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fridayfirefly · 4 years ago

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The Power of Luck [Chapter One]

Read The Power of Luck on AO3

Masterlist [All Works]

Masterlist [The Power of Luck Series]

Written for Maribat March Day 6 - Miraculous Side Effects

The Ladybug Miraculous had quite a few side effects. Marinette was able to think quick on her feet, she was a skilled tactician in battle, and her reaction time was half that of a normal human. Most notably, the Ladybug Miraculous granted its user the force known as Miraculous Luck, which, depending on the situation, was sometimes more of a curse than a blessing. Marinette didn't get to choose how that good luck manifested. For instance, when she needed an extra day to finish a history project, her school closed down due to a gas leak. Or when she wished for a fresh start after the defeat of Hawkmoth, her parents were offered a deal to grow their bakery business in America.

Marinette assured her parents that she didn't mind moving. After all, most of her class had already moved on. Lila had been deported to Italy, narrowly avoiding jail time. Chloé (much to her dismay) was sent by her father to an all-girls boarding school in England. Adrien was taken in by his Aunt Amelie (as Gabriel was in jail and Emilie was declared brain-dead) and moved to England as well.

No one else from Marinette's class left the country, but many of them moved out of Paris. Nathanial was accepted to an elite art school in Marseille. Max was accepted to a gifted program at an elite school in Bordeaux. Officer Raincomprix was transferred to Toulouse and took Sabrina with him. Juleka and Luka both started homeschooling after their mother sailed the houseboat down the Seine to the city of Rouen.

Worst of all was the loss of Alya. Her parents were horrified that the son of Hawkmoth was in the same class as their daughter, and promptly pulled Alya out of class and decided to move out of the city. Alya begged them for weeks but nothing came of her protests. In the end, Alya left too.

The Miraculous Luck could do a lot of things, but it couldn't keep her friends together. Those who remained at François Dupont filled holes in other classes. Marinette tried to make the best of her new class, but she felt no real connection to them. When her parents proposed the move, Marinette jumped on the opportunity. In Gotham, she wouldn't be haunted by the ghost of her old life.

Marinette cut her hair, leaving it choppy and just above the shoulders. She donated all of her brightly colored clothes to the thrift store down the street and created a new wardrobe for herself. It was toned down and mature, much more fitting for Gotham.

Marinette left Paris a much different girl than the naive fourteen-year-old who thought she could save the world. She was ready for a city like Gotham, a city that didn't make any promises, a city where Marinette could set down some new roots.

-----

At first, it was easy to fly under the radar at Gotham Academy. It was a school filled with the self-absorbed children of millionaires and billionaires, after all. Marinette was there on scholarship - her good grades, leadership experience, and working-class parents combined to cut her tuition down by 75%. Marinette quickly learned that scholarship students were at best ignored, and at worst mercilessly bullied. So Marinette kept her head down and vowed that she would get through the year unscathed.

There was one variable, however, that the Miraculous Luck wasn't able to account for. Marinette's entire plan fell apart thanks to one boy: Damian Wayne.

Marinette became acquainted with Damian Wayne through the school's rumor mill. She learned that he was one of the most wealthy and most attractive people in the school, but he was thought himself too good to spend time with any of his fellow classmates (Marinette couldn't fault him on the last bit; she also found the students at Gotham Academy to be difficult, to say the least). Marinette also learned through the school's rumor mill that Damian spent quite a lot of time staring at her. Given that Damian had never paid the slightest amount of attention to a Gotham Academy girl before, this was a big deal. Suddenly Marinette was the farthest thing from under the radar. Everyone who used to look down on her wanted to be her friend. It was exhausting.

Marinette resolved to ignore Damian Wayne - an easy task, given that she still didn't even know what he looked like. Now that everyone was staring at her, it was hard to

"Why?" grumbled Marinette. "Why couldn't my so-called Miraculous Luck help me get through one normal year of school?"

Tikki shrugged from her spot inside of Marinette's backpack. "Maybe all of this attention will turn out to be a good thing?"

"I doubt that." Marinette glanced around, checking that no one had spotted her talking to her backpack. There was one spot in the cafeteria that was hidden from view, a window-sill nestled behind a pillar, bordered by a wall on one side and an out of order vending machine on the other. Marinette sat on the window-sill every day to eat lunch, with Tikki as her companion for the meal.

"I think your problem is that you're overthinking this. Miraculous Luck always works out in the end, even if there are some obstacles in the middle."

"I just want this horrible school year to be over," sighed Marinette, setting her head down in her arms.

"Don't give up yet, Marinette. I have high hopes for this school year," said Tikki.

Marinette had some serious doubts but picked her head up anyway. Maybe this year wouldn't turn out the way she expected. Marinette defeated Hawkmoth, the greatest villain Paris ever faced. She could survive a year of high school.

-----

Marinette was going to survive her senior year of high school. Damian Wayne on the other hand... Marinette still wasn't sure if she was going to let him survive the year, after everything he put her through.

"Excuse me?" a sickeningly sweet voice piped up from behind Marinette.

Marinette put on her best disinterested-face, took out one headphone, and turned around. "Yes?"

There were three girls standing behind her: a blonde, flanked on both sides by a brunette and a red-head. The blonde girl had a smile on her face but a devious look in her eyes. Marinette had long ago learned to spot manipulators, and this girl had it written all over her. "Are you Marinette Dupain-Cheng?"

"Yes."

"My name is Julie Cooper. I was just wondering... Are you dating Damian Wayne?"

Marinette huffed in exasperation. "What do you think?"

Julie's eyes narrowed. "I just wanted to warn you. I mean, did you really think that Damian Wayne would seriously date a girl here on scholarship? You should break up with him before you get hurt."

"It was a rhetorical question. I'm not dating Damian Wayne. It's just a rumor."

Julie instantly perked up. "Oh, good! I was beginning to think that Damian had lost his mind. I mean, I'm sure you would be a nine or a ten at a public school, but at Gotham Academy, you're like a seven, maybe an eight on a good day. Most of the girls who go here are actually hot, not just," the girl waved her hand towards Marinette. "Above average."

Marinette wasn't sure if Julie meant for her to feel flattered or offended, but her words had the strange effect of making Marinette feel both all at once. "Um, thanks? I'm going to go now."

Julie's brunette friend suddenly paled as the girl started to tug on Julie's sleeve. "Um, Julie?" she whispered.

"What, Nora?" Julie's eyes widened as they fixed on something behind Marinette.

Marinette turned around to see what the cause of their concern was. Or rather, to see who the cause of their concern was. It was a boy, tall and scowling. "Are you done here, Cooper?"

Julia nodded, a nervous edge to her voice, "Bye, Marinette." She and her two friends hurried off, exchanging frantic whispers.

"What do you want?" asked Marinette with a sigh. She was tired of dealing with boys who were only interested in her because Damian Wayne was interested in her.

"I wished to apologize."

"For Julie? Did you put her up to this?"

The boy looked confused. "No, of course not. I meant that I wanted to apologize for everything, not just Julie Cooper."

"For everything?" The truth suddenly dawned on Marinette. "You're Damian Wayne! I didn't think that you would be so tall."

"You didn't know what I looked like?" There was real shock in his voice.

"Well, by the time I learned that you had been staring at me everyone was staring at me, so that wasn't much help in figuring out who you were."

"You could have googled me."

Marinette shrugged. "I could have, but it felt weird to google one of my classmates. I pretty much just resigned myself to never figuring out who you were."

"I should have approached you sooner. I've wanted to apologize for a while, but every time I've caught you alone you've looked like you wanted to be left that way."

"I'm not a fan of most of the students here."

"The students here can be..." Damian searched for the appropriate word. "Tiresome. I resigned myself to a dull four years of high school in their company. That is, until I saw you."

Marinette cocked her head. "Why me, though? I'm nothing special."

"You're different than everyone else here."

Marinette stiffened. "I know. I've been told. I'm here on a scholarship which means I don't belong," she snapped

Damian shook his head. "No, that's not what I meant. You move through life differently than all of the other students here. You don't care about the gossip or drama - at least, not until you were right at the center of it all. You've seen the real world, so you float above the high school drama. You're just so... so..."

"So what?" Marinette's tone softened.

Damian ran his hand through his hair, ruffling it. The addition of the messy hair added a certain charm to his otherwise polished exterior. "I've been brainstorming for the right word for weeks. The best I can come up with is pure. You don't let yourself become affected by anything in this school."

It was a very flattering description of her. It was also very on the nose. "I'll forgive you, Damian Wayne, but only on one condition."

"What?"

"I want to get to know you, and I have a feeling that you feel the same way."

Damian nodded. "It's a deal."

Maybe her Miraculous Luck wasn't so useless after all. Marinette had expected to go the whole year without making a single friend. Now, it seemed that she might make one after all.

@maribatmarch-2k21

#maribat #daminette #Marinette Dupain-Cheng #Damian Wayne #MaribatMarch2021 #maridami #marinette x damian #miraculous ladybug fic #my work

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curewhimsy · 2 years ago

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Ooops there’s more (Crossover Danganronpa AU)

Ame’s POV

It was a dark and stormy night.

Actually it was 6:41 in the morning, but I will consider it night to increase the dramatic effect.

That was the night… that I was born.

…Hello! My name is Amelie Sugar! And that’s how I introduce myself to everyone! It gets awkward sometimes, but I simply need everyone to know that I truly came into this world with one heck of a dramatic entrance…

The thunder roared… the lightning clapped… and the rain fell like bullets. It was the thunderstorm of the century. And yes, it was the beginning of February. Who ever heard of a thunderstorm happening in the cold, harsh midwinter?

Anyway, you want me to get to the point? Well…

Let’s flash forward 18 years later. I just graduated high school. I finally thought all the drama would be over!

But little did I know… the drama… and trauma… of my life… was just about to begin!

I had just gotten accepted into a college. A top college. How the heck did someone like me ever get accepted somewhere that wasn’t 3rd grade, you ask? Well, apparently I had some sort of talent and people recognized it.

But you see… I really had… no idea what the heck this talent of mine even was. Maybe it was a fluke? I emailed the staff of the school three times about it? I asked them it was a fluke the first time? Then they replied that I did, in fact, have an undeniable talent. Then I asked them what it was. They couldn’t tell me what it was.

Then I asked them if it was a joke.

It simply had to be. I couldn’t have a talent. Despite all my big talk, and my dramatic entrance into the world… I may be theatrical, but I really am just a big loser!

I didn’t get a reply that time.

But my invitation into Hope of Wonder College still stood.

Hope of Wonder College.. sounded like a downright magical place. And only the elite of elite students could even dream of setting foot in there.

But could me, a talentless loser even dream of surviving one millisecond beyond the doors?

———

I showed up a bit (unfashionably) late to my first day. By then, everyone was presumably already there inside. I was alone when I pushed open the doors and walked myself inside…

And then everything went black.

“What… just happened?”

My eyes crept open. They fluttered open like a butterfly attempting to take its first flight. That sounds all poetic, but in reality, it’s painful having to force your eyes open like that.

But soon as I remembered a few details, my eyes shot wide open as if the butterfly turned into a hawk and took right off.

“Aren’t… I at Hope of Wonder College…?”

It appeared I was in a dimly-lit classroom. The door was shut. And there were no windows… wait. On second inspection, there were! They were… just covered by metal plates.

What. What the heck!?

How long was I unconscious… No! Actually, that doesn’t matter as much as “Where am I?” and “What the hell is going on?”

I ran to the closed door and opened it, and found myself in a dark, empty hallway. I saw a door in the distance with light pouring from behind it. I walked up to it, slowly opened it, and…

“Oh hey! S-Someone else is here.” A quiet voice said. I looked up to see the owner of the voice. A tall girl with long white hair and striking blood-red eyes that left quite an impression on me. She seemed quite shy. But on second thought, she could’ve been less showing shyness, and moreso just unnerved at the situation of being trapped here.

Those eyes… I wouldn’t be forgetting them for a while.

Anyway, what just happened? Why were there metal plates covering the windows? I needed to get to the bottom of things.

“Um…” I asked this girl. “Do you have any clue what happened?”

“I have no idea.” She said. “M-Me and this group have all been trying to figure it out for the past half hour… I’m getting worried.”

“Ah hey, so… it seems there’s twenty of us here now.” A deeper voice said. He was a tall young man with long light purple hair. He had a robust, portly physique.

“Yay! The more the merrier!” A small girl cheered. She had short blonde hair and a large white ribbon on her head, she seemed quite energetic. “Now… where the heck is my messed-up brother?”

“You don’t like your brother?” The large man said. “I can’t relate… I have three siblings and love them dearly.”

“What? Of course I love my brother… I mean I’m close to him.” The small blonde girl said. “Just because I call him messed-up doesn’t mean I don’t! I was just teasing him… Actually, I’m getting kind of worried. I hope he’s safe.”

“None of my siblings turned up here either.” The man said. “I hope they’re fine too.”

“Wow… so all your siblings are Ultimates too?” Asked the girl.

“Yup.” The guy answered. “And I’m assuming your brother is one as well to get into this school, right? I have an idea. How about we all introduce ourselves for now?”

“I wouldn’t mind?” The blonde said. “My name is Rin Kagamine. I’m was chosen as the Ultimate Mirror Image 1, with my brother being 2. This entails that we aren’t just twins… we are more deeply connected. We are spiritually synchronized, and can speak using telepathy.”

I felt the disbelief and awe of other students fill the room.

“Well… it’s not that amazing!” Rin said, sheepishly.

“I’m sure it is. I can’t do that with my siblings! But my name is Defota Utane. I come from a family of Ultimates. Me? I am an Ultimate Gourmet Chef. My specialty is cooking with rice.”

“Ah, well… My name is Taya Soune.” We all looked to a thin androgynous person who was dressed in formal menswear, had medium height, long blue hair, and wore a monocle on their right eye. (Which would appear to others as their left.) “I am actually not all that amazing… compared to you guys. I am just the Ultimate Best-Dressed. Well, nice to meet all of you.”

Taya smiled politely and bowed formally. He seemed very formal.

“Well… I guess I’ll introduce myself, but shouldn’t we not be wasting our time right now?” This voice belonged to a tall man with short gray hair and sharp facial features. He, like Taya, was dressed very formally. But his clothes almost had a snobbish and pompous air to them.

“Come on, it’s not like we have anything better to do.” Rin said.

“Fine.” He replied. “I am Miles Edgeworth. Ultimate Prosecutor. Well? You’ll be on the straight and narrow as long as I’m around.”

“…But have you not went to law school already, Miles?” I asked.

“Passed that already.” Miles said. “I’m already a full-time prosecutor. Honestly, I don’t even know why I’m wasting my time here with you all. Also, please refer to me as Edgeworth.”

“Okay… Edgelord.” I managed to say through my teeth. This Edgy guy was kind of getting on my nerves. And I didn’t think it was a crime to call him names.

“Hey! My name is Miles too!” I heard a cheerful voice say. “Cool! We can be like twins!”

“Who in the—“ Miles, I mean Edgeworth started saying.

“My name is Miles Prower, but you can call me Tails, on account that I have two tails!” A young anthropomorphic fox boy said. “I am an Ultimate Inventor! Also I’m only 16 years old because… I dunno! They said I could go to college early for some reason! How old are you, other Miles?”

“…Don’t you dare try to compare yourself to me! It so happens I started going to law school when I was your age!” Edgeworth began to crack. It was a funny sight.

“My name is Serena!” A tall girl with periwinkle hair said. Then she pulled out a little hand puppet girl with green hair and made it talk in a drastically different voice.

“My name is Tally!” The puppet said. “Hey, Serena! I wasn’t invited here! Aren’t I an illegal student!”

“Nonsense, Tally!” Serena said. “We both got invited. I was invited as the Ultimate Ventriloquist, but on the back of my invitation, was your invitation to come here as the Ultimate Hand Puppet!”

“Hooray!” Tally did a little dance on Serena’s hand.

“Oh! That’s such a cute puppet!” Said a short girl with brown pigtails. “My name is Sakura Muramatsu! I am the… Ultimate Friend! I am always there for people who need a hand! Nice to meet you all!”

“That is very admirable.” Said a very low, gruff voice from the back of the room. “My name is Sakura as well.”

Everyone looked behind themselves to see someone huge, someone who fit the voice moreso than the name.

“Aah!” Taya even jumped back a little bit… He was rather puny compared to… Sakura. This Sakura had the physique of a bodybuilder who was training non-stop.

“Oh, I apologize…” Taya said, once he realized his reaction may have been hurtful. “You, uh… I think it’s cool how… how composed you appear! As a weak person, I look up to… people who have your level of… poise.”

“…There is no need to apologize. I get your reaction a lot.” Sakura said. “I also appreciate your compliment. I am Sakura Ogami. I am an Ultimate Mixed Martial Artist.”

“She’s really polite…” Rin said quietly.

“What! Of course she is!” Said another girl. She had a brown ponytail that rose above her head, and striking blue eyes. “You thought she wouldn’t be, because of her appearance? That’s so not fair!”

“Um, who are you?” I asked this new girl.

“Oh. Sorry… I just had to defend Sakura, her being my best friend and all. Well, I’m Aoi Asahina. I’m an Ultimate Swimmer. When I see a pool, I just have to get in it and swim laps! And I also love donuts! You all can call me Hina if you wanna! Well, nice to meet you guys! Can I choose who goes next?”

Hina took her finger and pointed at a quiet-looking girl with long, straight purple hair that fell around her like a curtain. She currently had her face hidden in a book.

“Oh… me?” She asked. “Well… my name is… Yuri. I am an Ultimate Writer…”

“So, what kind of stuff do you write?” I asked Yuri, smiling. I liked writing as well. It was secretly mostly fanfiction… But like, don’t tell anyone!

“Freeform poetry…” Yuri said. “I have been told my style mirrors Emily Dickinson’s, but with the intrigue of Agatha Christie’s novels…? Those are such high compliments though…”

Oh. Heh. Honestly I think I could believe it though. Yuri certainly did seem the very sophisticated type. The type who really knew what she was doing. I certainly couldn’t hold a candle to her writing, probably. So I just backed away, slowly…

“Oh… sorry.” Yuri said, as if she had done something wrong. But I was so wrapped up in thinking I was a failure, that I didn’t pick up that I actually was making her feel unwanted until far later. It was because I had poor social skills.

“Um, can I introduce myself now?” I high-pitched voice said. The voice belonged to a little kid… a very small girl who had somehow assimilated with the rest of us.

“Hey… what’s a young child doing here with us?” Tails asked.

“You should talk! You’re 16!” The kid said.

“Yeah… but you’re like, 10.” Tails said back.

“How rude! I’m 22!” The kid said again.

Everyone’s jaws dropped. A few gaps were even heard.

“This brat is… older than me?” Edgeworth said out loud.

“Yes. I am your senior.” The girl said again. Then she started laughing.

“I’m Anzu Futaba.” She said. “Man, this introducing stuff tired me out already. I hate working… someone get me a drink please. Yeah. I was held back for four years in school… So what? It’s pointless. I am the Ultimate Procrastinator after all. And no! That is not a joke. It’s how I got into this school.”

Suddenly it didn’t seem like a question as to why Anzu was held back for four years. She said she hated working. She probably didn’t do any class work! Even her T-shirt said, “Working equals death.” Where did she even get a shirt with such a saying on it? And you can get into this school by being the Ultimate Procrastinator? Why didn’t someone tell me that?

Anzu… easily mistaken for a kid. But instead, she was older than most all of us.

“Hey, I’ll get you a drink!” A really deep voice said. We looked to the source of a voice. It belonged to an anthropomorphic lion, explaining its huskiness. “I’ll get snacks for everyone, actually! Because I’m Rex, and I love snacks! Snacks are life! In fact, I am the Ultimate Snacker! That’s MY title!”

Rex seemed like a really chill dude. He was part lion, so I had to wonder about the kind of snacks he ate though.

“Nice.” A voice replied. This guy was dressed in a leather jacket, had a mohawk, and a fair amount of tattoos. He looked very rebellious. “I might go with you, then. Might as well explore more of this fucked-up place too. I’m Rotten-ST by the way. Ultimate Punk Rocker.”

He looked a bit scary… but I had a feeling he was good inside.

So, Rex and Rotten went off to find a vending machine. But I had a grave feeling they wouldn’t be in for any luck. At least they would get a bit more exploration done.

“Um…” A shy voice began to speak up. “My name is… Reisei Kiyone. I… I write poems but… I’ve never shared one except on forums. Nevertheless, I… we somehow recognized as an Ultimate Poet… nice to meet y-you all.”

Reisei bowed politely. He seemed really shy.

“Well, I’m Mami Futami… and where the heck is my twin sister, Ami? I can’t be an Ultimate Twin without her! I’m Ultimate Twin 2, and she’s 1!”

“Can you speak with her using telepathy?” Rin asked. I feel her question was genuine.

“…No! Not everyone is freaky like you and your brother!” Mami seemed to take Rin’s question harshly.

Rin backed away slowly.

“Hey, um… don’t fight please.” A soft voice said. “We should all try to get along because for now we seem to be trapped here!”

The girl had short curly white hair.

“Oh… by the way, I’m Bianca Luna… I’m the Ultimate Dreamer… whatever that means…”

“Well, don’t you wanna make your dreams a reality?” A snarky voice said. It was a short girl with black pigtails held by red ribbons.

“My name is Nico Yazawa. I’m the Ultimate Idol…”

“Huh? That can’t be.” The tall white-haired girl with striking blood-red eyes from earlier responded. “My cousin Miku is in this school as the Ultimate Idol. So you have to be something else.”

“That certainly does raise an objection.” Edgeworth said.

“…OKAY FINE.” Nico said. “I’m… the Ultimate Annoying Brat. Now LEAVE ME ALONE.”

“…Okay.” Everyone collectively said.

…So you can even be the Ultimate Annoying Brat?

“Well, it seems we’ve saved the best for… third-to last.” A snobbish voice said. A lady with crimson hair that curled at the end. “My name is Jessie. My last name… is a secret. And I… well… uh… I am the Ultimate… Ultimate Misfortune…”

“Ultimate Misfortune?” Everyone said.

“I CAN’T HELP IT, OKAY?” She said, suddenly angry. “But I have rose from having to eat snow from having it recognized as my origin story! I have risen to glory in the form of this wonderful school! My memoir will be a bestseller!”

“Um… Maybe I should introduce myself now.” I said. “I’m… Amelie Sugar. And I don’t… really know why I’m here, honestly. They said I had a talent. I’m an Ultimate Something-Or-Other! But they won’t tell me what it is!”

“Hey… same here!” Said the only other person who hadn’t introduced themself yet. It was the tall white-haired girl with the red eyes. “I’m in the same shoes basically. I don’t know what my talent is either… Yet I was chosen to go here. Hey… Amelie. Maybe we can find out together! My name is Haku Yowane.”

Haku held out her hand to me. I took her hand in mine and shook it.

“Well, Haku. Nice to meet you.” I said, smiling. Haku smiled back.

“WELL, developing some camaraderie here, I see.” A strange, cartoony voice said out of nowhere. It didn’t seem to be coming from anywhere! Or rather, anywhere we could pinpoint.

By this time, Rex and Rotten had returned back to the school gym where we were gathered, their hands totally empty. They didn’t find any vending machines.

“What’s going on?” Rex asked.

“Don’t ask us!” Bianca said.

“It’s so great to see you all concerned for each other.” The cartoony voice said again. “Too bad I’m going to have to take my mallet and SMASH IT TO PIECES!”

Everyone was frantically looking around to find where the voice was coming from. Were we all just hearing things?

“Hey! I’m right here!”

Suddenly, a large… stuffed bear emerged from the ceiling at the front of the gym and landed with as much noise a stuffed bear would make when it lands.

The bear was black and white. Half of the bear’s face looked friendly, with a happy smile and friendly round eye. The other side looked evil and diabolical, with a toothy grin and sinister red eye.

…Then the stuffed bear began to stand up and walk!

And believe me, we were never going to be prepared for what was going to happen next… what the bear was going to tell us…

All of it was going to launch our temporal lives into a state of chaos we were never going to bounce back from.

———

What happens next:

Anzu insults Monokuma and calls him a “deranged ugly Build-A-Bear reject.”

Rotten.ST tries to fight Monokuma.

Reisei tells Rotten.ST to throw Monokuma far away, since he is about to explode.

Monokuma explodes in a fiery combustion mid-air.

Rotten thanks Reisei. “Whoa… Thanks dude, I think you could’ve saved my ass.”

Mami cheers… because she thinks they killed the bear!

Everyone slowly begins cheering…

But suddenly Monokuma appears again! And with KYUBEY. Oh no!

———

Some lore:

There are anthropomorphic animals, a bit of magic, supernatural abilities, and robots.

The anthropomorphic animals are called “furries” as a nickname. They are also referred to as “part animal” even though they look more animal than not.

#danganronpa #my writing #dangan ronpa

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fbfh · 4 years ago

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fangirl’s paradise - leo x reader

genre/vibe: romance, adventure, slice of life

word count: 2.8k

pronouns/perspective: first person present, no pronouns (I think), gn reader

au: soulmate kind of?? also traveling to other dimensions/multiverse

pairing: Leo x fic writer!reader

requested: nah

warnings: you think someone broke into your house for a minute, you feel like you’re going crazy for a minute, questionable pop culture/internet references, you get really embarrased about stuff you’ve written, you say fuck a lot, tiddy as an explative

summary: all you wanted to do was write some leo one shots for your blog, but finding out he’s your soulmate is good too

reccomended songs: havana - camila cabello, where do we go from here - amelie obc

a/n: got really meta and self indulgent with this bad boy, probs gonna do a part 2 at some point, cause this got really long and I started to get tired lol. For clarity, you’re from the riordanverse, but ended up in a world where it’s fictional. also some memories were erased.

requests r open xo

All I wanted to do was dance embarrassingly and sing along to the same playlist I’d been listening to for the past three days in terrible accents while I wait for my ramen to finish cooking. That’s it. I really don’t think that’s too much to ask for. Plus, I’ve been home alone all day, so it’s really not too much to ask for. I flip over the waistband of my sweatpants while shimmying my way to the kitchen.

“Half of my heart is in havana oh nana,” I sing along off key, in a pseudo growly voice that makes me giggle. I’m going to turn the corner, make myself some ramen, then finish the episode of love island I’ve been watching. Except that’s not what happens.

“He got tha-” I cut myself off with a scream, seeing a stranger in the hall way. He looks up. I scream more, way more, and choke out, “JFK’s left fucking tiddy!”, because this dude is either the best freaking cosplayer ever, or those tiktok reality shifting tutorials actually worked at some point.

He looks too natural, too organic. The level of detail and strategic imperfection is beyond conscious choice. There’s no way he’s a cosplayer that broke into my house. Also, that would be a super weird crime.

Either way, I’m standing in front of a dude who looks exactly like Leo Valdez.

It feels… fake.

I didn’t really notice I’m covering my mouth with my hand to stop my hysterical scream laughs, but I’m able to get it under control after a second.

He’s looking at me, eyes wide, examining me, probably wondering why I’m acting so erratically. Or why I just spat out such strange bullshit. In my defense, I’ve been watching chaotic tiktok compilations inbetween updating my blog for like, two days straight. Three other people round the corner. I don’t know what I expected, and it shouldn’t have been a surprise at this point, but I’m sure I’m looking no other than at Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, and Piper Mclean.

“Jesus fucking christ, fuck me with a chainsaw!” I spit, retreating into the kitchen, reminding myself that while they are my favorite characters - and again, somehow real and in front of me? - they’re still technically intruders. I grab the nearest kitchen implement, a pair of red kitchen scissors I’d used to hack open the ramen packet, and point it at them.

“Woah,” Piper says, “it’s okay, we’re not going to hurt you.” I count to four and breathe in, setting the scissors back down within arms reach. Hold for seven, exhale for eight. I repeated the process again, watching Annabeth whispering to Leo.

I can feel the initial freak out subsiding. I’m starting to calm down a little.

“We’re not going to hurt you,” Piper repeats. Well duh, they’re the good guys. A spike of pure what the fuck shoots through me, as I realize I’m already adapting to the fact that fictional fucking characters are standing in my kitchen. Leo’s ignoring Annabeth, and still staring at me, searching my eyes for... something.

Piper’s brow furrows. I call past Piper to Annabeth.

“Yeah, hi op, what the fuck?” They all have a silent conversation for a minute, and I continue, “Anyone want to tell my why the fuck fic-”

“We can tell you what’s going on, but it’s going to sound crazy.” Piper starts.

“After the past five minutes, probably not.” I glance past her shoulder, Leo’s still examining me. I look away, overwhelmed almost immediately. About 30% of my brain is just an endless loop of ‘ohmygodohmygodohmygod he’s real??? Like,,,, r e a l real????? Aj;dlfkajskdla ohmygod he’s looking at me what the fuck richard’, 20% was still trying to calm down from freaking out so much earlier, so I was at about half brain power for the conversation ahead.

“Okay, wait. Let me get this straight.” they stare at me in silence. We’re standing in the hallway outside the kitchen, and I feel like a complete disaster trying to process what they’re telling me and not look like a total idiot.

“So, Calypso went missing, and Leo got Aphrodite to activate his soulmate link so he can find her and it led you here?” I’m already smiling. There’s no chance, I can’t get my hopes up.

Piper continues, “Which means it might not be Calypso.”

“Unless you’re wearing a really good disguise or something,” Leo says. I’m pretty sure that’s the first time he’s spoken to me. I let out a breathy laugh and look away from him. If I try to look at him my brain goes haywire. Scenes from stuff I’ve written about him on my tumblr flash in my mind, and it makes me feel like I’m about to explode.

“Yeah, the reason we know is-”

“The gods are real, monsters are after you, et cetera et cetera. Yeah.” They seem a little surprised that I’m more concerned with the soulmate part than the mythology part, but I’ve been reading these books since middle school. We been knew.

Piper keeps looking between Leo and me with a weird look on her face. God, Piper, don’t get my hopes up. A knowing look passes over her face and she looks around the room again.

“Gods, where did he go…” She gets up and leaves the room. No one says anything. Between right then and when she gets back should have been in a ‘top ten most devastating anime uncomfortable silences’ compilation. She enters again a few seconds later, a tall hot guy behind her. He has red flowers in his hair and isn’t wearing a shirt for some reason. He looks between me and Leo.

“I see… interesting.” he turns to me and says, “Can you tell me anything… personal about him?” My face flushes. I turn to Piper.

“Sorry, but who the fuck?”

“I mean the only noncanon stuff I know is what I came up with for like, writing and stuff but that doesn’t count-” I sputter.

“Eros.” she replies, “My mom sent him along to help find the right person.”

“Normally I’d be able to tell instantly, but my powers don’t seem to work here very well.” his voice is like honey, and it seems like he’s heavily implying something no matter what he says.

“Yeah, go on hermosa,” Leo says, smirking, “take a whack at it.” His voice sounds so much more… real than I could have imagined. If I could verbally keysmash, I would have then and there.

“Hmm… why don’t you try anyway. What kind of lover is he?” the room erupts into protests. They don’t want to hear personal stuff about their friend, I don’t want to talk about cripplingly embarrassing smut headcanons in front of the character they’re about, and he probably doesn’t want me taking a wild guess at his bedroom habits. Eros turns to Percy, Annabeth, and Piper.

“You two, out. You, leave but stay close.” They leave the room hastily.

“Since I’m the god of sexual desire, I know what gets people going. I’ll be able to tell if you’re right or not. ” Eros says. I risk a glance at Leo, who I have a feeling has been staring at me a lot. He leans forward, playful intrigue all over him. How is he not dying inside??

“Ah ah,” Eros says to Leo, “you too.” Leo obliges, and heads up the stairs.

“H- okay, uh… he acts like a top, but he’s really kind of a bottom,” I choke out, trying to remember details from past posts, and Eros nods in approval, encouraging me to keep going, “he’s really-” my voice falters, and I hide my head in my hands, “he’s really vocal, like really vocal… uh…”

“Oh yes, I can tell.” Eros says, and I laugh slightly. “What else?”

“More? God okay… uh… he really likes hickeys, and-” I choke on my words, still unsure of how I got in this situation.

“He holds hands a lot in… the bedroom? God…” I trail off.

“The next morning, he kind of… he just sort of stares at you while you get dressed and stuff. I don’t know anyone else who does that.”

Eros studies me for a second. My heart is beating so hard. How long does it take to say yes or no? I’m uncomfortably aware of the distracting adrenaline in my arms and chest and head.

“Interesting,” he says, then stands up and leaves the room.

What the fuck, is he not going to tell me anything?

I’m listening as closely as I can, and I’m pretty sure I hear Eros say five out of five. I got everything right or everything wrong. Nailed it or failed it.

Piper speeds past me a second later and races up the stairs. After a few seconds she comes back down. She nods toward the staircase.

“You should go talk to him.” a knowing smile is playing at the corner of her mouth, and I can’t stop one from starting on mine. I run up the stairs, and see him, kneeling on my bed, reading what’s on my laptop.

Oh god, no.

He stands up. He’s staring at me so intensely, I look away immediately. I start sputtering out a panicked apology and sit down on my bed, moving to shut the lid of my laptop.

“Uh… I just listen to a song or something that makes me think of you,” my voice gets really tiny at that last part, “and stuff starts to pop into my head. I just keep replaying it, and uncovering more details so I can wr- wait,” I start to look up at him, but can’t bring myself to meet his eyes. I stare intensely at the pattern on my quilt instead. “Did you say remember?” He lets out a breathy laugh, and I can hear the smile in his voice.

“-of course I never thought you were going to read any of that, or…” His hand is on top of mine, my hand and voice freezing at the same time.

“How… did you remember all this?” my fears are being squashed. He doesn’t sound mad, or grossed out, or judgemental. He sounds… impressed.

“Yeah, I mean, I’m only starting to get back bits and pieces, but you remember… everything.”

“Wait wait…” I mutter, completely dazed, “so it wasn’t… it was all real?” I feel him nodding behind me, and he makes a noise of agreement.

“It was genius, really… as soon as I felt like I was remembering something, I’d forget it.” His other hand rests on my shoulder, palm flat against my back. “Only you would think to write it like that…”

“So… it all happened?” I breathe, my face heating up as I think of the titles marked with a little asterisk.

“Yeah,” I bite my lip, feeling his breath over my skin. It’s quiet for a second. The mattress shifts and I can feel him leaning closer to me, feel the heat coming off his body. His lips are dangerously close to my ear.

“Want something else to write about?”

Oh my fucking god.

I nod before I finish registering what he said. His free hand moves to my cheek, tilting my face towards him, and my skin explodes with sparks where he touches me.

Our lips brush.

We both freeze.

Flood gates open. Countless vivid images and feelings and scenarios flash across my mind. It was like watching a movie connecting every fic I’ve written. I gasp-laugh a little, and he does the same. It seems like the visions or whatever that he’s seeing are a lot more intense than mine. His eyes flutter open and he looks at me stronger, more intensely, more passionately than he had before. He lets out a soft, breathy laugh, and presses his lips to mine. Everywhere he touches feels carbonated, and I’m trying not to smile too much. I don’t think I’ve ever been more in the moment than right this second. He pulls me closer, tilting his head and deepening the kiss. I didn’t know a kiss could be deeper than it had been a few seconds ago. His mouth moves feverishly against mine. My arms move up on instinct, one hand playing with his hair, the other tracing the collar of his shirt. He shifts his weight, and one hand on my waist, lowers me back onto my bed. His left hand intertwines with my right, and I smile, remembering what I had told Eros earlier.

“Estrella,” He groans into my mouth, our teeth scraping as we smile in spite of ourselves, and I get the sense the nickname was an ‘as you wish’ type of thing, from the Princess Bride. It feels like he’s saying I love you. My heart speeds up as he nuzzles into my neck, pressing kisses and little bites into my skin. I think about the nickname I always thought would suit him, the one I kept writing down over and over. Now or never.

“Sparky…” I smile, hiding my face in his hair. He freezes for a second, then lets out that breathy laugh again, his face in my neck. His lips graze my collarbone, and he starts to say something, but the door opens suddenly, and we jump apart. It doesn’t help much though, because he’s still hovering over me on all fours and we both look very flushed. And I’m pretty sure the start of a hickey is forming on my neck.

“Right,” she replies, “we gotta get going, the door is closing soon, so come down stairs as soon as you’re… free.”

“Sorry!” Annabeth yells, averting her eyes. Leo and I stumble over each other’s flustered responses.

“-looks bad but nothing… happened… we d- we didn’t like, do anything...” I trail off.

The door closes.

“I’m coming with you guys?” I breathe. He looks over at me, that unflappable sense of playfulness present as ever.

Leo sits back, scratching the back of his neck.

“Yeah, we should get back soon. Everyone else will be worried once they remember.” My heart plummets. I didn’t know you could go from feeling so incredibly euphoric to beyond miserable in about five seconds. I open my mouth to choke out a response, but before I can, he stands up and stretches a little.

“Do you wanna change before we go?” The question has such a normal tone to it, it’s a little bizarre after all the unusual things that have happened today. The bad feeling and tears at the corners of my eyes start to recede.

“Of course you are. If you think I’m losing you again this soon you’re crazier than I am.” I let out a relieved laugh, and stand up. I look down at my monster foot slippers and sweatpants.

“You know where to find me,” he winks before closing the door on his way out.

“Yeah, I should probably change.” He pulls me close to him, one hand comes up to the back of my neck, the other on my hip. He starts swaying us back and forth, dancing around my room.

“Well, if you need any help…” I laugh, and shove him away playfully.

I take a second to catch my breath. Oh my god. Thoughts are still racing in the back of my mind, but I don’t pay attention. I don’t have time to worry about what’s real and what’s not, I need to find the perfect demigod adventure outfit. I throw open my closet, start shuffling through dresser drawers, digging through my shoes. I don’t remember having one or two of the pieces, but after a minute, I find exactly what I’m looking for. It’s the exact outfit I’d always imagined myself in if I ever went to camp half blood. I search through my accessories, grab a bag, and hastily fill it with anything I think I’ll probably need. I turn back to my laptop, and change my blog description to on hiatus. I check my hair, flattening out the back from before, and determine I’m ready to go.

I walk down the stairs, and everyone’s watching me. I feel like it’s prom or something, which sounds silly since I’ve got on ripped jeans and a backpack instead of a dress and clutch. Leo’s watching me with that look, the one that makes his eyes all sparkly, and he meets me at the bottom of the stairs. He puts his arm around my shoulder.

“Ready to go home, Estrella?”

I have never been more ready for anything.

#Leo Valdez #leo x reader #leo valdez x reader #heroes of olympus #heroes of olympus x reader #leo valdez imagine #heroes of olympus imagine

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lunam00na · 3 years ago

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An Unlikely Affair: Chapter 2 - Down the rabbit hole..

Amélie spent the few hours she had left sorting out what little belongings she had and distributing them amongst some of the other peasants she had become familiar with from her years of working various temp jobs. The peasants were thankful, but curious as to why she was giving away all of her things. Her response was that she was going to stay in another nearby city, where some long lost family lived. Though she felt a little guilty for lying, she knew from the odd context of the letter that it was best that nobody knew where she was truly going. Not to mention the fact that the instructions stated she was to wait under some bridge in the darkness of night to catch a ride to the palace.

Her gut quivered at the thought of being alone on these dangerous streets at night.. “Lets hope I survive long enough to actually get to the damn place..” she thought wryly. With her belongings gone, and nothing left for her to do but wait, Amélie gave a final goodbye to her small home. Coarse, wet wood brushed against her fingertips, as she placed the palm of her right hand against the shack’s door. With a sigh, she muttered under her breath, “Goodbye, you. You’ll make someone else a small refuge now.” She lingered like that for a moment, recalling a handful of good times she had spent here in the city of Grimshores.

Her wild blonde hair was dampened from the rain; it waved back and forth in the wet breeze. She wore a brown overcoat, littered with holes that she had patched herself with whatever bits of fabric she could find. Underneath was a simple white day dress, which was more of a tan color now from the dirt and mud, than white. The clothing clung closer to her skin the longer she stood in the rain; she was skinny as a rail.

“Okay, it’s time to go,” she rasped, her nerves getting the best of her for a second. Her head finally managed to convince her legs, and so she set off for the bridge east of town. It would take her nearly an hour to reach the bridge by foot; judging by the position of the moon in the sky, she guessed it was already past midnight. The walk gave her mind time to wander; she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to the words Genny had written, than just a job opportunity. The thought crossed her mind that this was some sort of trick, perhaps she was going to meet some clever fiend under that bridge, and she would be mugged, raped and killed.. Or forced to become a prostitute for the benefit of some sick and twisted man..

“No. Don’t think of that,” Amélie corrected herself sternly, quickening her pace. She walked briskly down the dimly lit sidewalk. Now she was out of the slums, almost at the edge of town. The streets were all but dead, aside from the occasional homeless person sleeping on whatever dry spot they could find. Still, she found herself slipping her hand into her coat pocket, clutching a crudely fashioned knife. The letter had instructed her to bring no belongings, but she simply could not travel this far in the dark without some type of protection. She knew that if she were attacked, there was little she could do despite having this shoddy knife; but she would not go down without a fight. That was for damn sure.

Her mind turned to the Prince.. The King. Would she meet them? Surely the King would take no interest in meeting a lowly servant such as herself. But the Prince? Maybe. Genny did mention he had come to her himself in search of help. Her cousin must have made a grand impression on the Royals. It shouldn't surprise Amélie, her cousin was quite bodacious for someone of their social standing, and she was a damn good cook. A smile played upon the corner of her lips; reminded of the trouble the two of them had gotten into during their childhood. "Hard to believe we will be together again," Amélie shook her head and snickered.

Finally after what felt like an eternity, she made it to the bridge where she was supposed to be picked up. There was nobody here yet, or at least that she could see in this darkness. She drew closer to the bridge, inspecting the surrounding area before rounding the side and ducking underneath the wooden structure. There was nothing around but trees, and some other vegetation. A small creek ran beneath the bridge, and she was careful not to fall in, lest she wanted to catch a cold. She gripped a wooden beam with her hands, steadying herself there. The constant trickling of water made it difficult to hear if someone was approaching. By her estimate it was almost time for her ride to arrive. She waited, her eyes searching amongst the darkness for any flicker of movement.

A few minutes passed, and suddenly the sound of hooves pounding the earth reached her ears. Amélie swallowed hard, her heart flickered anxiously beneath her breast; she felt like it was trying to break free. She put her hand over her mouth, trying to mask her heavy breaths. The rider grew closer, and finally stopped on top of the bridge above her. A moment passed, then the rider dismounted; the thud of their feet against the wooden bridge sounded loudly in her ears. Amélie cringed and grabbed hold of the knife inside her overcoat, just in case.

Her heart thumped so loudly in her chest she was afraid the rider could hear it.. She stood slowly, inhaling and exhaling a deep breath, and prepared herself for what could happen next. The water was still flowing somewhat loudly under the bridge, but the rider was so close, Amélie could hear their feet brushing against the grass. Her hand clenched tighter around the handle of the knife; finally the rider appeared in front of her.

He held a small lantern in one hand, the faint glow illuminated his features. Their eyes met, and for reasons unknown to her, Amélie's heart skipped a beat.

"Are you Amelie Waters?" The stranger asked, his voice low and husky. She followed the movement of his lips with her eyes, she had heard him speak but was too distracted to answer. His eyes were the loveliest shade of hazel she'd ever seen, and they held such warmth behind them. She almost immediately felt at ease with this man; which gave her a sense of comfort yet concerned her at the same time. How was this stranger able to dazzle her within seconds of their first meeting? She felt like some silly teenager with a crush; her face heated in embarrassment.

His hair was dark and curly with a messy short style. His face was handsome and he had a strong angular jawline to match. He was quite tall, having to duck under the bridge, and he would surely loom over her in his normal posture.

"Ma'am? Are you Miss Amélie Waters? If so, we really should be going." The man repeated in his low, hushed voice. Amélie blinked once, twice, and then straightened herself. She felt utterly ridiculous that the man had to repeat himself because she was too busy oogling him. She shook her head once, breaking their gaze before speaking, "Y-yes, I am Amélie Waters. I'm sorry for not answering you sooner.. Anyway, uh right.. We should be going now." Oh God. He must think I'm an imbecile. She groaned internally, mentally giving herself a facepalm.

The man smirked for a moment and then composed himself once more. "We can make more formal introductions later, but for now we should get going. People will be getting up for work soon and I'd rather we not be seen." He said firmly and motioned for her to come with him. "Of course," Amélie replied, following his lead up the creek bank and onto the wooden bridge. His horse was waiting there, it's coat was as black as the night itself.

He took the reins in one hand and hoisted himself upon the beast with the other.

"Need a hand?" He asked politely, outstretching his right arm to her. She took the offered hand silently, thinking it best not to say anything lest she make more of a fool of herself. With his help she sat in the saddle behind him, her torso pressing against his back. She felt her face flush again; hotness rushing to her cheeks, and she tried not to think about their close proximity.

"You have to hold onto me like this," he instructed, reaching behind him and gently grasping her hands then placing them on his sides. Her heart started racing again, but she did as he said and held onto his sides tightly. The last thing she wanted was to fly from this horse. At this rate it wouldn't surprise me.

"Okay, let's go!” Her chauffeur commanded, and his horse began a gallop toward the castle.

Amélie stifled a shriek as the horse tore off down the winding dirt road. Oh my god he’s trying to kill me. Her fingers dug into his sides and she buried her head between his shoulder blades. She couldn’t help but notice his scent; he smelled of musk and sandalwood. It pleased her that he smelled so good, because most of the peasants she had lived around didn’t have access to soaps and perfumes. It was a rare occasion that a man walked past her and she found his scent attractive. So far it seems everything about this man is attractive.. She mused, and then scolded herself for being such a tart. Am I so sex depraved that I fling myself at the first decent looking man who doesn’s smell like horse manure? She questioned herself internally with a chuckle.

True, she had been quite some time without intimacy. It was at least 4 years since she last had sex.. There wasn’t much time to think about her next boot knocking when she was fighting to survive on the streets.

“You hanging on alright back there, Miss Waters?” The man asked abruptly, shaking her mind from the gutter. She blushed furiously, even though she knew he couldn’t read her thoughts; thankfully. “I’m fine,” she muttered into his back, “I’ll be even better once my feet are back on the bloody ground!” He chuckled at her response; he had one of those laughs that made you want to smile. The man replied, “I’m sorry, Tuck doesn’t go slow!” Amélie scoffed, “No shit! You don’t say?” That earned her another laugh, she could feel the vibrations from his laughter in her hands. It gave her a warm feeling. She hadn’t felt so light in such a long time.

The rest of their ride was uneventful and silent. At last they came to a slow trot in front of the castle gates. She had never actually seen the place in person; it was a sight to behold, even in the dark. They rode past the gates which automatically swung open as they approached. “Strange,” she thought, “you’d think there would be more of a security protocol in place for entering the palace grounds.” She summed it up to the guards recognizing who her chauffeur was.

They came to a stop at a side entrance to what she guessed was the main part of the castle. The stranger dismounted his horse and offered her a hand down. “There you are, safely escorted with your feet back on the ground.” He said with a smug look on his face; his lips hinted at a smile. She smirked and couldn’t help but roll her eyes at him. “I never caught your name, by the way?”

“Apologies, Miss. My name is Roman. Roman Octavius Reynolds. I am the Prince of Albanon and heir next in line to the throne.”

Her heart stopped.

#writing

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sigcy · 4 years ago

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We dabble in writing fics, as well! Here’s a slowburn sigcy fic (it’s still a WIP, first posted on AO3) that Mod Cricket and I worked on together. (CW for violence.) Part Four.

[ Part One ] | [ Next Part (coming soon!)]

Overwatch’s Recall had been in operation for nearly a year. Supported by the League of Nations-- the community of city states that had united post-crisis-- Gibraltar, Hong Kong, The Vatican, Singapore, and others, Overwatch managed to squeak by. They had supplies needed, personnel in roles filled, and the Watchpoints around the world began to fill with agents and recruits alike. Their numbers weren’t like they were in their golden days, but they got things done. They were striking blows against Talon everywhere they went-- Teams taking out supplies, intel runners doing their best keeping tabs on the organization. Talon was seeking to start another Crisis-- potentially ending the human race as they knew it.

And so they had to be stopped before they reached their goal.

But it was difficult--easier said than done-- Whatever they did, it seemed that Talon always seemed to be one step ahead of them. Where Overwatch stopped an incident in one location, Talon would succeed in another. Civilian casualties-- Human and Omnic alike. With each passing day, they teetered further and further toward the cliffs of war.

Angela Ziegler was one of them-- having joined back up as soon as she could. She immediately took her place as head of medical sciences-- spearheading the organization and along with Winston, and the newly rescued Mei-Ling Zhou, hoped to point this new Overwatch down a better path. They adamantly insisted they were not a Mercenary group, nor did they have any semblance of a Blackwatch organization in their ranks. Jesse McCree and Genji Shimada served just as much as the rest of them. Reinhardt, Brigitte and Torbjorn all returned of their own volition. Miss Fareeha volunteered her time, as well. With a daring rescue to Rio, they even had Lucio Correia dos Santos and Satya Vaswani-- a Vishkar defector. Even Hanzo-- Genji’s older brother-- had joined their ranks. Lena was present, her girlfriend in toe. The little family they had all been once before seemed to come together once again. More had joined them, over time.

Thursday, November 18th, 2077.

0319.

Angela didn’t know the specifics on how the mission went down. Nor, did she entirely care at the moment. She’d been bogged down with work at base-- requisition orders, several video conferences with UN officials, and her usual filing and medical paperwork-- and had been ultimately unable to tag along on the mission. and so when she’d been awoken by Athena requesting urgent assistance to the returning team, she didn’t waste a moment getting ready. A pair of flats, her usual black-on-black, her hair thrown up into a quick, messy bun. She looked tired, but still threw on her usual bit of makeup to hide that fact.

The prisoner—patient— asset-- had been 'captured', on her request. Athena believed the man to be rather important in Talon’s ranks— one of their scientists, judging by biometric scan and matching reports alone. Siebren de Kuiper, an astrophysicist that had been institutionalized following an accident that left many people dead. He’d gone missing following another incident involving Talon agents seemingly breaking him out— and now... here he was. Working with Talon? Or for them? Her colleagues wanted to know. They all needed to know. This could severely hurt Talon as they knew it. Baptiste had been sent; their only agent who had enough know how of Talon's Fulcrum to free Dr. de Kuiper.

“Angie, You gotta be careful with that guy. His file weirds me out. Story doesn't add up.” Jesse crossed his arms in front of his chest, the American furrowing his brow at the medic as she checked over the man’s file that Athena had prepared for her. He’d taken off his hat, a gesture of respect to Angela in her wing. “Guy took a couple’a bullets and still came comin’. He’s not to be messed with, darlin’.”

“Yes, Dr. Ziegler. McCree is right.” Genji insisted, the cyborg taking a similar stance as the two of them urged Angela to be careful. “He has a power unlike anything we have ever seen. It would be best if you didn’t go in alone--”

“I will be fine, gentlemen.” She responded, giving a warm, appreciative smile to them both. She appreciated their concern-- but she had handled all sorts of patients. “If he is as unstable as you insist, It would be best not to overcrowd him. Plus-- I wasn’t there, and so he likely won’t recognize me as easily. Perhaps from the old posters... But... he will hopefully not equate me with violence. It will be okay.” She reached out and patted at them both, to which Jesse simply sighed and shook his head.

“Ya really are a handful, doc. Yer gonna getch’yerself hurt, yannow that?”

“I am aware, Jesse. Thank you.” She reached up and tapped the man’s nose with a fingertip, scanning over the datapad with her eyes one last time before she turned to the door in question.

“The prisoner has been sedated to keep him still. He is also cuffed to the bed as per procedure.” Athena’s voice piped up from the nearby wall interface-- the insignia lighting up and catching her attention. They couldn't take any chances after what had happened with Amelie and Gerard all those years ago, she supposed.

Angela was to stabilize his condition, and hopefully get any information she could out of him. She was used to strange patient cases— just look at Genji, and Reinhardt, and even McCree. First, though… She had to stop the sedative and get him coherent.

The medic dismissed the armed guards outside the door to the room— who both insisted she leave the restraints on the man, and that he was incredibly dangerous. They insisted to stay nearby— but she retorted and demanded to have at least the room’s privacy. She was sure she could handle the man herself. There was no patient that she had been unable to deal with before-- and she had almost a lifetime of experience.

And so... she stepped into the room, spying the behemoth of a man where he lay. Sedated, injured, hooked to a caduceus IV that had been slowly fixing his injuries. Returning him to the peak of health. His file claimed that he was unpredictable and dangerous, yet she entered the room unarmed-- confident. Baptiste sat nearby, arms crossed over his chest as he slept in his chair. Angela couldn't help but smile at them both. A tap to his shoulder was enough to wake Baptiste, and the other medic only straightened in his chair before looking to Dr. de Kuiper.

"He knows you, Ma'am." Baptiste mused, leaning forward in his chair.

"A lot of people know me, Jean." Her shoes tapped on the tile as she approached, quietly pinching off the sedative stream into Dr. de Kuiper's IV, and ultimately removing the needle from the injection point. It would take several minutes for him to come to, and so she simply looked over his file on a datapad--committing things to memory-- until the man began to stir, his eyes opening and his mouth curling into a confused frown. He was tall-- akin to that of Reinhardt, she supposed. He’d been given basic pants after his gear had been stripped, and was tucked in to the bed with a hardlight cuff keeping his IV arm in place, secured to the bed. Another hardlight strip crossed his hips, holding him down. His face was scarred, and his mouth curled down in a frown line-- this man had certainly led a rough life-- just looking at his face alone. His frown turned into a grimace as he shifted slightly, obviously still sore.

“Can you hear me, Dr. Kuiper?” She asked, her voice soft and as comforting as she could manage as the man furrowed his brow and blinked away the bright lights of the hospital room. His eyes focused first on the ceiling, then drifted over to her as she repeated her question-- taking the little medic in and looking her up and down--sizing her up.

In all but a moment, he was awake and coherent, snapping to attention as he seemed to realize his situation-- his face twisting in anger as he yanked his arm up at the cuff, letting out a furious growl at the restraint. His breath hitched, anger and panic setting in as he pulled again, and again, and again. He looked to Baptiste, and to Angela, and he let out another furious grunt.

“Dr. Kuiper, I need you to calm down--” She started, her hands reaching out to try and steady him-- only to have a lashing hand grasp roughly at her chest with a tightened fist, drawing her up and in close by the shirt as he half-sat up.

“Release me!” He bellowed, and at that moment the woman was lifted from the ground ever so slightly-- not by force alone, however. The room almost felt lighter, the floor rumbling as though he caused it to shift and shake. “I will be a prisoner no longer! I was promised!” The medic kicked her legs, her mouth curling into a grimace and her brows furrowing in almost fear.

“Dr. Kuiper, I--!!” She started, before Baptiste intervened.

"Hey, hey, hey. It's alright." Dark hands touched at Dr. de Kuiper's shoulders, pulling the man's attention away from his commander. "Let's talk. It's alright. No one here aims to hurt you." A pause, and Baptiste tilted his head to the side, gesturing to the glowing gold caduceus IV above his head, its line trailing into his arm. "You were at that convention, right? When she told the world about her thesis? You told me you met her then. You know her, she sent me for you!"

Sigma paused, periwinkle eyes flicking to the caduceus IV as it hung above him. There was a moment of silence, a moment of shaking breath. After a few seconds, his eyes turned back to Angela-- the spectre of a woman who had haunted him all these years, and his fist was clenched in the fabric of her shirt. She weighed so little, and he could barely tell if it was his own strength or his mind that lifted her and several other objects in the room. Bright blue eyes looked at him, surprised far more than afraid.

"Put her down, big guy. Neither of us mean you any harm." Baptiste said, and it was as though he suddenly came to. He snapped to attention, gently returning the acting-commander to the floor as though she were made of glass. Movements slow, deliberate, delicate.

"I..." Dr. de Kuiper started, slowly pulling his hand he'd used in rage back to his side. "I am so sorry."

Angela dusted herself off, nodding in thanks to Baptiste as the medic's hands moved away from Sigma's shoulders. "You are forgiven, Dr. de Kuiper." She smiled, righting her clothing as though he hadn't touched her at all.

The smile made him hate the fact he even breathed the same air as her. It was warm, kind, and genuine. Like the first light after a terrible storm. An offer of grace. His gut twisted in anxiety as she turned to retrieve a datapad that had been dropped, looking to his vitals screen and scribbling on the datapad's surface for a few moments, and throwing a knowing look to Baptiste.

"I apologize for this whole situation, Dr. de Kuiper." Baptiste murmured, moving to sit back down. "For the record, they had to cuff me as well when I first arrived here."

"It isn't the first time we have... acquired operatives from Talon. Once, one of our informants ended up killed because of our carelessness." Angela's voice was blunt, still writing on her datapad.

"Amelie La'Croix." Siebren looked down at his lap, cupping at his forehead.

Blue eyes flicked down at Siebren where he sat, mouth pressed into a line. "You know her, I presume?"

Siebren sat quietly for many moments, before nodding. "She was... A shell. Emotionless, cold. I thought that that was just how she was... I--I'd never met her prior to... what happened, but--"

"Let's not talk about her." Baptiste offered a smile, standing up and undoing the man's hardlight restraints fully. "You're at Overwatch's base of Operations, in Gibraltar. You've been asleep for a few hours."

"I don't remember going to sleep."

"The water I gave you on the ship. It--" Baptiste started to explain, but Siebren only huffed.

"You could have told me."

"That was the point, my friend. I hope you'll forgive me."

"He was only following protocol, Dr. de Kuiper." Angela mused, a gentle hand placing itself on Siebren's shoulder as she sat on the edge of his bed. Her hand was warm, and it made his heart skip a beat, periwinkle eyes looking to her searchingly.

There was a knock at the door, and Angela's attention was pulled away as the door opened to an omnic nurse bringing in a tray of food, setting it on the side table next to Siebren's bed.

"Thank you, Sybil." Angela smiled at the nurse, until she caught two more peering faces from the door frame. Jesse and Genji. Jesse's face was twisted into a distrusting almost anger, while Genji's was always unreadable. Protective, furious. She only smiled reassuringly at them both, and Jesse crossed his arms in front of his chest before the door closed, the omnic nurse leaving the room once more.

"I am sure you're hungry, friend." Baptiste mused, and Angela stood, reaching to the side table to deliver the food to Siebren's lap. Toast, an unopened bottle of Orange Juice, an apple and some yogurt-- staples in hospital cuisine.

"If this isn't enough, feel free to ask for more." Angela added, looking to Baptiste with a nod. "I will let you rest, for now. Baptiste, why don't you go back to your quarters? You deserve rest, as well." Information that was needed would have to come later.

Siebren's heart panged as he realized he'd be left alone again, and he looked up to her, and then up to Baptiste. Frantic, almost. Don't leave him alone again, he was fit for work, he was--

"No, no, I'm fine, I--"

"Dr. Ziegler, why not leave him with at least something to keep him busy?" Baptiste's tone was gentle, knowing, as he gathered his jacket from the back of the chair he'd settled into. She had no idea what he'd been through-- but Baptiste had an inkling.

Angela paused for a moment, before nodding. "My apologies, of course. I will be right back." Angela took a step back, collecting herself and disappearing through the door within a few seconds. The room fell into silence, before Baptiste only turned on his heel and laughed lightly.

"Now it makes sense, doctor." He laughed, shaking his head.

"E-Excuse me?" Siebren furrowed his brow, collecting his orange juice and cracking the bottle open.

"You love her, don't you?" He turned to Siebren, nodding, a knowing smile across his face as though he were teasing an old friend. "You love Commander Ziegler!"

#angela ziegler #overwatch #mercy #siebren de kuiper #sigma #sigcy #sigmercy #ow #Baptiste #featuring Jesse and Genji

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kaiparker-avengerssmut · 4 years ago

Text

CURSED: CHAPTER TWELVE

“I really fucked it up this time”

Kai Parker x OC!Mack Grace

Series synopsis: "We're both cursed, in a way."

We all know the story of Kai Parker, but he once lived in a very different life. Do you ever wonder what that life looked like?

Chapter summary: Kai shows Mack how thrilling life can be

Warnings: swearing?

Masterlist | series Masterlist

THE small diner rattled with endless chatter, the edges of milkshake glasses clanged together and the scraping of forks against plates played like sour music in the background of Mack's mind. She twirled her straw around her cup mindlessly, dragging the plastic through the creamy-foam sitting at the bottom of the tall glass in little circles.

"Kenz? You alright?" Kai's voice drew Mack out out of her daze, her head snapping up and eyes trained on Kai's steel-blue irises as his hand cupped over hers on the small plastic table. She just stared at him for a moment, his gaze softening. She gave him a small, unconvincing smile, which he returned.

"Yeah." She simply said and Kai raised a brow, pulling away from her and sitting back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest. Her eyes narrowed and he breathed out a laugh at her glare. "No. I don't know." Mack sighed and he nodded.

"That doesn't surprise me. Look, Kenz, you need to figure out if this is a good thing for you. Forget Ben -he was a dick; forget your dad - he will love you either way; and forget me - I couldn't give a shit what you are, you're still my best friend and you always will be." Kai reassured and Mack was sure she felt her heart melt slightly at his words. She pondered over his words for a moment, humming thoughtfully.

"I think it's good for me." She finally answered and Kai smiled. "But, I don't know if I'll ever get over killing Ben." She added, a grim expression overtaking her. Kai's smile faltered and he leant forward again, taking Mack's hands in his and rubbing his thumbs over the backs soothingly.

"Don't worry about it, I dealt with him. Hell - I could make the word forget him if you wanted me too." Kai shrugged and Mack shook her head.

"No, I need to deal with the consequences of what I did." She all but whispered and Kai let out a frustrated sigh, falling back again before standing up.

"C'mon, let's get out of here." Kai suggested, offering his hand which Mack took. He pulled the girl to her feet, leading her out of the small diner and began walking her down a seemingly deserted road.

"Why do I feel like you're taking me somewhere to murder me?" Mack suggested dryly and Kai chuckled, almost darkly.

"And you really think I'd do that without a good bye fuck first? Is that what you truly think of me?" He mocked shock and Mack smacked his arm.

"Oh I'm sorry, gentlemanly as ever, I see." She giggled and their laughter chorused against the thick trees lining the road. Kai abruptly halted to a stop, not even faltering as Mack bumped into him after realising they'd stopped. "Why are we...here?" Mack asked nervously, looking around the deserted road where no one was sure to be for miles.

"Well, Kenz, as you asked so nicely..." Kai began, spinning to face his friend with a wide, mischievous grin, "you don't seem to be taking the gift of life seriously enough," she slapped him in the chest at that, "so, I thought I'd show you how thrilling it is to be alive." Kai smirked with a sparkle in his eyes that Mack had never seen before.

"You're not gonna fuck me against a tree, are you?" Mack questioned, brow raised. Kai chuckled and shook his head.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." He sighed. "No, not yet. No, to start off with, I'm going to show you how much you appreciate life - even though you clearly don't know it." Kai grinned, tapping Mack on the nose with his finger to punctuate his sentence. He clasped her hand in him, dragging the confused, giggling girl into the middle of the wet yet empty road.

"Kai! You're going to get us killed some day!" Mack exclaimed, trying to tug her hand out his grip but laughing none the less.

"Not today, babe. Now, lie down." He demanded, a little sternly but his gaze still held that mischievous, playful glint.

"What?! That's crazy, a car could come any minute!" She almost shrieked.

"Don't be ridiculous, do you really think I'd put the best fuck of my life in that much danger? No way. So lie down and I promise, no cars with drive over you." Kai waved off, eyes pleading. "Please?" He added and Mack caved, rolling her eyes and muttering a fine before lowering herself to the wet tarmac and laying flat on her back - hair fanning out around her head and hands resting over her stomach.

"You gonna join me?" Mack called, lifting her head slightly to raise a brow at Kai. He grinned, plopping down beside her - shoulder to shoulder, mimicking her pose. He cleared his throat before talking.

"Isn't this exciting, the possibility of death any moment?" Kai said and Mack's eyes widened.

"You said-"

"Relax! I'm kidding. Now look at the stars." Kai decided and Mack stared intensely at the white spotted ebony sky, eyes darting around the shapes and patterns. "You see that one? The constellation over there?" Kai asked and Mack nodded, following his gaze, "that's the Gemini symbol. The symbol of my coven."

"Why Gemini? That seems a little..." Mack trailed off.

"Lame?" Kai supplied and Mack giggled.

"Yeah."

"I'm getting to it. So, in this coven of mine, we have this tradition. It involves twins and...merging." Kai sighed and Mack frowned, turning to look at Kai whose eyes were still trained upwards, almost as if he'd forgotten she was there and that he was simply talking to himself. "When the last born set of twins of the current Gemini leader turn 22, they merge. It's a magical ceremony where the strongest twin lives and the youngest dies."

"They kill their own members?" Mack gasped. Kai nodded.

"Yes, physically. They like to claim that the other lives on within their twin, that their personalities merge and it's like they're two in one. But I know the truth - it's murder. Cold blooded murder." Kai spat.

"You and Jo...?" Mack gasped and horror.

"No. Our younger siblings, Lucus and Olivia." Kai clarified and Mack let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. "And I'm happy about it. I try to distance myself from the twins - I know I'll lose one of the someday and I couldn't get through it if I was attached to both." Kai admitted. "But we're luck, me and Jo. We don't have to go through that." Kai continued, pausing for a moment. "She's my best friend, you know." Kai said after a moment.

Mack turned to face Kai again, humming in acknowledgement.

"I don't know what I'd do without her, before you, she was the only true friend I'd ever had."

"How come?" Amelie frowned.

"I'm sort of the...black sheep of the family. Because I don't have my own magic, but can rather steal it from others, I'm seen as dangerous, unpredictable. I've been singled out my whole life - cut off, locked up, beaten..." Kai trailed off.

"All the good people in life are fucked up one way or another." Mack smiled and Kai reciprocated it.

"I guess both our lives have gone to shit, huh?" Kai chuckled and Mack laughed.

"I guess so."

...

Kai stumbles through the front door, chucking his keys onto the small table before toeing off his shoes and kicking them against the wall.

"You're out late." Joshua's menacing voice chimes from the kitchen, the fact that Kai couldn't see the source making the whole ordeal a little more eery. Kai wandered into the kitchen, stopping dead in his track as he took in the sight of Joshua malevolently gripping his belt in his right hand, letting the rest lay flat over his left. Kai attempted to swallow the lump in his throat to no success.

"I- um, I was with Mack." Kai stuttered out, throat suddenly dryer than if he'd been roaming a desert.

"Mack? The werewolf girl?" Kai nodded solemnly. "I don't want you seeing her again."

"Why? It's not like you care for my well-being." Kai spat and Joshua sighed heavily.

"And you were doing so well. She brings out the bad in you, Malachi. Because of her, you've been stealing Jo's magic again-"

"How do you know that?" Kai's desperate eyes made Joshua's lips turn up into a sickening grin.

"Your sister is easily persuaded with minimal threat." Joshua smirked and Kai's eyes seemed to ignite.

"If you so much as lay a hand on her-"

"Oh be quiet, boy! I did no such thing! Unlike you, my daughter deserve the utmost respect and care throughout her life." Joshua sneered and Kai swallowed his words. "As I was saying, you've been stealing magic, and using it. You've been getting into fights, having sex and probably off taking drugs too! If it were up to me you'd be lock in your room, meals slid under the door and never seen again."

"But it is up to you." Kai commented and Joshua smiled knowingly.

"People start asking questions, Malachi. Then I have to lie, lie, lie." Joshua ranted, as if he was bored with the notion. "You will not be seeing her again."

"But-"

"And that's final." Joshua finished, tapping the belt against his hand maliciously. "Now, you know the drill, shirt off and down of your knees." Joshua smirked, standing from his place with a wicked look in his emotionless eyes.

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edendaphne · 5 years ago

Text

"Discordant Sonata”- Ch. 12

TFW your rich AF dad is a stingy SOB who only gives you one shirt to wear 🤣

(And YEP! In this AU Adrien wears glasses! He wears contact lenses for photoshoots/modeling) :3c

>Read it here on Ao3<

>Read it here on Wattpad<

CHAPTER 12: ANDANTE

Music glossary: Andante - to go at a moderate, steady pace

French glossary: “Les Deux Sots” = The Two Fools/Idiots

(La Dispute (Amelie Soundtrack)- Yann Tiersen)

Marinette was upset.

Not so much upset, really. More like… confused? Frustrated? And not even at Fu, necessarily. It wasn’t his fault. But Fu was the messenger, and therefore, the undeserving recipient of her current mental ire.

With the critical 48 hours of Chat Noir’s healing complete, she’d gone to visit Fu to discuss some of the concerns she had about her new partnership, along with some other pressing questions. The answers were… not quite what she expected (or wanted) to hear.

No, Marinette, he’d said. You must not know Chat Noir’s identity, he’d said. Yes, I know you just want to protect him as a civilian. No, don’t try to figure it out yourself. If you find out too early, you’ll absorb the negative effects from the misuse of his miraculous. Yes, that is always what happens with the Cat and Ladybug miraculouses. Yes, that’s why wielders must not know each others’ identities; not until their souls and energies are perfectly in sync with each other. No, Marinette, you are not in perfect sync with each other. Yes, I know you don’t like it. But that is how it must be. Have a nice day, Marinette. No, I’m not kicking you out. I’m just... going to the spa to get rid of a sudden tension headache. Goodbye.

“Understood, Master,” she’d said. And honestly, yes; she really did understand.

But she still didn’t like it.

The conversation weighed heavily on her mind as she went about her daily chores, and she couldn’t help but stomp around the house as she worked, a perpetual crinkle fixed between her eyebrows.

She just couldn’t quite wrap her head around it. Negative effects? Truth be told, prior to this, she’d even almost suspected that Fu had exaggerated that aspect of the miraculouses, in order to keep her on the straight and narrow path and be responsible.

Such matters had been far from her mind while befriending Chat Noir. She’d never even thought to ask him about it. How long would these effects linger on, even after his change of heart and proper use of his miraculous?

More importantly, would the effects ever fully disappear? Fu said that every case was different. Sometimes the effects did fade. Other times, they did not; and in those cases, partners couldn’t ever reveal their identities to each other. In rare instances, the wielders would even have to return their miraculouses to the guardians, because they would never be able to work in proper harmony with the other. Marinette shuddered. She didn’t want to even consider that possibility.

In any case, Hawkmoth was suffering from such negative effects as well. What could his ailments be? Chat had mentioned that he seemed to be losing control of his akumas, and his judgment was becoming increasingly clouded. But was there more?

Frowning, she stuffed folded laundry into her dresser drawers with a bit more force than necessary. She quickly stood up when she was finished, yanking the laundry basket away with a huff as she headed towards her next task.

There was also another question, one she’d had even years ago, when she’d first become Ladybug. One she’d always been too shy to ask, always trusting in Fu’s judgment, never questioning him because of his seniority and experience (respecting one’s elders having been an integral part of her upbringing, particularly her mother’s).

But now that she was older, she’d finally gathered enough courage to ask him: Why hadn’t he revealed Chat’s identity to her years ago? With enough luck, she might have been able to steal back his miraculous when he wasn’t transformed while he was out of the house. So, why hadn’t he told her?

Fu’s answer had been remarkably simple: He’d wanted Chat to have a relatively normal life outside of the mask. He’d always held out hope that Chat would turn away from his unrighteous deeds on his own. Having people around him that treated him kindly and that he could trust would give him the courage to do so. If he didn’t have that, he would have felt that he had nowhere to turn to, and no choice but to remain as he was.

Fu added that if she’d had any contact with Chat, either as herself or as Ladybug, she would have treated him differently, possibly with hostility. Marinette had wanted to deny it at first, but she knew he was right. She would have treated him differently. Probably would’ve avoided him, spoken to him harshly, given him dirty looks from across the street. She might have even tried to convince her friends that he wasn’t a good person, much like her situation with Lila. Not that that had ever worked; that girl was just way too deceptive. After all these years, she’d given up on even trying. Without any concrete evidence, Marinette’s claims that Lila was a rotten liar wouldn’t convince anyone, except thankfully for Alya and Nino; but even they had been skeptical at first.

In any case, Marinette would have most likely become angry, cold, or maybe even embittered towards Chat if she wasn’t able to retrieve his miraculous right away. And Chat would’ve responded with confusion, hurt, and resentment towards both her and Ladybug, permanently eliminating any chance to become partners.

The troubled girl sighed wearily, walking towards the downstairs bathroom with a basket full of supplies for their feline guest, still mulling over her earlier discussion. There just had to be other options she hadn’t considered yet–

Still distracted, deliberating the myriad of possibilities and worrying over every potential outcome, Marinette swung the bathroom door open... only to be greeted by a tall, toned, and very much bare backside, whose modesty was barely concealed by a small towel wrapped around the waist. Rivulets of water coursed down the valleys and ripples of the lightly tanned skin, and her eyes couldn’t help but follow them down their path, gracefully gliding from the tops of the broad shoulders, still rosy and glowing from the shower’s hot water, and disappearing into the edges of the towel, which rode low along the hips. The shock of damp, golden hair gave Marinette the confirmation of who exactly the stranger in her bathroom was. Practically tripping over her feet, she slammed the door shut, a loud screech abruptly escaping her throat.

“OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH, I AM SOOOO SORRY!!!” she yelled in between pants. “I thought the bathroom was empty!!! I was just gonna drop off some muscles— I mean toilets— I mean toiletries!!! I’ll just... leave them here outside the door! SORRYAGAIN, BYE!!!”

Marinette sprinted all the way to her bedroom and plopped like a dead fish onto her chaise, letting out a long, shrill whine into the cushions. She flopped over onto her back, shoving a throw pillow onto her face, and considered smothering herself out of existence in order to avoid having to face Chat Noir ever again. Maybe she’d come back to Earth reincarnated as an actual ladybug, and she could flee from the city to go live in the country. Cannes was supposed to be nice this time of year.

Before her plans could come to fruition, specifically the one about becoming the insect she already felt like, she sluggishly removed the pillow from her face to get some air.

Only to be greeted by a small, floating… cat??

No, not a cat.

A kwami.

Chat Noir’s kwami.

“Boo,” he said flatly.

Marinette sat up, careful to not bump into the tiny god.

They stared at each other for a few seconds, although she suspected Plagg wasn’t so much staring as sizing her up. Gauging her adequacy, perhaps? He’d worked alongside countless other Ladybugs these past few millennia, so the thought made her a bit nervous.

“You must be Plagg,” she said, concealing her surprise.

“I see my reputation precedes me,” Plagg replied with a showy twirl. “I am quite noteworthy.”

Marinette’s eyes crinkled in amusement. That wasn’t quite was she’d been expecting.

She extended her hand with a smile. “Hi, I’m Marinette.”

Plagg took her hand and turned it over, examining her palm. “Hmph, no Camembert?” he asked with obvious disappointment. “Introductions can wait. My stomach cannot. ”

Marinette snickered. She hadn’t expected such an ornery attitude from a kwami; nevertheless, she decided she liked him already.

She tugged open her shirt pocket and said, “Hop in. Let’s go fetch some from the kitchen.”

Plagg approached the pocket and Tikki poked her little head out.

Marinette chuckled. “I’m sure you remember Tikki.”

“Always a pleasure, Sugarcube,” he bowed deeply with an exaggerated flourish that was so entirely Chat-like, she could definitely tell that their mannerisms had rubbed off on each other.

“Hello again, Stinky Sock,” Tikki replied.

“Hey, Camembert is the most amazing fragrance known to man. It’s a shame you’re not enlightened enough to truly appreciate the beauty of fermented foods.”

Tikki rolled her eyes, but nevertheless scooted over to let him in.

Upon reaching the kitchen and making sure the coast was clear, Marinette ushered the pair out of her pocket. She pulled out a plate and made her way to the refrigerator with Plagg hovering nearby, watching her curiously.

Marinette had anticipated that he’d be hungry, so she'd gone shopping that morning after visiting Fu, specifically to stock up on cheese. Even still, she had grossly underestimated just how ravenous the kwami would be; her eyes widened as the pile on the plate grew higher and higher.

Once finished, Marinette set it down on the countertop, trying to avoid thinking too hard about how all that food would fit inside his small body.

“Uhh, do you also want some crackers, or some fruit, or…?” she trailed off, unsure of how else to be of service.

“Nothing more is needed when you already have perfection,” Plagg remarked before picking up a particularly pungent piece of cheese and taking a deep, long whiff.

Tikki’s tiny features scrunched in distaste as she put some more distance between herself and the odorous meal.

Marinette stood beside them, not quite sure what to do with herself or what to say. Maybe Plagg could answer some questions without revealing too much.

Deciding to give it a try, she asked, “So... Plagg. What can you tell me about Hawkmoth? You don’t have to go into any details. Just anything that you think would be helpful to know, so we can figure out a plan to defeat him?”

Plagg frowned, then followed up with an appalled grimace. “Seriously?! Right in front of my Camembert??” He harrumphed. “Let’s talk about that jackass some other time. Believe it or not, I lose my appetite anytime I think about him.”

“Fair enough,” Marinette relented. She puckered her lips, deep in thought as she took a seat on the barstool nearby. “Oh, I know! What kinds of hobbies does Chat have? Maybe I can get him some supplies or other stuff that he likes, so he can relax and feel more at home.”

“Hmm… Well, you already know he likes games, both videogames and tabletop,” Plagg replied in between bites. “He likes to read. The classics, fantasy, sci-fi, fanfiction, comic books...” Another bite. “He spends a ridiculous amount of time writing poetry and short stories. Also…” Chomp . “Sappy movies... Anime.” Gulp . “He’s not a great singer, but that doesn’t stop him from busting into song and dance numbers from his favorite musicals. He is a decent dancer though.” Another gulp, punctuated with a smirk. “But I’m sure you already know that.”

Marinette averted her gaze, a surge of tingles invading her entire body as she remembered that first night together. It felt like a lifetime ago, yet she remembered that evening full of dancing as vividly as if it had happened yesterday.

Plagg gobbled up the last bit on the plate, then wiped his paws on the napkin Marinette had provided. He followed up with a mighty stretch of his small limbs, sighing in contentment.

Marinette’s posture straightened upon seeing that he’d finished his meal. “We should head back to the bedroom. Chat will be looking for you soon.” She hopped off the barstool and the trio made their way back towards Chat’s bedroom.

Marinette grimaced as she placed her hand on the doorknob and let out a pathetic groan. “I better figure out what to say when I apologize for walking in on him.”

They entered the bedroom and she shut the door behind them. She raised her eyebrows, looking hopefully at Plagg. “Do you think he’ll be furious with me?”

Plagg shrugged off her concern. “Oh, puh- lease . I bet he’d actually be quite pleased that you got a good look at him half naked, if he knew who you really were.”

Marinette could only splutter incoherently, her arms waving around like noodles. “WHAT?! WH-WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT??”

Plagg gave her a smug look and crossed his little arms . “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, Bugaboo , but my boy is majorly crushing on ya.”

“A-a crush…? On me? O-or rather, on Ladybug…?” Heat instantly rushed to her cheeks and all the way to the top of her ears. “I-I wasn’t sure, he hasn’t said anything about it, and, um…”

Plagg shrugged. “Kid’s pretty insecure. Way more than when he first became Chat Noir, thanks to that no-good father of his.” He sighed. “Simply put, he thinks you’re way out of his league and that you’d never go for a guy like him.”

Marinette sputtered, “Out of HIS league?? Have you SEEN him?!” She whipped her arm around, pointing it towards the bathroom door. “He’s more chiseled than a Greek statue! He could be a model!”

“Yeah, yeah, he’s the cat’s pajamas, I know,” Plagg scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Anyway, he’s still sorting out his feelings, and definitely too afraid to say anything out loud.” A teasing glint twinkled in his eyes. “You wouldn’t happen to know what it’s like to be too shy to confess to someone, would you?” he inquired slyly.

Marinette felt the heat travel down her neck and towards her back, and she pursed her lips in shame, having nothing to retort with.

“Plagg!” Tikki rebuked, whizzing in front of him. “Whether Marinette can confess to her own crush is no concern of yours!”

“He’s right, though, Tikki,” Marinette admitted. “I guess it’s not always always totally obvious until you actually say it to them. I just… freeze every time I try to confess to Adri– t-to this guy. It’s like I haven’t progressed at all after all these years.”

“Don’t worry, little bug,” the cat kwami reassured her. “Sometimes actions speak louder than words. I’m sure this mystery man knows you care about him.” He rolled his eyes again and added, “Even if he’s too oblivious to realize it’s a romantic attraction.”

Before Marinette could reply, they heard the bathroom door crack open.

“Plagg...?” a familiar soft voice called through the small opening.

“I guess that’s our cue to leave,” Marinette whispered. “It was great meeting you, Plagg.”

“Likewise. See ya!”

With that, Plagg zoomed towards the bathroom and phased through the door, and Marinette quietly snuck out.

Minutes later, a rather sheepish Chat Noir emerged from the bedroom. Their eyes met and he stiffened, his body gluing to the spot.

Marinette leaped out of the couch and rushed over to him, utterly mortified, body trembling, spewing out apology after apology without taking a breath in between, looking seconds away from bursting into tears from remorse.

Chat placed his hands on her shoulders and squeezed gently. “It’s okay, Marinette, really! I guess I forgot to lock the door. I’m the one who should be sorry. I didn’t mean to traumatize you or anything.”

Marinette’s eyes blew wide open. “Traumatize me?? No way, you are SO FINE! – Umm!!” Her hands shot up, waving back and forth. “What I mean is, I’m fine!!” She composed herself and continued, “Anyway, I just feel really bad about intruding and violating your privacy. So, please, please, pleeeaaase, is there a way I make it up to you?”

Chat was just about to reassure her again, but paused. He gave her a timid smile. “Actually, there is one thing… Could you teach me how to do laundry?”

(Under Paris Skies - Pearl Django)

As he had only one set of clothes, Adrien resigned himself to the fact that it was time to do some shopping. He didn’t want to go by himself, however; it didn’t feel safe. He had no idea if Gabriel knew he was still alive. He might have dispatched people to search for Adrien and... “collect” him back to the mansion.

Plus, he disliked shopping and could use some company.

So here he was, standing outside of Chloe Bourgeois’ room at the Grand Paris Hotel.

He’d scarcely knocked once when the door swung open, a clearly miffed Chloe standing on the other side.

“You’re late!! Where have you been– Oh, Adrikins! It’s you!” Her face softened and gave him a brilliant smile, kissing his cheeks in greeting, then brought him into a tight hug. “Come in! It’s been ages!”

Before he could get a word in edgewise, he was quickly ushered into the room.

They sat on the elegant, pristine couches of her lounge room. Chloe crossed her legs and reclined into the cushions, placing her hands behind her head in her usual carefree way.

“So, to what do I owe the pleasure, my dearest Adrichou?”

Adrien took a breath and opened his mouth–

“Wait,” Chloe interrupted, holding her hand up, then sat up straight and leaned forward. She took a pause, looking him over. Analyzing. Scrutinizing. She scrunched her face in consternation, brows creasing in the middle. “I know that look,” she finally said, crossing her arms. “Something’s happened, hasn’t it?”

Adrien’s eyes grew wide and he suppressed a wince. How were all these women able to read him so well these past few days?? He shrugged indifferently for her benefit, mentally preparing himself to attempt to convince her that everything was fine and she was just imagining things.

Before he could say anything though, Chloe interjected sharply, “And don’t you dare try to lie to me, Adrien Agreste. I’m your oldest friend; I’ll know. Tell me everything, or I’ll kick you out.”

Adrien’s shoulders slumped and he exhaled. How is she doing this?!

Eyeing Chloe to make sure she didn’t have anything else to say, he began, “Father and I had a... disagreement.”

“I knew it!!” Chloe declared, throwing her hands up in the air.

He continued with a cringe, “And I... kinda sorta ran away from home.” He looked up at her timidly, hoping she wouldn’t yell at him for his recklessness.

“Do you have anywhere to stay?” she asked instead, without missing a beat, her voice now serious and full of concern. “You’re always welcome here, you know that. Just say the word and it’s done.”

Adrien smiled broadly. Despite all her faults, Chloe’s loyalty never faltered.

“I really appreciate that, Chlo. It means a lot.” He sighed, plopping backwards onto the couch. “I can’t though. Father knows this is the first place I’d go. But don’t worry, I’ve got… housing arrangements elsewhere. So I’ll be fine.”

She sat up straight, scooting towards the edge of the couch and leaning towards him expectantly. “Yeah?? Where at? It’s okay, I can keep a secret–” She stopped herself. “Err… wait. Actually, no. No, I can’t. So don’t tell me or I’ll accidentally blab everything to the first person who asks.”

Adrien chuckled. “Alright. Anyway, since I left in such a hurry, I didn’t bring any clothes with me. So I was wondering if–”

“OOOH, A SHOPPING TRIP!!” Chloe squealed, clapping and practically bouncing in her seat. “Yes, I’d love to join you!”

Adrien gave her a grateful grin. “You would? That would be awesome!”

“Oh one condition,” Chloe said, raising a finger for emphasis. “I get to pick out everything.”

“Wha–?” He raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Everything??”

She casually examined her nails as she answered, "It’s for your own good. We can’t have you looking like a hobo. ‘Cause I KNOW all you're gonna pick is nerdy t-shirts, baggy hoodies, and ripped jeans. And that simply will not do."

Adrien rolled his eyes. “Oh, alright. I agree to your terms.”

“Wonderful!” she replied, eyes twinkling with delight.

Just then, there was a knock. They both stiffened, glancing at the door, then back at each other with trepidation. Chloe wordlessly guided Adrien into the bedroom portion of her suite, making sure he remained concealed behind the adjacent wall.

She all but tiptoed towards the door, careful not to make the floors creak. Adrien held his breath as he cast a furtive peek from behind the wall, watching Chloe cautiously peer through the peephole. She sighed in relief, throwing the door open and placing her hands on her hips in indignation.

“You are LATE!” Chloe declared, then soundly smooched the person outside the door.

“My sincerest apologies. The appointment ran long,” the guest replied as she entered the room.

Adrien recognized that voice.

Chloe scoffed. “UGH, stop it with the politeness! You always sound like you’re about to make a business deal.”

Kagami gave Chloe an unamused stare. “As you wish... ma’am,” she replied with a mischievous smile.

Chloe waved dismissively with a tsk as she made her way to retrieve her hidden friend. “Anyway, suit up. We’re going shopping!”

“Shopping? What for?” Kagami asked.

“Adrien needs a new wardrobe and he cannot be trusted on his own.”

“Hey!” Adrien objected.

Kagami shook her head. “Oh, I agree, he is definitely going to need help. Otherwise he’ll end up dressing like a hooligan.”

“Exactly!” Chloe gestured wildly to show approval.

“Hey! Not you too, Kagami!” Adrien protested.

“Let’s face it, Adrien,” Kagami replied, folding her arms behind her. “Don’t get me wrong; I know you are perfectly aware of what fashionable clothes are supposed to look like. But your…” she wrinkled her nose, “...geek ‘impulses’–”

"FETISHES!" Chloe included.

“-are just too strong for you to resist. You need us.”

Before he had a chance to argue, Chloe called for them, already opening the door. “Well? Let’s go already!”

The trio exited Chloe’s limousine and made their way into the shopping center. They pointedly avoided the “Gabriel” shop and instead entered the Audrey Bourgeois Boutique.

The girls went straight to business, grabbing and piling clothes left and right, scouring through rows of garments and quickly creating matching ensembles with clearly practiced efficiency. Before long, they had a large pile of outfits waiting to be tried on and modeled on the fitting room platform.

“But Chlo, I don’t have my wallet on me,” Adrien whispered into Chloe’s ear. “How am I gonna pay for all this?”

Chloe scoffed. “Pfft, who needs a wallet?” She turned to the nearest store employee. “Hey, you. Add everything we pick out to the Gabriel Agreste tab, will you?”

“Yes, of course, Miss Bourgeois,” the employee replied politely.

Chloe turned back towards Adrien and gave him a wink, then sat down next to Kagami in front of the gigantic mirrors of the dressing area, sliding her hand into her girlfriend’s.

A couple of hours and countless outfit changes later, the three teens exited the boutique. Adrien carried more shopping bags than he could keep track off, all of them plastered with with Audrey's icon; and a part of him hoped that with this many bags from one of Gabriel's competitors, it would somehow get back to his father. Served him right.

Back at the hotel, the concierge assisted in bringing the haul into Chloe’s suite. Chloe whispered something to him as Kagami and Adrien made their way to the bedroom area to begin the task of unwrapping and organizing the new wardrobe. Minutes later, there was a knock on the door, which Chloe answered. A few moments later, she returned with a large yet unassuming black suitcase.

“Here you go, Adrikins,” she said, placing the suitcase on the bed. “You can store your clothes in here and take them back to whatever quaint little cottage you’re staying at.”

Adrien chuckled. “Thanks, Chlo. You’re the best!”

Chloe waved off his compliment. “Yes, well... We already knew that, didn’t we?” She hid a smile, busying herself with packing his clothes into the suitcase.

When they had finished and it was time for Adrien to go, he gave each of them a tight hug and thanked them again for all their help.

“Before you go...” Chloe reached into her back pocket, taking out a cell phone covered in glitter and faux diamonds, and handed it over to him. “Here, I had this old thing lying around. You'll need a SIM card, but the phone works fine.”

Adrien turned the phone in his hands, examining the exceedingly bejeweled exterior. “Wha-? Chloe, I can’t use this! I might go blind from all the sparkles.”

She scoffed. “Well, it’s not like you can be nitpicky at a time like this.”

“What’s the matter, Agreste? Too good for a bit of razzle dazzle?” Kagami heckled.

“You can make anything work, Adrikins. You’ll probably even start a hot new trend.”

Adrien rolled his eyes and pocketed the phone.

“Remember to call if you need anything.” Chloe gave him a stern look and jabbed a finger into his chest. “ANYTHING, you hear me?”

“Yes, ma’am!” he quipped with a salute, exiting the suite with his luggage.

“Ugh, you two will be the death of me,” Chloe groaned dramatically. “Now go, enjoy your last couple of days of freedom. I’ll see you at school.”

“Bye, girls!” He waved back at them. “I’ll let you know my new number as soon as I buy a new SIM card for the phone.”

With that, Adrien turned and walked down the hall towards the elevators.

Back at the door’s threshold, the pair watched him walk away in silence.

Kagami reached for Chloe’s hand and squeezed. “Do you think everything’s going to be alright? I worry about him. Mr. Agreste has not been himself for quite some time.”

Chloe squeezed back and sighed. “I dunno.” Then she added with a sneer, “Gabriel Agreste is a sad, old bastard whose soul died long ago along with Aunt Emilie. But, he’s connected and powerful. Who knows what he’ll do to try to get Adrien back under his thumb.”

Kagami let out a small, disapproving grunt. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

Chloe lightly tugged her back into the room. “Oh, relax, you sound like a Star Wars character.”

“Star Wars? Now who’s the nerd?” Kagami teased.

Chloe sputtered. “Hush, you.”

( Life with Masks - Mystic Messenger OST)

After Chat dropped off the suitcase in his room at the bakery, Adrien embarked on his next mission: Going to the bank and withdrawing enough money to purchase everything else on his list, which included a new SIM card for Chloe’s old (and extremely bedazzled) phone, and a laptop for school.

He made his way to the bank, wearing the hood up on his zip-up hoodie, and pulling it down over his eyes whenever he saw any suspicious looking men in suits.

At the bank, Adrien filled out all the necessary forms, grateful that he’d taken the time to memorize his savings account number years back, when they’d first opened it.

However, today he encountered a different problem.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Agreste,” the bank teller said. “Like I said, I’m afraid that all your assets and accounts have been frozen. You can only withdraw money if your father accompanies you, or if he unlocks them himself.”

Adrien sighed dejectedly. “Isn’t there anything you can do?” he asked.

“I’m afraid not, sir,” she replied. “You would have to speak to your father to have him undo the restrictions. We can’t do anything until then... or until you turn eighteen years old. At that time, you can regain access without needing his permission, since you would officially be an adult.”

Adrien pursed his lips into a thin line. His birthday was still a month away.

All his savings, all the hard-earned money from his modeling work... Gabriel was keeping it all hostage, hoping Adrien would come crawling back to him, like some pitiful prodigal son.

Well, two could play that game. He filled out all the necessary paperwork to reclaim what was his, so everything would be all set up when his birthday came around. He also made sure that Gabriel would be permanently locked out of his accounts at that time.

He thanked the teller and left the bank, feeling morose and surly. He couldn’t even afford to get his used phone working, and was therefore cut off from all communication; save for whatever computers were available at an internet cafe or library. What else could he do?

Maybe Nathalie could help him figure out if there was anything else he could do legally. If he could even get ahold of her. He’d been worried about her while he was recovering at the Dupain-Chengs’; now was his chance to try to contact her.

Adrien walked to the nearest library and convinced the starstruck librarian to let him use their telephone.

The phone rang… and rang… and rang…

So he tried again. And again. And again.

But the same monotone voice repeated the same discouraging phrase:

“The number you have dialed has been disconnected.”

The boy frowned. Was Nathalie alright? He’d left her all alone with his father. He wouldn’t do anything to her, would he?

Mind whirling and chest tight, he sped to the computers to create a new email account (not risking logging into his usual one), and sent her a simple, nondescript message:

“u ok?”

He couldn’t help but remain glued to the computer, clicking and clicking to refresh the page, hoping for something, anything in response. He drummed his fingers on the desk. Crossed his legs. Uncrossed them. Crossed them again. Fiddled with his shoelaces. Opened a new browser tab to distract himself by reading the news, only to switch back every 30 seconds. Minutes ticked by. But still, nothing.

Eventually he resigned himself to the fact that he couldn’t stay in the library forever.

This wasn’t bad news, right? No news oftentimes meant good news. Receiving a reply in such a short amount of time was rather unlikely... Even though Nathalie always replied within five minutes, because she never turned off her email notifications… Ever. But her not replying this time surely didn’t mean anything, right?

Right… It’s fine, everything’s fine. Nathalie’s fine.

She has to be.

Adrien trudged aimlessly down a nondescript sidewalk, lost in thought, his attention eventually drifting back to his livelihood. Could he make do without a single cent for an entire month? Probably not… He’d have to find a job.

But who would hire celebrity Adrien Agreste to work in retail or flip burgers? They’d either laugh at him, or think he was pulling some elaborate prank on a hidden camera show. How would he even begin to explain that he’d left his home and was on the run from his very own father?

Adrien had seemingly no reason why he would choose to run away. He was a privileged young man who had everything: a famous and well-respected family, wealth, good genetics, people at his beck and call… the list went on. To the outside world, Gabriel was a devoted husband and father; a bit of a hermit after his wife’s “disappearance”, but not unusual for someone who was mourning a loved one.

Chloe hadn’t asked him why he’d left, but other people would. Obviously, the truth was out of the question. So, what was there to say instead? That he was just a spoiled rich kid having a rebellious phase?

It was a mess and there didn’t seem to be a way out; he was cornered. He knew it, and he knew that Gabriel knew it.

His only ace in the hole was that Gabriel didn’t know Adrien actually had a place to stay, thanks to the Dupain-Chengs. But he couldn’t rely on them forever. And, as he was quite literally penniless at the moment, his options were severely limited.

He was broke, with a famous identity and an infamous alter-ego, and near impossible to contact since he didn’t have a functioning phone. Things were looking bleak. If only he could–

“AAAACK!!!”

Adrien turned the corner on the sidewalk when a blur of pink and black slammed against him hard. Both bodies clattered to the ground, along with a myriad of bags and boxes the other person was carrying.

Adrien raised his head sluggishly with a small grunt, then opened his eyes to find–

“Marinette??” he said, eyes widening in surprise.

The girl groaned as she lifted her head, slowly pushing herself off of him. One of her eyes cracked open, then both popped wide open in recognition.

“A-ADRIEN!!” she squeaked, her face turning ruby red in an instant. “Gosh, I am so sorry!!” she yelped, practically leaping off of him. “Are you okay?!”

She offered her hand and he took it. “I’m alright, no worries,” he replied, adjusting his glasses, which had shifted on his face when he fell.

He knelt down to help her pick up the items that had spilled out of their containers. “So, where are you off to in such a hurry?”

“Oh! I- uh,” she stammered. “I was just getting some things for a friend!”

Adrien took note of some of the books, games, and movie titles as he put them back in their boxes. “Your friend has good taste.”

She squawked out a weird laugh and mumbled in agreement.

As they rose from the pavement, something caught Marinette’s eye. “Oh!” she exclaimed, bending over to pick it up. “Here, you dropped this.” She opened her palm to reveal several Euro bills and coins, and a ticket stub.

He stared at the contents of her hand. “Are you sure these are mine?” he asked incredulously.

“Well, there’s about… maybe a hundred euros or so, and a ticket stub for that new movie, ‘Les Deux Sots’. ” A flash of recognition flickered across her features, and her cheeks flushed. She continued haltingly, “D-do you remember wearing this particular hoodie to the movie theater recently?”

Adrien contained a gasp and mindlessly ran his hands over the fabric, realizing that this was the same hoodie he wore on his date with Ladybug. He hadn’t worn it since then. Not until three days ago: the day of the last akuma attack, and his subsequent fight with Hawkmoth.

“Oh,” he replied quietly, accepting the items. “Thank you, Mari,” he uttered, almost in awe.

She smiled widely at him. “No, thank you for helping me pick up all this stuff I dropped! Sorry again for knocking you over,” she said sheepishly.

“Don’t worry about it, it was my pleasure. So, where are you going with all this?”

“Uh… Home, actually,” she replied. “My friend is gonna... pick them up later today.” She stepped forward to take the boxes and bags from his arms.

“Can I help you carry it back? It’s a lot of stuff; and you could barely see over the top of it,” he offered.

Marinette fidgeted with her hands, stammering, “O-oh, I mean, I-I wouldn’t want to impose, that is– I’m sure you’re very busy and have important things to do, I don’t want to bother you, and it is a lot of stuff, plus it’s pretty heavy, and–”

“Really, it’s no trouble at all; I’m not busy right now. And I’d love the company.” He added, “If you don’t mind, that is.”

“Oh!! A-are you sure?? Wow, you’re amazing! I-I mean, th-that would be amazing! Thank you!” she said, practically vibrating with elation.

“I’m happy to do it!” Adrien replied as they began the trek to the bakery. “I’m really glad we bumped into each other,” he replied with a wink.

Marinette’s head swiveled towards him, looking like she’d swallowed a golf ball, then exploded into a loud giggle-snort, which made him snicker in turn.

The pair walked together, enjoying some friendly, light-hearted conversation, with Marinette becoming more and more comfortable as they went. He was always thankful anytime she was able to relax around him and just be herself.

He dropped her off and they parted with a tight hug, which caused Marinette to let out a flustered squeak. While she wasn’t aware of it, thanks to her discovery, he’d be able to buy himself that prepaid SIM card for Chloe’s old phone and become reachable again. And the first thing he would do with that phone would be to send Marinette a text message, thanking her for everything she continually did for him and their friends, and for always being such a sweet person.

(Somewhere Only We Know- Keane (Max Schneider, Elizabeth Gillies, and Kurt Schneider cover)

Evening came and the city of Paris buzzed with activity, as it was the last weekend of summer vacation. Ladybug breathed in the crisp night air, hopping from roof to roof to rendezvous with her partner. A few blocks away from the Louvre, the quiet, unassuming edifice of the Saint Germain l'Auxerrois stood tall and stoic, as it always did; its stately gothic arches and ancient pillars contrasting with the chaotic energy and noise of its modern surroundings.

Ladybug spotted the distant figure of Chat Noir at the balcony of the church’s bell tower, where they’d agreed to meet. He leaned on the railing, looking content as he observed the scenery.

She nimbly landed beside him and chirped, “Hey, you!”

He turned around, his countenance brightening instantly. “My Lady! It’s so great to see your lovely face again.”

Ladybug’s insides fluttered upon hearing him use her usual nickname, the feeling becoming increasingly familiar the more time she spent with him, both in and out of the costume.

“Um, I brought some snacks from a little shop down the street,” she said, lifting up a small bag to demonstrate.

“Yum! That sounds wonderful, thank you!” Chat reached into his belt pocket, bringing out a small, rectangular box. “And I brought some playing cards!”

“Cool! I love card games! Where’d you get them?” she asked, feigning ignorance.

Chat rubbed the back of his neck and smiled wide, his cheeks becoming rosy; a look that was simply adorable on him. “Marinette gave them to me, actually. She got me some boxes full of really amazing stuff she thought I’d like. And I swear, she’s gotta have magical powers or something, ‘cause they were all totally spot on.” He rubbed his arm absently. “She’s so nice... I can’t believe she went out of her way just to help me feel more at home.”

Ladybug’s cheeks grew warm, feeling almost guilty for hearing him talk about her secret identity in such a favorable way without him knowing. Unsure of how to reply, she wordlessly offered the bag so he could pick out a snack.

“So, how did the cashier react to seeing Ladybug walking into their shop?” he asked, reaching inside. “Was he surprised?”

She chuckled. “I didn’t buy them as Ladybug, silly. I got them as myself. My civilian self, that is.”

“Oh! O-of course,” he replied with an embarrassed smile. “It’s easy to forget you’re not always Ladybug. Th-that is– obviously you’re always Ladybug, b-but not necessarily walking around as Ladybug, it’s just… y-you– uhh…”

She giggled, placing a hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay, I know what you mean. We don’t know what the other looks like, so it’s hard to mentally picture anything else.” She placed a finger on her chin, tapping it thoughtfully. “I bet that in real life, you’re actually a pirate with a peg leg. A daring, swashbuckling outlaw with a hook for a hand and a secret cave full of gold,” she said jokingly. “Oh! But you like music, right? So, maybe you’re actually a professional violinist. World renowned! Or, since you’re pretty athletic, I bet you’re secretly a circus acrobat! Are you in Cirque du Soleil, by any chance?”

“Ha ha, you’re hilarious,” he deadpanned. Then he leaned forward, quirking a flirtatious smile and waggling his eyebrows, and replied, “Obviously, I’m the quick-witted and dashing Han Solo type. Breaking hearts and taking names. People stop in the streets, jaws dropping, and they gape as I walk by, admiring my charms.”

“PFFT!” Ladybug snickered at his clowning and replied, lilting, “Oh, I’m sure. I can see it now.” Her voice went into a falsetto and she swooned, clasping her hands together, “Oh, Monsieur Solo Noir, you are such a handsome rogue! Won’t you whisk me away in your Catmobile into the sunset?”

He gave a small, amused hum. “So... you think I’m handsome, huh?” he asked, turning his body towards her, and straightened up his spine, placing a hand on his hip and cocking it with a smug grin.

Heat exploded throughout the girl’s body, all the blood rushing to her face. Plagg’s words about Chat’s crush suddenly popped to the forefront of her mind, and her thoughts became a jumble.

She stammered, “W-well, I mean, obviously you must already be aware th-that you’re conventionally attractive, b-but I-I, that is, it’s not like I just sit and ogle you like some kind of perv or something, but you’re definitely— y-you’re very– uhhh...” She continued babbling, hands flapping like flags.

Chat couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re so adorable when you get all flustered, Buginette. And I really mean that in the best way.”

Ladybug pursed her lips together into a thin line. AUGH, this… this GUY!!! Why did she have to act so foolish around the two blond boys that she’d hung out with today?! She never knew she had a type. But that must be it, right?? That she apparently had a thing for tall, green-eyed blondes? Was that what was going on, or was she actually crushing on Chat Noir while already in love with Adrien? Was that even possible?? Was she simply projecting her desire to be loved onto Chat because she knew he had a crush on her, whereas Adrien did not? That would be unfair to him; he didn’t deserve to be some rebound love. She needed to figure out whether her feelings were genuine, or if she was just being shallow and largely motivated by hormones.

UGH!! Why was everything so incredibly confusing?! Not that it mattered. By this point, they both probably thought she was a giant clod, what with her tendency to constantly make an utter fool of herself.

Thankfully, Chat took pity on her and changed the subject back. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. And actually, you were partly right. I am into music. Although I play piano, not violin.” He turned back towards the scenery, leaning on the balcony railing, and asked, “So, how about you? What are you like?”

Settling down from her utter failure at being suave, she replied, sighing, “Well… it’s hard to say. I’m a bit of a hot mess, actually.”

“Pfft, you?? No way! You always seem so on top of everything,” he replied, incredulous. “Although... I definitely believe the ‘hot’ part,” he teased with a wink.

Stifling a squeak, Ladybug’s insides seemed to seize up, and she fought the urge to jump off the belltower to prevent him from noticing her surely crimson-colored face. Attempting to sound aloof, she replied, “You flirt. I bet you say that to all the girls.”

“Would it upset you if I did?” he asked, voice inscrutable.

Her eyes popped open and she whipped her head around, the heat in her body inexplicably replaced with an uncomfortable chill down her spine. Was she... jealous?! She didn’t have any right to be. She had no claims on him. But knowing that didn’t make the thought of Chat lauding praise and paying special attention to someone else any less unpleasant, and she couldn’t help but feel mad at herself for feeling as such.

“Uh… I’m–” her gaze darted away nervously, trying to figure out what to say without embarrassing herself.

He scooted closer to her, shoulders almost touching, and leaned back on the balcony. He playfully bumped his hip against hers. “No need to be jealous, Bugaboo. Believe it or not, I’m actually kinda shy in real life, and pretty socially awkward; almost painfully so. Any attempts at flirting are clumsy at best, if I ever even bother to try.”

“I-I wasn’t jealous!” she huffed.

Veeerrrrry convincing, Marinette, she thought to herself.

“B-but anyway, I never knew that you were actually shy,” she continued. “You always seemed so confident.” It seemed there was a lot more to discover about her new partner; things she never would have guessed based on his demeanor, back when they were enemies.

Chat shifted the topic away from himself and began shuffling the cards as he sat on the floor. “So, before I interrupted you with my lame attempt at flirting, you were gonna talk about yourself. What do you do when you’re not Ladybug-ing and saving Paris from corrupted butterflies?”

Ladybug giggled and joined him on the floor as he dealt the cards. “Well, I enjoy making crafts, especially designing and making clothes. I’m great at baking. I love scrapbooking and journals. My favorite subject in school is art...”

A few hours, several games, and countless laughs later, the pair reluctantly agreed that it was time to part ways.

“Thanks for meeting up with me tonight, Ladybug,” Chat said, voice a bit quiet. “I haven’t had this much fun in a long time, so it really means a lot,” he added, timidly rubbing the back of his neck.

Ladybug’s stomach did a tiny flip. She wasn’t sure whether she was happy that he’d enjoyed himself because of her, or if she was sad because he’d hardly ever been allowed to have fun.

She shifted her weight, twiddling her fingers and replied, “I had a lot of fun too, Chat. I’m really glad we did this. We should turn it into a regular thing.”

He replied, voice husky, “I’d love that.” A shade of pink spread across his face, and he cleared his throat. He abruptly straightened up and sauntered towards her, wearing a smirk. “Soooo… can I walk you home?” he asked playfully. “I do want to be a gentleman for My Lady, after all.”

Ladybug snorted and lightly shoved his shoulder. “Nice try, Chaton. But a Lady’s gotta have her secrets.”

Before he could reply, Ladybug’s communicator beeped urgently with a notification, which could only mean one thing:

An akuma attack.

Ladybug sighed, stretching her arms over her head. “Welp… looks like our time together just got an extension.” She winked at Chat and asked, “Ready to go kick some akuma butt?”

He smiled, his hand reaching for hers and giving it a tight squeeze. “With pleasure.”

#Discordant Sonata #Miraculous Ladybug #Ladynoir #Enemies AU #Adrien Agreste #Marinette Dupain Cheng #fanfiction #Adrienette #Fan Art #My Art: Miraculous Ladybug #Eden Art #Eden writes

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aion-rsa · 3 years ago

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Streaming on Plex: Best Movies and TV Shows You Can Watch for FREE in September

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This article is sponsored by Plex. You can download the Free Plex App now by clicking here!

There’s an overwhelming amount of new movies and TV shows hitting streaming services this fall. If you’re starving for new content, it’s set to be a fantastic time, but if your wallet is starving for funds, it can be pretty stressful. With studios and content providers spreading their libraries out across so many different streaming services, keeping up with all of your favorites can get expensive. Thankfully, Plex TV is here to keep you entertained without breaking the bank.

Plex is a globally available one-stop-shop streaming media service offering thousands of free movies and TV shows and hundreds of free-to-stream live TV channels, from the biggest names in entertainment, including Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM), Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, Lionsgate, Legendary, AMC, A+E, Crackle, and Reuters. Plex is the only streaming service that lets users manage their personal media alongside a continuously growing library of free third-party entertainment spanning all genres, interests, and mediums including podcasts, music, and more. With a highly customizable interface and smart recommendations based on the media you enjoy, Plex brings its users the best media experience on the planet from any device, anywhere.

Plex releases brand new and beloved titles to its platform monthly and we’ll be here to help you identify the cream of the crop. View Plex TV now for the best free entertainment streaming and check back each month for Den of Geek Critics’ picks!

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DEN OF GEEK CRITICS’ PICKS

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

They’re the world’s most fearsome fightin’ team. They’re heroes in a half-shell and they’re green. I mean, what more do we need to say? 2014’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is no Citizen Kane, but comic book movie fans flock to it like the four titular turtles to pizza. The film knows exactly what it is, providing cheesy one-liners, silly action, and unpretentious fun. Throwing in Will Arnett as a sidekick for April O’Neil was an inspired choice that paid dividends in laughs and whoever tapped Tony Shaloub to voice Splinter should get a pay raise. Produced by Nickelodeon Pictures, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles wasn’t only the highest grossing film in the series, but also the highest grossing Nickelodeon film of all-time. This reboot of the classic ninja team helped spawn further films, new TV series, and a renewed interest in one of the most beloved comic book properties ever. Cowabunga, dude!

Noah

This isn’t your Sunday School’s Noah. Darren Aronofsky’s adaptation of the story of the biblical figure Noah is an awe-inspiring epic that takes the bones of the famous story and infuses themes about environmentalism, self-doubt, and yes, faith. Pulling liberally from texts like the Book of Enoch, the film has far more action than just leading animals onto a boat and a storm. Shot by Matthew Libatique, the movie looks absolutely gorgeous and at times can be genuinely breath-taking, but it’s not just about the visuals. Russell Crowe stuns in the title role, but the entire ensemble is great, including a post-Potter Emma Watson and a ferocious Ray Winstone. No one expected Noah to be more akin to a thought-provoking art house film than a straight-forward epic, but that’s the sort of genius you get from Aronofsky, one of the most exciting and inventive filmmakers working today.

Shine a Light

Even if we hadn’t just lost the immortal, suave Charlie Watts, the heartbeat of rock and roll’s longest institution, The Rolling Stones, we’d still be recommending Martin Scorsese’s Shine a Light. Capturing the legendary band during their A Bigger Bang Tour in 2006, Scorsese spends a lot of the time rightfully focusing on Watts. With the camera fixated on Watts, you witness his unflappability; the way that he can make such raucous playing look so effortless. You also catch the man’s unique, jazz-influenced technique, like how he rarely hits the center of his snare, or how he changes his grip whenever he hits a cymbal. Even in their old age, the Stones are still one of the tightest, most electrifying live acts, and Shine a Light puts you right on stage with them as they barrel through one of the deepest catalogs in recorded music. It’s simply a masterful concert film.

The Virgin Suicides

Sofia Coppola likely has to deal with accusations about nepotism to this day, but anyone who saw her directorial debut The Virgin Suicides knows that Francis’ daughter would have made it as a filmmaker even without her famous last name. This haunting adaptation of Jeffrey Eugenides’ novel of the same name taps into the melancholy of childhood, the dreamlike haze of memory, and the mystery that lurks inside suburban homes. Coppola expertly captures the pull that an ethereal group of sisters have on the imaginative group of boys that pine for them in a way that is relatable for anyone that had an unrequited crush in high school. As a coming-of-age movie, it is one of a kind. As an exploration of trauma and grief, it is crushingly effective. The original score by the band Air only adds to its hypnagogic vibe.

Rock ‘n’ Roll High School

Punk rock music and Roger Corman pictures are some of the core tenants that Den of Geek was founded on, so of course we’re going to recommend 1979’s Rock ‘n’ Roll High School, which features possibly the coolest band of all-time, The Ramones. Let our resident punk rock movie expert Jim Knipfel break it down for you:

“After producing so many dozens of teen rebellion films over the years, Corman finally hit the pinnacle, the ultimate teen rebellion picture, with the cartoon antics ratcheted up more than a few notches. There are so many bad jokes flying around, so many visual gags and film references packed into every scene, so many overwrought teen film clichés pushed way past absurd, it’s a film that demands multiple viewings. Even if “Riff Randall, rock ’n’ roller” (P.J. Soles) doesn’t look much like any punk chick I ever knew, I’m perfectly willing to accept it. And in historical terms, it really was this film more than the 4 albums they had out at the time that spread the word about The Ramones to mainstream America, and that’s worth something. Old as I am I still get a thrill every time the students and the Ramones blow up Vince Lombardi High, and anyone who doesn’t must be wrong in the head somehow.”

New on Plex in September:

1000 Times Good Night

13 Assassins

The Accidental Husband

All Good Things

Assassination of a High School President

Awake

Bent

Bordertown

Brain Dead

Cold Mountain

The Descent

The Descent Part 2

Even Money

Fear City

First Snow

Freedom Writers

Gray Matters

The Jesus Rolls

Johnny Was

Keys to Tulsa

The Legend of Bagger Vance

Mad Money

Marrowbone

Murder on the Orient Express

The Ninth Gate

Nothing but the Truth

Ordinary People

Rememory

Rock ‘n’ Roll High School

Sanctuary

Shine a Light

Soul Survivors

Taboo

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

The TV Set

The Virgin Suicides

What Doesn’t Kill You

Winter Passing

World Trade Center

Catch before it leaves in September:

Absolution

Accident Man

Aeon Flux

After.Life

Angel of Death

Answer Man

The Bang Bang Club

Battle Royale

Blood and Bone

The Broken

Cashmere Mafia

Child 44

Cleaner

Cold Comes the Night

Coming Soon

The Connection

Conspiracy

The Cookout

Critical Condition

Dark Crimes

The Death and Life of Bobby Z

Death Proof

Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star

Downhill Racer

Dragged Across Concrete

The Dresser

The Duel

Dummy

Flight of Fury

Flirting with Disaster

The Foreigner

Goat

Gutshot Straight

Halloween III: Season of the Witch

The Hard Corps

Hesher

High Right

Honeymoon

The Hunt

I Saw the Devil

In the Mix

Jason and the Argonauts

Jeff, Who Lives at Home

Jiri Dreams of Sushi

Joe

Journey to the West

Kill ‘Em All

A Kind of Murder

The Kite Runner

Lake Placid 2

Lake Placid 3

Last Resort

The Lazarus Project

Misconduct

Mr. Church

Mutant Chronicles

Mythica: The Godslayer

Mythica: The Iron Clown

Never Back Down: No Surrender

News Radio

Noah

Ong Bak: The Thai Warrior

Ong Bak: The Beginning

The Order

Out for a Kill

The Outcasts

Phantoms

Pistol Whipped

The Protector

Pulse (2001)

Reprisal

Return to the Blue Lagoon

The River Murders

The Romantics

Second in Command

Shadow Man

Shattered

The Shepherd

Southside with You

Space Station 76

Square Pegs

Standoff

Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation

Starship Troopers 3: Marauder

Steel Dawn

Substitute

The Super

SWAT: Under Siege

The Terminal

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada

Touchy Feely

Trollhunter

UFO

Universal Solider: Day of Reckoning

Vamps

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Walking Tall: Lone Justice

Warlock

What Planet are You From?

World’s Fastest Indian

World’s Greatest Dad

The Yellow Handkerchief

Still streaming on Plex:

2:22

2 Days in New York

21 Jump Street

22 Bullets

24 Hours to Live

3rd Rock from the Sun

6 Bullets

99 Homes

A Little Bit of Heaven

A Walk in the Woods

The Air I Breathe

Alan Partridge

ALF

Alone in the Dark

Amelie

American Pastoral

And Soon the Darkness

Andromeda

Are You Here

Arthur and the Invisibles

Awake

Battle in Seattle

Bernie

Better Watch Out

Black Death

Blade of the Immortal

Blitz

The Brass Teapot

Bronson

The Brothers Bloom

The Burning Plain

But I’m a Cheerleader

Cake

Candy

Catch .44

Cell

The Choice

Clerks II

Coherence

The Collector

Colonia

Congo

Cooties

The Core

The Cotton Club

Crossing Lines

Croupier

Cube

Cube 2

Cube Zero

Cyrano de Bergerac

Death and the Maiden

The Deep Blue Sea

Deep Red

Derailed

Detachment

The Devil’s Rejects

Diary of the Dead

District B13

DOA: Dead or Alive

Dr. T and the Women

Eden Lake

The Edge of Love

The post Streaming on Plex: Best Movies and TV Shows You Can Watch for FREE in September appeared first on Den of Geek.

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bi-bard · 5 years ago

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It’s My Money, I’ll Spend it How I Like- Malcolm Bright Imagine (Prodigal Son)

Title: It’s My Money, I’ll Spend it How I Like

Pairing: Malcolm Bright X Reader (I tried to make this gender neutral)

Request: Nope

Warning: None really, very fluffy writing on my part

Summary: Quarantine isn’t actually fun for anyone. After an impulse buy, (Y/n) finds more time to practice a skill that hasn’t been shown the appreciation it deserves. However; Malcolm would be dumb to not question the purchase.

Author’s Note: This is close to crack-headed. I just wanted to write something oddly sweet. I’m in the middle of quarantine, this is how I’m coping, alright?

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

“What the hell,” Malcolm asked as I lugged a box into the apartment and set it on the end table by the piano that I had bought for cheap a while ago. “What did you get?”

“As soon as they announced a stay at home order, I jumped on Amazon,” I explained, ripping the tape off the box. “I ordered... these.”

I held my hands out so Malcolm would look. He walked over and looked at what I was showing him.

“Sheet music,” he asked. I nodded excitedly. “I was hoping for lingerie.”

“For the love of god,” I face palmed as I laughed. “I’m going to be stuck in quarantine! I’m sorry if I got something a little more productive.”

“I happen to think lingerie-”

“Don’t finish that sentence,” I pointed a finger at him. He held his hands up.

“So, what’s first,” he asked.

“I don’t know,” I shrugged. I grabbed the books and put them on top of the piano. “How about you pick something?”

“That one,” he pointed past the pile of books. I furrowed my eyebrows and saw the single file on its own. I never left that out. Why is it- “I found it on the floor by your desk.”

“Did you go through it?”

“Not in any detail,” he shrugged. “I saw the word piano on the top bit and put it here. Now go on... play it for me.”

“No,” I shook my head. “It’s meant to be a surprise.”

“Well, hey, I’m surprised now,” Malcolm mimicked a look of happy shock. I just stared at him. “Okay, I’m sorry. You’ve clearly been working on this for awhile. There isn’t a better time for this. Please!”

“No, it’s not ready.”

“I’m not asking for you to be Mozart,” he rolled his eyes, wrapping his arms around me. “Please...”

“Fine,” I pushed him back before sitting at the piano and grabbing the music. Malcolm clapped and pulled a chair over from the bar. “Just saying, I was planning on this being a Valentine’s Day gift or something like that... so it’s cheesy.”

“I can deal with that,” he shrugged. “Now, play.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VjDNOJHQ3g (I wish this stupid website would work properly... anyways, it’s “So Will I” by Ben Platt, so please look it up because I am not copying and pasting the lyrics).

“You’re right, that was cheesy,” I turned around to see Malcolm chuckling halfheartedly. I furrowed my eyebrows at him. He sighed, looking down. “Thank you.”

“Malcolm, are you alright,” I asked, scooting closer to him on my piano bench. He nodded.

“Sorry, poor emotional control,” he replied. I stood up and hugged him. The bar chair was tall enough so Malcolm could rest his head on my shoulder. I ran my fingers through his hair to try and help. “That was really sweet. One of the sweetest things that anyone has ever done for me. And just because you wanted to. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” I mumbled back, moving so I could kiss his head.

“So,” Malcolm pulled back and smiled at me. I grinned back. “What’s next?”

“Oh, uh,” I looked at the stack of books. “Oh, Amelie.”

“You get to work on that,” he grabbed the chair and started moving it back. “I’m making us grilled cheese!”

“Malcolm,” I said, waiting for him to look back at me. “Are you sure your alright?”

“Yes,” he promised. “Now, get to work. I want even more songs played about me.”

“Of course,” I chuckled as he walked towards the fridge.

“This should not be shocking,” he replied.

“Oh, it’s not. Believe me. It’s the least shocking thing about you.”

“Good.”

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

Masterlist

What I Write For

Request Guidelines

Musical Prompts (please send requests for this)

Small Moments With... (please send requests for this)

#malcolm bright imagine #malcolm bright fanfiction #prodigal son imagine #prodigal son fanfiction #imagine #fanfiction

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komarto · 5 years ago

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“Welcome to the Shadow Records!” (1/2)

I might have went overboard and wrote a fic to intro my OCs to the Hazbin Universe... with a spice of a reader insert! You can also find it on AO3

Summary: After falling into hell, you hired the I.M.P.s to take out your abusive ex. But they can’t seem to find him in the living world, so you have to visit the local information broker for their whereabouts.

Words: 2374

Tws: Implied/ referenced abusive and manipulative relationship, Implied/ referenced suicide

Luna: “Blitz!”

Blitzo: “Yes Luna?”

Luna: “Yeah, dispatch just came back and they can’t find the target.”

Blitzo: “What do you mean they can’t find the target?”

Luna: “They can’t find them in the living world.”

Blitzo: “Well, if they’re not in the living world, then it’ll mean they’re dead. And with all the shit that the customer says that they’ve done to them, very terrible by the way, they would most likely end up here in hell. And frankly, that’s not our job. Hell’s too big to find and kill 1 person.”

Millie: “So what now? We can’t just tell them that we couldn’t find their target, sir...”

Moxie: “What if we asked the Shadow demon, sir?”

Blitzo: “The who?”

Moxie: “Y’know, the Shadow demon that hunted down 25 demons in a month a few years back and killed them with the Radio demon?”

Blitzo: “They gave them a lame title now? Man, the people here really needs to brush up on their naming game.”

Moxie: “She’s an information broker now, has a little collection of something on everyone in hell.”

Blitzo: “And you know that how?”

Moxie: “I… might have asked her about some stuff.”

Blitzo: “Riiiight, sure. Totally not suspicious at all. Well you can give her a call or something and see what happens.”

“This is the Shadow Records, what can we do for ya?”

Moxie: “Ah- hello, um, Shadow demon, this is uh Moxie calling in from the Immediate Murder Professionals.”

“Moxie, how nice of you to call in. And please, call me Deni. This isn’t the first time we talked and you’re a nice guy. So, are the I.M.P.s having some trouble with a client?”

Moxie: “You could say that. Our dispatch team can’t find their target, so we figured that they’re already here.”

“And you need my help to find them.”

Moxie: “Y-yes. Can you?”

“Oh sure, but you know my pricing, Moxie. It’s either money, a favour, or something that I don’t know.”

Moxie: “Well... we can have client owe you?”

“Fair enough. What’s their name?”

Moxie gives the broker your name.

“I’ve heard of them here and there. I’ll have Amelie send an eye over to get them. Have the client there in 3 hours.”

Moxie: “Of course, mam’, thank you so much for this.”

“No problem, Moxie. Just a little reminder of the favour you owe me. I’ll see them soon.”

Moxie: “Yeah, I know, thanks for that… bye bye.”

Blitzo: “What’d she say?”

Moxie: “She said to have the client be here so she can send an… eye to get her?”

Blitzo: “The fuck she going to do with an eye?”

Moxie: “I don’t know! Just call the person over and it’ll get them in 3 hours!”

Blitzo: “Fine! Luna call the client over!”

(Y/N)’s POV

It’s been a few days since you’ve contacted the I.M.P.s about your request to kill your abusive ex that landed you here. In your last moments, you prayed that the Lord would forgive the sins they made you commit as you stepped off the ledge.

You guess not. It was a rather rude awakening when you found yourself in hell. You’ve only recently found the Immediate Murder Professionals from their ad, and heck, you wanted your ex to pay for what they did, what they made you do in your cursed life. Your entire life was a fuck fest of issues and bad memories from everyone around you. Your abusive parents, manipulative and controlling ex, dead-end jobs, etc...

You did your best, you really tried. But it all came to a point where you were just too tired of trying… You just hoped that karma would finally be on your side and burn everyone that has ever wronged you.

You got a call back from them telling you to be at their headquarters in 3 hours. Had they done the job? That was fast. Nevertheless, you were eager to be there on time, maybe reach there a few minutes earlier.

You reached the door to their office 15 minutes before the meeting time. You knocked on the door and the tall imp demon greeted you. “Ah (Y/N), come in come in, here take a seat and Moxie will explain everything.”

“Hey! Wha-” the shorter employee looked at him shock. “Aren’t you suppose to explain the circumstances first?”

“It was your stupid idea! Frankly, we could have just told them the problem and go on our merry way! Now go do your fucking job.” Blitzo waved at him and walked out of the room.

Your mind is filled with question. What problem? What stupid idea have they thought of and why does it concern you?

“Hey, its gonna be alright dear just listen for a minute.” Mille pats you on your shoulder and joins Moxie at his side

Moxie clears his throat. “Well, first of all, thank you for making your way here on such a short notice, I know it can be quite hard to get here for some people. Ah um, secondly, our dispatch team ran into some complications in the living world and uh, they couldn’t find the person that you wanted us to murder. Which means that they’re here in hell, which would make it very hard to find them.”

“But! But, ah, we have a solution! There’s an information broker that I know of that can help. It’s just that well…”

“Well?” you asked sceptically.

“You have to pay for their services.”

“What? I don’t have the money to pay someone else to do the job! That’s what I paid you guys to do!”

“Yes, we know! But! There are other ways to pay them, like owing them a favour or like telling them like something that they don’t know, y’know with the whole information broker deal thing. It's practically free.” Moxie explained.

“Not when I owe some creep a favour, god knows what they’ll want from me!” you snapped back at him. A muffled tapping sound could be heard from the window but you were too worked up to care about whatever it is.

“It’s probably bad to talk about the shadow demon like that…” Millie murmured as he looked shyly to the side.

Your eyes widened at her and your head whipped back to Moxie “The SHADOW DEMON? THAT’S WHO I’M SUPPOSE TO MEET?” you exclaimed.

That’s it, you’re dead. You’ve heard rumours of the Shadow demon. But in just a month or so in hell, they had teamed up with the Radio demon, a feat on its own, and had killed 20 over demons.

Wrapped them up in little bows and strung them on the overlord’s radio tower to be picked off painfully by the angels during the cleanse. Their pleads and screams were broadcasted across hell through the radios like the Radio demon’s previous plot, but never at this scale.

“Calm down (Y/N), the Shadow demon’s a nice person from what I’ve heard, she won’t hurt you if you haven’t done anything to her.” Millie assured you, her voice calm but still held a hint of nervousness.

“Shadow demon’s a “her”? Well that’s a first.” you scoffed. He, they… the rumours never got their pronouns down, but you’ve never heard anyone call the Shadow demon a “her”.

“Yeah well, she said she’ll have an eye to bring you to her. So it’ll benefit all of us, hopefully mostly you, that you follow her orders.” Moxie continues checking the clock on the wall.

You let out a frustrated sighed. “Well fuck that. Nice or not, I’m not sticking around to find out. If you can’t do the job just give me a fucking refund and we’ll be on our merry way.”

“Well no can do (Y/N), the boss already spent it on keeping the TV ad on the air.” Moxie crossed his arms.

You were fuming at this point, and that incessant tapping wasn’t making it any better. “I don’t care about your fucking jingle, I want my fucking money back if you can’t do what I paid you to do!” you hit the table under you in anger.

“Um, guys?” Millie tapped on Moxie’s shoulder as she stared to her right.

“And what the fuck is making that tapping sou-” Your complaints were drowned by the gazed of the most unsettling creature that was outside the window.

Behind the glass, hovered a single eyeball with a pink iris and a black star of its pupil. Its bat wings that kept it airborne tapped against the glass with each flap. The thing had no eyelids so it simply maintained eye contact with you as you stared back at it in shock.

“Moxie, is that the ‘eye’ that we were waiting for?” Millie breaks the silence, pointing to the mysterious but obvious eye.

“I-uh, I think so?” Moxie walks over to the window to open it and the eye bat thing calmly flies into the room. The eyeball makes its way over to you and circles over your head whimsically before flying out of the window to watch you from outside.

“It’s actually kinda cute.” Millie walks over to the window to get a closer look at it. The eye turns to watch her and gives her a light bump on her cheek before returning to stare at you.

“See, no harm at all!” Millie giggled, turning back to the both of you.

“I suppose that your cue to follow it?” Moxie nudges you.

You let out another heavy sigh and rubbed your nose bridge. You know what, fuck it. What do you have to lose at this point?

“Fine. And if I manage to come back with their whereabouts I want to see his severed head when ya’ll actually do your job.”

You exit their headquarters, not bothering to slam the door on your way out. You may be mad, but you’re not that mean... Even if this is hell. Outside the main entrance of the building was the same winged eye keeping its self afloat at your eye level. You exit the building and the eye flies around you like it did before. Its makes a full circle around you and flies off in a direction. It stops a few steps away from you before turning back to look at you, beckoning you to follow it.

You bit your lip nervously as you took the first few steps of letting the thing guide you to your potential death.

As you followed the eye, you began to grow interested in the little thing. Was it another denizen of hell or was it like one of the Shadow demon’s minions? As far as you knew, the Shadow demon could manipulate the shadows and hide in them, not eyeball minion magic.

You were also beginning to agree with Millie that it was kind of cute in its own way. As it guided you through the quiet back streets, it would turn to see if you were following and sometimes do a play full barrel roll or loop in the air. You couldn’t help but smile at its antics, your mind no longer worrying about your encounter with the rumoured shadow demon

As you walk about of the alley and onto the main road, you are met with a building with a sign that said “Shadow Records” in black calligraphy. It resembled a multi-story shophouse with a new coat of paint and traditional doors and windows that gave off a sense of sophistication and warmth, unlike most of the bar and brothel filled streets of hell.

At the entrance stood a young demon girl swaying side to side on her thin legs. She wore a pink lolita dress with white ruffles and blue accents. As you stepped closer, you could see pastel pink bandages that wrap her forearms loosely and covered her eyes and forehead. The pink almost blending in with her light pink skin, though her electric blue hair made her stand out from afar.

She does a little pirouette at the top of the stairs and stops in your direction. The eye makes a dash over to her and she lets out a musical giggle as it lands in between her two hair buns. You walk up the stairs and she greets you excitedly.

“Hi there! You must be (Y/N), the name’s Amelie, Deni’s waiting for you upstairs. Come on!” she opens the door and steps into the building.

“Um, okay?” you follow her in hesitantly. This is where you die, you guessed.

The young demon girl, Amelie, hums a whimsical tune as she skips her way up a flight of stairs with you in tow. Your first impression is that she seems to be too young to be here in hell. Then again, everything could be an act to get you comfortable and then kill you so you kept your guard up.

Seeing as how your previous companion was so familiar with the girl, and is still seated comfortably between her hair, you figured that it was probably her minion instead of the Shadow demon.

“Come on, we’ve been waiting for you.” Amelie calls to you as she skips towards a large oak door that looks like it was built of someone thrice you height. You gulped at you looked up at the scale of the door.

Amelie raps her knuckles on the door in a rhythm before opening it.

Before you sat what you could only assume is the shadow demon behind their desk with a manila folder in hand. Their red eyes glanced up at you as the door opened and you could feel their white cat-like pupils bare into your very being. It was at this point you realise that the dark wall behind was also lined with eyes that were staring back at you. In fear, you took a step back, ready to make a mad dash for the exit.

A soft laugh reached your ears and you turned to see a muscular reptilian leaning against the long desk look at you with mirth in his black sclera and turquoise eyes.

The Shadow demon speaks up.

“Hello (Y/N). Welcome to Shadow records.”

#hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel oc #hhoc #fanfic #helluva blitzo #helluva moxxie #helluva millie #helluva loona #oc #my art #my writting #viziepop #reader #deni #jordan #amelie #helluva boss

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vivipixels-notepad · 5 years ago

Text

Hypnovember 2019, fic 15

NSFW

CW’s

Medical scenes (takes place in a clinic)

Tech control

Complete brainwashing

“Blank”

“Do you have the backups saved?”

“Two physical copies, two digital copies, and one on the Hard Case. Risk is down to less than one percent.”

“Good, then let’s begin.”

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

Any sort of anti-brainwashing technology always required a good deal of testing. Luckily for Dr. Goldhill, she had a wealth of volunteers. Of course, she also had a great deal of people coming to her clinic for neural links and conditioning for their submissives, but if you’re going to brainwash someone, you better know how to undo it. You also better know how to deal with the increasing number of villains that enjoy brainwashing people and turning them into their minions. She’d seen many cases of that, with a few “repeat customers”. Some people just never quite learn not to go down dark scary alleys at night. The poster child for being kidnapped and used in evil schemes was none other than-

“Caroline Bregentfed. I figured you’d sign up for this trial.” Dr. Goldhill smiled as Caroline walked in to her office.

“Heya Doc. Yeah, I uh.. I’m not *supposed* to be here, with the hiding and everything. But I couldn’t miss a chance to try out something new you cooked up.”

Caroline had been in her clinic more times than any other patient of hers, mostly for de-programming. She was a lightning rod in that way, people who were looking for someone to brainwash just sort of found their way to her. None more often than the “King”. He had.. some strange obsession with her. Unhealthy.

“So you know what you’re signing up for, right? I assume you want me to run you through it again.”

“I wouldn’t mind a refresher.”

“This project is called “Tabula Rasa”. It’s an even deeper sort of de-programming than what you would be used to. We make a number of backups, based on brain scans, and keep them in a number of places. For security and safety reasons. Then, we scrub that brain of yours completely clean. Wipe everything away. This is to help get out the deep seeded programming that our normal tech has trouble with. Lastly, we use the backups, as well as previous brain scans, to reconstruct your neural pathways, sans the malicious programming!”

Caroline laughed. “That sounds dangerous. Isn’t this what most of the people you’re working against do?”

“Well, when you put it that way, it sounds bad. But you act like this is our first time doing any of this. How many times have we gotten rid of someone else’s conditioning?”

“Um... a lot?”

“Exactly,” Dr. Goldhill smiled reassuringly, “Plus, we make a good number of backups of your current neural pathways, so the worst is that nothing happens.”

“But what if you loose power, or the backups go missing, or are damaged, or corrupted?”

“That’s why we have the Hard Case. An external, secure storage device, kept within this blast proof, bullet proof, briefcase. It has it’s own power supply too!”

“Wow you really thought of everything, huh?”

“Well, the Hard Case was Dr. Almsney’s idea.”

There was a knock on the door. Dr. Goldhill sighed in response.

“Okay, cards on the table,” Dr. Goldhill stood up, and walked over to the door, “I knew you were coming, and I told someone.”

“You what!?”

“Please remain calm. I didn’t tell Amelie.”

“Who did you tell?”

Dr. Goldhill opened the door. A tall, lean man stood there, wearing jeans and a casual shirt. His hair was a deep blue, and feathery.

“I told Saph.”

Of everyone she could have told, Amelie’s first sired son, an old flame of hers.

“Been a while.”

“Saph, could you do me a favor?” Dr. Goldhill asked, “Could you please walk Mrs. Bregentfed here over to testing room 3? I have some paperwork I need to get, and I know you two would like to get reacquainted.”

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

Caroline stood next to the pod-looking machinery in the center of the testing room. The room was filled with various machine banks, wires running in neatly bundled branches in every direction away from the pod.

“You haven��t said a word to me since I showed up. Are you angry with me?” Saph walked in front of Caroline.

She took a deep breath, and let out a heavy sigh.

“I thought you were angry with me.”

He took a step closer.

“How could I be? You made some... questionable choices. But you were scared, and I can’t say I blame you.”

She looked up at him, tears brimming in her eyes.

“Come home with me today. Everyone wants to see you.”

Caroline burst into tears. She fell against him, hugging him tightly. She missed everyone so much.

“That’s it, let it out. It’s all okay.”

She cried heavily for a few minutes, then slowly eased down to whimpering.

“O-okay. I’ll come with you. I’ll.. I’ll come home.”

There was a knock on the door, then it was opened. Dr. Goldhill peaked her head in.

“Are we good in here?” She asked.

“Y-Yeah.” Caroline sniffed, and wiped her eyes.

“She just got a little overwhelmed is all.”

“Alright,” Dr. Goldhill stepped in, followed by Dr. Almsney, three technicians, and a nurse. Dr. Almsney had a build similar to Saph, but he was more tired looking, with messy, deep green hair.

“Good to see you again, Caroline. Thank you for coming.” He shook Caroline’s hand.

“It’s always good to see you, Eric.”

The nurse handed Caroline a medical gown and bag.

“I think you know what to do with these, hun.”

The nurse winked, and her... face shimmered. She pointed over to a door.

“There’s your changing room. Go on, don’t keep us waitin’!”

Caroline narrowed her eyes, and walked off.

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

When she returned, only wearing the papery medical gown, everyone was already hard at work. The nurse took her clothes, set them aside, and helped Caroline into the pod. There was an indentation in the floor, roughly shaped like a person. The nurse instructed her to lie down. Once she had, the nurse closed a number of restrains across her body.

“So you don’t wiggle ‘round too much,” the nurse said with a smile.

Caroline felt a part of the floor of the pod, near her head, shift. Something clicked into her neural link, and a pair of panels wrapped across her forehead. She felt numerous, cold points of metal press against her head, and the sensation made its way up and across her scalp too. A translucent visor slid down out of the restraint on her forehead.

“One last thing,” the nurse leaned down, “Say ‘Aah’.”

“Aaaa-gh”

The nurse stuck a rubber mouth guard in between her teeth.

“Now bite down, hun. This is so you don’t clench your jaw too much, or bite your tongue off,” the nurse then placed a mask with a tube running to it over her nose and mouth, “There we go, you’re all set!”

The nurse took a step back, and Dr. Goldhill leaned over her.

“Looking good, you forgot the heart rate monitor.” The Doctor attached it herself. “Alright. Caroline, can you hear me? Blink one for yes, twice for no.”

She blinked once.

“Good, good. We’re ready to begin, as soon as you give us the go ahead. Once for yes, twice for no.”

She blinked once.

“That’s what I thought,” Dr. Goldhill grabbed the lid of the pod, “Now, just relax. I’m sure you’re going to enjoy this.”

She gently closed the lid. Then, there was silence. No sounds but her own breathing. There was a hiss, followed shortly by a familiar scent. Sticky sweet, almost like strawberry, with hints of fluoride and chemicals. She began to feel woozy. The visor clicked on, showing a simple, pink spiral that immediately grabbed her attention, and started pulling her under. Static started pouring into her head from the hundreds of metal points. It was heaviest on her temples. It wasted no time completely filling her head. She lost awareness of her body. Her consciousness wained, she hung on the very edge of awareness. The neural link began to feel warm. The warmth spread. It was the kind of warmth that soaked into your bones, comfortable, wonderful. It slowly crept through her brain, leaving everything nice and fuzzy as it went. It took an eternity for it to fully reach the other side of her head. Once it did, and the fuzziness and static were all that was left, a cool sensation quickly flowed out of the neural link. It wasn’t long before that sensation made her loose consciousness.

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

She slowly opened her eyes. Her head felt like... felt... strange. People were leaning over her. She tried to sit up, but couldn’t move. They were saying something, but she couldn’t hear. Her ears were... ringing. She closed her eyes, and waited. Eventually, she was pulled upright.

“...llo? Can you hear me? Caroline?”

Some noise escaped her lips.

The person on her left, wearing... a... a lot of white, was talking.

“She’s responding. Look at me, Caroline.”

She felt a hand on the.. on her... cheek. The person in white turned her head.

“Keep your eyes open for me, I know they’re heavy. Tell me, how do you feel?”

She looked around the stranger’s face.

“...blank...”

#brainwashing #hypnosis #smut #hypnovember

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survivorparr · 5 years ago

Text

the sun and her moon, part 6/8 (all you wanna do)

aka, In Which we Journey North

Ex Wives/No Way | DLUH | Heart of Stone | Haus of Holbein| Get Down

.....

Aragon rubbed her hand vigorously up and down her right bicep to dull the sharp pain.

“What the heck, Kitty??”

“Punch buggy, no punch backs!”

Aragon let out a sharp gust of air as she flicked her eyes towards the ceiling of the van, then retrained them on the green hillside whizzing by outside the window.

Behind her, Anna and Parr were deeply engaged in an argument about whether John Dowland or Hans Gerle had been the better lutenist. The air was filled with a faint, sweet melody coming from Jane, humming in the driver’s seat.

And folded in upon herself in the back seat, eyes aimed at the window but certainly not paying attention to the scenery, was Anne. The events of last night danced in her mind’s eye:

“Are you alright, Cath?”

“Yes - no - I don’t know. Yes, I’m fine”.

“‘I don’t know’ isn’t yes. Tell me what you’re thinking”.

She had taken one of Cathy’s small, warm hands in hers. There was no sound except the pounding of her own heart. Then:

“I just... think I need a minute to think”.

“God Cath, I’m so sorry, I just assumed - in the bar - I thought there’d been a moment and I -“

Cath squeezed her hand hard. “There was. There was a moment. And... I want there to be more moments, a lot more. It’s just... I’ve never... been with a woman before”. Her eyes shone and she seemed to be wrestling with her own mind in order to get the words out. Anne suddenly felt the absence of Cath’s hand in hers as she retreated onto her bed.

“I’m so sorry, Anne. It’s just that you mean the world to me, and if I can’t manage to come to terms with... feeling this way about you, and something goes poorly, I just don’t know what I’d-”

“You don’t need to apologize for anything, okay? Promise. Go to sleep, I’ll see you in the morning”.

“Actually... could you stay a minute?”

Anne’s chest had tightened, but then she’d seen how small Catherine looked, how vulnerable. She’d crawled onto the bed and molded Cath into her empty spaces, running her fingers through her thick curls.

Thick curls that were now covering the back of a head sitting as far away from her as possible. Not a word was spoken between them all through breakfast, or all through the long drive to Leeds. Anne supposed perhaps Cathy was just nervous to be returning close to home for the first time since they’d come back, but she’d been chattering nervously to the other queens all morning (she and Anna were now debating the merits of the hurdy-gurdy as an instrument, for Christ’s sake). Anne turned up the volume of her headphones to drown it all out, hoping this would have some effect on the heaviness in her heart.

The whirring of the greenery and buildings outside came to a sudden slow, and then finally, a stop. Anne pulled out an earbud to get an idea of what was going on.

“...completely sure? It’s really no trouble, Parr, we can drive you out to York”.

“That’s alright, Jane, the train will be fine. If you lot come with me, I’ll just chicken out and turn us back around”.

“If you’re definitely sure, then. Good luck with your grandmother!”

Anne’s eyes widened. Grandmother... She suddenly remembered how last week, in the middle of French Film Friday, Cath had paused Amelie to ask whether Anne thought anyone else from past times might’ve been brought back to life. “We’d better hope not, otherwise, we might get run off the stage by a country band made up of Prince Albert’s five daughters,” she’d joked.

Stupid. She mentally slapped herself on the wrist. Some kind of friend you are.

Thoughts bubbled up in Anne’s mind more quickly than she could process them - I’ll go with her, I’ll apologize, I’ll—

By the time she was on her feet, Catherine’s blue sweater had disappeared into the crowd outside the train station.

...

Cath tightly gripped the crumpled sheet of lined yellow paper as she walked. She glanced again at the words printed in her own flowery scrawl: 456 Ravensworth St, York. They had not changed since the last time she’d looked (which had been about 54 seconds ago). She knew she had about a minute and a half to compose herself. God, why was she so nervous to meet a woman she’d never even known?

She supposed that was what made it so strange, though. Most girls didn’t get to come back from the dead and meet their long-lost grandmothers who had also supposedly come back from the dead. She felt her ribcage rise as she drew in cold air through her lips. Ravensworth Street. There was no turning back now.

She surveyed the houses on the right side of the street, attempting to estimate which one would be 456. Her eyes fell upon beautiful brick buildings, perfectly trimmed hedges, and-

“Anne???”

Cath rubbed her eyes with her fists, but when she stopped, Anne was still perched on the stone wall of a lawn about four houses down.

Without thinking, Cath broke out into a jog. She stopped in front of the tall iron gate.

“What the hell are you doing here? I said I was fine on my own”.

“I know you are. You’ve always been fine without anyone”.

The words stung, and Cath shifted her weight uncomfortably.

“How did you even beat me here?”

Anne shrugged nonchalantly. “Trains are slow, Cleves drives fast”.

Cath’s jaw dropped a little. Jane never let Cleves drive - the queens had decided she was a hazard to public safety.

“Look, you say the word and I’ll go back to the hotel, I promise. I just thought... I came here because... I know that this is a big deal for you, and I know you don’t need me, but I wanted you to know that you don’t have to do this alone if you don’t want to”.

Anne looked at Cath’s face for any hint of what she might be thinking, but found she could not read the intense gaze, furrowed brow, or parted lips.

“You know what, I’m sorry. Clearly this is personal for you, and I’ll go”.

Anne gathered her bulky messenger bag under her arm and pulled herself up off the wall.

“Wait. Anne”.

She waited for Cath to say more, but Cath simply held out a slender hand. A wave of relief washed over Anne. She took Cath’s hand, and pulled open the gate with her other.

...

“A frog? Truly, Grandmother?”

“I swear it on my life! Oh, the whole castle could hear Uncle Richard hollering. Then, he ran about the halls in just his nightclothes! Lady Anne and I were absolutely beside ourselves”.

“That’s absolutely brilliant, Lady Fitzhugh! I might have to try it out myself on a certain Spanish queen”. Anne waggled her eyebrows mischievously at Cath, who exaggerated an eye roll and then chuckled and smiled brightly.

“Please, dear, Elizabeth is just fine. Any friend of my granddaughter’s is a friend of mine”.

Anne grinned, and she realized she felt lighter than she had in a while. Her own grandmothers had been distant, much too busy conniving and calculating to pay her much mind.

“We appear to be out of tea cakes”.

“Appearances aren’t everything, darling. In the kitchen, cooling on the bottom rack of the oven”.

Cath rose from her seat and disappeared from the room in search of the pastries.

Anne struggled ungracefully with the too-large bite of ham sandwich in her mouth. When she had finally swallowed it, she turned to Lady Fitzhugh.

“Thank you again for allowing me to stay for lunch. I know you were only expecting one guest, and we didn’t mean to put you out. Or rather I didn’t mean to, Cathy had nothing to do with it, honest. Anyways, I really appreciate it”.

“Oh hush, it was no trouble at all. Do you know how often an old bag of bones like myself receives visitors? You’ve been nothing but a pleasure, dear. Besides, anyone who loves Catherine the way you do is welcome in my home any time”.

“Oh, I don’t - err - I mean, she’s not, uh, we’re not-”

“I know exactly what you are. You are her sun, and she is your moon. The Catherine that I watched over and protected from the beyond was wise and kind, but so tentative and full of doubt. But now, with you, she has an ease I’ve never seen in her. She seems... strong, and sure. Now, I can’t speak to who you might have been, but I can see the way you look at her. Like all your life, you’ve been running at breakneck speed, and you’ve finally found a place you can rest”.

For once, Anne had no words.

“I know my granddaughter. You may make her more spontaneous, but she still overthinks everything. She always comes around in the end, though. Until she does, you just keep standing by her, and she’ll stand by you. None of the rest of it matters in the end, you’ll see”.

Lady Fitzhugh smiled reassuringly. Anne suddenly felt warm, her clothing too bulky. Pulling at her sweater, she whispered, “Thank you”.

“Found them! Grandmother, do you have the recipe for these?”

“I do! Remind me and I’ll write it out for you before you leave”.

“Thank you! What were you two talking about then?”

“Nothing, dear”. Lady Fitzhugh winked at Anne. “Just the moon”.

...

“Alright, so we’ve seen the river where you and your sister used to skip rocks, the tree where you broke your arm climbing with your brother, and the tower where you studied French. Next up on the Cath’s Classics tour is...? Where are we, then?”

A ribbon of crystal blue water lazily burbled beneath the warped wood under their feet. Sunlight fell golden on dappled leaves that hid the two of them from the outside world.

“This is where I used to sit and write. It was my favorite spot - the only place that was just mine”.

Cath‘s legs felt heavy as they dangled from the edge of the bridge. Anne looked around and then lowered herself awkwardly down next to where Cath sat.

“Until now”.

“Mmm. Until now”.

The two of them sat there in silence. Catherine looked at their images reflected in the water, edges blurred, bending and blending together.

“Why did you come today, Anne?”

“I told you. I thought you might’ve been nervous, and-”

“I mean, why do you keep coming back for me? I’m always messing up, pulling away, doing the stupidest things. All the queens know it, I can tell. It’s like I’m broken or something, and I just... don’t know how to be happy. You’re not like that. You’re... magnetic, and people like you, and you’re... good, just way too good for me. So why did you come?”

Cath was finally able to bring herself to look at Anne’s face. When she did, she was confused by the deep frown and hurt eyes she found. She thought she’d said nice things...

“Is that what you think, Cath? That you’re too broken for me? I’m the broken one. God, I’m so scared of being abandoned that I cling too much, or I self-sabotage when someone gets close. I am constantly trying too damn hard to be the thing that everybody wants while simultaneously keeping them all at arm’s length. Except for when I’m with you”. She reached out her hand and swept her thumb across Cath’s cheekbone. “Being with you feels like getting home and putting on sweatpants after a two show day”.

Cath furrowed her brow in confusion.

“Err - what I mean is, when I’m with you, I don’t have to try so hard. It just feels comfortable. I think you might be the only one who knows who I am. Look, I know that these feelings are confusing for you, and that they go against everything you’ve ever believed. But you can have all the time in the world to figure it all out, because I’m not going anywhere”.

The space between their bodies diminished, and Anne kissed Cath’s forehead gently.

“All I want to do is be with you”.

.....

A/N: I LOVE YOU ALL I’m sorry this update took SO long, this summer has been a certified Mess. But here she ism and she’s long to make up for it - I hope you enjoyed! One part and an epilogue left - almost time to wrap this motha up!

Tags (copied from the last update in case you still wanted!): @mimymomo @supernova-nightmare@allthequeensdeservedmore@demidoubter @alexs-galaxies @sweet-sappphic @sarahzarahh @musical93 @six-aimie @imborrrrrrrr

#the sun and her moon #nic's fics #six the musical

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galexii · 5 years ago

Text

Play Pretend pt. 3

Pairing: Hyunjin x female reader (feat. all members)

Genre: FakeDating!AU (?), fluff, angst

Warning: slight cursing

Word count: ~4.4k

A/N: hellu, thank you for the support for chapter 1 & 2. Sorry it took me so long to update pt 3. I was really busy and this took me longer than i had anticipated aka me getting too engrossed and writing up to 4.4k words? but all in all, i hope you like this!

You waited on the bleachers for Chan and Hyunjin who were busy washing up. The confrontation earlier took some time, which means that rest of the team were probably finishing or done with their shower. This also means Chan and Hyunjin are likely to be the only ones left in the shower room. You could only imagine how awkward the atmosphere is like in the boys’ shower room. Knowing Hyunjin, he would probably try to wash up quietly, not wanting to do anything to anger Chan more. The thoughts of that poor boy tiptoeing around the room and turning on the faucet as quietly as he could made you giggle.

“Paging for Y/N. Earth to Y/N?” Your thoughts got interrupted with abrupt clapping sounds next to your ears. The loud noise scared you, causing you to fall back. A loud clang rang filled the air as your back hit the hard aluminium bleachers.

“Oh my god, are you okay?” Hyunjin immediately pulled you up.

“Yes, I’m fine. Thanks Hyunjin,” you say as you patted the dust off your clothes.

“My god, what got you so engrossed that you couldn’t hear us call you earlier?” Chan added.

“Nothing much,” You grinned, rubbing the sore spot on your back. Both of the boys looked at each other, faces filled with suspicion.

“Sure, Y/N.” Chan rolled his eyes, taking your bag off the bleachers and started to walk down the stairs. Hyunjin held onto your hand and guided you down the bleachers.

“I can carry my stuff down myself, Chan. And, Hyunjin –” You look down at his hand, before continuing, “I can walk down myself, you know.”

“What if you go tumbling down the stairs?” Hyunjin rebutted.

“I’m not that clumsy,” you protested.

“We’re just looking out for you,” Hyunjin’s words shut you up immediately because deep down you knew, they were really just doing those out of care. After leaving the school grounds, you followed Chan to a nearby cafe along a quiet street, which was 10 minutes away from campus. Chan pushed the door opened, causing the bell that was attached to the door to ring.

The café gave off the minimalistic yet retro vibe – it was painted in grey, had a couple of records pasted on the walls. Behind the wooden counter was two curtained area which I assumed one was for the kitchen and the other was for storage. Just then, a lady, who seemed to be in her early twenties, emerged from the back of the store.

“Hey Hayley, can we get the usual table please?”

Usual table?

“Oh my, isn’t it Channie and Hyunjinnie? And you brought in someone new!” The lady grinned as she made her way over to you. She held your hands and gave them a little squeeze. “Ah, aren’t you just adorable?”

Channie? Hyunjinnie?

You look at Chan and Hyunjin, confused. “This is Hayley, the owner of ‘Sweet Times’, which is also Stray Kids’ usual hang out spot,” Chan quickly explained.

“Ah, I see.” You turned to Hayley and smiled back, “Hi Ms Hayley, I’m Y/N.”

“Oh! So you’re the famous Y/N I keeping hearing about,”

That’s weird. Does this mean that Chan, Hyunjin and the others talk about you often?

“Just call me Hayley, dear.” She continued, finally letting your hands go. “Follow me,” Hayley led you three to the back of the store and to one of the curtained areas you noticed earlier. You leaned towards the left, peeking inside the concealed area. All there was inside was just a large table and surrounding the table was an U-shaped couch, which assumed was big enough to fit 9 grown boys since it was Stray Kids’ usual hang out spot. Besides having curtained windows that were located behind the couch, the four walls surrounding the sitting area were naked.

“Y/N, is something wrong?” You felt someone’s hand on your left shoulder. You turn and notice Hyunjin staring down at you worriedly. “You seem out of it again. Does your back still hurt from earlier?”

“Ahh, no, that’s not it. I was just taking a good look at this hidden room,” You say. Hyunjin squeezed your shoulder a little before letting go. He entered the room and you followed him in right after. Hyunjin took a seat across Chan and you followed suit. Hayley entered the room with three glasses of iced tea and placed one in front of each of you. You all thanked her before she left, closing the curtain behind her.

“How come you guys get such special treatment?” You asked, swirling your straw around in the tall glass.

“Hayley is the sister of one of my friends from Australia. She migrated from Australia before I did and ever since I migrated, she has been looking out for me.” Chan say, taking a sip from his tea.

“But, what’s with this private, concealed room?” You continued questioning.

“We used to get stalked by our fans and we can’t actually enjoy our bonding time or talk about serious and private things with them around. Hayley was aware of our problems and offered this alternative to us when she first opened this café.” Hyunjin replied.

“Can’t they just follow you in?”

“Usually we make a run for it and once we reach this place, Hayley will cover for us.”

“Wow, Hayley’s really nice. She’s like a big sister I never had,” You giggled a little, taking a sip of your tea. The perfect mixture of sweet syrup, bitter tea and sour lemon juice danced across your taste buds, sending literal chills down your spine. “This is the best iced lemon tea I have ever had,” You say, taking another sip.

“Right?” Chan leaned back onto the couch, smiling – obviously being proud of his ‘sister’s’ creation. Chan tilt his head and and let out a deep sigh, before throwing his head forward to stare at you at Hyunjin. His smile quickly vanished as he folded his arms. “What exactly is your plan?”

You hear Hyunjin clear his throat next to you before speaking up, “Well, my main goal is to chase Amelie back. I’m just using Y/N as a decoy to make her jealous and want me back,”

“After that messy break-up, you still want her back?” Chan’s question triggered your curiosity. Hyunjin never did tell you why and how he and Amelie broke up. “You didn’t tell Y/N?” You hear Chan say.

Wow, Chan sure picks up on things fast. Nothing gets by him.

You glanced at Hyunjin, who just shrugged in response. “I guess I do owe you an explanation,”

Long story short, Amelie dumped Hyunjin on Valentines’ Day earlier this year because Hyunjin wasn’t romantic enough. Obviously, she hasn’t been counting her blessings since she let such a catch out of her clutches.

“Wow, that sucks.” You commented. Hyunjin leaned back onto the cushioned seat and sighed.

“Do you plan to tell the rest?” Chan asked.

“Nope,” Hyunjin responded, popping the ‘p’ at the end. “You know how great of a secret-keeper Jisung is. Back then when I started dating Amelie, I wanted to keep our relationship a secret for a while till it was stable but I told all the members. The news spread like wildfire thanks to that boy.”

“Right, I remember that.” Chan sighed, “Fine, we’ll not tell others for now. We’ll just pretend you two are really together,” Chan turned to you and added, “Are you okay with that?”

You nod quietly. Chan pulled out his phone from his bag and began typing away. You leaned over to Hyunjin and whispered, “What’s he doing?”

“Initiating the plan,” He whispered back, taking his phone out as well and began typing away. You shifted away to give the boy some privacy and started sipping on your tea again, as you waited for them to fill you in on the ‘initiation of the plan’.

“Okay, they are on their way.” Chan looked up from his phone and placed it down on the table.

“Who’s on their way?”

“The rest of the guys,” Hyunjin replied, putting his phone away as well, “It’s showtime.”

The boys didn’t fill you in, but you soon found out what the ‘initiation’ was when seven other boys burst into the room. All the boys were in protest, saying how Chan suddenly called them down without any notice. All the ruckus quietened down when you notice the boys’ eyes on you.

“Oh, noona! I haven’t seen you in such a long time,” Jeongin took a seat next to you.

“I called you down because Hyunjin had an announcement to make,” Chan say, shuffling in, making space for the rest of the boys. The boys sat down on the couch that Chan was on.

“Erm, so announcement,” Hyunjin say and held your hand before raising it up to show them. “I just wanted to let you know that Y/N and I are dating,”. You were expecting a wave of protests or negative responses but instead, silence filled the room.

Woojin, the eldest in the group, broke the silence, “Sorry, what? Since when? How?”

Before you could answer, the rest of the boys bombarded you both with questions. The pressure was more overwhelming than you had anticipated. You squeezed Hyunjin’s hand for support as you try to compose yourself.

“HEY,” Chan yelled, “One at a time,”

Thank you, Channie.

“Well, we started talking to each other again about a few months ago. The more we talked, the more we clicked with one another and here we are – dating.” Hyunjin summarised (aka lied).

“I support that,” You hear Jeongin speak up, “You two seem to compliment each other,”. You thanked the youngest shyly. One by one, the rest of the boys all started to congratulate you. Right after that, the boys continued to pester Hyunjin for more details on your sudden relationship. Living a little stuffy, you excused yourself and stepped out of the room with the empty glass in your hand. You asked Hayley where you could get a refill and some drinks for the rest of the boys. She directed you to the fridge behind the counter where all the drinks were kept. You opened the fridge carefully, not wanting to ruin anything, and poured yourself another glass of iced tea. You took out 7 other glasses from the cabinet above you and filled them with iced tea.

“Is that for us?” You hear someone say from behind you. You stopped pouring and turned to look behind you. Standing there was none other than the mood maker of the squad – Han Jisung. On top of being extremely handsome, Jisung was also known for being extremely talented. Rapping, dancing, singing, even promoting – anything, you name it. Before words could form, Jisung took the jug from you and continued filling the rest of the empty glasses. “I’m actually really glad you and Hyunjin are together.”

“Why is that?”

“Back then, after Hyunjin and I got close to one another, he would always bring you up in almost every conversation we had. Even when you guys weren’t as close as before, he would always mention how much he misses you and all.”

… he does?

“And truthfully, I like you better, as compared to Amelie. She’s super judgemental and she doesn’t understand that we have to practice for our showcases, which always put Hyunjin in a tight position. But, I’m glad you understand.”

“I mean, I know how much performing means to him and I would never want to get in the way of it,” You say, putting the filled glasses on an empty tray.

“I’m glad he now has someone like you,” He smiled, ruffling your hair. You smiled back. He then passed you the empty jug and picked up the tray. You put the empty jug in the sink and ran over to inform Hayley about it, before following Jisung back into the room. Jisung set the tray down and you distributed the glasses out to the boys. A chorus of ‘thanks’ echoed throughout the enclosed space. You set one down in front of Jisung before returning to your seat.

“Did Jisung tease you a lot out there?” Hyunjin whispered, taking a sip. You shook your head, grinning, “He was really nice to me,”. Just then, Hyunjin placed his glass down on the table with a rather loud thud, causing everyone to stop and look at him.

“Ah… erm, sorry. It slipped,” He say sheepishly. The guys brushed it off quickly and continued their conversations from earlier.

“Are you okay?” You reach for his hand. But before you could hold it, Hyunjin pulled away, avoiding your gaze. “Ah, sorry.” You whispered, looking down. You pulled out your phone and began scrolling through Instagram, hoping that the awkward moment would fade away. After minutes of uncomfortable silence between the two of you, the curtains suddenly burst open. Hayley stepped into the room with plates of food in her hands, looking more tired and sweatier than before.

“Here’s your dinner.” She placed a few plates in front of the boys before going out to pick up the rest of the plates. “Eat and wash up after yourself. After that, start to pack up. I’m closing up soon,” She announced. You all thanked her and began digging into the plate of curry rice served by Hayley. After that, Chan stacked the plates and carried them out. You offered to wash them but Chan declined the help, insisting that you should rest up. The rest of the boys, including you began to pack up and clean up the room. When Chan returned, everyone got up from their seats and made their way out. Hayley kindly sent us off with a big smile on her face. “See you guys soon, and you too, Y/N.” Hayley grinned.

After saying your goodbyes with Hayley, you walked down the quiet streets together with the boys, listening to them chattering away like before until you all reached a crossroad. Everyone else lived at the northern side while only you and Hyunjin lived at the west. After some slight teasing from the group, everyone else left for the north while you and Hyunjin left for the west. Before long, uncomfortable silence filled the air again. Worries about the incident earlier flooded your mind.

Did you do something wrong? Did you offend him in any way? What exactly made him so mad earlier?

Your footsteps naturally slowed down, causing you to walk slightly behind Hyunjin. “I’m really sorry about earlier.” You say quietly, fiddling with your thumbs.

He halted and turned to you before letting out a little sigh, “Nah, its not your fault. I was just uncomfortable in there. You didn’t do anything, so don’t worry about it.” He reached out to give your hair a little ruffle. You let out a sigh of relief, letting his words comfort your worrying heart.

“Why are you walking so far behind me?” He say, pulling you closer to him. “I can’t see you if you walk behind me. I’ll get worried,” He added, not letting your arm go as you both walked all the way home. Upon reaching your house, Hyunjin finally let your arm go.

“Parents aren’t home huh?”

“Yeah, they are on a business trip – like always.” You mumbled, searching through your bag from your keys. You fished them out and unlocked the front door. “So, I’ll see you in the morning?”

“I’ll meet you at 7 and let’s walk to school together,”

You nodded slightly. Hyunjin began making his way over to the apartment unit next to yours. You waved lightly before stepping into the quiet apartment, closing the door behind you. Your phone began buzzing away in your pocket. You pulled it out and opened up the new messages.

Apparently, Jisung has added you into a group chat with all the other boys and all of them sent you warm welcomes, along with a few memes and gifs in between. You thanked them and went on to check on your other messages.

Channie <9:54pm>: “I hope it wasn’t too uncomfortable for you,”

You quickly replied him to reassure him that it was fine. In fact, it was actually really fun.

Channie <10:00pm>: “Glad to hear that. See you in school tomorrow,”

You closed the chat and made your way up to your room. You placed your bag on your table and walked over to your closet, pulling out a sweater and shorts to change into. You were about to put your phone away when your phone began buzzing away again. This time, it was Hyunjin.

Hyunjinnie <10:01pm>: “Nice sweater,”

You looked up from your phone and out of your window, only to see that boy grinning at you with his phone in his hands. You tossed the clothes onto your bed and walked over to the window.

“How long has it been since we talked like this?” You say, leaning against the window.

“I can’t remember,” He replied, pressing his weight on the window rail.

Your bedroom directly next to Hyunjin’s. You used to keep your curtains closed because you weren’t comfortable with him yet but you can still vividly remember that day Hyunjin took the initiative to talk to you through the window.

It was Sunday and you were home alone like always since your parents were out of town for a business trip. You had accidentally left your curtains open that evening while you were doing your homework.

“Hey, you finally opened your curtains.” You hear someone say. You looked around your room in confusion, not sure where that voice came from. “Look out the window,” The voice appeared again. You stood up from your chair and did what the voice had instructed. You see Hyunjin waving to you from his room.

“Oh, hello.” You greeted, “I didn’t notice I left it opened. I’ll close it if it bothers you,” You say shyly.

“NO!” He shouted, stopping you. You stood there frozen, not sure what to do. You hear him clear his throat loudly before continuing, “I mean, no. It’s not a bother. I want to talk to you,”

“You do?” You asked. Back then, when you transferred over, you weren’t able to approach anyone as everyone were in their own ‘clique’. No one wanted to either as they didn’t want to ruin their ‘clique’ that they were in, so you had always spent your days alone, which is similar to your daily life.

“Why not? You seem like a really cool girl and you really rocked sports. I have seen you run during PE,” He commented, making blood rush to your head as your ears began to turn red. “So, what are you doing today?”

You pulled your notebook up to show him and he did the same. It slowly progressed from sharing about homework and school life to more personal things, like family. You shared with him about how you were always alone since your parents were overseas.

“Why don’t you come over for dinner then?”

“Can i?” You asked, fiddling your thumbs.

“Of course! Come right over,” Hyunjin beamed.

Since that day, a ray of sunshine has entered your life. You two would either hang out at his place or yours after having dinner at his place. But more importantly, talking to Hyunjin through your bedroom window has become a routine for the both of you. Every night, the both of you would talk till the wee hours or until his mother came in to tell him to go to bed. Anyways, since then, you have found yourself gazing out of your window more and your curtains have not been closed since.

Again, all good things come to an end eventually. After you and Hyunjin became more distanced in high school, his curtains were closed more often. The number of window chatting sessions began to decrease. Eventually, the number reduced to zero, his curtains were never opened and you stopped gazing out of the window – until today.

“Would you like to come over for supper?” He asked. You raised a brow, taken aback by the sudden invitation. “My mother made too much pie and asked me to share it with you,” He added.

“I think it’s a bit late now. I wouldn’t want to intrude,” You bit your lower lip as you turned his invitation down.

Honestly, you wouldn’t know how to face his parents especially his mother. His mother had taken care of you and loved you like you were her own but ever since your relationship with Hyunjin had gone downhill, you couldn’t bring yourself to indulge in that family love you were given so you began to slowly disappear from their lives aka avoid them. It was really surprising to hear that Hyunjin’s mother still cared deeply for you despite what had happened.

“Then, can I come over?” His question threw you off guard. Your brain was telling you no, saying that its dangerous for your heart, but your heart said otherwise. Since you were someone who always followed your heart, you nodded in response. Hyunjin gave you a thumbs up and told you he will be right over.

You shut your curtains and fell onto the ground. Your legs had officially given up on you. You quickly got changed into your pyjamas and inspected yourself in the mirror, making sure you looked okay. You threw your dirty laundry into the washer and turned it on, before speed cleaning the entire apartment. The doorbell rang and you ran over to the door. You pushed your hair behind your ears and straightened out your clothes.

Get a hold of yourself, Y/N! Why are you so nervous? It’s not like he’s never been over before.

You slapped your cheeks lightly before opening the door. Hyunjin, who was wearing a black v neck top and grey sweatpants, which for some reason looked really hot to you, greeted you with a slight smile, holding the plate of pie up for you to see. You lowered your head to hide your blush and stepped aside to let him in. You closed the door behind him and watched him flop down onto your couch after putting the pie down on the coffee table. You took a seat on the floor, in front of the coffee table.

“Why are you sitting on the floor?” Hyunjin asked. You turned, noticing that his face was right next to yours since he had lowered his face to level with yours. You turned back to face the pie, feeling your ears turn red.

“Just wanted to get a better look of the pie,” You lied. Hyunjin let out a little ‘oh’ before joining you on the floor, which made your heart beat even faster than it already was. “Erm, so cherry pie huh?” You laughed nervously, not breaking eye contact with the pie in front of you.

“Yeah, your favourite right?”

He remembers.

“Y-yeah,” You say, getting up from your seat.

“Where are you going?” He asked, getting up as well.

“To get us some plates and forks,” You say, pointing to the kitchen.

“Let’s have it there,” Hyunjin say, picking the plate of pie up before walking over to your kitchen. You followed him in and watched him flip the light switch on with his free hand before placing the pie down on the kitchen counter.

Hyunjin was unbelievably calm and comfortable, like as if he was in his own house, unlike you on the other hand who was a nervous wreck. You two were alone in an empty apartment and he isn’t even the slightest bit nervous. It could only mean one thing – he doesn’t see you as a girl and that thought broke your heart.

He pulled out two plates, two forks and a knife out of the cabinet and placed one set in front of you. You thanked him, hiding your sadness under the smile you showed. You took the knife from him and cut out two pieces – one for the each of you. He sat down on the kitchen stool across you.

“Just like old times,” He remarked, sending your mind into a state of frenzy as the memories of you two together when you were younger. Him sitting next to you, while you two eat, while you fell in love. You shook the thoughts away, clearing them from your mind.

“Sure was,” You smiled, biting your lower lip in effort to hide the pain. You stuffed a piece of pie into your mouth, looking away from him.

“Are you okay?” Hyunjin asked, leaning over the counter to take a closer look on your face. You nodded slightly, smiling as you stuffed another mouthful into your mouth. “You have a little something here,” He brought a finger up to the corner of your mouth and wiped away what seemed to be cherry filling. You flinched and stood up. You quickly finished up the remaining pie and put the plate in the sink. You excused yourself and made your way to the bathroom. You gathered some water and began splashing your face, trying to cool your reddening face. You got out of the bathroom after your face and heart calmed down. You went back to the kitchen and was about to do the dishes when you saw Hyunjin already there, washing the dirty plates for you.

“Can I help?” You walked up to him and stood next to him, over the sink. He passed you a clean dish and you wiped it dry with a cloth you had taken from the kitchen shelves. You put the dry plate next to you and repeated your actions for the subsequent plate and utensils. He put the sponge back on its holder and washed the soap off his hands. He shifted his position a little, until he was standing behind you. You pressed your body against the counter in surprise, not knowing what to do. He simply took the dry plates off the counter and placed them back in the cabinet, while you kept the forks and knife. “I better get going. It’s pretty late,” He added, glancing at the clock on the wall.

“Sure, I’ll walk you out.” You say, leading him to the entrance of your apartment. He grabbed all his belongings and followed you. He slipped on his slippers and ruffled your hair lightly.

“See you at 7,” He smiled, walking away from you and to his house next door. You closed the door behind you and flopped down on the couch, recalling all the events that had happened within that short 2 hours.

Hyunjin’s slightest actions can send you into a state of utter frenzy and nervousness. What exactly were you going to do with him?

Tagging @softruly just like requested :>

#stray kids #stray kids scenarios #stray kids reactions #hyunjin #hwang hyunjin #chan #bang chan #woojin #minho #changbin #leeknow #han #jisung #seungmin #Felix #I.N #jeongin

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