks flushing pink in embarrassment.

"Eh~? But I'm curious!" [Y/n] childishly pouted, her brows furrowed as her round [e/c] hues were doing the puppy eyes.

The other girl pursed her lips, her gaze switching back and forth between her friend and the covered paper in her hand.  But in the end, she decided not to divulge the contents of the letter to [Y/n]. "Sorry, I'm still not finished writing it."

"Hm~" [Y/n] stood to her full height, her eyes squinting with mischief as a smirk replaced her earlier grin. Humming, she then gave Mu a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Alrighty then~"

Mu sighed in relief as the [h/c]-haired actress finally decided the matter was over before she went back to writing down what the letter had contained. Though, of course, it didn't mean that the [h/c]-haired was done being nosy. Mei Ling was at the same table, just seated in front of the blue-haired actress. She, as well, was busy writing her message in a bottle.

"Mei Ling~"

"Yes, [Y/n]? Is something the matter?" the raven-haired woman said, pausing her writing to glance in the girl's direction.

"Nothing much, just curious about what you're writing in your message in a bottle," she casually said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Mei Ling offered a small smile, her heterochromia hues softening. "Just expressing my gratitude for the wonderful vacation we've been gifted."

"Hm... I see," she hummed.

After answering her question, Mei Ling returned to her task. She just finished writing and proceeded to roll her paper and tie it with a twine. [Y/n] decided not to disturb them any longer and let her gaze scan the vicinity for any new targets. However, it didn't take her long to find one. A few tables over, she saw a particular group of men sitting together. Each of them has a paper and pen in hand, writing something. Her smirk turned cat-like in an instant, hopping towards the table.

"Hello, dear gentlemen," she cheerfully greeted the table.

"Hey, kiddo!" Aslan grinned.

"Morning, [Y/n]," Walther smiled, looking up.

The four other men gave a nod or hum in acknowledgment of her presence. All six of them were — just like Mu and Mei Ling — writing their message in a bottle. [Y/n] felt her heart swell up in happiness because of this. Two days before, the girl had a sudden idea of sending a message in a bottle into the ocean before leaving the resort. It was an idea that popped into her head after loitering at the gift shop and spotting the display of bottles there. Then, just out of nowhere, she sent a message to everyone about wanting to let a bottle drift into the open seas containing their messages.

Although, she wasn't expecting everyone to get on board with the idea. That's why it truly surprised her when she met the others buying glass bottles and writing letters to put in them. And she was more than happy to see them unanimously agree. That's why she won't let this chance pass to try and take a peek at what they're writing about.

The girl sidled up to Walther, tilting her head in a way that subtly peered into his paper. "What's the content of your message, Grandpa Walther?"

The old man let out a low chuckle, rubbing his white beard. "Ohoho. Just telling people that this place has amazing beach views, that's all."

[Y/n] blinked innocently. "Ooh~ Is that so? Sounds great!"

"You seem interested in all of our thoughts and writings today, huh, kiddo?" Aslan asked with an eyebrow raised in amusement.

[Y/n] chuckled, shaking her head playfully in reply. "Of course! I'm quite curious about what you guys write in your messages! After all, after letting it drift into the sea, who knows if someone would read it?"

"So you're each questioning us about the contents of our message before we send it to the sea?" Biryu questioned, tilting his head to the side.

She nodded, grinning. "Yep~"

"Ah, I see," the raven-haired man hummed, continuing his writing.

The young girl skipped around the table, examining the contents of each male's letter. Fortunately for her, they were generous enough to let her take a peek. Aslan, in particular, was more than welcome to share his message and thoughts for the letter to her. He knew the girl was a curious little creature and he enjoyed making her happy. [Y/n] would start a small talk with one of them, trying to pry off a bit of information in regards to the letter writing.

After Aslan, she slid next to Dhurahan, watching in silence as he was busy writing what seemed to be multiple short letters. A small smile emerged on her face at that, chuckling to herself. The brown-haired male then divulges the contents of his letter to her after writing it. Next, she went in between Biryu and Aries, her gaze switching back and forth between the two males as they silently continued writing their messages.

"This is it, huh...?"

Clenching on the item in her hands, [Y/n] glanced in the direction of the beach, watching as the waves gently crashed against the shore. It was already a little after noon, the crew had already packed their baggage and checked out of the hotel. Now, they're just waiting for the bus that'll be fetching them to arrive in a few minutes.

Everyone was by the vacant beach, each of them letting go of the message in a bottle and letting it drift in the ocean. The girl stayed back, waiting for the rest to finish their turn before she went. Besides, with that many people throwing their bottles in the ocean, she's sure that some of those will drift back to the shore.

A smile emerged on her lips while watching them — most of them would gently drop the bottle in the water, while others decided to throw it in the distance in different ways. When they finished, one by one, they walked back to the streets.

"Yo, [Y/n]! Did you drop your bottle already?" Astrid shouted from afar, cupping her hands around her mouth as she continued walking.

"I'll do mine next!" the girl shouted back, waving back at the group.

"Alright! See ya later!" waving, Astrid and the others then left the beach, now walking on solid ground.

When the last group of people left the beach, [Y/n] decided to have her turn next. Her gaze was fixed on the sand, watching as her shoes sank into the fine grains. The soft crunch entered her ears, her eyelids dropping halfway. When the sound of the waves gradually grew louder, she knew that she was near.

She stopped a second later, noticing the wet sand and the coming and going of the water. Releasing a deep sigh, she slowly lifted her head, eyes adjusting to the sudden change in lighting. In the distance, she could see reflections of light hitting the transparent bottles. Fortunately, none seems to be stuck at the shore.

"It's finally my turn, huh?" she murmured, gently caressing her small message in a bottle.

She lifted her bottle, examining the rolled-up paper inside. Her [e/c] pools drooped, the sudden moisture blurring her vision. And although she had a ghost of a smile on her lips, her facade was a mixture of many different emotions. Happiness — for all of the experiences she created with her friends. Sadness — as they would be leaving this wonderful place today. Nostalgia — for this moment will turn into memory when they return.

As much as the young girl was reluctant to leave, she knew that she still had to go. This may be her first time going on an awesome vacation overseas, but she deeply hoped that this wouldn't be the last she'd be visiting this resort.

She felt a slight twinge in her heart, followed by its rapid rhythm. And although she was feeling emotional at this eventual departure, she reminded herself that she still had the people dear to her by her side. So, with a final resolve, she bent down, extended her hand into the water and slowly opened her palm. As soon as the waves arrived, it picked up the bottle and took it with it.

The girl stood back up, dusting her clothes as she watched her bottle gradually receding into the vast, blue ocean... alongside the other bottles now in the open sea. 

"I hope that we can return to this resort next time..."

"[Y/n]! It's time to go!"

Swiveling her body around, she then jogged towards the group. "Coming, oppa!"

"You sure took your time there," Dietrich commented as his younger sister finally returned. After wiping her forehead, he then ushered her forward.

"Well, it'll be the last I'll be seeing this beautiful scenery," she tittered, walking alongside her family as they boarded the bus taking them to the airport. But of course, the [h/c]ette took one last peek at the ocean, her expression softening significantly.

"Goodbye Diamond Resort. Thank you for allowing me to create wonderful memories with the people dear to me."

I once read something about sending your wish into the ocean through a bottle. It was an old tradition, and people believe that your wish will come true soon. Although I barely believe in myths like that, the very notion intrigued me. It sounds hopeful. Even nostalgic. That's why, I decided to give it a try. I'm very thankful for this wonderful blessing that I got — to spend an entire week with my friends and family, to create beautiful memories with them. I just wish that this happiness would last longer... even if forever's not possible, I hope that our lives will be filled with lots of pleasant memories. I love them with all my heart... and I wish for a better future for all of us.

[lokidokieokie]

The “L” Word

Summary: You and Benedict had only been dating for three months when he had to leave to film for Sherlock. Three months later and he still hadn’t come home; you missed him like crazy. The nightly calls were the only thing that got you through the day. And, after one particularly draining day, you accidentally let the “L” word slip...

Pairing: Benedict Cumberbatch x Reader

Warning(s): fluff overload (I didn’t know I was capable of writing this much fluff), Benedict being all cute, adoring pet names, some naughty words 🫢 (whose really surprised at this point?)

Walking through your front door to a cold and empty house was sadly the new norm for you. Ever since Ben had left to film the latest season of Sherlock, everything was just...off. Your home didn't feel the same without him.

Entering your home felt weird without the welcome home kiss that Ben would give you; sleep was hard to come by without his loving arms draped around your waist; and how were you meant to get through the day without his little cheeky messages?

Nothing was normal anymore, and God you missed Ben. You longed for the day he would come home, so you could sleep in his arms again--for the day that everything would become normal again.

The only thing getting you through this was the nightly phone calls; at least you could hear his voice before you fell asleep. But trying to occupy your mind until then was always a challenge.

Today's method: cleaning and decluttering the house. Hopefully that can occupy you long enough.

At exactly 8 o'clock, your phone began blasting the Sherlock theme tune causing you to drop your broom as you bolted towards it; narrowly missing tripping over the ottoman to get to it.

"Ben!" You excitedly exclaimed.

You could practically hear him smile through the phone, "Hello, Love."

"How's my favourite high-functioning sociopath doing today?"

Ben laughed, "He's doing alright, but he wants to know how his favourite girl's big presentation at work went today."

Conversations with Ben were pretty much the highlight of your day. You got to hear what shenanigans that cast of Sherlock got up to, he got to hear about the weird guy at work who sat at a table across from his tie and talked to it during lunch. It was pretty much just pure and utter nonsense that made you miss him that much more.

"I miss you so much, Darling."

You sighed softly, "I miss you too, Ben."

“How is it already eleven o’clock? It feels like I only began talking to you ten minutes ago.”

"Time flies when you're having fun, Benny." You giggled at his groan, he did not like that nickname.

"One day I'll give you a stern talking to about that nickname."

You rolled your eyes, "Sure you will, Benny, sure you will."

He sighed, "In all seriousness though, I've got to get to bed. Can't have Sherlock being even grumpier than he already is tomorrow. Good night, Love."

"Good night, Ben. I love you-" You quickly cut yourself off.

Shit. You just said the "L" word didn't you? This was not a conversation meant to be had over the phone. It wasn't something that should've been brought up at all.

Curse your tired self!

"Darling? Did you just-"

"I said nothing, good night!"

And with that, you quickly ended the call and practically threw your phone across the room.

That was not how the conversation was meant to go.

Grumbling to yourself, "This calls for some wine."

The sound of the doorbell continuously ringing roused you out of your somewhat peaceful sleep.

Who in the world would be ringing your doorbell at 3 in the morning?

Slowly clambering your way out of bed, the noise didn't cease.

"Cool your tits, I'm coming!"

Grumpily trudging down the stairs, you swore to all Gods out there that you would kill whoever was on the other side of that door.

Angrily opening the door you began scolding whoever it was, "Do you have any idea what time it-"

You were cut short by a pair of familiar lips dancing with your own. That was not something you were expecting when you opened your door at 3am.

"Ben? What are you doing here? It's 3 in the bloody morning."

"I don't like the way our conversation ended."

You anxiously began playing with your fingers. "It ended how every conversation does, with a good night."

He tsked, "You were never a good liar, Love."

You sighed, "I didn't mean to announce it like that. It kind of slipped-"

He smiled, "I love you, too."

You jerked your eyes up to meet his. "You do?"

He cupped your face in his hands, "You have no idea how long I've waited to tell you those three words. I wanted to make it all special, going out to a fancy dinner, maybe a walk around Hyde Park? Just something special where I could declare my undying love for you, Y/n."

A tear slipped down your cheek and you lightly chuckled, "I'm sorry I ruined that plan."

He shook his head and wiped your tear away, "You didn't. I couldn't have imagined a better way for me to tell you that I love you, Y/n. I practically did the whole running through the airport cliché. As soon as you ended the phone call, I kind of just stood there with a goofy smile on my face; Martin had to knock me out of my daze. As soon as he did, I bolted towards my car and drove the three and a half hours to get here. I needed you to know I love you."

You gave him a soft kiss, "I need you to know that I love you, Ben."

He gave you the goofiest smile possible. "Say it again, please."

You giggled, "I love you, Benedict Cumberbatch."

He pecked you on the lips, "I love you too, Y/n L/n."

That night, you finally got to fall asleep with Ben's loving arms wrapped around you; and you had never slept better.

Don’t know how I feel about this...but oh well :)

Find my masterlist here!