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most-sane-tsukasa-fan · 8 months

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𝕱𝖚𝖊𝖑𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝕱𝖑𝖆𝖒𝖊

CW: OOC, Mentions of violence, Slight gore, Yandere themse, Half-demon!reader

Raised in a uptight superstitious village, [Name] is no stranger to being treated like an animal. They were feared and threatened by the villagers that they would get burned and stoned if they ever come back. No village accepts a half-blood like them, especially a blood that's cursed.

Name wonders in the middle of nowhere and beg for people to take them in ever since the day they were banished from their own home.

As the world have treated them in such an inhumane and merciless way, they thought they would do the same for the world, resorting in violence and theft just to get what they need, what they have been begging for... untill someone gave them the comfortable home they've been waiting for, a roof over their head that isn't something they gained from cutting off people's heads...

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Tsukasa, a fine young gentleman, the young lad took the half-blood to his own home where a big shrine sits beside it atop a mountain. He found them passed out in the middle of the forest one night and decided to take the poor soul into a comfortable place, despite sensing something dangerous about them.

He sets their unconscious body down carefully on a soft mattress, the room is quite big and offers more than enough comfort for the visitor. Tsukasa lights the lanterns on the walls of the room for light and to make the room warmer.

The sudden aroma of candles and unfamiliar scent of someone woke up [Name], out of instinct they jumped at Tsukasa to attack but Tsukasa was quick to dodge

"Ah-ah! That's not how you treat your host

We have not exchanged names yet this is how you're treating me!?"

The young man exclaimed as if he's scolding a dog, a few beads of sweat rolls down his chin as the demon he saved tried to attack him. After a second of recomposing himself, he clears his throat to start talking again.

"Ahem, my apologies, I have lost myself there

No matter, I am Tenma Tsukasa, one of the last surviving dragons out there and you shall treat me with respect!"

[Name] just looks at Tsukasa with a doubtful expression before snickering at him, thinking he is merely talking nonsense.

"Oh yeah? Do you know what I am, 'dragon'?"

[Name] says cockily, although Tsukasa only shook his head with a bewildered and curious expression.

They were about to boast it out although something stopped them... will Tsukasa still let them stay if they tell him what they are? Then again Tsukasa did say something stupid as telling them he's a so-called 'dragon' but... would it be good to tell him they're a half-demon?

"Then... you don't need to know"

[Name] dismisses, deciding not to say and see where this will go if he did not say, after all it could only cause trouble for him if he lets it out.

"Wait wha-"

"Lizard, I'm hungry"

[Name] cuts Tsukasa off before he could even speak to ask, earning a groan and an annoyed look from the boy at that nickname they gave him.

"Do not call me such a name!"

He exclaimed angrily but still went to the kitchen to serve some food for his guest. His sulky and comedically prideful attitude earns a chuckle from [Name], it's been a while they ever did even cracked a small smile on their lips.

A part of [Name] wanted to just leave Tsukasa, having second thoughts if they should trust him but... who are they going to trust? Who will be there with them?

Questions spiral around their head but it didn't take long for Tsukasa to come back with the leftover food.

"Here, the only food left are the ones people offer on the shrine

Go ahead, take your fill"

Tsukasa placed the bowl of what seems to be bread and diced fruits, it may not be much but [Name] hasn't had a proper food in weeks. They did not even hesitate to chow the bread down, it never tasted this good before but that's just the effect of having to eat on the wasted food on the ground.

Tsukasa's expression softens in sympathy, he pities them honestly. He watched as they enjoy each bite of a simple bread, snapping from his thoughts when he realized he forgot about their introduction.

"Right, what is your name?"

"... [Name]"

[Name] visibly hesitated at first, yet they felt comfortable enough now to mention their name while munching on the food, muffling them a bit as they speak.

"Hey, don't speak when your mouth is full"

Tsukasa softly scolds them, though he doesn't care much about it, after all he understands their hunger...

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Time has passed and [Name] has spent all of that with Tsukasa. Days turned into week, weeks turned into months, each waking second [Name] waits for the time when Tsukasa will either ask them out or just kick them out himself... yet he never did.

He encouraged them staying, he took care of them back to health. Tsukasa has served them food, gave them a roof over their head, their own space in his own home, even bathed them despite the two of them being flustered about it, though Tsukasa is the one that insisted cleaning [Name] as he does it more 'properly'.

The more time they spent with each other, the more [Name] realized... Tsukasa is all they ever wanted. Someone to trust, someone to be with... someone who they care for and someone who possibly care for them the same way.

Tsukasa has not been awful, he never was, his words are true but never hurts like the words [Name] is accustomed to... They wonder when can they be that truthful and tell Tsukasa about their half-blood.

They couldn't believe they would be thinking of Tsukasa this much... in all honesty Tsukasa has made them the happiest they've ever been in-

"Hey! Are you listening?"

[Name] was snapped out of their thoughts when Tsukasa dragged them back to reality with that loud voice of his. They blinked a couple of times before waking themselves back to awareness to answer

"Yeah yeah, what was that again Lizard?

"I told you not to call me that! *sigh* that's besides the point

I'll be leaving to town as I said, I need to get food for us"

[Name] nods and hums in acknowledgement and Tsukasa grabbed his empty bag that he'll put the groceries in. All of a sudden, [Name] had this guy feeling in them that kicked them, grabbing Tsukasa by the wrist.

Tsukasa only stared back at them confused.

"Uhm... come back early"

They said, it is the only thing they could think of to say. Tsukasa chuckled at that, feeling his ego boost a bit knowing [Name] is concerned for him.

"Awh, you miss me before I even leave

Don't worry, I'll come back to you as quick as possible!"

Tsukasa says, his tone a bit teasing and [Name] could only mutter a quiet and flustered "shut up". Tsukasa giggles, he was about to leave but stopped himself.

He hesitantly gave [Name] a faint kiss on their forehead before saying a hurried "good bye" and immediately left before [Name] could even react.

[Name] stood there just out of the front door... dumbfounded and caught off guard by Tsukasa's sudden boldness. They touched the part of their forehead that he kissed, their lips unconsciously tug up into a faint smile...

Unbeknownst to the two... someone isn't so far, watching them at the time...

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While Tsukasa is walking through the woods to get back home, the forest is already dark despite it not being so late in the night. No light seeps through the trees, not even one person on sight... or at least that's what Tsukasa thinks.

He walks and walks, he already knows the forest like the back of his hand and he's extra careful if there's any wild lives wandering around.

Tsukasa was focused on getting back home quickly to [Name] that he didn't feel the presence behind him

"One must not live, if they engage with a cursed blood..."

The strange person, a villager from [Name]'s old home, mutters as they ready their blade. The person puts the edge of the blade against Tsukasa's nape but they didn't even get to penetrate it through his neck when suddenly...

Tsukasa wasn't even nervous when he felt something as sharp as a sword put right against him, but he was surprised when that feeling of a blade is gone now. He turned to face what's behind him but... there's nothing.

A bit bewildered and annoyed, he just continues with his journey back home...

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It wasn't that long of a walk, he was so excited to see [Name] again that he ran up the mountain to the minka he and [Name] are living together in.

Expecting to see [Name] waiting for him eagerly there, he was instead greeted by... blood, lots of blood all over the floor, and that trail of blood leads to [Name] who is eating a whole human, tearing its flesh one by one.

As soon as the sliding doors opened, [Name] froze in place as they look up at Tsukasa in shock, they couldn't see his expression but only his silhouette as it is so dark. Their horns that they were hiding all this time are now out and even their black wings that looks like it was skinned.

They sat there, too afraid to defend themselves as they were caught red handed... what would happen now? would Tsukasa tell? would he abandon them? would he be scared?

"Tsukasa... it's not-"

"What are you?"

They were cut off by the boy, although it's understandable for him to ask that, he's oddly calm in this situation... they're almost hesitant to say.

"A... demon

But I didn't want you to know, I just did what I did since it tried to hurt you and-"

Tsukasa walks up to them, for some reason the closer he gets the more... unfamiliar his silhouette becomes. Once he was close enough to the point he's just in front of [Name], he kneels down at their level and cups their cheek, their faces are so close to each other that they could feel each other's hot breaths.

"Do you think I would tell you about what I am if I didn't know?"

[Name] was confused at first, until they put two and two together, realizing that Tsukasa never lied... all this time he thought Tsukasa was a normal young man, and there it is... they could see it now even in the dark, his horns and long dragon tail.

They couldn't move, absolutely enchanted and all their focus is how close they are right now with Tsukasa, completely forgetting and abandoning about the body he brought here for his meal.

They couldn't help but smile, their eyes so lovesick as they gaze at Tsukasa.

Tsukasa smirks at how entranced they seem, responding to their lovesick gaze by leaning in, both their lips meeting and locking in each other. Their mouths were soft, it's like a new experience for the two... it's romantically messed up.

But that's what love is right? It just drives them crazy, it makes the blood in your body heat up like it's fueling with flames♡

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A/N: Sorry it's kinda bad, I lost my writing skills 😭

#tsukasa tenma x reader #tsukasa tenma #prsk #prsk tsukasa #project sekai #prsk x reader

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art-of-manliness · 5 months

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Saddle Up! A Dictionary of Old-Time Cowboy Slang

The cowboy is one of the great archetypes of American manliness. He embodies many of the virtues Americans prize, such as grit, freedom, and independence. The cowboy followed a code of honor that, rather than being set by an aristocracy, came from the ground up and worked itself out within a posse. While many of our ideas of cowboy life are a myth, the romantic ideal of it has had an outsized influence on American culture, including in language. Because the cowpuncher was typically uneducated, he often used slang to communicate with his horse-riding, steer-roping peers. In 1936, American folklorist Ramon Adams published an ethnography called Cowboy Lingo that focused on the unique language of American cowboys. In it, he cataloged the colorful slang words used by cowboys in the American West from the 19th century to the early 20th. According to Adams, cowboy slang is characterized by the use of picturesque metaphors. The cowboy drew from his everyday life to create phrases and words that could be used more broadly. For example, a cowboy might have noticed that when a bull gets angry, it starts aggressively pointing its horns at would-be targets. To tell a fellow cowpoke to quit looking for trouble, a cowboy might say to his compadre: “Pull in your horns!” Below, we give you a sampling of common cowboy slang words. You might notice some of them sprinkled in a Western movie or novel, and you’ll even notice some that are still in use today. Ace in the hole. A hideout or a hidden gun. According to Hoyle. Correct, by the book. “Hoyle” is a dictionary of rules for card games. Acknowledge the corn. To admit the truth, to confess a lie, or acknowledge an obvious personal shortcoming. Addle-headed. Empty-headed, not smart. A hog-killin’ time. A real good time. “We went to the Rodeo Dance and had us a hog-killin’ time.” A lick and a promise. To do a haphazard job. “She just gave it a lick and a promise.” All-fired. Very, great, immensely; used for emphasis. “He is just too all-fired lazy to get any work done around here.” Amputate your timber. Go away, run off. Apple peeler. Pocket knife. Apple pie order. In top shape, perfect order. Attitudinize. To assume an affected attitude. Bach (pronounced “batch”). For a man to keep house without a woman’s help. Backdoor Trots. Diarrhea. Ballyhoo. Sales talk, advertising, exaggeration. Barber’s cat. Half-starved, sickly-looking person. Barber’s clerk. A conceited, over-dressed fellow who tries to act like a “gentleman.” Barkin’ at a knot. Doing something useless; wasting your time, trying something impossible. Barrel boarder. A bum. Between hay and grass. Neither man nor boy, half-grown. Biggest toad in the puddle. The most important person in a group. Biggity. Large, extravagant, grand, haughty. Black-eyed susan. A six-gun. Blue devils. Dispirited. “I have the blue devils today.” Bone orchard. Cemetery. Bosh. Nonsense. “It was absolute bosh what he said.” Boss. The best, top. “The Alhambra Saloon sells the boss whiskey in town.” Buckaroo. A cowboy, usually from the desert country of Oregon, Nevada, California, or Idaho. Buckle to. Set about any task with energy and determination. Calico queen. Prostitute. California widow. A woman separated from her husband, but not divorced. (From when pioneer men went West, leaving their wives to follow later.) Cash in. To die. Catch a weasel asleep. Referring to something impossible or unlikely, usually used in regard to someone who is always alert and seldom or never caught off guard. Clodhopper. A rustic, a clown. Cotton to. To take a liking to. Cowboy up. Toughen up, get back on yer horse, don’t back down, don’t give up. Dash. Euphemism for damn. Dead-alive. Dull, inactive, moping. Didn’t have a tail feather left. Broke. Docity. Quick comprehension, usually used in a negative way. “He has no docity.” Don’t care a continental. Don’t give a damn. Dry gulch. To ambush someone, especially when the ambusher hides in a gully or gulch… http://dlvr.it/T613jw

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divinewill · 3 months

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Capítulo Diecinueve: インザバックルーム (In The Backroom)

My alter ego appeared within the impossible space behind the closet door, paused, and closed the door behind her.

“Where on earth is this place?” I asked him.

Kauākṣara explained, “This is nowhere on earth. This domain belongs to a metahuman. He instinctively replicated a spell from an old animated film, sans the monsters and their fear-mongering corporation. It bridges the space between doors presented here and on the human world. Open any of these doors, and you can cross through a corresponding doorframe somewhere on Earth.”

I observed a door beside mine and opened it to test his statement, and found a bathroom with a woman showering. She spoke in French, with a tone expecting a lover, and I closed the door. I noticed I could hear and smell what was behind the closed doors.

I asked him, “How did you find me so fast in this maze?”

Tapping his clawed index finger to his beak, he explained, “Each door transmits the sounds and smells behind them. I sought a door with your scent or voice. I found nothing with your voice, but I detected the faint trace of your current scent.”

This disturbed me and made me very glad that I had trained a nonlocal application of my summoning and banishment.

I asked him, “You said this place belongs to a metahuman. Who are they?”

Kauākṣara explained, with tremendous sobriety, “I cannot tell you that, just as I cannot tell anyone else of your true identity, of which I will not ask…”

He turned to walk and, using a gesture of his right hand, invited me to keep pace with him as he guided me through this labyrinthine array of hallways.

He continued, “To my dismay, this territory will not be open to us for much longer. For you see, our gentleman benefactor has terminal cancer and only six months to live by medical prediction. I suspect he will not make it to his third month. Despite my offer to help extend his life and take care of him, he adamantly believed that as an old soul, I shouldn’t waste my time with a young cripple. I told him he was talking nonsense, but he remained unmoved.”

With unshed tears in his eyes, he explained, “He told me to focus on witnessing history’s great cycles and the great men who shape them. I told him how the small stories, the ones nobody else will remember, hold equal significance. They shape the story of humanity, even if we can’t see how.”

I gave him my condolences, but he assured me, “Everyone dies eventually. Even I will die one day. It’s truly tragic for a young man to face death so vainly. I’d rather see him off with humility, for his soul’s sake.”

I assumed, by vanity, he was referring to the refusal of care by someone perceived as greater than oneself.

I asked him, “How old is he?”

He told me, “Counting from his conception, he would be exactly ten thousand days old in two hundred and seventeen days.”

I assured the creature, in their stoic self-control, “I’m sorry that you’re going through that, but I’ll pray for him, and if you believe in God, pray as well.”

He sighed, “I do, but prayer isn’t magic, and God does not answer all prayers…”

A mournful pause punctuated the moment.

He stated, “When he dies, we will lose access to this domain unless someone is on this side of the doorways. I’m going to miss his witticism, but enough of my troubles. On to the reason I invited you here…”

He asked me, “Why do you think I’ve brought you to this place?”

I noted, “You mean to tell me that this domain exists, and that we only have a limited window of opportunity to use it against the Yōma?”

He told me, “Not quite. I will do my best to ensure this domain remains open, as a memento to him, and for any heroic soul who needs it. Although I’m not sure this domain will be useful against the Yōma threat.”

We reached our destination several floors below, through a damaged door which led to an abandoned building that had been standing unmaintained for decades. He walked into this unknown territory, and I followed him, using my penetrating vision to discover that this was an abandoned metropolitan area in Australia. That’s when I realized Kauākṣara was leading me towards another, what I presumed was a nouiform, still a mile down the road, towards the center of the city.

It looked like a corgi-sized mouse with pangolin-like armor, powerful digging claws, rabbit-like ears, and a single spine at the end of its tail. It was cute a chimera. The creature clearly heard us coming, as shown by its ears tracking our movements, but it seemed unbothered.

My penetration vision showed me the entity’s hypercarnivorous teeth and skull, as well as unfamiliar organs with yet-to-be-determined functions without analogue in any known animal.

Kauākṣara noticed me visually lock onto the creature and deduced, “Ah, so you can see through walls and at great distance as well. You’ve probably deduced why we are here then.”

I guessed, “You wish to show me something regarding your kind?”

Kauākṣara, with a clear sense of vicarious pride, admitted, “Yes and no. I’d like to show you what a friendly bout between nouiformes looks like.”

I asked him, “How does this help us with the task at hand?”

Kauākṣara informed me, “Don’t you realize that your kindness to our sleeping friend has earned you an ally? He will fight for, and even die for, you. Also, while I abstain from bloodsports and mortal combat, I too will do what I can to help you defend the race of men that I love.”

As we approached our target, Kauākṣara warned me, “Princess … We nouiformes are incomplete beings. We need to seek other beings, unlike ourselves, and bond with them. When a nouiform finds a partner with a high enough compatibility, it results in a psychic bond: our partners can see through our eyes and they through ours. But this comes with a cost, as our companions will feel our pain and our rage, and we will feel theirs in return. To kill a nouiform with such a psychic tether is to kill their companion. The psychic trauma will destroy their nervous system long before the nouiform dies, but the reverse does not hold. Killing a nouiform’s companion will not kill it, but it will make them berserk.”

I asked him, “Killing human beings is out of the question for me. I am a peacekeeper, not a soldier or executioner.”

Kauākṣara informed me, “The companions of a nouiform are not always human. They can be any self-aware entity, including elephants, great apes, corvids, cetaceans, etc. The GSSDO has, on one occasion, discovered a nouiform bonded to a domestic cat, but upon testing, it showed self-recognize in a live video feed.”

I asked him, “You’ve worked with the GSSDO?”

He confessed, “Sort of. I developed a bond with the child of one of its members back during the Global War on Terror when they made the discovery in question. I was not their first encounter with my kind, but they treated me well and I taught them many things.”

Akhbar noticed that we were approaching another nouiform, raising its head and perking up its ears. Kauākṣara calmed the creature with a head pat. Akhbar stayed on their perch, sniffing the air for information, and remained alert until we entered the backyard of the abandoned house. The novel creature opened its eyes, looking towards us.

Kauākṣara appeared to initiate and moderate the contact between the bestial nouiformes. They negotiated the situation inhumanly, agreed to a mere test of mettle, and Akhbar jumped to the ground. Two creatures’ eyes locked, Kauākṣara warned me to step back. A click from his closed beak signaled the fight’s start.

Akhbar, in a fraction of a second, accelerated to Mach 2 and tackled the creature. Brutally dragging it through the fences and walls of five houses, two of which collapsed because of their primary supports being turned into shrapnel. The new creature broke from Akhbar’s control and threw them a distance of 300 meters. This creature slammed its left paw down, exploded the ground beneath it and caused an earthquake that shattered the immediate surroundings and shook a tremendous distance. Moving our foundation and compromising my footing, so I leaped 500 m into the air.

I saw this earthshaking violently uproot the foundations of and collapse all the houses and skyscrapers in this ghost town. Judging by the sound, feeling, and damage to buildings, as well as how it destabilized my footing, I estimated it to be an 8.5 on the Richter scale.

Akhbar, fighting to regain stability, unleashed a particle beam of Čerenkov radiation that effortlessly sliced through the ground, buildings, and abandoned vehicles as though they were air. A crack-like thunder accompanied the flash of light and blinding brightness of ionized air.

The other creature, experienced with earthquakes, used the unstable footing to its advantage, racing around Akhbar in a giant half-oval before attempting to ambush them. It vomited out a gallon of a napalm-like compound burning at a heat of 9 gigajoules, causing a massive self-oxidizing conflagration, which missed Akhbar.

Unknown to me, Akhbar could levitate and fly. The sound barrier breaking shockwave stunned the novel creature, but not before it could dodge Akhbar’s beam attack and throw a brick at escape velocity as a counterattack. I found it difficult to determine whether the creature was dodging the Čerenkov radiation itself or was aim dodging with startling proficiency.

Once grounded, I told Kauākṣara, “This is insane! We have to stop them!”

Kauākṣara advised me, “They’re competitive, but they won’t kill each other. Chyūn Sāan Gaap, has been my friend for over fifty years, and it seems these two already knew each other as well. Though, if you’re concerned about human casualties, no one’s here. I checked before we started this fight.”

At some point, the new creature burrowed underground, to avoid Akhbar tracking it. Hidden by the earth, the creature unleashed a VEI-3-like eruption, hurling molten debris towards Akhbar. In response, Akhbar instinctively curled up and formed an invisible sphere as a protective shield.

Kauākṣara altered the weather, turning the cloudless and sunny day into a rainy day. This interference immediately ended the match. Akhbar descended to the ground unharmed and returned to us with the demeanor of an annoyed cat, climbed up on me and took a nap upon my shoulders. Chyūn Sāan Gaap, on the other hand, exited from their hole and returned to Kauākṣara with the disposition of an annoyed golden retriever.

The degree of casual power displayed, even by Kauākṣara himself, horrified me. Moreso from Akhbar, who only weighed 6 kg (13.2 lbs), and Chyūn Sāan Gaap, who looked like they weighed 12 kg (26.5 lbs).

We conversed briefly in an abandoned house. He allowed the heavy rain, which was falling at a rate of 10 mm per hour, to persist for 10 minutes. Then, he dispersed the rain clouds, bringing back the sunny day. Akhbar sleeping on my shoulders like a pet monkey, and Chyūn Sāan Gaap sleeping at my feet like a dog. During the downpour, I asked him why they stopped so suddenly, and Kauākṣara revealed that his interference disrupted the point of the fight. To see who was more powerful.

Kauākṣara confessed, “My friend has shown me your adventures in Japan and your activities in America. You’ve witnessed the danger even limited metahuman powers can pose, as well as the danger presented by the kaijū. I believe it’s important for you to know the threat we also pose as well.”

Kauākṣara explained, “Nouiformes are more dangerous than most metahumans are. Our capacities for regeneration and matter manipulation are frightful indeed… And we can continue to fight with injuries that would quickly kill any animal…”

I asked him, “Like what?”

Kauākṣara confessed, “I have seen disemboweled nouiformes, with a broken spine, and shattered skull, go on to raze whole forests. We get more dangerous the closer to death we are, and the closer to death we survive, the stronger we get.”

I asked him, “Then how do we kill nouiformes?”

He explained, “Complete evisceration is the only surefire way to kill us. Given our durability and regeneration abilities, this is no simple task. Nothing short of getting sucked into the most powerful turbines could hope to accomplish this to even the weakest of us.”

I asked him, “I’ve seen metahumans do great things with their powers, both villainous and heroic. How can we reach out to noble nouiformes and the nouiform-bonded to serve and protect as well?”

Kauākṣara told me, “Some already have. Did you not hear of the pygmy-descended fellow with the giant bird in the GSSDO? He was a nouiform tamer, and the bird was his nouiform. Yet, there’s an undisclosed aspect of our nature that you must know.”

I asked him, “Continue?”

That’s when Kauākṣara revealed the horrifying truth: “We nouiformes are cannibalistic and anthropophagic. Without a bond to one of noble disposition or a personal transformation, we consume each other and the humans bonded to our prey. To us, cannibalism and anthropophagy are a means of becoming stronger. It is likely that under the previous attachment, your newfound friend here ate people, even if only the partners to rival nouiformes. Although now that he has attached himself to you, there is already a change in his apparent disposition. For transparency, the last time I ate a human being was around fifteen hundred years ago. I ceased this practice after forming a bond with a sage of the Dvaita and Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika-darśana.”

This admission shocked me. He analogized his revelation to the biblical command to confess our sins to each other.

“Think of this as my confession,” he explained, “so you can better understand what I am and why I won’t fight as our friends here…”

I experienced an awkward pause where I couldn’t think of anything to say. So, Kauākṣara redirected me to another important topic, “You know, our friend here needs a new name.”

He motioned to Akhbar and explained, “A new name to mark a transformation in mission and ends, don’t you think?”

I agreed, “I suppose so?”

He advised me, “Well, daughter of Adam, since they chose you, I think it should be you who chooses their new name. Consider what you want for your new friend.”

Kauākṣara gently patted Akhbar, who remained asleep.

To avoid disrupting Kauākṣara’s series of revelations, I refrained from mentioning something that had been bothering me. Although I suspect he noticed, he chose not to inquire further, likely out of courtesy. The entire time I was here, despite my penetrating vision seeing no signs of human life, I could nevertheless hear what sounded to be human whispers. Whispers whose content was indecipherable, but whose melancholic disposition was obvious.

At the end of our conversation, I noted that our way home was gone. Kauākṣara apologized but believed I could find my way back with my speed and navigation prowess.

Just before I attempted to call myself back to me, Kauākṣara reported, “One more thing before you depart, Princess. Those girls were not sufficiently skilled to pose any kind of threat to me, and they’re not prepared to fight any kind of eldritch threat.”

I asked him, “You met those girls who contacted me?”

He told me, “Yes. They failed an ambush against me yesterday. I am not sure how they could track me down, but I doubt they will be willing to co-operate with me. So, uncovering what is afoot on their end is on you. I’d suggest, if possible, contacting the girls and feigning submission to their request. I will investigate the Eldritch threat on my side as well. I have some ideas but need to research further to narrow possibilities.”

I smiled at this gentle soul and told him, extending my hand for a fist bump, which was reciprocated, “Godspeed with your investigation, Kauākŝara.”

At that moment, I was still unaware of my mispronunciation of his name.

He didn’t mind and said, “I’ll keep you in the loop and in my prayers.” Let’s keep your home safe.”

New Providence, New Hampshire, wasn’t quite my home yet, but it had grown on me for the past year. Even so, I was determined to protect it as if it were my home.

I attempted to call myself back to me, and to my surprise, all the way from an Australian ghost town, it worked.

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robininthelabyrinth · 3 years

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Wei Wuxian/Lan Xichen? Arranged marriage could be fun, but really any take you might have on them.

ao3

“Did you do something to irritate your uncle, too?” Wei Wuxian asked.

Lan Xichen finishes writing, then puts his brush down before looking back at the guest disciple from the Jiang sect. “I don’t think so,” he said. “Why do you ask?”

Wei Wuxian was lying on his back and tossing a rolled-up ball of paper up and down instead of copying the rules the way he was supposed to, but Lan Xichen didn’t scold him – the rules would be copied eventually, or they wouldn’t be. If Wei Wuxian wasn’t minded to do his work, would scolding help?

It'd only been a little while, but Lan Xichen felt that he already knew him well enough to know that it wouldn’t.

“I mean, copying rules was supposed to be my punishment,” Wei Wuxian said. “But you’re his prized student, the First Jade of Lan. Why are you stuck here supervising me?”

Lan Xichen smiled. “By all rights, the task should belong to my brother,” he explained. “He runs the discipline hall in normal times. But Wangji chose to remain in secluded cultivation rather than attend classes this season, so I have taken his place.”

Wei Wuxian pursed his lips, clearly thinking it over.

“It’s a pity,” Lan Xichen added. “I think he might have liked you.”

Rather, more accurately, he thought Wei Wuxian’s incessant teasing might have gotten under Lan Wangji’s skin – at times he feared that his brother, in his pursuit of cultivation, was growing too serious, too soon. It would do him well to spend time with those his own age, especially someone as light-hearted, witty, and clever as Wei Wuxian.

“Hey, Lan-gongzi.”

“Mm?”

Wei Wuxian had rolled over onto his stomach and was staring at Lan Xichen, who smiled helplessly back, expecting another prank. Instead, Wei Wuxian asked, “Is there really no one else in the Lan sect who can supervise punishments?”

“What,” Lan Xichen said, “am I not suitable to your eyes?”

“You’re too suitable! You’re the heir of the Lan sect, a perfect gentleman – how can you waste your time copying rules for your uncle’s lectures?”

Lan Xichen chuckled. “My uncle’s lectures are a treasure,” he said. “He teaches not only good conduct, but insight into the world and to the path each person must follow – do you know why they praise him to the skies as a teacher?”

Wei Wuxian blinked.

“He can help students apply the precepts handed down from our ancestors to their own lives, shaping them to match their own philosophies – it’s like encountering a treasure trove with a thousand gleaming gems, and if you only listen earnestly and whole-heartedly, you can claim one as your own. Putting aside exercising and improving your moral sense, the insights you will gain will tremendously speed your cultivation; in the end, you will be qualified to be a real gentleman by the cultivation world’s terms.”

“Why didn’t anyone say so?” Wei Wuxian demanded, sitting up straight. “I’ve been sitting here doing nothing –”

“If you want to waste your opportunity to obtain a beneficial education, there’s nothing anyone else can do about it.”

“You’re very frustrating, and very persuasive,” Wei Wuxian informed him, but he was already smiling. “I think I like you!”

“I’m honored.”

“All right, all right, so I’m convinced. How many more do I need to copy?”

He flicked his fingers and formed talismans: a half-dozen brushes rose up in unison, ready to paint.

Lan Xichen laughed in delight.

“His path is evil,” Lan Wangji said. His voice was level as always, unmoved even by the atrocities of the war; the people said that it was as if he had wholly left the world behind, and kept only righteousness in his heart – with no space for love or empathy.

Sometimes, Lan Xichen thought they might be right.

“His motivation is good,” he said tiredly. “Didn’t you spend time with him before? In the cave, with the Xuanwu…”

“We cooperated, and succeeded in escaping together,” Lan Wangji said coolly. “It is that experience that shows me what Wei Wuxian is capable of – and that his current path of cultivation is a matter of choice.”

Lan Xichen shook his head. “He’s fighting the Wen sect. Without him, we would be much worse off; that doesn’t seem to me to be evil.”

“Brother, I know you spent a long time looking for him alongside Sect Leader Jiang. Do not let that commitment, and your fondness for him, blind you to the truth. He could fight alongside us as a righteous cultivator, and he has instead turned to demonic cultivation. Are we to accept evil if the end results are good?”

“I do not believe he is evil,” Lan Xichen said, and then, shamefully, added, “That is my decision, Wangji. Are you questioning your sect leader?”

Lan Wangji raised his hands and saluted deeply, not even bothering to send Lan Xichen a look of judgment for playing that card. “You will need to decide what is more important,” he said. “In time.”

Lan Xichen knew that.

He shook his head a second time, this time to himself, for his foolishness. Lan Wangji was right: he would need to eventually decide between righteousness and victory, between the orthodoxy of the cultivation world and –

Love.

Unrequited love, no less.

Wei Wuxian’s fierce repulsion of Lan Xichen’s attempts to help had made that clear enough.

And yet…

He would go to look for Wei Wuxian, Lan Xichen decided, and laughed bitterly at his own foolishness. In an ideal world, he would invite him to come back to Gusu to refresh himself – to rest, to recuperate, to remember why the orthodox path was the right one. But harsh experience had shown him that the Cloud Recesses were not safe – that no one would be safe until the Wen sect was gone.

Even if it meant resorting to demonic cultivation.

Inviting Wei Wuxian back would have to wait. All Lan Xichen could do now was fight alongside him.

“You seem unhappy, Xichen,” Nie Mingjue said apropos of nothing, and Jin Guangyao looked up from where he was practicing playing the Song of Clarity, surprised. He looked even more surprised when Lan Xichen nodded, acknowledging the comment as truth.

“Are you really, er-ge?” he asked, putting aside his guqin. “Why didn’t you say?”

“You’ve met him,” Nie Mingjue said before Lan Xichen could respond. “Would he ever say?”

Jin Guangyao considered the point, then nodded.

Lan Xichen smiled. “You are both good friends,” he said. “I am blessed in my friends.”

“In your brothers,” Nie Mingjue said, and Lan Xichen couldn’t help but flinch. “Trouble with Wangji?”

“No, Wangji is perfect.” As always. “He merely reminds me of – an old disagreement of ours.”

“About what?” Jin Guangyao asked. “Is it something we could help with?”

Lan Xichen shook his head. “I don’t think anything could help.”

“Is this about Wei Wuxian?” Nie Mingjue asked, and this time it was Lan Xichen who turned to stare at him in surprise. “What?”

“You – know?”

“Know what?” Jin Guangyao asked, looking concerned and – well, a little irritated, in truth. Probably because Nie Mingjue had figured out something even he didn’t know, which wasn’t something that happened very often. “Er-ge, what is da-ge talking about?”

“Xichen has a crush on Wei Wuxian,” Nie Mingjue told Jin Guangyao, straightforward and blunt as always, and Lan Xichen put his head into his hands.

“How do you even know that?” he said, voice muffled through his palms. “We barely interacted during the Sunshot Campaign, you wouldn’t have even seen it…”

“Huaisang told me. He saw you during his time at the Cloud Recesses; he said you seemed very happy, then. And with Wei Wuxian now an exile from the cultivation world…”

“I just don’t understand why he did what he did,” Lan Xichen said. “He’s always been – I believe in him. He’s a good man. But he insists on continuing his demonic cultivation, he stole away the Wen sect and ran to Yiling…” He shook his head. “Perhaps my family is merely doomed to tragedy in love.”

He was trying to speak lightly, but for some reason that made both of his sworn brothers frown and look at each other, silent communication passing between them as if like lightning – and that was rare, too. The last time he’d seen that had been before Jin Guangyao had left for Langya.

“I don’t like the idea of er-ge being unhappy,” Jin Guangyao said abruptly. “Er-ge deserves the world. What’s one Wei Wuxian?”

“I agree,” Nie Mingjue said. “He might have been ejected from the Jiang sect, but that just makes him a rogue cultivator – and other than stealing the Wen sect remnants, he hasn’t done anything in nearly a year, hasn’t he? He just lives peacefully.”

“Growing radishes,” Lan Xichen put in, and shrugged when they looked at him. “I went to visit him…I thought someone should tell him about his shjie’s engagement.”

“You went to visit him,” Nie Mingjue said, as if that was significant. “In Yiling. I see.”

Jin Guangyao was nodding as if Nie Mingjue had said something profound.

It was a bit like the days before Langya, when Jin Guangyao was Nie Mingjue’s right hand man, his trusted deputy, and between them they planned out battle and aftermath alike, strategy and tactics.

Lan Xichen looked between the two of them and suddenly was struck with a bad feeling.

“No, wait,” he said. “You can’t – he doesn’t even like me!”

“Nonsense,” Jin Guangyao said. “Who doesn’t like our er-ge?”

“I’m incredibly sorry about this,” Lan Xichen said to Wei Wuxian, who looked dazed. “I didn’t think they’d go this far just because I liked you. You shouldn’t have to marry me to bring your Wen sect back into the world – in fact, I’m not going to allow it! I’ll fight for their ability to live freely without any such ridiculous conditions, I promise. Am I not a sect leader in my own right? I will –“

“Wait,” Wei Wuxian said. “You like me? As in –” He mimed cutting his sleeve. “Like me?”

“Yes, and you don’t like me in return, I know,” Lan Xichen said. “You should feel no obligation whatsoever. As I said, I will –”

“Doesn’t your brother want to kill me?”

It was quite possible Lan Wangji wanted to kill Wei Wuxian.

“I wouldn’t let him,” Lan Xichen said. That seemed more relevant.

“You don’t mind my demonic cultivation?”

“I mean, I prefer orthodoxy, of course, but it seems clear enough to me that your intentions are good. As long as you remain restrained and disciplined – and I know you have the capability to do so – then I don’t see why –”

“When are we getting married?” Wei Wuxian asked. “And can I invite Jiang Cheng, and shijie?”

“You misunderstand,” Lan Xichen said. “You don’t have to –“

He stopped speaking for a few moments.

A little later he cleared his throat and said, “Ah. I see.”

Wei Wuxian grinned at him.

#mdzs #lan xichen #wei wuxian #lan wangji #nie mingjue #jin guangyao #my fic #my fics

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chibimyumi · 3 years

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Lost and Wins in Adaptation

Dear everyone, as per Anon’s request, I shall analyse a Kuromyu and discuss the Lost and Wins in Adaptation. The results of your democratic votes (comments and asks) are out, and the winner is TANGO ON THE CAMPANIA! In this post I shall only be discussing character/plot influential changes, so no stand-alone comedic sketches will be included.

This is going to be a very long post because there’s just so much to unpack. But feel free to read it in bits, or skip to the part you are most interested in (but do come back later though (ÒvÓ)b). This post will include the following sections:

What makes a good adaptation?

AberHanks - Expert Glue and Filler

“Just like my family!” - One line, many messages

Grell - A Capable Career Woman

An unfortunate Sacrifice

Raw Trash Demon

Active Inclusion Midfords - Manga Fix?

Reunion and Aftermath

Afterword

I promise you the analysis will make you love TotC even more!

1. What makes a good adaptation?

2.5D wouldn’t exist without the 2D, so it is essential for any 2.5D producer to prove to the fans the producing side understood the source material using their form of medium. Changes are inevitable, but the key is that when things are changed, the core of the original needs to remain intact.

Theatre as medium’s biggest disadvantage is its strict time constraints. Whether the producers are capable of adapting a story within the time constraints without it feeling like a quickly duct-taped patchwork is what distinguishes a good adaptation from a bad one. The scriptwriters have no choice but to sacrifice parts to tell a concise story, but the art is in skillfully choosing what to yeet. The musical does need to be able to stand on its own without new audiences going “what?”, after all

2. AberHanks - Expert Glue and Filler

The most obvious difference between the original manga and Tango on the Campania is the addition of Aberline and the musical original, Hanks. In Tango on the Campania they are very cleverly employed to tie the musical together within the time constraints.

Ronald appeared before the Campania Arc, but it wasn’t before this one that he gets his own proper introduction. What the manga readers and musical-only audience have in common then, is that at this point of the story, Ronald is almost equally new. The line: “if we get to meet again, alive, that is” is a very effective way to introduce Ronald’s chipper but cynical personality. In the manga Ronald’s conversation partner was a passenger who fancied Ronald. It would have been a waste of stage time to adapt the third class setting and introduce this girl too, but skipping the line entirely would not do Ronald’s introduction justice. So the script writers cleverly used AberHanks instead, and when Ronald delivered the iconic line, the impact is still the same as in the original.

Additionally, AberHanks are supportive roles in them being police officers who help combat the zombies. The historic Titanic had a really poor survival rate, and that’s without dealing with murderous zombies. In Campania however, that’s a different story. I would argue that Aberline and Hanks evacuation efforts, along with the Formidable Midfords greatly increased the survival rate of Campania passengers.

This addition is a brilliant three-birds-one-stone move. This firstly shows that despite AberHanks being the comic relief, as the police they are not there to fool around. Secondly, by explicitly placing the Midfords along literal fighters of crime, the audience also clearly understands what the Midfords - the Chivalric order - are: fellow fighters of crime.

Thirdly, the gentleman’s code of evacuation is children and women first, and AberHanks would undoubtedly also have heeded that code. And yet Frances was there, and AberHanks never attempted to evacuate her or doubted her skill. The police and Frances fighting side by side shows the audience that even in the 19th century, Frances is recognised firstly as member of the Chivalric Order, before being ““just a woman in a huge dress””. Don’t mess with her.

3. “Just like my family!” - one line, many messages.

A very small but game-changing alternation is when Ciel was trying to convince Lizzie to remove her dress to benefit escape. In the manga when Lizzie refused, O!Ciel immediately rips the dress, saying that once dead she won’t be able to wear any dress, because death is the end of everything.

In the musical with real child actors they couldn’t very well reenact this scene, so instead they gave Ciel the line: “Everything is over if you’re dead, just like my family!”

In the musical, Ciel doesn’t touch Lizzie, which is very clever. When someone refuses to remove her clothes, it is because she feels infringed, exposed and/or unsafe. If somebody doesn’t do something out of fear, what you need to do to convince them is to minimise that fear. By forcefully ripping her clothes, MangaCiel only made Lizzie feel even more infringed.

Instead of touching Lizzie, MusicalCiel appeals to Lizzie’s empathy. By making Ciel say “my family” to Lizzie, both audience and Lizzie are shown/reminded how Ciel had tragically lost his family, and cannot afford to lose more. At that time of the musical, new audiences wouldn't know yet what Ciel had been through. So when later the Cinematic Record of Sebas started, “just like my family” also functions as an effective foreshadowing of what would later be revealed, avoiding Ciel being in a cage looking like it came from nowhere to new audiences.

One could argue that Ciel’s phrase was emotional manipulation, yes... but it was a literal life or death situation for the objective good of everyone. And besides, we all know who our Trash Lord™ is; manipulation is part of him.

Ciel had yelled at Lizzie, and immediately he turned around, clutching his chest. It was such an impressive moment because it showed how that blow Ciel dealt was a doubled edged one. Lizzie was clearly hit too, and very quickly she realised her own fault and apologised. Then the most fun part for the audience is to consider whether this was Ciel’s genuine reaction, or whether that was all part of his acting skills in manipulating Lizzie. I say both are equally likely! (Oh Reo, you brilliant little...)

I personally consider this alteration superiour to the manga original.

4. Grell - A Capable Career Woman

Per Yana’s direct request to Grell’s actor, Uehara, she asked him to portray Grell as a capable career woman because Yana admitted she failed to do so herself.

Most of Yana’s request was fulfilled simply by Uehara’s acting and respect for Grell, but there is also one tiny line added to her script which emphasises her focus on her job. “I’m dropping you!”

Nobody on the Campania had time to fool around because it was literally going down. Grell had her job to do, and yet Rian thought it a good idea to withhold information from Grell about the method of stopping the zombies. By threatening Rian whose life was at Grell’s mercy with “I’m dropping you”, the audience is very effectively shown that Grell is a no-nonsense woman, and that she knows how to get someone to talk. 👌👌👌

5. An Unfortunate Sacrifice

Some things had to be omitted to fit the stage time limit, but the most painful omission in my opinion were details in Sebastian’s cinematic record.

A really unfortunate but understandable omission was Ciel reuniting with Tanaka and Madam Red... but considering the time constraints of the musical, shoe-horning these moments in with different actors would have come at the expense of the rest of the musical. Though very sad, it is what it is.

Another omission is Sebas forgetting to spare one assassin to interrogate. In this post I discussed in detail why this omission by the movie adaptation was such a sin. Tango on the Campania omitted that part too, though as a stage medium it is more forgivable than an animated movie with endless possibilities Ò^Ó. Nevertheless it is a bit sad, because this omission takes away that the audience can see how Sebas was just so used to massacring on auto pilot, and how even Sebas himself recognises he needs to learn control.

THOUGH, I must say the musical actually tries to compensate for this shortcoming, unlike the movie. This omission of what showed that Sebas was far from perfect at the beginning, Furukawa compensated by simply being the most insincere, passive-aggressive, unprofessional, arrogant prick he could be.

The audience won’t catch a hint that Sebas used to be no more than a weapon, but they will see how Sebastyun never served a human on close proximity before!

6. Raw Trash Demon

I have already talked about how Sebastyun is a real game-changer on this blog, so I will not repeat every detail again. So here I will only address the significant changes in spoken lines that add to Sebastian’s character before he was fully trained. In this post I discussed in detail how Furukawa portrayed Sebastian’s gradual growth from raw demon to one hell of a butler. Sebas at the beginning was really butler in appearance only, as he was insolent and never knew when to shut his wondrous trap.

In stage format it would have been quite awkward to do a bath scene, so instead the creators replaced it with a wound-dressing scene. Instead of pouring hot water over the boy, Sebastyun is now scrubbing his master’s skin off. When the boy protests, rather than immediately apologising like his manga counterpart did, Sebastyun just shoves the feedback right back down the boy’s throat. “You’re making too much of a big deal out of it.” Here we see how Sebas is not there to serve his master, he’s just doing his thing because he has to.

Another line that is musical only is when Ciel’s stomach rumbled, and Sebas laughed his arse off, saying: “what an inglorious sound!” In the manga Sebas started a high-horse speech about human weakness, which was quite bold already. But he did not seem to dare straight up humiliate his master for a basic bodily need.

Sebastyun however? Balls of steel.

He humiliates his master, can’t apologise for shit, and when he says things in compliance with his master, it’s in a tone of: “well, screw you too”. Sebastyun was so bad at his job that Ciel too was given another line that wasn’t in the manga: “The preparations of a day’s meals is part of a butler’s job”.

Sebas had just criticised his master for being a useless kid, and now Ciel makes a comeback with the line: “well, you don’t even know what your literal job is, let alone how to do it.” The addition of this line is very powerful in my opinion, because it quite effectively compensates for the omitted scenes of Ciel and Sebas both sucking at their respective roles.

When O!Ciel commented on Sebas’ awful cooking, MangaSebas seemed quite willing to do his job well, and immediately offered to fix his mistake. Sebas does not apologise, but he does show that he made a mistake in not being considerate enough of Ciel’s current condition.

Sebastyun however, couldn’t apologise for shit at the beginning. Instead of showing openness to feedback, he immediately externalises by making humans the problem again, rather than his own lack of cooking skill. No wonder Ciel smashed that table with such aggression!

Another changed line is Sebas bringing his master hot milk after his failed dinner attempt. Originally Sebas did so potentially as an attempt to show his readiness to do better at his job. He explains that he does so out of consideration for the well-being of the boy.

In the musical however, Sebastyun does not say the manga line. Instead he says: “I can’t afford to have you starve to death.” I am not sure whether this was the script or Furukawa’s improvisation, but either way it perfectly shows yet again, how Sebas is not there to serve his master, but to just get his tasks over with.

This is a very short but efficient alternative way to retell how Sebas especially at the beginning was not very enthusiastic about being summoned, as analysed here from the original Japanese manga. Sebas is not like: “(UwU) gimme more orders”, he’s like: “(ಠ_ಠ) what is it this time?”

A small addition that was definitely an improvisation was Sebastyun sitting down on Ciel’s bed, and the boy pushing him away. (At the beginning of the run Furukawa didn’t do that yet. The first time Furukawa sat down Reo just moved aside and gave Sebas a nasty look.) Here it also reemphasises how little Sebastian understood of what was done and NOT done as a servant.

A final, noteworthy addition in the far beginning of their contract was Ciel saying that he acknowledges both he himself are the demon are still fakes. The boy says this line after Sebas had brought him hot milk which Ciel appreciated.

Ciel calls his butler forward in a soft tone, and Sebastyun just looked so self-congratulatory, self-satisfied, he adjusted his suit, standing all ready like: PRAISE ME! (●´ิ∀´ิ●)✨

Yeah no... you wish.

In the manga this line doesn’t exist, so Sebas is simply surprised to hear the compliment, and then his master just splashes the cold water right over him.

7. Active Inclusion Midfords - Manga Fix?

The most dramatic and influential change to the musical is the active inclusion of the Midfords. It is an entire scene that was added to the musical, so it is a bit impossible to unpack everything in this already very long post. So here I will only address the most game-changing alterations.

Yana Beaten to the Punch, strike 2 and 3?

Now many chapters later than the Campania Arc, we know that the Midfords had been the legal guardians of Ciel after the death of his family. But even before the release of the chapter, we’d see in Sebastyun’s Cinematic Record how the Midfords were very involved with their nephew. This shows how much respect for the manga the musical producers had, and how well they understood their source material that they too could beat Yana to the punch. Strike 2!

Both Midfords were present before and during the decoration ceremony. And Sebas bows deeply, thanking them sincerely for their aid all this time. Sebas cannot lie, so when he says “sincere gratitude”, it really was sincere. Alexis responds humbly, saying that it’s simply the right thing to do.

Not only did the Midfords aid Ciel in his reintegration into the world, Frances also showed the audience and Sebas she knows exactly what she is preparing the child for. Frances says she understands how cruel it is for the young Ciel to do what is expected of him, because being Earl means more than wealth and power. It is: “shouldering the burden and name of ‘the Queen’s Watchdog’.” The musical also does a great job at linking Frances’ position as the previous Watchdog’s sister, to being the legal guardian of the future Watchpuppy.

I have seen many manga readers talk about how they found Frances’ involvement insufficient in the manga, and I understand. She has a very small role in the manga, so we don’t know what she has or hasn’t done to help. But in Tango on the Campania, we do get a much clearer sense of the Midfords’ role in Ciel’s life.

Ciel was still mid-preparation before the start of the Ceremony, but Frances and Alexis had already arrived to keep a parental eye on him.Ciel is surprised, but Frances responds with: “it would set a bad example if the star is late”. Though it is but one short phrase, the script writers shows (not ‘tells’) how she is there because she wants to make sure Ciel’s decoration will go smoothly, as well as that her own role is to set an example for Ciel by being on time herself.

This is possibly a reference to what Sebas says to Frances in chapter 14, how he wishes her to be his master’s example. Except that here in the musical, it is Frances who takes this initiative, which in my opinion is the superiour way.

When Frances commends Ciel for his courage of returning to fight, Sebastian adds: “The most opportune chance for counter attack is when the opponent strikes. That is what milady Frances had taught him, the Young Master said.”

To which Frances is quite surprised to hear, and incredulously she says: “Ciel said that?” This makes one suspect whether Frances really said those words to supposedly Real Ciel. It would be very funny if Sebastian (accidentally) gave Frances a hint of his master’s real identity. I am not sure whether this is an implicit hint that Frances might have started suspecting Ciel is not the Real Ciel. Some have theorised Frances has the deepest suspicions among everyone. If that turns out to be true, then TotC might have beaten the original manga to the punch again. Potential strike three!

Another change is the replacement of Madam Red with Alexis. This one is just a very pragmatic change, because the phrase “To Ciel you are already as good as family” is very iconic and important and shouldn’t be left out. But getting a Madam Red in here out of nowhere would require time-consuming exposition. So by giving this phrase to Alexis instead, the musical effectively solves two problems in one go.

8. Reunion and Aftermath

Another addition to the original manga is the reunion on the rescue ship, just like the the movie adaptation of the Campania Arc did. After all that has happened it is very nice for the audience to see the emotional reunion and the aftermath. In the manga the Arc ended with Sebas and his master on the rescue boat, and it had a very nice, open feeling to it, I absolutely love it! 💖🚤

Audience Considerate Story Telling

To a musical-only audience (which TotC had a lot of because of the collaboration with TOHO), the opening ending might have felt a bit abrupt. These musical-only spectators don’t have the Arcs after the Campania to know for sure Sebas and Ciel went home safely, and that life would just continue. Nor would they know for sure what kind of impact the enormous revelation of Undertaker being a reaper would have on our protagonists. Had the non-manga audiences been given the same ending as the original, then it might have looked a bit like this to them.

Also considering the musical medium, any (Japanese) audience would want a satisfying finale song to wrap everything up. (Kuromyu21 not having one was a real complaint among JP spectators). And after the dramatic brawl song of Sebas fighting the zombies on that boat, you can’t very well pull another song on that tiny thing again. Okay, the song TotC did settle with for the finale song was......very disappointing in my opinion as it reminded me more of a Disney parade, but it at least had a song.

Emotional Full Circle

Despite the song being quite unfitting, the emotional reunion really, REALLY hit hard. When Lizzie says “welcome back” to Ciel, it was a perfect full circle back to what Lizzie couldn’t do 3 years ago.

In her flashback of 3 years ago when Ciel returned to her, the boy lifelessly said: “I’m back... Elisabeth”. Lizzie however never responded with “welcome back” because she was too preoccupied with something just feeling off.

In the musical reunion however, unlike 3 years ago Lizzie was fully emotionally equipped to genuinely welcome her fiancé back, and Ciel too happily responds: “yeah, I’m back, Lizzie”, using Lizzie’s preferred name.

Sebastian’s Aftermath

The reunion is but a simple addition, but it allows the musical to show the impact of such a traumatic event on the omnipotent demon butler.

The Cinematic Record showed how cocky Sebastyun was, and how he didn’t have a single worry in his life. After Undertaker had fatally wounded even the demon however, Sebas became a different person. In the finale we see Undertaker silently disappearing into the shadows. Sebastyun wasn’t even entirely sure whether Undertaker was there, but at the merest suspicion already you see him flinch and twitch. This shows how from now on Sebas has become a person who is on edge.

I mean, what’s the point of telling an event if the event doesn’t impact the story and characters, right? In this way too, the inserted aftermath scene skillfully wraps up an overwhelmingly eventful story.

9. Afterword

Well, thank you for reading this looong post till the end! As discussed in this post, TotC did a wonderful job at adapting an existing story with consideration of its audience and medium.

The largest obstacle of the theatre medium is time constraint, so the makers have to sacrifice parts. In what was sacrificed however, they more than sufficiently compensated by including parts outside the Campania Arc into the musical, without harming the integrity. This shows just how much respect and knowledge the TotC team have of the source material.

As a musical adaptation, it is an exemplary production.

Hyper Detailed Development - The Art of Kneeling

That Demon, Skin Crawling

That Butler - Punchable

Lost in Translation II - Sebastyun’s Butlernese

#Kuromyu #Comparative analysis #Tango on the Campania #Campania #Musical #Sebastyun #Furukawa Yuta #Uchikawa Reo

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yeah-klave · 3 years

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A Short History of What Happened - Chapter 5

Written, with love, for EnKlave Fest 2021.

Catch up with the story so far: Chapter 1; Chapter 2; Chapter 3; Chapter 4

Prompt: Omegas aren’t allowed to join the army, but then Omega!Klaus gets dropped into Vietnam and has to pose as a Beta. He manages quite well, right until he goes into heat. Alpha!Dave is protective and incredibly aroused/horny.

Genre: Omega verse, smut, developing relationships, slow burn, undercover, misunderstandings, secretly in love.

Word length: This chapter: 3.9k

Warning: Implied, canon-compliant abuse. Implied homophobia. Discussion of AU-specific political issues, including victim-blaming, gay-shame and dub-con medical procedures. The entire work, when posted, will contain explicit sexual content.

Disclaimer: I don’t own any of The Umbrella Academy characters or settings.

***************************************************************

They walked on in silence for a while.

Dave wasn’t quite sure why or how, but he felt more content in this moment than he had in months, years even. Maybe ever.

It was ridiculous. The man walking beside him was practically a stranger. A mystery; with secrets and a painful history and – quite possibly – more than a little darkness inside him.

Dave couldn’t explain it, but somehow, he still felt a… pull.

Perhaps Klaus did live in a world of shadows, but maybe Dave could turn on the light. Maybe Dave could be the light.

Dave heard a gentle inhale next to him and turned to see Klaus breathing deeply, his eyes closed and his heard tilted back slightly.

Dave faltered, was he… scenting the air?

Klaus’ lashes fluttered and he opened his eyes and caught Dave’s gaze. His irises were thin green disks around the dark pools of his blown pupils.

“Whaafght,” Dave stuttered.

Klaus blinked.

Dave composed himself, took a deep breath and started again.

“What,” Dave swallowed, thinking frantically and eventually grasping at the first coherent thought that came to him, “what kind of music do you like?”

Before him, a smile spread slowly across Klaus’ face and a twinkle lit up his eyes.

“Buckle up, David,” Klaus smiled, “I’m about to take you on a wild ride.”

And he did.

Dave hadn’t even heard of most of the songs Klaus listed off. In fact, he didn’t recognise them to all, even when Klaus sang bits aloud in a breathy, enthusiastic, but slightly off-key voice. Dave was feeling light and relaxed, but he didn’t start getting giggly until Klaus began adding the accompanying dance moves – a series of shimmies, little hip rolls and dramatic arm movements. Dave started laughing. And once he started, he found it really difficult to stop. The sound of Dave attempting to supress his giggling seemed to spur Klaus on because he just started hamming it up even more.

Dave tried to get himself under control a couple of times, glancing around nervously, aware of where they were. But the coast looked completely clear and then he’d look back at Klaus and the expression on his face would set him off again.

“I’ve never,” Dave wheezed between peals of laughter, “even heard of these songs. My favourite song is The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. Where you’re from must be much hipper than where I grew up.”

“Ohmigod, Dave!” Klaus choked, “Hip! You’re just too precious!”

“It means trendy or… happening,” Dave helpfully supplied.

Klaus’ faced creased and he doubled over in silent giggles.

“That’s perfect,” Klaus choked out, gasping for air, “absolutely spiffing! Completely ripping! Positively groovy!”

Dave didn’t quite get the joke, but grinned along with him.

“It must have been, though,” Dave bobbed his head earnestly. “We must be pretty out of touch with the cool music where I’m from.”

“Where’s that?” Klaus asked.

“Near Dallas,” Dave supplied.

“Ooh, a Southerner!” Klaus said. “So, Dave, are you more a smooth Southern gentleman or rough Texas cowboy?”

Dave paused. “Neither,” he said finally, “I’m just me. Just boring old Dave Katz. There’s nothing interesting about me. I’m just… a plain hamburger kind of a guy.”

Klaus looked at him steadily. “I don’t buy that at all,” he said. “There’s nothing plain hamburger about you, Dave.”

“Well,” Dave corrected himself. “Actually, my order would probably be plain hamburger with two pickles, if I’m being exact. And picky.”

“Exactly,” Klaus grinned. “See, just what I said! Flavour! Dave Katz likes to slip a bit of pickle in his hamburger!”

Klaus wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Dave coughed uncomfortably. This conversation was straying into dangerous territory.

“How do you take your hamburger, then?” Dave asked.

“I like a little pickle,” Klaus said. “Well actually, I like a big pickle. A big, hard pickle.” He waggled his eyebrows again and then did an adorable little two-eyed wink. Dave felt his cheeks heating up at the same time his heart clenched a little at the cuteness. “The cheese can go take a running jump, though,” Klaus added, “and it had better come with fries and ketchup or else heads will roll. To be honest though, hamburger probably wouldn’t be my first choice for favourite food.”

“What would be?” Dave asked, interested.

Klaus pondered. “I knew someone once who made amazing ossobuco, that was pretty good. And I’ve always had a sweet spot of doughnuts. My siblings and I used to…” Klaus trailed off.

Dave held his breath, but Klaus didn’t add any more. Dave chanced a glance sideways. Klaus had a distant, faraway look in his eyes.

Dave racked his brain for a change of topic.

“Have you ever read Dune?” he asked.

Klaus appeared to give himself a little shake.

“No,” he said, “what’s it about?”

“Well,” and with that, Dave launched into a monologue about his favourite ever book. As he talked, he saw Klaus’ eyes flitting over his face, smiling and nodding along. There was a warmth and fondness there that took Dave by surprise; an unguarded acceptance. The mutual respect of a new friendship. It made Dave feel giddy and drunk, a bubble of happiness growing inside him.

Dave was just wondering whether he should start telling Klaus about his interpretation of the ‘fear is the little death’ line, when he suddenly noticed in the distance, the location of the new camp they were travelling towards.

Reality hit him like a punch to the face.

He’d had all this time alone with Klaus to talk about the difficult things, the things they couldn’t speak about in front of the others and they’d wasted it on hamburgers and silly dance moves. In fact, he’d hardly got any answers to the multitude of questions that has been plaguing him since Klaus first arrived. They still had so many practical things they needed to discuss.

“Klaus,” Dave said, his voice low and urgent.

Klaus flinched and looked around quickly for the danger.

Guiltily, Dave backtracked.

“No. Sorry. It’s fine. It’s just, we’ve almost arrived and…” he paused, usure how to phrase the next bit. “There are still a few things we should probably talk about first.”

“Like what?” Klaus asked, his voice innocent and confused.

“Well…” Dave started slowly. “You know…” He looked at Klaus hopefully. Klaus looked back, nonplussed.

Dave shifted uncomfortably, then whispered. “You know… omega stuff.” He swallowed. “Like… how we’re going to mask your scent and keep you safe.” He shifted uncomfortably again. “And then there’s,” he gave an embarrassed little cough, “there’s your…. ummmm…” his cheeks were bright red now, “there’s your…” he looked down and finally mumbled, “your heats.”

“Oh,” Klaus said breezily. “No need to worry about that, I have the suppressor implant.” He waved Dave’s words off with a distracted flap of his hand. “And the IUD, too” he added as an afterthought. “With the scent thing, though, I thought you said the others were all betas? They won’t be able to smell me. Only alphas can smell omegas. And there’s just you, so I’m all good.”

Dave frowned, confused. “What do you mean implant?”

“The heat suppressor implant,” Klaus clarified. “I have been – almost exclusively – since I was in my teens.” His face darkened. “My dad made me. He didn’t trust me. I mean, it’s not like I wanted to get bonded to the first alpha that came along, or get myself knocked up at seventeen. But I would have liked the chance to masturbate my way through my heats in my locked bedroom like a normal teenage omega. What I really needed was a whack-off dildo. But, oh no! That’s not okay for Number Four. He had to have the medical implant instead.”

Dave frowned deeper, trying desperately to keep up.

“Are you saying,” he said slowly, “that you have something implanted in you that’s stops you going into heat?”

“Umm, yeah,” Klaus drawled, looking at him as though Dave was the one talking nonsense. But then his eyes got really wide and he snapped his mouth shut.

“Fuck,” he said under his breath, staring into the middle distance. “They didn’t start doing that until…” he paused, “So nobody here has…” he trailed off again.

“Klaus?” Dave prompted.

Klaus gave a deep sigh. “Look,” he said. “I can’t explain it. But we don’t need to worry about my heats. I’m good for easily another few months.” He sighed again deeply. “And by then I expect Five will have… done something anyway... probably come and got me. So, I’ll be long gone before that’s an issue.”

Dave choked. “There are five of them after you?”

“What?” Klaus frowned. “No, Five. My brother Five.”

Dave was completely lost. “Okay,” he said slowly, still not quite sure what had happened but somehow trusting that Klaus knew what he was talking about. “Okay, that’s good, I think. So unexpected heats is something we can cross off the list of worries.”

“Yes.” Klaus gave a definitive nod. “So go on, what else did you have on that list?” Klaus asked. “It was my scent, wasn’t it? I don’t get what’s the big deal is if we’re just surrounded by betas?”

“Everyone else in our unit are betas,” Dave confirmed. “But there are alphas in the other units. I mean,” he added delicately, “I don’t know if any that are openly… you know…” he trailed off.

“Gay?” Klaus supplied.

“Yeah,” Dave said thankfully. “But, I mean, that’s not to say there aren’t any. If they were they’d probably – no definitely – try to hide that.” Dave twisted his face in discomfort. Klaus was looked at him unblinkingly, a question lodged behind his slightly furrowed brows.

Dave swallowed again and tried to steady his breathing, determinedly not making eye contact. He couldn’t let Klaus know that he was talking about himself. Not after everything Klaus had said earlier about manipulative alphas only being kind to omegas for sex. He wanted Klaus to feel safe. He wanted Klaus to trust him.

So Dave couldn’t let him know that he was one of those kind of alphas. The ones who were attracted to men. The alphas who were almost as rare as male omegas. After what Klaus had shared about his past, he didn’t want Klaus to feel scared of him. He didn’t want to make him feel like… prey.

Klaus was one hundred percent safe with Dave. Dave knew he would never force himself on anyone. But Klaus didn’t know that. Klaus would just see him as a potential threat. Even worse, he might think that he was manipulating him, that Dave had befriended him on false pretences, only to get close to him and... and… Dave shuddered.

Klaus had made it very clear – he was running from an abusive alpha. So absolutely under no circumstances could Dave let him know his preferences. The competing alpha urges battled inside him again: desire and protection. Protection won.

“So,” Klaus said slowly, “you’re saying I need to be careful to hide the fact that I’m an omega from the alphas in other units, not because they’d want to fuck me – because they’re probably not interested in that – but because they’d out me as an omega. And I’d then be sent… back.”

“Yeah,” Dave nodded. “And if back isn’t safe for you, then we need to make sure they don’t find out, so that you can stay here where you’re safe. Safer.”

“Okay,” Klaus said. “How do we hide my omega-ness from them, then?”

“Well,” Dave said, “for a start, don’t tell anyone you’re an omega.”

“Good one, Sherlock” Klaus grinned.

“Secondly,” Dave said ignoring Klaus’ comment with a small shrug and a roll of his eyes, “I guess, try to keep the scent glands in your neck and wrists covered as much as possible. Clothing is okay for a start, but if you’re going to be around alphas for any length of time, it might be a good idea to cover up even more… bandages or dressings maybe? Or – at a push – a layer of mud might work.”

“That sounds gross.” Klaus wrinkled his nose in disgust.

“I know, it sucks,” Dave pulled a sympathetic face, “but it’s safer.”

“It sucks to be safe!” Klaus huffed in frustration. “And you have no idea how much it really sucks. I’m not really one for coving up. I like to live my life scantily clad.”

Dave swallowed and looked resolutely ahead.

“You know…” Klaus said in a sing-song voice, “bare chested twink, make the boys wink…”

“Twink?” Dave frowned.

“That would be me, Dave,” Klaus said, waving his arms in a flourish that took in his whole body. He did a quick twirl on the spot.

“Oh.” Dave could feel his face heating up again.

“Or,” Klaus carried on, “if you want to sin, show some skin… to make him cum, bare your tum.”

“They’re,” Dave swallowed, “interesting rhymes.”

Klaus let out a musically little giggle and batted his long eyelashes theatrically. “All of my own creation, Davey. And anyway… what more do you expect? I’m just a little omega sex toy, there’s nothing up here in my head. I’m only good for one thing… pleasuring horny alphas.”

Dave frowned. “Omegas are worth so much more than that,” he said seriously. His mouth had gone very dry.

“Dave, it’s fine, I was joking.” Klaus said with a little shrug.

“No,” Dave said. “It’s not okay. I know what the law says, but general perceptions aren’t so fast to change. And it’s not fair that omegas are still treated like second class citizens. You shouldn’t feel like you have to act a part just because it’s what’s expected of you. You should be able to be exactly who you want to be.” Dave’s voice had risen and he was breathing deeply. The ironic weight of his words rang in his ears long after he’d finished talking.

“I completely agree,” Klaus said seriously, all frivolity stripped from his face. He looked vulnerable and open again. “I’m absolutely an advocate for omega rights. And it’s good to know that you’re an omega ally. Those rhymes though… I know it might seem like that’s me conforming to an expected stereotype, but actually, it’s the opposite. I hate being told that I shouldn’t embrace my sexuality because it negates years of omega rights protests. Acting like a flirt doesn’t mean I don’t believe omegas should have equal rights in society, whether they’re bonded or not. As far as I’m concerned, there’s a world of difference between choosing to act like a sex object and being forced into it. And I hate it when other omegas imply I’m being a bad omega, like there’s a right way and a wrong way. Fuck everyone who says acting like a stereotype propagates the wrong impression and makes it okay for alphas to treat us that way. That’s just victim blaming. If alphas act like fucking dicks, that’s on them, not us!” Klaus took a long, shuddering inhale.

“I’m sorry I said anything,” Dave said sincerely. “I’m sorry if I upset you or I said the wrong thing. I’m not always the best at talking about this kind of stuff. All I meant to say was… I think omegas get a raw deal and… and… and I’m on your side.”

Klaus smiled contrite. “I know, I’m sorry that got a bit heavy. And don’t worry, you didn’t say anything wrong. It’s just omega politics!” He blew out a frustrated breath.

Dave pulled a sympathetic face.

“Anyway,” Klaus said, gathering himself again, “where were we? Oh, yeah, slathering me in mud and making me cover up like a nun.” He grinned and did his funny little two eyed blink again. “Any other ideas about how to mask me up and make me the least fuckable guy in the country?” His voice was light and Dave knew he was only joking.

Dave cleared his throat. “Umm,” he started, “I thought maybe… you could wear my clothes?” He could feel his cheeks heating up again. “After I’ve had them on, I mean. That way my natural alpha smell might cover yours a bit. But you don’t have to,” He added hurriedly, “if you think that’s weird or gross or whatever. It was just an idea.”

Klaus shrugged. “Nope, I mean, that’s a perfectly logical idea. To other alphas, a faint alpha smell mixed with a fait omega smell will probably come out smelling like… well, probably like a bit of a funky smelling beta. But I can deal with that.”

Dave nodded. “I know it’s less than ideal, but I think that’s probably the best option. Other than that, I guess we’ll just have to play it by ear.”

Klaus paused, then said slowly. “So, basically, I’m not really safe here unless you help me. I have to stay on your good side, or else bad things could happen to me? That sounds like it’s come straight from victim testimony.”

Dave grimaced. “Yeah, I totally see where you’re coming from with that. All I can say is that… I’m not like that. I genuinely just want to help you. I know that sounds pretty pathetic and not very reassuring. But the bad things are genuine threats, and we’re in the unusual situation where I actually am the only one who can help. So hopefully you can learn to trust that I am actually an okay guy.” He gave an apologetic little shrug and looked over towards Klaus. “I’ve got your back, soldier. Whether you believe me or not.”

Klaus cocked his head to one side and appraised him seriously, but Dave thought he could smell something light and teasing in the air.

“I guess we’ll see, won’t we… soldier?” He said eventually.

“I’ll take that,” Dave said calmly, his face soft and open and honest. Klaus just looked back at him, his expression unreadable.

They had walked on a few more paces before Dave looked over at Klaus warily. “There is something else I should probably tell you.” He said slowly.

Klaus’ ears pricked up and he looked over at Dave quickly. Dave’s nostrils flared, expecting a wave of apprehension from Klaus, but instead all he caught the scent of was… hopeful. He faltered and looked over at Klaus, whose eyes were large and fixed on Dave’s face.

“There is an alpha in another unit,” he started and watched as Klaus’ face fell slightly before his eyes. “I don’t really know, but I have heard… rumours.”

Klaus frowned again. “What kind of rumours?”

“Well,” Dave said. “I heard that… when he was back home… he was arrested a couple of times for abusing omegas, but he got off on technicalities.”

Klaus swallowed and his upper lip twitched in suppressed anger. “Bastard,” he said quietly.

“Yeah,” Dave intoned flatly. “But look,” he added quickly. “I don’t know if that’s true. It could just be an ugly rumour.”

“All rumours start with a grain of truth somewhere. Except when Allison’s involved.” Klaus grinned. “Man, I wish I could introduce people like that to Allison. She’d sort them right out!” He barked a laugh.

Dave fought the urge to ask who Allison was, and instead said, “I just thought I’d give you a heads up. Just in case, you know. Just to be extra careful around him. He’s big. And not just alpha big. I mean, he’s big big. He could probably snap you in two with his little finger.”

“And by that you actually mean he’d split me in half. Right up the middle.”

Dave grimaced. “Well, I was trying to put it delicately.”

“Yeah, I know you were. Thanks though, I’ll watch out for him. Maybe you can point him out to me?”

“Sure,” Dave agreed.

They walked a little further in silence. It wasn’t exactly the comfortable silence of earlier, but Dave at least felt content that he’d said what needed to be said and was happy they’d come up with a plan. After a few more steps, Klaus chimed up.

“It really doesn’t seem fair that omega biology makes us so much smaller and slighter alphas. I mean, why do we have to be as small as betas. We’re the ones expected to mate with alphas. Alphas who are biologically huge!” He turned towards Dave and looked up into his eyes. Dave looked down at him, really appreciating for the first time the size difference between them. “I mean, everything is just so big about alphas. Their height, their build, their personalities, their cocks…” Dave choked slightly and Klaus grinned, raising an eyebrow. “Don’t get me wrong, I am into alpha cocks, but biologically they really are unnecessarily enormous.” Dave looked resolutely ahead, but dimly he was aware that Klaus’ gaze had travelled down to his crotch and the noticeable bulge in his uniform pants.

“The size thing is all very well when it’s an alpha you’re into,” Klaus continued, his gaze still lowered. “But when it’s a predatory alpha throwing his weight around, it’s a bit disconcerting. Omegas should at least have some sort of biological defence mechanism to protect ourselves from alphas like that. Like skunk stick gas, or retractable cat claws.”

Dave let out a loud laugh. He brought a hand up to cover him mouth.

Klaus watched him with a twinkle in his eye.

“Oh my god,” Dave huffed out a chuckle. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. I’m just picturing you with tufty ears and a tail, like a hybrid feline-man… or a cat-boy or something. That’s so wild.”

“Wow,” Klaus said under this breath. “Just wait ‘till you realise what that means, it’s going to blow your mind.”

“What?” Dave asked.

“Oh, never mind, ignore me” Klaus said hurriedly. But he was still grinning.

They turned a bend in the track and suddenly ahead of them they could see the camp site and others in their unit already hard at work.

“I guess it’s back to war now then,” Klaus said shakily.

“I guess so,” Dave replied slowly.

“I’ve got to say,” Klaus grinned, “I really can’t wait to wear that shirt tomorrow.” He nodded at Dave’s chest and furrowed his brows in a mock thoughtful look. “I just don’t think clothes feel right unless they’ve been worn in first by another man during a six hour hike through a tropical rainforest. Clothes are just missing something if they don’t come dirt encrusted and pre-stiffened in dried sweat.”

Dave grimaced and looked down at himself, noticing for the first time his pit stains and the dampness across his chest and back.

“Maybe I’ll give this a quick rinse first,” he said sheepishly.

“Don’t you dare,” Klaus said firmly. “I need all the alpha musk I can get, remember. Come on, Dave,” he said biting his lip slowly and looking up – way up – into Dave’s face, “you have to mark me. Cover me in your scent.”

Dave swallowed hard and forced his breaths to come evenly. As he looked down into Klaus’ breathtakingly beautiful face, he thought there must be some sort of trick of the light as the sun set slowly beneath the horizon in a pool of blood red light, because he could have sworn he saw a faint blush spread across Klaus’ nose and cheeks, the flush working its way down his throat.

“O-okay,” Dave stammered.

Klaus just blinked slowly and raised his gaze from Dave’s lips to his eyes.

Maintaining this charade, Dave thought ruefully, is going to be much harder than I thought.

#klave #klaus hargreeves #dave katz #the umbrella academy #klaus/dave #klaus x dave #tua

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miss-tc-nova · 4 years

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Hey - Riku x Reader

Aha, Xeha-non! I tricked you! I wasn’t writing Roxas, I was writing Riku! It’s about time I gave this boy some love.

~~~~~

“Hey handsome.” I slide the book from the desk and take its place, grinning down at the boy. A snowy brow arches in response, before those teal orbs peer up at me. “Slackin’ on your homework?”

“Maybe,” he grumbles. I display the text and he continues scribbling down his answers.

“Ooo, even I got the homework done. You’re not tellin’ me I’m about to slip ahead on our grades are you?” I tease.

He doesn’t even bother to look up. “Not even close.”

I laugh. Of course it’s not. This kid could miss an entire month of school and still manage to beat me in almost every class. Not that I’m dumb or anything, he’s just that smart—now if only I could get him to realize that I’ve been hardcore flirting with him for over a year now.

Riku and I have been neighbors since we were little. We were never really friends and that was fine by me; we only occasionally passed by each other on our way to school or in the halls. It wasn’t until we turned fourteen and actually had a class together that I lost my mind. He probably just views me as a mild nuisance at this point, but I can’t help myself around him anymore. He doesn’t acknowledge any of it though.

The end-of-day bell rings and I stand up with a stretch. “Wha’chu think, Riku? Shall we do the project together?”

“Hm?” Like a needle pricking at my heart, he wasn’t paying attention. “Oh, I mean we can. But it just sounds like you’re trying to keep that gap between us from getting bigger.” Gods, if I could turn that smirk into something sincere, I’d probably die happy.

“Please. You may have me in maths and science, but you suck at English.”

“I’m one grade below you. Also, what does telling a story have do with any career?”

I count on my fingers. “Journalism, news, authors, basic communication skills.”

“We’re communicating aren’t we?”

“Barely.” Oh honey, there’s so much more than what we say…

His eyes roll but we agree to meet tonight at six to work on this story we’re supposed to write. I waste the day away mulling over this nonsense between us. Clearly this boy isn’t going to get the hint; I could probably kiss him and he would just blow it off as an accident. Yet I still can’t tell if it’s because he’s not interested or just strangely oblivious to flirting. Eventually, I admit defeat—I’m going to have to just flat out tell him. I decide it’d be best to do it tonight, when there’s time for us to talk it out; though that does put me at risk for making this project insanely awkward. I suck it up and plan my words out for the end of the night until six rolls around.

I pull open the door to find my classmate there, staring out at the horizon. “Hey handsome.” There’s still time to drop plenty of hints before the night ends, but he doesn’t respond. “You okay?” There are some gloomy looking clouds in the distance.

“Uh, yeah,” he replies, shaking it off. “Let’s get this dumb project done.”

“And here I thought you just enjoyed my company,” I say, letting him in.

We start to flesh out a basic a plot for this adventure short, all the while he keeps glancing out the window at the approaching storm. I, on the other hand, am starting to feel the nerves gnaw at my gut.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” I ask, pulling his attention from the window for the umpteenth time since we started.

Looking away from his distraction, Riku scribbles on his paper. “Yeah.”

He’s not going to tell me what’s bothering him. Perhaps it’s time to tell him what’s bothering me instead.

“Hey Riku?” He hums that that he’s listening before meeting my gaze. This could be it: the end of my endeavors, the end of my shenanigans, possibly the end of a friendship. Here goes nothing.

Taking a deep breath, I open my mouth to start again, but the storm lets us know that it’s here.

When the lightning flashes, Riku abruptly stands. “I gotta go.”

“What?” I stand with him but he heads for the door.

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” All those worries he’s been holding back all night have finally broken through. He hurriedly shoves his feet into his shoes.

“But-” The boy rips the door open and takes off down the street, not even in the direction of his home. I stand in the doorway, stunned, confused, and a little heart-broken. “…Be safe.”

The storm that night was terrible.

~~~~~

A year later…

This last year or so has been kind of dreary. Since that storm hit, three kids disappeared from our islands. Days were spent searching, but only the ocean could’ve kept them hidden from us for so long. Then we came across a miracle; some weeks after their disappearance, Kairi had been found on the beach of the smaller island. From what I heard, she had been groggy and confused for a while, but remembered nothing of what happened. As for Sora and Riku, we never found them.

I was upset for a long time but time heals all wounds supposedly. In reality, I’d just learned to think about it less and went about life. There wasn’t anything else I could’ve done. Even if my heart is still hung up on him, it’s not like I can bring him back. So, on the surface, I take my dreary days the same as my normal ones: one step at a time, no matter how hard the next step is.

Nope. Don’t think about it.

Clearing my head of memories I don’t have time to dwell on, I brush the hair from my eyes and readjust the bag of groceries in my arms. It’s Friday, school’s out, I’ve just done my shopping for the week, and now it’s time to go home and relax.

“Hey.”

My body freezes before I turn to person I just passed. He’s a tall, young man, his muscular arms bare. The first instinct is to put some space between us, but that mop of white hair is unmistakable; sure it’s longer than it was but it’s his.

“Riku?” I breathe, afraid to believe it is. Have I finally lost it?

His aqua eyes are just visible beneath that mess. “It’s been a while,” he tells me.

That voice; it’s the same and it still makes my heart flutter. The bag in my arm is hastily set aside before I barrel into the boy, arms around his waist as tightly as I can hold. I could melt when he returns the gesture but I’m too busy trying to keep from crying.

I step back, wiping at my eyes. “Sorry. I just…Everyone thinks you’re dead.”

He’s taking the fact pretty lightly. “I can imagine so.”

“What happened?” I murmur.

“Uh, I can’t exactly explain it,” he answers, dodging my question. Something about him seems softer than before. “The storm took me someplace far away and a lot of stuff happened. But I’m here now.”

Taking in his words, I want to question him. There was a whole year where I thought he was at the bottom of the ocean; of course I want to know everything. However, above all of that, I’m relieved he’s back.

I smile. “Well hey, welcome back handsome.”

Riku’s responding chuckle dies out to something hesitant. “Are you busy tonight?”

Reaching down, I scoop my groceries back up. “No. Just making dinner and being lazy tonight.”

“Do you want to hang out?”

It takes everything I have to not scream ‘Yes!’ at him. “Didn’t you just get back?”

“Yeah,” he says with a sheepish grin. “But Kairi spent a few long hours nagging me about being so oblivious.”

“What?”

His shoulders bounce but I don’t miss that old spark of mischief. “That whole year before I left, you were flirting with me.”

It’s suddenly a bit too hot for me and my brain threatens to malfunction. Instead, I take my turn to answer sheepishly, “I mean, yeah. But I think you settling in again is probably more important.”

“It can wait. I’ve got a lot of stupidity to make up for.”

I may never stop smiling again. “Only two years worth.”

“Then I’d better get started.” I could just squeal. “I’ll pick you up tonight.”

“I’ll see you then.”

I bid the boy goodbye and it takes everything I have not to explode before I’m sure he’s well out of sight. And that’s it; my brain is shot for the rest of the day. I’m not doing homework, none of my chores get done, and dinner is nothing that I had planned. I just lie around, giddy as a teenager should be.

I force myself not to bolt for the door when I hear a knock; I cannot, however, help the swelling happiness in my chest when I see him waiting for me.

“Hey handsome,” I greet. That’s an adorable blush trying to spread across his face.

“Hey. Are you ready?”

I tilt my head. “We’re going out? Isn’t it kinda late?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll protect you from the monsters.” There’s a bit of the old self-confidence I remember him having.

“Oh my knight in shining armor.” I follow Riku to the docks and I should’ve known he’d be taking me to the smaller island; it was his favorite place to hang out. But I’ve never been there at night so this will be a new experience for me.

After he’s tied up the little boat, he offers a hand to me. “Careful.”

“You’ve become quite the gentleman,” I tease, taking his hand.

My joking goes right out the window when he pulls me up with absolutely no effort. “I think not wanting my date to hurt themself is just common courtesy.”

“Fair enough.” I pray he doesn’t catch the mild quaver in the two words. “So what exactly are we doing out here?”

“Whatever you want; just hanging out,” he says, walking out onto the moonlit beach. With a grunt, he plops down into the soft, white sand. With a bit more grace, I sit beside him.

The ocean before us is dazzling. The water is calm, gently lapping at the land and reflecting the light from above. An endless sky is filled with millions of twinkling stars painting shades of blue and purple around the shining moon. There are no birds or strangers to interrupt the white-noise of the water; just us. And we’re not exactly quiet. We talk and laugh and joke about all sorts of things. I get vague hints that Riku’s time away had been quite an ordeal but we skirt around those topics. Still, I feel like I’m finally connecting to him; I’m not hiding anything or hinting at hidden feelings. I’m able to fully express myself. And though he may not be as snarky as he had been, I’m still enamored all the same.

“It’s funny.” Riku says, looking up to the stars. “I wanted nothing more than to get off this island, but when I found out about you, I couldn’t wait to get back.

Thank goodness it’s dark. “That’s kind of a silly reason to suddenly change your dreams.”

“Not after the adventure I’ve had.” I don’t get a chance to dwell on the darkness in his words. Instead, my heart jumps into my throat when his hand sits on top of mind with a gentle squeeze. “Besides, I think you’re discounting yourself way too much. You’re worth changing dreams for.”

What the hell do I say to that?! I sigh. “I know I was flirting with you but that doesn’t mean you have to do this. You don’t owe me anything. If you want, we can just-”

My words are effectively silenced. It’s not smooth or gentle but Riku jams our lips together. I never would use the word awkward to describe him but this is terribly so. I still don’t hate it.

I don’t know if it’s my own blush or the heat rolling off him, but the air between us is hot. When he breaks away, there’s that smile—I can die happy now.

“If you end that sentence with ‘be friends,’ I’m going to throw you in the ocean,” he warns, a note of longing there.

The astonishment in me takes a dive, succeeded by desire. Pulling myself up by his jacket, I swing a leg over Riku’s. My hands weave into his hair, pushing the locks from his face, revealing those beautiful teal eyes. Without another moment’s hesitation, I take a second kiss.

First kisses are overrated. They’re awkward and never certain of both people’s feelings. But second kisses; with the confidence, understanding, and trust; those are the moments of passion that melt hearts. I am no exception. My insides are filled with thousands of butterflies but I can’t get enough—I will never get enough. I could live in this moment forever: just the two of us in this beautiful scene with our new-found love. I would’ve been gone only a moment too soon had I died earlier.

Lips part, gasping for air. My eyes rapidly scan his face, trying to commit this moment to memory. Then the wave of euphoria washes over me and I let out a breathy laugh.

“Fine. We’re not friends.”

~~~~~

Months Later…

I trail through the sand, water lapping at my feet, birds cawing overhead, sun raining warmth on this quiet, little, lonely island.

It’s been several months and it sucks. I got warning this time that he was going, but that doesn’t make me feel any better about his absence. The way he talked about it was like I may never see him again and he wouldn’t even give me any details. It was just ‘I gotta go’ and ‘I don’t know if I’ll come back,’ then he kissed me and disappeared; left me crying on the beach by myself. Even Sora and eventually Kairi disappeared too, but no, I get left behind. I’ve been flipping between anger and depression so much sometimes I just cry while I break things. Maybe it was ridiculous for me to think we’d always be together, maybe it would’ve been easier if he just said he was sick of me, but the fact that we were still so infatuated when he left makes this all the more miserable. I had less than a year to fall head-over-heels in love with him and, boy, did he leave his mark.

Today’s one of those low days, where I miss him so much it almost hurts. So I’m on the little island, hoping for distractions; I’d even take memories of our little moments here��anything to dull the pain.

Another round of sorrow creeps up on me and I take a moment to attempt clearing my vision.

“Hey gorgeous.”

My heart shudders so forcefully everything goes black and my ears ring. It clears quickly enough that I whirl around. He’s there, gasping like he ran a marathon to get here. I can’t believe it; also, I can’t take it. I take a running leap at Riku who falls on his ass to catch me.

Sobbing into his shoulder, I manage to get out, “You’re not allowed to leave me again. I swear to the gods that I will tie you down if I have to.”

Hugging me with his entire body, Riku answers, “I have so much to tell you.”

#riku #kh riku #riku x reader #xeha-non #novas requests #gender neutral reader

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poeticblissme · 5 years

Text

Open up

Pairing: Min Yoongi x Reader

Genre: Fluff, Mild angst, Smut

Prompt: After months of dating, you finally tell Yoongi exactly what he means to you.

Word Count: 4,781

Warnings: Mentions of depression, fingering, cl*t licking,

A/N: I have been home for a while, and my responsibilities can finally take a break. I can write again, free of all this stress and let me say it feels so good. I hope you all like this, I have not written in so long so it may be a bit rusty around the edges.

Feedback appreciated.

It truly was interesting, the aspect of having someone to confide in when things are too tough for one to handle. No matter what the circumstance, you tried to be that person for all those who were close to you. You were their shoulder to cry on, the one they came to for advice on any and every situation, good or bad. You were the one who everyone trusted to make them feel better when they felt like nothing, or when they just simply needed a friend.

Maybe it was the fact in your own life you never really had that type of support system. Though you were well provided for physically, with a welcoming home, a good paying job, and pleasant memories of friends and family, it did not change the fact that when it came to your emotional well being, you were just not as provided for. Whenever you tried to confide in anyone, they seemed to either blow off your concerns, not really receive what you were trying to convey, or not care about what you felt at all. It seemed as if, no matter how much you were there for others, there was little to no care for your own well being.

It was not that you were bitter about it, or that you were expecting everyone to return the favor for you being there for them, that was not the point of your kindness at all. It was more of a personal wish to have someone understand that even though you will happily make anyone see the light in their dark situation, you were a human being who had problems too, even when you don’t physically show that there was anything wrong.

You truly felt it was a wasted effort, but not because of anyone else. Truthfully, you knew deep down that it was your own fault. You were an introvert, and unfortunately for you, the guilt you felt when even thinking of your own issues made it close to impossible for you to open up to anyone without feeling unworthy, or wrong for sharing what made you feel so rotten, if you could even pinpoint why you were feeling so down.

These constant thoughts of inadequacy and unworthiness were the very reason you had so much trouble opening up to your newest boyfriend, who was only the second one you have ever had. The first did not work out, because, well to put it plainly, he was too clingy. You valued your individuality, and being around people too much was very draining, it was nothing personal, and you did like him, but he wanted to much from you that you could not give him. You were not ready to just give yourself to someone so fully and drastically, and to stay with him to sort out your own personal grievances, all the while not giving him his own emotional needs was is no way fair to him. So, with a heavy heart, and a guilty mind, you let him go.

When Min Yoongi first appeared in your life is was completely by accident. He had been going to walk out the door of the cafe you were in, most likely going to his morning job, when someone bumped into him, sending him backwards toward your table. The coffee he had in his hand slipped and spilled, marking your paperwork that you had spent countless hours perfecting in large dark brown splatter patterns along ever inch of the printed paper.

“You have got to be joking!” You screeched, your hands going to your hair in shock.

You eyed your work in disbelief, there was no way you could turn this into your boss now, this was no simple stain on the edge of the paper. No, the brown liquid basically covered each page through and through! This meant you would have to retype everything, every single detail you had foolishly deleted from your saved files on your laptop because you did not want any clutter.

“Oh shit, I am so so sorry miss,.” Came a voice from beside you. It was deep, husky even. The first thought that came to your mind was how if whoever it was speaking to you had his own radio show, the ears of whoever chose to listen were in for quite the treat.

You looked up, a small sigh leaving your lips as you finally gave yourself a chance to breathe. Your eyes focused as you finally had a face to match the mystical voice that rang through your ears. The gentleman was average height, at least to you. He had short blonde hair, the edges covering his forehead completely, and his eyes only slightly. His skin was a delicate creamy color, carefully accentuating the brown of his delicate eyes. He wore a long black overcoat, followed by a black turtleneck, which was proper for the current cold that graced the town, along with dark blue jeans, which were held up by a tight freshly bought black belt.

“No, no don’t worry.” You started, forcing yourself back to reality. Had you been staring to long? You reached to the side of the table, grabbing the few loose napkins that remained from your breakfast to begin wiping up the spill. “It’s not that big of a deal.”

“Those papers looked pretty important, considering how hard you were starring at them.” He noted, his brows creasing in concern. He handed you a couple napkins, all the while behind down and helping you wipe the last of the coffee from the table top.

He was watching you? Well, you shouldn’t be shocked. It is common for others to people watch while waiting for their order. Or maybe he was talking about when you helplessly watch as the large quantity of coffee spilled all over your precious papers. “They are just papers for my job, I have a thesis to give to my boss in the next couple days.”

“How long have you been working on this?” He asked, taking the napkins off the table and disposing them in the nearby garbage can.

“A couple you weeks.” you admitted with a sigh, looking down at the drenched papers. If you thought about it, maybe this was karma, you would not put it past the magic of the universe to come back and bite you for something, it seemed to do that more often than not these days. “I was almost finished with it, but I’ll have to retype everything now.”

“I really am so sorry about this.” He spoke sitting in the chair across from your own. “Someone bumped into me and I lost balance-”

“Really, it’s no trouble, I was not completely happy with what I had anyway, this way while I do the retypes I can take more time and make it even better than before.”

You looked up at him and smiled sweetly, trying with all your might to subdue the negative thoughts circling in your head. He returned the gesture by giving you the most adorable gummy smile you had ever witnessed. Wow, what a beautiful human being.

“Well, is there anything I can do to make up for this terrible circumstance Miss?”

“Y/N, please. Miss is a bit to professional for my taste and unless you have a laptop on you to help me revise and fix these rewrites, I am okay.”

“Well, Y/N, you can call me Yoongi, and as luck would have it, I actually do have a laptop in my car.”

You looked at him in shock, not sure how to handle the situation put in front of you. Could he not see that you were joking? You were not really trying to force him to help you over something so small. You really have to work on the tone of your voice when you speak. Now you have made the poor guy feel obligated to help you.

“Oh Yoongi no, I was totally kidding you don’t have to-”

“Nonsense.” He spoke, with a wave of his hand. “I made the mess after all, the least I can do is help you retype a few papers, besides, I am pretty good with words myself, so I can help make the paper even better than you originally planned, I’ll be right back.”

With a small wink in your direction, he sat up from his seat and made his way outside. He came back within what seemed a few seconds, with a small black laptop in hand. Perching himself across from you, he plugged the charger into the outlet and took a few of the coffee stained papers to turn in his direction.

You eyed him with such surprise it made him question if he has something on his face, to which you shook your head. What was he doing this for? it was not like he forced the guy to bump into him, accident happen. You should know.

“Okay, so, I will need a little bit of a background on what you are writing about, that way I know how to give proper advice how how everything should flow, you know all that good stuff.” He spoke, his gummy smile returning once more, as he began to type the first page in his grasp.

After a few hours of collaboration with Yoongi, you exchanged numbers, his excuse being he wanted to hear the official results of your paper. You could only imagine his state of happiness when you texted him three days later, explaining to him how your boss had practically leaped with joy at how much detail and work that was put into everything he had reviewed. Yoongi was quite pleased with the result and in turn asked you out to a celebratory dinner, his treat, you accepted without a moments hesitation.

Eventually, one date turned into three, those dates turned into house visits and movie nights, and now, after eight long months, you were in a very balanced relationship, one you had no idea would mean more to you than life itself. It was weird, your last relationship had lasted about two months before you had called it quits, and even in that time frame, you had so many doubts about where it was going if you truly liked the person you were with, and if it had been something your heart and mind truly wanted.

With Yoongi, it was so much more. He gave you space when you needed, and you gave him space when he needed it. He was there for your lowest points, and you were there for his. It was a steady flow of support and balance that you never thought you would feel in your life. Perhaps it meant that much more to you because this was a gradual change. He had given you the time you needed to truly start opening up to him. He knew what it was like to be shy, to hold parts of yourself from the world in fear or hidden guard. You could see in some ways that you were the same in that regard, which is probably why he knew about your mental needs and wants more than you had expected.

He was always so patient with you, willing to wait for when things were acceptable on your time, and you gave him that same respect in return. If he wanted to talk, you would listen, if he was not in the mood, you would not push unless needed. With time, being neglected was no longer apart of the norm, that feeling of indifference and seclusion was now filled with love and openness. You found yourself wanting to share more with him, to let him into your life, to share the burdens you have felt for so long without feeling guilty. Yoongi, whether he realized it or not, made you feel good enough.

That feeling of never ending appreciation and fondness, was what brought you to this very moment. You had texted Yoongi, stating how there was something you needed to share with him over dinner, something important. How important it was was supposedly a matter of opinion, but now that your mind and body have built this line of trust with him, it was only fair to him that you share your true thoughts on how much this relationship has affected you, how it continues to affect you.

He of course agreed to your little date, and once the day finally came, you did anything and everything to make sure that the night was perfect, not only for him, but for your own state of mind. You made his favorite foods, you wore the tight red shirt and black jeans he said he loved to see you in, you even went as far as to light some candles (nothing wrong with setting the mood right?). Everything was catered to his liking, everything you chose to present to him tonight was something that made him happy, and seeing him happy, made you happy.

You sat next to each other on the couch in your apartment living room, sharing the meal you had prepared. By the way he was silently eating on the plate in front of him, you could tell he thoroughly like what you had made. If he was silent during the meal that meant he was completely focus on the food in front of him, which is something you did as well. Nothing like good food to bring a comfortable silence to the table of lovers.

“Okay, consider me officially spoiled.” He spoke, wiping his mouth with his napkin. He places the used paper on the plate that rested on the table in front of him. “This was delicious, I also see your wearing my favorite outfit.”

You smiled, a small blush spread across on your cheeks as you responded. “Yeah, I know you like this outfit best, so-”

“Well I do love it.” He responded, turning to face you. “Tonight has been perfect Y/N, Seriously. Now, the anticipation is killing me, what did you want to talk about? By the way this night has gone I am hoping it is good news.”

“Well It is!, I mean- Well I hope so, I mean- It....I mean it can be, it is for me anyway-” You stuttered, trying to find the words you had practiced over and over again.

“Welp, I am full on food and ready to hear it, take your time.” He spoke, leaning back in his seat. You smiled to yourself, like always, he was giving you time, and not dwelling on the fact you seemed to have lost a bit of your confidence. Always so patient.

“Okay so....well, It’s been eight months since we started dating you know?” You asked, to which he nodded, letting you continue. “Which I have to say is really crazy! I mean, I have only had one other person before you and that did not work out...as I told you.”

He smiled, seemingly enjoying how you began to ramble on.

“And...Well, during these last few months I have not even had one thought about breaking up! Which is totally a compliment by the way. You are always so sweet to me, and so patient and trusting and I just..... I just-.....I just wanted to do something for you that shows you how much I appreciate all this time you have given to me.”

“Y/N...” Yoongi started sitting up once more. He turned his body, causing his left knee to bump into yours. He took your hand in both of his, the smile he sported still on his face. “You show me that every day-”

“No..let me finish, otherwise I’ll never get this out.” You interrupted. With a small sigh you looked into his eyes and pushed the last bit of confidence you had to the surface.

“I know we shared I love you’s already, but this is different. I don’t...I don’t open up to people often. Not in the way I have opened up to you. It is hard for me to express my emotions so freely. Whether it’s my parents or old friends, its hard to give your love to someone, only to be broken by them....not purposely of course! but in ways they may not understand because they don’t live inside my head. I can’t make them understand how I feel, not when I can’t even explain it myself.”

You could feel the tears start to bottle up in your eyes, the weight of your confession was becoming to much, but you wanted to continue, you needed to.

“Look, I just....I need you to understand that I love you, Yoongi. I truly, deeply, love you, Everything you have done for me, the time you have given me to open up with out judgement, to being the listening ear that I have always dreamed of having, you have done it all, and that has changed my entire life. It is not often I feel so accepted and love.....I don’t think I have ever felt that way, not fully at least. With you, I feel complete. These last few months have changed me for the better and i know that is because of you, I would not be where I am without you, and...I needed you to know that.

The look in Yoongi’s eyes was unreadable, much like most of the time when he was processing his own emotions. You knew him however, and you could tell by the way his hand squeezed yours tighter, how his eyes searched yours for whatever he was looking for, that he was touched by your confession.

“Y/N...” He finally whispered, pulling his right hand from atop yours to wipe away a tear that had suddenly fallen from your right cheek. “Baby, My precious Baby I love you so much. Neither of us show our emotions outright, but just know my gentle flower, the feeling is forever reciprocated.”

He leaned in, no longer able to keep a distance from you. His lips met yours slowly, as if you were to delicate right now to touch, which in some ways you were. You responded to his touch as if by instinct, leaning further into him to have more of his mouth pressing onto yours. You could feel heat growing in your chest, a sudden feeling of desperation and want clouding your insides. You knew what this was, you knew were this was leading, as you had done it many times before, but there was something different about tonight, there was something deeper, more powerful than about the process leading to the inevitable.

Your hands detached from each other, the need to touch each other far to mighty to ignore. As your hands went to the back of his hair, and to the side of his left arm, his hands tangled into your hair and to the top of your left hip.

The kiss began to gain a natural heat, tongue dived into each other, now dancing a beautiful ballet with one another. Hands clasped tighter, doing whatever it took to bring you both closer together. The tug you felt at the back of your head, caused a breathy moan from your lips, forcing you to accept the oxygen you had no idea you were being deprived of.

“Yoongi..”You moaned again, trying to gain his attention.

“Baby, I want you so bad,” He spoke, pulling away from your lips to look into your eyes. you could see the lust circling in his eyes, the darkness of his iris's no doubt matched your own. You wanted him too....scratch that... You needed him too.

“Yoongi I need more..” You whispered, looking down to his lips. “Please...”

“Your room, come on.” He commanded, shooting up from the couch. His touch left your body, much to your dismay, but you quickly complied, sitting up from the couch and making your way to your now shared bedroom.

Time seemed to be going a lot faster than you had originally anticipated, you were not able to predict the time it took you to get to your room, nor the time it took for you to strip yourself of all of your clothes, seeing as he always loved it when you were bare before him.

“Always so beautiful.” He commented, shutting the door behind him.

His stance turned into the confident predator that he became during times like this, his walk toward you held nothing but power and determination, the type that had your knees weak and your breath short.

You body was craving his touch, more so that usual, and you knew why. After making yourself so vulnerable, which was something you never did, you needed reassurance. You needed him to show you that what you just did was okay, that he would accept the heart that you had so willingly given him access to. You needed to know that the love was returned.

He now stood right in front of you, his eyes gliding up and down you naked form in what seemed to be complete adoration. With a small smirk, and click of his tongue, he spoke, “Lay down, and spread those pretty legs for me baby.” He nodded his head to the bed behind you, and as always you were quick to comply to his wish, your ability to resist or play stubborn a mere passing thought in your mind.

With your legs spread apart, and elbows holding up your upper half, you watched with deep interest as Yoongi eyed your core, his tongue darting out to lick his lips and making your stomach clench in anticipation, sending a wave of wetness to your core.

“I can see how wet you are.” Yoongi commented, his focus turning to your for a split second before returning to your wet heat. “I haven’t even done anything yet, how could you possibly be this wet?”

“Guess you just have that affect on me.” You spoke with a smile.

“Then you should know how hard I am right now then, seeing as you have the same effect on me, princess.” He called out, making your eyes rake down to his lower half, and sure enough, through the fabric of his black jeans was his erection, in it’s glory, growing in front of your very eyes.

You found it sweet that even now, your reactions to each other doing the bare minimum, was as strong as when you had first engaged in sexual activities. It was like your bodies were addicted to one another, and the very idea of getting to touch each other in even the simplest of ways, was enough to have your body aching for more, no matter the circumstance.

“I’m going to devour this sweet, sweet Pussy, would you like that baby? You want me to suck up these sweet juices?” He asked, his voice low, sweet and tempting. He slipped his shirt off in one swift motion, throwing it to the floor to an undisclosed location. He loosened the button on his pants, letting the fly now hang freely open giving him and his crotch the air it needed.

“Yes Yoongi..... Yes, please, I want your tongue in me so bad.” You answered, your voice rushed. “

He smirked as he took his final steps to the bed. He spread your legs while lowering his body, making sure to keep eye contact with you as his face reached closer to the are where you wanted him most.

“It makes me so happy to know that this is all mine.” He spoke, his voice low and seductive. His lips touched upon the skin of your inner left leg, the feeling nothing more than a light peck. “To know that I am the only one who could ever touch something so precious, it drives me wild.”

You whimpered as his lips traveled lower as they remained on your skin. You could feel the lingering feeling of his luscious lips of every piece of your thigh that he touched, only making you crave more than he was currently giving you. You knew he was doing this on purpose, he wanted to tease you, to make your body ache for him, to make your body push hard to earn what he would give you.

“Yoongi..” You whined, your hands clenching on the sheets below you. You were about to complain, to use whatever was left of your voice to explain how much you needed him, but it turned into nothing more than a exasperated moan, as his tongue finally came into contact with your soaking core.

You knew in reality that by the way his fingers slid up and down your thighs, the way he light kissed the insides of your trembling legs to calm you down, you didn’t have to say a single word.

He breached your inner walls, curving his wet tongue to reach the places he knew would have you squirming and begging for more. His mouth collected your wetness, using it as a lubricant on his desperate lips. He sucked and licked slowly and thoroughly, finding any and every place he could.

“Fuck..” You began, arching your back. “Fuck, fuck yes Yoongi right there, oh my god yes, yes right there, please keep going, right there, right there, right there keep sucking me.”

“Mmmhm.” He responded, knowing this would be your response. He raised his right hand in the air letting your eyes note the two digits that lowered slowly until found its way to your aching lips. With studied precision, he entered you, his fingers sliding in and out your wet walls. He made the process agonizingly slow, pulling in and out at the slowest pace he could muster. The rough edges of the tips of his fingers continuously sliding in tune with your movements, making you cry out in want and desperation. You needed him to go faster, the need to have him pushing you to your absolute limit was now a must, he felt to good, he felt so right, his fingers were so powerful you were not sure how you ever went without them for any part of your life.

He hummed once more against your cunt, sending even more powerful vibrations from his mouth to your throbbing clit. The mixed physical sensations caused your body to twitch in eagerness. Did you forget to mention that he felt so good? Did you forget to mention how much you needed even more of him? You could not remember the thoughts you had conjured up before. You did not know how one man could make you feel like you were on cloud nine whenever he touched you, how one man could use his tongue and push your mind to forget the difference between reality and fantasy.

Your clit was pulsating with every suck, your pussy was clenching with every touch. The way his fingers entered you over and over again, taking only a few moments to exit your cunt to collect the wetness your body continually produced was driving you crazy. Your stomach was clenching more and more, indicating how close you were to your first real release since all this agonizing teasing began. All you knew was that you were on the edge, and that you needed your daddies permission to let you climb over the edge, just once. If only you could let go for only a moment.

“Yoongi, Yoongi baby please I’m gonna-”

“Gonna come for me, my precious flower?” He asked, lifting his mouth from you, but not letting his fingers stop their fast paced in and out motions in your cunt. He knew how much your body could take, he knew what your body needed. “Gonna let me feel you come over my fingers before I fuck you into oblivion? You want me to feel your delectable pussy clench on my fingers?”

Your breathing began to race at his words, you could feel yourself on the edge, you could feel your body begin to let go.

“That’s right baby, come for me, let me see those sexy fuckin pussy lips tighten around me. I want to suck your sweet cum juices until you are completely dry baby, I want to show you how much I love you and your body.”

You could not hold the moan that escaped your lips as you came, the feeling of euphoria washing over you and your desperate body as Yoongi continued to push in and out of you, allowing you to ride out the high he had graciously given you.

Yoongi watched as your breathing began to steady. That was how he knew what state you were in, and he knew that you, as well as him, craved more, no matter how much you may have liked what he gave you.

“I am not done with you yet princess.” He spoke, making sure your attention would go to him, despite your tired state, and of course, it did.

“Oh?” you answered, a small smirk on your face. “What else do you have for me.?”

“Something you know that if I wanted, I could have you begging for.” He answered, his tongue licking his lips as he did before.

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dragon-kazansky · 5 years

Note

For a request, if you'll like the idea, could you please write something with Dracula trying to seduce and/or lurk reader into him, and reader is very oblivious to all his charm bc they don't believe anyone would be seriously interested in them? And after some time Drac is just so irritated with reader and is like "what is wrong with you?!" Haha but he starts to feel something ;) If you don't like it it's ok :) just ignore it

Pretend you’re Jonathan in this gif ;)

Dracula had become very taken with you from the moment he lay his eyes on you. He knew from the beginning he wanted you all to himself. Not only were you beautiful, but you had a kind heart. You stood out among everyone else around him.

You had seen him. The tall gentleman standing across the road looking at you. He wasn’t doing anything, just looking. Your eyes met his and he smiled. You quickly turned away and carried on walking.

You didn’t think you’d see him again.

Seems he was quite persistent.

Dracula crossed the road and began to follow you. He didn’t want to lose sight of you.

You carried on walking, focused on getting home. The walk wasn’t a long one, it just wasn’t all that interesting. You had forgotten your headphones, so you couldn’t listen to your music. You normally remembered them.

In your slightly distracted state you nearly bumped into someone, you stopped yourself just short of where they stood and looked up to see the man who had been looking at you.

“Oh… um. I’m sorry… I wasn’t really paying attention.” You muttered, cautiously taking a step back.

“No need to apologise.” He gave a toothy smile, his eyes twinkling with something you couldn’t quite place. You couldn’t help but notice he sharp looking teeth.

“I’ll be on my way then…” You side stepped.

“In a hurry?” He asked. His voice was deep and smooth. He smile seemed friendly and he was being quite polite with you… just a little odd. If you were anyone else you probably would have stopped to chat, but you felt like you were taking up his time and just smiled awkwardly as you walked past him.

Dracula watched you go with furrowed brows.

The next day he stood in that exact spot. You walked the exact same path you did yesterday, spotting him as you walked by. He smiled at you again, tilting his head slightly as he looked at you. As you got closer, his smile widened.

“Looks like it’s going to be a nice day.” He commented.

Yous topped in your tracks and looked up at the sky, furrowing your brow at him.

“It’s really cloudy.” You looked at him confused.

“Cloudy can be nice.” He looked at you with a soft gaze, his dazzling smile was back. He sure was handsome, that much was true… and the sound of his voice made shivers run down your spine.

Dracula smile as he reached out and caught a few strands of your hair between his finger and thumb. He felt how soft and silky it was.

Blushing you tried not to make eye contact, but that became difficult when he moved his hand closer to your cheek and caressed it with the back of his fingers. His touch was so delicate.

You took a small step back.

“I should go…” You moved around him and hurried off down the street.

Dracula was confused. People would normally swoon and be more than happy to be in his presence. You seemed so defensive and insistent on getting away. Now, he liked a chase, but he wants you so badly.

Day after day for a whole week he’s there waiting for you. Each time he gets close, touches you gently either caressing your cheek, or planting kisses on your hand. He looks at you with those dark, hypnotising eyes, but each time you step away and excuse yourself.

One day he has enough and corners you.

“What is it you want?” You ask, wondering why someone this good looking was wasting his time with you. It was hard to resist his charm and attempts at flirting with you, but you couldn’t allow yourself to believe he was interested.

Why would he be?

“Is that not obvious?” He asks.

You just stared at him.

“I want you.” He muttered, looking over your features. You were so beautiful. Up close he could see every detail.

“That has to be a lie.” You mumbled.

“A lie?”

“No one is interested in me. Why would you of all people be? Look at you… look at me.” You turned your eyes away from him and tried not to let your emotions get out of control. You didn’t want to cry in front of the handsome stranger.

“You honestly believe that?” He looked so taken back by your statement.

“Yes.”

“What utter nonsense.”

You looked at him confused.

“You’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen. How could someone so stunning think such things?” His gaze was soft and gentle, he had backed away from you slightly, no longer keeping you trapped in the corner.

“You don’t know me.” You muttered.

“I don’t need to know you’re beautiful.” He smiled. “Anyone with eyes can see it.”

“You’re just saying that.”

“You still don’t believe me? Why?” He looks at you curiously.

“Because you’re interested in me and that doesn’t happen. Good looking people like you don’t look at me the way you do.” You looked away shyly. “I just… it doesn’t happen.”

Dracula let out a small rumble of chuckle. His gaze had softened quite a lot as he took a small step toward you.

“It’s happened.”

You look back at him.

“You think I’m good looking?” He chuckles.

“You know you are.” You accused lightly. “Look at you.”

Dracula steps a little bit closer.

“You’re looking at me the way I look at you. Don’t fight it.” He smiles.

You can’t hold back your own smile as he take another step. He’s so very close to you now.

“I’m Y/N.” You tell him.

“Dracula.” He smiles.

“This isn’t a joke is it? You’re actually interested in me?” You want to be sure.

“It’s not a joke, please don’t ask again. All this doubt can’t be good for you.” He sighs softly, reaching out and tucking some hair behind your ear. “Shall we walk?”

“Alright.”

Dracula offers you his arm, you take it.

If this was a dream, you didn’t want to wake up from it. This handsome man was actually talking to you. Your day just got better.

Tags:

@awyr @fandombeehive @charmed-asylum @sigynbandraoi-blog @procrastinatingmurder @sitkafay @misfitgirlwrites

#dracula bbc #dracula x reader #dracula #dracula 2020 #claes bang

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sunsetinmyvein · 4 years

Text

I Know That I’ll Lose - Chapter Fourteen - Yeah, It’s You

It had been a few months since they’d agreed to give things between them a proper shot. It was almost debatable that the band were more excited about this development than Matty was. George especially, now that he was finally able to stop sitting through longing stares, angsty conversations and awkward flirting. Now at least it was just the awkward flirting. But so far, it was going very well for the two of them. Y/N/N started the new merch gig after having a couple of weeks at home to get her things together. She met back up with the band in London before being briefed on her new role and then setting out on her first working tour. As expected, it was a steep learning curve that was very fast paced. It was hard for them to train her in advance since almost everything had to be taught while on the job. Given how busy Matty frequently was, Jamie helped her out where he could with keeping the books in order and getting in contact with venues about staffing before they arrived. But she performed well under pressure, and this was no exception. She took to the role like a duck to water. Her friendships with the band only got stronger now that she was playing an active role in their operations. They already enjoyed having her around, and now she was proving herself to be an invaluable member of their tight knit team. Matty frequently found himself feeling rather proud of how quickly she’d adapted to the new lifestyle. Living on the road wasn’t easy, but it was a lot easier when they got to do it together.

Notes on a Conditional Form dropped all of two hours ago and so far, the reaction had been mostly positive. A few people seemed to find the contrasting sounds throughout the album hard to deal with, and a few didn’t enjoy the amount of ambience, but Matty told himself that if they weren’t on board with that, then they probably shouldn’t be 1975 fans anyway. After immense amounts of hard work and many a few date pushbacks, it was finally out there in the public. They had decided to throw a small release party at George’s flat, inviting close friends, family, the usual 1975 crew and a few select people from the industry to celebrate. Once it was confirmed that the tracks had gone online without a hitch – and they’d listened to the album front to back – the party truly kicked off. Now that they knew the fans enjoyed it, the weight was lifted off the band’s shoulders. They could finally unwind a bit. Matty was already a few drinks in, his usual party attitude coming out in full swing tonight to rejoice at seeing his project come to fruition. He’d convinced the band to take shots whenever they heard their favourite track on the album. It turned out he had many favourites. Y/N/N was finding it nice to finally see him take a break. He’d been overworking himself for the last couple of months between being on tour and the album release coming up, but now, back at home, surrounded by his friends and family, he seemed relaxed at last. She was knocked out of her trance of staring at Matty mingling around the party by Ross calling her name, noticing her empty cup and suggesting that she go to the bar to get both herself and him a refill. Taking his cup with a nod, she headed towards the pop-up bar in the kitchen.

“Can I get you a drink?” The bartender asked with a smile, leaning against the bar as she approached.

She took a seat, “Yeah, I wouldn’t mind a vodka and-” She started rattling off the order she had prepared in her head.

He let out a short laugh, interrupting her train of thought. “No, I mean like… somewhere else.” He paused as he waited for her to pick up the hint that he was dropping. “The two of us.” He continued.

Oh. Oh. The sudden offer caught her off guard, but she quickly regained composure, “Ah, thanks but no thanks.” She said with a polite smile.

“I’m sure I could show you a good time.” He pressed.

“I’m not.” She shot back. He frowned at that. “And I think that Matty might have a few things to say about that.”

“Who?” He scoffed, still trying to play it cool. She gestured to the promotional poster hanging on the wall behind the bar.

“Uh, second from the left, the one with the curly hair.” She watched as the bartender’s face visibly paled while he studied the poster. A few nonsensical syllables tumbled out of his mouth before he excused himself from the bar and walking back inside looking very flustered. She chuckled under her breath.

She saw out of the corner of her eye as her boyfriend leaned against the counter next to where she was sitting at the bar. He took a drag on his cigarette before turning to her.

“What was that about?” Matty asked casually.

“I think you’ll have to watch yourself, Matty. I’ve got an admirer.” She warned him, gesturing in the direction that the guy had rushed off to.

“Oh, really?” He mused as he took a sip from his drink, his gaze following hers. “What makes you so sure?” He added as he looked back to her.

“He tried to seduce me.” She confirmed with a nod.

“The nerve.” He gasped. “Did he succeed?” He asked, the humour evident in his eyes.

“Oh, for sure.” She deadpanned. “It’s all set up and ready to go. We’re meeting at midnight.” She answered.

“Well… Can’t fault his taste.” Matty shrugged before leaning down to kiss her briefly. “C’mon, grab a drink and let’s go find the guys.” He grinned.

“Where’s my drink?” Ross frowned as the two of them walked back over to the little spot in George’s backyard that the band had claimed as theirs. She handed him one of the two bottles of beer she had grabbed instead.

“The bar wasn’t open.” She lied, hearing Matty laugh quietly beside her. The five of them continued bullshitting for a while, yapping on about the reviews coming in online and the people who passed them by throughout the party. After a little while Matty found his glass to be oddly empty.

“You should go get me another drink.” The lead singer stated seriously, holding his empty glass out to his girlfriend. There was a bit of a drunken slur to his words but she knew from experience that he was still quite a few drinks away from being wasted.

“You’re not the boss of me.” She frowned. He leaned against her, humming in contemplation.

“Last time I checked, I thought I kind of was?” He pointed out with a loud laugh.

She opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to think of a comeback to that, only to come up empty. He was right, he pretty much was her boss. “Shut up.” Was the best she could muster in the end, earning a smug grin from him. “Also, if I go back over to the bar that handsome gentleman might just steal me away from you.” She reminded him. He nodded in agreement at that.

“That’s true.” He resigned with a sigh. “Then I’m gonna go get another drink.” Y/N/N watched as he stood up from the couch and started making his way to the bar. Only to look on helplessly as a beer bottle flew across the living area and collided with the side of Matty’s head instead of the bin it was intended for.

George and Y/N/N had both seen the incident that seemed to go unnoticed by the rest of the party and jumped up instantly to help him. The bottle shattered as it hit the floor next to him, which caught the attention of a few other people. Matty spewed a loud string of curses as his hand instantly flew to the area of impact, cradling it as he kept walking to the bar.

“Bloody hell. Are you okay?” George asked urgently as he rushed over.

“Matty, sit down.” She urged, pulling on his arm to get him to sit back down on the couch.

“It’s fine, guys.” He said as he shrugged them both off. “I’ll just get my drink and be back in a minute.”

“You just copped a bottle to the head, mate.” The drummer said, feeling the need to restate it as if the matter hadn’t figuratively (and literally) sunk through his skull yet. “You shouldn’t be drinking more right now.”

“Really, it’s not a big deal.” He huffed as he continued on his way to the kitchen.

“Matt-” George tried to reason with him, but he only kept walking. He figured he could leave him in Y/N/N’s trusty hands as she followed after him.

“Will you stop for a second?” She asked, the concern evident in her tone.

He spun around to face her, “I’m fine.” He spat back angrily as he scratched at the side of his head. As he lowered his hand, the two of them both saw the blood on his fingers. He wiped it away quickly on his jeans. “It’s not as bad as it looks-” He argued as he tried to move away again.

“Can you please just listen to me?” She begged as she caught his arm, trying her best to stop him.

“It’s really nothi-”

She grabbed the tie around his neck, yanking it down so that he was eye level with her. His eyebrows shot up in surprise at her force. This was potentially quite serious and she was done being polite about it. “Matty.” She said through gritted teeth. “Bathroom. Now.”

“Yes. Sorry.” He mumbled, still wide-eyed and concerned as he let her lead him towards the nearest bathroom.

She pulled him down the corridor through to the guest bathroom. As she pushed him inside, she locked the door behind them to give her enough time to properly examine how bad his wound was. “You, here.” She ordered as she jumped up to sit on the vanity to be taller than him, instructing him to stand in front of her under the light. Carefully, she moved his hair aside to try and find where the impact was. As she parted his hair around the injury he hissed loudly in pain.

“Be careful.” He grumbled.

“Didn’t you literally just say ‘it’s not that bad’?” She mocked, seeing how deep the cut was. It didn’t appear to be too serious, but it was hard to tell with how thick his hair was. The wound was still bleeding enough for it to be concerning. “You might need stitches.” She added.

“Don’t want stitches.” He debated.

“It’s not about if you want them-”

“Don’t you always talk about how much you love my hair? They’d have to shave it to give me stitches.” He retaliated. She didn’t reply, making him laugh lightly. He winced as the vibration of it hurt his head a bit. After some slight shuffling around on the counter, she pulled her phone out of her pocket.

“Look here.” She said as she gestured to the torch on her phone. He did as she told him, looking into the bright light. She was no doctor, but she had enough common sense and past experience to know that they shine a light in your eyes to check that your pupils dilate correctly, and if they don’t, you’ve likely got a concussion. His seemed to be responding fine. That was good, at least.

He looked up at her through his mess of hair pulled into his eyes as she worked away at cleaning his injury. It tugged on his heart strings a bit. This girl truly cared about him, and had done since they’d met. She worried about his personal space the day after they’d met at the café, she worried about him after that shitty interview he’d had, she worried about him when he got sick on tour, when he wasn’t in a good mood, when he was overworked, when he got a bottle thrown at his head. He’d done very little until recently to earn her attention and concern, and yet she’d given it to him anyway. Even when he was a complete dickhead she still pulled through for him. Fucking hell. What had he done to end up with someone like that in his life? His heart swelled as he remembered the last time that she’d been in London with him, when she had agreed to take the job and - for whatever reason that he still wasn’t quite sure of - to date him.

“Hey,” He called, trying to grab her attention. She mumbled a noise of response. “I love you.” He said bluntly. He stayed quiet, patiently holding out for a reply, but she just kept examining his scalp. “Aren’t you gonna say it back?” He asked eventually.

She let out a deep sigh, pushing his hair back out of his eyes. “For fuck’s sake. Of course, I love you, Matty.” She huffed as she moved back to meet his gaze. Despite the instantly overwhelming feeling of joy, he waited for her to continue. “What I don’t love is you being stubborn about things like having a head wound.” She said with a pointed look. “But I’ve been steadily falling harder for you since you conned me into seeing you again after that first show.” She chuckled, leaning her forehead against his.

“I wouldn’t say I conned you.” He argued with a grin. “More… allowed you the opportunity you were clearly dying for.” He rephrased. She shook her head but couldn’t help the goofy smile and blush that found its way onto her features.

“Sure, if that’s how you wanna remember it.” She shrugged, moving her hands to his shoulders. She was satisfied for now that he was probably going to be fine.

“Well, I knew I was falling for you when you got up and jumped around on stage with me that first day.” He said with a cocky tone to his voice.

She gave a loud laugh at that. “No, you damn well didn’t.”

“How do you know?” He scoffed.

“I do talk to the rest of the band. You know that, right?” She asked. He nodded, laughing slightly. “And it’s not a competition, anyway.”

“Everything’s a competition, love. You know that.” He said lowly, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer to the edge of the counter.

He brought a hand up to her cheek as he pulled her lips down to meet his. It seemed that no matter how many times she kissed Matty, it still hit her just as hard as the first time she had. Or perhaps even harder given that her brain was slightly foggy the first time. Every time their lips met it pushed her nervous system into overdrive. She brought a hand up to his hair, forgetting that he had a gash on the side of his head and accidentally pulling the hair near it. He hissed in pain for a second, getting a muffled ‘sorry’ in response as she moved her hand. But he used her distraction as an excuse to deepen the kiss and edge her closer along the counter to him. The thing was that Matty was right, everything was always a competition with him. And she had learned that this particular competition involved who was going to back out first. Theoretically, the competition didn’t really have a loser per se, but she knew all too well where this was going. People would probably come looking for them soon to check in on how he was doing.

She pulled away from him slightly, feeling like the temperature in this room had increased a few degrees in the last couple of minutes. “Are you just trying to get in my pants?” She accused him with a frown.

“Depends, is it working?” He challenged, moving in to kiss her again.

“I’m not fucking you in a stranger’s bathroom.” She said as she moved away.

“It’s George’s bathroom.” He shot back.

“That’s not what you’re meant to take away from that.” She laughed.

“But it is what I’m taking away from that.” He argued, raising his eyebrows with a suggestive grin. She rolled her eyes.

“Later.” She smiled, hopping down from the counter and stepping around him.

“Is that a promise?” He asked mischievously as he followed her out of the bathroom.

As the party started winding down, things began getting quieter in the house. The guests made their way home, bottles were tidied up, the music was switched off. Eventually the five usual crew found themselves sitting in George’s lounge room watching a movie to close out the evening. It was nice to round out such a momentous occasion with something so simple. The drinks had stopped now, the chatting between them had become pretty infrequent, the friends happy to sit in the comfort of the TV. It wasn’t until Matty’s eyes started slipping shut that the conversation picked up again. “You’re not allowed to fall asleep.” Y/N/N said as she nudged his shoulder.

“But it’s three in the morning.” Matty groaned.

“You might have a concussion; you need to stay awake for at least a bit longer.” Adam reminded him.

“My head hurts.” He complained loudly, rolling over to press his face into the couch.

“Because you have a concussion” Ross chimed in.

“No, it’s because the music in this movie is awful.” He huffed, jabbing an accusatory finger towards the screen. “Who scored this shit?”

“I’m fairly certain it’s because you copped a bottle to the head, Matt.” George said with a laugh.

“I could score something way better than this.” Matty continued, opting to ignore everyone’s concern and continue on his own tangent. That piqued everyone’s interest.

“Oh?”

“Yeah!” He shouted as he sat up, suddenly motivated. “I could write for an Oscar winning movie by… 40.” He declared, before quickly changing his mind. “No! 35.” He amended.

“There is no way you can do that.” Ross said with a sigh, shaking his head. “You’re already 31.”

“Not in between all your other shit you take on.” George added.

“I absolutely can.” He argued defiantly.

“Matty, that’s a bit ridiculous.”

“I could score a movie, and it’ll win awards for its soundtrack.” He said with a scoff, sweeping his arms in a grand motion to emphasise his point.

“Bet you can’t.” She said simply with a shrug. Those words shot through him like a bolt of electricity. The challenge felt like his brain had just kicked up a gear. But when he looked across the couch at her, the look in her eyes told him she knew exactly what she was doing.

“Just fucking watch me.”

Last Chapter

A/N - Annnnnd that’s it! I hope you guys enjoyed reading it half as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you so, so much for the support each week - it has made my day each and every time. It’s a shame that this story had to end… but… when one door closes, another opens, right? So as much as my Matty fic has reached it’s end, my good friend Red__Moon’s is just beginning! I’ve had the absolute pleasure of a sneak preview of a few of these chapters and phwoa… if you thought mine was any good? You are gonna be in for a wild ride, my friend. It’s another slowburn, so you’ve got another good few weeks of Matty-based-reading ahead! Thanks again for your endless kind words.

#Matthew Healy x Reader #Matty Healy x Reader #Sunsetinmyvein

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tsukikoayanosuke · 4 years

Text

A Spoonful of Help

Summary:

Jonah knew he should be happy when someone finally asked him to go on a fancy dinner date, but there's just one problem: he's an uncultured pirate who doesn't understand why we need so many forks.

(7 Leaders, 7 Prompts Challenge! by @rainebowkitty )

"He asked me on a date."

All conversations that happened around the table of first-years suddenly stopped which was something that Jonah didn't want to happen.

"And...?" Ace asked and now Jonah just wanted to burry himself. This is so embarrassing...

Jonah took a deep breath before letting it out from his mouth. "I said 'yes'."

Ace was the first one to respond to it, laughing and slapping Jonah's back. "Hahaha! Way to go, captain! You're one step closer to marrying him!"

"No! No marriage yet!" Jonah buried his red face into his palm. "Just shut up!"

"Wow, Jonah. I’m happy for you!" cheered Deuce. "You two are actually a good couple."

Jonah's face went red. "Geez..."

"When is this date?" Jack asked.

"This Saturday," Jonah groaned. "He invited me for dinner at the Bella Notte."

"Isn't that, like, the fanciest restaurant in town?" Ace asked to with Jonah nodded. The ginger-boy whistled. "Oo~ He's going all out~"

Jonah groaned again. "What am I going to do? I can't take back the invitation!"

"What's wrong?" asked Jack again.

Jonah made some funny gestures with his hands. "All of these. Look at me! There is no way I can fit in a fancy situation like that. I'll embarrass him!"

"You're a gentleman captain, aren't you?" Epel pointed out.

Jonah groaned again. "But that doesn't mean I know table manners. What if I accidentally pick up the wrong knife? Or worst, what if I accidentally eat spaghetti with a spoon?"

Ace raised an eyebrow at him. "There is no way you would do that?"

Epel winched at that. "I don't know Ace... A salad fork actually looks like a hybrid of a fork and spoon..."

"What am I supposed to do?" Jonah said, hands running through his hair.

"Hey, if you don't want that, you can just ask me to take your place," Grim suggested. "I'm not complaining if he pays for the food."

"That is inappropriate!" Sebek exclaimed. He then turned to Jonah. "This is very important. So you need preparation!"

Jonah looked at him with a questioning look. "Preparation?"

Sebek nodded. "Practice with someone who knows table manners well. Pick your best make-up and clothes. Write down every pick-up line you can think of. Buy a ring."

Jonah's face went red again. "I told you: no marriage yet!"

"Hey, that sound like something a Pomefiore kid would be great in," Ace said, glancing at Epel.

Epel raised an eyebrow at him. "Hey. Only because I came from Pomefiore that doesn't mean I remember all the rules." He pointed Ace with his fork. "This coming from a Heartslabyul student who can't remember all 810 rules."

"Then why don't you ask Senior Vil?" Jack suggested. "I mean, he's the Pomefiore Prefect. Surely he would gladly help."

"You think so?" Jonah asked, unsure.

"Oh, he will," Epel said. "I'll talk to him. He'll never pass an opportunity to teach rowdy boys how to be a gentleman."

Jonah sighed. "Fine. I'll try."

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

"I've heard everything from Epel."

Jonah sighed looking up to the Pomefiore Prefect. "Thank you for agreeing to help me."

Vil's lips pulled to a small smile. "A pleasure, Mister Argentum. Now." He reached for the handle of the door. "Shall we began?" He opened the door, revealing the grand dining room of Pomefiore. The table was filled with various food and drink.

"Senior Schoenheit." Jonah turned to the senior. "Isn't this a bit too much?"

"Nonsense!" Vil said as he pushed Jonah to the head of the table. "If you want this to be perfect, you need to practice with every possible food you can eat! One bite at the time!"

"But there are so many!" Jonah exclaimed.

"Tut-tut!" Vil pushed Jonah down to the chair. He took out a riding crop from the sleeve of his kimono. "Now, sit up straight."

"Why do you have a riding corp?!"

Vil smacked the riding corp to the table, earning a winched from the eye-patch boy. "Don't raise your voice." He tapped the riding corp at Jonah's thigh. "Be sure to keep your legs close. Predators are everywhere."

"Wha-"

Vil smacked the riding crop again. "Pay attention now."

The older boy started to explain the setting of the tableware in front of him, pointing at each fork from the closest to the three stacks plates, showing how to hold the five different glass they use to drink, even helping him putting the napkin around his neck.

The good part about this practice was that Jonah was able to taste various food. Who knew that you could eat snails. Even the salad dressing was quite delicious.

"Don't slurp on your soup," Vil warned.

"Sorry," Jonah said in a low voice before lowered his spoon, he was about to wipe his mouth with his sleeve but Vil smacked his hand with his riding crop.

"Ow!"

"Use your napkin. And don't just wipe it in one go. Gently pated at the lips and chin."

"You know, the way you said it seems like you suggesting something."

"Don't you sass me, young man." Vil then picked up the bowl of french onion soup and exchange it with a plate of sole meuniere. "Now. Which fork and knife should you use?"

Jonah looked at the fork and knife before reached for the fork on closest to his plate.

*smack!*

"Ow!" Jonah rubbed his hand, glaring at Vil. The Prefect just shook his head.

"Try again," he commanded. Jonah huffed, looking at the utensil again. This time, he picked up the fork in the middle. Glancing at Vil, he could see his senior gave him a small nod. Jonah's lips curled up and he reached for the knife in the same position. He was about to cut the fish when suddenly Vil walked behind his chair and held onto his elbows.

"Don't raise your elbows too much," he instructed as he pushed Jonah's elbow lower. "Make sure they're low enough, but not too close to your body."

"Right." Cutting the fish was easier than the meat last time. It was delicious, just like the others. He needed to remember to ask for these recipes.

They practice from one food to another. Vil was very serious about this, which Jonah was grateful for. He felt more prepared now.

"Thank you for helping me today, Vil," Jonah said while stirring his spoon in a cup of hot chocolate.

Vil smiled and bit at his macaron. "It's not a problem, Jonah. A big brother's job is to help their younger siblings right?"

Jonah chuckled. "That is true," he said, before drinking his chocolate, sighing when he felt the warmth afterward.

"Oh, you haven't mentioned who asked you out," Vil suddenly said.

Jonah blinked confusedly. "Didn't Epel mention it?"

"No. He kept that part vague. That little twerp." Vil frowned, muttering the last part under his breath. He looked up at Jonah again, this time with a playful smile on his face. "So, who's the lucky man who managed to conquer the captain's heart?"

Jonah's face immediately became red. He looked down at his chocolate. Oh yeah. He was drinking chocolate too when he asked him for this date, right? That was a sweet moment. He let out a small chuckle as he looked back up to Vil with a warm smile on his face. "It's..."

So, I decided to take this challenge, tried the raffle twice, and got: [Vil = (2) Simple coffee date/dinner date (or just a friendly dinner/hangout if you’re keeping it platonic)] and [Kalim = (5) This dorm leader is in the hospital for some reason and you’ve come to cheer them up while they waste away in bed]

Now, these are two students that I haven't met before in my fanfic. But, I do have an interaction with Vil in mind for my main-fanfic so I'll go with him. And I kept this platonic.

"Don't be a french fries, be the best damn potato you could ever be." - Vil Schoenheit (probably)

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melancholydreadfuldream · 5 years

Text

seven devils dreaming

Fandom: Doctor Who

Summary: DW AU. You have a new assignment, to keep an eye on a man called John Smith. Easy, right? That’s until the truth is revealed behind who John Smith really is. The most dangerous man in the universe, the trickster of the world, the last of the Time Lord, the oncoming storm called the Doctor, trapped in a human state.

Pairing: Tenth Doctor x Reader

Warning: ooc, deception, mention of sex, a possibility of dark!doctor, obsessive behavior, mention of torture.

A/N: Honestly, this is also a nonsense of a fanfic indulging in the idea of dark!doctor. But I couldn’t write very well hence this will be a painful read. But I’m gonna post it anyway because I am evil.

Ugh, I was bored. I have been inactive ever since my last mission 2 month ago. I have been assigned for desk duty which is such a waste of my potential. I am one of the best actives in the Division where I work. And yet here I am sentenced into desk duty as punishment for punching the jerk-face that is my client during my last mission. In my defense, that jerk-face deserved it. That man was horrible and it was times like this I hated my job, to protect bad guy like him. Though in my line of work it was actually all about the pay day.

The base where I work is located in some alien planet with permission from the local. We got along with the local fairly well. The Division offered protection in exchange for the space we occupied for our headquarter.

The Division consists of both alien and human, we are all to work together to monitor the happening in the universe and sell information to those who seek it and depending on the clients, we are to step in to stop the chaos or cause it. We are no shadow proclamation or even time agency. In fact, the time agency hated us but still sometimes they also used our service.

Someone dropped a folder on my desk right in front of me.

“Look like you got your wish, (last name), you are off desk duty. That is your new mission.” Luke said. He is one of my co-worker in analysis section. He is not an active like me. In Division, we called our field agents an active.

I picked up the folder with excitement and frowned when I saw the contain. “Babysitting duty? Again? Why me? Can’t someone else do it?”

Luke is annoyed. “Would you prefer desk duty then?”

“I will take it.” I quickly said.

“Good. Because you don’t actually have a choice. The big guy upstairs ask for you specifically for this assignment.”

“The big guy did? Is this another punishment?” I asked in exasperation.

Luke shrugged. “Wasn’t that bad. You get to be undercover the duration required to keep an eye on that guy.”

I pulled the picture of my target. A handsome man called John Smith. “Is that a fake name?” I asked. The man in the picture is actually good looking, an eye candy, so maybe it won’t be so bad.

I read the detail regarding this John Smith. A human. A history teacher for a school in Beacon Hill, a small town on Earth. He also work as a librarian.

“Ugh, boring…” I complained. “What is interesting about him that someone pay us to keep an eyes for him?”

Luke shrugged. “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”

“But this guy sounded boring. His lecture probably put his students to sleep.” I mocked. “Also, ‘keep an eye on him by inserting active on his daily life’. Please don’t tell me I have to be undercover as a teacher?”

“I felt bad for your students if that is the case…” Luke said in flat tone.

“Hey!” I yelled offended.

“You actually can pick how you are planning to insert yourself into his life.”

I grinned mischeviously. “I want a job where I get to kick bad guys in return for watching over that boring man.” I gasped dramatically. “A private investigator. I always wanted to be a PI.” I grinned. “(Name) (last name) PI.”

“Glad to see your finding amusement in this.” Luke said but his tone is anything but glad. “How are you meant to watch over him if you go after bad guys?”

I shrugged. “I will make it work.” I picked up the picture again. “I’m about to rock this guy world.” I said with a huge grin.

Had I known who John Smith really is, I would have refused the job. But I was set up.

&&&&

“The Doctor is indisposed. He won’t be causing us trouble. And I have employed actives to distract the human doctor.”

“Make sure it stay that way.”

&&&&

Inserting myself into John Smith’s routine is fairly easy. I ‘met’ him during his time working in the library. I was there for research. I introduced myself as a PI who just moved in town.

John is polite and awkward but very helpful in my research.

I thought it would be fun to be PI but considering I was in a small town, there is hardly any excitements here.

As a PI, mostly I got bored at my office which I rented on the second floor of a bar. The place is quite large so that’s where I stay for the night.

I didn’t stalk John all day because I didn’t want to catch attention of the people of town so I hang out in the bar and befriended the bartender. Small town, people like to gossip, so I have to be extra careful, newcomer tend to catch the town people’s eyes. At least, the bartender is cute and friendly, his name is Holden.

My first case is to find a missing cat much to my chagrin. The second case is slightly more intriguing, to investigate a husband affair.

In between, I always made sure to go to the library for my 'research’. I got to speak with John a few times now and he is hilariously awkward with women. Some women in Beacon Hills evidently find him eye-pleasing and love to flirt with him. After I saw how he dealt with them, I realized I can’t be outright flirting with him. He would just shot me down like he did the others.

Though, I supposed I have a better chance because John is definitely interested in me when I mentioned that I work as a PI.

He is curious why I moved into the small town of Beacon Hills and I said I needed a fresh start.

&&&&

John found me lurking around at the school where he teaches.

I told him I have a concerned parent as my client who want me to take a look at their son’s life, fearing he’s involved with the wrong sort of crowd.

John, as a teacher, is rightly concerned and offered to help especially when, surprise surprise, the boy in question is actually one of his student.

Well, I was supposed to keep an eye on him too so him volunteering to help is helping my case. Two birds one stone kind of thing. I was pleased with myself.

I found out I was wrong about John though. His lecture didn’t put his students to sleep. He has a funny way to make history interesting. And it does help that he is good looking so most of his female students are very attentive to listen to his lecture in hope to get a praise. He is very likable among his students. He is one of the students’ favorite teacher.

John discreetly pointed to the boy, Clarke, his name. I turned to watch over the boy and he did look too distracted. John is concerned and he wishes to talk to the boy. Of course, it didn’t end well. Teenagers. They want our attentions and they don’t want it too. I watched as Clarke get mad at John and left.

So I followed the boy, he is my job after all. I wanted to get paid so I have to report the case as soon as possible. I have some other boring clients I need to deal with too beside Clarke’s parents. The soonest I finish with all of them, the quickest I could establish my reputation as PI here and get accepted by the town. Then I can finally focus back on my primary mission, John.

Of course the son of the client ended up in trouble and I have to intervene. Though I ended up in jail for starting a fight with the local drug gang. The parents are right, Clarke did get into a mess with the gang and now they are blackmailing him. Once I found out what they have on Clarke, I politely asked them to hand over their blackmail material to me and they laughed in my face. So I violently asked with my fist instead.

The Sheriff glanced at me in displeasure as I stared back at him from behind the bars. I could tell he dislikes me already, probably think I’m trouble. Well, he’s not wrong.

John surprised me when he come to the police station to bail me out. He seemed on a good term with the Sheriff that the old man actually let me off the hook.

“Thanks, I owe you one.” I said as we got out of the police station.

“You didn’t owe me anything, Miss (Last Name). You are doing a good thing after all…for Clarke…”

“Yeah, just call me (Name). I didn’t do it for Clarke. I’m being paid by his parents, remember?” I dismissed his claim.

“Still, you saved him from the gang. I’m grateful for that.” John turned to glance at my face. “That look hurt.” He tentatively touches the bruises on my face.

I winced. "Should have seen the other guys…“ I said with a laugh.

“I really can’t say I’m approve with how you deal with the gang though…” he said in firm tone.

“Ah, you are one of those pacifist people, huh?” I rolled my eyes.

“Well, I wouldn’t go that far…but I do believe in less violence and more talking.”

“No wonder you are a teacher.”

“What’s wrong with being a teacher?”

I shrugged. “Nothing, I suppose. Well then, Mr Smith, thank you again for your help but I gotta go…”

“Call me John.”

I blinked and then shrugged with a small smile. “See you around, John.”

“See you soon, (Name)” He actually pick up one of my hands and kissed it like a gentleman from those classic movies. “Take good care of yourself.”

&&&&

The next day, while I was hanging out on the bar nursing my drink, I spotted John entered the bar. I raised my eyebrows at him. He didn’t strike me as the type to go to a bar sort of person. Too gentlemanly. He seated himself beside me without invite.

“What are you doing here? Aren’t you suppose to teach Beacon Hills’ bright young minds?” I asked teasingly.

“I have a free period.” John replied as he glanced at me. “I feel concern for you.”

“Me? Why?”

He shrugged. “So what about you? No client today?”

“Nope.” I said. “Can I buy you a drink, John?”

“Sure.”

And from then on, we become sort of friends. I hang out on the library in lazy afternoon when my work as PI is slow. He hang out at the bar at night at my request whenever I need to wind up. I also invited him to my office to have a look around.

“Sorry, the place is messy…” I said.

“It’s fine. I’m the one who is intruding…” He glanced around the room. “You sleep here?”

“Yeah, can’t afford separate living space and office.”

John hummed. “Nice place though.”

“I know.”

&&&&

“So what’s with you and the teacher?” Holden, the bartender asked one day.

I raised an eyebrow at him. “What do you mean?”

“Lately I saw you hanging out a lot with him. Are you seeing him?”

“Just friends.”

“Friends that hang out most of the times?” he asked in obvious disbelief.

“we find kindred spirit in each other?” I spouted out bullshit.

“Fine, if you don’t want to tell me…” Holden shrugged with a pout. “You are alone today?”

“yeah. John has a teacher gala thing.”

“He didn’t invite you along?”

“Not my thing.”

He finally left me alone to deal with the other customers.

&&&&

John is adorably awkward. He told me about a fellow teacher at the school, Joan, who seem to be politely flirting with her.

“Well, if you like her, flirt back.” I said.

“I don’t know…”

“Why? Do you have someone you like already?”

“No, not really.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“I think the school has rules about fellow teachers getting together…?”

“Screw the rules…” I said. “If you like her, you should give her a chance. What if she is the one for you, John and you missed your chance because of some rules?”

“I suppose…” John looked reluctant.

I rolled my eyes. “Do you need my help with her?”

John’s eyes widened. “No!” He practically yelled.

“Geez, okay, no need to yell…”

“Sorry.”

&&&&

John started seeing Joan so he started to spend less time with me.

When I reported this to my handler, Luke, he gave me an earful about it. So I had to do something.

I stalked both John and Joan on their date. I started to investigate Joan for dirt. I have to sabotage their relationship. Not my proudest moment especially since I was the one who push John into dating her. Eventually they broke up and John return to hang out with me, nursing a drink together over his short-lived romance. Though I get the feeling John isn’t entirely too troubled with the break-up.

&&&&

I finally established my reputation as a PI in Beacon Hills when I 'rescued’ a child from a kidnapper. Honestly, it was just a coincidence. I just happen in the wrong place right time kind of thing.

I become sort of famous because of what happened. My picture is in article on local newspapers. The Sheriff is actually start to look at me differently and acted all nice with me.

John gazed at me with admiration as if I have suddenly become his heroine or something. He took me out on a dinner. I told him to meet me in McDonald for burgers much to his astonishment. I think he want to take me to a fancy dinner but I hate that.

I started getting more clients as a PI. The Sheriff also started to invite me to help with his cases. I started getting into my fake job a little too seriously now, almost neglecting my primary assignment.

Luke, for some reason, seemed to know and reprimand me to 'up my game’. Ugh, I don’t like this part because that meant I have to start getting romantically involved with John to keep him with me.

So during a night while he’s hanging out on my office while we drank alcohol together, I kissed him. He kissed me back. But he acted like a proper gentleman, telling me that I was drunk and it would inappropriate of him to take advantage.

John is acting weird lately, like those lovesick fools. He become more affectionate with me, holding my hand, caressing my hair, smiling adorably at me, stuff like that.

I should be happy because he’s acting exactly as I expected him to but I like him as friend and It just so weird to change the dynamic. But I know I have to make the jump on that.

&&&&

John is upset with me. He’s actually mad because I didn’t properly acknowledge what we have, whatever that is.

“Do you like me, (name)?”

“Well, yeah, you are my best friend, John."

"That’s not what I meant and you know it.” John looked frustrated. “I want more from us. And I would like it if you want it too…”

I wanted to hit myself in the head. I should just follow the mission and become his girlfriend but I genuinely like him as a friend and I don’t want to pretend to love him. Even though for the sake of the assignment, I have to. I can tell John is losing patience in dealing with me. I have been brushing him off lately and then being affectionate next. And I said assignment, but really its all about the payday, isn’t it? Part of me feel horrible because I do consider him as friend but another part of me, the sensible one, forced me to face reality. John is just an assignment, not a friend at all. When the time come, I would have to left him behind.

John displeased with me and left, refusing to talk to me.

Now what? If he is mad with me, it would be a bit hard to keep an eye on him. Luke is going to give me hell for this. But I did accepted this assignment so I have obligation to see it through at any cost.

&&&&

I got a client, a young lady who is afraid of her husband who apparently a very influential individual in this town. The husband abused her hence she wishes for a divorce. But the husband refused so the lady, Mary, wishes for me to discreetly get a dirt on the husband and blackmailing him into divorcing her and left her alone. So I made plan for a stake out on the husband.

I saw John and he is being cold toward me on purpose. I don’t like it.

I got dirt on the husband but I wasn’t careful and was found out. His henchmen attacked me while I was walking home alone one night. Had it not for John I would have got hurt a lot worse. It was the first time I wonder if John has a dark side. The calm way he handle the henchmen with precision movement to disable them while still give them a whole of hurts is kinda…amazing but also scary.

I gaped at him. “John?”

John walked toward me and sat down beside me on the ground. He gently touched the bruise on my neck from when they tried to strangle me. “I really wish you would be more careful.” He said with a sigh.

“Thank you for saving me…” I whispered.

“Just because I’m still mad at you, doesn’t meant I don’t care about you. Because I do care, (name)…”

“I…care about you too, John.”

“But you don’t love me…”

“Do you? Love me?” I asked.

John didn’t answer for a second. He sighed. “I like kissing you. I want to kiss you some more.”

I chuckled at him and winced as I stroke my neck. I closed my eyes and thought on the night we kissed. I don’t know if I want to kiss him again but right at this moment, I very much wanted to.

“We should report this to the Sheriff and you need to go to see a doctor.” John said in concern.

“No to both.”

John glanced at me in disbelief. “These men just tried to kill you.”

“Hazard being a PI? Means I’m doing my job right…somewhat…” I said with a hoarse tone.

“Not funny, (name).” John said firmly. “Look at you, you can barely talk. You really need to see a doctor.”

“Ugh, too much paperwork.”

“I will handle the paperwork.”

“John, I really just want to go home, you know? I’m beat up…” I said tiredly.

“Fine, but you’re coming home with me.”

“Fine.” I agreed to tired to argue.

&&&&

I glanced around John’s house. It was a bit small but lovely. I saw a few sketches on the coffee table. It was sketches of some alien in nature. My eyes widened. John is suspicious after all. I thought he was an ordinary human but he knew the existence of alien? The drawing of Daleks, Cyberman and many other alien species. It was really good though, the drawing. I didn’t know he could draw so well.

“What is this?” I asked as I waved one of the sketches.

“Oh, it was just a doodle.” John said. “You knew years back there are alien invasion on Earth. Those are supposedly eye-witness account of how the alien species look like.”

“You never encounter any of them?”

“Nope.”

I picked up a drawing of a young girl. “And who is this?”

“Rose…” John whispered solemnly.

“And who is Rose?” I asked.

John didn’t answer for a few seconds. “Nobody, apparently…just someone that didn’t exist.”

I frowned. I have a feeling there is more about this Rose. So while John is distracted, I took the sketch into my pocket, intending to ask Luke to investigate her.

John prepared a warm bath for me and tend to my wounds afterward. He also gave me some hot tea to calm my nerves. He gave me one of his pajamas for me to wear to sleep.

“You can take my bed, I will sleep on the floor.”

“Your bed is big enough for two. We could sleep together.” I said.

John raised an eyebrow at me.

“You know what I meant.”

He grinned.

I shook my head. “I’m tired. I will go to bed first.”

“I will join you later.”

“Just a warning, I snore.”

John chuckled.

&&&&

That morning I woke up with John’s arms somehow has envelop me. I turned to look at his sleeping face. I couldn’t help the small smile on my face. I discreetly removed his hands and move out of the bedroom as not to disturb him. It was still a bit early.

I took my bag pulled my smartphone and took a picture of Rose drawing and send it to Luke with a text to find out about her. Then I made coffee for myself.

Shortly after, John got out from his bedroom, with adorable messy hair, looking a bit in panic. He stopped short when he saw me chilling in his kitchen drinking his coffee.

“Hey…” I greeted innocently. “Coffee?”

He gazed at me and actually sighed in relief. "I thought you left the house…“

"What if I did?”

“I would have hunt you down.” He said with this expression I can’t decipher.

I couldn’t tell whether he was joking or serious. So I decided to change the subject to my case, the reason why I become a damsel in distress for John.

“I am a PI. This is what I do. And frankly I love it. I’m not gonna stop doing what I do just because some guy decided I was in the way.” I said when John expressed how dangerous my line of the work are.

To tell the truth, if I ever left Division, I could see myself working as PI.

&&&&

I managed to get back at the guy who tried to have me killed. I blackmailed him in regard of his illegal business, forced him to divorce his wife and make him agreed to give said ex-wife generous amount alimony.

He agreed very reluctantly but I know he won’t just let me go for blackmailing him. I know he will try different ways to hurt me but for now he will back off.

John is worried and tried to stay by my side whenever he can to make sure I will not be in danger. But he can’t do much since he has school to teach and other stuffs.

I reassured him that they won’t get the drop on me again.

&&&&

This small town lately become a hotspot for crime. Robbery, kidnapping and murders. And I used to think small town means less excitement. Now it feel like too much sometimes.

My relationship with John is still shaky at best. All because I couldn’t fully open myself to him. How can I? I’m living a lie. John might know my name and the fake background of mine but he doesn’t know the real me.

And John obviously is not what he said he is either. Sometimes i catches a glimpse of someone scary within John. It made me pretty curious to try to find out more about the true John. I suspect John’s identity is a cover up. But even as I suspecting this, I started to have all this confusing feeling for him.

&&&&

The nerve of her! That Joan! How dare she said that I’m not worthy of John? Who does she think she is acting all high and mighty?

When I told John about it, he grinned childishly. “You’re jealous…” he said, pleased and wrapped a hand around mine.

I scoffed at what he claimed. Why does John look pleasantly happy with the thought of me being jealous? It was kinda annoying me.

But to tell the truth though, Joan is right, I can’t imagine why John could ever love someone like me. I’m a mess.

&&&&

“The Doctor’s companion has contacted Jack Harkness for help in locating the Doctor.”

“Stall them. Divert their attention. Create a chaos near them. Do not let them find out the location of the Doctor. The plan must not failed.”

&&&&

“DON’T YOU DARE RUN AWAY FROM ME!!” I yelled on top of my lungs while I ran after the bad guy.

My target, upon hearing my banshee scream, ran faster. Only to fall spectacularly with a trick by John who happened to be in town while I was doing my thing.

John, who heard me screaming like crazy, glanced up from his conversation with a fellow teacher. He smiled in amusement upon spotting me. He saw who I was after and did thing I can explain, creating some sort of chain reaction with stuff around him which ended up with my target fell within my reach.

“Hah! Got you, jerk-face!” I yelled as I grabbed him.

Joan winced at my language.

John grinned as he approached me. “What are you doing with him, (name)?”

“Isn’t obvious? He’s a fugitive. I’m a bounty hunter at the moment.” I said with a grin.

John smiled fondly at me.

“How did you do that by the way?”

“Do what?”

“That thing you do… I don’t know what it’s called anyway, but that is awesome!” I said.

“Happy coincidence?” John said with a shitty grin.

I saw Joan from behind John, watching us with a look of disapproval which make me suddenly have an idea to annoy her some more. I pulled John down toward me and kissed him much to his pleasant surprise. He kissed me back. I saw from the corner of my eyes of Joan leaving the scene. I grinned into the kiss.

“What bring this on?” John asked.

“For your happy coincidence.” I said teasingly.

“Get a room.” My target scoffed.

I turned toward him. “Oh you will get a room, alright, off to jail you are.” I grabbed him and pushed him to the direction of the police station. “See you around, John.”

“See you tonight, (name).”

&&&&

I was drunk the first time I had sex with John. What the hell was I thinking? It was so embarrassing. I was upset because of a case. I lost a client that I personally get attached to. I failed her. I was so upset and I drank a lot.

John took me upstairs to my place where I shamelessly (at the times) seduces him with (oh dear, someone kill me please) a lap dance and basically being a tease till he agreed to bed me. John is a proper gentleman and at first has refused me, claiming he didn’t want to take advantage of my drunken state. Apparently I told him to hell with proper and if he didn’t bed me, I would find someone who would. And after that, I distinctly saw his eyes darken with possessive desire and he did exactly what I asked and more.

I have got to admit John is an excellent lover.

&&&&

I was pissed at John for suddenly proposing me with marriage. We haven’t even know each other that long to even start talking about marriage. Hell, there isn’t even a talk about it yet and here he was, cornering me with a proposal?! What.the.hell? And when I acted surprised and confused and absolutely against it, he got really quiet and withdrawn. When I asked him about it, he gave me the silent treatment. Seriously?

He acted like a maiden I deflowered or something and now demanding I marry him as a responsibility.

I sighed in frustration. At the risk of calling myself bitchy, I really think John is too needy and I don’t like it. He’s wonderful man but why is he in a hurry with our relationship? And in the first place, this isn’t actually a real relationship!

I contacted Luke and asked him how long I am meant to watch over John and if I really have to go through a fake marriage with him. I actually got order from the above to do it. Do everything within my power to make John happy and make him stay attached to me.

&&&&

John got shot, because of me. He was protecting me from a drive-by shooting. I was trying to talk to him but he stubbornly ignoring me and then he did that, protecting me again. How could he be so stupid?

I was getting emotional as I waited for him in his hospital bed. This was supposed to be a simple assignment so why did it went too far like this? John got hurt because I choose to be a PI while inserting myself in his life.

Thankfully his wound is not severe. When he woke up, I said 'yes’ to him. At first he is confused but when he realized what I meant, he smiled brightly.

After he got out of hospital, he become more affectionate with me even in public. I don’t do PDA, I only did that before to piss that Joan.

I was suspicious with the shooting though. Things seemed to happen around me and John which kind of pushes us together. I asked Luke if he or someone from above arranged that but he had no idea. He did promise to poke around for me.

&&&&

Thankfully we both agreed on a small wedding. In fact, I vetoed wedding dress. I wore a simple white dress on the day of our marriage and we signed on a piece of paper I didn’t bother to look twice with a fake priest arranged by Luke.

I moved into John’s house. We shared a room together and I settled into our marriage life. John still disapproved of how I handle my PI job from time to time especially when he found out I got hurt. One day, I got home with busted lips from my interfering a fight between crazy divorced couple and the dark expression that flashed across his face literally give me chill. I explained to him that it was just an accident and he really need to stop having constipated face every time I got a little hurt.

John is evidently angered by me dismissing his concern. He grabbed both of my wrists and demanded I paid attention to him. I flinched at his reaction and he apologized sort of.

Thankfully, afterward I only got small cases like tracking a missing dog or stolen family heirloom. The school is out on holiday. John wanted to assist me in my work. I narrowed my eyes at him unhappily. It is almost like he want to take over my life or something. But then when I saw the childlike delight on his face when he found the missing dog or successfully retrieving the lost item, I ended up allowing him to come along.

“You’ve got to teach me about that happy coincidence trick…” I said.

“(name), I wouldn’t know how to. I just do it.”

I pouted. “Just say that you didn’t want to teach me that.”

John and I accidentally got involved with a very scary pregnant woman whose water broke and she was cursing everyone during the entire birth while the ambulance is nowhere to be found. But the look on John’s face though when he deliver that woman’s baby… I almost worried that he’s going to demand we have a children but thankfully he didn’t.

John always gazed at me with that genuine expression. No one ever look at me that way before, no one but him. I told him as much. He would kiss my neck gently and told me that everyone who couldn’t really see me for me is a fool.

And I wonder if he really see me. I lied to him, I still do, but did he know? I become unsettled at the thought of being played by him. I become determine to find out why they wanted John observed and who he really is.

&&&&

Luke is frantic when he called me about Rose. Rose was that man’s companion. The Doctor. The most feared man in universe, the face-changer, the man who is capable of being kind as much as he is able to be cruel. I froze when I saw the many known faces of the Doctor on my tablet and one of them clearly is John.

I discreetly scanned John while he was sleeping and found out he is a human, only have one heart. But the Doctor has two hearts. What the hell is happening? Someone has turned him into a human. But who? And for what purpose? Are they planning to kill him? But why assigned the Division to keep an eye on him?

I groaned in frustration. What is the big guy even thinking to accept a job that involved the Doctor? What the fuck is wrong with him? He had made me a target for the Doctor’s wrath for when he returned to his true self if that even possible. I was really, really frightened by the Doctor. I heard the stories and it wasn’t good. I know he is capable of being kind but from my side, I only ever heard his famous cruelty of no second chance.

The Doctor is a good man. That was everyone always said. But they also said he is the most cruelest man ever. When he suffered lost of his companions, he snapped and enraged at the world. He called himself the Time Lord Victorious and that the law of time is his.

Although he’s getting better, according to rumor, that he’s making amend and taking both old and new companion again, saving people and planet and whatnot, the Time Lord Victorious still existed in him and still come out to play from time to time. And that is what make the Doctor is properly frightening.

I found out that his current companion is Martha Jones and Mickey Smith. So I grabbed my vortex manipulator and went to investigate them. From what I can tell, they have lost the Doctor. I was off my game apparently because someone put a gun on my back. I recognized him as one of the Doctor’s former companion, Jack Harkness. He found me lurking around and caught me.

They interrogated me. I have no choice but to tell the truth about John when Jack force-feed me a truth drug. They demanded I bring them to John.

&&&&

“Hand off my wife.” John said coldly as he pointed my gun toward Jack and the others when he saw me being kept as prisoner after we entered our house via vortex manipulator.

When Jack, Martha and Mickey realized that John really did not recognize them, they let me go. They were surprised to learn that John had married me.

John fussed over me. “Are you alright, (name)?"

I didn’t say anything. It was my first time seeing him carrying a gun and for some reason, he frightened me greatly. I tried to calm myself.

The companion furiously asked me what did I do to him even though I am as clueless as they are. Jack demanded that I take them to the Division and to the client that asked us to keep an eye on John.

John demanded everyone to shut up. He glanced at me, expecting me to explain but I didn’t. I refused to look at him. It was Martha who tell him all he needed to know.

John looked calm after he learned the truth from Martha. He scrutinize me with his eyes. "So it was all a lie.” He said, sounding strangely not surprised.

“You are way too calm about this.” I said. “Are you sure you really have no idea?”

John looked pissed now. “Would you like me to be angry, wife?” he spatted the word with venom.

I flinched. “You are the one who asked me, remember?”

“And do you even love me or was it all just an assignment to you?”

“Does it matter?”

“Of course it does!”

I looked away. “It wasn’t real.”

“You’re lying.” he said, almost pleading me.

“Am not. Ask Jack, he forced me to eat a truth drug. I can only speak the truth.”

Jack confirmed it.

John looked sad and defeated. I wanted to hug him but all my instinct is telling me to run. I could see it within John, the being called the Doctor, and I am afraid.

&&&&

I was forced to help figuring out what happened to the Doctor and who turned him into a John.

Martha said something about chameleon circuit? And something about a watch with perception filter. But John and I never saw a watch like the one Martha described.

I have no choice but to enlist Luke. He is pissed at me for ruining the assignment and for involving him with this mess. I glared at him. I blame the Division, what kind of idiot would willingly agree to mess with the Doctor in the first place anyway? The big boss should have his head cut off for being massively stupid.

&&&&

One mess after another later, we finally found the information regarding the Doctor’s Time Lord consciousness. Jack basically has to threaten to dangle the big guy off the window before he told us about the client who made the payment for John case.

I was surprised that John willingly agreed to follow on it despite knowing the return of the Doctor means the end of John Smith. John has not talked me to me since I told him everything between us wasn’t real.

Luke provided John with the tablet containing information regarding the Doctor. And he learned about Rose. “She was real…” he whispered in awe.

I almost felt jealous. Almost. I know I didn’t have a right to be jealous. So I turned away from him to focus on other things.

&&&&

I have no idea how someone got the drop off the Doctor. Apparently during an adventure with Martha and Mickey in some alien planet, they got ambushed by a young woman called Kovarian and her army. She tricked the Doctor into a chameleon circuit of her own. The Doctor is smart but he knew he can also be thick sometimes. He had no choice but to follow along Kovarian’s demand if he want to keep his companion safe.

Kovarian had promised to let Martha and Mickey go after the Doctor follow through with the chameleon circuit. And so he did. His time lord consciousness was stored into a special hourglass and the energy is being used for experiments. For what purpose, no one know.

True to her words, Kovarian did drop Martha and Mickey on Earth where they frantically contacted Torchwood for help in locating the Doctor. What they didn’t know is that Kovarian also dropped the Doctor turned human on Earth under watchful eyes of the Division. The companion had thought that she would have taken the Doctor off on another planet.

&&&&

I managed to retrieve that damned hourglass and I pushed it on Martha’s hand. I was done with them. I was done with John freaking Smith and the Doctor. While everyone is thoroughly distracted with breaking the hourglass and the time lord consciousness forced its way into John, I ran. I was a coward. I couldn’t stand any longer be in their presence.

Kovarian, having lost and cornered, decided to hold the Earth hostage. Now, they really need the Doctor to save the world.

&&&&

I cursed the big boss for putting me in this position. I packed up my stuff and decided to go on the run before the Doctor come for me. I picked up a bio damper to throw him off my signature in case he decided to track me. And I ran and I prayed and I hope he never bother with me.

But, of course, it was only a matter of time before he find me. Luke warned me about the Doctor coming to Division demanding to meet with the active called (name) (last name). I ditched the communication device I had on my person knowing its likely Luke’s warning call is traced by the Doctor. And I ran again.

That dreaded day finally come when I saw the Doctor’s Tardis one day.

John, no, the Doctor got out of the Tardis. He was alone. He glanced at me and said, “Hello, wife.”

“I didn’t want any trouble, Doctor.” I said quickly. “I didn’t know that John is you. Had I known, I would never…”

The Doctor regarded me curiously. “You are afraid of me.”

I didn’t reply as if that is not obvious considering who he is.

“I’m not gonna hurt you. I know you didn’t have anything to do with Kovarian.”

“Then why are you looking for me?”

“I just would love to talk…”

I stared at him flabbergasted. “Talk? About what?”

He shrugged. “You are my wife.”

“It wasn’t even a real marriage!!” I snapped. I probably shouldn’t have said that but I was really frustrated and confused with the Doctor.

“It was real for john so it was real for me.”

“John is not even real person!”

The Doctor shrugged again as if he can’t see that he’s upsetting me greatly or maybe he know but didn’t care. “You took care of me, sorry, John. And even if it wasn’t real to you, I would like to say thank you.”

I was confused with his line of thought here. What? Shouldn’t he be super mad at me or something?

“I would like to offer you a chance to travel with me in the Tardis just this once.”

“I don’t believe you.”

He looked surprised, his mouth hang open.

“Why would you spend all this time looking for me? Just to say thank you? I’m not stupid, Doctor. What do you really want from me?” I stared at the Tardis behind him. “Are you trying to trick me to get inside the Tardis so you could punish me or something?”

He looked saddened. “You really saw me as the bad guy here, huh?” He noticed some bruise I have on my wrist. He moved to touch me but I stepped backward. He didn’t take another step. “What happened to you?” He gestured to my wrist.

“None of your business.” I spat furiously. I wanted to kick myself in the head for poking the bear.

A dark expression crossed his feature.

I gulped.

He composed himself into a calm and polite manner. “I would like to show you something.” he said as he raised a hand toward me.

I stared at his outstretched hand. “Do I have a choice?”

He didn’t reply for a few second. “I promise you will not be harmed. And if you come with me, you will not regret it.”

I didn’t know what possessed me to accept his words. It was stupid of me.

&&&&

He took me to that night, in the past, the first time John and I had sex. I didn’t recognized it at first. The Doctor brought me to a place, the place where I lost my client and he told me to save her.

I was flabbergasted by him again. “Isn’t that against the rule of time or something?”

“Are you really gonna argue about the rule of time with a Time Lord?” he asked back.

So I did as he asked. I saved my client. But past me had no idea, she still think the client died.

The Doctor arranged for my client to leave town and start a new life.

I didn’t understand why he did this. “Why?” I asked.

“I remembered this night. The night you come to me, sad and lost. I remembered thinking I hated seeing that expression on her face. I want to make her, you, happy just as you made me a happy man that night.”

I blushed when I realized what he’s implying. My mind couldn’t help but having a flashback of that night we spend together.

The Doctor smiled at me. “I would really like it if you come with me, (name). Travel with me in the Tardis. Have adventure together, saving people. I know that’s the reason you love being a PI. Stay with me and we can go anywhere anytime.”

A warning bell rang in my mind for a while now but, being the idiot that I am, I ignored it in favor of that handsome face smiling beautiful lies at me.

&&&&

The Doctor is fiercely protective of me. He didn’t take it well when someone took me as hostage or when I got hurt by someone else’s hand. That part of him reminded me a lot of of my times with John. It also made me very uncomfortable.

One day, I found a piece of paper and I recognized it as my fake marriage certificate with John. But why did the Doctor keep it? And then I frowned when I noticed the signatures on the certificate. What should have been John Smith’s name is now written and signed as the Doctor. What?

I confronted him about it.

“I told you it was real for me.” He said.

“It wasn’t real! This is a human marriage custom! You are not even human!” I yelled furiously. I don’t know why I was so angry over this marriage thing. I felt like I have been imprisoned and I didn’t even realized it. “How did you even change the name in the first place?” I asked. “In case you don’t know, the priest who officiate our fake wedding is also fake. So this paper…” I waved it around. “…is meaningless!!”

“He was a real priest. I made sure of it.”

Did he seriously crossing his own time stream just to make sure we have a real marriage? I can’t believe it. He really creep me out right now.

“It is still legal and binding. You are my wife.”

“Like hell I am!!” I yelled. “I’m not your wife! You are an alien and thus the marriage is invalid!”

“Not to me.”

“You can’t do that! You can’t just decide on your own which rules apply to you and which didn’t!”

“Does it bother you that much to be married to me?” he asked. “Do you hate me so much?”

“You are frightening me.”

“I didn’t want you to be afraid of me. I would never harm you willingly.”

“Take me back.”

“What?”

“Drop me back on earth or wherever, I don’t care! I just want to be away from you.”

The Doctor looked hurt but to my surprise he dropped me back on earth. “I will come back for you when you have calm down.” he said.

I wanted to scream. “No, Doctor, I want you to leave me alone.”

“I can’t.”

Oh I believe him. He is not going to let me go just like that. I started to mentally making a plan to run. But he took one look at me and he knew.

“Don’t run from me, (name).” He warned. “No matter how far you run, even to the end of time, I will always find you…forever.”

“Well, Doctor, considering you are immortal and I am not, I don’t think you will have forever.” I said cruelly.

He flinched at that. He gazed at me with a profound sadness that made me feel guilty. And then a darker expression replaced it.

I froze under his gaze. In hindsight, I probably shouldn’t say that last bit.

The Tardis vanished out of sight and I can finally breath easier.

&&&&

I contacted everyone I know and begged them to help me hide from the Doctor but one word of the Doctor and they all shut me down. They wouldn’t want to risk the wrath of Time Lord Victorious.

Not even the Doctor’s companion willing to help me.

“I don’t know what he see in you.” Jack replied with disgust. “But you obviously make him happy. Even though you seem to bring a darker version of him out…”

No, I am not, I wanted to scream.

“After losing Rose, you are the first he allowed himself to love…”

And that gave me an idea. If I could get Rose back… I heard she was trapped on the other universe. If I could get her back here, then maybe he will let me go. According to Jack, Rose is the light that make the Doctor a better person. If she is here, then maybe whatever darkness the Doctor harbour will be gone and I will be set free.

With that new mission in mind, I ran again from the Doctor while discreetly trying to enlist help in opening a breach on the other universe.

The Doctor always found me, like he promised. He rescued me from danger sometimes. He traveled with someone called Donna now. He introduced me to her but not as his wife to my great relief. He gave me a look that said to behave so I obeyed.

Donna excitedly greeted me. She was a nice enough woman and I like her. She begged me to travel with her in the Tardis, claiming she need a woman’s company.

I had no choice but to agree.

&&&&

Turned out I didn’t have to do anything about Rose. Because she is coming to our world herself. The fierce woman who love the Doctor and the woman he still loves. I can smell the freedom already.

The brightened smile on his face when he saw her is annoying to me. I don’t understand why I still have such complicated feeling for the Doctor. I tried to pushes my feeling down.

Then the Daleks happened.

And then there is a meta-crisis doctor who decided to call himself John. Both version of the Doctor are stupidly in love with Rose, I can tell. Does that mean I am a rebound?

I don’t know why I am so upset. Getting away from the Doctor is what I want, right? Was I in love with the idea of the Doctor loving me or do I truly have feeling for him? I closed myself and thought of the times with John. I did enjoy his company. I also enjoy the Doctor’s company. But what does this mean?

Then everything spiraled out of control. The Doctor had to seal the breach to the other universe but he left both Rose and metacrisis doctor on the other side.

No. Just No. This wasn’t supposed to… I was so confused.

In the end, I was left alone with the Doctor once more now that Donna is also gone, having her memory erased. Seeing him standing alone, the loneliest man in the universe, how could I keep running from him?

So I stayed in the darkness with him.

&&&&

I was screaming.

Why am I screaming?

Pain. So much pain.

Where am I?

I forced myself to open my eyes. I was restrained to a medical bed and there is sort of machine whirred around me.

I froze when I saw him. The Doctor. But he wasn’t alone. There are other people I didn’t recognize.

“We will have our forever, (name)…”

The Time Lord Victorious allowing the experiment on his so-called wife in order to prolong her lifespan.

I shouldn’t have put that thought about 'not having forever’ in his mind. Now I’m paying the price.

He didn’t lie. He didn’t harm me. He let them do the the dirty work for him.

I sobbed and screamed again.

A/N: I was listening to Seven Devils by Florence and the Machine on a loop while writing this hence the title.

#tenth doctor x reader #10th doctor x reader #tenth doctor imagine #doctor who fanfiction #doctor who imagine #dark!doctor #yandere!doctor who #shiefenwrites

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lalainajanes · 5 years

Text

The Kindness of Strangers

It takes a good half hour for Caroline to realize that she’s been ditched.

In her defense, she’s not exactly at her best.

She can’t stop coughing, her chest hurts. She’s freezing, still wearing her coat and scarf even though she’s been indoors, waiting for her turn to see a doctor, for three hours. Caroline will admit that she’s never been an ideal patient. She hates every single part of being sick – gross fluids leaking from her body, disruptions to her carefully plotted schedule. She loathes weakness, isn’t used to having to count on other people. She’s lived in Chicago for just under a year, doesn’t have many people to rely on.

She’d been self medicating for days, guzzling DayQuil and NyQuil in turn, googling home remedies and forcing down cup after cup of chamomile tea with honey.

The medicine hadn’t helped, nor had the tea and the best medical advice Pinterest had to offer.

Hence why she’s sitting in an uncomfortable plastic chair, in a packed waiting room, braving screaming children, bloody wounds, and even more airborne germs.

She’s staring dumbly down at her phone, at the picture that’s just popped up on her Instagram feed. Posted just a few seconds ago it features her boyfriend at the gym, his face strained as he lifts a kettlebell. She hadn’t bothered to read the caption, knows it’s some nonsense about reps or mile times that she’s only ever feigned interest in for the sake of politeness.

He’d been yammering on about his workout plans since he’d picked her up. Caroline had been humming in acknowledgement at regular intervals but she’d figured it didn’t need to be explicitly stated that leaving her in a hospital waiting room was so not cool.

Apparently she’d been mistaken.

“Please tell me he’s some sort of useless relation. A cousin you’re only nice to because your mum insists.”

Caroline’s head swivels to the speaker, a touch surprised by the accent. The guy next to her is looking down at her phone, his expression disbelieving. She’d nodded tiredly at him when she’d sat down, some part of her brain cataloguing a general impression of an attractive man in her age range. She hadn’t been in the mood for conversation and he hadn’t attempted one either. She’d felt him shifting next to her, restless, and probably in pain judging by the impressive rainbow of purple-black bruises covering his bare left foot.

She should probably snap at him, demand he mind his own business but, if her own freaking boyfriend can’t be bothered to skip a workout when she’s in the emergency room, it’s probably a good idea to expand her social circle.

“My mom has even less time for useless relations than I do.”

“She sounds like a smart woman. Does she like your boyfriend?”

Her mother had yet to be introduced. Caroline had planned a trip to Mystic Falls for a long weekend but Stefan’s brother had called last minute with one of his bimonthly crisis’s so Caroline had made the trip solo. In hindsight, maybe she should have read more into the lack of effort. “Very smart. And handy with all manner of firearms.”

A warning, just in case he happens to be a serial killer.

His brows rise, a hint of amusement beginning to curl his lips. Caroline’s forced turn away and bury her face in the crook of her elbow as she’s wracked with coughs. She slumps back when she’s done, needs a moment to catch her breath.

When she peels her eye open her neighbor’s expression has softened with concern. “I’m Klaus,” he offers.

“Caroline.”

His arm nudges hers on the armrest between their chairs, a weird approximation of a handshake that Caroline returns. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, even if the circumstances are less than ideal.”

She’s naturally nosy, and he’s given her an opening, “What happened to your foot?”

“Stupid accident. I was helping my brother move, he got distracted. A rather heavy sofa came down on my foot.”

Caroline winces in sympathy, leans forward to peer around Klaus. She hadn’t noticed him talking to another guy but, as she hadn’t really noticed Stefan taking his leave while in her fog of misery, that doesn’t mean much. “Is he here?”

Klaus makes a low noise of denial, “God, no. Kol can only sit still as long as the average five year old. I’ll be storing this incident away for later, when I need a bigger favor than a ride to the hospital.”

Caroline doesn’t know much about healthy sibling relationships but she can admire a strategic mind.

“How long have you been waiting for?”

“I got here about an hour before you did.”

“Ugh,” Caroline grumbles, crossing her arms and yanking her sleeves down over her hands, “maybe I should have just made another pharmacy run and gone back to bed.”

Klaus leans forward, pulls a jacket and a scarf out from under his seat. He shakes them out, offering them to her. “Here. I find it quite warm in here but you’re obviously suffering.”

She shakes her head, “No, I wouldn’t want to infect you with whatever I have.”

“Did you just fall ill?”

“It’s been a few days.”

Kat, her boss, had bullied her out of the office when Caroline had nearly passed out after standing up after a meeting. Caroline had tried to protest but Katherine Pierce was excellent at getting her own way. Caroline had been in the back of a town car, under a blanket, with a driver who’d had strict instructions to only stop at a restaurant for the giant takeaway container of chicken noodle soup Kat had ordered.

She’d texted Stefan when she’d gotten home, had gotten sympathy followed by an apology. He’d told her to rest, that he hoped she’d feel better soon, but he’d claimed that he couldn’t rick catching anything, not when he’s training for a marathon.

Alone on her couch, trying to muster the energy to get herself to her bedroom so she could change out of her pencil skirt and blouse, Caroline had told herself that she shouldn’t be resentful. That ambition was sexy, goals were admirable, and she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself.

That it wasn’t at all annoying that, just a month ago, she’d spent a whole weekend refilling a hot water bottle for Stefan every half hour after he’d pulled a muscle. He hadn’t asked her, she’d offered, and relationships shouldn’t have scorecards.

Maybe they had different love languages. That didn’t mean they were incompatible.

Reciting the bullet points from Cosmo relationship articles hadn’t stopped Caroline from feeling resentful.

Klaus shakes his jacket gently, drawing her attention back to him, “I doubt you’re contagious at this point.”

The jacket looks to be wool, heavy and lined and probably super cozy. She only hesitates for another second before taking it, draping it over herself like a blanket and looping the scarf around her neck.

She manages to avoid obviously tucking her nose into the fabric, to better appreciate the light touch of the very nice cologne Klaus must use.

“Thank you,” she murmurs. “You can tell your significant other that you’ve earned a pile of gentleman points.”

It’s not the most subtle fishing Caroline’s ever done but she’ll just have to blame that on the large doses of over the counter meds still swimming through her system.

Klaus doesn’t seem to mind, his smile widening as he leans back in his seat. He rests his head back against the wall and sprawls a bit, closer to her than he’d been before. “There’s no significant other.”

She probably shouldn’t consider that good news but she totally does.

“And you?” Klaus asks, “how long have you and the… fitness afficianado been an item?”

Caroline suspects the moniker he’s settled on is far more polite than he’d like to be.

“About six months. But we’ve known each other since we were kids.”

“Let me guess, you were high school sweethearts who reunited years later.”

His distaste is obvious and Caroline laughs softly. “Um, no. Not even close. I had a ginormous crush on him but he was really into my best friend.”

Who’d waffled between being into Stefan right back and being into Stefan’s older brother.

Klaus sighs, “So he’s got an appalling lack of taste in addition to his other less than stellar qualities.”

It’s instinct to jump to Stefan’s defense. “He’s really a great guy.”

“I’m sure.”

“He’s training for a marathon. It’s a lot of work.”

“Is this marathon tomorrow?” Klaus asks pointedly. “Because otherwise I don’t understand why he couldn’t take a day off when you’re so ill you can barely walk.”

Caroline deflates, presses her lips together as she swallows the argument she’d been about to make. She’s had plenty of practice lately. When she’d first moved, and Stefan had shot her a message offering to take her out for a drink to celebrate her new job, it had been easy to fall back in with her old friends. He’d been familiar, Elena and Damon too, and she’d been busy with her new job and settling into a new apartment. It had been easier to relearn how to be around them than to meet new people.

She’s a people person though, has started getting closer to a few coworkers, and Enzo, Rebekah and Kat all have certain opinions about Stefan that Klaus is mirroring.

“Perhaps this is none of my business,” Klaus says, after her silence has stretched on. He’s watching her carefully, like he’s wondering if he’s pushed too far.

“It’s really not.”

“Lost those gentleman points, did I?” he jokes.

Caroline laughs, willing to roll with his attempt to lighten the mood. “Maybe not all of them.” Because she is warmer now, with his layers piled on top of hers. “Where are you from, anyway?”

He’d given her the perfect opening to pry and Caroline’s not going to waste the opportunity.

All in the interest of broadening her social circle of course.

A month later, after a breakup, rearranging her entire apartment (three times), she’s decided to make more of an effort to turn her coworkers into real friends.

Rebekah’s throwing herself a birthday party. There’s even a dress code. Enzo informs Caroline that all of Rebekah’s brothers are ridiculously hot, so clearly she needs a great new dress. And heels. And some lingerie and a new lipstick because, why not?

She sees Klaus before he sees her. He’s planted on a loveseat in the living room, his casted foot resting on an ottoman. He’s flitted through her thoughts more than once since they’d met and Caroline had regretted not getting his contact info. Or at least a last name.

Klaus might be a unique name but her attempts at social media stalking had all failed.

Caroline grabs a flute of champagne (seriously, Rebekah knew how to throw a party) and hugs the perimeter of the room. She approaches Klaus from behind, sitting down on the arm next to him and chirping, “Well, fancy meeting you here.”

His eyes snap up, widening when he recognizes her. “Caroline,” he says, something like wonder coloring the tone.

It’s enough to confirm that she’d not the only one who’s spent way too much time thinking about those few hours they’d spent together.

“Glad you remember me,” she teases. “How do you know Rebekah?”

“She’s my sister.” He shifts over, threading his finger through hers to pull her down next to him. Caroline has no objections, not even when he’s pressed along her side, leaving enough room for another person beside him. “And you?”

“We work together.”

“Small world,” Klaus murmurs, very pleased about it.

Caroline can relate.

She nods down to his foot, “What was the verdict?”

He groans, “At least six weeks in the cast. I’m right sick of it. I’ve barely left my place since it happened because I can’t drive and the simplest things are infinitely more annoying.”

“I’m glad you made it out tonight.”

He’s still got her hand clasped in his but his free arm comes up, resting loosely around her shoulders. He speaks more softly and Caroline leans closer to make sure she can hear. “Likewise, love. I’ll never complain about Rebekah being a shameless nag again.”

Somehow, Caroline doubts that.

She spends the duration of the party at Klaus’ side but she meets a whole pile of new people. There’s Kol, the brother whose couch had maimed Klaus’ foot, Elijah, who is a little scary, with his appraising eyes and aggressively perfect manners. She gets some tips about thrifting vintage clothes from Gia, a classical violinist, and when she chats with Marcel he says he hopes he sees her around, promises that he knows plenty of embarrassing stories about Klaus.

She’s kind of kicking herself for falling back into old habits when she’d first moved to Chicago. Clearly, she’s pretty kickass at making friends.

She leaves with Klaus’ number in her phone and plans for dinner the next night.

Sunday brunch plans follow, with Rebekah, where there are bottomless mimosas and vague threats.

It’s easily the best weekend she’s had since moving.

Though not for long.

#klaroline #klaroline drabbles #i probably should have saved this for auweek #but like all writer's i am needy yo #inspired by an aita post #where the answer is usually YES YOU ARE THE ASSHOLE

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